Deficits of the "Good" Eye in Amblyopia: Processing Geometric Properties.

Purpose: Although fellow eyes of amblyopia are typically considered normal, recent studies have revealed impairments in certain aspects of vision. However, it remains unclear at which level of object processing these impairments occur. This study aims to investigate the functional level of visual perception impairment in the fellow eye of children and adults with amblyopia using the geometric functional hierarchy discrimination task based on Klein Mathematics methodology. Methods: Seventy-six patients with amblyopia (40 children and 36 adults) and 77 age-matched healthy controls (40 children and 37 adults) were recruited for this study. The participants completed four sets of geometric hierarchies (in ascending order of stability: Euclidean, affine, projective, and topology) and one set of color discrimination tasks. They were instructed to rapidly and accurately select a distinct shape from the four quadrants. Results: The participants' performance was evaluated using the inverse efficiency (IE) score (IE = response time (RT)/accuracy). The results of IEs show that the fellow eye of children with amblyopia exhibits normal topological processing, yet displays higher IEs in other geometric properties and color processing, suggesting impairments in these specific discrimination abilities. However, adults with amblyopia did not show deficits on any discrimination types compared with adult controls. Conclusions: The lack of compromised topological processing suggests that amblyopia may not have inflicted any damage to the subcortical visual pathways. Furthermore, these deficits observed in the fellow eye tend to diminish significantly during adulthood, implying that amblyopia may potentially hinder the maturation process of the fellow eye.

Robust co-teaching learning with consistency-based noisy label correction for medical image classification.

PURPOSE: Deep neural networks (DNNs) have made great achievements in computer-aided diagnostic systems, but the success highly depends on massive data with high-quality labels. However, for many medical image datasets, a considerable number of noisy labels are introduced by inter- and intra-observer variability, thus hampering DNNs' performance. To address this problem, a robust noisy label correction method with the co-teaching learning paradigm is proposed. METHODS: The proposed method aims to reduce the effect of noisy labels by correcting or removing them. It consists of two modules. An adaptive noise rate estimation module is employed to calculate the dataset's noise rate, which is helpful to detect noisy labels but is usually unavailable in clinical applications. A consistency-based noisy label correction module aims to detect noisy labels and correct them to reduce the disturbance from noisy labels and exploit useful information in data. RESULTS: Experiments are conducted on the public skin lesion dataset ISIC-2017, ISIC-2019, and our constructed thyroid ultrasound image dataset. The results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms other noisy label learning methods in medical image classification tasks. It is also evaluated on the natural image dataset CIFAR-10 to show its generalization. CONCLUSION: This paper proposes a noisy label correction method to handle noisy labels in medical image datasets. Experimental results show that it can self-adapt to different datasets and efficiently correct noisy labels, which is suitable for medical image classification.

Exploring the Relationship Between Binocular Imbalance and Myopia: Refraction with a Virtual Reality Platform.

To explore the relationship between binocular imbalance (BI) and the abnormal development of binocular refraction. BI data were collected by enrolling the first 1,000 adolescents and children aged 6-18 years in Shenzhen Eye Hospital from April 2020 to January 2021. In this cross-sectional study, the imbalance value (IV) did not show a statistical correlation with the spherical equivalent (SE) (oculus dexter [OD]: r = 0.022, p = 0.586; oculus sinister [OS]: r = -0.021, p = 0.606), and had little correlation with the uncorrected visual acuity (VA) (OD: r = -0.084, p = 0.039; OS: r = -0.034, p = 0.408). The proportion of binocular contrast imbalance (BCI) (the absolute value) maintained the highest level (from 54.42 to 79.17 percent) with the increase of bilateral SE difference in the four subcategories (binocular balance, monocular suppression, binocular rivalry, and BCI). From -100 to +100 of IV, the SE of the left eye tends to increase negatively when compared with the right eye (from -95 < IV ≦ -80, SE difference = -0.83 ± 1.58, to -20 < IV ≦ -10, SE difference = -0.14 ± 0.61; from 10 ≦ IV <20, SE difference = -0.05 ± 0.80, to 80 ≦ IV <95, SE difference = 1.48 ± 2.77). BI widely exists within the general pediatric population. The BI did not show significant correlation with the unilateral eye refractive state and the VA. However, the BI may be accompanied by imbalanced development of the eye refractive system. Furthermore, the SE of the dominant eye (from the prospective of BI) tends to be more negative than that of the opposite eye as the value increases. Clinical Trial Registration number: ChiCTR2100045457.

