Effect of decentration and tilt on the in vitro optical quality of monofocal and trifocal intraocular lenses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the effect of decentration and tilt on the optical quality of monofocal and trifocal intraocular lenses (IOL). METHODS: Optical quality of a monofocal IOL (AcrySof IQ SN60WF; Alcon Laboratories, Inc., USA) and a trifocal IOL (AcrySof IQ PanOptix; Alcon Laboratories, Inc., USA) was assessed using an in vitro optical bench (OptiSpheric IOL R&D; Trioptics GmbH, Germany). At apertures of 3.0 mm and 4.5 mm, modulation transfer function (MTF) at spatial frequency of 50 lp/mm, MTF curve and the United States Air Force (USAF) resolution test chart of the two IOLs were measured and compared at their focus with different degrees of decentration and tilt. Optical quality at infinity, 60 cm and 40 cm and the through-focus MTF curves were compared when the two IOLs were centered at apertures of 3.0 mm and 4.5 mm. Spectral transmittance of the two IOLs was measured by the UV-visible spectrophotometer (UV 3300 PC; MAPADA, China). RESULTS: The SN60WF and the PanOptix filtered blue light from 400 to 500 nm. Both IOLs at the far focus and the PanOptix at the intermediate focus showed a decrease in optical quality with increasing decentration and tilt. The PanOptix demonstrated enhanced optical quality compared to the previous gradient at the near focus at a decentration range of 0.3-0.7 mm with a 3.0 mm aperture, and 0.5 mm with a 4.5 mm aperture, whereas other conditions exhibited diminished optical quality with increasing decentration and tilt at the focus of both IOLs. When the two IOLs were centered, the SN60WF had better optical quality at infinity, while the PanOptix had better optical quality at 60 cm and 40 cm defocus. The optical quality of the SN60WF exceeded that of the PanOptix at far focus, with a 3 mm aperture decentration up to 0.7 mm and a 4.5 mm aperture decentration up to 0.3 mm; this observation held true for all tilts, irrespective of aperture size. As both decentration and tilt increased, the optical quality of the SN60WF deteriorated more rapidly than that of the PanOptix at the far focal point. CONCLUSIONS: The SN60WF showed a decrease in optical quality with increasing decentration and tilt. Optical quality of the PanOptix at the near focus increased in some decentration conditions and decreased in some conditions, while it showed a decrease at the other focuses with increasing decentration. While tilt only had a negative effect on optical quality. When both IOLs were centered, the PanOptix provided a wider range of vision, while the SN60WF provided better far distance vision. At the far focus, the SN60WF has better resistance to tilt than the PanOptix, but the optical quality degrades more quickly when decentered and tilted.

An Aptamer-Based Nanoflow Cytometry Method for the Molecular Detection and Classification of Ovarian Cancers through Profiling of Tumor Markers on Small Extracellular Vesicles.

Molecular profiling of protein markers on small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) is a promising strategy for the precise detection and classification of ovarian cancers. However, this strategy is challenging owing to the lack of simple and practical detection methods. In this work, using an aptamer-based nanoflow cytometry (nFCM) detection strategy, a simple and rapid method for the molecular profiling of multiple protein markers on sEVs was developed. The protein markers can be easily labeled with aptamer probes and then rapidly profiled by nFCM. Seven cancer-associated protein markers, including CA125, STIP1, CD24, EpCAM, EGFR, MUC1, and HER2, on plasma sEVs were profiled for the molecular detection and classification of ovarian cancers. Profiling these seven protein markers enabled the precise detection of ovarian cancer with a high accuracy of 94.2 %. In addition, combined with machine learning algorithms, such as linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and random forest (RF), the molecular classifications of ovarian cancer cell lines and subtypes were achieved with overall accuracies of 82.9 % and 55.4 %, respectively. Therefore, this simple, rapid, and non-invasive method exhibited considerable potential for the auxiliary diagnosis and molecular classification of ovarian cancers in clinical practice.

Engineering Entropy-Driven Nanomachine-Mediated Morphological Evolution of Anisotropic Silver Triangular Nanoplates for Colorimetric and Photothermal Biosensing.

