Morphology and molecular phylogeny of Pleurosigmapacificum sp. nov. (Pleurosigmataceae), a new tropical pelagic species from the Western Pacific Ocean.

A new species of pelagic diatom, Pleurosigmapacificumsp. nov., is described from the tropical Western Pacific Ocean. It has the typical features of Pleurosigma, including a slightly sigmoid raphe, intersected transverse and oblique striae, and loculate areolae with external opening slits and internal poroids. Morphologically, P.pacificum belongs to a species group of Pleurosigma with lanceolate valves, including P.atlanticum Heiden & Kolbe, P.nubecula W. Smith, P.indicum Simonsen, and P.simonsenii Hasle. However, P.pacificum differs by its smaller lanceolate valve and smaller intersection angle as well as elliptical areolae without a silica bar. The SSU rDNA and rbcL sequence data place P.pacificum in a basal position relative to other species of Pleurosigma. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses did not support the monophyly of lanceolate and slightly sigmoid species. Thus, the sigmoidality of valve outline cannot be considered as a criterion to define the species group.

Bacterial distribution on the ocular surface of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Many studies have shown that gut microbial dysbiosis is a major factor in the etiology of autoimmune diseases but none have suggested that the ocular surface (OS) microbiome is associated with Sjögren's syndrome (SS). In this prospective study, we analyzed bacterial distribution on the OS in patients with primary SS. Among the 120 subjects included in this study, 48 patients (group A) had primary SS, whereas 72 subjects (group B) had dry eye symptoms that were unrelated to SS. We evaluated clinical dry eye parameters such as the OS disease index, ocular staining score (OSS), Schirmer's I test, and tear break-up time (TBUT). Conjunctival swabs were used to analyze the microbial communities from the two groups. Bacterial 16S rRNA genes were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform, and the data were analyzed using the QIIME 1.9.1 program. The Shannon index was significantly lower in group A than in group B microbiota (p < 0.05). An analysis of similarity using the Bray-Curtis distance method found no difference in beta-diversity between the two groups (p > 0.05). In group A, Actinobacteria at the phylum level and Corynebacteria at the genus level exhibited low abundance than group B, but the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). SS apparently decreases the diversity of the OS microbial community. These observations may be related to the pathophysiology of SS and should be investigated in future studies.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Autologous Platelet Concentrate Injection on Macular Holes with High Myopia, Large Macular Holes, or Recurrent Macular Holes: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

We aimed to evaluate the anatomical and functional outcomes of pars-plana vitrectomy (PPV) with or without autologous platelet concentrate (APC) injection in patients with recurrent macular holes (MHs), large MHs, or MHs with high myopia. This multicenter, prospective, interventional randomized controlled trial was conducted from March 2017 to April 2020. Participants were randomly allocated to a PPV group or a PPV+APC group. All participants underwent standard 25-gauge PPV, and eyes in the PPV+APC group underwent PPV with intravitreal APC injection before air-gas exchange. A total of 117 patients were enrolled (PPV group: n = 59, PPV+APC group: n = 58). Hole closure was achieved in 47 participants (79.7%) in the PPV group and 52 participants (89.7%) in the PPV+APC group. There were no between-group differences in the anatomical closure rate or functional outcomes including best-corrected visual acuity, metamorphopsia, pattern-reversal visual evoked potential, or Visual Function Questionnaire-25 score. The use of APC injection does not improve the anatomical and functional outcomes of surgery for large MHs, recurrent MHs, or MHs with high myopia. The adjunctive use of APC can be considered in selected cases because it is not inferior to conventional MH surgery, is relatively simple to perform, and is not affected by the surgeon's skill.

Optimization design of curved outrigger structure based on buckling analysis and multi-island genetic algorithm.

In the present work, the working state of the crane leg is analyzed and discussed, and its structure is optimized. SolidWorks software is used for modeling; ANSYS software is used for finite element analysis. First of all, the constrained finite element method (CFEM) is used to analyze the linear eigenvalue buckling and geometric nonlinear buckling of outriggers with different cross-section shapes. Prove that the curved leg has certain advantages in buckling. At the same time, analyzing the leg along a different path of buckling condition and stress changes provide the basis for the design of the subsequent reinforcement. After selecting the best cross-section shape of the outrigger, the agent-based multi-island genetic algorithm is used to optimize the structural parameters of the outrigger under the transverse stiffened plate reinforced structure and the longitudinally stiffened plate reinforced structure respectively. It is proved that the outrigger with the transverse stiffened plate has a significant effect in improving the bearing capacity and in the lightweight of the structure. Finally, the gap between the movable leg and the fixed leg was changed, the stress of different gaps was analyzed by using the finite element method, and the appropriate gap value was selected according to the high-order fitting curve.

