Fabrication and performance evaluation of a design for an extended depth-of-focus intraocular lens based on an improved sinusoidal profile.

This study presents the fabrication and evaluation of a sinusoidal extended depth-of-focus (EDoF) intraocular lens (IOL) based on our previously proposed design approach. The power, through-focus MTF, and surface profile were measured using commercial instruments. Through-focus images of a United States Air Force (USAF) 1951 resolution target formed by the fabricated IOL were compared with Symfony and AR40E under monochromatic and polychromatic light using optical bench testing. Simulations assessed visual acuity (VA) of a pseudophakic model eye with the EDoF IOL, including evaluation of tilt and decentration effects. Results indicate that the base power, add power, and the through-focus MTF@50 lp/mm of the fabricated IOL at a 3 mm pupil size align with the design specifications. The extended-depth-of-focus and imaging performance for the far vision of the fabricated IOL under both monochromatic and polychromatic light conditions at a 3.0 mm pupil diameter is comparable to that of Symfony. In addition, the fabricated IOL exhibits a similar extended-depth-of-focus for three discrete wavelengths. The pseudophakic model eye with the designed EDoF IOL demonstrates a VA exceeding 0.1 logMAR within a defocus range of 2.44 D. The VA is tolerant to both IOL tilt and decentration. These findings demonstrate the promising potential of the sinusoidal EDoF IOL design for future applications in cataract surgery.

Driving Force Analysis of Natural Wetland in Northeast Plain Based on SSA-XGBoost Model.

Globally, natural wetlands have suffered severe ecological degradation (vegetation, soil, and biotic community) due to multiple factors. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving forces of natural wetlands is the key to natural wetlands' protection and regional restoration. In this study, we first investigated the spatiotemporal evolutionary trends and shifting characteristics of natural wetlands in the Northeast Plain of China from 1990 to 2020. A dataset of driving-force evaluation indicators was constructed with nine indirect (elevation, temperature, road network, etc.) and four direct influencing factors (dryland, paddy field, woodland, grassland). Finally, we built the driving force analysis model of natural wetlands changes to quantitatively refine the contribution of different driving factors for natural wetlands' dynamic change by introducing the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) and extreme gradient boosting algorithm (XGBoost). The results showed that the total area of natural wetlands in the Northeast Plain of China increased by 32% from 1990 to 2020, mainly showing a first decline and then an increasing trend. Combined with the results of transfer intensity, we found that the substantial turn-out phenomenon of natural wetlands occurred in 2000-2005 and was mainly concentrated in the central and eastern parts of the Northeast Plain, while the substantial turn-in phenomenon of 2005-2010 was mainly located in the northeast of the study area. Compared with a traditional regression model, the SSA-XGBoost model not only weakened the multicollinearity of each driver but also significantly improved the generalization ability and interpretability of the model. The coefficient of determination (R2) of the SSA-XGBoost model exceeded 0.6 in both the natural wetland decline and rise cycles, which could effectively quantify the contribution of each driving factor. From the results of the model calculations, agricultural activities consisting of dryland and paddy fields during the entire cycle of natural wetland change were the main driving factors, with relative contributions of 18.59% and 15.40%, respectively. Both meteorological (temperature, precipitation) and topographic factors (elevation, slope) had a driving role in the spatiotemporal variation of natural wetlands. The gross domestic product (GDP) had the lowest contribution to natural wetlands' variation. This study provides a new method of quantitative analysis based on machine learning theory for determining the causes of natural wetland changes; it can be applied to large spatial scale areas, which is essential for a rapid monitoring of natural wetlands' resources and an accurate decision-making on the ecological environment's security.

Approach to the design of different types of intraocular lenses based on an improved sinusoidal profile.

An approach is presented to design different types of Intraocular lenses (IOLs) with a uniform optimization algorithm. An improved sinusoidal phase function is proposed to realize adjustable energy allocations in different diffractive orders according to the design aims. By setting specific optimization goals, different types of IOLs can be designed using the same optimization algorithm. With this method, bifocal, trifocal, extended-depth-of-focus (EDoF), and mono-EDoF IOLs are successfully designed and their optical performance under monochromatic and polychromatic light is evaluated and compared with their commercial counterparts. The result shows that most of the designed IOLs, even though they don't have any multi-zones or combination of diffractive profiles, have superior or comparable performance to their commercial counterparts in terms of optical performance under monochromatic light. The result demonstrates the validity and reliability of the approach proposed in this paper. With this method, the development time of different types of IOLs could be reduced considerably.

