Non-diffractive, toric, extended depth-of-focus intraocular lenses in eyes with low corneal astigmatism.

BACKGROUND: To assess clinical outcomes after implanting toric, extended-depth-of-focus intraocular lenses (IOLs) to correct low corneal astigmatism in eyes with cataracts. METHODS: 47 eyes were implanted with the AcrySof IQ Vivity Toric DFT215 IOL. Main outcome measures were refractive error, monocular uncorrected and corrected distance (UDVA/CDVA), uncorrected and distance-corrected intermediate (UIVA/DCIVA), and uncorrected near and distance-corrected near (UNVA/DCNVA) visual acuities, monocular defocus curve, rotational stability, and IOLSAT and QUVID questionnaires. Patients were assessed at 3 months postsurgery. RESULTS: All eyes had a postoperative spherical equivalent (SE) within ± 0.50 D and 97.87% (n = 46) had a refractive cylinder ≤ 0.50 D. The mean SE and refractive cylinder were - 0.10 ± 0.17 D and - 0.16 ± 0.24 D, respectively. The CDVA was ≥ 20/25 and ≥ 20/32 in 95.74% (n = 45) and 97.87% (n = 46) of eyes, respectively. The DCIVA was ≥ 20/32 in 85.11% (n = 40) of eyes and the DCNVA was ≥ 20/40 in 74.47% (n = 35). The mean values of CDVA, DCIVA, and DCNVA were - 0.02 ± 0.08, 0.14 ± 0.09, and 0.23 ± 0.12 logMAR, respectively. The defocus curve revealed good visual acuity at far and intermediate distances with a depth-of-focus of about 1.75 D. IOL rotation was 0.74 ± 1.13 degrees and all eyes had a rotation of less than 5 degrees. Patients reported either good or very good postoperative vision without eyeglasses under bright-light-conditions at distance (87.80%, 36/41) and intermediate distance (92.68%, 38/41). Between about 63.83%-72.34% (30-34) of patients reported no starburst, halos, or glare, or if experienced, were not bothersome. CONCLUSIONS: The Vivity toric IOL implanted in eyes with low-astigmatism provides accurate refractive outcomes, good visual acuity at different distances and excellent rotational stability. Trial Registration The study was registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00030579).

Enhancing Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Comparative Analysis of Rapid Point-of-Care Infliximab, Adalimumab and Anti-Drug Antibodies' Determination against ELISA.

The introduction of point-of-care (POC) assays into clinical practice in patients with inflammatory disease enables on-demand therapeutic decision making. The aim of this study was to compare the POC test Quantum blue (Bühlmann Laboratories) for infliximab (IFX), adalimumab (ADL), and its anti-drug antibodies with the traditional ELISA assay (Promonitor). A total of 200 serum samples were analyzed. Samples were classified into the following three different groups; sub-therapeutic range (IFX < 3 µg/mL and ADL < 5 µg/mL); therapeutic range (IFX: 3-7 µg/mL and ADL: 5-12 µg/mL) and supra-therapeutic range (IFX levels > 7 µg/mL and ADL levels > 12 µg/mL). Significant higher values were measured using the POC test (p < 0.001) for IFX results but no differences in ADL trough levels were observed (p = 0.3101). Spearman's correlation indicated a good correlation between the two assays (rs = 0.88 for ADL and rs = 0.93 for IFX), and McNemar's test revealed significant differences (p = 0.016) when classifying IFX samples between therapeutic and supra-therapeutic ranges but no significant differences were found among the other ranges for either IFX or ADL. These results show that we should be cautious when using these rapid measurement methods, and new targets should probably be defined for IFX when using this new analytical method.

Clinical Performance of a New Trifocal IOL with a 7.0 mm Optical Zone.

