[Analysis of Characteristic Eye Movement Behaviors of Young Adults with Different Degrees of Myopia].

Objective: To measure the parameters of eye movement of young adult patients of myopia, to compare the differences in the parameters of patient groups with varied degrees of myopia, and to analyze the correlation between eye movement parameters and axial length (AL) and spherical equivalent refraction (SER). Methods: A total of 91 young adult patients of myopia were recruited. The subjects were divided into three groups of low, moderate, and high myopia according to their SER. Information on the subjects' age and sex was collected and general clinical examination was completed. The subjects' binocular fixation, reflexive saccade, and antisaccade were measured with eye tracker. One-way ANOVA or Kruskal-wallis test was used to compare the general data and eye movement parameters of the three groups of myopic patients. Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze AL and SER's correlation with 95% bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA) and saccadic parameters. Results: The 95% BCEA for mild, moderate, and high myopia groups were 2.08 (0.54, 14.69) deg 2, 4.99 (0.94, 49.22) deg 2, and 5.79 (2.18, 64.91) deg 2, respectively. There was significant difference between the 95% BCEA of the three groups ( P=0.029). The 95% BCEA of the mild myopia group was significantly smaller than that of the high myopia group ( P=0.01). There were no significant differences in saccadic parameters among the three groups ( P>0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between 95% BCEA and AL ( r=0.342, P=0.001). There was a significant negative correlation between 95% BCEA and SER ( r=-0.322, P=0.002). There was no significant correlation between the parameters of saccadic movement and the AL or SER ( P>0.05). Conclusion: For young adult myopic patients, the longer the AL is, the higher the degree of the myopia and the worse the fixation stability becomes. The fixation stability of patients with high myopia was significantly worse than that of patients with mild myopia. There was no significant difference in saccadic parameters in patients with different degrees of myopia.

A comparison between electromyography-driven robot and passive motion device on wrist rehabilitation for chronic stroke.

BACKGROUND: The effect of using robots to improve motor recovery has received increased attention, even though the most effective protocol remains a topic of study. OBJECTIVE: . The objective was to compare the training effects of treatments on the wrist joint of subjects with chronic stroke with an interactive rehabilitation robot and a robot with continuous passive motion. METHODS: . This study was a single-blinded randomized controlled trial with a 3-month follow-up. Twenty-seven hemiplegic subjects with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to receive 20-session wrist training with a continuous electromyography (EMG)-driven robot (interactive group, n = 15) and a passive motion device (passive group, n = 12), completed within 7 consecutive weeks. Training effects were evaluated with clinical scores by pretraining and posttraining tests (Fugl-Meyer Assessment [FMA] and Modified Ashworth Score [MAS]) and with session-by-session EMG parameters (EMG activation level and co-contraction index). RESULTS: . Significant improvements in FMA scores (shoulder/elbow and wrist/hand) were found in the interactive group (P < .05). Significant decreases in the MAS were observed in the wrist and elbow joints for the interactive group and in the wrist joint for the passive group (P < .05). These MAS changes were associated with the decrease in EMG activation level of the flexor carpi radialis and the biceps brachii for the interactive group (P < .05). The muscle coordination on wrist and elbow joints was improved in the interactive groups in the EMG co-contraction indexes across the training sessions (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: . The interactive treatment improved muscle coordination and reduced spasticity after the training for both the wrist and elbow joints, which persisted for 3 months. The passive mode training mainly reduced the spasticity in the wrist flexor.

A model-based method with geometric solutions for gaze correction in eye-tracking.

The eyeball distortions caused by eye diseases, such as myopia and strabismus, can lead to the deviations of eye-tracking data. In this paper, a model-based method with geometric solutions is proposed for gaze correction. The deviations of estimated gaze points are geometrically analyzed based on the individual eyeball models with considerations of the distortions caused by myopia and strabismus. A set of integrated geometric solutions is derived from the varied situations including the case of strabismus and the case of myopia and strabismus, and then used for gaze correction in eyetracking. The experimental results demonstrate that this model-based method is effective to reduce deviations in estimated gaze points, and can be used to correct the modeling error in eye-tracking. Moreover, the proposed method has the potential to provide a simple approach to correct the eyetracking data for various populations with eye diseases.