Machine learning prediction of pathologic myopia using tomographic elevation of the posterior sclera.

Qualitative analysis of fundus photographs enables straightforward pattern recognition of advanced pathologic myopia. However, it has limitations in defining the classification of the degree or extent of early disease, such that it may be biased by subjective interpretation. In this study, we used the fovea, optic disc, and deepest point of the eye (DPE) as the three major markers (i.e., key indicators) of the posterior globe to quantify the relative tomographic elevation of the posterior sclera (TEPS). Using this quantitative index from eyes of 860 myopic patients, support vector machine based machine learning classifier predicted pathologic myopia an AUROC of 0.828, with 77.5% sensitivity and 88.07% specificity. Axial length and choroidal thickness, the existing quantitative indicator of pathologic myopia only reached an AUROC of 0.758, with 75.0% sensitivity and 76.61% specificity. When all six indices were applied (four TEPS, AxL, and SCT), the discriminative ability of the SVM model was excellent, demonstrating an AUROC of 0.868, with 80.0% sensitivity and 93.58% specificity. Our model provides an accurate modality for identification of patients with pathologic myopia and may help prioritize these patients for further treatment.

Short-term Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Cataract-combined Surgery with iStent versus iStent Inject

Purpose@#To analyze the therapeutic effects, prognostic factors, and complications that occurred after iStent® or iStent inject® implantation in South Korean glaucoma patients. @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed 42 eyes of South Korean glaucoma patients, who were followed-up for more than 6 months after iStent® or iStent inject® implantation alone or combined with cataract surgery. Surgical success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤21 mmHg and an IOP reduction ≥20% from preoperative IOP levels. @*Results@#The cumulative success rate at 6 months after surgery was 45.3 ± 8.1% for iStent inject® alone (group A), 28.6 ± 13.1% for iStent® alone (group B), 81.2 ± 6.8% for iStent inject® combined with cataract surgery (group A-1), and 27.3 ± 21.8% for iStent® combined with cataract surgery (group B-1). Group A-1 showed a higher success rate than group B-1 (p = 0.007); the difference in success rates between groups A and B was not statistically significant (p = 0.579). When the success prognostic factors were analyzed by Cox regression analysis, the results showed that a higher preoperative IOP was associated with a higher surgical success rate (hazard ratio 0.80, p = 0.02). @*Conclusions@#In our patient group, iStent inject® was more effective than iStent® in combination with cataract surgery. The higher the preoperative IOP, the higher the surgical success rate; the results were significant.

Short-term Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Cataract-combined Surgery with iStent versus iStent Inject

Purpose@#To analyze the therapeutic effects, prognostic factors, and complications that occurred after iStent® or iStent inject® implantation in South Korean glaucoma patients. @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed 42 eyes of South Korean glaucoma patients, who were followed-up for more than 6 months after iStent® or iStent inject® implantation alone or combined with cataract surgery. Surgical success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤21 mmHg and an IOP reduction ≥20% from preoperative IOP levels. @*Results@#The cumulative success rate at 6 months after surgery was 45.3 ± 8.1% for iStent inject® alone (group A), 28.6 ± 13.1% for iStent® alone (group B), 81.2 ± 6.8% for iStent inject® combined with cataract surgery (group A-1), and 27.3 ± 21.8% for iStent® combined with cataract surgery (group B-1). Group A-1 showed a higher success rate than group B-1 (p = 0.007); the difference in success rates between groups A and B was not statistically significant (p = 0.579). When the success prognostic factors were analyzed by Cox regression analysis, the results showed that a higher preoperative IOP was associated with a higher surgical success rate (hazard ratio 0.80, p = 0.02). @*Conclusions@#In our patient group, iStent inject® was more effective than iStent® in combination with cataract surgery. The higher the preoperative IOP, the higher the surgical success rate; the results were significant.

