C176-loaded and phosphatidylserine-modified nanoparticles treat retinal neovascularization by promoting M2 macrophage polarization.

Retinal neovascularization (RNV), a typical pathological manifestation involved in most neovascular diseases, causes retinal detachment, vision loss, and ultimately irreversible blindness. Repeated intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF drugs were developed against RNV, with limitations of incomplete responses and adverse effects. Therefore, a new treatment with a better curative effect and more prolonged dosage is demanding. Here, we induced macrophage polarization to anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype by inhibiting cGAS-STING signaling with an antagonist C176, appreciating the role of cGAS-STING signaling in the retina in pro-inflammatory M1 polarization. C176-loaded and phosphatidylserine-modified dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles were constructed and examined by a single intravitreal injection. The biosafe nanoparticles were phagocytosed by retinal macrophages through a phosphatidylserine-mediated "eat me" signal, which persistently release C176 to suppress STING signaling and thereby promote macrophage M2 polarization specifically. A single dosage can effectively alleviate pathological angiogenesis phenotypes in murine oxygen-induced retinopathy models. In conclusion, these C176-loaded nanoparticles with enhanced cell uptake and long-lasting STING inhibition effects might serve as a promising way for treating RNV.

Integration of smartphone technology and artificial intelligence for advanced ophthalmic care: A systematic review.

Background: The convergence of smartphone technology and artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the landscape of ophthalmic care, offering unprecedented opportunities for diagnosis, monitoring, and management of ocular conditions. Nevertheless, there is a lack of systematic studies on discussing the integration of smartphone and AI in this field. Main text: This review includes 52 studies, and explores the integration of smartphones and AI in ophthalmology, delineating its collective impact on screening methodologies, disease detection, telemedicine initiatives, and patient management. The collective findings from the curated studies indicate promising performance of the smartphone-based AI screening for various ocular diseases which encompass major retinal diseases, glaucoma, cataract, visual impairment in children and ocular surface diseases. Moreover, the utilization of smartphone-based imaging modalities, coupled with AI algorithms, is able to provide timely, efficient and cost-effective screening for ocular pathologies. This modality can also facilitate patient self-monitoring, remote patient monitoring and enhancing accessibility to eye care services, particularly in underserved regions. Challenges involving data privacy, algorithm validation, regulatory frameworks and issues of trust are still need to be addressed. Furthermore, evaluation on real-world implementation is imperative as well, and real-world prospective studies are currently lacking. Conclusions: Smartphone ocular imaging merged with AI enables earlier, precise diagnoses, personalized treatments, and enhanced service accessibility in eye care. Collaboration is crucial to navigate ethical and data security challenges while responsibly leveraging these innovations, promising a potential revolution in care access and global eye health equity.

Epstein-Barr virus-positive iris diffuse large B-cell lymphoma detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing.

PURPOSE: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a relatively rare subtype of DLBCL. Herein, we report a case of a patient with EBV-positive iris DLBCL after undergoing penetrating keratoplasty and discuss its possible pathogenesis. METHODS: A 72-year-old male patient presented to our hospital with progressive blurring of vision in the left eye for the past 4 months. Small white nodular lesions were observed on the iris and retinal surface of the left eye, with a white cloud-like opacity in the vitreous cavity. RESULTS: The patient was eventually diagnosed with EBV-positive iris DLBCL after undergoing pathological and metagenomic tests. After injecting methotrexate in the left vitreous cavity and administering systemic and local antiviral treatments, the ocular lesions disappeared. CONCLUSION: EBV infection, drug immunosuppression, and aging-related immune deterioration may play significant roles in the pathogenesis of EBV-positive iris DLBCL. SYNOPSIS: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a new subtype of DLBCL, which rarely occurs. Herein, we report a case of a patient with EBV-positive iris DLBCL after undergoing penetrating keratoplasty and discuss its possible pathogenesis.

