Modulating amacrine cell-derived dopamine signaling promotes optic nerve regeneration and preserves visual function.

As part of the central nervous system, the optic nerve, composed of axons from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), generally fails to regenerate on its own when injured in adult mammals. An innovative approach to promoting optic nerve regeneration involves manipulating the interactions between amacrine cells (ACs) and RGCs. Here, we identified a unique AC subtype, dopaminergic ACs (DACs), that responded early after optic nerve crush by down-regulating neuronal activity and reducing retinal dopamine (DA) release. Activating DACs or augmenting DA release with levodopa demonstrated neuroprotective effects and modestly enhanced axon regeneration. Within this context, we pinpointed the DA receptor D1 (DRD1) as a critical mediator of DAC-derived DA and showed that RGC-specific Drd1 overexpression effectively overcame subtype-specific barriers to regeneration. This strategy markedly boosted RGC survival and axon regeneration after crush and preserved vision in a glaucoma model. This study unveils the crucial role of DAC-derived DA signaling in optic nerve regeneration, holding promise for therapeutic insights into neural repair.

Enhancing mango yield and soil health with organic and slow-release fertilizers: A multifaceted evaluation.

Excessive utilization of chemical fertilizers in mango orchards not only hampers the attainment of sustainable harvests but also poses significant ecological detriments. This investigation proposes a promising solution by advocating the judicious replacement of chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizer (OF) and slow-release fertilizer (SRF), with potential to bolster soil health and augment crop productivity. In light of the promise held by these alternatives, it is imperative to establish detailed fertilization protocols for enhanced sustainable practices in mango farming. This two-year field study employed a comprehensive suite of seven fertilization strategies, unveiling that a 25 % chemical fertilizers substitution with OF and SRF improved mango yields by 12.5 % and 11.3 %, respectively, over standard practices. Additionally, these approaches substantially augmented the nutritional quality of mangoes, evident from Vitamin C enhancements of 53.9 % to 56.9 %, and improvements in sugar-to-acid ratio (19.2 %-30.3 %) and solid-to-acid ratio (12.1 %-25.3 %). Notably, the application of OF and SRF led to increased leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, while simultaneously reducing soil phosphorus and potassium levels. Furthermore, these fertilizers fostered the growth of beneficial soil microorganisms, namely Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, and strengthened the synergy within the soil bacterial community, hence optimizing bacterial competition and nutrient cycling. The study proposes that the adoption of OF or SRF can effectively regulate soil nutrient balance, promote resilient and functional soil bacterial ecosystems, and ultimately improve mango yield and fruit quality. It recommends a fertilization scheme incorporating 25 % organic or slow-release nitrogen to align with ecological sustainability goals, promoting a more vigorous and resilient soil and crop system.

Eyesi direct ophthalmoscope simulator: an effective training tool for medical undergraduates.

INTRODUCTION: Non-ophthalmologists often lack sufficient operational training to use a direct ophthalmoscope proficiently, resulting in a global deficit of basic ophthalmological skills among general practitioners. This deficiency hampers the timely diagnosis, referral, and intervention of patients. Consequently, the optimization of teaching tools and methods to enhance teaching efficiency is imperative. This study explores the effectiveness of the Eyesi Direct Ophthalmoscope Simulator (Eyesi) as an innovative tool for fundus examination training. METHODS: Medical undergraduates were randomly assigned to Group A or B (n = 168). All participants completed a pre-training questionnaire. Group A received Eyesi training, while Group B underwent traditional direct ophthalmoscope (TDO) training. Subsequently, participants answered questionnaires relevant to their respective training methods. Both groups exchanged training tools and completed a summary questionnaire. RESULTS: After training, 54.17% of participants believed that images presented by the Eyesi were consistent with the real fundus. Group A scored significantly higher than Group B in fundus structure recognition and self-confidence in examination. The degree of mastery over fundus theory score increased from 6.10 ± 0.13 to 7.74 ± 0.16 (P < 0.001) in Group A, but Group B did not demonstrate a significant difference. We also compared undergraduates' tendencies for different learning purposes, 75.59% of participants preferred the Eyesi to TDO as a training tool, and 88.41% of participants were receptive to introducing the Eyesi in training. CONCLUSION: According to subjective participant feedback, Eyesi outperformed TDO in fundus observation, operational practice, and theoretical learning. It effectively equips undergraduates with fundus examination skills, potentially promoting the use of direct ophthalmoscopes in primary medical institutions.

Association of vision and hearing impairment and dietary diversity among the oldest old in China: findings from the Chinese longitudinal healthy longevity survey.

BACKGROUND: The presence of sensory impairment among older age cohorts exerts a significant impact on both individuals and society generally. Although the impact of dietary patterns on health is vital across all stages of life, there still a paucity of comprehensive research on the association between dietary variety and sensory impairments. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential relationship between dietary diversity and the prevalence of visual and hearing impairment or dual sensory impairments (visual and hearing impairment) among the oldest old population. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study relied on data obtained from the 2018 survey conducted by the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Subjects aged 80 and older with complete vision and hearing data were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed to examine the association between dietary components and visual and hearing impairment while controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic demographic factors, living habits, other food habits, and general health status. RESULTS: The study included 10,093 participants, with an average age of 92.29 ± 7.75 years. Vision and hearing function were assessed based on the ability to distinguish the direction of the break in the circle and the requirement for hearing aids, respectively. Upon controlling for confounding variables, individuals with a greater Dietary Diversity Score (DDS, the number of food groups, range: 1-11) had a reduced likelihood of experiencing visual impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.944, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.915-0.974) and dual sensory impairment (OR = 0.930, 95% CI, 0.905-0.955). In comparison to the low dietary variety group (insufficient dietary diversity, DDS < 4), the high dietary diversity group (sufficient dietary diversity, DDS ≥ 4) exhibited a decreased risk of visual impairment (OR = 0.820, 95% CI, 0.713-0.944) and dual sensory impairment (OR = 0.751, 95% CI, 0.667-0.846). However, no statistically significant correlation was observed between dietary diversity and the presence of only hearing impairment (OR = 0.924, 95% CI, 0.815-1.047) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The synthesis of research findings suggests that following diverse dietary patterns and healthy nutritional practices may be an effective and affordable way to prevent age-related decline in visual impairment and dual sensory impairment.

