Publications by authors named "Ya-Ping Jin"
Biofilms are complex adhesive structures that establish chronic infection and allow robust protection from external stressors such as antibiotics. Cellulose as one of the compositions of bacteria biofilm which protect bacteria from stress, host immune responses and resistance to antibiotics. Bacterial stress responses are regulated via guanosine pentaphosphate and tetraphosphate (p)ppGpp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Research has demonstrated that individuals with sarcopenia or sarcopenic obesity who experience fractures or undergo major surgical interventions exhibit a poorer prognosis compared to the general population. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between the skeletal muscle and adipose tissue indices, as measured at the 12th thoracic spine level, and adverse outcomes following orthopedic surgery. Therefore, this study aimed to prove whether skeletal muscle and adipose tissue index measured by computed tomography (CT) images based on a single layer are associated with one-year postoperative mortality in elderly hip fracture patients.
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- - The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of glaucoma in Canada using self-reports and various tests like Frequency Doubling Technology Perimetry (FDT), optic nerve measurements, and intraocular pressure data.
- - Among 2,600-4,100 participants aged 40-79, the findings showed glaucoma prevalence rates ranging from 0.7% to 10.3%, with 16.3% classified as "glaucoma suspects."
- - Notably, 37.5% of those with definite glaucoma didn't know they had the condition, highlighting the importance of awareness and testing.
Objective: To obtain prescription eyewear in Ontario, eye exams must be performed by optometrists or ophthalmologists (eye care providers [ECPs]). In 2004, government-insured routine eye exams were delisted for Ontarians aged 20-64 leaving eye exam coverage only for those aged ≤19 and 65+. We assessed whether having eyewear insurance impacts Ontarians' utilization of ECPs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Multiple studies have shown that skeletal muscle index (SMI) measured on abdominal computed tomography (CT) is strongly associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk as estimated by the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX). Although some studies have reported that SMI at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra (T12) measured on chest CT images can be used to diagnose sarcopenia, it is regrettable that no studies have investigated the relationship between SMI at T12 level and BMD or fracture risk. Therefore, we further investigated the relationship between SMI at T12 level and FRAX-estimated BMD and fracture risk in this study.
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- Visual impairment is a significant issue related to diabetes in Canada, prompting a study to analyze trends among individuals with and without the condition from 1994 to 2014.* -
- Data from national surveys indicated that prevalence of visual impairment decreased for both diabetics (from 7.37% to 3.03%) and non-diabetics (from 3.72% to 1.69%) over the years, showing improvements in eye health.* -
- Despite stronger initial prevalence rates in diabetics, both groups experienced similar reductions in visual impairment, suggesting successful collaborative efforts across various sectors in Canada.*
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the role of endothelial cell-derived microvascular basement membrane (BM) components in maintaining the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reveals that knocking out the gene Atg7 in endothelial cells disrupts the interaction between astrocytes and microvessels.
- - In mice lacking Atg7 in endothelial cells, astrocytic endfeet detach from blood vessels, leading to BBB leakage and decreased coverage of astrocytes due to reduced fibronectin expression.
- - Findings suggest that Atg7 is crucial for regulating fibronectin production in endothelial cells, which is necessary for proper astrocyte adhesion to microvessels and overall BBB homeostasis.
Objective: To investigate the use and trends of virtual care in ophthalmology and examine associated factors in a universal health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Participants: Ontarians eligible for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
Background: Canada's fee-for-service physician reimbursement system, where a set rate is provided for each service, suggests that a physician sex pay gap should not exist. However, recent evidence has questioned this presumption.
Objectives: To characterize trends in demographics and billing, overall and by sex, for dermatologists compared to other medical and surgical specialty groups in Ontario, Canada.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the regular injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) in patients with various retinal diseases globally. It is unclear to what extent delayed anti-VEGF injections have worsened patients' visual acuity. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the impact of delayed anti-VEGF injections on the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and diabetic macular edema (DME).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess the volume of deferred ophthalmic surgeries in Ontario associated with the COVID-19 pandemic from March to December 2020 and suggest strategies and time required to clear the backlog.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Participants: Ontarians eligible for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan in 2017-2020.
