Developments and applications of the OPTIMADE API for materials discovery, design, and data exchange.

The Open Databases Integration for Materials Design (OPTIMADE) application programming interface (API) empowers users with holistic access to a growing federation of databases, enhancing the accessibility and discoverability of materials and chemical data. Since the first release of the OPTIMADE specification (v1.0), the API has undergone significant development, leading to the v1.2 release, and has underpinned multiple scientific studies. In this work, we highlight the latest features of the API format, accompanying software tools, and provide an update on the implementation of OPTIMADE in contributing materials databases. We end by providing several use cases that demonstrate the utility of the OPTIMADE API in materials research that continue to drive its ongoing development.

Synergistic efficacy of ceftazidime/avibactam and aztreonam against carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa: insights from the hollow-fiber infection model.

BACKGROUND: Combination therapy is an attractive therapeutic option for extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Existing data support the combination of aztreonam and ceftazidime/avibactam (CZA) against class serine-ß-lactamase (SBL)- and metallo-ß-lactamase (MBL) - producing Enterobacterales. However, data about that combination against SBL- and MBL-producing P. aeruginosa are scarce. The objective of the study was to assess the in vitro activity of CZA and aztreonam alone and in combination against SBL- and MBL-producing XDR P. aeruginosa isolates. METHODS: The combination was analyzed by means of the hollow-fiber infection model in three selected carbapenemase-producing P. aeruginosa isolates that were representative of the three most common XDRP. aeruginosa high-risk clones (ST175, ST111, ST235) responsible for global nosocomial infection outbreaks. RESULTS: The three isolates were nonsusceptible to CZA and nonsusceptible to aztreonam. In the dynamic hollow-fiber infection model, the combination of CZA plus aztreonam exerts a bactericidal effect on the isolates, regardless of their resistance mechanism and demonstrates synergistic interactions against three isolates, achieving a bacterial reduction of 5.07 log10 CFU/ml, 5.2 log10 CFU/ml and 4 log10 CFU/ml, respectively. CONCLUSION: The combination of CZA and aztreonam significantly enhanced the in vitro efficacy against XDR P. aeruginosa isolates compared to each monotherapy. This improvement suggests that the combination could serve as a feasible treatment alternative for infections caused by carbapenemase-producing XDR P. aeruginosa, especially in scenarios where no other treatment options are available.

Optical quality in vitro and in vivo of an extended depth-of-focus intraocular lens with isofocal design.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to compare optical quality results obtained in laboratory analysis (in vitro) versus clinical data (in vivo). METHODS: The optical quality of ISOPure intraocular lens was assessed both in vitro and in vivo using the modulation transfer function (MTF) for 3.0 and 4.5 mm pupil diameters. In vitro measurements were obtained using deflectometer NIMO TRF1504, while in vivo measurements were taken with OPD-Scan III in a set of patients implanted with this lens. Ray tracing techniques were used to determine the MTF and area under MTF curve (MTFa) from the measured wavefront for the isolated lens and for the whole eye. RESULTS: The MTF of the isolated lens obtained under both in vitro and in vivo conditions showed comparable results for both pupil sizes. However, differences were found when comparing the MTF of the whole eye with the lens implanted versus the MTF measured in vitro for 4.5 mm pupil size. Also, the MTFa defocus curve was compared with the defocus curve measured in vivo. CONCLUSION: The defocus curve from the in vivo study aligns closely with the MTFa of the in vitro model, with a useful defocus range of 0.40D. Thus, it is possible to anticipate the visual results of the implanted isofocal lens by using measurements on an optical bench and conducting optical simulations.

New Predictive Equation for the Estimation of Plasma Concentrations of Formed Colistin in Patients Treated with Colistimethate Sodium for Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections.