The Shape of Posterior Sclera as a Biometric Signature in Open-angle Glaucoma: An Intereye Comparison Study.

PURPOSE: To characterize intereye differences in posterior segment parameters and determine their significance in open-angle glaucoma patients with unilateral damage. METHODS: Both eyes from 65 subjects without any nerve damage and 43 patients undergoing treatment for unilateral open-angle glaucoma were included in this study. A 12.0×9.0×2.6 mm volume of the posterior segment in each eye was scanned with swept-source optical coherence tomography. Coronally reconstructed optical coherence tomography images were analyzed to determine the deepest point of the eye (DPE), which we then calculated the distance (Disc-DPE distance), depth (Disc-DPE depth), angle (Disc-DPE angle) from the optic disc center to the DPE. Posterior pole shape was analyzed measuring the posterior pole-cross-sectional area, posterior pole-horizontal width (PP-HW), and posterior pole-vertical width) of the posterior pole. These measurements and their intereye absolute difference (IAD; absolute difference in measurements between the right and left eyes) values were compared between the healthy and unilateral glaucomatous patients. RESULTS: The posterior sclera measurements, including the Disc-DPE distance, Disc-DPE depth, and posterior pole-cross-sectional area, were significantly different between the unilateral glaucoma eyes and contralateral healthy eyes (P=0.043, P=0.035, and P=0.049, respectively). By contrast, none of the intereye differences in optic nerve head parameters were significant in the unilateral glaucoma patients. In comparison with the IAD values, the baseline intraocular pressure and PP-HW of the posterior segment showed significant differences between the healthy and the unilateral glaucoma patients (P=0.019 and P=0.036, respectively). A multivariate analysis showed that a larger baseline intraocular pressure IAD [odds ratio (OR), 1.381; P=0.009)] and larger PP-HW IAD (OR, 1.324; P=0.032) were significantly associated with the presence of glaucoma. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the fellow healthy eyes, glaucomatous eyes had larger and more steeply curved posterior poles, which represent a structural variation of the posterior sclera that might be associated with glaucomatous optic neuropathy.

Integration of Motion and Form Cues for the Perception of Self-Motion in the Human Brain.

When moving around in the world, the human visual system uses both motion and form information to estimate the direction of self-motion (i.e., heading). However, little is known about cortical areas in charge of this task. This brain-imaging study addressed this question by using visual stimuli consisting of randomly distributed dot pairs oriented toward a locus on a screen (the form-defined focus of expansion [FoE]) but moved away from a different locus (the motion-defined FoE) to simulate observer translation. We first fixed the motion-defined FoE location and shifted the form-defined FoE location. We then made the locations of the motion- and the form-defined FoEs either congruent (at the same location in the display) or incongruent (on the opposite sides of the display). The motion- or the form-defined FoE shift was the same in the two types of stimuli, but the perceived heading direction shifted for the congruent, but not for the incongruent stimuli. Participants (both sexes) made a task-irrelevant (contrast discrimination) judgment during scanning. Searchlight and ROI-based multivoxel pattern analysis revealed that early visual areas V1, V2, and V3 responded to either the motion- or the form-defined FoE shift. After V3, only the dorsal areas V3a and V3B/KO responded to such shifts. Furthermore, area V3B/KO shows a significantly higher decoding accuracy for the congruent than the incongruent stimuli. Our results provide direct evidence showing that area V3B/KO does not simply respond to motion and form cues but integrates these two cues for the perception of heading.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Human survival relies on accurate perception of self-motion. The visual system uses both motion (optic flow) and form cues for the perception of the direction of self-motion (heading). Although human brain areas for processing optic flow and form structure are well identified, the areas responsible for integrating these two cues for the perception of self-motion remain unknown. We conducted fMRI experiments and used multivoxel pattern analysis technique to find human brain areas that can decode the shift in heading specified by each cue alone and the two cues combined. We found that motion and form cues are first processed in the early visual areas and then are likely integrated in the higher dorsal area V3B/KO for the final estimation of heading.

