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This study examined the effect of vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling on foveal displacement in 42 eyes with idiopathic macular hole (IMH). A retrospective analysis was conducted to measure various macular hole parameters before surgery, including basal diameter, minimum diameter, hole height, and areas affected by traction such as macular hole area (MHA), macular hole cystoid space area (MHCSA), macular hole retinal area (MHRA), and total area (TA). The results showed a postoperative shift of the fovea towards the optic disc in all cases. Notably, the extent of foveal displacement was significantly linked to the preoperative basal diameter ( r s  = 0.405, P  = 0.008) but not to other preoperative parameters or postoperative visual acuity. Furthermore, the study found that the temporal side of the macular hole was more affected by traction than the nasal side preoperatively, leading to greater postoperative displacement (All P  < 0.05).

This retrospective cohort study explored the relationship between monocular and interocular optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters and stereopsis in 56 patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for unilateral idiopathic epiretinal membrane (IERM). IERM impairs visual functions, with symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to severe impairment. Despite established surgical interventions, including PPV with membrane peeling, the impact on advanced three-dimensional visual functions such as stereopsis remains inadequately investigated. All subjects were assessed for stereopsis, visual acuity, and metamorphopsia, alongside spectral domain OCT parameters. These visual functions significantly improved 3-month postoperatively. Central retinal thickness at the fovea, parafovea, and perifovea (CFT, CRT-3 mm, and CRT-6 mm), ectopic inner foveal layer thickness, and retinal layer thickness notably decreased 1 week to 3 months after surgery. The interocular difference in OCT parameters between bilateral eyes was included as a parameter. Baseline CRT-3 mm difference and inner nuclear layer (INL) thickness were independently correlated with postoperative stereopsis on the Titmus Stereo Test, while baseline CRT-6 mm difference and INL thickness were independently related to stereopsis on the TNO stereotest. This study highlights the substantial enhancement in stereopsis post-IERM surgery, with both interocular and monocular OCT parameters independently influencing postoperative stereopsis. These findings underscore the importance of retinal microstructures in assessing and predicting stereopsis in IERM patients after vitrectomy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes, with its prevalence increasing globally. While previous research has linked obesity indices such as body mass index (BMI) to DR, the association with weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) remains unclear. Additionally, the relationship between WWI and DR has not been fully elucidated. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2008) to investigate these associations in Americans aged 40 and above. The study included 5436 participants (2705 men and 2731 women). Weighted logistic regression analysis revealed a significant increase in DR prevalence with higher WWI and BMI values. Smooth curve analysis demonstrated a linear correlation between WWI and DR. The findings suggest that both WWI and BMI are independently associated with DR risk among older US adults, highlighting the importance of considering central obesity measures in assessing diabetic complications.

Background Morphological changes in the retina are crucial and serve as valuable references in the clinical diagnosis of ophthalmic and cardiovascular diseases. However, the retinal vascular structure is complex, making manual segmentation time-consuming and labor-intensive. Methods This paper proposes a retinal segmentation network that integrates feature channel attention and the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) attention within the U 2 Net model. First, a feature channel attention module is introduced into the RSU (Residual Spatial Unit) block of U 2 Net, forming an Attention-RSU block, which focuses more on significant areas during feature extraction and suppresses the influence of noise; Second, a Spatial Attention Module (SAM) is introduced into the high-resolution module of Attention-RSU to enrich feature extraction from both spatial and channel dimensions, and a Channel Attention Module (CAM) is integrated into the lowresolution module of Attention-RSU, which uses dual channel attention to reduce detail loss.Finally, dilated convolution is applied during the upscaling and downscaling processes to expand the receptive field in low-resolution states, allowing the model to better integrate contextual information. Results The evaluation across multiple clinical datasets demonstrated excellent performance on various metrics, with an accuracy (ACC) of 98.71%. Conclusion The proposed Network is general enough and we believe it can be easily extended to other medical image segmentation tasks where large scale variation and complicated features are the main challenges.

