Explore the vast range of titles available.

Atropine is an effective medicine for myopia prevention and control. This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of atropine on choroidal thickness (ChT) in children with myopia. Between its inception and 1 June 2023, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science were all searched, and only English literature was included. The choroidal thickness was the primary study outcome. Axial length, standardized equivalent refraction were examined as secondary outcomes. STATA 12.0 was used for data extraction and analysis. A total of 307 eyes were involved in this study to evaluate the effect of atropine on ChT, axial length (AL) and standardized equivalent refraction (SER) in myopic children. Choroidal thickening was significantly higher in the atropine group than in the control group at 1 month (WMD, 6.87 mm, 95% CI, 0.04 to 13.10, = 0.049), whereas it was significantly higher in the atropine group than in the control group at months 6 (WMD, 10.37 mm, 95% CI, -3.21 to 23.95, = 0.135), 12 (WMD, 15.10 mm, 95% CI, -5.08 to 35.27, = 0.143) and at final follow-up (WMD, 11.52 mm, 95% CI, -3.26 to 26.31, = 0.127), the differences were not statistically significant. At months 1 (WMD, -0.03 mm, 95% CI, -0.04 to -0.01, = 0.003), 6 (WMD, -0.07 mm, 95% CI, -0.01 to -0.03, = 0.000), 12 (WMD, -0.13mm, 95% CI, -0.15 to -0.11, = 0.843), and at final follow-up (WMD, -0.08 mm, 95% CI, -0.16 to -0.01, = 0.127), atropine treatment was able to delay the axial elongation. At 1-month follow-up, there was no significant difference in the effect of atropine on SER in myopic children compared with the control group (WMD, 0.01D, 95% CI, -0.07 to 26.31, = 0.127), whereas it was able to control the progression of refractive status at final follow-up (WMD, 11.52 mm, 95% CI, -3.26 to 26.31, = 0.127). Limited evidence suggests that 0.01% atropine causes choroidal thickening in myopic children at 1 month of treatment. In the short term, choroidal thickness may be a predictor of the effectiveness of atropine in controlling myopia in children. 0.01% atropine is effective in controlling myopic progression in terms of SER and AL. http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier, CRD42022381195.

Ferroptosis, a new type of programmed cell death proposed in recent years, is characterized mainly by reactive oxygen species and iron-mediated lipid peroxidation and differs from programmed cell death, such as apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. Ferroptosis is associated with a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Recent studies have shown that ferroptosis can aggravate or reduce the occurrence and development of diseases by targeting metabolic pathways and signaling pathways in tumors, ischemic organ damage, and other degenerative diseases related to lipid peroxidation. Increasing evidence suggests that ferroptosis is closely linked to the onset and progression of various ophthalmic conditions, including corneal injury, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, and retinoblastoma. Our review of the current research on ferroptosis in ophthalmic diseases reveals significant advancements in our understanding of the pathogenesis, aetiology, and treatment of these conditions.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common form of age-related dementia that mostly affects the aging population. Clinically, it is a disease characterized by impaired memory and progressive cognitive decline. Although the pathological hallmarks of AD have been traditionally described with a general confinement in the brain, recent studies have shown similar pathological changes in the retina, which is a developmental outgrowth of the forebrain. These AD-related neurodegenerative changes in the retina have been implicated to cause early visual problems in AD even before cognitive impairment becomes apparent. With recent advances in research, the commonly held view that AD-related cerebral pathology causes visual dysfunction through disruption of central visual pathways has been re-examined. Currently, several studies have already explored how AD manifests in the retina and the possibility of using the same retina as a window to non-invasively examine AD-related pathology in the brain. Non-invasive screening of AD through the retina has the potential to improve on early detection and management of the disease since the majority of AD cases are usually diagnosed very late. The purpose of this review is to provide evidence on the involvement of the retina in AD and to suggest a possible direction for future research into the non-invasive screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of AD using the retina.

