The Utility of Smartphone-Based Artificial Intelligence Approaches for Diabetic Retinopathy: A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic accuracy measures such as sensitivity and specificity of smartphone-based artificial intelligence (AI) approaches in the detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: A literature search of the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases (up to March 2020) was conducted. Only studies using both smartphone-based cameras and AI software for image analysis were included.

Foveal avascular zone analysis by optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes and without clinical signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose: To analyze the early macular microvascular alterations in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) without diabetic retinopathy (DR), using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), and compare these with nondiabetic patients.

Methods: This prospective study involved 93 patients with type 1 diabetes (DM1), 104 patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2) without signs of DR, and 71 healthy subjects for the control group. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and the vessel density (VD) at the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were evaluated.

AMY1 Gene Copy Number Correlates With Glucose Absorption and Visceral Fat Volume, but Not with Insulin Resistance.

Background: The human amylase gene (AMY1) has a broad copy number (CN) variation that may associate with body mass index.

Methods: Deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from urine (n = 74) and serum (n = 6) samples (Protein, Fiber and Metabolic Syndrome [ProFiMet] cohort), and buccal (n = 17) samples (Oral Starch Challenge [OSC] cohort), and assessed for AMY1 CN by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction. The association of AMY1 CN with comprehensive markers of metabolic status (ProFiMet cohort) were analyzed with Pearson's correlation coefficient (CC).

The Application of Structural Retinal Biomarkers to Evaluate the Effect of Intravitreal Ranibizumab and Dexamethasone Intravitreal Implant on Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic effect of intravitreal treatment with ranibizumab and dexamethasone using specific swept-source optical coherence tomography retinal biomarkers in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods: 156 treatment-naïve patients with DME were divided in two groups: 75 patients received 3 monthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab 0.5 mg (Lucentis) (Group 1) and 81 patients received an intravitreal implant of dexamethasone 0.

Analysis from a year of increased cases of Acanthamoeba Keratitis in a large teaching hospital in the UK.

Purpose Of The Study: To report an observational study of Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK) in University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire (UHCW), Coventry, UK and determine risk factors, outcomes as well as incidence rates.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was done of consecutive patients who were treated for AK by the corneal service at UHCW from January 2017 to January 2018. Cases were identified from 2 sources; the department of microbiology and the hospital pharmacy.

The chelation of colonic luminal iron by a unique sodium alginate for the improvement of gastrointestinal health.

Scope: Iron is an essential nutrient. However, in animal models, excess unabsorbed dietary iron residing within the colonic lumen has been shown to exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal cancer. Therefore, the aims of this study were to screen a panel of alginates to identify a therapeutic that can chelate this pool of iron and thus be beneficial for intestinal health.

Unusual causes of secondary varicose veins.

Background: Varicose veins are among the most common ailments of the affluent nations. Primarily it is considered to be caused by valvular dysfunctions, but it may be secondary to other pathologies. This study was conducted to evaluate the unusual secondary causes of varicose veins.

The 'expansile' supraclavicular artery flap for release of post-burn neck contractures.

Unlabelled: Soft tissue defects in the cervico-facial region can result from trauma, tumour excision or post-burn scarring. All rungs of the reconstructive ladder offer possible reconstructive options for these defects. The supraclavicular artery based flap is an extremely reliable local flap for this purpose.

Synchronous proximal polyps and cancer in patients with polyps detected at sigmoidoscopy: results of a single, rural-based sigmoidoscopy clinic.

The prevalence of polyps and cancer in the proximal colon among patients who have polyps detected on sigmoidoscopy was determined in a large rural referral hospital in north central Pennsylvania. Eleven thousand one hundred sixty patients underwent sigmoidoscopy between 1991 and 1997. Polyps were detected in 709 patients.