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To investigate the etiology, pathogens, treatment, and prognosis of endogenous endophthalmitis (EE). Patients diagnosed with EE over three decades at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. A total of 97 eyes from 81 patients were included. Diabetes was the most common predisposing medical condition (34.6%). Klebsiella pneumoniae (31.3%) and Candida albicans (32.8%) were the most common pathogens. Liver abscess (20.6%) was the predominant cause EE due to liver abscess had a worse initial visual acuity (P < 0.05). Patients who initially underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV)+silicone oil tamponade underwent fewer total treatments (P < 0.05). In the past 10 years, the proportion of Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative bacilli, and Candida showed an upward trend. Over the past 15 years, EE after liver abscess and immunosuppression has increased, while EE from genitourinary systems has decreased. EE was a devastating intraocular disease with a poor visual prognosis. The initial condition and prognosis of EE after liver abscess were the worst. PPV+silicone oil tamponade as an initial treatment may reduce additional therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To estimate the efficacy and safety of ocriplasmin for patients with vitreous macular traction (VMT). Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE and Ovid were searched up to May 2020 to identify related studies. Statistical analysis was conducted by R software version 3.6.3. Results in proportion with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated by means of Freeman–Tukey variant of arcsine square transformation. Results: The pooling results indicated the overall complete release rate was 50% (95% CI [45%–54%]). For VMT patients younger than 65 years old, with smaller adhesion size of VMT (<1500 μm), phakic eyes, with macular hole (MH) and subretinal fluid (SRF), while without epiretinal membrane (ERM), ocriplasmin could achieve much higher complete release rates than those under opposite conditions. The general nonsurgical closure rate of MH was 34% (95% CI [30%–37%]), and it was positively correlated with the MH size. The visual improvement rate was 45% (95% CI [32%–59%]), and it was higher for patients with VMT resolution (59%, 95% CI [41%–75%]). The secondary pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) rate for patients without MH closure or VMT resolution was about 31% (95% CI [23%–39%]). The incidence of MH progression was 10% (95% CI [4%–18%]), and other severe adverse events such as endophthalmitis, retinal detachment and retinal tear were relatively rare. Conclusion: Ocriplasmin is an effective, reliable and relatively safe intervention for the treatment of VMT. The most suitable candidates were patients younger than 65 years old, with smaller adhesion size (<1500 μm), phakic eyes, with MH and SRF, while without ERM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new lignan derivative 2,3-dimethyl-4-(4′-hydroxy-3′,5′-dimethoxyphenyl)-6-hydroxy-7-methoxy-naphthalene (1), together with four known analogues (2-5), were isolated from acetone extract of the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lipsiense collected in the Hainan Province, China. Their structures were elucidated by the detailed analysis of comprehensive spectroscopic data. Compound 1 showed insecticidal activity against newly hatched karvae of Helicoverpa armigera Hubner. Compounds 1-5 showed moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with the same MIC value of 1.25 μg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A derivative of sym-triazine (HTT) was chosen as a new nonammonia preservative for concentrated natural rubber latex (CNRL) in place of NH3-TT/zinc oxide (ZnO). The preservation effects of the HTT for CNRL, drying characteristics, mechanical properties, and cytotoxicity of the vulcanized natural rubber (NR) film were investigated. The results show that the CNRL was preserved steadily for more than 6 months with 0.3% HTT, and the volatile fatty acid number, viscosity, and mechanical stability of CNRL all met the requirements of ISO 2004:2010(E). The drying characteristics of the vulcanized NR film preserved by HTT retained no change compared with those of the film preserved by NH3-TT/ZnO. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the vulcanized NR film preserved by HTT were 32.17 MPa and 853.80%, respectively; these were very similar to those of the film preserved by NH3-TT/ZnO, whereas the tear strength reached 68.43 kN/m, and this was much higher than that by NH3-TT/ZnO. The results of the cytotoxicity and dermal irritation tests prove that HTT is not especially harmful to humans. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41749. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the photograph "Clash of Civilizations," by Zhang Wen Fei.

