Transconjunctival Levator Aponeurosis-Müller Muscle Complex Plication to Correct the Acquired Ptosis Following Double-Eyelid Surgery.

One of the most common adverse outcomes of an upper blepharoplasty involving double-eyelid surgery is asymmetric upper eyelids due to unbalanced supratarsal folds or a difference in the palpebral fissure height. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transconjunctival levator aponeurosis-Müller muscle complex plication for correcting acquired ptosis following double-eyelid surgery. This retrospective study evaluated 18 patients who underwent transconjunctival levator aponeurosis-Müller muscle complex plication between June 2016 and June 2019 to correct acquired ptosis. On the basis of the main area of eyelid drooping, ptosis was categorized as central (mid-pupillary), medial (medial limbus), or lateral (lateral limbus). Preoperative and postoperative palpebral fissure heights were measured and compared. Three months postsurgery, the mean difference in palpebral fissure height between bilateral eyes decreased from 0.96 to 0.04 mm in the medial (P<0.001), from 0.93 to 0.00 mm in central (P=0.003), and from 1.30 to -0.03 mm in lateral ptosis (P=0.079). In 13 patients who underwent unilateral correction, the amount of plication was significantly associated with increased palpebral fissure height at the medial limbus (P=0.043) and mid-pupillary line (P=0.035). All patients reported a significant improvement in satisfaction. Five patients experienced acute postoperative complications, including chemosis, conjunctival injection, and foreign body sensation, all of which were resolved after a month of observation. No asymmetries or recurrences were observed. Transconjunctival levator aponeurosis-Müller muscle complex plication is a minimally invasive, safe, and effective technique for correcting acquired ptosis following upper eyelid surgery.

On-site detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) utilizing G-quadruplex based isothermal exponential amplification reaction (GQ-EXPAR).

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has a high incidence in infectious hospitals and communities, highlighting the need for early on-site detection due to its resistance to methicillin antibiotics. The present study introduces a highly sensitive detection system for mecA, a crucial methicillin marker, utilizing an RCA-based isothermal exponential amplification reaction. The G-quadruplex-based isothermal exponential amplification reaction (GQ-EXPAR) method designs probes to establish G-quadruplex secondary structures incorporating thioflavin T for fluorescence. The system, unlike conventional genetic detection methods, works with portable isothermal PCR devices (isoQuark), facilitating on-site detection. A detection limit of 0.1 fmol was demonstrated using synthetic DNA, and effective detection was proven using thermal lysis. The study also validated the detection of targets swabbed from surfaces within bacterial 3D nanostructures using the GQ-EXPAR method. After applying complementary sequences to the padlock probe for the target, the GQ-EXPAR method can be used on various targets. The developed method could facilitate rapid and accurate diagnostics within MRSA strains.

Multiplex Detection of Foodborne Pathogens using 3D Nanostructure Swab and Deep Learning-Based Classification of Raman Spectra.

Proactive management of foodborne illness requires routine surveillance of foodborne pathogens, which requires developing simple, rapid, and sensitive detection methods. Here, a strategy is presented that enables the detection of multiple foodborne bacteria using a 3D nanostructure swab and deep learning-based Raman signal classification. The nanostructure swab efficiently captures foodborne pathogens, and the portable Raman instrument directly collects the Raman signals of captured bacteria. a deep learning algorithm has been demonstrated, 1D convolutional neural network with binary labeling, achieves superior performance in classifying individual bacterial species. This methodology has been extended to mixed bacterial populations, maintaining accuracy close to 100%. In addition, the gradient-weighted class activation mapping method is used to provide an investigation of the Raman bands for foodborne pathogens. For practical application, blind tests are conducted on contaminated kitchen utensils and foods. The proposed technique is validated by the successful detection of bacterial species from the contaminated surfaces. The use of a 3D nanostructure swab, portable Raman device, and deep learning-based classification provides a powerful tool for rapid identification (≈5 min) of foodborne bacterial species. The detection strategy shows significant potential for reliable food safety monitoring, making a meaningful contribution to public health and the food industry.

