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ABSTRACTPurposeTo compare the long-term outcomes of mucosal-sparing mechanical endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (MMED) for primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) with or without silicone intubation.MethodsAn 11-year follow-up study of the Silicone intubation in Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy (SEND) randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted at a university-affiliated dacryology clinic from December 2019 to March 2023. Questionnaires on symptoms, anterior segment examination, endoscopic examination with functional endoscopic dye test (FEDT) and FICI grading, and ostial size measurements using Image Jsoftware were performed by a masked ophthalmologist. The primary outcome was surgical success, defined by Munk’s score ≤1 and a positive fluorescein endoscopic dye test. Secondary outcomes included risk factors for failure and outcomes of revision surgeries.ResultsFifty-three of the original 118 patients were evaluated at 155 ± 21 (136–218) months postoperatively. Seventy-seven percent (46/60) ostia remained successful, including 70% (19/27) of unstented and 82% (27/33) of stented ostia (p = .3). Stented ostia had larger size (p = .003), but this did not confer higher success (p = .14). Successful ostia had higher FICI scores and better ostial dynamicity (p < .05). Ostium movement was the only parameter associated with surgical success on multivariate analysis (OR 13.1, p = .01). Four (1 stented) underwent revision MMED, intraoperative mitomycin-C, and 12-week intubation. All revision ostia were functional after 141 ± 43 months.ConclusionsSurgical success of MMED after 11-years was 77%, a notable reduction compared to 96% success at 1-year. Statistical advantage of silicone intubation for primary MMED was not demonstrated, though clinically, stented ostia had a higher success (82% vs 70%). The presence of a dynamic internal common opening was highly associated with long-term surgical success.

Similar to other additive manufacturing processes, material extrusion is a thermal energy driven process, and the quality of the bonding, stability of the structure, deformation of the part during deposition as well as after detachment, and also in addition, microstructure of the part relies on the heat supplied by the nozzle. Short fiber addition is a recent technique to enhance the heat transfer process for better quality parts. This paper focuses on the review of the thermal characterization and thermophysical property measurements of the additively manufactured parts, and furthermore, it covers the thermal simulation techniques applied in the area. In addition, the paper discusses the thermal anisotropy of the composite materials inherent to the manufacturing technique itself. Future directions and challenges related to the current materials and technology are also illustrated and discussed in detail.

Objective To correlate and evaluate the power and limitations of CT-DCG in determining the level and type of lacrimal duct obstruction in comparison to dacryoendoscopy in patients clinically suspected to be having partial or complete primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO).Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on 1232 lacrimal drainage systems of 957 patients who suffered from primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital. Patients were examined with CT-DCG and correlated with dacryoendoscopy and the findings of clinical examination.Results Of the studied patients, 173 were men and 784 were women with an age range of 18–93 years. Of the 1232 lacrimal pathways, good CT-DCG images could be obtained in 980 cases and dacryoendoscopy in 957 cases. Of these complete obstructions were noted in 81% (794/980), and partial obstructions were identified in 19% (186/980) with CT-DCG. CT-DCG and dacryoendoscopy showed 68.4% agreement for the type of the obstruction and 63% for the level of the obstruction. The majority of the obstructions occurred at the sac-duct junction (62.5%) followed by the upper half of the nasolacrimal duct (27.5%). There was a significant difference in the correlation of the obstruction type with age group and with the duration of symptoms. As the duration of symptoms increased, the proportion of complete lacrimal duct obstructions as shown on CT-DCG images increased and the proportion of incomplete obstruction decreased (p= 0.015).Conclusions The junction of lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct was the most common obstruction site. Age and the duration of symptoms influenced the type of obstruction noted. The degree and level of agreement between the investigations was moderate. A combination of CT-DCG and Dacryoendoscopy could together identify the location more accurately.

