Sine-SSA-BP Ship Trajectory Prediction Based on Chaotic Mapping Improved Sparrow Search Algorithm.

OBJECTIVE: In this paper, we propose a Sine chaos mapping-based improved sparrow search algorithm (SSA) to optimize the BP neural network for trajectory prediction of inland river vessels because of the problems of poor accuracy and easy trapping in local optimum in BP neural networks. METHOD: First, a standard BP model is constructed based on the AIS data of ships in the Yangtze River section. A Sine-BP model is built using Sine chaos mapping to assign neural network weights and thresholds. Finally, a Sine-SSA-BP model is built using the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) to solve the optimal solutions of the neural network weights and thresholds. RESULT: The Sine-SSA-BP model effectively improves the initialized population of uniform distribution, and reduces the problem that population intelligence algorithms tend to be premature. CONCLUSIONS: The test results show that the Sine-SSA-BP neural network has higher prediction accuracy and better stability than conventional LSTM and SVM, especially in the prediction of corners, which is in good agreement with the real ship navigation trajectory.

Analysis of the Optic Nerve Head Microcirculation Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography and the Upstream Macrocirculation Using Color Doppler Imaging in Low-Tension and High-Tension Glaucoma Patients.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to analyze the optic nerve head (ONH) microcirculation using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) and the upstream macrocirculation using color Doppler imaging (CDI) in low-tension and high-tension glaucoma (LTG and HTG, respectively). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 67 eyes of 67 HTG patients, 55 eyes of 55 LTG patients, and 42 eyes of 42 healthy controls. We recorded the complete ophthalmological examination, visual fields, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, ONH vessel density (VD) measured using OCT-A, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index (RI) measured using CDI. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation or median (interquartile range) and compared using t test or Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate. Pearson χ2 test or Fisher's exact test was used for comparisons, as appropriate. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlations between variables. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The ONH VD and RNFL thickness were considerably lower in glaucomatous eyes than in healthy eyes (both p < 0.001). Compared with the HTG group, the LTG group had lower VD in the peripapillary region (p = 0.027). Compared with the healthy group, the HTG group had lower PSV (p = 0.029 and = 0.023, respectively), lower EDV (p = 0.023 and <0.001, respectively), and higher RI (p = 0.019 and = 0.006, respectively) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and central retinal artery (CRA). The LTG group had lower PSV (p = 0.015 and <0.001, respectively) and EDV (p = 0.047 and = 0.001, respectively) of the ophthalmic artery (OA) and CRA. The LTG group had lower PSV of CRA than the HTG group (p = 0.034). In glaucomatous eyes, peripapillary VD had a significant association with the mean defect (p < 0.001) and RNFL thickness (p < 0.001), but not with the other CDI indices (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The ONH microcirculation and upstream macrocirculation of the large arteries exhibited differences in the blood flow characteristics between the LTG and HTG groups. These differences may improve our understanding of glaucoma. There was no correlation between the characteristics of the ONH microcirculation and the upstream macrocirculation of large vessels in the LTG and HTG groups.

Formation and characterization of solid fat mimetic based on pea protein isolate/polysaccharide emulsion gels.

The emulsion gels that can be used as solid fat replacers were produced with different polysaccharides (κ-carrageenan, κC; high-acyl gellan, HA; konjac glucomannanon, and KGM), pea protein isolate (PPI) and sunflower seed oil. The effect of polysaccharide concentration on the texture, rheological property, microstructure, and water holding capacity of the mixed emulsion gels were investigated. Rheological results showed that the presence of polysaccharides enhanced the hardness, storage modulus and resistance against deformation of emulsion gel, where PPI/κC system exhibited superior hardness with a similar level of pig back fat, due to the self-gelation behavior of κC. CLSM and SEM results showed that the presence of κC, HA, and KGM broke the uniform structure of gel network and formed irregular, threadlike, and oval shaped inclusions respectively, resulting in the broken and coalescence of oil droplets. The α-helix content of emulsion gels decreased, while ß-sheet, ß-turn and random coils slightly increased due to the unfolding of protein during gel formation. This study may offer a valuable strategy for the development of solid fat mimetic with the characteristics closing to the pig back fat.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Antibiotic-Impregnated Shunt Catheters on Anti-Infective Effect of Hydrocephalus Shunt.

