The Association of Serum Complement C1q with Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death in middle-aged and elderly people, and its incidence has been increasing in recent years. An in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of CAD is important to ensure the health of CAD patients. Objective: To analyze the association of serum complement C1q with CAD," you could say something like "The objective of this meta-analysis is to investigate the relationship between serum complement C1q levels and the presence of CAD, aiming to provide insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Relevant studies on C1q and CAD were searched in PubMed, Web of Science and other literature databases. Two research team members independently cross-screened the literature according to the inclusion-exclusion criteria and assessed the literature quality. RevMan5.3 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Three references were finally included, all of which had a Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score ≥6, indicating high quality. A total of 2065 subjects were studied, including 1249 in the experimental group (CAD patients) and 816 in the control group (healthy population). Through the meta-analysis, it was found that the experimental group (CAD patients) had higher serum C1q than the control group (healthy controls) (P < .05). According to subgroup analysis, age, sex, sample size, diabetes mellitus (with/without), and serum complement C1q detection methods were not factors affecting the heterogeneity of the literature, and more data are needed for verification. Validation analysis with the fixed-effect model also showed higher C1q expression in the experimental group (P < .05). The graph of the funnel plot was basically symmetrical, suggesting low publication bias. Conclusions: Serum complement C1q is elevated in CAD patients, but its mechanism of action may have a dual effect, but further research is needed to understand its precise role and clinical implications.

One-photon three-dimensional printed fused silica glass with sub-micron features.

The applications of silica-based glass have evolved alongside human civilization for thousands of years. High-precision manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) fused silica glass objects is required in various industries, ranging from everyday life to cutting-edge fields. Advanced 3D printing technologies have emerged as a potent tool for fabricating arbitrary glass objects with ultimate freedom and precision. Stereolithography and femtosecond laser direct writing respectively achieved their resolutions of ~50 µm and ~100 nm. However, fabricating glass structures with centimeter dimensions and sub-micron features remains challenging. Presented here, our study effectively bridges the gap through engineering suitable materials and utilizing one-photon micro-stereolithography (OµSL)-based 3D printing, which flexibly creates transparent and high-performance fused silica glass components with complex, 3D sub-micron architectures. Comprehensive characterizations confirm that the final material is stoichiometrically pure silica with high quality, defect-free morphology, and excellent optical properties. Homogeneous volumetric shrinkage further facilitates the smallest voxel, reducing the size from 2.0 × 2.0 × 1.0 µm3 to 0.8 × 0.8 × 0.5 µm3. This approach can be used to produce fused silica glass components with various 3D geometries featuring sub-micron details and millimetric dimensions. This showcases promising prospects in diverse fields, including micro-optics, microfluidics, mechanical metamaterials, and engineered surfaces.

Hierarchical Bamboo/Silver Nanoparticle Composites for Sustainable Water Purification.

Water reclamation is the most effective way to continuously provide clean water to combat catastrophic global water scarcity. However, current technology for water purification is not conducive to sustainability due to the high energy consumption and negative environmental impact. Here, we introduce an innovative method by utilizing the hierarchical microstructure of bamboo for water purification. Natural bamboo was delignified followed by freeze-drying to obtain a bamboo aerogel with a porosity of 72.0%; then, the bamboo aerogel was coated with silver nanoparticles to form a hierarchical bamboo/silver nanoparticle composite. The scanning electron microscopy images and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results indicated that the silver nanoparticles were uniformly attached to the parenchyma cell surface. By physical adsorption and catalytic reduction, the bamboo/silver nanoparticle composite was able to degrade methylene blue by more than 96.7%, which is mainly attributed to the large specific surface area of the bamboo providing more space for the purification reaction. This composite can be potentially used for board applications with its high porosity, mechanical reliability, and sustainability.

Zobellella iuensis sp. nov., an aerobic denitrifying bacterium isolated from activated sludge.