Sleep quality and its influencing factors in senior high school students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To study the current situation of sleep quality of senior high school students and analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide a reference for targeted sleep quality improvement of high school students.@*Methods@#A total of 4 793 senior high school students of different grades were recruited from four different regions (Shanghai, Qinghai, Macao, Henan) in 2020. The information of demographic, sleep status, mental factors, living habits and other information were collected by questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Logistic regression were used to analyze sleep quality and its influencing factors of the senior high school students.@*Results@#About 24.2% of senior high school students reported sleep problems and 71.4% slept less than 7 hours at night. Interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety symptoms, learning, family and interpersonal stress had significant effects on sleep problems in senior high school students( χ 2=1 147.98, 1 228.35, 1 032.54, 371.05, 497.61, 475.39, P <0.01). Drinking coffee and tea, drinking alcohol, smoking (including secondhand smoke), long term use of electronic products, late sleep, bedtime diet, poor sleep environment, parents with sleep problems were the risk factors for sleep disorders of senior high school students, regular exercise was the protective factors for sleep disorders of senior high school students, the influence was significant ( χ 2=160.28, 127.73 , 108.02, 113.27, 470.91, 340.95, 72.02, 155.53, 116.30, 76.96, 28.75, 12.89, P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#The sleep quality of senior high school students needs to be improved. Schools and parents should pay attention to the mental health and living habits of senior high school students to help them improve their sleep quality and grow up smoothly.

Excretion and Residual Concentration Correlations of Salbutamol Between Edible Tissues and Living Samples in Pigs and Goats.

Illegal use of salbutamol (SAL), a ß-adrenergic leanness-enhancing agent, has posed potential threat to human health in China. The excretion and depletion of SAL in pigs and goats were investigated, and the concentration correlations between edible tissues and living samples were analyzed to find out a suitable living sample for pre-slaughter monitoring of SAL in pigs and goats. After a single oral dosage of 1.2 mg/kg SAL, approximately 70% of the dose was excreted by pigs and goats from their excreta. When pigs and goats were supplied feed containing SAL (20 mg/kg) for 14 consecutive days, high concentrations of SAL were observed in the liver and kidneys, and the longest persistence was observed in hair. Unlike pigs, SAL was presented primarily as conjugated SAL in goats. Excellent concentration correlations of SAL were observed between urine and edible tissues both in pigs and goats, and in addition, good correlations also were found between hair and edible tissues in pigs and between feces and edible tissues in goats. Hence, urine and hair could accurately predict SAL concentrations in edible tissues of pigs, whereas feces and urine were satisfactory for predicting SAL concentrations in edible tissues of goats. These data make it possible for pre-slaughter monitoring of SAL residues in the edible tissues of pigs and goats.

A Pedigree Report of a Rare Case of Weill-Marchesani Syndrome with New Compound Heterozygous LTBP2 Mutations.