BACKGROUND: The clinical use of colistin methanesulphonate (CMS) is limited by potential nephrotoxicity. The selection of an efficient and safe CMS dose for individual patients is complicated by the narrow therapeutic window and high interpatient pharmacokinetic variability. In this study, a simple predictive equation for estimating the plasma concentration of formed colistin in patients with multidrug and extremely drug-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections was developed. METHODS: The equation was derived from the largest clinical cohort of patients undergoing therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of colistin for over 8 years in a tertiary Spanish hospital. All variables associated with Css,avg were selected in a multiple linear regression model that was validated in a second cohort of 40 patients. Measured Css,avg values were compared with those predicted by our model and a previous published algorithm for critically ill patients. RESULTS: In total, 276 patients were enrolled [the mean age was 67.2 (13.7) years, 203 (73.6%)] were male, and the mean (SD) Css,avg was 1.12 (0.98) mg/L. Age, gender, estimated glomerular filtration rate, CMS dose and frequency, and concomitant drugs were included in the model. In the external validation, the previous algorithm appeared to yield more optimized colistin plasma concentrations when all types of Css,avg values (high and low) were considered, while our equation yielded a more optimized prediction in the subgroup of patients with low colistin plasma concentrations (Css,avg <1.5 mg/L). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed equation may help clinicians to better use CMS among a wide variety of patients, to maximize efficacy and prevent nephrotoxicity. A further prospective PK study is warranted to externally validate this algorithm.

Power profile and optical performance of two extended range of vision intraocular lens designs.

PURPOSE: To assess the power profile and optical performance of two extended range of vision (ERV) intraocular lenses (IOLs), TECNIS® Eyhance (ICB00) and LuxSmartTM, and compare them with their monofocal counterpart lenses with similar platforms and materials: TECNIS® 1-piece (ZCB00) and LuxGoodTM, respectively. SETTING: Optics and Optometry Faculties of Complutense University (Madrid) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech (Terrassa) in Spain. DESIGN: Laboratory investigation on optical bench. METHODS: For each design, we measured the power distribution and (fourth- and sixth- order) spherical aberration (SA) across the lens aperture as well as the optical performance using modulation-transfer-function-based metrics with through-focus evaluation. Three nominal powers (+10.00, +20.00, and +30.00 D) and three pupil sizes (2.0, 3.0, and 4.5 mm) were considered to assess whether the base power of the lens and the pupillary dynamics have an influence on the depth of focus extension. RESULTS: TECNIS® Eyhance and LuxSmartTM IOLs had different power and SA profiles, but both designs shared a positive add power in their central region in comparison with their monofocal counterparts. LuxSmartTM had a greater add power, while TECNIS® Eyhance showed higher peak optical quality but smaller depth of focus. CONCLUSIONS: Differences of focus extension between the two ERV IOL designs are related to differences of power and SA profile. The nominal base power of the IOLs have little impact on their optical quality. However, the pupil dynamics plays a key role since it determines the effective add power and optical performance of the ERV IOLs.

Impact of a geriatric intervention based on the Comprehensive Geriatrics Assessment on avoidable admissions in older patients at risk evaluated in the Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVE: To know the impact of a geriatric intervention based on the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) on avoidable admissions in older patients at risk evaluated in the Emergency Department. METHOD: Prospective observational unicenter study. We included patients, from October 1, 2018 to January 31, 2020, over 75 years who were attended at the Emergency Department with a Triage Risk Screening Tool (TRST) score≥2. All patients were evaluated by a geriatrician through the CGA. The reasons for going to the Emergency room were collected and also the main intervention carried out by Geriatrics, whether admission or discharge was indicated and whether the admission was avoidable. We did a cost analysis calculating this by (bed/day×average stay×number of admissions avoided). RESULTS: We included 260 patients, 66% were women and the mean age was 86 years. 73.5% patients had polypharmacy, the mean Charlson index was 2.5 (5.6). 63.3% were independent for walking and 20.8% independent for basic activities of daily living. 59% had cognitive impairment. 91.5% lived at home. The most frequent reason for visiting the Emergency room was decline of general state in 22% and the most frequent intervention carried out by Geriatrics was assistance in the decision making process in 35.4% followed by referral to a preferential outpatient geriatric care circuit in 32.7%. Other interventions carried out by Geriatrics was assistance in clarifying diagnosis (4.2%), assistance in pharmacological adjustment (8.5%), referral to a standard geriatric care pathway (13.1%), telephone follow-up (4.2%) and/or coordination with Social Services for care planning (11.2%). Including all patients, 29.2% required hospital admission and 70.8% were discharged. 40% admissions were avoided, which meant more than 540 thousand euros saved. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized CGA coordinated by Geriatrics in older patients at risk of suffering adverse events in the Emergency room reduces admissions and costs, so it should therefore be established as a recommendation of good clinical practice.

