Search

Purpose Methods Results Conclusion Cataract, the leading cause of blindness worldwide, is a multifactorial disease involving oxidative stress mechanisms. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between air pollution exposure and the incidence of cataract surgery.The 3C‐Alienor study is a population‐based cohort of residents of Bordeaux, France, aged 65 years or more, recruited in 1999–2000 and followed every 2–3 years until 2017. Cataract surgery was self‐reported and checked at slit‐lamp by trained professionals. Average air pollution exposure (particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2)) in the 10 years preceding baseline was estimated at the participants' geocoded residential address, using temporally adjusted land use regression. Associations of 10‐year average air pollution exposure with incidence of cataract were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for confounders.The study included 829 subjects without cataract surgery prior to inclusion; the mean age at inclusion was 72.6 years (standard deviation (SD): 4.2) and 61% were women. The median (Interquartile‐range (IQR)) follow‐up duration was 14.1 (6.4) years during which 507 participants underwent cataract surgery. Exposure to a concentration ≥40 μg/m3 of NO2 (the current regulatory limit value in Europe) was associated with incident cataract surgery (HR = 1.46, CI (1.16, 1.84), p = 0.001). No statistically significant association was found with PM2.5 and BC.Long‐term exposure to a NO2 concentration ≥ 40 μg/m3 was associated with an increased incidence of cataract surgery. Complying with current European air pollution standards could reduce cataract surgery costs and improve population quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study the risk for eye diseases in individuals with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), and to assess whether silica dust‐exposure could contribute to the development of inflammatory eye diseases. Methods: A case–control study was conducted using a patient register processed by the National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) and Statistics Sweden. Cases were diagnosed with UC between 2007 and 2016. Matching was done with two random controls having the same age, sex and county of residence, without a systemic inflammatory disease. Using a job‐exposure matrix, cases and controls were assessed for work‐related silica dust exposure. The risk for eye disease was estimated by Cox regression analysis with calculation of Hazard Ratio (HR). Results: A total of 58 989 individuals were included, comprising 19 663 cases and 39 326 controls. The sex distribution was similar. Overall, individuals with UC had an increased risk for eye disease, specified in ICD 10 chapter VII (H00‐H59) with HR 1.25 (CI 1.20–1.32). The highest HR on block‐level for cases was 1.52 (CI 1.36–1.70), (H15‐H22), which includes episcleritis, keratitis and anterior uveitis. The risk for ocular disease was higher in silica dust‐exposed than non‐exposed with a HR of 1.44 (CI 1.16–1.78) and 1.25 (CI 1.19–1.31), respectively. Among cases, the risk for iridocyclitis (H20) was further elevated by silica dust exposure, with HR of 3.84 (CI 1.64–8.97) in exposed compared to 1.94 (1.57–2.41) in non‐exposed. Conclusion: UC is associated with an increased risk for eye diseases, including inflammatory conditions. Our findings highlight that silica dust‐exposure may be of importance in the pathogenesis of uveitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health literacy plays an important role in public health. Although this has been demonstrated in the field of ophthalmology, there are very few specific instruments available to assess eye health literacy. This work aims to develop an Italian questionnaire on knowledge of eye diseases (Knowledge on Eye Disease, Italian version; KED-IT) and to evaluate its reliability and reproducibility. The KED-IT focuses on diseases with high social impact, specifically glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and keratoconus, which is the main cause of corneal transplant in Italy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. The KED-IT was self-administered by the study participants twice. The interval between each administration (T0 and T1) was 5 to 8 days. Reliability was assessed using the KR-20 coefficient. The test-retest Cohen's Kappa coefficient was estimated to measure the stability and reproducibility of the results obtained between T0 and T1. Results: A total of 60 subjects participated in the study. The response rate at T1 was 92%. The KR-20 reliability coefficient of the 14-item KED-IT questionnaire was good with a value of 0.878. The Cohen's kappa value for all 14 items of the KED-IT questionnaire was k = 0.747, indicating good agreement. Conclusions: The KED-IT is the first specific ophthalmic knowledge questionnaire validated in the Italian language and we hope that it may be a starting point for the study of eye health literacy in the Italian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating global prevalence of blindness remains a pressing concern, with eye diseases representing the primary culprits behind this issue. Vision is integral to various aspects of human life, underscoring the significance of effective eye disease detection. Presently, disease detection relies largely on manual methods, which are susceptible to misdiagnosis. However, the advent of technology has paved the way for disease detection through the application of deep learning methodologies. Deep learning exhibits substantial potential in disease detection, particularly when applied to image data, as attested by its accuracy in algorithmic assessments. This research introduces a novel approach to disease detection, specifically transfer learning-based deep learning. The study seeks to evaluate and compare the performance of various models, including EfficientNetB3, DenseNet-121, VGG-16, and ResNet-152, in identifying three prevalent eye diseases: cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, utilizing retinal fundus image data. Extensive experimentation reveals that the DenseNet-121 model achieves the highest accuracy levels, boasting precision, recall, F1-score, and accuracy values of 96.5%, 96%, 96.25%, and 96.20%, respectively. These results demonstrate the superior performance of the employed transfer learning model, signifying its efficacy in detecting eye diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Symblepharon is a challenging condition characterized by a painful blind eye. The main goal of treatment is to alleviate discomfort and improve the patient’s physical and mental well-being. Case Presentation: An Indonesian male, 38 years old, complained of vision loss and ocular pain in his right eye 1 month ago. The pain frequently manifests as a rapid, piercing, or scorching feeling that extends from the right eye to encompass the entire head. Both of his eyes exhibited symblepharon and xerophthalmia. At the age of 11, he experienced a previous occurrence of raised and blister-like skin lesions. Following his recovery, a gradual formation of membranes occurred, covering both of his eyes. His right eye had light perception for visual acuity, and the intraocular pressure was determined to be soft upon examination. The B-scan ultrasound revealed the presence of a long-term inflammatory or scarring process and a decrease in the length of the axis. The patient underwent surgery without experiencing any improvement. A psychological evaluation identified a headache caused by an eye condition, and we administered antipyretic, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, and multivitamin treatments. The patient saw a reduction in pain intensity from a level of 9 to 5 after undergoing treatment for a duration of 1 week. Patients who have previously undergone surgical treatment for symblepharon should have a comprehensive evaluation when they encounter symptoms of vision loss and ocular discomfort. Conclusion: The psychological factor is essential for the treatment’s success. Treatment of the underlying cause is essential, and the patient must understand the irreversible loss of visual function. A management plan primarily aims to mitigate the adverse impact on the overall well-being and standard of living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eye diseases are defined as disorders or diseases that damage the tissue and related parts of the eyes. They appear in various types and can be either minor, meaning that they do not last long, or permanent blindness. Cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy are all eye illnesses that can cause vision loss if not discovered and treated early on. Automated classification of these diseases from fundus images can empower quicker diagnoses and interventions. Our research aims to create a robust model, BayeSVM500, for eye disease classification to enhance medical technology and improve patient outcomes. In this study, we develop models to classify images accurately. We start by preprocessing fundus images using contrast enhancement, normalization, and resizing. We then leverage several state-of-the-art deep convolutional neural network pre-trained models, including VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, EfficientNet, and DenseNet, to extract deep features. To reduce feature dimensionality, we employ techniques such as principal component analysis, feature agglomeration, correlation analysis, variance thresholding, and feature importance rankings. Using these refined features, we train various traditional machine learning models as well as ensemble methods. Our best model, named BayeSVM500, is a Support Vector Machine classifier trained on EfficientNet features reduced to 500 dimensions via PCA, achieving 93.65 ± 1.05% accuracy. Bayesian hyperparameter optimization further improved performance to 95.33 ± 0.60%. Through comprehensive feature engineering and model optimization, we demonstrate highly accurate eye disease classification from fundus images, comparable to or superior to previous benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Symblepharon is a challenging condition characterized by a painful blind eye. The main goal of treatment is to alleviate discomfort and improve the patient’s physical and mental well-being. Case Presentation: An Indonesian male, 38 years old, complained of vision loss and ocular pain in his right eye 1 month ago. The pain frequently manifests as a rapid, piercing, or scorching feeling that extends from the right eye to encompass the entire head. Both of his eyes exhibited symblepharon and xerophthalmia. At the age of 11, he experienced a previous occurrence of raised and blister-like skin lesions. Following his recovery, a gradual formation of membranes occurred, covering both of his eyes. His right eye had light perception for visual acuity, and the intraocular pressure was determined to be soft upon examination. The B-scan ultrasound revealed the presence of a long-term inflammatory or scarring process and a decrease in the length of the axis. The patient underwent surgery without experiencing any improvement. A psychological evaluation identified a headache caused by an eye condition, and we administered antipyretic, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, and multivitamin treatments. The patient saw a reduction in pain intensity from a level of 9 to 5 after undergoing treatment for a duration of 1 week. Patients who have previously undergone surgical treatment for symblepharon should have a comprehensive evaluation when they encounter symptoms of vision loss and ocular discomfort. Conclusion: The psychological factor is essential for the treatment’s success. Treatment of the underlying cause is essential, and the patient must understand the irreversible loss of visual function. A management plan primarily aims to mitigate the adverse impact on the overall well-being and standard of living.

