The marine epilithic diatom Melosira brandinii sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) from Elephant Island, Antarctic Peninsula, with comments on some related species

Uma nova espécie de diatomácea eplítica é descrita sob microscopia eletrônica, a partir de amostras coletadas próximo à Ilha Elefante, Península Antártica. As células de Melosira brandinii sp. nov. encontram-se reunidas em cadeias filamentosas através de longos tubos mucilaginosos. As valvas são circulares, com superfície valvar provida de lóculos pentagonais arranjados irregularmente. Cada lóculo possui 6-12 poros na superfície externa, abrindo-se para o interior através de aréolas do tipo rota. A corona é composta exclusivamente por grânulos grosseiros, os quais estão mais concentrados na borda do manto. Comparações com as espécies próximas Melosira arctica, M. moniliformis e M. nummuloides foram realizadas. Adicionalmente, são fornecidas fotomicrografias de M. arctica provenientes do material tipo e do Mar de Barents (Ártico), e de M. moniliformis de estuários do Sul do Brasil.A new species of epilithic diatom is described from samples collected near Elephant Island, Antarctic Peninsula. The cells of Melosira brandinii sp. nov. are joined in filamentous chains and attached by means of long mucilaginous stalks. The valves are circular with the valvar surface composed of irregularly arranged pentagonal Ioculi. Each loculus bears 6-12 pores on the external surface, opening to the innerside through rotae. The corona is only composed of coarse granules. A mantle is well developed, presenting rimoportulae and bearing coarse granules, which are more concentrated at the mantle edge. Comparisons with the related species Melosira arctica, M. moniliformis and M. nummuloides are made. Additionally, photomicrographs of M. arctica from the type material and Barents Sea, and of M. moniliformis from estuaries of Southern Brazil are included

Multirater Validation of Peripapillary Hyperreflective Ovoid Mass-like Structures (PHOMS)

Peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures (PHOMS) are a new retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) finding. The Optic Disc Drusen Studies Consortium had made recommendations to distinguish PHOMS from true optic disc drusen (ODD) in 2018. While publications on PHOMS have increased since then, the accuracy of the definition of PHOMS and reliability of detection is unknown. In this multi-rater study, we demonstrate that the 2018 definition of PHOMS resulted in a poor multi-rater kappa of 0.356. We performed a Delphi consensus process to develop a consistent and refined definition of PHOMS with clear principles around the nature of PHOMS and how they differ from normal anatomy. Fifty explanatory teaching slides, provided as supplementary material, allowed our expert group of raters to achieve a good level of agreement (kappa 0.701, 50 OCT scans, 21 raters). We recommend adopting the refined definition for PHOMS

Young Adults With Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: A Multicenter Optic Disc Drusen Study.

PURPOSE: Optic disc drusen (ODD), present in 2% of the general population, have occasionally been reported in patients with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION). The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of ODD in young patients with NA-AION. DESIGN: Retrospective, cross-sectional multicenter study. METHODS: All patients with NA-AION 50 years old or younger, seen in neuro-ophthalmology clinics of the international ODDS (Optic Disc Drusen Studies) Consortium between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2019, were identified. Patients were included if ODD were diagnosed by any method, or if ODD were excluded by enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) using ODDS Consortium guidelines. NA-AION eyes with ODD were termed "ODD-AION"; those without were termed "NODD-AION". RESULTS: A total of 65 patients (127 eyes) with NA-AION were included (mean 41 years old). Of the 74 eyes with NA-AION, 51% had ODD-AION, whereas 43% of fellow eyes without NA-AION had ODD (P = .36). No significant differences were found between ODD-AION and NODD-AION eyes in terms of Snellen best-corrected VA or perimetric mean deviation. According to EDI-OCT results, 28% of eyes with NODD-AION had peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures (PHOMS); 7% had hyperreflective lines, whereas 54% with ODD-AION had PHOMS; and 66% had hyperreflective lines (P = .006 and P < .001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Most of these young NA-AION patients had ODD. This indicates that ODD may be an independent risk factor for the development of NA-AION, at least in younger patients. This study suggests ODD-AION be recognized as a novel diagnosis

Screening Low-Income Women of Reproductive Age for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors

Identifying and treating chronic diseases, their precursors, and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors during family planning visits may improve long-term health and reproductive outcomes among low-income women. A cross-sectional study design was used to describe the prevalence of chronic diseases (hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes), their precursors (pre-hypertension, borderline high cholesterol, and pre-diabetes), and related CVD risk factors (such as obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity) among low-income women of reproductive age

