Is dietary Vitamin A associated with myopia from adolescence to young adulthood?

Purpose: Potential links may exist between vitamin A intake and myopia via various pathways. In this study, we examined the association between dietary vitamin A intake during adolescence and myopia in early adulthood. Methods: We performed a prospective analysis utilizing data collected from participants of the Raine Study Gen2. Dietary vitamin A intake, determined via food frequency questionnaires completed at ages 14, 17, and 20 years, was compared with ophthalmic measurements collected at year 20. Low vitamin A levels were defined as \u3c600 \u3eµg/day. Regression models were used to adjust for ocular sun exposure level, educational level, and parental myopia as potential confounders. Results: A total of 642 subjects were analyzed. Although those with adequate vitamin A intakes were less likely to be myopic (P = 0.03), this association became insignificant when adjusted for potential confounding factors in logistic regression modeling (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.98–2.52; P = 0.06). Conclusions: There were no significant associations between total vitamin A intakes during adolescence and year 20 refractive errors after adjustment for confounders. Replication of this finding and further investigations are essential to rule out the suggestion that sufficient vitamin A intake during adolescence is associated with lower risk of myopia in early adulthood. Translational Relevance: Our findings are not definitive that ingesting foods high in vitamin A during childhood and adolescence does not have a role for preventing myopia in early adulthood

A description of odd mass W-isotopes in the Interacting 2 Boson-Fermion Model

The negative and positive parity low-spin states of the even-odd Tungsten isotopes, 183,185,187W are studied in the frame work of the Interacting Boson-Fermion Approximation (IBFA) model. The fermion that is coupled to the system of bosons is taken to be in the negative parity 2f_7|2, 2f_5\2, 3p_3\2, 3p_1\2 and in the positive parity 1i_13\2 single-particle orbits. The calculated energies of low-spin energy levels of the odd isotopes are found to agree well with the experimental data. Also B(E2) values and spectroscopic factors for single-neutron transfer are calculated and found to be in good agreement with experimental data

Distal posterior tibial artery perforator flaps for the management of calcaneal and Achilles tendon injuries in diabetic and non-diabetic patients

Management of Achilles tendon and heel area defects is a common challenge for the reconstructive surgeon due to the lack of soft tissue availability in that region. In this article, we present our experience in covering these defects by using the distal perforator propeller flaps based on the posterior tibial artery. Perforator flaps are based on cutaneous, small diameter vessels that originate from a main pedicle and perforate the fascia or muscle to reach the skin. Their development has followed the understanding of the blood supply from a source artery to the skin. Six patients (five males and one female) underwent reconstruction by using the posterior tibial artery distal perforator flap for covering defects in the distal Achilles tendon region in patients with and without diabetes mellitus. Postoperative complications included a hypertrophic scar formation in one patient, partial marginal flap necrosis in another patient, and a wound infection in a third patient. All wounds were eventually healed by the last postoperative visit. In conclusion, perforator flaps based on the distal posterior tibial artery may be a reliable option for the coverage of small to moderate size defects of the Achilles tendon and heel area regions

Seroprevalence and risk factors for toxoplasma infection among pregnant women in Aydin province, Turkey

BACKGROUND: The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women at first trimester of their pregnancy and to follow up the seroconversion for next two trimesters, and to identify the risk factors and possible contamination routes in Aydin province, Turkey. METHOD: The sample size was calculated as 423 on a prevalence of 50%, d=0.05 at a confidence level of 95% with 10% addition. It was a cross-sectional study with multistage sampling. After a questionnaire applied to the pregnant women, anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were studied with ELISA and IFA, values in conflict with DA test, where IgM antibodies were studied with ELISA and for borderline or positive values of IgM avidity test was used. RESULTS: The mean age of 389 (92.9%) of pregnant women in the study was 24.28+/-4.56 years, the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies for toxoplasmosis was 30.1%. Seroprevalence was increased with age (p=0.001) and with drinking water consumption other than bottled water (p=0.042). No significant relations were observed between anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies and education level, being native or migrant, abortion history, consumption of meat, vegetable and milk/milk products, personal or kitchen hygiene habits, cat owning at home of the pregnant women. No IgM antibody was detected. CONCLUSION: One of every three pregnant women in Aydin was at risk of toxoplasmosis at the first trimester of their pregnancy. Increased seroprevalance with age was a predictable result because of increasing time of exposure. Increased seroprevalence with consumption of municipal and uncontrolled water (well/spring water) supplies was similar with latest epidemiological findings

