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Natural cytotoxicity (NK) by fresh E-rosette-negative (ER-) cells from normal donors was increased after overnight incubation with purified IFNα and with supernatants containing IFNγ. ER- cells from 61% of 23 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus did not show increased cytotoxicity after treatment with IFNα. Similarly, ER- cells from nine of 18 patients that were treated with IFNγ-containing supernatants failed to show increased cytotoxicity. The patients who did not show enhanced cytotoxic responses to IFN had higher mean indices of disease activity than responding patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repeatability of two biometers (Lenstar-LS900 and Eyestar-900) to measure ocular parameters and intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation, and their agreement were evaluated. 134 eyes of 134 participants were measured thrice with each biometer. Axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT) and keratometry (K) were evaluated. The IOL power was calculated using different formulas. The repeatability limit (RLimit), the mean differences (MD) and the limits of agreement (LoA) were calculated. The RLimits for all parameters were higher with Lenstar compared to Eyestar. RLimits were lower than 0.50 D except for Barrett Universal II (0.54 D) and Haigis (0.51 D) formulas with the Lenstar. Mean differences were lower than 0.01 mm for AL, ACD and LT, and lower than 0.03 D for K. MD ranged from 0 to 0.02 D for all formulas except for Barrett and Hill. When dividing the sample into subgroups (short, normal and long eyes), the MDs were similar for the IOL power and were lower than 0.03 D, except for the Barrett and Hill formulas. Both biometers provide repeatable biometry and IOL power calculations. The LoA interval for the IOL power calculation was between 0.75 and 1.50D, which was similar among the subgroups., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Presenting this video tutorial, we want to demonstrate a step-by-step surgical approach to acute intramural haematoma of the thoracic aorta without a definite entry tear. Limited by the aortic valve proximally, the intramural haematoma involved the aortic root, ascending aorta, aortic arch, including adjacent parts of supra-aortic branches, and descending aorta extending to the diaphragmatic level. The operative strategy involved urgent total aortic arch replacement with the frozen elephant trunk technique and anatomical reimplantation of the three supra-aortic vessels. The direct open over-the-wire technique was used to cannulate the right axillary artery, and standard venous cannulation was performed while brain protection was achieved with bilateral selective antegrade cerebral perfusion., (© The Author 2024. Published by MMCTS on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

An increasing number of patients have required cardiac reoperations in recent decades, and this trend is expected to continue. Hence, re-sternotomy is and will be a common practice in high-volume centres. Re-sternotomy in complex aortic reinterventions carries a high risk of injuring major vascular and heart structures. To avoid catastrophic injuries, preoperative planning and case individualization are essential to minimize complications. Designing a safe and tailored strategy for each patient is believed to have an impact on postoperative outcomes. The arterial cannulation site, the need for hypothermia, left ventricle decompression and the use of an aortic occlusion balloon catheter are some of the preoperative decisions that must be made on a case-by-case basis to ensure adequate brain and visceral perfusion and to minimize major bleeding and circulatory interruption in case of re-entry injury., (© The Author 2024. Published by MMCTS on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

