Outcome of illuminated microcatheter-assisted circumferential trabeculotomy following failed angle surgery in PAX6 aniridic glaucoma: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Aniridia is a rare eye disorder with a high incidence of glaucoma, and surgical intervention is often needed to control the intraocular pressure (IOP). Here, we reported a case of illuminated microcatheter-assisted circumferential trabeculotomy (MAT) performed on an aniridic glaucoma patient following a previous failed angle surgery. The surgical procedures for aniridic glaucoma were also reviewed. CASE PRESENTATION: A 21-year-old man, diagnosed with aniridic glaucoma, came to our hospital consulting for the poor control of left eye's IOP despite receiving goniotomy surgery 3 years ago. The IOP was 26 mmHg with maximum topical antiglaucoma eyedrops. The central cornea was opaque and the majority of iris was absent. The gonioscopy and ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) demonstrated that 360° anterior chamber angle was closed. The whole exome sequencing of peripheral blood confirmed a 13.39 Mb copy number loss at chromosome 11p15.1p13, containing PAX6 and WT1 gene. The 360° MAT surgery was performed on his left eye. At 1-year follow-up, the IOP was 19mmHg with 2 kinds of topical antiglaucoma medications, and the postoperative UBM demonstrated the successful incision of the anterior chamber angle. CONCLUSIONS: The case presented here exhibited a case of aniridic glaucoma treated by MAT surgery. The MAT surgery may be an effective option for IOP control in aniridic glaucoma patients following a previous failed angle surgery.

Detection and analysis of potential landslides based on SBAS-InSAR technology in alpine canyon region.

The Lancang River flows through the alpine canyon region of southwest China, an area that has experienced frequent geological disasters over the years. Early monitoring of geological hazards is essential for disaster prevention and mitigation. However, traditional ground monitoring techniques are limited by the complex terrain conditions in high-altitude valley regions. In contrast, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technology can provide a high-precision, wide-range monitoring of slow rock-slope deformation, making it an effective tool for studying geological hazards. Within the study area, multiple synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from the Sentinel-1A satellite were collected, and surface deformation was obtained using the small baseline subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR). The results demonstrate that combining ascending and descending orbit images can be successfully applied to landslide monitoring in complex mountainous areas. Over 30 potential landslides were identified by combining InSAR results with optical images. The Line-Of-Sight (LOS) direction deformation features and their relationship with precipitation were analyzed based on two typical landslides, and two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) deformation decomposition was carried out to reveal its motion characteristics. It was found that the cumulative deformation fluctuation amplitude was higher during the rainy season, and the main movement direction of the landslide was east-west. In addition, based on the spatial distribution and statistical analysis of deformation points along with meteorological data, geological elements, human activities, and topographic conditions, it is inferred that factors such as low vegetation coverage, tectonic movements, human activities, and high-altitude glacier thawing may contribute to the occurrence of disasters. And it was found that areas with high vegetation cover, high rainfall, and snow cover exhibit lower coherence coefficients. This study offers valuable insights for investigating large-scale geological in alpine canyon regions.

Identifying the role of NUDCD1 in human tumors from clinical and molecular mechanisms: a study based on comprehensive bioinformatics and experimental validation.

