Utility of real-time 3D visualization system in the early stage of phacoemulsification training.

AIM: To determine the teaching effects of a real-time three dimensional (3D) visualization system in the operating room for early-stage phacoemulsification training. METHODS: A total of 10 ophthalmology residents of the first-year postgraduate were included. All the residents were novices to cataract surgery. Real-time cataract surgical observations were performed using a custom-built 3D visualization system. The training lasted 4wk (32h) in all. A modified International Council of Ophthalmology's Ophthalmology Surgical Competency Assessment Rubric (ICO-OSCAR) containing 4 specific steps of cataract surgery was applied. The self-assessment (self) and expert-assessment (expert) were performed through the microsurgical attempts in the wet lab for each participant. RESULTS: Compared with pre-training assessments (self 3.2±0.8, expert 2.5±0.6), the overall mean scores of post-training (self 5.2±0.4, expert 4.7±0.6) were significantly improved after real-time observation training of 3D visualization system (P<0.05). Scores of 4 surgical items were significantly improved both self and expert assessment after training (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The 3D observation training provides novice ophthalmic residents with a better understanding of intraocular microsurgical techniques. It is a useful tool to improve teaching efficiency of surgical education.

Research progress on animal models of corneal epithelial-stromal injury.

A corneal epithelial-stromal defect is recognized as a major contributor to corneal scarring. Given the rising prevalence of blindness caused by corneal scarring, increasing attention has been focused on corneal epithelial-stromal defects. Currently, the etiology and pathogenesis of these defects remain inadequately understood, necessitating further investigation through experimental research. Various modeling methods exist both domestically and internationally, each with distinct adaptive conditions, advantages, and disadvantages. This review primarily aims to summarize the techniques used to establish optimal animal models of corneal epithelial-stromal injury, including mechanical modeling, chemical alkali burns, post-refractive surgery infections, and genetic engineering. The intention is to provide valuable insights for studying the mechanisms underlying corneal epithelial-stromal injury and the development of corresponding therapeutic interventions.

Degradation of Levofloxacin by a green zero-valent iron-loaded carbon composite activating peroxydisulfate system: Reactivity, products and mechanism.

In this study, a green zero-valent iron-loaded carbon composite (ZVI-SCG) was synthesized using coffee grounds and FeCl3 solution through two-steps method, and the synthesized ZVI-SCG was used in the activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) to degrade Levofloxacin (LEX). Results revealed that ZVI-SCG exhibited a great potential for LEX removal by adsorption and catalytic degradation in the ZVI-SCG/PDS system, and 99% of LEX was removed in the ZVI-SCG/PDS system within 60 min. ZVI-SCG/PDS system showed a high reactivity toward LEX degradation under realistic environmental conditions. Also, the ZVI-SCG/PDS system could effectively degrade several quinolone antibiotics including gatifloxacin, ciprofloxacin and LEX in single and simultaneous removal modes. A potential reaction mechanism of LEX degradation by ZVI-SCG/PDS system was proposed, SO4•-, HO•, O2•- and 1O2 involved in radical and non-radical pathways took part in catalytic degradation of LEX by ZVI-SCG/PDS system, but HO• might be the main reactive species for LEX degradation. The possible degradation pathway of LEX was also proposed based on the identified ten intermediate products, LEX degradation was successfully achieved through decarboxylation, opening ring and hydroxylation processes. The potential toxicity of LEX and its oxidation products decreased significantly after treatment. This study provides a promising strategy of water treatment for the antibiotics-containing wastewater.

A novel gatifloxacin-loaded intraocular lens for prophylaxis of postoperative endophthalmitis.