Background and objective: Obesity is a multifactorial disease. It is a multifactorial pathology that can be related to an altered nutritional behaviour or secondary to genetic, hypothalamic, iatrogenic or endocrine diseases. Obesity and visual acuity are negatively correlated, obesity may be linked to dysfunction of the mechanical and vascular components of the eye. The aim of the study is to find out the impact of obesity on eye health and the pattern of eye disease. Methods: Across-sectional study was conducted in the Ophthalmology Department/ Erbil Teaching Hospital during the period from 1st of August 2021 to 31st of March 2022. A simple random sampling method was adopted, and a total of 300 participants with an age of more than 18 years old were enrolled. Results: The percentage of cataract, glaucoma, age-related maculopathy, papilloedema, keratoconus, and retinal vein occlusion was higher in the case group than in the control group. Obesity is a significant risk factor for cataracts, age-related maculopathy, and papilloedema, while it was insignificant regarding keratoconus and retinal vein occlusion. The mean of internal ocular pressure and central corneal thickness was higher in the case group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The prevalence of ocular disease was higher among the obese population than in those with normal weight. Obesity is a significant risk factor for ocular disease. Age and gender represented additional risk factors in some of the ocular diseases in obese people.

Background: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a connective tissue disorder in which the Type 1 collagen is defective. The eye is a structure rich in collagen Type 1 and is heavily impacted by the disease. Many vision-threatening eye diseases have been associated with OI. The onset of these diseases also tend to occur at an earlier age in individuals with OI. Despite the research on these risks, appropriate ophthalmological screening or care guidelines for individuals with OI remain unknown. As such, the purpose of this scoping review was to explore and describe existing ophthalmological screening and care guidelines to orient OI patient care. Main body: A scoping review based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology was conducted. A search of databases (PubMed and Medline) was completed in consultation with a research librarian. A total of 256 studies were imported for screening. Primary sources matching the inclusion and exclusion criteria were screened, extracted, and analyzed using Covidence. Conclusion: A total of 12 primary articles met inclusion and exclusion criteria, containing case reports, case series and cohort studies. Despite the risk of blindness associated with the consequences of OI on the eye, the primary literature fails to provide detailed screening and care guidelines aimed at identifying disease early. We provide general recommendations based on the review findings to guide the ophthalmological care of patients with OI and call upon the experts to convene globally to create screening guidelines. Further investigations of ophthalmological screening are warranted to limit these vision-threatening risks with early detection and treatment. Standardized ophthalmological screening guidelines for OI remain an area for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, eye disorders have been a major issue, especially in developing nations where resources for technology and financing are limited. Due to its tremendous feature learning ability, CNN has obtained remarkable progress in the area of fundus images. Through appropriate analysis and examination of fundus images, computer-aided diagnosis may yield information with a standard value for experts in clinical diagnosis or screening. However, the majority of earlier investigations have focused on the identification of a particular fundus disease, and the accurate fast classification of multiple fundus diseases remains a major challenge. Extremely numerous retinal fundus images must be analyzed to achieve a categorization that is reliable, fast, and precise. As a result, this research aims to propose a novel classification model for eye illnesses based on four major steps: (a) Pre-processing, (b) segmentation of blood vessels, (c) Extracting features and (d) Multi-classification of eye disease. In order to accurately classify the images, it is necessary to extract the essential informational characteristics from the segmented blood vessels. The categorization of eye diseases is carried out using a hybrid classifier that integrates the SqueezeNet and Long-Term Recurrent Convolutional Network (LRCN). We trained and validated our models using tenfold cross-validation tests on a database of fundus images including five categories: Normal, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Pathological Myopia, Maculopathy and Glaucoma. The efficacy of the presented approach is evaluated based on specificity, F1-score, recall, precision and accuracy of 98%, 97.8%, 97.6%, 98.4% and 98% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image processing plays a vital role in disease identification, particularly in analyzing retinal fundus images to detect various eye conditions, such as Diabetic Retinopathy, Drusen, and Central Retinal Vein Occlusion. This study aims to develop a CNN for multi-class eye disease identification using retinal fundus images. The MuReD dataset combines 1855 images across 20 classes from ARIA, STARE, and RFMiD datasets. Eye specialists validated 1122 images, representing 12 disease classes. All images were standardized to 224×224 pixels. Data was split 80%:10%:10% for training, validation, and testing, respectively, using K-Fold Cross-validation (k=10). Seven CNN models (VGG19, InceptionV4, Resnet50, MobileNetV2, MobileNetV1, MobileNetV3 Large, and MobileNetV3 Small) were tested, with MobileNetV1 and MobileNetV2 showing the most promise. We innovatively enhanced the architectures of MobileNetV1 and MobileNetV2 through proper CLAHE configuration, optimization of training parameters (Batch size, learning rate, optimizer), and layer modification (skip connection, Dense layer, convolution layer, batch normalization, and dropout), culminating in a novel approach named Retina MobileNet (RetMobileNet). RetMobileNet consistently outperformed other models, achieving an average accuracy, recall, precision, and F1-score of over 90%. Our developed model, RetMobileNet, presents a significant advancement in the accurate identification of eye diseases from fundus images, with improved efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocular diseases can range in severity, with some being more serious than others. As a matter of fact, there are several common and severe eye diseases, for instance, glaucoma, i.e., a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, often associated with elevated intraocular pressure. Effective management and prevention strategies require a multifaceted approach, involving healthcare providers, public health officials and community education. Regular screenings and early interventions are crucial in reducing the impact of eye diseases on individuals and populations. In this paper, we propose a method aimed to detect the presence of ocular disease from the automatic analysis of eye fundus photographs. We consider deep learning; in detail, we adopt several convolutional neural networks aimed to train several models to be able to discriminate between different eye diseases. Furthermore, to boost the application of deep learning in real-world everyday medical practice, we adopt a method to understand which areas of the images are of interest from the model's point of view; this allows us to detect disease by providing in this way disease localization by explainability. In the experimental analysis, we provide a set of four different experiments: in the first one, we propose a model to discern between age-related macular degenerations and normal fundus (obtaining an accuracy of 0.91); in the second one, the model is able to discriminate between cataract and normal fundus (obtaining an accuracy of 0.92); the third experiment is related to a model aimed to discriminate between glaucoma and normal ocular fundus (obtaining an accuracy of 0.88); and the last experiment is related to a model aimed to discern between pathological myopia and normal ocular fundus (obtaining an accuracy of 0.95). Thus, the experimental analysis confirms the effectiveness of the proposed method from a quantitative point of view (analysis aimed at understanding whether the model is able to correctly identify the disease) but also from a qualitative one, with a detailed and reasoned analysis aimed at understanding whether the model is able to correctly localize the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractRNA methylation is a widespread regulatory mechanism that controls gene expression in physiological processes. In recent years, the mechanisms and functions of RNA methylation under diseased conditions have been increasingly unveiled by RNA sequencing technologies with large scale and high resolution. In this review, the fundamental concept of RNA methylation is introduced, and the common types of transcript methylation and their machineries are described. Then, the regulatory roles of RNA methylation, particularly N6-methyladenosine and 5-methylcytosine, in the vascular lesions of ocular and cardiopulmonary diseases are discussed and compared. The ocular diseases include corneal neovascularization, retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy, and pathologic myopia; whereas the cardiopulmonary ailments involve atherosclerosis and pulmonary hypertension. This review hopes to shed light on the common regulatory mechanisms underlying the vascular lesions in these ocular and cardiopulmonary diseases, which may be conducive to developing therapeutic strategies in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the crucial role of medical buildings in emergency situations, health maintenance, and disease control, as well as the importance of ensuring user comfort, recent architectural studies have emphasized the need to revise design criteria. One of the key considerations for creating comfortable environments in hospitals is managing undesirable lighting. Although research underscores the importance of sufficient and appropriate natural light in reducing patients' length of stay, reliance on general standards may not adequately address the needs of specific patient groups. To assess visual comfort in an ophthalmic ward while minimizing the potential biases and limitations of human studies, this research utilized an in vivo animal model using rabbits. Rabbits were selected due to their physiological similarities to humans, especially regarding the visual system, making them appropriate subjects for studying cataract-related reactions. Moreover, animal studies offer better control over environmental factors, ethical considerations, and reproducibility compared to human studies, where individual variations and external factors can affect results. In this study, daylight simulation and its effects were analyzed through a point-by-point illuminance comparison using Rhinoceros modeling software, Grasshopper, and HoneybeePlus version 1.4.0. The results demonstrated a 15.19% discrepancy between the visual comfort limits set by international standards and the expectations of patients with cataract eye problems. This inconsistency has