Multiple sclerosis and COVID-19: a northern China survey.

BACKGROUND: There is insufficient data on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Chinese patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). This study aims to explore the manifestation of pwMS during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the prognosis of MS in northern China. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, an online self-administered questionnaire and telephone interviews were conducted among pwMS of northern China. Clinical correlation of SARS-CoV-2 infection since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in northern China was analyzed. RESULTS: 164 patients with an average age of 38.9 ± 12.2 years were included, of which 57.3% had a disease course ≤ 5 years. 33.5% of the patients were COVID-19 vaccinated. 87.2% received disease-modifying therapy (DMT), and the average immunotherapy duration was 1.9 ± 1.6 years. 83.5% were SARS-CoV-2 infected, 14.6% reported worsening of their original condition after infection, and 5.1% had a relapse of MS. Shorter disease course was independently related to infection risk (P = 0.046), whereas increasing age was related to aggravated behavioral symptoms (P = 0.008). However, gender, vaccination, and DMT were not associated with susceptibility or poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: A shorter disease course is independently associated with an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and age is associated with worsening disability. It seems to be safe and necessary to use DMT during the pandemic, however, the use of B cell-depletion agents should be approached with caution.

CT findings as predictive factors for treatment failure in Mycobacterium abscessus complex lung disease: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC) commonly causes lung disease (LD) and has a high treatment failure rate of around 50%. In this study, our objective is to investigate specific CT patterns for predicting treatment prognosis and monitoring treatment response, thus providing valuable insights for clinical physicians in the management of MABC-LD treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed 34 patients with MABC-LD treated between January 2015 and December 2020. CT scores for bronchiectasis, cellular bronchiolitis, consolidation, cavities, and nodules were measured at initiation and after treatment. The ability of the CT scores to predict treatment outcomes was analyzed in logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The CT scoring system had excellent inter-reader agreement (all intraclass correlation coefficients, > 0.82). The treatment failure (TF) group (17/34; 50%) had higher cavitation diameter (p = 0.049) and extension (p = 0.041) at initial CT and higher cavitation diameter (p = 0.049) and extension (p =0 .045), consolidation (p = 0.022), and total (p = 0.013) scores at follow-up CT than the treatment success (TS) group. The changes of total score and consolidation score (p = 0.049 and 0.024, respectively) increased in the TF group more than the TS group between the initial and follow-up CT. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed initial cavitation extension, follow-up consolidation extension, and change in consolidation extension (adjusted odds ratio: 2.512, 2.495, and 9.094, respectively, per 1-point increase; all p < 0.05) were significant predictors of treatment failure. CONCLUSIONS: A high pre-treatment cavitation extension score and an increase in the consolidation extension score during treatment on CT could be alarm signs of treatment failure requiring tailor the treatment of MABC-LD carefully.

Observation on the tilt and decentration of multifocal intraocular lens with optic capture in Berger space for pediatric cataract.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to observe the tilt and decentration of multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) with optic capture in Berger space within 2 years after pediatric cataract surgery. METHODS: This is a prospective observational study. The implantation of multifocal IOL (Tecnis ZMB00) with optic capture in Berger space was performed on 33 patients (48 eyes) with pediatric cataract at Qingdao Eye Hospital. Tilt and decentration of IOL was measured using Scheimpflug system (Pentacam) at 1 month and 2 years postoperatively. RESULTS: All the multifocal IOLs were successfully implanted in Berger space with optic capture and no visually significant complications were detected during the follow-up. The mean tilt of IOLs was 2.779° ± 0.950° in the vertical plane and 2.399° ± 0.898° in the horizontal plane at 1 month postoperatively, and the mean length of the decentration was 0.207 ± 0.081 mm in vertical plane and 0.211 ± 0.090 mm in the horizontal plane. Compared with 1 month after surgery, the angle of tilt decreased by a mean of 0.192° and decentration increased by a mean of 0.014 mm at the vertical meridian at 2 years postoperatively (P = 0.37 and P = 0.27, respectively), meanwhile, tilt increased by 0.265° and decentration increased by 0.012 mm at the horizontal meridian (P = 0.11 and P = 0.22, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The follow-up results suggest the tilt and decentration of multifocal IOL implantation with optic capture in Berger space remain stable in an acceptable range within 2 years after cataract surgery in children above the age of 5. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Qingdao Eye Hospital, and registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR identifier: 1900023155).

