不同屈光度近视青少年儿童黄斑区血管密度和视网膜厚度的比较

目的:通过光学相干断层扫描血管成像技术(OCTA)观察与比较不同屈光度近视青少年儿童黄斑区血管密度和视网膜厚度的变化,并探讨其相关性。方法:前瞻性横断面研究。纳入6~18岁青少年儿童115例230眼。根据等效球镜度数(SE)分为4组:正视组16例32眼,低度近视组47例94眼,中度近视组34例68眼,高度近视组18例36眼。RTVueXR扫描黄斑区6mm×6mm范围,系统自动分区,分为以黄斑中心小凹为中心,直径分别为1mm的中心凹(fovea)环、1~3mm的内环(parafovea)、3~6mm的外环(perifovea),且每个圆环被进一步划分为颞(T)、上(S)、鼻(N)、下(I)4个象限,定量分析各分区浅层、深层毛细血管密度和视网膜厚度。结果:正视、低度、中度和高度近视组黄斑区整体浅层毛细血管密度依次显著减低,分别为(44.4±3.5)%、(44.8±3.8)%、(44.3±3.8)%、(42.6±4.5)%(F=2.963,P=0.033),内环颞侧浅层毛细血管密度分别为(46.1±3.5)%、(46.8±5.1)%、(46.2±4.3)%、(43.8±5.5)%(F=3.436,P=0.018);四组黄斑区整体深层毛细血管密度随着近视度数增加亦显著降低,分别为(49.9±4.1)%、(48.4±4.7)%、(47.9±5.5)%、(45.3±4.7)%(F=4.806,P=0.003),外环深层毛细血管密度分别为(49±4.4)%、(47.2±5.2)%、(46.6±6)%、(43.6±5.1)%(F=5.495,P=0.001)。四组黄斑区整体视网膜厚度分别为293.9±12.9、295.5±13.0、290.9±12.0、284.5±10.7μm(F=6.606,P<0.001)。内环颞侧、鼻侧浅层毛细血管密度与SE呈正相关(r=0.221、0.219,P=0.001、0.001),外环颞侧、上方、鼻侧、下方深层毛细血管密度与SE呈正相关(r=0.172、0.200、0.250、0.296,P=0.011、0.003、<0.001、<0.001);黄斑区除中心凹外其余区域视网膜厚度与SE均呈正相关(P<0.05)。结论:随着青少年儿童近视度数的增加,黄斑区浅层毛细血管密度降低,以内环颞侧为甚;深层毛细血管密度降低,以外环范围内为甚;视网膜厚度降低,以内环和外环范围为甚。青少年儿童近视随着屈光度增加,会导致黄斑区结构和血流循环的变化,在高度近视眼中改变尤为显著。

Grape seed proanthocyanidin protects liver against ischemia/reperfusion injury by attenuating endoplasmic reticulum stress

AIM: To explore the effect of grape seed proanthocyanidin(GSP) in liver ischemia/reperfusion(IR) injury and alleviation of endoplasmic reticulum stress.METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats(220-250 g) were divided into three groups, namely, sham, IR, and GSP groups(n = 8 each). A liver IR(70%) model was established and reperfused for 6 h. Prior to reperfusion, the GSP group was administered with GSP(100 mg/kg) for 15 d, and liver histology was then investigated. Serum aminotransferase and inflammatory mediators coupled with superoxide dismutase and methane dicarboxylic aldehyde were detected. Western blot was conducted to analyze the expression of glucoseregulated protein 78, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein, activating transcription factor-4, inositol-requiring enzyme-1, procaspase-12, and nuclear factor-κb. Apoptotic cells were detected by TUNEL staining.RESULTS: The serum aminotransferase, apoptotic cells, and Suzuki scores decreased in the GSP group compared with the IR group(P s < 0.05). The methanedicarboxylic aldehyde level was decreased in the GSP group, but the superoxide dismutase level was reversed(P s < 0.05). Similarly, GSP downregulated the proinflammatory factors and upregulated the levels of anti-inflammatory factors(Ps < 0.05). Western blot data showed that GSP increased glucose-regulated protein 78 expression and suppressed expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein, activating transcription factor-4, inositol-requiring enzyme-1, procaspase-12, and nuclear factor-κb compared with the IR group.CONCLUSION: GSP possesses antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects by relieving endoplasmic reticulum stress through regulation of related signaling pathways to protect the liver against IR injury.

Quantum fluctuation of entanglement for accelerated two-level detectors

It is well known that the quantum fluctuation of entanglement(QFE) between Unruh–De Witt detector(modeled by a two-level atom) is always investigated in a relativistic setting. However, both of the Unruh radiation and quantum fluctuation effects play an important role in precise measurements of quantum entanglement. In this paper, we have quantitatively analyzed how the relativistic motion affects the QFE for two entangled Unruh–De Witt detectors, one of which is accelerated and interacting with the neighbor external scalar field. Our results show that the QFE, which initially increases by the Unruh thermal noise, will suddenly decay when the acceleration reaches to a considerably large value. Therefore, the relativistic effect will lead to non-negligible QFE effect. We also find that the initial QFE(without acceleration effect) reaches its minimum value at the maximally entangled state and the separable state. More importantly, our analysis demonstrates that although the QFE has a huge decay when the acceleration is greater than ~ 0.96, the ratio of △E/C is still very large, due to the simultaneous decay of concurrence to a very low value. Finally, enlightened by the well-known equivalence principle,we discuss the possibility of applying the above findings to the dynamics of QFE under the influence of gravitation field.

