Importance of Lid Hygiene Before Ocular Surgery: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Eyelid and Conjunctiva Microbiota

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a cleansing eyelid wipe in reducing the microbiota present on the ocular surface before cataract surgery. Methods: A single-center, prospective, single-blind phase IV study was conducted at the University Complutense of Madrid. Forty-five adult patients who were scheduled for ocular surgery after treatment with commercially available eyelid wipes were consecutively enrolled. The study lasted 5 days and the patients were examined at day 0 (D0), day 3 (D3), and day 5 (D5). They received instructions to apply the eyelid wipe only to the eye subject to surgery, using the other eye as a control with no treatment. Lid and conjunctival swabs were taken on each day and microbes identified. Ocular surface microbiota was estimated by measuring the area of the agar plate occupied by the grown colonies with respect to the total available area. Results: Measurements at D3 and D5 showed a percent reduction of 58% and 63%, respectively, in the microbial load on the eyelid in the treated eyes (P=0.0011). There was also a reduction, although nonsignificant, in the microbiota of the conjunctiva of 72% and 69% on D3 and D5, respectively. Conclusions: The degree of microbiota reduction was comparable with that obtained after topical application of antibiotics in other studies. The results suggest the use of these eyelid wipes as a complementary prophylactic method before any ocular surgery

Glutamatergic Dysfunction and Glutamatergic Compounds for Major Psychiatric Disorders: Evidence From Clinical Neuroimaging Studies

Excessive glutamate release has been linked to stress and many neurodegenerative diseases. Evidence indicates abnormalities of glutamatergic neurotransmission or glutamatergic dysfunction as playing an important role in the development of many major psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder). Recently, ketamine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonist, has been demonstrated to have promisingly rapid antidepressant efficacy for treatment-resistant depression. Many compounds that target the glutamate system have also become available that possess potential in the treatment of major psychiatric disorders. In this review, we update evidence from recent human studies that directly or indirectly measured glutamatergic neurotransmission and function in major psychiatric disorders using modalities such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography/single-photon emission computed tomography, and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. The newer generation of antidepressants that target the glutamatergic system developed in human clinical studies is also reviewed

Silicon-organic hybrid thermo-optic switch based on a slot waveguide directional coupler

We propose and demonstrate a passively biased 2 by 2 thermo-optic switch with high power efficiency and fast response time. The device benefits from the highly concentrated optical field of a slot waveguide mode and the strong thermo-optic effect of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cladding. The NLC fills the nano-slot region and is aligned by the subwavelength grating inside. The measured power consumption and thermal time constant are 0.58 mW and 11.8 microsecond, respectively, corresponding to a figure-of-merit of 6.8. The proposed silicon-organic hybrid device provides a new solution to design thermo-optic actuators having lower power consumption and fast operation speed

Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma of soft palate with cavernous sinus invasion

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CXPA) is an aggressive salivary gland malignancy and rare in minor salivary gland. A soft palate CXPA initially presenting as direct cavernous sinus (CS) invasion is very rare.</p> <p>Case Presentation</p> <p>A 60-year-old male had a 3-month history of a small soft palatal mass with progressing left cheek numbness, proptosis, and disturbed vision. Biopsy of soft palatal tumor showed pleomorphic adenoma. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a tumor involving left maxilla, and extended from pterygopalatine fossa, inferior orbital fissure to CS. Excision of tumor revealed CXPA. Adjuvant concomitant chemo-radiation therapy (CCRT) was given. The tumor recurred 5 months later in left CS which was re-treated with CCRT. The disease status was stable at 2 years after the diagnosis of CXPA.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We present this case to emphasize that patients with symptoms such as facial numbness, proptosis and disturbed vision should be carefully investigated for lesions invading CS by perineural spread.</p

Active removal of waste dye pollutants using Ta[sub]3N[sub]5/W[sub]18O[sub]49 nanocomposite fibres

A scalable solvothermal technique is reported for the synthesis of a photocatalytic composite material consisting of orthorhombic Ta3N5 nanoparticles and WOx≤3 nanowires. Through X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the as-grown tungsten(VI) sub-oxide was identified as monoclinic W18O49. The composite material catalysed the degradation of Rhodamine B at over double the rate of the Ta3N5 nanoparticles alone under illumination by white light, and continued to exhibit superior catalytic properties following recycling of the catalysts. Moreover, strong molecular adsorption of the dye to the W18O49 component of the composite resulted in near-complete decolourisation of the solution prior to light exposure. The radical species involved within the photocatalytic mechanisms were also explored through use of scavenger reagents. Our research demonstrates the exciting potential of this novel photocatalyst for the degradation of organic contaminants, and to the authors’ knowledge the material has not been investigated previously. In addition, the simplicity of the synthesis process indicates that the material is a viable candidate for the scale-up and removal of dye pollutants on a wider scale

Apoptosis-associated biomarkers in tuberculosis: promising for diagnosis and prognosis prediction

Abstract Background Apoptosis-associated biomarkers are rarely studied, especially their role in predicting the development of tuberculosis (TB) from latent TB infection and in prognostication. Methods Patients with TB and interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA)-positive and IGRA-negative family contacts were evaluated to analyze changes in apoptosis-associated serum biomarkers, which included decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), prostaglandin 2 (PGE2), and lipoxin. The prognostic implications of these serum biomarkers were also analyzed. Results One hundred TB patients and 92 IGRA-negative and 91 IGRA-positive family contacts were recruited. The DcR3 and PGE2 levels decreased from the IGRA-negative group to the IGRA-positive group, and peaked in the TB group. Lipoxin decreased to trough in the TB group. The three apoptosis serum markers and age were independent factors discriminating active TB from latent TB infection. In active TB, older age, co-morbidity, and higher serum DcR3 and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 were independently associated with poorer six-month survival. Conclusion Apoptosis-associated serum biomarkers change along with the status of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. In close contacts with positive IGRA, high DcR3 and PGE2 and low lipoxin may increase the probability of active TB. Older age, co-morbidity, and high DcR3 and MCP-1 levels might be important prognostic factors that warrant further investigation. </jats:sec

Early drainage reduces the length of hospital stay in patients with lung abscess

BackgroundAlthough percutaneous transthoracic catheter drainage (PCD) has been proven effective in lung abscesses, the optimal timing of PCD is still unclear. The study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of early versus delayed drainage in patients with lung abscesses.MethodsThis retrospective study included 103 consecutive patients with liquefied lung abscesses more than 3 cm confirmed by a CT scan received CT-guided PCD over 16 years, from July 2005 to September 2021, in a single institution were reviewed. Early drainage was defined as PCD within one week after a lung abscess was diagnosed. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. The secondary outcomes included perioperative complications and patients’ length of hospital stay (LoS). Factors associated with 90-day mortality and LoS were also analyzed. The key statistical methods were Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, Student t-test, and Pearson correlation.ResultsAmount the 103 patients, there were 64 patients who received early PCD, and 39 patients received delayed PCD. Between the two groups, there were no significant differences in clinical characteristics, 90-day mortality, or perioperative complications. The LoS was significantly shortened in early PCD group (28.6 ± 25.5 vs. 39.3 ± 26.8 (days), p = 0.045). Higher Charlson comorbidity index, secondary lung abscess, and liver cirrhosis were associated with higher mortality (all p &lt; 0.05). Positive sputum culture significantly increased the LoS (coefficient 19.35 (10.19, 28.50), p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionThe 90-day mortality and complications were similar for early PCD and delayed PCD patients, but LoS was significantly shortened in early PCD patient