Hemorrhage risk prediction after computed tomography-guided lung biopsy: Clinical parameters and quantitative pulmonary vascular analysis.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: We evaluated the utility of combining quantitative pulmonary vasculature measures with clinical factors for predicting pulmonary hemorrhage after computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsy. METHODS: Patients who underwent CT-guided lung biopsy were retrospectively included in this study. Clinical and radiographic vasculature variables were evaluated as predictors of pulmonary hemorrhage. The radiographic pulmonary vascular analysis included vessel count, density, diameter, and area, and also blood volume in small vessels with a cross-sectional area ≤5 mm2 (BV5) and total blood vessel volume (TBV) in the lungs. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify the independent risk factors of higher-grade pulmonary hemorrhage and establish the prediction model presented as a nomogram. RESULTS: The study included 126 patients; discovery cohort n = 103, and validation cohort n = 23. All pulmonary hemorrhage, higher-grade (grade ≥2) pulmonary hemorrhage, and hemoptysis occurred in 42.9%, 15.9%, and 3.2% of patients who underwent CT-guided lung biopsies. In the discovery cohort, patients with larger lesion depth (p = 0.013), higher vessel density (p = 0.033), and higher BV5 (p = 0.039) were more likely to experience higher-grade hemorrhage. The nomogram prediction model for higher-grade hemorrhage built by the discovery cohort showed similar performance in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Higher-grade pulmonary hemorrhage may occur after CT-guided lung biopsy. Lesion depth, vessel density, and BV5 are independent risk factors for higher-grade pulmonary hemorrhage. Nomograms integrating clinical parameters and radiographic pulmonary vasculature measures offer enhanced capability for assessing hemorrhage risk following CT-guided lung biopsy, thereby facilitating improved patient clinical care.

Dual-energy computed tomography for evaluating nodal staging in lung adenocarcinoma: correlation with surgical pathology.

PURPOSE: To ascertain the performance of dual-energy CT (DECT) with iodine quantification in differentiating malignant mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes (LNs) from benign ones, focusing on patients with lung adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, patients with suspected lung cancer received a preoperative contrast-enhanced DECT scan from Jun 2018 to Dec 2020. Quantitative DECT parameters and the size were compared between metastatic and benign LNs. Their diagnostic performances were analyzed by the ROC curves and compared by using the two-sample t test. RESULTS: 72 patients (23 men, 49 women; mean age 62.5 ± 10.1 years) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A total of 98 LNs (67 benign, 31 metastatic) were analyzed. The iodine concentration normalized by muscle (NICmuscle) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in metastatic LNs (4.79 ± 1.70) than in benign ones (3.00 ± 1.45). The optimal threshold of NICmuscle was 3.44, which yielded AUC: 0.798, sensitivity: 83.9%, specificity: 73.1%, accuracy: 76.5%, respectively. Applying the established size parameters with 10 mm as the threshold yielded AUC: 0.600, sensitivity: 29.0%, specificity: 91.0%, accuracy: 71.4%, respectively. The diagnostic performance of NICmuscle was significantly better (P = 0.007) than the performance obtained using the established size parameters. CONCLUSIONS: For lung adenocarcinoma, the quantitative measurement of NICmuscle derived from DECT is useful for differentiating benign and metastatic mediastinal and hilar LNs before surgical intervention.

