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ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aimed to analyze variations in intraoperative corneal thickness during corneal cross-linking in patients with keratoconus and to investigate its possible correlation with presurgical maximal keratometry (Kmax) and pachymetry. Methods: This was a prospective case series. We used a method similar to the Dresden protocol, with the application of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 0.1% hypo-osmolar riboflavin in corneas between 330 and 400 µm after epithelium removal. Corneal thickness was measured using portable calipers before and immediately after epithelium removal, and 30 and 60 min after the procedure. Results: The 30 patients in this study were followed up for one year. A statistically significant difference was observed in pachymetry values during the intraoperative period (p<0.0001) and an increase of 3.05 µm (95%C1: 0.56-5.54) for each diopter was seen after epithelium removal (p0.019). We found an average Kmax difference of —2.12 D between men and women (p0.013). One year after treatment, there was a statistically significant reduction in pachymetry (p<0.0001) and Kmax (p0.0170) values. Conclusions: A significant increase in pachymetry measurements was seen during the procedure, and most patients showed a regression in Kmax and pachymetry values one year after surgery.

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BACKGROUND: Retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular malignancy in children, has high fatality rates if untreated. It is crucial to monitor treatment effectiveness and explore factors influencing favorable outcomes. Our study aims to examine how tumor location impacts the response to standard treatments and the achievement of favorable outcomes among retinoblastoma patients, while controlling for other tumor-related factors. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed medical records of retinoblastoma patients from November 2012 to December 2022 enrolled in the retinoblastoma program at the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon (established in collaboration with St.y Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN). Data were extracted from the electronic chart reviews and operative reports of examinations under anesthesia (EUAs), and included patient's demographics, tumor characteristics (size, location), and treatment parameters (treatment type, resolution, recurrence). RESULTS: The study included 42 patients with retinoblastoma, with a total of 57 eyes and 115 tumors/lesions. The median age at diagnosis was 12 months (range: 2-36 months). Among the patients, 26 (61.9%) were males and 16 (38.1%) were females. A minority of patients (21.4%) presented with unilateral involvement, whereas the majority (78.6%) had bilateral involvement. The locations of retinoblastoma lesions were distributed as follows: optic nerve (4.4%), macula (19.1%), superior (16.5%), inferior (17.4%), nasal (27.8%), and temporal (14.8%). Resolution rate tended to be highest for tumors close to optic nerve and temporal lesions, but no statistical significance was attained (p = .45). Macular lesions tended to have the fastest resolution, but again not significantly (p = .5). Multiple logistic regression revealed that the odds for resolution of tumor was not significantly associated with tumor size (p = .57) or location (p = .52). CONCLUSION: Location of retinoblastoma lesions was not directly associated with recurrence-free resolution in our cohort. Further research in large retinoblastoma databases is needed to explore the association of tumor characteristics with recurrence and the need for secondary therapeutic interventions.

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BACKGROUND: Other than location of the primary colorectal cancer (CRC), a few factors are known to influence the intrahepatic distribution of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM). We aimed to assess whether the anatomy of the portal vein (PV) could influence the intrahepatic distribution of CRLM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with CRLM diagnosed between January 2018 and December 2022 at two tertiary centers were included and imaging was reviewed by two radiologists independently. Intra-operator concordance was assessed according to the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The influence of the diameter, angulation of the PV branches and their variations on the number and distribution of CRLM were compared using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Pearson's Chi-square and Spearman's correlation tests. RESULTS: Two hundred patients were included. ICC was high (> 0.90, P < 0.001). Intrahepatic CRLM distribution was right-liver, left-liver unilateral and bilateral in 66 (33%), 24 (12%) and 110 patients (55%), respectively. Median number of CRLM was 3 (1-7). Type 1, 2 and 3 portal vein variations were observed in 156 (78%), 19 (9.5%) and 25 (12%) patients, respectively. CRLM unilateral or bilateral distribution was not influenced by PV anatomical variations (P = 0.13), diameter of the right (P = 0.90) or left (P = 0.50) PV branches, angulation of the right (P = 0.20) or left (P = 0.80) PV branches and was independent from primary tumor localisation (P = 0.60). No correlations were found between CRLM number and diameter (R: 0.093, P = 0.10) or angulation of the PV branches (R: 0.012, P = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: PV anatomy does not seem to influence the distribution and number of CRLM.

