ObjectiveIn nature, objects cast shadows due to illumination, forming the basis for stereoscopic perception. Birds need to adapt to changes in lighting (meaning they can recognize stereoscopic shapes even when shadows look different) to accurately perceive different three-dimensional forms. However, how neurons in the key visual brain area in birds handle these lighting changes remains largely unreported. In this study, pigeons (Columba livia) were used as subjects to investigate how neurons in pigeon’s ventrolateral mesopallium (MVL) represent stereoscopic shapes consistently, regardless of changes in lighting. MethodsVisual cognitive training combined with neuronal recording was employed. Pigeons were first trained to discriminate different stereoscopic shapes (concave/convex). We then tested whether and how light luminance angle and surface appearance of the stereoscopic shapes affect their recognition accuracy, and further verify whether the results rely on specify luminance color. Simultaneously, neuronal firing activity of neurons was recorded with multiple electrode array implanted from the MVL during the presentation of difference shapes. The response was finally analyzed how selectively they responded to different stereoscopic shapes and whether their selectivity was affected by the changes of luminance condition (like lighting angle) or surface look. Support vector machine (SVM) models were trained on neuronal population responses recorded under one condition (light luminance angle of 45°) and used to decode responses under other conditions (light luminance angle of 135°, 225°, 315°) to verify the invariance of responses to different luminance conditions. ResultsBehavioral results from 6 pigeons consistently showed that the pigeons could reliably identify the core 3D shape (over 80% accuracy), and this ability wasn’t affected by changes in light angle or surface appearance. Statistical analysis of 88 recorded neurons from 6 pigeons revealed that 83% (73/88) showed strong selectivity for specific 3D shapes (selectivity index>0.3), and responses to convex shapes were consistently stronger than to concave shapes. These shape-selective responses remained stable across changes in light angle and surface appearance. Neural patterns were consistent under both blue and orange lighting. The decoding accuracy achieves above 70%, suggesting stable responses under different conditions (e.g., different lighting angles or surface appearance). ConclusionNeurons in the pigeon MVL maintain a consistent neural encoding pattern for different stereoscopic shapes, unaffected by illumination or surface appearance. This ensures stable object recognition by pigeons in changing visual environments. Our findings provide new physiological evidence for understanding how birds achieve stable perception (“invariant neural representations”) while coping with variations in the visual field.

[摘 要] 目的：探讨白蛋白结合型紫杉醇联合PD-1抑制剂用于治疗一线化疗失败的骨与软组织肉瘤的疗效及安全性。方法：回顾性分析北京积水潭医院骨肿瘤科2017年8月至2020年8月收治的一线化疗失败的晚期骨与软组织肉瘤患者。患者接受白蛋白结合型紫杉醇（125~140 mg/m2，第1天和第8天）与PD-1抑制剂（信迪利单抗或特瑞普利单抗，每21 d一次）联合治疗。每2个治疗周期评估1次疗效，按RECIST 1.1标准评估肿瘤疗效，按NCI-CTCAE5.0标准评估不良反应。结果：共20名患者纳入研究，完成1至8个治疗周期，中位治疗周期数为3个。所有患者均可评估疗效，完全缓解4例（20%），部分缓解0例，稳定9例（45%），疾病进展7例（35%）。客观缓解率（ORR）为20%，疾病控制率（DCR）为65%。中位无进展生存期（PFS）为3.0个月。治疗期间主要不良反应包括2级白细胞减少（40%）、1-2级神经毒性反应（20%），以及2级甲状腺功能减退（10%）。结论：白蛋白结合型紫杉醇联合PD-1抑制剂治疗为一线化疗失败的晚期骨与软组织肉瘤患者提供了一种潜在的治疗选择，其不良反应可控，值得开展更大样本的前瞻性研究进一步验证其疗效。

