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OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between serum retinol concentration and normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). METHODS: A total of 345 study subjects were recruited in a prospective cross-sectional study: 101 patients with NTG, 106 patients with high-pressure primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and 138 healthy control subjects. Serum retinol concentration in fasting blood samples was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). All study subjects were given complete ophthalmic examinations and diagnosed by two glaucoma sub-specialists. RESULTS: Serum retinol concentrations in NTG, POAG, and controls were 338.90 ± 103.23 ng/mL, 405.22 ± 114.12 ng/mL, and 408.84 ± 122.36 ng/mL respectively. NTG patients had lower serum retinol concentrations than POAG (p

Introduction: To evaluate the association of focal lamina cribrosa (LC) defect with asymmetric visual field (VF) loss in normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) through intereye comparisons. Methods: Paired eyes were divided into better and worse eyes according to the mean deviation (MD), and ocular parameters were compared between them. Furthermore, patients in the asymmetric group were classified as subgroup A (one eye with LC defect and the fellow one without), subgroup B (both eyes without LC defect), and subgroup C (both eyes with LC defect). Generalized estimation equation approach was used to evaluate the association between ocular parameters and asymmetric VF. Results: A total of 140 eyes of 70 NTG patients were included in the asymmetric group. LC defects were more common in better eyes than that in worse eyes (27/70 [38.57%] vs. 10/70 [14.29%], p = 0.001), and all eyes with LC defect had myopia. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of LC defect was significantly associated with better eyes in the asymmetric group (odds ratio, 0.27; p = 0.001). For subgroup A, eyes with LC defects exhibited lower peak IOP (p = 0.011) and lower mean IOP (p = 0.018) than the fellow eyes without. In addition, longer AL (p = 0.025) and larger tilt ratio (p = 0.032) were found in eyes with LC defects. For subgroup B without LC defects, larger tilt ratio was shown to be a risk factor for VF loss (odds ratio, 6.13; p = 0.001). There was no significant difference of binocular parameters except for MD (p < 0.001) in subgroup C. Conclusions: LC defects in myopia were suggested to be associated with better eyes in NTG with asymmetric VF loss. However, in patients without LC defect, larger tilt ratio was a risk factor for VF defect. There might be different pathological mechanisms in asymmetric VF loss for different NTG subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic technologies are a potential solution for remediation of radioactive wastewater, including the reduction of radioactive hexavalent uranium, which is commonly found in wastewater from the nuclear industry. In this study, Fe2O3–graphene oxide composites were synthesized by an easy and scalable impregnation method as a catalyst for the reduction of U(vi). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images of this composite clearly showed that the Fe2O3 nanoparticles exist in the layered structure of graphene oxide. The photocatalytic activity of the Fe2O3–graphene oxide composite was evaluated by the reduction of U(vi) to U(iv) in aqueous solution under visible light. The results showed that the photocatalytic process of the Fe2O3–graphene oxide composite was always faster than that of the Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Moreover, the experimental kinetic data for the catalytic process followed a pseudo-first-order model. The stability of the Fe2O3–graphene oxide composites was studied over successive experiments, with the photocatalytic reduction efficiency of U(vi) decreasing to 76.0% after four cycles. Based on these experimental results, the enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability of Fe2O3–graphene oxide composites can be attributed to the improved adsorption properties of U(vi) at GO and the electron transfer from iron oxide to GO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic technologies are a potential solution for remediation of radioactive wastewater, including the reduction of radioactive hexavalent uranium, which is commonly found in wastewater from the nuclear industry. In this study, Fe 2 O 3 -graphene oxide composites were synthesized by an easy and scalable impregnation method as a catalyst for the reduction of U(vi). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images of this composite clearly showed that the Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles exist in the layered structure of graphene oxide. The photocatalytic activity of the Fe 2 O 3 -graphene oxide composite was evaluated by the reduction of U(vi) to U(iv) in aqueous solution under visible light. The results showed that the photocatalytic process of the Fe 2 O 3 -graphene oxide composite was always faster than that of the Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles. Moreover, the experimental kinetic data for the catalytic process followed a pseudo-first-order model. The stability of the Fe 2 O 3 -graphene oxide composites was studied over successive experiments, with the photocatalytic reduction efficiency of U(vi) decreasing to 76.0% after four cycles. Based on these experimental results, the enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability of Fe 2 O 3 -graphene oxide composites can be attributed to the improved adsorption properties of U(vi) at GO and the electron transfer from iron oxide to GO.