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AIM: To analyze the spectrum of isolated pathogens and antibiotic resistance for ocular infections within 5y at two tertiary hospitals in east China. METHODS: Ocular specimen data were collected from January 2019 to October 2023. The pathogen spectrum and positive culture rate for different infection location, such as keratitis, endophthalmitis, and periocular infections, along with antibiotic resistance were analyzed. RESULTS: We included 2727 specimens, including 827 (30.33%) positive cultures. A total of 871 strains were isolated, 530 (60.85%) bacterial and 341 (39.15%) fungal strains were isolated. Gram-positive cocci (GPC) were the most common ocular pathogens. The most common bacterial isolates were Staphylococcus epidermidis (25.03%), Staphylococcus aureus (7.46%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (4.59%), Corynebacterium macginleyi (3.44%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.33%). The most common fungal genera were Fusarium spp. (12.74%), Aspergillus spp. (6.54%), and Scedosporium spp. (5.74%). Staphylococcus epidermidis strains showed more than 50% resistance to fluoroquinolones. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Corynebacterium macginleyi showed more than 90% resistance to erythromycin. The percentage of bacteria showing multidrug resistance (MDR) significantly decreased (χ2=17.44, P=0.002). CONCLUSION: GPC are the most common ocular pathogens. Corynebacterium macginleyi, as the fourth common bacterium, may currently be the local microbiological feature of east China. Fusarium spp. is the most common fungus. More than 50% of the GPC are resistant to fluoroquinolones, penicillins, and macrolides. However, the proportion of MDR strains has been reduced over time.

Abstract There are few studies focus on post-neoadjuvant treatment in hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-)/lymph node-positive (LN+) breast cancer, a multi-center, open-label, randomized, controlled phase III trial was conducted to evaluate pathological response-guided non-cross-resistant adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with HR+/HER2-/LN+ breast cancer who were non-responsive to primary chemotherapy. Patients received four cycles of non-cross-resistant adjuvant chemotherapy plus endocrine therapy (ET), or ET alone. Forty patients responsive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and with Miller and Payne G4 or G5 and LN- status were assigned to the observation group. Distant disease-free survival was the primary endpoint. The final intention-to-treat analysis comprised 379 patients. After a median follow-up period of 72.4 months, the 5-year distant disease-free survival was 92% and 90% in the chemotherapy plus ET and ET-alone groups, respectively. Comparatively, the observation group showed a trend towards better distant disease-free survival. For patients non-responsive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant non-cross-resistant chemotherapy did not significantly improve distant disease-free survival compared to ET alone.

AIM: To investigate the changes of protein expressions in human lens epithelial cells(SRA01/04)undergoing oxidative damage, hoping to provide new protein target for the pathogenesis of age-related cataract(ARC).METHODS: SRA01/04 cells were divided into experimental group and control group. In the experimental group, cells were irradiated with ultraviolet-B(UVB)for 10min to establish the model of oxidative damage, whereas cells in the control group were untreated. Protein expression profile from the two groups was sequenced by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation(iTRAQ). The filtering criteria that fold change >1.2 and p

Platinum‐based alloy nanoparticles are the most attractive catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction at present, but an in‐depth understanding of the relationship between their short‐range structural information and catalytic performance is still lacking. Herein, we present a synthetic strategy that uses transition‐metal oxide‐assisted thermal diffusion. PtCo/C catalysts with localized tetragonal distortion were obtained by controlling the thermal diffusion process of transition‐metal elements. This localized structural distortion induced a significant strain effect on the nanoparticle surface, which further shortened the length of the Pt–Pt bond, improved the electronic state of the Pt surface, and enhanced the performance of the catalyst. PtCo/C catalysts with special short‐range structures achieved excellent mass activity (2.27 A mgPt−1) and specific activity (3.34 A cm−2). In addition, the localized tetragonal distortion‐induced surface compression of the Pt skin improved the stability of the catalyst. The mass activity decreased by only 13% after 30,000 cycles. Enhanced catalyst activity and excellent durability have also been demonstrated in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell configuration. This study provides valuable insights into the development of advanced Pt‐based nanocatalysts and paves the way for reducing noble‐metal loading and increasing the catalytic activity and catalyst stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: To investigate the effect of age on the expression of Na+-K+-ATPase and acute reversible lens opacification induced by chloral hydrate in mice. METHODS: Acute reversible lens opacification was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 4% chloral hydrate(400mg/kg)in 3-month-old(young group)and 24-month-old(old group)C57BL/6 mice. The lens opacification was graded at 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 150min after chloral hydrate injection. The histopathological changes of lens were observed by hematoxylin eosin staining, and the expression of Na+-K+-ATPase in lens was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The development of lens opacity is similar in young and old mice after chloral hydrate injection. The lens opacification in the young group appeared earlier, thicker and lasted longer than the old group. HE staining showed that many vesicles appeared in the cortex below lens epithelial cells(LECs), and the structure of superficial lens fiber cells were disordered after chloral hydrate injection. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of Na+-K+-ATPase was positive in LECs and fibers. The expression of Na+-K+-ATPase in LECs were weak before chloral hydrate injection and up-regulated 45min after chloral hydrate injection in young and old groups. The up-regulation of Na+-K+-ATPase was stronger in the old group than in the young group. CONCLUSION: Age may play a role in the acute reversible lens opacification induced by chloral hydrate in mice. The expression of Na+-K+-ATPase is involved in lens opacity induced by chloral hydrate.

