Westovergaard2849

Despite the high prevalence of chronic otitis media (COM) in low to middle-income countries, there are few studies regarding its associated factors, health-related quality of life, and treatment costs. This study aimed to identify associated factors of COM, assess its impact on the quality of life as well as estimate the patients' reported costs of COM treatment in Colombia.

Cross-sectional study. Two otology-referral centers in Bogotá (Colombia) were included. Questionnaires focusing on sociodemographic and clinical associated factors, quality of life, and patients' reported costs were administered to 200 adults with COM diagnosis and 144 control adults. Otoscopic evaluation and audiometric data were collected.

The mean age was 42.2 years (SD 14.44). The median length of COM was 26.13 years (SD 17.06), and 79.5% of the COM patients reported otorrhea during childhood (P-value 0.01). The most frequently reported allergic disease among our study population was allergic rhinitis (26.5%). COM was less frequent in patients with a medium-high socioeconomic status (PR 0.54; 95% CI 0.39-0.72), and more frequent in patients who reported increased ear discharge due to upper respiratory tract infections (PR 1.69; 95% CI 1.68-1.70). The global score of the "Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media Questionnaire-12" showed a difference of 9 points between patients with active and inactive COM (P < 0.001). Patients spent between 12.07% to 60.37% of their household income on expenses related to COM.

Associated factors found in this study are consistent with previous reports. COM has a significant financial impact and affects patients' quality of life. Worldwide research addressing these issues in poor-resource countries is scarce, further studies are needed.

Associated factors found in this study are consistent with previous reports. COM has a significant financial impact and affects patients' quality of life. Worldwide research addressing these issues in poor-resource countries is scarce, further studies are needed.Markers of systemic inflammation are associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment, but it is unclear if they are associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline and whether this relationship differs by race. Our objective was to examine the association of baseline C-reaction protein (CRP) with cognitive decline among a large racially diverse cohort of older adults. Participants included 21,782 adults aged 45 and older (36% were Black, Mean age at baseline 64) from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. CRP was measured at baseline and used as a continuous variable or a dichotomous grouping based on race-specific 90th percentile cutoffs. Cognitive measures of memory and verbal fluency were administered every 2 years for up to 12 years. Latent growth curve models evaluated the association of CRP on cognitive trajectories, adjusting for relevant demographic and health factors. We found that higher CRP was associated with worse memory (B = -.039, 95% CI [-.065,-.014]) and verbal fluency at baseline (B = -.195, 95% CI [-.219,-.170]), but not with rate of cognitive decline. After covariate adjustment, the association of CRP on memory was attenuated (B = -.005, 95% CI [-.031,-.021]). The association with verbal fluency at baseline, but not over time, remained (B = -.042, 95% CI [-.067,-.017]). Race did not modify the association between CRP and cognition. Findings suggest that levels of CRP at age 45+, are a marker of cognitive impairment but may not be suitable for risk prediction for cognitive decline.

To compare a biometer using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) with a partial coherence interferometry (PCI)-based biometer in measurements of two ocular biometry parameters, i.e., the axial length and anterior cornea curvature.

We compared the two biometers SS-OCT (ANTERION, Heidelberg Engineering Inc., Heidelberg, Germany) and PCI (IOL Master, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany) in terms of the axial length (AL) and corneal curvature (K) measurements of 175 eyes. Paired t-tests were used to compare the two biometers. Agreement between the biometers was evaluated using the Bland-Altman method.

The mean age was 36.0 ± 25.6 years (range 5 to 85 years). The mean axial length was 24.42 ± 0.13 mm for SS-OCT and 24.45 ± 0.14 mm for PCI. The mean corneal curvature was significantly different between the two biometry in flat K (K1) but not in steep K (K2). The limit of agreement was -0.15 to 0.21 in the axial length, -1.18 to 0.83 in K1, and -1.06 to 0.95 in K2. All above ocular biometric measurements between SS-OCT and PCI correlated significantly (Pearson's correlation, p<0.001).

The axial length measured using SS-OCT is useful in clinical practice. It shows a good correlation and agreement with that measured using PCI. However, the axial length and corneal curvature measured using SS-OCT cannot be used interchangeably with that measured using PCI in clinical practice.

The axial length measured using SS-OCT is useful in clinical practice. It shows a good correlation and agreement with that measured using PCI. However, the axial length and corneal curvature measured using SS-OCT cannot be used interchangeably with that measured using PCI in clinical practice.Enhancer redundancy has been postulated to provide a buffer for gene expression against genetic and environmental perturbations. While work in Drosophila has identified functionally overlapping enhancers, work in mammalian models has been limited. MCC950 purchase Recently, we have identified two partially redundant enhancers, nPE1 and nPE2, that drive proopiomelanocortin gene expression in the hypothalamus. Here we demonstrate that deletion of nPE1 produces mild obesity while knockout of nPE2 has no discernible metabolic phenotypes. Additionally, we show that acute leptin administration has significant effects on nPE1 knockout mice, with food intake and body weight change significantly impacted by peripheral leptin treatment. nPE1 knockout mice became less responsive to leptin treatment over time as percent body weight change increased over 2 week exposure to peripheral leptin. Both Pomc and Agrp mRNA were not differentially affected by chronic leptin treatment however we did see a decrease in Pomc and Agrp mRNA in both nPE1 and nPE2 knockout calorie restricted mice as compared to calorie restricted PBS-treated WT mice.