Digital measuring the ocular morphological parameters of guinea pig eye in vivo with Python

AIM:To quantitatively measure ocular morphological parameters of guinea pig with Python technology.METHODS:Thirty-six eyeballs of eighteen 3-weekold guinea pigs were measured with keratometer and photographed to obtain the horizontal,coronal,and sagittal planes respectively.The corresponding photo pixels-actual length ratio was acquired by a proportional scale.The edge coordinates were identified artificially by ginput function.Circle and conic curve fitting were applied to fit the contour of the eyeball in the sagittal,coronal and horizontal view.The curvature,curvature radius,eccentricity,tilt angle,corneal diameter,and binocular separation angle were calculated according to the geometric principles.Next,the eyeballs were removed,canny edge detection was applied to identify the contour of eyeball in vitro.The results were compared between in vivo and in vitro.RESULTS:Regarding the corneal curvature and curvature radius on the horizontal and sagittal planes,no significant differences were observed among results in vivo,in vitro,and the keratometer.The horizontal and vertical binocular separation angles were 130.6°±6.39°and 129.8°±9.58°respectively.For the corneal curvature radius and eccentricity in vivo,significant differences were observed between horizontal and vertical planes.CONCLUSION:The Graphical interface window of Python makes up the deficiency of edge detection,which requires too much definition in Matlab.There are significant differences between guinea pig and human beings,such as exotropic eye position,oblique oval eyeball,and obvious discrepancy of binoculus.This study helps evaluate objectively the ocular morphological parameters of small experimental animals in emmetropization research.

Identification of risk factors and construction of a nomogram predictive model for post-stroke infection in patients with acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND Post-stroke infection is the most common complication of stroke and poses a huge threat to patients.In addition to prolonging the hospitalization time and increasing the medical burden,post-stroke infection also significantly increases the risk of disease and death.Clarifying the risk factors for post-stroke infection in patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS)is of great significance.It can guide clinical practice to perform corresponding prevention and control work early,minimizing the risk of stroke-related infections and ensuring favorable disease outcomes.AIM To explore the risk factors for post-stroke infection in patients with AIS and to construct a nomogram predictive model.METHODS The clinical data of 206 patients with AIS admitted to our hospital between April 2020 and April 2023 were retrospectively collected.Baseline data and post-stroke infection status of all study subjects were assessed,and the risk factors for poststroke infection in patients with AIS were analyzed.RESULTS Totally,48 patients with AIS developed stroke,with an infection rate of 23.3%.Age,diabetes,disturbance of consciousness,high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score at admission,invasive operation,and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)were risk factors for post-stroke infection in patients with AIS(P<0.05).A nomogram prediction model was constructed with a C-index of 0.891,reflecting the good potential clinical efficacy of the nomogram prediction model.The calibration curve also showed good consistency between the actual observations and nomogram predictions.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.891(95%confidence interval:0.839–0.942),showing predictive value for post-stroke infection.When the optimal cutoff value was selected,the sensitivity and specificity were 87.5%and 79.7%,respectively.CONCLUSION Age,diabetes,disturbance of consciousness,NIHSS score at admission,invasive surgery,and COPD are risk factors for post-stroke infection following AIS.The nomogram prediction model established based on these factors exhibits high discrimination and accuracy.

Urgent call for attention to diabetes-associated hospital infections

In this editorial,we discuss the recent article by Zhao et al published in the World Journal of Diabetes,which highlights the importance of recognizing the risk indicators associated with diabetes mellitus(DM).Given the severe implications of healthcare-associated infections(HAIs)in hospitalized individuals-such as heightened mortality rates,prolonged hospitalizations,and increased costs-we focus on elucidating the connection between DM and nosocomial infections.Diabetic patients are susceptible to pathogenic bacterial invasion and subsequent infection,with some already harboring co-infections upon admission.Notably,DM is an important risk factor for nosocomial urinary tract infections and surgical site infections,which may indirectly affect the occurrence of nosocomial bloodstream infections,especially in patients with DM with poor glycemic control.Although evidence regarding the impact of DM on healthcare-associated pneumonias remains inconclusive,attention to this potential association is warranted.Hospitalized patients with DM should prioritize meticulous blood glucose management,adherence to standard operating procedures,hand hygiene practices,environmental disinfection,and rational use of drugs during hospitalization.Further studies are imperative to explore the main risk factors of HAIs in patients with DM,enabling the development of preventative measures and mitigating the occurrence of HAIs in these patients.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood vaccinations

Routine pediatric vaccination is one of the most effective public health inter-ventions for the control of a number of fatal diseases.However,during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic,routine pediatric vaccination rates were severely affected by disruptions of health services and vaccine confidence issues.Governments and the United Nations have taken measures to re-establish routine pediatric vaccination,while additional efforts are needed to catch up and develop plans to ensure routine vaccination services for the future pandemics.

