Clinical Age-Specific Seasonal Conjunctivitis Patterns and Their Online Detection in Twitter, Blog, Forum, and Comment Social Media Posts.

Purpose: We sought to determine whether big data from social media might reveal seasonal trends of conjunctivitis, most forms of which are nonreportable.

Methods: Social media posts (from Twitter, and from online forums and blogs) were classified by age and by conjunctivitis type (allergic or infectious) using Boolean and machine learning methods. Based on spline smoothing, we estimated the circular mean occurrence time (a measure of central tendency for occurrence) and the circular variance (a measure of uniformity of occurrence throughout the year, providing an index of seasonality).

Genomic analysis of a large set of currently-and historically-important human adenovirus pathogens.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are uniquely important "model organisms" as they have been used to elucidate fundamental biological processes, are recognized as complex pathogens, and are used as remedies for human health. As pathogens, HAdVs may effect asymptomatic or mild and severe symptomatic disease upon their infection of respiratory, ocular, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems. High-resolution genomic data have enhanced the understanding of HAdV epidemiology, with recombination recognized as an important and major pathway in the molecular evolution and genesis of emergent HAdV pathogens.

Hearing Loss: Why Does It Matter for Nursing Homes?

Over the past decade, hearing loss has emerged as a key issue for aging and health. We describe why hearing loss may be especially disabling in nursing home settings and provide an estimate of prevalence using the Minimum Data Set (MDS v.3.

Colocalization of Galectin-3 With CD147 Is Associated With Increased Gelatinolytic Activity in Ulcerating Human Corneas.

Purpose: Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate-binding protein known to promote expression of matrix metalloproteinases, a hallmark of ulceration, through interaction with the extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer CD147. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of galectin-3 in corneas of patients with ulcerative keratitis and to determine its relationship to CD147 and the presence of gelatinolytic activity.

Methods: This was an observational case series involving donor tissue from 13 patients with active corneal ulceration and 6 control corneas.

SJS/TEN 2017: Building Multidisciplinary Networks to Drive Science and Translation.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) is a life-threatening, immunologically mediated, and usually drug-induced disease with a high burden to individuals, their families, and society with an annual incidence of 1 to 5 per 1,000,000. To effect significant reduction in short- and long-term morbidity and mortality, and advance clinical care and research, coordination of multiple medical, surgical, behavioral, and basic scientific disciplines is required. On March 2, 2017, an investigator-driven meeting was held immediately before the American Academy of Dermatology Annual meeting for the central purpose of assembling, for the first time in the United States, clinicians and scientists from multiple disciplines involved in SJS/TEN clinical care and basic science research.

Severe corneal ulcer with progression to endophthalmitis and high-grade bacteremia.

Purpose: Bacterial sepsis is a common consequence of many infectious processes. Here, we describe a case of a woman with a corneal ulcer who went on to develop group B streptococcal (GBS) endophthalmitis, bacteremia, and eventual loss of the eye.

Observations: A previously healthy, immunocompetent, middle aged, contact lens wearing female who, after freshwater boating in her contact lenses, developed a red, painful eye.

Keratolimbal allograft for limbal stem cell deficiency after severe corneal chemical injury: a systematic review.

Purpose: To review the published literature on outcomes of keratolimbal allograft (KLAL) for the surgical treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) and corneal blindness after severe corneal chemical injury.

Methods: Literature searches were conducted in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, CINAHL, LILACS and the Cochrane Library. Standard systematic review methodology was applied.

Chemical Burns of the Eye: The Role of Retinal Injury and New Therapeutic Possibilities.

Purpose: To propose a new treatment paradigm for chemical burns to the eye - in the acute and chronic phases.

Methods: Recent laboratory and clinical data on the biology and treatment of chemical burns are analyzed.

Results: Corneal blindness from chemical burns can now be successfully treated with a keratoprosthesis, on immediate and intermediate bases.

Implementing Models of Geriatric Care-Behind the Scenes.

Innovative geriatric clinical programs have proliferated in the 21st century, and many have been highlighted in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS). The Affordable Care Act has supported the accelerated innovation of publicized and unpublicized program development, adaptation, and implementation. Many JAGS articles report work conducted in programs with significant improvements in quality; high satisfaction for patients and providers; and for some, reductions in costs.

Innovation in care for individuals with cognitive impairment: Can reimbursement policy spread best practices?

There is now an unprecedented opportunity to improve the care of the over 5 million people who are living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and many more with cognitive impairment due to brain injury, systemic diseases, and other causes. The introduction of a new Medicare care planning benefit-long sought openly by advocacy organizations and clinicians and badly needed by patients and families-could greatly improve health care quality, but only if widely and fully implemented. We describe the components of this new benefit and its promise of better clinical care, as well as its potential to create a new platform for clinical and health outcomes research.

