Incision size contributed to postoperative corneal astigmatism. When incision size was reduced from 3.0 mm to 2.6 mm, SIA was reduced and refractive stabilization was faster. Reduction of incision size from 2.6 mm to 2.2 mm offered no greater reduction of SIA when using the C cartridge; however, the D cartridge (designed for 2.2-mm incisions) should be evaluated.

BackgroundUniversal ocular screening of infants is not a standard procedure in children’s health care system in China. This pilot study investigated prevalence of ocular abnormalities of 6 weeks-age infants using wide-field digital imaging system.MethodsInfants aged 6 weeks around were consecutively enrolled in a public hospital between April 2015 and August 2016. All the infants who were enrolled in the study underwent vision assessment, eye position examination, external eye check, pupillary light reflex, red reflex examination, anterior and posterior ocular segments were examined using flashlight, ophthalmoscope, and wide-field digital imaging system.ResultsA total of 481 infants at 45.1 ± 6.1 days after birth were enrolled in the study. 198 infants had abnormal findings (41.2%). Retinal white spots and retinal white areas were the most common findings (42.9% of abnormalities and 17.7% of all infants screened). The second major finding was retinal hemorrhage (16.2% of abnormalities and 6.7% of all infants screened). Other abnormal findings include retinal pigmentation, concomitant exotropia, neonatal dacryocystitis, retinopathy of prematurity, ‘albinism-like fundus’, congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, immature retina, corneal dermoid tumor, large physiologic cupping of optic disc, congenital persistent pupillary membrane, entropion trichiasis, subconjunctival hemorrhage, congenital cataract, vitreous hemorrhage, ptosis and choroidal nevus. Intervention of any form was required in 22 infants, which accounted for 11.1% of abnormalities detected and 4.6% of all infants screened.ConclusionUniversal ocular screening is not only necessary for preterm infants but also for full-term infants. Addition of red reflex examination with wide-field digital imaging system can enhance the sensitivity of screening for ocular fundus abnormities. Further study with a long-term follow-up is needed in the future.

(6S)-6-Fluoroshikimate has antimicrobial activity. The molecular basis of this effect had not been identified, but there was speculation that (6S)-6-fluoroshikimate is first converted in vivo into 2-fluorochorismate, which then could inhibit 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase (ADCS). 2-Fluorochorismate was prepared from E-fluorophosphoenolpyruvate and erythose-4-phosphate by the sequential reactions of DAHP synthase, dehydroquinate synthase, dehydroquinase, shikimate dehydrogenase, EPSP synthase, and chorismate synthase. Inhibition studies on ADCS showed that it was inhibited rapidly and irreversibly by 2-fluorochorismate. Electrospray mass spectrometry of the inactivated enzyme showed an additional mass of 198 +/- 10 Da. A novel peptide of 1087.6 Da was identified in the HPLC trace for the tryptic digest of 2-fluorochorismate-inactivated ADCS. Sequencing of this peptide by MS/MS showed that the peptide corresponded to residues 272-279 with a modification of 206.1 Da on Lys-274. This observation is particularly exciting in the context of a recent proposal for the catalytic mechanism of ADCS.

Dimensional isomers, defined in reticular chemistry as frameworks consisting of identical molecular building blocks but extended in two or three dimensions (2D or 3D), are an important type of framework isomers that have never been isolated. Herein, we report the crystallization of dimensional isomers in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for the first time. By polymerization of the same molecular building blocks at different temperatures, both 2D and 3D COFs were successfully constructed due to the temperature-induced conformational changes of precursors from planar to tetrahedral. In addition, the nonfluorescent 2D COF can be gradually converted into the fluorescent 3D COF by increasing the temperature under solvothermal conditions. Therefore, it is reasonable to crystallize the dimensional isomers of reticular materials by controlling the conformation of molecular building blocks, and more examples can be expected. Since the obtained dimensional isomers show different properties and functions, this work will definitely motivate us to design reticular materials for target applications in the future.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune bleeding disorder with isolated thrombocytopenia and risk of hemorrhage. Treatment with eltrombopag increases and maintains hemostatic platelet counts; however, to date, long-term data are lacking on the outcome of children with ITP who are treated with eltrombopag. This prospective, observational, longitudinal cohort study evaluated the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag in pediatric patients with persistent or chronic ITP. For the 116 pediatric patients enrolled, duration of eltrombopag treatment was at least 3 months. Median effective dose was 25 mg/day, 50 mg/day, and 50 mg/day, respectively, for children age 5 years or younger, 6 to 11 years, or 12 years or older. In all, 89 patients (76.7%) achieved overall response, 53 (45.7%) achieved complete response, and 36 (31.0%) achieved response. Median platelet counts increased by week 1 and were sustained throughout the treatment period. During treatment with eltrombopag, the proportion of patients with grade 1 to 4 bleeding symptoms decreased from 83.61% at baseline to 9.88% at 6 months when only grade 1 was reported. Forty-three patients (37.1%) reported using concomitant medications at study entry, which was reduced to 1 patient (2.5%) who needed concomitant medications at 12 months. All adverse events were grade 1 or 2 according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. No serious adverse events, cataracts, malignancies, or thromboses were reported during the study. Long-term treatment with eltrombopag was generally safe, well tolerated, and effective in maintaining platelet counts and reducing bleeding in most pediatric patients with persistent or chronic ITP. Combined with future studies, these findings will help establish how eltrombopag should best be used in the management of pediatric patients with East Asian ancestry.