Postoperative endophthalmitis (POE) has been the most threatening complication after cataract surgery, which perhaps can be solved by the antibiotic-loaded intraocular lens (IOL). However, most drug-loaded IOLs demonstrate insufficient drug quantity, short release time, increased implantation-related difficulties or other noticeable drawbacks. To prevent POE and to address these deficiencies, a drug-loaded copolymer IOL, prepared from poly (urethane acrylate) prepolymer, isobornyl methacrylate (IBOMA), N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP), Irgacure 819, RUVA-93, and gatifloxacin (GAT), was rapidly fabricated via photocuring and by using a 3D-printed mold. This composite displayed an outstanding and controllable GAT release behavior in vitro, a high light transmittance, and a moderate refractive index. Also, it demonstrated improved strain stress and elongation compared with the reference commercial acrylic IOL material. In vivo tests demonstrated satisfying released drug concentration at the early treatment stage. In vitro and in vivo studies further confirmed the remarkable bacterial inhibition and prevention of POE by the proposed IOL, which also displayed good biocompatibility. These findings suggested that the GAT-loaded IOL could be a promising implant to prevent and cure POE, also the proposed methods could inspire more designs for various medical applications.

Identification and exploration of the pyroptosis-related molecular subtypes of breast cancer by bioinformatics and machine learning.

OBJECTIVES: To classify breast cancer (BRCA) according to the expression of pyroptosis-related genes and explore their molecular characteristics. METHODS: Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) was used for subtype classification based on 21 pyroptosis-related genes in the TCGA database. Survival analysis and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) analysis were conducted to assess the NMF results' performance. XGBoost, CatBoost, logistic regression, neural network, random forest, and support vector machine were utilized to perform supervised machine learning and construct prediction models. Genetic mutations, tumor mutational burden, immune infiltration, methylation, and drug sensitivity were analyzed to explore the molecular signatures of different subtypes. Lasso, RF, and Cox regression were operated to construct a prognostic model based on differentially expressed genes. RESULTS: BRCA patients were divided into two subtypes (named Cluster1 and Cluster2). Survival analysis (P = 0.02) and t-SNE analysis demonstrated that Cluster1 and Cluster2 were well classified. The XGBoost model achieved reliable predictions on both training and validation sets. Regarding molecular characteristics, Cluster1 had higher TMB, immune cell infiltration, and m6A methylation-related gene expression than Cluster2. There was also a statistically significant difference between the two subtypes concerning drug susceptibility. Finally, a 5-gene prognostic model was constructed using Lasso, RF, and Cox regression and validated in the GEO database. CONCLUSION: Our study may provide new insights from bioinformatics and machine learning for exploring pyroptosis-related subtypes and their respective molecular signatures in BRCA. In addition, our models may be helpful for the treatment and prognosis of BRCA.

[Effects of simulated precipitation changes on plant community characteristics of wetland in the Yellow River Delta, China]. / 模拟降雨量变化对黄河三角洲湿地植物群落特征的影响.

Under the changing climate scenario, changes in precipitation regimes are expected to alter soil water and salinity conditions, with consequences on the characteristics of plant community in estuarine wetland. Here, we used a six-year (2015-2020) precipitation manipulation experiment to examine how plant community characteristics responded to precipitation changes in the Yellow River Delta. The results showed that soil electrical conductivity significantly decreased, while soil moisture significantly increased with increasing precipitation. Precipitation changes altered plant community composition. Increased precipitation reduced the absolute dominance of Suaeda glauca and Suaeda salsa, but increased that of Triarrhena sacchariflora and Imperata cylindrica. Shannon index and Margalef richness index of plant community significantly increased with increasing precipitation. Compared with the control, both decreased and increased precipitation decreased the plant community abundance, frequency and coverage. The treatment of 60% increased precipitation significantly decreased plant community frequency by 54.9%, while the 60% decreased precipitation, 40% decreased precipitation, 40% increased precipitation and 60% increased precipitation treatment significantly decreased plant abundance by 38.9%, 33.8%, 35.8% and 45.7%, respectively. The aboveground biomass significantly increased with increasing precipitation, but aboveground plant biomass under 60% increased precipitation treatment being lower than that reducing under 40% increased precipitation treatment, probably due to the negative effects of flooding stress. In addition, Margalef richness index had a significantly positive relationship with aboveground biomass. Aboveground biomass, Shannon diversity index, Margalef richness index, and Simpson diversity index were negatively related to soil electrical conductivity, and aboveground plant biomass was positively related to soil moisture. Our results revealed that precipitation changes regulate growth characteristics, species composition, and diversity of plant community by altering soil water and salinity conditions in a coastal wetland.

