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Developing high-performance composites with fast charging and superior cycle life is paramount for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we synthesized a double-shell carbon-coated porous structure composite with a compact surface (P-Si@rGO@C) using low-cost commercial micron-sized silicon (Si) instead of nanoscale silicon. Results reveal that the unique P-Si@rGO@C features high adaptability to volume expansion, accelerates electron/ion transmission rate, and forms a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film. This phenomenon arises from the synergistic effect of abundant internal voids and an external double-layer carbon shell with a dense surface. Specifically, the P-Si@rGO@C anode exhibits a high initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) (88.0 %), impressive rate-capability (612.1 mAh/g at 2C), and exceptional long-term cyclability (972.2 mAh/g over 500 cycles at 0.5C). Further kinetic studies elucidate the diffusion-capacitance hybrid energy storage mechanism and reveal an improved Li + diffusion coefficient (from 3.47 × 10 -11 to 2.85 × 10 -9 cm 2 s -1 ). Ex-situ characterization confirms the crystal phase change of micron-sized Si and the formation of a stable LiF-rich SEI. Theoretical calculations support these findings by demonstrating an enhancement in the adsorption ability of Si to Li + (from -0.89 to -0.97 eV) and a reduction in the energy migration barrier (from 0.35 to 0.18 eV). Additionally, practical Li x Si powder is shown to increase the ICE of full cells from 67.4 % to 87.9 %. Furthermore, a pouch cell utilizing the prelithiated P-Si@rGO@C anode paired with LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 (NCM111) cathode delivers a high initial reversible capacity of 7.2 mAh and 76.8 % capacity retention after 100 cycles. This work provides insights into the application of commercial silicon-aluminum alloy powder in the anode of high-energy LIBs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

High spatio-temporal resolution estimates of electricity consumption are essential for formulating effective energy transition strategies. However, the data availability is limited by complex spatio-temporal heterogeneity and insufficient multi-source feature fusion. To address these issues, this study introduces an innovative downscaling method that combines multi-source data with machine learning and spatial interpolation techniques. The method's accuracy showed significant improvements, with determination coefficients (R 2 ) increasing by 30.1% and 33.4% over the baseline model in two evaluation datasets. With this advanced model, we estimated monthly electricity consumption across 1 km x 1 km grid for 280 Chinese cities from 2012 to 2019. Our dataset is highly consistent with officially released electricity consumption of different industries (Pearson correlation coefficients within 0.83 - 0.91). Moreover, our data can reflect the electricity consumption patterns of different urban land uses compared to other datasets. This study bridges a significant gap in fine-grained electricity consumption data, providing a robust foundation for the development of sustainable energy policies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate and compare the anterior scleral thickness (AST) among high myopia (HM), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and POAG with HM (HMPOAG) groups., Methods: Thirty-two HM eyes, 30 POAG eyes, and 31 HMPOAG eyes were included. The Schlemm's canal (SC) area, trabecular meshwork (TM) thickness, scleral spur (SS) length, and AST were measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography. AST was measured at 0 mm (AST0), 1 mm (AST1), 2 mm (AST2), and 3 mm (AST3) from SS., Results: The HMPOAG group had significantly thinner AST, SS length, and TM thickness than the HM and POAG groups (all p  < 0.05). In addition, the SC area of the HMPOAG group was also significantly smaller than that of the HM group ( p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: The HMPOAG group had the thinnest AST, shortest SS, thinnest TM, and smallest SC. The thinnest AST might contribute to the shortest SS, and further to the thinnest TM and smallest SC in the HMPOAG group. AST might be a novel clinical indicator in the prediction and evaluation of POAG., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Chen, Luo and Yan.)

Objectives: To analyze and summarize the clinical characteristics and treatment of juvenile patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) complicated by early cataract., Case Presentation: This retrospective study collected clinical data from 210 children and adolescents newly diagnosed with T1DM who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital (Wuhan) between 2015 and 2022. Among 210 patients with T1DM, early cataract developed within 3 months before diabetes onset and 12 months thereafter in 2 (0.95 %) patients. The two patients were both females, aged 13 and 9 years, respectively. In both cases, cataracts in both eyes appeared in the early stages of T1DM, showing a short course and rapid development. After intensive insulin treatment for stringent and stable blood glucose control, one patient underwent cataract extraction with significant improvement, and her visual acuity returned to normal. The other patient received intensive insulin therapy and insulin pump therapy for 8 years. Subsequently, she underwent cataract surgery after achieving stable blood glucose levels, without complete recovery of vision., Conclusions: Cataract is a rare complication in the early stages of T1DM in children and adolescents. Ophthalmic surgery is the preferred treatment for patients with diabetic cataract after achieving stable glycemic control, which may help prevent visual impairment., (© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

To investigate the optimal delivery system of quercetin, in this paper, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) extracted from rice bran were used to stabilize the Pickering emulsion and Pickering emulsion gels (PEGs) with quercetin. To compare the emulsion properties, stability, antioxidation activity, encapsulation rate, and bioaccessibility of the quercetin, four emulsions of CNC Pickering emulsion (C), CNC Pickering emulsion with quercetin (CQ), CNC Pickering gel emulsion (CG), and CNC Pickering gel emulsions with quercetin (CQG) were prepared. All four emulsions exhibited elastic gel network structure and good stability. The quercetin significantly reduced the particle size, increased the stability, and improved the antioxidant capacity of CQ and CQG. Compared to C and CG, the ABTS + radical scavenging capacities of CQ and CQG were respectively enhanced by 46.92% and 3.59%. In addition, CQG had a higher encapsulation rate at 94.57% and higher bioaccessibility (16.17) compared to CQ. This study not only indicated that CNC from rice bran could be exploited as an excellent stabilization particle for Pickering emulsions, but also provided a highly stable and bioaccessible delivery system for water-insoluble functional active factors.

All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) employing sulfide solid electrolytes (SEs) promise sustainable energy storage systems with energy-dense integration and critical intrinsic safety, yet they still require cost-effective manufacturing and the integration of thin membrane-based SE separators into large-format cells to achieve scalable deployment. This review, based on an overview of sulfide SE materials, is expounded on why implementing a thin membrane-based separator is the priority for mass production of ASSLBs and critical criteria for capturing a high-quality thin sulfide SE membrane are identified. Moreover, from the aspects of material availability, membrane processing, and cell integration, the major challenges and associated strategies are described to meet these criteria throughout the whole manufacturing chain to provide a realistic assessment of the current status of sulfide SE membranes. Finally, future directions and prospects for scalable and manufacturable sulfide SE membranes for ASSLBs are presented., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

