Effectiveness and Safety of Anlotinib Combined with PD-1 Blockades in Patients with Previously Immunotherapy Treated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Exploratory Study.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and tolerability of anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades in patients with previously immunotherapy treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 67 patients with previously immunotherapy treated advanced NSCLC who received anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades in clinical practice were screened retrospectively. All the PD-1 blockades used in this study were approved in China and consisted of sintilimab, camrelizumab, tislelizumab and pembrolizumab. Effectiveness and safety of anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades were assessed, and all patients were followed up regularly. Clinical significance between response status to previous immune-related treatment regimens and therapeutic outcomes of anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades was further explored. Results: The best overall response among the 67 patients suggested that a partial response was observed in 16 patients, stable disease was noted in 41 patients and progressive disease was found in 10 patients, which yielded an objective response rate of 23.9% (95% CI: 14.3-35.9%) and a disease control rate of 85.1% (95% CI: 74.3-92.6%). Prognostic outcomes indicated that the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.1 months (95% CI: 2.37-9.83) and the median overall survival (OS) was 16.5 months (95% CI: 10.73-22.27). Exploratory analysis highlighted that patients who were intolerant to previous immune-related regimens (17 patients) might have a superior prognosis (median OS: 22.3 months vs 12.5 months, P=0.024). Additionally, adverse reactions with any grades during anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades administration were observed in 62 patients (92.5%), of which 31 patients (46.3%) had ≥grade 3 adverse reactions. Most common adverse reactions were fatigue, hypertension, diarrhea and hepatotoxicity. Conclusion: Anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades demonstrated promising effectiveness and tolerable safety in patients with previously immunotherapy treated advanced NSCLC. Those who were intolerant to previous immune-related regimens might benefit significantly from treatment with anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades. This conclusion should be confirmed in future studies.

Neurosonological parameters may predict the risk of cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome after carotid artery stenting.

PURPOSE: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) is a critical complicationin patients underwent carotid artery stenting (CAS). We sought to explore neurosonological parameters and additional risk factors associated with CHS in patients following CAS and further to develop a prediction model for CHS after CAS. METHODS: A total of 197 patients who underwent CAS were included in this observational study. All patients were divided into CHS and non-CHS groups. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data were extracted from electronic medical records. Logistic regression analysis and nomogram listing were used to build a CHS prediction model. Machine learning algorithms with five-fold cross-validation were used to further validate the CHS prediction model. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients had clinically manifested CHS. Four parameters were detected as risk factors associated with CHS, including effective collateral circulation (ECC) (p = 0.046), asymmetry ratio of peak systolic velocity of the middle cerebral artery (ARP) (p = 0.001), severe stenosis or occlusion of the contralateral carotid artery (p = 0.010), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P = 0.025). The area under the curve for the prediction model of CHS in the cohort was 0.835 (95% CI 0.760-0.909). CONCLUSION: In this study, CHS following CAS was associated with ECC, ARP, contralateral ICA severe stenosis or occlusion, as well as LDL-C. Subsequently, the CHS prediction model for CAS was built, which has the potential to facilitate tailored and precise management as well as treatment strategies for patients at high risk of CHS.

Simulation and Experimental Study on the Effect of Superheat on Solidification Microstructure Evolution of Billet in Continuous Casting.

The control of the solidification structure of a casting billet is directly correlated with the quality of steel. Variations in superheat can influence the transition from columnar crystals to equiaxed crystals during the solidification process, subsequently impacting the final solidification structure of the billet. In this study, a model of microstructure evolution during billet solidification was established by combining simulation and experiment, and the dendrite growth microstructure evolution during billet solidification under different superheat was studied. The results show that when the superheat is 60 K, the complete solidification time of the casting billet from the end of the 50 mm section is 252 s, when the superheat is 40 K, the complete solidification time of the casting billet is 250 s, and when the superheat is 20 K, the complete solidification time of the casting billet is 245 s. When the superheat is 20 K, the proportion of the equiaxed crystal region is higher-the highest value is 53.35%-and the average grain radius is 0.84556 mm. The proportion of the equiaxed crystal region decreases with the increase of superheat. When the superheat is 60 K, the proportion of the equiaxed crystal region is the lowest-the lowest value is 46.27%-and the average grain radius is 1.07653 mm. Proper reduction of superheat can obviously reduce the size of equiaxed crystal, expand the area of equiaxed crystal and improve the quality of casting billet.