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Understanding the correlation between topography, species biomass and species life stage would allow forest managers to better foster carbon storage in forests. Using census data from a 60-ha plot in south China, we first quantified aboveground biomass (AGB) and how much it varied among different topographies. Next, the specific contribution of 42 dominant species to total aboveground biomass was analyzed for each of the different topographies. We also explored whether these species-topography associations changed, in terms of species' AGB distribution, during each of the three life stages (sapling, juvenile, adult) for these 42 species. Our results showed that the average AGB was 368.79 Mg ha-1 and that it varied noticeably among the four topographies (Low valley, Slope, High valley and Ridge, which were classified by using fuzzy C-mean clustering based on elevation, convexity, and slope). AGB was significantly lower in the two valleys than in the two other topographies. Of the 42 species, 88.1% showed topographic preferences, and 78.6% appeared to exhibit topographic preferences that changed with life stage. Our work highlights the importance of topography and life stage in species biomass distribution and suggests that different combinations of species and life stages, based on species topographic preferences across life stages, may be better suited in different tropical rainforest topographies to maximize carbon storage overall.

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Background: This study assessed the topography and lateralization of lymph node (LN) metastases in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients using super-extended pelvic lymph node dissection (sePLND) with sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND). Methods: We analyzed 54 MIBC patients who underwent cystectomy with sePLND and SLND. Tumor location was classified using cystoscopy. Nanocolloid-Tc-99m was injected peritumorally. Preoperative SPECT/CT lymphoscintigraphy and an intraoperative gamma probe were used for SLN detection. Results: A total of 1414 LNs, including 192 SLNs, were resected from 54 patients. Metastases were found in 72 LNs from 22 patients (41%). The obturator fossa was the primary site for LN metastases (37.5%). SLNs were most common in the external iliac region (34.4%). In 36% of the patients with positive LNs, metastases were identified only through sePLND. In 9% of the patients, metastases were found solely in the pararectal region, identified through SLND. Tumor lateralization correlated with ipsilateral positive LNs, but 20% of the patients had contralateral metastases. Conclusions: The pararectal region may be the exclusive site for positive LNs in MIBC. The obturator fossa is the most prevalent region for LN metastases. Unilateral PLND should be avoided due to the risk of contralateral metastases. Combining sePLND with SLND improves staging.

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Scattered data interpolation is an essential technique used in environmental, geospatial and meteorological analysis. It enables the estimation of unknown values within a dataset at the domain by utilising known data points. The utilisation of this method is crucial to generate smooth and continuous surfaces from discrete data, facilitating the creation of more precise models and visualisations of environmental events. The Malaysian rainfall and terrain data introduced in this paper, are essential datasets for these analyses. This paper provides detailed rainfall data from various meteorological stations across Malaysia, sourced from the Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia. Additionally, terrain data for Kalumpang was obtained, which was based on the Agricultural Station in Selangor. These primary datasets are essential for understanding local climatic and topographic variations. However, challenges such as the size of the dataset, time constraints, weather conditions, and difficulties in obtaining data due to sensitivity and confidentiality issues limit the scope of the data collection. Although there are certain limits, the datasets have been carefully processed and prepared to be easily accessible in Microsoft Excel, MATLAB, and Python. This allows for additional research and applications in machine learning. This paper presents raw and pre-processed datasets, enabling comprehensive analyses and advancing scattered data interpolation techniques.

