Surgical approaches to correct corneal astigmatism at time of cataract surgery: a mini-review

Among refractive errors, astigmatism is the most common optical aberration, where refraction changes in different meridians of the eye. It causes blurred vision at any distance and includes corneal, lenticular, and retinal astigmatism. Cataract surgery used to cause a progressive increase in the pre-exisiting corneal astigmatism because of creating a surgically induced astigmatism, for example, a large size surgery incision. The development of surgical techniques during last decades has made cataract surgery interchange to treat preoperative corneal astigmatism at time of surgery. Nowadays, three surgical approaches can be used. By placing a sutureless clear corneal incision on the steep meridian of the cornea, a preoperative corneal astigmatism less than 1.0 D can be corrected. Single or paired peripheral corneal relaxing incisions (PCRIs) provide 1.0-3.0 D corneal astigmatism correction. PCRIs are typically used for treating 1.0-1.5 D of regular corneal astigmatism, if more than 2.0 D, the risk of overcorrection and irregular astigmatism is increased. When toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) are unavailable in markets, PCRIs are still a reasonable option for patients with up to 3.0 D of pre-existing corneal astigmatism. Toric IOLs implantation can correct 1.0-4.5 D of corneal astigmatism. Several IOLs are approved to correct a high degree of corneal astigmatism with cylinder power up to 12.0 D. These approaches can be used alone or in combination.     

Acute appendicitis after colorectal endoscopic mucosal resection: a case report

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) was originally described in 1973 and is currently a popular practice used in treating polyps, small adenomas, and early cancers. Although the safety of EMR has been proven in numerous studies, complications occur occasionally. We report a case in which the patient complained of severe upper abdominal pain and who was diagnosed with acute appendicitis after colorectal EMR. The patient recovered well after surgery. Cautious observation is necessary when resuming oral intake in patients who undergo colorectal EMR and who complain of postoperative abdominal pain. Observation is especially important for patients with a fecalith that may have originally existed in the appendix or in the colon near the appendix.     

Vitamin D Enhances Neutrophil Generation and Function in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Vitamin D (VD) is a major regulator of calcium metabolism in many living organisms. In addition, VD plays a key role in regulating innate and adaptive immunity in vertebrates. Neutrophils constitute an important part of the first line of defense against invading microbes; however, the potential effect of VD on neutrophils remains elusive. Thus, in this study zebrafish in different developmental stages were utilized to identify the potential role of VD in the basal homeostasis and functions of neutrophils. Our results showed that addition of exogenous VD₃ promoted granulopoiesis in zebrafish larvae. Reciprocally, neutrophil abundance in the intestine of adult zebrafish with a cyp2r1 mutant, lacking the capacity to 25-hydroxylate VD, was reduced. Moreover, VD-mediated granulopoiesis was still observed in gnotobiotic zebrafish larvae, indicating that VD regulates neutrophil generation independent of the microbiota during early development. In contrast, VD was incapable to influence granulopoiesis in adult zebrafish when the commensal bacteria were depleted by antibiotic treatment, suggesting that VD might modulate neutrophil activity via different mechanisms depending on the developmental stage. In addition, we found that VD₃ augmented the expression of il-8 and neutrophil recruitment to the site of caudal fin amputation. Finally, VD₃ treatment significantly decreased bacterial counts and mortality in zebrafish infected with Edwardsiella tarda (E. tarda) in a neutrophil-dependent manner. Combined, these findings demonstrate that VD regulates granulopoiesis and neutrophil function in zebrafish immunity.     

The attenuation effect of potassium 2‐(1‐hydroxypentyl)‐benzoate in a mouse model of diabetes‐associated cognitive decline: The protein expression in the brain

Aims dl‐PHPB (potassium 2‐(1‐hydroxypentyl)‐benzoate) has been shown to have neuroprotective effects against acute cerebral ischemia, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer''s disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dl‐PHPB on memory deficits and preliminarily explore the underlying molecular mechanism.MethodsBlood glucose and behavioral performance were evaluated in the KK‐A^y diabetic mouse model before and after dl‐PHPB administration. Two‐dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D‐DIGE)‐based proteomics was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in brain tissue. Western blotting was used to study the molecular mechanism of the related signaling pathways.ResultsThree‐month‐old KK‐A^y mice were given 150 mg/kg dl‐PHPB by oral gavage for 2 months, which produced no effect on the level of serum glucose. In the Morris water maze test, KK‐A^y mice treated with dl‐PHPB showed significant improvements in spatial learning and memory deficits compared with vehicle‐treated KK‐A^y mice. Additionally, we performed 2D‐DIGE to compare brain proteomes of 5‐month KK‐A^y mice treated with and without dl‐PHPB. We found 14 altered proteins in the cortex and 11 in the hippocampus; two of the 25 altered proteins and another four proteins that were identified in a previous study on KK‐A^y mice were then validated by western blot to further confirm whether dl‐PHPB can reverse the expression levels of these proteins. The phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (PI3K/Akt/GSK‐3β) signaling pathway was also changed in KK‐A^y mice and dl‐PHPB treatment could reverse it.ConclusionsThese results indicate that dl‐PHPB may play a potential role in diabetes‐associated cognitive impairment through PI3K/Akt/GSK‐3β signaling pathway and the differentially expressed proteins may become putative therapeutic targets.     