A genome-wide association study of corneal astigmatism: The CREAM Consortium

PURPOSE: To identify genes and genetic markers associated with corneal astigmatism. METHODS: A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of corneal astigmatism undertaken for 14 European ancestry (n=22,250) and 8 Asian ancestry (n=9,120) cohorts was performed by the Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia. Cases were defined as having >0.75 diopters of corneal astigmatism. Subsequent gene-based and gene-set analyses of the meta-analyzed results of European ancestry cohorts were performed using VEGAS2 and MAGMA software. Additionally, estimates of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability for corneal and refractive astigmatism and the spherical equivalent were calculated for Europeans using LD score regression. RESULTS: The meta-analysis of all cohorts identified a genome-wide significant locus near the platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) gene: top SNP: rs7673984, odds ratio=1.12 (95% CI:1.08–1.16), p=5.55×10−9. No other genome-wide significant loci were identified in the combined analysis or European/Asian ancestry-specific analyses. Gene-based analysis identified three novel candidate genes for corneal astigmatism in Europeans—claudin-7 (CLDN7), acid phosphatase 2, lysosomal (ACP2), and TNF alpha-induced protein 8 like 3 (TNFAIP8L3). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to replicating a previously identified genome-wide significant locus for corneal astigmatism near the PDGFRA gene, gene-based analysis identified three novel candidate genes, CLDN7, ACP2, and TNFAIP8L3, that warrant further investigation to understand their role in the pathogenesis of corneal astigmatism. The much lower number of genetic variants and genes demonstrating an association with corneal astigmatism compared to published spherical equivalent GWAS analyses suggest a greater influence of rare genetic variants, non-additive genetic effects, or environmental factors in the development of astigmatism

A genome-wide association study for corneal astigmatism: The CREAM Consortium

Purpose: To identify genes and genetic markers associated with corneal astigmatism. Methods: A meta-analysis was performed of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of corneal astigmatism undertaken for 14 European ancestry (N = 22,250) and 8 Asian ancestry (N = 9,120) cohorts by the CREAM Consortium. Cases were defined as having >0.75 D of corneal astigmatism. For the meta-analysed results of European ancestry cohorts, subsequent gene-based and gene-set analyses were performed using VEGAS2 and MAGMA software. Additionally, estimates of SNP-based heritability for corneal and refractive astigmatism and spherical equivalent were calculated for Europeans using LD score regression. Results: Meta-analysis of all cohorts identified a genome-wide significant locus near the gene PDGFRA (platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha): top SNP: rs7673984, odds ratio = 1.12 (95% CI: 1.08-1.16), P = 5.55 x 10-9. No other genome-wide significant loci were identified in the combined analysis or European/Asian ancestry-specific analyses. Gene-based analysis identified 3 novel candidate genes for corneal astigmatism in Europeans: CLDN7 (claudin-7), ACP2 (acid phosphatase 2, lysosomal) and TNFAIP8L3 (TNF alpha induced protein 8 like 3). Conclusions: In addition to replicating a previously identified genome-wide significant locus for corneal astigmatism near the PDGFRA gene, gene-based analysis identified 3 novel candidate genes CLDN7, ACP2 and TNFAIP8L3 that warrant further investigation to understand their role in the pathogenesis of corneal astigmatism. The much lower number of genetic variants and genes demonstrating association with corneal astigmatism compared to published spherical equivalent GWAS analyses suggest a greater influence of rare genetic variants, non-additive genetic effects, or environmental factors to the development of astigmatism

Genome-wide association study for refractive astigmatism reveals genetic co-determination with spherical equivalent refractive error : the CREAM consortium

Peer reviewe

The Global Burden of Alveolar Echinococcosis

Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE), caused by the larval stage of the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, is amongst the world's most dangerous zoonoses. Transmission to humans is by consumption of parasite eggs which are excreted in the faeces of the definitive hosts: foxes and, increasingly, dogs. Transmission can be through contact with the definitive host or indirectly through contamination of food or possibly water with parasite eggs. We made an intensive search of English, Russian, Chinese and other language databases. We targeted data which could give country specific incidence or prevalence of disease and searched for data from every country we believed to be endemic for AE. We also used data from other sources (often unpublished). From this information we were able to make an estimate of the annual global incidence of disease and disease burden using standard techniques for calculation of DALYs. Our studies suggest that AE results in a median of 18,235 cases globally with a burden of 666,433 DALYs per annum. This is the first estimate of the global burden of AE both in terms of global incidence and DALYs and demonstrates the burden of AE is comparable to several diseases in the neglected tropical disease cluster

Deoxynivalenol and its toxicity

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of several mycotoxins produced by certain Fusarium species that frequently infect corn, wheat, oats, barley, rice, and other grains in the field or during storage. The exposure risk to human is directly through foods of plant origin (cereal grains) or indirectly through foods of animal origin (kidney, liver, milk, eggs). It has been detected in buckwheat, popcorn, sorgum, triticale, and other food products including flour, bread, breakfast cereals, noodles, infant foods, pancakes, malt and beer. DON affects animal and human health causing acute temporary nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, and fever. This review briefly summarizes toxicities of this mycotoxin as well as effects on reproduction and their antagonistic and synergic actions