A large-scale production of mesenchymal stem cells and their exosomes for an efficient treatment against lung inflammation.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their produced exosomes have demonstrated inherent capabilities of inflammation-guided targeting and inflammatory modulation, inspiring their potential applications as biologic agents for inflammatory treatments. However, the clinical applications of stem cell therapies are currently restricted by several challenges, and one of them is the mass production of stem cells to satisfy the therapeutic demands in the clinical bench. Herein, a production of human amnion-derived MSCs (hMSCs) at a scale of over 1 × 109 cells per batch was reported using a three-dimensional (3D) culture technology based on microcarriers coupled with a spinner bioreactor system. The present study revealed that this large-scale production technology improved the inflammation-guided migration and the inflammatory suppression of hMSCs, without altering their major properties as stem cells. Moreover, these large-scale produced hMSCs showed an efficient treatment against the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung inflammation in mice models. Notably, exosomes collected from these large-scale produced hMSCs were observed to inherit the efficient inflammatory suppression capability of hMSCs. The present study showed that 3D culture technology using microcarriers coupled with a spinner bioreactor system can be a promising strategy for the large-scale expansion of hMSCs with improved anti-inflammation capability, as well as their secreted exosomes.

Network pharmacology-based exploration identified the antiviral efficacy of Quercetin isolated from mulberry leaves against enterovirus 71 via the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Introduction: Mulberry leaf (ML) is known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, historically documented in "Shen Nong's Materia Medica". This study aimed to investigate the effects of ML on enterovirus 71 (EV71) using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro experiments. Methods: We successfully pinpointed shared targets between mulberry leaves (ML) and the EV71 virus by leveraging online databases. Our investigation delved into the interaction among these identified targets, leading to the identification of pivotal components within ML that possess potent anti-EV71 properties. The ability of these components to bind to the targets was verified by molecular docking. Moreover, bioinformatics predictions were used to identify the signaling pathways involved. Finally, the mechanism behind its anti-EV71 action was confirmed through in vitro experiments. Results: Our investigation uncovered 25 active components in ML that targeted 231 specific genes. Of these genes, 29 correlated with the targets of EV71. Quercetin, a major ingredient in ML, was associated with 25 of these genes. According to the molecular docking results, Quercetin has a high binding affinity to the targets of ML and EV71. According to the KEGG pathway analysis, the antiviral effect of Quercetin against EV71 was found to be closely related to the NF-κB signaling pathway. The results of immunofluorescence and Western blotting showed that Quercetin significantly reduced the expression levels of VP1, TNF-α, and IL-1ß in EV71-infected human rhabdomyosarcoma cells. The phosphorylation level of NF-κB p65 was reduced, and the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway was suppressed by Quercetin. Furthermore, our results showed that Quercetin downregulated the expression of JNK, ERK, and p38 and their phosphorylation levels due to EV71 infection. Conclusion: With these findings in mind, we can conclude that inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway is a critical mechanism through which Quercetin exerts its anti-EV71 effectiveness.

Autophagy and Inflammation: Regulatory Roles in Viral Infections.

Autophagy is a highly conserved intracellular degradation pathway in eukaryotic organisms, playing an adaptive role in various pathophysiological processes throughout evolution. Inflammation is the immune system's response to external stimuli and tissue damage. However, persistent inflammatory reactions can lead to a range of inflammatory diseases and cancers. The interaction between autophagy and inflammation is particularly evident during viral infections. As a crucial regulator of inflammation, autophagy can either promote or inhibit the occurrence of inflammatory responses. In turn, inflammation can establish negative feedback loops by modulating autophagy to suppress excessive inflammatory reactions. This interaction is pivotal in the pathogenesis of viral diseases. Therefore, elucidating the regulatory roles of autophagy and inflammation in viral infections will significantly enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying related diseases. Furthermore, it will provide new insights and theoretical foundations for disease prevention, treatment, and drug development.

