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Mucosal immunology of the ocular surface
The eye is a sensory organ exposed to the environment and protected by a mucosal tissue barrier. While it shares a number of features with other mucosal tissues, the ocular mucosal system, composed of the conjunctiva, Meibomian glands, and lacrimal glands, is specialized to address the unique needs of (a) lubrication and (b) host defense of the ocular surface. Not surprisingly, most challenges, physical and immunological, to the homeostasis of the eye fall into those two categories. Dry eye, a dysfunction of the lacrimal glands and/or Meibomian glands, which can both cause, or arise from, sensory defects, including those caused by corneal herpes virus infection, serve as examples of these perturbations and will be discussed ahead. To preserve vision, dense neuronal and immune networks sense various stimuli and orchestrate responses, which must be tightly controlled to provide protection, while simultaneously minimizing collateral damage. All this happens against the backdrop of, and can be modified by, the microorganisms that colonize the ocular mucosa long term, or that are simply transient passengers introduced from the environment. This review will attempt to synthesize the existing knowledge and develop trends in the study of the unique mucosal and immune elements of the ocular surface.
A phase III study comparing preservative-free latanoprost eye drop emulsion with preserved latanoprost in open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of preservative-free latanoprost eye drop emulsion in reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) versus preserved latanoprost in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT).
Spatial modeling algorithms for reactions and transport in biological cells
Biological cells rely on precise spatiotemporal coordination of biochemical reactions to control their functions. Such cell signaling networks have been a common focus for mathematical models, but they remain challenging to simulate, particularly in realistic cell geometries. Here we present Spatial Modeling Algorithms for Reactions and Transport (SMART), a software package that takes in high-level user specifications about cell signaling networks and then assembles and solves the associated mathematical systems. SMART uses state-of-the-art finite element analysis, via the FEniCS Project software, to efficiently and accurately resolve cell signaling events over discretized cellular and subcellular geometries. We demonstrate its application to several different biological systems, including yes-associated protein (YAP)/PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) mechanotransduction, calcium signaling in neurons and cardiomyocytes, and ATP generation in mitochondria. Throughout, we utilize experimentally derived realistic cellular geometries represented by well-conditioned tetrahedral meshes. These scenarios demonstrate the applicability, flexibility, accuracy and efficiency of SMART across a range of temporal and spatial scales.
Modeling of magnetic vestibular stimulation experienced during high-field clinical MRI
High-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful diagnostic tool but can induce unintended physiological effects, such as nystagmus and dizziness, potentially compromising the comfort and safety of individuals undergoing imaging. These effects likely result from the Lorentz force, which arises from the interaction between the MRI’s static magnetic field and electrical currents in the inner ear. Yet, the Lorentz force hypothesis fails to explain observed eye movement patterns in healthy adults fully. This study explores these effects and tests whether the Lorentz force hypothesis adequately explains magnetic vestibular stimulation.
Ultrasensitive photoelectric detection with room temperature extremum
Room-temperature photodetection holds pivotal significance in diverse applications such as sensing, imaging, telecommunications, and environmental remote sensing due to its simplicity, versatility, and indispensability. Although different kinds of photon and thermal detectors have been realized, high sensitivity of photodetection with room temperature extremum is not reported until now. Herein, we find evident peaks in the photoelectric response originated from the anomalous excitonic insulator phase transition in tantalum nickel selenide (Ta2NiSe5) for room-temperature optimized photodetection from visible light to terahertz ranges. Extreme sensitivity of photoconductive detector with specific detectivity (D*) of 5.3 × 1011 cm·Hz1/2·W−1 and electrical bandwidth of 360 kHz is reached in the terahertz range, which is one to two orders of magnitude improvement compared to that of the state-of-the-art room-temperature terahertz detectors. The van der Waals heterostructure of Ta2NiSe5/WS2 is further constructed to suppress the dark current at room temperature with much improved ambient D* of 4.1 × 1012 cm·Hz1/2·W−1 in the visible wavelength, rivaling that of the typical photodetectors, and superior photoelectric performance in the terahertz range compared to the photoconductor device. Our results open a new avenue for optoelectronics via excitonic insulator phase transition in broad wavelength bands and pave the way for applications in sensitive environmental and remote sensing at room temperature.
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