Extensive efforts have been made to improve the understanding of hard tissue regeneration, essential for advancing medical applications like bone graft materials. However, the mechanisms of bone biomineralization, particularly the regulation of hydroxyapatite growth by proteins/peptides, remain debated. Small biomolecules such as amino acids are ideal for studying these mechanisms due to their simplicity and relevance as protein/peptide building blocks. This study investigates the binding affinity of four amino acids including glycine (Gly), proline (Pro), lysine (Lys), and aspartic acid (Asp) to the hydroxyapatite (HAP) (100) surface through molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings reveal that aspartic acid exhibits the most energetically favorable binding affinity, attributed to its additional carboxylate group (−COO–), which facilitates stronger interactions with Ca2+ions on the HAP surface compared to other amino acids with single carboxylate groups. This highlights the critical role of specific functional groups in modulating binding strength, emphasizing that the presence of multiple binding sites in amino acids enhances binding stability. Interestingly, the study also uncovers the significance of water-mediated interactions, as the compact water layer above the HAP surface acts as a barrier, complicating direct binding and underscoring the need to consider solvation effects in simulations. Glycine, due to its small size, demonstrates a unique ability to penetrate this tightly bound water monolayer, suggesting that molecular size influences binding dynamics. These simulations offer detailed insights into the atomic-level interactions, providing a deeper understanding of binding affinity and stability. These insights are pertinent for designing peptides or proteins with enhanced interactions with biomaterials, particularly in mimicking natural bone-binding processes.

In this paper, an innovative configuration for steel braced frames, incorporating an energy absorption system proposed. The proposed bracing system features a dual-level slotted bolted connection (SBC) dampers with slipping performance and a horizontal shear panel system (H-SPS) integrated into eccentrically braced frames (EBF), referred to as CS-EBF. Consequently, the fuses within this system, allowing controlled slip in the first fuse and inelastic deformation in the second fuse. Hence, the proposed system concentrate damage within the fuses, preventing harm to other components. Numerical results demonstrate that the CS-EBF system exhibits greater ductility and energy dissipation compared to similar single-level systems. Additionally, the slip of the SBC fuse at low earthquake levels initiates the energy absorption process earlier than in other comparable dual-level systems, ultimately leading to smaller dimensions for the bracing frame sections.

Our aim was to evaluate a potential role for the lacrimal drainage system (LDS) as a portal of entry and conduit for SARS-CoV-2 in human infection. We also investigate the mucosal surface area. The relatively long tear contact time in a closed system raises the possibility that this pathway may contribute to the initiation of systemic infection. We looked for expression of ACE2, the main receptor for SARS-CoV-2, as well as cofactors such as TMPRSS2 and other enzymes such as cathepsinB, CD147, elastase1, furin, neuropilin1, neuropilin2, TMPRSS11D and trypsin which also play a role in SARS-CoV-2 infection, in this system.

In this paper, the structural performances of steel plate shear walls employing web plates with rectangular, triangular (zigzag), trapezoidal, and sinusoidal corrugation patterns under monotonic loading are investigated. Several significant structural response parameters including buckling stability, stiffness, strength, serviceability, and energy dissipation capability are considered in this research endeavor. The results of this study provide crucial insights into the behavior of corrugated-web steel shear walls with varying infill plate shapes and thicknesses. It is shown that corrugated-web shear walls predominantly undergo local and/or interactive buckling modes, while flat-web systems exhibit more of a global buckling behavior. Additionally, corrugated infill plates substantially enhance the overall capacity of the system, with the rectangular pattern exhibiting the highest strength, surpassing the flat-web panels by approximately 11 times for a 2-mm web-plate thickness. Assessment of the energy absorption capacity reveals the superior performance of the rectangular pattern for web thicknesses between 2.0 and 3.0 mm. From the load–displacement responses, it is found that increasing of the web thickness significantly enhances the strength and stiffness performances and the base shear capacity is improved by 42% while increasing the thickness from 1.5 to 3.0 mm. These results demonstrate the importance of proper design and detailing in ensuring the desirable and high performance of corrugated-web steel shear walls as promising lateral force-resisting systems.

Sacran is a cyanobacterial supergiant polysaccharide with carboxylate and sulfate groups that exhibits antiallergic and antiinflammatory properties. However, its high anionic functions restrict cell compatibility. Quaternary ammonium groups were substituted to form sacran ampholytes, and the cell compatibility of the cationized sacran hydrogels was evaluated. The cationization process involved the reaction of N-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl)trimethylammonium chloride with the primary amine or hydroxyl groups of sacran. The degree of cationization ranged from 32 to 87% for sugar residues. Hydrogels of sacran ampholytes were prepared by annealing their dried sheets by thermal cross-linking; these hydrogels exhibited anisotropic expansion properties. The water contact angle on the hydrogels decreased from 26.5 to 15.3° with an increase in the degree of cationization, thereby enhancing hydrophilicity. The IC50values of sacran ampholytes decreased with an increased degree of cationization, resulting in a reduction in cytotoxicity toward the L-929 mouse fibroblast cell line. This reduction was associated with an increase in the cell proliferation density after 3 days of incubation. Scanning electron microscopy images showed fibroblast intercellular connections. Therefore, the sacran ampholyte hydrogel exhibited increased hydrophilicity and cell compatibility, which is beneficial for various biomedical applications.

