Effects of vitamin C combined with sodium alginate on serum biochemistry, oxidative stress, gill tissue morphology, and muscle quality of pearl gentian grouper during waterless transport.

This research examined the effects of sodium alginate (SA) and vitamin C (Vc) soaking of pearl gentian grouper before waterless transportation from the perspectives of serum parameters, oxidative stress, muscle quality, and gill tissue morphology. After the fish reached semi-dormancy with a cooling rate of 3 °C/h, fish (420 ± 25 g) were distributed to 4 treatments as follows: S1 group (50 mg/L Vc and 0.1% SA were added), S2 group (50 mg/L Vc and 0.3% SA were added), S3 group (50 mg/L Vc and 0.5% SA were added), and control group (without soaking in protective fluid). After oxygenated packaging, samples were taken at 0, 8, and 16 h of waterless transportation and 12 h after rehydration, respectively. It was found that after 16 h of waterless transport, compared with the control group, cortisol, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid (UA), creatinine (CREA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), while albumin, lysozyme (LZM), muscle pH, and total free amino acid (TFAA) contents were significantly elevated (p < 0.05) in the S3 group. Moreover, by gill tissue microscopy, it was found that the protective solution of group S3 did not cause serious deleterious morphological changes to the gill epithelium. The results showed that the grouper was soaked by protective fluid before waterless could maintain surface moisture, reduce gill and kidney function and oxidative stress damage, and maintain the stability of muscle quality. This study provides a novel transportation method for waterless preservation, which helps to reduce transportation costs and improve transportation efficiency.

Effect of tea polyphenol-trehalose complex coating solutions on physiological stress and flesh quality of marine-cultured Turbot Scophthalmus maximus during waterless transport.

OBJECTIVE: The waterless transport of live fish has changed the present situation of live-fish transport. However, the waterless transport environment may cause stress in fish. This research evaluated the effect of tea polyphenol-trehalose (TPT) coating solutions on Turbot Scophthalmus maximus during waterless transport. METHODS: After cold acclimation, Turbot were coated and subsequently transported in a waterless environment for 18 h. Physiological and biochemical parameters were measured, including lysozyme (LZM) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) activities, serum creatinine (Cr) and uric acid (UA) concentrations, and nutritional flavor. RESULT: The results showed that the nonspecific immunity of Turbot was inhibited during the waterless transport; the LZM activity first increased and then decreased, and the serum Cr and UA concentrations significantly increased. In addition, the waterless transport promoted the breakdown of Turbot flesh proteins, leading to changes in nucleotides and free amino acids (FAAs). After waterless transport, the LZM and IgM activities in the TPT-treated Turbot were higher than those in the control group (CK), and the changes in FAA content and nucleotides were smaller than those observed in the CK group. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the use of TPT coating solution can reduce the impact of waterless transportation stress on the immune and metabolic functions of Turbot and can maintain the meat quality and flavor of Turbot.

Antimicrobial Effect of Epigallocatechin Gallate Against Shewanella putrefaciens ATCC 8071: A Study Based on Cell Membrane and Biofilm.

The study was to evaluate the antimicrobial impacts and biofilm influences on epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) against Shewanella putrefaciens ATCC 8071. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EGCG on S. putrefaciens was 160 µg mL-1. The growth curve exhibited that EGCG had a good antimicrobial activity. EGCG caused damages to the bacterial cell wall and membrane based the intracellular component leakage and cell viability analysis. The damage to the membrane integrity by EGCG has been confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM shows deformation of shape, TEM shows cell membrane and wall damage, and the leakage of cytoplasmic material. The treatment with EGCG at 0.25× and 0.5× MIC resulted in decreased motility and elevated levels of oxidative stress, leading to an increase in biofilm formation. These results demonstrated that EGCG may be used as a natural preservative to reduce S. putrefaciens in fish during cold storage.

Effect of Sonication on the Properties of Flaxseed Gum Films Incorporated with Carvacrol.