For a long time, food spoilage posed a severe impairment on food safety and public health. Although chemical preservatives are commonly used to inhibit spoilage/ pathogenic microbial growth, the disadvantages of a single target, potential toxicity and high dose of use limit the better use of preservatives. In this research, the combination of natural preservatives: Natamycin (Nat), ε-polylysine (ε-PL), and Chitosan (CS) could achieve an excellent antimicrobial effect including bacteria and fungi, and reduce the usage of a single preservative. Compound preservatives could destroy microbial morphology and damage the integrity of the cell wall/membrane by leakage of protein and alkaline phosphatase (AKP). Besides, high-throughput sequencing revealed that compound preservatives could decrease microbial diversity and richness, especially, Pseudomonas , Acinetobacter , Fusarium , and Aspergillus . Therefore, the combination of 1/8 × MIC CS, 1/4 × MIC ε-PL, and 1/2 × MIC Nat can achieve an excellent antibacterial effect, providing new ideas for food preservation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: Using epigenetic markers and fragmentomics of cell-free DNA for cancer detection has been proven applicable., Methods: We further investigated the diagnostic potential of combining two features (epigenetic markers and fragmentomic information) of cell-free DNA for detecting various types of cancers. To do this, we extracted cfDNA fragmentomic features from 191 whole-genome sequencing data and studied them in 396 low-pass 5hmC sequencing data, which included four common cancer types and control samples., Results: In our analysis of 5hmC sequencing data from cancer samples, we observed aberrant ultra-long fragments (220-500 bp) that differed from normal samples in terms of both size and coverage profile. These fragments played a significant role in predicting cancer. Leveraging the ability to detect cfDNA hydroxymethylation and fragmentomic markers simultaneously in low-pass 5hmC sequencing data, we developed an integrated model that incorporated 63 features representing both fragmentomic features and hydroxymethylation signatures. This model achieved high sensitivity and specificity for pan-cancer detection (88.52% and 82.35%, respectively)., Conclusion: We showed that fragmentomic information in 5hmC sequencing data is an ideal marker for cancer detection and that it shows high performance in low-pass sequencing data., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

BACKGROUND The aim of this work was to compare autonomic nervous system activity between eyes with axial and non-axial myopia and to investigate the relationship between autonomic nervous system activity and axial length (AL) in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seventy-eight eyes of 78 children were included in this study. Static and dynamic pupillary responses, including pupil diameter, latency, and velocity of pupil contraction and dilation, were recorded using automatic pupillometry to evaluate autonomic nervous system activity. AL was measured using the IOL-Master device. RESULTS In terms of static pupillary responses, the pupil diameter at mesopic condition (1 candelas/m²) (PD1) (4.06±0.64 vs 3.80±0.87 mm, P=0.045) and pupil diameter at low photopic condition (10 candelas/m²) (PD10) (3.40±0.49 vs 3.22±0.66 mm, P=0.046) were significantly larger in axial myopic eyes than in non-axial myopic eyes. In terms of dynamic pupillary responses, velocity of pupil contraction (Vel-C) (5.93±0.89 vs 6.75±1.60 mm/s, P=0.019) and velocity of pupil dilation (Vel-D) (2.28±0.38 vs 2.89±1.17 mm/s, P=0.002) were significantly slower in axial myopic eyes than in non-axial myopic eyes. Moreover, PD1 and PD10 were significantly and positively associated with AL, while Vel-C and Vel-D were significantly and negatively associated with AL (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There was significant decrease in autonomic nervous system activity in axial myopia compared with non-axial myopia, and autonomic nervous system activity was significantly and negatively associated with AL in children. Decreases in autonomic nervous system activity in axial myopia may contribute to the excessive axial elongation in pediatric axial myopia.

Liquid biopsy techniques based on deep sequencing of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) could detect the low-frequency somatic mutations and provide an accurate diagnosis for many cancers. However, for brain gliomas, reliable performance of these techniques currently requires obtaining cfDNA from patients' cerebral spinal fluid, which is cumbersome and risky. Here we report a liquid biopsy method based on sequencing of plasma cfDNA fragments carrying 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) using selective chemical labeling (hMe-Seal). We first constructed a dataset including 180 glioma patients and 229 non-glioma controls. We found marked concordance between cfDNA hydroxymethylome and the aberrant transcriptome of the underlying gliomas. Functional analysis also revealed overrepresentation of the differentially hydroxymethylated genes (DhmGs) in oncogenic and neural pathways. After splitting our dataset into training and test cohort, we showed that a penalized logistic model constructed with training set DhmGs could distinguish glioma patients from healthy controls in both our test set (AUC = 0.962) and an independent dataset (AUC = 0.930) consisting of 111 gliomas and 111 controls. Additionally, the DhmGs between gliomas with mutant and wild-type isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) could be used to train a cfDNA predictor of the IDH mutation status of the underlying tumor (AUC = 0.816), and patients with predicted IDH mutant gliomas had significantly better outcome (P = .01). These results indicate that our plasma cfDNA 5hmC sequencing method could obtain glioma-specific signals, which may be used to noninvasively detect these patients and predict the aggressiveness of their tumors., (© 2022 UICC.)

Due to the upstream pressure of lithium resources, low-cost sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have become the most potential candidates for energy storage systems in the new era. However, anode materials of SIBs have always been a major problem in their development. To address this, V 2 C/Fe 7 S 8 @C composites with hierarchical structures prepared via an in situ synthesis method are proposed here. The 2D V 2 C-MXene as the growth substrate for Fe 7 S 8  greatly improves the rate capability of SIBs, and the carbon layer on the surface provides a guarantee for charge-discharge stability. Unexpectedly, the V 2 C/Fe 7 S 8 @C anode achieves satisfactory sodium storage capacity and exceptional rate performance (389.7 mAh g -1  at 5 A g -1 ). The sodium storage mechanism and origin of composites are thoroughly studied via ex situ characterization techniques and first-principles calculations. Furthermore, the constructed sodium-ion capacitor assembled with N-doped porous carbon delivers excellent energy density (135 Wh kg -1 ) and power density (11 kW kg -1 ), showing certain practical value. This work provides an advanced system of sodium storage anode materials and broadens the possibility of MXene-based materials in the energy storage., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

With the increasing demand for renewable energy and clean energy, photocatalysis is considered an economical and feasible source of energy. In this work, we select two-dimensional (2D) materials of X 2 CT 2 (X = Cr, Hf, Mo, Sc, Ti, Zr; T = Cl, F, O, OH), Mxene, and MS 2 (M = Mo, W) to form 20 systems of 2D van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures. We establish five screening steps, and the 2D Mo 2 CF 2 /WS 2 vdW heterostructures meet all the screening conditions. Mo 2 CF 2 /WS 2 is a type II semiconductor with a band gap of 1.58 eV, proper band edge position and high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency (17.15%) and power conversion efficiency (23.4%). An excellent electron-hole recombination time of 21.2 ps and electron (hole) migration time of 149 (265) fs are obtained in the 2D Mo 2 CF 2 /WS 2 vdW heterostructure. In addition, the calculation results of Gibbs free energy show that a hydrogen reduction reaction and water oxidation reaction can proceed smoothly under the driving of photogenerated holes.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the anterior segment biometrics in high myopia and control groups., Methods: Thirty-four eyes of 34 high myopia patients and 42 eyes of 42 control subjects were included. Schlemm's canal (SC) area, trabecular meshwork (TM) thickness and length, scleral spur (SS) length, and anterior scleral thickness (AST) were measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography. Associations between SC area, TM thickness, TM length, SS length, and AST were also estimated., Results: SC area, TM thickness, and SS length were significantly associated with AST0 (AST at 0 mm from SS) in both high myopia and control groups. AST0 (702.61 ± 78.05 vs. 729.12 ± 95.87 μm, p = 0.085) and SS length (206.25 ± 52.25 vs. 212.09 ± 51.86 μm, p = 0.556) were not significantly different between high myopia and control groups, whereas SC area (6,622.68 ± 1,130.06 vs. 6,105.85 ± 1,297.84 μm2, p = 0.015) was significantly greater and TM thickness (96.15 ± 34.40 vs. 107.93 ± 29.97 μm, p = 0.048) was significantly thinner in high myopia group than in control group., Conclusion: SC area and TM thickness were significantly associated with AST0, while AST0 and SS length were not significantly different between high myopia and control groups. The changes in SC and TM dimensions in high myopia eyes might be caused by factors other than AST0 and SS length., (© 2022 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Aim: This study aimed to explore the genetic risk factors and validate variants of abnormal uterine bleeding after copper intrauterine device insertion. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing was performed and several variants were validated by Sequenom MassARRAY. Results: Eight variants showed potential clinical damage according to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics criteria. By combined analysis of screening and validation, NFASC RS2802808 C>G p.Ile971Met (P allele  = 0.009 and P genotype  = 0.027) and PIGR RS2275531 C>T p.Gly365Ser (P allele  = 0.009 and P genotype  = 0.013) variants were identified as significantly associated with abnormal uterine bleeding with a false discovery rate <0.05. NFASC and PIGR may play a role in abnormal uterine bleeding by regulating coagulation fibrinolysis and endometrial epithelium inflammation functions. Conclusion: These findings provide a genetic basis for clinical individualization and precision of intrauterine device implantation.