Targeting Trypanothione Metabolism in Trypanosomatids.

Infectious diseases caused by trypanosomatids, including African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), Chagas disease, and different forms of leishmaniasis, are Neglected Tropical Diseases affecting millions of people worldwide, mainly in vulnerable territories of tropical and subtropical areas. In general, current treatments against these diseases are old-fashioned, showing adverse effects and loss of efficacy due to misuse or overuse, thus leading to the emergence of resistance. For these reasons, searching for new antitrypanosomatid drugs has become an urgent necessity, and different metabolic pathways have been studied as potential drug targets against these parasites. Considering that trypanosomatids possess a unique redox pathway based on the trypanothione molecule absent in the mammalian host, the key enzymes involved in trypanothione metabolism, trypanothione reductase and trypanothione synthetase, have been studied in detail as druggable targets. In this review, we summarize some of the recent findings on the molecules inhibiting these two essential enzymes for Trypanosoma and Leishmania viability.

A case-control study of the clinical and economic impact of infections caused by Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE).

PURPOSE: The aim was to analyse the clinical and economic impact of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infections. METHODS: Case-control study. Adult patients with CPE infections were considered cases, while those with non-CPE infections were controls. Matching criteria were age (± 5 years), sex, source of infection and microorganism (ratio 1:2). Primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were 90-day mortality, clinical failure, hospitalisation costs and resource consumption. RESULTS: 246 patients (82 cases and 164 controls) were included. Klebsiella pneumoniae OXA-48 was the most common microorganism causing CPE infections. CPE cases had more prior comorbidities (p = 0.007), septic shock (p = 0.003), and were more likely to receive inappropriate empirical and definitive antibiotic treatment (both p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified septic shock and inappropriate empirical treatment as independent predictors for 7-day and end-of-treatment clinical failure, whereas Charlson Index and septic shock were associated with 30- and 90-day mortality. CPE infection was independently associated with early clinical failure (OR 2.18, 95% CI, 1.03-4.59), but not with end-of-treatment clinical failure or 30- or 90-day mortality. In terms of resource consumption, hospitalisation costs for CPE were double those of the non-CPE group. CPE cases had longer hospital stay (p < 0.001), required more long-term care facilities (p < 0.001) and outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The CPE group was associated with worse clinical outcomes, but this was mainly due to a higher comorbidity burden, more severe illness, and more frequent inappropriate antibiotic treatment rather than resistance patterns as such. However, the CPE group consumed more healthcare resources and incurred higher costs.

Public perception of psychiatry, psychology and mental health professionals: a 15-year analysis.