Due to the increasing occurrence of drug resistant urinary tract infections (UTI) among children, there is a need to investigate alternative effective treatment protocols such as nanoparticles. Flagella and fimbriae are primary factors contributing the virulence of urinary tract infecting bacteria. The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles which have been synthesized using both chemical and green methods on multi-drug resistant (MDR) uropathogenic bacteria encoding fliand fimgenes and investigating their binding ability to bacterial appendage proteins. A total of 30 urine culture samples were collected from children under 2 years old diagnosed with urinary tract infection. The isolates underwent antibiotic suseptibility assessment and the isolates demonstrating MDR were subjected to molecular amplification of fimG(fimbrial) and fliDand fliT(flagellal) genes. The confirmation of cellular appendages was achieved through silver nitrate staining. The antibacterial efficacy of the synthetized nanoparticles was assessed using the micro and macrodilution methods. The successful binding of nanoparticles to bacterial appendage proteins was confirmed through mobility shift and membrane filter assays. The dimensions of chemically synthesized ZnO nanoparticles and green nanoparticles were measured at 30 nm and 85 nm, respectively, with the exhibition of hexagonal geometries. The nanoparticles synthesized through chemical and green methods exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 0.0062–0.025 g/L and 0.3 g/L, respectively. The ability of ZnO nanoparticles to bind bacterial appendage proteins and to combat MDR uropathogenic bacteria are promising for new treatment protocols against UTI in children in future.

Bio-fertilizers (BF) and amino acids (AA) improve plant growth by activating antioxidant enzymes and establishing a favorable metabolic environment to maintain physiological balance and drought stress mitigation. This experiment aimed to assess the influence of some BF and AA on peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) under drought stress. It was conducted during 2018–2019 as a split-split plot based on a randomized complete blocks design with three replications in the experimental field of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Guilan province, Rasht, Iran. Three irrigation regimes including irrigation after 75 (IR75), 100 (IR100), and 125 (IR125) mm evaporation from class A evaporation pan, four levels of BF including no application of bio-fertilizers as control (Z0), Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), Azospirillum brasilense(AB), Pseudomonas fluorescens(SF) and four levels of AA including no application of AA as control (Z0), Aminol-Forte (AF), Humi-Forte (HF) and Pro-Amin (PA) comprised experimental treatments as main plot, sub-plot and sub-sub plot, respectively. Peanut seed yield (SY) decreased under intensive drought stress. In 2018 and 2019, peanut SY increased by 43.34 and 38.08% in IR75 compared to control, under the interaction of AB×HF and SF×HF, respectively. The interaction of AB and HF increased antioxidant enzymes and improved SY under drought stress, which can be considered an innovation. Hence, the application of AB and HF could be recommended to enhance peanut SY under similar climatic conditions.

ABSTRACTPurposeTo study the metagenomics of the microbes isolated from the lacrimal sac in patients with failed dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR).MethodsA prospective study was performed on 10 consecutive patients with failed DCR. Lacrimal sac samples were obtained for metagenomic analysis during the revision endoscopic DCR. The samples were collected intraoperatively after a full-length lacrimal sac marsupialization and immediately transported on ice to the laboratory. A whole shotgun metagenome sequencing was performed on the IlluminaTMplatform following DNA extraction and library preparation. The downstream analysis of the samples was performed using various software packaged in the Squeeze Metapipeline v1.3.0 and marker gene-based metagenomic phylogenetic analysis using MetaPhlAn4.ResultsThe five major phyla identified across the samples of failed DCR include Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria (Figure 1). The prevalent species include Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas juntendi, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Acinetobacter ursingii, Citrobacter koseri, and Cutibacterium acnes (Figure 2). Among the other organisms identified, few were from genera candida and mezorhizobium. Among the viruses, the most abundant was the BeAn 58058 virus. It was interesting to note the occasional presence of plasmodium and toxoplasma species. The functional category distribution of KEGG (Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) data showed microbial metabolism to be the most involved function, followed by cellular processes.ConclusionThis is the first whole metagenome sequencing of the lacrimal sac contents from failed DCR patients. The organisms identified varied significantly from those isolated from patients with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) using similar techniques and reflect altered lacrimal microbiota in surgically unsuccessful DCRs.

