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AimThe aim of this study is to compare the 24-hour efficacy of dorzolamide/timolol-fixed combination (DTFC) and brimonidine/timolol-fixed combination (BTFC) in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).MethodsOne eye each of 77 POAG patients was included in this prospective, observer-masked, crossover comparison. Following a 2-month timolol run-in period, patients had three intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements at 1000, 1200 and 1400 h while on timolol treatment. Patients showing at least a 20% IOP reduction on timolol were randomised to 3 months of therapy with DTFC or BTFC, and then were crossed over to the opposite therapy.ResultsSixty POAG patients completed the study. The mean 24-hour IOP was significantly reduced with both the fixed combinations compared with the timolol-treated diurnal IOP (P<0.001). When the two fixed combinations were compared directly, DTFC demonstrated a lower mean 24-hour IOP level as compared with BTFC (mean difference: −0.7 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval (CI): (−1.0, −0.3), P<0.001). At two individual time points, DTFC significantly reduced IOP more than BTFC: at 1800 h (−1.0 mm Hg, 95% CI (−1.6,−0.5), P=0.001) and at 0200 (−0.9 mm Hg, 95% CI: (−1.4,−0.5), P=0.001). No significant difference existed for the other time points.ConclusionBoth the fixed combinations significantly reduce 24-hour IOP in POAG. DTFC provided significantly better 24-hour efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the labeling accuracy of four myo-inositol products, designed for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) treatment, available on the italian market and to perform a cost comparison based on myo-inositol content in milligrams for products analyzed. Materials and Methods: Four (4) myo-inositol products (3 sachet and 1 tablet formulations) were dissolved using water, and each sample was analyzed for myo-inositol content using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with index refraction detector. The amount of myo-inositol per purchased product was then divided into its purchase price in order to make cost comparisons between the products based on a 2 and 4 g/day dose. Results: A significant difference in the myo-inositol content, compared with the labeling was found for the products. Only 1 product contained more than 95% of the myo-inositol content claimed on the label, and there was a product with less than 75% of the labeling amount. Based on a 2-g myo-inositol per day dose, the cost of a 30-day supply ranged from € 20,77 and € 71,86, after correction by actual amount of myo-inositol. Conclusion: There is a lack of conformity between declared and actual amount of myo-inositol among the products tested and the majority of the products contained less than 95% of labeled amounts. There should be a better control in the manufacturing process in order to ensure more quality and accuracy. Nowadays consumers cannot trust myo-inositol product labels to represent the product's content accurately or that product pricing is a reflection of myo-inositol content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimsTo compare supine nighttime intraocular pressure measurements with Perkins applanation tonometry to 24-h sitting intraocular pressures with Goldmann applanation tonometry.MethodsA prospective, untreated, uncontrolled, observational cohort of qualified consecutive ocular hypertensive or primary open-angle glaucoma patients. Patients underwent sitting intraocular pressure measurements over 24-h by Goldmann and patients had their supine nighttime intraocular pressure measurements by Perkins.ResultsIn 100 completed patients, the mean intraocular pressure at 1000, 2200, 0200 and 0600 hours while sitting was 22.5±3.7 mm Hg, and in the supine position, 23.5±4.3 mm Hg (P<0.001). The mean sitting Goldmann intraocular pressures across the three daytime points was 23.3±3.4 mm Hg and across three nighttime points was 21.5±4.0 mm Hg (P<0.001). In contrast, the mean daytime sitting Goldmann intraocular pressure was not different than the mean nighttime supine intraocular pressure evaluated with Perkins (22.8±4.4 mm Hg, P=0.07). However, only 70% of patients were within 1.0 mm Hg of the highest daytime reading for all nighttime supine and sitting intraocular pressures.ConclusionThis study suggests that with Perkins applanation tonometry the untreated mean supine intraocular pressures are not higher at night than daytime sitting Goldmann applanation tonometry. However, the highest daytime sitting intraocular pressure measurement does not consistently predict the highest nighttime sitting or supine intraocular pressure value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of intramuscular (IM) and intravaginal (IV) progesterone for luteal phase support, in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles (IVF-ET). Design: retrospective, observational, case-control study Setting: Centro Natalità, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy, from July 2007 to June 2009. Patient(s): 172 A-GnRH down-regulated IVFET cycles in patients with age <40 years. Intervention(s): Luteal phase support with IM progesterone (50 mg daily) or IV progesterone (90 mg daily). Main Outcome Measure(s): Biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, ongoing pregnancy rates and patient's acceptability. Results: IM progesterone conferred more benefit compared with IV progesterone in terms of ongoing pregnancy rate (24,4% vs 12,7%; P<0.05) Conclusions: In standard IVF cycles, our data showed that IM progesterone appears to be more effective at providing luteal support, thus rendering with IV progesterone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 55-year-old woman suffering from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Topics discussed include her vaginal examination showing anterior vaginal prolapse, her urodynamic study revealing urodynamic stress incontinence, use of drugs such as vaginal oestriol gel, Gelistrol, patient showing negative stress cough testing, patient's refusal to undergo sling removal, and use of bovine pericardium for repairing sling exposure.