This case report illustrates how to implant a central paracorporeal temporary biventricular assist device in a 17-year-old patient with acute heart failure due to a fulminant form of coronavirus disease 2019 myocarditis. The procedure was carried out after prior veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Myocardial biopsies and biventricular assist device explants are also included in the report. The patient was weaned on postoperative day 6 and discharged without any significant complications. One year after the event, the patient remains asymptomatic with normal biventricular function and a normal lifestyle., (© The Author 2024. Published by MMCTS on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Inland waters are crucial in the carbon cycle, contributing significantly to the global CO 2 fluxes. Carbonate lakes may act as both sources and sinks of CO 2 depending on the interactions between the amount of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) inputs, lake metabolisms, and geochemical processes. It is often difficult to distinguish the dominant mechanisms driving CO 2 dynamics and their effects on CO 2 emissions. This study was undertaken in three groundwater-fed carbonate-rich lakes in central Spain (Ruidera Lakes), severely polluted with nitrates from agricultural overfertilization. Diel and seasonal (summer and winter) changes in CO 2 concentration (C CO2 ) DIC, and CO 2 emissions-(F CO2 )-, as well as physical and chemical variables, including primary production and phytoplanktonic chlorophyll- a were measured. In addition, δ 13 C-DIC, δ 13 C-CO 2 in lake waters, and δ 13 C of the sedimentary organic matter were measured seasonally to identify the primary CO 2 sources and processes. While the lakes were consistently C CO2 supersaturated and F CO2 was released to the atmosphere during both seasons, the highest C CO2 and DIC were in summer (0.36-2.26 µmol L -1 ). Our results support a strong phosphorus limitation for primary production in these lakes, which impinges on CO 2 dynamics. External DIC inputs to the lake waters primarily drive the C CO2 and, therefore, the F CO2 . The δ 13 C-DIC signatures below -12‰  confirmed the primary geogenic influence on DIC. As also suggested by the high values on the calcite saturation index, the Miller-Tans plot revealed that the CO 2 source in the lakes was close to the signature provided by the fractionation of δ 13 C-CO 2 from calcite precipitation. Therefore, the main contribution behind the C CO2 values found in these karst lakes should be attributed to the calcite precipitation process, which is temperature-dependent according to the seasonal change observed in δ 13 C-DIC values. Finally, co-precipitation of phosphate with calcite could partly explain the observed low phytoplankton production in these lakes and the impact on the contribution to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. However, as eutrophication increases and the soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) content increases, the co-precipitation of phosphate is expected to be progressively inhibited. These thresholds must be assessed to understand how the CO 3 2- ions drive lake co-precipitation dynamics. Carbonate regions extend over 15% of the Earth's surface but seem essential in the CO 2 dynamics at a global scale., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2024 Vargas-Sánchez et al.)

The island species-area relationship (ISAR) describes how species richness increases with increasing area of a given island or island-like habitat, such as freshwater lakes. While the ISAR is one of the most common phenomena observed in ecology, there is variation in both the form of the relationship and its underlying mechanisms. We compiled a global data set of benthic macroinvertebrates from 524 shallow freshwater lakes, ranging from 1 to 293,300 ha in area. We used individual-based rarefaction to determine the degree to which ISAR was influenced by mechanisms other than passive sampling (larger islands passively sample more individuals from the regional pool and, therefore, have more species than smaller islands), which would bias results away from expected relationships between rarefied species richness (and other measures that capture relative abundances) and lake area. We also examined how climate may alter the shape of the ISARs. We found that both rarefied species richness (the number of species standardized by area or number of individuals) and a measure of evenness emphasizing common species exhibit shallow slopes in relationships with lake area, suggesting that the expected ISARs in these lakes most likely result from passive sampling. While there was considerable variation among ISARs across the investigated lakes, we found an overall positive rarefied ISAR for lakes in warm (i.e. tropical/subtropical) regions (n = 195), and in contrast, an overall negative rarefied ISAR in cool (i.e. north temperate) lakes (n = 329). This suggested that mechanisms beyond passive sampling (e.g. colonization-extinction dynamics and/or heterogeneity) were more likely to operate in warm lakes. One possible reason for this difference is that the area-dependent intensity of fish predation, which can lead to flatter ISARs, is weaker in warmer relative to cooler lakes. Our study illustrates the importance of understanding both the pattern and potential processes underlying the ISARs of freshwater lakes in different climatic regions. Furthermore, it provides a baseline for understanding how further changes to the ecosystem (i.e. in lake area or climate) might influence biodiversity patterns., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2023 British Ecological Society.)