[Anti-tumor effect of anti-dsDNA autoantibodies].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of anti-dsDNA autoantibodies on growth of tumor in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: BALB/c mice were inoculated with inactivated tumor cells and challenged s.c. with SP 2/0 and Wehi 164 tumor cells four weeks after the last inoculation. The naïve mice were inoculated with SP 2/0 tumor cells immediately after incubating with sera derived from the immunized mice at week 6. Then the tumor size was examined. In vitro, the cytotoxicity of anti-dsDNA autoantibodies to tumor cells was analysed. Furthermore, apoptosis of SP 2/0 and Wehi 164 tumor cells induced by anti-dsDNA autoantibodies was examined by FACS. RESULTS: In vivo study showed that the growth of SP 2/0 and Wehi 164 tumors were inhibited in mice with anti-dsDNA autoantibodies, but not in mice lack of anti-dsDNA autoantibodies. In vitro, apoptosis of SP 2/0 and Wehi 164 tumor cells was induced when the tumor cells were incubated with the sera containing anti-dsDNA autoantibodies. Statistical analysis showed that the ability of anti-dsDNA autoantibodies to induce apoptosis of SP 2/0 and Wehi 164 tumor cells was significantly correlated with affinity (r = 0.990, P < 0.01 and r = 0.901, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Anti-dsDNA autoantibodies have inhibitory effect on tumor cells via inducing apoptosis.

[Quantitation of HTLV-I proviral load using real-time quantitative PCR with Taqman MGB probe].

A quantitative real-time PCR assay was developed to measure the proviral load of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in peripheral blood. The technology utilizes special primers and Taqman MGB fluorescence probe to measure amplification products from the gag-pro-pol polyprotein gene of HTLV-I. HTLV-I copy number was normalized to the amount of cellular DNA by quantitation of the beta-actin gene, The amplification system was sensitive to detect 5 copy/microL. The standard curve had a good linearity when the quantity for the gene was between 10(3) and 10(7) copy/microL (R2 = 0.999). Good reproducibility was observed in each intra- and inter-assay. We also measured proviral load in peripheral blood in 12 HTLV-I seropositive former blood donors. Proviral load for HTLV-I infected donors ranged from 0.015 to 12.819 copy/cell in WBC with the mean of 3.116 copy/cell.

[Protective immunoresponse to CVB3 induced by gene immunization with pcDNA3-VP1].

AIM: To induce Coxsackie virus B type 3 (CVB3)-specific immune response by using a DNA vaccine containing CVB3-VP1 and to observe its protection against CVB3 challenge. METHODS: The gene coding for VP1 was obtained by RT-PCR and then was cloned into plasmid pcDNA3 to construct pcDNA3-VP1. In-vitro expression of VP1 was performed by transfection of pcDNA3-VP1 into Hela cells. Expressed product was detected by ELISA. BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly with 50 microg DNA three times, and challenged by 5xLD(50) CVB3 four weeks after the last immunization. RESULTS: pcDNA3-VP1 had been constructed and the expression product was detected in the culture supernatant of Hela cells 24 hours after transfection. CVB3-specific IgM and IgG elicited in the mice immunized with pcDNA3-VP1 were significantly higher than those in the control mice immunized with pcDNA3. Specific proliferation of the splenic lymphocytes and activity of CVB3-specific CTLs from the pcDNA3-VP1 immunized mice were much stronger than those in the controls. pcDNA3-VP1 could protect 33.3% mice from lethal CVB3 challenge, while control mice only survived 6.7 days. Infiltration of inflammatory cells or unusual proliferation of connective tissue, indicating ongoing myocarditis or fibrosis, were not found in pcDNA3-VP1 immunized mice, but did exist in control mice. CONCLUSION: Intramuscular immunization with pcDNA3-VP1 may be a promising approach against CVB3 infection.