Glycemic control and neonatal outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus treated using glyburide, metformin, or insulin: a pairwise and network meta-analysis.

AIMS: We aimed to assess the comparative efficiency and safety of the use of glyburide, metformin, and insulin in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials that compared glyburide, metformin, and insulin in GDM. Data regarding glycemic control and neonatal safety were collected and analyzed in pairwise and network meta-analyses. RESULTS: A total of 4533 individuals from 23 trials were included. Compared with glyburide, metformin reduced 2-h postprandial blood glucose (2HPG) to a greater extent (standard mean difference (SMD) 0.18; 95% credible interval (CI) 0.01, 0.34). There were significantly lower prevalence of neonatal hypoglycemia (risk difference (RD) - 0.07; 95%CI - 0.11, - 0.02) and preeclampsia (RD - 0.03; 95%CI - 0.06, 0) in the metformin group than in the insulin group. The metformin group had significantly lower birth weight (SMD - 0.17; 95%CI - 0.25, - 0.08) and maternal weight gain (SMD - 0.61; 95%CI - 0.86,- 0.35) compared with the insulin group. Network meta-analysis suggested that metformin had the highest probability of successfully controlling glycemia and preventing neonatal complications. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis suggests that metformin may be as effective as insulin for glycemic control and is the most promising drug for the prevention of neonatal and maternal complications.

Intraocular Lens with Mussel-Inspired Coating for Preventing Posterior Capsule Opacification via Photothermal Effect.

Phacoemulsification with implantation of intraocular lens (IOLs) has been widely applied as a standard treatment for cataract, which is the leading cause of vision impairment. However, it still remains a critical challenge to prevent posterior capsule opacification (PCO) in terms of postoperative visual quality. Herein, we report IOLs with mussel-inspired coatings for inhibiting lens epithelial cells and then preventing PCO through photothermal conversion effect. The mussel-inspired coatings are deposited on the nonoptical surface areas of IOLs, endowing the modified IOLs with efficient photothermal conversion property. The temperature can be facilely raised to 50-60 °C for the photothermal IOLs (PT-IOLs) by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation at a safe intensity of 0.3 W/cm2. These PT-IOLs display high capability of inhibiting lens epithelial cells (LECs) in vitro. Therefore, under routine NIR laser irradiation, New Zealand white rabbits implanted with the PT-IOLs demonstrate significantly lower evaluation of PCO (EPCO) scores than the control groups. The overall results indicate that our PT-IOLs provide a promising choice for the clinical prevention of PCO, thus opening a way to maintain the postoperative visual qualities for cataract patients.

Neuroligin 3 Regulates Dendritic Outgrowth by Modulating Akt/mTOR Signaling.

Neuroligins (NLs) are a group of postsynaptic cell adhesion molecules that function in synaptogenesis and synaptic transmission. Genetic defects in neuroligin 3 (NL3), a member of the NL protein family, are associated with autism. Studies in rodents have revealed that mutations of NL3 gene lead to increased growth and complexity in dendrites in the central nervous system. However, the detailed mechanism is still unclear. In our study, we found that deficiency of NL3 led to morphological changes of the pyramidal neurons in layer II/III somatosensory cortex in mice, including enlarged somata, elongated dendritic length, and increased dendritic complexity. Knockdown of NL3 in cultured rat neurons upregulated Akt/mTOR signaling, resulting in both increased protein synthesis and dendritic growth. Treating neurons with either rapamycin to inhibit the mTOR or LY294002 to inhibit the PI3K/Akt activity rescued the morphological abnormalities resulting from either NL3 knockdown or knockout (KO). In addition, we found that the hyperactivated Akt/mTOR signaling associated with NL3 defects was mediated by a reduction in phosphatase and tensin (PTEN) expression, and that MAGI-2, a scaffold protein, interacted with both NL3 and PTEN and could be a linker between NL3 and Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results suggest that NL3 regulates neuronal morphology, especially dendritic outgrowth, by modulating the PTEN/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, probably via MAGI-2. Thereby, this study provides a new link between NL3 and neuronal morphology.

