Trends in the Ophthalmic Workforce and Eye Care Infrastructure in South India: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.

Background: This study is part of broad-based research to determine the impact of blindness control activities in general and with special reference to the Andhra Pradesh Right to Sight Society (APRTSS) activities in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. As part of the global "VISION 2020: The Right to Sight" initiative, the APRTSS was established in the undivided state of Andhra Pradesh in 2002. Since then, the APRTSS has been actively implementing the strategies of VISION 2020 to reduce visual impairment and blindness in the state.

MYC disrupts transcriptional and metabolic circadian oscillations in cancer and promotes enhanced biosynthesis.

The molecular circadian clock, which controls rhythmic 24-hour oscillation of genes, proteins, and metabolites in healthy tissues, is disrupted across many human cancers. Deregulated expression of the MYC oncoprotein has been shown to alter expression of molecular clock genes, leading to a disruption of molecular clock oscillation across cancer types. It remains unclear what benefit cancer cells gain from suppressing clock oscillation, and how this loss of molecular clock oscillation impacts global gene expression and metabolism in cancer.

Customization of spectacle frames for individuals with facial deformities by altering conventional spectacle frames - Phase I.

Purpose: Manufacturing a spectacle frame for a facially deformed individual is challenging because of facial asymmetry. One of the solutions is the customization of spectacle frames. Customization of spectacle frames for facially deformed individuals requires a better understanding of the facial anthropometry of deformed faces.

MYC disrupts transcriptional and metabolic circadian oscillations in cancer and promotes enhanced biosynthesis.

The molecular circadian clock, which controls rhythmic 24-hour oscillation of genes, proteins, and metabolites in healthy tissues, is disrupted across many human cancers. Deregulated expression of the MYC oncoprotein has been shown to alter expression of molecular clock genes, leading to a disruption of molecular clock oscillation across cancer types. It remains unclear what benefit cancer cells gain from suppressing clock oscillation, and how this loss of molecular clock oscillation impacts global gene expression and metabolism in cancer.

Metabolites as Prognostic Markers for Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients Treated with First-Line Platinum-Doublet Chemotherapy.

The metabolic requirements of metastatic non-small cell lung (mNSCLC) tumors from patients receiving first-line platinum-doublet chemotherapy are hypothesized to imprint a blood signature suitable for survival prediction. Pre-treatment samples prospectively collected at baseline from a randomized phase III trial were assayed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy ( = 341) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) ( = 297). Distributions of time to event outcomes were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis, and baseline characteristics adjusted Cox regression modeling was used to correlate markers' levels to time to event outcomes.

Impact of blindness due to cataract in elderly fallers: findings from a cross-sectional study in Andhra Pradesh, South India.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of falls, frequency of falls, injury due to falls and to explore the relationship between cataract-related blindness and falls in older patients above or equal to 50 years of age.

Results: A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the relationship between cataract related blindness and risk of fall. Details about any fall in the previous 12 months and systemic illness history were collected through a personal interview.

Primary Metabolism and Medium-Chain Fatty Acid Alterations Precede Long-Chain Fatty Acid Changes Impacting Neutral Lipid Metabolism in Response to an Anticancer Lysophosphatidylcholine Analogue in Yeast.

The nonmetabolizable lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) analogue edelfosine is the prototype of a class of compounds being investigated for their potential as selective chemotherapeutic agents. Edelfosine targets membranes, disturbing cellular homeostasis. Is not clear at this point how membrane alterations are communicated between intracellular compartments leading to growth inhibition and eventual cell death.

Clock Regulation of Metabolites Reveals Coupling between Transcription and Metabolism.

The intricate connection between the circadian clock and metabolism remains poorly understood. We used high temporal resolution metabolite profiling to explore clock regulation of mouse liver and cell-autonomous metabolism. In liver, ∼50% of metabolites were circadian, with enrichment of nucleotide, amino acid, and methylation pathways.

Benefits of an Android Based Tablet Application in Primary Screening for Eye Diseases in a Rural Population, India.

To investigate the effectiveness, efficiency and cost gains in collecting patient eye health information from remote rural villages of India by trained field investigators through an Android Based Tablet Application namely 'Sankara Electronic Remote Vision Information System (SERVIS)". During January and March 2016, a population based cross-sectional study was conducted in three Indian states employing SERVIS and manual method. The SERVIS application has a 48-items survey instrument programed into the application.

Deciphering the Duality of Clock and Growth Metabolism in a Cell Autonomous System Using NMR Profiling of the Secretome.

Oscillations in circadian metabolism are crucial to the well being of organism. Our understanding of metabolic rhythms has been greatly enhanced by recent advances in high-throughput systems biology experimental techniques and data analysis. In an in vitro setting, metabolite rhythms can be measured by time-dependent sampling over an experimental period spanning one or more days at sufficent resolution to elucidate rhythms.

Accuracy of vision technicians in screening ocular pathology at rural vision centres of southern India.

