Prevalence and Age-Related Changes of Corneal Astigmatism in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery in Northern China

Purpose. To examine the magnitude, orientation, and age-related changes of corneal astigmatism of the eyes before cataract surgery. Setting. Hebei Eye Hospital, Hebei, China. Design. A clinical-based retrospective study. Results. The study consisted of 5662 eyes of 5662 consecutive cataract surgery patients with a mean age of 68.26 ± 10.39 (mean ± standard deviation (SD)) years (range 40 to 97 years), and 59.86% of the patients were women. Mean corneal astigmatism was 0.98 ± 0.76 diopter (D) (range 0.00–9.61 D). Corneal astigmatism of 0.50–0.99 D was the most common range of values (30.08%), followed by 1.00–1.49 D (22.15%), ≤0.50 D (21.21%), and 1.50–1.99 D (10.28%). There was a strong U-shaped relation between corneal astigmatism and age (p for nonlinearity <.01). With the increase of age, the astigmatism axis gradually changes from with-the-rule (WTR) to against-the-rule (ATR). Moreover, in young patients with age below 65 years, WTR astigmatism was negatively correlated with age, while ATR was positively correlated with age (r = −0.11, p=.001; r = 0.10, p=.010, respectively). However, in the old patients with age above and equal to 65 years, all types of astigmatism were positively correlated with age. Conclusion. This study may provide valuable and practical information to surgeons when selecting the appropriate surgical method and toric intraocular lens (IOLs)

The complete chloroplast genome of Scutellaria meehanioides (Lamiaceae) from Shaanxi Province, China

Scutellaria meehanioides C.Y.Wu is a medicinal perennial herb native to China. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the S. meehanioides was determined and assembled using next generation sequencing methodologies. The complete genome is 152,484 base pairs (bp) in length and has an overall GC content of 38.4%. The chloroplast genome contains, a large single-copy region (LSC) of 83,859 bp, small single-copy region (SSC) of 17,467 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,029 bp. The genome of S. meehanioides contains 133 genes, including 87 protein-coding, 38 tRNA,and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis fully resolved S. meehanioides in a clade with S. orthocalyx. This study provides useful information for future genetic study of S. meehanioides

Exopolysaccharides from Marine Microbes: Source, Structure and Application

The unique living environment of marine microorganisms endows them with the potential to produce novel chemical compounds with various biological activities. Among them, the exopolysaccharides produced by marine microbes are an important factor for them to survive in these extreme environments. Up to now, exopolysaccharides from marine microbes, especially from extremophiles, have attracted more and more attention due to their structural complexity, biodegradability, biological activities, and biocompatibility. With the development of culture and separation methods, an increasing number of novel exopolysaccharides are being found and investigated. Here, the source, structure and biological activities of exopolysaccharides, as well as their potential applications in environmental restoration fields of the last decade are summarized, indicating the commercial potential of these versatile EPS in different areas, such as food, cosmetic, and biomedical industries, and also in environmental remediation

Modified Technique for Scleral-Sutured Fixation with the Double Knots Technique for Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lens: Short-Term Observation

Purpose. To evaluate the short-term safety and efficacy of a novel approach of utilizing the 9-0 looped polypropylene suture with double knots buried into the scleral groove and the scleral tunnel to minimize the risk of the suture erosion and suture knot exposure. Design. Clinical-based retrospective study. Methods. Records of consecutive patients who had anterior vitrectomy and scleral-fixated posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation between July 2018 and April 2020 with a minimum follow-up of 3 months were reviewed. Results. This study enrolled a total of 21 eyes from 20 patients (15 male). These patients had a mean age of 58.52 ± 8.55 years and were followed for an average of 1.08 ± 0.58 years postoperatively. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from a preoperative mean of 0.43 ± 0.41 logMAR to a significantly higher mean 3-month postoperative value of 0.09 ± 0.21 logMAR (Z = -3.35, p<0.01). There were no statistical differences between the preoperative and postoperative corneal endothelial cell density (p=0.71). The postoperative complications included transient increased intraocular pressure in 5 eyes (24%). No other complications were detected during the follow-up. Conclusions. The modified technique proposed is a safe, effective, and reliable approach resulting in good visual outcomes. Our procedure might have the potential benefit to avoid suture-related complications in scleral-fixated IOL implantation. Trial registration. Retrospective case series study, not applicable

The poplar <i>VQ1</i> gene confers salt tolerance and pathogen resistance in transgenic <i>Arabidopsis</i> plants via changes in hormonal signaling

AbstractThe VQ protein family is plant-specific, and is involved in growth, development, and biotic and abiotic stress responses. In this study, we found that the gene expression of poplar VQ1Populus trichocarpaVQ1Arabidopsis thalianaArabidopsisMPK6NPR1PDF1.2WRKY70ABI1KUP6NCED2Pseudomonas syringaeVQ1Arabidopsi

Leaf Age Compared to Tree Age Plays a Dominant Role in Leaf δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of Qinghai Spruce (<i>Picea crassifolia</i> Kom.)