Purpose: To investigate iris atrophy in Posner−Schlossman syndrome (PSS). Methods: Sixty-one patients with PSS were included. Using swept-source optical coherence tomography, the thickness of anterior border layer (A), middle stromal layer (M), and the posterior pigmented epithelial layer (P) of iris were measured at 500 μm, 1000 μm, 1500 μm, 2000 μm, and 2500 μm from the pupillary edge in both PSS-affected and fellow eyes. The relationships between iris thickness and corneal endothelium density, cup-to-disc (C/D) ratio, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were also estimated in PSS-affected eyes. Results: Iris thickness parameters, including M500, M1000, A1500, A2000, P2000, and P2500, were significantly thinner in PSS-affected eyes than in fellow eyes (all p < 0.05). Moreover, M500 and M1000 were significantly associated with corneal endothelium density (p = 0.047 and 0.018, respectively), and M500 was significantly associated with C/D ratio (p = 0.001) and RNFL thickness (p = 0.037) in PSS-affected eyes. Conclusions: Iris showed significant thinning and atrophy in PSS-affected eyes, and iris stromal thickness close to the pupillary edge could be a novel clinical predictor of the changes in corneal endothelium, C/D ratio, and RNFL thickness in PSS.

In the proposed network, the features were first extracted from the gonioscopically obtained anterior segment photographs using the densely-connected high-resolution network. Then the useful information is further strengthened using the hybrid attention module to improve the classification accuracy. Between October 30, 2020, and January 30, 2021, a total of 146 participants underwent glaucoma screening. One thousand seven hundred eighty original images of the ACA were obtained with the gonioscope and slit lamp microscope. After data augmentation, 4457 images are used for the training and validation of the HahrNet, and 497 images are used to evaluate our algorithm. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed HahrNet exhibits a good performance of 96.2% accuracy, 99.0% specificity, 96.4% sensitivity, and 0.996 area under the curve (AUC) in classifying the ACA test dataset. Compared with several deep learning-based classification methods and nine human readers of different levels, the HahrNet achieves better or more competitive performance in terms of accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity. Indeed, the proposed ACA classification method will provide an automatic and accurate technology for the grading of glaucoma., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement.)

Tin oxide (SnO 2 ) nanocrystals-based electron transport layer (ETL) has been widely used in perovskite solar cells due to its high charge mobility and suitable energy band alignment with perovskite, but the high surface trap density of SnO 2 nanocrystals harms the electron transfer and collection within device. Here, an effective method to achieve a low trap density and high electron mobility ETL based on SnO 2 nanocrystals by devising a difunctional additive of potassium trifluoroacetate (KTFA) is proposed. KTFA is added to the SnO 2 nanocrystals solution, in which trifluoroacetate ions could effectively passivate the oxygen vacancies (O V ) in SnO 2 nanocrystals through binding of TFA - and Sn 4+ , thus reducing the traps of SnO 2 nanocrystals to boost the electrons collection in the solar cell. Furthermore, the conduction band of SnO 2 nanocrystals is shifted up by surface modification to close to that of perovskite, which facilitates electrons transfer because of the decreased energy barrier between ETL and perovskite layer. Benefiting from the decreased trap density and energy barrier, the perovskite solar cells exhibit a power conversion efficiency of 21.73% with negligible hysteresis., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Our understanding of the fascinating connection between nervous system and gastrointestinal (GI) tumorigenesis has expanded greatly in recent years. Recent studies revealed that neurogenesis plays an active part in GI tumor initiation and progression. Tumor-driven neurogenesis, as well as neurite outgrowth of the pre-existing peripheral nervous system (PNS), may fuel GI tumor progression via facilitating cancer cell proliferation, chemoresistance, invasion and immune escape. Neurotransmitters and neuropeptides drive the activation of various oncogenic pathways downstream of neural receptors within cancer cells, underscoring the importance of neural signaling pathways in GI tumor malignancy. In addition, neural infiltration also plays an integral role in tumor microenvironments, and contributes to an environment in favor of tumor angiogenesis, immune evasion and invasion. Blockade of tumor innervation via denervation or pharmacological agents may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy against GI tumors. In this review, we summarize recent findings linking the nervous system to GI tumor progression, set the spotlight on the molecular mechanisms by which neural signaling fuels cancer aggressiveness, and highlight the importance of targeting neural mechanisms in GI tumor therapy.

Purpose: To investigate the anterior scleral thickness (AST) and its associations with Schlemm's canal (SC) area, trabecular meshwork (TM) thickness and length, and scleral spur (SS) length in healthy and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) groups., Methods: Thirty-five eyes of 35 healthy subjects and 23 eyes of 23 patients with POAG were included. The AST, SC area, TM thickness and length, and SS length were measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography. AST was measured at 0 mm (AST0), 1 mm (AST1), 2 mm (AST2), and 3 mm (AST3) from SS. Associations between AST and SC area, TM thickness and length, and SS length were also estimated., Results: AST0 (728.84 ± 99.33 vs. 657.39 ± 67.02 μm, p < 0.001), AST1 (537.79 ± 79.55 vs. 506.83 ± 57.37 μm, p = 0.038), AST3 (571.09 ± 79.15 vs. 532.13 ± 59.84 μm, p = 0.009), SC area (6304.26 ± 1238.72 vs. 4755.64 ± 1122.71 μm 2 , p < 0.001), TM thickness (107.21 ± 31.26 vs. 94.51 ± 24.18 μm, p = 0.035), TM length (736.20 ± 141.85 vs. 656.43 ± 127.03 μm, p = 0.004), and SS length (219.89 ± 50.29 vs. 174.54 ± 35.58 μm, p < 0.001) were significantly greater in healthy group than in POAG group. In addition, SC area, TM thickness, and SS length were significantly and positively associated with AST0 in the healthy group, whereas no similar associations were observed in the POAG group., Conclusions: Compared with the healthy group, AST was significantly thinner in the POAG group, which also had smaller SC and TM dimensions. Moreover, the SC area, TM thickness, and SS length were significantly and positively associated with AST in the healthy group. Thus, AST might play an important role in maintaining TM and SC morphology and further in the pathogenesis of POAG., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To investigate choroidal vascularity (CV) and choriocapillaris blood perfusion before and after accommodation in myopia, emmetropia, and hyperopia groups among children., Methods: This study included 39 myopic eyes from 22 subjects, 17 emmetropic eyes from 11 subjects, and 18 hyperopic eyes from 10 subjects. All subjects were children. Choroidal thickness (CT) and CV, including total choroidal area (TCA), luminal area (LA), and stromal area (SA) were measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Choriocapillaris luminal area (CLA) was measured using SS-OCT-angiography before and after accommodation (near reading with an additional -3 diopter lens)., Results: For baseline results, except horizontal CV (showing no significant differences between myopia and emmetropia groups), both horizontal and vertical CT and CV were significantly smaller in the myopia group than in the emmetropia or hyperopia groups. In terms of CLA, no significant differences were observed among the myopia, emmetropia, and hyperopia groups. In addition, only myopic eyes showed significant decreases in CT and CV, whereas most CT and CV of emmetropic and hyperopic eyes showed non-significant decreases after accommodation. Furthermore, accommodation induced no significant changes in CLA in the myopia, emmetropia, or hyperopia groups., Conclusion: Myopia had thinner baseline choroid and lower baseline choroidal blood perfusion. Furthermore, myopic eyes were more prone to choroidal thinning and blood perfusion decreases after accommodation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chang, Li, Lv, Yan, Liu, Zhu, Wang, Wang and Xiang.)