BACKGROUND: Weill-Marchesani syndrome (WMS) is an autosomal inherited connective tissue disease. Clinical manifestations include microspherophakia (MSP), high myopia, ectopia lentis, open-angle glaucoma, short stature, short fingers, joint stiffness, and (occasionally) cardiovascular defects. At present, a total of four pathogenic gene loci related to WMS have been found: ADAMTS10, ADAMTS17, FBN1, and LTBP2. CASE REPORT: The patient was a five-year-old girl whose eyesight had become progressively worse for three years before her parents brought her to the hospital. Computer optometry showed high myopia in both eyes, while a slit lamp examination found that the anterior chamber of both eyes was shallow, and the lens was in a state of dislocation (ectopia lentis). An IOLMaster examination revealed that the lens was spherical (MSP), and the lens thickness (LT) was 5.36 mm. Corneal topography showed that the angle kappa was 0.18 mm in the right eye (OD) and 0.30 mm in the left eye (OS). An intraocular pressure (IOP) (OD: 26.5 mmHg, OS: 30.6 mmHg) examination showed that the fundus cup to disc ratio was normal, but secondary glaucoma caused by lens dislocation could be considered. The IOP was maintained within a normal range using antihypertensive drugs. The patient's younger sister also had a dislocation of MSP. Gene detection showed a heterozygous mutation in the LTBP2 gene [c.3672delC:p.Thr1225fs and c.3542delT:p.Met1181fs], and a diagnosis of WMS-like syndrome was confirmed. CONCLUSION: WMS syndrome is rare, and the mutation of the LTBP2 gene has not been previously recorded in the GnomAD (Genome Aggregation Database) of East Asia. This case report provides some reference for studying the mechanism of WMS and WMS-like syndrome caused by an LTBP2 gene mutation.

Does Orthokeratology Wearing Affect the Tear Quality of Children?

Orthokeratology is currently known as one of the most effective methods of myopia control in the process of rapid deterioration of the global myopia prevalence. As orthokeratology is widely used, it is necessary to evaluate its complications reasonably and accurately. Eye surface problems in children, such as dry eyes, have received increasing attention. At present, there is no conclusive evidence on how orthokeratology affects the ocular surface, especially the tears. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the relationship between orthokeratology lenses and tears through meta-analysis. However, it is still challenging to get a convincing conclusion and a higher level of evidence in this meta-analysis. Reasons for this include limitation of study design, lack of clarity on important confounding factors, lack of appropriate statistical tools, and other biases. This paper will analyze the dilemma existing in the current research from different perspectives to provide meaningful information for future studies in this field.

A longitudinal study of the effect of ocular biometrics measures on myopia onset.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between ocular biometrics (OB) and myopia onset. METHODS: OB data from students in 4 grades (aged from 6 to 14 years) in China were collected in a 1.5-year longitudinal study. Refractive error was assessed with cycloplegic autorefraction. RESULTS: At baseline, 934 (56.33%) of the subjects (right eye) had myopia. The mean spherical equivalent (SE) and axial length to corneal radius (AL/CR) were - 2.14 ± 1.49 and 3.14 ± 0.11, respectively, in the subjects with myopia and - 0.09 ± 0.21 and 2.98 ± 0.07, respectively, in the subjects without myopia. The correlation between the SE and AL/CR was r = - 0.823 (P < 0.001). The slopes of the SE changing with the AL/CR (and R-squares) were - 0.28 to - 1.80 (0.01-0.14) in the no myopia group, - 3.40 to - 6.20 (0.20-0.48) in the low myopia group, and - 3.37 to - 11.34 (0.16-0.74) in the moderate and high myopia groups. The baseline AL/CR values in grades 1, 3, and 5 were higher in those who developed myopia within 1.5 years. The odds ratio of the AL/CR to myopia onset in 1.5 years was 1.096 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.060-1.135). CONCLUSIONS: Of the five indicators, the AL/CR showed the best correlation with the SE. The adjoint and linear relationship between the AL/CR and the SE tended to increase with SE progression. When myopia progressed beyond a certain range, the AL/CR was significantly different in those without initial myopia who developed it within 1.5 years compared with those who did not. After adjusting for age, sex, school, and grade, the interpretation capability of the current AL/CR to myopia onset in 1.5 years was limited.