Optimization of human recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factor supplementation during in vitro production of porcine embryos to improve the efficiency of resource utilization of poor-quality cumulus-oocyte complexes.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), a pleiotropic cytokine, is secreted by the reproductive tract. Furthermore, our previous study indicated that human recombinant G-CSF (hrG-CSF) supplementation during porcine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) or during embryo in vitro culture (IVC) improved their quality and development potential when using cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) with more than three cumulus cell layers (CCL >3). Thus, in this study, we investigate the optimal conditions of hrG-CSF supplementation throughout the in vitro production (IVP: IVM + IVC) system to improve the embryo production efficiency of "poor-quality (CCL ≤3)" oocytes. COCs were classified into two groups according to the number of CCL (>3 and ≤3) and embryonic viability was analyzed after treatment with hrG-CSF during IVC. The mRNA transcription levels of G-CSF in COCs were compared based on their type and the period of IVM. Finally, developmental capacity and quality were evaluated after treatment with hrG-CSF for different periods of IVP. No marked effects on the developmental potential of embryos when using CCL ≤3 type COCs were observed after supplementing hrG-CSF only during IVC. Moreover, the mRNA transcription level of G-CSF increased gradually with IVM culture time and was higher in CCL ≤3 COCs than in >3. Supplementing hrG-CSF only during the IVM period resulted in the best embryo developmental potential, while supplementing hrG-CSF during the IVP period resulted in the best quality embryos, reflected in the increased total cell number and decreased apoptotic nuclei index of blastocysts. These findings indicate that "poor-quality" COCs may have a greater demand for G-CSF than "good-quality", meanwhile hrG-CSF supplementation throughout IVP improves resource utilization efficiency in poor-quality COCs.

Autonomy support encourages use of more-affected arm post-stroke.

BACKGROUND: Autonomy support, which involves providing individuals the ability to control their own behavior, is associated with improved motor control and learning in various populations in clinical and non-clinical settings. This study aimed to investigate whether autonomy support combined with an information technology (IT) device facilitated success in using the more-affected arm during training in individuals with stroke. Consequently, we examined whether increased success influenced the use of the more-affected arm in mild to moderate subacute to chronic stroke survivors. METHODS: Twenty-six participants with stroke were assigned to the autonomy support or control groups. Over a 5-week period, training and test sessions were conducted using the Individualized Motivation Enhancement System (IMES), a device developed specifically for this study. In the autonomy support group, participants were able to adjust the task difficulty parameter, which controlled the time limit for reaching targets. The control group did not receive this option. The evaluation of the more-affected arm's use, performance, and impairment was conducted through clinical tests and the IMES. These data were then analyzed using mixed-effect models. RESULTS: In the IMES test, both groups showed a significant improvement in performance (p < 0.0001) after the training period, without any significant intergroup differences (p > 0.05). However only the autonomy support group demonstrated a significant increase in the use of the more-affected arm following the training (p < 0.001). Additionally, during the training period, the autonomy support group showed a significant increase in successful experiences with using the more-affected arm (p < 0.0001), while the control group did not exhibit the same level of improvement (p > 0.05). Also, in the autonomy support group, the increase in the use of the more-affected arm was associated with the increase in the successful experience significantly (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Combining autonomy support with an IT device is a practical approach for enhancing performance and promoting the use of the more-affected upper extremity post-stroke. Autonomy support facilitates the successful use of the more-affected arm, thereby increasing awareness of the training goal of maximizing its use. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered retrospectively with the Clinical Research Information Service (KCT0008117; January 13, 2023; https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/23875 ).

Investigating Activity Recognition for Hemiparetic Stroke Patients Using Wearable Sensors: A Deep Learning Approach with Data Augmentation.

