Repeatability of tear meniscus evaluation using spectral-domain Cirrus® HD-OCT and time-domain Visante® OCT.

Purpose: To investigate the intra-rater, inter-rater and inter-device repeatability of a spectral-domain OCT (Cirrus) and a time-domain OCT (Visante) for tear meniscus height (TMH) and area (TMA) measurements.

Methods: 20 participants with no known eye disease were recruited. Both eyes of participants were imaged with both OCTs under the similar conditions.

Sleep apnea and retinal signs in cardiovascular disease: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between sleep apnea, retinal vascular caliber and retinopathy, and their impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

Methods: A multi-ethnic cohort of 5,803 participants was examined based on standardized grading of retinal vascular caliber and retinopathy from digital fundus photographs, self-reported physician-diagnosed sleep apnea (PDSA), and incident cardiovascular events.

Results: In women, PDSA was associated with narrower arterioles (regression coefficient [β] -5.

Unusual optic disc infarction in a case of arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AAION).

Herein, we report another case of arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy from Singapore, in which the initial optic disc swelling was extreme and the sequential disease resolved because the patient was already on maximum treatment. As the management of this biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis case was complicated by the presence of a number of other medical conditions, including end-stage renal failure, monitoring of the response to treatment proved problematic.

Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty: intraoperative and postoperative imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

We describe a case report of using the same handheld spectral-domain anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) for rapid intraoperative and postoperative imaging in a case of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). A 67-year-old woman, with Fuchs dystrophy and corneal decompensation, underwent DMEK with intraoperative ASOCT imaging using the handheld Envisu spectral domain ASOCT system (Bioptigen, Inc., Morrisville, NC, USA).

Nanomedicine for glaucoma: sustained release latanoprost offers a new therapeutic option with substantial benefits over eyedrops.

Glaucoma is a chronic progressive optic neuropathy that is characterized by optic nerve changes and visual field loss. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main modifiable risk factor. Chronic instillation of daily eyedrops to lower IOP is the primary treatment of choice, although it requires patient adherence and correct performance.

The clinical implications of recent studies on the structure and function of the retinal microvasculature in diabetes.

The retinal blood vessels provide the opportunity to study early structural and functional changes in the microvasculature prior to clinically significant microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes. Advances in digital retinal photography and computerised assessment of the retinal vasculature have provided more objective and precise measurements of retinal vascular changes. Clinic- and population-based studies have reported that these quantitatively measured retinal vascular changes (e.

Surgical compensation of presbyopia with corneal inlays.

Presbyopia, the physiological change in near vision that develops with ageing, gradually affects individuals older than 40 years and is a growing cause of visual disability due to ageing demographics of the global population. The routine use of computers and 'smartphones', combined with the affluence of the 'baby boomers' generation has set high standards for near vision correction. Corneal inlays are a relatively new treatment modality that is effective at compensating for presbyopia.

Angle-closure glaucoma in Asians: comparison of biometric and anterior segment parameters between Japanese and Chinese subjects.

Purpose: To compare anterior segment parameters in Chinese and Japanese subjects with angle closure using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT).

Methods: One hundred and forty-two Japanese and one hundred and ninety-two Chinese subjects with primary angle closure (PAC) or primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) were recruited. All participants underwent A-scan biometry and ASOCT imaging (Visante, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA, USA).

Age-related macular degeneration phenotypes associated with mutually exclusive homozygous risk variants in CFH and HTRA1 genes.

Purpose: To determine age-related macular degeneration (AMD) phenotypes associated with mutually exclusive homozygotic risk variants in rs1061170 (CFH) and rs11200638 (HTRA1).

Methods: Nested case-control study of 2,982 eyes (2,129 control, 809 drusen ≥125 μm, 44 advanced AMD) homozygous for CFH [TT or CC] and HTRA1 [GG or AA] were analyzed using logistic regression and generalized estimating equations specifically regards to homozygous risk variants in one but homozygous no-risk in the other gene.

Results: In early AMD, [CFH HTRA1] and [CFH HTRA1] were associated with central drusen (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 4.

The natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a multi-center series of untreated Asian patients.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the long-term natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in untreated patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational case series. Patients with symptomatic PCV who did not receive any treatment for at least 12 months were included from the records of three ophthalmic clinics in Asia.

Integrated flexible handheld probe for imaging and evaluation of iridocorneal angle.

An imaging probe is designed and developed by integrating a miniaturized charge-coupled diode camera and light-emitting diode light source, which enables evaluation of the iridocorneal region inside the eye. The efficiency of the prototype probe instrument is illustrated initially by using not only eye models, but also samples such as pig eye. The proposed methodology and developed scheme are expected to find potential application in iridocorneal angle documentation, glaucoma diagnosis, and follow-up management procedures.

A novel fragment based strategy for membrane active antimicrobials against MRSA.

Membrane active antimicrobials are a promising new generation of antibiotics that hold the potential to avert antibiotic resistance. However, poor understanding of the action mechanism and the lack of general design principles have impeded their development. Here we extend the concept of fragment based drug design and propose a pharmacophore model based on first principles for the design of membrane active antimicrobials against Gram positive pathogens.

Advances in hydrogel delivery systems for tissue regeneration.

