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Background/purpose: Quantitative in vitro research was conducted on the learning process of a dynamic navigation system. This study provides guidance for the promotion and application of dynamic navigation technology in the endodontic apical surgery field. Materials and methods: Standardized models were designed and 3D printed to form the approach operation of endodontic apical surgery. 6 clinicians with no experience in dynamic navigation performed the operation. The distance deviation tolerance was set as 0.6 mm, and the angle deviation tolerance was set as 5°. Fifteen mm deep approach operation was completed using dynamic navigation. Each operator performed 10 consecutive exercises on the models. The positioning deviation and operation time of each operator for each practice were recorded. Based on this, the learning curve of the dynamic navigation of every operator was mapped. The learning difficulty of dynamic navigation was evaluated. Results: The learning curves of all operators reached a stable level after the 7th practice, which can ensure that the distance and angle deviations are maintained within the deviation tolerances (0.6 mm, 5°). Conclusion: Operators with no experience in dynamic navigation technology need practice to master dynamic navigation operations. For this navigation system, operators with no operational experience can master dynamic navigation operations after 7 exercises.

Understanding how stress hormones induce apoptosis in oviductal epithelial cells (OECs) and mural granulosa cells (MGCs) can reveal the mechanisms by which female stress impairs embryonic development and oocyte competence. A recent study showed that tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) ameliorates corticosterone-induced apoptosis in MGCs and OECs by acting on its receptors low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) and Annexin A2 (ANXA2), respectively. However, whether tPA is involved in corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-induced apoptosis and whether it uses the same or different receptors to inhibit apoptosis induced by different hormones in the same cell type remains unknown. This study showed that CRH triggered apoptosis in both OECs and MGCs and significantly downregulated tPA expression. Moreover, tPA inhibits CRH-induced apoptosis by acting on ANXA2 in both OECs and MGCs. While ANXA2 inhibits apoptosis via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling, LRP1 reduces apoptosis via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Thus, tPA used the same receptor to inhibit CRH-induced apoptosis in both OECs and MGCs, however used different receptors to inhibit corticosterone-induced apoptosis in MGCs and OECs. These data helps understand the mechanism by which female stress impairs embryo/oocyte competence and proapoptotic factors trigger apoptosis in different cell types.

AIM: To figure out whether various atropine dosages may slow the progression of myopia in Chinese kids and teenagers and to determine the optimal atropine concentration for effectively slowing the progression of myopia. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted across the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, CBM, VIP, and Wanfang database, encompassing literature on slowing progression of myopia with varying atropine concentrations from database inception to January 17, 2024. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed, and a network Meta-analysis was executed using Stata version 14.0 Software. Results were visually represented through graphs. RESULTS: Fourteen papers comprising 2475 cases were included; five different concentrations of atropine solution were used. The network Meta-analysis, along with the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA), showed that 1% atropine (100%)>0.05% atropine (74.9%) >0.025% atropine (51.6%)>0.02% atropine (47.9%)>0.01% atropine (25.6%)>control in refraction change and 1% atropine (98.7%)>0.05% atropine (70.4%)>0.02% atropine (61.4%)>0.025% atropine (42%)>0.01% atropine (27.4%)>control in axial length (AL) change. CONCLUSION: In Chinese children and teenagers, the five various concentrations of atropine can reduce the progression of myopia. Although the network Meta-analysis showed that 1% atropine is the best one for controlling refraction and AL change, there is a high incidence of adverse effects with the use of 1% atropine. Therefore, we suggest that 0.05% atropine is optimal for Chinese children to slow myopia progression.