Comparison of wavefront aberrations in the object and image spaces using wide-field individual eye models.

Wavefront aberrations in the image space are critical for visual perception, though the clinical available instruments usually give the wavefront aberrations in the object space. This study aims to compare the aberrations in the object and image spaces. With the measured wavefront aberrations over the horizontal and vertical ±15° visual fields, the in-going and out-going wide-field individual myopic eye models were constructed to obtain the wavefront aberrations in the object and image spaces of the same eye over ±45° horizontal and vertical visual fields. The average differences in the mean sphere and astigmatism were below 0.25 D between the object and image spaces over the horizontal and vertical ±45° visual fields under 3 mm and 6 mm pupil diameter. The wavefront aberrations in the object space are a proper representation of the aberrations in the image space at least for horizontal visual fields ranging from -35°to +35° and vertical visual fields ranging from -15°to +15°.

Upregulated NLRP3 inflammasome activation is attenuated by anthocyanins in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A case-control and an intervention study.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the recent attention focused on the roles of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis of metabolic and inflammatory diseases, little is known about the activation status of NLRP3 inflammasome in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The present study aimed to investigate whether inflammasomes activation is upregulated in patients with NAFLD and the upregulation can be attenuated by anthocyanins, which are polyphenols with known anti-inflammatory activities. METHODS: This study included a case-control study and a randomized controlled intervention trial. In the first part, NAFLD patients and healthy controls were recruited from a cohort of railroad workers. In the second part, NAFLD patients were randomly assigned to receive either capsules of anthocyanins (320 mg daily) or placebo for 12 weeks. A series of genes and factors associated with activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in subjects' plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, the mRNA levels of NLRP3 inflammasome components (NLRP3, caspase-1, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-18) were significantly upregulated in the PBMCs of NAFLD patients. Consistently, plasma levels of mature IL-1ß and IL-18 in NAFLD patients were significantly higher than in controls. After anthocyanin administration, both mRNA expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components (caspase-1, IL-1ß, and IL-18) in PBMCs and plasma levels of IL-1ß and IL-18 decreased dramatically in NAFLD patients compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome is highly increased in NAFLD patients, but it can be markedly suppressed by anthocyanins, which provides a rationale for the development of anti-inflammatory therapies in NAFLD.

Inactivation and Membrane Damage Mechanism of Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water on Pseudomonas deceptionensis CM2.

Pseudomonas is considered as the specific spoilage bacteria in meat and meat products. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inactivation efficiency and mechanisms of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) against Pseudomonas deceptionensis CM2, a strain isolated from spoiling chicken breast. SAEW caused time-dependent inactivation of P. deceptionensis CM2 cells. After exposure to SAEW (pH 5.9, oxidation-reduction potential of 945 mV, and 64 mg/L of available chlorine concentration) for 60 s, the bacterial populations were reduced by 5.14 log reduction from the initial load of 10.2 log10 CFU/mL. Morphological changes in P. deceptionensis CM2 cells were clearly observed through field emission-scanning electron microscopy as a consequence of SAEW treatment. SAEW treatment also resulted in significant increases in the extracellular proteins and nucleic acids, and the fluorescence intensities of propidium iodide and n-phenyl-1-napthylamine in P. deceptionensis CM2 cells, suggesting the disruption of cytoplasmic and outer membrane integrity. These findings show that SAEW is a promising antimicrobial agent.