A DNA/RNA biosensor capable of single nucleotide variation (SNV) resolution is highly desirable for drug design and disease diagnosis. To meet the point-of-care demand, rapid, cost-effective, and accurate SNV detection is of great significance but still suffers from a challenge. In this work, a unique nonenzymatic dual-modal (multicolorimetric and photothermal) visualization DNA biosensor is first proposed for SNV identification on the basis of an entropy-driven nanomachine with double output DNAs and coordination etching of anisotropic silver triangular nanoplates (Ag TNPs). When the target initiates the DNA nanomachine, the liberated multiple output DNAs can be utilized as a bridge to produce a superparamagnetic sandwich complex. The incoming poly-C DNA can coordinate and etch highly active Ag+ ions at the tips of Ag TNPs, causing a shift in the plasmon peak of Ag TNPs from 808 to 613 nm. The more target DNAs are introduced, the more output DNAs are released and thus the more Ag+ ions are etched. The noticeable color changes of anisotropic Ag TNPs can be differentiated by "naked eye" and accurate temperature reading. The programmable DNA nanotechnology and magnetic extraction grant the high specificity. Also, the SNV detection results can be self-verified by the two-signal readouts. Moreover, the dual-modal biosensor has the advantages of portability, cost-effectiveness, and simplicity. Particularly, the exclusive entropy-driven amplifier liberates double output DNAs to bridge more poly-C DNAs, enabling the dual-modal visualization DNA biosensor with improved sensitivity.

Improving the cytotoxicity of immunotoxins by reducing the affinity of the antibody in acidic pH.

BACKGROUND: Immunotoxins are antibody-toxin conjugates that bind to surface antigens and exert effective cytotoxic activity after internalization into tumor cells. Immunotoxins exhibit effective cytotoxicity and have been approved by the FDA to treat multiple hematological malignancies, such as hairy cell leukemia and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. However, most of the internalized immunotoxin is degraded in lysosomes, and only approximately 5% of free toxin escapes into the cytosol to exert cytotoxicity. Many studies have improved immunotoxins by engineering the toxin fragment to reduce immunogenicity or increase stability, but how the antibody fragment contributes to the activity of immunotoxins has not been well demonstrated. METHODS: In the current study, we used 32A9 and 42A1, two anti-GPC3 antibodies with similar antigen-binding capabilities and internalization rates, to construct scFv-mPE24 immunotoxins and evaluated their in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities. Next, the antigen-binding capacity, trafficking, intracellular protein stability and release of free toxin of 32A9 scFv-mPE24 and 42A1 scFv-mPE24 were compared to elucidate their different antitumor activities. Furthermore, we used a lysosome inhibitor to evaluate the degradation behavior of 32A9 scFv-mPE24 and 42A1 scFv-mPE24. Finally, the antigen-binding patterns of 32A9 and 42A1 were compared under neutral and acidic pH conditions. RESULTS: Although 32A9 and 42A1 had similar antigen binding capacities and internalization rates, 32A9 scFv-mPE24 had superior antitumor activity compared to 42A1 scFv-mPE24. We found that 32A9 scFv-mPE24 exhibited faster degradation and drove efficient free toxin release compared to 42A1 scFv-mPE24. These phenomena were determined by the different degradation behaviors of 32A9 scFv-mPE24 and 42A1 scFv-mPE24 in lysosomes. Moreover, 32A9 was sensitive to the low-pH environment, which made the 32A9 conjugate easily lose antigen binding and undergo degradation in lysosomes, and the free toxin was then efficiently produced to exert cytotoxicity, whereas 42A1 was resistant to the acidic environment, which kept the 42A1 conjugate relatively stable in lysosomes and delayed the release of free toxin. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that a low pH-sensitive antibody-based immunotoxin degraded faster in lysosomes, caused effective free toxin release, and led to improved cytotoxicity compared to an immunotoxin based on a normal antibody. Our findings suggested that a low pH-sensitive antibody might have an advantage in the design of immunotoxins and other lysosomal degradation-dependent antibody conjugate drugs.