Allergen-specific IgE in the tear fluid of Chinese patients with common allergic conjunctivitis in autumn and winter.

PURPOSE: In this study, we determined the positive rates of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the tear fluid of Chinese patients with common allergic conjunctivitis (AC) in autumn and winter, compared systemic and ocular allergen tests, and explored the correlation between the numbers and categories of allergens and clinical AC features. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited 44 patients with AC (86 eyes). Specific IgEs for allergens common in China (house dust mite, cat/dog dander, mugwort/ragweed pollen, cottonwood/willow/elm pollen, milk, egg whites, soybeans) were measured in collected tears using kits for allergen-specific IgE antibodies. AC signs and symptoms were graded according to severity. RESULTS: Specific IgE in tears was positive in 87.2% of eyes. House dust mite was the most common allergen (86.0%), followed by cat (24.4%) and dog (7.0%) dander; tree and grass pollen accounted for only 4.7% and 2.3%, respectively. Food allergens were not detected. The positive rates of the systemic allergen tests were lower than in tear fluid tests in both eyes, especially for house dust mites (P = 0.000). In patients with more allergens, itching was more severe (P = 0.035), while conjunctival hyperemia was milder (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: In autumn and winter, the most common AC allergen in Chinese patients was house dust mites. Compared with systemic allergen tests, measuring specific IgE in tears may be a non-invasive method to diagnose and evaluate AC severity, which may be more suitable to reflect the local conditions of ocular surface inflammation due to its high positive rate and convenience.

Anti-aging mechanism of different age donor-matched adipose-derived stem cells.

BACKGROUND: Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have anti-aging and anti-obesity effects in aged animals, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. METHODS: In the present study, we evaluated the in vivo transplantation effects of different age donor-matched ASCs on natural aging and leptin knockout mice (ob-/ob- mice). The multi-omics expression profiles of young and aged mouse donor-derived ASCs were also analyzed. RESULTS: The results revealed that ASCs from young donors induced weight and abdominal fat loss for older recipients but not for young or ob-/ob-mice. The young and aged mouse donor ASCs displayed significant phenotypic differences, contributing to the distinguished weight loss and anti-aging effects in aged mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest an underlying molecular mechanism by which young-donor ASCs reduce immune cells and inflammation in aged mice via secreted immune factors. These findings point to a general anti-aging mechanism of stem cells, which may provide new insights into age-related disturbances of stem cell plasticity in healthy aging and age-related diseases.

Anaphylactoid reactions induced by Shuanghuanglian injection and Shenmai injection and metabolomics analysis.

Introduction: Shuanghuanglian injection (lyophilized) (SHLI) is commonly used to treat respiratory tract infection. Shenmai injection (SMI) is mainly used to treat cardiovascular diseases. Despite their widespread clinical use, anaphylactoid reactions (ARs) induced by SHLI and SMI have been reported, which have attracted broad attention. However, the impact of ARs on metabolic changes and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Methods: ICR mice were used as model animals and were treated with normal saline, C48/80, SHLI and SMI, respectively. The behavior of mice, auricle blue staining and Evans Blue exudation were used as indexes to evaluate the sensitization of SHLI and SMI and determine the optimal sensitization dose. Anaphylactoid mice model was established based on the optimal dose and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to model verification. Afterwards, plasma samples of administered mice were profiled by LC-MS metabolomics and analyzed to evaluate the changes in metabolites. Results: High doses of both SHLI and SMI can induce severe anaphylactoid reactions while the reaction induced by SMI was weaker. A Partial Least-Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) score plot indicated that following administration, significant metabolic changes occurred in mice. 23 distinct metabolites, including deoxycholic acid, histamine, and 5-hydroxytryptophan, were identified in the SHLI groups. 11 distinct metabolites, including androsterone, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetate, were identified in the SMI groups. Meanwhile, different metabolic pathways of SHLI and SMI were predicted by different metabolites. The associated metabolic pathways include steroid hormone biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, histidine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, and primary bile acid biosynthesis. Conclusion: Study showed that both SHLI and SMI can induce varying degrees of anaphylactoid reactions, a positive correlation between response intensity and dose was observed. Metabolomics showed that SHLI and SMI may promote the simultaneous release of hormones and inflammatory factors by disturbing relevant metabolic pathways, while SMI may also inhibit the release of inflammatory factors in arachidonic acid metabolic pathway, indicating both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. This study will serve as a reference for developing a new approach to evaluate the safety of SHLI and SMI from perspective of susceptible drug varieties. However, ARs mechanism requires further verification.