An aerobic denitrifying bacterium, designated as strain CPY4T, was isolated from activated sludge treating urban sewage under alternating aerobic/anaerobic conditions by an enrichment culture technique. Cells of strain CPY4T were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, long rod-shaped, motile by means of single polar flagellum and capable of aerobic denitrification with citrate as the carbon source. Growth of strain CPY4T was observed at 10-45 °C (optimum, 30-35 °C), at pH 6.0-10.5 (optimum, pH 8.0-8.5) and in 0-5 % NaCl (optimum, 0-3 %; w/v). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain CPY4T showed the highest similarity to Zobellella denitrificans ZD1T (97.9 %), followed by Zobellella endophytica 59N8T (97.6 %), Zobellella aerophila JC2671T (97.2 %), Zobellella taiwanensis ZT1T (97.1 %) and Zobellella maritima 102-Py4T (96.3 %). Genome comparisons between CPY4T and other Zobellella species showed highest digital DNA-DNA hybridization with Z. denitrificans ZD1T (43.8 %) and highest average nucleotide identity (ANIb and ANIm) of genome nucleotide sequences with Z. denitrificans ZD1T(90.7 and 92 %, respectively). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that strain CPY4T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of Zobellella species and formed a phyletic line with them, which was distinct from other members of the family Aeromonadaceae. The sole respiratory ubiquinone was quinone 8. The predominant fatty acids (>10 % of the total fatty acids) of strain CPY4T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω6c and/or C18 : 1 ω7c), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω6c and/or C16 : 1 ω7c) and C16 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content was 62.7 mol %. In the polar lipid profile, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phospholipids and aminolipids were the major compounds. Based on the genotypic and phenotypic data, strain CPY4T represents a novel species of the genus Zobellella, for which the name Zobellella iuensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CPY4T (=JCM 34456T=CGMCC 1.18722T).

Quantitative changes in iris vasculature and blood flow in patients with different refractive errors.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between microvascular changes in the iris and refractive errors. METHODS: A cross-sectional case study. Seventy eyes from 70 patients with refractive errors were enrolled. Iris microvasculature was analyzed using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). We divided the iris images into three regions and calculated the vessel area density (VAD) and vessel skeleton density (VSD) of the inner one-third, inner two-thirds, and the entirety of the iris. RESULTS: The VADs and VSDs of the different regions were significantly different. The VAD and VSD of the inner one-third of the iris were higher than those of the other regions. The iris blood vessels were denser near the pupil margin, and blood vessels from the iris root to the pupil edge were radially distributed. The VAD and VSD of patients with mild hyperopia and emmetropia were higher than those of patients with moderate and high myopia. As the spherical equivalent increased, the VAD and VSD of the iris increased. Neither age nor sex contributed to significant differences in VAD and VSD. CONCLUSION: Quantitative changes in iris microvasculature may indicate the development of myopia.

Retracted Article: LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 Promotes Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress of Human Lens Epithelial Cells through Epigenetic Regulation of WRN.

We, the authors, Editors and Publisher of the journal Current Eye Research, have retracted the following article:Shengqun Jiang, Yanwen Jia and Ziqing Gao. LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 promotes apoptosis and oxidative stress of human lens epithelial cells through epigenetic regulation of WRN. Current Eye Research 2022; [2022 Feb 18;1-25; Online ahead of print]. doi.org/10.1080/02713683.2022.2026975.Since publication, the authors have informed the journal that they are unable to provide the original data for the study and are unable to verify the findings after failing to reproduce the results. As this directly impacts the validity of the reported results and conclusions, the authors alerted the issue to the Editors and Publisher and all have agreed to retract the article to ensure the integrity of the scholarly record.We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions.The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as "Retracted."

Organocatalytic Regio- and Enantioselective [3 + 2]-Annulations of Ninhydrin-Derived Morita-Baylis-Hillman Carbonates with 3-Methyleneoxindoles.

A type of Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates has been developed from ninhydrin. These MBH carbonates have been successfully employed as 3C-synthons in the organocatalytic asymmetric [3 + 2]-annulations of the isatin-derived electron-deficient olefins, affording structurally diverse spirooxindoles in high yield with excellent stereoselectivity. In particular, the regioselectivity of MBH carbonates was controlled by the reaction partner, 3-methyleneoxindoles with carbonyl groups (R = ArCO), affording ß-selective products and 3-methyleneoxindoles with ester groups (R = CO2Me) furnishing γ-selective products. The representative scale-up reactions and transformation of product were examined. The reaction mechanism was expounded by control experiments.

Deep Elastic Strain Engineering of 2D Materials and Their Twisted Bilayers.