Long-term follow-up of Janus-kinase inhibitor and novel active disease biomarker in juvenile dermatomyositis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) in treating JDM and develop cytokine biomarkers of active disease. METHODS: This study involved a retrospective cohort study that evaluated JAKi in 101 JDM patients as well as a cross-sectional study of cytokines in 128 JDM patients and 30 controls between November 2017 and December 2021 in the Affiliated Children's Hospital of Capital Institute of Pediatrics (China). RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 19 months, 65.5% of the patients had improved rashes, and CAT-BM scores decreased. Overall, 39.6% of JDM patients eliminated glucocorticoids. Muscle strength was improved in all patients who had abnormal muscle strength before JAKi use. Patients and parents provided positive subjective reviews of JAKi, and no serious adverse events were reported. Potential side effects of JAKi included abnormal leukopoenia (14/95) and cough (16/83), which affected over 10% of the JDM patients. In the cytokine analysis, 12/34 cytokines were significantly elevated in active JDM patients. Compared with active JDM patients with multiple phenotypes, active JDM patients with only rashes demonstrated lower cytokine levels. Anti-NXP2-positive active patients had lower cytokine levels compared with those without positive anti-NXP2 antibodies. Among all increased cytokines, IL-1RA changed most dramatically, reaching over 793 times the mean of normal values. We developed a panel composed of six cytokines to differentiate active or stable status in our cohort (area under the curve = 0.8486, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The preliminary evidence suggested that JAKi is a relatively safe and effective alternative for JDM patients. Cytokine profiles could well reflect the inflammatory status of JDM patients.

Convergence insufficiency symptom survey: A tool to evaluate convergence excess in young adults.

PURPOSE: To determine the effectiveness of the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) in evaluating visual symptoms in young adults with convergence excess (CE). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed based on a population of optometry students. Comprehensive binocular vision tests including cover test, near point of convergence, fusional vergence and accommodative amplitude, were performed. Participants were categorised into three groups: normal binocular vision (NBV), CE and CE + accommodative insufficiency (AI) (i.e., CE + AI). The CISS was administered to each participant. An analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction was performed to compare clinical measures among the three groups. A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to evaluate the ability of CISS to differentiate CE from the NBV population. RESULTS: A total of 181 participants were enrolled, including 96 in the NBV group, 66 in the CE group and 19 in the CE + AI group. A significant difference in CISS score was detected between the three groups (p < 0.001). Post-hoc tests showed significantly higher CISS scores in the CE group (16.7 ± 10.8) and the CE + AI group (19.7 ± 10.9) compared with the NBV group (12.2 ± 7.8) (p = 0.01 and p = 0.005, respectively), with no difference between the CE and the CE + AI groups (p = 0.52). The ROC curve showed the CISS poorly (but significantly) differentiated CE from NBV (area under the curve = 0.62, p = 0.01). The optimal cutoff value for a CISS score to differentiate CE was 16, with sensitivity and specificity of 52% and 72%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Young adults with CE had significantly higher CISS scores than those with NBV. Although using the CISS solely for diagnosing CE is not recommended, it can be used to provide a measure of symptoms in individuals identified as having CE based on clinical measurements.

Application of Kombucha Fermentation Broth for Antibacterial, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Processes.

Treatment for sepsis and its complications in the clinic is primarily in the forms of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents, and antioxidant drugs. Kombucha, a traditional fermented beverage rich in tea polyphenols and organic acids, offers several benefits including bacteriostasis, anti-inflammation ability, and boosting the immune system. Currently, research on kombucha is primarily focused on its antibacterial and antioxidant properties; however, in-depth exploration of the involved mechanisms is lacking. Herein, turmeric, Paeoniae alba, and black tea were used as fermentation substrates to detect the bacteriostatic and antioxidant activities of the fermentation broth and evaluate its anti-inflammatory effects on RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPSs). The results showed that fermentation enhanced the antibacterial activity of turmeric against E. coli and S. aureus and that of Paeoniae alba against S. aureus. Turmeric black tea exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. The fermentation broth of turmeric and turmeric black tea significantly reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines induced by LPSs. Our results showed that using turmeric and Paeoniae alba culture media as substrates can enhance the anti-inflammatory effects of fermentation broth and provide a new strategy for developing anti-inflammatory substances.

Tumor-induced osteomalacia characterized by "painful knee joint with difficulty in moving": a case report.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-related osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by severe hypophosphatemia and osteomalacia. The diagnosis of TIO can be very difficult because of its nonspecific nature of clinical manifestations. Here we reported a case of young TIO patient with "painful knee joint with difficulty in moving" to improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment levels. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient's clinical features were consistent with TIO. A tumor was successfully located in left tibial by 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT, and then was surgically resected. Upon pathologic assessment, the tumor was diagnosed as phosphaturia stromal tumor (PMT) with positive Vim staining. After the surgery, serum phosphate level rapidly recovered and symptoms significantly improved. CONCLUSION: TIO should be considered in patients with chronically hypophosphorus osteomalacia in the setting of no family history. Early removal of the responsible tumors is clinically essential for the treatment, and imaging examination is of great significance for tumor localization.