led to a 22.44% reduction in the comfort levels within the patients' rooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D3 plays a vital role in numerous physiological processes within the human body, including having a positive effect on eye health. It is renowned for its immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and angiogenic properties. Its deficiency is evolving into a significant global challenge. In order to explain the connection between vitamin D3 and various ocular diseases, 84 relevant studies, mainly from the PubMed database, published in English between 1999 and 2024 were analyzed. Ocular tissues can activate and regulate vitamin D levels, which emphasizes the significance of this nutrient in maintaining eye homeostasis. While there is suggestive evidence for a probable association between vitamin D3 and ocular health, more robust research is needed to establish causation and inform clinical guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression has been shown to be associated with eye diseases, including dry eye disease (DED), cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy (DR). This narrative review explores potential pathophysiological connections between depression and eye disease, as well as its potential correlations with ocular parameters. Methods: A literature search was conducted in August 2022 in PUBMED, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. Published articles related to the subject were consolidated and classified according to respective eye diseases and pathophysiological mechanisms. Results: The literature reviewed suggests that common pathophysiological states like inflammation and neurodegeneration may contribute to both depression and certain eye diseases, while somatic symptoms and altered physiology, such as disruptions in circadian rhythm due to eye diseases, can also influence patients' mood states. Grounded in the shared embryological, anatomical, and physiological features between the eye and the brain, depression is also correlated to changes observed in non-invasive ophthalmological imaging modalities, such as changes in the retinal nerve fibre layer and retinal microvasculature. Conclusions: There is substantial evidence of a close association between depression and eye diseases. Understanding the underlying concepts can inform further research on treatment options and monitoring of depression based on ocular parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of visual impairment, such as blindness, on quality of life is immeasurable. However, effective ocular drug delivery into the eyes has not yet been established, primarily due to the impermeability imposed by the blood–retinal barrier (BRB) based on the tight junctions and efflux transporters at the endothelium or the epithelium in oral or intravenous administration, as well as the dilution with tear fluid and excretion through the nasolacrimal duct in eye drop administration. Furthermore, intravitreous injections induce pain and fear in patients. Unmet medical needs persist in ocular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Therefore, innovative non-invasive administration methods should be developed. Drug-releasing soft contact lenses (DR-SCLs) affixed to the eye's surface can continuously and locally deliver their loaded drugs to the eyes. The use of DR-SCLs is expected to greatly enhance the bioavailability and patient adherence to the drug regimen. It is known that several solute carrier (SLC) transporters are expressed in various parts of the eyes, including the cornea, the ciliary body, and the bulbar conjunctiva. Carrier-mediated transport through SLC transporters may occur in addition to passive diffusion. Moreover, nanoparticles can be loaded into DR-SCLs, offering various intelligent approaches based on modifications to induce receptor-mediated endocytosis/transcytosis or to control the loaded drug release within this delivery system. In this perspective review, I discuss the implementation and potential of DR-SCL-mediated ocular drug delivery, particularly focusing on low-molecular-weight compounds because of their fine distribution in living body, ease of handling, and ease of manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared recruitment of participants at high risk for glaucoma and other eye diseases in three community-based studies designed to improve access to eye care in underserved populations in New York City, Alabama, and Michigan. We used (1) participant data collected at enrollment (e.g. demographic, medical conditions, healthcare access, and method of hearing about study) and (2) interviews with study staff to assess effective recruitment strategies in enrolling people at high risk for eye disease. We analyzed participant data using descriptive statistics and interview data using content analysis to categorize responses to questions. In these community-based studies, all sites recruited greater proportions of populations with increased risk of eye disease compared to their estimates in the US population. High-risk characteristics varied based on the setting (i.e. Federally Qualified Health Centers or affordable housing buildings). Older adults represented 35% to 57%; 43% to 56% identified as Black; 1% to 40% as Hispanic/Latino; 20% to 42% reported a family history of glaucoma; 32% to 61% reported diabetes; and 50% to 67% reported high blood pressure. Social risk factors for under-utilization of eye care due to poverty included that 43% to 70% of participants had high school or lower education; 16% to 40% were employed; and 7% and 31% had no health insurance. From a qualitative perspective, active, personalized, culturally sensitive methods were most effective in recruiting participants. Implementing eye disease detection interventions in community-based settings facilitated recruiting individuals at high risk for glaucoma and other eye diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eye diseases are becoming more widespread as the cohort born post-World War II enters their sixth and seventh decades of life. Age-related ophthalmic diseases are likely to become more common in acupuncture practices over the coming years. The English-language literature on Chinese medicine ophthalmology is relatively scarce, especially with regard to primary sources. Discussions of the aetiology and pathogenesis of eye diseases are historically common in books of traditional pharmacotherapy, but relatively rare in texts devoted to acumoxa therapy. To help offset this gap in the literature, this paper presents the discussions on eye diseases and treatment found in Zhēn Jiŭ Féng Yuán (Encountering the Origins of Acumoxa), a Qīng-era acumoxa manual, and offers an English-language rendering and brief commentary on the texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a severe infection of the cornea. Prevention and treatment are difficult due to the inefficacy of currently available compounds. The impact of many commonly used compounds for routine examinations of Acanthamoeba is unexplored but might offer insight useful in combatting AK. In this study, we demonstrate that sodium metabisulfite, a common preservation constituent of eye care solutions, was found to be active against Acanthamoeba trophozoites at concentrations lower than that commonly found in eye drops (IC50 0.03 mg/mL). We demonstrate that sodium metabisulfite depletes thiamine from growth medium and that Acanthamoeba is a thiamine auxotroph, requiring thiamine salvage for growth. The inhibitory effects of sodium metabisulfite can be overcome by thiamine supplementation. These results are consistent with the lack of key enzymes for thiamine biosynthesis in the genome of Acanthamoeba, an area which might prove exploitable using new or existing compounds. Indeed, this study highlights sodium metabisulfite as a useful inhibitor of Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites in vitro and that it acts, at least in part, by limiting available thiamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant global challenges in eye care are treatment, preventive quality, rehabilitation services for eye patients, and the shortage of qualified eye care professionals. Early detection and diagnosis of eye diseases could allow vision impairment to be avoided. One barrier to ophthalmologists when adopting computer-aided diagnosis tools is the prevalence of sight-threatening uncommon diseases that are often overlooked. Earlier studies have classified eye diseases into two or a small number of classes, focusing on glaucoma, and diabetes-related and age-related vision issues. This study employed three well-established and publicly available datasets to address these limitations and enable automatic classification of a wide range of eye disorders. A Deep Neural Network for Retinal Fundus Disease Classification (DNNRFDC) model was developed, evaluated based on various performance metrics, and compared with four established pre-trained models (EfficientNetB7, EfficientNetB0, UNet, and ResNet152) utilizing transfer learning techniques. The results showed that the proposed DNNRFDC model outperformed these pre-trained models in terms of overall accuracy across all three datasets, achieving an impressive accuracy of 94.10%. Furthermore, the DNNRFDC model has fewer parameters and lower computational requirements, making it more efficient for real-time applications. This innovative model represents a promising avenue for further advancements in the field of ophthalmological diagnosis and care. Despite these promising results, it is essential to acknowledge the limitations of this study, namely the evaluation conducted by using publicly available datasets that may not fully represent the diversity and complexity of real-world clinical scenarios. Future research could incorporate more diverse datasets and explore the integration of additional diagnostic modalities to further enhance the model's robustness and clinical applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Health literacy plays an important role in public health. Although this has been demonstrated in the field of ophthalmology, there are very few specific instruments available to assess eye health literacy. This work aims to develop an Italian questionnaire on knowledge of eye diseases (Knowledge on Eye Disease, Italian version; KED-IT) and to evaluate its reliability and reproducibility. The KED-IT focuses on diseases with high social impact, specifically glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and keratoconus, which is the main cause of corneal transplant in Italy. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. The KED-IT was self-administered by the study participants twice. The interval between each administration (T0 and T1) was 5 to 8 days. Reliability was assessed using the KR-20 coefficient. The test-retest Cohen’s Kappa coefficient was estimated to measure the stability and reproducibility of the results obtained between T0 and T1. Results A total of 60 subjects participated in the study. The response rate at T1 was 92%. The KR-20 reliability coefficient of the 14-item KED-IT questionnaire was good with a value of 0.878. The Cohen’s kappa value for all 14 items of the KED-IT questionnaire was k = 0.747, indicating good agreement. Conclusions The KED-IT is the first specific ophthalmic knowledge questionnaire validated in the Italian language and we hope that it may be a starting point for the study of eye health literacy in the Italian population.

