[Applications of anterior segment optical coherence tomography in corneal refractive surgery]

Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) has the characteristics of non-contact, noninvasive, high sensitivity, and repeatability, and offers high-resolution in vivo imaging of the structures of the anterior eye segment. It can be used in the diagnosis and assistance of conditions related to the anterior eye segment. This review provides an update on the research and clinical applications of AS-OCT in corneal refractive surgery, including preoperative keratoconus screening, intraoperative real-time visualization of corneal structures, postoperative corneal evaluation, and management of postoperative complications. We also explore the potential application of AS-OCT in combination with corneal biomechanical detection for corneal refractive surgery.

Hierarchical hollow superstructure cobalt selenide bird nests for high-performance lithium storage

The inferior cycling performance caused by large volume variation is the main problem that restricts the application of cobalt selenides in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, we synthesize raspberry-like Co-ethylene glycol precursor. It is further selenized into the hierarchical hollow superstructure CoSe₂/CoSe bird nests that are assembled by the hollow nanosphere units of CoSe₂ and CoSe nanocrystalline. CoSe₂/CoSe bird nests achieve excellent cycling performance, high reversible capacity and satisfactory rate capability (1361 mAh/g at 1 A/g after 1000 cycles, 579 mAh/g at 2 A/g after 2000 cycles, 315 mAh/g at 5 A/g after 1000 cycles). Electrochemical kinetics analyses and ex-situ material characterization reveal that the surface capacitive behavior controls the electrochemical reaction, and the composite has low reaction impedance, fast and stable Li⁺ diffusion, and superior structural stability. The superior lithium storage performance is attributed to the unique superstructure bird nest. Large specific surface area, abundant hierarchical pores and the opening mouth result in high electrochemical activity, which induces high reversible capacity. The small hollow nanosphere units, the sufficiently thick hierarchical porous superstructure shell and the large hollow interior bring about the strong synergistic effect to improve cycling performance. The intimately coupling of CoSe₂/CoSe nanocrystalline and the hollow nanosphere units guarantees high conductivity. This work has greatly enriched the understanding of structure design of high-performance cobalt selenide anodes.

[Effect of hormones on keratoconus and its mechanism]

Keratoconus is an ectatic corneal disorder and characterized by central and/or inferior temporal corneal thinning in a cone shape. Studies have shown that its pathogenesis is related to changes in tissue proteins, enzymes, immune functions and specific genes, but the exact pathogenesis has not been clearly clarified yet. Hormones such as sex hormones have been found to be associated with keratoconus. This review aims to summarize and analyze the research progress of the effect of hormones on keratoconus and its mechanism, so as to explore the role of hormones in the early diagnosis of keratoconus and find new targets in the treatment of keratoconus, providing reference for clinical work.

Constructing metal-organic framework-derived Mn2O3multishelled hollow nanospheres for high-performance cathode of aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Herein, we successfully synthesize Mn₂O₃multishelled hollow nanospheres through simply oxidizing Mn-based metal-organic framework microspheres. The number of the shells reaches 4. Many cavities and nanograins are hidden underneath the shell. The multishelled hollow structure brings about a wide hierarchical mesopore size range, large pore volume (0.26 cm³g^-1) and high specific surface area (117.6 m²g^-1). The superior zinc-ion storage performance may be achieved. The reversible capacity reaches 453 mAh g^-1at current density of 0.1 A g^-1. After 500 cycles at 1 A g^-1, the discharge capacity of 152.8 mAh g^-1is still delivered. The discharge capacity at 1.5 A g^-1stabilizes at 107 mAh g^-1. The zinc storage process is further studied through kinetics analyses. It is found that in the zinc storage process, ion diffusion process and capacitive process occur simultaneously, and the capacitive process is dominant. The excellent electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to the multishelled hollow nanosphere structure of Mn₂O₃. This structure promotes contact of electrode materials/electrolyte, offers more active sites, facilitates infiltration of electrolyte, buffer volume change of Mn₂O₃, improving electrochemical activity, reaction kinetics and cycling performance of Mn₂O₃. Overall, Mn₂O₃multishelled hollow nanosphere is an excellent cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

