Vogelboone1013

Data on the association between visual difficulty and physical activity (PA) from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are scarce. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate the association between visual difficulty and PA among adults from 36 LMICs, and to assess the mediators in this association.

Cross-sectional, community-based, predominantly nationally representative data from the World Health Survey were analysed. The final sample included 199,110 individuals aged ≥18 years [mean (SD) age 38.6 (16.1) years; 49.4% males]. Visual difficulty referred to having severe/extreme difficulties in seeing and recognizing a person that the participant knows across the road. Low PA was defined as not complying with PA recommendations of 150 min of moderate-vigorous PA per week. Multivariable logistic regression, meta-analysis, and mediation analysis were conducted to assess associations.

Meta-analysis based on country-wise multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that overall, visual difficulty is associated with a 1.53 (95% CI = 1.38-1.71) times higher odds for low PA. Particularly strong associations were observed in males (OR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.45-2.05) and adults aged ≥65 years (OR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.67-2.29). Interpersonal activities, cognition, and sleep/energy explained >10% of the association between visual difficulty and low PA.

In conclusion, we found evidence that especially in the case of males and older adults with visual difficulties in LMICs, there were low levels of engagement with PA. Addressing issues such as interpersonal activities, cognition, and sleep/energy in people with visual difficulties may increase levels of PA.

In conclusion, we found evidence that especially in the case of males and older adults with visual difficulties in LMICs, there were low levels of engagement with PA. Addressing issues such as interpersonal activities, cognition, and sleep/energy in people with visual difficulties may increase levels of PA.Sensitive and robust outcome measures of retinal function are pivotal for clinical trials in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A recent development is the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) to infer results of psychophysical examinations based on findings derived from multimodal imaging. We conducted a review of the current literature referenced in PubMed and Web of Science among others with the keywords 'artificial intelligence' and 'machine learning' in combination with 'perimetry', 'best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA)', 'retinal function' and 'age-related macular degeneration'. So far AI-based structure-function correlations have been applied to infer conventional visual field, fundus-controlled perimetry, and electroretinography data, as well as BCVA, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROM). In neovascular AMD, inference of BCVA (hereafter termed inferred BCVA) can estimate BCVA results with a root mean squared error of ~7-11 letters, which is comparable to the accuracy of actual visual acuity assessment. Further, AI-based structure-function correlation can successfully infer fundus-controlled perimetry (FCP) results both for mesopic as well as dark-adapted (DA) cyan and red testing (hereafter termed inferred sensitivity). Accuracy of inferred sensitivity can be augmented by adding short FCP examinations and reach mean absolute errors (MAE) of ~3-5 dB for mesopic, DA cyan and DA red testing. Inferred BCVA, and inferred retinal sensitivity, based on multimodal imaging, may be considered as a quasi-functional surrogate endpoint for future interventional clinical trials in the future.

To investigate the differences in lncRNAs expression in whole blood between diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients and healthy subjects, and to evaluate the potential value of lncRNAs as a diagnostic biomarker for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

A series of 34 PDR patients, 34 patients with non-proliferative DR (NPDR) and 34 healthy participants were enroled. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were demonstrated using high-throughput sequencing and validated using qRT-PCR. Gene Ontology (GO) was performed to explore the possible biological function of the differentially expressed lncRNAs. lncRNA/mRNA coexpression network was built to determine the targets of differentially expressed lncRNAs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was utilized to evaluate the diagnostic value of lncRNAs for PDR.

We identified 175 and 179 differentially expressed lncRNAs in PDR patients compared with control samples and NPDR patients, respectively. GO analysis showed that the various metabolic processes were possibly influenced by these dysregulated lncRNAs. Using the differently expressed lncRNAs data, we further identified 82 overlapping lncRNAs in PDR patients with NPDR and control subjects. Part of these overlapping lncRNAs was significantly correlated with nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and Wnt signal pathways. ROC curves were constructed for two upregulated lncRNAs and the ROC analysis indicated that both of them had potential diagnostic value and could distinguish PDR from control subjects and NPDR patients.

LncRNAs expression was altered in PDR patients compared with NPDR and control subjects. Moreover, it provides a resource that lncRNAs might be novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for PDR.

LncRNAs expression was altered in PDR patients compared with NPDR and control subjects. Moreover, it provides a resource that lncRNAs might be novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for PDR.

This study evaluated the 1-year treatment outcomes of bevacizumab for diabetic macular oedema (DMO) in routine clinical practice.

A retrospective analysis was performed on 298 eyes of 220 patients with DMO that received intra-vitreal bevacizumab between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2018 that were tracked by a prospectively designed, web-based observational registry-the Fight Retinal Blindness! Registry.

