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As the negative repercussions of environmental devastation, such as air quality decline and air pollution, become more apparent, environmental consciousness is growing across the world, forcing nations to take steps to mitigate the damage. China pledged to achieve air quality improvement goal to combat global environment issue, yet the spatial-temporal differentiation and its driving factors of environment-meteorology-economic index for air quality are not fully analysed. To promote regional collaborative control of air pollution and achieve sustainable urban development, spatial and temporal different and its driving factors of air quality in Shandong Province during 2013–2020. Results revealed that concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), particulate matter 10 (PM10), and carbon monoxide (CO-95per) exhibited decreasing trend (SO2 concentrations decreasing 84 % and CO-95per concentrations decreasing 90 %). Air quality was improved from inland areas to coastal areas. Pollutant indicators of SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and CO-95per demonstrated significant positive correlation (P < 0.05). Air temperature and precipitation are significantly negatively correlated with concentrations of SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and CO-95per but significantly positively correlated with ozone (O3-8 h). SO2, NO2, PM2.5, PM10, CO-95per, and proportion of days with heavy pollution are strongly positively correlated with proportion of secondary industry but strongly negatively correlated with proportion of tertiary industry and volume of household waste. Except for O3-8 h, pollutant index of Provincial Capital Economic Circle (PCEC) and Southern Shandong Economic Circle (SSEC) has significant negative correlation (P < 0.05) with regional gross domestic product and investment in environmental protection; however, investment in environmental protection of Eastern Shandong Economic Circle (ESEC) has no significant correlation with air pollution index. There was significant negative correlation between vegetable sowing area and SSEC pollutant index. The relationship between pollution emission and investment in environmental protection has shifted from high pollution-low investment to low pollution-low investment in PCEC, ESEC and SSEC, and the inflection point was in 2020 for PCEC, 2019 for ESEC, and 2020 for SSEC. Those results provide empirical evidence and theoretical support for the improvement of regional air quality, aiming to achieve high-quality development. According to these findings, it has been found that meteorological elements, pollutant emission, socio-economic factors and agricultural data affect air quality. Those results could provide meaningful and significant supporting for synergistic regulation of diverse pollutants.

IntroductionAcute primary angle closure (APAC) is an emergency ophthalmic presentation and a major cause of irreversible blindness in China. However, only a few studies have focused on the characteristics of optic disc hemorrhage (ODH) during an APAC attack, including its shape, depth, location, scope, and duration after intraocular pressure (IOP) control, along with changes in the optic nerve. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of ODH and optic nerve changes in patients during their first APAC episode.MethodsThis retrospective study involved 32 eyes from 32 patients with APAC who received sequential treatment and analyzed the following parameters: the highest IOP and its duration, ODH, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), and mean deviation (MD). We compared parameters obtained from the affected eye (ODH group) and contralateral unaffected eye (control group), as well as intragroup comparisons.ResultsThe mean IOP in the ODH group was 64.28 ± 10.36 mmHg, with a duration of 4.44 ± 2.35 days. Flame and splinter shapes accounted for 84.38% of the ODH. The mean ODH duration was 4.81 ± 3.25 weeks. ODH during APAC was isolated to one sector in 59.38% of cases, mostly occurring in the temporal superior and temporal inferior (each accounting for 21.88% of the cases). There was a positive correlation between the extent of hemorrhage and the highest IOP duration (p

Purpose: To explore stable and sensitive indicators for clinical diagnosis of acute angle closure (AAC) secondary to lens subluxation (LS) through quantitative analysis of CASIA 2 imaging.Design: A prospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Setting: Clinical practice.Participants: 23 patients with unilateral acute angle closure secondary to lens subluxation and 23 cataract patients without lens subluxation were recruited. Lens subluxation was confirmed by ultrasound biomicroscope diagnosis. The contralateral eyes without LS served as fellow control group. The cataract eyes without LS were enrolled in blank control group.Intervention: Participants underwent ophthalmologic examinations including slit-lamp biomicroscope, best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness measurement, axial length, gonioscopy, ultrasound biomicroscope and 360-degree anterior chamber and crystalline lens scan protocols of CASIA 2 system.Main outcome measures: Automated circumferential anterior segment and lens morphological parameters under anterior segment optical coherence tomography were analyzed via three-dimensional analysis. Results: Significant differences were found in the front and back radius of the lens, the front and back radius of steep curvature of the lens, lens thickness, lens decentration, lens diameter, iris-trabecular contact (ITC) index, ITC area, anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens vault (LV), and iris volume between LS and controls. Among these parameters, LV, the anterior radius of steep curvature of the lens and ACD demonstrated the highest prediction power (AUC = 0.87, 0.89, and 0.86, respectively). The prediction power of tilt/axis was much higher in the Gaussian Naive Bayes model (AUCs = 0.90) than in the logistic model (AUCs = 0.74). Combination of LV_mean, LV_std, tilt and tilt axis in Gaussian Naive Bayes model presented as most stable and excellent diagnostic markers for AAC secondary to LS (AUCs = 0.98). Conclusions: The combination of markers including lens tilt and lens vault in the mathematic model facilitate clinical work as it not only provides novel diagnostic indications and possible prompt treatment for AAC secondary to lens subluxations, but also enhances our understanding of the pathogenic role of zonulopathy in angle closure glaucoma.

