Involvement of TGF-β signaling pathway-associated genes in the corneal endothelium of patients with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy.

This study investigated the involvement of TGF-β signaling pathway-associated genes in the pathogenesis of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). The RNA-sequencing analysis of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) from FECD patients revealed significant alterations in multiple TGF-β superfamily genes, with 9 genes upregulated (including BMP6, GDF5, and TGF-β2) and 10 genes downregulated (including BMP2, NOG, and INHBA) compared to controls. Quantitative PCR validation confirmed the elevated expression of GDF5 (3.

Optimized laboratory techniques for assessing the quality of pre-stripped DMEK grafts.

This study addressed limitations in calcein-AM-based endothelial viability assays, specifically focusing on pre-stripped DMEK grafts. Key challenges included the suboptimal calcein staining and the incompatibility of the viability assay with subsequent immunofluorescence (IF). Using human corneal grafts, we employed two strategies to optimize calcein staining.

Measuring the viability of crystalline lens epithelial cells by triple Hoechst-Ethidium-Calcein-AM staining.

Purpose: To date, the assessment of lens epithelial cell viability has been proposed only in cell cultures or isolated capsule models. This study aimed to develop a method for quantifying the viability of epithelial cells on whole ex vivo crystalline lenses by triple labeling Hoechst 33342, ethidium homodimer, and calcein-acetoxymethyl (HEC).

Methods: Two models of induced cell death were used to study the performance and potential applications of the technique.

Unified Flow Rule of Undeveloped and Fully Developed Dense Granular Flows down Rough Inclines.

We report on chute measurements of the free-surface velocity v in dense flows of spheres and diverse sands and spheres-sand mixtures down rough inclines. These and previous measurements are inconsistent with standard flow rules, in which the Froude number v/sqrt[gh] scales linearly with h/h_{s} or (tanθ/μ_{r})^{2}h/h_{s}, where μ_{r} is the dynamic friction coefficient, h the flow thickness, and h_{s}(θ) its smallest value that permits a steady, uniform dense flow state at a given inclination angle θ. This is because the characteristic length L a flow needs to fully develop can exceed the chute or travel length l and because neither rule is universal for fully developed flows across granular materials.

Expression of Yes-associated protein in endothelial cells of human corneas before and after storage in organ culture.

The cornea, the anterior meniscus-shaped transparent and refractive structure of the eyeball, is the first mechanical barrier of the eye. Its functionality heavily relies on the health of its endothelium, its most posterior layer. The treatment of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) deficiency is allogeneic corneal graft using stored donor corneas.

High-temperature stimulation enhances polyhydroxyalkanoates accumulation in thermophile Aeribacillus pallidus BK1.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are intracellular storage polymers that enhance bacterial resistance in environments. While the role of PHAs regulation in thermophiles under high-temperature stimulation is understudied, this work investigates Aeribacillus pallidus BK1, a thermophile with heat resistance up to 155 °C. Our results showed that A.

Change in Visual Acuity of Patients With Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy Over 1 Year.

Purpose: To determine whether the clinical and paraclinical course of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) over 1 year is related to the extent of triplet repetition in the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene.

Methods: A prospective study with a 1-year follow-up was conducted. A total of 104 patients (160 eyes) with FECD and an equivalent number of age- and sex-matched control subjects without FECD were included.

How Do Combustions Actuate High-Speed Soft Robots?

The combustion actuation method opens a unique pathway for high-performance soft robots, allowing for high accelerations in multifunctional applications. Along with multifunctionality come great challenges in effective robot structure design, accurate control and prediction of combustion-actuated motions, and practical implementation of various applications. However, research in this nascent field remains fragmented, lacking central guiding principles.

Bioinformatics prediction and experimental verification identify a cuproptosis-related gene signature as prognosis biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of which its prognostic prediction is still unclarified is a highly heterogeneous disease. Cuproptosis is a form of cell death that depends on copper regulation. Whether the cuproptosis-related genes can be the prognostic indicators of HCC is yet to be elucidated.

Femtosecond Laser Cutting of Human Crystalline Lens Capsule and Decellularization for Corneal Endothelial Bioengineering.

The bioengineering of corneal endothelial grafts consists of seeding in vitro cultured corneal endothelial cells onto a thin, transparent, biocompatible, and sufficiently robust carrier which can withstand surgical manipulations. This is one of the most realistic alternatives to donor corneas, which are in chronic global shortage. The anterior capsule of the crystalline lens has already been identified as one of the best possible carriers, but its challenging manual preparation has limited its use.

Design and validation of a custom-made system to measure transepithelial electrical impedance in human corneas preserved in active storage machine.

Corneal epithelial barrier represents one of the major limitations to ocular drug delivery and can be explored non-invasively through the evaluation of its electrical properties. Human corneas stored in active storage machine (ASM) could represent an interesting physiological model to explore transcorneal drug penetration. We designed a new system adapted to human corneas preserved in ASM to explore corneal epithelial barrier function ex-vivo.

Effect of interaction between dissolved organic matter and iron/manganese (hydrogen) oxides on the degradation of organic pollutants by in-situ advanced oxidation techniques.

