Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Corticosteroids Use Among Patients With Chronic Rheumatology Condition: A Cross-Sectional Study From Vietnam.

Objectives: To identify gaps in knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the use of corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) among patients with chronic rheumatic diseases.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire including 12 knowledge questions, 13 attitude assessment statements, 5 barrier assessment statements, and 7 practical scenarios. We counted the total numbers of correct answers in knowledge, positive attitudes, barriers, and appropriate practices and fitted using Poisson regression to examine factors associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

EFEMP1 contributes to light-dependent ocular growth in zebrafish.

Myopia (short-sightedness) is the most common ocular disorder. It generally develops after over-exposure to aberrant visual environments, disrupting emmetropization mechanisms that should match eye growth with optical power. A pre-screening of strongly associated myopia-risk genes identified through human genome-wide association studies implicates efemp1 in myopia development, but how this gene impacts ocular growth remains unclear.

VCAN in the extracellular matrix drives glioma recurrence by enhancing cell proliferation and migration.

Introduction: Gliomas are the most prevalent primary malignant intracranial tumors, characterized by high rates of therapy resistance, recurrence, and mortality. A major factor contributing to the poor prognosis of gliomas is their ability to diffusely infiltrate surrounding and even distant brain tissues, rendering complete total resection almost impossible and leading to frequent recurrences. The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a key role in the tumor microenvironment and may significantly influence glioma progression, recurrence, and therapeutic response.

Impairment of Neurovascular Function in Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: To investigate neurovascular function in eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: Subjects with bilateral large drusen (intermediate AMD) and healthy controls ≥50 years old were recruited. The vasculature within the central 6 × 6-mm retinal area was captured using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and segmented to return superficial plexus, deep plexus, choriocapillaris, and choroid.

Full-Field Electroretinogram Responses in Rodent Models of Ganglion Cell Injury.

Preclinical studies of optic nerve injury models have led to significant insight into the mechanism underlying retinal ganglion cell neurodegeneration. During the process of ganglion cell injury, morphological changes can occur prior to gross structural changes and cell death. Similarly, following injury, functional changes can occur in the absence of substantive structural changes.

Dual MAPK Inhibition Triggers Pro-inflammatory Signals and Sensitizes BRAF Glioma to T Cell-Mediated Checkpoint Therapy.

BRAF pediatric low-grade gliomas frequently transform into high-grade gliomas (HGG) and poorly respond to chemotherapy, resulting in high mortality. Although combined BRAF and MEK inhibition (BRAFi+MEKi) outperforms chemotherapy, ∼70% of BRAF HGG patients are therapy resistant and undergo unbridled tumor progression. BRAF glioma have an immune-rich microenvironment suggesting that they could be responsive to immunotherapy but effects of BRAFi+MEKi on anti-tumor immunity are unclear.

Physiological and pathological changes to the eye and vision during and after pregnancy.

Pregnancy introduces a multitude of changes in the body, including hormonal fluctuations and metabolic changes, which can lead to atypical ocular signs and symptoms. Ocular manifestations range from fluctuations in vision, to microstructural changes in the retina and choroid, to dry eye disease. This narrative review highlights the range of pregnancy-related effects on the eye and vision that are likely to present in the context of routine eyecare.

Glioma actively orchestrate a self-advantageous extracellular matrix to promote recurrence and progression.

The intricate interplay between cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment has emerged as a critical factor driving the aggressive progression of various malignancies, including gliomas. Among the various components of this dynamic microenvironment, the extracellular matrix (ECM) holds particular significance. Gliomas, intrinsic brain tumors that originate from neuroglial progenitor cells, have the remarkable ability to actively reform the ECM, reshaping the structural and biochemical landscape to their advantage.

Innovative ultrasonic emulsification of cinnamon essential oil pickering emulsion stabilized by rice straw-derived cellulose nanocrystals.

For the first time, ultrasonic emulsification was studied for cinnamon essential oil (CEO) Pickering emulsion, stabilized by cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) from rice straw. Sonication proved to be an effective method for emulsifying CEO, creating small emulsion droplets around 700 nm in size, with an even dispersion characterized through a low polydispersity index. The biomass-derived CNC exhibits high encapsulation efficiency (> 95 %) with varying CEO concentration (5-25 vol%), creating droplets with negative surface charge with limited aggregation of emulsions.

Establishment and comprehensive characterization of a novel dark-reared zebrafish model for myopia studies.

Myopia is predicted to impact approximately 5 billion people by 2050, necessitating mechanistic understanding of its development. Myopia results from dysregulated genetic mechanisms of emmetropization, caused by over-exposure to aberrant visual environments; however, these genetic mechanisms remain unclear. Recent human genome-wide association studies have identified a range of novel myopia-risk genes.

Retinal hyperspectral imaging in mouse models of Parkinson's disease and healthy aging.

Retinal hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a non-invasive in vivo approach that has shown promise in Alzheimer's disease. Parkinson's disease is another neurodegenerative disease where brain pathobiology such as alpha-synuclein and iron overaccumulation have been implicated in the retina. However, it remains unknown whether HSI is altered in in vivo models of Parkinson's disease, whether it differs from healthy aging, and the mechanisms which drive these changes.