Identification of a Sjögren's syndrome susceptibility locus at OAS1 that influences isoform switching, protein expression, and responsiveness to type I interferons.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a common, autoimmune exocrinopathy distinguished by keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. Patients frequently develop serious complications including lymphoma, pulmonary dysfunction, neuropathy, vasculitis, and debilitating fatigue. Dysregulation of type I interferon (IFN) pathway is a prominent feature of SS and is correlated with increased autoantibody titers and disease severity.

The Role of the Back Plate in Angle Anatomy with the Boston Type I Keratoprosthesis.

Purpose: To quantitatively evaluate the angle anatomy in eyes with the Boston type I keratoprosthesis (B-KPro) differing in the back plate (BP) material and size using anterior segment optical coherence tomography.

Methods: B-KPro eyes with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) (7.0 and 8.

Conjunctival Squamous Cell Neoplasia Associated With Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid.

The purpose of this study was to describe a possible causal relationship between ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) and ocular surface squamous neoplasia. Two middle-aged female patients with already diagnosed OCP were studied in regard to the subsequent onset of conjunctival squamous neoplasia. Their clinical histories, ocular examinations, clinical photographs, and results of biopsies and any ancillary immunofluorescent laboratory evaluation studies were carefully reviewed.

Studies of Physician-Patient Communication with Older Patients: How Often is Hearing Loss Considered? A Systematic Literature Review.

Hearing loss is remarkably prevalent in the geriatric population: one-quarter of adults aged 60-69 and 80% of adults aged 80 years and older have bilateral disabling loss. Only about one in five adults with hearing loss wears a hearing aid, leaving many vulnerable to poor communication with healthcare providers. We quantified the extent to which hearing loss is mentioned in studies of physician-patient communication with older patients, and the degree to which hearing loss is incorporated into analyses and findings.

Mechanisms of Retinal Damage after Ocular Alkali Burns.

Alkali burns to the eye constitute a leading cause of worldwide blindness. In recent case series, corneal transplantation revealed unexpected damage to the retina and optic nerve in chemically burned eyes. We investigated the physical, biochemical, and immunological components of retinal injury after alkali burn and explored a novel neuroprotective regimen suitable for prompt administration in emergency departments.

The Boston keratoprosthesis.

Purpose Of Review: The Boston keratoprosthesis (BKPro) is often the only hope for visual rehabilitation in severe corneal disease. Since Food and Drug Administration approval of the device in 1992, there have been a series of advances in its design, surgical techniques, and postoperative care, which have widened its applicability and decreased associated complications. The purpose of this review is to highlight the indications, management, outcomes, and advances in the BKPro literature.

The 5'UTR in human adenoviruses: leader diversity in late gene expression.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) shut down host cellular cap-dependent mRNA translation while initiating the translation of viral late mRNAs in a cap-independent manner. HAdV 5' untranslated regions (5'UTRs) are crucial for cap-independent initiation, and influence mRNA localization and stability. However, HAdV translational regulation remains relatively uncharacterized.

Ex Vivo Study of Transepithelial Corneal Cross-linking.

Purpose: To perform in vitro assessment of different techniques of transepithelial corneal cross-linking (CXL) and to compare the results to deepithelialized CXL.

Methods: Transepithelial CXL was performed after pre-treatment with or without penetration enhancers (gum cellulose, 0.44% sodium chloride, and 0.

The Relationship Between "What We Believe" and "How We Care" Among Daughters Caring for a Parent With Dementia.

This study attempted to better understand factors associated with relationship conflict between daughters and their parents with dementia. We examined data from 77 daughters self-identified as primary caregivers of a parent with dementia to test the hypothesis that daughters' belief that a parent with dementia can control their symptoms is associated with more conflict, defined as high expressed emotion (EE). Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing beliefs about parents' ability to control symptoms, stress, relationship conflict, parent agitation, and cognitive status.

Endoscopic Cyclophotocoagulation for the Treatment of Glaucoma in Boston Keratoprosthesis Type II Patient.

We describe the surgical technique of endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation in a Boston keratoprosthesis type II patient. This patient with ocular cicatricial pemphigoid had pars plana endoscopic cyclophotocoagula through wounds created in the eyelids.

Team-Based Interprofessional Competency Training for Dementia Screening and Management.

As many as 50% of people satisfying diagnostic criteria for dementia are undiagnosed. A team-based training program for dementia screening and management was developed targeting four professions (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work) whose scope of practice involves dementia care. An interprofessional group of 10 faculty members was trained to facilitate four interactive competency stations on dementia screening, differential diagnoses, dementia management and team care planning, and screening for and managing caregiver stress.

Fatal Community-acquired Pneumonia in Children Caused by Re-emergent Human Adenovirus 7d Associated with Higher Severity of Illness and Fatality Rate.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are highly contagious pathogens causing acute respiratory disease (ARD), such as community-acquired pneumonia. HAdV-7d, a re-emergent genomic variant, has been recently reported in Asia and the United States after a several-decade absence. However, whether HAdV-7d is associated with higher severity than other types is currently unclear.