OBJECTIVE: Shunt infection is a common complication while treating hydrocephalus. The antibiotic-impregnated shunt catheter (AISC) was designed to reduce shunt infection rate. A meta-analysis was conducted to study the effectiveness of AISCs in reduction of shunt infection in terms of age, follow-up time and high-risk patient population. METHODS: This study reviewed literature from three databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (from 2000 to March 2019). Clinical studies from controlled trials for shunt operation were included in this analysis. A subgroup analysis was performed based on the patient's age, follow-up time and high-risk population. The fixed effect in RevMan 5.3 software (Cochrane Collaboration) was used for this meta-analysis. RESULTS: This study included 19 controlled clinical trials including 10105 operations. The analysis demonstrated that AISC could reduce the infection rate in shunt surgery compared to standard shunt catheter (non-AISC) from 8.13% to 4.09% (odds ratio [OR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-0.58; p=0.01; I2=46%). Subgroup analysis of different age groups showed that AISC had significant antimicrobial effects in all three groups (adult, infant, and adolescent). Follow-up time analysis showed that AISC was effective in preventing early shunt infections (within 6 months after implant). AISC is more effective in high-risk population (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.14-0.40; p=0.60; I2=0%) than in general patient population. CONCLUSION: The results of meta-analysis indicated that AISC is an effective method for reducing shunt infection. We recommend that AISC should be considered for use in infants and high-risk groups. For adult patients, the choice for AISC could be determined based on the treatment cost.

Comparison of complications in cranioplasty with various materials: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Meta-analysis to evaluate complications in the use of autogenous bone and bone substitutes and to compare bone substitutes, specifically HA, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and titanium materials.Methods: Search of PubMed, Cochrane, Embase and Google scholar to identify all citations from 2010 to 2019 reporting complications regarding materials used in cranioplasty.Results: 20 of 2266 articles met the inclusion criteria, including a total of 2913 patients. The odds of overall complication were significantly higher in the autogenous bone group (n = 214/644 procedures, 33.2%) than the bone substitute groups (n = 116/436 procedures, 26.7%, CI 1.29-2.35, p < 0.05). In bone substitutes groups, there was no significant difference in overall complication rate between HA and Ti (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.47-3.14, p = 0.69). PEEK has lower overall complication rates (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.30-0.87, p = 0.01) and lower implant exposure rates (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.06-0.53, p = 0.002) than Ti, but there was no significant difference in infection rates and postoperative hematoma rates.Conclusions: Cranioplasty is associated with high overall complication rates with the use of autologous bone grafts compared with bone substitutes. PEEK has a relatively low overall complication rates in substitutes groups, but still high infection rates and postoperative hematoma rates. Thus, autologous bone grafts should only be used selectively, and prospective long-term studies are needed to further refine a better material in cranioplasty.

Drug-eluting balloons versus drug-eluting stents for small vessel coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to conduct a network meta-analysis of treatments for small vessels coronary artery disease between drug-eluting balloon (DEB) and drug-eluting stent (DES). METHOD: A meta-analysis comparing DEB and DES outcomes was performed using the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases. The primary outcome was target lesion revascularization (TLR) or target vessel revascularization (TVR), and myocardial infarction (MI), death and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were secondary outcomes. A total of six studies on 1813 patients were included. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in rates of TLR or TVR in the patients treated with the DEB strategy compares with the DES strategy [odds ratio (OR) = 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57-1.61, P = 0.89] within a follow-up period of 9-24 months. There was a significant reduction in rates of MI and death in the patients treated with a DCB strategy compared with those treated with a DES strategy (3.7%, 17 of 460 vs 6.1%, 36 of 595; 2.4%, 11 of 460 vs 6.1%, 36 of 595, respectively), and this difference was statistically significant (OR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.29-0.96, P = 0.04; OR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.22-0.88, P = 0.02, respectively). There was no difference between DEB and DES strategies in rates of MACE (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.66-1.33, P = 0.73). CONCLUSION: In summary, this study demonstrates that treatment of small vessel (diameter ≤ 3 mm) coronary artery disease (CAD) with DEB may lead to improving outcomes compared with the use of DES within a follow-up period of 9-24 months. Further large clinical trials are needed to verify this conclusion.

An abluminal biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent versus a durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent in patients undergoing coronary revascularization: 3-year clinical outcomes of a randomized non-inferiority trial.