Enrichment of cell cycle pathways in progesterone-treated endometrial organoids of infertile women compared to fertile women.

Purpose: To investigate whether the transcriptome profile differs between progesterone-treated infertile and fertile endometrial organoids.

Methods: Endometrial biopsies were obtained from 14 infertile and seven fertile women, after which organoids were generated from isolated epithelial cells. To mimic the secretory phase, organoids were sequentially treated with 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) and subjected to RNA sequencing.

Age-related differences in retinal function and structure in C57BL/6J and Thy1-YFPh mice.

Age-related neuronal adaptations are known to help maintain function. This study aims to examine gross age-related in vivo retinal functional adaptations (using electroretinography) in young and middle aged C57BL/6J and Thy1-YFPh mice and to relate this to in vivo retinal structure (using optical coherence tomography). Electroretinography responses were generally larger in Thy1-YFPh mice than in C57BL/6J mice, with similar in vivo retinal layer thicknesses except for longer inner/outer photoreceptor segment in Thy1-YFPh mice.

An Exploratory Study of Physician Decision-Making When Treating Uncontrolled COPD.

Purpose: Current guidelines recommend triple therapy maintenance inhalers for patients with recurrent exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, these maintenance therapies are underutilized. This study aimed to understand how physicians make COPD treatment decisions, and how combination maintenance therapies are utilized in a real-world setting.

Patients And Methods: This exploratory, hypothesis-generating, non-interventional study used a cross-sectional online survey that was administered to a sample of practicing physicians in the United States.

Extraction of Unstructured Electronic Health Records to Evaluate Glioblastoma Treatment Patterns.

Purpose: Data on lines of therapy (LOTs) for cancer treatment are important for clinical oncology research, but LOTs are not explicitly recorded in electronic health records (EHRs). We present an efficient approach for clinical data abstraction and a flexible algorithm to derive LOTs from EHR-based medication data on patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Methods: Nonclinicians were trained to abstract the diagnosis of GBM from EHRs, and their accuracy was compared with abstraction performed by clinicians.

Levodopa Rescues Retinal Function in the Transgenic A53T Alpha-Synuclein Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Loss of substantia nigra dopaminergic cells and alpha-synuclein (α-syn)-rich intraneuronal deposits within the central nervous system are key hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD). Levodopa (L-DOPA) is the current gold-standard treatment for PD. This study aimed to evaluate retinal changes in a transgenic PD model of α-syn overexpression and the effect of acute levodopa (L-DOPA) treatment.

The Latest Sensor Detection Methods for per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have emerged as a prominent environmental pollutant in recent years, primarily due to their tendency to accumulate and magnify in both the environment and living organisms. The entry of PFASs into the environment can have detrimental effects on human health. Hence, it is crucial to actively monitor and detect the presence of PFASs.

Altered Outer Retinal Structure, Electrophysiology and Visual Perception in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Visual biomarkers of Parkinson's disease (PD) are attractive as the retina is an outpouching of the brain. Although inner retinal neurodegeneration in PD is well-established this has overlap with other neurodegenerative diseases and thus outer retinal (photoreceptor) measures warrant further investigation.

Objective: To examine in a cross-sectional study whether clinically implementable measures targeting outer retinal function and structure can differentiate PD from healthy ageing and whether these are sensitive to intraday levodopa (L-DOPA) dosing.

An unbiased approach of molecular characterization of the endometrium: toward defining endometrial-based infertility.

Infertility is a complex condition affecting millions of couples worldwide. The current definition of infertility, based on clinical criteria, fails to account for the molecular and cellular changes that may occur during the development of infertility. Recent advancements in sequencing technology and single-cell analysis offer new opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of these changes.

Utilizing Clinical and Non-clinical Patient Factors in Predicting Cardiovascular Events in Patients on JAK Inhibitor Therapy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) taking JAK inhibitors may have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, especially if they have other health conditions. Identifying high-risk patients can inform targeted preventive care. This study assessed the value of age and deprivation decile in predicting cardiovascular events in patients on JAK inhibitors for ARDs.

Establishing the Calibration Curve of a Compressive Ophthalmodynamometry Device.

The relationship between externally applied force and intraocular pressure was determined using an ex-vivo porcine eye model (N=9). Eyes were indented through the sclera with a convex ophthalmodynamometry head (ODM). Intraocular pressure and ophthalmodynamometric force were simultaneously recorded to establish a calibration curve of this indenter head.

Understanding how ageing impacts ganglion cell susceptibility to injury in glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, with a marked increase in prevalence with advancing age. Due to the multifactorial nature of glaucoma pathogenesis, dissecting how ageing impacts upon glaucoma risk requires analysis and synthesis of evidence from a vast literature. While there is a wealth of human clinical studies examining glaucoma pathogenesis and why older patients have increased risk, many aspects of the disease such as adaptations of retinal ganglion cells to stress, autophagy and the role of glial cells in glaucoma, require the use of animal models to study the complex cellular processes and interactions.