Magnetically Induced Brownian Motion of Iron Oxide Nanocages in Alternating Magnetic Fields and Their Application for Efficient siRNA Delivery.

Hyperthermia of superparamagnetic nanoparticles driven by Néel relaxation in an alternating magnetic field (AMF) has been studied in biomedical areas; however, Brownian motion, induced by another magnetic relaxation mechanism, has not been explored extensively despite its potential in intracellular mechanoresponsive applications. We investigated whether superparamagnetic cage-shaped iron oxide nanoparticles (IO-nanocages), previously demonstrated to carry payloads inside their cavities for drug delivery, can generate Brownian motion by tuning the nanoparticle size at 335 kHz AMF frequency. The motivation of this work is to examine the magnetically driven Brownian motion for the delivery of nanoparticles allowing escape from endosomes before digestion in lysosomes and efficient delivery of siRNA cargoes to the cytoplasm. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements reveal the nanocage size dependence of Brownian relaxation, and a magnetic Brownian motion of 20 nm IO-nanocages improved the efficiency of siRNA delivery while endosomal membranes were observed to be compromised to release IO-nanocages in AMFs during the delivery process.

Ophthalmology residency programs on social media.

PURPOSE: With the transition from away rotations and in-person interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic came a search for alternative methods to represent and promote residency programs. We investigated utilization of social media by ophthalmology residency programs in response to the pandemic. METHODS: Social media accounts of accredited ophthalmology residency programs were found through a manual search on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Each program's geographical region (Northeast, Midwest, South, or West) was identified, and year of account creation (2009-2021) was noted. An exponential regression model was used to model total number of social media accounts over time. Comparisons of total number of social media accounts before/after the pandemic and by region, stratified by social media platform, were evaluated through chi-square analysis. RESULTS: Of 125 ophthalmology residency programs, 63% (n = 79) had at least one account on a social platform. 142 acc. Instagram held the most accounts (45%, n = 64), followed by Facebook (29%, n = 41) and Twitter (26%, n = 37). From 2009 to 2021, there has been an exponential increase in social media accounts (R2 = 0.962). 45% (n = 65) of all accounts were created after March 2020. Instagram increased the most, with 45 ophthalmology residency accounts created after the pandemic as compared to 19 created prior (p < 0.001). The number of social media accounts did not vary by region. CONCLUSIONS: Based on current trends, the presence of ophthalmology residency programs on social media will likely continue expanding, with major social platforms becoming a vaster source of information for ophthalmology residency applicants.

Outcomes of Chandelier-Assisted Scleral Buckling in Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachments: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: To examine the outcomes of chandelier endoillumination-assisted scleral buckling (chandelier scleral buckling) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs) and compare them with those of standard scleral buckling using indirect ophthalmoscopy. Methods: A literature search was performed on April 15, 2023. Outcomes analyzed included the primary anatomic success rates, surgical duration, and complication rates. A meta-analysis of proportions estimated the pooled success rate of chandelier scleral buckling. In addition, meta-analyses compared the success rates between pseudophakic eyes and phakic eyes having chandelier scleral buckling and compared success rates and surgical duration between standard scleral buckling and chandelier scleral buckling. Results: Thirty studies with 1133 eyes were included. The pooled primary anatomic success rate of chandelier scleral buckling was 91.7% (95% CI, 89.6%-93.6%). In studies comparing success rates between the 2 techniques, there was no significant difference (risk ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.94-1.08; P = .80). The surgical times were significantly shorter with chandelier scleral buckling than with standard scleral buckling (mean difference, -18.83; 95% CI, -30.88 to -6.79; P = .002). There was no significant difference in the success rate between pseudophakic eyes and phakic eyes (risk ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.91-1.08; P = .89). No cases of endophthalmitis were reported. Conclusions: Chandelier endoillumination-assisted scleral buckling may be a promising technique given its high rate of primary anatomic success for RRDs and success rates similar to those of standard scleral buckling. There was no significant difference in the efficacy of chandelier scleral buckling between pseudophakic eyes and phakic eyes.

Public Perception of Marijuana Use for the Treatment of Glaucoma.

The use of marijuana for the treatment of glaucoma has been widely debated amongst ophthalmologists and glaucoma specialists. Recent evidence suggests the majority of ophthalmologists do not support the use of marijuana as active treatment for glaucoma. However, there has been no investigation into understanding the public's direct perception of the efficacy of marijuana in glaucoma treatment. By using Twitter as a tool to understand the public's thoughts, tweets were analyzed over the last 2 years. Of the 700 tweets analyzed, 72% (n=503) of tweets were in favor of cannabis use in the treatment of glaucoma, whereas 18% (n=124) were evidently opposed. The majority of those in favor came from accounts of individual users (n=391; 56%) whereas those that opposed marijuana as a treatment came from accounts of health care media, ophthalmologists, and other health care workers. The discrepancy between the public and ophthalmologists and other health care professionals requires recognition and further action to better educate the public on the role of marijuana in glaucoma treatment.