Leaf stable isotope compositions (&#948;13C and &#948;15N) are influenced by various abiotic and biotic factors. Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia Kom.) as one of the dominant tree species in Qilian Mountains plays a key role in the ecological stability of arid region in the northwest of China. However, our knowledge of the relative importance of multiple factors on leaf &#948;13C and &#948;15N remains incomplete. In this work, we investigated the relationships of &#948;13C and &#948;15N to leaf age, tree age and leaf nutrients to examine the patterns and controls of leaf &#948;13C and &#948;15N variation of Picea crassifolia. Results showed that 13C and 15N of current-year leaves were more enriched than older ones at each tree age level. There was no significant difference in leaf &#948;13C values among trees of different ages, while juvenile trees (&lt;50 years old) were 15N depleted compared to middle-aged trees (50&#8211;100 years old) at each leaf age level except for 1-year-old leaves. Meanwhile, relative importance analysis has demonstrated that leaf age was one of the most important indicators for leaf &#948;13C and &#948;15N. Moreover, leaf N concentrations played a dominant role in the variations of &#948;13C and &#948;15N. Above all, these results provide valuable information on the eco-physiological responses of P. crassifolia in arid and semi-arid regions

Thin Films with Low Zn Content Prepared by Chemical Bath Deposition

Chemical bath deposition (CBD) was used for the growth of thin films with low Zn content. The influence of preparation conditions, such as pH, temperature, and concentration, on film properties was investigated. The chemical growth mechanism of thin films was analyzed, and optimized growth conditions for the thin films were established. The fill factor and short-circuit current were improved while was used to replace CdS as the window layer in CdTe solar cells

Intraday weather conditions can influence self-report of depressive symptoms

The weather is arguably one of the most common topics in daily conversation. However, it is also a well-known factor in psychiatric problems worldwide such as depression, where particularly elders and females are prone to the condition. Previous studies have mostly focused on the association between long-term climate/season change and depressive symptoms to test the belief that people feel depressed when the weather is bad. Yet, little is known about the relationship between intraday weather conditions and depressive symptoms. This study aimed to decompose this association and explore age and gender differences in depressive symptoms' report under different intraday weather conditions. We analyzed data with a total sample size of 20,987 individuals aged 15-96 years obtained via the China Labor-force Dynamic Survey (CLDS) project in 2016. The surveyors filled in the intraday weather conditions (i.e., sunny, cloudy, overcast, light rain, moderate rain, and heavy rain) in the questionnaire with depression being self-reported using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. In the survey, 17.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 16.8%, 17.8%) individuals were assessed to have depressive symptoms (CES-D scores > 15). Overcast day was the peak weather condition for depressive symptoms, while gender and age differences of depressive symptoms were biggest in the weather condition of moderate rain. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that female and middle-old age individuals were more likely to report having depressive symptoms, and people under overcast day were more likely to report having depressive symptoms compared to under sunny day [odds ratio (OR) = 1.25, 95%Cl = 1.11, 1.39]. This intraday weather conditions-depression link was significant in males and middle-old age individuals but not in females and youngsters

Correction: Wu et al. Homologous Drought-Induced 19 Proteins, PtDi19-2 and PtDi19-7, Enhance Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Plants. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3371

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...

Homologous Drought-Induced 19 Proteins, PtDi19-2 and PtDi19-7, Enhance Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Plants

Drought-induced 19 (Di19) proteins play important roles in abiotic stress responses. Thus far, there are no reports about Di19 family in woody plants. Here, eight Di19 genes were identified in poplar. We analyzed phylogenetic tree, conserved protein domain, and gene structure of Di19 gene members in seven species. The results showed the Di19 gene family was very conservative in both dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous forms. On the basis of transcriptome data, the expression patterns of Di19s in poplar under abiotic stress and ABA treatment were further studied. Subsequently, homologous genes PtDi19-2 and PtDi19-7 with strong response to drought stress were identified. PtDi19-2 functions as a nuclear transcriptional activator with a transactivation domain at the C-terminus. PtDi19-7 is a nuclear and membrane localization protein. Additionally, PtDi19-2 and PtDi19-7 were able to interact with each other in yeast two-hybrid system. Overexpression of PtDi19-2 and PtDi19-7 in Arabidopsis was found. Phenotype identification and physiological parameter analysis showed that transgenic Arabidopsis increased ABA sensitivity and drought tolerance. PtDi19-7 was overexpressed in hybrid poplar 84K (Populus alba &times; Populus glandulosa). Under drought treatment, the phenotype and physiological parameters of transgenic poplar were consistent with those of transgenic Arabidopsis. In addition, exogenous ABA treatment induced lateral bud dormancy of transgenic poplar and stomatal closure of transgenic Arabidopsis. The expression of ABA/drought-related marker genes was upregulated under drought treatment. These results indicated that PtDi19-2 and PtDi19-7 might play a similar role in improving the drought tolerance of transgenic plants through ABA-dependent signaling pathways