-
BMJ Open Dec 2023Assessment of near work-induced transient myopia (NITM) is important for permanent myopia development and progression. Atropine eye drop has been reported to be...
Protocol for a parallel assignment prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of 0.01% atropine for near work-induced transient myopia and myopic progression in China.
INTRODUCTION
Assessment of near work-induced transient myopia (NITM) is important for permanent myopia development and progression. Atropine eye drop has been reported to be beneficial in reducing initial NITM and slowing down myopic progression. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of 0.01% atropine in treating NITM and its possible association with the progression of refractive change in Chinese myopic children.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
The study is designed as a parallel assignment prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial conducted at He Eye Specialist Hospital in Shenyang, China. One hundred fifty participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive 0.01% atropine or placebo eye drop once nightly bilaterally for 1 year. Initial NITM, cycloplegic refraction, axial length, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure and pupil diameter will be measured at baseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 36 weeks and 48 weeks. Visual Function Questionnaire will be administered at baseline and each follow-up visit. Adverse events also will be monitored and documented at each subsequent follow-up visit.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
A parallel assignment prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of 0.01% atropine for near work-induced transient myopia and myopic progression registered on 10 September 2023. Ethics approval number: IRB (2023) K025.01. The study's findings will be shared regardless of the effect's direction.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT06034366.
Topics: Male; Child; Humans; Atropine; Prospective Studies; Myopia; Double-Blind Method; Ophthalmic Solutions; China; Disease Progression; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 38128934
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079833 -
Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia 2022Little is known about the ultrastructure of pili annulati.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the ultrastructure of pili annulati.
OBJECTIVES
To examine with transmission electron microscopy affected hairs of a family, whose diagnosis had been confirmed in five individuals with scanning electron microscopy, which showed surface undulations with "curtain-like" folding of the hair cuticula and to compare the findings with normal control.
METHODS
Hairs of two affected patients and one control were embedded in resin and cut lengthwise to produce ultra-thin sections.
RESULTS
The normal hair showed a parallel arrangement of dark lines associated with less electron-dense wide bands. Small cavities could be observed, mostly in the dark lines, affected hairs had a large number of cavities, associated or not with the insertion of melanosomes and loss of parallelism of the dark lines. Higher magnification showed a significant loss of this parallelism, resembling "wood grooves". Widened dark lines were observed in some areas.
STUDY LIMITATIONS
Only a few hairs were examined.
CONCLUSIONS
The present results suggest that the microcanaliculi of the hair surface, easily found with scanning electron microscopy, may be secondary not only to the cavities seen in the sections but also to the disorder of proteins that form this region, demonstrated by the changes of the cortex dark lines.
Topics: Hair; Hair Diseases; Hair Follicle; Humans; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
PubMed: 36100477
DOI: 10.1016/j.abd.2021.10.011 -
Heliyon Nov 2022This study aimed to explore and evaluate various components of the medical education process (lectures, labs, small-group discussions, clinical rotations, and...
AIM
This study aimed to explore and evaluate various components of the medical education process (lectures, labs, small-group discussions, clinical rotations, and undergraduate research) in three colleges of medicine in Jordan.
METHODS
This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included 849 undergraduate students from three main medical colleges in Jordan. Statically valid responses were considered for 684 students. The participants were from Jordan University of Science and Technology, Yarmouk University, and the University of Jordan.
RESULTS
The distribution of students according to their admission status was 276 (40%) regular, 266 (38.9%) parallel, and 142 (20.8%) international programs. Personal interest and self-initiation were the major motives for studying medicine in 66.1%. Regarding the frequency of attending classes, University of Jordan students reported the highest rate of regular classes' attendance (93%). The study also reported that lecture notes and textbooks were the main sources of learning for medical students. The study also reported superior academic performance of students in the regular program compared to students in the parallel and international programs. Participants of the study criticized the medical curricula in the three colleges mentioned above because of the lack of active research programs. Most of the students (40%-56%) also complained that the lectures within the modules were not well-integrated, and they felt that the academic environment was moderate (48-59%). In addition, most students in the clinical phase complained of overcrowding in hospital wards during clinical rotation.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on students' feedback, multiple aspects of the medical education process require substantial reform to meet the expectations of medical students in Jordan.