Purpose: To evaluate the refractive and visual outcomes following cataract surgery and implantation of a diffractive trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) with a 7.0 mm optical zone. Methods: A total of 23 patients who underwent bilateral implantation with the Triva-aXAY IOL were analyzed at 6 months post-surgery. The main outcome measures were refractive error, monocular and binocular uncorrected and corrected-distance visual acuity (UDVA, CDVA), uncorrected and corrected-distance intermediate visual acuity (UIVA, CDIVA) at 60 cm, uncorrected and corrected-distance near visual acuity (UNVA, CDNVA) at 40 cm, and binocular defocus curve. Patients also completed the Catquest-9SF questionnaire. Results: All eyes were within ±1.00D, and 91.30% of eyes within ±0.50D, with a mean postoperative spherical equivalent of -0.14±0.29D. Similarly, 95.65% of patients showed a binocular UDVA ≥20/25, compared to 100% for CDVA, and the mean binocular UDVA and CDVA were 0.02±0.06 and 0.00±0.05 logMAR, respectively. At intermediate vision, 65.22% of patients showed a binocular UIVA ≥20/25, compared to 86.96% for CDIVA, and the mean binocular UIVA and CDIVA were 0.07±0.06 and 0.06±0.06 logMAR, respectively. At near, 95.65% of patients showed a binocular UNVA and CDNVA ≥20/25, with a mean binocular UDNVA and CDNVA of 0.04±0.07 and 0.02±0.05 logMAR, respectively. Finally, 95.65% of patients reported being quite satisfied to very satisfied with their vision and about 74% did not report any difficulty with their vision in their everyday life. Between 65.22% and 100% of patients reported no difficulty performing different tasks. Conclusion: Our study shows good visual and refractive outcomes with high satisfaction in patients implanted with the Triva-aXAY IOL with a 7.0 mm optical zone.

EP2 inhibition restores myeloid metabolism and reverses cognitive decline.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alleviate pain and inflammation by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase pathway. This pathway has various downstream effects, some of which are beneficial. Prostaglandin E2 is a key downstream product in the cyclooxygenase pathway that modulates inflammation. A correlation between aging and increased expression of the prostaglandin E2 receptor, EP2, has been associated with inflammatory processes, cognitive aging, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis. Therefore, inhibition of EP2 could lead to therapeutic effects and be more selective than inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2. Studies suggest that inhibition of EP2 restores age-associated spatial memory deficits and synaptic proteins and impairs tumorigenesis. The data indicate that EP2 signaling is important in myeloid cell metabolism and support its candidacy as a therapeutic target.

Visual and Refractive Outcomes After Bilateral Implantation of a Biconvex Aspheric Toric Monofocal Intraocular with a Double C-Loop Haptic Design.

Purpose: To show the visual and refractive outcomes in cataract patients with corneal astigmatism when bilaterally implanted with a biconvex aspheric toric monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) with a double C-loop haptic-design. Methods: Forty-seven cataract patients (94 eyes) with corneal astigmatism (≥0.75D) were implanted with the monofocal PODEYE toric IOL and assessed for 4-6 months post-surgery. Measurements included monocular and binocular uncorrected-distance visual acuity (UDVA) and corrected-distance visual acuity (CDVA), under both photopic and mesopic lighting conditions. Refraction, photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity (with and without glare), and rotational stability were also recorded at the last postoperative visit. Results: At 4-6 months, 78.2% and 98.9% of eyes were within ±0.50D and ±1.00D of the target refraction, respectively. The mean spherical equivalent and refractive cylinder values were 0.09±0.35D and -0.36±0.35D, respectively. 76.5% and 98.8% of eyes presented a postoperative refractive cylinder of ≤0.50D and ≤1.00D, respectively. 91.5% and 100% of patients had a binocular UDVA and CDVA of ≥20/25, respectively. The mean binocular UDVA and CDVA were 0.02±0.08 and -0.02±0.07 logMAR, respectively. Under mesopic conditions, 78.7% and 83.0% of patients presented a binocular UDVA and CDVA ≥20/32, respectively. The mean binocular UDVA and CDVA were 0.15±0.11 and 0.12±0.11 logMAR, respectively. The patients showed good contrast sensitivity under photopic and mesopic conditions. The mean absolute IOL rotation was 1.22±2.21 degrees with 97.87% of eyes having a rotation of <10 degrees. Conclusion: This study shows good visual and refractive outcomes for the PODEYE toric IOL when implanted bilaterally in cataract patients with corneal astigmatism.

Studying the impacts of test condition and nonoptimal positioning of the sensors on the accuracy of the in-situ U-value measurement.

