What is the impact of intraoperative microscope-integrated oct in ophthalmic surgery? Relevant applications and outcomes. a systematic review

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has recently been introduced in the operating theatre. The aim of this review is to present the actual role of microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography (MI-OCT) in ophthalmology. Method: A total of 314 studies were identified, following a literature search adhering to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. After full-text evaluation, 81 studies discussing MI-OCT applications in ophthalmology were included. Results: At present, three microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography systems are commercially available. MI-OCT can help anterior and posterior segment surgeons in the decision-making process, providing direct visualization of anatomic planes before and after surgical manoeuvres, assisting in complex cases, and detecting or confirming intraoperative complications. Applications range from corneal transplant to macular surgery, including cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery, paediatric examination, proliferative diabetic retinopathy surgery, and retinal detachment surgery. Conclusion: The use of MI-OCT in ophthalmic surgery is becoming increasingly prevalent and has been applied in almost all procedures. However, there are still limitations to be overcome and the technology involved remains difficult to access and use

Response to Wirostko et al. Re: "Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid as Tear Film Substitute" by Posarelli et al. (J Ocul Pharmacol Ther 2019;35(7):381-387)

Response to Wirostko et al. Re: “Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid as Tear Film Substitute” by Posarelli et al. (J Ocul Pharmacol Ther 2019;35(7):381–387)." Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 36(4), pp. 206–20

Anxiety-Related Disorders

Anxiety is a common experience, a physiologic mechanism that lets us cope with a stressor, but if it occurs without a stimulus or it is exaggerated and general functioning is impaired, it becomes pathological. Treating anxiety disorders requires pharmacotherapy to lower anxiety levels and psychological therapies to learn to cope with stressors adaptively. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been considered as part of the Anxiety Disorders chapter up to the fourth edition of the DSM (DSM IV-TR), while from the fifth edition (DSM-5) it is placed in a separate chapter. The nosographic autonomy of this disorder depends on the fact that the anxious manifestations, even if present, would be secondary and dependent on the obsessive contents. A group of conditions related to OCD from a clinical, epidemiological, and sometimes aetiopathological perspective is included in the DSM chapter about “obsessive-compulsive and related disorders”. After a traumatic experience, one person physiologically develops a limited-in-time reaction. In some cases, more pronounced depressive, anxious, intrusive, and/or dissociative symptoms occur. The biological basis for trauma-related disorders is not fully understood, but insights so far have let us choose pharmacological treatments alongside with psychotherapy in order to control symptoms and elaborate the traumatic experience

The mRNA expression of SETD2 in human breast cancer: Correlation with clinico-athological parameters

BACKGROUND: SET domain containing protein 2 (SETD2) is a histone methyltransferase that is involved in transcriptional elongation. There is evidence that SETD2 interacts with p53 and selectively regulates its downstream genes. Therefore, it could be implicated in the process of carcinogenesis. Furthermore, this gene is located on the short arm of chromosome 3p and we previously demonstrated that the 3p21.31 region of chromosome 3 was associated with permanent growth arrest of breast cancer cells. This region includes closely related genes namely: MYL3, CCDC12, KIF9, KLHL18 and SETD2. Based on the biological function of these genes, SETD2 is the most likely gene to play a tumour suppressor role and explain our previous findings. Our objective was to determine, using quantitative PCR, whether the mRNA expression levels of SETD2 were consistent with a tumour suppressive function in breast cancer. This is the first study in the literature to examine the direct relationship between SETD2 and breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 153 samples were analysed. The levels of transcription of SETD2 were determined using quantitative PCR and normalized against (CK19). Transcript levels within breast cancer specimens were compared to normal background tissues and analyzed against conventional pathological parameters and clinical outcome over a 10 year follow-up period. RESULTS: The levels of SETD2 mRNA were significantly lower in malignant samples (p = 0.0345) and decreased with increasing tumour stage. SETD2 expression levels were significantly lower in samples from patients who developed metastasis, local recurrence, or died of breast cancer when compared to those who were disease free for > 10 years (p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a compelling trend for SETD2 transcription levels to be lower in cancerous tissues and in patients who developed progressive disease. These findings are consistent with a possible tumour suppressor function of this gene in breast cancer

BOLD Vision 2020:Designing a vision for the future of Big Open Legal Data

The vision of openlaws.eu is to make access to justice easier for citizens, business- es and legal experts. For this purpose, an innovative legal information platform has been designed by the openlaws.eu project, considering the needs of various stakeholder groups as well as the latest developments in technology and our information society. Access to justice is a fundamental problem in the European Union. There are over 500 million citizens and over 21 million businesses who live, work and operate in 28 jurisdictions, written in 24 official languages. A common market cannot work without a legal system as a basis. Legal information is a public good and it is the duty of governments and the EU to inform citizens and business about the law. In a democracy and under the rule of law everybody should know legislation and case law – or at least have access to it. Legal tech is a new terms for new technology that can be applied to legal information in order to create better access and better understanding of the law. However, just because things can be done, does not mean automatically that they are done. Financial and organisational restrictions and the lack of competency can be a deal-breaker for innovation. Open data, open innovation and open source software can be a potential solution to this problem, especially when combined to one coherent ecosystem. openlaws.eu has developed a prototype platform upon these new open concepts. The application and implementation of some of the features of this innovative legal cloud service indicate where the road of “Big Open Legal Data” can lead us in the upcoming years. The project team envisages an environment, where a “social layer” is put on top of the existing “institutional layer”. Citizens, businesses and legal experts can actively collaborate on the basis of primary legislation and case law. Linked and aggregated legal data provide a solid basis. Such information can then be represented in traditional and more innovative ways. Text and data mining as well as legal intelligence help to process large amounts of legal information automatically, so that experts can focus on the more complicated questions. In the next five years more and more legal data will be opened up, not only because of the PSI Directive, but also because it is in the best interest of governments. As a result, we anticipate that more legal tech start-ups will emerge, as already happened during the past two years. They will apply innovative concepts and new technology on existing legal information and create better access to justice in the EU, in Member States and in the world