Potential Role of the Anammoxosome in the Adaptation of Anammox Bacteria to Salinity Stress.

The underlying adaptative mechanisms of anammox bacteria to salt stress are still unclear. The potential role of the anammoxosome in modulating material and energy metabolism in response to salinity stress was investigated in this study. The results showed that anammox bacteria increased membrane fluidity and decreased mechanical properties by shortening the ladderane fatty acid chain length of anammoxosome in response to salinity shock, which led to the breakdown of the proton motive force driving ATP synthesis and retarded energy metabolism activity. Afterward, the fatty acid chain length and membrane properties were recovered to enhance the energy metabolic activity. The relative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) area proportion of anammoxosome decreased from 55.9 to 38.9% under salinity stress. The 3D imaging of the anammox bacteria based on Synchrotron soft X-ray tomography showed that the reduction in the relative volume proportion of the anammoxosome and the concave surfaces was induced by salinity stress, which led to the lower energy expenditure of the material transportation and provided more binding sites for enzymes. Therefore, anammox bacteria can modulate nitrogen and energy metabolism by changing the membrane properties and morphology of the anammoxosome in response to salinity stress. This study broadens the response mechanism of anammox bacteria to salinity stress.

Using Network Analysis and Predictive Functional Analysis to Explore the Fluorotelomer Biotransformation Potential of Soil Microbial Communities.

Microbial transformation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including fluorotelomer-derived PFAS, by native microbial communities in the environment has been widely documented. However, few studies have identified the key microorganisms and their roles during the PFAS biotransformation processes. This study was undertaken to gain more insight into the structure and function of soil microbial communities that are relevant to PFAS biotransformation. We collected 16S rRNA gene sequencing data from 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate biotransformation studies conducted in soil microcosms under various redox conditions. Through co-occurrence network analysis, several genera, including Variovorax, Rhodococcus, and Cupriavidus, were found to likely play important roles in the biotransformation of fluorotelomers. Additionally, a metagenomic prediction approach (PICRUSt2) identified functional genes, including 6-oxocyclohex-1-ene-carbonyl-CoA hydrolase, cyclohexa-1,5-dienecarbonyl-CoA hydratase, and a fluoride-proton antiporter gene, that may be involved in defluorination. This study pioneers the application of these bioinformatics tools in the analysis of PFAS biotransformation-related sequencing data. Our findings serve as a foundational reference for investigating enzymatic mechanisms of microbial defluorination that may facilitate the development of efficient microbial consortia and/or pure microbial strains for PFAS biotransformation.

Endoskeleton Soft Multi-Fingered Hand with Variable Stiffness.

The use of a soft multi-fingered hand in handling fragile objects has been widely acknowledged. Nevertheless, high flexibility often results in decreased load capacity, necessitating the need for variable stiffness. This article introduces a new soft multi-fingered hand featuring variable stiffness. The finger of the hand has three chambers and an endoskeleton mechanism. Two chambers facilitate bending and swinging motions, whereas the third adjusts stiffness. An endoskeleton mechanism is embedded in the third chamber, and the friction between its moving parts increases as negative air pressure rises, causing the finger's stiffness to increase. This mechanism can alter its stiffness in any configuration, which is particularly useful in manipulating irregular-shaped fragile objects post-grasping. The effectiveness of the proposed soft multi-fingered hand is validated through five experiments: stiffness adjustment, finger stiffening under a specific orientation, bulb screwing, heavy object lifting, and bean curd grasping. The results demonstrate that the proposed soft multi-fingered hand exhibits robust grasping capabilities for various fragile objects.

Effects of the Glucocorticoid-Mediated Mitochondrial Translocation of Glucocorticoid Receptors on Oxidative Stress and Pyroptosis in BV-2 Microglia.