Deep Learning-Based Localization and Detection of Malpositioned Endotracheal Tube on Portable Supine Chest Radiographs in Intensive and Emergency Medicine: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to develop a computer-aided detection (CAD) system to localize and detect the malposition of endotracheal tubes (ETTs) on portable supine chest radiographs (CXRs). DESIGN: This was a retrospective diagnostic study. DeepLabv3+ with ResNeSt50 backbone and DenseNet121 served as the model architecture for segmentation and classification tasks, respectively. SETTING: Multicenter study. PATIENTS: For the training dataset, images meeting the following inclusion criteria were included: 1) patient age greater than or equal to 20 years; 2) portable supine CXR; 3) examination in emergency departments or ICUs; and 4) examination between 2015 and 2019 at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) (NTUH-1519 dataset: 5,767 images). The derived CAD system was tested on images from chronologically (examination during 2020 at NTUH, NTUH-20 dataset: 955 images) or geographically (examination between 2015 and 2020 at NTUH Yunlin Branch [YB], NTUH-YB dataset: 656 images) different datasets. All CXRs were annotated with pixel-level labels of ETT and with image-level labels of ETT presence and malposition. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: For the segmentation model, the Dice coefficients indicated that ETT would be delineated accurately (NTUH-20: 0.854; 95% CI, 0.824-0.881 and NTUH-YB: 0.839; 95% CI, 0.820-0.857). For the classification model, the presence of ETT could be accurately detected with high accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]: NTUH-20, 1.000; 95% CI, 0.999-1.000 and NTUH-YB: 0.994; 95% CI, 0.984-1.000). Furthermore, among those images with ETT, ETT malposition could be detected with high accuracy (AUC: NTUH-20, 0.847; 95% CI, 0.671-0.980 and NTUH-YB, 0.734; 95% CI, 0.630-0.833), especially for endobronchial intubation (AUC: NTUH-20, 0.991; 95% CI, 0.969-1.000 and NTUH-YB, 0.966; 95% CI, 0.933-0.991). CONCLUSIONS: The derived CAD system could localize ETT and detect ETT malposition with excellent performance, especially for endobronchial intubation, and with favorable potential for external generalizability.

Influence of posterior capsule abnormalities in pediatric cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To report how to manage posterior capsule abnormalities (PCAs) in pediatric cataracts and evaluate the influence of PCAs during intraocular lens (IOL) optic implantation in Berger space surgeries. SETTING: Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China. DESIGN: Retrospective case series study. METHODS: Pediatric patients with PCAs who underwent cataract surgery were evaluated. A video-based analysis of the surgical interventions included the type of crystalline lens opacification, types and management of PCAs, complications during primary posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (PCCC), need for anterior vitrectomy (AV), and feasibility of IOL optic capture. RESULTS: There were 227 pediatric cataract surgeries performed during the study period, and 76 eyes of 66 children with PCAs were evaluated (33.5%, 76/227). Unilateral cataract with PCAs were found in 50 eyes (22.0%, 50/227) and bilateral were found in 26 eyes (11.5%, 26/227). The PCAs were posterior capsule plaque (19.8%, 45/227), posterior capsule defect (6.2%, 14/227), posterior lenticonus (3.1%, 7/227), and persistent fetal vasculature (4.4%, 10/227). In the PCA cases, primary PCCC was successful in 44.7% of the cases (34/76). An unplanned AV during the surgeries was performed in 47.4% (36) of the 76 eyes. IOL optic implantation in Berger space was achieved in 63.2% of the eyes (48/76). CONCLUSIONS: PCAs are often encountered during pediatric cataract surgeries, especially in unilateral cases. The presence of PCAs may complicate a primary PCCC procedure, resulting in an unplanned AV in some cases. IOL optic implantation in Berger space can also be performed fortunately with well-designed and skilled operation.

Multifocal intraocular lens implantation in children with unilateral congenital cataracts.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the vision recovery, reconstruction of binocular visual function, and influencing factors after multifocal intraocular lens implantation in children with unilateral congenital cataracts. SETTING: University hospital. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. METHODS: In the prospective clinical study, 55 children aged 3 to 14 with unilateral congenital cataracts received multifocal intraocular lenses (TECNIS ZMB00) posterior optic capture from 2019 to 2022. Corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA; 5 m), distance-corrected intermediate visual acuity (DCIVA; 66 cm), distance-corrected near visual acuity (DCNVA; 33 cm), stereoscopic vision, visual quality (objective scatter index [OSI] and modulation transfer function [MTF]), axial length (AL), keratometry (K), and contrast sensitivity (CS), as well as postoperative occlusion compliance were evaluated before and after surgery. RESULTS: At the final follow-up, 90.91% (50/55) patients showed significant improvement in visual acuity (VA) after surgery. CDVA, DCIVA and DCNVA were 0.23 ± 0.17, 0.39 ± 0.15, and 0.44 ± 0.15 logMAR, respectively. 69.09% (38/55) patients achieved good VA (better than 0.3 logMAR).52.76% (25/48) patients had a positive Titmus test. OSI and MTF were 1.24 ± 0.91 and 42.45 ± 12.30, respectively. 73.68% (28/38) of the patients (better than 0.3 logMAR) underwent strict occlusion therapy. Postoperative VA is correlated with preoperative CDVA ( r = -0.829, P < .001), corneal astigmatism ( r = 0.384, P = .036), △AL (difference between the cataract eyes and contralateral eyes, r = -0.490, P = .006), and occlusion compliance ( r = -0.806, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Multifocal intraocular lens implantation could obtain relatively satisfactory VA (CDVA, DCIVA and DCNVA) and the binocular visual function of children with unilateral congenital cataracts. Postoperative VA is related to preoperative VA, corneal astigmatism, △AL, and occlusion compliance.