OBJECTIVE: To explore and verify the effect and potential mechanism of Brucea javanica Seed Oil Emulsion Injection (YDZI) and Shengmai Injection (SMI) on peripheral microcirculation dysfunction in treatment of gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: The potential mechanisms of YDZI and SMI were explored through network pharmacology and verified by cellular and clinical experiments. Human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) were cultured for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured for tube formation assay. Twenty healthy volunteers and 97 patients with GC were enrolled. Patients were divided into surgical resection, surgical resection with chemotherapy, and surgical resection with chemotherapy combining YDZI and SMI groups. Forearm skin blood perfusion was measured and recorded by laser speckle contrast imaging coupled with post-occlusive reactive hyperemia. Cutaneous vascular conductance and microvascular reactivity parameters were calculated and compared across the groups. RESULTS: After network pharmacology analysis, 4 ingredients, 82 active compounds, and 92 related genes in YDZI and SMI were screened out. β-Sitosterol, an active ingredient and intersection compound of YDZI and SMI, upregulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2, P<0.01), downregulated the expression of caspase 9 (CASP9) and estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1, P<0.01) in HMECs under oxaliplatin stimulation, and promoted tube formation through VEGFA. Chemotherapy significantly impaired the microvascular reactivity in GC patients, whereas YDZI and SMI ameliorated this injury (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS YDZI and SMI ameliorated peripheral microvascular reactivity in GC patients. β-Sitosterol may improve peripheral microcirculation by regulating VEGFA, PTGS2, ESR1, and CASP9.
Humans ; Microcirculation/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Stomach Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Emulsions ; Male ; Plant Oils/administration & dosage* ; Brucea/chemistry* ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Drug Combinations ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Injections ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Aged ; Network Pharmacology

Apical microsurgery is accurate and minimally invasive, produces few complications, and has a success rate of more than 90%. However, due to the lack of awareness and understanding of apical microsurgery by dental general practitioners and even endodontists, many clinical problems remain to be overcome. The consensus has gathered well-known domestic experts to hold a series of special discussions and reached the consensus. This document specifies the indications, contraindications, preoperative preparations, operational procedures, complication prevention measures, and efficacy evaluation of apical microsurgery and is applicable to dentists who perform apical microsurgery after systematic training.
Microsurgery/standards* ; Humans ; Apicoectomy ; Contraindications, Procedure ; Tooth Apex/diagnostic imaging* ; Postoperative Complications/prevention & control* ; Consensus ; Treatment Outcome

Pulpotomy, which belongs to vital pulp therapy, has become a strategy for managing pulpitis in recent decades. This minimally invasive treatment reflects the recognition of preserving healthy dental pulp and optimizing long-term patient-centered outcomes. Pulpotomy is categorized into partial pulpotomy (PP), the removal of a partial segment of the coronal pulp tissue, and full pulpotomy (FP), the removal of whole coronal pulp, which is followed by applying the biomaterials onto the remaining pulp tissue and ultimately restoring the tooth. Procedural decisions for the amount of pulp tissue removal or retention depend on the diagnostic of pulp vitality, the overall treatment plan, the patient's general health status, and pulp inflammation reassessment during operation. This statement represents the consensus of an expert committee convened by the Society of Cariology and Endodontics, Chinese Stomatological Association. It addresses the current evidence to support the application of pulpotomy as a potential alternative to root canal treatment (RCT) on mature permanent teeth with pulpitis from a biological basis, the development of capping biomaterial, and the diagnostic considerations to evidence-based medicine. This expert statement intends to provide a clinical protocol of pulpotomy, which facilitates practitioners in choosing the optimal procedure and increasing their confidence in this rapidly evolving field.
Humans ; Calcium Compounds/therapeutic use* ; Consensus ; Dental Pulp ; Dentition, Permanent ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Pulpitis/therapy* ; Pulpotomy/standards*

Intentional tooth replantation (ITR) is an advanced treatment modality and the procedure of last resort for preserving teeth with inaccessible endodontic or resorptive lesions. ITR is defined as the deliberate extraction of a tooth; evaluation of the root surface, endodontic manipulation, and repair; and placement of the tooth back into its original socket. Case reports, case series, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy of ITR in the retention of natural teeth that are untreatable or difficult to manage with root canal treatment or endodontic microsurgery. However, variations in clinical protocols for ITR exist due to the empirical nature of the original protocols and rapid advancements in the field of oral biology and dental materials. This heterogeneity in protocols may cause confusion among dental practitioners; therefore, guidelines and considerations for ITR should be explicated. This expert consensus discusses the biological foundation of ITR, the available clinical protocols and current status of ITR in treating teeth with refractory apical periodontitis or anatomical aberration, and the main complications of this treatment, aiming to refine the clinical management of ITR in accordance with the progress of basic research and clinical studies; the findings suggest that ITR may become a more consistent evidence-based option in dental treatment.
Humans ; Tooth Replantation/methods* ; Consensus ; Periapical Periodontitis/surgery*