Objective: Previous laboratory reports implicate heat shock protein (HSP)–specific T-cell responses in glaucoma pathogenesis; here, we aimed to provide direct clinical evidence by correlating systemic HSP-specific T-cell levels with glaucoma severity in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Design: Cross-sectional case-control study. Subjects: Thirty-two adult patients with POAG and 38 controls underwent blood draw and optic nerve imaging. Methods: Peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) were stimulated in culture with HSP27, α-crystallin, a member of the small HSP family, or HSP60. Both interferon-γ (IFN-γ)+ CD4+ T helper type 1 cells (Th1) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)+ CD4+ regulatory T cells (Treg) were quantified by flow cytometry and presented as a percentage of total PBMC counts. Relevant cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) was measured with OCT. Pearson’s correlation (r) was used to assess correlations. Main Outcome Measures: Correlations of HSP-specific T-cell counts, and serum levels of corresponding cytokine levels with RNFLT. Results: Patients with POAG (visual field mean deviation, –4.7 ± 4.0 dB) and controls were similar in age, gender, and body mass index. Moreover, 46.9% of POAG and 60.0% of control subjects had prior cataract surgery (P = 0.48). Although no significant difference in total nonstimulated CD4+ Th1 or Treg cells was detected, patients with POAG exhibited significantly higher frequencies of Th1 cells specific for HSP27, α-crystallin, or HSP60 than controls (7.3 ± 7.9% vs. 2.6 ± 2.0%, P = 0.004; 5.8 ± 2.7% vs. 1.8 ± 1.3%, P < 0.001; 13.2 ± 13.3 vs. 4.3 ± 5.2, P = 0.01; respectively), but similar Treg specific for the same HSPs compared with controls (P ≥ 0.10 for all). Concordantly, the serum levels of IFN-γ were higher in POAG than in controls (36.2 ± 12.1 pg/ml vs. 10.0 ± 4.3 pg/ml; P < 0.001), but TGF-β1 levels did not differ. Average RNFLT of both eyes negatively correlated with HSP27– and α-crystallin-specific Th1 cell counts, and IFN-γ levels in all subjects after adjusting for age (partial correlation coefficient r = –0.31, P = 0.03; r = –0.52, P = 0.002; r = –0.72, P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Higher levels of HSP-specific Th1 cells are associated with thinner RNFLT in patients with POAG and control subjects. The significant inverse relationship between systemic HSP-specific Th1 cell count and RNFLT supports the role of these T cells in glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Abstract Background Laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) is effective in primary angle-closure suspects (PACS); however, predictors for anterior segment alterations after LPI are limited. We aimed to evaluate the anterior segment biometric parameters before and after LPI in PACS using the recently developed, CASIA 2 device of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Methods We performed LPI in 52 PACS. Anterior segment parameters, including anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber width (ACW), anterior chamber volume (ACV), iris curvature (ICURVE), iridotrabecular contact (ITC), lens vault (LV), lens thickness (LT), radius of the lens, angle opening distance (AOD), angle recess area (ARA), trabecular iris space area (TISA), and trabecular iris angle (TIA) at different distances (i.e., 500 μm from the sclera spur), were evaluated before and after LPI using CASIA 2. Results Eyes of PACS after LPI had a greater ACV, AOD, ARA, TISA, and TIA, and a lower ITC and ICURVE (all p

Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is a devastating secondary glaucoma characterized by the appearance of neovascular over the iris and the proliferation of fibrovascular tissue in the anterior chamber angle. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is one of the leading causes of NVG. Currently increasing diabetes population drive the prevalence rate of NVG into a fast-rising lane. The pathogenesis underlying NVG makes it refractory to routine management for other types of glaucoma in clinical practice. The combination of panretinal photocoagulation (PRP), anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections, anti-glaucoma drugs, surgical intervention as well as blood glucose control is needed. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment in time are crucial in halting the neovascularization process and preserving vision. This review provides an overview of NVG secondary to diabetic retinopathy (DR), including the epidemiology, pathogenesis and management, so as to provide a better understanding as well as potential therapeutic strategies for future treatment.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. It is suggested that primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), the most common form of glaucoma, may be associated with significant metabolic alternations, but the systemic literature review and meta-analysis in the area have been missing. Altered metabolomic profiles in the aqueous humor and plasma may serve as possible biomarkers for early detection or treatment targets. In this article, we performed a systematic meta-analysis of the current literature surrounding the metabolomics of patients with POAG and metabolites associated with the disease. Results suggest several metabolites found to be specifically altered in patients with POAG, suggesting broad generalizability and pathways for future research.

Abstract Background The exact pathogenesis of idiopathic choroidal neovascularization (ICNV) remains unclear. Cytokine-mediated inflammation has been thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of ICNV. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum cytokine profiles in patients with ICNV and to explore the relationship between serum cytokine levels and ICNV severity. Methods This case-control study was conducted in 32 ICNV patients and 30 healthy volunteers. Clinical and demographic information was obtained from the medical data platform and the serum was analysed with a multiplex assay to determine the levels of seven cytokines: interleukin (IL)-2, IL-10, IL-15, IL-17, basic fibroblast growth factor (basic FGF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Results Serum levels of IL-2, IL-10, IL-17, basic FGF, and VEGF were elevated in ICNV patients compared to controls. Serum GM-CSF levels were positively related to central retinal thickness, and serum IL-17 levels were positively related to CNV lesion area. Conclusion Serum inflammatory cytokines were significantly elevated in ICNV patients compared to controls. This suggests that systemic inflammation may play a critical role in the physiopathology of ICNV.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness globally characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and irreversible visual deficiency. As the most common type of glaucoma, primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is currently an unmet medical need with limited therapy by lowering intraocular pressure (IOP). However, some patients continue to progress even though their IOP are controlled. Although early diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial in preventing irreversible visual impairment, there are currently no biomarkers for screening POAG. Metabolomics has the advantages of illustrating the final downstream products of the genome and establishing the closest link to the phenotype. So far, there is no study investigating the metabolomic profiles in both aqueous humor and plasma of POAG patients. Therefore, to explore diagnostic biomarkers, unveil underlying pathophysiology and potential therapeutic strategies, a widely targeted metabolomic approach was applied using ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry with C18 liquid chromatography to characterize the metabolomic profiles in both aqueous humor and plasma of 28 POAG patients and 25 controls in our study. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was performed to determine differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) between POAG and age-matched controls. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the prediction accuracy of the DEMs. The correlation of DEMs with the clinical parameters was determined by Pearson correlation, and the metabolic pathways were analyzed using MetaboAnalyst 4.0. PLS-DA significantly separated POAG from controls with 22 DEMs in the aqueous humor and 11 DEMs in the plasma. Additionally, univariate ROC analysis and correlation analysis with clinical parameters revealed cyclic AMP (AUC = 0.87), 2-methylbenzoic acid (AUC = 0.75), 3′-sialyllactose (AUC = 0.73) in the aqueous humor and N-lac-phe (AUC = 0.76) in the plasma as potential biomarkers for POAG. Moreover, the metabolic profiles pointed towards the alteration in the purine metabolism pathway. In conclusion, the study identified potential and novel biomarkers for POAG by crosslinking the metabolomic profiles in aqueous humor and plasma and correlating with the clinical parameters. These findings have important clinical implications given that no biomarkers are currently available for glaucoma in the clinic, and the study provided new insights in exploring diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic strategies of POAG by targeting metabolic pathways.