CT findings of 144 in-hospital patients with influenza pneumonia: A retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Patients with influenza infection during their period of admission may have worse computed tomography (CT) manifestation according to the clinical status. This study aimed to evaluate the CT findings of in-hospital patients due to clinically significant influenza pneumonia with correlation of clinical presentations. METHODS: In this retrospective, single center case series, 144 patients were included. All in-hospital patients were confirmed influenza infection and underwent CT scan. These patients were divided into three groups according to the clinical status of the most significant management: (1) without endotracheal tube and mechanical ventilator (ETTMV) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO); (2) with ETTMV; (3) with ETTMV and ECMO. Pulmonary opacities were scored according to extent. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between clinical parameters and CT scores. RESULTS: The predominant CT manifestation of influenza infection was mixed ground-glass opacity (GGO) and consolidation with both lung involvement. The CT scores were all reach significant difference among all three groups (8.73 ± 6.29 vs 12.49 ± 6.69 vs 18.94 ± 4.57, p < 0.05). The chest CT score was correlated with age, mortality, and intensive care unit (ICU) days (all p values were less than 0.05). In addition, the CT score was correlated with peak lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level and peak C-reactive protein (CRP) level (all p values were less than 0.05). Concomitant bacterial infection had higher CT score than primary influenza pneumonia (13.02 ± 7.27 vs 8.95 ± 5.99, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Thin-section chest CT scores correlated with clinical and laboratory parameters in in-hospital patients with influenza pneumonia.

Case Report: Telitacicept in severe myasthenia gravis: a case study with multiple autoantibodies.

Multi-antibody-positive myasthenia gravis (MG) presentations are relatively rare, often found in older patients, and generally predict a poor prognosis. We report a case of a female patient with generalized MG, testing positive for Titin antibodies (Titin-Ab), ryanodine receptor antibodies (RyR-Ab), and acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR-Ab), and resistant to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Following unsuccessful traditional therapies, she received Telitacicept, leading to significant improvements. This case underscores Telitacicept's potential efficacy for similar patients and offers insights into the clinical characteristics of multi-antibody MG.

Noninvasive cardiac radioablation for ventricular tachycardia: dosimetric comparison between linear accelerator- and robotic CyberKnife-based radiosurgery systems.

BACKGROUND: Few dosimetric comparisons have been published between linear accelerator (LA)-based systems and CyberKnife (CK)-based robotic radiosurgery systems for cardiac radio-ablation in ventricular tachycardia. This study aimed to compare the dosimetry of noninvasive cardiac radio-ablation deliverable on LA with that on CK. METHODS: Thirteen patients who underwent noninvasive cardiac radio-ablation by LA were included. The prescribed dose was 25 Gy in 1 fraction, and the average planning target volume was 49.8 ± 31.0 cm3 (range, 14.4-93.7 cm3). CK plans were generated for comparison. RESULTS: Both the CK and LA plans accomplished appropriate dose coverage and normal tissue sparing. Compared with the LA plans, the CK plans achieved significantly lower gradient indices (3.12 ± 0.71 vs. 3.48 ± 0.55, p = 0.031) and gradient measures (1.00 ± 0.29 cm vs. 1.17 ± 0.29 cm, p < 0.001). They had similar equivalent conformity indices (CK vs. LA: 0.84 ± 0.08 vs. 0.87 ± 0.07, p = 0.093) and maximum doses 2 cm from the planning target volume (PTV) in any direction (CK vs. LA: 50.8 ± 9.9% vs. 53.1 ± 5.3%, p = 0.423). The dosimetric advantages of CK were more prominent in patients with a PTV of ≤ 50 cm3 or a spherical PTV. In patients with a PTV of > 50 cm3 or a non-spherical PTV, the LA and CK plans were similar regarding dosimetric parameters. CK plans involved more beams (232.2 ± 110.8 beams vs. 10.0 ± 1.7 arcs) and longer treatment times (119.2 ± 43.3 min vs. 22.4 ± 1.6 min, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Both CK and LA are ideal modalities for noninvasive cardiac radio-ablation. Upfront treatment should be considered based on clinical intent.

