Objective:To establish an accurate retinal vascular network segmentation method for multiple fundus diseases, and to investigate the changing patterns of retinal vascular morphological parameters in these diseases.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted.Color fundus photography data of 829 patients with fundus diseases and 146 healthy adults were collected at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University from January 2020 to December 2023.The multi-path segmentation network was fine-tuned, and the color fundus photography data of diabetic retinopathy (DR), glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients and healthy adults in the fundus image vessel segmentation public dataset were input for training until the loss value of the model stopped decreasing, and finally the trained multi-disease retinal vascular segmentation model was obtained.The retinal blood vessel morphological characteristics analysis method previously developed by our research group was used to analyze the subjects' color fundus images centered on the macula, the retinal blood vessel fractal dimension (D f), vascular area ratio (VAR), mean diameter (D m), tortuosity (τ) and other morphological characteristics parameters were extracted and compared among various disease groups.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University (No.2023KYPJ344).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject. Results:The accuracy of the multi-disease color fundus photography vessel segmentation model on the test set was 0.987, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.995.After adjustment for age and sex, there were statistically significant differences in adjusted D f, adjusted VAR, adjusted D m and τ among different groups ( F=27.87, 47.60, 26.48, 4.63; all at P<0.001).Adjusted D f in AMD group, DR group, diabetic macular edema (DME) group, retinitis pigmentosa (RP) group, branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) group and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) group was significantly decreased than in normal control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05).Adjusted VAR in all disease groups except optic neuritis group and central serous chorioretinopathy group was significantly decreased compared with normal control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05).The adjusted D m in DME, glaucoma, RP, BRVO and CRVO groups was significantly decreased than that in normal control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05).τ was not affected by age or sex and did not require adjustment.τ in DR group and DME group was significantly increased compared with normal control group, and the differences were statistically significant (both at P<0.05). Conclusions:An accurate retinal blood vessel segmentation method for various fundus diseases was successfully constructed.This method shows high accuracy in retinal blood vessel segmentation in color fundus photographs of various retinal diseases.There are significant differences in the morphological characteristics of retinal blood vessels among different retinal diseases.

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury(CI-AKI)is an iatrogenic acute kidney injury(AKI)observed after diagnostic or therapeutic angiographic interventions with the intravascular application of contrast media(CM).CM leads to impaired renal function through tubular toxicity,intrarenal vasocon-striction,and excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS)production.Dexmedetomidine(DEX)is a selective α2 adrenergic receptor agonist that has been shown to have good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects,and its organ protective effect in the perioperative period is increasingly prominent.Several studies have found that DEX has an excellent protective effect on postoperative renal function.This article aims to explore the protective effect,possible mechanism,and clinical application of DEX in CI-AKI.

Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most common cancers in urology,whose pathogenesis is still unclear. Methyltransferase-like 3(METTL3) is the most important part of N6-methyladenosine methyltransferase complex (m6A MTC),which mediates the methylation of mRNA to regulate the stability and translation process of mRNA. Researches have shown that METTL3 can promote BCa development via AFF4/NF-κB/MYC signaling network,which involves many kinds of signaling molecules. In addition,METTL3 can affect the expressions of AFF4,NF-κB and MYC,so as to affect their downstream signaling pathways and finally promote the malignant progression of tumor.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) following prostatectomy is an important and common problem in male, which can significantly reduce the quality of life. Urethral sling is a promising treatment for male SUI. It is easy to operate and can avoid the insertion of prosthesis, making it highly acceptable to patients. In recent years, with the advancement of technology, several kinds of slings have been put into clinical application and have achieved great outcomes. This article reviews the application of urethral sling in the treatment of SUI after prostatectomy.

Pheochromocytoma and paranganglioma (PPGL) is a rare neuroendocrine tumor. In recent years, the continuous development of multimodal imaging, pathonomics, genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, metabolism and proteomics have provided us with ideas to better understand the complex transfer mechanism of PPGL. This paper will review the precise typing system of PPGL, current research advances in the diagnosis and clinical prognosis.

OBJECTIVES: Restoration of blood circulation within "time window" is the principal treating goal for treating acute ischemic stroke. Previous studies revealed that delayed recanalization might cause serious ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, plenty of evidences showed delayed recanalization improved neurological outcomes in acute ischemic stroke. This study aims to explore the role of delayed recanalization on blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the penumbra (surrounding ischemic core) and neurological outcomes after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). METHODS: Recanalization was performed on the 3rd day after MCAO. BBB disruption was tested by Western blotting, Evans blue dye, and immunofluorescence staining. Infarct volume and neurological outcomes were evaluated on the 7th day after MCAO. The expression of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), and serine/threonine kinase (Akt) in the penumbra were observed by immunofluorescence staining and/or Western blotting. RESULTS: The extraversion of Evans blue, IgG, and albumin increased surrounding ischemic core after MCAO, but significantly decreased after recanalization. The expression of Claudin-5, Occludin, and zona occludens 1 (ZO-1) decreased surrounding ischemic core after MCAO, but significantly increased after recanalization. Infarct volume reduced and neurological outcomes improved following recanalization (on the 7th day after MCAO). The expressions of Claudin-5, Occludin, and ZO-1 decreased surrounding ischemic core following MCAO, which were up-regulated corresponding to the increases of FGF21, p-FGFR1, PI3K, and p-Akt after recanalization. Intra-cerebroventricular injection of FGFR1 inhibitor SU5402 down-regulated the expression of PI3K, p-Akt, Occludin, Claudin-5, and ZO-1 in the penumbra, which weakened the beneficial effects of recanalization on neurological outcomes after MCAO. CONCLUSIONS Delayed recanalization on the 3rd day after MCAO increases endogenous FGF21 in the penumbra and activates FGFR1/PI3K/Akt pathway, which attenuates BBB disruption in the penumbra and improves neurobehavior in MCAO rats.
Animals ; Rats ; Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism* ; Brain Ischemia ; Claudin-5/metabolism* ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery/metabolism* ; Ischemic Stroke/metabolism* ; Occludin/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1/metabolism* ; Reperfusion Injury/metabolism*

