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To evaluate the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings of epiretinal membrane (ERM) and its three associated diseases: macular pseudohole (MPH), ERM-foveoschisis (ERM-FS), and lamellar macular hole (LMH). We retrospectively reviewed all eyes that underwent vitrectomy with a follow-up of at least 6 months. All eyes were classified into four groups, ERM, MPH, ERM-FS, and LMH based on spectral-domain (SD) OCT findings. Factors analyzed included preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), presence of inner and outer retinal cysts, epiretinal proliferation (EP), and ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption, central fovea thickness (CFT), central retina thickness (CRT), and macular volume (MV). After enrolling 720 eyes of 664 patients, eyes were classified into four groups: ERM (592 eyes), MPH (76 eyes), ERM-FS (63 eyes), and LMH (42 eyes). BCVA significantly improved in all groups. Although preoperative BCVA was not significantly different among the four groups, postoperative BCVA was significantly worse in LMH versus ERM (p < 0.001). Inner and outer retinal cysts were significantly more prevalent in ERM-FS versus ERM and the other three groups, respectively. EP was significantly more frequently observed in LMH versus the other three groups (p < 0.001). CFT and CRT were significantly higher in ERM versus the other three groups, and MV was significantly larger in ERM than in MPH and LMH (p < 0.05). ERM had a higher CFT and CRT, and a larger MV. The postoperative BCVA was worse in LMH versus ERM, while LMH had a higher frequency of EP.

PurposeTo evaluate clinical features and visual outcomes in macular pseudohole (MPH) and to investigate associations between visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters in patients with MPH.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with MPH who underwent vitrectomy and were followed for at least 6 months after surgery. MPH was diagnosed based on spectral-domain OCT findings. Analysed factors included axial length, spherical equivalent, overlapping cases of epiretinal membrane foveoschisis (ERM-FS) and lamellar macular hole (LMH), presence of glaucoma, preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), presence of inner and outer retinal cysts, epiretinal proliferation (EP) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption.ResultsThis study enrolled 76 eyes of 75 patients, with overlapping cases that included MPH+ERM FS (17 eyes), MPH+LMH (18 eyes) and MPH+ERM FS + LMH (3 eyes). BCVA significantly improved from 0.29±0.25 preoperatively to 0.06±0.17 postoperatively (p<0.001). Preoperative BCVA and the presence of EP exhibited significant associations with worse postoperative BCVA (p<0.0005 and p<0.05, respectively). Presence of EZ disruption at 3 and 6 months postoperatively was associated with worse postoperative BCVA (p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively).ConclusionThere was significant improvement in patients with MPH after undergoing surgery. Current results suggest preoperative poor visual acuity, preoperative presence of EP and postoperative EZ disruption are negative prognostic factors for visual outcomes.

Alkaline burns to the cornea lead to loss of corneal transparency, which is essential for normal vision. We used a rat corneal alkaline burn model to investigate the effect of ophthalmic trimebutine solution on healing wounds caused by alkaline burns. Trimebutine, an inhibitor of the high-mobility group box 1-receptor for advanced glycation end products, when topically applied to the burned cornea, suppressed macrophage infiltration in the early phase and neutrophil infiltration in the late phase at the wound site. It also inhibited neovascularization and myofibroblast development in the late phase. Furthermore, trimebutine effectively inhibited interleukin-1β expression in the injured cornea. It reduced scar formation by decreasing the expression of type III collagen. These findings suggest that trimebutine may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for corneal wounds, not only through its anti-inflammatory effects but also by preventing neovascularization.

Background Screening and prophylactic treatment for hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is recommended for patients who receive immunosuppressive or cytotoxic therapy. The aim of this study was to clarify the prevalence of HBV reactivation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who had received more than 1 year of immunosuppressive therapy. This study also evaluated guidelines for determining HBV reactivation in patients with RA. Methods This was a prospective non-randomized, non-controlled study. We enrolled 50 patients with RA who had antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and who had started treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, including those who had additionally received anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF-α). HBV DNA levels were measured every 2–3 months by a real-time, polymerase chain reaction-based method. Entecavir was administered to patients with HBV DNA levels >2.1 log/ml. Results The mean observation period was 23 months (range 12–32 months). HBV reactivation occurred in 2 of 5 patients with HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and in 1 of 45 patients without HBsAg. In patients who received anti-TNF-α therapy, antibodies against HBsAg decreased significantly. Entecavir therapy inhibited HBV amplification and prevented HBV-associated flares of hepatitis. Conclusions The incidence of HBV reactivation was low in RA patients in whom HBV infection had been resolved. Screening for HBV reactivation and prophylactic therapy with entecavir were effective means of preventing HBV-associated hepatic failure in patients with HBsAg, as well as in those with only anti-HBc who received immunosuppressive therapy for RA.