Carvacrol is a natural compound known to be a highly effective antibacterial; however, it is a hydrophobic molecule, which is a limitation to its use within food packaging. Flaxseed gum (FG) films containing different contents of carvacrol (C) were produced by a film-casting method with sonication. The effects of sonication power and time on the properties of the FG-C films were investigated by measuring the film thickness, mechanical properties, contact angle, opacity, water vapor permeability (WVP), water sorption isotherm, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), antibacterial and antioxidant activities, and microstructure. The results showed that sonication power and time had significant effects on mechanical and barrier properties, film opacity, and degradability (p < 0.05). The tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EB) values exhibited an obvious improvement after sonication, and FG-0.5C-6030 had the lowest TS (33.40 MPa) and EB (4.46%) values. FG-C films formed a denser structure and the contact angle was improved as a result of sonication, which improved the integration of carvacrol into the FG matrix. In terms of microstructure, sonication resulted in a homogeneous and continuous crosssection of FG-C films, and regular surface and cross-sectional images were obtained through the highest acoustic intensity and longest time treatment. The FG films incorporated with carvacrol displayed antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Shewanella putrefaciens, and Pseudomonas fluorescens, as well as increased antioxidant properties, and sonication was proven to enhance both of them.

The impact of age-related cataracts on colour perception, postoperative recovery and related spectra derived from test of hue perception.

BACKGROUND: Cataract patients were always excluded from studies on ageing of colour vision; thus, effect of age-related cataracts on deterioration of colour perception has not been analysed. In present study, impacts of age-related cataracts on colour discrimination, postoperative recovery and related spectra were investigated. METHODS: In this cohort study, thirty age-related cataract patients scheduled for binocular surgery and 30 elderly volunteers were enrolled. Colour discrimination under photopic (1000 lx) and mesopic (40 lx) conditions was evaluated with Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test. The total error score (TES) and partial error score (PES) were calculated. RESULTS: Preoperatively, the TES in the patient group was 129.7 ± 59.5 at 1000 lx and 194.6 ± 74.5 at 40 lx, exhibiting worse discrimination than the volunteer group (TES1000lux = 71.5 ± 37.5 and TES40lux = 113.1 ± 38.8, p ≤ 0.001). Inferior perception were detected in the yellow to green-yellow (Y-GY), green-yellow to green (GY-G), green to blue-green (G-BG) and blue-green to blue (BG-B) colour bands (p ≤ 0.003), corresponding to the 470 nm-580 nm range of the visible light spectrum. Under mesopic conditions, the impact expanded to all colour bands except for yellow-red to yellow (YR-Y). Postoperatively, the TES in the patient group were 80.4 ± 62.4 at 1000 lx and 112.0 ± 85.2 at 40 lx, which were lower than those of the preoperative phase (p ≤ 0.001) but similar to those of the volunteer group (p ≥ 0.505). Postoperative improvement occurred in the Y-GY, GY-G and G-BG colour bands (490 nm to 580 nm) at 1000 lx (p ≤ 0.001) and shifted to the Y-GY, GY-G, G-BG and BG-B colour bands (470 nm to 580 nm) at 40 lx (p ≤ 0.001). Deterioration of hue perception for decrement of illumination was detected in the red to yellow-red (R-YR), Y-GY, G-BG, BG-B, blue to purple-blue (B-PB) and red-purple to red (RP-R) colour bands (450 nm to 500 nm) in the volunteer group (p ≤ 0.002) and the R-YR, G-BG, BG-B, B-PB, PB-P and red-purple to red (RP-R) colour bands (from the short-wavelength end to 500 nm) in the patient group preoperatively (p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Phacoemulsification could effectively rebuild colour perception in patients with age-related cataract. The postoperative benefits were most significant in colour bands corresponding with spectrum from 470 nm to 580 nm.

TRIM22 regulates macrophage autophagy and enhances Mycobacterium tuberculosis clearance by targeting the nuclear factor-multiplicity κB/beclin 1 pathway.

Autophagy is a crucial host-defense mechanism against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection by spanning innate and adaptive immune functions. TRIM22 is a member of tripartite motif family protein which involved in innate immunity and autophagy process. However, its role in the modulation of bacterial infection has not been investigated. Here, we demonstrated that TRIM22 is upregulated in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner during Mtb infection of THP-1 cells. Downregulation of TRIM22 significantly decreased light chain 3 (LC3)-II protein level and the formation of LC3 puncta, while it markedly increased SQSTM1, a marker of autophagic degradation, in Mtb-infected THP-1 cells. What is more, enhanced bacterial survival was observed in TRIM22 knockdown THP-1 cells, while rapamycin abrogated this effect. In the presence of vector containing TRIM22 in THP-1 cells prior to infection, the survival of Mtb was decreased, while BafA restored this effect. Further study demonstrated that TRIM22 expression was regulated by MicroRNA-20b, and that TRIM22 regulates Mtb-infected THP-1 autophagy via the nuclear factor-κB/beclin 1 pathway. Using a nuclear factor-κB inhibitor BAY 11-7082, we found that TRIM22-induced high expression of LC3-II and the formation of LC3 was substantially attenuated, while the TRIM22-induced low expression of SQSTM1 was markedly increased in BAY 11-7082-treatment cells. In addition, the bacterial survival reduced by TRIM22 was significantly reversed by BAY 11-7082. Overall, these results suggest that TRIM22-augmented autophagy prevents intracellular Mtb to evade autophagic clearance, thereby inhibiting the persistence of Mtb infections.