The non-destructive thermal characterization of building envelopes relies significantly on various factors such as climate conditions, monitoring devices used, indoor environment, and conditioning systems. In the case of both the temperature-based method (TBM) and heat flux meter (HFM) approaches, U-value is determined considering the ideal condition of steady state. However, it is challenging to accurately define the true thermal condition of buildings when monitoring is affected by inherent uncertainties of the chosen approach and inadequate instrumentation of building envelopes. This paper presents the outcomes of an experimental campaign, that aimed to evaluate the impact of incorrectly positioned exterior sensors, on the precision of U-value measurements. This study simultaneously employed the TBM and HFM approaches. To enhance the accuracy of the results, rigorous outlier detection and statistical analysis were employed on the data collected from three autonomous monitoring systems. The findings of this study revealed that the applied data analysis yielded more satisfactory results for the TBM approach compared to HFM. However, regardless of the approach used, the effectiveness of outlier detection relied heavily on the accuracy of the monitoring systems. When removing an individual outlier, the monitoring systems characterized with higher accuracies provided U-values that were closer to the theoretical values, than less accurate ones.

Mind-body connection: metabolite 4-ethylphenyl linked to anxiety behavior and oligodendrocyte modification in autism spectrum disorder.

The connection between byproducts of digestion in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and neurocognitive disorders is an expanding area of research that has implications for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Needham et al. (Needham et al. Nature 602: 647-653, 2022) revealed that mice with elevated levels of 4-ethylphenyl sulfate (4EPS), a GI tract-derived metabolite previously found at increased levels in the plasma of individuals with ASD, had altered brain activity, anxiety-influenced behavior, and reduced myelination of neuronal axons. This is a monumental step forward in the study of gut-derived neuroactive compounds, like 4EPS, and advances the understanding of their role in modulating behavior and brain activity in neurocognitive disorders.

Impact of the legalisation of recreational cannabis use. / Impacto de la legalización del consumo recreativo del cannabis.

In recent years, there have been important legislative changes in many countries regarding the use of cannabis for medicinal and/or recreational purposes, which have facilitated access to it.  Uruguay, Canada and some of the US states are the only jurisdictions that have legalised recreational consumption, applying different legislative models. The aim of this review is to analyse the effects that the legalisation of recreational cannabis has had on its use and its consequences. In general, the evidence accumulated to date indicates that the legalisation of cannabis has been associated with a decrease in the price of the substance, higher concentration of THC (potency), greater diversity of presentations for consumption, lower risk perception and an increase in consumption in adults and moderately in adolescents (even though it is illegal for them to consume), as well as an increase in the adverse consequences derived from cannabis consumption on public health. There has been a decrease in drug-related arrests, but the illegal market continues to be frequently used. No increase in the demand for treatment due to cannabis consumption has been detected. Therefore, these legislative changes have so far failed to achieve their main objectives, which were to suppress the illegal market and protect the most vulnerable groups, while on the contrary, they seem to imply an increase in some of the negative aspects associated with cannabis consumption. However, taking into account that most of these legislative changes have entered into force relatively recently, a longer follow-up period is required to be able to draw definitive conclusions.

En los últimos años se han producido importantes cambios legislativos en numerosos países respecto al consumo de cannabis con fines medicinales y/o recreativos, que han facilitado su accesibilidad. Actualmente, Uruguay, Canadá y algunos estados de EE.UU. han legalizado el consumo recreativo, aplicando distintos modelos legislativos. El objetivo de la presente revisión es analizar los efectos que ha tenido la legalización del cannabis recreativo sobre su consumo y sus consecuencias. En general, las evidencias indican que la legalización se ha asociado a un descenso en el precio, mayor concentración de THC (potencia), mayor diversidad de presentaciones para su consumo, una menor percepción de riesgo y un incremento en el consumo en adultos y de forma moderada en adolescentes (aunque sea ilegal el consumo para ellos), así como un aumento de las consecuencias adversas derivadas del consumo en la salud pública. Se ha producido un descenso en los arrestos relacionados con el consumo, pero el mercado ilegal sigue utilizándose de forma habitual. No se ha detectado un incremento de la demanda de tratamiento por este consumo. Por el momento, estos cambios legislativos no han conseguido alcanzar sus objetivos principales que eran suprimir el mercado ilegal y proteger a los grupos más vulnerables, mientras que, por el contrario, parecen implicar un incremento de algunos aspectos negativos asociados al consumo de cannabis. Sin embargo, teniendo en cuenta que la mayoría de estos cambios legislativos han entrado en vigor hace relativamente poco tiempo, se requiere un periodo de seguimiento mayor para poder extraer conclusiones definitivas.

