Characteristics of Glaucoma Patients Attending a Vision Rehabilitation Service.

Purpose: In this study, we describe common demographic and clinical characteristics of the glaucoma patient population attending vision rehabilitation.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Participants: Patients attending a hospital-based vision rehabilitation center with a primary ocular diagnosis of glaucoma.

Amino acid-based compound activates atypical PKC and leptin receptor pathways to improve glycemia and anxiety like behavior in diabetic mice.

Differences in glucose uptake in peripheral and neural tissues account for the reduced efficacy of insulin in nervous tissues. Herein, we report the design of short peptides, referred as amino acid compounds (AAC) with and without a modified side chain moiety. At nanomolar concentrations, a candidate therapeutic molecule, AAC2, containing a 7-(diethylamino) coumarin-3-carboxamide side-chain improved glucose control in human peripheral adipocytes and the endothelial brain barrier cells by activation of insulin-insensitive glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1).

Effect of 2 Novel Sustained-release Drug Release Systems on Bleb Fibrosis: An In Vivo Trabeculectomy Study in a Rabbit Model.

Precis: Rabbit model studies suggested better morphology blebs with equal intraocular pressure (IOP) efficacy as a standard mitomycin C (MMC) trabeculectomy using a novel slow-release drug delivery antifibrotic system delivering small quantities of MMC and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

Purpose: To evaluate 2 different concentrations of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) system with 5-FU and MMC (ElutiGLASS) for their ability to reduce fibrosis and compare the results with standard trabeculectomy with MMC in a rabbit model.

Materials And Methods: New Zealand albino rabbits (19) were divided into 3 groups (A, B, C) and standard trabeculectomy operation was performed in the right eye of each rabbit.

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo).

Many waterbird populations have faced declines over the last century, including the common tern (Sterna hirundo), a waterbird species with a widespread breeding distribution, that has been recently listed as endangered in some habitats of its range. Waterbird monitoring programs exist to track populations through time; however, some of the more intensive approaches require entering colonies and can be disruptive to nesting populations. This paper describes a protocol that utilizes a minimally invasive surveillance system to continuously monitor common tern nesting behavior in typical ground-nesting colonies.

Exacerbations and healthcare resource utilization among COPD patients in a Swedish registry-based nation-wide study.

Background: Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are an important measure of disease severity in terms of impaired disease progression, increased recovery time, healthcare resource utilization, overall morbidity and mortality. We aimed to quantify exacerbation and healthcare resource utilization rates among COPD patients in Sweden with respect to baseline treatments, exacerbation history, and comorbidities.

Methods: Patients with a COPD or chronic bronchitis (CB) diagnosis in secondary care at age of ≥40 years on 1.

Intraoperative Feeding Improves Calorie and Protein Delivery in Acute Burn Patients.

Enteral nutrition support is a critical component of modern burn care for severely burned patients. However, tube feeds are frequently withheld during the perioperative period because of aspiration concerns. As a result, patients requiring multiple operative procedures risk accumulating significant protein-calorie deficits.

Innovative Techniques for Maximizing Limb Salvage and Function.

Concurrent injuries to multiple extremities present unique challenges to the reconstructive surgeon. The primary goal in such scenarios is to optimize functional outcomes. The goal of this article is to present an overview of various techniques necessary to provide sufficient soft tissue and preserve amputation limb lengths and function.

Extra-large negative pressure wound therapy dressings for burns - Initial experience with technique, fluid management, and outcomes.

Objective: The use of negative-pressure-wound-therapy (NPWT) is associated with improved outcomes in smaller burns. We report our experience using extra-large (XL) NPWT dressings to treat ≥15% total body surface area (TBSA) burned and describe our technique and early outcomes. We also provide NPWT exudate volume for predictive fluid resuscitation in these critically ill patients.

Chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated central-line dressings and necrosis in complicated skin disorder patients.

Although chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) disks have been shown to help reduce the incidence of central line-associated blood stream infections, their use can result in local skin necrosis. The effects of CHG disks on patients with complex skin pathology have not been studied. We report 6 cases of dermal necrosis associated with Biopatch (Ethicon Inc, Somerville, NJ) CHG disks in adults with complex skin pathology including those with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis syndrome, graft-versus-host disease, burns, and anasarca.

Development of a prenatal psychosocial screening tool for post-partum depression and anxiety.

Background: Post-partum depression (PPD) is the most common complication of pregnancy in developed countries, affecting 10-15% of new mothers. There has been a shift in thinking less in terms of PPD per se to a broader consideration of poor mental health, including anxiety after giving birth. Some risk factors for poor mental health in the post-partum period can be identified prenatally; however prenatal screening tools developed to date have had poor sensitivity and specificity.