One of the major problems related to climate change is the increase in land area affected by higher salt concentrations and desertification. Finding economically and environmentally friendly sustainable solutions that effectively mitigate salt stress damage to plants is of great importance. In our work, some natural products and microbial biocontrol agents were evaluated for their long-term effectiveness in reducing salt stress in lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L. var. romana ) plants. Fourteen different treatments applied to soil pots, with and without salt stress, were analyzed using biometric (leaf and root length and width), physiological (chlorophyll and proline content), and morphological (microscopic preparations) techniques and NGS to study the microbial communities in the soil of plants subjected to different treatments. Under our long-term experimental conditions (90 days), the results showed that salt stress negatively affected plant growth. The statistical analysis showed a high variability in the responses of the different biostimulant treatments. Notably, the biocontrol agents Papiliotrema terrestris (strain PT22AV), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (strain B07), and Rahnella aquatilis (strain 36) can act as salt stress mitigators in L. sativa . These findings suggest that both microbial biocontrol agents and certain natural products hold promise for reducing the adverse effects of salt stress on plants.

Exposure to infectious diseases in early life has been linked to increased mortality risk in later life in high-disease settings, such as eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe. Less is known about the long-term effects of early-life disease exposure in milder disease environments. This study estimates heterogeneous effects from disease exposure in infancy on later-life mortality in twentieth-century Sweden, by socioeconomic status at birth and sex. Using historical population data for southern Sweden, we study 11,515 individuals who were born in 1905-1929 from age 1 until age 85. We measure exposure to disease using the local post-early neonatal mortality rate in the first 12 months after birth and apply flexible parametric survival models. For females, we find a negative effect on life expectancy (scarring) at ages 1-85 following high disease exposure in infancy, particularly for those born to unskilled workers. For males, we find no negative effect on later-life survival, likely because stronger mortality selection in infancy outweighs scarring. Thus, even as the incidence of infectious diseases declined at the start of the twentieth century, early-life disease exposure generated long-lasting negative but heterogeneous population health effects., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction: Refractory and super-refractory status epilepticus are medical emergencies that must be promptly treated in consideration of their high mortality and morbidity rate. Nevertheless, the available evidence of effective treatment of these conditions is scarce. Among novel antiseizure medications (ASMs), highly purified cannabidiol (hpCBD) has shown noteworthy efficacy in reducing seizures in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome (DS), and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC)., Case Presentation: Here, we present two cases of effective use of hpCBD in both refractory and super- refractory status epilepticus. The administration of the nasogastric tube permitted the resolution of status epilepticus without adverse events. At 6-month follow-up, both patients were on hpCBD treatment, which continued to be efficacious for treating seizures., Conclusion: According to our experience, hpCBD should be taken into consideration as an add-on therapy of RSE and SRSE while also considering the possibility of maintaining this treatment during the follow-up of patients. However, more studies and real-world experiences are needed to better understand its effectiveness in this setting and the interaction with other ASMs., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Ample evidence demonstrates that early-life adversity negatively affects morbidity and survival in late life. We show that disease exposure in infancy also has a continuous impact on reproduction and health across the female life course and even affects early-life health of the next generation. Using Swedish administrative data, obstetric records, and local infant mortality rates as a measure of disease exposure, we follow women's reproductive careers and offspring health 1905-2000, examining a comprehensive set of outcomes. Women exposed to disease in infancy give birth to a lower proportion of boys, consistent with notions that male fetuses are more vulnerable to adverse conditions and are more often miscarried. Sons of exposed mothers are also more likely to be born preterm and have higher birthweight suggesting in utero out-selection. Exposed women have a greater risk of miscarriage and of male stillbirth, but their overall likelihood of giving birth is not affected., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Glaucoma is a group of progressive optic neuropathies characterized by loss of retinal ganglion cells and visual field deterioration. Despite the fact that the underlying pathophysiology of glaucoma remains unknown, elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a well-established risk factor, and the only factor that can be modified. Robust evidence from epidemiological studies and clinical trials has clearly demonstrated the benefits of IOP control in reducing the risk of glaucoma progression. IOP-lowering therapy by the means of