Discrimination of invasive lung adenocarcinoma from Lung-RADS category 2 nonsolid nodules through visual assessment: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Invasive adenocarcinomas (IADs) have been identified among nonsolid nodules (NSNs) assigned as Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) category 2. This study used visual assessment for differentiating IADs from noninvasive lesions (NILs) in this category. METHODS: This retrospective study included 222 patients with 242 NSNs, which were resected after preoperative computed tomography (CT)-guided dye localization. Visual assessment was performed by using the lung and bone window (BW) settings to classify NSNs into BW-visible (BWV) and BW-invisible (BWI) NSNs. In addition, nodule size, shape, border, CT attenuation, and location were evaluated and correlated with histopathological results. Logistic regression was performed for multivariate analysis. A p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 242 NSNs (mean diameter, 7.6 ± 2.8 mm), including 166 (68.6%) BWV and 76 (31.4%) BWI NSNs, were included. IADs accounted for 31% (75) of the nodules. Only 4 (5.3%) IADs were identified in the BWI group and belonged to the lepidic-predominant (n = 3) and acinar-predominant (n = 1) subtypes. In univariate analysis for differentiating IADs from NILs, the nodule size, shape, CT attenuation, and visual classification exhibited statistical significance. Nodule size and visual classification were the significant predictors for IAD in multivariate analysis with logistic regression (p < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of visual classification in IAD prediction were 94.7%, 43.1%, 42.8%, and 94.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The window-based visual classification of NSNs is a simple and objective method to discriminate IADs from NILs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The present study shows that using the bone window to classify nonsolid nodules helps discriminate invasive adenocarcinoma from noninvasive lesions. KEY POINTS: • Evidence has shown the presence of lung adenocarcinoma in Lung-RADS category 2 nonsolid nodules. • Nonsolid nodules are classified into the bone window-visible and the bone window-invisible nonsolid nodules, and this classification differentiates invasive adenocarcinoma from noninvasive lesions. • The Lung-RADS category 2 nonsolid nodules are unlikely invasive adenocarcinoma if they show nonvisualization in the bone window.

Therapeutic effect of a new implantation method of rotationally asymmetric multifocal intraocular lenses on visual quality.

PURPOSE: To assess the visual quality after implantation of a rotationally asymmetric multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) using a new method according to the angle kappa. SETTING: Qingdao Eye Hospital, Qingdao, China. DESIGN: Prospective case series. METHODS: Patients with the implantation of SBL-3 IOLs for age-related cataract from September to December 2019 had the distance-horizontal zone of the IOL placed at the center of the optic axis using the Callisto Eye System. Postoperative visual acuities and defocus curves were recorded. Modulation transfer function cutoff frequency, Strehl ratio, and objective scatter index were measured using the Optical Quality Analysis System. The decentration and tilt of IOLs were analyzed by iTrace aberrometry and anterior segment optical coherence tomography. A questionnaire of patient satisfaction was also collected. RESULTS: Thirty patients (60 eyes) were involved, with a balanced sex ratio. Their average age was 56.04 ± 10.83 years. The average angle kappa distance was 0.23 ± 0.121 mm. At 3 months after surgery, the mean uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities were 0.01 ± 0.07 logMAR and 0.01 ± 0.06 logMAR. The uncorrected intermediate and near visual acuities were 0.09 ± 0.11 logMAR and 0.09 ± 0.11 logMAR. The mean horizontal and vertical tilts of IOLs were 0.67 ± 0.52 degrees and 0.47 ± 0.32 degrees. The mean decentration of IOLs was 0.17 ± 0.08 mm. Most patients were satisfied with their distance, intermediate, and near vision. There was mild glare in 58.3% of the eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Locating the center of the optic axis in the distance-horizontal zone during the implantation of SBL-3 IOLs could provide satisfactory visual acuity and quality.