PubMed: 36387468
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11426 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2021Deciphering nonhuman communication - particularly nonhuman vocal communication - has been a longstanding human quest. We are, for example, fascinated by the songs of... (Review)
Review
Deciphering nonhuman communication - particularly nonhuman vocal communication - has been a longstanding human quest. We are, for example, fascinated by the songs of birds and whales, the grunts of apes, the barks of dogs, and the croaks of frogs; we wonder about their potential meaning and their relationship to human language. Do these utterances express little more than emotional states, or do they convey actual bits and bytes of concrete information? Humans' numerous attempts to decipher nonhuman systems have, however, progressed slowly. We still wonder why only a small number of species are capable of vocal learning, a trait that, because it allows for innovation and adaptation, would seem to be a prerequisite for most language-like abilities. Humans have also attempted to teach nonhumans elements of our system, using both vocal and nonvocal systems. The rationale for such training is that the extent of success in instilling symbolic reference provides some evidence for, at the very least, the cognitive underpinnings of parallels between human and nonhuman communication systems. However, separating acquisition of reference from simple object-label association is not a simple matter, as reference begins with such associations, and the point at which true reference emerges is not always obvious. I begin by discussing these points and questions, predominantly from the viewpoint of someone studying avian abilities. I end by examining the question posed by Premack: do nonhumans that have achieved some level of symbolic reference then process information differently from those that have not? I suggest the answer is likely "yes," giving examples from my research on Grey parrots ().
PubMed: 34630194
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647841 -
JMIR Medical Informatics Feb 2022The development and adoption of a learning health system (LHS) has been proposed as a means to address key challenges facing current and future health care systems. The... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The development and adoption of a learning health system (LHS) has been proposed as a means to address key challenges facing current and future health care systems. The first review of the LHS literature was conducted 5 years ago, identifying only a small number of published papers that had empirically examined the implementation or testing of an LHS. It is timely to look more closely at the published empirical research and to ask the question, Where are we now? 5 years on from that early LHS review.
OBJECTIVE
This study performed a scoping review of empirical research within the LHS domain. Taking an "implementation science" lens, the review aims to map out the empirical research that has been conducted to date, identify limitations, and identify future directions for the field.
METHODS
Two academic databases (PubMed and Scopus) were searched using the terms "learning health* system*" for papers published between January 1, 2016, to January 31, 2021, that had an explicit empirical focus on LHSs. Study information was extracted relevant to the review objective, including each study's publication details; primary concern or focus; context; design; data type; implementation framework, model, or theory used; and implementation determinants or outcomes examined.
RESULTS
A total of 76 studies were included in this review. Over two-thirds of the studies were concerned with implementing a particular program, system, or platform (53/76, 69.7%) designed to contribute to achieving an LHS. Most of these studies focused on a particular clinical context or patient population (37/53, 69.8%), with far fewer studies focusing on whole hospital systems (4/53, 7.5%) or on other broad health care systems encompassing multiple facilities (12/53, 22.6%). Over two-thirds of the program-specific studies utilized quantitative methods (37/53, 69.8%), with a smaller number utilizing qualitative methods (10/53, 18.9%) or mixed-methods designs (6/53, 11.3%). The remaining 23 studies were classified into 1 of 3 key areas: ethics, policies, and governance (10/76, 13.2%); stakeholder perspectives of LHSs (5/76, 6.6%); or LHS-specific research strategies and tools (8/76, 10.5%). Overall, relatively few studies were identified that incorporated an implementation science framework.
CONCLUSIONS
Although there has been considerable growth in empirical applications of LHSs within the past 5 years, paralleling the recent emergence of LHS-specific research strategies and tools, there are few high-quality studies. Comprehensive reporting of implementation and evaluation efforts is an important step to moving the LHS field forward. In particular, the routine use of implementation determinant and outcome frameworks will improve the assessment and reporting of barriers, enablers, and implementation outcomes in this field and will enable comparison and identification of trends across studies.
PubMed: 35195529
DOI: 10.2196/34907 -
Medical Physics Dec 2023Small animal irradiation is essential to study the radiation response of new interventions before or parallel to human therapy. Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and...
BACKGROUND
Small animal irradiation is essential to study the radiation response of new interventions before or parallel to human therapy. Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) are recently adopted in small animal irradiation to more closely mimic human treatments. However, sophisticated techniques require exceedingly high time, resources, and expertize that are often impractical.