[Suggestions on the nomenclature of liver cancer]

Currently, the systematized nomenclature of medicine (SNOMED) of liver cancer is confusing, and it is mixed with the SNOMED of cholangiocarcinoma. We hereby presented our own points, hoping to provide a reference for standardizing the nomenclatures and classifications of liver cancer in future clinical studies. The preface of Chinese Guidelines of Primary Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment (2019 Edition) indicated that primary liver cancer mainly includes three different pathological types, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and mixed-type carcinoma of both HCC and ICC. These three types of carcinoma show great differences in terms of pathogenesis, biological behavior, histological morphology, treatment methods, and prognosis, among which, HCC accounts for 85% to 90%. Therefore, this study is a detailed analysis of the above-mentioned related SNOMED and proposes suggestions for corrections.

Intimately coupled Mn3O4nanocrystalline@3D honeycomb hierarchical porous network scaffold carbon for high-performance cathode of aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Herein, 3D honeycomb hierarchical porous network scaffold carbon is synthesized by a unique PVP-SiO₂-boiling method with the boiling bubbles as soft template and SiO₂nanospheres as hard template. Then MnO₂nanosheets intimately grow on the carbon matrix and are further decomposed to Mn₃O₄nanocrystalline with size of 7-9 nm. The obtained Mn₃O₄nanocrystalline@3D honeycomb hierarchical porous network scaffold carbon has abundant mesopores and large specific surface area (92 m²g^-1). When used as a cathode material for zinc-ion batteries, the synthesized composites exhibit high reversible capacity (546.2 mAh g^-1at 0.5 A g^-1), remarkable cycling stability (discharge capacity of 97.8 mAh g^-1at 3 A g^-1after 600 cycles) and superior rate capability (15.7 mAh g^-1at 10 A g^-1). The kinetics analyses indicate zinc storage mechanism includes diffusion process and capacitive process of Zn²⁺and H⁺ions, and the capacitive storage is dominant. The outstanding zinc storage performance benefits from the structural advantages. The unique carbon matrix improves electronic conductivity of Mn₃O₄, facilitates penetration of electrolyte, and well supports Mn₃O₄nanocrystalline. The small size and large specific surface area of Mn₃O₄nanocrystalline induce significant capacitive storage effect.

Pomegranate-like C@TiO2 mesoporous honeycomb spheres for high performance lithium ion batteries

Pomegranate-like C@TiO₂ mesoporous honeycomb spheres have been synthesized through two simple steps: formation of TiO₂ mesoporous honeycomb spheres and the coating of polypyrrole followed by carbonization. TiO₂ mesoporous honeycomb spheres are of large specific surface area of 153 m² g^-1 and contain abundant mesopores, which leads to high electrochemical activity and good kinetic performance of TiO₂. A layer of amorphous carbon shell with the thickness of 30-40 nm tightly encapsulates a TiO₂ mesoporous honeycomb sphere, forming a novel pomegranate-like small sphere, which significantly improves electronic conductivity and structural stability of TiO₂. Benefiting from the unique pomegranate-like structure, C@TiO₂ mesoporous honeycomb spheres exhibit high specific capacity, stable long-term cycling performance and good rate capability as an anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). After 500 cycles at 1 C, the discharge capacity still reaches 184 mAh g^-1. The electrochemical performance is superior to pure TiO₂ mesoporous honeycomb spheres and most of the reported high-performance TiO₂-based composites. This work provides a new high-performance TiO₂-carbon-based composite material for LIBs as well as a new valuable research strategy.

