Exploring key cellular processes and candidate genes regulating the primary thickening growth of Moso underground shoots.

The primary thickening growth of Moso (Phyllostachys edulis) underground shoots largely determines the culm circumference. However, its developmental mechanisms remain largely unknown. Using an integrated anatomy, mathematics and genomics approach, we systematically studied cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the growth of Moso underground shoots. We discovered that the growth displayed a spiral pattern and pith played an important role in promoting the primary thickening process of Moso underground shoots and driving the evolution of culms with different sizes among different bamboo species. Different with model plants, the shoot apical meristem (SAM) of Moso is composed of six layers of cells. Comparative transcriptome analysis identified a large number of genes related to the vascular tissue formation that were significantly upregulated in a thick wall variant with narrow pith cavity, mildly spiral growth, and flat and enlarged SAM, including those related to plant hormones and those involved in cell wall development. These results provide a systematic perspective on the primary thickening growth of Moso underground shoots, and support a plausible mechanism resulting in the narrow pith cavity, weak spiral growth but increased vascular bundle of the thick wall Moso.

Superhydrophilic and Antifriction Thin Hydrogel Formed under Mild Conditions for Medical Bare Metal Guide Wires.

Medical guide wires play a crucial role in the process of intravascular interventional therapy. However, it is essential for bare metal guide wires to possess both hydrophilic lubricity and coating durability, avoiding tissue damage caused by friction inside the blood vessel during the interventional procedure. Additionally, it is still a huge challenge for diverse metal materials to bind with polymer coatings easily. Herein, we present a hydrogel coating scheme and its preparation method for various wires under mild conditions for environmental protection purposes. The preparation process involves surface pretreatment, including low-temperature heating and silanization, followed by a two-step dip coating and ultraviolet polymerization. The whole process leads to the formation of an interpenetrating cross-linked hydrogel network from the substrate to the surface section. This study confirms the superhydrophilicity and lubricity of three metal wires with the designed coating, especially reducing the friction significantly by ≥ 95%. The thin coating (average thickness <6.2 µm) demonstrates strong adhesion with various substrates and exhibits resistance to 25 or even 125 cycles of friction, indicating excellent stability and preventing easy detachment. The finally prepared composite nickel-titanium (NiTi) guide wire with stainless steel (SS) and platinum-tungsten (Pt-W) coils (overall diameter of ∼0.36 mm) shows satisfactory performance with a friction of 0.183 N for 25 cycles, meeting the clinical requirements (average friction ≤0.2 N) for interventional operation. These findings highlight the potential of this study in advancing the development of medical devices, particularly in the field of intravascular interventional therapy.

Accuracy of new-generation intraocular lens calculation formulas in eyes undergoing combined silicone oil removal and cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To compare the performance of new-generation and traditional intraocular lens (IOL) calculation formulas in eyes undergoing combined silicone oil (SO) removal and cataract surgery and to evaluate the prediction accuracy of Wang-Koch (WK) adjustment in SO-filled long eyes. SETTING: Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. DESIGN: Retrospective consecutive case-series study. METHODS: New-generation formulas (Barrett Universal II, Emmetropia Verifying Optical, Kane, and Ladas Super formulas) and traditional formulas (Haigis, Hoffer Q, Holladay 1, and SRK/T formulas) were compared. The performance of WK adjustment was assessed in eyes with axial length more than 26 mm. The median absolute error (MedAE) was the main parameter to evaluate the accuracy of formulas. RESULTS: A total of 211 participants (211 eyes) who underwent combined SO removal and phacoemulsification with IOL implantation were included. Four new-generation formulas displayed statistically significant lower MedAE (0.32 to 0.35 diopter [D]) and higher percentage of eyes within ±1.00 D of prediction error (85.31% to 87.20%) compared with those of the traditional formulas (MedAE: 0.39 to 0.50 D; ±1.00 D: 81.04% to 81.99%, P < .05). For SO-filled long eyes, all traditional formulas showed hyperopic bias (0.36 to 0.65 D, P < .05), except for Haigis formula (0.28 D, P = .083), and this bias could be corrected by WK adjustment (P > .05). EVO formula displayed the lowest MedAE both in total (0.32 D) and in long eyes (0.33 D). CONCLUSIONS: New-generation formulas and traditional formulas with WK adjustment showed satisfactory prediction accuracy in eyes undergoing combined SO removal and cataract surgery. EVO formula displayed the highest accuracy.