Aim: Intrauterine device (IUD) is a commonly used contraceptive method worldwide. Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is one of the most common side effects of Cu-IUDs. Since AUB varies among Cu-IUD users, changes in the bleeding-related genetic factors may contribute to AUB. This study aimed to determine the genetic risk factors of AUB after Cu-IUD insertion., Methods: We conducted a case-control study on women who experienced AUB after Cu-IUD insertion (case:control = 62:59). Six candidate variants were genotyped using the Sequenom MassARRAY. Genotype and allele frequencies were analyzed using SHEsisPlus. We performed Pearson's Chi-squared test to analyze categorical data, and ESEfinder to predict the impact on splicing regulation., Results: MCM8 coding sequence variants: rs3761873-A>C was in Exon 7 and rs16991617 A>G was in Exon 12 of all 19 exons, both of which were significantly different between cases and controls (p allele  = 0.039 and p genotype  = 0.092). rs6022 and rs6029 in F5 gene and rs3761873 and rs16991617 in the MCM8 gene showed strong linkage disequilibrium (R 2  > 0.8). ESEfinder indicated that the variants of MCM8 may affect the splicing regulation., Conclusions: MCM8 rs376187 and rs16991617 were associated with AUB in Cu-IUDs users. MCM8 may play a role in AUB by regulating functions of reproductive organs and primary ovarian insufficiency. Our findings may improve the understanding of the genetic basis of AUB caused by Cu-IUDs., (© 2021 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Background: Lung cancer is one of most common cancers worldwide, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 20%, which is mainly due to late-stage diagnosis. Noninvasive methods using 5-hydroxymethylation of cytosine (5hmC) modifications and fragmentation profiles from 5hmC cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sequencing provide an opportunity for lung cancer detection and management., Results: A total of 157 lung cancer patients were recruited to generate the largest lung cancer cfDNA 5hmC dataset, which mainly consisted of 62 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), 48 lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and 25 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients, with most patients (131, 83.44%) at advanced tumor stages. A 37-feature 5hmC model was constructed and validated to distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy controls, with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.8938 and 0.8476 (sensitivity = 87.50% and 72.73%, specificity = 83.87% and 80.60%) in two distinct validation sets. Furthermore, fragment profiles of cfDNA 5hmC datasets were first explored to develop a 48-feature fragmentation model with good performance (AUC = 0.9257 and 0.822, sensitivity = 87.50% and 78.79%, specificity = 80.65% and 76.12%) in the two validation sets. Another diagnostic model integrating 5hmC signals and fragment profiles improved AUC to 0.9432 and 0.8639 (sensitivity = 87.50% and 83.33%, specificity = 90.30% and 77.61%) in the two validation sets, better than models based on either of them alone and performing well in different stages and lung cancer subtypes. Several 5hmC markers were found to be associated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) based on gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)., Conclusions: Both the 5hmC signal and fragmentation profiles in 5hmC cfDNA data are sensitive and effective in lung cancer detection and could be incorporated into the diagnostic model to achieve good performance, promoting research focused on clinical diagnostic models based on cfDNA 5hmC data., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemm's canal (SC) morphology in Posner-Schlossman syndrome (PSS)., Methods: Forty-five patients with PSS were recruited. TM thickness and length as well as SC area and diameter of both affected and fellow eyes were assessed using swept-source optical coherence tomography., Results: TM thickness (108.24 ± 28.29 µm vs. 89.36 ± 25.82 µm, P = 0.014), SC area (6010.90 ± 1287.54 µm2 vs. 5445.69 ± 1368.89 µm2, P = 0.003), and SC diameter (239.38 ± 60.17 µm vs. 217.76 ± 60.79 µm, P = 0.010) were significantly greater in the affected eyes. Furthermore, TM thickness (113.32 ± 30.03 µm vs. 89.00 ± 26.99 µm, P = 0.046), SC area (6216.32 ± 1267.87 µm2 vs. 5476.40 ± 1390.15 µm2, P = 0.001), and SC diameter (246.82 ± 64.12 vs. 212.53 ± 64.29 µm, P = 0.001) were significantly greater in the affected eyes than in the fellow eyes in the ocular hypertension (OHT) subgroup (affected eye with intraocular pressure [IOP] > 21 mm Hg). However, those differences were not noted in the ocular normal tension (ONT) subgroup (affected eye with IOP ≤ 21 mm Hg, all P > 0.05)., Conclusions: TM edema might play a role in the IOP elevation in PSS. The edematous TM could make controlling IOP of the affected eyes difficult. When TM edema is relieved, IOP of the affected eyes can reduce to normal spontaneously or with IOP-lowing medications.

Objective: To explore the influence of shortening preoperative fasting on the comfort and gastrointestinal function of patients undergoing elective laparoscopic surgery., Methods: a total of 179 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC) in our hospital from March, 2019 to August, 2020 were recruited as the study cohort and placed into the research group (n=97) or the control group (n=82) according to different fasting periods assigned to each patient. In the control group, the patients were subjected to 12-h fasting and 6-h water deprivation before their surgeries, and the patients in the research group were subjected to 6-h fasting and 2-h water deprivation. The preoperative hunger and thirst, comfort, anxiety, and intraoperative aspiration, as well as the postoperative hospital stay durations, the blood glucose levels, the nausea and vomiting, the pain levels, and the times to the recovery of gastrointestinal function were compared between the two groups., Results: The research group had shorter hospital stay durations and decreased blood glucose levels. No intraoperative aspiration occurred in either group, and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in the research group was lower than it was in control group. The patients in the research group were less hungry and thirsty and were more comfortable in the preoperative period, and their preoperative self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) scores were lower than the corresponding scores in the control group. The times to first oral feeding, ambulation, anal flatus, defecation, and bowel sounds in the research group were earlier than they were in the control group., Conclusion: Shortening preoperative fasting improves the comfort levels of patients undergoing elective LC, alleviates thirst and hunger, promotes the recovery of gastrointestinal function, and relieves preoperative anxiety, postoperative pain, and adverse reactions., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)