To explore the feasibility and safety of biomaterials for posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) in rabbits. Decellularization and genipin crosslink were applied to the fresh bovine pericardium and porcine endocranium, and then mechanical properties, suture retention strength, and stability were tested. PSR operation was performed on 24 rabbit eyes using treated biological materials. Ophthalmic examination was performed regularly before and after PSR operation (1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months). To evaluate the effectiveness, A ultrasound, diopter, and optical coherence tomography were conducted. General condition, fundus photograph, and pathological examination were recorded to evaluate the safety. Compared with genipin crosslinked bovine pericardium (Gen-BP) (21.29 ± 13.29 Mpa), genipin crosslinked porcine endocranium (Gen-PE) (34.85 ± 3.67 Mpa, P < 0.01) showed a closer elastic modulus to that of genipin crosslinked human sclera. There were no complications or toxic reactions directly related to the materials. Capillary hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration, and collagen fiber deposition were observed, and the content of type I collagen fibers increased after PSR. Overall, the choroidal thickness of treated eyes was significantly thickened at different time points after PSR, which were 96.84 ± 21.08 μm, 96.72 ± 22.00 μm, 90.90 ± 16.57 μm, 97.28 ± 14.74 μm, respectively. The Gen-PE group showed changes that were almost consistent with the overall data. Gen-BP and Gen-PE are safe biological materials for PSR. The Gen-PE group demonstrated more significant advantages over the Gen-BP group in terms of material properties., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Aim: To investigate the impacts of angiotensin II (Ang II) on retinal artery changes in apolipoprotein E deficient ( apoE -/- ) mice., Methods: apoE -/- male mice were infused by minipumps with Ang II at 1000 ng/kg·min (Ang II group) or saline (control group) for 28d. They were underwent ophthalmic fundus examination on day 0, 14, and 28 of infusion. Histopathologic examination, ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing and local Ang II measurement of retinas were conducted., Results: Ophthalmic fundus examination showed Ang II infusion promoted the formation of retinal arterial aneurysm-like lesions on day 28. Optical coherence tomography revealed the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness in the control group was significantly thinner than that in Ang II group ( P <0.001). Hematoxylin-eosin staining demonstrated diffused swelling of GCIPL layer and its disordered structure in Ang II group. Transmission electron microscopy showed Ang II infusion caused aggravation of atherosclerotic lesions, including increased swelling, roughness, disorganization of the retinal vasculature, and vacuoles formation. RNA-sequencing and gene ontology enrichment analysis demonstrated that the structure and function of cellular membrane might be disturbed and visual function might be compromised by Ang II. The local level of Ang II was higher in Ang II infusion group but did not show significant differences compared to the control group ( P =0.086)., Conclusion: Ang II infusion promotes the formation of retinal arterial aneurysm-like lesions in apoE -/- mice, causing aggravation of atherosclerotic lesions, more severe disorganization of the retinal vasculature and disturbance of the cellular membrane., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Objective: To investigate the expression of 2-type small conductance-Ca 2+ -activating-K + (SK2) channel protein in hypertensive rat myocardial cells., Methods: Twelve healthy adult male SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n=5) and experimental group (n=7). The rats of experimental group were injected intraperitoneally with N'-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA 15 mg/(kg·d))while the rats of control group were injected intraperitoneally with isometrical normal saline(15 ml/(kg·d )). The body weight, blood pressure and electrocardiogram of the rats were measured every week. After 4 weeks, the rats were sacrificed to obtain hearts, and the expression of SK2 channel protein in myocardium was detected by Western blot., Results: After 4 weeks of administration, compared with the control group, the blood pressure in the experimental group was significantly elevated (P＜0.05), QRS duration and R-R interval were prolonged, and the expressions of SK2 channel in the atrial and ventricular tissue of the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (1.12±0.18,1.64±0.26, P ＜ 0.05)., Conclusion: The expressions of atrial and ventricular SK2 pathway are increased in hypertensive model rats. It may be one of the mechanism leading to arrhythmias in hypertensive model rats and can provide new ideas and strategies for the treatment and prognosis of hypertensive diseases.