Iron and manganese (hydrogen) oxides (IMHOs) exhibit excellent redox capabilities for environmental pollutants and are commonly used in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) technologies for the degradation of organic pollutants. However, the coexisting dissolved organic matter (DOMs) in surface environments would influence the degradation behavior and fate of organic pollutants in IMHOs-based ISCO. This review has summarized the interactions and mechanisms between DOMs and IMHOs, as well as the properties of DOM-IMHOs complexes.

Using solid phase adsorption toxin tracking and extended local similarity analysis to monitor lipophilic shellfish toxins in a mussel culture ranch in the Yangtze River Estuary.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) and their associated phycotoxins are increasing globally, posing great threats to local coastal ecosystems and human health. Nutrients have been carried by the freshwater Yangtze River and have entered the estuary, which was reported to be a biodiversity-rich but HAB-frequent region. Here, in situ solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) was used to monitor lipophilic shellfish toxins (LSTs) in seawaters, and extended local similarity analysis (eLSA) was conducted to trace the temporal and special regions of those LSTs in a one-year trail in a mussel culture ranch in the Yangtze River Estuary.

NIR-II Excitable Water-Dispersible Two-Dimensional Conjugated Polymer Nanoplates for Two-Photon Luminescence Bioimaging.

While two-dimensional conjugated polymers (2DCPs) have shown great promise in two-photon luminescence (TPL) bioimaging, 2DCP-based TPL imaging agents that can be excited in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II) have rarely been reported so far. Herein, we report two 2DCPs including and , with octupolar olefin-linked structures for NIR-II-excited bioimaging. The 2DCPs are customized with the fully conjugated donor-acceptor (D-A) linkage and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active building blocks, leading to good two-photon absorption into the NIR-II window with a 2PACS of ∼64.

Nanotopography by chromatic confocal microscopy of the endothelium in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, pseudophakic bullous keratopathy and healthy corneas.

Aim: To investigate the interest of chromatic confocal microscopy (CCM) to characterise guttae in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD).

Methods: Descemet's membranes (DM) were obtained during endothelial keratoplasty in patients with FECD and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (PBK). They were compared with healthy samples obtained from body donation to science.

Lightweight Pneumatically Elastic Backbone Structure with Modular Construction and Nonlinear Interaction for Soft Actuators.

There has been a growing need for soft robots operating various force-sensitive tasks due to their environmental adaptability, satisfactory controllability, and nonlinear mobility unique from rigid robots. It is of desire to further study and that are the main influence factors to the actuations of lightweight soft actuators. In this study, we present a design principle on lightweight pneumatically elastic backbone structure (PEBS) with the modular construction for soft actuators, which contains a backbone printed as one piece and a common strip balloon.

Optimization and Production of Exopolysaccharides (EPS) and Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) Under Chromium by Halophilic Bacteria Oceanobacillus oncorhynchi W4.

The current study assessed the levels of exopolysaccharides (EPS) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and the impacts of halophilic bacteria Oceanobacillus oncorhynchi W4 under Cr (VI). The effects of W4 were tested for its ability to remove Cr (VI) at several concentrations, the removal rate was reached after 48 h at 58.4%, 53.

Investigating the Role of TGF-β Signaling Pathways in Human Corneal Endothelial Cell Primary Culture.

Corneal endothelial diseases are the leading cause of corneal transplantation. The global shortage of donor corneas has resulted in the investigation of alternative methods, such as cell therapy and tissue-engineered endothelial keratoplasty (TEEK), using primary cultures of human corneal endothelial cells (hCECs). The main challenge is optimizing the hCEC culture process to increase the endothelial cell density (ECD) and overall yield while preventing endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT).

NIR-IIb fluorescence-image guided synergistic surgery/starvation/chemodynamic therapy: an innovative treatment paradigm for malignant non-small cell lung cancers.

Currently, the prognosis and survival rate for patients bearing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still quite poor, mainly due to lack of efficient theranostic paradigms to exert in time diagnostics and therapeutics. Herein, for NSCLC treatment, we offer a customized theranostic paradigm, termed NIR-IIb fluorescence diagnosis and synergistic surgery/starvation/chemodynamic therapeutics, with a newly designed theranostic nanoplatform PEG/MnCuDCNPs@GOx. The nanoplatform is composed of brightly NIR-II emissive downconversion nanoparticles (DCNPs)-core and Mn/Cu-silica shell loaded with glucose oxidase (GOx) to achieve synergistic starvation and chemodynamic therapy (CDT).

Melanophages give rise to hyperreflective foci in AMD, a disease-progression marker.

Retinal melanosome/melanolipofuscin-containing cells (MCCs), clinically visible as hyperreflective foci (HRF) and a highly predictive imaging biomarker for the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), are widely believed to be migrating retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Using human donor tissue, we identify the vast majority of MCCs as melanophages, melanosome/melanolipofuscin-laden mononuclear phagocytes (MPs). Using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, RPE flatmounts, bone marrow transplantation and in vitro experiments, we show how retinal melanophages form by the transfer of melanosomes from the RPE to subretinal MPs when the "don't eat me" signal CD47 is blocked.