Parasitoids are an important group of insects because their species number is among the highest. Multiple studies have addressed the relationships between forest successional age and insect diversity by focusing on herbivorous organisms, but changes in diversity of parasitoids are still poorly known. This work analyses the diversity of parasitoids in tropical forests representing three successional stages. A total of 30 traps were placed, ten in each forest successional stages. We estimated true diversity of Ichneumonidae species and guilds and explored the relationship between their diversity and the abundance of plant species using an Indicator Species Analysis; the relationship between parasitoid species and plant richness and abundance was tested using a Redundancy Analysis. A total of 1522 individuals and 168 morpho-species were captured in four months. Species richness showed no differences; however, parasitoid abundance was higher in young forest, while intermediate forest had the highest true diversity values ( 1 D ) with 71.6 effective species. According to insect guilds, richness, abundance, and diversity were similar in the three vegetation successional stages. This finding may be explained based on the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, which postulates that moderate disturbance levels favor the highest diversity. In conclusion, successional age matters, i.e., diversity is the highest in intermediate stages, while the old forests harbors guilds unique to that successional stage, such as parasitoids of melitophagous larvae of bees. Other successional stages were characterized by a single species of parasitoid, belonging to the genera Eiphosoma and Anomalon, which may indicate altered and preserved forests, respectively.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide. It is associated with increased mortality and morbidity, especially due to the increased risk of ischemic stroke and systemic embolism in these patients. For this reason, thromboembolism prevention is the cornerstone of managing AF, and oral anticoagulation is nowadays the first-line treatment. However, since most thrombi form in the left atrial appendage and anticoagulant therapy may have side effects and be contraindicated in some patients, surgical and percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) have emerged as a non-pharmacological alternative. This review summarizes all existing evidence on surgical and percutaneous LAAO.

Objectives: Surgical repair remains the best treatment for severe primary mitral regurgitation (MR). Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery is being increasingly performed, but there is a lack of solid evidence comparing thoracoscopic with conventional surgery. Our objective was to compare outcomes of both approaches for repair of leaflet prolapse., Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing surgery for severe MR due to mitral prolapse from 2012 to 2020 were evaluated according to the approach used. Freedom from mortality, reoperation and recurrent severe MR were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in baseline characteristics were adjusted with propensity score-matched analysis (1:1, nearest neighbour)., Results: Three hundred patients met inclusion criteria and were divided into thoracoscopic (N = 188) and conventional (sternotomy; N = 112) groups. Unmatched patients in the thoracoscopic group were younger and had lower body mass index, New York Heart Association class and EuroSCORE II preoperatively. After matching, thoracoscopic group presented significantly shorter mechanical ventilation (9 vs 15 h), shorter intensive care unit stay (41 vs 65 h) and higher postoperative haemoglobin levels (11 vs 10.2 mg/dl) despite longer bypass and cross-clamp times (+30 and +17 min). There were no differences in mortality or MR grade at discharge between groups nor differences in survival, repair failures and reinterventions during follow-up., Conclusions: Minimally invasive mitral repair can be performed in the majority of patients with mitral prolapse, without compromising outcomes, repair rate or durability, while providing shorter mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit stay and less blood loss., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