Objective: To investigate changes in the level of protein in serum and uncover the underlying pathogenesis of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) associated with copper intrauterine devices (Cu IUD)., Methods: Protein profiles were investigated via tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics technology. Quantification and characterization of candidate proteins were further performed in 33 controls and 45 cases by Luminex assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: In total, 842 proteins were identified via TMT coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in the serum of individuals with IUDs. Among them, 25 differentially expressed proteins (p < 0.05) were observed, including eight upregulated proteins and 17 downregulated proteins. Ten proteins were verified, and Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (a1AT) had a significantly elevated expression in women with AUB associated with the Cu IUD compared with healthy controls (p = 0.026) and a high area under the curve value (0.656), as well as sensitivity (64.9%) and specificity (71.9%)., Conclusion: This is the first study to explore changes in serum protein and the underlying mechanisms of AUB associated with the Cu IUD via TMT technology. a1AT with biomarker potential was validated. These findings might provide an experimental basis for the early diagnosis or treatment of AUB associated with the Cu IUD., (© 2020 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Background: To investigate the microbiologic spectrum of dacryocystitis in adult and pediatric groups, specifically the microbiologic differences between chronic dacryocystitis with nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) and acute dacryocystitis in pediatric group., Methods: This retrospective study was reviewed for demographic and microbiologic profile of dacryocystitis. The culture results were reported., Results: Sixty-four adults and one hundred and five pediatrics with dacryocystitis were included in this study. Of all adults, only chronic dacryocystitis with NLDO was observed. Of all pediatric patients, 89 had chronic dacryocystitis with NLDO and 16 had acute dacryocystitis. Gram positive and negative isolates were numerically equal in adult group (both 36(48.65%)), while gram positive isolates were the major organism in pediatric group (71(58.68%)). Streptococcus pneumonia was the most common isolate in both adult (11(14.86%)) and pediatric (30(24.79%)) dacryocystitis. For both pediatric subgroups, gram positive isolates were the major organism (59(57.84%) for chronic dacryocystitis with NLDO and 12 (63.16%) for acute dacryocystitis). However, the leading isolates in those two subgroups were distinct, with Streptococcus pneumonia (29(28.43%)) being most common in chronic dacryocystitis with NLDO and Staphylococcus aureus (8(42.11%)) being most common in acute dacryocystitis., Conclusions: In adult group, gram negative isolates were more common in dacryocystitis than before. In pediatric group, gram positive isolates were still the major infection pathogen. Moreover, the more virulent organisms were more common in acute dacryocystitis than chronic dacryocystitis with NLDO.

Purpose: A previous study reported that vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) can regulate the cytoskeleton of Schlemm's canal (SC) endothelium and expand the SC lumen in a rat glaucoma model. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of VIP on cytoskeleton regulation., Methods: During in vivo experiments in rats, leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) expression and the ratio of F-actin to G-actin (F-/G-actin) surrounding SC were examined by immunofluorescence after the application of VIP. For in vitro experiments in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, both quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blotting were performed to evaluate Sp1 and LRRK2 expression after the application of VIP (and Sp1/LRRK2 inhibitor). In addition, the F-/G-actin ratio was examined by both immunofluorescence and western blotting after the application of VIP (and LRRK2 inhibitor)., Results: VIP induced increases in the expression of LRRK2 both in vivo and in vitro and the nuclear translocation of Sp1 in vitro. The application of Sp1 inhibitor abolished the increase in LRRK2 expression induced by VIP in vitro. In addition, VIP changed the F-/G-actin ratio, and this effect was abolished by the LRRK2 inhibitor both in vivo and in vitro., Conclusions: VIP increased the expression of LRRK2, and this regulation was due to the nuclear translocation of Sp1. VIP further changed the F-/G-actin ratio and regulated the balance between the stabilization and destabilization of the F-actin architecture. This study elucidates a novel mechanism by which VIP regulates the actin cytoskeleton of SC endothelium via the Sp1-LRRK2 pathway, suggesting a potential novel treatment strategy for glaucoma.

Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic capability of scleral spur length in discriminating eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) from healthy eyes., Methods: Seventy-eight eyes of 78 patients with POAG and 93 eyes of 93 age-, sex- and axial length-matched healthy subjects were included. The scleral spur length was measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were derived based on the measurements., Results: The scleral spur length was significantly shorter in POAG eyes compared with healthy eyes (Method I, 164.91 ± 23.36 vs. 197.60 ± 25.32 μm; Method II, 145.15 ± 16.59 vs. 166.95 ± 19.31 μm; Method III, 162.33 ± 22.83 vs. 185.12 ± 23.58 μm, respectively; all p < 0.001). The areas under ROC curves were 0.841 (Method I), 0.810 (Method II), and 0.753 (Method III) for the scleral spur length. Moreover, Schlemm's canal area was significantly associated with the scleral spur length (Method I) in both POAG (β = 0.027; p < 0.001) and healthy (β = 0.016; p = 0.009) groups., Conclusions: The scleral spur length had a good discriminating capability between POAG and healthy eyes, and it could be a novel biomarker for POAG evaluation clinically.

Purpose: To investigate the microstructure of the lacrimal canaliculus and the characteristics of lacrimal canalicular diseases by 80-MHz ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM)., Methods: This study included 33 participants: 20 normal subjects (40 eyes), 2 patients with chronic lacrimal canaliculitis (4 eyes), 10 patients with chronic dacryocystitis (16 eyes), and 1 patient with lacrimal punctum atresia (2 eyes). All participants underwent 80-MHz UBM; disease-specific features were noted., Results: On 80-MHz UBM of the lacrimal canaliculi (vertical section) in normal subjects, low echo of the lacrimal canalicular lumen and high echo of the lacrimal canalicular wall were observed. The uniform low echo near the wall was the mucosal epithelium. The outermost layer of medium-to-high echo was the subepithelial elastic fibrous layer. In the horizontal section, the lumen was continuous. Two linear high echoes parallel to the canalicular wall could be observed at the center of the lacrimal canaliculus, which were sometimes attached and sometimes separated. When separated, the center of the lacrimal canaliculus was a low echo area (lumen). Lacrimal canaliculitis (vertical section) showed obvious ectasia of the lacrimal canalicular lumen, with a high echo mass shadow, which might have been calculi, and uneven thickness of the mucosal epithelium with a slightly high echo shadow. In the horizontal section, the lumen varied in size with clear boundaries of medium and high echoes. The central linear high echoes of the lumen were absent, and the echoes of the mucosal epithelium were discontinuous. In chronic dacryocystitis, the lacrimal canalicular lumen was extensively enlarged, with continuous echoes and uniform thickness of the mucosal epithelium and homogeneous patches of slightly higher echoes. Lacrimal punctum atresia indicated that the lacrimal canaliculus existed in both eyes and its structure was normal., Conclusions: The 80-MHz UBM is a new non-invasive technique that can be used for clear visualization of the fine structure of the lacrimal canaliculus, including the mucosal epithelium and subepithelial elastic fiber layer. The use of this approach will improve understanding of the hierarchical structure of the lacrimal canaliculi and provide a comprehensive basis for diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment plan in patients with lacrimal passage diseases.

Two-dimensional (2D) metallic transition metal dichalcogenides (MTMDCs) have attracted tremendous interest due to their intriguing physical properties and broad application potential. However, batch production of high-quality 2D MTMDCs based on existing synthesis on 2D surfaces remains a huge challenge. Herein, a universal synthetic route for the scalable synthesis of high-quality 2D MTMDC (e.g., TaS 2 , V 5 S 8 , and NbS 2 ) nanosheets using microcrystalline NaCl crystals as templates via a facile chemical vapor deposition method is reported. Obviously, this synthetic route is perfectly compatible with a facile water dissolution-filtration process for obtaining high-purity MTMDC nanosheet powders. Representatively, a thickness-uniform 1T-TaS 2 nanosheet product can be achieved that shows unexceptionable dispersibility in ethanol, which allows its assembly onto arbitrary substrates/electrodes for high-performance energy-related applications, herein serving as a high-performance electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction. This work sheds light on the batch production, green transfer, and energy-related application of 2D MTMDC materials.

