Neuroprotective effects of healthful plant-based diets on retinal structure: insights from a large cohort.

Background: Retinal sublayer thickness is associated with both ophthalmic and neurodegenerative diseases, serving as a valuable biomarker. Despite the established role of diet in chronic disease prevention, the relationship between healthy dietary patterns and retinal sublayer thickness remains underexplored.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the associations between four commonly used diet assessment scores and retinal sublayer thickness in a large-scale population.

Effect of smoking behaviour and related blood DNA methylation on visceral adipose tissues.

Background: Recent studies have found that tobacco smoking is associated with fat distribution, yet limited research has focused on its relationship with visceral adipose tissues (VATs). Furthermore, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions among smoking, epigenetic modifications, and VATs remain unknown.

Method: We performed univariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to elucidate the causal relationship between smoking behaviours and VATs, including epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue (EPAT), liver fat (LF), and pancreas fat (PF).

Associations between the Vessel Density in Deep Vascular Plexus and Macular Edema Recurrences in Patients with Retinal Vein Occlusion.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to study the relationships between vessel density (VD) in different retinal vascular plexus and retinal vein occlusion-macular edema (RVO-ME) recurrence using wide-field swept source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods: Patients with a history of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) or branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) with macular edema in the Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, from May 25, 2020, to January 12, 2023, were retrospectively reviewed and recruited. All patients were followed up for at least 6 months and divided in the release group and the recurrence group.

Metadata information and fundus image fusion neural network for hyperuricemia classification in diabetes.

Objective: In diabetes mellitus patients, hyperuricemia may lead to the development of diabetic complications, including macrovascular and microvascular dysfunction. However, the level of blood uric acid in diabetic patients is obtained by sampling peripheral blood from the patient, which is an invasive procedure and not conducive to routine monitoring. Therefore, we developed deep learning algorithm to detect noninvasively hyperuricemia from retina photographs and metadata of patients with diabetes and evaluated performance in multiethnic populations and different subgroups.

Accumulation of branched-chain amino acids deteriorates the neuroinflammatory response of Müller cells in diabetic retinopathy via leucine/Sestrin2-mediated sensing of mTOR signaling.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism in diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Wild-type and db/db mice were fed BCAAs (5 or 10 mg/kg/day) for 12 weeks, and hyperglycemia-exposed Müller cells were treated with BCAAs (2 or 5 mmol/L) for 24 and 48 h. BCAA levels were measured using MS/MS.

Correlation between mental status and prevalence of asthenopia in Chinese college students.

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the possible association between mental status and the risk of self-reported asthenopia among college students in China.

Methods: Ten thousand students were randomly assessed in the study using a self-reported asthenopia questionnaire. Their demographic characteristics and mental status were recorded.

Porous Se@SiO nanospheres alleviate diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting excess lipid peroxidation and inflammation.

Background: Lipid peroxidation is a characteristic metabolic manifestation of diabetic retinopathy (DR) that causes inflammation, eventually leading to severe retinal vascular abnormalities. Selenium (Se) can directly or indirectly scavenge intracellular free radicals. Due to the narrow distinction between Se's effective and toxic doses, porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres have been developed to control the release of Se.

The protective effect of vagus nerve stimulation against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury: pooled review from preclinical studies.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury markedly undermines the protective benefits of revascularization, contributing to ventricular dysfunction and mortality. Due to complex mechanisms, no efficient ways exist to prevent cardiomyocyte reperfusion damage. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) appears as a potential therapeutic intervention to alleviate myocardial I/R injury.

Using the meteorological early warning model to improve the prediction accuracy of water damage geological disasters around pipelines in mountainous areas.

This paper focuses on the threat of water damage geological disasters brought by the complex terrain along the long-distance natural gas pipeline. The role of rainfall factors in the occurrence of such disasters has been fully considered, a meteorological early warning model for water damage geological disasters in mountainous areas based on slope units has been constructed to improve the prediction accuracy of such disasters and timely early warning and forecasting. An actual natural gas pipeline in a typical mountainous area of Zhejiang Province is taken as an example.

Automatic Segmentation of Hyperreflective Foci in OCT Images Based on Lightweight DBR Network.

Hyperreflective foci (HF) reflects inflammatory responses for fundus diseases such as diabetic macular edema (DME), retina vein occlusion (RVO), and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Shown as high contrast and reflectivity in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images, automatic segmentation of HF in OCT images is helpful for the prognosis of fundus diseases. Previous traditional methods were time-consuming and required high computing power.

A simple system for measuring the transmittance curve of x-ray filters at low x-ray energies.

To prevent the x-ray detectors from the interference of optical photons, x-ray filters are widely used in x-ray space missions. As the flux of low energy x-rays would be significantly attenuated by the filters, it is important to derive the transmittance of the filters below 10 keV. In this paper, we present a simple experimental apparatus and data processing method to measure the transmittance curve of x-ray filters in the energy range from 1.

Individualized Statistical Modeling of Lesions in Fundus Images for Anomaly Detection.

Anomaly detection in fundus images remains challenging due to the fact that fundus images often contain diverse types of lesions with various properties in locations, sizes, shapes, and colors. Current methods achieve anomaly detection mainly through reconstructing or separating the fundus image background from a fundus image under the guidance of a set of normal fundus images. The reconstruction methods, however, ignore the constraint from lesions.

Green Tandem [5C + 1C] Cycloaromatization of α-Alkenoyl Ketene Dithioacetals and Nitroethane in Water: Eco-Friendly Synthesis of -Acylphenols.