The number of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) patients in China is increasing, and patients tend to be younger and younger. The former "gold standard" scheme of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is more suitable for patients with prostate volume ranging from 40 mL to 80 mL, which may lead to excessive resection in patients with small prostate volume and low efficiency in patients with large prostate volume. New minimally invasive techniques have been introduced,including prostate artery embolization, laser surgery (such as holmium, green, diode, and thulium), minimally invasive simple prostatectomy, transperineal laser ablation, prostatic urethral lift,and robot-assisted water jet ablation of the prostate. These methods are alternatives to TURP and increasingly used in the treatment of BPO. This article reviewed the advances in minimally invasive treatment of BPO.

Objective:To study the stability and influencing factors of potassium iodate iodized salt that can be sold in Jilin Province.Methods:In November 2020, 10 large supermarkets were randomly selected in Jilin Province, and two kinds of potassium iodate iodized salts were randomly selected in each supermarket, with five copies of each kind, a total of 100 samples of iodized salt, and the iodine content was determined by spectrophotometry (iodide-starch blue light method). Iodized salt samples were classified according to different salt species (mine salt, sea salt and lake salt) and different production processes (refined salt and non-refined salt). The salt was stored at room temperature, and the iodine content in the salt was measured at 0, 10 and 20 days after opening the packaging. The iodine content attenuation rates of different salt species and different production processes were compared.Results:The mine salt, sea salt and lake salt in iodized salt samples were 45, 45 and 10 portions, respectively. The iodine contents of the 0th day of storage [(19.89 ± 1.38), (20.62 ± 1.91), (19.78 ± 1.01) mg/kg] were compared, and the difference was not statistically significant ( F = 2.57, P = 0.093). On the 10th day, the iodine content of mine salt was lower than that of sea salt and lake salt, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05); on the 20th day, the iodine content of mine salt was lower than that of sea salt, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the iodine content of mine salt stored at 0, 10 and 20 days ( F = 90.62, P < 0.001). The iodine content of sea salt and lake salt on the 20th day was significantly lower than that on the 0th and 10th day, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The iodine content attenuation rates of mine salt, sea salt and lake salt on the 0 - 10 days was compared with that on the 10 - 20 days, and the differences were statistically significant ( Z = 2.24, 2.94, 2.80, P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the iodine content attenuation rates of mine salt, sea salt and lake salt during the 0 - 10 days of storage ( Z = 24.05, P < 0.001), there was no statistically significant difference in the iodine content attenuation rates on 10 - 20 days ( Z = 5.86, P = 0.053). There was no significant difference in iodine content attenuation rates between refined salt and non-refined salt on 0 - 10, 10 - 20 days ( Z = 1.16, 0.28, P > 0.05). There was no statistical significant difference in the iodine content attenuation rates of refined salt and non-refined salt on the 0 - 10 days compared with those of 10 - 20 days ( Z = 0.76, 1.90, P > 0.05). Conclusions:Iodine loss occurs at 20 days after opening the packaging of iodized salt in Jilin Province. The attenuation of iodine content is less affected by salt species and production processes. It is recommended to eat iodized salt within 20 days after opening the packaging.

Bladder cancer is a common malignancy in the genitourinary system and the current therapeutic approaches are unsatisfactory. Urinary cell-free DNA (ucf DNA) has the ability to give comprehensive and crucial information on cancer as it carries genetic messages from cells shedding directly into urine as well as transporting from circulation. The ucf DNA of patients with bladder cancer carries disease information, suggesting that ucf DNA may have the ability to detect, monitor, and prognosticate patients with bladder cancer. The ucf DNA analysis bridges the gap between current techniques and enhances diagnostic and detection capabilities, and has a very promising future in term of translation into clinical practice. This article reviewed the progress of clinical applications of ucf DNA in bladder cancer.

Insulin derivatives such as insulin detemir and insulin degludec are U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved long-acting insulin currently used by millions of people with diabetes. These derivatives are modified in C-terminal B29 lysine to retain insulin bioactivity. New and efficient methods for facile synthesis of insulin derivatives may lead to new discovery of therapeutic insulin. Herein, we report a new method using sortase A (SrtA)-mediated ligation for the synthesis of insulin derivatives with high efficiency and functional group tolerance in the C-terminal B chain. This new insulin molecule (Ins-SA) with an SrtA-recognizing motif can be conjugated to diverse groups with N-terminal oligoglycines to generate new insulin derivatives. We further demonstrated that a new insulin derivative synthesized by this SrtA-mediated ligation shows strong cellular and