The Cordimax stent has proved non-inferior to the Cypher Select durable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent for the primary endpoint of angiographic in-stent late luminal loss and in-stent mean diameter stenosis at 9 months. The trial was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of the Cordimax stent with the Xience V stent in patients undergoing coronary revascularization. This randomized, multicenter trial enrolled 3697 patients treated with Cordimax stent (2460 patients) and Xience V stent (1237 patients). The primary efficacy endpoint was a target-lesion failure (TLF) at 1 year and the primary safety endpoint was a composite of death or myocardial infarction (MI) at 3 years. 3399 patients (91.9%) completed 3-year follow-up. At 1 year, the primary efficacy endpoint occurred in 86 (3.5%) patients in the Cordimax group versus 40 (3.2%) patients in the Xience V group (0.3% absolute risk difference, 95% CI -1.0-1.5%, Pnon-inferiority < 0.0001). At 3 years, the primary safety endpoint occurred in 39 (1.6%) patients in the Cordimax group versus 19 (1.5%) patients in the Xience V group (0.05% absolute risk difference, 95% CI -0.8-0.9%, Pnon-inferiority < 0.0001). The incidence of target lesion revascularization was low in Cordimax group compared with Xience V group (3.6% versus 5.1%, P = 0.03). There were no differences between Cordimax and Xience V in terms of Cardiac death (0.3% versus 0.4%, P = 0.70), myocardial infarction (1.2% versus 0.9%, P = 0.37), and the stent thrombosis (0.4% versus 0.6%, P = 0.61). In conclusion, safety and efficacy outcomes of Cordimax stent were non-inferior to the Xience V stent 3 years after stent implantation.

A 8-year retrospective clinical analysis of 272 patients of epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis in Beijing, China.

BACKGROUND: Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) is one of the most common eye infections worldwide. The analysis of clinical manifestations in different age groups help better know the disease. This study aims to provide more detailed analysis of 272 cases of EKC in 8 years, describe the differences of the clinical features among different age groups, and establish new clinical grading criteria. METHODS: 272 individuals were reviewed (2011-2019) in Beijing China. All the patients were classified into 3 grades according to the new grading criteria. The typical clinical signs of EKC and the photographs of the multiple subepithelial corneal infiltrates (MSI) were collected and analyzed. The number of 3 grades among and within different age groups were compared. The incidence of the typical signs among and within different age groups were compared. The proportion of each region of the cornea involved by MSI were compared. RESULTS: No significant differences were detected among the 4 groups in terms of the number of mild, moderate and severe cases, no matter in all-patients analysis (P = 0.271) nor in acute-phase-patients analysis (P = 0.203). The proportion of the severe cases was the highest among all patients (P = 0.000). Among the incidence of the typical signs, corneal involvement was the most common accounting for 69.8% (P<0.05). The probability of central region involvement was significantly higher than that of pericentral region involvement (P = 0.015) and peripheral region involvement (P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate attention should be paid on EKC, because of the considerable proportion of severe cases, the high incidence of corneal lesion, and the high incidence of central region involvement of MSI.

Long-term in vivo study of biodegradable Zn-Cu stent: A 2-year implantation evaluation in porcine coronary artery.

In the present study, a novel biodegradable Zn-0.8Cu coronary artery stent was fabricated and implanted into porcine coronary arteries for up to 24 months. Micro-CT analysis showed that the implanted stent was able to maintain structural integrity after 6 months, while its disintegration occurred after 9 months of implantation. After 24 months of implantation, approximately 28 ±â€¯13 vol% of the stent remained. Optical coherence tomography and histological analysis showed that the endothelialization process could be completed within the first month after implantation, and no inflammation responses or thrombosis formation was observed within 24 months. Cross-section analysis indicated that the subsequent degradation products had been removed in the abluminal direction, guaranteeing that the strut could be replaced by normal tissue without the risk of contaminating the circulatory system, causing neither thrombosis nor inflammation response. The present work demonstrates that the Zn-0.8Cu stent has provided sufficient structural supporting and exhibited an appropriate degradation rate during 24 months of implantation without degradation product accumulation, thrombosis, or inflammation response. The results indicate that the Zn-0.8Cu coronary artery stent is promising for further clinical applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Although Zn and its alloys have been considered to be potential candidates of biodegradable metals for vascular stent use, by far, no Zn-based stent with appropriate medical device performance has been reported because of the low mechanical properties of zinc. The present work presents promising results of a Zn-Cu biodegradable vascular stent in porcine coronary arteries. The Zn-Cu stent fabricated in this work demonstrated adequate medical device performance both in vitro and in vivo and degraded at a proper rate without safety problems induced. Furthermore, large animal models have more cardiovascular similarities as humans. Results of this study may provide further information of the Zn-based stents for translational medicine research.

