Opportunities, challenges, and difficulties in NMR-based metabolomics applied to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) patient follow-up.

Introduction: This study applies NMR-based metabolomics to investigate neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), addressing challenges in patient management, disease progression evaluation, and treatment response assessment. A two-year follow-up of 29 nAMD patients undergoing treatment provided 231 time points for analysis.

Methods: Over the two-year period, 11 males and 18 females (aged 61-92 years) were monitored, yielding 231 time points.

Oxygen supplementation and cognitive function in long-COVID.

Background: Patients can experience persistent cognitive complaints and deficits in long-COVID. Inflammation and capillary damage may contribute to symptoms by interfering with tissue oxygenation.

Methods: This was an exploratory pilot crossover study designed to describe the effects of supplemental oxygen (portable oxygen concentrator, POC) on cognitive performance and peripheral and cerebral oxygen saturation at rest and exercise.

[Impact of patient testimony in the education of medicine and pharmacy students].

The initiative from patients suffering from cancer or having had the disease in speaking about their illness to medical students during an internship in a cancer control center of the faculty of medicine and to pharmacy students at the university of Strasbourg was implemented in 2014. This action was coordinated by the French Cancer League as part of the National French cancer plan 3. After training, ten patients teachers were able to freely and spontaneously explain their diagnostic and therapeutic journey as well as their feelings about the disease and their relationship with their oncologists in front of 187 medical students and 131 pharmacy students.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase/lactate axis: a therapeutic target for neovascular age-related macular degeneration identified by metabolomics.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is the leading cause of blindness in aging populations. Here, we applied metabolomics to human sera of patients with nAMD during an active (exudative) phase of the pathology and found higher lactate levels and a shift in the lipoprotein profile (increased VLDL-LDL/HDL ratio). Similar metabolomics changes were detected in the sera of mice subjected to laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV).

Collective dipole effects in ionic transport under electric fields.

In the context of ionic transport in solids, the variation of a migration barrier height under electric fields is traditionally assumed to be equal to the classical electric work of a point charge that carries the transport charge. However, how reliable is this phenomenological model and how does it fare with respect to Modern Theory of Polarization? In this work, we show that such a classical picture does not hold in general as collective dipole effects may be critical. Such effects are unraveled by an appropriate polarization decomposition and by an expression that we derive, which defines the equivalent polarization-work charge.

[Unilateral pigmentary retinopathy : about 2 cases].

We present the case of two patients in whom unilateral retinal involvement with pigmentary lesions on the fundus examination was observed. Apart from the unilateral nature of the lesions, a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa could have been made in view of the morphological and functional aspects of the retina. However, in these two clinical cases, an association between retinal lesions and Bartonella in one case, and pre-existing multiple sclerosis in the other case, has been proposed with a final diagnosis of unilateral pigmentary retinopathy.

Population health intervention research: what is the place for pilot studies?

Background: An international workshop on population health intervention research (PHIR) was organized to foster exchanges between experts from different disciplines and different fields.

Aims: This paper aims to summarize the discussions around one of the issues addressed: the place or role of pilot studies in PHIR. Pilot studies are well-established in biomedical research, but the situation is more ambiguous for PHIR, in which a pilot study could refer to different purposes.

Towards accurate infrared spectral density of weak H-bonds in absence of relaxation mechanisms.

Following the previous theoretical developments to completely reproduce the IR spectra of weak hydrogen bond complexes within the framework of the linear response theory (LRT), the quantum theory of the high stretching mode spectral density (SD) of weak H-bonds is reconsidered. Within the LRT theory, the SD is the one sided Fourier transform of the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the high stretching mode dipole moment operator. In order to provide more accurate theoretical bandshapes, we have explored the equivalence between the SDs given in previous studies with respect to a new quantum one, and revealed that in place of the basic equations used in the precedent works for which the SD I(ω)=2Re∫G(t)edt where the ACF G(t) = ⟨μ(0)μ(t)⟩ = tr {ρ {μ(0)} {μ(t)}}, one can use a new expression for the SD, given by I(ω)=2ωRe∫G(t)edt where G(t)=μ(0)μ(t)=1βtrρ∫μ(0)μ(t+iλℏ)dλ.

Equivalence between the Classical and Quantum IR Spectral Density Approaches of Weak H-Bonds in the Absence of Damping.

The aim of this paper is to overhaul the quantum elucidation of the spectral density (SD) of weak H-bonds treated without taking into account any of the damping mechanisms. The reconsideration of the SD is performed within the framework the linear response theory. Working in the setting of the strong anharmonic coupling theory and the adiabatic approximation, the simplified expression of the classical SD, in the absence of dampings, is equated to be I(ω) = Re[∫G(t)e dt] in which the classical-like autocorrelation function (ACF), G(t), is given by G(t) = tr{ρ(β){μ(0)}{μ(t)}}.

[Posterior scleritis].

Posterior scleritis, a severe and painful inflammation of the sclera, is an often misdiagnosed pathology due to its clinical polymorphism. An accurate diagnosis is however needed in order to propose an appropriate treatment of the ophthalmologic symptoms and to exclude an associated systemic inflammatory or auto-immune pathology.

Electrical anharmonicity in hydrogen bonded systems: complete interpretation of the IR spectra of the Cl-H[combining right harpoon above] stretching band in the gaseous (CH)OHCl complex.

Following the previous developments to simulate the fully infrared spectra of weak hydrogen bond systems within the linear response theory, an extension of the adiabatic model is presented here. A general formulation including the electrical anharmonicities in the calculation of the damped autocorrelation function of weak H-bonds is adopted to facilitate the support of the additional properties, and thus the IR spectra of the Cl-H[combining right harpoon above] stretching band in the gaseous (CH)OHCl complex. We have explored the origins of the broadening of the Cl-H[combining right harpoon above] stretching band.