[DNMT1 protein promotes retinoblastoma proliferation by silencing MEG3 gene].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether DNMT1 protein induces retinoblastoma proliferation by silencing MEG3 gene. METHODS: Two retinoblastoma cell lines (HXO-RB44 and SO-RB50) and a normal human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell line were transfected with the plasmid pcDNA-DNMT1 or si-DNMT1 for up-regulating or interference of DNMT1 expression, and with pcDNA-MEG3 or si-MEG3 for up-regulating or interference of MEG3 expression. Western blotting was used to detect the changes in the expression of DNMT1 protein in the transfected cells, and CCK-8 and EdU assays were used to detect the changes in cell proliferation. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect MEG3 expression in SO-RB50 and HXO-RB44 cells after transfection, and the methylation level of MEG3 gene promoter after interference of DNMT1 expression was detected using methylation-specific PCR. RESULTS: SO-RB50 and HXO-RB44 cells showed significantly increased expression of DNMT1 protein as compared with normal RPE cells (P < 0.05). In HXO-RB44 cells, transfection with pcDNADNMT1 resulted in significantly increased expression of DNMT1 protein, enhanced cell proliferation ability, and significantly reduced expression of MEG3 (P < 0.05). In SO-RB50 cells, transfection with si-DNMT1 significantly reduced the expression of DNMT1 protein, suppressed the cell proliferation, and increased MEG3 expression (P < 0.05). Interference of DNMT1 significantly reduced the methylation level of MEG3 gene promoter. After reversing the regulatory effect of DNMT1 on MEG3 gene, DNMT1 protein showed significantly weakened ability to regulate retinoblastoma cell proliferation (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In retinoblastoma cells, the up-regulation of DNMT1 protein induces promoter methylation and inactivation of MEG3 gene and eventually leads to abnormal cell proliferation.

Automatic diagnosis for thyroid nodules in ultrasound images by deep neural networks.

Thyroid cancer is a disease in which the first symptom is a nodule in the thyroid region of the neck. It is one of the cancers with the highest incidences, and has the highest increase rate in the last thirty years. Ultrasonography is one of the most sensitive and widely used methods for detecting thyroid nodules. To assist in the analysis of thyroid ultrasound images, many computer-aided diagnosis methods have been proposed. Most of these methods perform diagnosis using only a single ultrasound image instead of using all images from an examination, which loses the overall information related to the thyroid nodules. However, in an ultrasound examination, the sonographer analyzes the thyroid nodule based on multiple images from different views. In the current study, a deep learning method is proposed to diagnose thyroid nodules using multiple ultrasound images in an examination as input. An attention-based feature aggregation network is proposed to automatically integrate the features extracted from multiple images in one examination, utilizing different views of the nodules to improve the performance of recognizing malignant nodules in the ultrasound images. To train and evaluate the proposed method, a large dataset is constructed. The experimental results demonstrate that our method achieves comparable performance with state-of-the-art methods for the diagnosis of thyroid ultrasound images.

Inhibition of inflammation contributes to organ protection of atenolol in sinoaortic-denervated rats.

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that inhibition of inflammation contributes to the protective effects of atenolol on the organ damage induced by sinoaortic denervation (SAD) in rats. SAD was performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats at the age of 10 weeks. Atenolol (20 mg/kg/d, po) was administered for 12 weeks beginning from 4 weeks after SAD. Organ damage evaluation and the determination of plasma TXB2, serum IL-1, TNF-alpha and tissue reactive oxygen species (ROS) were performed at 16 weeks after SAD. It was found that there existed obvious organ damage including increased cardiac and aortic collagen, and glomerular injury, in SAD rats. Plasma TXB2, serum TNF-alpha IL-1, and tissue ROS increased significantly after SAD. Long-term treatment with atenolol significantly prevented the organ damage with a decrease in left ventricular weight, cardiac and aortic collagen contents, and glomerular injury score in SAD rats. Plasma TXB2, serum IL-1, and tissue ROS were found to be significantly decreased by the long-term treatment with atenolol. Furthermore, it was found that the levels of inflammation-related factors were significantly related to all the organ-damage parameters studied in this experiment. These results suggest that inhibition of inflammation and oxygen stress contributes to the organ-protective effects of atenolol in SAD rats.