A dose-response evaluation of purified anthocyanins on inflammatory and oxidative biomarkers and metabolic risk factors in healthy young adults: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Anthocyanins derived from different plant sources have been found to possess a variety of health-promoting effects, including antiinflammatory properties and protection from oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the dose-response relationship between anthocyanins and metabolic risk factors as well as inflammatory and oxidative biomarkers in healthy adult volunteers. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which included an increasing dosing schedule of 20, 40, 80, 160, and 320 mg of purified anthocyanins or placebo. Participants (n = 111) were administered either agent for 14 consecutive days. RESULTS: No significant differences in either baseline characteristics or daily intake of dietary nutrients were detected between the experimental and control groups. After anthocyanin supplementation, there was a significant difference in adjusted fasting plasma glucose levels. The group receiving 80 mg/d of anthocyanin had the lowest baseline-adjusted fasting plasma glucose when compared with placebo (F = 3.556, P = 0.007). Logarithmically adjusted plasma interleukin-10 levels were negatively correlated with increasing anthocyanin dose (F = 2.738, P = 0.025). Similarly, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α levels decreased with increasing anthocyanins dose (F = 3.513, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results suggest that anthocyanin supplementation at a dose greater than 80 mg/d is an effective antioxidant and antiinflammatory agent in healthy young adults.

Nasal-temporal asymmetry in peripheral refraction with an aspheric myopia control contact lens.

A combination of human subject data and optical modelling was used to investigate unexpected nasal-temporal asymmetry in peripheral refraction with an aspheric myopia control lens. Peripheral refraction was measured with an auto-refractor and an aberrometer. Peripheral refraction with the lens was highly dependent upon instrument and method (e.g. pupil size and the number of aberration orders). A model that did not account for on-eye conformation did not mirror the clinical results, but a model assuming complete lens conformation to the anterior corneal topography accounted for the positive shift in clinically measured refraction at larger nasal field angles. The findings indicate that peripheral refraction of highly aspheric contact lenses is dependent on lens conformation and the method of measurement. These measurement methods must be reported, and care must be used in interpreting results.

Hispidulin exhibits neuroprotective activities against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury through suppressing NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.

AIM: Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is the major cause of neurological deficit following stroke. Our previous study showed neuroprotective effects of hispidulin against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). In this study, we further examined the involvement of pyroptosis in this neuroprotective function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IRI was simulated in a rat model by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery, and the animals were treated with different doses of hispidulin. The neurological function of the rats was evaluated by the neural function defect score (NFDS), balance beam test and limb placement test. The infarct volume and brain water content were measured 72 h following IRI. Neuronal cell survival and pyroptosis in the ischemic cortex were respectively detected by Nissl staining and TUNEL assay. The relative expression of pyroptosis markers was determined by qRT-PCR, Western blotting and ELISA as appropriate. IRI was simulated in vitro in primary cerebral astrocytes using the OGD/R procedure. AMPKα was blocked genetically or pharmacologically using siRNA and compound C respectively. CCK-8 and LDH release assays were performed using suitable kits. RESULTS: Hispidulin improved the neurological symptoms of the rats after IRI, in addition to decreasing the infarct size and brain edema. Mechanistically, hispidulin exerted its neuroprotective effects in vivo and in vitro by suppressing NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis by modulating the AMPK/GSK3ß signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Hispidulin is a neuroprotective agent with clinical potential against IR-induced neurological injury.

Small-aperture optics for the presbyope: do comparable designs of corneal inlays and intraocular lenses provide similar transmittances to the retina?

The near-vision performance of emmetropic presbyopes can be improved by the monocular surgical implantation of small-aperture corneal inlays or intraocular lenses that contain either an annular or circular stop to increase ocular depth of focus. Ray tracing is used to show that, although different stop designs and positions may produce similar axial imagery and increases in depth of focus, off-axis, the vignetting effects associated with the distance between the stop and the iris aperture result in different field dependences for the pupil transmittance. The implications of these effects, and of implanting a stop in only one eye, are discussed.

Optical quality comparison between laser ablated myopic eyes with centration on coaxially sighted corneal light reflex and on entrance pupil center.

This paper aims to compare the image quality between centration on the coaxially sighted corneal light reflex (CSCLR) and on the entrance pupil center (EPC). Myopic laser ablation was simulated on eye models, and the optical performances were compared. Centration on the EPC leads to higher wavefront aberrations and lower modulation transfer function. The two centration methods give nearly identical retinal images for angle kappa less than 5°. Because of less tissue removal, centration on the EPC is probably preferable for angle kappa less than 5°, but CSCLR centration may be preferable for angle kappa larger than 5°. The degree of tilt of the post-surgery anterior corneal surface explains the differences between the two methods.