Impacto de la legalización del consumo recreativo del cannabis / Impact of the legalisation of recreational cannabis use

En los últimos años se han producido importantes cambios legislativos en numerosos países respecto al consumo de cannabis con fines medicinales y/o recreativos, que han facilitado su accesibilidad. Actualmente, Uruguay, Canadá y algunos estados de EE.UU. han legalizado el consumo recreativo, aplicando distintos modelos legislativos. El objetivo de la presente revisión es analizar los efectos que ha tenido la legalización del cannabis recreativo sobre su consumo y sus consecuencias. En general, las evidencias indican que la legalización se ha asociado a un descenso en el precio, mayor concentración de THC (potencia), mayor diversidad de presentaciones para su consumo, una menor percepción de riesgo y un incremento en el consumo en adultos y de forma moderada en adolescentes (aunque sea ilegal el consumo para ellos), así como un aumento de las consecuencias adversas derivadas del consumo en la salud pública. Se ha producido un descenso en los arrestos relacionados con el consumo, pero el mercado ilegal sigue utilizándose de forma habitual. No se ha detectado un incremento de la demanda de tratamiento por este consumo. Por el momento, estos cambios legislativos no han conseguido alcanzar sus objetivos principales que eran suprimir el mercado ilegal y proteger a los grupos más vulnerables, mientras que, por el contrario, parecen implicar un incremento de algunos aspectos negativos asociados al consumo de cannabis. Sin embargo, teniendo en cuenta que la mayoría de estos cambios legislativos han entrado en vigor hace relativamente poco tiempo, se requiere un periodo de seguimiento mayor para poder extraer conclusiones definitivas. (AU)

In recent years, there have been important legislative changes in many countries regarding the use of cannabis for medicinal and/or recreational purposes, which have facilitated access to it. Uruguay, Canada and some of the US states are the only jurisdictions that have legalised recreational consumption, applying different legislative models. The aim of this review is to analyse the effects that the legalisation of recreational cannabis has had on its use and its consequences. In general, the evidence accumulated to date indicates that the legalisation of cannabis has been associated with a decrease in the price of the substance, higher concentration of THC (potency), greater diversity of presentations for consumption, lower risk perception and an increase in consumption in adults and moderately in adolescents (even though it is illegal for them to consume), as well as an increase in the adverse consequences derived from cannabis consumption on public health. There has been a decrease in drug-related arrests, but the illegal market continues to be frequently used. No increase in the demand for treatment due to cannabis consumption has been detected. Therefore, these legislative changes have so far failed to achieve their main objectives, which were to suppress the illegal market and protect the most vulnerable groups, while on the contrary, they seem to imply an increase in some of the negative aspects associated with cannabis consumption. However, taking into account that most of these legislative changes have entered into force relatively recently, a longer follow-up period is required to be able to draw definitive conclusions. (AU)

Use of Artificial Tears in Patients Undergoing Treatment with Anti-VEGF Intravitreal Injections.

Purpose: To analyze the use of artificial tears in patients undergoing treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injections. Methods: Thirty-four eyes undergoing anti-VEGF treatment were analyzed. Each patient underwent a subjective and objective evaluation of the ocular surface, using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ)-5, tear meniscus height (TMH), first and average non-invasive Keratograph Break-Up Time (NIKBUT), bulbar conjunctival redness, meibography and the Vision Break-Up Time (VBUT). Patients attended 5 visits (days 0, 7, 30, 37, and 60). All patients continued with their intravitreal injection treatment during the study (days 0, 30, and 60). Patients did not receive any artificial tear treatment during the first month of the study, and at the baseline visit they were randomly assigned to one of two study groups to receive either the Systane Hydration or the Viscofresh 10mg/mL formulation. Patients were instructed to instill one drop of the assigned study treatment 3 times a day for 30 days during the second month of the study. Results: According to the Mixed Models for Repeated Measures analysis, there is not enough statistical evidence for any of the parameters examined to determine significant differences between being treated with artificial tears and not being treated (p > 0.05). There is, however, a tendency toward improved outcomes in some parameters when artificial tears were used. OSDI, DEQ-5, TMH, and meibography were not affected by either the type of artificial tear used or by the time (from day 30 to day 60; p > 0.05), but the NIKBUT and VBUT values increased over time during this period regardless of which treatment the patient was receiving. Conclusion: The use of artificial tears may help to keep the tear film stable Future studies with larger samples should be conducted to elucidate whether the tendency reported in our study becomes significant.