To describe a rare case of an unusual visual threatening complication of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). A 21-year-old male visited the hospital complaining of 1-week painless binocular acute visual loss without any other symptoms. The patient was diagnosed with CML. He then received emergent leukapheresis with imatinib treatment, which achieved obvious hematological remission. However, the visual acuity did not recover along with the CML remission and ocular structure relief. CML-related leukostasis could induce severe leukostasis retinopathy. Hematologists and ophthalmologists should pay more attention to this relatively rare and severe complication of CML., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest

Aim: To observe post-exercise changes in the lens and Schlemm's canal (SC) in healthy individuals using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT)., Methods: Thirty-five healthy, young individuals were recruited and performed aerobic exercise by jogging for 20 minutes. The SC area, SC perimeter, trabecular meshwork (TM) length, TM thickness, lens vault (LV), and lens thickness (LT) were assessed by SS-OCT before and after exercise., Results: Following aerobic exercise, SC area (4260.85 ± 1476.02 vs. 5158.24 ± 1527.42 μm 2 , p < 0.001), SC perimeter (349.21 ± 62.22 vs. 391.24 ± 71.77 μm, p < 0.001), TM length (781.16 ± 114.83 vs. 816.46 ± 121.26 μm, p < 0.001), and TM thickness (111.52 ± 19.30 vs. 116.96 ± 17.57 μm, p = 0.004) increased significantly, while LV (-0.134 ± 0.198 vs. -0.195 ± 0.198 mm, p < 0.001) decreased significantly and LT showed no significant post-exercise changes (3.86 ± 0.32 vs. 3.85 ± 0.32 mm, p = 0.801). Moreover, post-exercise changes in SC area were significantly associated with post-exercise changes in LV (β = -6487.83; p = 0.040)., Conclusions: Aerobic exercise induces both backward axial displacement of the lens and SC expansion. This backward axial displacement of the lens could be an important causative factor of the post-exercise SC expansion via the lens-zonular-ciliotrabecular vector and the connecting fibrils between ciliary body and SC.

Purpose: To observe the recovery process of postexercise Schlemm's canal (SC) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy individuals., Methods: Twenty healthy individuals were recruited. SC and IOP were evaluated before exercise, immediately after exercise, and 15, 30, and 60 minutes after exercise. Superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal SC quadrants were evaluated using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT)., Results: Average SC area (3726.81 ± 1167.06 vs. 4660.57 ± 1284.82  µ m 2 ) and perimeter (324.11 ± 58.95 vs. 367.19 ± 73.34 µ m) increased, and IOP (14.02 ± 2.33 vs. 11.65 ± 1.90 mmHg) decreased significantly during exercise (all p < 0.001). After exercise, both SC and IOP recovered to preexercise values, and the recovery time for postexercise SC dimensions (15 minutes) was shorter than that for postexercise IOP (60 minutes). After adjusting for age, gender, axial length, central corneal thickness, and spherical equivalent, postexercise changes in SC dimensions were not significantly associated with postexercise changes in IOP compared with preexercise values (all p > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the observable SC proportion before and after exercise (all p > 0.05)., Conclusions: The exercise-induced SC expansion and IOP reduction could recover to preexercise values after exercise, and SC recovered to preexercise values ahead of IOP. Moreover, SC might be regulated by the sympathetic nerves and could be an important causative factor of changes in IOP during and after exercise.

The major restraint for the commercialization of the high-performance hybrid metal halide perovskite solar cells is the long-term stability, especially at the infirm interface between the perovskite film and organic charge-transfer layer. Recently, engineering the interface between the perovskite and spiro-OMeTAD becomes an effective strategy to simultaneously improve the efficiency and stability in the perovskite solar cells. In this work, we demonstrated that introducing an interfacial polystyrene layer between the perovskite film and spiro-OMeTAD layer can effectively improve the perovskite solar cells photovoltaic performance. The inserted polystyrene layer can passivate the interface traps and defects effectively and decrease the nonradiative recombination, leading to enhanced photoluminescence intensity and carrier lifetime, without compromising the carrier extraction and transfer. Under the optimized condition, the perovskite solar cells with the polystyrene layer achieve an enhanced average power efficiency of about 19.61% (20.46% of the best efficiency) from about 17.63% with negligible current density-voltage hysteresis. Moreover, the optimized perovskite solar cells with the hydrophobic polystyrene layer can maintain about 85% initial efficiency after 2 months storage in open air conditions without encapsulation.

Purpose: To investigate the roles of vasoactive intestinal peptides (VIPs) in regulating the morphology and F-actin distribution of Schlemm's canal (SC) of rat eyes., Methods: Chronic intraocular pressure (IOP) hypertension models with episcleral venous cauterization (EVC) were treated with topical VIP or PG99-465 (vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors 2 [VPAC2] antagonist). IOPs were measured with Tono-Pen, and the SC parameters, including the cross-section area, circumference, and length, were statistically evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin and CD31 immunohistochemical staining. Immunofluorescence was performed to detect the distribution of F-actin in the SC. Moreover, the distribution of filamentous actin (F-actin) and globular actin (G-actin) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was studied under a pressure system by immunofluorescence and Western blotting., Results: Increased expressions of VIP and VPAC2 receptors, as well as a disordered distribution of F-actin were found in SC endothelial cells (SCEs) in the EVC model. Moreover, topical VIP maintained the normal distribution of F-actin in SCEs, expanded the collapsed SC, and induced a significant decrease in IOP in the EVC model. In in vitro HUVECs, the F-actin/G-actin ratio increased significantly under stress stimulation for 30 minutes. A total of 50 μM VIP helped maintain the normal F-actin/G-actin ratio of HUVECs against stress stimulation., Conclusions: VIP regulates the distribution of F-actin in SCEs via the VPAC2 receptor in order to induce a decrease in IOP. VIP may represent a new target for antiglaucoma drugs.

In recent years, the rapid development of portable and wearable electronic products has promoted the prosperity of fiber supercapacitors (FSCs), which serve as flexible and lightweight energy supply devices. However, research on FSCs is still in its infancy and the energy density of FSCs is far below the level of lithium-ion batteries. Here, we report a facile method to prepare a novel fibrous CNT-aerogel by electrochemical activation and freeze-drying. The fibrous CNT-aerogel electrode possesses a large specific surface area, high mechanical strength, excellent electrical conductivity, as well as a high specific capacitance of 160.8 F g-1 at 0.5 mA and long cycling stability. Then we assembled a non-faradaic FSC based on a fibrous CNT-aerogel as the electrode and a P(VDF-HFP)/EMIMBF4 ionogel as the electrolyte. The introduction of the ionogel electrolyte increases the operating voltage of the FSC to 3 V, and makes the device combine the intrinsic high power density (27.3 kW kg-1) of non-faradaic SCs with an ultrahigh energy density of 29.6 W h kg-1. More importantly, the assembled FSCs show excellent flexibility and bending-stability, and can still operate normally within a wide working temperature window (0-80 °C). The outstanding electrochemical performance and the mechanical/thermal stability indicate that the assembled FSC device is a promising power source for flexible electronics.