Ocular Surface Staining Score and Salivary Gland Scintigraphy in Patients with Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome

Purpose@#To analyze the correlation between the ocular surface staining score and indices of salivary gland scintigraphy in patientswith primary Sjögren's syndrome and dry eye symptoms, and to evaluate the diagnostic value of these indices. @*Methods@#The patients were 51 adults with primary Sjögren's syndrome or non-Sjögren's syndrome plus dry eye symptoms, whowere referred to our ophthalmology clinic for evaluation of the degree of dry eye at the Department of Rheumatology, from July2017 to April 2019. The Mann-Whitney U test and student’s t-test were used for analyzing the ocular surface staining score andquantitative indices of salivary gland scintigraphy, respectively, in the primary Sjögren's syndrome and non-Sjögren's syndromepatients. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the correlations of ocular surface staining score with salivary scintigraphyindices. @*Results@#The ocular surface staining score (p= 0.021), parotid gland excretion fraction (p= 0.022), and submandibular gland excretionfraction (pp= 0.045) were significantly different between the primary Sjögren's syndrome and non-Sjögren's syndromepatients. The submandibular gland uptake ratio (r = -0.369, p= 0.008) and submandibular excretion fraction (r = -0.359, p=0.010) were significantly negatively correlated with ocular surface staining scores. @*Conclusions@#The ocular surface staining score was identified as the gold standard for evaluating the degree of dry eye in primarySjögren's syndrome patients. If salivary gland dysfunction is identified by salivary gland scintigraphy, ocular surface stainingshould be performed to confirm the presence of ocular surface lesions, regardless of the presence of dry eye symptoms.

Short-term Results of Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant Combined with Bevacizumab versus Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Treatment-naive Diabetic Macular Edema

Purpose@#To compare the visual and anatomical outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab combined with the dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex®) and bevacizumab monotherapy in eyes with treatment-naive diabetic macular edema. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed 41 eyes of 41 patients with diabetic macular edema who underwent either intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg) (21 eyes, intravitreal bevacizumab [IVB] group) injection alone or simultaneous injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg) and dexamethasone implant (0.7 mg) (20 eyes, intravitreal dexamethasone [IVD] group). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), intraocular pressure, and retreatment percentages were accessed 1, 3, and 6 months after injection. @*Results@#At 3 and 6 months, the IVD group showed a significant improvement in BCVA compared to the baseline. Only a slight improvement in BCVA was observed in the IVB group during the initial 3 months; however, significant improvement was evident at 6 months compared with the baseline. During the first 3 months, the IVD group showed significant improvement in CMT compared with the IVB group; at 1 month after the initial injection, the CMT was 264.39 ± 54.95 μm for the IVD group versus 349.00 ± 112.18 μm for the IVB group (p = 0.011). At 3 months, the CMT in the IVD group had improved significantly compared with that of the IVB group (p < 0.001). The average number of additional intravitreal injections during the 6-month follow-up was 0.45 and 1.15 for the IVD and IVB groups, respectively. In the IVD group, cortical (7%) and posterior subcapsular (15%) cataracts developed by two grades or more during follow-up in phakic eyes. @*Conclusions@#In patients with diabetic macular edema, simultaneous therapy combining a dexamethasone implant plus bevacizumab showed significant improvement in CMT during the initial 3 months and the combined treatment group had fewer additional intravitreal injections.

Short-term Results of Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant Combined with Bevacizumab versus Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Treatment-naive Diabetic Macular Edema

Purpose@#To compare the visual and anatomical outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab combined with the dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex®) and bevacizumab monotherapy in eyes with treatment-naive diabetic macular edema. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed 41 eyes of 41 patients with diabetic macular edema who underwent either intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg) (21 eyes, intravitreal bevacizumab [IVB] group) injection alone or simultaneous injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg) and dexamethasone implant (0.7 mg) (20 eyes, intravitreal dexamethasone [IVD] group). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), intraocular pressure, and retreatment percentages were accessed 1, 3, and 6 months after injection. @*Results@#At 3 and 6 months, the IVD group showed a significant improvement in BCVA compared to the baseline. Only a slight improvement in BCVA was observed in the IVB group during the initial 3 months; however, significant improvement was evident at 6 months compared with the baseline. During the first 3 months, the IVD group showed significant improvement in CMT compared with the IVB group; at 1 month after the initial injection, the CMT was 264.39 ± 54.95 μm for the IVD group versus 349.00 ± 112.18 μm for the IVB group (p = 0.011). At 3 months, the CMT in the IVD group had improved significantly compared with that of the IVB group (p < 0.001). The average number of additional intravitreal injections during the 6-month follow-up was 0.45 and 1.15 for the IVD and IVB groups, respectively. In the IVD group, cortical (7%) and posterior subcapsular (15%) cataracts developed by two grades or more during follow-up in phakic eyes. @*Conclusions@#In patients with diabetic macular edema, simultaneous therapy combining a dexamethasone implant plus bevacizumab showed significant improvement in CMT during the initial 3 months and the combined treatment group had fewer additional intravitreal injections.