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Study of cell migration in cancer is crucial to the comprehension of the processes and factors that govern tumor spread. Cancer cells migrate invading tissues, causing alterations in cell adhesion, cytoskeleton, and signaling pathways. Little is known about the physical attributes of cancer cells that change when interacting with microenvironments. In this work, the local topography of the ECM has been mimicked through micropillar array substrates. MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells, exhibiting high and low metastatic potential, respectively, were analyzed. Differences in morphology and migration of the cells were investigated by examining the cell spreading area, circularity, aspect ratio, migration speed, and migration path. This work encountered that none of the studied cell lines have preferential orientation migrating on uniform patterns. In contrast, cell migration on graded patterns shows preferential orientation along the longitudinal direction from sparser to denser zones which is significantly influenced by substrate stiffness and indicates that both cell lines can sense the spacing gradient and respond to this topographical cue. The migration speed of the breast cancer cell lines significantly decreases from the sparse to medium to dense zones, registering higher values for the MDA-MB-231.

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Introduction: the objective of the study was to find out the microstate map topographies and their parameters generated during the resting state and during listening to North Indian classical Music Raag 'the Raag Bilawal'. It was hypothesized that in the resting state and during listening to music conditions, there would be a difference in microstate parameters i.e. mean duration, global explained variance (GEV), and time coverage. Methods: a 128-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded for 12 Indian subjects (average age 26.1+1.4 years) while resting and listening to music using the EEG microstate investigation. Investigation and comparison of the microstate parameters were the mean duration, global explained variance (GEV), and time coverage between both conditions were performed. Results: seven microstate maps were found to represent the resting state and listening to music condition, four canonical and three novel maps. No statistically significant difference was found between the two conditions for time coverage and mean duration. The statistical significance levels of the map-1, map-2, map-3, map-4, map-5, map-6, and map-7 for the mean duration were 0.4, 0.6, 0.97, 0.34, 0.32, 0.69, and 0.29 respectively; and for time coverage were 0.92, 0.92, 0.96, 0.64, 0.78, 0.38, and 0.76 respectively. Map-1, map-4, and map-7 were the three novel maps we found in our study. Conclusion: similarities regarding stability and predominance of maps with small vulnerability exist in both conditions indicating that phonological, visual, and dorsal attention networks may be activated in both resting state and listening to music condition.

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The article examines two seemingly unconnected occurrences at the nineteenth-century north east frontier of British India. The first is the production of a pathological space via moral, social, and cultural codes enacted by medical topographies on the region since the first Anglo-Burmese war (1824-1826) and the subsequent rise of disease thinking. The second is the ambivalence in disease thinking that is brought to fore through the mysterious malady called kala azar (visceral leishmaniasis), which was geographically designated as Assam fever. This article contends that the geographical designation of kala azar as Assam fever is not just coincidental or a nosological confusion of the late nineteenth century but rather has its origin in the preceding pathological carving of space at the frontier. Further, it explores the troubled ontology between research on malaria and kala azar investigations to show that the old codes enacted by medical topographies hinged upon the era of laboratory medicine.

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To inform regulatory policy, this article summarises findings on inhalation facilitation from the ninth report of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation. Some additives counteract the harshness and bitterness of tobacco and nicotine product aerosols, making them easier to inhale. Additives that promote inhalability may perpetuate and increase the use of inhaled tobacco and nicotine products, especially by young people. Thus, as a class, additives that facilitate inhalation are an important regulatory target to prevent tobacco and nicotine product uptake. We defined inhalation facilitation as modifications to products during manufacturing that enhance the sensory experience and (potentially) behaviours associated with inhalation (eg, deeper puffs, faster inhalation, larger puff volume, shorter intervals in between puffs and use episodes). Evidence review showed that: (a) menthol and synthetic coolants decrease irritation caused by aerosol constituents by activating sensory perception receptors (eg, cooling receptors) and may promote dependence in inexperienced users; (b) acid additives and sugars, which lower the pH of aerosols and shift nicotine from free-base to protonated salt forms, reduce harshness and increase blood nicotine yield; (c) e-cigarette flavourings perceived as sweet or fruity reduce subjective bitterness, increase attractiveness and may escalate use, although their effects on perceived harshness are inconclusive; (d) sugars in tobacco impart sweet sensations, but limited industry-independent data preclude strong conclusions for sugars' roles in inhalation facilitation. Given these findings, WHO policy recommendations suggest that regulators might consider banning ingredients that facilitate inhalation in all commercial inhaled tobacco and nicotine products.