2D metallic TaS 2 is acting as an ideal platform for exploring fundamental physical issues (superconductivity, charge-density wave, etc.) and for engineering novel applications in energy-related fields. The batch synthesis of high-quality TaS 2 nanosheets with a specific phase is crucial for such issues. Herein, the successful synthesis of novel vertically oriented 1T-TaS 2 nanosheets on nanoporous gold substrates is reported, via a facile chemical vapor deposition route. By virtue of the abundant edge sites and excellent electrical transport property, such vertical 1T-TaS 2 is employed as high-efficiency electrocatalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction, featured with rather low Tafel slopes ≈67-82 mV dec -1 and an ultrahigh exchange current density ≈67.61 µA cm -2 . The influence of phase states of 1T- and 2H-TaS 2 on the catalytic activity is also discussed with the combination of density functional theory calculations. This work hereby provides fundamental insights into the controllable syntheses and electrocatalytic applications of vertical 1T-TaS 2 nanosheets achieved through the substrate engineering., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Purpose: To measure changes in anterior chamber structure before and after exercise in healthy individuals using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT)., Methods: Thirty-two healthy young individuals performed jogging for 20 min. Eye blinking rate was recorded during rest and exercise. The anterior chamber angle (ACA), angle opening distance at 500 μm from the scleral spur (AOD500), trabecular-iris space area at 500 μm from the scleral spur (TISA500), iris concavity (IC), iris concavity ratio (CR), iris thickness at 750 μm from the scleral spur (IT750), anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber width (ACW), pupil diameter (PD), intraocular pressure (IOP), blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded before and after exercise. Anterior chamber angle (ACA), AOD500, TISA500, IC, IT750, ACD, ACW and PD were measured with ASOCT., Results: Compared with rest, the blinking rate during exercise did not change significantly (13.04 ± 5.80 versus 13.52 ± 5.87 blinks/min, p = 0.645). The average IOP (15.4 ± 2.4 versus 12.4 ± 2.1 mmHg), ACA (35.96 ± 11.35 versus 40.25 ± 12.64 degrees), AOD500 (0.800 ± 0.348 versus 0.942 ± 0.387 mm), TISA500 (0.308 ± 0.155 versus 0.374 ± 0.193 mm 2 ), IC (-0.078 ± 0.148 versus -0.153 ± 0.159 mm) and CR (-0.027 ± 0.050 versus -0.054 ± 0.056) changed significantly (all p < 0.001), while the average IT750 (0.463 ± 0.084 versus 0.465 ± 0.086 mm; p = 0.492), ACD (3.171 ± 0.229 versus 3.175 ± 0.238 mm; p = 0.543) and ACW (11.768 ± 0.377 versus 11.755 ± 0.378 mm; p = 0.122) showed no significant change after exercise., Conclusion: The blinking rate did not change significantly during exercise, while ACA, AOD500 and TISA500 increased after exercise. Exercise also induced or increased IC. These changes in anterior chamber structure were only associated with exercise, but not with the postexercise change in PD or IOP., (© 2017 The Authors. Acta Ophthalmologica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation.)

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies report an association between POAG and nonvisual pathway alterations. Locus coeruleus (LC) is a major source of norepinephrine released in the brain, and norepinephrine can reduce intraocular pressure via increasing aqueous outflow. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between glaucoma and the LC in patients with POAG and animal models. Resting-state functional MRI was performed using a 3-Tesla MR scanner with an eight-channel phased-array head coil, and MRI data were analyzed. A rat model of chronic glaucoma was generated by episcleral vein ligation and cauterization. DBA/2J mice that develop glaucoma with age were also acquired. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining were used to investigate LC tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine β-hydroxylase (DβH) expression, as well as cell apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP Nick-End Labeling staining. Patients with POAG showed significantly increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in the LC compared with controls. LC ALFF values showed significant correlations with cup-to-disk ratio, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, and visual function (P < 0.05). Functional connectivity (FC) between the LC and frontal and insular lobes was reduced, but elevated between the LC and parahippocampal gyrus, compared with controls. Glaucoma animal models revealed reduced expression of TH and DβH in the LC, and increased cell apoptosis. In this study, we provide novel evidence for the relationship between the LC and glaucoma. The LC may act as a network in POAG pathogenesis and intraocular pressure regulation., (Copyright © 2018 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells have attracted widespread attention, owing to their high performance, and have undergone rapid development. In perovskite solar cells, the charge transfer layer plays an important role for separating and transferring photogenerated carriers. In this work, an efficient YCl 3 -treated TiO 2 electron transfer layer (ETL) is used to fabricate perovskite solar cells with enhanced photovoltaic performance and less hysteresis. The YCl 3 -treated TiO 2 layers bring about an upward shift of the conduction band minimum (E CBM ), which results in a better energy level alignment for photogenerated electron transfer and extraction from the perovskite into the TiO 2 layer. After optimization, perovskite solar cells based on the YCl 3 -treated TiO 2 layers achieve a maximum power conversion efficiency of about 19.99 % (19.29 % at forward scan) and a steady-state power output of about 19.6 %. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements and impedance spectroscopy are carried out to investigate the charge transfer and recombination dynamics between the perovskite and the TiO 2 electron transfer layer interface. The improved perovskite/TiO 2 ETL interface with YCl 3 treatment is found to separate and extract photogenerated charge rapidly and suppress recombination effectively, which leads to the improved performance., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Haptic memory, from the interaction of skin and brain, can not only perceive external stimuli but also memorize it after removing the external stimuli. For the mimicry of human sensory memory, a self-powered artificial tactile memorizing system was developed by coupling bionic electronic skin and nonvolatile resistive random access memory (RRAM). The tribotronic nanogenerator is utilized as electronic skin to transform the touching signal into electric pulse, which will be programmed into the artificial brain: RRAM. Because of the advanced structural designs and accurate parameter matching, including the output voltages and the resistances in different resistive states, the artificial brain can be operated in self-powered mode to memorize the touch stimuli with the responsivity up to 20 times. For demonstrating the application potential of this system, it was fabricated as an independently addressed matrix to realize the memorizing of motion trace in two-dimensional space. The newly designed self-powered nonvolatile system has broad applications in next-generation high-performance sensors, artificial intelligence, and bionics.

Observed Atlantic major hurricane frequency has exhibited pronounced multidecadal variability since the 1940s. However, the cause of this variability is debated. Using observations and a coupled earth system model (GFDL-ESM2G), here we show that the decline of the Atlantic major hurricane frequency during 2005-2015 is associated with a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) inferred from ocean observations. Directly observed North Atlantic sulfate aerosol optical depth has not increased (but shows a modest decline) over this period, suggesting the decline of the Atlantic major hurricane frequency during 2005-2015 is not likely due to recent changes in anthropogenic sulfate aerosols. Instead, we find coherent multidecadal variations involving the inferred AMOC and Atlantic major hurricane frequency, along with indices of Atlantic Multidecadal Variability and inverted vertical wind shear. Our results provide evidence for an important role of the AMOC in the recent decline of Atlantic major hurricane frequency.

