Acoustic Signal-Based Defect Identification for Directed Energy Deposition-Arc Using Wavelet Time-Frequency Diagrams.

Several advantages of directed energy deposition-arc (DED-arc) have garnered considerable research attention including high deposition rates and low costs. However, defects such as discontinuity and pores may occur during the manufacturing process. Defect identification is the key to monitoring and quality assessments of the additive manufacturing process. This study proposes a novel acoustic signal-based defect identification method for DED-arc via wavelet time-frequency diagrams. With the continuous wavelet transform, one-dimensional (1D) acoustic signals acquired in situ during manufacturing are converted into two-dimensional (2D) time-frequency diagrams to train, validate, and test the convolutional neural network (CNN) models. In this study, several CNN models were examined and compared, including AlexNet, ResNet-18, VGG-16, and MobileNetV3. The accuracy of the models was 96.35%, 97.92%, 97.01%, and 98.31%, respectively. The findings demonstrate that the energy distribution of normal and abnormal acoustic signals has significant differences in both the time and frequency domains. The proposed method is verified to identify defects effectively in the manufacturing process and advance the identification time.

The intrabulbar or extrabulbar growth pattern and its surgical outcomes of jugular foramen paragangliomas.

OBJECTIVE: This study is to define a subclassification system of jugular foramen paragangliomas (JFPs) and to demonstrate corresponding microsurgical outcomes of JFPs. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: A single-center study. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of the clinical data of 44 patients with JFPs who underwent surgical management. Extrabulbar(Be) tumor and intrabulbar(Bi) tumor are defined based on the growth patterns, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the imaging profile were generated and was confirmed based on intraoperative findings. Area Under Curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for diagnostic imaging were revealed. We also compared the correlation between the two growth patterns with Fisch's classification, blood loss, lower cranial nerves (LCNs) deficit. RESULTS: There are 27 (69%) cases of Bi tumor and 17 (39%) cases of Be tumor. Significant radiomics features between the two growth patterns were demonstrated, ROC curves achieved excellent AUCs for MRI sequences (T1W1 MRI, MR contrast-enhanced sequence, MR complex sequences and MR complex + DSA by 0.833, 0.833, 0.875, 0.944) and had statistically significant in diagnosis of two growth patterns (P<0.05). There was no statistical correlation between growth patterns of JFPs and intra-operative blood loss. Preoperative LCNs deficits and Fisch's classification of tumors were correlated with the growth patterns of JFPs (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We proposetd two growth patterns of JFPs in term of the inferior petrous sinus involvement. Identification of Bi or Be growth patterns preoperatively is helpful to design optimal surgical strategies and minimize postoperative complications.

The roles of teacher and parental support on adolescent cyber-bystander behaviors: a path analysis.

Introduction: The role of bystanders in cyberbullying situations is critical, with the potential to significantly influence outcomes. Bystanders who demonstrate positive behaviors-such as reporting incidents or supporting victims-can help to mitigate the damaging effects of cyberbullying. Based on the Social Cognitive Theory, this study seeks to address the psychosocial mechanisms that underlie positive cyber-bystander behaviors. Methods: A total of 1,716 students in Grades 8-12 from three secondary schools in China participated in this study. Path analysis was utilized to delineate the relationships between internet self-efficacy, empathy, teacher and parental support, and cyber-bystander behaviors. Results: Adolescents who received greater support from teachers were more likely to demonstrate increased internet self-efficacy and empathy. In contrast, higher levels of parental warmth were associated with lower levels of internet self-efficacy. Teacher support and parental warmth exerted an indirect effect on positive bystander behaviors through empathy. Discussion: The importance of parental warmth paired with Internet self-efficacy in preventing online interpersonal violence and motivate active bystander behaviors is considerable. We recommend adopting a nuanced approach that differentiates between empathy and internet self-efficacy in cyber-bystander research.