Background: X (previously known as "Twitter") serves as a platform for open discussions on mental health, providing an avenue for scrutinizing public perspectives regarding psychiatry, psychology and their associated professionals. Objective: To analyze the conversations happening on X about psychiatrists, psychologists, and their respective disciplines to understand how the public perception of these professionals and specialties has evolved over the last 15 years. Methods: We collected and analyzed all tweets posted in English or Spanish between 2007 and 2023 referring to psychiatry, psychology, neurology, mental health, psychiatrist, psychologist, or neurologist using advance topic modelling and sentiment analysis. Results: A total of 403,767 tweets were analyzed, 155,217 (38%) were in English and 248,550 (62%) in Spanish. Tweets about mental health and mental health professionals and disciplines showed a consistent volume between 2011 and 2016, followed by a gradual increase from 2016 through 2022. The proportion of tweets discussing mental health doubled from 2016 to 2022, increasing from 20% to 67% in Spanish and from 15% to 45% in English. Several differences were observed on the volume of tweets overtime depending on the language they were written. Users associated each term with varied topics, such as seeking for help and recommendation for therapy, self-help resources, medication and side effects, suicide prevention, mental health in times of crisis, among others. The number of tweets mentioning these topics increased by 5-10% from 2016 to 2022, indicating a growing interest among the population. Emotional analysis showed most of the topics were associated with fear and anger. Conclusion: The increasing trend in discussions about mental health and the related professionals and disciplines over time may signify an elevated collective awareness of mental health. Gaining insights into the topics around these matters and user's corresponding emotions towards them presents an opportunity to combat the stigma surrounding mental health more effectively.

Galectin-3 depletion tames pro-tumoural microglia and restrains cancer cells growth.

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a multifunctional protein that plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of various central nervous system diseases, including cancer. Although the involvement of Gal-3 in tumour progression, resistance to treatment and immunosuppression has long been studied in different cancer types, mainly outside the central nervous system, its elevated expression in myeloid and glial cells underscores its profound impact on the brain's immune response. In this context, microglia and infiltrating macrophages, the predominant non-cancerous cells within the tumour microenvironment, play critical roles in establishing an immunosuppressive milieu in diverse brain tumours. Through the utilisation of primary cell cultures and immortalised microglial cell lines, we have elucidated the central role of Gal-3 in promoting cancer cell migration, invasion, and an immunosuppressive microglial phenotypic activation. Furthermore, employing two distinct in vivo models encompassing primary (glioblastoma) and secondary brain tumours (breast cancer brain metastasis), our histological and transcriptomic analysis show that Gal-3 depletion triggers a robust pro-inflammatory response within the tumour microenvironment, notably based on interferon-related pathways. Interestingly, this response is prominently observed in tumour-associated microglia and macrophages (TAMs), resulting in the suppression of cancer cells growth.

Optical power profiles and aberrations of a non-diffractive wavefront-shaping extended depth of focus intraocular lens.

PURPOSE: This study is to evaluate the optical characteristics of a non-diffractive wavefront-shaping intraocular lens which incorporates surface refractive modifications for shaping the wavefront in order to achieve extended depth of focus (EDoF) and to assess whether the nominal power of this IOL influences the attainable add power. METHODS: A commercially available optical bench NIMO TR1504 device (LAMBDA-X, Nivelles, Belgium) was employed to obtain full optical characterization of three non-diffractive EDoF intraocular lenses with + 10 D, + 20 D, and + 30 D powers. After NIMO measurements, data were computed using a custom-made MATLAB program (Mathworks, Inc., Natick, MA, USA) to evaluate the optical quality functions, such as the point spread function (PSF), wavefront profiles, and modulation transfer function (MTF) for two pupil sizes: 3 mm and 4.0 mm. RESULTS: The non-diffractive EDoF intraocular lens showed a central serrated power profile behavior with additions of + 2.00 to + 2.50 D over the nominal power. Higher order aberrations were found to be driven mainly by the spherical aberration, with almost null comatic influence. Optical quality metrics showed good values, better for a 3 mm pupil compared to a 4.5 mm one, as expected. The three IOL powers tested showed a very similar behavior in terms of power and aberrometric profiles, with minimal to null differences related to the nominal power. CONCLUSION: The non-diffractive wavefront-shaping EDoF intraocular lens achieves a near addition up to + 2.50 D aiming for an extended range of vision, almost independently of the base power.

