Analysis of dose to the macula, optic disc, and lens in relation to vision toxicities - A retrospective study using COMS eye plaques.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to relate common toxicity endpoints with dose to the macula, optic disc, and lens for uveal melanoma patients treated with Iodine-125 Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) eye plaque brachytherapy.

Methods: A cohort of 52 patients treated at a single institution between 2005 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, dosimetry, and clinical outcomes were recorded.

Teaching Smartphone Funduscopy with 20 Diopter Lens in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Purpose: To assess attitudes of pre-clinical undergraduate medical students toward learning smartphone funduscopy (SF) and its appropriateness as a teaching tool.

Patients And Methods: Second year medical students received instruction on direct ophthalmoscopy (DO) and SF; they were then paired with a peer and randomly assigned to perform DO or SF first. The SF technique involved freehand alignment of the axes of the smartphone camera with a condenser lens.

Improved mobility performance with an artificial vision therapy system using a thermal sensor.

Objective: To evaluate the benefit of integrating thermal imaging into an artificial vision therapy system, the Argus II retinal prosthesis, in simplifying a complex scene and improving mobility performance in the presence of other persons.

Approach: Four Argus II retinal implant users were evaluated on two tasks: to locate and approach target persons in a booth, and to navigate a hallway while avoiding people. They completed the tasks using both the original Argus II system (the 'Argus II camera') and a thermal-integrated Argus II system (the 'thermal camera').

Improved localisation and discrimination of heat emitting household objects with the artificial vision therapy system by integration with thermal sensor.

Aim: To demonstrate the potential clinically meaningful benefits of a thermal camera integrated with the Argus II, an artificial vision therapy system, for assisting Argus II users in localising and discriminating heat-emitting objects.

Methods: Seven blind patients implanted with Argus II retinal prosthesis participated in the study. Two tasks were investigated: (1) localising up to three heat-emitting objects by indicating the location of the objects and (2) discriminating a specific heated object out of three presented on a table.

Ultrasonic Aspiration for Debulking Infiltrative Masses of the Orbit.

Purpose: To demonstrate the utility of an ultrasonic aspirator (Sonopet, Stryker Corporation; Kalamazoo, MI) for debulking firm, soft tissue masses of the orbit.

Methods: Case series. The ultrasonic aspirator was used to debulk firm, soft tissue masses in 3 cases.

Hemifacial Spasm in an Argus II Retinal Prosthesis Patient.

Purpose: A 59-year-old man with retinitis pigmentosa, who received an Argus II retinal prosthesis in the left eye 3 years prior, presented with left-sided involuntary facial contractions that occurred only after turning on the Argus II device.

Methods: A case report.

Results: Given that this patient's reported and visualized lower eyelid twitching corresponds to the location of the external region of the implanted coil, we hypothesize that heat or wirelessly transmitted electrical signals from the external coil to the implanted coil may induce spasm of the facial nerve and thus play a role in hemifacial spasm onset.

Floppy eyelid syndrome in stickler syndrome.

Purpose: To report the possible connection between Stickler syndrome and floppy eyelid syndrome.

Observations: A 36-year-old man with genetically confirmed Stickler syndrome presented with prominent bilateral eyelid laxity consistent with floppy eyelid syndrome. He had a high-arched palate and reported years of apneic episodes during sleep consistent with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Determining Subclinical Edema in Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy: Revised Classification using Scheimpflug Tomography for Preoperative Assessment.

Purpose: To determine if Scheimpflug tomography can identify subclinical corneal edema in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD), and to recommend a new classification of FECD for clinical practice and research.

Design: Cross-sectional study with follow-up of outcomes.

Participants: Ninety-three eyes from 57 subjects with a range of severity of FECD and 74 eyes from 40 subjects with normal corneas.

Rationally designed peptide nanosponges for cell-based cancer therapy.

A novel type of supramolecular aggregate, named a "nanosponge" was synthesized through the interaction of novel supramolecular building blocks with trigonal geometry. The cholesterol-(K/D)DEVDGC)-trimaleimide unit consists of a trigonal maleimide linker to which homopeptides (either K or D) of variable lengths (n=5, 10, 15, 20) and a consensus sequence for executioner caspases (DEVDGC) are added via Michael addition. Upon mixing in aqueous buffer cholesterol-(K)DEVDGC)-trimaleimides and a 1:1 mixture of cholesterol-(K/D)DEVDGC)-trimaleimides form stable nanosponges, whereas cholesterol-(D)DEVDGC)-trimaleimide is unable to form supramolecular aggregates with itself.

Anticancer Drug Camptothecin Test in 3D Hydrogel Networks with HeLa cells.

Development of a biomimetic 3D culture system for drug screening is necessary to fully understand the in vivo environment. Previously, a self-assembling peptide hydrogel has been reported; the hydrogel exhibited physiological properties superior to a 3D cell culture matrix. In this work, further research using H9e hydrogel with HeLa cells was carried out considering H9e hydrogel's interaction with camptothecin, a hydrophobic drug.

Chromosome X genomic and epigenomic aberrations and clinical implications in breast cancer by base resolution profiling.

Aim: Abnormal inactivation or loss of inactivated X chromosome (Xi) is implicated in women's cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms and clinical relevance are little known.

Materials & Methods: High-throughput sequencing was conducted on breast cancer cell lines for copy number, RNA expression and 5'-methylcytosine in ChrX.

Comparison of the behavior of CHO cells during cultivation in 24-square deep well microplates and conventional shake flask systems.

In biopharmaceutical production, the optimization of cell culture media and supplementation is a vital element of process development. Optimization is usually achieved through the screening of multiple media, feed and feeding strategies. However, most screening is performed in shake flasks, which makes the screening process very time consuming and inefficient.

Compatibility of intravenous fosaprepitant with intravenous 5-HT3 antagonists and corticosteroids.

Purpose: Fosaprepitant dimeglumine for injection is the water-soluble phosphorylated prodrug of the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist aprepitant. Both agents are approved (in combination with a 5-HT3 antagonist and a corticosteroid) for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Because fosaprepitant is likely to be combined and stored in the same intravenous (IV) bag with 5-HT3 antagonists and corticosteroids, the in vitro compatibility of fosaprepitant with these agents and other IV diluents was assessed.

Thermally stable, transparent, pressure-sensitive adhesives from epoxidized and dihydroxyl soybean oil.

Thermal stability and optical transparency are important factors for flexible electronics and heat-related applications of pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs). However, current acryl- and rubber-based PSAs cannot attain the required thermal stability, and silicon-based PSAs are much more expensive than the alternatives. Oleo-chemicals including functionalized plant oils have great potential to replace petrochemicals.

Comparison of methods for extracting kafirin proteins from sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles.

Use of coproducts generated during fermentation is important to the overall economics of biofuel production. The main coproduct from grain-based ethanol production is distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). High in protein, DDGS is a potential source of protein for many bioindustrial applications such as adhesives and resins.

Generation of a packaging cell line for prolonged large-scale production of high-titer HIV-1-based lentiviral vector.

Background: A stable packaging cell line facilitates large-scale lentivirus vector manufacture. However, it has been difficult to produce clinical-scale HIV-1-based lentiviral vectors using a packaging cell line, in part due to toxicity of packaging genes, and gene silencing that occurs during the long culture period necessary for sequential addition of packaging constructs.

Methods: To avoid these problems, we developed a three-level cascade gene regulation system designed to remove tetracycline transactivator (tTA) from cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter (CMV)-controlled expression to reduce cytotoxicity from constitutive expression of tTA and leaky expression of packaging genes.