Disrupted mitochondrial transcription factor A expression promotes mitochondrial dysfunction and enhances ocular surface inflammation by activating the absent in melanoma 2 inflammasome.

PURPOSE: Severe dry eye disease causes ocular surface damage, which is highly associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) is essential for packaging mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and is crucial for maintaining mitochondrial function. Herein, we aimed to explore the effect of a decreased TFAM expression on ocular surface damage. METHODS: Female C57BL/6 mice were induced ocular surface injury by topical administrating benzalkonium chloride (BAC). Immortalized human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) were stimulated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) to create oxidative stress damage. HCECs with TFAM knockdown were established. RNA sequencing was employed to analyze the whole-genome expression. Mitochondrial changes were measured by transmission electron microscopy, Seahorse metabolic flux analysis, mitochondrial membrane potential, and mtDNA copy number. TFAM expression and inflammatory cytokines were determined using RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and immunoblotting. RESULTS: In both the corneas of BAC-treated mice and t-BHP-induced HCECs, we observed impaired TFAM expression, accompanied by mitochondrial structure and function defects. TFAM downregulation in HCECs suppressed mitochondrial respiratory capacity, reduced mtDNA content, induced mtDNA leakage into the cytoplasm, and led to inflammation. RNA sequencing revealed the absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome was activated in the corneas of BAC-treated mice. The AIM2 inflammasome activation was confirmed in TFAM knockdown HCECs. TFAM knockdown in t-BHP-stimulated HCECs aggravated mitochondrial dysfunction and the AIM2 inflammasome activation, thereby further triggering the secretion of inflammatory factors such as interleukin (IL) -1ß and IL-18. CONCLUSIONS: TFAM reduction impaired mitochondrial function, activated AIM2 inflammasome and promoted ocular surface inflammation, revealing an underlying molecular mechanism for ocular surface disorders.

An efficient approach toward production of near-zigzag single-chirality carbon nanotubes.

Synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a narrow chirality distribution is essential for obtaining pure chirality materials through postgrowth sorting techniques. Using carbon monoxide chemical vapor deposition, we devise a ruthenium (Ru) catalyst supported by silica for the bulk production of SWCNTs containing only a few (n, m) species. The result is attributed to the limited carbon dissociation on the supported Ru clusters, favoring the growth of only small-diameter SWCNTs at comparable growth rates. The resulting materials expedite high-purity single chirality separation using gel chromatography, leading to unprecedented yields of 3.5% for (9, 1) and 5.2% for (9, 2) nanotubes, which surpass those separated from HiPco SWCNTs by two orders of magnitude. This work sheds light on the large-quantity synthesis of SWCNTs with enriched species beyond near-armchair ones for their high-yield separation.

The Role of Parotid Gland Invasion in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the External Auditory Canal.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the significance of parotid gland invasion in predicting distant metastasis of adenoid cystic carcinoma in the external auditory canal. STUDY DESIGN: Single-institution retrospective cohort study. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the external auditory canal who underwent surgery was performed. Information on patient demographics, parotid gland invasion, tumor stage, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and follow-up data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-nine patients were identified for review. Parotid gland invasion was noted in 45 patients (34.9%). Parotid gland invasion was significantly associated with tumor stage, perineural invasion, distant metastasis, and postoperative adjuvant therapy. Distant metastasis was noted in 30 patients (23.3%). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis identified parotid gland invasion as an independent risk factor for predicting distant metastasis. The 5-year distant metastasis-free survival rate was 83.6% for patients without parotid gland invasion and 61.8% for patients with parotid gland invasion (p = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: The parotid gland invasion rate is relatively high in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the external auditory canal and is significantly related to tumor stage. Parotid gland invasion is associated with worse distant metastasis-free survival. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:419-425, 2024.

The coupling coordination and spatiotemporal evolution of industrial water-energy-CO2 in the Yellow River Basin.