Measuring the daily use of an affected limb after hospital discharge is crucial for hemiparetic stroke rehabilitation. Classifying movements using non-intrusive wearable sensors provides context for arm use and is essential for the development of a home rehabilitation system. However, the movement classification of stroke patients poses unique challenges, including variability and sparsity. To address these challenges, we collected movement data from 15 hemiparetic stroke patients (Stroke group) and 29 non-disabled individuals (ND group). The participants performed two different tasks, the range of motion (14 movements) task and the activities of daily living (56 movements) task, wearing five inertial measurement units in a home setting. We trained a 1D convolutional neural network and evaluated its performance for different training groups: ND-only, Stroke-only, and ND and Stroke jointly. We further compared the model performance with data augmentation from axis rotation and investigated how the performance varied based on the asymmetry of movements. The joint training of ND + Stroke yielded an increased F1-score by a margin of 31.6% and 10.6% compared to ND-only training and Stroke-only training, respectively. Data augmentation further enhanced F1-scores across all conditions by an average of 11.3%. Finally, asymmetric movements decreased the F1-score by 25.9% compared to symmetric movements in the Stroke group, indicating the importance of asymmetry in movement classification.

Surface Coating with Naphthalene Trisulfonate/Hafnium(IV) Complexes: Versatility and Post-Functionalization.

Naphthalene trisulfonate is found to have versatile surface coating capability when combined with hafnium(IV) ions, thereby forming complexes. Solid substrates such as titanium/titanium dioxide, glass, and nylon immersed in a solution of naphthalene trisulfonate and HfIV produces naphthalene trisulfonate/HfIV complex coating. The coating is not produced when the HfIV ions are absent or when naphthalene monosulfonate replaces naphthalene trisulfonate; this indicates the significance of HfIV ions and multiple sulfonates in this coating system. The versatile surface coating property of naphthalene trisulfonate/HfIV complexes is attributed to the coexistence of hydrophobic aromatic and hydrophilic side groups in naphthalene trisulfonate. Additionally, HfIV ion-mediated cross-linking reactions between naphthalene trisulfonate molecules induce molecular assembly, facilitating versatile surface coating. Post-functionalization of the coating is accomplished through additional HfIV-mediated coordinate bond formation; alginate and λ-carrageenan are successfully grafted onto the coating for nonbiofouling applications.

Comparison of pregnancy rate in dromedary camel between early-stage embryos and blastocyst transfer produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer using in vitro-matured oocytes.

We compared the pregnancy and live birth rates following transfer of early-stage embryos or blastocysts produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer using in vitro-matured oocytes. In total 102 ovaries were collected from dromedary camels at a local abattoir; from these 1048 cumulus-oocytes complexes (COCs) were aspirated and cultured for 42 h in a commercial maturation medium. Metaphase II oocytes were subjected to nuclear transfer. Somatic cell nuclear transfer-derived embryos were cultured in a commercial embryo medium for 2 or 7 days. Next, 71 early-stage embryos were surgically transferred to the left fallopian tube of 28 recipients and 47 blastocysts were transferred to the left uterine horn of 26 recipients. Early pregnancy was detected by serum progesterone (P4), and pregnancy was confirmed using ultrasonography on days 30 and 90 after embryo transfer. Pregnancy rate based on P4 level was 17.86% (5/28) and 11.54% (3/26) for early-stage embryo and blastocyst transfer, respectively. In the early-stage embryo group, out of five recipients, one recipient had lost the pregnancy by the first ultrasonography on day 30; two other recipients aborted at 14 and 24 weeks, and two recipients gave live births. In the blastocyst group, out of three recipients, one lost the pregnancy at an early stage and two recipients gave live births. Therefore, for dromedary camels, we recommend transvaginal blastocyst transfer from the standpoint of the pregnancy and live birth rate, ease of the transfer procedure, and comfort and safety of the recipients.

Review of Machine Learning Applications Using Retinal Fundus Images.

Automating screening and diagnosis in the medical field saves time and reduces the chances of misdiagnosis while saving on labor and cost for physicians. With the feasibility and development of deep learning methods, machines are now able to interpret complex features in medical data, which leads to rapid advancements in automation. Such efforts have been made in ophthalmology to analyze retinal images and build frameworks based on analysis for the identification of retinopathy and the assessment of its severity. This paper reviews recent state-of-the-art works utilizing the color fundus image taken from one of the imaging modalities used in ophthalmology. Specifically, the deep learning methods of automated screening and diagnosis for diabetic retinopathy (DR), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma are investigated. In addition, the machine learning techniques applied to the retinal vasculature extraction from the fundus image are covered. The challenges in developing these systems are also discussed.