Australia's notifiable disease status, 2007: annual report of the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

In 2007, 69 diseases and conditions were nationally notifiable in Australia. States and territories reported a total of 146,991 notifications of communicable diseases to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, an increase of 5% on the number of notifications in 2006. In 2007, the most frequently notified diseases were sexually transmissible infections (62,474 notifications, 43% of total notifications), gastrointestinal diseases (30,325 notifications, 21% of total notifications) and vaccine preventable diseases (25,347 notifications, 17% of total notifications).

Treatment of diabetes by transplantation of drug-inducible insulin-producing gut cells.

Most patients with type 1 diabetes rely on multiple daily insulin injections to maintain blood glucose control. However, insulin injections carry the risk of inducing hypoglycemia and do not eliminate diabetic complications. We sought to develop and evaluate a regulatable cell-based system for delivery of insulin to treat diabetes.

Influence of final corneal thickness in visual acuity after deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty.

Purpose: To determine if the final corneal thickness after deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) is correlated in any way with visual performance.

Methods: One hundred fifty-five consecutive eyes without macular disease underwent DLEK surgery and had pachymetry recorded at 6 months postoperatively. The eyes were grouped according to visual acuity, and pachymetry was correlated between groups: group 1 (20/20, 20/25, or 20/30), n = 38; group 2 (20/40 or 20/50), n = 79; group 3 (20/60, 20/70, or 20/80), n = 30; group 4 (20/100 or worse), n = 8.

Endothelial keratoplasty using donor tissue not suitable for full-thickness penetrating keratoplasty.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of corneal donor tissue deemed unsuitable for full-thickness penetrating keratoplasty (PK) for use in deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) and to compare postoperative results to those of DLEK surgery using donor tissue that is suitable for PK.

Methods: Small-incision DLEK surgery was performed using 39 donor corneas unsuitable for PK. Thirty-five donors had anterior scars or opacities, 3 donors had pterygia within the 8-mm zone, and 1 had prior LASIK.

A prospective study of endothelial cell loss during the 2 years after deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty.

Purpose: To report the endothelial survival over a 2-year period after 2 techniques of deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) in the treatment of endothelial dysfunction.

Design: Prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series.

Participants: One hundred eyes of 88 patients with corneal edema.

Histology of dislocations in endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK and DLEK): a laboratory-based, surgical solution to dislocation in 100 consecutive DSEK cases.

Purpose: Laboratory studies were performed to evaluate the histologic differences between the recipient bed after deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) surgery and Descemet's-stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) surgery. Relevant new surgical strategies to prevent dislocation in DSEK surgery were initiated in our first 100 consecutive clinical cases.

Methods: Ten pairs of cadaver eyes had a DLEK in 1 eye and a DSEK in the fellow eye, and the posterior stromal surface was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy at x50 magnification.

Administration of pegylated interferon-alpha-2a or -2b does not induce sickness behavior in Lewis rats.

Repeated administration of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) or pegylated IFN-alpha to patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection induces a flu-like syndrome as well as neuropsychiatric side effects, which are well recognized, but poorly understood. Although pegylation appears to have improved viral response rates in patients with hepatitis C, there are still neurotoxicities associated with pegylated IFN-alpha therapy, in particular, depression, which can compromise and sometime prevent successful completion of antiviral treatment. This study assessed the effects of two forms of pegylated IFN-alpha [peginterferon-alfa-2a (PEG-2a) and peginterferon-alfa-2b (PEG-2b)] in rats in order to develop an animal model of IFN-induced "depression" (often described as sickness behavior) that can be used to more comprehensively investigate the neurochemical mechanisms of IFN-induced depression.

Immune reconstitution syndrome in HIV: validating a case definition and identifying clinical predictors in persons initiating antiretroviral therapy.

Background: Clinical deterioration after initiation of antiretroviral therapy may result from restored immunity. There is no standard clinical definition for immune reconstitution syndrome. The objectives of this study were to validate a proposed definition and to identify factors predictive of immune reconstitution syndrome.

YZGD from Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus, a pyridoxal phosphatase of the HAD (haloacid dehalogenase) superfamily and a versatile member of the Nudix (nucleoside diphosphate x) hydrolase superfamily.

YZGD from Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus is a novel bifunctional enzyme with both PLPase (pyridoxal phosphatase) and Nudix (nucleoside diphosphate x) hydrolase activities. The PLPase activity is catalysed by the HAD (haloacid dehalogenase) superfamily motif of the enzyme, and the Nudix hydrolase activity is catalysed by the conserved Nudix signature sequence within a separate portion of the enzyme, as confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis. YZGD's phosphatase activity is very specific, with pyridoxal phosphate being the only natural substrate, while YZGD's Nudix activity is just the opposite, with YZGD being the most versatile Nudix hydrolase characterized to date.