Abstract Background The prevalence of obesity, a chronic disease, is increasing, and obesity is now considered a global epidemic. Eye diseases are also increasing worldwide and have serious repercussions on quality of life as well as increasingly high costs for the community. The relationships between obesity and ocular pathologies are not yet well clarified and are not pathologically homogeneous: they seem to be somehow linked to excess body fat, especially to the distribution of adipose tissue and its ectopic deposits. Purpose Our objective was to examine the associations between obesity and anthropometric indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and the waist/hip ratio (WHR), and the risk of most widespread eye diseases, with particular attention given to the most significant metabolic mechanisms. Methods This article provides a narrative overview of the effect of obesity and anthropometric measurements of body fat on prevalent eye diseases. We used the MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases from 1984 to 2024. In addition, we hand-searched references from the retrieved articles and explored a number of related websites. A total of 153 publications were considered. Results There is significant evidence that obesity is associated with several eye diseases. Waist circumference (WC) and the waist/hip ratio (WHR) have been observed to have stronger positive associations with eye diseases than BMI. Conclusions Obesity must be considered a significant risk factor for eye diseases; hence, a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach to treating obesity, which also affects ocular health, is important. In the prevention and treatment of eye diseases related to obesity, lifestyle factors, especially diet and physical activity, as well as weight changes, both weight loss and weight gain, should not be overlooked. Level of evidence Level V narrative review.