Safety and efficacy of cataract surgery performed with a low-energy femtosecond laser compared with conventional phacoemulsification in Chinese patients: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: To compare the safety and efficacy of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) performed with the low-energy FEMTO LDV Z8 (Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, Port, Switzerland) laser compared with conventional phacoemulsification (CP) in Chinese patients. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter, interventional study included 126 patients who were randomized (1:1) to undergo either FLACS or CP followed by intraocular lens (IOL) implantation between January 2019 and April 2020. The primary endpoint included the comparison of the endothelial cell loss (ECL) between the two groups at 3 months. Secondary endpoints included the comparison of cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), change in central corneal thickness (CCT) from baseline, and postoperative uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities (UDVA and CDVA) in the two groups. RESULTS: At all postoperative time points, the FLACS group was found to be non-inferior to CP for the mean ECL (- 409.3 versus - 436.9 cells/mm2 at 3 months) and mean CDE (4.1 versus 4.5 percent-seconds). The increase in CCT was significantly lower in the FLACS group compared with the CP group at Day 7 (4.9 versus 9.2 µm; P = 0.04); however, the difference was not statistically significant at 1 and 3 months. Postoperatively, mean UDVA and CDVA were comparable between the two groups. No intraoperative complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Cataract surgery performed with a low-energy femtosecond laser was non-inferior to CP; however, the FLACS group had a statistically significantly lower increase in CCT at Day 7 compared with CP. Trial registration This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on May 15, 2019, with trial registration number: NCT03953053.

Laboratory Evaluation of Optical Performance of Aspheric Monofocal Intraocular Lenses With Various Anti-misalignment Designs Under the Influence of Decentration and Tilt.

PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness and characteristics of aspheric monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) with different anti-misalignment designs. METHODS: Three types of anti-misalignment IOLs (with aspheric balance curve design, ZO optic design, and high-order optical aspheric surface design) and no anti-misalignment IOLs were involved. From each type of these IOLs, +8.00, +17.00, and +26.00 diopter (D) lenses were used for detection at the 3- and 4.5-mm apertures. The modulation transfer function (MTF) and 50% of the maximum value of the MTF (MTF50) were measured while IOLs were centered, decentered by 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 mm, and tilted by 3, 5, and 7 degrees. RESULTS: Within the average clinical range of IOL malpositions (0.3-mm decentration or 3.00-D tilt), the anti-misalignment design slightly reduced the negative effect of decentration and tilt (P = .1845 and .6495, t test) on the optical performance of IOLs. Beyond the average range, the anti-misalignment design narrowed the reductions of MTF50 from 23.18% to 8.60% for decentration and from 40.31% to 27.96% for tilt (P = .0010, two-factor analysis of variance). The optical performance varied in anti-misalignment IOLs with different diopters, types, and degrees of malpositions at different aperture sizes. In both photopic and mesopic conditions and all probable misalignments, from the perspective of MTF50, better sharpness generally may be achieved with the 8.00-D ZO optic designed lens and 17.00-D high-order optical aspheric surface designed lens. For 26.00-D IOLs with different misalignments, the ABC design was more resistant to decentrations, whereas the high-order optical aspheric surface design was more resistant to tilts. CONCLUSIONS: Aspheric monofocal IOLs with an anti-misalignment design can effectively resist decentration and tilt. Anti-misalignment IOLs for complicated cataract could be selected according to diopter of IOL and types and degrees of probable IOL malpositions. [J Refract Surg. 2023;39(7):446-455.].