Conclusions in literature regarding the effect of Autism on the size of different brain structures are contradictory. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of Autism on the volumes of different brain subcortical structures, and the age stage at which those changes occur. 7 main brain structures were segmented and their volumes were obtained. Volumes and the ratio of the volume to total brain volume (SBR) were compared in Autism group to their corresponding values in Control group. Then, each group was divided into 4 subgroups based on age; the comparison was repeated for each subgroup. Independent t-test was used to determine if significant differences existed between compared groups. Significant reductions were observed in the SBR of Autistic Pallidum and Accumbens compared to Control group when considering the full range of ages (5–25 years). However, Amygdala’s volume was significantly smaller in Autism in the 5–8 year subgroup. In addition, the SBR of Putaman, Pallidum, Hippocampus, and Accumbens were reduced in the 18–25 year Autism subgroup. In conclusion, the alteration in the ratio of structure’s volume to total brain volume is a better indicator of Autism diagnosis than change in the absolute volume alone.

Salvia officinalisL. (sage) is a valuable medicinal plant with various secondary metabolites. These compounds are usually inducible by different stress conditions, for example, water‐deficit stress. Therefore, cost‐effective and eco‐friendly approaches for alleviating water‐deficit stress in medicinal plant crops are in high demand. Polyamines (PAs), such as putrescine, have a significant effect on improving crop yield under water‐deficit stress conditions. Therefore, a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design using two factors and three replications was conducted. Treatments included irrigation regime (IR) and timing of IR after foliar application of putrescine (TIRFP) as follows: irrigation after depletion of 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% available soil water (ASWD). TIRFP was performed at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h. The treatments affected morphological, physiological, molecular, and biochemical attributes. TIRFP of 72 h under IR of 80% ASWD improved the leaf area index, relative water content, antioxidant enzyme activities, and total radical scavenging capacity compared with the controlled treatment. The results of real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis showed the highest level of sabinene synthase (SS) and bornyl diphosphate synthase (BPPS), the highest contents of 1,8‐cineole, β‐thujone, and camphor appeared in plants after 72 h of TIRFP under IR of 80% ASWD. The findings of this study confirm the protective role of putrescine against water stress. In conclusion, putrescine foliar application allows for balanced water retention. It preserves antioxidant capacity resulting in efficient photosynthesis and the restricted risk of oxidative damage under water‐deficit stress. It improves sage plants’ physiological attributes and valuable monoterpenes components of essential oil. Putrescine could be applied as a potential raiser to enhance monoterpene synthesis.The effects of timing of irrigation regime after foliar application of putrescine (TIRFP) under irrigation regimes were studied.The highest amounts of leaf area index and antioxidant enzymes activities were observed at TIRFP of 72 h under IR of 80% available soil water (ASWD).The most contents of 1, 8‐cineole, β‐thujone, and camphor were detected at TIRFP of 72 h under IR of 80% ASWD.

Progress in polydopamine-modified polyurethane provides promising tools for photothermal and photoresponsive materials with divers industrial and biomedical applications. [Display omitted] Polyurethanes (PUs) are a class of synthetic polymers with versatile mechanical, chemical, and physical properties, resulting from the condensation of isocyanates and polyols. Their diverse applications, including furniture, footwears, automotive, coatings, and adhesives, have attracted considerable research interest. However, the limited effectiveness of light-to-heat conversion has imposed certain restrictions on their use in some industries. Polydopamine (PDA) with high photothermal (PT) conversion efficiency compared to other PT agents and various functional groups like hydroxyl and amine endows the PU composite with Near-infrared (NIR) light responsiveness and enhances the performance of PU-based composites. This review comprehensively presents the recent developments in PT applications of PDA combined with PU, covering fundamental aspects to current advanced applications. Herein, an overview of the characteristics and synthesis of PDA, as well as various types of PUs and their composites is presented. Substantially, the practical applications of PDA-modified PU materials in various areas are summarized. Lastly, the review ends up with a brief discussion of the challenges and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel dispersive magnetic micro-solid-phase extraction (DM-µ-SPE) method based on the magnetic NiFe2O4polyamidoamine dendrimers modified with deep eutectic solvent sorbent has been developed for the extraction of naproxen and nabumetone. The extracted analytes were quantified by a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with UV detection at 280 nm. The linearity was in the range of 1–400 µg L−1for naproxen and 3–400 µg L−1for nabumetone. The developed DM-µ-SPE/HPLC–UV method has been characterized by excellent intra- and inter-day repeatability of 2.3, 3.3, and 2.5, 4.0%, respectively, for naproxen and nabumetone at the concentration level of 70.0 µg L−1(n= 5). Enhancement factors of 157.7 and 151.8 and limit of detections of 0.15 µg L−1and 0.26 µg L−1for naproxen and nabumetone were achieved, respectively. The sorption isotherm study illustrated that the experimental data of NAP fitted better to the Langmuir isotherm with a maximum monolayer sorption capacity of 76.92 mg g−1, while the NAB data fitted to the Temkin isotherm model. The method was successfully applied to the determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug analytes in water and milk samples.