High mountain lakes (HMLs) are considered unique and comparable ecosystems for monitoring global climate change. The food web structure can indicate the response of these ecosystems to ecological threats, such as fish introduction, by analyzing the trophic dynamics. Nonetheless, the food webs of tropical HMLs are less well-studied than temperate HMLs. The present study assessed the food webs of two neighboring (600 m apart) tropical HMLs, El Sol and La Luna, inside the crater of the Nevado de Toluca volcano, Mexico. It used stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) and Bayesian mixing models with different trophic discrimination factors and priors to assess the impacts of introduced rainbow trout, persisting only in the larger lake, El Sol. The food web in Lake El Sol was more complex than in Lake La Luna, mainly due to its larger size, extensive vegetated littoral zone, and being fueled by autochthonous primary production. In contrast, the smaller and fishless Lake La Luna has a reduced and bare littoral zone that harbored a simple food web substantially sustained by allochthonous carbon inputs. The persistence of introduced rainbow trout in Lake El Sol but not in Lake La Luna accentuated the differences between the lakes. The models suggested that rainbow trout fed on key consumers of littoral macroinvertebrates (70-80%) and pelagic zooplankton (20-30%), increasing the linkage between sub-networks. In both tropical HMLs, the species richness and herbivorous fraction were elevated compared with temperate HMLs, while the linkage density and omnivorous fraction were lower. Basal nodes dominated these tropical HMLs, and the vegetated littoral zone of Lake El Sol had more intermediate (omnivore) nodes. Our results showed the convenience of food web analysis to compare the effects of introduced fish in originally fishless lakes in different latitudes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Jiménez-Seinos et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: To analyze the tolerance on distance vision of different combined residual astigmatic situations in patients implanted with a novel wavefront shaping extended depth of focus (EDoF) intraocular lens (IOL)., Methods: The study included patients implanted with the Acrysof® IQ Vivity® IOL. Uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) were measured three months after surgery, considering CDVA as the reference situation of the study. Distance VA was also measured in different refractive situations: (A) with 0.50 diopters (D) of positive (myopization) and negative (hyperopization) defocus and (B) with a residual mixed astigmatic refraction induced by adding a combination of -0.25 D spherical and 0.50 D cylindrical lenses placed in vertical (against the rule-ATR), oblique, and horizontal (with the rule-WTR) positions., Results: The study included 30 eyes of 30 patients. UDVA and CDVA were -0.04 ± 0.05 and -0.05 ± 0.05 logMAR, respectively. VA values with +0.50 D and -0.50 D of defocus were 0.01 ± 0.06 and 0.00 ± 0.04 logMAR, respectively. VA was better with distance correction ( p < 0.001) and no differences were found between the myopic and the hyperopic situations ( p =0.09). Distance VA for the ATR, oblique, and WTR astigmatic situations was 0.01 ± 0.05, 0.01 ± 0.06, and 0.01 ± 0.04 logMAR, respectively. VA was better for the reference situation ( p < 0.001) and no differences were found among the three astigmatic situations ( p =0.21)., Conclusions: Low residual defocus and mixed astigmatic errors, regardless of its orientation, seem to be tolerated by patients implanted with the studied EDoF IOL. This trial is registered with NCT05392998. Registered 26 May 2022-Retrospectively registered., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Laureano A. Rementería-Capelo et al.)

Surgery for left-sided infective endocarditis (IE) has been demonstrated to improve patients' survival rates but information about quality of life (QoL) after surgery is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the postoperative outcomes and QoL after surgery for IE patients compared to patients undergoing cardiac surgery for non-IE indications. Adult patients with definite acute left-sided IE were matched 1:1 to patients who underwent cardiac surgery for non-endocarditic purposes from 2014 to 2019. QoL was assessed using the SF-36 survey at the last follow-up. A total of 105 patients were matched. The IE group had higher rates of preoperative stroke (21% vs. 7.6%, p = 0.005) and higher stages of NYHA class ( p < 0.001), EuroSCORE II (12.3 vs. 3.0, p < 0.001) and blood cell count abnormalities ( p < 0.001). The IE group had higher incidence of low cardiac output syndrome (13.3% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.029), dialysis (10.5% vs 1.0%, p = 0.007) and prolonged mechanical ventilation (16.2% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.002) after surgery. At the last follow-up, subcomponents of the SF-36 QoL survey were not different between the groups. Patients who underwent cardiac surgery for IE demonstrated a higher risk profile with a higher rate of postoperative complications. Once recovered from the acute phase of the disease, the reported QoL at follow-up was comparable to that of matched cardiac patients operated for non-IE purposes.

Background: To assess the visual quality and the tolerance to low refractive errors of two trifocal intraocular lenses (IOL) with different amounts of spherical aberration (SA)., Methods: The study included patients having bilateral implantation of the AcrySof® IQ PanOptix TM (aberration-correcting) or the RayOne TM (aberration-free) Trifocal IOL. Three months after the surgery patients underwent: monocular/binocular and uncorrected/corrected distance visual acuity (VA) and binocular defocus curves. Binocular contrast sensitivity (CSF) and subjective halo perception were assessed with the best distance correction (CDVA), with a positive defocus of + 0.50D and with a negative defocus of -0.50D. Patient's satisfaction was evaluated with the Catquest9-SF questionnaire., Results: This study included 54 eyes (28 with PanOptix and 26 with RayOne) of 27 patients. Both groups achieved corrected/uncorrected and monocular/binocular distance VA values better than 0.0 logMAR (1.0 decimal) with no statistically significant differences between them (p > 0.05 for all cases). Defocus curves showed a VA of 0.1 logMAR or better between -2.5 and + 1.0D with no differences between groups (p > 0.05 at all distances). Overall CSF values remained stable under the induced residual refractions for both groups. The halo effect remained stable for the PanOptix group but increased with myopization in the RayOne group (p = 0.02). The questionnaire showed high rates of patient's satisfaction with no differences between groups., Conclusion: Both lenses showed overall good visual outcomes and offered high rates of patient's satisfaction. Moreover, in normal patients with trifocal IOLs, the combination of residual refractive errors and certain amounts of SA may increase some visual disturbances.