eye drops remains a first-line treatment option. However, like other chronic and asymptomatic conditions, many patients with glaucoma have difficulties in maintaining high rates of adherence persistence to prescribed medications. On average, patients with chronic medical conditions take 30-70% of the prescribed medication doses, and on average 50% discontinue medications in the first months of therapy. The ophthalmic literature shows similarly low rates of adherence to treatment. Indeed, poor adherence is associated with disease progression and increased complication rates, as well as healthcare costs. The present review analyzes and discusses the causes of variability of the adherence to the prescribed drugs. The education of patients about glaucoma and the potential consequences of insufficient adherence and persistence seems fundamental to maximize the probability of treatment success and therefore prevent visual disability to avoid unnecessary healthcare costs., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The efficacy of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is well-established in patients with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (O-APS). Their role in women with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (U-RPL) and late obstetrical complications (intrauterine growth restriction, IUGR and preeclampsia) is controversial. Here we compared rates of miscarriage and late obstetrical complications in RPL patients diagnosed with O-APS (n = 57) or hereditary thrombophilia (n = 25) (both assuming LMWH from the beginning of pregnancy) and in patients with a history of U-RPL (n = 118), assuming or not LMWH, followed at the 'Pregnancy at risk' and 'Recurrent pregnancy loss' outpatient clinics at the San Raffaele Hospital from April 2010 to April 2020. Patients with systemic autoimmune diseases other than primary O-APS were excluded. We tested for bivariate or multivariate associations among adverse pregnancy outcomes, the presence of thrombophilia and LMWH use by using chi-square test, Anova, propensity score adjusted univariate logistic regression and multivariate analysis as appropriate. U-RPL patients assuming LMWH from the beginning of pregnancy (group A) had a significantly lower rate of miscarriage compared to U-RPL patients who were not treated with LMWH (group B) (13 % vs. 41 % respectively, p 0.001) and similar pregnancy rates compared to both O-APS patients with a history of RPL taking LMWH (group C, 18 %) and RPL patients with thrombophilia and treated with LMWH (group D, 16 %). Our data highlight a protective effect of LMWH on miscarriage in patients with a history of U-RPL. In these patients, LMWH seems as effective as in O-APS and hereditary thrombophilia in reducing RPL., Competing Interests: Declarations of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Increased population longevity could be influenced by early life factors. Some areas have long-lived populations, also in a historical perspective. We aimed to study these factors in Halland, an area with the highest life expectancy in Sweden. We collected archival data on gestational age and birth characteristics from 995 live singleton full-term births at the Halmstad Hospital, Halland, from the period 1936 to 1938 and compared these to 3364 births from three hospitals in nearby Scania for the period 1935-1945. In addition, data were obtained on maternal and offspring characteristics from the national Swedish Medical Birth Register during 1973-2013. The results show that when controlling for background maternal and offspring characteristics, mean birth weight (BW) and mean birth length were higher in Halland than in Scania, but the proportion of low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA) was lower. However, mean BW for Halland did not differ from the rest of Sweden in recent years 2004-2013. We also conducted a mortality follow-up for children born in Scania, which showed that LBW, being born SGA, or short birth length reduced survival. In conclusion, the high mean life expectancy in Halland compared to the rest of Sweden could have been associated with beneficial early life factors influencing birth size in the past. In more recent decades the mean BW of Halland is not different from the national mean. Thus, longevity could be expected to become more equal to the national mean in the future.

Purpose: To report a case of neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) in a patient affected by primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) who undergone glaucoma drainage implant surgery. NK was successfully treated with human recombinant Nerve Growth Factor (Cenegermin) eye drops., Case Report Description: A 46-years-old patient affected by primary congenital glaucoma underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in the right eye, after several unsuccessful surgeries to control intraocular pressure (IOP) since the age of three. Surgical intervention was performed without complications, and IOP was well-controlled post-operatively. However, 1 month after surgery, he developed NK with stromal ulceration, initially treated with a topical combination of preservative-free artificial tears and antibiotic ointment. As NK did not resolve, a new treatment with Cenegermin 20 µg/ml eye drops, 6 times daily, was started., Outcome: NK completely resolved after 8 weeks of Cenegermin treatment, with complete restoration of corneal integrity and improvement of corneal sensitivity and transparency. Visual acuity in the operated eye reverted to the pre-operative value., Conclusion: Cenegermin was extremely effective in restoring corneal integrity in this PCG patient with NK.