For the first time, an eco-friendly and sustainable tandem [5C + 1C] cycloaromatization of α-alkenoyl ketene dithioacetals and nitroethane in water for the efficient synthesis of -acylphenols was reported. In refluxing water, a range of α-alkenoyl ketene dithioacetals and nitroethane smoothly underwent tandem Michael addition/cyclization/aromatization reactions in the presence of 2.0 equivalents of DBU to provide various -acylphenols in excellent yields.

Higher-order aberrations and their association with axial elongation in highly myopic children and adolescents.

Background: Vision-dependent mechanisms play a role in myopia progression in childhood. Thus, we investigated the distribution of ocular and corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs) in highly myopic Chinese children and adolescents and the relationship between HOA components and 1-year axial eye growth.

Methods: Baseline cycloplegic ocular and corneal HOAs, axial length (AL), spherical equivalent (SE), astigmatism and interpupillary distance (IPD) were determined for the right eyes of 458 highly myopic (SE ≤-5.

Influence of temperature-salinity-depth structure of the upper-ocean on the frequency shift of Brillouin LiDAR.

Brillouin-based LiDAR is an alternative remote sensing technique for measuring the distribution profiles of temperature, salinity, and sound speed in the upper ocean mixed layer. Its principle is based on the dependence of Brillouin frequency shift on the temperature, salinity, and depth of ocean. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the effect of various seawater parameters on Brillouin frequency shift for ocean remote sensing by using the Brillouin LiDAR.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 attenuates salt-sensitive hypertension-induced nephropathy through anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation mechanism.

Background: Patients with salt-sensitive hypertension are often accompanied with severe renal damage and accelerate to end-stage renal disease, which currently lacks effective treatment. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has been shown to suppress nephropathy in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mice. Here, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of FGF21 in salt-sensitive hypertension-induced nephropathy.

A biocompatible theranostic agent based on stable bismuth nanoparticles for X-ray computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging-guided enhanced chemo/photothermal/chemodynamic therapy for tumours.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and seriously threatens the health of humans. The current clinical treatments for cancer are not efficient and always lead to significant side effects. Herein, a biocompatible and powerful theranostic agent (Bi@mSiO@MnO/DOX) is fabricated using a facile stepwise reaction method.

Novel Peptide NT/K-CRS Derived from Kringle Structure of Neurotrypsin Inhibits Neovascularization and .

To assess the anti-neovascularization effect of a novel peptide NT/K-CRS derived from the kringle domain of neurotrypsin . Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in advance. Cell migration, lumen formation, and cell proliferation assays were performed to determine the anti-neovascularization effect of NT/K-CRS in HUVECs.

Novel Peptide NT/K-CFY Derived from Kringle Structure of Neurotrypsin Inhibits Neovascularization.

: To assess the anti-neovascularization effect of a novel peptide NT/K-CFY derived from the kringle domain of neurotrypsin.: Cell migration, lumen formation and cell proliferation assays were performed to determine the anti-neovascularization effect of NT/K-CFY in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) models were established to assess the anti-angiogenic role of NT/K-CFY .

Protective effects of peptide FK18 against neuro-excitotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells.

Excitotoxic neuronal injury is associated with numerous acute and chronic neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and glaucoma. Neuroprotection is a direct and effective therapeutic approach, with small-molecule bioactive peptides displaying certain advantages, including high membrane permeability, low immunogenicity and convenient synthesis and modification. FK18 is a novel peptide derived from basic fibroblast growth factor, which is a protein with neuroprotective effects.

Insight-HXMT observations of jet-like corona in a black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070.

A black hole X-ray binary produces hard X-ray radiation from its corona and disk when the accreting matter heats up. During an outburst, the disk and corona co-evolves with each other. However, such an evolution is still unclear in both its geometry and dynamics.

Backward modeling of urinary test reliability for assessing PAH health risks: An approximation solution for naphthalene.

Urine sample tests are one of the most common methods of estimating human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and assessing population health risks. To evaluate the reliability of the urine test and the impact of other PAH elimination routes on the health risk estimated by this test, we proposed a backward modeling framework integrating other common elimination routes of PAH metabolites to calculate the overall intake rate of the parent PAH based on the levels of corresponding main metabolites in urine. Due to limited biotransformation data, we selected naphthalene as an example to evaluate model performance and collected urine samples from 234 random adults in Shenzhen.

Boundary Restored Network for Subpleural Pulmonary Lesion Segmentation on Ultrasound Images at Local and Global Scales.

To evaluate the application of machine learning for the detection of subpleural pulmonary lesions (SPLs) in ultrasound (US) scans, we propose a novel boundary-restored network (BRN) for automated SPL segmentation to avoid issues associated with manual SPL segmentation (subjectivity, manual segmentation errors, and high time consumption). In total, 1612 ultrasound slices from 255 patients in which SPLs were visually present were exported. The segmentation performance of the neural network based on the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), Jaccard similarity metric (Jaccard), Average Symmetric Surface Distance (ASSD), and Maximum symmetric surface distance (MSSD) was assessed.

Serum Metabolomics Reveals Personalized Metabolic Patterns for Macular Neovascular Disease Patient Stratification.

The macular neovascular disease is a group disorder with complex pathogenesis of neovascularization for vision impairment and irreversible blindness, posing great challenges to precise diagnosis and management. We prospectively recruited participants with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and pathological myopia (PM) and compared with cataract patients without fundus diseases as a control group. The serum metabolome was profiled by gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) analysis.