NUDCD1 (NudC domain-containing 1) is abnormally activated in multiple tumors and has been identified as a cancer antigen. But there is still no pan-cancer analysis available for NUDCD1 in human cancers. The role of NUDCD1 across multiple tumors was explored using data from the public databases including HPA, TCGA, GEO, GTEx, TIMER2, TISIDB, UALCAN, GEPIA2, cBioPortal, GSCA and so on. Molecular experiments (e.g., quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry and western blot) were conducted to validate the expression and biological function of NUDCD1 in STAD. Results showed that NUDCD1 was highly expressed in most tumors and its levels were associated with the prognosis. Multiple genetic and epigenetic features of NUDCD1 exist in different cancers. NUDCD1 was associated with expression levels of recognized immune checkpoints (anti-CTLA-4) and immune infiltrates (e.g., CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) in some cancers. Moreover, NUDCD1 correlated with the CTRP and GDSC drug sensitivity and acted as a link between chemicals and cancers. Importantly, NUDCD1-related genes were enriched in several tumors (e.g., COAD, STAD and ESCA) and affected apoptosis, cell cycle and DNA damage cancer-related pathways. Furthermore, expression, mutation and copy number variations for the gene sets were also associated with prognosis. At last, the overexpression and contribution of NUDCD1 in STAD were experimentally validated in vitro and in vivo. NUDCD1 was involved in diverse biological processes and it influenced the occurrence and development of cancers. This first pan-cancer analysis for NUDCD1 provides a comprehensive understanding about its roles across various cancer types, especially in STAD.

ELFN1-AS1 promotes GDF15-mediated immune escape of colorectal cancer from NK cells by facilitating GCN5 and SND1 association.

The ability of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to escape from natural killer (NK) cell immune surveillance leads to anti-tumor treatment failure. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ELFN1-AS1 is aberrantly expressed in multiple tumors suggesting a role as an oncogene in cancer development. However, whether ELFN1-AS1 regulates immune surveillance in CRC is unclear. Here, we determined that ELFN1-AS1 enhanced the ability of CRC cells to escape from NK cell surveillance in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we confirmed that ELFN1-AS1 in CRC cells attenuated the activity of NK cell by down-regulating NKG2D and GZMB via the GDF15/JNK pathway. Furthermore, mechanistic investigations demonstrated that ELFN1-AS1 enhanced the interaction between the GCN5 and SND1 protein and this influenced H3k9ac enrichment at the GDF15 promotor to stimulate GDF15 production in CRC cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that ELFN1-AS1 in CRC cells suppresses NK cell cytotoxicity and ELFN1-AS1 is a potential therapeutic target for CRC.

Fabrication of molecularly-imprinted gold nanoparticle-embedded Fe-MOFs for highly selective SERS detection of 17ß-estradiol in milk.

17ß-Estradiol (17ß-E2) could accumulate in humans through milk, thus causing diseases by interfering with the function of the endocrine system. However, its detection at a trace level in milk is still a challenge because of matrix interferences. In this work, a core-shell structured polydopamine molecular-imprinted gold nanoparticles (AuNP@MIP-PDA) were embedded into Fe metal-organic framework materials to form a well-defined hexagonal microspindle structure of AuNP@MIP-PDA@MIL-101(Fe). AuNP@MIP-PDA were successfully encapsulated within the MIL-101 crystals through the hydrophobic interaction between organic ligands and the aromatic groups of PDA, the chelating power of catechol groups, as well as the introduction of acetic acid. Combined with the SERS activity of AuNPs, the specific recognition sites from MIPs, and the adsorption and enrichment capability of MIL-101, the fabricated nanohybrids could be designed as highly selective SERS sensors for the detection. By effectively preventing the macromolecule adsorption and the preconcentration of 17ß-E2 near the SERS-active surface, the SERS sensor could be directly applied in the selective detection of 17ß-E2 in milk without tedious pretreatment. The method demonstrated an outstanding detection limit of 1.95 × 10-16 mol L-1, without the interference mainly originating from the two analogues, estrone and estriol. These promising results foresee the potential application of this novel MIP-based SERS sensor in food and environmental sensing.

Spatio-temporal evolution and prediction of carbon storage in Kunming based on PLUS and InVEST models.