Watermelon-like TiO2 nanoparticle (P25)@microporous amorphous carbon sphere with excellent rate capability and cycling performance for lithium-ion batteries

To overcome the inferior rate capability and cycling performance of TiO₂ nanomaterials as an anode material of lithium-ion batteries, we encapsulate TiO₂ nanoparticles (P25) in carbon spheres through a facile pyrrole polymerization and carbonization. Material characterization demonstrates TiO₂ nanoparticles are uniformly embedded in microporous amorphous carbon spheres, forming a watermelon-like structure. P25@C exhibits excellent high rate capability with average discharge capacity of 496, 416, 297, 240, 180, 99, 49 and 25 mAh g^-1 at current rate of 0.5C, 1C, 5C, 10C, 20C, 50C, 100C and 200C, which shows superior long-term cycling performance with discharge capacity of 106.9 mAh g^-1 at 20C after 5000 cycles. The capacity loss rate is only 0.008% per cycle. The outstanding lithium storage performance is ascribed to the watermelon-like composite structure, which remarkably improves electronic conductivity and structure stability of TiO₂ nanoparticles. More importantly, the agglomeration of TiO₂ nanoparticles is eliminated, and the entire surface of every TiO₂ nanoparticle participates in the electrochemical reaction, which brings about an intense capacitive Li storage effect and leads to the high specific capacity and excellent rate capability of P25@C. This is confirmed through qualitative and quantitative analysis of the contributions from surface capacitive storage and bulk intercalation storage to the total capacity of the composite.

3D porous framework of ZnO nanoparticles assembled from double carbon shells consisting of hard and soft carbon networks for high performance lithium ion batteries

Low electronic conductivity and large volume variation result in inferior lithium storage performance of ZnO. To overcome these shortcomings of ZnO, herein ZnO nanoparticles are encapsulated in resorcinol-formaldehyde resin-derived hard carbon and then further assembled into a 3-dimensional mesoporous framework structure using a polyvinyl pyrrolidone-derived soft carbon network. The synthesis methods include the polymerization of resorcinol-formaldehyde resin and a polyvinyl pyrrolidone-boiling method. ZnO@dual carbon has af large specific surface area (153.7 m² g^-1) and high porosity. It exhibits excellent cycling performance and high rate capability. After 350 cycles at 500 mA g^-1, the ZnO@dual carbon still delivers a discharge capacity of 701 mAh g^-1 while the actual discharge capacity of ZnO reaches 950.9 mAh g^-1. At 2 A g^-1, ZnO@dual carbon delivers the average discharge capacity of 469.6 mAh g^-1. The electrochemical performance of ZnO@dual carbon is remarkably superior to those of ZnO@single carbon, pure carbon and pure ZnO nanoparticles, demonstrating the superiority of the dual carbon-assembly structure. This composite structure greatly improves the structural stability of ZnO, enhances its electron conductivity and overall electron transport capacity; which facilitates electrolyte penetration and Li ion diffusion, leading to improved cycling stability and good rate capability.

Construction of Co3O4 three-dimensional mesoporous framework structures from zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 with enhanced lithium storage properties

High-porosity mesoporous framework structures are attractive for electrochemical energy storage and other applications. Herein we demonstrate a novel synthesis strategy to make zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 oxidize to a Co₃O₄ three-dimensional mesoporous framework structure. This strategy relies on the oxygen-limitation effect of the closed nanocage and the affinity effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone towards zeolitic imidazolate framework-67. Several TiO₂ nanospheres, as the unique structure junctions, are uniformly embedded within the Co₃O₄ framework to enhance the framework strength. The TiO₂/hydrous titania polyhedron nanocage, as the protecting shell, further encapsulates the Co₃O₄ framework, forming a perfect capsule-type hybrid. As anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, TiO₂@Co₃O₄ framework capsules show superior lithium storage performance with high reversible capacity, stable cycling life and good rate capability. A reversible capacity of 1042 mAh g^-1 can be delivered after 200 cycles at a current density of 300 mA g^-1. The average discharge capacity over 200 cycles reaches 926 mAh g^-1. This demonstrates the superiority of this material structure and its great potential as an anode for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. This work indicates a new strategy to take advantage of metal-organic frameworks to synthesize their mesoporous framework derivatives.