High mountain lakes and their catchments are remote ecosystems in areas with low anthropogenic disturbance. High mountain lakes integrate changes in the atmosphere and catchment areas (e.g., acid rain, airborne pollutants, climate change). The present research analyses long-term datasets of meteorological and limnological variables representing two tropical high mountain lakes, El Sol and La Luna, in Central Mexico to identify the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance (i.e., sentinels of global/climate change). The 54-year meteorological analysis showed marked interannual variability with no statistically significant air temperature or rainfall trends. However, from 2000 to 2018, the air temperature increased by 0.5 °C. Accordingly, the lake water temperature increased (Lake El Sol: 0.8 °C, Lake La Luna: 0.6 °C). Although the rainfall displayed no change, the water level decreased in both lakes (1.5 m), most likely associated with increased evapotranspiration. Unexpectedly, the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration in the lakes decreased. The initial acid pH rose to close neutrality in Lake La Luna and to alkaline values in Lake El Sol. The latter may be a consequence of the lowered SOx and NOx emissions from governmental regulations promulgated to control atmospheric pollution beginning in 2000 and probably resulting in less acidic deposition. An additional explanation for the lakes' deacidification is the increased deposition of alkaline ions derived from activities at the volcano slopes. Since the atmospheric supply is the primary nitrogen source to high mountain lakes, the DIN concentration decline could reflect the reduction in atmospheric HNO 3 . Thus, Lakes El Sol and La Luna evidenced global change. Both lakes are inside the same crater and are subjected to similar influences; thus, they showed similar responses to global change (increasing lake water temperatures, declining water levels, higher pH value, and lower DIN concentrations). Nevertheless, their differences (e.g., catchment size, surface area, water volume, water depth, trophic status) influenced the magnitude of the impacts, with higher pH increases recorded in Lake El Sol and higher DIN concentrations in Lake La Luna., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Eutrophication is a global problem causing the reduction of water quality and the loss of ecosystem goods and services. The lakes of the "Lagunas de Montebello" National Park (LMNP), Chiapas, Mexico, not only represent unique and beautiful natural scenic sites in southern Mexico but are also a national protected area and RAMSAR site. Unfortunately, some of these lakes started showing eutrophication signs since 2003. Anthropogenic activities ( e.g. , land-use change from forested to agricultural and urban development) are leading to water quality and trophic state alterations of the lakes of the LMNP. This study shows the results of a coupled limnological characterization and high-throughput sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene to analyze the microbial composition of the water column in a set of oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes. Chlorophyll a (Chl-a) was the main environmental parameter correlated with the trophic conditions of the lakes. Although the microbial diversity was similar, the microbial composition changed significantly from oligo to eutrophic lakes. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria were the main components of oligotrophic lakes, and Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes of eutrophic lakes. While Acinetobacter (Proteobacteria) and Cyanobium (a unicellular cyanobacterium) dominated in oligotrophic lakes, the filamentous, bloom-forming, and toxin-producing cyanobacteria Planktothrix was the dominant genus in eutrophic lakes. High-throughput sequencing allowed the detection of changes in the composition of the microbial component in oligotrophic lakes, suggesting a shift towards eutrophication, highlighting the relevance of sensitive monitoring protocols of these ecosystems to implement remediation programs for eutrophicated lakes and conservation strategies for those yet pristine., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2022 Yanez-Montalvo et al.)

