Incidence and risk factors for post-penetrating keratoplasty glaucoma

Purpose:To carry out a prospective study to analyze the incidence and various preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative risk factors for the development of PPKG.Methods:A total of 207 patients were analyzed prospectively, who were operated for penetrating keratoplasty (PK) in a tertiary eye care hospital between the time period of August 1, 2017 and February 28, 2018 and were followed up till the sixth month. Each patient was analyzed at every visit to determine the factors responsible for post-keratoplasty glaucoma.Results:Out of 207 eyes, post-PK glaucoma developed in 84 cases, which yielded an incidence of 41%. Incidence of PPKG (Post PK glaucoma) in various conditions was as follows: in repeat PK 62%, in perforated corneal ulcer 33%, in nonperforated corneal ulcer 29%, in corneal scar including adherent leukoma 37.2%, and in pseudophakic bullous keratopathy and aphakic bullous keratopathy, 14% and 80%, respectively. In age- and sex-adjusted multivariate analysis, the significant risk factors were age (P-value- 0.006), presence of PAS (P-value 0.001), and fellow eye glaucoma (P-value 0.04). Aphakia and combined surgery were not found to be significantConclusion:Our study recommends a meticulous examination of the fellow eye to assess the presence of glaucoma as it can increase the suspicion of glaucoma in the eye to be operated. The presence of PAS and age are important risk factors for developing PPKG. The risk of developing PPKG increases exponentially as the number of risk factors increases, but the presence of more than three risk factors does not add to the development of PPKG.     

ASO Visual Abstract: Impact of Endocrine Therapy Adherence on Outcomes in Elderly Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Undergoing Lumpectomy Without Radiotherapy

Annals of Surgical Oncology -     

Screening for Low Energy Availability in Male Athletes: Attempted Validation of LEAM-Q

A questionnaire-based screening tool for male athletes at risk of low energy availability (LEA) could facilitate both research and clinical practice. The present options rely on proxies for LEA such screening tools for disordered eating, exercise dependence, or those validated in female athlete populations. in which the female-specific sections are excluded. To overcome these limitations and support progress in understanding LEA in males, centres in Australia, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden collaborated to develop a screening tool (LEAM-Q) based on clinical investigations of elite and sub-elite male athletes from multiple countries and ethnicities, and a variety of endurance and weight-sensitive sports. A bank of questions was developed from previously validated questionnaires and expert opinion on various clinical markers of LEA in athletic or eating disorder populations, dizziness, thermoregulation, gastrointestinal symptoms, injury, illness, wellbeing, recovery, sleep and sex drive. The validation process covered reliability, content validity, a multivariate analysis of associations between variable responses and clinical markers, and Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis of variables, with the inclusion threshold being set at 60% sensitivity. Comparison of the scores of the retained questionnaire variables between subjects classified as cases or controls based on clinical markers of LEA revealed an internal consistency and reliability of 0.71. Scores for sleep and thermoregulation were not associated with any clinical marker and were excluded from any further analysis. Of the remaining variables, dizziness, illness, fatigue, and sex drive had sufficient sensitivity to be retained in the questionnaire, but only low sex drive was able to distinguish between LEA cases and controls and was associated with perturbations in key clinical markers and questionnaire responses. In summary, in this large and international cohort, low sex drive was the most effective self-reported symptom in identifying male athletes requiring further clinical assessment for LEA.     

TAS1R3 and TAS2R38 Polymorphisms Affect Sweet Taste Perception: An Observational Study on Healthy and Obese Subjects

Background: The inter-individual differences in taste perception find a possible rationale in genetic variations. We verified whether the presence of four different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding for bitter (TAS2R38; 145G > C; 785T > C) and sweet (TAS1R3; −1572C > T; −1266C > T) taste receptors influenced the recognition of the basic tastes. Furthermore, we tested if the allelic distribution of such SNPs varied according to BMI and whether the associations between SNPs and taste recognition were influenced by the presence of overweight/obesity. Methods: DNA of 85 overweight/obese patients and 57 normal weight volunteers was used to investigate the SNPs. For the taste test, filter paper strips were applied. Each of the basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) plus pure rapeseed oil, and water were tested. Results: Individuals carrying the AV/AV diplotype of the TAS2R38 gene (A49P G/G and V262 T/T) were less sensitive to sweet taste recognition. These alterations remained significant after adjustment for gender and BMI. Moreover, a significant decrease in overall taste recognition associated with BMI and age was found. There was no significant difference in allelic distribution for the investigated polymorphisms between normal and overweight/obese patients. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that overall taste recognition depends on age and BMI. In the total population, the inter-individual ability to identify the sweet taste at different concentrations was related to the presence of at least one genetic variant for the bitter receptor gene but not to the BMI.     