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is an important energy, chemical, raw material, and basic industrial base in China. With economic growth, water and energy consumption in industrial industries increasing dramatically, huge pressure for CO2 emission reduction has generated. This paper constructed an industrial water-energy-CO2 (WEC) evaluation index system, analyzed the comprehensive evaluation level, coupling status and coupling coordination status, by using the comprehensive evaluation method, coupling degree model and coupling coordination degree model and used the spatial autocorrelation analysis to study the spatiotemporal evolution from 1999 to 2019 in the YRB. The results demonstrated that the integrated development level of the basin's industrial WEC system and subsystems had been improving. The basin was at a high coupling and the level of coupling had been increasing as a whole, and the industrial energy-CO2 coupling degree was bigger than the industrial water-energy and industrial water-CO2 coupling degrees in the YRB. The coupling coordination status had transitioned from forced coordination to good coordination. Spatially, the coupling coordination didn't appear a significant correlation and showed a random distribution. Accordingly, the suggestions were made to improve the level of industrial development in the basin, strengthen integrated resource management, and enhance intra-basin cooperation.

Bibliometric analysis of research relating to refractive cataract surgery over a 20-year period: from 2003 to 2022.

AIM: To investigate the research trend on refractive cataract surgery, compare the contributions of different countries, institutions, journals, and authors in the past 20y, and explore its potential research hotspots. METHODS: All publications were extracted relating to refractive cataract surgery from 2003 to 2022 from Web of Science. Document types were limited to original articles and reviews, and the language was limited to English. Quantitatively and qualitatively of the publications were analyzed through Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used for bibliometric and visualized analysis. RESULTS: A total of 2090 publications were enrolled. The United States contributed the most publications (434, 20.8%), followed by China (345, 16.5%) and England (163, 7.80%). Publications from the United States were cited more frequently (9552 citations) with the highest H-index of 48. China ranked second in the total number of publications, the papers were not cited that frequently (3237 citations), and the H-index ranked sixth (H-index=29). Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery published the most papers (333, 15.9%), and the University of London had the highest number of publications (75, 3.59%). Dick HB from Germany published the most papers. Corneal astigmatism-related research, cataract surgery method-related research, postoperative visual-quality relate to research, and postoperative complications-relate research are the hotspots in this field. The most significant limitation was that the database was updated frequently and the latest publications were not included. CONCLUSION: The bibliometric analysis shows a brief summarization of the contribution of the authors, institutions, countries, and journals. Corneal astigmatism, cataract surgery method, postoperative visual-quality and postoperative complications related researches have become the emerging hotspots, which can give a direction in the future researches.

[A case report of middle ear cholesteatoma complicated with labyrinthine fistulaand delayed endolymphatic hydrops].

Delayed endolymphatic hydrops （DEH） is a rare disease that causes vertigo and is often misdiagnosed as other vertigo diseases. This article reports on a patient with vertigo who was easily misdiagnosed. The patient was a middle ear cholesteatoma complicated by labyrinthine fistula （LF）; however, his vertigo was episodic vertigo, which could not be explained solely by LF causing labyrinthitis. The possibility of endolymphatic hydrops was suspected, which was confirmed by inner ear magnetic resonance gadolinium imaging. This is the first reported case of middle ear cholesteatoma complicated by LF and DEH. The patient underwent surgical resection of the cholesteatoma and three semicircular canal obstructions at the same time. During two years postoperative follow-up, the patient did not experience a recurrence of vertigo. When diagnosing vertigo diseases, a careful history of vertigo is of utmost importance.

Mapping the research on Sjögren's syndrome-related dry eye disease: a bibliometric network analysis of the past 20 years.