Euxanthone Attenuates Aß1-42-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis by Triggering Autophagy.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by the deposition of ß-Amyloid (Aß) plaques which contribute to its pathology. The present study was aimed at exploring the protective effects of euxanthone against Aß-induced neurotoxicity both in vivo and in vitro. We found that euxanthone significantly attenuated Aß1-42-induced memory and spatial learning dysfunction and also significantly reversed Aß1-42-induced neuronal apoptosis and autophagy in the hippocampal region. Euxanthone also protected the neuroblastic PC12 cells against Aß1-42-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis by inducing autophagy. In conclusion, euxanthone exerts its neuroprotective effect against Aß1-42 by inducing autophagy, indicating its potential therapeutic role in AD.

Activation of PPARγ mediates icaritin-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioblastoma multiforme.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most prevalent primary malignancy of the brain. This study was designed to investigate whether icaritin exerts anti-neoplastic activity against GBM in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was utilized to examine the viability of GBM cells. The apoptotic cell population was measured by flow cytometry analysis. Cell cycle distribution was detected by flow cytometry as well. Western blot analysis was performed to examine the level of biomarker proteins in GBM cells. Levels of PPARγ mRNA and protein were detected by qPCR and western blot analysis, respectively. To examine the role of PPARγ in the anti-neoplastic activity of icaritin, PPARγ antagonist GW9662 or PPARγ siRNA was used. The activity of PPARγ was determined by DNA binding and luciferase assays. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that icaritin markedly suppresses cell growth in a dose-dependent and time-dependent fashion. The cell population at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle was significantly increased following icaritin treatment. Meanwhile, icaritin promoted apoptotic cell death in T98G and U87MG cells. Further investigation showed upregulation of PPARγ played a key role in the anti-neoplastic activities of icaritin. Moreover, our result demonstrated activation of AMPK signaling by icaritin mediated the modulatory effect of icaritin on PPARγ. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest the PPARγ may mediate anti-neoplastic activities against GBM.

Optimization of bayberry juice spray drying process using response surface methodology.

In this study, thirteen different runs according to the central composite design-response surface methodology were used to optimize the quality parameters of spray-dried bayberry juice powder. The independent variables were different levels of inlet air temperature (145.8-174.1 °C) and maltodextrin concentration (22.9-37.0%). The responses were process yield, moisture content, hygroscopicity, glass transition temperature (Tg), total color difference (ΔE), redness, retention of phenolics and anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity. The optimum operation conditions for the highest Tg, redness, anthocyanins retention and antioxidant capacity with the lowest ΔE and hygroscopicity were obtained at inlet drying temperature of 150 °C and maltodextrin concentration of 31%. This study revealed that by applying these optimal conditions, bayberry juice powder with a 74.16% yield, 3.15% moisture content, 10.25% hygroscopicity, 41.15 °C Tg, 24.74 ΔE, 27.45 Hunter a redness, 89.55% anthocyanins retention, 77.71% phenolics retention, and 30.19 mmol Trolox equivalents/g antioxidant capacity was produced.

Hispidulin induces mitochondrial apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells by targeting extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a heterogeneous group of hematological neoplasms with marked heterogeneity in response to both standard therapy and survival. Hispidulin, a flavonoid compound that is anactive ingredient in the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Salvia plebeia R. Br, has recently been reported to have anantitumor effect against solid tumors in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of hispidulin on the human leukemia cell line in vitro and the underlying mechanisms of its actions on these cells. Our results showed that hispidulin inhibits AML cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and induces cell apoptosis throughan intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. Our results also revealed that hispidulin treatment significantly inhibits extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) expression in both tested AML cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, and that the overexpression of EMMPRIN protein markedly attenuates hispidulin-induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, our results strongly indicated that the modulating effect of hispidulin on EMMPRIN is correlated with its inhibitory effect on both the Akt and STAT3 signaling pathways.

Biofilm Formation Characteristics of Pseudomonas lundensis Isolated from Meat.