Salta province, northwestern Argentina, produces blueberries for export and discards fruits with a potential quantity of bioactive compounds. These bioactive compounds have health-promoting properties that prevent or delay the appearance of chronic diseases. This study aimed to formulate blueberry microcapsules using discarded fruit, to determine and evaluate the effect of spray-drying and lyophilization on the bioactive compounds and their physical properties. Fourteen capsule prototypes were obtained by applying a randomized full factorial design with two factors: type of drying and type of wall material. The former factor had two levels (spray-drying and lyophilization) and the latter had three levels, each with defined quantities to be used, namely maltodextrin (0%, 10%, 15%, and 30%), gum Arabic (0%, 10%, 15%, and 30%), and modified starch (0%, 10%, 15%, and 30%). Spray-drying, lyophilization, total polyphenols, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, antioxidant activity, and the physical properties of the microcapsules were analyzed using ANOVA, PCA, and cluster analysis. Results showed significant differences between the two processes ( P  < 0,05), with lyophilization being better at preserving bioactive compounds. The PCA test also showed a positive association between lyophilization and bioactive compounds, while spray-drying powders were related to negative characteristics, like moisture and water activity., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestAuthors declare no conflict of interest., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2021.)

Purpose: To assess the effect on visual function of different residual astigmatic situations combined with 0.50 diopters (D) negative defocus at different distances in patients with trifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs)., Setting: Clínica Rementería, Madrid, Spain., Design: Prospective case series., Methods: The study included patients implanted with AcrySof IQ PanOptix IOL. Visual acuity (VA) was measured at far distance (0.00 D of vergence) and at -1.5 D, -2.5 D, and -3.0 D of vergence. Residual astigmatism was induced by adding 0.50 D and 1.00 D cylindrical lenses placed at 90 degrees (against the rule [ATR]), 45 degrees (oblique), and 180 degrees (with the rule). All measurements were made with distance correction (emmetropia as the reference situation) and with a simulated residual myopia of 0.50 D., Results: The study included 61 eyes of 61 patients. Residual astigmatism of 0.50 D and 1.0 D was induced in 28 and 33 eyes, respectively. For both groups, distance and intermediate VAs were better for the reference situation (P < .001 for all cases). With 1.0 D of cylinder (without and with induced defocus), the proportion of patients who lost ≥2 lines was higher for the ATR astigmatism. For near vision, differences were smaller for all simulated situations., Conclusions: Residual astigmatism of up to 0.50 D, regardless of its orientation, seems to be tolerated at all distances. For astigmatisms of 1.0 D, distance and intermediate VAs decreased significantly, and ATR orientations showed worse results in a higher proportion of patients. The combination of astigmatism with residual myopia significantly decreased distance VA, whereas this negative shift affected near VA less., (Copyright © 2021 Published by Wolters Kluwer on behalf of ASCRS and ESCRS.)

Aim: To evaluate visual results and patient-perceived outcomes in patients with ocular pathologies implanted with a new extended depth-of-focus intraocular lens (IOL)., Methods: Patients with ocular pathology undergoing cataract surgery and bilaterally implanted with Vivity® IOLs were evaluated three months after surgery. The control group included patients with no ocular pathologies. Binocular defocus curves, corrected and uncorrected mono- and binocular distance visual acuity (DVA), and binocular contrast sensitivity were measured. Patients completed the Catquest-9SF questionnaire and reported on dysphotopsia and their need for spectacle-correction., Results: Twenty-five patients were included in each group. Monocular uncorrected DVA was better in the control group (-0.01 ± 0.07) compared with the study group (0.03 ± 0.08), p =0.027. There were no other statistically significant differences in DVA, with an uncorrected binocular acuity of -0.06 ± 0.06 for the control group and -0.05 ± 0.06 for the study group. Binocular defocus curves were similar for both groups and there were no differences in contrast sensitivity values. Pooling the refractive results, 96% of eyes were within ±0.50 D of target refraction. Seventy percent of patients in the control group reported no halos, compared with 40% in the study group, p =0.047. In both groups, 40% of patients reported being completely spectacle-independent, with the other 60% requiring glasses for near vision always or often. All patients reported being fairly or very satisfied with their vision., Conclusion: Initial results of visual function after Vivity implantation in patients with ocular pathologies are encouraging, with high patient satisfaction and few difficulties for daily activities., Competing Interests: Laureano A. Rementería-Capelo is a principal investigator in Alcon clinical trials and has received lecture fees from Alcon. Inés Contreras and Javier Ruíz Alcocer are subinvestigators in Alcon clinical trials. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Laureano A. Rementería-Capelo et al.)