Hydrogels are natural or synthetic polymer networks that have high water-absorbing capacity and closely mimic native extracellular matrices. As hydrogel-based cell delivery systems are being increasingly employed in regenerative medicine, several advances have been made in the hydrogel chemistry and modification for enhanced control of cell fate and functions, and modulation of cell and tissue responses against oxidative stress and inflammation in the tissue environment. This review aims to provide the state-of-the-art overview of the recent advances in field, discusses new perspectives and challenges in the regeneration of specific tissues, and highlights some of the limitations of current systems for possible future advancements.

Biodegradable polymers for electrospinning: towards biomedical applications.

Electrospinning has received much attention recently due to the growing interest in nano-technologies and the unique material properties. This review focuses on recent progress in applying electrospinning technique in production of biodegradable nanofibers to the emerging field of biomedical. It first introduces the basic theory and parameters of nanofibers fabrication, with focus on factors affecting the morphology and fiber diameter of biodegradable nanofibers.

Current treatment options and drug delivery systems as potential therapeutic agents for ovarian cancer: a review.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common and deadliest gynecologic cancer with about 75% of the patients presenting in advanced stages. The introduction of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in 2006 had led to a 16 month improvement in the overall survival. However, catheter-related complication and the complexity of the procedure had deterred intraperitoneal route as the preferred route of treatment.

Amino acid modified xanthone derivatives: novel, highly promising membrane-active antimicrobials for multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacterial infections.

Antibiotic resistance is a critical global health care crisis requiring urgent action to develop more effective antibiotics. Utilizing the hydrophobic scaffold of xanthone, we identified three components that mimicked the action of an antimicrobial cationic peptide to produce membrane-targeting antimicrobials. Compounds 5c and 6, which contain a hydrophobic xanthone core, lipophilic chains, and cationic amino acids, displayed very promising antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, including MRSA and VRE, rapid time-kill, avoidance of antibiotic resistance, and low toxicity.

Vascular changes in the developing rat retina in response to hypoxia.

This study was carried out to investigate the roles of tight junction (TJ) proteins and other factors in the increased permeability of the blood retinal barrier (BRB) affecting the immature neonatal retina following a hypoxic insult. The expression of endothelial TJ proteins such as claudin-5, occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and endothelial cell specific molecule-1 (ESM-1), and associated structural changes in the blood vessels were analyzed in the retinas of 1-day-old Wistar rats subjected to hypoxia for 2 h and subsequently sacrificed at different time points ranging from 3 h to 14 d. The mRNA and protein expression of claudin-5, occludin & ZO-1 was found to be reduced in the hypoxic retina, although, at the ultrastructural level, the TJ between the endothelial cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells appeared to be intact.

Manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) with posterior chamber intraocular lens versus extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) with posterior chamber intraocular lens for age-related cataract.

Background: Age-related cataract is the opacification of the lens, which occurs as a result of denaturation of lens proteins. Age-related cataract remains the leading cause of blindness globally, except in the most developed countries. A key question is what is the best way of removing the lens, especially in lower income settings.

Incipient non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy: a distinct clinical entity, the Singapore scene 3.

We report five cases of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION) where spontaneous resolution of the optic disc swelling occurred, and all relevant visual modalities were normal at presentation and remained so until resolution of the process after a median time of 9.6 weeks. This condition, which can be termed 'incipient NA‑AION' or 'threatened NA-AION', should be recognised so that unnecessary investigations for other and more serious causes of optic disc swelling can be prevented.

cnvCapSeq: detecting copy number variation in long-range targeted resequencing data.

Targeted resequencing technologies have allowed for efficient and cost-effective detection of genomic variants in specific regions of interest. Although capture sequencing has been primarily used for investigating single nucleotide variants and indels, it has the potential to elucidate a broader spectrum of genetic variation, including copy number variants (CNVs). Various methods exist for detecting CNV in whole-genome and exome sequencing datasets.

Involvement of GABA transporters in atropine-treated myopic retina as revealed by iTRAQ quantitative proteomics.

Atropine, a muscarinic antagonist, is known to inhibit myopia progression in several animal models and humans. However, the mode of action is not established yet. In this study, we compared quantitative iTRAQ proteomic analysis in the retinas collected from control and lens-induced myopic (LIM) mouse eyes treated with atropine.

A Randomized, Controlled Treatment Trial of Eyelid-Warming Therapies in Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

Aim: The main treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), a major cause of dry eye, is eyelid warming. Lack of compliance is the main reason for treatment failure. This has led to the development of eyelid-warming devices that are safe, effective and convenient.

Note: A gel based imaging technique of the iridocorneal angle for evaluation of angle-closure glaucoma.

Noninvasive medical imaging techniques have high potential in the field of ocular imaging research. Angle closure glaucoma is a major disease causing blindness and a possible way of detection is the examination of the anterior chamber angle in eyes. Here, a simple optical method for the evaluation of angle-closure glaucoma is proposed and illustrated.

Regulation of Toll-like receptor expression in human conjunctival epithelial cells.

Previous studies showed marked decrease of multiple Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression in corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells upon culture in vitro. The aim of this study was to identify factor(s) which regulate TLR expression. Primary human conjunctival epithelial cells and immortal conjunctival (IOBA-NHC) and corneal epithelial cell lines (HCET) were used.

Hypoxia increases adipogenesis and affects adipocytokine production in orbital fibroblasts-a possible explanation of the link between smoking and Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Aim: To assess the effects of hypoxia on human orbital fibroblasts (OF) on adipogenesis and adipocytokine production.

Methods: Human OF were derived from tissues obtained from patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) and from patients without known thyroid diseases undergoing blepharoplasty. The OF were cultured separately under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.