The Association Between Clinical Parameters And Glaucoma-specific Quality Of Life In Chinese Primary Open-angle Glaucoma Patients

Objective: To investigate the association between clinical measurements and glaucoma-specific quality of life in Chinese glaucoma patients. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: An academic hospital in Hong Kong. Patients: A Chinese translation of the Glaucoma Quality of Life–15 questionnaire was completed by 51 consecutive patients with bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma. The binocular means of several clinical measurements were correlated with Glaucoma Quality of Life–15 findings using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and linear regression. The measurements were the visual field index and pattern standard deviation from the Humphrey Field Analyzer, Snellen best-corrected visual acuity, presenting intra-ocular pressure, current intra-ocular pressure, average retinal nerve fibre layer thickness via optical coherence tomography, and the number of topical anti-glaucoma medications being used. Results: In these patients, there was a significant correlation and linear relationship between a poorer Glaucoma Quality of Life–15 score and a lower visual field index (r=0.3, r2=0.1, P=0.01) and visual acuity (r=0.3, r2=0.1, P=0.03). A thinner retinal nerve fibre layer also correlated with a poorer Glaucoma Quality of Life–15 score, but did not attain statistical significance (r=0.3, P=0.07). There were no statistically significant correlations for the other clinical parameters with the Glaucoma Quality of Life–15 scores (all P values being >0.7). The three most problematic activities affecting quality of life were “adjusting to bright lights”, “going from a light to a dark room or vice versa”, and “seeing at night”. Conclusion: For Chinese primary open-angle glaucoma patients, binocular visual field index and visual acuity correlated linearly with glaucoma- specific quality of life, and activities involving dark adaptation were the most problematic.published_or_final_versio

The use of optical coherence tomography in the assessment of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy

This review was performed to assess the use of optical coherence tomography in diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy and its application in the diagnosis and management of these conditions. A comprehensive literature search on MEDLINE was performed for studies published until 2013 with key words 'diabetes mellitus', 'optical coherence tomography', 'diabetic retinopathy', 'diabetic maculopathy', 'intersessional repeatability', 'diurnal variation' , 'fundus autofluorescence' and 'treatment'. Search results were limited to studies published in English and in human subjects only. The Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study established the current standard of care for diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy with the diagnosis based on slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and fluorescein angiography. There has been a recent shift to the use of optical coherence tomography in the qualitative and quantitative assessment of such diseases. Furthermore, the advancement of optical coherence tomography from time-domain to spectraldomain technology allows us to visualize pathological changes of diabetic maculopathy in details in different retinal layers. Such observed changes have been used to establish new classifications of diabetic maculopathy. The high sensitivity and quantitative nature of optical coherence tomography make it a highly popular modality used extensively to monitor disease progression and efficacy of new treatment modalities. Optical coherence tomography plays a crucial role in the modern clinical management of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy. Its use has revolutionized the understanding and management of these eye diseases.published_or_final_versio

Family conflict and lower morning cortisol in adolescents and adults: modulation of puberty

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OTUB1 Overexpression in Mesangial Cells Is a Novel Regulator in the Pathogenesis of Glomerulonephritis through the Decrease of DCN Level

BACKGROUND: OTUB1 is a member of OTUs (Ovarian-tumor-domain-containing proteases), a deubiquitinating enzymes family (DUBs), which was shown as a proteasome-associated DUB to be involved in the proteins Ub-dependent degradation. It has been reported that OTUB1 was expressed in kidney tissue. But its concrete cellular location and function in the kidney remain unclear. Decorin (DCN) in mesangial cells (MC) is considered to be a potentially important factor for antagonizing glomerulonephritides, and its degradation is mediated by ubiquitination. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of OTUB1 expression in MC and its relationship with DCN during glomerulonephritis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot, we demonstrated that OTUB1 mRNA and protein were constitutively expressed in cultured rat MC and found to be upregulated by the stimulation of IL-1β or ATS. OTUB1 overexpression was detected in the mesangial area of glomeruli in some immunocomplex mediated nephritides such as IgA nephropathy, acute diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis and lupus nephritis by immunohistochemistry. The immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that OTUB1 interacted with DCN. The overexpression of OTUB1 enhanced the ubiquitination and degradation of DCN in MC. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These data showed the inflammatory injury could up-regulate OTUB1 expression in MC, which might attribute the promoting effect of OTUB1 on glomerulonephritides to the decrease of DCN level

Constitutive modelling of skin ageing

The objective of this chapter is to review the main biomechanical and structural aspects associated with both intrinsic and extrinsic skin ageing, and to present potential research avenues to account for these effects in mathematical and computational models of the skin. This will be illustrated through recent work of the authors which provides a basis to those interested in developing mechanistic constitutive models capturing the mechanobiology of skin across the life course