The mean visual acuity (95% confidence interval [CI]) at 1-year was 3 (2, 5) letters better thana mean (SD) of 68 (15) letters at study entry. Nearly a quarter of eyes achieved ≥20/40. Eyes presenting with better vision (≥20/40) tended to maintain that vision during the period of observation, whereas those presenting with worse vision (<20/40) gained a mean (95% CI) of 9 (5, 13) letters. A mean reduction in the macular thickness was observed over the study period with the central subfield improving by 29 µm (95% CI 17, 40) from a mean (SD) of 402 (109) µm at study entry. Eyes that completed 1 year of follow-up received a median (Q1, Q3) of 7 (4, 9) bevacizumab injections. Sixty-two eyes, ~20%, that started with bevacizumab changed to either another VEGF inhibitor or steroid (triamcinolone) during the period of observation. This did not lead to functional improvement for eyes changed to either ranibizumab or aflibercept despite a further reduction in macular thickness. An improvement in vision and reduction in macular thickness was noted in the 13 eyes that subsequently received triamcinolone. Approximately 10% of eyes dropped out over 12 months, even though their mean visual acuity had improved by seven letters from the initial visit.

Bevacizumab is an effective treatment for DMO in unselected populations.

Bevacizumab is an effective treatment for DMO in unselected populations.Despite signs of infection-including taste loss, dry mouth and mucosal lesions such as ulcerations, enanthema and macules-the involvement of the oral cavity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is poorly understood. To address this, we generated and analyzed two single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of the human minor salivary glands and gingiva (9 samples, 13,824 cells), identifying 50 cell clusters. Using integrated cell normalization and annotation, we classified 34 unique cell subpopulations between glands and gingiva. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral entry factors such as ACE2 and TMPRSS members were broadly enriched in epithelial cells of the glands and oral mucosae. Using orthogonal RNA and protein expression assessments, we confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the glands and mucosae. Saliva from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals harbored epithelial cells exhibiting ACE2 and TMPRSS expression and sustained SARS-CoV-2 infection. Acellular and cellular salivary fractions from asymptomatic individuals were found to transmit SARS-CoV-2 ex vivo. this website Matched nasopharyngeal and saliva samples displayed distinct viral shedding dynamics, and salivary viral burden correlated with COVID-19 symptoms, including taste loss. Upon recovery, this asymptomatic cohort exhibited sustained salivary IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Collectively, these data show that the oral cavity is an important site for SARS-CoV-2 infection and implicate saliva as a potential route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class-I mismatches that trigger donor-versus-recipient natural killer (NK)-cell alloreactivity reduce the incidence of leukemia relapse and improve survival of acute myeloid leukemia patients after T-cell-depleted HLA-haplotype mismatched ("haploidentical") hematopoietic transplantation. In murine graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) models, alloreactive NK-cells also prevent GvHD. Here we report the results of a non-interventional, prospective study performed on behalf of the Cellular Therapy and Immunobiology Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. The study was aimed at re-assessing the role of NK-cell alloreactivity in a cohort of haploidentical transplants performed in Europe between 2012 and 2015 and composed of unmanipulated, as well as T-cell-depleted transplants. One hundred thirty-eight patients with acute myeloid or lymphoid leukemias were analyzed. Eighty-six patients received ex-vivo T-cell-depleted transplants, 52 patients received unmanipulated transplants. Fifty patients were transplanted from NK alloreactive donors, 88 from non-NK alloreactive donors. NK cell alloreactivity did not impact on GvHD/relapse-free survival (GRFS) in unmanipulated transplants (HR 1.66 (0.9-3.1), p = 0.1). In contrast, it did impact beneficially on GRFS in T-cell-depleted transplants (HR 0.6, (0.3-1.2), p = 0.14, interaction p  less then  0.001). This effect was the consequence of reduced incidences of acute and chronic GvHD and non-relapse mortality.This multicenter prospective phase 2 trial analyzed disease-free survival (DFS) in myelofibrosis patients receiving ruxolitinib for 6 months before transplantation. Seventy-six patients were recruited. Age-adjusted dynamic international prognostic scoring system was intermediate-1, intermediate-2, and high in 27 (36%), 31 (41%), and 18 (24%) patients. All patients received ruxolitinib from inclusion to conditioning regimen (fludarabine-melphalan) or to progression. A donor was found in 64 patients 18 HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD), 32 HLA-matched unrelated (UD10/10), and 14 HLA mismatched unrelated donor (UD9/10. Among 64 patients with a donor, 20 (31%) achieved a partial response before transplantation and 59 (92%) could be transplanted after ruxolitinib therapy (18/18 MSD, 30/21 UD10/10, 11/34 UD9/10), of whom 19 (32%) were splenectomized. Overall survival from inclusion was 68% at 12 months. One-year DFS after transplantation was 55% 83%, 40%, and 34% after MSD, UD10/10 or UD9/10, respectively. Cumulative incidence of grade 2-4 acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 66% and non-relapse-mortality was 42% at 12 months.