Nanomaterials with a photothermal effect for antibacterial activities: an overview.

Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies have been expected to provide innovative platforms for addressing antibacterial challenges, with potential to even deal with bacterial infections involving drug-resistance. The current review summarizes recent progress over the last 3 years in the field of antibacterial nanomaterials with a photothermal conversion effect. We classify these photothermal nanomaterials into four functional categories: carbon-based nanoconjugates of graphene derivatives or carbon nanotubes, noble metal nanomaterials mainly from gold and silver, metallic compound nanocomposites such as copper sulfide and molybdenum sulfide, and polymeric as well as other nanostructures. Different categories can be assembled with each other to enhance the photothermal effects and the antibacterial activities. The review describes their fabrication processes, unique properties, antibacterial modes, and potential healthcare applications.

Polyphenol-Assisted Exfoliation of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides into Nanosheets as Photothermal Nanocarriers for Enhanced Antibiofilm Activity.

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets have evoked enormous research enthusiasm and have shown increased potentials in the biomedical field. However, a great challenge lies in high-throughput, large-scale, and eco-friendly preparation of TMD nanosheet dispersions with high quality. Herein, we report a universal polyphenol-assisted strategy to facilely exfoliate various TMDs into monolayer or few-layer nanosheets. By optimizing the exfoliation condition of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), the yield and concentration of as-exfoliated nanosheets are up to 60.5% and 1.21 mg/mL, respectively. This is the most efficient aqueous exfoliation method at present and is versatile for the choices of polyphenols and TMD nanomaterials. The as-exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets possess superior biomedical stability as nanocarriers to load antibiotic drugs. They show a high photothermal conversion effect and thus induce a synergetic effect of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy to harvest enhanced antibiofilm activity under near-infrared (NIR) light. All these results offer an appealing strategy toward the synthesis and application of ultrathin TMD nanosheets, with great implications for their development.

Effects of quaternization on the morphological stability and antibacterial activity of electrospun poly(DMAEMA-co-AMA) nanofibers.

Electrospun nanofibers with antibacterial activity are greatly promising for medical treatment and water purification. Herein we report antibacterial nanofibers electrospun from a series of poly(dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate-co-alkyl methacrylates) (poly(DMAEMA-co-AMA)) and to distinguish the effects of free and cross-linked cations derived from quanternization on the antibacterial activity. Poly(DMAEMA-co-AMA)s are simply synthesized by free radical polymerization from commercial monomers. DSC analysis indicates that they have Tg lower than room temperature and thus the electrospun nanofibers adhere to each other and evenly tend to form films, instead of keeping cylinderic shape. Benzyl chloride (BC) and p-xylylene dichloride (XDC) can quaternize DMAEMA units and to generate cations on the nanofiber surface. XPS analysis and colorimetric assay determine the quaternization degree and the surface accessible quaternary amines (N(+)), respectively. It is very promising that this quaternization endows the electrospun nanofibers with both stable morphology and antibacterial activity. The BC-quaternized fibers show better antibacterial behavior against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus than those of the XDC-quaternized/cross-linked ones, because cross-linking suppresses the chain mobility of cations. Our results confirm that antibacterial nanofibers can be facilely prepared and chain mobility of the formed cations is the necessary prerequisite for their antibacterial activity.

Expression, purification and characterization of human interferon-γ in Pichia pastoris.

Human interferon-γ (hIFN-γ) is a multifunctional protein known to possess immunoregulatory, antiviral and anticancer functions. In the present study, in order to explore the biological roles of hIFN-γ and its mechanisms of action, IFN-γ was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris) under the control of alcohol oxidase promoter 1 (AOX1). The protein was secreted by two different signal peptides, the native secretion signal peptide of hIFN-γ and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae α signal peptide. Following 96 h of methanol induction, Tricine-SDS-PAGE Coomassie staining, western blot analysis and N-terminal protein sequencing revealed that the level of recombinant hIFN-γ (rhIFN-γ) secreted by the native secretion signal was barely detectable, while the α signal peptide secreted ~300 mg/l. rhIFN-γ was purified by Vivaflow 200, SP Sepharose Fast Flow and Vivaspin 2 ml, yielding >96% of a highly purified rhIFN-γ preparation, with a specific activity of 1 x 10(7)-1.4 x 10(7) IU/mg protein as determined by an antiviral assay. The results demonstrated that the experimental procedures developed are capable of producing a large quantity of active rhIFN-γ from P. pastoris.