First proof-of-principle experiment with the post-accelerated isotope separator on-line beam at BRIF:measurement of the angular distribution of ^(23)Na+^(40)Ca elastic scattering

The reaction dynamics of exotic nuclei near the drip line is one of the main research topics of current interest.Elastic scattering is a useful probe for investigating the size and surface diffuseness of exotic nuclei.The development of rare isotope accelerators offers opportunities for such studies.To date,many relevant measurements have been performed at accelerators using the projectile fragmentation technique,while the measurements at accelerators using isotope separator on-line(ISOL)systems are still quite scarce.In this work,we present the first proof-of-principle experiment with a post-accelerated ISOL beam at the Beijing Radioactive Ion Beam Facility(BRIF)by measuring the angular distribution of elastic scattering for the stable nucleus^(23)Na from the doubly magic nucleus^(40)Ca at energies above the Coulomb barrier.The angular distribution measured by a silicon strip detector array in a scattering chamber using the ISOL beam at BRIF is in good agreement with that measured by the high-precision Q3 D magnetic spectrograph using the nonISOL beam at nearly the same energy.This work provides useful background for making BRIF a powerful tool for the investigation of the reaction dynamics of exotic nuclei.

NEI-VFQ-25量表对角膜移植术后效果的分析

角膜疾病是常见的致盲疾病,角膜移植手术是治疗角膜盲的主要方法。单纯的视功能检查已经不能全面评估手术对患者的影响,而视觉相关生活质量量表涵盖了受视觉影响的各方面指标,能够更加全面地反映患者的感受。近年来,逐渐成为评估角膜移植手术治疗效果的常用手段。现就近年来NEI-VFQ-25量表在角膜移植手术方面的研究进展做简要综述。

Comparison of fundus fluorescein angiography and fundus photography grading criteria for early diabetic retinopathy

AIM:To compare the assessment outcomes of the characteristics of mild to moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR) established by fundus photography and fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA).METHODS:The fundus photos and FFA results of 260 patients with diabetes mellitus were reviewed.Diabetic retinopathy(DR) severity was graded based on the international classification standard.The microaneurysms,hemorrhages,and intraretinal microvascular abnormalities(IRMA) in FFA images of patients with mild to moderate NPDR were observed.The differences between the fundus photos and the FFA results were summarized,analyzed,and compared.RESULTS:The counting of intraretinal hemorrhages identified by FFA revealed that only 9 eyes(1.9%) had more than 20 intraretinal hemorrhages in all four quadrants;15 eyes(3.1%) had more than 20 intraretinal hemorrhages in three quadrants;26 eyes(5.4%) had over 20 intraretinal hemorrhages in two quadrants;and 37 eyes(7.7%) had more than 20 intraretinal hemorrhages in only one quadrant.Furthermore,the number of IRMAs appeared ≥4 in 17 eyes,3 in 35 eyes,2 in 69 eyes,and 1 in 93 eyes.CONCLUSION:FFA has higher detection accuracy of retinal angiopathy than fundus photography.FFA grading results are helpful for timely detection and proper treatment of lesions easily missed by fundus photography.