Co3O4 hollow nanospheres/carbon-assembled mesoporous polyhedron with internal bubbles encapsulating TiO2 nanosphere for high-performance lithium ion batteries

Co₃O₄ hollow nanospheres 15 nm in the diameter were assembled to the mesoporous polyhedron together with carbon. Within the Co₃O₄ polyhedrons, the bubbles 300-500 nm in diameter were uniformly generated. Every bubble further encapsulated one TiO₂ nanosphere, forming a unique sphere-bubble structure. The specific surface area and the pore volume were calculated to be 97.85 and 0.31 cm³ g^-1. When evaluated as anode material for lithium ion batteries, the as-prepared material exhibited superior lithium storage properties with high specific capacity, excellent cycling stability and good rate capability. After 400 cycles, the discharge capacity of 609 mAh g^-1 was still delivered at current density of 335 mA g^-1. Even at a high current density of 2000 mA g^-1, the reversible capacity reached 296 mAh g^-1. The outstanding electrochemical performance was attributed to the unique hybrid structure, which avoids nanomaterial aggregation, promotes ion diffusion and electron transfer, accommodates volume change of Co₃O₄ during (de)lithiation process, enhances structure strength, cycling stability and space utilization ratio of the hollow material.

[Ocular natural killer/T cell lymphoma: a clinicopathologic analysis]

Objective: To evaluate the clinicopathological features of ocular natural killer(NK)/T cell lymphoma. Methods: Data of 21 patients (22 eyes) with ocular NK/T cell lymphoma treated at Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University from January 2006 to March 2018 were retrospectively analyzed for clinical data, morphology, immunophenotype and outcomes. Results: There were 10 males and 11 females with ages from 3 to 77 years (mean, 43 years). There were 20 unilateral cases (10 left eyes and 10 right eyes) and 1 bilateral case. Except for 1 case of corneal perforation resulting from the involvement of the conjunctiva and cornea, the other cases all involved the orbit (including eyelids and conjunctiva) as demonstrated by radiologic studies, with the lacrimal sac involved in 3 cases, and the nasal cavity or maxillary sinus involved in 2 cases. Three patients had been previously diagnosed sinonasal NK/T cell lymphoma with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Two patients had a history of ovarian NK/T cell lymphoma with chemotherapy. One patient had multiple ulcers of skin and mucosa at presentation. There were 13 primary ocular NK/T cell lymphomas without evidence of nasal or systemic involvement. All patients presented with eyelid swelling and decreased visual acuity. There were proptosis in 18 cases, motility restriction in 13 cases, eyelid ulceration in 3 cases, and fever in 4 cases. They had all been previously diagnosed as orbital pseudotumor or cellulitis and there was no response to steroids and antibiotics. Pathological examination showed atypical lymphoid infiltration with an angioinvasive growth pattern causing coagulative necrosis. Cytologically, the medium-sized neoplastic cells showed irregular folded nuclei. The neoplastic cells were positive for cytoplasmic CD3ε, CD56, and cytotoxic molecules and Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization. Seven patients were lost to follow-up. Ten patients died 2.0 to 17.0 months after diagnosis (mean, 6.3 months) despite treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Conclusions: Ocular NK/T cell lymphoma is a rare form of ocular lymphoma. There are primary NK/T cell lymphoma and secondary ocular NK/T cell lymphoma with nasal or systemic involvement. The rarity of this tumor and inflammatory signs make it challenging to identify these tumors early. The neoplastic cells are positive for cytoplasmic CD3ε, CD56, cytotoxic molecules and EBER in situ hybridization. Despite aggressive therapy, it demonstrates high lethality with poor prognosis. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55: 374-380).