DKK1-targeting cholesterol-modified siRNA implication in hair growth regulation.

Despite advancements in medical research, androgenetic alopecia (AGA) remains a humankind problem that still needs to be overcome. To date, clinical practice lacks an ideal treatment for AGA. The Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway is evidenced to play a key role in hair regrowth, hence, modulating this signaling pathway for AGA therapy appears to be rational. One of the major inhibitors of the canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway is dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1). In this report, we have selected a small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting DKK1 in vitro via qPCR and then tested its efficacy in vivo on the depilated dorsal skin of the mice. The changes in hair growth in different groups were observed over time. Moreover, the visual observation of the hair growth and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining showed that DKK1-targeting siRNA reveals non-inferior results compared with the mice treated with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, commercially available minoxidil (5%) topical solution that was used as a positive control. Both- positive control and DKK1-targeting siRNA groups demonstrated significantly superior results compared with the control group that received negative control siRNA. Consequently, siRNAs targeting DKK1 may promote hair growth regulation in the AGA population via potentially activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Efficacy of rasagiline monotherapy for early Parkinson disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Rasagiline monotherapy is approved in early Parkinson's disease (PD) for motor benefit. However, the efficacy and optimal rasagiline dosage in improving Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) subscale scores between Japanese and Caucasian individuals remain uncertain. AIMS: To investigate the efficacy of rasagiline monotherapy and evaluate differences between early PD patients in Eastern and Western countries. METHODS: The study design involved the meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials identified using electronic databases. RESULTS: The mean difference (MD) in total UPDRS scores indicated no significant difference between the 1 and 2 mg rasagiline (MD = -0.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.82 to 0.81). Compared with the placebo, the MD of UPDRS part I scores significantly improved in the 1 mg (MD = -0.33, 95% CI = -0.57 to -0.10) but not in the 2 mg. For UPDRS part II scores, the MD significantly improved in the 1 mg (MD = -0.87, 95% CI = -1.48 to -0.27) and 2 mg (MD = -0.98, 95% CI = -1.28 to -0.68). Regarding the UPDRS part III, the MD significantly improved in both (1 mg: MD = -2.41, 95% CI = -3.26 to -1.56; 2 mg: MD = -2.05, 95% CI = -2.64 to -1.46). The most commonly reported adverse events were headaches, back pain, and dizziness, with no statistical difference between the 1 mg rasagiline and placebo groups. Subgroup analysis revealed similar effects between Asian and Western participants. CONCLUSION: Rasagiline monotherapy at 1 mg per day is recommended for patients with early PD because of the benefits for motor, nonmotor functions, and safety.

The facilitating effect of blue light on the antifungal agent susceptibilities of passaged conidia from the ocular-derived Fusarium solani species complex.

