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Abraham Hang, Taylor Ngo, Jaipreet Singh Virk, Kareem Moussa, Ala Moshiri, Parisa Emami-Naeini, Susanna S Park Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis Eye Center, Sacramento, CA, USACorrespondence: Susanna S Park, Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis Eye Center, Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute, 4860 Y Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA, Tel +1-916-734-6080, Email sscpark@ucdavis.eduPurpose: To report our real-world experience using intravitreal faricimab, a novel anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy, in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) previously treated with other anti-VEGF therapy.Patients and Methods: A retrospective, single-center study of previously treated nAMD eyes treated with faricimab.Results: In 88 eyes (73 patients), mean baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/63 (range 20/20 to CF) with mean anti-VEGF injection interval of 6.1+ 2.0 weeks. Mean baseline central subfield thickness (CST) was 291+ 73 μm. During mean follow-up of 30.1+ 13.5 (range 7.0 to 50.3) weeks on faricimab, the eyes received an average of 5.1+ 2.4 injections (range 1 to 11). Mean BCVA remained at 20/63 (p=0.11), but injection interval increased to 7.4+ 2.6 weeks (p< 0.001), and CST decreased to 262+ 63 μm (p< 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that higher number of different anti-VEGF drugs used at baseline was associated with a lower decrease in CST on faricimab (p=0.04) while total number of anti-VEGF injections at baseline (p=0.56) and time on faricimab (p=0.68) were not associated. Faricimab was discontinued in 23 eyes (26.1%), including 8 eyes for poor response, 2 eyes for persistent new floaters and 4 eyes for new vision decrease which reversed after stopping faricimab.Conclusion: In previously treated nAMD eyes, intravitreal faricimab was associated with increased mean treatment interval and decreased CST but no improvement in mean BCVA. The benefit of faricimab on CST reduction may be diminished in eyes previously treated with multiple different types of anti-VEGF therapy.Keywords: anti-VEGF therapy, intravitreal therapy, real-world experience, central subfield thickness, optical coherence tomography

Hydrothermally synthesized carbon nanodots (CDs) were impregnated on TiO2. The product (CDs/TiO2) was mechanically mixed with zeolite Y for application in toluene photocatalytic oxidation reaction under UV radiation. Material properties of the samples were investigated by different methods. Toluene vapor was chosen as a typical volatile organic compound to investigate the performance of CDs/TiO2 – zeolite Y photocatalyst when these technological parameters were changed: toluene concentration, gas flow rate, humidity and UV light intensity. In each reaction, only one parameter was changed and the remaining conditions were fixed. The toluene concentrations at the beginning and the end of each reaction were analyzed with the use of gas chromatography (GC). The results of different reaction conditions show the trends for toluene treatment of the CDs/TiO2 – zeolite Y catalyst, thereby providing specific explanations for these trends. The experiments also show that toluene removal is highest when the toluene concentration in the inlet gas is 314 ppmv, the flow rate is 3 L/h, the humidity is 60%, and the catalyst (CDs/TiO2 – zeolite Y composite with 70% zeolite in weight) is illuminated by 4 UV lamps. Copyright © 2022 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

This paper introduces a novel methodology to integrate human brain connectomics and parcellation for brain tumor segmentation and survival prediction. For segmentation, we utilize an existing brain parcellation atlas in the MNI152 1 mm space and map this parcellation to each individual subject data. We use deep neural network architectures together with hard negative mining to achieve the final voxel level classification. For survival prediction, we present a new method for combining features from connectomics data, brain parcellation information, and the brain tumor mask. We leverage the average connectome information from the Human Connectome Project and map each subject brain volume onto this common connectome space. From this, we compute tractographic features that describe potential neural disruptions due to the brain tumor. These features are then used to predict the overall survival of the subjects. The main novelty in the proposed methods is the use of normalized brain parcellation data and tractography data from the human connectome project for analyzing MR images for segmentation and survival prediction. Experimental results are reported on the BraTS2018 dataset.

