Integrating magnetic tweezers and single-molecule FRET: A comprehensive approach to studying local and global conformational changes simultaneously.

This chapter presents the integration of magnetic tweezers with single-molecule FRET technology, a significant advancement in the study of nucleic acids and other biological systems. We detail the technical aspects, challenges, and current status of this hybrid technique, which combines the global manipulation and observation capabilities of magnetic tweezers with the local conformational detection of smFRET. This innovative approach enhances our ability to analyze and understand the molecular mechanics of biological systems. The chapter serves as our first formal documentation of this method, offering insights and methodologies developed in our laboratory over the past decade.

Changes in ocular extorsion after horizontal muscle surgery in patients with intermittent exotropia coexisting with hypertropia and mild inferior oblique overaction.

PURPOSE: To investigate changes in vertical strabismus and extorsion in patients with intermittent exotropia and mild unilateral inferior oblique muscle overaction (IOOA) who underwent horizontal muscle surgery without vertical or oblique muscle surgery. METHODS: The medical records of 41 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were followed up for at least 6 months after surgery. Fundus photography was performed before and after surgery, and the sum of the angles of torsion in both eyes was used to measure changes in extorsion using ImageJ software. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups according to the degree of IOOA: patients with grade 1 IOOA were placed in +1 IOOA group and those with grade 2 IOOA in +2 IOOA group. The pre- and postoperative angles of horizontal and vertical strabismus and extorsion were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The +1 IOOA and +2 IOOA groups included 24 and 17 patients, respectively. The angle of preoperative exotropia did not differ significantly: 25.54 ± 5.68 prism diopters (PD) and 25.65 ± 8.11 PD in the +1 IOOA and +2 IOOA groups, respectively. In the +1 IOOA and +2 IOOA groups, hypertropia was 2.67 ± 1.52 PD and 2.82 ± 1.13 PD, respectively, and extorsion angles were 7.14 ± 2.77° and 7.94 ± 2.87°, respectively. As the IOOA degree increased, the extent of hypertropia and extorsion also increased. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups. Postoperative angles of hypertropia and extorsion significantly decreased in both groups (p < 0.001) after surgery. The degree of change in hypertropia and extorsion was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.563 and p = 0.354, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Hypertropia and extorsion improved significantly after horizontal muscle surgery in patients with mild unilateral IOOA and intermittent exotropia. There was no significant difference in the improvement in hypertropia or extorsion between IOOA grades I and II.

Parental perspectives and concerns regarding exotropia surgery and comparison with clinicians' predictions.

PURPOSE: To evaluate parental perspectives and concerns regarding exotropia surgery and compare them with clinicians' predictions of parental responses in Korean pediatric patients with intermittent exotropia. METHODS: This survey study included the parents of pediatric patients with intermittent exotropia who underwent surgery and clinicians at five hospitals from June 2022 to February 2023, who participated in the Survey of Parental Attitude and Concerns of Exotropia surgery (SPACE) study 1. Parental attitudes and concern about exotropia surgery were assessed using a questionnaire. Clinicians' estimation of each item corresponding to the parental questionnaire was also assessed and compared with parental responses. RESULTS: A total of 266 parents and 41 clinicians were included. More parents responded that information about surgery was most helpful or most commonly received from clinicians than clinicians estimated (P = 0.001). More parents reported actively communicating with the child about surgery than clinicians estimated (P < 0.001). Parents showed a higher level of concern for general anesthesia and the hospital environment than clinicians thought they would (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, resp.). In the postoperative follow-up items, parents showed high levels of concern regarding postoperative infection (P < 0.001), conjunctival redness (P = 0.040), persistent overcorrection (P < 0.001), and glasses wearing (P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Parental perspectives and concerns regarding pediatric intermittent exotropia surgery differed from clinicians' estimations thereof. More parents obtain information on exotropia surgery from clinicians and actively talk about surgery with their child than estimated by clinicians. Parents had a higher level of concern regarding general anesthesia, hospital environment, postoperative infection, conjunctival redness, persistent overcorrection, and glasses wearing compared with clinician estimations.

Self-Reported Findings of the Korean Intermittent Exotropia Multicenter Study Questionnaire.

PURPOSE: To determine subjective symptoms and medical history of patients with intermittent exotropia in a large study population. METHODS: The Korean Intermittent Exotropia Multicenter Study (KIEMS) is a nationwide, observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study conducted by the Korean Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus including 5,385 patients with intermittent exotropia. Subjective symptoms and medical history of patients with intermittent exotropia were extracted by a comprehensive survey based on a self-administered questionnaire according to the study protocol of the KIEMS. RESULTS: The mean age of symptom onset was 5.5 years. The most common symptom reported in patients with intermittent exotropia was photophobia (52.1%), followed by diplopia at near fixation (7.3%) and distance fixation (6.2%). Preterm birth was found in 8.8%, and 4.1% had perinatal complications. A family history of strabismus was present in 14.9%, and 5.5% of patients had a family member who underwent strabismus surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The KIEMS is one of the largest clinical studies on intermittent exotropia. Intermittent exotropia frequently caused photophobia and diplopia, and patients with a family history was not uncommon.