MicroRNA-190b regulates lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity by targeting IGF-1 and ADAMTS9 in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by ectopic lipid accumulation and insulin resistance, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. MiR-190b is thought to play a role in hepatocellular carcinoma by modulating insulin resistance; however, its role in NAFLD remains unknown. Here, we found that miR-190b expression was significantly increased in the liver tissues of patients with NAFLD, compared to normal tissues. Moreover, miR-190b was upregulated in a high-fat diet NAFLD mouse model and a free fatty acid-induced NAFLD cellular model. Knockdown of miR-190b decreased aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC). It also reduced expression of the lipogenic genes fatty acid synthase (FAS) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylCoA reductase (HMGCR), alleviated hepatic steatosis, improved glucose tolerance, elevated insulin sensitivity, and activated insulin receptor substrate (IRS)2/Akt signaling in vivo and/or in vitro. Furthermore, we confirmed that miR-190b directly targeted IGF-1 and ADAMTS9. MiR-190b overexpression suppressed expression of IGF-1 and ADAMTS9, which were increased by miR-190b inhibition. Expression of IGF-1 and ADAMTS9 was inversely correlated with miR-190b in liver tissues of patients with NAFLD, respectively. We also found that IGF-1 or ADAMTS9 inhibition partially reversed the effects of miR-190b on lipid metabolism and insulin signaling in vitro. Taken together, the data reveal that miR-190b inhibition suppressed lipid accumulation and improved insulin sensitivity by targeting IGF-1 and ADAMTS9, suggesting that miR-190b inhibition may be a therapeutic strategy against NAFLD.

MiR-20b inhibits mycobacterium tuberculosis induced inflammation in the lung of mice through targeting NLRP3.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of immune-related disorders. Although dysregulation of miRNAs has been implicated in innate and adaptive immune response, the specific effect of miR-20b on TB has not been documented. In this study, downregulation of miR-20b and upregulation of NLRP3 were observed in macrophages of TB patients, increased levels of inflammatory factors secretion were observed in serum of TB patients. Next, we established a TB mice model by using M. tuberculosis infection and intravenous injection of miR-20b mimic. HE staining showed a denser lymphocytic infiltration and extensive tissue necrosis in the lung of TB mice. Lesions in the TB mice displayed a higher bacterial load by plating of lung homogenates. At the same time, lessened miR-20b and activated NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1ß pathway were observed in TB mice. MiR-20b mimic alleviated the inflammatory response and deactivated the NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1ß pathway in TB mice. Subsequently, we found that miR-20b induced M2 macrophage polarization by using flow cytometry. In addition, luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-20b directly bind to the 3'-UTR of NLRP3 and regulated its expression negatively. Further, we found that miR-20b mitigated the inflammation and pyroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells co-cultured with macrophages. Our results indicate that miR-20b could alleviate the inflammatory response in TB mice via targeting the NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1ß pathway, which provides a novel potential molecular mechanism of miR-20b therapy for TB.

TLR-4/miRNA-32-5p/FSTL1 signaling regulates mycobacterial survival and inflammatory responses in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages.

