Effects of Combined Cataract Surgery on Outcomes of Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis of literature-to-date regarding the effects of combined cataract surgery on outcomes of DMEK.

Methods: Multiple electronic databases were searched, including Cochrane Library databases, PubMed, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov.

Diabetic Corneal Neuropathy.

Diabetic keratopathy (DK) is a common, but underdiagnosed, ocular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that has a significant economic burden. It is characterised by progressive damage of corneal nerves, due to DM-induced chronic hyperglycaemia and its associated metabolic changes. With advances in corneal nerve imaging and quantitative analytic tools, studies have shown that the severity of diabetic corneal neuropathy correlates with the status of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Safety and Feasibility of Intrastromal Injection of Cultivated Human Corneal Stromal Keratocytes as Cell-Based Therapy for Corneal Opacities.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of intrastromal injection of human corneal stromal keratocytes (CSKs) and its therapeutic effect on a rodent early corneal opacity model.

Methods: Twelve research-grade donor corneas were used in primary culture to generate quiescent CSKs and activated stromal fibroblasts (SFs). Single and repeated intrastromal injections of 2 to 4 × 104 cells to rat normal corneas (n = 52) or corneas with early opacities induced by irregular phototherapeutic keratectomy (n = 16) were performed, followed by weekly examination of corneal response under slit-lamp biomicroscopy and in vivo confocal microscopy with evaluation of haze level and stromal reflectivity, and corneal thickness using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT).

Endoscopic subtypes of colorectal laterally spreading tumors (LSTs) and the risk of submucosal invasion: a meta-analysis.

Background And Study Aims: Many studies have reported on laterally spreading tumors (LSTs), but systematic reviews of the data to determine their risk of containing submucosal invasion (SMI) are lacking. We systematically screened and analyzed the available literature to provide a more solid basis for evidence-based treatment.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus for published articles until July 2017.

Long-term future risk of severe exacerbations: Distinct 5-year trajectories of problematic asthma.

Background: Assessing future risk of exacerbations is an important component of asthma management. Existing studies have investigated short- but not long-term risk. Problematic asthma patients with unfavorable long-term disease trajectory and persistently frequent severe exacerbations need to be identified early to guide treatment.

The emergence of species in chronic respiratory disease.

Chronic lung disease is recognized as an important risk factor for developing pulmonary aspergillosis. The development of specific aspergillus-associated syndromes depends on host immunity and underlying lung disease. In the setting of asthma, hypersensitivity to can lead to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) or severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS).

Hearts deficient in both Mfn1 and Mfn2 are protected against acute myocardial infarction.

Mitochondria alter their shape by undergoing cycles of fusion and fission. Changes in mitochondrial morphology impact on the cellular response to stress, and their interactions with other organelles such as the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Inhibiting mitochondrial fission can protect the heart against acute ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Genotype-Dependent Brown Adipose Tissue Activation in Patients With Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

Context: Patients with pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PGLs) may have brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation induced by catecholamine excess. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) can be used for the localization of both PGLs and BAT. It is unknown whether BAT is specifically affected by altered cellular energy metabolism in patients with SDHx- and VHL-related PGLs.

Risk factors for cardiovascular events among Asian patients without pre-existing cardiovascular disease on the renal transplant wait list.

Introduction: For suitable end-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients, renal transplantation gives better long term survival and quality of life as compared to dialysis. Prior to entry into the renal transplant wait list, potential candidates are screened for the presence of cardiovascular disease. However, the waiting time on the transplant list is long, and interval screening for cardiac fitness for surgery is not well defined.

Geographical variation in ambulance calls is associated with socioeconomic status.

Objectives:   The main objective was to explore the relationship between socioeconomic status and the spatial distribution of ambulance calls, as modeled in the island nation of Singapore, at the Development Guide Plan (DGP) level (equivalent to census tracts in the United States).

Methods:   Ambulance call data came from a nationwide registry from January to May 2006. We used a conditional autoregressive (CAR) model to create smoothed maps of ambulance calls at the DGP level, as well as spatial regression models to evaluate the relationship between the risk of calls with regional measures of socioeconomic status, such as household type and both personal and household income.