The impact of visual impairment, such as blindness, on quality of life is immeasurable. However, effective ocular drug delivery into the eyes has not yet been established, primarily due to the impermeability imposed by the blood–retinal barrier (BRB) based on the tight junctions and efflux transporters at the endothelium or the epithelium in oral or intravenous administration, as well as the dilution with tear fluid and excretion through the nasolacrimal duct in eye drop administration. Furthermore, intravitreous injections induce pain and fear in patients. Unmet medical needs persist in ocular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Therefore, innovative non-invasive administration methods should be developed. Drug-releasing soft contact lenses (DR-SCLs) affixed to the eye’s surface can continuously and locally deliver their loaded drugs to the eyes. The use of DR-SCLs is expected to greatly enhance the bioavailability and patient adherence to the drug regimen. It is known that several solute carrier (SLC) transporters are expressed in various parts of the eyes, including the cornea, the ciliary body, and the bulbar conjunctiva. Carrier-mediated transport through SLC transporters may occur in addition to passive diffusion. Moreover, nanoparticles can be loaded into DR-SCLs, offering various intelligent approaches based on modifications to induce receptor-mediated endocytosis/transcytosis or to control the loaded drug release within this delivery system. In this perspective review, I discuss the implementation and potential of DR-SCL-mediated ocular drug delivery, particularly focusing on low-molecular-weight compounds because of their fine distribution in living body, ease of handling, and ease of manufacturing.

Abstract Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNA transcripts over 200 nucleotides in length that do not code for proteins. Initially considered a genomic mystery, an increasing number of lncRNAs have been shown to have vital roles in physiological and pathological conditions by regulating gene expression through diverse mechanisms depending on their subcellular localization. Dysregulated angiogenesis is responsible for various vascular oculopathies, including diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration, and corneal neovascularization. While anti-VEGF treatment is available, it is not curative, and long-term outcomes are suboptimal, and some patients are unresponsive. Results and summary To better understand these diseases, researchers have investigated the role of lncRNAs in regulating angiogenesis and models of vascular oculopathies. This review summarizes recent research on lncRNAs in ocular angiogenesis, including the pro-angiogenic lncRNAs ANRIL, HOTAIR, HOTTIP, H19, IPW, MALAT1, MIAT, NEAT1, and TUG1, the anti-angiogenic lncRNAs MEG3 and PKNY, and the human/primate specific lncRNAs lncEGFL7OS, discussing their functions and mechanisms of action in vascular oculopathies.

Background: The prevalence of obesity, a chronic disease, is increasing, and obesity is now considered a global epidemic. Eye diseases are also increasing worldwide and have serious repercussions on quality of life as well as increasingly high costs for the community. The relationships between obesity and ocular pathologies are not yet well clarified and are not pathologically homogeneous: they seem to be somehow linked to excess body fat, especially to the distribution of adipose tissue and its ectopic deposits. Purpose: Our objective was to examine the associations between obesity and anthropometric indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and the waist/hip ratio (WHR), and the risk of most widespread eye diseases, with particular attention given to the most significant metabolic mechanisms. Methods: This article provides a narrative overview of the effect of obesity and anthropometric measurements of body fat on prevalent eye diseases. We used the MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases from 1984 to 2024. In addition, we hand-searched references from the retrieved articles and explored a number of related websites. A total of 153 publications were considered. Results: There is significant evidence that obesity is associated with several eye diseases. Waist circumference (WC) and the waist/hip ratio (WHR) have been observed to have stronger positive associations with eye diseases than BMI. Conclusions: Obesity must be considered a significant risk factor for eye diseases; hence, a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach to treating obesity, which also affects ocular health, is important. In the prevention and treatment of eye diseases related to obesity, lifestyle factors, especially diet and physical activity, as well as weight changes, both weight loss and weight gain, should not be overlooked. Level of evidence: Level V narrative review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The search for alternative treatments is necessary for diseases where conventional therapies are ineffective. In recent years, therapies using mesenchymal stem cells have emerged as one of the most appropriate alternatives in regenerative medicine. Therapy with these types of cells is progressively increasing as a therapeutic option in veterinary medicine, leading to significant advances in treating certain pathologies. This review summarizes the current knowledge on mesenchymal stem cell therapies and their potential therapeutic and clinical effects on wound and skin, ocular, and neuromuscular diseases in dogs and cats. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a very promising alternative tool in cell therapies and regenerative medicine due to their ease of obtaining from various tissues and their ability to differentiate into different cell types. This manuscript provides a review of current knowledge on the use of MSC-based therapies as an alternative for certain common pathologies in dogs and cats where conventional treatments are ineffective. The aim of this review is to assist clinical veterinarians in making decisions about the suitability of each protocol from a clinical perspective, rather than focusing solely on research. MSC-based therapies have shown promising results in certain pathologies, such as spinal cord injuries, wounds, and skin and eye diseases. However, the effectiveness of these cell therapies can be influenced by a wide array of factors, leading to varying outcomes. Future research will focus on designing protocols and methodologies that allow more precise and effective MSC treatments for each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hippo signalling pathway, an evolutionarily conserved kinase cascade, has been shown to be crucial for cell fate determination, homeostasis and tissue regeneration. Recent experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated that the Hippo signalling pathway is involved in the pathophysiology of ocular diseases. This article provides the first systematic review of studies on the regulatory and functional roles of mammalian Hippo signalling systems in eye diseases. More comprehensive studies on this pathway are required for a better understanding of the pathophysiology of eye diseases and the development of effective therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