Macrophages play a pivotal role in host immune response against mycobacterial infection, which is tightly modulated by multiple factors, including microRNAs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the biological function and potential mechanism of miR-32-5p in human macrophages during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection. The results demonstrated that miR-32-5p was robustly enhanced in THP-1 and U937 cells in response to M.tb infection. TLR-4 signaling was required for upregulation of miR-32-5p induced by M.tb infection. Additionally, the introduction of miR-32-5p strongly increased the survival rate of intracellular mycobacteria, whereas inhibition of miR-32-5p suppressed intracellular growth of mycobacteria during M.tb challenged. Furthermore, forced expression of miR-32-5p dramatically attenuated the accumulation of inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α induced by M.tb infection. Conversely, downregulated expression of miR-32-5p led to enhancement in these inflammatory cytokines. More importantly, our study explored that Follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) was a direct and functional target of miR-32-5p. qRT-PCR and western blot analysis further validated that miR-32-5p negatively regulated the expression of FSTL1. Mechanistically, re-expression of FSTL1 attenuated the ability of miR-32-5p to promote mycobacterial survival. Meanwhile, miR-32-5p-mediated inhibition of the inflammatory cytokine production were completely reversed by overexpression of FSTL1. Collectively, our findings demonstrated a novel role of TLR-4/miRNA-32-5p/FSTL1 in the modulation of host defense against mycobacterial infection, which may provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and useful information for developing potential therapeutic interventions against the disease.

Activation of MMPs in Macrophages by Mycobacterium tuberculosis via the miR-223-BMAL1 Signaling Pathway.

An interaction between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and macrophages constitutes an essential step in tuberculosis development, as macrophages exert both positive and negative effects on M. tuberculosis-triggered organ lesions. In this study, we focused on the regulation of the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which is responsible for lung matrix degradation and bacteria dissection, in macrophages following M. tuberculosis infection. Female BALB/c mice were intravenously injected with the M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv at 0 h zeitgeber time (ZT0) or 12 h zeitgeber time (ZT12). The expression and activity of MMP-1, -2, -3, and -9 in lungs and spleens were then evaluated. In vitro, peritoneal macrophages were harvested at ZT0 or at ZT12 and infected with 10 MOI M. tuberculosis. The expression of MMPs, microRNA-223 and BMAL1 was analyzed by qRT-PCR and/or Western blot. The binding of BMAL1 3'-UTR by miR-223 was confirmed by luciferase activity assay. Additionally, wild-type BMAL1 or NLSmut BMAL1 plasmids were transfected to evaluate the effect of BMAL1 on MMPs. The results showed a differential expression of MMPs in mice tissues infected at different times. M. tuberculosis infection caused enhanced MMP-1, -9, and miR-223 expression, with inhibited BMAL1 expression. MiR-223 modulated BMAL1 expression via the direct binding of BMAL1 3'-UTR. Furthermore, wild-type BMAL1 other than NLSmut BMAL1 attenuated MMPs expression in M. tuberculosis-infected macrophages. Overall, this study demonstrated a potential involvement of circadian rhythm in MMP activation by M. tuberculosis in macrophages. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 4804-4812, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Preliminary investigation on the safety and efficacy of Trabectome].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ab interno trabeculectomy (Trabectome) surgery in Chinese open angle glaucoma patients. METHODS: Prospective non-comparative case series study. A total of 41 cases (34 primary open angle glaucoma patients, 3 developmental glaucoma patients and 4 pigmentary glaucoma patients) were included in the study. All the cases underwent Trabectome, including 9 cases combined with phacoemulsification cataract extraction. Major outcomes include intraocular pressure (IOP), number of glaucoma medications, secondary glaucoma surgery and postoperative complications. Criteria for successful operation were defined as IOP ≤ 21 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa), at least 20% IOP reduction in any two consecutive visits after 3 months with or without IOP-lowering drugs and no additional glaucoma surgery. IOP and number of glaucoma medications were compared to baseline using Wilcoxon signed-rank test with Bonferroni correction. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to analyze the success rate of surgery. RESULTS: In the all 41 patients, 21 cases (51.2%) were followed up for up to 12 months. IOP was reduced from (22.5 ± 8.1) mmHg to (17.6 ± 6.4) mmHg (P = 0.02), meanwhile number of glaucoma medications was reduced from 2.0 ± 0.9 to 1.2 ± 0.9 (P = 0.02) at 12 months. The success rate at one year was 85% and 4 cases required additional glaucoma surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Trabectome has many advantages, such as shorter surgery time, simple post-operative care, less intraoperative and postoperative complications and clear IOP-lowering effect. But it slong-term efficacy is still need a large sample, long-term follow-up to verify.

Effects of Ocimum basilicum essential oil and ginger extract on serum biochemistry, oxidative stress and gill tissue damage of pearl gentian grouper during simulated live transport.

