Bacterial clustering biomaterials as anti-infective therapies.

In Nature, bacterial clustering by host-released peptides or nucleic acids is an evolutionarily conserved immune defense strategy employed to prevent adhesion of pathogenic microbes, which is prerequisite for most infections. Synthetic anti-adhesion strategies present as non-lethal means of targeting bacteria and may potentially be used to avoid resistance against antimicrobial therapies. From bacteria-agglutinating biomolecules discovered in nature to synthetic designs involving peptides, cationic polymers and nanoparticles, the modes of actions appear broad and unconsolidated.

Correlation of gut microbial diversity to sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose: To determine the association of gut microbiome diversity and sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) amongst patients with pre-existing diabetes.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, wherein 54 participants selected in total were placed into cases cohort if diagnosed with STDR and those without STDR but had a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus of at least 10-year duration were taken as controls. Statistical analysis comparing the gut microbial alpha diversity between cases and control groups as well as patients differentiated based on previously hypothesized Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes(B/F) ratio with an optimal cut-off 1.

Infectious optic neuropathy (ION), how to recognise it and manage it.

Optic neuropathy can be of infectious or non-infectious/idiopathic aetiology. Many infectious organisms can cause optic neuropathy that can be of varied presentation including papillitis, retrobulbar optic neuritis, neuroretinitis, and optic perineuritis. Detailed history, ocular, systemic/neurologic examination along with appropriate laboratory evaluation can help clinicians to identify the infectious agent causing optic neuropathy.

Surgical management of a case of double optic disc pits with maculopathy.

Background: Double optic disc pit maculopathy is a rare entity. It can be difficult to manage because of excessive leakage and chronic maculopathy.

Purpose: To describe surgical management in a case of double optic disc pits with maculopathy.

Utilizing a novel high-resolution malaria dataset for climate-informed predictions with a deep learning transformer model.

Climatic factors influence malaria transmission via the effect on the Anopheles vector and Plasmodium parasite. Modelling and understanding the complex effects that climate has on malaria incidence can enable important early warning capabilities. Deep learning applications across fields are proving valuable, however the field of epidemiological forecasting is still in its infancy with a lack of applied deep learning studies for malaria in southern Africa which leverage quality datasets.

Analysis of Toxic Metals Found in Shark Fins Collected from a Global Trade Hub.

As human activities release increasingly more fossil fuel-derived emissions directly into the atmosphere, terrestrial, aquatic, or marine ecosystems, the biomagnification and bioaccumulation of toxic metals in seafood is an ever more pressing concern. As apex predators, sharks are particularly susceptible to biomagnification and bioaccumulation. The consumption of shark fin is frequent throughout Asia, and their ingestion represents a pathway through which human exposure to potentially unsafe levels of toxic metals can occur.

CAMK2D serves as a molecular scaffold for RNF8-MAD2 complex to induce mitotic checkpoint in glioma.

MAD2 is a spindle assembly checkpoint protein that participates in the formation of mitotic checkpoint complex, which blocks mitotic progression. RNF8, an established DNA damage response protein, has been implicated in mitotic checkpoint regulation but its exact role remains poorly understood. Here, RNF8 proximity proteomics uncovered a role of RNF8-MAD2 in generating the mitotic checkpoint signal.

Governance in the implementation of the UN sustainable development goals in higher education: global trends.

Governance is a key component for implementing sustainable development (SD) initiatives in university teaching, research, and projects. This line of thinking also applies to implementing the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs). Despite the role of governance in guiding processes related to the SDGs, few studies have examined these relations in an integrative manner in higher education.

Trends in Photothermal Nanostructures for Antimicrobial Applications.

The rapid development of antimicrobial resistance due to broad antibiotic utilisation in the healthcare and food industries and the non-availability of novel antibiotics represents one of the most critical public health issues worldwide. Current advances in nanotechnology allow new materials to address drug-resistant bacterial infections in specific, focused, and biologically safe ways. The unique physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and wide range of adaptability of nanomaterials that exhibit photothermal capability can be employed to develop the next generation of photothermally induced controllable hyperthermia as antibacterial nanoplatforms.

Advances in the diagnosis of herpes simplex stromal necrotising keratitis: A feasibility study on deep learning approach.

Purpose: Infectious keratitis, especially viral keratitis (VK), in resource-limited settings, can be a challenge to diagnose and carries a high risk of misdiagnosis contributing to significant ocular morbidity.

We Aimed To: employ and study the application of artificial intelligence-based deep learning (DL) algorithms to diagnose VK.