PURPOSE
We propose a high throughput and high precision platform named Multiple Mouse Automated Treatment Environment (Multi-MATE) to streamline image-guided small animal irradiation.
METHODS
Multi-MATE consists of six parallel and hexagonally arranged channels, each equipped with a transfer railing, a 3D-printed immobilization pod, and an electromagnetic control unit, computer-controlled via an Arduino interface. The mouse immobilization pods are transferred along the railings between the home position outside the radiation field and the imaging/irradiation position at the irradiator isocenter. All six immobilization pods are transferred to the isocenter in the proposed workflow for parallel CBCT scans and treatment planning. The immobilization pods are then sequentially transported to the imaging/therapy position for dose delivery. The positioning reproducibility of Multi-MATE are evaluated using CBCT and radiochromic films.
RESULTS
While parallelizing and automating the image-guided small animal radiation delivery, Multi-MATE achieved the average pod position reproducibility of 0.17 ± 0.04 mm in the superior-inferior direction, 0.20 ± 0.04 mm in the left-right direction, and 0.12 ± 0.02mm in the anterior-posterior direction in repeated CBCT tests. Additionally, in image-guided dose delivery tasks, Multi-MATE demonstrated the positioning reproducibility of 0.17 ± 0.06 mm in the superior-inferior direction, 0.19 ± 0.06 mm in the left-right direction.
CONCLUSIONS
We designed, fabricated, and tested a novel automated irradiation platform, Multi-MATE to accelerate and automate image-guided small animal irradiation. The automated platform minimizes human operation and achieves high setup reproducibility and image-guided dose delivery accuracy. Multi-MATE thus removes a major barrier to implementing high-precision preclinical radiation research.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; Phantoms, Imaging; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; Radiotherapy, Image-Guided; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 37341036
DOI: 10.1002/mp.16563 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2021Recent studies have found that troponin T parallels the structural and functional decay of peripheral nerves at the level of the lower limbs in patients with type 2...
Fractional Anisotropy and Troponin T Parallel Structural Nerve Damage at the Upper Extremities in a Group of Patients With Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes - A Study Using 3T Magnetic Resonance Neurography.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have found that troponin T parallels the structural and functional decay of peripheral nerves at the level of the lower limbs in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this study was to determine whether this finding can also be reproduced at the level of the upper limbs.
METHODS
Ten patients with fasting glucose levels >100 mg/dl (five with prediabetes and five with T2D) underwent magnetic resonance neurography of the right upper arm comprising T2-weighted and diffusion weighted sequences. The fractional anisotropy (FA), an indicator for the structural integrity of peripheral nerves, was calculated in an automated approach for the median, ulnar, and radial nerve. All participants underwent additional clinical, serological, and electrophysiological assessments.
RESULTS
High sensitivity Troponin T (hsTNT) and HbA1c were negatively correlated with the average FA of the median, ulnar and radial nerve ( = -0.84; = 0.002 and = -0.68; = 0.032). Both FA and hsTNT further showed correlations with items of the Michigan Hand Outcome Questionnaire ( = -0.76; = 0.010 and = 0.87; = 0.001, respectively). A negative correlation was found for hsTNT and HbA1c with the total Purdue Pegboard Test Score ( = -0.87; = 0.001 and = -0.68; = 0.031).
CONCLUSION
This study is the first to find that hsTNT and HbA1c are associated with functional and structural parameters of the nerves at the level of the upper limbs in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and T2D. Our results support the hypothesis that hyperglycemia-related microangiopathy, represented by elevated hsTNT levels, is a contributor to nerve damage in diabetic polyneuropathy.
PubMed: 35140582
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.741494 -
Bone & Joint Research Sep 2020Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) describes abnormal bony contact of the proximal femur against the acetabulum. The term was first coined in 1999; however what is often...
AIMS
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) describes abnormal bony contact of the proximal femur against the acetabulum. The term was first coined in 1999; however what is often overlooked is that descriptions of the morphology have existed in the literature for centuries. The aim of this paper is to delineate its origins and provide further clarity on FAI to shape future research.
METHODS
A non-systematic search on PubMed was performed using keywords such as "impingement" or "tilt deformity" to find early anatomical descriptions of FAI. Relevant references from these primary studies were then followed up.
