Factors Influencing Optical Coherence Tomography Peripapillary Choroidal Thickness: A Multicenter Study.

Purpose:To quantify peripapillary choroidal thickness (PCT) and the factors that influence it in healthy participants who represent the racial and ethnic composition of the U.S. population. Methods:A total of 362 healthy participants underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) enhanced depth imaging of the optic nerve head with a 24 radial B-scan pattern aligned to the fovea to Bruch's membrane opening axis. Bruch's membrane, anterior scleral canal opening (ASCO), and the anterior scleral surface were manually segmented. PCT was measured at 100, 300, 500, 700, 900, and 1100 μm from the ASCO globally and within 12 clock-hour sectors. The effects of age, axial length, intraocular pressure, ethnicity, sex, sector, and ASCO area on PCT were assessed by ANOVA and univariable and multivariable regressions. Results:Globally, PCT was thicker further from the ASCO border and thinner with older age, longer axial length, larger ASCO area, European descent, and female sex. Among these effectors, age and axial length explained the greatest proportion of variance. The rate of age-related decline increased further from the ASCO border. Sectorally, the inferior-temporal sectors were thinnest (10.7%-20.0% thinner than the thickest sector) and demonstrated a higher rate of age-related loss (from 15.6% to 20.7% faster) at each ASCO distance. Conclusions:In healthy eyes, PCT was thinnest in the inferior temporal sectors and thinner PCT was associated with older age, European descent, longer axial length, larger ASCO area, and female sex. Among these associations, age had the strongest influence, and its effect was greatest within the inferior temporal sectors

Case Report: Step-by-step procedures for total intracorporeal laparoscopic kidney autotransplantation in a patient with distal high-risk upper tract urothelial carcinoma

A 47-year-old man presented to the emergency department with right abdominal pain and a new onset of painless haematuria two weeks earlier. Urine cytology test results suggested urothelial carcinoma. Computed tomography urography (CTU) showed a filling defect in the lower right ureter with right hydronephrosis. Lymphadenopathy and any signs of metastatic disease were absent on CTU. Cystoscopy appeared normal. Creatinine level was also normal before surgery. After the treatment options were discussed, the patient chose to undergo 3D total intracorporeal laparoscopic kidney autotransplantation, bladder cuff excision, and segmental resection of the proximal two-thirds of the ureter based on the membrane anatomy concept. After more than one year of follow-up, the patient was in good health and showed no signs of haematuria. Surveillance cystoscopy and CTU examination showed no evidence of disease recurrence. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that kidney-sparing surgery may be considered for carefully selected patients with high-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma

Engineering ketoreductases for the enantioselective synthesis of chiral alcohols

The use of engineered ketoreductases (KREDS), both as whole microbial cells and isolated enzymes, in the highly enantiospecific reduction of prochiral ketones is reviewed. The homochiral alcohol products are key intermediates in, for example, pharmaceuticals synthesis. The application of sophisticated protein engineering and enzyme immobilisation techniques to increase industrial viability are discussed.</p

Framework-Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence in Biosensing

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) has attracted increasing attention owing to its intrinsic advantages of high sensitivity, good stability, and low background. Considering the fact that framework nanocrystals such as metal–organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks have accurate molecular structures, a series of framework-based ECL platforms are developed for decoding emission fundamentals. The integration of fluorescent ligands into frameworks significantly improves the ECL properties due to the arrangement of molecules and intramolecular electron transfer. Moreover, the various framework topologies can be easily functionalized with the recognition elements to trace the targets for signal readout. These ECL enhancement strategies lead to a series of sensitive analytical methods for protein biomarkers, DNA, small biomolecules, and cells. In this review, we summarize recent advances in various functions of frameworks during the ECL process, and constructions of framework-based ECL platforms for biosensing. The framework-based ECL nanoemitters and enhancement mechanisms show both theoretical innovation and potential applications in designing ECL biosensing systems. Perspectives are also discussed, which may give a guideline for researchers in the fields of ECL biosensing and reticular materials

Synthesis and Broadband Spectra Photocatalytic Properties of Bi2O2(CO3)1−xSx

High efficiency photocatalyst Bi2O2(CO3)1−xSx was synthesized conveniently with chemical bath precipitation using Bi2O2CO3 as the precursor. The microstructures of the samples are systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and UV-Vis spectroscopy; the optical and photocatalytic properties are carefully tested as well. The content of S, which was tuned through the controlling of the precipitation process, was verified to have an intense effect over the photocatalytic properties. A nearly saturated S ratio and the best photocatalytic performance were observed in specimens with the most S content. Our study reveals that, with negligible influence of the morphology and crystal structure, Bi2O2(CO3)1−xSx possessed a broadened optical absorption regionfromultraviolet to visible light, and enhanced photocatalytic activity in comparison to precursor Bi2O2CO3 in photocatalytic degradation of Congo Red aqueous solution

Programmable Polyproteams of Tyrosine Ammonia Lyases as Cross-Linked Enzymes for Synthesizing p-Coumaric Acid

Ideal immobilization with enhanced biocatalyst activity and thermostability enables natural enzymes to serve as a powerful tool to yield synthetically useful chemicals in industry. Such an enzymatic method strategy becomes easier and more convenient with the use of genetic and protein engineering. Here, we developed a covalent programmable polyproteam of tyrosine ammonia lyases (TAL-CLEs) by fusing SpyTag and SpyCatcher peptides into the N-terminal and C-terminal of the TAL, respectively. The resulting circular enzymes were clear after the spontaneous isopeptide bonds formed between the SpyTag and SpyCatcher. Furthermore, the catalytic performance of the TAL-CLEs was measured via a synthesis sample of p-Coumaric acid. Our TAL-CLEs showed excellent catalytic efficiency, with 98.31 &plusmn; 1.14% yield of the target product&mdash;which is 4.15 &plusmn; 0.08 times higher than that of traditional glutaraldehyde-mediated enzyme aggregates. They also showed over four times as much enzyme-activity as wild-type TAL does and demonstrated good reusability, and so may become a good candidate for industrial enzymes

MPTP reduces the number of TH-ir neurons in the SNpc.

<p>(A and F) NS group. (B and G) MPTP group on day 6. (C and H) MPTP group on day 12. (D and I) MPTP group on day 18. (E and J) MPTP group on day 24. (K) Quantification of TH-ir neuronal profiles in the SNpc. Scale bar, 200 µm (A, B, C, D and E) and 50 µm (F, G, H, I and J). n = 3∼4.</p

Impacts of 100 Hz EA stimulation on striatal DA and its metabolites.

<p>(A) DA. (B) DOPAC. (C) HVA. (D) DA turnover. ***<i>p<</i>0.001 <i>vs.</i> NS group; ^###<i>p<</i>0.001 <i>vs.</i> 0 Hz+MPTP group. n = 9∼11.</p