Evaluation of a nurse-led glaucoma assessment clinic for non-complex patients.

Aims And Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the safety, feasibility and effectiveness of a nurse-led glaucoma assessment clinic service.

Background: Glaucoma is a group of serious, irreversible optic neuropathies that progressively damage the optic nerve resulting in blindness. Over 64.

Dysregulation of Gene Expression of Key Signaling Mediators in PBMCs from People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes is currently the fifth leading cause of death by disease in the USA. The underlying mechanisms for type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM2) and the enhanced susceptibility of such patients to inflammatory disorders and infections remain to be fully defined. We have recently shown that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from non-diabetic people upregulate expression of inflammatory genes in response to proteasome modulators, such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and soybean lectin (LEC); in contrast, resveratrol (RES) downregulates this response.

Reprograming of Gene Expression of Key Inflammatory Signaling Pathways in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells by Soybean Lectin and Resveratrol.

Inflammation is linked to several human diseases like microbial infections, cancer, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and neurological disorders. We have shown that the prototype inflammatory agonist LPS modulates the activity of Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS) and regulates transcription factors such as NF-κB, leading to inflammation, tolerance, hypoxia, autophagy, and apoptosis of cells. We hypothesized that proteasome modulators resveratrol and soybean lectin would alter the gene expression of mediators involved in inflammation-induced signaling pathways, when administered ex vivo to human peripheral blood mononuclear blood cells (PBMCs) obtained from normal healthy controls.

Analysis of Circulating Tumour Cells in Early-Stage Uveal Melanoma: Evaluation of Tumour Marker Expression to Increase Capture.

(1) Background: The stratification of uveal melanoma (UM) patients into prognostic groups is critical for patient management and for directing patients towards clinical trials. Current classification is based on clinicopathological and molecular features of the tumour. Analysis of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) has been proposed as a tool to avoid invasive biopsy of the primary tumour.

Characterization and utility of immobilized metal affinity-functionalized cellulose membranes for point-of-care malaria diagnostics.

Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a well-established technique for protein separation and purification. IMAC has been previously utilized to capture the malaria biomarker histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) from blood, enhancing the sensitivity of field-appropriate diagnostic tools such as lateral flow assays. However, little work has been done to translate this technique to a truly field-usable design.

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy as a tool for evaluating lateral flow assays.

Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are immunochromatographic point-of-care devices that have greatly impacted disease diagnosis through their rapid, inexpensive, and easy-to-use form factor. While LFAs have been successful as field-deployable tools, they have a relatively poor limit of detection when compared to more complex methods. Moreover, most design and manufacturing optimization is achieved through time- and resource-intensive brute-force optimization.

Understanding On-Campus Interactions With a Semiautomated, Barcode-Based Platform to Augment COVID-19 Contact Tracing: App Development and Usage.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced drastic changes to daily life, from the implementation of stay-at-home orders to mandating facial coverings and limiting in-person gatherings. While the relaxation of these control measures has varied geographically, it is widely agreed that contact tracing efforts will play a major role in the successful reopening of businesses and schools. As the volume of positive cases has increased in the United States, it has become clear that there is room for digital health interventions to assist in contact tracing.

App Use and Usability of a Barcode-Based Digital Platform to Augment COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Postpilot Survey and Paradata Analysis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed life in the United States, as the country has recorded over 23 million cases and 383,000 deaths to date. In the leadup to widespread vaccine deployment, testing and surveillance are critical for detecting and stopping possible routes of transmission. Contact tracing has become an important surveillance measure to control COVID-19 in the United States, and mobile health interventions have found increased prominence in this space.

Manifesto on united airways diseases (UAD): an Interasma (global asthma association - GAA) document.

Objective: The large amount of evidence and the renewed interest in upper and lower airways involvement in infectious and inflammatory diseases has led Interasma (Global Asthma Association) to take a position on United Airways Diseases (UAD).

Methods: Starting from an extensive literature review, Interasma executive committee discussed and approved this Manifesto developed by Interasma scientific network (INES) members.

Results: The manifesto describes the evidence gathered to date and defines, states, advocates, and proposes issues on UAD (rhinitis, rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis), and concomitant/comorbid lower airways disorders (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, obstructive sleep apnoea) with the aim of challenging assumptions, fostering commitment, and bringing about change.

The DARK Side of Total Synthesis: Strategies and Tactics in Psychoactive Drug Production.

Humankind has used and abused psychoactive drugs for millennia. Formally, a psychoactive drug is any agent that alters cognition and mood. The term "psychotropic drug" is neutral and describes the entire class of substrates, licit and illicit, of interest to governmental drug policy.

Aggregated transthyretin is specifically packaged into placental nano-vesicles in preeclampsia.

In preeclampsia, the serum levels of transthyretin, a carrier protein for thyroxine, are elevated. Transthyretin isolated from preeclamptic serum is also aggregated and can induce preeclampsia-like symptoms in pregnant IL10 mice. Using western blotting, immunofluorescence, ELISA and qRT-PCR, we investigated the production of transthyretin by preeclamptic placentae and whether transthyretin is carried into the maternal circulation via placental extracellular vesicles.

Progressive orbital granular cell tumour associated with medial rectus.