Development and Optimization of Broadband Acoustic Metamaterial Absorber Based on Parallel–Connection Square Helmholtz Resonators

An acoustic metamaterial absorber of parallel–connection square Helmholtz resonators is proposed in this study, and its sound absorption coefficients are optimized to reduce the noise for the given conditions in the factory. A two–dimensional equivalent simulation model is built to obtain the initial value of parameters and a three–dimensional finite element model is constructed to simulate the sound absorption performance of the metamaterial cell, which aims to improve the research efficiency. The optimal parameters of metamaterial cells are obtained through the particle swarm optimization algorithm, and its effectiveness and accuracy are validated through preparing the experimental sample using 3D printing and measuring the sound absorption coefficient by the standing wave tube detection. The consistency between the experimental data and simulation data verifies feasibility of the proposed optimization method and usefulness of the developed acoustic metamaterial absorber, and the desired sound absorption performances for given conditions are achieved. The experimental results prove that parallel–connection square Helmholtz resonators can achieve an adjustable frequency spectrum for the low frequency noise control by parameter optimization, which is propitious to promote its application in reducing the noise in the factory.     

成人下颌偏斜患者颞下颌关节形态及位置的变化

目的：研究下颌偏斜患者颞下颌关节形态及其位置的变化.方法：对21例下颌偏斜患者和20例个别理想[牙合]志愿者拍摄颞下颌关节中位断层片,选择描述髁突位置及髁突和关节窝形态的15个指标进行测量及统计分析.结果：下颌偏斜患者双侧关节结节高度、关节窝指数增大,髁突后斜面与水平基准线的夹角减小;偏斜侧的关节前间隙、关节前后间隙面积比,髁突高度、髁突上部高度减小;对侧的关节上间隙、髁突高度、髁突上部高度、髁突前斜面与水平基准线的夹角、关节窝后斜面与水平基准线的夹角增大.结论：下颌偏斜患者的双侧髁突和关节窝形态及髁突在关节窝中的位置都发生了改变,尤其以非偏斜侧髁突变化较为明显.     

雌激素受体β与大鼠骨髓基质干细胞成脂肪分化相关性研究

目的:通过对大鼠骨髓基质干细胞成脂肪分化过程中雌激素受体β表达规律的研究,进一步明确雌激素受体β与骨代谢的相关性。方法:大鼠骨髓基质干细胞培养,成骨诱导分化,钙染色。成脂肪诱导分化,油红O染色。Western blot方法测定大鼠骨髓基质干细胞成脂肪分化过程中雌激素受体β的表达。结果:全骨髓贴壁方法培养获得大鼠骨髓基质干细胞。成脂诱导分化显微镜下脂肪滴、油红O染色阳性细胞随成脂肪时间增加而增多。雌激素受体β的表达随成脂时间的增加而递增。结论:大鼠骨髓基质干细胞成脂肪分化过程中ERβ的表达随时间逐渐增加。     

火针配合拔罐的临床应用概况

综述近10余年来火针配合拔罐的临床应用概况。火针配合拔罐在皮肤科、骨伤科及外科得到了广泛的应用。今后可进一步提高其临床科研的设计水平,以充分体现火针配合拔罐的优势。     

中药方剂防治骨质疏松症的研究概况

中药方剂具有疗效好、副作用小、作用全面、适合长期服用等优势,已广泛应用于骨质疏松的防治。经典方来源于古代医书记载,疗效确切,临床上通过辨证施治,可随证对处方进行加减化裁;经验方来源于医师多年临床经验,处方组成相对固定,各自具有自身的特点,适用于特定证候类型的骨质疏松症;中成药的处方、剂型固定,服用方便,可单独使用,或与化学药物配伍使用。中药方剂防治骨质疏松症具有独特的优势,但尚有许多不足,应从整体、器官、组织、细胞和分子水平上系统研究其作用机制和特点。     

Functional utilization of biochar derived from Tenebrio molitor feces for CO2 capture and supercapacitor applications

Biochar has attracted great interest in both CO₂ capture and supercapacitor applications due to its unique physicochemical properties and low cost. Fabrication of eco-friendly and cost-effective biochar from high potential biomass Tenebrio molitor feces can not only realize the functional application of waste, but also a potential way of future carbon capture and energy storage technology. In this study, a novel KOH activation waste-fed Tenebrio molitor feces biochar (TMFB) was developed and investigated in terms of CO₂ capture and electrochemical performance. When activated at 700 °C for 1 h, the specific surface area of the feces biochar (TMFB-700A) increased significantly from 232.1 to 2081.8 m² g⁻¹. In addition, well-developed pore distribution facilitates CO₂ capture and electrolyte diffusion. TMFB-700A can quickly adsorb a large amount of CO₂ (3.05 mol kg⁻¹) with excellent recycling performance. TMFB-700A also exhibited promising electrochemical performance (335.8 F g⁻¹ at 0.5 A g⁻¹) and was used as electrode material in a symmetrical supercapacitor. It provided a high energy density of 33.97 W h kg⁻¹ at a power density of 0.25 kW kg⁻¹ with 90.47% capacitance retention after 10 000 charge–discharge cycles. All the results demonstrated that TMFB could be a potential bifunctional material and provided valuable new insights for Tenebrio molitor feces high-value utilization.

Biochar has attracted great interest in both CO₂ capture and supercapacitor applications due to its unique physicochemical properties and low cost.