This study examines the impact of financial technology (FinTech) on online illegal capital raising (ICR) in China. Using a large dataset of court judgments from China Judgment Online from 2014 to 2019, we observe a steady increase in the number and proportion of defendants involved in online ICR cases. Our empirical analysis shows that FinTech contributes significantly to the increase in online ICR, particularly in regions with low opportunity costs of crime and limited access to traditional financial services. The findings remain robust to different FinTech proxies, sample adjustments, and considerations of potential endogeneity. Weak regulatory oversight and higher potential criminal returns are key channels through which FinTech promotes online ICR. These findings highlight the need for stronger financial regulation, especially in high-risk regions, alongside efforts to improve public awareness of online investment risks. Strengthening regulation while promoting the positive role of FinTech in financial development is critical to mitigating emerging financial risks. First published online 15 April 2025

Baijiu, a traditional Chinese distilled spirit and the world’s most consumed liquor, derives its distinctive quality and complex flavor profile, particularly in strong-aroma types, primarily from the unique microbial ecosystem within pit mud (PM), the fermented clay lining of fermentation pits. To gain a deeper understanding of the role microorganisms play in shaping the quality of baijiu, this study comprehensively examined the microbial communities and physicochemical characteristics of PM sourced from various ages (20, 30, 40, and 50 years) and distinct spatial layers (upper, middle and bottom), as well as explored the correlations between these factors. PM aging drives microbial community simplification characterized by declining α-diversity yet increasing ASV richness, forming a “high richness/low evenness” succession pattern that favors functional specialists ( Caproiciproducens , Aminobacterium ). Vertical stratification creates distinct microenvironments: anaerobic lower layers accumulate Ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) and available phosphorus (AvP > 150 mg/100 g), enriching Methanobacterium and Priceomyces for hexanoate precursors; oxygen-transition middle layers support peak prokaryotic diversity and Lactobacillus -mediated niche facilitation for Caproicibacterium ; aerobic upper layers enrich Firmicutes for short-chain fatty acid synthesis. Cross-regional conservation of patterns (e.g., depth-dependent AvP zonation) contrasts with regionally adaptive Lactobacillus distribution. Critically, microbial consortia interactions govern flavor outcomes, Hydrogenispora / Methanobacterium syntrophy promotes hexanoate generation, while dynamic succession from Lactobacillus (young pits) to hexanoic acid bacteria (aged pits) determines metabolic balance. This study establishes Mortierellomycota as a biomarker for pit age (≤ 30 years) and proposes targeted maintenance of anaerobic/AvP thresholds and oxygen-mediated community control to optimize flavor compound synthesis in Baijiu fermentation ecosystems. Yet, the operational viability of these insights necessitates further validation.

Although the effects of biophysical factors on runoff and sediment yields have been studied extensively, the influences of anthropogenic factors, such as economic development and population growth, which might be crucial causes of soil erosion, are still unclear. To decouple the influences of biophysical and socioeconomic variables on runoff and sediment yields, observational data on runoff and sediment from 1985 to 2015 in seven hydrological stations in Gongshui Watershed, Jiangxi Province, China, and meteorological and socioeconomic statistics during the same period were collected. A structural equation model was constructed to evaluate the effects of biophysical factors and socioeconomic factors on runoff and sediment yields. The results showed that soil erosion in the Gongshui Watershed was significantly mitigated in the past 30 years and remarkable change points occurred. Both biophysical and anthropogenic factors had significant effects on soil erosion in the watershed, and the path coefficient changed dramatically with socioeconomic development. Economic development was the most important controlling factor, and the path coefficient decreased from −0.3863 in stage I (before the change point) to −0.6174 in stage II (after the change point). The promoting effect of agricultural production mainly stemmed from its expansion brought about by agricultural output, with the total effect increasing from 0.489 in stage I to 1.017 in stage II. The contradiction between socioeconomic development and soil erosion control in the Gongshui watershed was alleviated, and the gradually formatted synergy could provide continuous support for soil erosion control.