The Resurrection of Mabrokan: Production of Multiple Cloned Offspring from Decade-Old Vitrified Tissue Collected from a Deceased Champion Show Camel.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) provides a unique opportunity to reproduce animals with superior genetics. Viable cell lines are usually established from tissues collected by biopsy from living animals in the SCNT program. In the present study, tissues were collected and preserved from a suddenly deceased champion camel. We established cell lines from these decade-old tissues and used them as nuclear donors. After 42 h of in vitro maturation, 68.00 ± 2.40% of oocytes reached the metaphase II (M II) stage while 87.31 ± 2.57% in vivo collected oocytes were matured at collection (p < 0.05). We observed a higher blastocyst formation rate when in vivo matured oocytes (43.45 ± 2.07%) were used compared to in vitro matured oocytes (21.52 ± 1.74%). The live birth rate was 6.45% vs. 16.67% for in vitro and in vivo matured oocytes, respectively. Microsatellite analysis of 13 camel loci revealed that all the SCNT-derived offspring were identical to each other and with their somatic cell donor. The present study succeeded in the resurrection of 11 healthy offspring from the decade-old vitrified tissues of a single somatic cell donor individual using both in vitro and in vivo matured oocytes.

Universal Surface Coating with a Non-Phenolic Molecule, Sulfonated Pyrene.

Nature-inspired small molecules such as catecholamines and polyphenols have gained a great deal of attention because of the exceptional surface-coating property that is applicable to many diverse substrates. Many researchers have conducted studies to expand molecular pools with surface-coating properties, but previous reports have still been limited to phenolic molecules as surface-coating agents. In this study, we describe for the first time the material-independent coating properties of nonphenolic molecules, namely, sulfonated pyrenes with ZrIV ions. Owing to the binding capability with several oxygen-containing ligands, ZrIV can be used for the molecular assembly of sulfonated pyrenes. We also report on the mixing of multiple sulfonated pyrenes and ZrIV results in cross-linked complexes that can coat diverse solid substrates. The resulting coating can serve as a platform for grafting functional polysaccharides.

Effect of collagen matrix on postoperative palatal fistula in cleft palate repair.

Palatal fistula is a challenging complication following cleft palate repair. We investigated the usefulness of collagen matrix in the prevention of postoperative fistula. We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with cleft palate who underwent primary palatoplasty (Furlow's double opposing z-plasty) in Seoul National University Children's Hospital. Collagen Graft and Collagen Membrane (Genoss, Suwon, Republic of Korea) were selectively used in patients who failed complete two-layer closure. The effect of collagen matrix on fistula formation was evaluated according to palatal ratio (cleft width to total palatal width) and cleft width. A total of 244 patients (male, 92 and female, 152; median age, 18 months) were analyzed. The average cleft width was 7.0 mm, and the average palatal ratio was 0.21. The overall fistula rate was 3.6% (9/244). Palatal ratio (p = 0.014) and cleft width (p = 0.004) were independent factors impacting the incidence of postoperative fistula. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the cutoff values in terms of screening for developing postoperative fistula were a palatal ratio of 0.285 and a cleft width of 9.25 mm. Among nonsyndromic patients with values above those cutoffs, the rates of fistula development were 0/5, 1/6 (16.7%), and 4/22 (18.2%) for those who received Collagen Graft, Collagen Membrane, and no collagen, respectively. Collagen matrix may serve as an effective tool for the prevention of palatal fistula when complete two-layer closure fails, especially in wide palatal clefts. The benefit was most evident in Collagen Graft with thick and porous structure.

Zr(IV) Coordination Chemistry for Cell-Repellent Alginate Coatings: The Effect of Surface Functional Groups.