Genetic risk score combining six genetic variants associated with the cellular NRF2 expression levels correlates with Type 2 diabetes in the human population.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is known as an inflammatory disease. NRF2 (Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2 Like2) encodes a transcription factor that binds to antioxidant response elements (AREs) and regulates the expression of genes involved in many antioxidant responses. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to gain insight into individual anti-inflammatory activity to prevent T2D development in humans. METHODS: We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify genetic variants influencing NRF2 expression in LCLs (lymphoblastoid cell lines) generated from 74 different individuals. Association analyses between T2D or its related traits and genetic risk score (GRS) calculated by combining genetic variants detected from GWAS for cellular NRF2 expression were performed using data from 8715 subjects. The T2D prediction model using GRS was evaluated by measuring the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Our GWAS identified six genetic variants (SNP) showing suggestive evidence of associations with cellular NRF2 expression (P < 10- 6). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that GRS was associated with an increased risk of T2D (P value = 0.003, OR = 1.13). In addition, linear regression analyses showed positive associations between GRS and fasting glucose (P value = 0.028, ß = 0.62), 2-h glucose (P value = 0.0004, ß = 1.13) and HbA1C (P value = 0.033, ß = 0.03). In the T2D prediction model using GRS, the AUC of the ROC curve was 0.69. CONCLUSION: This study highlights genetic variants associated with cellular NRF2 expression and suggests that the GRS of NRF2 expression-associated variants is likely to be a useful indicator of T2D development in the human population.

Follow-up analysis on change of serum total cholesterol concentration in rural residents in Shanxi province / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective@#To analyze the longitudinal change of serum total cholesterol concentration in 733 rural residents in Shanxi province.@*Methods@#Based on the residents of five rural areas in Shanxi province who participated in China nutrition and health survey in 2002, a follow-up survey was conducted in 2015. Fasting venous blood of the participants was collected and serum TC concentration was tested by cholesterol oxidase method.@*Results@#Of 733 participants, 332 were male and 401 were female. In 2002 baseline survey, the age of the participants was (42.6±9.5) years old, 76.2% of male and 83.8% of female had junior middle school education or below. Proportion of smoking were 65.7% and 1.2%, drinking were 26.8% and 4.0%, obesity were 6.3% and 12.0%, and central obesity were 27.1% and 31.9%, respectively in male and female. The follow-up age of participants in 2015 was (55.8±9.5) years old, proportion of smoking changed to 48.2% and 1.5%, drinking were 49.7% and 3.0%, obesity increased to 11.8% and 18.2% and central obesity increased to 41.6% and 53.6%, respectively in male and female. The overall serum TC level increased from (3.82±0.89) mmol/L to (4.72±0.97) mmol/L with an average increase of 27.2%, which increased from (3.84±0.94) mmol/L to (4.54±0.93) mmol/L in male with an average increase of 22.7%, and increased from (3.81±0.84) mmol/L to (4.86±0.98) mmol/L in female with an average increase of 30.9%. The serum TC levels in 18-, 30-, 40-, and 50-59 years old group increased from (3.42±0.83), (3.72±0.77), (3.90±0.83) and (4.00±1.03) mmol/L to (4.38±1.01), (4.79±0.92), (4.73±0.99) and (4.76±0.96) mmol/L, with average increase range of 31.4%, 32.1%, 25.2% and 22.6%, respectively. The mean serum TC levels between two years all had statistically significant difference among groups of gender, age, education, marital status, family history of cardiovascular disease, smoking, drinking, BMI and waist circumference after paired t-test and ANOVA analysis (P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#The longitudinal serum TC level of rural residents in Shanxi province increased rapidly.