K+ channel Kir7.1 expressed at the apical membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays an essential role in retinal function. An isoleucine-to-threonine mutation at position 120 of the protein is responsible for blindness-causing vitreo-retinal dystrophy. We have studied the molecular mechanism of action of Kir7.1-I120T in vitro by heterologous expression and in vivo in CRISPR-generated knockin mice. Full-size Kir7.1-I120T reaches the plasma membrane but lacks any activity. Analysis of Kir7.1 and the I120T mutant in mixed transfection experiments, and that of tandem tetrameric constructs made by combining wild type (WT) and mutant protomers, leads us to conclude that they do not form heterotetramers in vitro. Homozygous I120T/I120T mice show cleft palate and tracheomalacia and do not survive beyond P0, whereas heterozygous WT/I120T develop normally. Membrane conductance of RPE cells isolated from WT/WT and heterozygous WT/I120T mice is dominated by Kir7.1 current. Using Rb+ as a charge carrier, we demonstrate that the Kir7.1 current of WT/I120T RPE cells corresponds to approximately 50% of that in cells from WT/WT animals, in direct proportion to WT gene dosage. This suggests a lack of compensatory effects or interference from the mutated allele product, an interpretation consistent with results obtained using WT/– hemizygous mouse. Electroretinography and behavioral tests also show normal vision in WT/I120T animals. The hypomorphic ion channel phenotype of heterozygous Kir7.1-I120T mutants is therefore compatible with normal development and retinal function. The lack of detrimental effect of this degree of functional deficit might explain the recessive nature of Kir7.1 mutations causing human eye disease. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: Human retinal pigment epithelium K+ channel Kir7.1 is affected by generally recessive mutations leading to blindness. We investigate one such mutation, isoleucine-to-threonine at position 120, both in vitro and in vivo in knockin mice. The mutated channel is inactive and in heterozygosis gives a hypomorphic phenotype with normal retinal function. Mutant channels do not interfere with wild-type Kir7.1 channels which are expressed concomitantly without hindrance, providing an explanation for the recessive nature of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siddha system recommends a number of herbal and herbomineral ophthalmic formulations as both internal and external therapeutic measures. Muthu parpam (MPM) is one such therapeutic measure that has been indicated in several eye formulations as an ingredient. While Muthuchippi parpam (Calcined shell of pearl oyster)) has been previously evaluated for its antioxidant profile, till date no study has been performed on anticataract activity of Siddha formulation Muthu parpam (Calcined Pearl). In the present study, the Aldose reductase inhibitory activity of Muthu parpam (MPM) were studied along with their effect on sugar-induced cataractogenic changes in sheep lenses in vitro. Goat eye lenses were divided into 4 groups; Group I served as normal control, Group II as cataract control, Group III (100μg/ml of MPM) and Group IV(200 μg/ml of MPM). Group II, III and IV were incubated in 55 mM glucose in artificial aqueous humor to induce lens opacification. Freshly prepared aldoreductase enzyme was allowed to react with different volume of test drug at 100, 200,300, 400 and 500µg/and the formation of NADP was observed and the results were expressed as percentage inhibition and were calculated as follows. A dose dependent action of the drug was observed in two groups (III & IV) incubated with 100 μg and 200 μg of the test drug with a visibility scoring of 13.8 ± 3.34 and 22.2 ± 6.14 respectively. It was observed from the results of the present investigation that the Siddha formulation MPM shown significant inhibition of aldose reductase enzyme with the maximum inhibition of about 45.41± 1.761 % and the corresponding IC50 is 558.1 ± 29.79 μg /ml. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNA transcripts over 200 nucleotides in length that do not code for proteins. Initially considered a genomic mystery, an increasing number of lncRNAs have been shown to have vital roles in physiological and pathological conditions by regulating gene expression through diverse mechanisms depending on their subcellular localization. Dysregulated angiogenesis is responsible for various vascular oculopathies, including diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration, and corneal neovascularization. While anti-VEGF treatment is available, it is not curative, and long-term outcomes are suboptimal, and some patients are unresponsive. Results and summary: To better understand these diseases, researchers have investigated the role of lncRNAs in regulating angiogenesis and models of vascular oculopathies. This review summarizes recent research on lncRNAs in ocular angiogenesis, including the pro-angiogenic lncRNAs ANRIL, HOTAIR, HOTTIP, H19, IPW, MALAT1, MIAT, NEAT1, and TUG1, the anti-angiogenic lncRNAs MEG3 and PKNY, and the human/primate specific lncRNAs lncEGFL7OS, discussing their functions and mechanisms of action in vascular oculopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress, caused by the formation of free radicals, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), leads to cell and tissue degradation, contributing to various diseases and aging. While oxygen is essential for aerobic organisms, it inevitably causes oxidative stress. Antioxidants protect against damage from free radicals, and oxidative stress arises when an imbalance occurs between free radical production and antioxidant defenses. However, when investigating whether an excess of antioxidants, almost eliminating oxidative stress, could benefit aging and disease susceptibility, it was observed that a basic level of oxidative stress appears necessary to maintain the correct homeostasis of tissues and organs and life in general. Therefore, this review aimed to compile the most significant and recent papers characterizing and describing the dual role of oxygen as a molecule essential for life and as a precursor of oxidative stress, which can be detrimental to life. We conducted targeted searches in PubMed and Google browsers to gather all relevant papers. We then focused on the eye, an organ particularly vulnerable due to its high metabolic activity combined with direct exposure to light and environmental pollutants, which produces a substantial number of free radicals (mainly ROS). We present a curated selection of relevant literature describing the main ocular pathologies of the posterior and anterior segments of the eye, highlighting oxidative stress as a significant contributing factor. Additionally, we report how endogenous and exogenous antioxidants can mitigate the development and progression of these diseases. Finally, we consider a frequently overlooked aspect: the balance between oxidants and antioxidants in maintaining the homeostatic equilibrium of tissues and organs. It is widely recognized that when oxidants overwhelm antioxidants, oxidative stress occurs, leading to negative consequences for the organism's homeostasis. However, we emphasize that a similarly dangerous situation can arise when the presence of antioxidants overwhelms the production of free radicals, drastically reducing their amount and adversely affecting aging and longevity. Unfortunately, no specific studies have addressed this particular situation in the eye.

Eye diseases are defined as disorders or diseases that damage the tissue and related parts of the eyes. They appear in various types and can be either minor, meaning that they do not last long, or permanent blindness. Cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy are all eye illnesses that can cause vision loss if not discovered and treated early on. Automated classification of these diseases from fundus images can empower quicker diagnoses and interventions. Our research aims to create a robust model, BayeSVM500, for eye disease classification to enhance medical technology and improve patient outcomes. In this study, we develop models to classify images accurately. We start by preprocessing fundus images using contrast enhancement, normalization, and resizing. We then leverage several state-of-the-art deep convolutional neural network pre-trained models, including VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, EfficientNet, and DenseNet, to extract deep features. To reduce feature dimensionality, we employ techniques such as principal component analysis, feature agglomeration, correlation analysis, variance thresholding, and feature importance rankings. Using these refined features, we train various traditional machine learning models as well as ensemble methods. Our best model, named BayeSVM500, is a Support Vector Machine classifier trained on EfficientNet features reduced to 500 dimensions via PCA, achieving 93.65 ± 1.05% accuracy. Bayesian hyperparameter optimization further improved performance to 95.33 ± 0.60%. Through comprehensive feature engineering and model optimization, we demonstrate highly accurate eye disease classification from fundus images, comparable to or superior to previous benchmarks.