Purpose: To evaluate morphological differences in retinal nerve fibers layers (RNFL), optic nerve head (ONH), ganglion cell complex (GCC), and macular thickness between amblyopic and normal eyes from spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT)., Methods: Of 234 eyes of 117 children, four groups emerged: group A (162 eyes of 81 non-amblyopic subjects); group B (32 fellow eyes of 32 subjects with monolateral amblyopia); group C (32 amblyopic eyes of 32 subjects affected by monolateral amblyopia); group D (8 amblyopic eyes of 4 subjects with bilateral amblyopia). Patients underwent SD-OCT for ONH parameters, RNFL, GCC and macular thickness, retina map, and ONH scan quality index (SQI). Two-sided p values <0.05 were taken as statistically significant. (Analysis: STATA v.13)., Results: Parameters with a significant difference between groups ( p  < 0.005) with their Standard Deviation (SD) are presented: rim area, 2.08 (0.49) mm 2 in group A and 1.76 (0.68) mm 2 in group C; disk area, 2.43 (0.45) mm 2 in group A and 2.02 (0.71) mm 2 in group C; central macular thickness, 250.99 (19.74) µm in group A and 267.16 (23.52) µm in group C; nerve fiber ONH SQI, 62.82 (13.15) in group A, 51.26 (15.55) in group C, 48.29 (14.37) in group D; retina map SQI, 63.34 (10.34) in group A and 57.34 (9.84) in group C. For other parameters no significant difference was observed ( p  > 0.005)., Conclusions: Amblyopia may influence optic nerve morphology, central macular thickness, and OCT scan quality. RNFL and GCC are not affected by monolateral amblyopia.

Background: Children and adolescents and low-income individuals are considered particularly vulnerable for mental health implications during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Depression is a frequent negative emotional response during an epidemic outbreak and is also prone importantly to environmental risk like stressors derived from income inequality. We aimed to assess depressive symptomatology in a sample of Italian low-income minors during the COVID-19 outbreak. We hypothesized that the stronger were the negative effects of the pandemic on socioeconomic conditions, the higher would have been the risk for showing depressive symptoms., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study during July 2020, at the end of the Italian first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. We recruited 109 Italian socioeconomically disadvantaged children and adolescents from 7 to 17 years. We used an online survey to collect socio-demographic and clinical data and information about pandemic-related stressors and to assess depressive symptoms with the Children's Depression Inventory 2 (CDI 2), Parent Version (Emotional Problems subscale) and Self-Report Short Form. We performed logistic regression analysis to assess the association between depressive symptoms and potential risk factors for mental health., Results: 22% and 14% of participants showed depressive symptoms at the CDI 2 Parent Version and Self-Report, respectively. Participants coming from families experiencing a lack of basic supplies during the pandemic (34.9%) were more expected to show depressive symptoms at CDI 2 Parent Version. Participants with a pre-existing neuropsychiatric diagnosis (26.6%) were more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms measured by CDI 2 Parent Version., Conclusions: The results of our study showed that a group of Italian socioeconomically disadvantaged children and adolescents were more vulnerable to depressive symptoms if they suffered from a paucity of essential supplies during the pandemic or had pre-existing neurodevelopmental disorders. The promotion of educational and child-care programs and activities could be crucial in sustaining the prevention of mental distress in those frail subjects who particularly need support outside the family. Further studies are needed to detect effective preventive and therapeutic strategies to adopt promptly in the case of another pandemic wave., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Introduction: In the last 25 years, topical prostaglandin analogues (PGAs) have emerged to become first line and first choice therapeutic options in the management of glaucoma and ocular hypertension (OHT). Although the short-term efficacy and safety of PGAs has been extensively investigated, less is known about their long term safety and tolerability. This gap in current knowledge is clinically relevant, because treatment-related adverse events and long-term tolerability issues are key determinants of the overall success of long-term therapy and the final outcome of a lifelong, symptomless disease like glaucoma., Areas Covered: We include selected evidence pertaining to the safety and tolerability of available and emerging PGA formulations. We also outline PGA formulations with different concentrations of the active ingredient, different preservatives, and preservative-free (PF) options., Expert Opinion: Undoubtedly PGAs will continue to play a major role in the medical therapy of glaucoma and OHT. Despite extensive literature and prolonged clinical experience with these agents worldwide, a number of areas that warrant further research have been identified in the present review. Recently launched novel PGAs, or those still in development offer new opportunities and future challenges.