Background: There is paucity of data on the inter-observer agreement and diagnostic accuracy between a primary-care technician (vision technician) and an ophthalmologist. Hence, the current study was conducted to assess the accuracy of vision technicians, to screen potentially sight-threatening ocular conditions at rural vision centres of southern India and their agreement with an ophthalmologist.

Methods: In July to August 2010, patients presenting to seven vision centres in Adilabad district (Andhra Pradesh) were selected and screened in a masked manner by seven vision technicians followed by an examination by a consultant ophthalmologist.

Binding sites for interaction of peroxiredoxin 6 with surfactant protein A.

Peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6) is a bifunctional enzyme with peroxidase and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activities. This protein participates in the degradation and remodeling of internalized dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), the major phospholipid component of lung surfactant. We have shown previously that the PLA2 activity of Prdx6 is inhibited by the lung surfactant-associated protein called surfactant protein A (SP-A) through direct protein-protein interaction.

Disruption of KEX1 gene reduces the proteolytic degradation of secreted two-chain Insulin glargine in Pichia pastoris.

Insulin glargine is a slow acting analog of insulin used in diabetes therapy. It is produced by recombinant DNA technology in different hosts namely E. coli and Pichia pastoris.

Enhancement in production of recombinant two-chain Insulin Glargine by over-expression of Kex2 protease in Pichia pastoris.

Glargine is an analog of Insulin currently being produced by recombinant DNA technology using two different hosts namely Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris. Production from E. coli involves the steps of extraction of inclusion bodies by cell lysis, refolding, proteolytic cleavage and purification.

Ten-core versus 16-core transrectal ultrasonography guided prostate biopsy for detection of prostatic carcinoma: a prospective comparative study in Indian population.

Purpose: To compare the cancer detection rate in patients with raised serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) results between the 10-core and the 16-core biopsy techniques in an Indian population.

Methods: Between November 2010 and November 2012, 95 men aged >50 years who presented to the Urology Department with lower urinary tract symptoms, elevated serum PSA, and/or abnormal DRE findings underwent transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy. A total of 53 patients underwent 10-core biopsy and 42 patients underwent 16-core biopsy.

Cataract, visual impairment and long-term mortality in a rural cohort in India: the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study.

Background: A large-scale prevalence survey of blindness and visual impairment (The Andhra Pradesh Eye Diseases Study [APEDS1]) was conducted between 1996-2000 on 10,293 individuals of all ages in three rural and one urban clusters in Andhra Pradesh, Southern India. More than a decade later (June 2009-March 2010), APEDS1 participants in rural clusters were traced (termed APEDS2) to determine ocular risk factors for mortality in this longitudinal cohort.

Methods And Findings: Mortality hazard ratio (HR) analysis was performed for those aged >30 years at APEDS1, using Cox proportional hazard regression models to identify associations between ocular exposures and risk of mortality.

Visual outcomes of bilateral congenital and developmental cataracts in young children in south India and causes of poor outcome.

Context: Bilateral pediatric cataracts are important cause of visual impairment in children.

Aim: To study the outcome of bilateral pediatric cataract surgery in young children.

Setting And Design: Retrospective case series in a tertiary center.

p67(phox) terminates the phospholipase A(2)-derived signal for activation of NADPH oxidase (NOX2).

The phospholipase A2 (PLA2)activity of phosphorylated peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6) is required for activation of NADPH oxidase (NOX2). We investigated the interaction of Prdx6 with p67(phox) and its effect on NOX2 activity. With the use of specific antibodies, coimmunoprecipitation of p67(phox) and phosphorylated Prdx6 was demonstrated with lysates of mouse pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (MPMVECs) that were stimulated with angiotensin II; the interaction of p67(phox) with nonphosphorylated Prdx6 was relatively weak.

Changing trends in the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in a rural district of India: systematic observations over a decade.

Context : Globally, limited data are available on changing trends of blindness from a single region. Aims : To report the changing trends in the prevalence of blindness, visual impairment (VI), and visual outcomes of cataract surgery in a rural district of Andhra Pradesh, India, over period of one decade. Settings and Design : Rural setting; cross-sectional study.

A survey of severe visual impairment in children attending schools for the blind in a coastal district of Andhra Pradesh in South India.

Purpose: To identify the major causes of severe childhood visual impairment and blindness among students attending schools for the blind in a coastal district of Andhra Pradesh (AP) in South India.

Methods: Children ≤ 16 years of age attending six schools for the blind in the study area were interviewed and examined in the year 2009, and causes were classified according to the World Health Organization Program for Prevention of Blindness (WHO/PBL) childhood blindness proforma. A total of 113 children underwent a detailed eye examination by an experienced ophthalmologist.

Global prevalence and major risk factors of diabetic retinopathy.

Objective: To examine the global prevalence and major risk factors for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) among people with diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: A pooled analysis using individual participant data from population-based studies around the world was performed. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all population-based studies in general populations or individuals with diabetes who had ascertained DR from retinal photographs.

Duane retraction syndrome: series of 441 cases.

Purpose: To determine the demographic and clinical profile of various subtypes of Duane retraction syndrome (DRS).

Methods: Retrospective case series of 441 patients.

Results: Of the total 441 patients, 389 (88.