Metagenome Investigation of Ocular Microbiota of Cataract Patients With and Without Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: Our objective was to investigate differences in the ocular surface bacterial composition in cataract patients with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Twenty-four diabetic patients with cataracts (group D) and 14 sex- and age-matched patients with age-related cataracts (group N) were recruited for this study. All samples underwent DNA extraction, fragmentation, purification, library construction, and metagenomic sequencing. Results: The overall conjunctival sac bacterial composition was similar between group D and group N, as determined by alpha diversity and beta diversity. Nevertheless, significant differences were observed in the relative abundance of specific bacteria. At the phylum level, group D had a significantly lower abundance of Chlamydiae, Tenericutes, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, Cossaviricota, Chytridiomycota, Artverviricota, Zoopagomycota, Peploviricota, Deinococcus-Thermus, Preplasmiviricota, and Nucleocytoviricota. At the genus level, group D had a significantly lower abundance of Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, Salmonella, Chryseobacterium, Roseovarius, Desulfococcus, Kangiella, Anaerococcus, and Idiomarina but a significantly higher abundance of Parabacteroides, Phocaeicola, and Sphingomonas. Bacteria such as Aquificae, Parabacteroides, Flavobacterium, Austwickia, Aquifex, Tenacibaculum, and Chryseobacterium in group D and Tenericutes, Chlamydiae, Porphyromonas, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Kangiella, Idiomarina, Roseovarius, Aliiroseovarius, and Desulfococcus in group N could be used as conjunctival sac biomarkers, according to the linear discriminant analysis effect size. Gene Ontology functional annotation indicated that bacterial catalytic activity, metabolic processes, locomotion, virion, and reproduction were enriched in group D, while immune system processes were enriched in group N. In addition, the top 30 differentially expressed virulence factors (VFs) were all more enriched in group D. Conclusions: The bacterial composition was similar between the two groups. Several bacterial strains that were reported beneficial in gut were decreased, and pathogenic bacteria were increased in T2D. Furthermore, group D had more active bacterial terms and increased VF expression, suggesting that the susceptibility of diabetic patients to infection is closely related to functional changes in the ocular surface flora. Our conjunctival microbiota atlas provides a reference for investigating ocular complications related to diabetes. Translational Relevance: The altered composition and functional profile of the ocular microbial community in diabetic patients offer evidence for the need to prevent infection during cataract surgery.

Ziwuliuzhu Acupuncture Modulates Clock mRNA, Bmal1 mRNA and Melatonin in Insomnia Rats.

Background: In clinics, Ziwuliuzhu acupuncture is widely considered an effective method of treating insomnia; however, there is currently limited information available regarding its possible mechanisms. Although the method of Ziwuliuzhu acupuncture possesses a unique rhythmic pattern. Objectives: In this study, we have creatively combined the traditional Chinese medicine of Ziwuliuzhu with a modern biological rhythm to investigate the internal mechanism of insomnia. Methods: Pathological tissue from the hypothalamus was analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The level of TNF (tumor necrosis factor)-α in the SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) area of the hypothalamus was detected in situ using the TUNEL fluorescence staining assay. The concentration of hypothalamic melatonin was detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA expression of Clock and Bmal1 was measured using RT-qPCR. Results: In the Ziwuliuzhu acupuncture groups, the structural damage in the hypothalamic neurons was alleviated compared to the model group and the expression of inflammatory factors was reduced. The mRNA expression levels of Clock and Bmal1 were significantly increased (p < 0.05). The concentration of melatonin was significantly increased (p < 0.001). Although there were no significant differences between the treatment groups (diazepam group, Nazi group, Najia group, and routine group) (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Ziwuliuzhu acupuncture alleviated neuronal damage and modulated the inflammatory reaction in the hypothalamus of rats with insomnia. Moreover, Ziwuliuzhu acupuncture increased the expression levels of Clock and Bmal1 mRNA, and MT content. This study has potentially highlighted one of the mechanisms through which Ziwuliuzhu acupuncture can be used to treat insomnia.

New exploration of ions and fatty acids in hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens calcification.

PURPOSE: To conduct a new exploration and analysis of the ion and fatty acid levels of a medium in which calcified hydrophilic intraocular lenses (IOLs) are present. SETTING: Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao, China. DESIGN: Retrospective, laboratory observational case series. METHODS: 11 patients (11 eyes) who had implantation of foldable hydrophilic acrylic posterior IOLs were found to have opacification of the IOLs. In vivo and in vitro analyses included the evaluation of patients' clinical characteristics, microscopy, histological staining, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), the ion level of the aqueous humor (AH) and preserving fluid (PF), and the fatty acid content of AH. RESULTS: 10 of 11 cases were female with unilateral opacification, and 7 cases had both-eye cataract surgery, including 1 first eye and 6 second eyes with IOL opacification. 4 types of similar serial numbers were counted. The analysis of AH showed that the concentrations of phosphorus and silicon were elevated but that of calcium decreased, and an increased level of silicon was detected in 3 random PFs. The palmitic (C16:0) and stearic (C18:0) fatty acids were higher than the others in the AH. The EDS confirmed that the IOL surface deposits were composed of calcium, phosphate, and a small amount of silicon. CONCLUSIONS: More silicon and higher C16:0 and C18:0 were found in the AH of patients with IOL opacification. New ideas and avenues have been proposed in the study of IOL opacification.