Purpose. To compare the effectiveness and safety of carbon dioxide (CO2) laser-assisted deep sclerectomy surgery (CLASS) and trabeculectomy (Trab) for treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods. In this retrospective and comparative study, 77 eyes of 62 patients with POAG were studied and divided into the CLASS and Trab groups. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), number of medications, surgical success rate, and complications were analyzed. Results. The mean follow-up periods were 27.89 ± 2.94 months and 26.11 ± 2.06 months in the CLASS and Trab groups, respectively. 30 eyes (24 patients) underwent CLASS and 47 eyes (38 patients) underwent Trab. The BCVA in the CLASS and Trab groups was recovered to baseline at postoperative 1 week and 1 month, respectively. At last follow-up visits, a remarkable reduction in the IOP and number of medications was observed in both groups, and no significant difference was found in those between the two groups. The complete success rates were 51.7% and 47.7% in postoperative 24 months in the CLASS and Trab groups, respectively (P>0.05). There were higher rates of delayed anterior chamber formation (21.3%) and thin-wall filtrating blebs (10.6%) in the Trab group. Meanwhile, the peripheral anterior synechiae were only observed in the CLASS group, and the ratio was 30%. Conclusions. CLASS is an effective and safe treatment modality for POAG, with fewer filtering bleb-related complications and quicker visual recovery in the early postoperative stage than trabeculectomy. The efficacy of lowering intraocular pressure was similar for both procedures.

Retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury (RI) is a common cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness in elderly and critical unmet medical need. While no effective treatment is available for RI, microglial activation and local immune responses in the retina are thought to play important roles in the pathophysiology of neurodegeneration. While survival and activation of microglia depend critically on colony-stimulating factor receptor (CSF-1R) signaling, it remains unclear if targeting the retinal immune microenvironments by CSF-1RAb after RI is sufficient to rescue vision and present a potentially effective therapy. Here we used rodent models of RI and showed that retinal ischemia induced by acute elevation of intraocular pressure triggered an early activation of microglia and macrophages in the retina within 12 h. This was followed by lymphocyte infiltration and increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Intravitreal injection of CSF-1R neutralizing antibody (CSF-1RAb) after RI significantly blocked microglial activation and the subsequent T cell recruitment. This also led to improved retinal ganglion cell survival and function measured by cell quantification and electroretinogram positive scotopic threshold responses, as well as increased visual acuity and contrast sensitivity as assessed by optomotor reflex-based assays, when compared to the isotype-treated control group. Moreover, the administration of CSF-1RAb efficiently attenuated inflammatory responses and activation of human microglia in culture, suggesting a therapeutic target with human relevance. These results, together with the existing clinical safety profiles, support that CSF-1RAb may present a promising therapeutic avenue for RI, a currently untreatable condition, by targeting microglia and the immune microenvironment in the retina to facilitate neural survival and visual function recovery.

In this work, feasible mechanisms and pathways of the C2H5O2 + BrO reaction in the atmosphere were investigated using quantum chemistry methods, i.e., QCISD(T)/6-311++G(2df,2p)//B3LYP/6-311++G(2df,2p) levels of theory. Our result indicates that the title reaction occurs on both the singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces (PESs). Kinetically, singlet C2H5O3Br and C2H5O2BrO were dominant products under the atmospheric conditions below 300 K. CH3CHO2 + HOBr, CH3CHO + HOBrO, and CH3CHO + HBrO2 are feasible to a certain extent thermodynamically. Because of high energy barriers, all products formed on the triplet PES are negligible. Moreover, time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculation implies that C2H5O3Br and C2H5O2BrO will photolyze under the sunlight.