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BACKGROUND: To analyze the clinical outcomes after topography-guided femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) with Phorcides Analytic Engine (PAE) algorithm or Custom-Q FS-LASIK for myopia with nonastigmatic eyes. METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total of 90 eyes with myopia without manifest astigmatism (82 patients) were included. All surgeries were performed by topography-guided FS-LASIK planned with a PAE algorithm (42 eyes) or Custom-Q system (48 eyes). Refractive, visual outcomes and corneal aberrations were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: At 6 months postoperatively, the postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 20/20 or better in 42 eyes (100%) in the PAE compared with 44 eyes (92%) in Custom-Q (P = .120). The postoperative UDVA of 20/16 or better was measured in 92% of eyes in the PAE group and 81% of eyes in the Custom Q group (P = .320). Postoperative corrected distance visual acuity, manifest refractive spherical equivalent and refractive astigmatism were similar between the two groups (P > .05). The postoperative optical path difference (OPD) and Strehl ratio (SR) were significantly better in the PAE group compared with the Custom Q group. CONCLUSIONS: Topography-guided FS-LASIK with PAE algorithm or Custom Q demonstrated similar refractive efficacy and predictability. PAE for the patients with zero manifest astigmatism demonstrated better results in correcting corneal aberrations.

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Efficient labeling methods for protein visualization with minimal tag size and appropriate photophysical properties are required for single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), providing insights into the organization and interactions of biomolecules in cells at the molecular level. Among the fluorescent light-up aptamers (FLAPs) originally developed for RNA imaging, RhoBAST stands out due to its remarkable brightness, photostability, fluorogenicity, and rapid exchange kinetics, enabling super-resolved imaging with high localization precision. Here, we expand the applicability of RhoBAST to protein imaging by fusing it to protein-binding aptamers. The versatility of such bifunctional aptamers is demonstrated by employing a variety of protein-binding aptamers and different FLAPs. Moreover, fusing RhoBAST with the GFP-binding aptamer AP3 facilitates high- and super-resolution imaging of GFP-tagged proteins, which is particularly valuable in view of the widespread availability of plasmids and stable cell lines expressing proteins fused to GFP. The bifunctional aptamers compare favorably with standard antibody-based immunofluorescence protocols, as they are 7-fold smaller than antibody conjugates and exhibit higher bleaching-resistance. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in super-resolution microscopy in secondary mammalian cell lines and primary neurons by RhoBAST-PAINT, an SMLM protein imaging technique that leverages the transient binding of the fluorogenic rhodamine dye SpyRho to RhoBAST.

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PURPOSE: In Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) a gas bubble is usually used to attach the graft to the host cornea. In this study, we observed the bubble size and bubble-graft coverage at different gaze angles following DMEK. METHODS: This observational prospective study analyzed 465 images of patients who underwent an uneventful DMEK. Intraoperatively, the anterior chamber was filled up to 90% of its volume with a 20% Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) gas-air mixture. Postoperatively, the bubble was photographed daily in different gaze angles ranging from a supine position (0°) to an upright position (90°) and a slightly inclined position (105°). The primary outcomes were bubble-graft coverage and bubble diameters depending on the gaze angle and time after DMEK. RESULTS: The highest bubble-graft coverage was achieved at a 0° gaze angle at all times of measurement. In the first 48 h after DMEK, the mean bubble-graft coverage was over 85% at a gaze angle between 0° and 45°. Starting 72 h after DMEK, the graft coverage declined at all gaze angles. The graft coverage at a 0° gaze angle was 88.61 ± 10.90% after 96 postoperative hours, while the graft coverage was below 85% at all other gaze angles. CONCLUSION: Our clinical results provide novel insight into variation in bubble-graft coverage as a function of gaze angle and may be used to aid in patient counselling for appropriate body positioning following DMEK to prevent early graft detachment. Maintaining supine positioning seems to be most advantageous starting 48 h after DMEK.