Purpose: To assess 24-hour fluctuations in Schlemm's canal (SC) parameters (cross-sectional area, perimeter) and intraocular pressure (IOP) and the relationship between these fluctuations in healthy individuals., Methods: SC and IOP were examined in 29 participants at 2:30, 5:30, 11:30, 17:30, and 23:30 within one day. The superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal SC quadrants were evaluated using 80-MHz ultrasound biomicroscopy., Results: SC parameters and IOP fluctuated significantly within 24 hours (all P < 0.05). After age, gender, axial length, and central corneal thickness were adjusted, compared with the baseline (23:30) value, the change in SC cross-sectional area was negatively associated with the change in IOP at 2:30, 5:30, 11:30, and 17:30 (β = -0.072[-0.094, -0.049], -0.070[-0.102, -0.038], -0.046[-0.079, -0.013], and -0.033[-0.062, -0.004], respectively; P < 0.001, < 0.001, = 0.009, and = 0.028, respectively). The nasal (175.6 ± 36.0 pixels) and inferior (174.8 ± 36.0 pixels) SC cross-sectional areas were significantly larger than the superior area (156.2 ± 27.1 pixels) (P = 0.018 and 0.048, respectively) at 23:30. The observable SC proportion did not change among the quadrants or measurement time points (all P > 0.05)., Conclusions: SC cross-sectional area fluctuated throughout the day and was negatively associated with changes in IOP.

Designing and optimizing the electrode materials and studying the electrochemical performance or cycle life of the supercapacitor under different working conditions are crucial to its practical application. Herein, we proposed a rational design of 3D-graphene/CoMoO 4 nanoplates by a facile two-step hydrothermal method. Owing to the high electron transfer rate of graphene and the high activity of the CoMoO 4 nanoplates, the three-dimensional electrode architectures achieved remarkable electrochemical performances with high areal specific capacitance (1255.24F/g at 1A/g) and superior cycling stability (91.3% of the original specific capacitance after 3000 cycles at 1A/g). The all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor composed of 3D-graphene/CoMoO 4 and activated carbon (AC) exhibited a specific capacitance of 109F/g at 0.2A/g and an excellent cycling stability with only 12.1% of the initial specific capacitance off after 3000 cycles at 2A/g. The effects of temperature and charge-discharge current densities on the charge storage capacity of the supercapacitor were also investigated in detail for practical applications., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The low-cost inorganic-organic lead halide perovskite materials become particularly promising for solar cells with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency. The uniform and pinhole-free perovskite films play an important role for high-performance solar cells. We demonstrate an antisolvent treatment by controlling the PbI 2 morphology to enhance the perovskite conversion and photophysical properties, including high absorption, crystallinity, and rapid carrier transfer. The fabricated perovskite solar cells show tremendous PCE improvement to about 16.1% from 12% with less hysteresis, and retain over 90% initial PCE after 30 days in ambient and dark atmosphere. In prospect, this antisolvent treatment will be a feasible route to prepare high-quality perovskite films including favorite photophysical properties.

A recyclable and green triboelectronic nanogenerator (TENG) is developed based on triboelectrification and designed cascade reactions. Once triggered by water, the TENG can fully dissolve and degrade into environmentally benign end products. With features of rapid dissolution, reproductivity, and green electronic, the TENG has potential of serving as clearable energy harvester and nanosensor for health monitoring and motion sensing., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Doping semiconductor nanowires (NWs) for altering their electrical and optical properties is a critical strategy for tailoring the performance of nanodevices. Here, we prepared in situ Al-doped ZnO nanowire arrays by using continuous flow injection (CFI) hydrothermal method to promote the conductivity. This reasonable method offers highly stable precursor concentration for doping that effectively avoid the appearance of the low conductivity ZnO nanosheets. Benefit from this, three orders of magnitude rise of the carrier concentration from 10 16 cm -3 to 10 19 cm -3 can be achieved compared with the common hydrothermal (CH) mothed in Mott-Schottky measurement. Possible effect of Al-doping was discussed by first-principle theory. On this basis, Al-doped ZnO nanowire arrays was developed as a binder-free conductive support for supercapacitor electrodes and high capacitance was triggered. It is owing to the dramatically decreased transfer resistance induced by the growing free-moving electrons and holes. Our results have a profound significance not merely in the controlled synthesis of other doping nanomaterials by co-precipitation method but also in the application of binder-free energy materials or other materials., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We aimed to assess the changes in IOP, Schlemm's canal (SC), and the trabecular meshwork (TM) in healthy individuals after exercise., Methods: The area and perimeter of SC, TM thickness, IOP, pupil diameter, blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and plasma catecholamine concentrations were measured in 29 young healthy individuals before and after exercise by jogging for 20 minutes. The TM and SC in the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal regions were evaluated by 80-MHz ultrasound biomicroscopy., Results: In comparison with the baseline values, the post-exercise values of IOP had significantly reduced, and those of the pupil diameter, systolic and diastolic BP, and plasma catecholamine concentrations had significantly increased (all, P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the proportions of eyes with observable SC before (81.9%) and after (90.5%; X = 3.652; P = 0.057) exercise. In comparison with the baseline values, the mean values of area (132.83 ± 19.67 vs. 155.33 ± 21.46 pixels; P < 0.001) and perimeter (54.94 ± 4.95 vs. 60.23 ± 4.19 pixels; P < 0.001) of SC and TM thickness (10.30 ± 1.28 vs. 11.48 ± 1.07 pixels; P < 0.001) after exercise were increased. The increase in area (r = 0.019, P = 0.923) and perimeter (r = -0.109, P = 0.573) of SC and TM thickness (r = -0.088, P = 0.651) were not significantly correlated with the decrease in IOP., Conclusions: Aerobic exercise could cause sympathetic nerve stimulation, consequently causing the expansion of the TM and SC, which, in turn, leads to IOP reduction. Furthermore, SC and the TM might have an autonomic regulation function, and their expansion and collapse might not be completely dependent on the IOP.

One-dimensional zinc oxide nanorods array exhibit excellent electron mobility and thus hold great potential as photoanode for photoelelctrochemical water splitting. However, the poor absorption of visible light and the prominent surface recombination hider the performance improvement. In this work, Au nanoparticles and aluminium oxide were deposited onto the surface of ZnO nanorods to improve the PEC performance. The localized surface plasmon resonance of Au NPs could expand the absorption spectrum to visible region. Simultaneously, the surface of passivation with Au NPs and Al2O3 largely suppressed the photogenerated electron-hole recombination. As a result, the optimal solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of ZnO/Au/Al2O3 with 5 cycles was 6.7 times that of pristine ZnO, ascribed to the synergistic effect of SPR and surface passivation. This research reveals that the synergistic effect could be used as an important method to design efficient photoanodes for photoelectrochemical devices.

The design and optimization of supercapacitors electrodes nanostructures are critically important since the properties of supercapacitors can be dramatically enhanced by tunable ion transport channels. Herein, we demonstrate high-performance supercapacitor electrodes materials based on α-Fe2O3 by rationally designing the electrode microstructure. The large solid-liquid reaction interfaces induced by hollow nanoshuttle-like structures not only provide more active sites for faradic reactions but also facilitate the diffusion of the electrolyte into electrodes. These result in the optimized electrodes with high capacitance of 249 F g(-1) at a discharging current density of 0.5 A g(-1) as well as good cycle stability. In addition, the relationship between charge storage and the operating temperature has been researched. The specific capacitance has no significant change when the working temperature increased from 20 °C to 60 °C (e.g. 203 F g(-1) and 234 F g(-1) at 20 °C and 60 °C, respectively), manifesting the electrodes can work stably in a wide temperature range. These findings here elucidate the α-Fe2O3 hollow nanoshuttles can be applied as a promising supercapacitor electrode material for the efficient energy storage at various potential temperatures., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)