AIM:To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)of Lanosterol synthase(LSS)and 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase(HMGCR)genes and age-related cataract(ARC)risks. METHODS: This was a case-control study. The SNPs of the genes were assayed with TaqMan RT-PCR genotyping. The qRT-PCR was used to detect the LSS mRNA levels of lens epithelial cells(LECs)in individuals. The Chi-square test was used to compare differences of each SNPs between ARCs and controls and to calculate the odds ratio. RESULTS: We found that LSS-rs2968 of ARCs was different from controls(P=0.018), but the significance was lost after Bonferroni correction(P=0.072). We then further performed stratification analysis and found that LSS-rs2968 A allele was associated with nuclear type of ARC risk in Chinese population(P=0.003), and the significances still existed after Bonferroni correction(P=0.012). Consequently, we found that the LSS mRNA levels was lower in LECs of all subtypes of ARC group than that of control group(P

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles of sizes ranging from 50-150nm in diameter. Exosomes can deliver bioactive molecules(e.g. proteins, lipids, DNA, microRNA, etc.)into target cells which play an important role in cell-cell communication. Researches demonstrated that exosomes mediated cell-cell communication can impact cell apoptosis, invasion, migration, immune response and oxidative repair ability of recipient cells. Recently, researches on exosomes developed rapidly in the field of ophthalmology. This review summarized the latest research progress of exosomes in ophthalmic diseases.

Abstract. Background:. Mastectomy techniques have been extended to nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM). This study aimed to assess the actual application of NSM in China and identify the factors influencing postoperative complications. Methods:. The clinical data of 615 patients (641 surgeries) undergoing NSM from January 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2018 at 28 centers nationwide were retrospectively analyzed to obtain the rate of NSM and investigate factors related to NSM surgery. Results:. The proportion of NSM surgery performed in this study was 2.67% (17/641). Malignant breast tumors accounted for the majority of NSM surgery (559/641, 87.2%). A total of 475 (77.3%) patients underwent NSM combined with reconstructive surgery. The rate of reconstruction decreased with age in our study, and implants were the most common option (344/641, 53.7%) in reconstruction. Radial incision was the most selected method regardless of reconstruction. However, for those who underwent reconstruction surgery, 18.4% (85/462) of cases also chose curvilinear incision, while in the simple NSM surgery group, more patients chose circumareolar incision (26/136, 19.1%). The tumor-to-nipple distance (TND) influenced postoperative complications (P = 0.004). There were no relationships between postoperative complications and tumor size, tumor location, histologic grade, molecular subtype, nipple discharge, and axillary lymph nodes. Conclusions:. NSM surgery is feasible and only TND influenced postoperative complications of NSM surgery. But the proportion of NSM surgery performed is still low in nationwide centers of China. The selection criteria for appropriate surgical methods are important for NSM in clinical practice. To optimize clinical applications of NSM, further multicenter prospective randomized controlled studies are needed. Trial Registration:. ChiCTR.org.cn, ChiCTR1900027423; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=38739

In this paper, the history of flax breeding, the types, research methods, occurrence, and genetic mechanism of apomixis were reviewed. The development and genetic mechanism of apomixis in polyembryonic flax, the progress in inducing methods and other aspects was discussed by cytology, embryology, genetics, and molecular biology, etc., methods in this paper. The purpose of this study was to reveal the rules of apomixis and to improve the utilization efficiency of apomixis in breeding. The problems existing in apomixis breeding of polyembryonic flax and the research direction of apomixis of flax were put forward.