Microglia are resident macrophages within the central nervous system, serving as the first responders to neuroinflammation. Glucocorticoids (GCs) may cause damage to brain tissue, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. This study was divided into two parts: a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mitochondrial translocation intervention experiment and a mitochondrial oxidative stress inhibition experiment. BV-2 microglia were stimulated with dexamethasone (DEX) and treated with either tubastatin-A or mitoquinone (MitoQ) for 24 h. Our results showed that DEX increased the translocation of GRs to mitochondria, and this effect was accompanied by decreases in the expression of mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase 1 (MT-CO1) and mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase 3 (MT-CO3) and increases in the expression of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and Gasdermin D (GSDMD). The level of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex IV (MRCC IV) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was decreased. An elevation in the level of mitochondrial oxidative stress and the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) was also observed. Mechanistically, tubastatin-A significantly suppressed the mitochondrial translocation of GRs, improved the expression of mitochondrial genes, promoted the restoration of mitochondrial function, and inhibited pyroptosis. MitoQ significantly prevented mitochondrial oxidative stress, improved mitochondrial function, and reduced apoptosis and pyroptosis. Both tubastatin-A and MitoQ suppressed DEX-induced pyroptosis. This study substantiates that the increase in the mitochondrial translocation of GRs mediated by GCs exacerbates oxidative stress and pyroptosis in microglia, which indicates that the regulation of mitochondrial pathways by GCs is pathogenic to microglia.

Glial Cell Activation and Immune Responses in Glaucoma: A Systematic Review of Human Postmortem Studies of the Retina and Optic Nerve.

Although researched extensively the understanding regarding mechanisms underlying glaucoma pathogenesis remains limited. Further, the exact mechanism behind neuronal death remains elusive. The role of neuroinflammation in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death has been prominently theorised. This review provides a comprehensive summary of neuroinflammatory responses in glaucoma. A systematic search of Medline and Embase for articles published up to 8th March 2023 yielded 32 studies using post-mortem tissues from glaucoma patients. The raw data were extracted from tables and text to calculate the standardized mean differences (SMDs). These studies utilized post-mortem tissues from glaucoma patients, totalling 490 samples, compared with 380 control samples. Among the included studies, 27 reported glial cell activation based on changes to cellular morphology and molecular staining. Molecular changes were predominantly attributed to astrocytes (62.5%) and microglia (15.6%), with some involvement of Muller cells. These glial cell changes included amoeboid microglial cells with increased CD45 or HLA-DR intensity and hypertrophied astrocytes with increased glial fibrillary acidic protein labelling. Further, changes to extracellular matrix proteins like collagen, galectin, and tenascin-C suggested glial cells' influence on structural changes in the optic nerve head. The activation of DAMPs-driven immune response and the classical complement cascade was reported and found to be associated with activated glial cells in glaucomatous tissue. Increased pro-inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were also linked to glial cells. Glial cell activation was also associated with mitochondrial, vascular, metabolic and antioxidant component disruptions. Association of the activated glial cells with pro-inflammatory responses, dysregulation of homeostatic components and antigen presentation indicates that glial cell responses influence glaucoma progression. However, the exact mechanism triggering these responses and underlying interactions remains unexplored. This necessitates further research using human samples for an increased understanding of the precise role of neuroinflammation in glaucoma progression.

Mechanism of the Synergistic Toxicity of Ampicillin and Cefazoline on Selenastrum capricornutum.

Ampicillin (AMP) and cefazolin (CZO) are commonly used ß-lactam antibiotics which are extensively globally produced. Additionally, AMP and CZO are known to have relatively high ecotoxicity. Notably, the mix of AMP and CZO creates a synergistic effect that is more harmful to the environment, and how exposure to AMP-CZO can induce synergism in algae remains virtually unknown. To yield comprehensive mechanistic insights into chemical toxicity, including dose-response relationships and variations in species sensitivity, the integration of multiple endpoints with de novo transcriptomics analyses were used in this study. We employed Selenastrum capricornutum to investigate its toxicological responses to AMP and CZO at various biological levels, with the aim of elucidating the underlying mechanisms. Our assessment of multiple endpoints revealed a significant growth inhibition in response to AMP at the relevant concentrations. This inhibition was associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and perturbations in nitrogen metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and energy metabolism. Growth inhibition in the presence of CZO and the AMP-CZO combination was linked to reduced viability levels, elevated ROS production, decreased total soluble protein content, inhibited photosynthesis, and disruptions in the key signaling pathways related to starch and sucrose metabolism, ribosome function, amino acid biosynthesis, and the production of secondary metabolites. It was concluded from the physiological level that the synergistic effect of Chlorophyll a (Chla) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity strengthened the growth inhibition of S. capricornutum in the AMP-CZO synergistic group. According to the results of transcriptomic analysis, the simultaneous down-regulation of LHCA4, LHCA1, LHCA5, and sodA destroyed the functions of the photosynthetic system and the antioxidant system, respectively. Such information is invaluable for environmental risk assessments. The results provided critical knowledge for a better understanding of the potential ecological impacts of these antibiotics on non-target organisms.