Abstract 4479: Protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT6 regulates cancer stemness through CRAF methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma

Arginine methylation is a post-translational modification that plays pivotal roles in signal transduction and gene transcription during cell fate determination. We found protein methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) to be frequently down-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and its expression to negatively correlate with aggressive cancer features in HCC patients. Silencing of PRMT6 promoted the tumor-initiating, metastasis and therapy resistance potential of HCC cells. Consistently, loss of PRMT6 expression aggravated liver tumorigenesis in a DEN+CCL4 HCC induced PRMT6-/- mouse model. Integrated transcriptome and protein-protein interaction studies revealed an enrichment of genes implicated in RAS signaling and that PRMT6 interacted with CRAF, and likely other RAF family members, and their methylation at conserved arginine 100, negatively regulating its activity, and as a consequence resulting in enhanced MEK/ERK signaling. Our work uncovered a critical repressive function for PRMT6 in maintenance of HCC cells by regulating the MEK/ERK pathway via arginine methylation of RAF, providing a new avenue of molecular mechanism by which ERK mediated stemness in HCC cells are developed.

Citation Format: LH Chan, L Zhou, Kai Yu Ng, TL Wong, TK Lee, YP Ching, YF Yuan, D Xie, S Richard, MS Huen, XY Guan, S Ma. Protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT6 regulates cancer stemness through CRAF methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4479.

CoO microspheres and metallic Co evolved from hexagonal α-Co(OH)2 plates in a hydrothermal process for lithium storage and magnetic applications

CoO microspheres and metallic Co could be successfully synthesized by simply reacting cobalt acetate with a mixture solvent of ethylene glycol and deionized water in a hydrothermal process for different times. As the reaction proceeded, α-Co(OH)₂, CoO and metallic Co were produced. To understand the phase evolution processes from α-Co(OH)₂ to CoO and then metallic Co, a range of time-dependent experiments were carried out, and the intermediate products obtained at different reaction times were investigated in detail. The investigation revealed that CoO microspheres were actually evolved from α-Co(OH)₂ as a precursor. Just elongating the reaction time, CoO microspheres could be further reduced to metallic Co. With a pure ethylene glycol medium for the same reaction, only α-Co(OH)₂ could be generated, indicating an important role of water. When the obtained CoO microspheres were used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, they delivered a specific capacity of 803 mA h g^-1 at 0.1 A g^-1 with a retention of 453 mA h g^-1 after 70 cycles. Meanwhile, the magnetic properties of the obtained CoO microspheres and metallic Co were investigated, with the CoO microspheres showing an antiferromagnetic behavior and the metallic Co exhibiting ferromagnetic characteristics. This study suggested a novel method for synthesizing CoO with a uniform microsphere morphology and bulk metallic Co easily.

[Short-term efficacy of intravitreal injection of melphalan for refractory vitreous seeding from retinoblastoma]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal chemotherapy for refractory vitreous seeding from retinoblastoma. Methods: Retrospective series of case studies. Nine patients (13 eyes) with the diagnosis of refractory vitreous seeding were enrolled in Department of Ophthalmology of Eye& ENT Hospital of Fudan University from March 2014 to October 2015.There were 6 males and 3 females. Children aged 8 to 40 months, median age of 18 months. In the 13 eyes, 3 eyes were E period, 9 eyes were D period, and 1 eyes were C period. The fundus was examined by indirect ophthalmoscope and recorded by RetcamIII. Systemic chemotherapy was performed using the VEC protocol, that is vincristine, etoposide, and carboplatin. Local treatment also involves cryotherapy and/or thermotherapy. All patients were treated with intravitreal injection of melphalan. They underwent intravitreal melphalan, once every 4 weeks, with an average of 3 times of injections. The treatment dose of melphalan is 20 to 40 μg per dose. Observe the vitreous seed control and complications of therapy. Results: Vitreous seeds control was attained in all cases. There was no case of orbital extension or remote metastasis. Complications included retinal pigment epithelial and choroidal atrophy in 7 eyes, pupillary synechia and iris atrophy in 2 eyes,retinal vasculitis and vascular occlusion in 2 eyes, optic atrophy in 2 eyes, vitreous hemorrhage in 1 eye, and temporary hypotony in 3 eyes. Conclusions: Intravitreal melphalan is an effective treatment for refractory vitreous seeding from retinoblastoma. High dose may lead to local adverse reactions. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 570-574).