Shared biophysical mechanisms determine early biofilm architecture development across different bacterial species.

Bacterial biofilms are among the most abundant multicellular structures on Earth and play essential roles in a wide range of ecological, medical, and industrial processes. However, general principles that govern the emergence of biofilm architecture across different species remain unknown. Here, we combine experiments, simulations, and statistical analysis to identify shared biophysical mechanisms that determine early biofilm architecture development at the single-cell level, for the species Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown as microcolonies in flow chambers. Our data-driven analysis reveals that despite the many molecular differences between these species, the biofilm architecture differences can be described by only 2 control parameters: cellular aspect ratio and cell density. Further experiments using single-species mutants for which the cell aspect ratio and the cell density are systematically varied, and mechanistic simulations show that tuning these 2 control parameters reproduces biofilm architectures of different species. Altogether, our results show that biofilm microcolony architecture is determined by mechanical cell-cell interactions, which are conserved across different species.

Axial length measurement failure rates using optical biometry based on swept-source OCT in cataractous eyes.

INTRODUCTION: Ocular dimensions measurement is extremely important in cataract procedures and refractive surgery. The use of optical techniques for axial measurements has been developed in recent years. AREAS COVERED: The purpose was to summarize the outcomes reported when swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) optical biometry failed during axial length measurement. A peer-reviewed literature search was carried out to identify publications reporting clinical outcomes for cataractous eyes measured with SS-OCT optical biometers available on the market. A comprehensive analysis of the available data was performed, focusing on parameters such as the sample of eyes evaluated, failure rates, and specifically, the cataract type when the measurement was not possible. 27 studies were included in this review. In general, SS-OCT biometers lead to only small failure rates when measuring axial length (but in some cases up to 38.49%). In the few cases where the measurement was not possible, the cataract type of the eyes was mainly mature white or grade ≥ IV. SS-OCT optical biometers show good outcomes when measuring axial length in eyes with advanced cataracts. EXPERT OPINION: We believe that the use of SS-OCT technology may be considered the gold standard for measuring axial length in any type of cataract.

Fibrinolysis versus thoracoscopy: Comparison of results in empyema management in the child.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare the outcome of treatment with drainage and urokinase (UK) versus thoracoscopy (TS) in pleural empyema secondary to complicated pneumonia. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with complicated parapneumonic effusions between 2008 and 2019 treated with UK or TS. Epidemiological and evolutionary data compared days of fever, antibiotic, pre- and postprocedure stay, time to radiological resolution, and complications. The results were expressed as medians and the comparisons were made by the Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: Of 143 patients with NC, 46 were empyemas (26 men), 25 were treated with TS, and 10 were treated with UK. The remaining 11 received combined treatment, being excluded from the study. There were no significant differences between TS versus UK in age (median 4 vs. 3 years), days of fever before the procedure (4 vs. 2) and after (2 vs. 2), days of antibiotic treatment before the procedure (4 vs. 4), overall hospital stay (15 vs. 13 days), and months until radiological normalization (2 vs. 2). The complications related to the therapy were scarce in both groups and had no impact on evolution. Patients with TS had a longer preprocedural stay (4 vs. 1; P < 0.001) and required fewer days of subsequent antibiotic after procedure (8 vs. 11; P = 0.03), and a shorter overall antibiotic treatment time (11 vs. 16; P = 0.03). They also had a shorter post-TS stay (9 vs. 12 days), although this difference did not become significant (P = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, the results obtained with both procedures are quite similar, although patients undergoing TS had a better evolution (fewer days of antibiotic and a tendency to less hospitalization), despite having been performed a priori in more evolved patients.

Characterization of Viscoelastic Poisson's Ratio of Engineering Elastomers via DIC-Based Creep Testing.