Neurotrophic keratopathy is a corneal disease characterized by impaired corneal innervation. It can lead to corneal epithelial defects, ulcerations, and perforations. Topical insulin has been shown to be effective in treating this disorder. Insulin is a growth factor that can promote corneal epithelial cell proliferation and migration. In addition, it can also inhibit corneal epithelial cell apoptosis. Topical insulin has previously been found to enhance corneal wound healing. This article reviews the current understanding of the mechanism of action of topical insulin in the treatment of neurotrophic keratopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinal abnormalities impact millions of people globally. Timely detection and treatment of these abnormalities could prevent further progression, potentially saving countless individuals from preventable blindness. However, manual disease detection is a slow, laborious process and lacks consistency in results. This study uses convolutional neural networks to categorize eye disease using a publicly available dataset. Five different pre-trained models based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), including VGG-16, VGG-19, ResNet-50, ResNet-152, and DenseNet-121, were used in this study. We were able to detect eye diseases at the cutting edge using the refined VGG-19. With testing accuracy of 95% on the dataset, this model accurately predicted eye diseases due to the effective and same weighted precision, recall, and F1 score of 95%. The model also significantly reduces training loss while improving accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is limited literature on the ocular manifestations in patients with psoriasis. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of and factors associated with ocular manifestations in adults with psoriasis. Methods: This cross-sectional study included Brazilian adults with psoriasis. The dermatological evaluation included diagnosis, clinical form, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) measurement, and location of the lesions. Patients underwent a full ophthalmological examination, including the Schirmer I test, Rose Bengala staining, and tear breakup time tests. The results were analyzed using chi-square and Pearson’s linear correlation tests. Results: Of the 130 patients assessed, 118 (90.8%) exhibited ocular abnormalities, with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) being the most prevalent (59.2%), followed by dry eye disease (DED) (56.2%). A significant correlation was observed between MGD and PASI (p = 0.05), and between MGD and certain treatment modalities. DED was significantly associated with PASI (p < 0.05). Concurrent use of acitretin was identified as an independent predictor of MGD (odds ratio [OR] = 3.5, p < 0.05), whereas PASI was a protective factor against DED (OR = 0.39, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of eye disease among individuals with psoriasis, routine ophthalmological assessments are recommended to prevent possible ocular complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco use remains a global public health concern, with well-documented detrimental effects on various organ systems. This study aimed to investigate the impact of tobacco consumption on lung disease, oral cavity disease, and eye disease among a cohort of 300 patients. Understanding these associations could provide valuable insights into the multifaceted health risks associated with tobacco use. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data from 300 patients aged 18 to 65 years, at Government medical college Datia. Participants were categorized into two groups: tobacco users and non-users. Data regarding tobacco consumption patterns, medical history, and the presence of lung disease, oral cavity disease, and eye disease were collected through structured interviews and clinical examinations. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and logistic regression, were conducted to assess the relationships between tobacco use and the prevalence of the targeted health conditions. Results: Among the participants, 150 were tobacco users and 150 were non-users. The prevalence of lung disease was notably higher among tobacco users (32.7%) compared to non-users (14.0%). Similarly, oral cavity disease was more prevalent in the tobacco user group (26.0%) compared to the non-user group (9.3%). In terms of eye disease, tobacco users exhibited a higher prevalence (18.7%) compared to non-users (7.3%). Logistic regression analyses indicated that tobacco users were at significantly greater odds of having lung disease (OR = 2.91, p < 0.05), oral cavity disease (OR = 3.54, p < 0.01), and eye disease (OR = 2.15, p < 0.05) compared to non-users. Conclusion: This study underscores the alarming association between tobacco consumption and the increased prevalence of lung disease, oral cavity disease, and eye disease. The findings emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive tobacco cessation programs and public health initiatives to mitigate the risks associated with tobacco use. Efforts aimed at reducing tobacco consumption could lead to substantial improvements in the overall health and well-being of individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Retinal detachment (RD) has been associated with exposure to heavy lifting. Many occupations within the construction industry are likely to involve lifting tasks. We investigated the association between occupational heavy lifting and rhegmatogenous RD in a retrospective cohort study of Swedish construction workers. METHODS: We studied Swedish construction workers who participated in an industry-wide health and safety program from 1971 to 1993. Individual occupation codes were linked to a job exposure matrix, assigning intensity of exposure to heavy lifting to each worker. The Swedish National Patient Register was used to identify cases of RD that occurred during follow-up through the end of 2012. We used Poisson regression modeling to calculate incidence rates of RD associated with heavy lifting, age and other covariates. A subcohort of those age ≤25 years at enrollment was studied to reduce bias from missing exposure information from work prior to enrollment. RESULTS: Of 256 241 construction workers, 17% were classified with high exposure to heavy lifting in their occupation. Within the cohort, 1588 cases of RD were identified. Average exposure intensity of heavy lifting was not associated with risk of RD. However, RD risk increased with increasing cumulative exposure to heavy lifting, both in the full cohort and subcohort of those who were ≤25 years old at entry into the construction-worker cohort. CONCLUSION: Construction workers’ risk of RD appeared to increase with time spent exposed to heavy lifting.

Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles that are secreted by a variety of cells in the body. They carry particular miRNA, protein molecules, transcription factors, and other information molecules, and they play a role in the pathophysiological regulation of a number of diseases in the body. Exosomes can persist steadily in biological tissues and bodily fluids. Exosomes have quickly advanced in ophthalmology in recent years due to the extensive studies of exosomes in a variety of fields, such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, autoimmune uveitis, corneal disease, glaucoma, and other diseases. The number of people who are blind caused by diabetic retinopathy is rising as living standards rise. However, it is still unclear how diabetic retinopathy works. In recent years, many studies have found that exosomes play an important role in diabetic retinopathy. In this paper, the most recent developments in exosome studies as they relate to the pathogenesis and progression of diabetic retinopathy are reviewed.

Vitamin D3 plays a vital role in numerous physiological processes within the human body, including having a positive effect on eye health. It is renowned for its immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and angiogenic properties. Its deficiency is evolving into a significant global challenge. In order to explain the connection between vitamin D3 and various ocular diseases, 84 relevant studies, mainly from the PubMed database, published in English between 1999 and 2024 were analyzed. Ocular tissues can activate and regulate vitamin D levels, which emphasizes the significance of this nutrient in maintaining eye homeostasis. While there is suggestive evidence for a probable association between vitamin D3 and ocular health, more robust research is needed to establish causation and inform clinical guidelines.

Abstract Background Today, clinical decision support systems based on artificial intelligence can significantly help physicians in the correct diagnosis and quick rapid treatment of endophthalmitis as the most important cause of blindness in emergency diseases. This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate an intelligent decision support system for acute postoperative endophthalmitis. Methods This study was conducted in 2020–2021 in three phases: analysis, design and development, and evaluation. The user needs and the features of the system were identified through interviews with end users. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The list of clinical signs of acute postoperative endophthalmitis was provided to ophthalmologists for prioritization. 4 algorithms support vector machine, decision tree classifier, k-nearest neighbors, and random forest were used in the design of the computing core of the system for disease diagnosis. The acute postoperative endophthalmitis diagnosis application was developed for using by physicians and patients. Based on the data of 60 acute postoperative endophthalmitis patients, 143 acute postoperative endophthalmitis records and 12 non-acute postoperative endophthalmitis records were identified. The learning process of the algorithm was performed on 70% of the data and 30% of the data was used for evaluation. Results The most important features of the application for physicians were selecting clinical signs and symptoms, predicting diagnosis based on artificial intelligence, physician–patient communication, selecting the appropriate treatment, and easy access to scientific resources. The results of the usability evaluation showed that the application was good with a mean (± SD) score of 7.73 ± 0.53 out of 10. Conclusion A decision support system with accuracy, precision, sensitivity and specificity, negative predictive values, F-measure and area under precision-recall curve 100% was created thanks to widespread participation, the use of clinical specialists' experiences and their awareness of patients' needs, as well as the availability of a comprehensive acute postoperative endophthalmitis clinical dataset.