Ophiopogon japonicus, a precious medicinal plant endemic to Zhejiang Province. Its tuberous roots are rich in bioactive components such as flavonoids, possessing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. To elucidate the impact of cadmium (Cd) stress on the accumulation and biosynthetic pathway of flavonoids in O. japonicus, this study exposed O. japonicus to different concentrations of Cd stress and explored the changes through integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis. The results demonstrated that Cd stress (1 mg/L and 10 mg/L) significantly increased the content of flavonoids in O. japonicus in a concentration-dependent manner. The metabolomics analysis revealed a total of 110 flavonoids including flavones, flavanols, flavonols, flavone and flavonol derivatives, flavanones, isoflavonoids, chalcones and dihydrochalcones, and anthocyanins in O. japonicus, among which flavones, flavonols, flavone and flavonol derivatives, and anthocyanins increased under Cd stress. The transcriptomics analysis identified several key flavonoid biosynthesis-associated genes with up-regulated expression under Cd stress, including 14 genes encoding 4-coumarate CoA ligase (4CL), 2 genes encoding chalcone isomerase (CHI), and 14 genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). The gene-metabolite regulatory network indicated significant positive correlations of 4CL (Cluster-21637.5012, Cluster-21637.90648, and Cluster-21637.62637) and CHI (Cluster-21637.111909 and Cluster-21637.123300) with flavonoid metabolites, suggesting that these genes promoted the synthesis of specific flavonoid metabolites, which led to the accumulation of total flavonoids under Cd stress. These findings provide theoretical support for the cultivation and utilization of medicinal plants in Cd-contaminated environments and offered new perspectives for studying plant responses to heavy metal stress.
Cadmium/toxicity* ; Flavonoids/biosynthesis* ; Metabolomics ; Ophiopogon/drug effects* ; Stress, Physiological ; Transcriptome ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant

Objective:To analyze the prognostic factors and the influence of surgical margin to prognosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for 208 pelvic tumors who received surgical treatment from January 2000 to December 2017 in our instituition. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test, and impact factor analysis was performed using Cox regression models.Results:There were 183 initial patients and 25 recurrent cases. According to Enneking staging, 110 cases were stage ⅠB and 98 cases were stage ⅡB. 19 lesions were in zone Ⅰ, 1 in zone Ⅱ, 15 in zone Ⅲ, 29 in zone Ⅰ+Ⅱ, 71 in zone Ⅱ+Ⅲ, 29 in zone Ⅰ+Ⅳ, 35 in zone Ⅰ+Ⅱ+Ⅲ, 3 in zone Ⅰ+Ⅱ+Ⅳ, and 6 in zone Ⅰ+Ⅱ+Ⅲ+Ⅳ. Surgical margins including Intralesional excision in 7 cases, contaminated margin in 21 cases, marginal resection in 67 cases, and wide resection in 113 cases. Local recurrence occurred in 37 cases (17.8%), 25 cases were performed by reoperation and 12 cases received amputation finally. The 5-year recurrence rate of marginal resection was higher than wide resection ( P＜0.05), and the recurrence-free survival rate of marginal resection was lower than wide resection ( P＜0.05). There was significant differences in recurrence rate and recurrence-free survival rate between R0 and R1 resection ( P＜0.05). 92 cases were not reconstructed and 116 cases were reconstructed after pelvic surgery. At the last follow-up, 63 patients (30.3%) died, and the 5-year, 10-year and 15-year survival rates were 70.4%, 66.8% and 61.3%, respectively. The 5-year survival rate of stage ⅠB and ⅡB tumor was 90.4% and 46.8%, respectively. There were 29 cases had postoperative wound complications (13.8%), 1 case with pelvic organ injury. The final function was evaluated in 132 patients, with an average MSTS score of 25.1±3.6. Cox multivariate analysis showed that surgical staging, R0/R1 margin and metastasis were independent prognostic factors for pelvic tumors. Conclusions:The safe surgical margin is the key factor for recurrence-free of pelvic tumor. The survival rate of stage ⅡB pelvic tumors was significantly lower than that of stage ⅠB tumors. Wound infection is the main postoperative complication. Surgical staging, R0/R1 margin and metastasis were independent prognostic factors of pelvic tumors.

Child ; Humans ; Mpox (monkeypox)/prevention & control* ; Disease Outbreaks