Granular cell tumour is a rare soft tissue tumour that can occur in any part of the body, but seldom in ocular adnexa. It usually behaves in a benign fashion. We report a case of a 54-year-old man with a well-demarcated, solitary, slow-growing orbital tumour which lead to significant ocular symptoms.

Proteomic characterization of macro-, micro- and nano-extracellular vesicles derived from the same first trimester placenta: relevance for feto-maternal communication.

Study Question: What proteins are carried by extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from normal first trimester placentae?

Summary Answer: One thousand five hundred and eighty-five, 1656 and 1476 proteins were characterized in macro-, micro- and nano-vesicles, respectively, from first trimester placentae, with all EV fractions being enriched for proteins involved in vesicle transport and inflammation.

What Is Known Already: Placental EVs are being increasingly recognized as important mediators of both healthy and pathological pregnancies. However, current research has focused on detecting changes in specific proteins in particular fractions of vesicles during disease.

The anti-inflammatory effect of calcium for preventing endothelial cell activation in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy characterized by endothelial activation. It is believed to be a response to a 'toxin(s)' from the placenta including trophoblastic debris and inflammatory cytokines. Calcium is known to reduce the risk of preeclampsia but the mechanism of its protective effect remains unknown.

Trophoblast debris extruded from preeclamptic placentae activates endothelial cells: a mechanism by which the placenta communicates with the maternal endothelium.

Introduction: Preeclampsia is characterized by maternal endothelial dysfunction. While the mechanisms leading to preeclampsia are unclear, a factor(s) from the placenta is responsible for triggering the disease. One placental factor implicated in triggering preeclampsia is trophoblast debris which may transmit pathogenic signals from the placenta to endothelial cells.

Identification of the specific, shutter-like conformational reorientation in a chiroptical switching polycarbodiimide by VCD spectroscopy.

The specific conformational states responsible for the unique, reversible temperature- and solvent-driven chiroptical switching process experienced by poly(N-1-naphthyl-N'-octadecyl-carbodiimide) (PNOC) have been identified using VCD spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The distinct VCD spectra of PNOC corresponding to the two specific conformations were obtained for the polymer dissolved in DCM-d2 (state A) and CDCl3 (predominantly state B). To specifically assign the structures of both conformations, two simplified 7mer models were constructed and optimized using DFT calculations.

Endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy for nasolacrimal duct obstruction in patients with sarcoidosis.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (EN-DCR) surgery in patients with sarcoidosis.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of all patients with sarcoidosis undergoing EN-DCR in 6 practices from 1999-2011.

Results: We included 18 procedures in 14 patients (8 female, 6 male) who underwent EN-DCR for acquired NLDO secondary to sarcoidosis.

Resolving the Regioregularity of Poly(--hexyl-'-phenylcarbodiimide) via Nitrogen-15 Labeling.

Nitrogen-15 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were performed on an isotope-enriched poly(--hexyl-'-phenylcarbodiimide) to determine directly the connectivity and regioregularity of a polymer. Up to this point, the imine, C═N, IR stretch at 1660-1620 cm was thought to be a sufficient handle to elucidate the presence or absence of a regioregular microstructure; however, recent findings cast some uncertainties when expanded to all polycarbodiimides. Therefore, an enriched N NMR study was undertaken to unambiguously resolve that a --hexyl-'-phenylcarbodiimide, when polymerized with a 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxide trichlorotitanium(IV) catalyst in chloroform, will produce a completely regioregular polymer.

Inhibition of Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm formation on a methacrylate polymer containing a 2-aminoimidazole subunit.

A polymeric composite containing a 2-aminoimidazole derivative was synthesized. It was found that this polymer was resistant to biofilm colonization by Acinetobacter baumannii, no leaching of the 2-aminoimidazole derivative was observed after 2 weeks of treatment with deionized water, and the resulting polymer was not hemolytic.

Techniques of upper eyelid reconstruction.

Reconstruction of the upper eyelid is one of the greatest challenges facing the orbitofacial surgeon. This comprehensive review outlines the principles of reconstruction and the range of techniques available. Methods of assessing upper eyelid defects are discussed, and an algorithm for reconstruction based on defect size and lamellar involvement is given.

The lacrimal bypass tube for lacrimal pump failure attributable to facial palsy.

Purpose: To describe the use of a lacrimal bypass tube in the management of epiphora in patients with epiphora attributable to lacrimal pump failure in facial palsy.

Design: Multicenter retrospective interventional study.

Methods: Information regarding patient demographics, diagnoses, symptoms, oculoplastic interventions, dacryocystorhinostomy, and Jones tube insertion were collected from patient charts.

Adnexal surgery in patients undergoing ocular surface stem cell transplantation.

Purpose: To examine the role of adnexal disease and surgery in the outcome of ocular surface stem cell transplantation.

Design: Retrospective, noncomparative case series.

Participants: Twenty-two patients (23 eyes) with severe corneal stem cell deficiency undergoing ocular surface stem cell transplantation.

Periosteal fixation during subperiosteal brow lift surgery.

Objective: To report the efficacy of periosteal fixation combined with Y-to-V scalp incisions during small-incision subperiosteal forehead and brow lift.

Methods And Materials: This is a retrospective case series of 19 patients over 12 months; 16 patients underwent bilateral and 3 unilateral surgery. Unilateral surgery was performed in patients with facial nerve palsy and was augmented with cable suspension.