The three-dimensional (3D) structure of bacterial chromosomes is crucial for understanding chromosome function. With the growing availability of high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (3C/Hi-C) data, the 3D structure reconstruction algorithms have become powerful tools to study bacterial chromosome structure and function. It is highly desired to have a recommendation on the chromosome structure reconstruction tools to facilitate the prokaryotic 3D genomics. In this work, we review existing chromosome 3D structure reconstruction algorithms and classify them based on their underlying computational models into two categories: constraint-based modeling and thermodynamics-based modeling. We briefly compare these algorithms utilizing 3C/Hi-C datasets and fluorescence microscopy data obtained from Escherichia coli and Caulobacter crescentus , as well as simulated datasets. We discuss current challenges in the 3D reconstruction algorithms for bacterial chromosomes, primarily focusing on software usability. Finally, we briefly prospect future research directions for bacterial chromosome structure reconstruction algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background One-stop occlusion, which is defined as the combination of atrial septal defect [ASD] or patent foramen ovale [PFO] occlusion and left atrial appendage [LAA] closure, in patients with ASD/PFO and atrial fibrillation (AF) has not yet been investigated systematically. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of one-stop occlusion in the treatment of adult patients with ASD/PFO and AF. Methods Inpatients with AF and ASD/PFO were recruited between August 2014 and April 2019. Preoperatively, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) were conducted to identify the ASD/PFO size and margin, presence of thrombus in the LAA, and LAA orifice width and depth at 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135°. After confirmation of the indications of LAA closure (LAAC) and ASD/PFO occlusion, the procedures were performed simultaneously under general anesthesia. Oral anticoagulants were administered for 45–60 days, followed with regular evaluation of TTE and TEE. Results Forty-nine patients (age, 65.6 ± 9.6 years) were recruited in this study, including 24 patients with ASD and 25 patients with PFO. They were treated with LAAC and ASD/PFO occlusion successfully. The mean ASD size and mean diameter of the ASD occluders were 14.2 ± 7.7 and 25.4 ± 8.5 mm, respectively. The mean PFO size was 3.5 ± 0.4 mm. The mean maximal LAA orifice width and depth were 20.5 ± 3.4 and 28.3 ± 3.6 mm, respectively. All patients were implanted with a Watchman device (diameter, 27.1 ± 2.9 mm). Postoperatively, all patients took anticoagulants orally for 45–60 days, and their mean postoperative follow-up duration was 29.0 ± 12.1 months. Postoperative TEE showed that all had normal positioning of the LAA and ASD/PFO occluders. At 45–60 days after operation, TEE showed that the LAA and ASD/PFO occluder were in the normal position; however, two patients who took warfarin and novel oral anticoagulants, respectively, have developed occluder thrombosis. After adjusted anticoagulant therapy, TEE showed that the thrombus disappeared at 6 months after operation. Conclusion One-stop occlusion is safe and effective for the treatment of adult patients with ASD/PFO and AF. It is also feasible to administer warfarin or novel oral anticoagulants after operation.

BackgroundAbout 15% of lung cancers in men and 53% in women are not attributable to smoking worldwide. The aim was to develop and validate a simple and non-invasive model which could assess and stratify lung cancer risk in non-smokers in China.MethodsA large-sample size, population-based study was conducted under the framework of the Cancer Screening Program in Urban China (CanSPUC). Data on the lung cancer screening in Henan province, China, from October 2013 to October 2019 were used and randomly divided into the training and validation sets. Related risk factors were identified through multivariable Cox regression analysis, followed by establishment of risk prediction nomogram. Discrimination [area under the curve (AUC)] and calibration were further performed to assess the validation of risk prediction nomogram in the training set, and then validated by the validation set.ResultsA total of 214,764 eligible subjects were included, with a mean age of 55.19 years. Subjects were randomly divided into the training (107,382) and validation (107,382) sets. Elder age, being male, a low education level, family history of lung cancer, history of tuberculosis, and without a history of hyperlipidemia were the independent risk factors for lung cancer. Using these six variables, we plotted 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year lung cancer risk prediction nomogram. The AUC was 0.753, 0.752, and 0.755 for the 1-, 3- and 5-year lung cancer risk in the training set, respectively. In the validation set, the model showed a moderate predictive discrimination, with the AUC was 0.668, 0.678, and 0.685 for the 1-, 3- and 5-year lung cancer risk.ConclusionsWe developed and validated a simple and non-invasive lung cancer risk model in non-smokers. This model can be applied to identify and triage patients at high risk for developing lung cancers in non-smokers.