The low-lying triplet and singlet potential energy surfaces of the O(3P)+CH3CN reaction have been studied at the G3(MP2)//B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level. On the triplet surface, six kinds of pathways are revealed, namely, direct hydrogen abstraction, C-addition/elimination, N-addition/elimination, substitution, insertion, and H-migration. Multichannel Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus theory and transition-state theory are employed to calculate the overall and individual rate constants over a wide range of temperatures and pressures. It is predicted that the direct hydrogen abstraction and C-addition/elimination on triplet potential energy surface are dominant pathways. Major predicted end products include CH3+NCO and CH2CN+OH. At atmospheric pressure with Ar and N2 as bath gases, CH3C(O)N (IM1) formed by collisional stabilization is dominated at T<700 K, whereas CH3 and NCO produced by C-addition/elimination pathway are the major products at the temperatures between 800 and 1500 K; the direct hydrogen abstraction leading to CH2CN+OH plays an important role at higher temperatures in hydrocarbon combustion chemistry and flames, with estimated contribution of 64% at 2000 K. Furthermore, the calculated rate constants are in good agreement with available experimental data over the temperature range 300–600 K. The kinetic isotope effect has also been calculated for the triplet O(3P)+CH3CN reaction. On the singlet surface, the atomic oxygen can easily insert into C–H or C–C bonds of CH3CN, forming the insertion intermediates s-IM8(HOCH2CN) and s-IM5(CH3OCN) or add to the carbon atom of CN group in CH3CN, forming the addition intermediate s-IM1(CH3C(O)N); both approaches were found to be barrierless. It is indicated that the singlet reaction exhibits a marked difference from the triplet reaction. This calculation is useful to simulate experimental investigations of the O(3P)+CH3CN reaction in the singlet state surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanisms for the atmospheric degradation reaction of BrCH2O2 + HO2 were investigated using quantum chemistry methods. The result indicates that the dominant product is BrCH2OOH + O2(3Σ). While CH2O + HBr + O3, BrCHO + OH + HO2 and CH2O + Br + HO3 will be competitive to a certain extent in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the nascent product – BrCH2OOH reacts easily with OH radicals leading to BrCH2O2 again under the atmospheric conditions. Moreover, OH radicals could act as a catalyst in the net reaction of BrCH2OOH → BrCHO + H2O. Thus the proposed product BrCHO + H2O + O2 in the experiment might be generated from the subsequent reaction of BrCH2OOH with extra OH radicals. Comparisons indicate that halogen substitution effect makes minor contributions to the XCH2O2 (X = H, F, Cl and Br) + HO2 reactions in the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of N2H4 with OH has been investigated by quantum chemical methods. The results show that hydrogen abstraction mechanism is more feasible than substitution mechanism thermodynamically. The calculated rate constants agree with the available experimental data. The calculated results show that the variational effect is small at lower temperature region, while it becomes significant at higher temperature region. On the other hand, the small-curvature tunneling effect may play an important role in the temperature range 220-3000 K. Moreover, the calculated rate constants show negative temperature dependence at the temperatures below 500 K, which is in accordance with Vaghjiani's report that slightly negative temperature dependence is found over the temperature range of 258-637 K. The mechanism of the major product (N2H3) with OH has also been investigated theoretically to understand the title reaction thoroughly. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of H radical with C2H5CN has been studied using various quantum chemistry methods. The geometries were optimized at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) levels. The single-point energies were calculated using G3 and BMC-CCSD methods based on B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) geometries. Four mechanisms were investigated, namely, hydrogen abstraction, C-addition/elimination, N-addition/elimination and substitution. The kinetics of this reaction were studied using the transition state theory and multichannel Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus methodologies over a wide temperature range of 200–3000 K. The calculated results indicate that C-addition/elimination channel is the most feasible over the whole temperature range. The deactivation of initial adduct C2H5CHN is dominant at lower temperature with bath gas H2 of 760 Torr; whereas C2H5+HCN is the dominant product at higher temperature. Our calculated rate constants are in good agreement with the available experimental data. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complicated microscopic reaction mechanisms of O(3P) with C2H5CN on the ground electronic state energy surface have been investigated at the G3(MP2) level of theory based on the geometric parameters optimized at the B3LYP/6-311 + G(d, p) level. Two kinds of H-abstraction and addition-elimination channels are considered, namely methylene-H abstraction, methyl-H abstraction, C-addition/elimination and N-addition/elimination. The kinetics of the title reaction have been studied using the TST and multichannel RRKM methodologies over a wide temperature range of 200-2000 K. The results show that the methylene-H abstraction process is predominant for the whole reaction. With an increase of temperature, H-abstraction from the methyl position channel should be taken into account. The C-addition/elimination process provides a few contributions to the title reaction compared with two kinds of H-abstraction channels over the whole temperature region and the N-addition/elimination channel can be negligible due to the high entrance barrier and unstable products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanisms and kinetics of the NCCO + O 2reaction have been investigated using the extrapolated full coupled cluster theory with the complete basis set limit (FCC/CBS) and multichannel RRKM theory. Energetically, the most favorable reaction route involves the barrierless addition of the oxygen atom to one of the carbon atoms of NCCO and the subsequent isomerization−decomposition via the four-center intermediate and transition state, leading to the final products NCO and CO 2. At 298 K, the calculated overall rate constant is strongly pressure-dependent, which is in good agreement with the available experimental values. It is predicted that the high-pressure limit rate constants exhibit negative temperature dependence below 350 K. The dominant products are NCO and CO 2at low pressures (ca. <10 Torr) and the NCCO(O 2) radical at higher pressures, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed theoretical survey on the potential energy surface for the CN + C4H2 reaction is carried out at the QCISD(T)/ 6-311+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level. The geometries, vibrational frequencies, and energies of all stationary points involved in the reaction are calculated at the B3LYP/ 6-311+G(d,p) level. The results suggest that there are two different mechanisms and six pathways in the title reaction. Six products are yielded, and P3: H + HC5N is the dominant product from the view of energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]