Preoperative binocular vision characteristics in the age-related cataract population.

BACKGROUND: This study is the first part of the "Binocular Vision Anomalies after Cataract Surgery" study that aimed to investigate the impact of cataract surgery on binocular vision status in adults with age-related cataract. This study aimed to investigate the preoperative binocular vision status of participants with age-related cataract. METHODS: Patients who elected to undergo bilateral cataract surgery (≥50 years of age) were recruited. Clinical measures of binocular vision including stereopsis, ocular alignment, fusional vergence, vergence facility, convergence amplitude and a symptom survey related to binocular vision anomalies were administered. A detailed classification protocol was established to identify the presence of binocular vision anomalies. The frequency of specific binocular vision anomalies and normative data of binocular vision measures were reported. RESULTS: A total of 73 subjects were evaluated. No strabismus was detected in the cohort. Non-strabismic binocular vision anomalies were detected in 24 subjects (32.9%), of whom 18 (24.7%) had convergence insufficiency, 3 (4.1%) had basic exophoria, 2 (2.7%) had convergence excess, and 1 (1.4%) had fusional vergence dysfunction. Decreased vergence facility and convergence amplitude were more common compared to the pre-presbyopes (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Binocular vision problems, especially convergence insufficiency, are common in the adults with age-related cataract. The study results demonstrate that the lack of normative binocular vision data for the presbyopic population is a significant gap in the literature and suggest the need for a study of normative data for this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03592615, USA).

Cataract surgery is not associated with post-operative binocular vision anomalies in age-related cataract patients.

PURPOSE: To compare the binocular vision status of patients pre- and post-cataract surgery, and to investigate the risk factors for patients who develop binocular vision anomalies post-surgery. METHODS: A prospective study of patients (≥50 years) who elected to undergo bilateral cataract surgery was implemented. A comprehensive binocular vision test battery including stereopsis, ocular alignment, fusional vergence, vergence facility, near point of convergence and the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) was administered before the first surgery and at the third visit after surgery on the second eye. A detailed diagnostic classification protocol was applied to identify the presence of binocular vision anomalies pre- and post-surgery. RESULTS: Seventy-three participants were included at baseline, 24 (33%) of whom were diagnosed with non-strabismic binocular vision anomalies (NSBVA), mainly convergence insufficiency (18/73, 25%). Fifty-one participants completed the post-operative evaluation, 17 (33%) of whom had NSBVA pre-surgery and 13 (26%) post-surgery (p = 0.48). There were a number of conversions from NSBVA to normal binocular vision and vice versa. Logistic regression showed that the adjusted odds ratio of pre-existing NSBVA diagnosis for predicting the risk of post-operative NSBVA was 6.37 (p < 0.01). There were no significant changes in most binocular vision measures post-surgery, except for a significant improvement in the CISS score (p < 0.01, Cohen's d = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: Binocular vision anomalies, especially convergence insufficiency, are prevalent in the age-related cataract population. Cataract surgery does not appear to be a significant risk factor for the development of new binocular vision anomalies. A pre-existing binocular vision anomaly is the main risk factor for predicting a post-operative binocular vision anomaly in this population.

Repeatability of i.Profiler for measuring wavefront aberrations in healthy eyes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the repeatability of wavefront aberration measurements and the correlation between corneal aberration and pupil size in normal eyes using a wavefront-based autorefractor (i.ProfilerPlus; Carl Zeiss Vision, Germany). METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study. Wavefront aberrations, including spherical aberration (SA) (Z40), coma (Z3-1, Z31), trefoil (Z3-3, Z33) and total higher-order aberrations (tHOA), were measured at different pupil diameters. The repeatability was evaluated using one-way ANOVA method, and statistical indicators including within-subject standard deviation (Sw), test-retest repeatability (TRT), and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The correlations between corneal aberrations and pupil sizes were evaluated by Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS: A total of 96 healthy young volunteers were enrolled. Corneal and ocular higher-order aberrations (HOA) measured by i.Profiler showed Sw < 0.01 µm, TRT < 0.10 µm, ICC > 0.90. There was a linear positive correlation between the corneal HOA and pupil size. The correlation coefficient between SA and tHOA was the largest (r = 0.996, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The measurements of wavefront aberrations by i.Profiler are highly repeatable. Corneal HOA was significantly dependent on pupil size. SA was the most influential aberration for visual quality in this study.