RESULTS
Although FAI has existed for almost 5,000 years, the anatomical study by Henle in 1855 was the first to describe it in the literature. The relevance of the deformity was not appreciated at the time but this triggered the development of further anatomical studies. Parallel to this, Poland performed the first surgical correction of FAI in 1898 and subsequently, descriptions of similar procedures followed. In 1965, Murray outlined radiological evidence of idiopathic cam-type deformities and highlighted its significance. This led to a renewed focus on FAI and eventually, Ganz et al released their seminal paper that has become the foundation of our current understanding of FAI. Since then, there has been an exponential rise in published literature but finding a consensus, especially in the diagnosis of FAI, has proven to be difficult.
CONCLUSION
Current research on FAI heavily focuses on new data, but old evidence does exist and studying it could be equally as important in clarifying the aetiology and classification of FAI.Cite this article: 2020;9(9):572-577.
PubMed: 33005396
DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.99.BJR-2020-0003 -
Hormones and Behavior Nov 2022Like Darwin's tangled bank of biodiversity, the endocrine mechanisms that give rise to phenotypic diversity also exhibit nearly endless forms. This tangled bank of... (Review)
Review
Like Darwin's tangled bank of biodiversity, the endocrine mechanisms that give rise to phenotypic diversity also exhibit nearly endless forms. This tangled bank of mechanistic diversity can prove problematic as we seek general principles on the role of endocrine mechanisms in phenotypic evolution. A key unresolved question is therefore: to what degree are specific endocrine mechanisms re-used to bring about replicated phenotypic evolution? Related areas of inquiry are booming in molecular ecology, but behavioral traits are underrepresented in this literature. Here, I leverage the rich comparative tradition in evolutionary endocrinology to evaluate whether and how certain mechanisms may be repeated hotspots of behavioral evolutionary change. At one extreme, mechanisms may be parallel, such that evolution repeatedly uses the same gene or pathway to arrive at multiple independent (or, convergent) origins of a particular behavioral trait. At the other extreme, the building blocks of behavior may be unique, such that outwardly similar phenotypes are generated via lineage-specific mechanisms. This review synthesizes existing case studies, phylogenetic analyses, and experimental evolutionary research on mechanistic parallelism in animal behavior. These examples show that the endocrine building blocks of behavior have some elements of parallelism across replicated evolutionary events. However, support for parallelism is variable among studies, at least some of which relates to the level of complexity at which we consider sameness (i.e. pathway vs. gene level). Moving forward, we need continued experimentation and better testing of neutral models to understand whether, how - and critically, why - mechanism A is used in one lineage and mechanism B is used in another. We also need continued growth of large-scale comparative analyses, especially those that can evaluate which endocrine parameters are more or less likely to undergo parallel evolution alongside specific behavioral traits. These efforts will ultimately deepen understanding of how and why hormone-mediated behaviors are constructed the way that they are.
Topics: Animals; Phylogeny; Biological Evolution; Phenotype; Endocrine System; Behavior, Animal
PubMed: 36029721
DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105246 -
Journal of Experimental Psychology.... Sep 2019At the scale in which we live, space is continuous. Nevertheless, our perception and cognition parse the world into categories, whether physical, like or or abstract,...
At the scale in which we live, space is continuous. Nevertheless, our perception and cognition parse the world into categories, whether physical, like or or abstract, like or 7. The present study focuses on 2 categories of special angles in planar geometry, and and we evaluate how these categories might be reflected in adults' basic angle discrimination. In the first experiment, participants were most precise when detecting 2 parallel or perpendicular lines among other pairs of lines at different relative orientations. Detection was also enhanced for 2 connected lines whose angle approached 90°, with precision peaking at 90°. These patterns emerged despite large variations in the scales and orientations of the angle exemplars. In the second experiment, the enhanced detection of perpendiculars persisted when stimuli were rotated in depth, indicating a capacity to discriminate shapes based on perpendicularity in 3 dimensions despite large variation in angles' 2-dimensional projections. The results suggest that 2 categorical concepts which lie at the foundation of Euclidean geometry, parallelism and perpendicularity, are reflected in our discrimination of simple visual forms, and they pave the way for future studies exploring the developmental and evolutionary origins of these cognitive categories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Adult; Concept Formation; Discrimination, Psychological; Female; Humans; Male; Mathematical Concepts; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Space Perception; Young Adult
PubMed: 31219284
DOI: 10.1037/xhp0000663