The expression of core fucosylated E-cadherin in cancer cells and lung cancer patients: prognostic implications

It is well documented that the glycosylation of E-cadherin is correlated with cancer metastasis, but whether E-cadherin could be core fucosylated remains largely unknown. We found that E-cadherin was core fucosylated in highly metastatic lung cancer cells while absent in lowly metastatic lung cancer cells. Since alpha-1,6 Fucosyltransferase (alpha-1,6 FucT) is known to catalyze the reaction of core fucosylation, we investigated the biological function of core fucosylation on E-cadherin by alpha-1,6 FucT targeted RNAi and transfecting alpha-1,6 FucT expression vector. As a result, calcium dependent cell-cell adhesion mediated by E-cadherin was strengthened with the reduction of core fucosylation on E-cadherin after RNAi and was weakened with the elevated core fucosylation on E-cadherin after alpha-1,6 FucT over expression. Our data indicated that alpha-1,6 FucT could regulate E-cadherin mediated cell adhesion and thus play an important role in cancer development and progression. Computer modeling showed that core fucosylation on E-cadherin could significantly impair three-dimensional conformation of N-glycan on E-cadherin and produce conformational asymmetry so as to suppress the function of E-cadherin. Furthermore, the relationship between the expression of core fucosylated E-cadherin and clinicopathological background of lung cancer patients was explored in lung cancer tissue of patients. It turns out to demonstrate that core fucosylated E-cadherin could serve as a promising prognostic indicator for lung cancer patients.

[Foundational study of subcritical water chromatography]

AIM

To study the subcritical water chromatographic discipline of compounds with medium and high polarity on the capillary and packed column.

METHODS

A packed and capillary subcritical water chromatography-FID detection system was built up. Six alcohols were well separated on a C18 column and the influence of temperature on chromatographic behavior of alcohols with different polarity was studied. The influence of temperature and pressure on chromatographic behavior of benzoic acid and gensenoside Rg1 on a SE-54 capillary column were also studied.

RESULTS

Increasing temperature resulted in the decreasing polarity of mobile phase, shortened retention times of components separated, narrowed peak shape and improved tailing as well.

CONCLUSION

Temperature programming could be used successfully to separate compounds with various polarity selectively. Thermostable capillary column could enlarge the range of temperature even more.

Use of silica gel with reversed-phase eluents for the separation and determination of alkaloids in Corydalis Yanhusuo W. T. Wang and its preparations

An HPLC method using unmodified silica with reversed-phase eluents was developed for the determination of DL-tetrahydropalmatine in Corydalis Yanhusuo W. T. Wang and its set prescription preparations. The mobile phase was a mixture of methanol and 2 mmol/L phosphate buffer (75:25, v/v). The result was calculated by external standardization. The method is simple, rapid and precise, and could also be used for the separation and determination of alkaloids in other crude drugs and preparations.

Randomized study of chemoembolization as an adjuvant therapy for primary liver carcinoma after hepatectomy

From April 1990 to December 1993, 140 patients were recruited to a randomized study to evaluate transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) as an adjuvant therapy for primary liver carcinoma after hepatectomy. This study investigated the principle, techniques and results of TACE. The results showed that the intrahepatic recurrence rate was 48.9% in the patients who underwent radical resection only, but only 21.3% in the patients who also underwent TACE 3-4 weeks after hepatectomy (P < 0.01). The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year survival rates were 72.3%, 52.7%, 35.1%, and 35.1% respectively for the patients who underwent radical resection only, and were 97.9%, 85.5%, 69.5%, and 56.9% for the patients who also underwent TACE 3-4 weeks after radical resection (P < 0.001). The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year survival rates were 38.9%, 0%, 0%, and 0% for the patients who underwent palliative resection only, and were 68.3%, 32.3%, 21.5%, and 21.5% respectively for the patients undergoing TACE 3-4 weeks after palliative hepatectomy (P < 0.001).