Carbon storage is a critical ecosystem service provided by terrestrial environmental systems that can effectively reduce regional carbon emissions and is critical for achieving carbon neutrality and carbon peak. We conducted a study in Kunming and analyzed the land utilization data for 2000, 2010, and 2020. We assessed the features of land utilization conversion and forecasted land utilization under three development patterns in 2030 on the basis of the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model. We used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model to estimate changes in carbon storage trends under three development scenarios in 2000, 2010, 2020, and 2030 and the impact of socioeconomic and natural factors on carbon storage. The results of the study indicated that (1) carbon storage is intimately associated with land utilization practices. Carbon storage in Kunming in 2000, 2010, and 2020 was 1.146 × 108 t, 1.139 × 108 t, and 1.120 × 108 t, respectively. During the 20 years, forest land decreased by 142.28 km2, and the decrease in forest land area caused a loss of carbon storage. (2) Carbon storage in 2030 was predicted to be 1.102 × 108 t, 1.136 × 108 t, and 1.105 × 108 t, respectively, under the trend continuation scenario, eco-friendly scenario, and comprehensive development scenario, indicating that implementing ecological protection and cultivated land protection measures can facilitate regional ecosystem carbon storage restoration. (3) Impervious surfaces and vegetation have the greatest influence on carbon storage for the study area. A spatial global and local negative correlation was found between impervious surface coverage and ecosystem carbon storage. A spatial global and local positive correlation was found between NDVI and ecosystem carbon storage. Therefore, ecological and farmland protection policies need to be strengthened, the expansion of impervious surfaces should be strictly controlled, and vegetation coverage should be improved.

The impact of different corneal refractive surgeries on binocular dynamic visual acuity.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of different corneal refractive surgeries on dynamic visual acuity (DVA), and explore its potential influence factors. Methods: This was a prospective non-randomized study. Adult myopic patients undergoing bilateral laser-assisted sub-epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK), femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK), or small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) with Plano refraction target were enrolled. Uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity (UDVA/CDVA), manifest refraction and binocular optotype-moving DVA of 40 and 80 degrees per second (dps) were evaluated pre-operatively and post-operatively up to 3 months. Results: The study included 264 eyes of 132 subjects, with an average age of 27.0 ± 6.7 years, and females accounted for 59% of the participants. Significant improvement was observed at the 3-month visit for 40 dps (SMILE, P = 0.001; LASEK, P = 0.006; FS-LASIK, P = 0.010) and 80 dps (SMILE, P = 0.011; LASEK, P = 0.025; FS-LASIK, P = 0.012) DVA. Adjusting for pre-operative DVA, there was no significant difference in DVA among groups at 3 months post-operatively (P > 0.05 for multiple comparisons). Overall, multiple linear models demonstrated that post-operative DVA at 3 months was correlated with pre-operative DVA (40 dps, ß = 0.349, P = 0.001; 80 dps, ß = 0.447, P < 0.001), pre-operative spherical equivalent (40 dps, ß = 0.311, P = 0.003; 80 dps, ß = 0.261, P = 0.009) and post-operative UDVA (40 dps, ß = -0.224, P = 0.024; 80 dps, ß = -0.188, P = 0.05). Conclusion: Dynamic visual acuity at 3 months post-operatively of the three corneal refractive surgeries was better than that before the surgery in adult myopic patients, and there was no significant difference among different surgical techniques. Post-operative DVA at 3 months was found correlated with pre-operative DVA, pre-operative SE, and post-operative UDVA. With further improvement, DVA could be a promising functional visual indicator for myopic patients undergoing refractive surgeries.

Toxicity effects of disinfection byproduct chloroacetic acid to Microcystis aeruginosa: Cytotoxicity and mechanisms.

Chlorine-based disinfectants are widely used for disinfection in wastewater treatment. The mechanism of the effects of chlorinated disinfection by-products on cyanobacteria was unclear. Herein, the physiological effects of chloroacetic acid (CAA) on Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa), including acute toxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, production of microcystin-LR (MC-LR), and the microcystin transportation-related gene mcyH transcript abundance have been investigated. CAA exposure resulted in a significant change in the cell ultrastructure, including thylakoid damage, disappearance of nucleoid, production of gas vacuoles, increase in starch granule, accumulation of lipid droplets, and disruption of cytoplasm membranes. Meanwhile, the apoptosis rate of M. aeruginosa increased with CAA concentration. The production of MC-LR was affected by CAA, and the transcript abundance of mcyH decreased. Our results suggested that CAA poses acute toxicity to M. aeruginosa, and it could cause oxidative damage, stimulate MC-LR production, and damage cell ultrastructure. This study may provide information about the minimum concentration of CAA in the water environment, which is safe for aquatic organisms, especially during the global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic period.