Age-related eye diseases, including dry eye, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, represent a major global health issue based on their increasing prevalence and disabling action. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases will provide novel opportunities to reduce the burden of age-related eye diseases and improve eye health, contributing to sustainable development goals achievement. The impairment of neutrophil extracellular traps formation/degradation processes seems to be one of these mechanisms. These traps formed by a meshwork of DNA and neutrophil cytosolic granule proteins may exacerbate the inflammatory response promoting chronic inflammation, a pivotal cause of age-related diseases. In this review, we describe current findings that suggest the role of neutrophils and their traps in the pathogenesis of the above-mentioned age-related eye diseases. Furthermore, we discuss why these cells and their constituents could be biomarkers and therapeutic targets for dry eye, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. We also examine the therapeutic potential of some neutrophil function modulators and provide several recommendations for future research in age-related eye diseases., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To objectively analyze the optical quality of the FineVision Toric intraocular lens (IOL) with two cylinder powers when different combinations of rotations and residual refractive errors are induced., Methods: This study assessed the FineVision Toric IOL with two different cylinder powers: 1.5 and 3.0 diopters (D). Three different rotation positions were considered: centered, 5° and 10° rotated. An optical bench (PMTF) was used for optical analysis. The optical quality of the IOLs was calculated by the modulation transfer function (MTF) at five different focal points (0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 D)., Results: The MTF averaged value of the reference situation was 38.58 and 37.74 for 1.5 and 3.0 D of cylinder, respectively. For the 1.5 D cylinder, the combination of 5° of rotation with a defocus of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 D induced a decrease on the MTF of 12.39, 19.94, 23.43, 24.23 units, respectively. When induced rotation was 10°, the MTF decrease was 17.26, 23.40, 24.33, 24.48 units, respectively. For the 3.0 D cylinder, the combination of 5° with 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 D of defocus, induced a decrease on the MTF of 12.51, 18.97, 22.36, 22.48 units, respectively. When induced rotation was 10°, the MTF decrease was: 18.42, 21.57, 23.08, and 23.61 units, respectively., Conclusion: For both FineVision Toric IOLs there is a certain optical tolerance to rotations up to 5° or residual refractive errors up to 0.25 D. Situations over these limits and their combination would affect the visual quality of patients implanted with these trifocal toric IOLs.

Purpose: To evaluate visual function, ocular surface integrity and dry eye symptoms with an extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) design and a conventional multifocal (MF) contact lens (CL) after 15 days of wear., Methods: A crossover single mask randomised clinical trial was conducted including 30 presbyopes who used an EDOF and a conventional MF CL (Biofinity MF) for 15 days each. Defocus curves, depth-of-focus range, contrast sensitivity (CS) under photopic and mesopic conditions (with and without glare) and subjective perception of halos and glare were evaluated. The ocular surface was evaluated through non-invasive Keratograph tear breakup time (NIKBUT), averaged tear breakup time (NIKBUT-avg), tear meniscus height (TMH), bulbar and limbal redness, and conjunctival and corneal staining. Dry eye symptoms were assessed with the OSDI questionnaire., Results: No statistically significant differences were found for defocus curves or depth-of-focus between the two CLs (both p > 0.05). Subjective perception of halos and glare was not significantly different between CLs. Statistically significant differences were observed for CS under mesopic conditions for low spatial frequencies (p = 0.008). None of the CL produced significant changes in NIKBUT, NIKBUT-avg, TMH or redness. No change in conjunctival staining was observed in 76.7 % and 73.3 % of participants for EDOF and Biofinity MF, respectively. No change in corneal staining was observed in 86.7 % and 83.3 % of participants for EDOF and Biofinity MF, respectively. No changes were observed in the symptomatology measured with OSDI questionnaire (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: Both CL for presbyopia offer good visual quality, preserve the ocular surface integrity and provide the patient with similar symptomatology levels after 15 days of lens wear., (Copyright © 2020 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)