New data of creep and viscoelastic Poisson's ratio, ν(t), of five engineering elastomers (Ethylene Propylene-Diene Monomer, Flouroelastomer (Viton®), nitrile butadiene rubber, silicone rubber and neoprene/chloroprene rubber) at different stress (200, 400 and 600 kPa) and temperature (25, 50 and 80 °C) are presented. The ν(t) was characterized through an experimental methodological approach based on creep testing (30 min) and strain (axial and transverse) measurements by digital image correlation. Initially, creep behavior in axial and transverse directions was characterized for each elastomer and condition, and then each creep curve was fitted to a four-element creep model to obtain the corresponding functions. The obtained functions were used to estimate ν(t) for prolonged times (300 h) through a convolution equation. Overall, the characterization was achieved for the five elastomers results exhibiting ν(t) increasing with temperature and time from about 0.3 (for short-term loading) to reach and stabilize at about 0.48 (for long-term loading).

Perception of a New Prolonged-Release Buprenorphine Formulation in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: The PREDEPO Study.

AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the acceptance of patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) to switching their opioid dependence treatment (ODT) for a prolonged-release buprenorphine (PRB) injection according to their prior ODT (buprenorphine/naloxone [B/N] or methadone). METHODS: This was an observational, retrospective/cross-sectional, multicentre study of adult patients diagnosed with OUD on ODT. Data collected from diaries were analysed to know their interest and opinion on PRB. Questions with fixed response options were included, and several Likert scales were used. RESULTS: A total of 98 patients were enrolled (B/N: 50.0%, methadone: 50.0%). The mean age was 46.9 ± 8.43 years and 79.6% were males. PRB was similarly perceived by both groups in most variables analysed, receiving a mean score of 7.2/10 (B/N: 7.4, methadone: 7.0; p = 0.520), and approximately 65% of patients said they were willing to switch to PRB (B/N: 63.3%, methadone: 65.3%; p = 0.833). Of these, a higher percentage in the B/N group considered that switching would be easy/very easy (B/N: 90.3%, methadone: 46.9%; p < 0.001) and that they would start PRB when available (B/N: 64.5%, methadone: 34.3%; p = 0.005). More than 90% would prefer the monthly injection (B/N: 93.6%, methadone: 100%; p = 0.514). One-third of patients in both groups were unsure/would not switch their ODT to PRB (B/N: 36.7%, methadone: 34.7%; p = 0.833). The main reason was administration by injection. CONCLUSION: Two-thirds of patients would switch their treatment for PRB, and most patients on B/N considered that switching would be easy. PRB could be a suitable alternative for OUD management.

Transitional conic toric intraocular lens evaluation after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery using intraoperative aberrometry.

PURPOSE: To assess refractive and visual outcomes following phacoemulsification with femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) using intraoperative aberrometry and implantation of a toric intraocular lens (IOL) in eyes with different degrees of astigmatism. METHODS: One hundred two eyes of 70 patients who underwent implantation of the transitional toric 565 Precizon IOL (Ophtec BV) were enrolled. FLACS, capsular tension ring insertion, and intraoperative aberrometry were performed. Main outcome measures were refractive error, uncorrected- and corrected distance snellen decimal visual acuity values (UDVA and CDVA, respectively), and IOL rotation. Specifically, a vector analysis was carried out with J0 and J45 evaluation. Eyes were evaluated 1-year after surgery. RESULTS: Overall, 94.12% (96 eyes) and 100% (102 eyes) of the eyes showed a spherical equivalent (SE) within ± 0.50D and ± 1.00D, respectively. The mean SE and refractive cylinder were - 0.06 ± 0.29D and - 0.23 ± 0.37D, respectively. Vector analysis revealed that 100% of the eyes were within ± 0.50D for the J0 and J45 cylindrical components. The mean toric axis rotation was 1.10 ± 1.71° (from 0° to 5°), 77% (79 eyes), and 100% (102 eyes) of the eyes showed UDVA and CDVA of 20/25, respectively. The postoperative mean values of monocular UDVA and CDVA were 0.88 ± 0.17 and 0.96 ± 0.07 (about 20/20), respectively. No patient required IOL realignment during the postoperative follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that the use of the Precizon IOL after FLACS, using intraoperative aberrometry in patients with different amounts of astigmatism, provides good visual acuity, accurate refractive outcomes, and excellent rotational stability.

Spatial alanine metabolism determines local growth dynamics of Escherichia coli colonies.