Safety and efficacy of leadless pacemaker retrieval.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The success rate of leadless cardiac pacemaker (LP) retrieval remains a major concern for this disruptive technology. The present paper performed a systematic review of the safety and feasibility of the retrieval of LPs. METHODS: Primary publications that performed LP retrieval were collected and included five animal experiments and two worldwide retrieval experiences in human. The procedural details, such as indication, days post implantation, extraction success rate, and complications, were described. The present paper analyzed factors affecting the retrieval and management of the nonfunctional devices. RESULTS: Retrieval animal models was possible at least up to 2.5 years post implantation, and data from humans suggest that removal of a device that was implanted longer (eg, 4 years and 9 months for Nanostim; 4 years for Micra) could be performed within a reasonable safety profile. The fixed mechanism, implant site, and encapsulation of the LP systems may affect the retrieval process. CONCLUSIONS: A high success rate in the relatively chronic retrieval of LPs was demonstrated, which promotes the extensive use of these devices in the treatment arrhythmia in the future.

Meta-analysis of intracavitary electrocardiogram guidance for peripherally inserted central catheter placement.

BACKGROUND: Recently, intracavitary electrocardiogram technology has been applied to peripherally inserted central catheter placement and demonstrates many potential advantages. However, the tip positioning accuracy of intracavitary electrocardiogram technology compared to conventional X-ray method is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We did a meta-analysis to compare the tip positioning accuracy between intracavitary electrocardiogram technology and conventional X-ray method. DATA SOURCES: We searched several databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of science, and Embase. Additional studies were identified through hand searches of bibliographies and Internet searches. All human studies published in full text, abstract, or poster form were eligible for inclusion. Search terms included peripherally inserted central catheter, PICC, intracavitary electrocardiogram, IC-ECG, EKG, ECG, and catheter tip location. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Only randomized controlled trials of using intracavitary electrocardiogram technology versus X-ray method for peripherally inserted central catheter placement were included. All studies included adult patients aged at least 18 years. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: Independent extraction of articles by two authors using predefined data fields, including study quality indicators. Of the 178 citations identified, 5 studies that included 1672 patients met the eligibility criteria. It was found that statistical heterogeneity existed among the various studies (I2 = 16%, p < 0.00001); therefore, the fixed effect model was used in the meta-analysis (p < 0.05). The meta-analysis compared the tip positioning accuracy between intracavitary electrocardiogram technology and X-ray method and showed that intracavitary electrocardiogram technology had a better positioning accuracy (odds ratio: 2.88, 95% confidence interval: 2.15-3.87, p < 0.0001). LIMITATIONS: Only five randomized trial met inclusion criteria, and the lack of an incomplete search led to the publication bias seen in these results. CONCLUSION: The intracavitary electrocardiogram method had a more favorable positioning accuracy versus traditional X-ray method for peripherally inserted central catheter placement in adult patients. The intracavitary electrocardiogram can be a promising technique to guide tip positioning of peripherally inserted central catheter.

Insertion of peripherally inserted central catheters with intracavitary electrocardiogram guidance: A randomized multicenter study in China.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound-guided venipuncture and tip location by intracavitary electrocardiogram have many advantages during the insertion of peripherally inserted central catheters, both in terms of safety and cost-effectiveness. Recently, a new tip-conductive peripherally inserted central catheters and new Doppler ultrasound device integrated with intracavitary electrocardiogram have been introduced into clinical practice in China. A randomized multicenter study (clinical trial no. NCT03230357) was performed to verify the feasibility and accuracy of intracavitary electrocardiogram, as performed with this new peripherally inserted central catheters and device. METHODS: Our study enrolled a total of 2250 adult patients in 10 different Chinese hospitals. The patients were randomly assigned to either the study group (intracavitary electrocardiogram) or the control group (anatomical landmark guidance) in a 2:1 allocation. Ultrasound was used in both groups for venipuncture and tip navigation. All patients underwent chest X-ray after the procedure to verify the position of the catheter tip. RESULTS: No insertion-related complications were reported in either group. In the study group, first-attempt successful tip location was 91.7% (95% confidence interval: 90.3%-93.1%), significantly higher than 78.9% (95% confidence interval: 76.0%-81.9%) observed in the control group (p < 0.001). As evaluated by post-procedural chest X-ray, tip location in the study group had a sensitivity of 99.3% (95% confidence interval: 98.8%-99.7%), significantly higher than 86.8% (95% confidence interval: 84.4%-89.2%) observed in the anatomical landmark group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These results indicated that during peripherally inserted central catheters insertion in adult patients, tip location with intracavitary electrocardiogram guidance, as carried out by a new tip-conductive peripherally inserted central catheters and intracavitary electrocardiogram integrated ultrasound device, was more effective and more accurate than tip location using anatomical landmarks.