PURPOSE: Our study aimed to make a bibliometric analysis on Sjögren's syndrome-related dry eye disease (SS-DED), explore its potential research hotspots, and provide critical information for future research interest and undeveloped topics in this field, which can benefit clinicians and researchers. METHODS: We extracted all publications relating to SS-DED from 2003 to 2022 from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Original articles and reviews in English were included. The contributions of different countries, institutions, journals, and authors were compared, and the research hotspots were visualized for network analysis through GraphPad Prism, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer. RESULTS: We enrolled a total of 987 publications. The United States contributed the most publications (281, 28.5%), followed by China (157, 15.9%) and Japan (80, 8.11%). Publications from the United States were cited more frequently (13,060 citations), with the highest H-index of 57. China ranked second in the total number of publications, the papers were not cited frequently (3790 citations), and the H-index ranked second (H-index = 31). PLoS One (32, 3.24%) published the most papers, and the University of California system had the highest number of publications (45, 4.56%). Bootsma H from the Netherlands published the most papers. The trend of research hotspots evolved mainly from the basic manifestation to pathogenesis and treatment of SS-DED and paid more attention to distinguishing SS-DED from that dry eye disease without SS. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the bibliometric, co-citation, and network analyses in this study, we obtained the annual publications and citations, the growth trends of publications, the productivity of countries, organizations, journals, and authors, high-quality publications, and the emerging hotspots of SS-DED, which may open new doors for promising research directions.

Trends in operating room-based glaucoma procedures at a single eye center from 2016-2020.

AIM: To evaluate trends in glaucoma procedures at the Peking University Eye Center in 2016-2020. METHODS: A retrospective search of all glaucoma procedures performed at our institution were performed. Data were analyzed by calculating the absolute numbers and relative weightage of each procedure per year. RESULTS: The average age of glaucoma patients undergoing surgical procedures was 62.33±17.87y, and 55% were women. From 2016 to 2019, the number of surgical procedures performed in glaucoma patients showed an overall upward trend from 749 to 1460, although it decreased slightly in 2020 (n=1393), probably due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of trabeculectomies did not change significantly in 2016 (n=161) to 2018 (n=164) but decreased in 2019 (n=139) to 2020 (n=121), indicating a reduction in its relative weightage among glaucoma procedures (from 21.50% to 8.69%). The number of glaucoma drainage device implantations and minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries both increased (50 and 58 respectively in 2019), except in 2020. The number of transscleral cyclophotocoagulation procedures was relatively stable, increasing until 2017 (n=218) and then decreasing. Cataract surgeries with or without glaucoma procedures accounted for a large number of the total surgeries, increasing from 247 (32.97%) in 2016 to 967 (69.42%), among which cataract extraction combined with goniosynechialysis was the most frequent. CONCLUSION: The overall increase in the number of operating room-based surgical procedures is significant. Trabeculectomy is one of the most commonly performed procedures, despite the relative decline in its weightage. Other procedures, including use of glaucoma drainage devices and mini shunts and minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries, are gaining greater acceptance. Notably, lens-related surgery plays an important role in glaucoma management.

Management of Complex Jugular Paragangliomas: Surgical Resection and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to review tumor control and cranial nerve function outcomes in patients with complex jugular paragangliomas and to refine the surgical strategies for complex jugular paragangliomas. METHODS: We describe our experience with 12 patients with complex jugular paragangliomas diagnosed in our institution from January 2013 to June 2020. The main outcomes included tumor control, complications, and function of facial nerve and lower cranial nerves, postoperatively. RESULTS: Gross-total resection was achieved for 9 (75%) patients, and subtotal resection was achieved for 3 (25%) patients. The surgical tumor control rate was 100% after a mean follow-up of 45.5 months (range, 13-111 months). Postoperatively, 10 patients (83.3%) obtained unchanged or improved facial nerve function. However, new lower cranial nerve deficits occurred in 2 patients (16.7%) due to surgical removal of the concurrent vagal paraganglioma and scar tissue enclosing the IX and XII nerves. CONCLUSION: Our refined surgical techniques, including tension-free anterior facial nerve rerouting, sigmoid sinus tunnel-packing, and pushpacking techniques, could be a choice for the treatment of complex jugular paragangliomas to achieve tumor control and cranial nerves preservation. A 2-stage surgery should be applied to minimize the risk of bilateral cranial neuropathies and the influence on cerebral circulation in patients with bilateral paragangliomas. The preoperative endovascular intervention such as coil embolization or internal carotid artery stenting can be employed for the management of paragangliomas with internal carotid artery-associated lesions.