Soft-crystals are defined as flexible molecular solids with highly ordered structures and have attracted attention in molecular sensing materials based on external triggers and environments. Here, we show the soft-crystal copolymerization of green-luminescent Tb(III) and yellow-luminescent Dy(III) coordination centers. Soft-crystal polymerization is achieved via transformation of monomeric dinuclear complexes and polymeric structures with respect to coordination number and geometry. The structural transformation is characterized using single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. The connected Tb(III) crystal-Dy(III) crystal show photon energy transfer from the Dy(III) centre to the Tb(III) centre under blue light excitation (selective Dy(III) centre excitation: 460 ± 10 nm). The activation energy of the energy transfer is estimated using the temperature-dependent emission lifetimes and emission quantum yields, and time-dependent density functional theory (B3LYP) calculations. Luminescence-conductive polymers, photonic molecular trains, are successfully prepared via soft-crystal polymerization on crystal media with remarkable long-range energy migration. Soft-crystals are molecular solids with highly ordered structures. Here, authors report the soft-crystal copolymerization of green-luminescent Tb(III) and yellow-luminescent Dy(III) complexes, and study the long-range energy transfer from one crystal to the other.

Introduction: Metastatic iris tumors from lung cancer are uncommon and challenging to diagnose. As lung cancer treatments improve, life expectancy increases, potentially leading to more cases of metastasis. These tumors often cause neovascular glaucoma, making intraocular pressure (IOP) management crucial, especially in terminal-stage patients. Case Presentation: A 65-year-old man with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) presented with right ocular pain and blurred vision. His right IOP was 55 mm Hg, and examination revealed anterior chamber cells, multiple grayish-white iris masses, and right iris neovascularization. Anterior chamber fluid cytology confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic iris tumors from SCLC. Despite treatment with topical eye drops, oral acetazolamide, and intravenous hypertonic mannitol, the IOP remained poorly controlled. Intravitreal aflibercept was subsequently administered into his right eye for neovascular glaucoma. Neovascular glaucoma disappeared rapidly, but IOP did not improve. However, intravenous infusion of hypertonic mannitol was no longer required, and the complaints of nausea associated with IOP decreased. Although this patient died 4 months after the initial visit due to multiple metastases of SCLC, the intravitreal aflibercept was effective in shrinking the iris tumor size and lowering IOP in the terminal phase of the disease. Conclusion: This is the first reported use of intravitreal aflibercept for SCLC metastases to the iris. While the prognosis of patients with metastatic iris tumors remains poor, intravitreal aflibercept injections show potential in reducing iris tumor size and lowering IOP. Although not curative, this therapeutic approach may play a significant role in the symptom management of these patients.

Prediction of material properties of newly designed molecules is a long-term goal in organic electronics. In general, it is a difficult problem, because the material properties are dominated by the unknown packing structure. We present a practical method to obtain charge transport properties of organic single crystals, without use of experimental single-crystal data. As a demonstration, we employ the promising molecule C 10 –DNBDT. We succeeded in quantitative evaluation of charge mobility of the single crystal using our quantum wave-packet dynamical simulation method. Here, the single-crystal data is computationally obtained by searching possible packing structures from structural formula of the molecule. We increase accuracy in identifying the actual crystal structure from suggested ones by using not only crystal energy but also similarity between calculated and experimental powder X-ray diffraction patterns. The proposed methodology can be a theoretical design technique for efficiently developing new high-performance organic semiconductors, since it can estimate the charge transport properties at early stage in the process of material development.