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish a practical nomogram for preoperatively predicting the possibility of cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) based on clinicopathological and ultrasound (US) imaging characteristics in patients with clinically node-negative (cN0) unilateral papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) in order to determine a personal surgical volume and therapeutic strategy.Methods: A total of 269 consecutive patients diagnosed with cN0 unilateral PTMC by postoperative pathological examination from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients underwent lobectomy or thyroidectomy with routine prophylactic central lymph node dissection (CLND) and were divided into a CLNM group and a non-CLNM group. Using logistic regression, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was applied to determine the risk factors for CLNM in patients with unilateral cN0 PTMC. A nomogram including risk-factor screening using LASSO regression for predicting the CLNM in patients with cN0 unilateral PTMC was further developed and validated.Results: Risk factors identified by LASSO regression, including age, sex, tumor size, presence of extrathyroidal extension (ETE), tumor diameter/lobe thickness (D/T), tumor location, and coexistent benign lesions, were potential predictors for CLNM in patients with cN0 unilateral PTMC. Meanwhile, age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.261, 95% CI.104–0.605; P = 0.003), sex (men: OR = 3.866; 95% CI 1.758–8.880; P < 0.001), ETE (OR = 3.821; 95% CI 1.168–13.861; P = 0.032), D/T (OR = 72.411; 95% CI 5.483–1212.497; P < 0.001), and coexistent benign lesions (OR = 3.112 95% CI 1.407–7.303; P = 0.007) were shown to be significantly related to CLNM by multivariant logistic regression. A nomogram for predicting CLNM in patients with cN0 unilateral PTMC was established based on the risk factors identified by the LASSO regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for predicting CLNM by nomogram showed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.777 and exhibited an excellent consistency.Conclusions: A nomogram based on clinical and US imaging characteristics for predicting the probability of CLNM in patients with cN0 unilateral PTMC was developed, which showed a favorable predictive value and consistency. Further prospective research to observe the oncological outcomes is necessary to determine whether the nomogram could potentially guide a personalized surgical volume and surgical approach.

Abstract Background After the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infected people, increasing numbers of patients have pretreatment drug resistance (PDR). In this study, the prevalence of PDR was evaluated in adults initiating antiretroviral therapy in China. Methods Blood samples were obtained from 1943 patients who initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2017 from 13 provinces or cities in China. Pol sequences were used to analyze drug resistance and construct transmission networks. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the potential factors associated with PDR. Results In total, 1711 eligible patients (76.0% male; 87.8% aged ≥ 25 years) were included, of which 117 (6.8%) had PDR. The highest rates of PDR were 12.2% in Liangshan Prefecture of Sichuan and 9.3 and 8.9% in Dehong and Lincang Prefecture of Yunnan. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that PDR was significantly higher among intravenous drug users (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.57–4.44) and individuals from Liangshan, Dehong, and Lincang (aOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.26–3.30). In total, 754 sequences were used to generate 164 transmission networks. Five transmission networks had two or three sequences containing the same mutations, two networks contained subjects from Liangshan, and one network contained subjects from Dehong. Conclusions Overall, the PDR prevalence was moderate, with a particularly high prevalence in areas with severe HIV epidemics. These results indicate the importance of continuous PDR monitoring in patients initiating antiretroviral therapy.

Abstract LiNbO3 (LN) crystal has been widely used as a pyroelectric material due to its spontaneous electric polarization, which could be recharged easily and can directly convert heat energy into electricity. LN crystal’s heat-resistant, low-cost, and low dielectric loss properties make it possible for its applications in room-temperature pyroelectric devices and thermal sensors. However, LN crystal suffers from fragility, inflexibility, and other mechanical properties, which limit its suitability for many applications in various fields. In this study, the LN modified flexible pyroelectric films, composed of LN micro-particles, polypropylene (PP) matrix, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), are successfully fabricated. The pyroelectric effects of LN crystal and LN/PP/MWCNT composite films are characterized by monitoring the patterned self-assembly of nanoparticles and the output pyroelectric currents. The excellent pyroelectric properties of the composites have potential applications in energy harvesters or sensors.

Objective This study investigated the effect of surface nano-patterning on adhesion of an oral early commensal colonizer, Streptococcus mitis and the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and human fibroblasts (HDFa) in a laminar flow cell. Methods Nanostructured surfaces were made by functionalizing glass substrates with 40 nm SiO2 nanoparticles. Gradients in nanoparticle surface coverage were fabricated to study the effect of nanoparticle spacing within a single experiment. Bacterial adhesion was investigated after 5 min of contact time by subjecting surfaces to a flow in a laminar flow cell. In addition, to examine the particles effect on human cells, the establishment of focal adhesion and spreading of primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) were investigated after 4 and 24 h. Results Adhesion of both S. aureus and S. mitis decreased on surfaces functionalized with nanoparticles and coincided with higher nanoparticle surface coverage on the surface. Both strains were tested on three separate surfaces. The regression analysis showed that S. mitis was influenced more by surface modification than S. aureus. The establishment of focal adhesions in HDFa cells was delayed on the nanostructured part of the surfaces after both 4 and 24 h of culturing. Significance In the current manuscript, we have used a flow cell to investigate the effect of nanotopographies on S. aureus and S. mitis adhesion. The present findings are of relevance for design of future implant and prostheses surfaces in order to reduce adhesion of bacteria.

