A comparative study of a new red/green target for testing suppression and fusion

A new red/green target consisting of a ball and ring was proposed by Dr. Donald Schuman, and tested on forty-three subjects by comparing it to five other tests. Comparisons were made based on luster, diplopia, suppression and normal second degree fusion. The Ball and Ring target was found comparable to the other tests in identifying suppression, diplopia and luster. No significant differences were found in the identification of anomalies between the tests. The Ball and Ring target was found to an effective testing device. It is well suited as an economical home training device

Automation in optometry (the implications and impact) and the use of computers in optometry

Automation in optometry (the implications and impact) and the use of computers in optometr

Specialized 16SrX phytoplasmas induce diverse morphological and physiological changes in their respective fruit crops

The host-pathogen combinations-Malus domestica (apple)/`Candidatus Phytoplasma mali´, Prunus persica (peach)/`Ca. P. prunorum´ and Pyrus communis (pear)/`Ca. P. pyri´ show different courses of diseases although the phytoplasma strains belong to the same 16SrX group. While infected apple trees can survive for decades, peach and pear trees die within weeks to few years. To this date, neither morphological nor physiological differences caused by phytoplasmas have been studied in these host plants. In this study, phytoplasma-induced morphological changes of the vascular system as well as physiological changes of the phloem sap and leaf phytohormones were analysed and compared with non-infected plants. Unlike peach and pear, infected apple trees showed substantial reductions in leaf and vascular area, affecting phloem mass flow. In contrast, in infected pear mass flow and physicochemical characteristics of phloem sap increased. Additionally, an increased callose deposition was detected in pear and peach leaves but not in apple trees in response to phytoplasma infection. The phytohormone levels in pear were not affected by an infection, while in apple and peach trees concentrations of defence- and stress-related phytohormones were increased. Compared with peach and pear trees, data from apple suggest that the long-lasting morphological adaptations in the vascular system, which likely cause reduced sap flow, triggers the ability of apple trees to survive phytoplasma infection. Some phytohormone-mediated defences might support the tolerance

ID1 and ID3 Regulate the Self-Renewal Capacity of Human Colon Cancer-Initiating Cells through p21

SummaryThere is increasing evidence that some cancers are hierarchically organized, sustained by a relatively rare population of cancer-initiating cells (C-ICs). Although the capacity to initiate tumors upon serial transplantation is a hallmark of all C-ICs, little is known about the genes that control this process. Here, we establish that ID1 and ID3 function together to govern colon cancer-initiating cell (CC-IC) self-renewal through cell-cycle restriction driven by the cell-cycle inhibitor p21. Regulation of p21 by ID1 and ID3 is a central mechanism preventing the accumulation of excess DNA damage and subsequent functional exhaustion of CC-ICs. Additionally, silencing of ID1 and ID3 increases sensitivity of CC-ICs to the chemotherapeutic agent oxaliplatin, linking tumor initiation function with chemotherapy resistance

Exome-wide association study of pancreatic cancer risk

We conducted a case-control exome-wide association study to discover germline variants in coding regions that affect risk for pancreatic cancer, combining data from 5 studies. We analyzed exome and genome sequencing data from 437 patients with pancreatic cancer (cases) and 1922 individuals not known to have cancer (controls). In the primary analysis, BRCA2 had the strongest enrichment for rare inactivating variants (17/437 cases vs 3/1922 controls) (P=3.27x10(-6); exome-wide statistical significance threshold P<2.5x10(-6)). Cases had more rare inactivating variants in DNA repair genes than controls, even after excluding 13 genes known to predispose to pancreatic cancer (adjusted odds ratio, 1.35, P=.045). At the suggestive threshold (P<.001), 6 genes were enriched for rare damaging variants (UHMK1, AP1G2, DNTA, CHST6, FGFR3, and EPHA1) and 7 genes had associations with pancreatic cancer risk, based on the sequence-kernel association test. We confirmed variants in BRCA2 as the most common high-penetrant genetic factor associated with pancreatic cancer and we also identified candidate pancreatic cancer genes. Large collaborations and novel approaches are needed to overcome the genetic heterogeneity of pancreatic cancer predisposition

Atrial Fibrillation in Cancer Patients: Who is at Risk?

Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in the world, second only to cardiovascular diseases. Simultaneously cancer mortality has been steadily decreasing due to the development  of new chemotherapy and targeted  drugs  and the improvement  of existing  treatment protocols.  Improving the prognosis of treatment of cancer patients leads to an unexpected  result - more patients are faced with side effects of cancer treatment. Cardiotoxicity, including  arrhythmia, has  become  a significant  factor  to reduce  the effectiveness  of cancer  patient’s  treatment.  Atrial  fibrillation  is frequent  and persistent a rhythm disorder, affecting  all categories  of patients, especially the elderly. An association  between these two conditions  can be expected, considering the fact that in old age the prevalence of malignant neoplasms  and comorbid pathology predisposing to the onset of AF is high. Therefore, AF may be an additional  factor negatively  influencing the prognosis and treatment tactics in patients with malignant neoplasms. A comprehensive search was conducted  using the keywords  “cancer”, “atrial fibrillation” and “cardiotoxicity” using the PubMed,  Scopus and Cohrane  databases. We reviewed publications having the relationship between AF and cancer. The literature review considered 61 publications on the prevalence of AF in cancer patients, classification, mechanisms of development, the effect of anticancer drugs and other treatment methods on this group of patients. Analyzed articles include clinical guidelines, consensus  expert opinions,  systematic  reviews,  meta-analyzes, and previously  published  reviews of the literature. The problem of cardiotoxic  complications diagnostics is evaluated separately,  incl. arrhythmias, and their monitoring in cancer patients. Therefore, the direction of medicine named "Cardio-oncology" comes to the fore. Interdisciplinary interaction will allow identify cardiotoxic  manifestations at the subclinical stage and optimize anticancer treatment