Biofilms formations of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria on food or food contact surfaces have attracted increasing attention. These events may lead to a higher risk of food spoilage and foodborne disease transmission. While Pseudomonas lundensis is one of the most important bacteria that cause spoilage in chilled meat, its capability for biofilm formation has been seldom reported. Here, we investigated biofilm formation characteristics of P. lundensis mainly by using crystal violet staining, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The swarming and swimming motility, biofilm formation in different temperatures (30, 10, and 4 °C) and the protease activity of the target strain were also assessed. The results showed that P. lundensis showed a typical surface-associated motility and was quite capable of forming biofilms in different temperatures (30, 10, and 4 °C). The strain began to adhere to the contact surfaces and form biofilms early in the 4 to 6 h. The biofilms began to be formed in massive amounts after 12 h at 30 °C, and the extracellular polysaccharides increased as the biofilm structure developed. Compared with at 30 °C, more biofilms were formed at 4 and 10 °C even by a low bacterial density. The protease activity in the biofilm was significantly correlated with the biofilm formation. Moreover, the protease activity in biofilm was significantly higher than that of the corresponding planktonic cultures after cultured 12 h at 30 °C.

A new method to accurately assess post-laser-surgery refractive changes with the intrinsic corneal power changes.

To evaluate the ability of assessing the refractive change induced by myopic laser surgery using the intrinsic data, obtained from a reference intrinsic to the cornea. Twenty-nine eyes with laser in situ keratomileusis for myopia were included in the study. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the relationship between refractive changes and two kinds of corneal power: KIP_value (obtained by keratometric index of 1.3375 and radius of curvature) and RIP_value (obtained by real corneal refraction index of 1.376 and radius of curvature). The comparisons were made between results given by intrinsic data and Pentacam HR. Preoperatively, the intrinsic radii of curvature are significantly less (p≪0.001) than those from Pentacam HR, while the intrinsic radii of curvature are significantly larger (p≪0.001) after surgery. The corneal power changes given by Pentacam HR always underestimate the refractive changes. However, the intrinsic data generally reduce the discrepancies between the corneal power and the refractive changes. The intrinsic KIP_value correlated best with the refractive changes at the corneal plane (p≪0.001) with a prediction error as low as 1.51%. The use of intrinsic data of the cornea can possibly provide an accurate estimation of surgically induced refractive changes.

Statistical characteristics of aberrations of human eyes after small incision lenticule extraction surgery and analysis of visual performance with individual eye model.

Preoperative and postoperative wavefront aberrations of 73 myopic eyes with small incision lenticule extraction surgery are analyzed in this paper. Twenty-eight postoperative individual eye models are constructed to investigate the visual acuity (VA) of human eyes. Results show that in photopic condition, residual defocus, residual astigmatism, and higher-order aberrations are relatively small. 100% of eyes reach a VA of 0.8 or better, and 89.3% of eyes reach a VA of 1.0 or better. In scotopic condition, the residual defocus and the higher-order aberrations are, respectively, 1.9 and 8.5 times the amount of that in photopic condition, and the defocus becomes the main factor attenuating visual performance.

Icaritin inhibits the invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of glioblastoma cells by targeting EMMPRIN via PTEN/AKt/HIF-1α signalling.

Icaritin, a hydrolytic product of icariin from the Epimedium genus, exerts anti-tumour effects on a variety of tumour cell types, mainly by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. However, little is known about the role of icaritin in cancer invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In the present study, the glioblastoma (GBM) cell line U87MG was used as a model to investigate the effects of icaritin on the invasion and EMT of cancer cells. The results showed that icaritin significantly inhibited the invasion and EMT of GBM cells by targeting extracellular matrix metalloproteinase (EMMPRIN). Furthermore, the findings strongly indicate that the modulatory effect of icaritin on EMMPRIN is mediated via the PTEN/Akt/HIF-1α signalling pathway. The data provide the first experimental evidence of the inhibitory effect of icaritin on cancer cell invasion and EMT, thus highlighting the potential of icaritin to be employed as a promising anti-cancer agent in the treatment of GBM.

Investigation of aberration characteristics of eyes at a peripheral visual field by individual eye model.

We propose a method of constructing an individual eye model with a large visual field, and then investigate aberration characteristics of eyes in peripheral fields with constructed models. Twelve eyes of different aberrations are selected from 89 myopic eyes. It is shown that astigmatism increases as visual field in a quadratic manner. The variation tendency of defocus can be expressed by the cubic curve for 50% of eyes. For most of the eyes, the variation of spherical aberration shows a quadratic rule within ±24° visual field. Coma exhibits obvious individual differences. The impact of high-order aberrations on vision is mainly at a smaller visual field, and it becomes negligible beyond 24° visual field.