[Quality level assessment of lowly efficient Tamarix chinensis secondary shrubs in Laizhou Bay of Yellow River Delta].

Taking the Tamarix chinensis secondary shrubs in Laizhou Bay of Yellow River Delta as test objects, and by using synthetic factor method, this paper studied the main factors causing the lowly efficiency of T. chinensis secondary shrubs as well as the main parameters for the classification of lowly efficient T. chinensis secondary shrubs. A total of 24 indices including shrubs growth and soil physical and chemical properties were selected to determine the main affecting factors and parameters in evaluating and classifying the lowly efficient shrubs. There were no obvious correlations between the indices reflecting the shrubs growth and soil quality, and thus, only using shrub growth index to reflect the lowly efficiency level of T. chinensis was not enough, and it would be necessary to combine with soil quality factors to make a comprehensive evaluation. The principal factors reflecting the quality level of lowly efficient T. chinensis shrubs included soil salt content and moisture content, stand age, single tree's aboveground stem, leaf biomass, and basal diameter, followed by soil density, porosity, and soil nutrient status. The lowly efficient T. chinensis shrubs in the Bay could be classified into five types, namely, shrub with growth potential, slightly low quality shrub, moderately lowly efficient shrub, moderately low quality and lowly efficient shrub, and seriously low quality and lowly efficient shrub. The main features, low efficiency causes, and management measures of these shrubs were discussed based on the mean cluster value.

[Air negative ion concentration in different modes of courtyard forests in southern mountainous areas of Jinan, Shandong Province of East China].

Taking five typical courtyard forests and a non-forest courtyard in southern mountains areas of Jinan as test objects, a synchronous observation was conducted on the air negative ion concentration and related meteorological factors in March-December, 2010. The air negative ion concentration in the test courtyards showed an obvious seasonal variation, being in the order of summer > autumn > spring > winter. The diurnal variation of the air negative ion concentration presented a double peak curve, with the maximum in 10:00 - 11:00 and 16:00 - 17:00 and the minimum around 12:00. The daily air quality was the best at 10:00 and 16:00, and better in afternoon than in the morning. Summer time and garden sketch mode had the best air quality in a year. The mean annual air negative ion and the coefficient of air ion (CI) of the test courtyards were in the order of garden sketch > economic fruit forest > natural afforested forest > flowers and bonsai > farm tourist > non-forest, with the air negative ion concentration being 813, 745, 695, 688, 649, and 570 ions.cm-3, and the CI being 1.22, 1.11, 0.85, 0.84, 0.83, and 0.69, respectively. It could be concluded that garden sketch was the ideal courtyard forest mode. The air negative ion concentration was significantly positively correlated with air temperature and relative humidity, but irrelevant to light intensity.

Apoptosis of colorectal cancer UTC116 cells induced by Cantharidinate.

Effects of Cantharidinate on apoptosis of human colorectal cancer UTC-116 cells were investigated by means of 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, H and E staining, flow cytometry, and Raman Spectra analysis. The results showed Cantharidinate to exert inhibitory action on proliferation of human colorectal cancer UTC-116 cells, inducing apoptosis, arresting cells in G1 phase, with decline of S and G2 phases. In addition, the results of Raman spectrum showed significant changes in the UTC-116 cells chemical structure with stretching after the application of Cantharidinate. Taken together, these results suggest that the treatment of human colorectal cancer with Cantharidinate may be associated with multiple molecular mechanisms for apoptosis. Furthermore, similar to fluorouracil, Cantharidinate should be considered as novel assistant drug for controlling the growth of human colorectal cancer UTC-116 cells.