This study explored the effects of the essential oil of Ocimum basilicum (EOOB) and ginger extract (GE) during the transportation of pearl gentian grouper from water quality, serum biochemistry, oxidative stress, meat flavor, and gill tissue morphology. Fish (450 ± 50 g) were allocated to the following 5 treatments: control group (fish transported in water only), 5 mg/LEOOB, 10 mg/LEOOB, 3 mg/LGE, and 6 mg/LGE and transported in insulation boxes (66 × 51 × 37.8 cm) for 72 h. Samples were taken at 0, 12, 36, 60, and 72 h immediately after transport. It was found that 10 mg/LEOOB and 6 mg/LGE could reduce the levels of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), dissolved oxygen (DO), water pH, serum glucose (GLU), cortisol (COR), liver superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), increase the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as significantly increase the total free amino acid (TFAA) content in muscle compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, by observing the microstructure of gill tissue, it was found that compared with untreated grouper, the morphological damage of gill tissue in EOOB and GE treatment was alleviated. These results indicated that adding appropriate amounts of EOOB and GE to transport water could improve the water quality, relieve stress, and lower energy metabolism of grouper during transport. The results of this research will help to improve the survival rate of grouper after transportation and decrease economic losses to fishery.

Effects of high voltage pulsed electric field on structural properties and immune reactivity of arginine kinase in Fenneropenaeus chinensis.

To evaluate the effect of high voltage pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment (10-20 kV/cm, 5-15 min) on the structural characteristics and sensitization of crude extracts of arginine kinase from Fenneropenaeus chinensis. By simulated in vitro gastric juice digestion (SGF), intestinal juice digestion (SIF) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), AK sensitization was reduced by 42.5% when treated for 10 min at an electric field intensity of 15 kV/cm. After PEF treatment, the α-helix content decreased, and the α-helix content gradually changed to ß-sheet and ß-turn. Compared to the untreated group, the surface hydrophobicity increased and the sulfhydryl content decreased. SEM and AFM analyses showed that the treated sample surface formed a dense porous structure and increased roughness. The protein content, dielectric properties, and amino acid content of sample also changed significantly with the changes in the treatment conditions. Non-thermal PEF has potential applications in the development of hypoallergenic foods.

Punctal plugs versus artificial tears for treating primary Sjögren's syndrome with keratoconjunctivitis SICCA: a comparative observation of their effects on visual function.

To compare the effects of treatment with punctal plugs versus artificial tears on visual function for primary Sjögren's syndrome with dry eye. Forty-two eyes of 42 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome were enrolled and were allocated randomly into artificial tears (AT) group and punctal plugs (PP) group. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) was used, and fluorescent staining for tear film break-up time (BUT), the Schirmer test I (STI) and contrast sensitivity was performed before treatment and was repeated 3 months after treatment. A follow-up of 3 months was achieved in 40 eyes of 40 patients, including 19 eyes in artificial tears group and 21 eyes in punctal plugs group. Statistically significant improvements were observed in the OSDI scores (AT: 52.6 ± 5.7, 15.9 ± 4.2; PP: 55.8 ± 4.9, 15.1 ± 4.2), corneal fluorescein staining scores (AT: 2.60 ± 1.76, 0.30 ± 0.57; PP: 1.91 ± 1.60, 0.09 ± 0.29), STI (AT: 3.85 ± 2.03, 8.95 ± 2.72; PP: 3.36 ± 1.62, 11.41 ± 2.65), and BUT (AT: 2.60 ± 1.39, 6.00 ± 1.81; PP: 2.27 ± 1.12, 7.82 ± 1.84) after treatment compared to those of pre-treatment. The values of STI (AT: 5.10 ± 1.80; PP: 8.05 ± 1.53) and BUT (AT: 3.40 ± 1.31; PP: 5.68 ± 1.13) in punctal plugs group were significantly more improved than those in the artificial tears group. The medium- and high-level frequencies contrast sensitivities were greatly improved in simulated daylight, night, and glare disability conditions after treatment with artificial tears and punctal plugs. However, the changes in contrast sensitivity did not significantly differ between groups. Both artificial tears and punctal plugs relieved dry eye symptoms, repaired corneal lesions, enhanced tear film stability, and improved contrast sensitivity. Punctal plugs could improve tear film stability and elongate the BUT better than artificial tears.