Sonication-Free Dispersion of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for High-Sorption-Capacity Aerogel Fabrication.

Homogenously dispersing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in solvents has been one critical step towards exploiting their exceptional properties in high-performance components. However, the solubility of SWNTs is severely limited by the inert tube surfaces and strong tube-tube van der Waals attractions. Starting with carbon nanotubides, i.e., negatively charged SWNTs reduced by alkali metals, we herein propose a sonication-free approach to prepare an aqueous dispersion of SWNTs. The approach combines the spontaneous dissolution of nanotubides in polar aprotic solvents with polyvinylpyrrolidone wrapping and dialysis in deionized H2O, which results in well-dispersed, neutralized SWNTs. The gelation of concentrated SWNT dispersion leads to the formation of hydrogels, which is subsequently transformed into SWNT aerogels through lyophilization. The prepared SWNT aerogels exhibit high-mass-sorption capacities for organic solvent absorption, paving the way towards harvesting the extraordinary properties of SWNTs.

Controlled growth of organic 2D layered material thin films via interfacial methods.

The isolation of graphene from graphite triggered enormous interest in the study of 2D materials due to their remarkable physical properties. These 2D materials feature many unique properties, such as atomically thin flakes, a layered structure, a long-range order and a dangling bond-free surface, which are promising for broad applications in various fields including (opto)electronics, spintronics, catalysis and so on. Specially, organic 2D layered materials have the prominent advantage of their designable and tailorable chemical structure at the atomic level. The preparation of organic 2D layered material thin films has become a very hot research topic in the materials fields because of their great potential to be integrated into advanced nanodevices. Considering the lack of large single crystal samples, it is not possible to obtain large-scale films from the traditional top-down exfoliation methods. Various groups and our previous studies prove the efficiency of interfacial synthesis methods for high-quality organic 2D layered material thin film preparation by restricting the reaction at the two-phase boundary area within a plane. As the performance of resultant films is highly related to their "quality" in aspects of continuity, crystallinity, uniformity, and thickness, the selection of interfaces and conditions is vitally important. Until now, many interfacial synthesis methods have been developed and modified for the controlled growth of high-quality organic 2D layered material thin films. This feature article reviews the recent advances in organic 2D layered material thin film preparation by interfacial methods. First, how the features of the interface affect the growth behavior of organic 2D layered materials is analyzed. Then, varieties of organic 2D layered material thin films with different chemical structures grown at various interfaces are discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects in the interfacial synthesis of high-quality organic 2D layered materials are also explored.

Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Changes in Mice With Acute Vestibular Deficit.

Vestibular deficit is a very common disorder in clinical practice and is characterized by vertigo, spontaneous nystagmus, and autonomic nervous symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and sweating. In addition, the comorbidity of vestibular deficit and anxiety has long been an integral component of the medical literature. Previous studies have suggested that the mechanisms underlying this comorbidity involved overlap of vestibular and cerebellar networks. Emerging evidence has shown that the microbiota-gut-brain axis plays a key role in the regulation of affective disorders. Thus, we hypothesized that the gut microbiota may be involved in the comorbidity of vestibular deficit and anxiety. To verify this, we constructed a unilateral labyrinthectomy mouse model to simulate vestibular deficit. Then, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were used to analyze the microbiome and metabolome of the cecal samples collected from mice in the unilateral labyrinthectomy, sham surgery, and control groups. Notably, unilateral labyrinthectomy shaped the composition of the mouse gut microbiome, resulting in increased abundance of Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, Odoribacter and Roseburia and decreased abundance of Prevotella and Parasutterella at the genus level. Tax4Fun functional prediction indicated a decrease in tryptophan metabolism in mice in the unilateral labyrinthectomy group. Moreover, functional correlation of changes in gut microbes and metabolites between different groups showed that the oleamide level was negatively correlated with Odoribacter abundance (r = -0.89, p = 0.0002). The butyric acid level was positively correlated with Parasutterella abundance (r = 0.85, p = 0.0010). The propanoate level was negatively correlated with Prevotella abundance (r = -0.81, p = 0.0020). The 20-HETE level was positively correlated with Parasutterella abundance (r = 0.84, p = 0.0013). The altered microbes and metabolites were closely related to the pathogenesis of affective disorders. Our results not only offer novel insights into the vestibular deficit comorbid with anxiety but also build an important basis for future research on this etiology.