Kidney-yang deficiency syndrome (KYDS) is characterized by a metabolic disorder stemming from neuroendocrine dysregulation, often associated with hepatic dysfunction. In traditional Chinese medicine, Psoralea corylifolia Linn. (BGZ) is commonly utilized for treating KYDS. However, the specific therapeutic effects of BGZ on liver function regulation remain unclear. To evaluate the protective effects of BGZ against KYDS in rats, organ index, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and other biochemical indices were analyzed. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was utilized to assess liver histopathology. Additionally, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted to identify potential biomarkers. BGZ treatment led to a significant reduction in ALT and AST levels, accompanied by improvements in liver histopathology in rats with KYDS. Moreover, BGZ induced significant alterations in 92 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 20 metabolites in the KYDS rat model. The comprehensive examination of metabolites and DEGs identified potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of BGZ, highlighting the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, cAMP signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction as key mechanisms. Validation of key targets within the cAMP pathway was substantiated through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The cAMP pathway emerges as a plausible mechanism through which BGZ exerts protective effects against KYDS. The findings of this study contribute to an improved understanding of the therapeutic actions of BGZ and establish a groundwork for further research into the complex pathways involved, as well as the potential for drug-targeted therapies for KYDS.

Abstract Background The operation accuracy and efficiency of dynamic navigated endodontic surgery were evaluated through in vitro experiments. This study provides a reference for future clinical application of dynamic navigation systems in endodontic surgery. Materials and methods 3D-printed maxillary anterior teeth were used in the preparation of models for endodontic surgery. Endodontic surgery was performed with and without dynamic navigation by an operator who was proficient in dynamic navigation technology but had no experience in endodontic surgery. Optical scanning data were applied to evaluate the length and angle deviations of root-end resection. And the operation time was recorded. T tests were used to analyze the effect of dynamic navigation technology on the accuracy and duration of endodontic surgery. Results With dynamic navigation, the root-end resection length deviation was 0.46 ± 0.06 mm, the angle deviation was 2.45 ± 0.96°, and the operation time was 187 ± 22.97 s. Without dynamic navigation, the root-end resection length deviation was 1.20 ± 0.92 mm, the angle deviation was 16.20 ± 9.59°, and the operation time was 247 ± 61.47 s. Less deviation was achieved and less operation time was spent with than without dynamic navigation (P

Abstract Background Abnormal expression of protein tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6) has been proven to be involved in the development of gynecological tumors. However, its immune-related carcinogenic mechanism in other tumors remains unclear. Objective The aim of this study was to identify PTK6 as a novel prognostic biomarker in pan-cancer, especially in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), which is correlated with immune infiltration, and to clarify its clinicopathological and prognostic significance. Methods The prognostic value and immune relevance of PTK6 were investigated by using bio-informatics in this study. PTK6 expression was validated in vitro experiments (lung cancer cell lines PC9, NCI-H1975, and HCC827; human normal lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B). Western blot (WB) revealed the PTK6 protein expression in lung cancer cell lines. PTK6 expression was inhibited by Tilfrinib. Colony formation and the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay were used to detect cell proliferation. The wound healing and trans-well were performed to analyze the cell migration capacity. Then flow cytometry was conducted to evaluate the cell apoptosis. Eventually, the relationship between PTK6 and immune checkpoints was examined. WB was used to estimate the PD-L1 expression at different Tilfrinib doses. Results PTK6 was an independent predictive factor for LUAD and was substantially expressed in LUAD. Pathological stage was significantly correlated with increased PTK6 expression. In accordance with survival analysis, poor survival rate in LUAD was associated with a high expression level of PTK6. Functional enrichment of the cell cycle and TGF-β signaling pathway was demonstrated by KEGG and GSEA analysis. Moreover, PTK6 expression considerably associated with immune infiltration in LUAD, as determined by immune analysis. Thus, the result of vitro experiments indicated that cell proliferation and migration were inhibited by the elimination of PTK6. Additionally, PTK6 suppression induced cell apoptosis. Obviously, PD-L1 protein expression level up-regulated while PTK6 was suppressed. Conclusion PTK6 has predictive value for LUAD prognosis, and could up regulated PD-L1.