Arsenic contamination in ground water is a serious and widespread global public health problem. It is estimated that more than 300 millions of population worldwide while about 180 million people in the Ganga–Meghna–Brahmaputra plains are exposed to arsenic poisoning. Out of 38 districts of Bihar, 18 are highly affected with ground water arsenic poisoning. A flood plain village of river Ganga Gyaspur Mahaji in Patna district was undertaken in the present study. The study deals with the survey of the entire village households with ground water arsenic quantification with special attention to know the health status of the arsenic-exposed population. The study revealed high arsenic concentration in the ground water of the village. The general health status of the village population was very poor as the subjects were exhibiting typical arsenicosis symptoms. Apart from this, they also had gastrointestinal problems, constipation, anaemia, loss of appetite, breathlessness, mental disability, etc. There were also reports of two cancer incidences from the village: one subject with squamous cell carcinoma of skin and the other with medullary breast cancer along with arsenicosis symptoms. The village population are getting infected and hence are at very high risk and may be impacted if they continue to drink arsenic-contaminated water in the future. Therefore, a proper strategy is urgently required for arsenic mitigation in this arsenic-exposed village through supply of safe drinking water.

Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury (IRI) is a paradoxical phenomenon where removing the source of injury can cause additional damage. Ischemia reduces ATP production and intracellular pH, reducing oxidative reactions, increasing lactic acid release, and activating anaerobic metabolism. Reperfusion restores aerobic respiration and increases ROS production, leading to malfunction of transmembrane transport, activation of proteases, DNA dissolution, and protein denaturation, leading to apoptotic cell death. Nrf2 is a transcription factor that regulates cellular inflammation and oxidative responses. It is activated by oxidants and electrophiles and enhances detoxifying enzyme expression, maintaining redox homeostasis. It also activates ARE, which activates several ARE-regulated genes that favor cell survival by exhibiting resistance to oxidants and electrophiles. Nrf2 regulates the antioxidant defense system by producing phase II and antioxidant defense enzymes, including HO-1, NQO-1, gglutamylcysteine synthetase, and rate-limiting enzymes for glutathione synthesis. Nrf2 protects mitochondria from damage and supports mitochondrial function in stress conditions. Resveratrol is a stilbene-based compound with a wide variety of health benefits for humans, including antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antitumor, and estrogenic/antiestrogenic. Resveratrol protects against IRI through several signaling pathways, including the Nrf2/ARE pathway. Here, we review the studies that investigated the mechanisms of resveratrol protection against IRI through modulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

PurposeTo study the fungal microbiome (mycobiome) and the virome of the lacrimal sacs in patients with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO).MethodsA prospective study was performed on 10 consecutive samples of the lacrimal sac contents obtained from patients with PANDO. The samples were obtained from the lacrimal sacs under endoscopy guidance and immediately transported on ice to the laboratory. Following DNA extraction and library preparation, a whole shotgun metagenome sequencing was performed on the Illumina platform (NOVASEQ 6000). The fungal internal transcript spacer analysis was performed using the PIPITS v2.7 . The viral taxonomy profiling was performed using Kraken2 against the virus database.ResultsThe taxonomic hit distribution across the lacrimal sac samples showed rich fungal diversity (4 phyla, 12 classed, 21 families and 26 genera). The major phyla were Ascomycotaand Basidiomycota,and the key genera identified were Alternaria, Hyphopichia, Malassezia, Aspergillusand Epicoccum. The virome analysis identified 13 phyla, 15 classes and 27 families. The viruses were commonly from the families Poxviridae, Retroviridae, Siphoviridaeand Myoviridae, Poxviridaebeing the most prevalent family. The BeAn 58058 virus, a member of the Poxviridaefamily, was the most abundant in all the samples.ConclusionThe present study is the first whole metagenome sequencing exclusively of the fungal microbiome and virome from the lacrimal sacs of patients with PANDO. The lacrimal sacs harbour diverse fungal and viral communities with distinct ecosystem dynamics. Further studies of their functions and interactions with the hosts would provide valuable insights.