Vision Medicals (China)

Abstract Cryo-Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (cryoFIB-SEM) using samples fixed by high-pressure freezing uniquely enables high resolution cryo-volume Electron Microscope (cvEM) images of cell ultrastructure to be obtained from whole cells and complex tissues in their near native state. As the freezing process also preserves fluorescence, the link between three-dimensional (3D) ultrastructure and biological process is also enabled by targeted cryo-Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy (CLEM). However, the overall viability of cvEM is challenged by sample preparation, charge balance during imaging, sample sensitivity to beam damage, contamination, and very long acquisition times. Here we detail new experimental workflows to significantly reduce each of these effects and demonstrate the improvement in resolution possible with results from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the ciliated protozoon Paramecium bursaria containing many endosymbiotic algae. These results demonstrate the versatility and potential wide-ranging utility of cvEM for 3D ultrastructural imaging of whole multicellular and unicellular organisms.

ABSTRACTIntroductionPoly‐l‐lactic acid (PLLA) and micro‐focused ultrasound (MFU) are widely used for skin rejuvenation, each promoting collagen remodeling through distinct mechanisms. While combined use is common in practice, the optimal treatment sequence and safety profile remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects and ideal sequencing of PLLA and MFU in a preclinical model to guide clinical protocols.MethodsThree Bama miniature pigs were subjected to six treatment conditions on demarcated abdominal skin zones: (a) PLLA alone, (b) MFU alone, (c) MFU immediately before PLLA, (d) MFU 1 month before PLLA, (e) MFU 1 month after PLLA, and (f) untreated control. Löviselle PLLA was injected subcutaneously, while MFU was administered using the MFUS Pro system. Skin biopsies were collected at day 180. Histological (Masson's trichrome, Sirius Red, Verhoeff–Van Gieson, H&E), SEM, and quantitative image analyses were performed to assess dermal thickness, collagen subtype distribution, elastin regeneration, fat septa organization, and PLLA microsphere stability.ResultsPLLA alone increased dermal thickness by 23.7% and raised the type III/I collagen ratio to 0.79 ± 0.06 (p < 0.01). MFU alone mainly enhanced type I collagen (ratio: 0.39 ± 0.04) and improved fiber alignment. The combined treatment with MFU immediately before PLLA achieved the best outcomes: dermal thickness increased by 35.2%, and the type III/I collagen ratio reached 0.92 ± 0.05 (both p < 0.01). This group also showed denser elastin fibers, well‐structured fat septa, and the most compact collagen morphology under SEM. MFU did not accelerate PLLA degradation or increase inflammation, with no significant difference in microsphere size or inflammatory infiltration compared to PLLA alone (p > 0.05).ConclusionSequential application of MFU immediately before PLLA enhances dermal remodeling more effectively than either treatment alone, without compromising PLLA microsphere stability. These findings support the clinical potential and safety of this combinatory approach, offering evidence‐based guidance for optimizing skin rejuvenation protocols.

Abstract Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is a severe infection in immunocompromised children. This study explored the interactions between pathogen features of P. jirovecii, the lung microbiota, and immune responses, and their impact on disease severity and outcomes in pediatric patients with PJP. In this observational study, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected from a cohort of 50 children, including 22 with PJP and 28 with P. jirovecii colonisation (PJC). Microbiome and transcriptomic analyses were performed to assess the relationships between lung pathogens, microbial composition, host immune response, and clinical outcomes. Patients with PJP demonstrated a distinct lung microbiome profile compared with patients with PJC, characterised by an imbalance in microbial composition, particularly with an increased presence of opportunistic bacteria. Host transcriptomic analysis revealed a key role of CD4+ lymphocytes and inflammatory pathways, including reduced IL-17 signalling and neutrophil activation, which impaired pathogen clearance. This dysregulated immune response led to sustained hyperinflammation, contributing to more severe PJP cases and higher mortality rates. The study highlights that microbial dysbiosis and immune dysregulation are closely linked to disease severity and outcomes in paediatric patients with PJP and provides characteristics through which we can better distinguish early PJP from PJC.

The subjective visual vertical (SVV) is a potential indicator of vestibular dysfunction as it assesses an individual’s perception of a vertical line. Despite this, and as a result of specific logistical impediments, SVV has not entered standard clinical practice. Dizziness is the third most common clinical complaint by patients (20%) in outpatient offices. It adversely affects the patient’s life and is often accompanied by intensive healthcare. This study aims to determine whether the bucket test and mobile phone app are as reliable as the Virtual SVV system in assessing the SVV. This study involves four types of investigation to determine the relationship or difference among three tests, including their performance comparison, descriptive analysis, one-way ANOVA test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and correlation analysis. After organizing the raw data from 207 healthy volunteer participants for 8 trials, it was found that 59% were female and 41% were male. The data was analyzed utilizing the SPSS program. The test performance is measured using the ROC curve, and the results indicate that the bucket with the highest ROC coefficient is 0.72.

Turtles have a have a complicated sex determination system; however, Trionychidae species, as a unique group, have evolved a conserved genetic sex determination, which provides an excellent case to study the evolution of environmental sex determination to genetic sex determination. Analysis of the chromosome-level genome assembly, construction of the first sex chromosomes of Trionychidae, and embryonic transcriptome revealed that P. sinensis has a ZW-type sex determination system, and that the key sex-determining genes, including Dmrt1, Amh, Foxl2, etc., and their homologs, are not located on the sex chromosomes, which rejects the involvement of Dmrt1's SDGs or dosage compensation effect in the sex determination of P. sinensis ZW system and also indicates that the ZW chromosomes in birds, turtles, frogs, and fishes originated from different chromosome pairs in the common ancestors. Subsequently, comparative genomic studies demonstrated that a conserved ZW-type sex determination system exists in Trionychidae species, and inferred that their sex chromosomes originate from the same chromosome pair of the common ancestor. More importantly, we found a single origin of the sex chromosomes in Trionychidae species, approximately 56 million years ago, which is highly coincident with the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, PETM, event. Therefore, we hypothesize that the PETM event and the loss of embryonic self-thermal regulation are two critical dynamics that drive the adaptive evolution of sex chromosomes for the common ancestor of Trionychidae species in response to extreme temperature changes. Finally, we link the ancestral sex chromosome origin time, the species divergence time, the PETM event, and the continental plate movements to paint a picture of a single origin and radiation route for extant Trionychidae species. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms of sex determination in P. sinensis, and the single origin of sex chromosomes and species in extant soft-shelled turtles.

This study successfully utilized a straightforward approach, choosing liquid-liquid phase separation to build a porous structure and synthesize composite absorbers based on polyimide-based porous carbon and cobalt nanoparticles (designated as PPC/Co-700 and PPC/Co-800). A fine porous structure was achieved as a result of the excellent heat resistance of polyimide resulting in an excellent electromagnetic wave absorption ability of PPC/Co composites. The results obtained clearly indicated that PPC/Co-700 and PPC/Co-800 exhibit a porous structure with coral-like pores, enhancing both impedance matching properties and microwave attenuation abilities. This improvement in impedance matching conditions and dissipation capability is attributed to the synergistic effect of dielectric loss induced by carbon and magnetic loss induced by Co nanoparticles. PPC/Co-700 showed the strongest absorption performance with a minimum reflection loss of -59.85 dB (30 wt% loading, thickness of 3.42 mm) and an effective absorption bandwidth (EABW, RL ≤ -10 dB) of 6.24 GHz (30 wt% loading, thickness of 2.78 mm). Therefore, this work provides a facile strategy for the development of a promising absorbing material with outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption performance.