Influence of saliva on the sensory properties of US commercial smoke affected wines: Preliminary findings.

Previous research has suggested that the impact of smoke affected wines require human evaluation due to in-mouth changes in perception, perhaps associated with saliva. Smoke affected wines (n = 36) from three major wine growing regions in the US were sourced from commercial wineries. A subset of these wines (n = 7) were evaluated by a consumer panel (n = 57) and electronic tongue (e-tongue) to determine the influence of saliva in the sensory profile. Consumers assessed the wines for aroma and other sensory attributes, before and after individual saliva addition. Pooled saliva from consumers was used to treat all wines obtained (n = 36) and then analyzed using the e-tongue. Results showed that saliva did not significantly alter the overall aroma, other than fruity or woody aroma liking by consumers (p > .05). However, the presence of saliva significantly lowered overall liking in both red and white wines that were affected by smoke (p ≤ .05). Consumers rated the subset of smoke affected wines below the "might purchase" category, indicating these wines were not considered acceptable by consumers. When individual pairs of smoke affected wines (before and after saliva additions) were assessed using the e-tongue, the device was able to differentiate the pairs, validating potential usefulness to discern wine changes, though the discrimination indices were moderate to low (68.8% to 11.9%). Based on these data, in human ratings of the aroma and appearance of smoked affected wines, saliva decreased overall liking, and this was somewhat distinguishable by e-tongue analysis.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bloodstream Infections Presenting with Septic Shock in Neutropenic Cancer Patients: Impact of Empirical Antibiotic Therapy.

This large, multicenter, retrospective cohort study including onco-hematological neutropenic patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infection (PABSI) found that among 1213 episodes, 411 (33%) presented with septic shock. The presence of solid tumors (33.3% vs. 20.2%, p < 0.001), a high-risk Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) index score (92.6% vs. 57.4%; p < 0.001), pneumonia (38% vs. 19.2% p < 0.001), and infection due to multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa (MDRPA) (33.8% vs. 21.1%, p < 0.001) were statistically significantly higher in patients with septic shock compared to those without. Patients with septic shock were more likely to receive inadequate empirical antibiotic therapy (IEAT) (21.7% vs. 16.2%, p = 0.020) and to present poorer outcomes, including a need for ICU admission (74% vs. 10.5%; p < 0.001), mechanical ventilation (49.1% vs. 5.6%; p < 0.001), and higher 7-day and 30-day case fatality rates (58.2% vs. 12%, p < 0.001, and 74% vs. 23.1%, p < 0.001, respectively). Risk factors for 30-day case fatality rate in patients with septic shock were orotracheal intubation, IEAT, infection due to MDRPA, and persistent PABSI. Therapy with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and BSI from the urinary tract were associated with improved survival. Carbapenems were the most frequent IEAT in patients with septic shock, and the use of empirical combination therapy showed a tendency towards improved survival. Our findings emphasize the need for tailored management strategies in this high-risk population.

Sensory Perception and Food-Evoked Emotions of Older Adults Assessing Microwave-Processed Meals with Different Salt Concentrations.

This study employed a home-use test to explore the sensory perception and evoked emotions of older adults in the assessment of chicken pasta meals with different salt concentrations. Ready-to-eat (RTE) meals with three salt levels (100%, 75%, and 50%) and two treatments-with and without added herbs-were tested. Multiple sensory attributes and overall meal liking were evaluated by participants (n = 54; 60-86 years of age) with hedonic and just-about-right scores. Twenty-five food-evoked emotions were also tested. Sensory results suggested a 50% salt reduction is possible with minimal impact on the overall liking, while a 25% salt reduction did not affect the saltiness and flavor liking of the meals. Herb addition positively impacted the aroma, flavor, and spiciness liking of the meals. The emotions that differed (p < 0.05) among meals were active, aggressive, bored, calm, happy, and wild, with the meals with herbs added eliciting more positive emotions. A questionnaire elicited information about participants' interest in healthy eating, food technology neophobia, and picky behaviors to determine the influence of these factors on participants' salt consumption habits. Sensory acceptance data combined with questionnaires explored what influenced this group of older adults in their acceptance of and interest in RTE meals.