Methods: A single-center retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary care center from January 2017 to December 2019 employing DL algorithm to diagnose VK from slit-lamp (SL) photographs.

Anterior staphyloma repair following trauma and surgery - A retrospective review of techniques and outcomes over 25 years.

Purpose: To review surgical options, techniques, and outcomes of anterior staphyloma repair done following trauma and surgery.

Methods: This was a retrospective case study of patients who underwent staphyloma repair with scleral or tibial periosteal patch grafts following trauma and surgery with a minimum follow-up of 3 months postoperatively. Preoperative risk factors, choice of graft materials, surgical details, and outcomes in terms of graft uptake and tectonic integrity were analyzed.

Polymerase chain reaction confirmed mycobacterium tuberculosis intermediate uveitis - analysis of 22 eyes of 14 cases from a tertiary care centre in South India: a retrospective study.

Background: To report the role of Polymerase Chain Reaction in confirming the diagnosis of presumed Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) Intermediate Uveitis.

Method: Retrospective analysis of 22 eyes of 14 cases of presumed tubercular intermediate uveitis wherein intraocular fluid was tested for MTB DNA by Nested & Real-time PCR, based on clinical suspicion of tubercular aetiology. QuantiFERON TB gold test and High-Resolution CT Chest were done.

Digital Eye Strain- A Comprehensive Review.

Digital eye strain (DES) is an entity encompassing visual and ocular symptoms arising due to the prolonged use of digital electronic devices. It is characterized by dry eyes, itching, foreign body sensation, watering, blurring of vision, and headache. Non-ocular symptoms associated with eye strain include stiff neck, general fatigue, headache, and backache.

Pythium insidiosum Keratitis: Past, Present, and Future.

Pythium insidiosum (PI) is an oomycete, a protist belonging to the clade Stramenopila. PI causes vision-threatening keratitis closely mimicking fungal keratitis (FK), hence it is also labeled as "parafungus". PI keratitis was initially confined to Thailand, USA, China, and Australia, but with growing clinical awareness and improvement in diagnostic modalities, the last decade saw a massive upsurge in numbers with the majority of reports coming from India.

Correlating the patterns of diabetic macular edema, optical coherence tomography biomarkers and grade of diabetic retinopathy with stage of renal disease.

Purpose: To correlate optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based morphological patterns of diabetic macular edema (DME), biomarkers and grade of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with various stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) secondary to diabetes.

Design: Multicentric retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at seven centers across India.

Methods: Data from medical records of patients with DME and CKD were entered in a common excel sheet across all seven centers.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for the detection of prostate cancer in symptomatic patients.

Background: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a commonly used test to detect prostate cancer. Attention has mostly focused on the use of PSA in screening asymptomatic patients, but the diagnostic accuracy of PSA for prostate cancer in patients with symptoms is less well understood.

Methods: A systematic database search was conducted of Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane library.

Choroidal neovascularization in 111 eyes of children and adolescents.

Purpose: To describe the clinical features, management, and outcomes of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in children less than 18 years of age.

Methods: This was a retrospective, case control study of 111 eyes of 96 patients. CNV was clinically diagnosed in all patients.

Preliminary experience & rationale of primary allo Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplantation (SLET) following surgical excision of Ocular Surface Tumors.

Aim: To report the preliminary outcomes and elucidate the possible rationale of alloSLET for primary ocular surface reconstruction following excision of extensive ocular surface tumors.

Methods: Retrospective interventional case series with a minimum postoperative follow up of 1 year. AlloSLET was performed along with wide surgical excision and cryotherapy in 3 eyes.

Multimodal imaging characteristics in eyes with vitreoretinal lymphoma treated with intravitreal rituximab.

Purpose: To characterize the imaging features in eyes with vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) using ultra-widefield fundus photography (UWF-FP), swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) that are correlated to ongoing treatment with intravitreal Rituximab(IVR).

Methods: Retrospective observational imaging-based study of 15 treatment-naive eyes with VRL treated with IVR. All patients with primary VRL underwent vitreous biopsy using 23/25G microincision vitrectomy system for confirmation of diagnosis.

Intravitreal rituximab monotherapy for management of eyes with vitreoretinal lymphoma: initial experience from India.

Purpose: To evaluate treatment outcomes and complications of intravitreal rituximab (IVR) monotherapy for eyes with vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with 'isolated primary VRL' or 'VRL with remission of systemic disease' and treated with IVR (1 mg/0.1 ml) between June 2014 and June 2019 were included in this retrospective, interventional case series.