The mammalian internal circadian clock system has been evolved to adapt to the diurnal changes in the internal and external environment of the organism to regulate diverse physiological functions, such as the sleep-wake cycle and feeding rhythm, thereby coordinating the rhythmic changes of energy demand and nutrition supply in each diurnal cycle. The circadian clock regulates glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and hormones secretion in diverse tissues and organs, including the liver, skeletal muscle, pancreas, heart, and vessels. As a special "organ" of the host, the gut microbiota, together with the intestinal microenvironment (tissues, cells, and metabolites) in a co-evolutionary process, constitutes a micro-ecosystem and plays an important role in the process of nutrient digestion and absorption in the intestine of the host.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The proportion of women entering medicine has increased in recent years, and understanding the different practice patterns of female and male family physicians (FPs) will provide important information for health workforce planning. We sought to evaluate differences by sex in the supply, payments and clinical activity among FPs in Ontario.
Methods: We conducted a cohort study using claims data from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
Article Synopsis
- * Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a major contributor to vision loss in people with diabetes, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a crucial tool for its early detection. * A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the global prevalence of DME diagnosed via OCT, involving a comprehensive search of multiple databases and evaluating the quality of included studies. * The analysis found an overall DME prevalence of 5.47%, with similar rates in both low-to-middle-income (5.81%) and high-income countries (5.14%), highlighting the importance of awareness and education about DME detection and treatment.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzes the sex differences in Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) payments to ophthalmologists from 1992 to 2018, focusing on how payments varied by gender and full-time equivalent (FTE) status.
- Results showed that female ophthalmologists received lower median payments compared to males, with the gap narrowing from a ratio of 0.55 in 1992 to 0.73 in 2018, but differences were minimal when looking at those working 1 FTE.
- The lower payments for female ophthalmologists are largely attributed to a higher percentage of them working part-time (<1 FTE) compared to males, who had a more balanced distribution across different FTE levels.
Cataract prevalence following a nationwide policy to shorten wait time for cataract surgery.
Med Hypothesis Discov Innov Ophthalmol
August 2021
Background: Cataract is an age-related eye disease. Visual impairment from cataract can be restored by cataract surgery. In 2004 the Canadian federal government invested in a multibillion dollar wait time strategy to shorten the wait time for cataract surgery, a government-insured health service in all Canadian jurisdictions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: In 2004, government-funded routine eye exams were discontinued for individuals aged 20-64 years in Ontario. We assessed whether this policy change reduced the rate of new glaucoma diagnoses.
Design: Cohort-based time-series analysis.
Introduction: Eye care in many countries is provided by optometrists, ophthalmologists, primary care providers (PCPs, including family physicians and pediatricians) and emergency department (ED) physicians. In the province of Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, optometric services are not government-insured, while services provided by other eye care providers are government-insured. Clinics of optometrists, PCPs and ED physicians are widely distributed across the island.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Insurance coverage may reduce cost barriers to obtain vision correction. Our aim was to determine the frequency and source of prescription eyewear insurance to understand how Canadians finance optical correction.
Methods: We conducted a repeated population-based cross-sectional study using 2003, 2005 and 2013-2014 Canadian Community Health Survey data from respondents aged 12 years or older from Ontario, Canada.
Purpose: To summarize COVID-19 research endeavors by ophthalmologists/researchers in terms of publication numbers, journals and author countries, and to detail key findings.
Methods: The LitCovid database was systematically reviewed for ophthalmology-focused COVID-19 articles. The quality of the evidence was assessed for articles investigating conjunctivitis in COVID-19 patients.
Objective: To determine the proportion of glaucoma patients in Ontario aged 25-64 who lack insurance coverage for glaucoma medications and to assess the frequency of cost-related nonadherence to glaucoma medications.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Participants: Glaucoma patients on medication from 2 glaucoma clinics in Toronto, Ontario.
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of changes in position in the trans-lamina cribrosa pressure difference (TLCPD) by simultaneously measuring and comparing intracranial pressure (ICP) with intraocular pressure (IOP) in seated and supine positions.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Participants: Patients admitted to the neurosurgery unit at Toronto Western Hospital with an external ventricular drain placed for ICP monitoring.
Objective: To determine the proportion of indexed ophthalmology journals with article processing charges (APCs) and potential factors associated with APCs.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Participants: Web of Science-indexed Ophthalmology journals in 2019.