Abstract:We developed a method based on polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) to quantify the double pass phase retardation (DPPR) induced by Henle fiber layer in three subjects. Measurements of the retina were performed at a mean wavelength of 840 nm using two polarization states that were perpendicular in a Poincaré sphere representation and phase retardation contributions from tissue layers above and below the Henle fiber layer were excluded using appropriately placed reference and measurement points. These points were semiautomatically segmented from intensity data. Using a new algorithm to determine DPPR, the Henle fiber layer in three healthy subjects aged 50-60 years showed elevated DPPR in a concentric ring about the fovea, with an average maximum DPPR for the three subjects of 22.0° (range: 20.4° to 23.0°) occurring at an average retinal eccentricity of 1.8° (range: 1.5° to 2.25°). Outside the ring, a floor of approximately 6.8° was measured, which we show can mainly be attributed to phase noise that is induced in the polarization states. We also demonstrate the method can determine fast axis orientation of the retardation, which is found consistent with the known radial pattern of Henle fibers.

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In view of the sustainable and environmentally friendly characteristics of solar energy, solar water evaporation has been identified as a promising approach to mitigate the global water crises. However, it is still a great challenge to develop a portable, flexible, scalable, and high-performance solar water evaporation material. Herein, a bilayer-structured solar water evaporation material consisting of a top multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) layer and a bottom polyphenylene sulfide/fibrillated cellulose (PPS/FC) paper was fabricated via a simple vacuum filtration technology for efficient solar water evaporation. The MWCNT layer performs as a light absorber with a high solar absorptance (∼93%) in the wavelength range from 400 to 1200 nm and good light-to-heat conversion capability, while the bottom layer (porous network-structured PPS/FC paper) exhibits excellent water transporting ability, high temperature stability, and good thermal insulating capability (0.0467 W m–1 K–1). Benefiting from the above advantages, an attractive water evaporation rate of 1.34 kg m–2 h–1 was achieved with near ∼95% efficiency under 1 sun irradiation (1 kW m–2). Moreover, the MWCNTs@PPS/FC paper maintains high solar evaporation efficiency after several cycles, indicating long-term durability and good reusability. Moreover, the collected clean water using the MWCNTs@PPS/FC paper from seawater of different salinities, simulated wastewater samples with different pH values or containing heavy metal ions, as well as industrial dyes, satisfy the drinkable water standard (defined by WHO), demonstrating excellent seawater desalination and wastewater purification capability. The advanced performances of the MWCNTs@PPS/FC paper could inspire novel paradigms of solar-driven water evaporation technologies in drinkable water collection.

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Growing studies have emerged on adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), which hold the potential for cell-based therapy in diseased injured hearts. Apart from their differentiation pluripotency, such benefits also result from the ability of paracrine. The results of this study showed that after a 24-h hypoxia culture, ADSCs secreted amplified quantities of hepatocyte growth factor, interleukin-1, vascular endothelial growth factor-A, fibroblast growth factor-2, and transforming growth factor-β, all of which increased statistically compared with normoxia cultures. Resultantly, conditioned media (CM) from hypoxia-treated ADSCs can promptly improve cardiac function in in vivo infarction model as well as ameliorate apoptosis of cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation conditions, accompanied by changes of JNK signal activation. While SP600125, a specific JNK pathway inhibitor, partly decreased cardiac cytoprotection assessed by incremental caspase-3 activation and subsequent TUNEL index, which led to no significantly different outcome between CM from ADSCs in normoxia culture and those in hypoxia culture. These data suggested that, in response to hypoxia, ADSCs could amplify expression of several protective soluble factors, which mediate direct cytoprotection. Furthermore, the improvement for impaired cardiomyocytes treated by hypoxia-induced ADSCs-CM was significant in part because of the involvement of the JNK signal pathway.