AIM: To investigate the activation of autophagy in rat retina after optic nerve crush (ONC) and evaluate its relationship with apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). METHODS: The ONC model was established. Western blots were performed to investigate expression of p62, LC3 and Beclin-1. Transmission electron microscopy was performed to discover the autophagosomes in the retina after ONC. Immunohistochemistry was used to confirm the distribution of LC3. TUNEL was performed to confirm the relationship between autophagy and RGC apoptosis. RESULTS: p62/Beclin-1 ratio was declined shortly after ONC until to day 7 after ONC and then restored to a normal level at day 21. There was an opposite change in the LC3-II/LC3I ratio in the retina compared to the p62/Beclin-1 ratio. Increased autophagosomes were found after ONC using transmission electron microscopy, and most of the LC3-stained cells were colocalized with RGCs and Müller cells. More LC3-immunoreactive cells and apoptotic RGCs were found on day 7 following ONC. CONCLUSION: Possible activation of autophagy in RGCs after ONC; autophagy mainly occurred in RGCs and Müller cells, and the apoptosis of RGCs after ONC may be partly associated with autophagic activation.

Objective: The present study aims to investigate the risk factors of central lymph node metastasis (CNM) in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) and evaluate the predictive value of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) during surgery.Methods: The clinicopathological data of 179 patients with PTMC staging in cN0 and with SLNB performed were analyzed retrospectively. Positive sentinel lymph node ratio (PSLNR) and additional positive lymph node (APLN) were analyzed in cases with positive SLNB. The efficiency of SLNB was investigated. ROC curves were plotted to evaluate the predictive value of PSLNR for APLN.Results: Cumulative maximum diameter of tumors (CMD) (P = 0.041) and capsule involvement (CI) (P = 0.014) were independent risk factors for central lymph node metastasis. The SLNB success rate was 97.28%, and the incidence of CNM was 31.28%. The sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate (FPR), false negative rate (FNR), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of SLNB to evaluate CNM and APLN were 82.14 vs. 61.54%, 100 vs. 80.39%, 0 vs. 19.61%, 17.86 vs. 38.46%, 100 vs. 34.78%, and 92.48 vs. 92.48%, respectively. For cases with positive SLNB, subgroup analysis was performed according to APLN. The PSLNRs of true and false positive groups were 0.4620 ± 0.1744 and 0.2425 ± 0.1355, respectively (P < 0.001). Analyzing the predictive value of PSLNR by the ROC curve, the optimal diagnostic cutoff point was 0.2917 [AUC = 0.861 (95% CI: 0.757, 0.966), P < 0.001], and the sensitivity, specificity, FPR, FNR, PPV, and NPV of PSLNR were 87.50, 73.33, 26.67, 12.50, 63.64, and 91.67%, respectively.Conclusion: CMD and CI are independent risk factors for central lymph node metastasis in PTMC. SLNB has good predictive value for CNM. For cases with positive SLNB, PSLNR could be used to predict the presence of APLN, which may provide a theoretical basis for intraoperative lymph node dissection.

High-performance single-atomic Ir catalysts can significantly reduce the cost of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis catalysts due to their ultrahigh atomic utilization. However, difficulties remain for a thorough understanding of the coordination structures and their impact on the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution (OER) catalytic activities. In this study, a series of single Ir–Ox catalysts with different coordination numbers (Ir–Ox, where x represents the O coordination number) are simulated using density functional theory calculations, and the effect of coordination number variation on the catalyst performance is investigated. The results show that the optimized electronic structure of the single Ir–O5 coordination structure significantly reduces the free energy barrier of the rate-determining step and improves the OER catalytic activity of the catalyst by promoting electron transfer and optimizing *O intermediate adsorption. Guided by these results, we successfully prepared the single Ir–O5 structure by introducing Ir into Co3O4. At a current density of 10 mA/cm2, the electrocatalyst exhibits an overpotential of 266 mV, which is 40 mV lower than that of IrO2 with an Ir–O6 coordination structure. Additionally, the catalyst demonstrates excellent stability, maintaining uninterrupted operation for 900 h at a current density of 20 mA/cm2. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the preparation of high-performance iridium oxide catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]