Assessment of muscle function has a range of applications, including appraisal of the presence and severity of muscle weakness and fatigability, examination of the effectiveness of intervention programmes and development and monitoring of training programmes. Muscle function assessment is routinely performed in rehabilitation, physical education, coaching and research. Procedures have been extensively examined in adults, but not in children. The aim of this review is to bring to the forefront the issue of paediatric muscle function assessment. Objective methods of muscle function assessment are critically analysed with specific attention to the issues of applicability, validity and reliability. Each of the methods reviewed (isokinetic dynamometry, hand-held dynamometry, field tests, and standard weights equipment) has its limitations. All procedures have been occasionally studied for validity and reliability and optimal procedures have yet to be identified. Methodological limits can be generalized to the type and speed of activation, standardization of procedures, subject familiarization, gravity and size and psychological influences. It is important for administrators of muscle function tests to be aware of the various factors that can both influence and confound interpretation. It was concluded that muscle function assessment in children requires significant further investigation. Although there is a wide range of procedures available, there is limited and equivocal research proving validity and reliability. Widespread use of the most valid and reliable methods is encouraged. Future research directions are also considered.

Recent studies suggest that proliferative activity (S-phase fraction [SPF]) may have greater prognostic significance than total nuclear DNA content; however, relatively few studies have examined SPF from paraffin-embedded tissue because of significant contamination of histograms with debris. In this study, cell cycle analysis was performed on 124 matched tissue specimens. Fresh tissue was divided into two equal portions; one portion was frozen, whereas the other portion was processed and embedded in paraffin. S-phase could be determined for both frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue in 81 cases. Correlation between SPF from frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue was demonstrated (r = 0.80) when debris was subtracted from histograms with the use of two new subtraction algorithms referred to as multicut and singlecut. Unlike other debris-subtraction algorithms, the quantity and distribution of debris calculated by these algorithms are dependent on the magnitude and position of histogram peaks. A lesser degree of correlation was demonstrated with the use of a standard exponential debris subtraction algorithm (r = 0.67). Correlation of SPF for aneuploid cases was greater when SPF was calculated as a percentage of the aneuploid cell population rather than as a percentage of the entire cell population. This was attributed to the observation that the proportion of aneuploid cells from paraffin-embedded tissue was less than that from frozen tissue. The results of this study indicate that SPF can be calculated from paraffin-embedded tissue with values comparable to those obtained from frozen tissue. The ability to calculate SPF reliably from paraffin-embedded tissue should allow additional evaluation of this parameter as a prognostic indicator.

Cytoplasmic fractions from species of the Mollicutes genera Entomoplusma, Mesoplasma, Mycoplusma, and Acholeplusma were assayed for NADH oxidase (NADH ox), ATP-and PP,-dependent phosphofructokinase (PFK), ATP-and PP,-dependent deoxyguanosine kinase (dGUOK), thymidine kinase (TK), TMP kinase (TMPK), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (MPde), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase, dUTPase, and uracil-DNA glycosylase (UNG) activities. Membrane fractions were also examined for NADH ox activity. These activities were used as indicators of the presence and relative activities of major MoZZicutes metabolic and DNA repair pathways. This was the first study to determine the presence of these enzymes in members of the genera Entomoplusma and Mesoplusma. Using the data obtained, we constructed a preliminary scheme for distinguishing genera of the class Mollicutes on the basis of the results of signature functional enzyme assays. This scheme includes phylogenetic relationships deduced from rRNA analyses, but is more informative with respect to metabolic potential. The criteria used include the presence of PP,-dependent PFK, urease, dUTPase, and dGUOK activities. Entomoplasma ellychniae ELCN-lT (T = type strain), Entomoplasma meluleucae M-lT, Mesoplasma segertii F7T, Mesoplusma entomophilum TACT, Mesoplusma jlorum LIT, Mycoplusma fermentans PGIST, and AchoZeplasma multibcale PN525T were similar in most respects. NADH ox activity was localized in the cytoplasm of these organisms. These strains had ATP-dependent PFK, MDH, LDH, ATP-and PP,-dependent dGUOK, and UNG activities, but not dUTPase or G6Pde activities. In contrast, Acholeplusma equifetale C112T, Acholeplasma oculi 19LT, Acholeplasma hippikon CIT, Acholeplusma modicum PG49T, and Acholeplasma momm 72-043T had membrane-localized NADH ox activity, PP,-dependent PFK, G6Pde, and dUTPase activities, and significantly lower MDH and LDH activities and exhibited a faster rate with PP, than with ATP in the dGUOK reaction. All of the members of the MoZZicutes tested had hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, and (except for Mesoplasma entomophilum TACT) UNG activities. All of the Acholeplusma strains except Acholeplusmu multilocale PN52ST had TK, TMPK, and UNG activities. Mesoplusma entomophilum TACT was distinguished by having no detectable dUTPase, UNG, TK, and TMPK activities, indicating that there is a severe restriction in or an absence of a synthetic route to dTTP. Our data also suggest that A. multiZocale PN52ST is a member of an unrecognized metabolic subgroup of the genus Acholeplusm or is not an Acholeplusma strain.Distinguishing members of the class Mollicutes by their metabolic characteristics has been of very limited phylogenetic and taxonomic usefulness. Standards for describing Mollicutes taxa have been published previously (7). Characteristics such as gross cellular morphology, colonial appearance, genome size, and serologic...