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PURPOSE: Compare refractive results between mechanical PRK (mPRK) and transepithelial PRK (tPRK) with WaveLight Allegretto EX500 excimer laser system (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX, USA). SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology of the Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. DESIGN: Prospective and randomized study. METHODS: In 151 eyes of 73 patients with astigmatism and myopia, both eyes had similar refraction before surgery, with a maximum of 15-µm difference in ablation who underwent mPRK in one eye and tPRK in the contralateral eye. The mean age of the patients in this study was 31.45 ± 6.97 years (range, 22 to 54 years). RESULTS: A comparison was made with all variables between the two groups, and we found that UDVA and SE were worse in the tPRK group at six months than in the mPRK group. In the mPRK group, there was a higher frequency in the +/- 0.50 range and a lower frequency in the +/- 1.50 range. In the tPRK group, however, there was a lower frequency in the +/- 0.50 range and a higher frequency in the +/- 1.50 range. Concerning gain or loss of lines of sight, there was no association between the two groups (chi-square test, p = 0.887). CONCLUSION: Both mPRK and tPRK appear to have similar safety. However, mPRK was associated with significantly better UDVA and SE six months post-operatively.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess changes in corneal parameters 6 months after corneal cross-linking for progressive keratoconus, using the ABCD system. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) between January 1 and July 30, 2022. This study included 16 eyes of 16 patients with keratoconus who underwent corneal cross-linking at the same hospital and were at least 18 years old. At least one preoperative (T0) and one postoperative examination was performed for each patient. Six months after the procedure (T1), patients underwent corneal tomography. The parameters A, B, C, and D were also evaluated. Other parameters monitored included maximal keratometry (Kmax) (K1 and K2), Belin/Ambrósio Enhanced Ectasia Display, and index vertical asymmetry. The progression of ectasia was identified by a consistent change in at least two parameters: steepening of the anterior corneal surface or the posterior corneal surface, thinning or an increase in the rate at which the corneal thickness changed from the periphery to the thinnest point, where the magnitude of the change was greater than the normal noise of the testing system. Results: Among the patients, 68.8% were men. The patients' average age was 25.8±5 years. Throughout the 6-month postoperative follow-up, parameters A, B, and C exhibited substantial changes (P = 0.000 for parameters A, B, and C). Parameter A increased 6 months after surgery, whereas parameters B and C decreased. Preoperatively and 6 months after surgery, Kmax, K1, and Belin/Ambrosio-enhanced ectasia demonstrated substantial differences. However, parameter D, K2, and the average pachymetric progression index did not change significantly. Conclusion: Anterior and posterior corneal curvatures and corneal thickness profiles can be useful for monitoring the progression of keratoconus and the success of the corneal cross-linking operation.