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.

Bioinformatics Identification of Therapeutic Gene Targets for Gastric Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The global prevalence of gastric cancer (GC) is increasing, and novel chemotherapeutic targets are needed. METHODS: We searched for potential biomarkers for GC in three microarray data sets within the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. FunRich (v3.1.3) was used to perform Gene Ontology (GO) analyses and STRUN and Cytoscape (v3.6.0) were employed to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. To explore hub gene expression and survival, we used Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter. Drugs that were closely related to key genes were screened by the Gene Set Cancer Analysis (GSCA), and relevant correlations were verified experimentally. We validated that the sensitivity of a GC cell line to these drugs was correlated with fibrillin 1 (FBN1) mRNA expression levels. RESULTS: We identified 83 upregulated and 133 downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and these were enriched with regards to their cellular component (extracellular and exosomes), molecular function (extracellular matrix structural constituent and catalytic activity), and biological process (cell growth and/or maintenance and metabolism). The biological pathways most prominently involved were epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and ß3 integrin cell surface interactions. For the PPI network, we selected 10 hub genes, and 70% of these were significantly connected to poor overall survival (OS) in patients with GC. We found a significant link between the expression of FBN1 and two small molecule drugs (PAC-1 and PHA-793887). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we suggest that these hub genes can be used as biomarkers and novel targets for GC. FBN1 may be associated with drug resistance in gastric cancer.

Comparison of dynamic visual acuity after implantation of toric bifocal or trifocal intraocular lens in age-related cataract patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To investigate the dynamic visual acuity (DVA) after implantation of toric bifocal or trifocal intraocular lens in age-related cataract patients. Methods: This was a prospective randomized controlled trial. Of one hundred and twenty-four patients enrolled and randomized to receive unilateral phacoemulsification and toric trifocal (939 M/MP, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) or toric bifocal (909 M, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) intraocular lenses (IOL) implantation, ninety-nine patients completed the follow-up and were included in final analysis. Postoperatively, uncorrected and corrected distance (UDVA and CDVA), intermediate (UIVA and DCIVA) and near (UNVA and DCNVA) static visual acuity, manifest refraction and uncorrected and corrected distance DVA (UDDVA and CDDVA) at 20, 40 and 80 degrees per second (dps) were evaluated at one week, one month and three months. Results: Three months postoperatively, the UDVA were 0.13 ± 0.11 and 0.14 ± 0.13 in the toric trifocal and bifocal IOL group, respectively. Significant better UIVA (trifocal, 0.17 ± 0.13 vs. bifocal, 0.23 ± 0.13, p = 0.037) and DCIVA (trifocal, 0.16 ± 0.11 vs. bifocal, 0.20 ± 0.12, p = 0.048) were observed in patients implanting toric trifocal than bifocal IOL at three months postoperatively. Patients implanted with toric bifocal IOL obtained better CDDVA at 80 dps (0.5607 ± 0.2032) than the trifocal group (0.6573 ± 0.2450, p = 0.039) at three months. Postoperative UDDVA and CDDVA at 20, 40 and 80 dps were significantly associated with age (p < 0.05, respectively) and postoperative static visual acuity (p < 0.05, respectively). Conclusion: Toric trifocal IOL provides better static intermediate visual acuity, and toric bifocal IOL implantation provides better distance dynamic visual acuity at high speed.

Enantioselective effects of chiral fragrance carvone (L- and D-carvone) on the physiology, oxidative damage, synthesis, and release of microcystin-LR in Microcystis aeruginosa.