[Prevention and control of invaded plant Phytolacca americana in sandy coastal shelter forests].

The invasion of Phytolacca americana has produced serious damage to the coastal shelter forests in China. In order to search for the effective measures for controlling the growth of P. americana, several plots in the Robinia pseudoacacia forest invaded by P. Americana to the relatively same extent were installed, and the measures of physical control (mowing and root cutting) and chemical control (spraying herbicides) were adopted to control the invasion of P. Americana, taking the site with good growth of Amorpha fruticosa in the forest and without any control measures as the comparison. The results showed that mowing could rapidly decrease the growth of P. americana in the same year, but the growth recovered in the next year. 1/3 root cutting only reduced the aboveground growth of P. americana in the same year, and the growth was recovered in the third year; while 2/3 root cutting and whole cutting could effectively cleanup the P. americana plants all the time. Spraying quizalofop-p-ethyl and paraquat only killed the aboveground part of P. americana in the same year, but this part of P. americana recovered to the normal level in the next year; while spraying 45 g x L(-1) of glyphosate could completely kill the whole P. americana plants till the third year. The growth of P. americana at the site with good growth of A. fruticosa and without any control measures maintained at a low level all the time, suggesting that planting A. fruticosa in R. pseudoacacia forest would be an effective approach to prevent and control the P. americana invasion.

[Evolution process and related driving mechanisms of Yellow River Delta since the diversion of Yellow River].

Based on the 23 sheets of remote sensing images from 1976 to 2009, in combining with the water and sediment data from Lijin station and the annual precipitation data of Yellow River Basin from 1976 to 2008, this paper quantitatively analyzed the features of water and sediment discharge from Yellow River, and the evolution process of Yellow River Delta and related driving mechanisms. In 1976-2008, the annual runoff and the annual sediment discharge into sea changed largely and frequently, but overall, presented a decreasing trend. Since the course of the Yellow River changed its direction to Qingshui channel in 1976, the Delta coastline and area were generally in a silting-up state. The evolution process of the Delta could be approximately divided into three stages, i.e., 1976-1985, 1986-1995, and 1996-2009, and the increasing rate of the Delta decreased with the stages. The coastline and area of the Delta were significantly exponentially correlated to the sediment accumulated at Lijin station, and the inter-annual variation of the precipitation of the Yellow River Basin had a strong correlation with that of the sediment at Lijin station, suggesting that the annual variation of the precipitation in Yellow River Basin was the main factor affecting the runoff and sediment discharge into sea.

Tetra-aqua-bis(1,10-phenanthroline)bis-[µ(2)-1H-pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxyl-ato(3-)]tricopper(II) dihydrate.

The title compound, [Cu(3)(C(5)HN(2)O(4))(2)(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)(H(2)O)(4)]·2H(2)O, is a trinuclear copper(II) complex in which two centrosymmetrically related pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxyl-ate(3-) and 1,10-phenanthroline ligands bind three Cu(II) atoms, with one Cu(II) atom located on a center of symmetry. In each complex, there are four coordinated water mol-ecules and two solvent water mol-ecules, which participate in extensive hydrogen-bond patterns. These inter-actions, as well as π-π inter-actions between neighbouring 1,10-phenanthroline ligands [shortest atom-to-atom distance = 3.363 (3) Å], extend the crystal structure into a three-dimensional supra-molecular network.

Octa-aqua-bis(µ(2)-1H-pyrazole-3,5-di-carboxyl-ato)tricopper(II) tetra-hydrate.

In the trinucler Cu(II) complex mol-ecule of the title compound, [Cu(3)(C(5)HN(2)O(4))(2)(H(2)O)(8)]·4H(2)O, the central Cu(II) atom is located on an inversion centre and is coordinated in a distorted octa-hedral geometry. The equatorial sites are occupied by two N and two O atoms from two pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxyl-ate ligands and the axial positions are occupied by two water mol-ecules. The two other symmetry-related Cu(II) atoms are penta-coordinated and assume a square-pyramidal geometry. In the crystal structure, coordinated and uncoordinated water mol-ecules and carboxyl-ate O atoms are linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.