Rutin, a natural flavonol glycoside, is widely present in plants and foods, such as black tea and wheat tea. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of flavonoids are well known. In this study, a new electrochemical rutin sensor was developed using multiwalled carbon nanotubes/aluminum-based metal–organic frameworks (MWCNT/CAU-1) (CAU−1, a type of Al-MOF) as the electrode modification material. The suspension of multiwalled carbon tubes was dropped on the surface of the GCE electrode to make MWCNT/GCEs, and CAU−1 was then attached to the electrode surface by electrodeposition. MWCNTs and CAU−1 were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Due to the synergistic effect of CAU−1 and MWCNT-COOH, the prepared sensor showed an ultrasensitive electrochemical response to rutin. Under optimized conditions, the sensor showed a linear relationship between 1.0 × 10−9~3.0 × 10−6 M with a detection limit of 6.7 × 10−10 M (S/N = 3). The sensor also showed satisfactory stability and accuracy in the detection of real samples.

As a flavonoid compound, astragalin (AST) is found in a variety of medicinal plants. In clinical studies, AST has anti-inflammatory and analgesia effects on rheumatoid arthritis, bronchopneumonia diseases and so on, but its specific role and mechanism is still not clear. This study aimed to investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of AST on inflammatory pain and pain-related emotions in complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) mice. In this study, we observed that AST significantly alleviated CFA-induced inflammatory pain and associated emotional disturbances in mice. The mechanism may be related to down-regulating mGluR5-mediated PKC λ -ERK1/2-FOXO6 signaling pathway in CFA mice. Treatment with the mGluR5-specific inhibitor MTEP resulted in the downregulation of proteins associated with the PKC λ -ERK1/2-FOXO6 pathway, similar to the effects observed with AST administration. These results suggested that AST might play a crucial role in the management of inflammatory pain and related emotions, shedding light on its underlying mechanism for treating such conditions.

Bisphenol A (2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical with recognized adverse effects on human health and ecosystems, urgently requires convenient, sensitive, and accurate detection methods. In this study, a hierarchical heterostructure was fabricated by incorporating Ti3C2Tx MXene and mesoporous hollow carbon spheres (MHCs) to develop a high-performance electrochemical sensor for BPA. The nanocomposite was thoroughly characterized using SEM, TEM, and XRD, and then applied to modify a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Under optimized conditions including pH and accumulation time, BPA detection was carried out via differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The sensor exhibited a wide linear detection range from 10 to 200 μM and a low detection limit of 2.6 μM. Moreover, it was successfully applied to environmental water samples, demonstrating high accuracy and practicality for real-world BPA monitoring.

BackgroundAspergillus fumigatus ( A.f ) is a common airborne allergen that contributes to allergic asthma. In some patients, A.f can colonize in the airway and lead to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). However, our understanding of the pathogenesis of A.f -sensitized asthma and ABPA remains inadequate.ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the clinical and immunological characteristics of A.f -sensitized asthma and ABPA.MethodsA total of 64 ABPA and 57 A .f -sensitized asthma patients were enrolled in the study, and 33 non- A.f -sensitized asthma patients served as the control group. The clinical and immunological parameters included lung function, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), induced sputum and blood cell analysis, specific IgE/IgG/IgA of A.f and its components, cytokines (IL-33, IL-25, and TSLP) and CD4+T cell subsets.ResultsThe eosinophils in blood, induced sputum, and FeNO were significantly higher in ABPA patients compared to that in A.f -sensitized patients. The combination of FeNO and eosinophils (EO) parameters presented good diagnostic efficiency in differentiating A.f (+) asthma from ABPA, with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 100%. Specific IgE, IgG, and IgA against A.f also increased in ABPA patients. However, serum IL-25, IL-33, and TSLP showed no significant differences between the two groups. Cell analysis showed an increase in IFN-γ+Th1 cells in the ABPA patients. FlowSOM analysis further confirmed that the frequency of CD3+CD4+PD-1+CD127+IFN-γ+T cells was higher in ABPA patients.ConclusionOur findings suggest the distinct humoral and cell immunological responses in A.f -sensitized asthma and ABPA patients. ABPA patients have more severe eosinophilic inflammation and enhanced Th1 responses compared with A.f -sensitized asthma patients.