Conventionally, tuning materials' properties can be done through strategies such as alloying, doping, defect engineering, and phase engineering, while in fact mechanical straining can be another effective approach. In particular, elastic strain engineering (ESE), unlike conventional strain engineering mainly based on epitaxial growth, allows for continuous and reversible modulation of material properties by mechanical loading/unloading. The exceptional intrinsic mechanical properties (including elasticity and strength) of two-dimensional (2D) materials make them naturally attractive candidates for potential ESE applications. Here, we demonstrated that using the strain effect to modulate the physical and chemical properties toward novel functional device applications, which could be a general strategy for various 2D materials and their heterostructures. We then show how ultralarge, uniform elastic strain in free-standing 2D monolayers can permit deep elastic strain engineering (DESE), which can result in fundamentally changed electronic and optoelectronic properties for unconventional device applications. In addition to monolayers and van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, we propose that DESE can be also applied to twisted bilayer graphene and other emerging twisted vdW structures, allowing for unprecedented functional 2D material applications.

Quantitative analysis and clinical application of iris circulation in ischemic retinal disease.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate quantitative changes in iris blood circulation in patients with ischemic risk. METHODS: This observational case-control study included 79 patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The RVO group included 21 patients; the monocular proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) group included 19 patients; the nondiabetic retinopathy (NDR) group included 18 patients; and the healthy control group included 21 healthy controls. In the RVO group, we analyzed RVO affected eyes, RVO contralateral eyes, and healthy control eyes. We also compared eyes with PDR and contralateral eyes without PDR, patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) without DR, and healthy control eyes. The microvascular networks of the iris and retina were analyzed using optical coherence tomography angiography. The analysis included vessel area density (VAD) and vessel skeleton density (VSD) of iris and retina. RESULTS: In the RVO group, the VAD and VSD of iris in the affected eye were higher than those in contralateral and healthy control eyes, and the VAD and VSD of contralateral eyes were higher than those of healthy control eyes. The retinal blood flow of the RVO eyes was less than that of the contralateral and healthy control eyes, but there were no difference between the contralateral eyes and healthy control eyes. The VAD and VSD of iris in PDR were larger than nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and the NPDR were larger than NDR. There were no differences between NDR and healthy control eyes. Also, there were no differences among the four groups with respect to retinal blood flow. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the retina, iris blood circulation quantitative analysis data seem to be more sensitive to ischemia and may be used as a new predictor of ischemic disease, even if further research is needed to better understand the clinical value and importance of this analysis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered with the clinical trial registration number nct03631108 .

In vivo Noninvasive Imaging and Quantitative Analysis of Iris Vessels.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the iris vessels and its circadian rhythm in normal eyes. METHODS: Fifteen healthy subjects were enrolled in this retrospective, cross-sectional study. All subjects underwent optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) examinations, in which 3/15 completed ICGA and OCTA at the same visit. Upon visit, consecutive OCTA scans were then obtained at the time points of the hour 3:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00, 22:00, and 24:00, respectively. Vessel area density (VAD) and vessel skeleton density (VSD) were used to quantitatively describe the OCTA images of the iris vessels. RESULTS: The VAD and VSD of the iris vessels had circadian rhythm with the highest values observed at about 18:00 h and lowest at 0:00 h; the overall values were relatively stable within the 24 h. The contour analysis suggested that the iris VAD and VSD were correlated with the changes in blood pressure and inversely correlated with the changes in the intraocular pressure. CONCLUSIONS: OCTA can be used accurately for quantitative analysis of the iris vessels.

The association between retinal vessel abnormalities and H-type hypertension.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between H-type hypertension and retinal vessel abnormalities. METHODS: Hypertensive patients were retrospectively enrolled in this study. According to plasma homocysteine (HCY), patients were divided into isolated hypertension and H-type hypertension groups. The diameter of retinal vessels and retinopathy were evaluated by retinal fundus photography. The differences of retinal vessel abnormalities between H-type hypertension and isolated hypertension were investigated by univariate and multivariate regression. RESULTS: A total of 191 hypertensive patients were included, of which 86 were with isolated hypertension and 105 with H-type hypertension. The H-type hypertension group had a higher ratio of retinopathy(P = 0.004) and higher degree of retinal arteriosclerosis (P = 0.005) than the isolated hypertension group. CRAE (107.47 ± 13.99µ m vs. 113.49 ± 11.72µ m, P = 0.002) and AVR (0.55 ± 0.06 vs. 0.58 ± 0.06, P = 0.001) were smaller in H-type hypertension group than those in isolated hypertension group. Multivariate analysis showed that after adjusting for age, sex, course of hypertension and diabetes, H-type hypertension was an independent risk factor of retinopathy (OR, 2.259; 95%CI, 1.165-4.378; P = 0.016), CRAE (ß=-5.669; 95%CI, -9.452--1.886; P = 0.004), and AVR (ß=-0.023; 95%CI, -0.039--0.007; P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: H-type hypertension is closely related to more retinal vessel abnormalities than isolated hypertension. Controlling H-type hypertension may reduce the risk of small vascular damage.