Carvone is a widely used chiral fragrance with two isomers (L-carvone and D-carvone). D-carvone smells like a caraway, whereas L-carvone smells like mint. Carvone imposes a potential burden on the aquatic ecosystem. However, the enantioselective toxic effect of carvone enantiomers on cyanobacteria remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the effects of L- and D-carvone on the physiological processes and related gene transcription (phoU, rbcL, and mcyH) in M. aeruginosa. Results showed that in the presence of L- and D-carvone, the oxidative damage and inhibitory effects on growth occurred in a concentration-dependent manner. The contents of chlorophyll a and protein and the rbcL transcription level were inhibited in M. aeruginosa. In addition, intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was heavily depleted because of various biological processes, including growth, oxidation reactions, and gene regulation. Meanwhile, L- and D-carvone stimulated the production and release of MC-LR and upregulated the expression level of the MC-LR-related gene mcyH. Intracellular MC-LR likely leaked to the water body under L-carvone exposure, posing a potential threat to the water environment. This study indicated that L- and D-carvone can regulate the physiological and metabolic activity of M. aeruginosa and show enantioselective toxic effects. The findings will also provide important insights into the influence of chiral fragrance on cyanobacterial blooms. Furthermore, this study will guide the safe application of chiral fragrance as personal care products.

Influences of SMILE and FS-LASIK on Corneal Sub-basal Nerves: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare postoperative corneal sub-basal nerve density and number between small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK). METHODS: A search was made in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library for prospective comparative studies. The analysis was divided into two parts: network meta-analysis and traditional meta-analysis of the studies directly comparing two surgical groups. Stata 16 (Stata Corporation) and Rev-Man 5.4 (Cochrane) software were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Twelve studies (n = 775) were included. In the network meta-analysis, the SMILE group showed a significant increase compared with the FS-LASIK group in corneal nerve density at 1 month postoperatively (mean: 4.23; 95% CI: 0.06 to 8.39, P < .05), and in the number of corneal nerve trunks at 6 months postoperatively (mean: 13.25; 95% CI: 10.20 to 16.30, P < .05). In the traditional meta-analysis, the SMILE group showed significant improvement compared with the FS-LASIK group in corneal nerve density at 1 (weighted mean difference [WMD]: -2.05, 95% CI: -3.11 to -1.00, P < .05) and 3 (WMD: -0.90, 95% CI: -1.30 to -0.50, P < .05) months postoperatively, and in the number of corneal nerve trunks (WMD: -2.52, 95% CI: -4.91 to -0.14, P < .05) and corneal nerve branches (WMD: -2.80, 95% CI: -3.41 to -2.19, P < .05) at 1 month postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The corneal nerve injury in the FS-LASIK group was worse than that in the SMILE group. The corneal nerve recovery in the SMILE group was better at 3 months postoperatively. However, there was no significant difference in corneal nerve density and number between the two groups at 6 months postoperatively. [J Refract Surg. 2022;38(4):277-284.].

The monthly variation tendency of microcystin-LR levels in the Huangpu River (China) by applications of ELISA and HPLC.

In this study, the contents of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) of Microcystis aeruginosa cultures in the laboratory and natural water samples from the Huangpu River in different seasons were detected through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. Excellent correlation between the two methods was obtained (R2 > 0.99). ELISA was a reliable and simple method with high reproducibility (coefficient of variation < 25%) and satisfactory recovery for the monitoring of low levels of MC-LR. MC-LR concentrations in Huangpu River varied with the seasonal variation, which peaked in August with the temperature over 30 °C and then gradually declined with the decreasing temperature after August. The highest MC-LR concentration in the Huangpu River was below the WHO drinking water quality standard (1 µg/L). These results indicated that warm temperature accelerated the MC-LR synthesis and release, and it is necessary to regularly monitor the MC-LR levels, especially during the high algae period in summer. ELISA can be applied to detect the low levels of MC-LR in the field without complex treatment, avoiding the samples from denaturation and degradation during the transportation. Hence, ELISA is a better alternative of HPLC when HPLC is unavailable, especially when rapid testing is required in routine MC-LR analysis.