The eye is a light-receiving organ and has anatomical advantages to accept phototherapy. Fungi colonizing on the eyes, which cause ocular mycoses, are affected by daily blue light and could easily accept additional light irritation. Ocular mycoses are recalcitrant and blindness-causing eye diseases, and antifungal agent treatments are insufficient. Our team previously found that blue light could inhibit Fusarium solani hyphal growth but promote conidiation. Here, we investigated the antifungal susceptibilities and biological characteristics of the passaged conidia. Twelve Fusarium solani strains (11 ocular-derived strains and 1 standard laboratory strain) were inoculated under blue light (0.5 mW/cm2) and darkness conditions, respectively, to obtain the passaged conidia of blue light group (n = 12) and darkness group (n = 12). Two groups were tested to determine the growth abilities and in vitro antifungal susceptibilities to five antifungal drugs (voriconazole (VRC), amphotericin B (AMB), terbinafine (TRB), caspofungin (CAS), and 5-flucytosine (5FC)), which were examined by microscopy for morphological observation and spectrophotometry for turbidity analysis. The results showed that blue light group passaged conidia were more sensitive to antifungal drugs (AMB, VRC, TRB, and CAS) compared to darkness group. The MIC50 of VRC significantly decreased after blue light treatment (P < 0.05). The fungal inhibition rate significantly increased for VRC, AMB, and TRB in the low concentration range (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Blue light did not affect germination or hyphal extension of passaged conidia. These results suggested that blue light could facilitate fungal inhibition effect of AMB, VRC, TRB, and CAS and may improve the therapeutic efficiency in VRC and AMB clinical applications. Blue light phototherapy may provide a new adjuvant approach for the treatment of ocular mycosis.

Intermolecular interactions, photocatalysis and THz-TDS interrelationships for lanthanide phosphine oxide complexes based on {PW12}.

A series of rare earth complexes containing (α-PW12O40)3- and PO ligand are synthesized by water bath in 70 °C, [Ln(OPPh3)4(H2O)3](PW12O40)·4CH3CN (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Ho 1-7) (OPPh3 = Triphenylphosphine oxide, {PW12} = phosphotungstic acid). The precise structures are confirmed by X-ray single crystal diffraction and the result shows all complexes are isostructural. Complexes 1-7 are fully characterized by PXRD, FT-IR, TGA, UV diffuse reflectance spectra and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). Complex 3 exhibits the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency for methylene blue (MB) in this series of complexes. The experimental results showed that the photodegradation efficiency can remain constant at the level of 95% after five consecutive cycles. The photocatalytic reaction kinetics and mechanism of complexes were investigated. Additionally, complexes also exhibit photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity. THz-TDS was used to characterize the complexes and its raw materials, the characteristic peaks of OPPh3 (broad peak at 1.20 THz) and phosphotungstic acid (sharp peaks at 0.23, 0.32 THz) were obtained.

Facile high yield, excellent catalytic performance of polyoxometalate-based lanthanide phosphine oxide complexes: Syntheses, structures, photocatalysis and THz spectra.

Water pollution, which continuously threatens human health and the sustainable development of society, has become a major concern. Photocatalytic degradation is an effective strategy to remove organic dyes from wastewater. For this strategy, it is crucial to select the appropriate catalyst. Using triphenylphosphine oxide (OPPh3) as the ligand, phosphomolybdic acid as the anion template, three new lanthanide complexes [Ln(OPPh3)4(H2O)3](PMo12O40)∙4C2H5OH (1-3) (Ln = Sm, Gd, Tb) were synthesized. The raw materials for the reaction are cheap and readily available. The convenient synthesis method is environmentally friendly, with high yield (70%-80%). Complexes 1-3 are all seven-coordinated mononuclear structures centered on lanthanide ions, [PMo12O40]3- anions and solvent molecules are not coordinated with metal ions. These mononuclear structures eventually form complicated 3D supramolecular structures through hydrogen bonds, Mo-O … π or C-H … π weak interactions. Complexes 1-3 photocatalytic degradation of MB have high removal rates, as catalysts have enough stability to be reused, and can be used as excellent catalysts for the degradation of dye molecules in sewage. Among them, the removal rate of MB by photodegradation of complex 2 was highest (99.50%). In addition, the effects of different initial concentrations of MB solution and different types of organic dyes on the photocatalysis experiment were investigated. The photocatalytic reaction mechanism of complexes 1-3 was also studied. Due to the similar structures of complexes 1-3, they have almost the same THz absorption spectra with different absorption intensity, which may be attributed to the difference of the number of weak interactions. Therefore, terahertz spectroscopy can be used as a sensitive method to distinguish and determine small differences between lanthanide-organic complexes. This is the first time that this spectrum has been used to characterize lanthanide phosphine oxide complexes modified by [PMo12O40]3-.

