Evaluation of the blinq vision scanner for detection of amblyopia and strabismus.

Purpose: To report the results of a clinical study designed to evaluate the accuracy of the blinq pediatric vision scanner, which detects amblyopia and strabismus directly by means of retinal polarization scanning, unlike other vision screening devices, which infer possible disease based on detection of refractive risk factors.

Methods: Subjects 1-20 years of age were prospectively enrolled in this cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study with planned enrollment of 200. All enrolled subjects were tested by individuals masked to the diagnosis, followed by complete ophthalmologic examination by pediatric ophthalmologists masked to the screening result.

Self-rated health and chronic conditions are associated with blood concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in the general population of Catalonia, Spain.

Background: Self-rated health (SRH) is a powerful predictor of mortality, morbidity, and need for health services. SRH generally increases with educational level, and decreases with age, number of chronic conditions, and body mass index (BMI). Because human concentrations of most persistent organic pollutants (POPs) also vary by age, education, and BMI, and because of the physiological and clinical effects of POPs, we hypothesized that body concentrations of POPs are inversely associated with SRH.

Does the effect of gender modify the relationship between deprivation and mortality?

Background: In this study we propose improvements to the method of elaborating deprivation indexes. First, in the selection of the variables, we incorporated a wider range of both objective and subjective measures. Second, in the statistical methodology, we used a distance indicator instead of the standard aggregating method principal component analysis.