Surgical treatment of Pitt-Hopkins syndrome associated with strabismus and early-onset myopia:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Pitt-Hopkins syndrome(PTHS;MIM#610954)is a rare genetic neurological disorder.Myopia and strabismus have been reported in approximately 50%of PTHS patients.No studies have reported details about the required surgery for PTHS with strabismus and early-onset myopia.Here,we retrospectively reviewed the surgical management of two patients with PTHS combined with strabismus and/or early-onset myopia.CASE SUMMARY A 5-year-old girl presented with congenital esotropia and left eye myopia,and the second girl was a 5-year-old girl who presented with intermittent exotropia.Genetic testing performed on both patients showed a mutation in transcription factor 4,which is a diagnostic marker of PTHS.The first girl underwent bilateral medial rectus recession combined with posterior scleral reinforcement(PSR)in the left eye and the second patient underwent bilateral lateral rectus recession strabismus surgery.We made key innovations in surgical timing and strategy,and the results were satisfactory.The combination of strabismus and PSR surgery is an innovative strategy for patients with both strabismus and early-onset myopia.CONCLUSION Early treatment of strabismus and myopia positively influence motor development and should be included in rehabilitation programs for patients with PTHS.

Role of nutrition in diabetes mellitus and infections

In this editorial,we have commented on the article that has been published in the recent issue of World Journal of Clinical Cases.The authors have described a case of unilateral thyroid cyst and have opined that the acute onset of infection may be linked to diabetes mellitus(DM).We have focused on the role of nutrition in the association between DM and infection.Patients with DM are at a high risk of infection,which could also be attributed to nutrition-related factors.Nutritional interventions for patients with diabetes are mainly based on a low-calorie diet,which can be achieved by adhering to a low-carbohydrate diet.However,dietary fiber supplementation is recommended to maintain the diversity of the gut microbiota.Furthermore,high-quality protein can prevent the increased risk of infection due to malnutrition.Supplementation of vitamins C,vitamins A,vitamins D,and folic acid improves blood sugar control and facilitates immune regulation.Mineral deficiencies augment the risk of infection,but the relationship with diabetes is mostly U-shaped and a good intake should be maintained.

Combination of Shuxuetong and aspirin protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury through ameliorating coagulation and fibrinolysis system

Objective：To explore the influence of the combination of Shuxuetong（SXT）and aspirin on coagulation and fibrinolytic system of rats.Methods：Suture method was applied to establish focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury models in rats.SD rats were randomly divided into sham group,middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion（MCAO/R）group,aspirin group,SXT group,and SXT＋aspirin group（S＆A）.The neurological deficits were assessed according to Longa’s grade 5 scoring method.The cerebral edema was detected by measuring the content of water in brain tissue.The volume of cerebral infarction was observed by 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride（TTC）staining.Blood plasma was collected by abdominal aortic method to test maximum platelet aggregation rate and four blood coagulation.CD61,CD62p,6-keto prostaglandin F1αantithrombinⅢ（AT-Ⅲ）,D-dimer,plasminogen activator inhibitor-1（PAI-1）,tissue factor（TF）,tissue plasminogen activator（t-PA）,platelet thromboxaneand von Willebrand factor（v WF）content in rat plasma were detected by ELISA.Results：SXT combined with aspirin could improve the neurological deficits,alleviate cerebral edema,and decrease the cerebral infarct value.Compared with the sham operation group,fibrinogen（FIB）,6-AT-III,and t-PA in model group were significantly decreased;Compared with the model group,the above-mentioned indexes in SXT and aspirin treatment group were significantly increased.The prothrombin time（PT）,activated partial thromboplastin time（APTT）,thrombin time（TT）,D-dimer,PAI-1,TF,TXB2,and v WF of the model group were significantly increased;The above-mentioned indexes in blood SXT＋aspirin treated group were significantly decreased.There was a significant difference between the combined group and SXT group.The maximum concentration of plateletsin aspirin treated rats was significantly decreased,however,MPAR was reversed in SXT＋aspirin treated group.Conclusion：SXT combined with aspirin can effectively inhibit platelet activation,regulate the maximum concentration of platelets,and improve coagulation function and fibrinolysis system.

Astrophysical 22Mg(p,γ)23Al reaction rates from asymptotic normalization coefficient of 23Ne→22Ne+n