Long-Travel 3-PRR Parallel Platform Based on Biomimetic Variable-Diameter Helical Flexible Hinges.

Technological advancements across various sectors are driving a growing demand for large-scale three-degree-of-freedom micro-nano positioning platforms, with substantial pressure to reduce footprints while enhancing motion range and accuracy. This study proposes a three-prismatic-revolute-revolute (3-PRR) parallel mechanism based on biomimetic variable-diameter helical flexible hinges. The resulting platform achieves high-precision planar motion along the X- and Y-axes, a centimeter-level translation range, and a rotational range of 35° around the Z-axis by integrating six variable-diameter flexible helical hinges that serve as rotational joints when actuated by three miniature linear servo drives. The drives are directly connected to the moving platform, thereby enhancing the compactness of the system. A kinematic model of the motion platform was established, and the accuracy and effectiveness of the forward and inverse kinematic solutions were validated using finite element analysis. Finally, a prototype of the 3-PRR parallel platform was fabricated, and its kinematic performance was experimentally verified visually for improved endpoint displacement detection. The assessment results revealed a maximum displacement error of 9.5% and confirmed that, judging by its favorable workspace-to-footprint ratio, the final system is significantly more compact than those reported in the literature.

New insights into functional divergence and adaptive evolution of uncultured bacteria in anammox community by complete genome-centric analysis.

Anaerobic ammonium-oxidation (anammox) bacteria play a crucial role in global nitrogen cycling and wastewater nitrogen removal, but they share symbiotic relationships with various other microorganisms. Functional divergence and adaptive evolution of uncultured bacteria in anammox community remain underexplored. Although shotgun metagenomics based on short reads has been widely used in anammox research, metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) are often discontinuous and highly contaminated, which limits in-depth analyses of anammox communities. Here, for the first time, we performed Pacific Biosciences high-fidelity (HiFi) long-read sequencing on the anammox granule sludge sample from a lab-scale bioreactor, and obtained 30 accurate and complete metagenome-assembled genomes (cMAGs). These cMAGs were obtained by selecting high-quality circular contigs from initial assemblies of long reads generated by HiFi sequencing, eliminating the need for Illumina short reads, binning, and reassembly. One new anammox species affiliated with Candidatus Jettenia and three species affiliated with novel families were found in this anammox community. cMAG-centric analysis revealed functional divergence in general and nitrogen metabolism among the anammox community members, and they might adopt a cross-feeding strategy in organic matter, cofactors, and vitamins. Furthermore, we identified 63 mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and 50 putative horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events within these cMAGs. The results suggest that HGT events and MGEs related to phage and integration or excision, particularly transposons containing tnpA in anammox bacteria, might play important roles in the adaptive evolution of this anammox community. The cMAGs generated in the present study could be used to establish of a comprehensive database for anammox bacteria and associated microorganisms. These findings highlight the advantages of HiFi sequencing for the studies of complex mixed cultures and advance the understanding of anammox communities.

Toxic interactions at the physiological and biochemical levels of green algae under stress of mixtures of three azole fungicides.

Assessing the interactions between environmental pollutants and these mixtures is of paramount significance in understanding their negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. However, existing research often lacks comprehensive investigations into the physiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying these interactions. This study aimed to reveal the toxic mechanisms of cyproconazole (CYP), imazalil (IMA), and prochloraz (PRO) and corresponding these mixtures on Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa by analyzing the interactions at physiological and biochemical levels. Higher concentrations of CYP, IMA, and PRO and these mixtures resulted in a reduction in chlorophyll (Chl) content and increased total protein (TP) suppression, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content exhibited a negative correlation with algal growth. The activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased with increasing azole fungicides and their mixture concentrations, correlating positively with growth inhibition. Azole fungicides induced dose-dependent apoptosis in A. pyrenoidosa, with higher apoptosis rates indicative of greater pollutant toxicity. The results revealed concentration-dependent toxicity effects, with antagonistic interactions at low concentrations and synergistic effects at high concentrations within the CYP-IMA mixtures. These interactions were closely linked to the interactions observed in Chl-a, carotenoid (Car), CAT, and cellular apoptosis. The antagonistic effects of CYP-PRO mixtures on A. pyrenoidosa growth inhibition can be attributed to the antagonism observed in Chl-a, Chl-b, Car, TP, CAT, SOD, and cellular apoptosis. This study emphasized the importance of gaining a comprehensive understanding of the physiological and biochemical interactions within algal cells, which may help understand the potential mechanism of toxic interaction.