Radiofrequency Ablation Versus Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation: Meta-analysis of Safety and Efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) are the main treatments used for atrial fibrillation (AF). In recent years, a number of articles comparing the 2 treatments have begun to emerge. Though, the influence of follow-up time in the meta-analysis was not considered in these articles. However, more recently, large-scale clinical trial articles have included follow-up with the patients up to 5 years after treatment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of variable follow-up times on the recurrence of AF by observing both the short-term and long-term efficacy and safety of catheter ablation and AADs for the treatment of AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: The primary investigators of eligible randomized controlled trials were invited to contribute standardized outcome data. Random effect summary estimates were calculated as standardized mean differences and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for continuous and binary outcomes. In this study, 9 randomized controlled trials (n = 1542 patients) were included. The rate of recurrence of AF with no limit on follow-up time, >12 months, >18 months, >24 months, >30 months, and approximately 36 months was compared. Furthermore, the gap between the RFA and AAD groups in the recurrence rate of AF was found to decrease inversely to follow-up time. When the follow-up time reached 24 months, the difference between RFA and AAD was relatively stable with an odds ratio of 0.45 (95% confidence interval: 0.32-0.62). Overall, RFA decreased adverse events in the remaining trials; however, AAD performed better in terms of safety and had fewer adverse events with RFA usually causing more serious complications. CONCLUSION: RFA is more advantageous in terms of recurrence rate of AF than drug therapy. In addition, the analysis suggests that this effect persists during long-term follow-up; however, these benefits appear to decrease with longer follow-up time. Finally, AAD performed better in terms of safety and had fewer adverse events.

[Development and Application of Fiber-optic Pressure Sensor in Medical Field].

In vivo pressure monitoring is important for monitoring of organ or tissue lesions and real-time analysis of intraoperative conditions. Compared with the traditional electromechanical pressure sensor, the optical fiber pressure sensor has the advantages of small size, high sensitivity, high safety and strong ability of resisting electromagnetic interference. It has been widely applied in the medical field. This thesis reviews the development of optical fiber pressure sensors and the application of pressure monitoring in the medical field. It emphatically analyses the monitoring of the optical fiber pressure sensor in cardiovascular and blood, intracranial, airway, gastrointestinal tract and other tissues or organs. Analysis shows that the favorable result of monitor can be got using optical fiber pressure sensor in different tissues or organs.

Alanine mother liquor as a nitrogen source for docosahexaenoic acid production by Schizochytrium sp. B4D1

Alanine mother liquor, a type of industrial waste from alanine fermentation, was used as a nitrogen source to produce docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by Schizochytrium sp. B4D1. The results indicated that yeast extract could trigger the utilization of the alanine mother liquor. Additionally, the alanine can be quenched during the culture, which aids in DHA accumulation. The medium components were optimized via response surface methodology as follows: 99.98-g/L glucose, 0.05-g/L yeast extract and a 183.17 dilution factor of the alanine mother liquid (v/v, with an alanine content of 0.72 g/L) and 17.98% inoculum concentration (v/v). Finally, in a 50-mL shake-flask fermentation, the DHA yield was 2.29 g/L.

[Advances in Implantable Medical Device Battery].

In recent years, active implantable medical devices become a hot spot of the medical device industry. There are still many problems in terms of reliability, capacity and life expectancy because of the subject to material and technical constraints. This review summarizes the development history and current status of the batteries used in active implantable medical devices, and describes the development and problems of zinc-mercury batteries and lithium batteries. The flexible batteries and bio-energy battery and other new battery technology are also expounded. The future of active implanted medical device battery is bound to miniaturization, flexibility, rechargeable direction.

Meta-analysis of the incidence of lead dislodgement with conventional and leadless pacemaker systems.