The role of the local chemical environment of Ag on the resistive switching mechanism of conductive bridging random access memories.

Conductive bridging random access memories (CBRAMs) are one of the most promising emerging technologies for the next generation of non-volatile memory. However, the lack of understanding of the switching mechanism at the nanoscale level prevents successful transfer to industry. In this paper, Ag/GeSx/W CBRAM devices are analyzed using depth selective X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy before and after switching.

Prediction of semimetallic tetragonal Hf2O3 and Zr2O3 from first principles.

Tetragonal semimetallic phases are predicted for Hf(2)O(3) and Zr(2)O(3) using density functional theory. The structures belong to space group P4[over ¯]m2 and are more stable than their corundum counterparts. Many body corrections at first order confirm their semimetallic character.

[Clinical case of the month. Acute post-traumatic panophthalmitis].

Panophtalmitis is an intra-ocular and intra-orbital rare infection, but its consequences are often horrendous, with loss of both function and anatomy of the eye. The surgical approach and the antibiotherapy should be given as soon as possible, both by intra-vitreal and intra-venous injections. We report the case of a 49-year-old man who developed a Bacillus cereus panophtalmitis.

Extended diffusion in a double well potential: transition from classical to quantum regime.

The transition between the classical and quantum regimes in the diffusion of a particle in a 2-4 double-well potential is treated via the strong collision model in the high-temperature limit. Both the classical and semiclassical position correlation functions, their spectra, and correlation times are evaluated using the memory function formalism. It is shown that even in the high temperature limit, marked classical-quantum transition effects appear in the observables when collisions are rare.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss: when ophthalmology meets otolaryngology.

Objectives: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a perplexing entity in otology. Susac's syndrome (also called retinocochleocerebral vasculopathy) is a rare disorder that consists of microangiopathy of the brain, retina, and inner ear, and usually affects women in young adulthood. We describe the clinical aspects, radiographic findings, and management of one such case.

Minor salivary gland biopsy in diagnosing ocular sarcoidosis.

Background: To ascertain the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of minor salivary gland biopsy in subsets of patients with uveitis consistent with ocular sarcoidosis.

Method: Minor salivary gland biopsies performed in 230 patients with uveitis of indeterminate origin but clinically compatible with ocular sarcoidosis were reviewed. The biopsy results were analysed together with clinical features of uveitis and with the results of other relevant examinations, such as serum levels of angiotensin-I-converting enzyme and lysozyme, tuberculin skin test, chest radiography or CT scan, pulmonary function tests and bronchoalveolar lavage.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells and MMP13 contribute to experimental choroidal neovascularization.

In this study, we evaluate the potential involvement of collagenase-3 (MMP13), a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family member, in the exudative form of age-related macular degeneration characterized by a neovascularisation into the choroid. RT-PCR analysis revealed that human neovascular membranes issued from patients with AMD expressed high levels of Mmp13. The contribution of MMP13 in choroidal neovascularization (CNV) formation was explored by using a murine model of laser-induced CNV and applying it to wild-type mice (WT) and Mmp13-deficient mice (Mmp13 ( -/- ) mice).

Retinitis pigmentosa and bronchiectasis: a case report on a rare association suggestive of a common underlying primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD).

We describe a case of retinitis pigmentosa, associated with bronchiectasis, as the first sign of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Only a few cases were described in the literature and the association of both diseases is not obvious at first sight, although a common ciliary dysfunction of both respiratory epithelium and photoreceptors of the retina seems to be the common factor. It is important to recognize the association and to question patients with retinitis pigmentosa about their respiratory functions, because an early diagnosis of PCD can prevent recurrent infections and development of bronchiectasis with daily physiotherapy.

[Clinical case of the month. A case of von Hippel-Lindau disease].

von Hippel-Lindau disease is an inherited multisystemic familial cancer syndrome caused by mutations of the VHL gene. The spectrum of clinical manifestations is broad and includes central nervous system hemangioblastomas and visual benign and malignant tumors. The various manifestations can be demonstrated by means of different imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and fluorescein retinal hemangiography.

Polarized infrared spectra of the H(D) bond in 2-thiophenic acid crystals: a spectroscopic and computational study.

Polarized IR spectra of the hydrogen bond in 2-thiophenic acid crystals, isotopically neat and of mixed H/D isotopic content, are measured at 298 and 77 K in the "residual" nuO-H and nuO-D band frequency ranges. This crystalline system provides spectra in these band frequency ranges that differ considerably in intensity distribution from the spectra of other H-bonded centrosymmetric dimeric species. This change in the spectral properties of the crystals is probably due to the influence of the sulfur atoms from the thiophene aromatic rings, which are directly linked to the (COOH)2 or (COOD)2 cycles.

Frosted branch angiitis with undiagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma.

Purpose: To report the case of a patient with bilateral frosted branch angiitis and undiagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma.

Methods: Review of clinical history, laboratory findings, histology of supraclavicular lymph node biopsy, and follow-up.

Results: A 22-year-old man presented with a sudden, bilateral visual loss.

[Bilateral optic atrophy in a drug addict].

Bilateral optic neuropathy in a young man is suggestive of hereditary or toxic damage. We describe the case of a 38-year-old man with bilateral optic neuropathy. His best corrected visual acuity was light perception OD and 20/125 OS.

Tumoral and choroidal vascularization: differential cellular mechanisms involving plasminogen activator inhibitor type I.

An adequate balance between serine proteases and their plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is critical for pathological angiogenesis. PAI-1 deficiency in mice is associated with impaired choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and tumoral angiogenesis. In the present work, we demonstrate unexpected differences in the contribution of bone marrow (BM)-derived cells in these two processes regulated by PAI-1.