Conducting polymer nanocomposite-based supercapacitors

The use of nanocomposites of electronically-conducting polymers for supercapacitors has increased significantly over the past years, due to their high capacitances and abilities to withstand many charge-discharge cycles. We have recently been investigating the use of nanocomposites of electronically-conducting polymers containing conducting and non-conducting nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanocrystals, for use in supercapacitors. In this contribution, we provide a summary of some of the key issues in this area of research. This discussion includes some history, fundamental concepts, the physical and chemical processes involved, and the challenges that these nanocomposite materials must overcome in order to become technologically viable. Due to space limitations, this is not a complete review of all the work that has been done in this field and we have focused on common themes that appear in the published work. Our aim is that this chapter will help readers to understand the advantages and challenges involved in the use of these materials in supercapacitors and to identify areas for further development

Insomnia Symptoms And Eveningness Chronotype: Independent Associations With Emotional And Behavioural Problems In Adolescents

Background: Insomnia symptoms are common and often under-reported in adolescents. While evidence suggests that adolescents experience an intrinsic developmental change in their circadian phase, there have been limited studies to investigate whether insomnia symptoms and eveningness chronotype are associated with the risk of developing emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents. Methods: A total of 5,168 adolescents (mean age: 14.9 + 1.6 years, 56% female) completed the self-report measures to assess their sleep pattern, insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI), daytime sleepiness (Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale, PDSS), and chronotype preference (Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, MEQ). Emotional and behavioural problems were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Analysis: Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the independent associations of insomnia (ISI score) and evening type with the emotional and behavioural problems (SDQ score), controlling for the potential confounding factors (e.g. age, gender, chronic use of medication, sleep duration). Results and Conclusion: Prevalence of any insomnia symptoms (as defined by having one of the following sleep problems at least three times per week: difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, or early morning awakening) was 8.9%. Adolescents with evening type reported a higher degree of daytime sleepiness (p<.001) and had shorter sleep duration during weekdays (<.001) but longer sleep duration during weekends and holidays (<.001) as compared to their counterparts. Insomnia symptoms (adj ORs = 1.19, 95% CI 1.17-1.21) and evening type (adj ORs = 1.32, 95% CI 1.12-1.56) were found to be independently associated with emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents. The findings underscore the need to consider both sleep and circadian factors in the clinical management of emotional and behavioural problems in the adolescent population

Smart thermal textile for acupuncture therapy

US9603197; US9603197 B2; US9603197B2; US9,603,197; US 9,603,197 B2; 9603197; Appl. No. 12/216,476US2016-2017 > Other Outputs > Patents granted201806 bcrcVersion of Recor

A case-control study of frequent nightmares in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD)

The Meeting was organized by Sleep Research Society and American Academy of Sleep MedicineIntroduction: Nightmare disturbance is a common yet often neglected sleep complaint in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The aims of the present study were to establish the clinical, psychosocial, and polysomnographic profiles of the depressed patients with frequent nightmares through a case-control study. Methods: Three groups of participants were recruited from the psychiatric outpatient clinic of a regional hospital and the local community in Hong Kong: 1) depressed patients with an active complaint of frequent nightmares, which were defined as having nightmares at least once per week as confirmed by both the retrospective questionnaire assessment and prospective daily mood and dream diary (n=35), 2) age- and gender-matched depressed patients without frequent nightmares (n=35), 3) age- and gender-matched healthy normal controls (n=35). All recruited depressed patients had no comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Comprehensive in-depth assessments were conducted, including a clinical interview by Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), a battery of questionnaires (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS; Insomnia Severity Index, ISI; Revised-Impact of Event Scale, R-IES; and Beck’s Scale for Suicidal Ideation, BSSI), and one overnight polysomnographic and 7-day of actigraphic sleep assessments. Results: Depressed patients with frequent nightmares were more likely to show melancholic features (p<.05), more severe insomnia symptoms (p<.001), increased anxiety (p<.001) and depressive symptoms (p<.001) as well as a heightened level of suicidal risk (p<.001). They also scored significantly higher on R-IES intrusion (p<.001), avoidance (p<.001), and hyperarousal (p<.001). In addition, depressed patients with frequent nightmares exhibited higher REM density (p<.05), longer REM latency (p<.05) and less REM sleep periods (p<.05) as compared to healthy controls. Whilst there were no significant differences in average sleep parameters as measured by actigraphy, depressed patients with frequent nightmares showed a greater night-to-night variability in wake-after-sleep onset (p<.01), % of wake time (p<.01), % of mobile time (p<.01) and fragmentation index (p<.05). Conclusion: Frequent nightmares represent a distressing sleep problem associated with a more severe clinical presentation and increased suicidality in patients with MDD. Enhanced clinical attention and targeted sleep treatment should be directed to address nightmare complaint in depressed patients