[Randomly sampling survey of dry eye awareness in general eye clinic].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the dry eye awareness in the populations visiting general eye clinic. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire about dry eye was designed and administrated to Peking University Third Hospital General Eye Clinic patients (n = 804) from June 2010 to June 2011. The questionnaire contents included general demographic characteristics, experience of health-related work, past medical history, medication history and ocular surface symptoms associated with dry eye, contact lens wearing, ocular operation history, etc. Chi-square and Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the influence of demographic and clinical features on awareness of dry eye. RESULTS: Awareness of "dry eye" in the general eye clinical patients was relatively low (26.9%, 216/804). Participants whose age were between 40 and 60 years had better dry eye awareness (41.7%, 73/175) (χ(2) = 27.365, P = 0.000). Dry eye awareness of female was better than that of male [female: 33.8% (151/447), male: 18.2% (65/357), χ(2) = 24.500, P = 0.000]. Those who had been in health-related work (71.4%, 30/42), and whose friends or relatives were ophthalmologists (54.7%, 52/95) had better dry eye awareness (χ(2) = 31.582, 36.400; both P < 0.01). Participants with a history of rheumatoid arthritis (7/10) or diabetes mellitus (63.0%, 17/27) had better dry eye awareness (χ(2) = 32.301, 29.887;both P < 0.01). Those who had been using artificial tears (77.5%, 31/40), oral contraceptives (9/14), diuretics (10/18), sedatives (70.4%, 19/27) and anti-depression drugs (4/4) had better dry eye awareness (χ(2) = 54.928, 10.154, 7.713, 26.912, 10.943; all P < 0.01). Except frequently blinking (29.5%), participants who had ocular irrigating symptoms (all > 33.0%) had better awareness than those who had not (χ(2) = 7.831 - 32.522, all P < 0.01). Those who were allergic to environment irritating factors (all > 30.0%) had better awareness (χ(2) = 5.033 - 24.564, all P < 0.01). Participants who had medical history of ocular surgery (47.2%, 34/72), experience of wearing contact lens (33.2%, 94/283), who were diagnosed as dry eye (100.0%, 45/45) and who had regular ocular examinations (31.0%, 96/310) had better awareness (χ(2) = 4.321 - 129.763, all P < 0.01). Those who had visited general practitioners (14.8%, 16/108) had lower awareness than those who went to hospital of higher level (28.7%, 200/696) (χ(2) = 9.324, P = 0.002). The result of binary logistic regression analysis showed that gender, health-related working experience, relatives or friends working as Ophthalmologists, using artificial tears, oral contraceptives and sedatives, ocular irritations or environment sensitivity, eye surgeries and wearing contact lens were factors that affected dry eye awareness (OR > 1.000, P < 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Dry eye awareness in the population who visit general eye clinic is low. The knowledge of dry eye should be added to the patient education and public popularization.

Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, laser photocoagulation, or combined therapy for diabetic macular edema: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Purpose: To conduct a network meta-analysis (NMA) comparing the efficacy of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy alone versus laser photocoagulation (LP) therapy alone or anti-VEGF therapy combined with LP therapy for diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched for studies comparing anti-VEGF therapy alone versus LP therapy alone or anti-VEGF therapy combined with LP therapy for DME. Primary outcomes were mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) change. Relevant data were collected and pooled using NMA. Results: A total of 13 randomized controlled trials were included in our NMA. Anti-VEGF therapy significantly improved BCVA the most compared to the combined (mean difference [MD] = 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.084, 2.7) and LP (MD = 6.3; 95% CI: 5.1, 7.6) therapies at six months, while there was no difference in reducing CMT at six months between the anti-VEGF and combined therapies (MD = -16; 95% CI: -46, 13). At 12 months, no significant difference was found between the anti-VEGF and combined therapy in terms of BCVA (MD = 0.1; 95% CI: -1.7, 1.5) and CMT (MD = 21; 95% CI: -3.0, 44). Conclusion: There was no significant difference between the anti-VEGF therapy and combined therapy. For the long-term treatment of patients with DME, combined therapy is recommended. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022376401.