Study of the Effect of Nutrient Environment on the Biological Characteristics of Fusarium solani Clinical Corneal Isolates.

PURPOSE: The biological characteristics of Fusarium solani clinical corneal isolates growing in different nutritional conditions in vitro were studied in order to find out the key point of pathogenicity. METHODS: Five kinds of media with different glucose and nitrogen concentrations were prepared as the liquid and solid forms. The clinical isolates were as follows: 2 Fusarium solani strains. The clinical corneal isolates and the standard strains were inoculated in the solid and liquid media. They were all incubated at 296 for 96 h and observed at defined time points. The optical density was recorded to generate the growth curves in liquid media. Morphologic changes of colonies in the solid media were determined under the light microscope. RESULTS: The clinical isolates of Fusarium solani showed stronger reproductive capacity in the abominable nutritional condition. Besides, when the glucose concentration in the medium was consistent with the glucose concentration of aqueous in diabetic patients, the clinical isolates would show the biological features of quicker growth rate and stronger reproductive capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Nitrogen source is essential for fungus reproduction. The clinical isolates showed stronger environmental adaptability under different nutritional conditions and more sensitive to environmental changes.

Using anammox biofilms for rapid start-up of partial nitritation-anammox in integrated fixed-film activated sludge for autotrophic nitrogen removal.

Integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) reactors are suitable for partial nitritation-anammox (PNA) for autotrophic nitrogen removal; however, its start-up and biofilm formation are slow and difficult. In this study, a new sludge seeding strategy was developed for the start-up of PNA-IFAS by using the pre-cultivated anammox biofilms. Two bioreactors were used in the experimental study, including a reactor that was started conventionally with the pre-acclimated suspended PNA sludge and bare biocarriers (PA-S) and a reactor that used the new seeding method with anammox biofilms pre-acclimated on biocarriers and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) sludge in the suspension (PA-B). The use of anammox biofilms as the seed biomass greatly shortened the start-up period of the PNA-IFAS reactor to 1 month or so. Moreover, reactor PA-B achieved a higher nitrogen removal rate (707.3 mg N/(L·d)), better nitrogen removal efficiency (86.8 ± 2.8%), and lower nitrate yield (9.4%) than reactor PA-S. The biofilm development in PA-B was accelerated and its biofilm content was nearly 10 times higher than that of PA-S. The initial segregation of anammox in the biofilm and AOB in the suspended sludge provided an environment that not only accelerated the start-up of PNA-IFAS but also helped suppress the enrichment of unwanted nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in the bioreactor, as evidenced by the lower NOB abundance in PA-B (<0.5%) than in PA-S (>2.2%) according to microbial community analysis.

Vanillic acid combats Vibrio alginolyticus by cell membrane damage and biofilm reduction.

Antibiotics are the most powerful weapon against bacterial infectious diseases in aquaculture. However, the indiscriminate usage of antibiotics often culminates in the emerging development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making it imperative to search for novel types of antimicrobial agents. This study investigated the antibacterial and antivirulence effects of vanillic acid (VA) against the fish pathogen, Vibrio alginolyticus. We showed that VA had a good anti-Vibrio activity with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.0 mg/ml. In addition, VA wielded its antibacterial action in a dose-/time-dependent manner by causing cell membrane damage and increasing membrane permeability, which is evidenced by increasing the conductivity and malondialdehyde content in the treated cell cultures and the scanning electron microscopy images. Furthermore, VA significantly reduced the biofilm-forming capability, mobility and exotoxin production (protease and exopolysaccharide) and downregulation of the expression of biofilm- and virulence-associated genes (sypG, fliS, fliK, lafA, lafK, asp and luxR) was seen in the V. alginolyticus that exposed to VA at subinhibitory concentrations. Overall, our findings suggested that VA may be of interest for treating V. alginolyticus-associated infections in aquaculture.

