Effects of Physical Activity and Inactivity on Microvasculature in Children: The Hong Kong Children Eye Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of physical activity and inactivity on the microvasculature in children, as measured from retinal photographs.

Methods: All participants were from the Hong Kong Children Eye Study, a population-based cross-sectional study of children aged 6 to 8 years. They received comprehensive ophthalmic examinations and retinal photography.

DNA Methylation Age Mediates Effect of Metabolic Profile on Cardiovascular and General Aging.

Background: Alterations in lipid metabolism and DNA methylation are 2 hallmarks of aging. Connecting metabolomic, epigenomic, and aging outcomes help unravel the complex mechanisms underlying aging. We aimed to assess whether DNA methylation clocks mediate the association of circulating metabolites with incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and frailty.

Heritability and Genetic Factors of Astigmatism and Corneal Curvature: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: To systematically review and meta-analyze all reported heritability studies of refractive astigmatism (RA), corneal astigmatism (CA) and corneal curvature (CC), and evaluate the existing genetic associations of RA, CA and CC.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO ID: CRD42023447370).

Methods: Studies that reported the heritability and genetic associations of RA, CA and/or CC were identified from PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE (from inception to October 1, 2023).

Advances in Inorganic Foam Materials Fabricated Via Blowing Strategy: A Comprehensive Review.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with excellent properties and widespread applications have been explosively investigated. However, their conventional synthetic methods exhibit concerns of limited scalability, complex purification process, and incompetence of prohibiting their restacking. The blowing strategy, characterized by gas-template, low-cost, and high-efficiency, presents a valuable avenue for the synthesis of 2D-based foam materials and thereby addresses these constraints.

Novel Quantitative Contrast Sensitivity Function Enhances the Prediction of Treatment Outcome and Recurrence in Amblyopia.

Purpose: Although effective amblyopia treatments are available, treatment outcome is unpredictable, and the condition recurs in up to 25% of the patients. We aimed to evaluate whether a large-scale quantitative contrast sensitivity function (CSF) data source, coupled with machine learning (ML) algorithms, can predict amblyopia treatment response and recurrence in individuals.

Methods: Visual function measures from traditional chart vision acuity (VA) and novel CSF assessments were used as the main predictive variables in the models.

Inactivation of Malic Enzyme 1 in Endothelial Cells Alleviates Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive cardiopulmonary disease with a high mortality rate. Although growing evidence has revealed the importance of dysregulated energetic metabolism in the pathogenesis of PH, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we focused on ME1 (malic enzyme 1), a key enzyme linking glycolysis to the tricarboxylic acid cycle.

Detection of Genomic Structural Variations Associated with Drug Sensitivity and Resistance in Acute Leukemia.

Acute leukemia is a particularly problematic collection of hematological cancers, and, while somewhat rare, the survival rate of patients is typically abysmal without bone marrow transplantation. Furthermore, traditional chemotherapies used as standard-of-care for patients cause significant side effects. Understanding the evolution of leukemia to identify novel targets and, therefore, drug treatment regimens is a significant medical need.

Ocular Surface Evaluation in Immunoglobulin G4-Related Ophthalmic Disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the functional and structural changes of the meibomian glands and ocular surface in immunoglobulin G4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD) patients.

Design: Cross-sectional, matched case-control comparison study.

Methods: This study included 64 patients with biopsy-proven IgG4-ROD (aged 63.

Bestrophin3 Deficiency in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Activates MEKK2/3-MAPK Signaling to Trigger Spontaneous Aortic Dissection.

Background: Aortic dissection (AD) is a fatal cardiovascular disorder without effective medications due to unclear pathogenic mechanisms. Bestrophin3 (Best3), the predominant isoform of bestrophin family in vessels, has emerged as critical for vascular pathological processes. However, the contribution of Best3 to vascular diseases remains elusive.

Association Between DNA Methylation and Blood Pressure: A 5-Year Longitudinal Twin Study.

Background: Previous EWASs (Epigenome-Wide Association Studies) have reported hundreds of blood pressure (BP) associated 5'-cytosine-phosphate-guanine-3' (CpG) sites. However, their results were inconsistent. Longitudinal observations on the temporal relationship between DNA methylation and BP are lacking.