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Efficacy and Mechanism of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Essential Oil against Shewanella putrefaciens.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has unique medicinal value and can be used to treat colds and cold-related diseases. The chemical composition and antibacterial activity of ginger essential oil (GEO) against Shewanella putrefaciens were determined in the present study. Zingiberene, α-curcumene, and zingerone were the main active compounds of GEO. GEO displayed significant antibacterial activity against S. putrefaciens, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 2.0 and 4.0 µL/mL, respectively. Changes in intracellular ATP content, nucleic acid and protein structure, exopolysaccharides (EPS) content, and extracellular protease production indicated that GEO disrupted the membrane integrity of S. putrescens. At the same time, changes in biofilm metabolic activity content and the growth curve of biofilm showed that GEO could destroy the biofilm. Both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) observations confirmed that GEO destroyed the cell membrane and lead to the leakage of the constituents. The above results indicate that GEO entered the cells via contact with bacterial membranes, and then inhibited the growth of S. putrefaciens and its biofilms by increasing membrane permeability and inhibiting various virulence factors such as EPS. The findings showed that GEO could destroy the structure of cell membrane and biofilm of tested S. putrefaciens, indicating its potential as a natural food preservative.

Comparison of dynamic defocus curve on cataract patients implanting extended depth of focus and monofocal intraocular lens.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to compare the dynamic defocus curve on patients post-implantation of the extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) and monofocal intraocular lens (IOL). METHODS: A total of 62 age-related cataract patients receiving phacoemulsification with implantation of TECNIS Symfony (ZXR00) or monofocal IOLs were enrolled. The binocular static and dynamic defocus curves with corrected distance visual acuity were evaluated at one month postoperatively. RESULTS: The ZXR00 group achieved significantly better intermediate (P = 0.044) and near (P = 0.017) visual acuity (VA) than the monofocal group. Two groups had similar uncorrected and corrected distance VA (P > 0.05, respectively). The dynamic defocus curve revealed a smoother decline from 0.0 D to - 2.0 D in the ZXR00 group. Defocused dynamic VA in the ZXR00 group was significantly better (P < 0.05) except at 0.0 D (P = 0.724) and - 0.5 D (P = 0.176). The area under the curve (P = 0.002) and corrected dynamic vision accommodation (P = 0.001) derived from the dynamic defocus curves were better in the ZXR00 group. A positive correlation was observed between defocused dynamic and static VA in both groups (P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that defocused static VA and corrected dynamic vision accommodation were significant influential factors for the defocused dynamic VA from - 1.0 D to - 3.0 D (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The EDOF IOL provided similar distance vision, better intermediate and near vision, and a better overall dynamic defocus curve than the monofocal IOL. The dynamic defocus curve may be comprehensively applied to evaluate the all-distance dynamic visual performance post-cataract surgery.

Influence of Multi-Frequency Ultrasound-Assisted Freezing on the Freezing Rate, Physicochemical Quality and Microstructure of Cultured Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea).

The purpose of this work was to investigate the influence of multi-frequency ultrasound-assisted immersion freezing (UIF) on the freezing speed, quality attributes, and microstructure of cultured large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) with different ultrasound powers. The findings revealed that UIF under multi-frequency conditions greatly enhanced the speed of food freezing. The multi-frequency UIF reduced the thawing and cooking losses, total volatile base nitrogen, K-values, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values, and increased the water holding capacity. The microstructure observation showed that multi-frequency UIF at 175 W reduced pore diameter and ice crystal size. Free amino acids analysis revealed that the application of multi-frequency UIF reduced the accumulation of bitter amino acids, and UIF-175 treatment increased the accumulation of umami amino acids. Therefore, multi-frequency UIF at a suitable ultrasonic power can remarkably improve the quality of large yellow croaker.

The Antimicrobial Effect of Melissa officinalis L. Essential Oil on Vibrio parahaemolyticus: Insights Based on the Cell Membrane and External Structure.

The study was to evaluate the antimicrobial impacts on Melissa officinalis L. essential oil (MOEO) against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of MOEO on Vibrio parahaemolyticus was 1 µL⋅mL-1. The kill-time curve exhibited that MOEO had good antimicrobial activity. The analysis of cellular ingredients leakage and cell viability illustrated that MOEO has destruction to the morphology of the cell membrane. The damage to the membrane integrity by MOEO has been confirmed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, obvious morphological and ultrastructural changes were observed in the treated bacterial cells. The MOEO at 0.5 µL⋅mL-1 can inhibit the biofilm formation, biofilm motility, and extracellular polysaccharide production. Meanwhile, the qPCR results exhibited MOEO inhibited the expression of virulence genes. The findings showed that MOEO exerted its antimicrobial effect mainly by destroying the membrane, which indicated its potential as a natural food preservative.