A rare case of pediatric pancreatic pseudocyst

We present a case report of a 2‐year‐old boy who presented to a local hospital to evaluate vague abdominal symptoms of one‐month duration. The patient, therefore, had an open cystogastrostomy and drainage of the free abdominal fluid with minimal complications. He was monitored for several days after his surgery.     

Determinants for a low health-related quality of life in asthmatics

People with asthma suffer from impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL), but the determinants of HRQL among asthmatics are not completely understood. The aim of this investigation was to study determinants of low HRQL in asthmatics and to study whether the determinants of HRQL differ between sexes and age groups. A cohort of three age groups in Sweden was investigated in 1990 using a questionnaire with focus on respiratory symptoms. To study quality of life, the generic instrument Gothenburg Quality of Life was used. The participants were also investigated with interviews, spirometry, and allergy testing. Asthma was diagnosed in 616 subjects. Fifty-eight per cent (n = 359) of the subjects were women; and 24% were smokers, 22% ex-smokers, and 54% were non-smokers. Women were more likely than men to report poor health-related quality of life. Respiratory symptoms severity was another independent determinant of a lower quality of life as well as airway responsiveness to irritants. Current and former smokers also reported lower quality of life. Finally, absenteeism from school and work was associated with lower quality of life. Factors such as sex, smoking habits, airway responsiveness to irritants, respiratory symptom severity, allergy, and absenteeism from school and work were associated with low HRQL in asthmatics.     

The Impact of Behavioral Intervention on Family Interactions at Mealtime in Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis

The current study evaluated the impact of a behavioral intervention (Be In Charge!), targeting caloric intake and weight gain in children with CF, on family interactions at mealtime. Forty-five families of children with cystic fibrosis (CF), ages 4 to 12 years, were randomized to Be In Charge! or nutrition education and assessed using the McMaster Mealtime Family Interaction Coding System. No differences were found in family functioning between the two interventions pre- to posttreatment or 1-year follow-up, except for Affect Management. A significantly greater percentage of families receiving Be In Charge! demonstrated improvement in Affect Management from pretreatment to 1-year follow-up. Implications for developing the next generation of behavioral interventions are discussed.     

Stabilization of cranberry anthocyanins in nutraceutical capsules

Anthocyanins can be considered spy-substances, useful in obtaining information regarding the shelf-life of food supplements containing cranberry juice or cranberry-derived extracts. The level of total anthocyanins, as evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode-array detector and analytically expressed as cyanidin aglycone, represents a ‘quality index’ useful for routine estimation of shelf-life. The objective of this work was to study the stability of anthocyanins in a commercial cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) dried extract compared with the stability of the same extract contained in a food supplement enriched with α-tocopheryl succinate and ascorbic acid. The values obtained after exposure of the samples to natural light and to alternating hot and cold temperatures show considerable sensitivity of the commercial cranberry dried extract to the agents used for the same evaluation (time, temperature and light) and emphasize a positive effect of the enrichment of the derived preparation with α-tocopheryl succinate and ascorbic acid.     

Prevalence and Predictors of Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in a Hispanic Patient Population

Minimal data exist on attributes of diastolic dysfunction in the Hispanic population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of diastolic dysfunction in a Hispanic patient population. We performed a retrospective review of 166 consecutive echocardiograms in a southwestern Texas Hospital that caters to a large Hispanic patient population. We identified all echocardiograms that met criteria for diastolic dysfunction and assessed baseline demographics and comorbidities in the cohort of Hispanic patients. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify the independent predictors of diastolic dysfunction. A total of 129 out of 166 patients (77.8%) were of Hispanic origin. Out of the 129 patients, 87 (67.4%) had some degree of diastolic dysfunction in this population suggesting a high prevalence in the study cohort. In the diastolic dysfunction group, the mean age was 64.5 ± 13.9, 37% were male and 63% female, 78% had diabetes, 85% had hypertension, and 49% had some degree of renal insufficiency (stages 3–5). A logistic multivariate analysis showed that diabetes was an independent predictor of diastolic dysfunction with odds ratio of 2.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–6.28; p = 0.038). Similarly age (per year increase) and chronic kidney disease were independent predictors of diastolic dysfunction. We demonstrated that older age, presence of diabetes, and renal dysfunction are independent predictors of diastolic dysfunction in the Hispanic patient population. Strategies geared toward reducing diabetes and preventing renal dysfunction are likely to decrease prevalence of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure in this community.