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Purpose: To comprehensively compare the long-term outcome of the combined topography guided photorefractive keratectomy (TG-PRK) with accelerated corneal cross-linking (ACXL) and ACXL alone in eyes with progressive keratoconus. The analysis focused on the changes in the detailed corneal aberrometric values. Methods: This single-center, prospective cohort study included 28 patients (30 eyes) of the TG-PRK plus ACXL group and 14 patients (15 eyes) of the ACXL alone group. The mean duration of the follow-up was 44 ± 10.18 months (ranged from 31 to 65 months). The preoperative data and the postoperative measurement data at the last follow-up visit, including demographic data, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), manifest refraction, corneal topography, pachymetry, aberrometry and densitometry were analyzed. Results: The CDVA significantly improved in the TG-PRK plus ACXL group at the last follow-up visit (p = 0.006), while no significant improvement was found in the ACXL alone group (p = 0.432). The maximal keratometry of the anterior corneal surface (Kmax) of both groups significantly decreased at the last follow-up visit (p < 0.05). Compared with the ACXL alone group, the Kmax of the TG-PRK plus ACXL group showed a greater decline (p = 0.008). The total corneal aberrations, the corneal lower-order aberrations (LOAs), the corneal higher order aberrations (HOAs), the vertical coma and the spherical aberration (SA) at the 4.0 mm and 6.0 mm zone of the TG-PRK plus ACXL group significantly decreased at the last follow-up visit (all p < 0.05). The declines of the total corneal aberrations, the corneal LOAs, the corneal HOAs and the vertical coma at the 4.0 mm and 6.0 mm zone of the TG-PRK plus ACXL group were significantly higher than those in the ACXL alone group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Compared with ACXL alone, combined TG-PRK with ACXL procedure had a significantly higher reduction in the corneal HOAs and better CDVA, while providing a similar long-term stability and safety. For progressive keratoconus patients with adequate corneal thickness, the combined procedure might be a recommended treatment option.

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Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the repeatability of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) in diverse ocular surface disorder (OSD) cohorts, exploring various anterior segment parameters and their accuracy in different disease groups. Methods: A total of 239 participants across six distinct OSD groups and healthy controls underwent nonmydriatic AS-OCT imaging using the Tomey CASIA 2 device. Anterior segment parameters including anterior chamber depth, width, angle metrics, corneal thickness, keratometry, lens vault, and others were meticulously assessed. Statistical analyses determined repeatability limits and coefficients of variation for each parameter within the different OSD cohorts. Results: Repeatability for anterior chamber and corneal parameters remained consistent across all OSD groups, indicating minimal impact of ocular surface disease on accuracy. The coefficient of variation (CoV) for the trabecular iris-space area was about 20% for all cohorts. Ocular surface inflammation emerged as a key factor in dry eye, affecting immune-mediated and non-immune conditions alongside age-related ocular surface changes. While anterior chamber depth measurements showed variations, particularly in immune (CoV = 2.5%) and non-immune (CoV = 3.8%) OSD groups, parameters like anterior chamber width and angle to angle showed similar values among the cohorts. Keratometry measures remained stable despite OSD (CoV lower than 1%). Conclusion: The Tomey CASIA 2 demonstrated reliable repeatability for measuring anterior segment parameters in diverse OSD cohorts. Despite challenges posed by dry eye conditions, this technology holds promise in assessing OSD, suggesting potential clinical protocols similar to those in healthy controls.

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AIM: To compare relative peripheral refraction (RPR) in Chinese school children with different refractive errors using multispectral refraction topography (MRT). METHODS: A total of 713 eyes of primary school children [172 emmetropia (E), 429 low myopia (LM), 80 moderate myopia (MM), and 32 low hypermetropia (LH)] aged 10 to 13y were analyzed. RPRs were measured using MRT without mydriasis. MRT results showed RPR at 0-15° (RPR 0-15), 15°-30° (RPR 15-30), and 30°-45° (RPR 30-45) annular in the inferior (RPR-I), superior (RPR-S), nasal (RPR-N), and temporal (RPR-T) quadrants. Spherical equivalent (SE) was detected and calculated using an autorefractor. RESULTS: There were significant differences of RPR 15-30 between groups MM [0.02 (-0.12; 0.18)] and LH [-0.13 (-0.36; 0.12)] (P<0.05), MM and E [-0.06 (-0.20; 0.10)] (P<0.05), and LM [-0.02 (-0.15; 0.15)] and E (P<0.05). There were also significant differences of RPR 30-45 between groups MM [0.45 (0.18; 0.74)] and E [0.29 (-0.09; 0.67)] (P<0.05), and LM [0.44 (0.14; 0.76)] and E (P<0.001). RPR values increased from the hyperopic to medium myopic group in each annular. There were significant differences of RPR-S between groups MM [-0.02 (-0.60; 0.30)] and E [-0.44 (-0.89; -0.04)] (P<0.001), and LM [-0.28 (-0.71; 0.12)] and E (P<0.05). There were also significant differences of RPR-T between groups MM [0.37 (0.21; 0.78)] and LH [0.14 (-0.52; 0.50)] (P<0.05), LM [0.41 (0.06; 0.84)] and LH (P<0.05), and LM and E [0.29 (-0.10; 0.68), P<0.05]. A Spearman's correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between RPR and SE in the 15°-30° (P=0.005), 30°-45° (P<0.05) annular (P=0.002), superior (P<0.001), and temporal (P=0.001) quadrants. CONCLUSION: Without pupil dilation, values for RPR 15-30, 30-45, RPR-S, and T shows significant differences between myopic eyes and emmetropia, and the differences are negatively correlated with SE.