INTRODUCTION: Leadless cardiac pacemaker (LCP) implantation using a transcatheter was recently developed to avoid pocket- and lead-related complications. Although a LCP has an active fixation mechanism using tines or a helix, LCP and lead dislodgement issues remain a major safety concern for patients. This article reviews the literature to determine the incidence of lead and LCP dislodgement. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 18 studies which included 17,321 patients undergoing conventional single- or dual-chamber pacemaker implantation and three studies which included 2,116 patients undergoing LCP device implantation were reviewed. The incidence of lead dislodgement ranged from 1% to 2.69% in individual studies with a mean of 1.63%, weighted mean of 1.71%, and median of 1.60 %. There was a relatively higher lead dislodgement rate between atrial and ventricular electrodes (odds ratio [OR], 3.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-6.70; P  =  0.6; I2   =  0%), and between magnetic resonance imaging conditional and conventional leads (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.30-5.99; P  =  0.16; I2   =  46%). The use of active fixation leads (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.66-1.70; P  =  0.29; I2   =  20%) showed no significant difference in dislodgement risk compared to passive fixation leads. The incidence of LCP device dislodgement was 0%, 0.13%, and 1% in three leadless pacemaker studies. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence rates of conventional pacemaker lead dislodgement vary in individual studies with an overall high incidence. Use of the currently available LCP systems appears to result in a lower rate of device dislodgement. This may reflect the effectiveness of this novel technology and the fixation design of LCP devices.

[Features and differentiation of smear cytology in ocular fungal infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cytological feature and differentiate diagnosis of ocular fungal infections by smear cytology. METHODS: Experimental study. One thousand two hundred and twenty-six specimens of smear cytology were collected retrospectively during January 2007- December 2010 from Microbial Laboratory of Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology. The 1226 specimens analyzed in this study were collected from patients who suffered from ocular fungal infections. The corneal scraping cells were observed by Giemsa staining, and the photographic record was saved. The morphological characteristics of fungal pathogens and the surrounding cells were analyzed by light microscopy. RESULTS: Nine hundred and ninety eight of 1226 (81.40%) specimens were positive with fungal pathogens, 228 of 1226 (18.60%) specimens were fungal negative by smear cytology. 976 of 998 (97.80%) fungal positive specimens were filamentous fungi positive, and 22 of 998 (2.20%) specimens were yeast positive. Among the 998 fungal positive specimens analyzed in this study, twenty-seven (2.71%) were collected from the vitreous, twelve (1.20%) were collected from aqueous humors, thirteen (1.30%) were collected from conjunctiva, seven (0.70%) were collected from eyelid margin, three (0.30%) were collected from lachrymal, and 8 were collected from other parts. The fungal pathogens should be differentiated from the deformed corneal epithelial cells, vacuoles, amebic cyst and other tissue cells during scraping. CONCLUSIONS: The smear cytology test for the diagnosis of ocular fungal infections has advantages of higher detection rate, less time-consuming and easier operation. The identification of fungal like ingredients is very important to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of ocular fungal infections.

[The research progress of biofilm and biofilm in eye disease].

Bacteria adherent on the active or inactive surface can form biofilms in which they are encased in a hydrated matrix of extracellular polymeric substances, which is so called bacterial biofilm (BBF). BBF has greater virulence and drug resistance, they can also evade the host immune system and lead to immune injury compared with planktonic bacteria. Many common medical infections involving ophthalmic infection are biofilm-associated. In this paper, the concept and biological characteristics of BBF and BBF-related ophthalmic infection were reviewed.

Keratitis-associated fungi form biofilms with reduced antifungal drug susceptibility.

PURPOSE: To investigate the biofilm-forming capacity of Fusarium solani, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, and Acremonium implicatum, and the activities of antifungal agents against the three keratitis-associated fungi. METHODS: The architecture of biofilms was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). Susceptibility against six antifungal drugs was measured using the CLSI M38-A method and XTT reduction assay. RESULTS: Time course analyses of CSLM revealed that biofilm formation occurred in an organized fashion through four distinct developmental phases: adhesion, germling formation, microcolony formation, and biofilm maturation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that mature biofilms displayed a complex three-dimensional structure, consisting of coordinated network of hyphal structures glued by the extracellular matrix (ECM). The antifungal susceptibility testing demonstrated a time-dependent decrease in efficacy for all six antifungal agents as the complexity of fungal hyphal structures developed. Natamycin (NAT), amphotericin B (AMB), and NAT were the most effective against F. solani, C. sphaerospermum, and A. implicatum biofilm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Corneal isolates of F. solani, C. sphaerospermum, and A. implicatum could produce biofilms that were resistant to antifungal agents in vitro.