Preoperative serum cortisone levels are associated with cognition in preschool‑aged children with tetralogy of Fallot after corrective surgery:new evidence from human populations and mice

Background Tetralogy of Fallot(TOF)is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease.Children with TOF would be confronted with neurological impairment across their lifetime.Our study aimed to identify the risk factors for cerebral morphology changes and cognition in postoperative preschool-aged children with TOF.Methods We used mass spectrometry(MS)technology to assess the levels of serum metabolites,Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence-Fourth edition(WPPSI-Ⅳ)index scores to evaluate neurodevelopmental levels and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)to detect cortical morphological changes.Results Multiple linear regression showed that preoperative levels of serum cortisone were positively correlated with the gyrification index of the left inferior parietal gyrus in children with TOF and negatively related to their lower visual spaces index and nonverbal index.Meanwhile,preoperative SpO_(2) was negatively correlated with levels of serum cortisone after adjusting for all covariates.Furthermore,after intervening levels of cortisone in chronic hypoxic model mice,total brain volumes were reduced at both postnatal(P)11.5 and P30 days.Conclusions Our results suggest that preoperative serum cortisone levels could be used as a biomarker of neurodevelopmental impairment in children with TOF.Our study findings emphasized that preoperative levels of cortisone could influence cerebral development and cognition abilities in children with TOF.

Both combinatorial K4me0-K36me3 marks on sister histone H3s of a nucleosome are required for Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L mediated de novo DNA methylation

A nucleosome contains two copies of each histone H2A,H2B,H3 and H4.Histone H3 K4me0 and K36me3are two key chromatin marks for de novo DNA methylation catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases in mammals.However,it remains unclear whether K4me0 and K36me3 marks on both sister histone H3s regulate de novo DNA methylation independently or cooperatively.Here,taking advantage of the bivalent histone H3 system in yeast,we examined the contributions of K4 and K36 on sister histone H3s to genomic DNA methylation catalyzed by ectopically co-expressed murine Dnmt3a and Dnmt3L.The results show that lack of both K4me0 and K36me3 on one sister H3 tail,or lack of K4me0 and K36me3 on respective sister H3s results in a dramatic reduction of 5mC,revealing a synergy of two sister H3s in DNA methylation regulation.Accordingly,the Dnmt3a or Dnmt3L mutation that disrupts the interaction of Dnmt3aADD domain-H3K4me0,Dnmt3LADD domain-H3K4me0,orDnmt3aPWWP domain-H3K36me3 causes a significant reduction of DNA methylation.These results support the model that each heterodimeric Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L reads both K4me0 and K36me3 marks on one tail of sister H3s,and the dimer of heterodimeric Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L recognizes two tails of sister histone H3s to efficiently execute de novo DNA methylation.

Synthesis and characterization of novel ternary deep eutectic solvents

A series of room-temperature ternary deep eutectic solvents （TDESs） were prepared from imidazolium halides, zinc halides and amides. The [BMIM]Cl-ZnCl2-acetamide （1：1：1） system shows the lowest freezing point （-60℃） and lowest density in the series. The viscosity and conductivity of TDESs have an exponential relationship with temperature and can be fitted by Arrhenius equation.

Recyclable Carbon Nitride Nanosheet-Photocatalyzed Aminomethylation of Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines in Green Solvent

An efficient and eco-friendly carbon nitride nanosheet(NM-g-C3N4)-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling reaction of imidazo-fused heterocycles(i.e.,imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines,benzo[d]imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole)with N-phenylglycines in dimethyl carbonate(DMC)has been developed.The toxic solvents,external oxidants,and restricted reaction conditions could be effectively avoided in this powerful and sustainable protocol.Remarkably,NM-g-C3N4 could be straightforwardly recovered by simple centrifugation and recycled and reused at least 7 times without an obvious decrease in catalytic activity.

Effect of thermal deformation on microstructure and properties of TC18 titanium alloy produced by laser additive manufacturing

Grain boundary of α phase damaged ductility of laser melting-deposited TC18 titanium alloy and grain boundary of α phases were difficult to break by nominal heat treatment. An extra thermal deformation was introduced to break the grain boundary of α phase with the improved mechanical property of TC18 titanium alloy fabricated by laser melting deposition technique.Results indicated that after thermal deformation, β grains in alloy seriously elongated. When sample was deformed at temperatures from 750 to 850 ℃, α phase exhibited both rod and irregular morphologies with discontinuous distribution at grain boundary, and the subsequent heat treatment would lead to spheroidization of the α phase. However, after deformation at 900 ℃, α phase transferred into β phase and the subsequent heat treatment would make continuous grain boundary of α phase reappear. The suitable hot deformation can effectively break the continuous grain boundary in laser melting-deposited TC18 alloy with respected improved ductility.

Clinical Manifestations of Adenomyosis Patients with or without Coexisting Endometriosis

To the Editor： Uterine adenomyosis （AM） is caused by the ectopic growth of endometrial glands and stroma in the myometrium of the uterus, accompanied by hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the surrounding smooth muscle cells, leading to a diffuse enlargement of the uterus.