Treatment Response Evaluation by Computed Tomography Pulmonary Vasculature Analysis in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively assess the pulmonary vasculature using non-contrast computed tomography (CT) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) pre- and post-treatment and correlate CT-based parameters with right heart catheterization (RHC) hemodynamic and clinical parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients with CTEPH (mean age, 57.9 years; 53% female) who received multimodal treatment, including riociguat for ≥ 16 weeks with or without balloon pulmonary angioplasty and underwent both non-contrast CT for pulmonary vasculature analysis and RHC pre- and post-treatment were included. The radiographic analysis included subpleural perfusion parameters, including blood volume in small vessels with a cross-sectional area ≤ 5 mm² (BV5) and total blood vessel volume (TBV) in the lungs. The RHC parameters included mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and cardiac index (CI). Clinical parameters included the World Health Organization (WHO) functional class and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD). RESULTS: The number, area, and density of the subpleural small vessels increased after treatment by 35.7% (P < 0.001), 13.3% (P = 0.028), and 39.3% (P < 0.001), respectively. The blood volume shifted from larger to smaller vessels, as indicated by an 11.3% increase in the BV5/TBV ratio (P = 0.042). The BV5/TBV ratio was negatively correlated with PVR (r = -0.26; P = 0.035) and positively correlated with CI (r = 0.33; P = 0.009). The percent change across treatment in the BV5/TBV ratio correlated with the percent change in mPAP (r = -0.56; P = 0.001), PVR (r = -0.64; P < 0.001), and CI (r = 0.28; P = 0.049). Furthermore, the BV5/TBV ratio was inversely associated with the WHO functional classes I-IV (P = 0.004) and positively associated with 6MWD (P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Non-contrast CT measures could quantitatively assess changes in the pulmonary vasculature in response to treatment and were correlated with hemodynamic and clinical parameters.

Cisplatin and Albumin-Based Gold-Cisplatin Nanoparticles Enhance Ablative Radiation Therapy-Induced Antitumor Immunity in Local and Distant Tumor Microenvironment.

PURPOSE: Ablative radiation therapy (RT) is an important strategy to eliminate primary tumor and can potentially induce the abscopal effect. Human serum albumin nanoparticle (NP) was used for controlled release of cisplatin to decrease cisplatin's systemic toxicity, and gold (Au) was added to increase RT-induced immunogenic cell death and potentiate the abscopal antitumor immunity. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The designed albumin-based cisplatin-conjugated AuNPs were administered concurrently with ablative RT. C57BL/6 mice implanted with syngeneic murine Lewis lung carcinoma or murine MB49 tumor models were treated with ablative RT (12 Gy per fraction for 2 fractions, total 24 Gy), cisplatin, or Au-cisplatin NPs. RESULTS: Combining ablative RT with cisplatin or Au-cisplatin NPs both destroyed the primary tumor effectively and elicited immunogenic cell death accompanied by release of danger-associated molecular patterns. This enhanced recruitment of effector tumor-infiltrating immune cells, including natural killer T cells and CD8+ T cells, and elicited an increased percentage of professional antigen-presenting CD11c+ dendritic cells. Transient weight loss, accompanying hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and hematopoietic suppression, was observed as a systemic adverse event in the cisplatin but not the Au-cisplatin NPs group. Cisplatin and Au-cisplatin NPs both showed equivalent ability to reduce metastatic potential when combined with ablative RT, confirmed by suppressed unirradiated flank tumor growth and decreased metastatic lung tumor burden, which translated to improved survival. Mobilization and abundance of effector tumor-infiltrating immune cells including CD8+ T cells and dendritic cells were observed in the distant lung tumor microenvironment after ablative RT with cisplatin or Au-cisplatin NPs, demonstrating increased antitumor immunotherapeutic activity as an abscopal effect. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with cisplatin, the albumin-based Au-cisplatin NPs exhibited equivalent but no superior antitumor immunotherapeutic activity while reducing systemic adverse events and can be safely administered concurrently with ablative RT. Alternative NP formulations may be designed to further improve anticancer outcomes.