Distribution and Diversity of Ocular Microbial Communities in Diabetic Patients Compared with Healthy Subjects.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify differences in the major (core vs. variable) microbial genera of human subjects with and without diabetes. METHODS: Bacterial 16S rRNA genes obtained from conjunctival swabs of 19 healthy subjects and 30 diabetic patients were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform, and the sequencing data were analyzed using QIIME 1.9.1. To elucidate the microbial diversity in the ocular surface (OS), test programs from various bioinformatics domains were used. RESULTS: Diversity index and rarefaction analysis showed that the microbial community of the diabetic patients was more diverse than that of the healthy subjects. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the dominant taxa present in the OS, and there was a significant difference in the relative abundance of the bacterial phyla between the diabetic patients and control subjects. Proteobacteria were more abundant in the diabetic group, whereas Firmicutes was more abundant in the control group. Analysis of bacterial taxa at the genus level showed that the core microbiome of diabetic patients comprised Acinetobacter, Burkholderia, Sphingomonas, and Ralstonia, whereas that of the controls comprised Bradyrhizobiaceae, Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, Pseudomonas, Novosphingobium, Neisseriaceae, and Acinetobacter. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant difference in the microbial community composition between diabetic patients and healthy subjects. A high abundance of Acinetobacter in the OS of diabetic patients may arise from the unique characteristics of the OS compared with those of other organ surfaces.

Image artifacts and noise reduction algorithm for cone-beam computed tomography with low-signal projections.

This study aims to investigate and test a new image reconstruction algorithm applying to the low-signal projections to generate high quality images by reducing the artifacts and noise in the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). For the low-signal and noisy projections, a multiple sampling method is first utilized in projection domain to suppress environmental noise, which guarantees the accuracy of the data for reconstruction, simultaneously. Next, a fuzzy entropy based method with block matching 3D (BM3D) filtering algorithm is employed to improve the image quality to reduce artifacts and noise in image domain. Then, simulation studies on polychromatic spectrum were performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed new algorithm. Study results demonstrated significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of the images reconstructed using the new algorithm. SNRs and CNRs of the new images were averagely 40% and 20% higher than those of the previous images reconstructed using the traditional algorithms, respectively. As a result, since the new image reconstruction algorithm effectively reduced the artifacts and noise, and produced images with better contour and grayscale distribution, it has the potential to improve image quality using the original CBCT data with the low and missing signals.

In Situ Carbon Isotope Analysis by Laser Ablation MC-ICP-MS.

Carbon isotopes have been widely used in tracing a wide variety of geological and environmental processes. The carbon isotope composition of bulk rocks and minerals was conventionally analyzed by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), and, more recently, secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS) has been widely used to determine carbon isotope composition of carbon-bearing solid materials with good spatial resolution. Here, we present a new method that couples a RESOlution S155 193 nm laser ablation system with a Nu Plasma II MC-ICP-MS, with the aim of measuring carbon isotopes in situ in carbonate minerals (i.e., calcite and aragonite). Under routine operating conditions for δ13C analysis, instrumental bias generally drifts by 0.8‰-2.0‰ in a typical analytical session of 2-3 h. Using a magmatic calcite as the standard, the carbon isotopic composition was determined for a suite of calcite samples with δ13C values in the range of -6.94‰ to 1.48‰. The obtained δ13C data are comparable to IRMS values. The combined standard uncertainty for magmatic calcite is <0.3‰ (1s). No significant matrix effects have been identified in calcite with the amplitude of chemical composition variation (i.e., MnO, SrO, MgO, or FeO) up to 2.5 wt %. Two modern corals were investigated using magmatic calcite as the calibration standard, and the average δ13C values for both corals are similar to the bulk IRMS values. Moreover, coral exhibits significant heterogeneity in carbon isotope compositions, with differences up to 4.85‰ within an individual coral. This study indicates that LA-MC-ICP-MS can serve as an appropriate method to analyze carbon isotopes of carbonate minerals in situ.