The recovery potential and utilization pathway of chemical energy from wastewater pollutants during wastewater treatment in China.

Research on the potential for chemical energy recovery and the optimization of recovery pathways in different regions of China is still lacking. This study aimed to address this gap by evaluating the potential and optimize the utilization pathways for chemical energy recovery in various regions of China for achieving sustainable wastewater treatment. The results showed that the eastern and northeastern regions of China exhibited higher chemical energy levels under the existing operating conditions. Key factors affecting chemical energy recovery included chemical oxygen demand removal (ΔCOD), treatment scale, and specific energy consumption (µ) of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Furthermore, the average improvement in the chemical energy recovery rate with an optimized utilization pathway was approximately 40% in the WWTPs. The use of the net-zero energy consumption (NZE) model proved effective in improving the chemical energy recovery potential, with an average reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reaching next to 95% in the investigated WWTPs.

A systemic infection involved in lung, brain and spine caused by Scedosporium apiospermum species complex after near-drowning: a case report and literature review.

Scedosporium apiospermum species complex are widely distributed fungi that can be found in a variety of polluted environments, including soil, sewage, and decaying vegetation. Those opportunistic pathogens with strong potential of invasion commonly affect immunosuppressed populations However, few cases of scedosporiosis are reported in immunocompetent individuals, who might be misdiagnosed, leading to a high mortality rate. Here, we reported an immunocompetent case of systemtic infection involved in lung, brain and spine, caused by S. apiospermum species complex (S. apiospermum and S. boydii). The patient was an elderly male with persistent fever and systemtic infection after near-drowning. In the two tertiary hospitals he visited, definite diagnosis was extremely difficult. After being admitted to our hospital, he was misdiagnosed as tuberculosis infection, before diagnosis of S. apiospermum species complex infection by the metagenomic next-generation sequencing. His symptoms were alleviated after voriconazole treatment. In the present case, the details associated with its course were reported and published studies on Scedosporium spp. infection were also reviewed, for a better understanding of this disease and reducing the misdiagnosis rate.

A review of the occurrence and microbial transformation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF)-impacted environments.

Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) have been extensively used for extinguishing hydrocarbon-fuel fires at military sites, airports, and fire-training areas. Despite being a significant source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), our understanding of PFAS occurrence in AFFF formulations and AFFF-impacted environments is limited, as is the impact of microbial transformation on the environment fate of AFFF-derived PFAS. This literature review compiles PFAS concentrations in electrochemical fluorination (ECF)- and fluorotelomer (FT)-based AFFFs and provides an overview of PFAS occurrence in AFFF-impacted environments. Our analysis reveals that AFFF use is a predominant point source of PFAS contamination, including primary precursors (polyfluoroalkyl substances as AFFF components), secondary precursors (polyfluoroalkyl transformation products of primary precursors), and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs). Moreover, there are discrepancies between PFAS concentration profiles in AFFFs and those measured in AFFF-impacted media. For example, primary precursors constitute 52.6 % and 99.5 % of PFAS mass in ECF- and FT-based AFFFs, respectively, whereas they represent only 0.7 % total mass in AFFF-impacted groundwater. Conversely, secondary precursors, which constitute <1 % of PFAS in AFFFs, represent 4.0-27.8 % of PFAS in AFFF-impacted environments. The observed differences in PFAS levels between AFFFs and environmental samples are likely due to in-situ biotransformation processes. Biotransformation rates and pathways reported for AFFF-derived primary and secondary precursors varied among different classes of precursors, consistent with the PFAS occurrence in AFFF-impacted environments. For example, readily biodegradable primary precursors, N-dimethyl ammonio propyl perfluoroalkane sulfonamide (AmPr-FASA) and n:2 fluorotelomer thioether amido sulfonate (n:2 FtTAoS), were rarely detected in AFFF-impacted environments. In contrast, key secondary precursors, perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FASAs) and n:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (n:2 FTS), were widely detected, which was attributed to their resistance to biotransformation. Key knowledge gaps and future research priorities are presented to better understand the occurrence, fate, and transport of AFFF-derived PFAS in the environment and to design more effective remediation strategies.