A wearable screen-printed SERS array sensor on fire-retardant fibre gloves for on-site environmental emergency monitoring.

Glove-based wearable sensors can offer the potential ability to a fast and on-site environmental threat assessment, which is crucial for timely and informed incident management. In this study, an on-demand surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) array sensor has been patterned on fire-retardant fibre gloves via the screen-printing technique in large batches. The screen-printed ink contains one-pot synthesized silver nanoparticle and molybdenum disulfide nanocomposite (Ag/MoS2), and polyanionic cellulose (PAC) as a new adhesive agent. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) was employed as an initial probe molecule to systematically evaluate the performance of the resulting sensor. The results suggest that the fabricated fire-retardant screen-printed SERS array sensor displays high reproducibility and stability at 250 °C, with the lower detection limit of 10-13 M for R6G. The spot-to-spot SERS signals show that the intensity variation was less than 10%. Besides, the SERS signals can be maintained over 7 weeks. Further investigation was then successfully carried out to detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are commonly used as flammable chemicals. In our perception, this wearable fire-retardant screen-printed SERS array sensor would be an ideal candidate for practical on-site environmental emergency monitoring due to its fire-retardant capability and timely measurement on a portable carrier.

Types of Descemet Membrane Detachment After Ocular Surface Burns: The Factor Long Been Ignored.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore types of Descemet membrane detachment (DMD) after ocular surface burns by anterior segment optical coherence tomography. METHODS: This is a pilot, case series, observational study. Patients with DMD after ocular surface burns were enrolled. Ophthalmologic examinations were performed in all patients including slit-lamp photography and anterior segment optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Three types of DMDs in 9 eyes of 9 patients with ocular surface burns were identified depending on the detachment components involved with the pre-Descemet layer (PDL). Type A was referred as a taut chord that the PDL and Descemet membrane (DM) detached simultaneously but were remained attached to each other, while type B was identified as a wavy line separated from the stroma by a dark slit that demonstrated the detachment of DM from the PDL and stroma. Type C was defined as the DM detached with or without PDL but they were separated from each other. We found that DM and PDL were detached simultaneously in most condition, with type A in 4 cases, type C in 5 cases, and type B in only 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated 3 types of DMDs after ocular surface burns and revealed that the limbal involvement and retrocorneal exudations may give clues to DMD in the corresponding areas. DMDs may be neglected for long in patients with extensive limbal involvement in early stages and also play an important role in unstable ocular surface condition until the late stages of conjunctivalization after ocular surface burns.

Lab-on-a-ZnO-Submicron-Particle Sensor Array for Monitoring AD upon Cd2+ Exposure with CSF Tau441% as an Effective Hallmark.

In this study, based on the posttreatment strategy, blue-color-emissive ZnO submicron particles (B-ZnO SMPs) and red-color-emissive ZnO submicron particles (R-ZnO SMPs) were obtained from rationally designed Zn-infinite coordination polymer (ICP) precursors. After modification of thiol-containing aptamers, diverse spectral changes in the ultraviolet and visible regions of B- and R-ZnO SMPs toward different tau species were explored to construct a lab-on-a-ZnO-submicron-particle sensor array. Assisted by principal component analysis (PCA), the unique fingerprints of the sensor array enabled the simultaneous differentiation and quantitative detection of different tau species (tau381, tau410, and tau441) for the first time. Furthermore, the dynamic changes of tau441% (the ratio of the two most reported representative 4R isoform (full-length tau441) and 3R isoform (tau381)) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during the Alzheimer's disease (AD) onset of Cd2+-exposed rats could also be monitored by the lab-on-a-ZnO-submicron-particle sensor array, which was supposed to be an effective hallmark and highly correlated with the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). This study not only provides a further insight into the involvement of subchronic Cd2+ exposure in the tau etiology of AD but also offers more comprehensive and effective information about the asymptomatic stage of AD upon environmental risk, which has potential applications in the early diagnosis and therapy.