Outcomesi n 334 cases of Millions of Poor Cataar ct Patients'Extraction Project in Shanxi Province / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Abstract?AIM: To evaluate the visual acuity, visual function, q uality of lfi e, and cost/effectiveness of cataract surgery in patients with low soc ioeconomics tatus ( LSES ) who received government subsidies for free cataract surgery.?METHODS: Retrospectively, 334 eyes of 334 patient s were reviewed. Visual function and quality of l ife questionnaires we re available in 83 patie nts. The cost/effectiveness of cataract surgery was analyzed in 225 patients with LSES and 12 0 patients who rec eived standard cataract surgery. Mutl iple linear regression anal ysis and logistic regression analysis were used to assess the factors affecting the postoperative visual acuity.?RESULTS: At 1wk postoperatively, uncorrected visual acuity ( UCVA ) was improved significantly compared to these preoperait vely (P<0.50 ), 235 eyes (70.4%) had UCVA of 20/40 or better, and 16 eyes (4.8%) had UC VA wor se than 20/400. Multiple linear regresis on ana lysis revealed that other ocular diseases and cataract classification wer e factors contributing to po stop erative UC VA. Logistic regression analysis showed that low preoperative visual ac uti y and other ocular diseases were risk factors of postopera tive low vision, and the odds ratio (95%confidence int erval) values were 6.5 (2.8-14.8) and 1.3 (1.0-1.6), respe ctively.Visual fun ction and quality of life were significantly improved after the surgery. Th e cost/effetc iveness of c ataract su rgery in patients with LSES was lower than that in standard cataract patients.?CONCLUSION: Visual acuity and visual function were significantly better after the surgery in catara ct patients wti h LSES, and the operation cost was low.Quality of life in these patients was significantly improved.

Ocular Manifestations of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To investigate the patterns and risk factors of the ocular manifestations of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and their correlation with CD4+ count in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: This retrospective study examined 127 AIDS patients who presented to Soonchunhyang University Hospital. Data were collected from patient interviews, clinical examinations, and laboratory investigations. Ophthalmologic examinations included the best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, anterior segment and adnexal examination, and dilated fundus examination. RESULTS: Of the 127 patients with AIDS, 118 were on HAART and 9 were not. The mean CD4+ count was 266.7 ± 209.1 cells/µL. There were ocular manifestations in 61 patients (48.0%). The incidence of anterior segment manifestations was higher than posterior segment manifestations at 28.3% and 19.7%, respectively. The mean CD4+ count was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the patients with posterior versus anterior segment ocular manifestations. The most common ocular manifestation was retinal microvasculopathy (15.0%), followed by keratoconjunctivitis sicca (14.2%), conjunctival microvasculopathy (9.4%), cytomegalovirus retinitis (3.1%), herpes zoster ophthalmicus (2.4%), and blepharitis (1.6%). Retinal microvasculopathy and cytomegalovirus retinitis were common in patients with CD4+ counts <200 cells/µL, while keratoconjunctivitis sicca and conjunctival microvasculopathy were common in patients with CD4+ counts of 200 to 499 cells/µL. There was a significant (p < 0.05) association between ocular manifestation and CD4+ count or age. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of HAART has changed the landscape of ocular presentations in patients with AIDS. In this study, anterior segment and external ocular manifestations occurred more frequently than posterior segment manifestations. Also, the mean CD4+ count was significantly lower in patients with posterior segment ocular manifestations versus anterior segment ocular manifestations. We found that CD4+ count and age >35 years were independent risk factors for developing ocular manifestations.

ERGIC3, which is regulated by miR-203a, is a potential biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer.

In a previous study, we found that ERGIC3 was a novel lung cancer-related gene by screening libraries of differentially expressed genes. In this study, we developed a new murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) against ERGIC3. This avid antibody (6-C4) is well suited for immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting and solid-phase immunoassays. Furthermore, we systematically investigated expressions of ERGIC3 in a broad variety of normal human tissues and various types of tumors by immunohistochemistry. In normal human tissues, 6-C4 reacted only in some epithelial cells, such as hepatocytes, gastrointestinal epithelium, ducts and acini of the pancreas, proximal and distal tubules of the kidney, and mammary epithelial cells; however, most normal human tissues were not stained. Moreover, almost all carcinomas that originated from the epithelial cells were positive for 6-C4, whereas all sarcomas were negative. Notably, 6-C4 strongly stained non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells but did not react with normal lung tissues. Hence, ERGIC3 mAb could be used in histopathological diagnosis and cytopathological testing to detect early-stage NSCLC. We also studied the mechanisms of ERGIC3 regulation in vitro and in vivo by means of bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, miRNA expression profiling and miRNA transfection. Results showed that miR-203a downregulation induced ERGIC3 overexpression in NSCLC cells.