The efficacy and safety of intravitreal conbercept combined with mitomycin C augmented trabeculectomy for treating neovascular glaucoma.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal Conbercept (IVC) and trabeculectomy for treating neovascular glaucoma (NVG). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a total of 29 eyes from 29 NVG patients. All patients received preoperative IVC combined with mitomycin C (MMC) augmented trabeculectomy with a 12-month follow-up. The best-corrected visual acuities (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and cumulative survival rate were calculated. RESULTS: All 29 cases had complete regression of iris neovascularization at 7 days after the combination treatment, and 2 cases had residual iris neovascularization which regressed completely 1 month later. IOP decreased while BCVA improved significantly following the combination treatment. The success rates were 96.6%, 93.1%, 89.7%, 86.2%, and 82.8% at 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after trabeculectomy, respectively. IVC injection combined trabeculectomy had few complications. CONCLUSIONS: IVC injection of conbercept combined with trabeculectomy is effective and safe for the treatment of NVG.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester attenuates nuclear factor­κB­mediated inflammatory responses in Müller cells and protects against retinal ganglion cell death.

Glaucoma is characterized by the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and visual field defects, and is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a natural polyphenolic found in propolis from honeybee hives, can inhibit the activation of nuclear factor κ light­chain­enhancer of activated B cells (NF­κB) and has therapeutic potential in inflammatory disease. The present study used a rat model of optic nerve crush (ONC) injury to investigate the effect of CAPE on glaucoma. The death of RGCs at day 14 was significantly reduced in CAPE­treated animals compared with the non­treated group according to Brn3a and TUNEL staining. In addition, CAPE decreased the severity of inflammation in the retina, reflected by the decreased expression of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)­8, IL­6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cycloooxygenase­2, tumor necrosis factor­α and chemokine C­C ligand­2, in CAPE­treated rats. The hypertrophy of astrocytes and Müller cells (gliosis) caused by ONC was also found to be attenuated by CAPE, accompanied by the inhibition of NF­κB signaling. Similarly, in vitro, CAPE suppressed the proliferation and migration of primary astrocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide, as well as the activation of NF­κB. These results suggest that CAPE protected against RGC and attenuated inflammatory responses in a rat model of ONC by suppressing NF­κB activation.

Organocatalytic enantioselective conjugate addition of 2-naphthols to ortho-hydroxyphenyl substituted para-quinone methides: access to unsymmetrical triarylmethanes.

The enantioselective conjugate addition of 2-naphthols to ortho-hydroxyphenyl substituted para-quinone methides has been achieved with the aid of a chiral phosphoric acid. Importantly, the reaction took place with excellent chemo- and regioselectivities. In addition, the protocol features a low catalyst loading, mild reaction conditions, and enables the formation of unsymmetrical triarylmethanes in good to high yields with generally high enantioselectivities.

Organocatalytic condensation-ring opening-annulation cascade reactions between N-Bocindolin-2-ones/benzofuran-2(3H)-ones and salicylaldehydes for synthesis of 3-arylcoumarins.

An organocatalytic cascade synthesis of 3-arylcoumarins has been developed. Mediated by 1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4,0]-undec-7-ene or tetramethylguanidine, a number of 3-arylcoumarins were obtained in good to excellent yields via condensation-ring opening-annulation between N-Bocindolin-2-ones/benzofuran-2(3H)-ones and salicylaldehydes. This method was featured by a broad scope of reactants, mild conditions, and simple operation.

[Development and application of a fundus transverse microscopic imaging system].

A human fundus transverse microscopic imaging system based on a MEMS deformable membrane mirror was developed. A 37 element small MEMS deformable membrane mirror was used as wave front corrector in this system. Wavefront errors were measured by a Hartman-Shack wave front sensor which contains 127 micro lens lets. After the wavefront error of human eye had been corrected by the deformable membrane mirror under the control of a computer, the imaging illumination light was triggered by a electronic shutter to illuminate the retina, the images were captured by a CCD camera. It has been showed in model eye's test that the system could measure and correct the eye's wavefront aberration efficiently. The fundus image achieved the diffraction limit after aberration correction. It was showed in clinic that except a few patients with turbid eye, most patients could finish the process of measuring and correcting wavefront aberration and then taking fundus image. The examination process could be finished safely, quickly and reliably.