Second radioiodine treatment in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma: Causes and effects.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with incomplete response to initial therapy of thyroid cancer can be managed with ongoing observation or potentially additional therapies. Our aim was to assess the effect of a second radioactive iodine treatment (RAIT) and its relationship with causes and clinical variables. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients undergoing a second RAIT for biochemical or structural incomplete response to initial therapy of DTC were retrospectively included (n=120). They were categorised based on the American Thyroid Association (ATA) classification of response to initial therapy. Patients were reclassified in the following 6-18 months after second RAIT based on imaging findings and measurements of thyroglobulin and antithyroglobulin antibody levels. The associations of a downgrading of response category and progression-free survival (PFS), and the related variables, were evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients (55%) had a downgrading on ATA response category after second RAIT. A significant interdependence of causes for second RAIT and outcomes was found (χ2=29.400, p=0.001), with patients with neck reoperation showing a higher rate of indeterminate or excellent responses. A significant association between ATA response to second RAIT and absence of structural progression was found (χ2=44.914, p<0.001), with less structural progression in patients with downgrading on ATA response (χ2=30.914, p<0.001). There was also significant interdependence to some clinical variables, such as AJCC stage (χ2=8.460, p=0.015), ATA risk classification (χ2=10.694, p=0.005) and initial N stage (χ2=8.485, p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In selected cases, a second RAIT could lead to more robust responses with a potential improvement in prognosis in patients with incomplete response to initial DTC treatment.

Sensory profiling of pears from the Pacific Northwest: Consumers' perspective and descriptive analysis.

This study used data from consumer testing, descriptive analysis (DA), and preference mapping to determine the sensory characteristics of pear cultivars from two harvest seasons in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). A trained sensory panel (n = 10) used generic DA to evaluate multiple sensory modalities of 22 pear cultivars. Six pears from summer and six from winter season were evaluated by consumers (n = 219) to assess their liking of different attributes. Results of the DA showed the trained panel significantly discriminated the summer and winter pears on most of the sensory modalities. To identify the attributes driving consumer acceptability, external preference mapping was applied. Attributes such as pear aroma, pear flavor, sweet, sour, and juicy were the most contributory attributes to the liking of the summer pears. Conversely, fermented aroma, stemmy-woody aroma, fermented flavor, stemmy-woody flavor, and grainy-gritty attributes were associated with a reduction in consumer liking. Summer cultivars, "Bartlett," coded pear 573, and "Seckel" had the broadest preference, satisfying 60% to 80% of the consumers. Seventy-five percent of the consumers identified winter cultivars "Comice" and "Paragon" as the most appealing. Overall, cluster analysis showed that different pears appeal to different types of consumers; however, summer cultivars like "Bartlett" and "Seckel" and winter cultivars like "Comice" and "Paragon" would appeal to the greatest number of consumers in the PNW market. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Sensory attributes like pear flavor, sweet, and juicy, were important drivers of liking for pear consumers in the Pacific Northwest. These results should prove useful to pear growers and marketers to increase pear consumption in the United States.

The interaction between wheat and pea protein influences the final chemical and sensory characteristics of extruded high moisture meat analogs.