Under physiological conditions, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a cellular monolayer composed of mitotically quiescent cells. Tight junctions and adherens junctions maintain the polarity of RPE cells, and are required for cellular functions. In proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), upon retinal tear, RPE cells lose cell-cell contact, undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and ultimately transform into myofibroblasts, leading to the formation of fibrocellular membranes on both surfaces of the detached retina and on the posterior hyaloids, which causes tractional retinal detachment. In PVR, RPE cells are crucial contributors, and multiple signaling pathways, including the SMAD-dependent pathway, Rho pathway, MAPK pathways, Jagged/Notch pathway, and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway are activated. These pathways mediate the EMT of RPE cells, which play a key role in the pathogenesis of PVR. This review summarizes the current body of knowledge on the polarized phenotype of RPE, the role of cell-cell contact, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the RPE EMT in PVR, emphasizing key insights into potential approaches to prevent PVR.

Objective This study aimed to report our experience with spinal anesthesia (SA) in patients undergoing L5-S1 interlaminar endoscopic lumbar discectomy (IELD) and clarify its advantages and disadvantages. Methods One hundred twelve patients who underwent IELD for an L5-S1 disc herniation under SA were retrospectively analyzed. SA with 0.5% ropivacaine was administered using a 27-gauge fine needle. Intraoperatively, the volume and level of SA, surgical time, blood loss, and cardiopulmonary complications were documented. Postoperative data was collected included the number of patients who ambulated on the day of surgery, incidence of complications and were then statistically analyzed. Results Analgesia was complete throughout the entire operation in all patients and no other adjuvant intraoperative analgesic drugs were needed. Mean visual analog scale scores for intraoperative and early postoperative (24 h) pain were 0 and 2.43 ± 1.66. SA was administered at the L3-4 interspace in 34 patients (30.4%) and the L2-3 interspace in 78 (69.6%). Administration was successful with the first attempt in all patients. Mean operation time was 70.12 ± 6.52 min. Mean intraoperative blood loss volume was 20.71 ± 5.26 ml. Ninety-eight patients ambulated on the same day as surgery. Mean length of hospital stay was 24.36 ± 3.64 h. Dural injury without damaging the nerve root occurred in one patient. One patient experienced recurrent disc herniation. Intraoperative hypotension and respiratory distress occurred in five (4.5%) and three (2.7%) patients, respectively. Three patients (2.7%) received postoperative analgesia therapy and two (1.8%) experienced nausea. Two patients (1.8%) developed urinary retention. Spinal headache, cauda equina syndrome, and neurotoxicity did not occur. Conclusion SA can achieve satisfactory pain control for patients undergoing IELD with a low incidence of adverse events. SA may be a useful alternative to local and general anesthesia for IELD surgery. Future randomized controlled trials are warranted to investigate.

Background This study evaluates the efficacy of integrating MRI deep transfer learning, radiomic signatures, and clinical variables to accurately preoperatively differentiate between stage T2 and T3 rectal cancer. Methods We included 361 patients with pathologically confirmed stage T2 or T3 rectal cancer, divided into a training set (252 patients) and a test set (109 patients) at a 7:3 ratio. The study utilized features derived from deep transfer learning and radiomics, with Spearman rank correlation and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression techniques to reduce feature redundancy. Predictive models were developed using Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Decision Tree (DT), and Support Vector Machine (SVM), selecting the best-performing model for a comprehensive predictive framework incorporating clinical data. Results After removing redundant features, 24 key features were identified. In the training set, the area under the curve (AUC)values for LR, RF, DT, and SVM were 0.867, 0.834, 0.900, and 0.944, respectively; in the test set, they were 0.847, 0.803, 0.842, and 0.910, respectively. The combined model, using SVM and clinical variables, achieved AUCs of 0.946 in the trainingset and 0.920 in the test set. Conclusion The study confirms the utility of a combined model of MRI deep transfer learning, radiomic features, and clinical factors for preoperative classification of stage T2 vs. T3 rectal cancer, offering significant technological support for precise diagnosis and potential clinical application.