Surface modification using alginic acid and its salt, alginate (Alg), has attracted much attention owing to its potential applications in various fields, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, antiplatelet surface preparation, and energy-storage technologies. In these applications, efficient immobilization of Alg on the solid surface is required because the delamination of the surface-bound Alg eventually leads to a significant decrease in its function. Therefore, much effort has been made to introduce Alg onto solid surfaces in a stable manner. Despite recent advances, existing methods for immobilizing Alg on surfaces have some limitations: (i) derivatization of Alg is typically also required and (ii) these methods only function under specific reaction conditions. Herein, we report a Zr(IV)-mediated strategy to immobilize Alg on solid surfaces. We demonstrate efficient Alg grafting onto carboxyl-, catechol-, polydopamine-, and tannic acid-functionalized surfaces via Zr(IV)-mediated cross-linking reactions. This strategy yields Alg multilayers that suppress fibroblast and platelet adhesion onto the solid surfaces. Furthermore, we show that the Alg multilayers can be selectively constructed on specific sites of solid surfaces. Given its ease of use and the wide selection of available carboxyl polymers, the current strategy is expected to be a useful tool for preparing functional polymer films for various applications.

Effects of human recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factor treatment during in vitro culture on porcine pre-implantation embryos.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), a pleiotropic cytokine, belongs to the hematopoietic growth factor family. Recent studies have reported that G-CSF is a predictive biomarker of oocyte and embryo developmental competence in humans. The aim of our study was to determine whether CSF3 and its receptor (CSF3R) were expressed in porcine maternal reproductive tissues (oviduct and uterus), cumulus cells, and embryos and to investigate the effects of human recombinant G-CSF (hrG-CSF) supplementation during in vitro culture (IVC) on the developmental competence of pre-implantation embryos. To do this, we first performed reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Second, we performed parthenogenetic activation (PA), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to evaluate the embryonic developmental potential after hrG-CSF supplementation based on various concentrations (0 ng/mL, 10 ng/mL, 50 ng/mL, and 100 ng/mL) and durations (Un-treated, Days 0-3, Days 4-7, and Days 0-7) of IVC. Finally, we examined transcriptional levels of several marker genes in blastocysts. The results of our study showed that CSF3 transcript was present in all samples we assessed. CSF3-R was also detected, except in cumulus cells and blastocysts from PA. Furthermore, 10 ng/mL and Days 0-7 were the optimal concentration and duration for the viability of in vitro embryonic development, especially for SCNT-derived embryos. The rate of blastocyst formation and the total cell number of blastocysts were significantly enhanced, while the number and index of apoptotic nuclei were significantly decreased in optimal condition groups compared to others. Moreover, the transcriptional levels of anti-apoptotis- (BCL2), proliferation- (PCNA), and pluripotency- (POU5F1) related genes were dramatically upregulated. In conclusion, for the first time, we demonstrated that CSF3 and CSF3R were expressed in porcine reproductive organs, cells, and embryos. Additionally, we determined that hrG-CSF treatment improved porcine embryonic development capacity in vitro.

Trehalose supplementation during porcine oocytes in vitro maturation improves the developmental capacity of parthenotes.

Autophagy is a critical process in early mammalian embryogenesis. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors are major regulators of autophagy. However, mTOR plays a vital role in major signaling pathways controlling cell growth and metabolism; thus, more secure autophagy activation methods should be considered. The present study investigated the effects of supplementary trehalose, a novel mTOR-independent autophagy enhancer, on oocyte maturation and embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA). Trehalose treatment during in vitro maturation (IVM) did not affect the nuclear maturation rates of oocytes. Oocytes treated with 25 mM trehalose during IVM had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) blastocyst formation rate (64.2%) after PA compared to that in control oocytes (52.0%). Blastocyst quality was also improved in the trehalose-treated group. The total cell numbers for blastocyst formation and expanded blastocyst formation were significantly increased in the trehalose-treated group (52.2% and 27.7%, respectively) compared to those in the control group (36.9% and 11.0%, respectively). Trehalose treatment led to the increased expression of LC3, an autophagy marker, in metaphase II oocytes and 4-cell stage embryos. Gene expression analysis revealed that the expression of several autophagy related genes (LAMP2, pATG5, and LC3) increased, while the Bax/Bcl2 ratio and pro-apoptotic Bak transcript levels were decreased in the trehalose-treated group. In conclusion, these results indicate that treatment with trehalose during IVM improved the developmental potential of porcine embryos by down-regulation of pro-apoptotic genes and up-regulation of autophagy-related genes and marker. Trehalose may be useful for the large-scale production of high-quality porcine blastocysts in vitro.