This study explores the influence of long-term learning behavior on brain cross-frequency coupling (CFC) mechanisms and their effects on working memory. The research included 40 third-year university students from the same major, divided into two groups: one group (20 students) was actively involved in academic activities for three years, while the other group (20 students) had minimal academic engagement. Using electroencephalogram (EEG) data collected during resting-state and Sternberg Working Memory Task (STB) periods, the study analyzed changes in amplitude–amplitude coupling (AAC) and phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) to understand the relationship between learning behavior and cognitive function. During the resting state, no significant differences in AAC and PAC were observed, suggesting stable neural networks. However, the STB task revealed significant differences in coupling in specific EEG channels: AAC differed notably in T8 and P3, while PAC showed distinctions in C3. These differences point to potential variations in information processing and cognitive regulation mechanisms between the groups. Although these variations did not directly impact task performance, they provide insights into how long-term learning affects neural processing pathways. This research highlights the importance of analyzing neural coupling patterns in specific cognitive tasks to assess the impact of educational interventions. The findings can guide the design of tailored educational strategies and cognitive training programs, underscoring the significance of long-term learning for brain function.

Due to the rising need for clean and renewable energy, green materials including biochar are becoming increasingly popular in the field of energy storage and conversion. However, the lack of highly active and stable electrode materials hinders the development of stable energy supplies and efficient hydrogen production devices. Herein, we fabricated stable, conductive, and multifunctional chitosan microspheres by a facile emulsion crosslinking solution growth and hydrothermal sulphuration methods as multifunctional electrodes for overall water splitting driven by supercapacitors. This material possessed three-dimensional layered conductors with favorable heterojunction interface, ample hollow and porous structures. It presented remarkably enhanced electrochemical and catalytic activity for both supercapacitors and overall water electrolysis. The asymmetric supercapacitors based on chitosan biochar microsphere achieved high specific capacitance (260.9 F g−1 at 1 A g−1) and high energy density (81.5W h kg−1) at a power density of 978.4 W kg−1. The chitosan biochar microsphere as an electrode for electrolyze only required a low cell voltage of 1.49 V to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2, and achieved excellent stability with 30 h continuous test at 20 mA cm−2. Then, we assembled a coupled energy storage device and hydrogen production system, the SCs as a backup power source availably guaranteed the continuous operation of overall water electrolysis. Our study provides valuable perspectives into the practical design of both integrated biochar-based electrode materials and coupled energy storage devices with energy conversion and storage in practical.Graphical AbstractA highly conductive and multifunctional chitosan-based microsphere was fabricated.Chitosan-based microsphere possessed favorable heterojunction interface.This electrode presented remarkable electrochemical and catalytic activity.The ASCs delivered remarkable energy density and power density.A coupled energy storage device and hydrogen production system was established.

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) can induce immune tolerance to allergens by activating multiple mechanisms, including promoting IgG4 synthesis and blunting IgE production. However, the longitudinal data of sIgE and sIgG4 to allergen components during AIT are limited. We sought to investigate the persistence and evolution of sIgE and sIgG4 against house dust mite (HDM) components during AIT and explore their correlation with clinical responses. Sixty allergic rhinitis (AR) with/without asthma patients receiving AIT for HDM were enrolled in AIT group. Thirty AR patients without receiving AIT served as control group. Blood samples were collected for sIgE, sIgG4 to HDM components ( and ) assay at baseline, Month 6 and Month 18 of AIT. Combined symptom and medication scores (CSMS) were obtained accordingly. In the AIT group, sIgG4 to the HDM components of and significantly increased at Month 18 compared to the baseline (36.2 U /mL 158.8 U /mL, 46.4 U /mL 94.6 U /mL, 80.5 U /mL 152.3 U /mL, 78.3 U /mL 205.1 U /mL, 42.3 U /mL 59.3 U /mL, all <0.05), sIgE to HDM components didn't see differences at baseline and at Month 18 (all >0.05).The numbers of positive HDM component sIgE and sIgG4 increased from 4.5 to 5 and 0 to 1.5 respectively (both <0.05). However, the changes of sIgE, sIgG4, sIgE/sIgG4 ratio and the numbers of positive HDM components had no correlations with the improvement of CSMS after AIT (all ρ<0.3). For the control group, the sIgE and sIgG4 did not change significantly during the observational period (all >0.05). AIT can induce the production of sIgG4 to HDM components. However, the increased sIgG4 levels of HDM component do not correlate with the corresponding sIgE levels at baseline or with AIT response. sIgG4 to HDM components do not qualify as a biomarker to evaluate the efficacy of AIT.