Temporal contrast adaptation in the analysis of visual function in primary open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To explore the utility of the recovery time (RT) after temporal contrast adaptation in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) visual function analysis, especially in severe and end-stage glaucoma, by the Erlanger Flicker Test (EFT). METHODS: This study included 80 POAG eyes (45 subjects) and 20 normal eyes (20 subjects). POAG eyes were divided into 5 groups. The diagnostic efficacy of the EFT was assessed, and the RT of POAG eyes at different stages was compared. The EFT results were compared with glaucomatous structure and function test results. A nomogram was developed to predict disease progression by the RT and structural indicators. RESULTS: In the normal eyes, as the test contrast increased, the RT gradually decreased. The EFT test-retest reproducibility was good, with intraclass correlation coefficient values of 0.6 (P < 0.05) for each test contrast. At 12%, 25%, and 35% contrast, the RT in the severe and end-stage glaucoma eyes was significantly prolonged compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The RT at different contrasts was significantly correlated with visual acuity, mean defect, mean sensitivity, and general and individual quadrant optic nerve fiber layer thickness (P ≤ 0.001). The receiver operating curve indicated that RT12% showed the best overall area under the curve (0.863). We included RT25% and average optic nerve fiber layer thickness in constructing the nomogram. POAG eyes were further divided into 8 stages. According to the probability distribution, this model showed good performance for visual function analysis in advanced glaucoma. CONCLUSIONS: Combined with traditional glaucomatous structural and functional parameters, the EFT can be used in the diagnosis and visual function analysis of POAG, especially for severe and end-stage glaucoma. It could be a potential test for disease staging in severe and end-stage glaucoma.

Rapamycin ameliorates age-related hearing loss in C57BL/6J mice by enhancing autophagy in the SGNs.

Autophagy plays a pathogenic role in neurodegenerative disease. However, the involvement of autophagy in the pathogenesis of age-related hearing loss (ARHL) remains obscure. Naturally aged C57BL/6J mice were used to identify the role of autophagy in ARHL, and rapamycin, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, was administered for 34 weeks to explore the potential therapeutic effect of rapamycin in ARHL. We found that the number of autophagosomes and the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B) decreased as the mice aged. The expression of autophagy-related (Atg) proteins, including Beclin1 and Atg5, and the ratio of LC3-II/I was reduced in aged mice, while mTOR activity in aged mice gradually increased. Rapamycin improved the auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold (at 8, 12, and 24 kHz). Further exploration demonstrated that spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) density was enhanced in response to administration of rapamycin. The rate of apoptosis in the basal turn SGNs was decreased, whereas autophagy activity was increased in the experimental group. Meanwhile, mTOR activity in the experimental group was decreased. Our findings indicate that age-related deficiency in autophagy may lead to increased apoptosis of aged SGNs. Rapamycin enhances autophagy of SGNs by inhibiting mTOR activation, resulting in amelioration of ARHL. Therapeutic strategy targeting autophagy may provide a potential approach for treating ARHL.