A machine learning-based hybrid recommender framework for smart medical systems.

This article presents a hybrid recommender framework for smart medical systems by introducing two methods to improve service level evaluations and doctor recommendations for patients. The first method uses big data techniques and deep learning algorithms to develop a registration review system in medical institutions. This system outperforms conventional evaluation methods, thus achieving higher accuracy. The second method implements the term frequency and inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) algorithm to construct a model based on the patient's symptom vector space, incorporating score weighting, modified cosine similarity, and K-means clustering. Then, the alternating least squares (ALS) matrix decomposition and user collaborative filtering algorithm are applied to calculate patients' predicted scores for doctors and recommend top-performing doctors. Experimental results show significant improvements in metrics called precision and recall rates compared to conventional methods, making the proposed approach a practical solution for department triage and doctor recommendation in medical appointment platforms.

Ultrastrong to nearly deep-strong magnon-magnon coupling with a high degree of freedom in synthetic antiferromagnets.

Ultrastrong and deep-strong coupling are two coupling regimes rich in intriguing physical phenomena. Recently, hybrid magnonic systems have emerged as promising candidates for exploring these regimes, owing to their unique advantages in quantum engineering. However, because of the relatively weak coupling between magnons and other quasiparticles, ultrastrong coupling is predominantly realized at cryogenic temperatures, while deep-strong coupling remains to be explored. In our work, we achieve both theoretical and experimental realization of room-temperature ultrastrong magnon-magnon coupling in synthetic antiferromagnets with intrinsic asymmetry of magnetic anisotropy. Unlike most ultrastrong coupling systems, where the counter-rotating coupling strength g2 is strictly equal to the co-rotating coupling strength g1, our systems allow for highly tunable g1 and g2. This high degree of freedom also enables the realization of normalized g1 or g2 larger than 0.5. Particularly, our experimental findings reveal that the maximum observed g1 is nearly identical to the bare frequency, with g1/ω0 = 0.963, indicating a close realization of deep-strong coupling within our hybrid magnonic systems. Our results highlight synthetic antiferromagnets as platforms for exploring unconventional ultrastrong and even deep-strong coupling regimes, facilitating the further exploration of quantum phenomena.

Adaptive Optics Imaging in Diabetic Retinopathy: A Prospective Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity and microscopic retinal and vascular alterations using adaptive optics imaging (AOI). METHODS: In this single-center, prospective cohort study, adult participants with healthy eyes or DR underwent AOI. Participants were classified into control/mild non-proliferative DR (NPDR), moderate/severe NPDR, and proliferative DR. AOI using the RTX1 camera was obtained from 48 participants (87 eyes) for photoreceptor data, and from 36 participants (62 eyes) for vascular data. RESULTS: Photoreceptor parameters significantly differed between DR groups at 2° and 4° of retinal eccentricity. Wall-to-lumen ratio varied significantly at 2° eccentricity, while other vascular parameters remained non-significant. Cone density and dispersion were the strongest predictors for DR severity (p<0.001) in multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) modeling, while other vascular parameters remained non-significant between DR severity groups. All photoreceptor parameters showed significant correlations with visual acuity overall and across most DR severity groups. CONCLUSION: To date, this is one of the largest studies evaluating the use of AOI in DR. AOI was demonstrated to differentiate between various levels of disease severity in DR. These results support the potential role in diagnostic and therapeutic microstructural evaluation in research and clinical practice.

Subfoveal Choroidal Neovascular Membrane Secondary to Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

Purpose: To present a rare case of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) secondary to idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Methods: A case was evaluated. Results: A 21-year-old woman presented with a 2-week history of painless blurred vision in the right eye. She described initial metamorphopsia and intermittent bitemporal headaches lasting 30 minutes. She denied pain with eye movements and a history of trauma. Her body mass index was 49 kg/m2. The visual acuity (VA) was 20/320 OD and 20/20 OS; there was no relative afferent pupillary defect. A dilated fundus examination showed bilateral optic disc edema and a subfoveal CNVM in the right eye. The patient was started on oral acetazolamide 500 mg twice daily and treated with 2 intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections. Three months later, the VA was 20/30 in the right eye and the disc edema had improved. Conclusions: CNVMs in the setting of idiopathic intracranial hypertension-related papilledema may be subfoveal and have an excellent response to anti-VEGF agents.