The tropical areas in southern and south-western Yunnan are rich in fungal diversity. Additionally, the diversity of seed flora in Yunnan Province is higher than in other regions in China and the abundant endemic species of woody plants provide favourable substrates for fungi. Rubber plantations in Yunnan Province are distributed over a large area, especially in Xishuangbanna. During a survey of rubber-associated fungi in Yunnan Province, China, dead rubber branches with fungal fruiting bodies were collected. Morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, SSU, rpb2 and tef1-α) revealed four distinct new species, described herein as Melomastia puerensis, Nigrograna lincangensis, Pseudochaetosphaeronema lincangensis and Pseudochaetosphaeronema xishuangbannaensis. Detailed descriptions, illustrations and phylogenetic trees are provided to show the taxonomic placements of these new species.

Objective: To analyze the clinical features and genetic etiology of a patient with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Methods: The clinical information and peripheral blood of the patient and their family members were collected before the whole exome sequencing analysis was performed and Sanger sequencing was employed to verify the potential variant. Results: The patient presented with epilepsy and cerebral palsy with his parents, brother, and sister being all healthy. Whole exome sequencing analysis revealed that the child carried the paternal c.823del (p. R275Gfs*31) heterozygous variant and the maternal c.2456del (p.V819Gfs*190) heterozygous variant of the CACNA1B gene. Pedigree verification found that the elder brother and amniotic fluid of fetus in womb carried the paternal c.823del heterozygous variant, and the elder sister carried the maternal c.2456del heterozygous variant, which conformed to the law of autosomal recessive inheritance. Neither of these two variants has been reported in the literature and has not been included in the Genomic Mutation Frequency Database (gnomAD); according to the American Academy of Medical Genetics and Genomics Variation Grading Guidelines (ACMG), both variants are classified as pathogenic variants (PVS1+PM2-Supporting + PM3). Conclusion: This study reported the first case of a child with neurodevelopmental disorder and epilepsy caused by a new compound heterozygous variant of the CACNA1B gene in China, clarified its genetic etiology, enriched the mutation spectrum and disease spectrum of CACNA1B gene, and provided a basis for prenatal diagnosis of the family.

As a diverse group of conserved cysteine-containing aspartic protein hydrolases in cytoplasm, caspases are associated with apoptosis and inflammation. After an activation of macromolecular signaling complexes, they ultimately lead to programmed cell deaths of apoptosis and pyroptosis, depending on specific types of activated caspases. This review summarized the mechanisms of caspase-mediated apoptosis and pyroptosis in different types of acute kidney injuries (AKI) induced by sepsis, ischemia/reperfusion, drugs and rhabdomyolysis. The goal was to understand the importance of those regulators in AKI development and facilitate the discovery of precise targets for treating and preventing AKI.

Sugarcane thrips, Fulmekiola serrata (Kobus) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is a common foliar pest that infests sugarcane and is found throughout tropical and subtropical countries. In this study, we obtained and analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome of F. serrata for the first time and explored the phylogenetic relationships of the higher-order elements of Thysanoptera members at the mitochondrial level. The complete mitochondrial genome of F. serrata is 16,596 bp in length and includes 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and 1 noncoding control region. A+T accounted for 75% of the total bases in the mitochondrial genome of F. serrata, revealing an obvious AT bias. Among the 13 PCGs, except for nad5, which had a start codon of TTG, the remaining genes had ATNs typical of insects (ATA, ATT, ATC, and ATG); nad1, nad2, nad3, and atp8 had incomplete termination codons of TA or T. The remaining nine PCGs were complete with the termination codon TAA. Of the 22 tRNA secondary structures, all were typical cloverleaf secondary structures except for trnS1, which was missing the DHU arm. Compared with the hypothetical ancestral gene arrangement of arthropods, F. serrata presented extensive gene rearrangement, with 23 translocated genes, 8 inverted genes, and 5 shuffled genes. Both maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) phylogenetic trees resulted in similar topologies: ((Thripidae + (Stenurothripidae + Aeolothripidae)) + Phlaeothripidae), with Thripidae, Aeolothripidae and Phlaeothripidae being monophyletic groups, whereas F. serrata is closely related to Thrips palmi, and the two are sister groups.