Genistein improves systemic metabolism and enhances cold resistance by promoting adipose tissue beiging.

Genistein, a naturally occurring phytoestrogen and a member of the large class of compounds known as isoflavones, exerts protective effects in several diseases. Recent studies indicate that genistein plays a critical role in controlling body weight, obesity-associated insulin resistance, and metabolic disorders, but its target organs in reversing obesity and related pathological conditions remain unclear. In this study, we showed that mice supplemented with 0.2% genistein in a high-fat diet for 12 weeks showed enhanced metabolic homeostasis, including reduced obesity, improved glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity, and alleviated hepatic steatosis. We also observed a beiging phenomenon in the white adipose tissue and reversal of brown adipose tissue whitening in these mice. These changes led to enhanced resistance to cold stress. Altogether, our data suggest that the improved metabolic profile in mice treated with genistein is likely a result of enhanced adipose tissue function.

Application of the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey in Oculomotor Dysfunction and Accommodative Insufficiency.

SIGNIFICANCE: This study confirmed the application of the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) in distinguishing children with oculomotor dysfunction (OMD) from those with normal binocular vision (NBV) but not in distinguishing children with accommodative insufficiency (AI). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the application of the CISS for quantifying symptoms in children aged 9 to 18 years with AI or OMD. METHODS: All participants (aged 9 to 18 years) underwent comprehensive binocular vision tests including visual acuity, cover test, near point of convergence, fusional vergence, accommodative amplitude, and the Developmental Eye Movement test to ascertain the presence of any vision conditions. According to the examination outcomes, participants were divided into four groups: NBV group, AI group, OMD group, and a group with both AI and OMD (AI-OMD). The CISS was individually administered to each participant. An ANOVA and a receiver operating characteristic curve were performed to evaluate the ability of the CISS to quantify symptoms in AI and OMD. RESULTS: A total of 82 participants were qualified for this study, with 18 in the NBV group, 21 in AI, 16 in OMD, and 27 in AI-OMD group. The mean CISS score was significantly different among the four groups (F = 4.19, P = .008). Post hoc tests showed significantly higher CISS scores in the OMD group than the NBV (P = .01) and the AI (P = .03) groups, but no differences were detected among other groups. Receiver operating characteristics curve showed a significant effect of the CISS score on predicting an OMD (area under curve = 0.78, P = .006). Using a CISS score of ≥15, good discrimination of OMD was obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Children with OMD (Developmental Eye Movement type II or IV) had higher CISS scores than ones with NBV. Using the CISS, children with AI did not report worse symptoms than children with NBV.

LINC00116 enhances cervical cancer tumorigenesis through miR-106a/c-Jun pathway.

Some studies imply that LINC00116 is involved in cervical cancer progression; however, the molecular mechanism by which LINC00116 modulating tumorigenesis of cervical cancer remains not clear. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and the Western blot approaches were employed to probe genes expression levels. To examine the tumorigenic abilities of cervical cancer cells, MTT assay, Transwell assay, and wound-healing assay were used to investigate proliferation, invasion, and migration of HeLa or C-33A cells. LINC00116 knockdown attenuates cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of cervical cancer cells. miR-106a directly binds LINC00116 and regulate each other. Moreover, miR-106a inhibitor remarkably enhanced tumorigenesis of shLINC00116 HeLa cells. Through bioinformatic and dual-luciferase reporter assay, the results showed that miR-106a mimic directly targeted and downregulated the c-Jun. c-Jun overexpression could greatly rescue miR-106a mimic-modulated cervical cancer tumorigenesis. LINC00116 knockdown and miR-106a mimic-modulated programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, which could be reverted by c-Jun introduction. LINC00116, PD-L1, and JUN were both upregulated in cervical cancer tumors compared to normal tissues. Lower expression levels of LINC00116 and JUN, as well as higher level of miR-106a were closely associated with higher overall survival of cervical cancer patients. Here, we report a novel role for LINC00116 in tumorigenesis of cervical cancer by regulating miR-106a/c-Jun axis. Our findings provide a foundation for understanding cervical cancer and facilitate the development of therapeutical approaches by targeting LINC00116.

Embedding carbon dots and gold nanoclusters in metal-organic frameworks for ratiometric fluorescence detection of Cu2.

