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Purpose: To compare the clinical outcomes and the rate of complications of 27-gauge transconjunctival nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery (NVS) and of 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy surgery for idiopathic epiretinal membrane removal. Methods: In this prospective randomized study, 83 phakic eyes of 83 consecutive patients with an idiopathic epiretinal membrane were randomized to receive 27-gauge NVS (NVS-group) or 25-gauge vitrectomy (Standard-group). Main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity, central retinal thickness, nuclear density units' changes, and rate of complications. Results: Thirty-nine eyes of the Standard-group and 40 of the NVS-group were considered in final analysis. Mean best-corrected visual acuity improved significantly in both groups, with a significant better result at 12 months in NVS-group (P 0.039; t-test). Central retinal thickness decreased significantly in both groups (P < 0.001, Tukey test), without significant difference between the two groups at any time point. At 12 months, nuclear density increased significantly in the Standard-group (analysis of variance, P < 0.001), and it did not change in the NVS-group (analysis of variance, P 0.537). Epiretinal membrane recurred in 5.1% of eyes in the Standard-group and in 7.5% of eyes in the NVS-group (Fisher's exact test, P 1.000). Conclusion: The 27-gauge NVS is an effective surgical procedure in eyes with epiretinal membrane and it induces less progression of nuclear sclerosis than 25-gauge vitrectomy.

In this paper a microscopic energy consumption model of electric buses (e-Buses) is developed, leveraging on a vast data collection campaign of e-Bus daily operations. The model is composed of two modules, which estimate the instantaneous power required for traction and the average power required by the auxiliary systems. The model simulates the instantaneous energy consumption as a function of line and vehicle characteristics, and operating conditions including ambient temperature, bus load and encountered traffic. The model was calibrated against trajectory data from 435 trips, showing an error in reproducing the instantaneous battery state-of-charge of 5.5% in 95% of experiments (2.5% on average). A two-level model validation was performed against data from 110 trips. At a microscopic level, results proved that the calibrated model is robust against variability of line operating conditions. At a macroscopic level, the model was validated against the macroscopic speed-consumption function, showing an error of 6%.

25 p.-5 fig.-1 tab. + 6 fig. supl.+ 1 tab. supl., αβ-Tubulin is a validated target for anticancer drug discovery, and molecules binding to this protein are used to treat several types of tumors. Here, we report on a combined X-ray crystallography and molecular dynamics approach to study drug binding within the colchicine site of αβ-tubulin, focusing on plinabulin, an agent currently in phase 3 clinical testing for the treatment of cancer and chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. We found that plinabulin is more persistently bound to the colchicine site of βII- compared to βIII-tubulin, allowing for a prediction of isotype-expression-dependent drug sensitivity. Additionally, computational residence time and exit paths from the βII-tubulin were compared between plinabulin and two other compounds, colchicine and combretastatin-A4. The former displayed the highest residence time, followed by plinabulin and then distantly by combretastatin-A4. Our combined experimental and computational protocol could help to investigate anti-tubulin drugs, improving our understanding of their mechanism of action, residence time, and tubulin isotype selectivity., This work was financially supported by BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals Inc. (to M.O.S. and A.C.) and by grants from the Ministerio de Ciencia Innovacion y Universidades (BFU2016-75319-R; to J.F.D.), from the Swiss National Science Foundation (31003A_166608, to M.O.S.) and from the Regione Lombardia (Accordo per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione).

Purpose: To investigate, with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, if the preoperative status of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) affects the postoperative foveal morphology and visual outcomes in eyes with surgically closed macular holes (MHs). Methods: In 52 eyes with surgically closed MHs, preoperative RPE morphology was evaluated and graded based on the measurement of the largest hyperreflective protrusions above the RPE line. Foveal microstructural features and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were evaluated 12 months after surgery. Results: At 12 months, a significant correlation was found between postoperative degree of integrity of the photoreceptors with preoperative RPE morphology, and base diameter of the hole (p = 0.003 and p = 0.028, respectively); mean BCVA at 12 months in eyes with diffuse RPE alteration was significantly lower than in eyes with small or no RPE alteration (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Preoperative RPE integrity may be indicative of good photoreceptor restoration and visual recovery in patients with surgically closed MHs.

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence rates of iatrogenic retinal breaks in eyes that underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy under air compared with 25-gauge standard vitrectomy for idiopathic macular holes or idiopathic epiretinal membranes. Methods: In this retrospective, comparative interventional study, 435 eyes were enrolled. In all patients after core vitrectomy and epiretinal/inner limiting membrane peeling, complete vitrectomy of the base was performed, respectively under air (air group) or under fluid infusion (standard group). Results: The number of eyes with iatrogenic retinal breaks was significantly lower in the air group than in standard group (4/197 and 16/238, 2% and 7%, respectively; P = 0.035). A postoperative retinal detachment developed in 2 eyes (1%) in the standard group, and in no eyes of the air group (0%). Factors related to the occurrence of retinal breaks were surgically induced posterior vitreous detachment (P = 0.006), standard vitrectomy (P = 0.023), and surgery for macular hole (P = 0.030). Conclusion: The 25-gauge vitrectomy under air is associated with a lower incidence rate of retinal breaks compared with the standard 25-gauge vitrectomy.

Background: The process of angiogenesis (i.e. the formation of new bloodvessels from pre-existing ones) is fundamental to physiological processes such as reproduction, development and repair, as well as to pathological conditions such as tumor progression, rheumathoid arthritis and ocular disorders. The oncofoetal ED-B domain, a specific marker of angiogenesis, consists of 91 amino acid residues that are inserted by alternative splicing into the fibronectin (FN) molecule. Results: The NMR structure of the ED-B domain is reported and reveals important differences from other FN type III domains. A comparison of the ED-B domain with the crystal structure of a four-domain FN fragment shows the novel features of ED-B to be located in loop regions that are buried at interdomain interfaces, and which therefore largely determine the global shape of the FN molecule. The negatively charged amino acids in this highly acidic protein are uniformly distributed over the molecular surface, with the sole exception of a solvent-exposed hydrophobic patch that represents a potential specific recognition site. Epitope mapping with 82 decapeptides that span the ED-B sequence revealed that three ED-B-specific monoclonal antibodies, which selectively target newly forming blood vessels in tumor-bearing mice, bind to adjacent regions on the ED-B surface. Conclusions: The NMR structure enables the identification of a large surface area of the ED-B domain that appears to be accessible in vivo , opening up new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities. Furthermore, the mapping of specific monoclonal antibodies to the three-dimensional structure of the ED-B domain, and their use in angiogenesis inhibition experiments, provides a basis for further investigation of the role of the ED-B domain in the formation of new blood vessels.