Background: The immune-inflammatory pathway plays a critical role in myocardial infarction development. However, few studies have systematically explored immune-related genes in relation to myocardial infarction prognosis using bioinformatic analysis. Our study aims to identify differentially expressed immune-related genes(DEIRGs) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients and investigate their association with clinical outcomes. Materials and methods: We conducted a systematic review of Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, selecting GSE49925, GSE60993, and GSE61144 for analysis. DEIRGs were identified using GEO2R and overlapped across the chosen datasets. Functional enrichment analysis elucidated the DEIRGs' biological functions and pathways. We established an optimal prognostic prediction model using LASSO penalized Cox proportional hazards regression. The signature's clinical utility was evaluated through survival analysis, ROC curve assessment, and decision curve analysis. Additionally, we constructed a prognostic nomogram for survival rate prediction. External validation was performed using our own plasma samples. Results: The resulting prognostic signature integrated two dysregulated DEIRGs (S100A12 and IL2RB) and two clinical variables (serum creatinine level and Gensini score). This signature effectively stratified patients into low- and high-risk groups. Survival analysis, ROC curve analysis, and decision curve analysis demonstrated its robust predictive performance and clinical utility within the first two years post-disease onset. External validation confirmed significant outcome differences between risk groups. Conclusions: Our study establishes a prognostic signature that combines DEIRGs and clinical variables for STEMI patients. The signature exhibits promising predictive capabilities for patient stratification and survival risk assessment.

Background: The objective of this study was to compare The Binding Site's Freelite on Optilite and Diazyme's Kappa/Lambda free light chains (K/L FLC) on Abbott Architect c8000 with healthy and renal insufficient populations and to evaluate their respective reference intervals for serum free light chains (sFLCs). Methods: Two hundred sixty serum samples were measured for creatinine and sFLCs by both assays and a subset by immunofixation electrophoresis. Verification of manufacturer-defined reference intervals was assessed. Results: Kappa free light chains (KFLC) showed excellent correlation of 0.998 R2 with a slope of 0.73. For Lambda free light chains (LFLC), an acceptable correlation of 0.953 R2 was found with a slope of 1.50 as well as a skewnessbased difference with a -12.70 intercept. Healthy estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) =60 reference interval verification of central 95% could not be confirmed for either Freelite or Diazyme although LFLC was much closer than KFLC for both assays with Freelite KFLC recovering only 37% of values within reference interval claims. The K/L FLC ratio did not meet 100% claim for both Freelite (91%) and Diazyme (95%) among those with eGFR =60. Samples with eGFR =59 had increasingly higher levels of KFLC and LFLC for both assays. When comparing worsening eGFR status, Freelite recovered increasingly higher ratios while Diazyme recovered increasingly lower ratios. Conclusions: Healthy reference intervals could not be verified for either Freelite or Diazyme. Renal reference intervals for Freelite are currently warranted while they are not recommended for Diazyme. The differences between these 2 assays can be minimized by standardization efforts such as recalibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium and potential factors influencing umbilical cord separation time in preterm infants. Methods: A total of 151 preterm infants admitted to the Neonatology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China, from November 2020 to June 2021 were selected. Preterm infants were randomly divided into control and study groups. Control group received 2 % povidone-iodine and 75 % ethanol application, followed by gentle pressure with a cotton swab while the study group received amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium applied to the umbilical cord while shaking. The management interventions were stopped after umbilical cord separation in preterm infants, and the difference in umbilical cord separation time between the two groups was compared. Factors associated with preterm birth conditions, hospitalization, and maternal health were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The number of cases with umbilical cord separation time > 14 days was significantly higher in the study group compared to control group (p < 0.05). The average umbilical cord separation time in the study group was significantly lower compared to control group (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that incubator residence time significantly affects umbilical cord separation time in preterm infants (p < 0.05). Logistic multivariate regression analysis identified incubator residence time as the main factor influencing umbilical cord separation time in preterm infants. Conclusion: The use of amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium shortens umbilical cord separation time, and incubator residence time is the major factor influencing umbilical cord separation in preterm infants. Further studies should expand the study scale and increase the number of samples used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]