Orbicularis oris muscle reconstruction and cheiloplasty with Z-plasty in a patient with a transverse facial cleft.

BACKGROUND: Transverse facial clefts are Tessier's number 7 facial cleft among numbers 1-15 in Tessier's classification of craniofacial malformations, which varies from a simple widening oral commissure to a complete fissure extending towards the external ear. CASE PRESENTATION: In a patient with a transverse facial cleft, to functionally arrange the orbicularis oris muscle and form the oral commissure naturally, we performed a surgical procedure including orbicularis oris muscle reconstruction and cheiloplasty with Z-plasty. CONCLUSION: We achieved good results functionally and esthetically by orbicularis oris muscle reconstruction and cheiloplasty with Z-plasty. The surgical modality of our anatomical repair and 3 months follow-up results are presented.

Formation of Zirconium(IV)-Heparin Complex Multilayers on Solid Surfaces for Long-Lasting Antiplatelet Application.

A facile approach to enhancing the blood compatibility of solid surfaces based on ZrIV -heparin complexation is reported. Solid surfaces are pretreated with tannic acid (TA)/ZrIV complexes. Heparin is then deposited on the surface through a spin-coating process and fixed by a ZrIV -mediated crosslinking reaction. Using this approach, TA/ZrIV /heparin complex multilayers that are highly resistant to human platelet adhesion are formed on various substrates including metal, metal oxides, ceramics, and synthetic polymers. This approach presents a sustainable way for the immobilization of heparin onto surfaces because it does not require any derivatization of heparin molecule as well as time-consuming processes.

Effectiveness of Surface Treatment with Amine Plasma for Improving the Biocompatibility of Maxillofacial Plates.

To date, no products have been presented for the surface treatment of metal plates used for repairing maxillofacial defects caused by trauma. Plasma surface treatment is a useful technique for chemically modifying the surfaces of biomaterials. Amine plasma-polymerization is an efficient way to prepare bioactive thin film polymers terminated with nitrogen-containing functional groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate the improvement in biocompatibility of titanium (Ti) plates treated with amine plasma-polymerization, and analyze their surfaces characteristics. To compare biocompatibility levels, in vitro test and animal study were performed using an amine plasma-polymerized Ti plate and an untreated Ti plate. After amine plasma-polymerization, the hydrophilicity of the Ti surface was remarkably improved. Biocompatibility was also improved for the Ti plates treated with amine plasma. The clinical application of this technique will not only shorten the time required for osseointegration, but will also improve the regeneration of bone.

Enhanced Adhesion of Fish Ovarian Germline Stem Cells on Solid Surfaces by Mussel-Inspired Polymer Coating.

Development of advanced cell culture methods has gained increasing attention because it allows for efficient genetic engineering and precise regulation of animal reproduction on a cellular basis. Numerous studies have attempted to develop an advanced cell culture method. Previous studies have altered cell culture media and pretreated culture plates with functional molecules. Among them, a mussel-inspired polymer coating has been extensively utilized owing to its wide applicability. For instance, adhesion of human embryonic stem cells and neuronal cells on solid surfaces has been improved. Despite the excellent capability of the mussel-inspired polymer coating, most studies have primarily focused on mammalian cells. However, the efficacy of these coatings on the adhesion of other cell lines is yet unclear. This study aimed to assess the potential of the mussel-inspired polymer coating in the regulation of the adhesion of fish ovarian germline stem cells on solid surfaces. Solid surfaces were coated by polydopamine and poly-L-lysine, and the effect of the coatings on cellular behaviors was investigated.