Purpose To evaluate clinical and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings and visual outcomes in patients with macular pseudohole (MPH), epiretinal membrane foveoschisis (ERM-FS), and lamellar macular hole (LMH) based on axial length (AL). Methods We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients diagnosed with MPH, ERM-FS, and LMH who underwent vitrectomy and were followed for at least 6 months postoperatively. In each disease group, eyes were categorized into three groups based on AL; normal (< 24 mm), myopic (≥ 24 to < 26 mm), and highly myopic (≥ 26 mm). Analyzed factors included age, AL, preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and OCT parameters such as the presence of inner and outer retinal cysts, epiretinal proliferation, and ellipsoid zone disruption. Results A total of 171 eyes from 170 patients (79 males and 91 females) were included: 74 eyes with MPH, 59 eyes with ERM-FS, and 38 eyes with LMH. Postoperative BCVA significantly improved in all AL groups across all disease types. In the MPH group, postoperative BCVA was significantly better in the highly myopic group than in the myopic group ( p  = 0.04). There were no significant differences in the frequency of the OCT findings among the AL groups in any of the diseases. However, the presence of outer cysts at 6 months postoperatively tended to be more frequent in the highly myopic group in LMH ( p  = 0.065). Conclusion Vitrectomy improved visual acuity in all AL groups across MPH, ERM-FS, and LMH. AL did not significantly affect the frequency of abnormal findings for the preoperative and postoperative OCT.

Background/Objectives: To investigate and compare the clinical characteristics of epiretinal membrane (ERM) and associated diseases: macular pseudohole (MPH), ERM foveoschisis (ERM-FS), and lamellar macular hole (LMH). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed of all patients who underwent vitrectomy with at least 6 months follow-up, all eyes were classified into four groups: ERM, MPH, ERM-FS, and LMH. Age, gender, presence of glaucoma, preoperative spherical equivalent, axial length (AL), preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), metamorphopsia using M-CHARTS®, and frequency of overlapping associated diseases were investigated. The association between pre- and postoperative BCVA and these clinical factors was analyzed. Results: After enrolling 718 eyes of 662 patients, eyes were classified as ERM (592 eyes), MPH (76 eyes), ERM-FS (63 eyes), and LMH (42 eyes). Overlapping cases included MPH+ERM-FS (17 eyes), ERM-FS+LMH (14 eyes), MPH+LMH (18 eyes), and MPH+ERM-FS+LMH (3 eyes). The AL was significantly longer (p < 0.05) in MPH, ERM-FS, and LMH versus ERM. In all groups, BCVA significantly improved after vitrectomy. Although preoperative BCVA was not significantly different among the four groups, postoperative BCVA was significantly worse for LMH versus ERM (p < 0.001). Preoperative metamorphopsia was significantly more severe in ERM (0.52 ± 0.51) versus MPH (0.34 ± 0.29) (p < 0.05). Postoperative BCVA correlated with preoperative BCVA and age in all groups except LMH. Conclusions: Associated diseases often overlap and were more myopic than ERM. Postoperative BCVA was worse in LMH, while preoperative metamorphopsia was severe in ERM. These results highlight the importance of both clinical and functional evaluations in determining surgical indications and predicting visual outcomes.

ObjectivesThis study assessed the psychometric properties of the fatigue numeric rating scale (NRS) and sought to establish values for clinically meaningful change (responder definition).MethodsUsing disease-specific clinician-reported and patient-reported data from two randomised clinical trials of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), the fatigue NRS was evaluated for test–retest reliability, construct validity and responsiveness. A responder definition was also explored using anchor-based and distribution-based methods.ResultsTest–retest reliability analyses supported the reproducibility of the fatigue NRS in patients with PsA (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.829). Mean (SD) values at baseline and week 2 were 5.7 (2.2) and 5.7 (2.4), respectively. Supporting construct validity of the fatigue NRS, moderate-to-large correlations with other assessments measuring similar concepts as measured by Sackett’s conventions were demonstrated. Fatigue severity was reduced when the underlying disease activity was improved and reductions remained consistent at week 12 and 24. A 3-point improvement was identified as being optimal for demonstrating a level of clinically meaningful improvement in fatigue NRS after 12–24 weeks of treatment.ConclusionsFatigue NRS is a valid and responsive patient-reported outcome instrument for use in patients with PsA. The established psychometric properties from this study support the use of fatigue NRS in clinical trials and in routine clinical practice. Robust validation of reliability for use in routine clinical practice in treating patients with active PsA in less active disease states and other more diverse ethnic groups is needed.