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The lack of accurate and reliable in vitro brain models hinders the development of brain science and research on brain diseases. Owing to the complex structure of the brain tissue and its highly nonlinear characteristics, the construction of brain-like in vitro tissue models remains one of the most challenging research fields in the construction of living tissues. This study proposes a multi-scale design of a brain-like model with a biomimetic cortical structure, which includes the macroscopic structural features of six layers of different cellular components, as well as micrometer-scale continuous fiber structures running through all layers vertically. To achieve integrated biomanufacturing of such a complex multi-scale brain-like model, a multi-material composite printing/culturing integrated bioprinting platform was developed in-house by integrating cell-laden hydrogel ink direct writing printing and electrohydrodynamic fiber 3D printing technologies. Through integrated bioprinting, multi-scale models with different cellular components and fiber structural parameters were prepared to study the effects of macroscopic and microscopic structural features on the directionality of neural cells, as well as the interaction between glial cells and neurons within the tissue model in a three-dimensional manner. The results revealed that the manufactured in vitro biomimetic cortical model achieved morphological connections between the layers of neurons, reflecting the structure and cellular morphology of the natural cortex. Micrometer-scale (10 µm) cross-layer fibers effectively guided and controlled the extension length and direction of the neurites of surrounding neural cells but had no significant effect on the migration of neurons. In contrast, glial cells significantly promoted the migration of surrounding PC12 cells towards the glial layer but did not contribute to the extension of neurites. This study provides a basis for the design and manufacture of accurate brain-like models for the functionalization of neuronal tissues.

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Purpose: To compare corneal higher order aberrations (HOAs) in patients with epiphora caused by unilateral primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) and their fellow eyes. Methods: One hundred twenty two eyes of 61 patients with unilateral PANDO were included. Affected eyes named as Group 1 and contralateral eyes named as Group 2. Munk scale and fluorescein dye disappearance test (FDDT) were assessed. Corneal topographic and HOAs measurements were taken by Sirius topography. Results: There were 47 female and 14 male patients. The mean Km were 43.84± 1.4 in Group 1 and 43.96± 1.4 in Group 2 (p=0.73). The mean corneal topographic astigmatism were 0.81± 0.7 in Group 1 and 0.78± 0.5 in Group 2 (p=0.57). The mean coma-like aberration was 0.19± 0.2 in Group 1 and 0.1± 0.1 in Group 2 (p=0.03). The mean spherical-like aberration was 0.16± 0.1 in Group 1 and 0.11± 0.1 in Group 2 (p=0.04). The mean total corneal HOA was 0.3±0.5 in Group 1 and 0.23±0.2 in Group 2 (p=0.04). The mean munk score was 3.47± 1 in Group 1. There was a positive correlation between munk score and coma-like aberration and total corneal HOAs levels (r=0.53; p=0.003 and r=0.44; p=0.01 respectively). The mean FDDT was grade 2.6± 0.1 in Group 1. There was a positive correlation between FDDT grade and coma-like aberration and total corneal HOAs levels (r=0.48; p=0.001 and r=0.33; p=0.001 respectively). Conclusions: Epiphora in patients with PANDO can affect corneal HOAs. As patients symptoms and tear pooling were increased corneal HOA levels increased.