Plant-based meat analog products, including those produced by extrusion processing, have become increasingly popular. Complete comprehension of the texturization mechanism and the formation of fibrousness would help improve existing products and extend the variety of plant sources used. Therefore, this study aimed to provide improved insight into the mechanism of texturization during the processing of high-moisture meat analog (HMMA) products. Blends with different wheat and pea protein ratios (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, and 0:100 wheat:pea) were extruded at a screw speed of 400 rpm, two different moisture contents (50% and 55%), and a feed rate of 90 g/min using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. Extrudates were analyzed for their texture, free sulfhydryl groups, disulfide bonds, and solubility in different extractants relative to the raw ingredient blends. In addition, a sensory analysis was conducted using the rapid and cost-effective "rate-all-that-apply" (RATA) methodology. The interplay between the two protein types had synergistic effects on the system parameters torque, pressure, and specific mechanical energy, as well as on some textural and sensory parameters. Molecular analyses were not influenced by the interplay between wheat and pea protein as the molecular analyses followed linear trends with the pea inclusion level. Analysis of protein solubility suggests that the texturization mechanism differs slightly depending on the protein type. It is suggested that the texturization of wheat protein depends highly on disulfide bonds, whereas the texturization of pea protein relies on the combination of disulfide bonds and non-covalent interactions. Additionally, RATA was found to be a valuable tool for HMMA products.

Revisiting Javal's rule: a fresh and improved power vector approach according to age.

PURPOSE: The scientific community has established Javal's rule as a model linking refractive (RA) and keratometric (KA) astigmatism since its appearance more than 100 years ago. The aim was to improve the accuracy of this relationship according to subject's age by applying the power vector analysis. Posterior corneal curvature has also been studied. METHODS: The IOLMaster 700 optical biometer was used to measure the corneal thickness and the radius of curvature of the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces. Refractive error was determined by a non-cycloplegic subjective refraction process with trial lenses. Linear regression analyses were applied using J0 and J45 power vector components. An evaluation was carried out according to the subject's age resulting into eight regression relationships for each astigmatic vector component for each relationship. RESULTS: A total of 2254 right eyes from 2254 healthy subjects were evaluated. A trend towards against-the-rule astigmatism (ATR) was found with aging, both for refractive astigmatism (RA) and keratometric astigmatism (KA), with 95.2% of subjects under 20 years old having with-the-rule (WTR) KA, and only 22.8% above 79 years old. The following regression equations were found between RA and KA: [Formula: see text] = 0.73 × [Formula: see text] - 0.18 (R = 0.78) and [Formula: see text] = 0.70 × [Formula: see text] + 0.04 (R = 0.69) and between RA and total corneal astigmatism (TCA): [Formula: see text] = 0.73 × [Formula: see text] + 0.13 (R=0.78) and [Formula: see text] = 0.70 × [Formula: see text] - 0.06 (R = 0.68) for the whole sample, but with sensible differences among age groups, both in the slope and in the intercept. CONCLUSION: Ignoring the age of the subject when using Javal's rule could lead to an error in the final cylinder calculation that would increase in high astigmatisms. Applying this new power vector approach based on subject's age could improve the accuracy of the astigmatism prediction.

S-Nitrosylation at the intersection of metabolism and autophagy: Implications for cancer.

Metabolic plasticity, which determines tumour growth and metastasis, is now understood to be a flexible and context-specific process in cancer metabolism. One of the major pathways contributing to metabolic adaptations in eucaryotic cells is autophagy, a cellular degradation and recycling process that is activated during periods of starvation or stress to maintain metabolite and biosynthetic intermediate levels. Consequently, there is a close association between the metabolic adaptive capacity of tumour cells and autophagy-related pathways in cancer. Additionally, nitric oxide regulates protein function and signalling through S-nitrosylation, a post-translational modification that can also impact metabolism and autophagy. The primary objective of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of the role of S-nitrosylation at the intersection of metabolism and autophagy in cancer. First, we will outline the involvement of S-nitrosylation in the metabolic adaptations that occur in tumours. Then, we will discuss the multifaceted role of autophagy in cancer, the interplay between metabolism and autophagy during tumour progression, and the contribution of S-nitrosylation to autophagic dysregulation in cancer. Finally, we will present insights into relevant therapeutic aspects and discuss prospects for the future.