Development of a Model to Predict 10-Year Risk of Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke and Ischemic Heart Disease Using the China Kadoorie Biobank.

Background And Objectives: Contemporary cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction models are rarely applied in routine clinical practice in China due to substantial regional differences in absolute risks of major CVD types within China. Moreover, the inclusion of blood lipids in most risk prediction models also limits their use in the Chinese population. We developed 10-year CVD risk prediction models excluding blood lipids that may be applicable to diverse regions of China.

Anticancer effects of a single intramuscular dose of a minicircle DNA vector expressing anti-CD3/CD20 in a xenograft mouse model.

Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are a class of promising anticancer immunotherapies. Among them, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved blinatumomab (BLI) is very effective in eliminating the minimum residual disease (MRD) of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), resulting in long-term remission in many individuals. However, the need for months-long intravenous delivery and high cost limit its clinical acceptance.

The Association of Choroidal Thickening by Atropine With Treatment Effects for Myopia: Two-Year Clinical Trial of the Low-concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) Study.

Purpose: To evaluate longitudinal changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFChT) among children receiving atropine 0.05%, 0.025%, or 0.

First Human Results With the 256 Channel Intelligent Micro Implant Eye (IMIE 256).

Purpose: To report on the safety and efficacy of the 256-channel Intelligent Micro Implant Eye epiretinal prosthesis system (IMIE 256).

Methods: The IMIE 256 implants were implanted in the right eyes of five subjects with end-stage retinitis pigmentosa. Following implantation, the subjects underwent visual rehabilitation training for 90 days, and their visual performance was evaluated using the grating visual acuity test, Tumbling E visual acuity test, direction of motion, square localization, and orientation and mobility test.

Identification of Somatic Structural Variants in Solid Tumors by Optical Genome Mapping.

Genomic structural variants comprise a significant fraction of somatic mutations driving cancer onset and progression. However, such variants are not readily revealed by standard next-generation sequencing. Optical genome mapping (OGM) surpasses short-read sequencing in detecting large (>500 bp) and complex structural variants (SVs) but requires isolation of ultra-high-molecular-weight DNA from the tissue of interest.

Role of IgE-FcεR1 in Pathological Cardiac Remodeling and Dysfunction.

Background: Immunoglobulin E (IgE) belongs to a class of immunoglobulins involved in immune response to specific allergens. However, the roles of IgE and IgE receptor (FcεR1) in pathological cardiac remodeling and heart failure are unknown.

Methods: Serum IgE levels and cardiac FcεR1 expression were assessed in diseased hearts from human and mouse.

HuoXue JieDu formula improves diabetic retinopathy in rats by regulating microRNAs.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: HuoXue JieDu Formula (HXJDF) originates from classical formulas and was formed based on clinical experience. It is composed of Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Siebold, Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.

Physical Activity, Sedentary Leisure Time, Circulating Metabolic Markers, and Risk of Major Vascular Diseases.

Background: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Little is known about the relevance of circulating metabolites for these associations.

Methods: A nested case-control study within the prospective China Kadoorie Biobank included 3195 incident CVD cases (2057 occlusive CVD and 1138 intracerebral hemorrhage) and 1465 controls aged 30 to 79 years without prior CVD or statin use at baseline.

Disrupted Murine Gut-to-Human Liver Signaling Alters Bile Acid Homeostasis in Humanized Mouse Liver Models.

The humanized liver mouse model is being exploited increasingly for human drug metabolism studies. However, its model stability, intercommunication between human hepatocytes and mouse nonparenchymal cells in liver and murine intestine, and changes in extrahepatic transporter and enzyme expressions have not been investigated. We examined these issues in FRGN [fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (Fah-/-), recombination activating gene 2 (Rag2-/-), and interleukin 2 receptor subunit gamma (IL-2rg -/-) triple knockout] on nonobese diabetic (NOD) background] and chimeric mice: mFRGN and hFRGN (repopulated with mouse or human hepatocytes, respectively).

Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Modeling of 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 in Mice.

1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] concentrations are regulated by renal CYP27B1 for synthesis and CYP24A1 for degradation. Published plasma and tissue 1,25(OH)2D3 concentrations and mRNA fold change expression of Cyp24a1 and Cyp27b1 following repetitive i.p.