Effect of Implantable Collamer Lens on Anterior Segment Measurement and Intraocular Lens Power Calculation Based on IOLMaster 700 and Sirius.

PURPOSE: To investigate the possible effect of an implantable collamer lens (ICL) on ocular biometrics and intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation. METHODS: Ocular measurements were taken preoperatively and at the two-month follow-up using IOLMaster 700 and Sirius in 85 eyes (43 patients) who had previously undergone ICL surgery. IOL power was calculated using either IOLMaster 700 (Barrett Universal II formula) or Sirius (ray-tracing). All data were compared using the paired t-test. RESULTS: The difference between preoperative and postoperative anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), and keratometry on the steep axis (K2) measured by IOLMaster 700 was statistically significant (p < 0.001). In 11 of 85 eyes, IOLMaster misjudged the anterior surface of the ICL as that of the lens, leading to an error in ACD and LT. There were no significant differences between preoperative and postoperative axial length (AL) (p = 0.223), white to white (WTW) (p = 0.100), keratometry on flat axis (K1) (p = 0.117), or central corneal thickness (CCT) (p = 0.648), measured using IOLMaster. The difference in IOL power calculated using the Barrett II formula was significant (p = 0.013). Regression analysis showed that AL and K had the greatest influence on IOL calculation (p < 0.001), and ACD and LT had less influence (p = 0.002, p = 0.218, respectively). K1 and K2 were modified to exclude the influence of K2, and modified IOLs showed no difference between pre and postoperation (p = 0.372). Preoperative and postoperative ACD measured using Sirius were significantly different (p < 0.001); however, the IOL power calculated using ray-tracing technology showed no significant differences (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The ocular biometric apparatus may misjudge the anterior surface of the lens, resulting in measurement errors of ACD and LT, which has little effect on the calculation of IOL power when using IOLMaster 700 (Barrett Universal II formula) and Sirius (ray-tracing).

Change of Retinal Vessel Density After Lowering Intraocular Pressure in Ocular Hypertension.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between retinal microvasculature changes and intraocular pressure (IOP) for ocular hypertension (OHT) patients and further assess the factors associated with retinal microcirculation changes. Methods: This was a single-center prospective study designed for OHT patients, which consisted of two visits. After collecting baseline data of those who met the eligibility criteria, these patients were treated with latanoprost 0.005% ophthalmic solution for 4 weeks. Peripapillary vessel density (VD) of radial peripapillary capillaries (RPC) layer, macular VD in both superficial and deep layers, and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area were measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) before and after the treatment. We compared the changes in IOP and VD among the two visits by paired-sample t-test. Bonferroni correction was applied. Factors associated with VD changes were analyzed by linear regression analysis. Results: Thirty-four eyes of thirty-four patients were included. The mean IOP decreased by 6.5 ± 2.2 mmHg (p < 0.001). The peripapillary RPC VD increased significantly from 51.8 ± 2.5 to 53.0 ± 3.1% (Adjusted-p = 0.012). We found no significant difference in detailed sectors of the peripapillary region after correction. In the macular area, both the superficial and deep layers in foveal (superficial: 0.2 ± 1.9%, p = 0.523; deep: 0.0 ± 2.3%, p = 0.969) and parafoveal (superficial: 0.3 ± 3.0%, p = 0.565; deep: 0.5 ± 3.1%, p = 0.423) VD remained unchanged. The decrease of the mean FAZ area was insignificant (p = 0.295). The percentage of IOP reduction (ß = 0.330, p = 0.031) and the baseline RNFL thickness (ß = 0.450, p = 0.004) significantly correlated with the percentage of peripapillary RPC VD improvement in the multivariate linear regression analysis. Conclusion: The peripapillary VD in OHT patients increased after the reduction of IOP. The mild change of IOP did not alter the microcirculation in the macula. In addition, the percentage of IOP change and the baseline RNFL thickness were independent factors for the peripapillary RPC VD improvement.