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OBJECTIVE: The study evaluated the lack of neurological improvement and the factors influencing it in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) without major arterial occlusion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke without significant occlusion of major arteries, with imaging evidence from 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at the S.I.S Hospital in Can Tho, Vietnam, from 2019 to 2023. Eligible patients received treatment with low-dose alteplase (a single dose of 0.6 mg/kg). RESULTS: Among the 268 patients included in the study, a significant improvement in neurological function was observed in 195 patients (72.8%) [modified Rankin Scale (mRS): 0-1 points], while 73 patients (27.2%) demonstrated little or no improvement after 3 months of treatment. There were no recorded fatalities during the study period. Female patients accounted for 35.8% of the total sample. The average age of the participants was 62.9 years. The multivariate regression analysis identified several predictive factors associated with the risk of lack of improvement after 3 months, including advanced age, higher National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, elevated blood glycemia levels (mmol/L), and elevated high-sensitive (hs) troponin I levels (ng/mL) (p < 0.05). Glycemia and hs troponin I levels were identified as biomarkers for predicting outcomes after ischemic stroke. No evidence was found linking sex, a history of chronic illness, and a lack of improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Predicting prognostic factors for lack of neurological improvement will assist neurologists in developing personalized treatment plans for patients, reducing complications, and promoting patient recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vietnamese yellow tea, Camellia hakodae Ninh (Theaceae), is an endemic species in Vietnam. Its neutral properties and sweet taste is readily harnessed in traditional Vietnamese medicine for the management of heart, kidney, and liver problems. Yellow tea is known to lower blood pressure and lipids but the anti-hyperlipidemic effect of C. hakodae has not been studied. This study aimed to assess the blood lipid-lowering effects of the dry extract of C. hakodae leaves (CKL-THV) in rats. Wistar rats were induced with exogenous hyperlipidemia using a cholesterol-rich diet and then administered CKL-THV continuously for 4 weeks. The study evaluated the effects of CKLTHV on lipid profiles and the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP). Results indicated that CKLTHV at doses of 0.35 and 1.05 g/kg/day effectively reduced total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) indices compared to the model group after both 2 and 4 weeks. Notably, CKL-THV at a dose of 1.05 g/kg/day significantly (p < 0.05) increased HDL-C level compared to the model group. Both doses of CKL-THV significantly lowered the AIP compared to the model group (p < 0.05). CKL-THV demonstrated the ability to regulate blood lipid indices and reduce the AIP in a rat model of exogenous hyperlipidemia. These findings suggest that CKL-THV holds potential as an anti-hyperlipidemic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular events prognosis based on CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms had many applications in clinical practice. Assessed characteristics and predictive performance of cardiovascular events in acute coronary syndrome patients with CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients were analyzed for CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR worked with primers around the mutant, as well as two fluorescent probes, one specific for the normal allele and the other for the mutant allele, and cardiovascular events were followed at 3 months and 6 months. RESULTS: Patients with CYP2C19 gene polymorphism accounted for 48.6% of which CYP2C19 *1/*2 genotype had the highest proportion (31.7%). The normal metabolizer phenotype was the majority (51.4%), and the *1 allele proportion accounted for the most (72.2%). Patients with type 2 diabetes (HR: 3.082, 95% CI: 1.652-5.747, p < 0.001) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (HR: 2.874, 95% CI: 1.528-5.404, p = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for cardiovascular events at 90 days. Type 2 diabetes was an independent prognostic factor for cardiovascular events at 180 days (HR: 3.714, 95% CI: 1.557-8.862, p = 0.003). The CYP2C19 gene polymorphism was an independent prognostic factor of cardiovascular events at 90 days (HR: 1.965, 95% CI: 1.012-3.814, p = 0.046). However, at 180 days of analysis, the association between the CYP2C19 gene polymorphism was not significant (HR: 2.234, 95% CI: 0.862-5.789, p = 0.098). CONCLUSIONS: CYP2C19 gene polymorphism was an independent prognostic factor of cardiovascular events 90 days after acute coronary syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]