Meloneis Gen. Nov., a New Epipsammic Genus of Rhaphoneidaceae (Bacillariophyceae)

The diatom family Rhaphoneidaceae is characterized by high generic diversity and low species diversity with most genera known to have long stratigraphic ranges. The genera within this family are neritic marine, and mostly epipsammic. A new modern and epipsammic genus, Meloneis gen. nov., is described herein and is compared to all genera within Rhaphoneidaceae and especially to Rhaphoneis Ehrenberg s.l. Within Meloneis three new species and one variety are distinguished and described herein: M. mimallis sp. nov., M. mimallis var. zephyria var. nov., M. akytos sp. nov., and M. gorgis sp. nov

Efficacy and Safety of Intravitreal Gene Therapy for Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Treated within 6 Months of Disease Onset

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of a single intravitreal injection of rAAV2/2-ND4 in subjects with visual loss from Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Design: RESCUE is a multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled, phase 3 clinical trial. Participants: Subjects with the m.11778G&gt;A mitochondrial DNA mutation and vision loss ≤6 months from onset in 1 or both eyes were included. Methods: Each subject's right eye was randomly assigned (1:1) to treatment with rAAV2/2-ND4 (single injection of 9 × 1010 viral genomes in 90 μl) or to sham injection. The left eye received the treatment not allocated to the right eye. Main Outcome Measures: The primary end point was the difference of the change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between rAAV2/2-ND4–treated and sham-treated eyes at week 48. Other outcome measures included contrast sensitivity, Humphrey visual field perimetry, retinal anatomic measures, and quality of life. Follow-up extended to week 96. Results: Efficacy analysis included 38 subjects. Mean age was 36.8 years, and 82% were male. Mean duration of vision loss at time of treatment was 3.6 months and 3.9 months in the rAAV2/2-ND4–treated eyes and sham-treated eyes, respectively. Mean baseline logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) BCVA (standard deviation) was 1.31 (0.52) in rAAV2/2-ND4–treated eyes and 1.26 (0.62) in sham-treated eyes, with a range from −0.20 to 2.51. At week 48, the difference of the change in BCVA from baseline between rAAV2/2-ND4–treated and sham-treated eyes was −0.01 logMAR (P = 0.89); the primary end point of a −0.3 logMAR (15-letter) difference was not met. The mean BCVA for both groups deteriorated over the initial weeks, reaching the worst levels at week 24, followed by a plateau phase until week 48, and then an improvement of +10 and +9 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters equivalent from the plateau level in the rAAV2/2-ND4–treated and sham-treated eyes, respectively. Conclusions: At 96 weeks after unilateral injection of rAAV2/2-ND4, LHON subjects carrying the m.11778G&gt;A mutation treated within 6 months after vision loss achieved comparable visual outcomes in the injected and uninjected eyes

A prospective study of treatments for adult-onset divergence insufficiency–type esotropia

Purpose To describe 10-week and 12-month outcomes following treatment for divergence insufficiency–type esotropia in adults. Methods In this prospective observational study, 110 adults with divergence insufficiency–type esotropia, with a distance esodeviation measuring 2Δ to 30Δ and at least 25% larger at distance than near, and binocular diplopia present at least “sometimes” at distance, were enrolled at 28 sites when initiating new treatment. Surgery, prism, or divergence exercises/therapy were chosen at the investigator’s discretion. Diplopia was assessed at enrollment and at 10-week and 12-month outcome examinations using a standardized diplopia questionnaire (DQ). Success was defined as DQ responses of “rarely” or “never” when looking straight ahead in the distance, with no alternative treatment initiated. Results Of the 110 participants, 32 (29%) were prescribed base-out prism; none had received prior treatment for esotropia. Success criteria were met by 22 of 30 at 10 weeks (73%; 95% CI, 54%-88%) and by 16 of 26 at 12 months (62%; 95% CI, 41%-80%). For the 76 (68%) who underwent strabismus surgery (82% of whom had been previously treated with prism), success criteria were met by 69 of 74 at 10 weeks (93%; 95% CI, 85%-98%) and by 57 of 72 at 12 months (79%; 95% CI, 68%-88%). Conclusions In this study cohort, both base-out prism as initial therapy and strabismus surgery (usually following prism) were successful in treating diplopia for most adults with divergence insufficiency–type esotropia when assessed during the first year of follow-up