Bibliometric and visualized analysis of global research on fungal keratitis from 1959 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Fungal keratitis is one of the leading causes of ocular morbidity. The prognosis of fungal keratitis is poorer than many other forms of keratitis but the research of which relatively lags behind. We conducted a bibliometric and visualized analysis in order to characterize the overall status, general trends and current foci of keratomycosis research field. METHODS: Literature database ranged from 1959 to 2019 was obtained from web of science core collection and analyzed by Citespace and VOSviewer software. RESULTS: A total of 1906 papers of fungal keratitis were retrieved and derived a 27,917 references document set. The number of publications increased rapidly in past 30 years. Cornea was the journal published most papers of keratomycosis. The leading countries were United States of America (USA), India and Peoples Republic of China (PRC), from where came the most productive and most cited institutions and authors. Co-cited reference analysis revealed the most cited manuscripts were concerned about epidemiology or spectrum. Lens-associated Fusarium, amphotericin B, voriconazole, corneal cross-linking, predisposing factor are some of the high frequency topics in clustered co-cited reference analysis and co-occurrence keywords analysis. Burst detection analysis of keywords showed ocular drug delivery was the new research foci. CONCLUSION: From this study, we received an overall view to the current status, trends and hot spots of fungal keratitis research field. Visualized bibliometric analysis is an efficient way for literature learning and useful for future researchers.

Severe Marginal Ulcerative Keratitis Induced by an Insect Foreign Body in the Cornea.

PURPOSE: To report an uncommon case in which an insect foreign body (FB) in the cornea induced severe marginal ulcerative keratitis. METHODS: The insect body was removed during an eye examination. A shaped deep lamellar keratoplasty was then performed on the ulcerous corneal tissue and pseudopterygium. The insect FB was identified as a member of the nontoxic Diptera insect order, belonging to either the Chloropidae or Sphaeroceridae family. RESULTS: The patient recovered well after the keratoplasty, and her corneal graft was clear with significantly improved visual acuity after 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: Long-time retention of a nontoxic insect FB in the cornea could induce severe noninfectious keratitis. Individually designed deep lamellar keratoplasty successfully restored the transparency of the cornea and visual function.

Relationship between platelet-based models and the prognosis of patients with malignant hepatic tumors.

Platelets (PLTs) are involved in tumor growth, metabolism and vascular activation. PLT-based models have been reported to have significant value on the recurrence of malignant hepatic tumors. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of PLT count and 18 PLT-based models on the prognosis of patients with malignant hepatic tumors. The clinical data from 189 patients with malignant hepatic tumors were retrospectively analyzed and used to calculate the scores of the 18 PLT-based models. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the suitable cut-off values of mortality and recurrence in patients with malignant hepatic tumors. The overall survival and cumulative recurrence rates of patients were calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the difference was analyzed using log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the independent risk factors of recurrence-free survival and overall survival. In the present study, 11 models were considered as predictors of mortality (P<0.05) and six models were considered as predictors of recurrence (P<0.05). The results from multivariate analysis demonstrated that vascular cancer embolus, uric acid >231 µmol/l, hemoglobin >144 g/l and the Lok index model >0.695 were considered as independent risk factors of mortality (P<0.05). Furthermore, vascular cancer embolus, PLT to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) >175 and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) >4.82 were independent factors of recurrence (P<0.05). In addition, the results from this study indicated that the Lok-index could be considered as a predictor of the overall survival rate. In conclusion, the FIB-4 and PLR model may be valuable for predicting the recurrence-free rate of patients with malignant hepatic tumors.