Herein, a dual-emission metal-organic framework based ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe was reported for detecting copper(II) ions. In particular, carbon dots (CDs) and gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) were embedded into ZIF-8 (one of the classical metal-organic frameworks) to form CDs/AuNCs@ZIF-8 nanocomposites, which exhibited dual-emission peaks at UV excitation. In the presence of Cu2+, the fluorescence attributed to AuNCs can be rapidly quenched, while the fluorescence of CDs serves as reference with undetectable changes. Therefore, the CDs/AuNCs@ZIF-8 nanocomposites were utilized as a ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe for sensitive and selective detection of Cu2+. A good linear relationship between the ratiometric fluorescence signal of CDs/AuNCs@ZIF-8 and Cu2+ concentration was obtained in the range of 10-3-103 µM, and the detection limit was as low as 0.3324 nM. The current ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe showed promising prospects in cost-effective and rapid determination of Cu2+ ions with good sensitivity and selectivity. Furthermore, this nanoprobe has been successfully applied for the quantitative detection of Cu2+ in serum samples, indicating its value of practical application. Graphical abstract Carbon dots (CDs) and gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) were embedded into metal-organic frameworks (ZIF-8) to form CDs/AuNCs@ZIF-8 nanocomposites, which exhibited dual-emission peaks at 365 nm excitation. In the presence of Cu2+, the fluorescence emission peak at 574 nm can rapidly respond by quenching, while the fluorescence at 462 nm serves as reference with undetectable changes.

Optical quality in low astigmatic eyes with or without cylindrical correction.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether optical quality could be improved by cylindrical correction for low astigmatic eyes with different amounts and axis orientations in patients with myopia up to - 3.00 diopters (D). METHODS: A cross-sectional study enrolling healthy young eyes with 0 to - 3.00 D myopia and - 0.50 to - 0.75 D myopic astigmatism was implemented. With a repeated-measures design, outcome measures were sequentially obtained for each subject under two correction modalities: spherocylindrical correction and spherical correction. Subjective refraction was used to determine the refractive prescriptions accordingly in the two correction modalities to obtain optimal subject-reported visual acuity. Primary outcomes were optical quality parameters including objective scatter index (OSI), modulation transfer function (MTF) cut-off, Strehl ratio (SR), and a simulated contrast visual acuity-optical quality analysis system (OQAS) values (OV) obtained by a double-pass system. Corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was measured as a secondary outcome. Outcome comparisons between the two correction modalities were performed by grouping in different amounts (- 0.50 D, - 0.75 D) and axes (with the rule, WTR; against the rule, ATR; oblique, OBL) of astigmatism. RESULTS: A total of 194 eyes of 194 subjects were evaluated. Significantly better CDVA were shown by spherocylindrical correction for all types of astigmatism except for - 0.50 D WTR astigmatism (P = 0.831). For eyes with - 0.50 D WTR astigmatism, better outcome was only shown in OSI with spherocylindrical correction (P = 0.019). For eyes with - 0.50 D ATR and OBL astigmatism, spherocylindrical correction demonstrated better outcomes in all parameters except for SR (P > 0.05). For eyes with - 0.75 D astigmatism, significantly better outcomes in all optical quality parameters were shown with spherocylindrical correction regardless of the axis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Eyes with ATR or OBL myopic astigmatism may benefit in optical quality and visual acuity by combining a cylindrical correction even with a low amount down to - 0.50 D. However, optical quality and visual acuity improvement are limited for WTR astigmatic eyes when the amount of astigmatism is less than - 0.75 D.

Transcriptomic Features of Echinococcus granulosus Protoscolex during the Encystation Process.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus larvae. It seriously affects the development of animal husbandry and endangers human health. Due to a poor understanding of the cystic fluid formation pathway, there is currently a lack of innovative methods for the prevention and treatment of CE. In this study, the protoscoleces (PSCs) in the encystation process were analyzed by high-throughput RNA sequencing. A total of 32,401 transcripts and 14,903 cDNAs revealed numbers of new genes and transcripts, stage-specific genes, and differently expressed genes. Genes encoding proteins involved in signaling pathways, such as putative G-protein coupled receptor, tyrosine kinases, and serine/threonine protein kinase, were predominantly up-regulated during the encystation process. Antioxidant enzymes included cytochrome c oxidase, thioredoxin glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase were a high expression level. Intriguingly, KEGG enrichment suggested that differentially up-regulated genes involved in the vasopressin-regulated water reabsorption metabolic pathway may play important roles in the transport of proteins, carbohydrates, and other substances. These results provide valuable information on the mechanism of cystic fluid production during the encystation process, and provide a basis for further studies on the molecular mechanisms of growth and development of PSCs.