The radionuclide 22Na generates the emission of a characteristic 1.275 MeVγ-ray.This is a potential astronomical observable,whose occurrence is suspected in classical novae.The 22Mg(p,γ)23Al reaction is relevant to the nucleosynthesis of 22Na in Ne-rich novae.In this study,employing the adiabatic distorted wave approximation and continuum discretized coupled channel methods,the squared neutron asymptotic normalization coefficients(ANCs)231 for the virtual decay of Ne→22Ne+n were extracted,and determined as(0.483±0.060)fm-1 and(9.7±2.3)fm-1 for the ground state and the first excited state from the experimental angular distributions of 22Ne(d,p)23Ne populating the ground state and the first excited state of 23Ne,respectively.Then,the squared proton ANC of 23Alg.s.was obtained as Cd5/22(23Al)(2.65±0.33)×103 fm-1 according to the charge symmetry of the strong interaction.The astrophysical S-factors and reaction rates for the direct capture contribution in 22Mg(p,γ)23Al were also presented.Furthermore,the proton width of the first excited state of 23Al was derived to be(57±14)eV from the neutron ANC of its mirror state in 23Ne and used to compute the contribution from the first resonance of 23Al.This result demonstrates that the direct capture dominates the 22Mg(p,γ)23Al reaction at most temperatures of astrophysical relevance for 0.33<T9<0.64.

Protective effects of combination of Xuesaitong and aspirin on cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats

Objective：To investigate the protective effects of the combination of Xuesaitong（XST）and aspirin on cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury（CIRI）in rats,and further explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods：A total of 150 male Sprague-Dawley（SD）rats were randomly divided into five groups with 30rats in each group：sham group,middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion（MCAO/R）model group,XST group,aspirin group,and XST＋aspirin group.Rats were pretreated with XST,aspirin,or XST＋aspirin for7 d.One hour after the last administration,a model of CIRI was induced by MCAO/R.Neurological deficits were assessed using Longa’s five-point scale.Cerebral edema was detected by the measurement of brain water content.The volume of cerebral infarction was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride（TTC）staining.The activities of superoxide dismutase（SOD）,catalase（CAT）,and glutathione peroxidase（GSH-Px）,as well as levels of malonaldehyde（MDA）were detected by commercial kits.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）was used to determine the levels of interleukin-1（）,interleukin-4（IL-4）,interleukin-6（IL-6）,interleukin-10（IL-10）,tumor necrosis factor-alphamonocyte chemotactic protein 1（MCP-1）,and kynurenine in serum,cerebral cortex,and hippocampus of MCAO/R rats.The protein expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor（Nrf2）,heme oxygenase-1（HO-1）,I-kappa B alpha（IκBα）,and nuclear factor kappa B（B）/p65 in the cortex were analyzed by western blotting.Results：Treatment of XST,aspirin,and XST＋aspirin significantly alleviated the neurological deficits,cerebral edema,and cerebral infarct volume induced by MCAO/R.Treatment of XST,aspirin,and XST＋aspirin also reduced MDA,,MCP-1,and kynurenine levels,and increased SOD,CAT,GSH-Px,IL-4,and IL-10 levels in serum,cerebral cortex,and hippocampus of MCAO/R rats.Furthermore,treatment of XST,aspirin,and XST＋aspirin decreased the expression of nuclearB/p65 and increased the expression of IκBα,nuclear Nrf2,and HO-1.Importantly,the combination of XST and aspirin enhanced the protective effects of XST or aspirin treatment alone on CIRI in rats.Conclusion：The combination of XST and aspirin significantly inhibited oxidative stress and inflammation in serum,cerebral cortex,and hippocampus of MCAO/R rats.The combination of XST and aspirin exerted more protective effects than XST or aspirin treatment alone.The combination of XST and aspirin might provide the synergistic therapeutic effects on CIRI,and deserve further clinical investigation.

Direct measurement of the resonance strengths and branching ratios of low-energy(p,γ)reactions on Mg isotopes

Proton capture reactions on Mg isotopes are significant in the Mg-Al cycle in stellar H-burning.In particular,the resonance strengths and branching ratios of low-energy resonances in 23Mg(p,γ)26Al reactions determine the production of which is one of the most important long-lived radioactive nuclei in nuclear astrophysics.In this article,we report our first experiment using the intense proton beam of approximately 2 mA provided by the JUNA accelerator ground laboratory and a new technique that can minimize the composition change of targets under intense beam irradiation.The resonance strengths and branching ratios of E=214,304,and 326 keV resonances in the reactions of 2~4Mg(p,γ)25Al,25Mg(p,γ)26Al,and 26Mg(p,γ)27Al,respectively,were measured with high accuracy.The success of this experiment provides a good calibration for the nuclear astrophysical experiment at the Jinping underground laboratory.