Bacteria commonly live in spatially structured biofilm assemblages, which are encased by an extracellular matrix. Metabolic activity of the cells inside biofilms causes gradients in local environmental conditions, which leads to the emergence of physiologically differentiated subpopulations. Information about the properties and spatial arrangement of such metabolic subpopulations, as well as their interaction strength and interaction length scales are lacking, even for model systems like Escherichia coli colony biofilms grown on agar-solidified media. Here, we use an unbiased approach, based on temporal and spatial transcriptome and metabolome data acquired during E. coli colony biofilm growth, to study the spatial organization of metabolism. We discovered that alanine displays a unique pattern among amino acids and that alanine metabolism is spatially and temporally heterogeneous. At the anoxic base of the colony, where carbon and nitrogen sources are abundant, cells secrete alanine via the transporter AlaE. In contrast, cells utilize alanine as a carbon and nitrogen source in the oxic nutrient-deprived region at the colony mid-height, via the enzymes DadA and DadX. This spatially structured alanine cross-feeding influences cellular viability and growth in the cross-feeding-dependent region, which shapes the overall colony morphology. More generally, our results on this precisely controllable biofilm model system demonstrate a remarkable spatiotemporal complexity of metabolism in biofilms. A better characterization of the spatiotemporal metabolic heterogeneities and dependencies is essential for understanding the physiology, architecture, and function of biofilms.

In vivo optical quality of posterior-chamber phakic implantable collamer lenses with a central port.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this review is to summarize the optical quality results in patients following the implantation of the V4c implantable collamer lens with a central port (ICL, STAAR Surgical Inc.). MAIN TEXT: A literature search in several databases was carried out to identify those publications, both prospective, retrospective and/or comparative with other refractive surgery procedures, reporting optical outcomes of patients who were implanted with the V4c ICL model. A total of 17 clinical studies published between 2012 and 2021 were included in this review. A detailed analysis of the available data was performed including number of eyes, follow-up and preoperative spherical equivalent. Specifically, the review focused on several optical parameters including higher-order aberrations (HOAs), modulation transfer function (MTF) cut-off frequency and Strehl ratio. This review encompassed a total of 817 eyes measured using different optical devices based on Hartmann-Shack, retinal image quality measurement and ray-tracing technologies at different follow-ups. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes found in this review lead us to conclude that the ICL V4c model provides good optical quality, by means of different metrics, when implanted.

Single-objective high-resolution confocal light sheet fluorescence microscopy for standard biological sample geometries.

Three-dimensional fluorescence-based imaging of living cells and organisms requires the sample to be exposed to substantial excitation illumination energy, typically causing phototoxicity and photobleaching. Light sheet fluorescence microscopy dramatically reduces phototoxicity, yet most implementations are limited to objective lenses with low numerical aperture and particular sample geometries that are built for specific biological systems. To overcome these limitations, we developed a single-objective light sheet fluorescence system for biological imaging based on axial plane optical microscopy and digital confocal slit detection, using either Bessel or Gaussian beam shapes. Compared to spinning disk confocal microscopy, this system displays similar optical resolution, but a significantly reduced photobleaching at the same signal level. This single-objective light sheet technique is built as an add-on module for standard research microscopes and the technique is compatible with high-numerical aperture oil immersion objectives and standard samples mounted on coverslips. We demonstrate the performance of this technique by imaging three-dimensional dynamic processes, including bacterial biofilm dispersal, the response of biofilms to osmotic shocks, and macrophage phagocytosis of bacterial cells.

3D shape and strain measurement of a thin-walled elastic cylinder using fringe projection profilometry.

This paper describes an optical measurement system that is capable of simultaneously measuring a three-dimensional shape and circumferential train in a thin-walled cylinder. We used the fringe projection technique to obtain a three-dimensional shape and out-of-plane displacements, which were then associated with out-of-plane strain. Although 360 deg profilometry is not new, we propose an experimental setup that requires only one camera and one projector, since two mirrors are located at 120 deg with respect to the y-z plane of the reference system to obtain three distinct, complementary views of the sample studied. A sequence of images of the fringe pattern was captured and processed using the phase-shifting method, while the out-of-plane data were determined by comparing the specimen before and after deformation. A latex tube filled with liquid was used to perform mechanical testing. The cylinder was subjected to internal hydrostatic pressure that caused deformation. Experimental results were compared with analytical solutions, and the results show that out-of-plane strains can be accurately measured using the proposed method.