Abstract Background The effects of climate change, loss of pastureland to other land usage and presence of large carnivores are the main reasons for the increase in supplementary feeding of semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Fennoscandia over the last decades. Feeding might expose reindeer to stress and increased animal-to-animal contact, leading to an increased risk of infectious disease transmission, such as infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC). As it can develop rapidly and be very painful, IKC is described as an important animal welfare concern and a potential source of economic loss. The aim of this study was to investigate the current presence of IKC and potential associations between IKC and supplementary feeding through an online questionnaire survey, distributed among reindeer herders in Norway and Sweden in 2021. Results Seventy-six reindeer herders (33 from Norway and 43 from Sweden) responded to the questionnaire, representing 6% and 4% of the registered reindeer herding groups in Norway and Sweden, respectively. Infectious keratoconjunctivitis was common, with 54 (71%) of the 76 herders that responded having observed clinical signs during the past 10 years. These signs were mainly observed as increased lacrimation, causing “wet cheeks”, but also as keratitis and conjunctivitis. Autumn and winter were the seasons in which IKC was observed most. The herders reported several measures, such as slaughter and isolation of affected reindeer, to counteract the spread of disease. The herding year 2019/2020 was associated with reports of outbreaks of IKC in herds as well as being the herding year where most herders (80%) had performed supplementary feeding. A significant association was found between IKC and feeding performed in an enclosure (odds ratio = 15.20), while feeding on free-range areas had a non-significant, negative, relationship with the appearance of IKC outbreaks (odds ratio = 0.29). Finally, there was a trend in the data suggesting that IKC affected calves especially. Conclusions Infectious keratoconjunctivitis is a common disease, mainly observed in winter and autumn. It usually has mild to moderately severe clinical signs. Our results imply that IKC is associated with stress and feeding situations and that calves might be more susceptible than adults, however, this needs to be confirmed with further studies, preferably at an individual animal level.

AimTo ascertain the prevalence and pattern of eye problems in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.Materials and methodsA six-month retrospective study was performed at Madang Provincial Hospital Eye Clinic. Convenience sampling was used in this study and all patient records from January to June 2020 were included. Data was extracted using Microsoft Excel and the data included gender, age, occupation, district where the patient lived, presenting visual acuity, and diagnosis. It was then analyzed using International Business Machines Corporation’s Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 1,715 patients received services at the eye clinic between January and June 2020, and 1,664 were included in this study. The mean age of the patients was 39.3 ± 20.3 years. There were slightly more males (50.4%) than females. The overall leading ocular morbidities were corneal ulcers and keratitis (20.7%), refractive errors (17.4%), and cataracts (16.8%). More than half of the patients (56.2%) were either visually impaired or blind. Nearly half of the patients (41.8%) traveled long distances to seek services at the eye clinic. There was a significant association between demographic characteristics, diagnosis, and level of visual impairment.ConclusionThere is a high prevalence of potential causes of visual impairment and blindness in Madang Province and these conditions affect all age groups and genders. It is essential to increase accessibility to eye care services in the country.

Purpose: Healthcare providers often experience difficulties in discussing depression with adults with visual impairment (VI), obstructing timely referral. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of routine discussions of depression with adults with VI from the perspective of different healthcare providers from different countries. Methods: Cross‐sectional survey data from Welsh (N = 122), Australian (N = 94) and Dutch (N = 100) healthcare providers, that is eye care practitioners (ECPs) and low‐vision care providers (LVCPs), were analysed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed in the Welsh sample to determine predictors for discussing depression. Internal validation was conducted by using a bootstrap method, and the recalibrated model was externally validated in the Australian and Dutch sample. Results: Work experience in eye care services (OR 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92 to 0.99) and perceived barriers (OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.92 to 0.98) was found to predict discussing depression with patients. The area under the curve (AUC) of 0.73 reflected good discrimination of the model. The model showed a slightly better fit in the Australian sample (AUC = 0.77), but a poor fit in the Dutch sample. Conclusion: The final prediction model was not generalizable to Dutch healthcare providers. They perceived less barriers in depression management than Welsh and Australian healthcare providers. This could be explained by differences in ECPs and LVCPs roles and responsibilities, increased attention on mental health and differences in organizing health care. Differences between healthcare providers' responsibilities and support needs should be taken into account while creating a facilitating environment to discuss depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rare paediatric eye diseases (RPEDs) threaten both vision and life. Recently, rare diseases were recognised as a global public health agenda, with children specified as a priority in the World Health Organization's VISION 2020 against avoidable visual loss. Method: We conducted a review through a query of online databases (PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library). Articles related to RPEDs were selected based on relevance by 2 authors, with any disagreements adjudicated by the third author. Results: We synthesise the current state of knowledge regarding RPEDs, barriers to their care, and recommendations for the future. RPEDs often result in significant visual loss, profoundly impacting the way children comprehend and participate in the world. These diseases may also reduce life expectancy and even be life-threatening. Barriers to the care of RPEDs include an unclear definition of "rare diseases", missed or delayed diagnosis, inadequate knowledge and expertise in management, and challenging research environments. Conclusion: Our findings provide an update on the diagnosis and management of RPEDs, which is of relevance to ophthalmologists, paediatricians, healthcare policymakers and social workers. We propose supportive policies and adequate resource allocation to these diseases, comprehensive and patient-centred care, alongside improved education and training, enhanced research capabilities and continued collaboration across institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on Retinal detachment (RD) has been associated with exposure to heavy lifting. Topics include investigated the association between occupational heavy lifting and rhegmatogenous RD in a retrospective cohort study of Swedish construction workers; and Retinal detachment (RD) is a major cause of visual impairment that can lead to blindness if not treated promptly.

Congenital cataracts are clouding of the crystalline lens inside the eye, which is present at birth and leads to a decrease in vision. It is one of the three leading causes of blindness in children, responsible for up to 27.6% of cases. The etiology of congenital cataracts varies. The main causes include heredity, chromosomal aberrations, metabolic diseases, and intrauterine infections. Early diagnosis and treatment of congenital cataracts are essential in the prevention of irreversible loss of vision. The red reflex test is an excellent tool in the screening of congenital cataracts and should be performed on each newborn. Congenital cataract therapy differs from adult cataract therapy, being based primarily on early surgical intervention. Long-term post-operative rehabilitation is also an important part of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As ocular computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) tools become more widely accessible, many researchers are developing deep learning (DL) methods to aid in ocular disease (OHD) diagnosis. Common eye diseases like cataracts (CATR), glaucoma (GLU), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the focus of this study, which uses DL to examine their identification. Data imbalance and outliers are widespread in fundus images, which can make it difficult to apply manyDL algorithms to accomplish this analytical assignment. The creation of efficient and reliable DL algorithms is seen to be the key to further enhancing detection performance. Using the analysis of images of the color of the retinal fundus, this study offers a DL model that is combined with a one-of-a-kind concoction loss function (CLF) for the automated identification of OHD. This study presents a combination of focal loss (FL) and correntropy-induced loss functions (CILF) in the proposed DL model to improve the recognition performance of classifiers for biomedical data. This is done because of the good generalization and robustness of these two types of losses in addressing complex datasets with class imbalance and outliers. The classification performance of the DL model with our proposed loss function is compared to that of the baseline models using accuracy (ACU), recall (REC), specificity (SPF), Kappa, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) as the evaluation metrics. The testing shows that the method is reliable and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]