Objective optical quality in eyes with customized selection of aspheric intraocular lens implantation.

BACKGROUND: To compare the postoperative optical quality in eyes with customized selection and random selection of aspheric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. METHODS: A prospective, nonrandomized study was implemented in adult cataract patients who underwent unilateral phacoemulsification with aspheric IOL implantation. Patients were allocated into two treatment groups: a customized group and a control group. In the customized group, the aspheric IOL selection was based on the corneal spherical aberration to enable the postoperative target ocular spherical aberration closest to zero; in the control group, the aspheric IOLs were chosen using a random strategy. Primary outcome measurements included the following objective optical quality assessments: higher-order aberrations obtained by a Hartmann-shack aberrometer at 4 mm and 6 mm pupil diameters; objective scatter index (OSI), modulation transfer function (MTF) cut-off, Strehl ratio (SR) and a simulated contrast visual acuity-optical quality analysis system value (OV) obtained by a double-pass system with a 4-mm aperture. Subjective visual acuity was measured as secondary outcome. All the patients were followed up for 3 months. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients in the customized group and 78 patients in the control group were evaluated. There was no significant difference in postoperative visual acuity between the two groups (P > 0.05). Significantly less ocular higher-order aberrations were shown in the customized group (P < 0.05). No significant difference was shown in OSI, MTF cut-off, SR and OV between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although customized selection of aspheric IOL implantation showed less postoperative ocular aberrations, it performed similarly to random selection of aspheric IOL implantation in terms of postoperative visual acuity, simulated contrast visual acuity, intraocular scatter, modulation transfer function and Strehl ratio. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered on 07/06/2019. Registration number: ChiCTR1900024356 .

Fluorometric turn-on detection of ascorbic acid based on controlled release of polyallylamine-capped gold nanoclusters from MnO2 nanosheets.

A fluorometric turn-on assay is described for ascorbic acid (AA). It is based on the controlled release of polyallylamine-stabilized gold nanoclusters (polyallylamine-AuNCs) from MnO2 nanosheets. In an aqueous solution of near-neutral pH value, the positively charged capped AuNCs are adsorbed on the surface of the negatively charged MnO2 nanosheets. The adsorption leads to the quenching of the fluorescence of the AuNCs. However, in the presence of AA, MnO2 is reduced to Mn2+. This causes the destruction of the MnO2 nanosheets. As a result, the fluorescence of the polyallylamine-AuNCs at 615 nm is recovered. This method for determination of AA is inexpensive, sensitive, and selective. It works in the 0.01 to 200 µM concentration range and has a 3.2 nM detection limit (for S/N = 3). Graphical abstract Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) and polyallylamine can form polyallylamine-AuNCs to enhance the orange fluorescence of AuNCs. MnO2 nanosheets can absorb polyallylamine-AuNCs, and this results in fluorescence quenching of polyallylamine-AuNCs. Ascorbic acid (AA) can reduce MnO2 nanosheets, in this results in the fluorescence recovery of polyallylamine-AuNCs.

Photoelectrochemical determination of the activity of alkaline phosphatase by using a CdS@graphene conjugate coupled to CoOOH nanosheets for signal amplification.

A method is described for photoelectrochemical determination of the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). It employs an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode modified a CdS quantum dots@graphene (CdS@GR) composite and hexagonal cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanosheets. The CdS@GR nanocomposite was synthesized by assembling the CdS quantum dots onto a GO film to receive a basic photocurrent response of the ITO. This is further improved by covering it with CoOOH nanosheets. Secondly, 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid (AAP) is added as a substrate for ALP. Its hydrolysis yields ascorbic acid which reduces CoOOH to form cobalt(II) ion. As a result, the CoOOH nanosheets decompose. This is accompanied by a reduction of the photocurrent. The effect was used to design a selective and sensitive assay of determination of the activity of ALP. Under the optimized experimental conditions, response is linear in the 10 to 300 U·L-1ALP activity range. The detection limit is 1.5 U·L-1 at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Graphical abstract Indium tin oxide (ITO) was coted with CdS@graphene and CoOOH to obtain a material with superior photoelectrochemical properties. The detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was accomplished by using 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid (AAP) which is hydrolyzed by ALP to release ascorbic acid (AA) which reduces CoOOH to Co2+.