Contribution of upregulated aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis to metabolic dysregulation in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Metabolic reprogramming is characterized by dysregulated levels of metabolites and metabolic enzymes. Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic data analysis can help to elucidate changes in the levels of metabolites and metabolic enzymes, screen the core metabolic pathways, and develop novel therapeutic strategies for cancer. METHODS: Here, the metabolome of gastric cancer tissues was determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The transcriptome data from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset were integrated with the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry data to identify the common dysregulated gastric cancer-specific metabolic pathways. Additionally, the protein expression and clinical significance of key metabolic enzymes were examined using a gastric cancer tissue array. RESULTS: Metabolomic analysis of 16 gastric cancer tissues revealed that among the 15 dysregulated metabolomic pathways, the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway in the gastric tissues was markedly upregulated relative to that in the adjacent noncancerous tissues, which was consistent with the results of transcriptome analysis. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that among the key regulators in the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway, the expression levels of threonyl-tRNA synthetase (TARS) and phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (FARSB) were correlated with tumor grade and poor survival, respectively. Additionally, gastric tissue array data analysis indicated that TARS and FARSB were upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and were correlated with poor prognosis and tumor metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway is upregulated in gastric cancer and both TARS and FARSB play key roles in the progression of gastric cancer. Additionally, a novel therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer was proposed that involves targeting the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway.

Exploring the structural changes in nitrogen-fixing microorganisms of rhizosheath during the growth of Stipagrostis pennata in the desert.

PURPOSE: Rhizosheath is an adaptive feature for the survival of Stipagrostis pennata in desert systems. Although microorganisms play important ecological roles in promoting the nitrogen cycle of rhizosheath, the diversity and function of nitrogen-fixing microorganism communities have not been fully understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Therefore, the aim of the present study is to explore the nitrogen fixation ability of rhizosheaths and the changes in abundance of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms at different growth periods of S. pennata. We sequenced the nifH gene through sequencing to identify the structure and diversity of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms of S. pennata at different growth periods of rhizosheaths. RESULTS: A total of 1256 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified by nifH sequence and distributed in different growth periods. There were five OTUs distributed in each sample at the same time, and the abundance and diversity of microorganisms in fruit period were much higher than those in other periods. Mainly four phyla were involved, among which Proteobacteria was the most abundant in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the present study investigated the abundance and characteristics of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms of rhizosheaths in different growth periods of S. pennata. It also may elucidate and indicate that the structure of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms of rhizosheaths in different growth periods of S. pennata had changed.

Plasmonic tunable Ag-coated gold nanorod arrays as reusable SERS substrates for multiplexed antibiotics detection.

Antibiotic contaminants in aqueous media pose a serious threat to human and ecological environments. Therefore, it is necessary to develop robust strategies to detect antibiotic residues. For this purpose, a self-assembly and in situ electrochemical reduction method is utilized to tailor silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)-coated GNRs (AgNPs/GNRs) large-scale vertical arrays. These AgNPs/GNRs arrays exhibit outstanding surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activities because of abundant Raman hot-spots among the adjacent AgNPs and GNRs, but also excellent stability and reproducibility due to the close-packed arrayed nanostructure. These remarkable features validate this arrayed substrate for high-sensitivity 4-aminothiophenol analysis with a detection limit of 0.35 pM and self-cleaning via electrochemical stripping of the adsorbed analytes and AgNPs from the GNRs arrays, therefore realizing renewable SERS applications. Moreover, the distinct SERS performance of AgNPs/GNRs arrays is verified via the analysis of multiplexed antibiotics at tens of picomolar level and no apparent changes of SERS activities are observed when recyclability is explored. The result demonstrates that the proposed AgNPs/GNRs arrays provide a novel strategy for avoiding conventional, disposable SERS substrates, as well as expanding SERS applications for simultaneous sensing and stripping of environmental contaminants.