Quantitative assessment of colour fundus photography in hyperopia children based on artificial intelligence.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate optic nerve head and retinal vascular parameters in children with hyperopia in relation to age and spherical equivalent refraction (SER) using artificial intelligence (AI)-based analysis of colour fundus photographs (CFP). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This cross-sectional study included 324 children with hyperopia aged 3-12 years. Participants were divided into low hyperopia (SER+0.5 D to+2.0 D) and moderate-to-high hyperopia (SER≥+2.0 D) groups. Fundus parameters, such as optic disc area and mean vessel diameter, were automatically and quantitatively detected using AI. Significant variables (p<0.05) in the univariate analysis were included in a stepwise multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Overall, 324 children were included, 172 with low and 152 with moderate-to-high hyperopia. The median optic disc area and vessel diameter were 1.42 mm2 and 65.09 µm, respectively. Children with high hyperopia had larger superior neuroretinal rim (NRR) width and larger vessel diameter than those with low and moderate hyperopia. In the univariate analysis, axial length was significantly associated with smaller superior NRR width (ß=-3.030, p<0.001), smaller temporal NRR width (ß=-1.469, p=0.020) and smaller vessel diameter (ß=-0.076, p<0.001). A mild inverse correlation was observed between the optic disc area and vertical disc diameter with age. CONCLUSION: AI-based CFP analysis showed that children with high hyperopia had larger mean vessel diameter but smaller vertical cup-to-disc ratio than those with low hyperopia. This suggests that AI can provide quantitative data on fundus parameters in children with hyperopia.

Causal relationship between central corneal thickness and open-angle glaucoma: Evidence from Mendelian randomization.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Previous observational studies have suggested a relationship between central corneal thickness (CCT) and glaucoma; however, the results are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate whether CCT is associated with a risk for developing open-angle glaucoma (OAG). We employed two-sample Mendelian randomization to assess the relationship between CCT and OAG, namely, primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and suspected glaucoma. Genetic instruments composed of variants associated with CCT at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10-8) were obtained from published genome-wide association studies from Iglesias et al. for discovery and Bonnemaijer et al. for replication. Summary-level statistics for these instruments for the OAG were obtained from the FinnGen Project (Release 10). Inverse-variance-weighted regression of genetic susceptibility predicted that increased CCT was positively associated with an increased risk for POAG (odds ratio [OR], 1.005; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.002-1.008; P = 0.001) and suspected glaucoma (OR, 1.006; 95% CI, 1.003-1.009; P < 0.001). In the replication sample of CCT, increased CCT was also positively associated with an increased risk for POAG (OR, 1.004; 95% CI, 1.000-1.008; P = 0.029) and suspected glaucoma (OR, 1.005; 95% CI, 1.001-1.008; P = 0.013). We found genetic evidence supporting a potential causal association between increased CCT and the risk of POAG and suspected glaucoma in the European population. This findings indicates the clinical significance of CCT in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this causal relationship.

Gasdermin D Inhibitor Necrosulfonamide Alleviates Angiotensin II-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a chronic aortic disease that lacks effective pharmacological therapies. This study was performed to determine the influence of treatment with the gasdermin D inhibitor necrosulfonamide on experimental AAAs. AAAs were induced in male apolipoprotein E-deficient mice by subcutaneous angiotensin II infusion (1000 ng/kg body weight/min), with daily administration of necrosulfonamide (5 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle starting 3 days prior to angiotensin II infusion for 30 days. Necrosulfonamide treatment remarkably suppressed AAA enlargement, as indicated by reduced suprarenal maximal external diameter and surface area, and lowered the incidence and reduced the severity of experimental AAAs. Histologically, necrosulfonamide treatment attenuated medial elastin breaks, smooth muscle cell depletion, and aortic wall collagen deposition. Macrophages, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and neovessels were reduced in the aneurysmal aortas of necrosulfonamide- as compared to vehicle-treated angiotensin II-infused mice. Atherosclerosis and intimal macrophages were also substantially reduced in suprarenal aortas from angiotensin II-infused mice following necrosulfonamide treatment. Additionally, the levels of serum interleukin-1ß and interleukin-18 were significantly lower in necrosulfonamide- than in vehicle-treated mice without affecting body weight gain, lipid levels, or blood pressure. Our findings indicate that necrosulfonamide reduced experimental AAAs by preserving aortic structural integrity as well as reducing mural leukocyte accumulation, neovessel formation, and systemic levels of interleukin-1ß and interleukin-18. Thus, pharmacologically inhibiting gasdermin D activity may lead to the establishment of nonsurgical therapies for clinical AAA disease.

Association Between Myopia and Pupil Diameter in Preschoolers: Evidence from a Machine Learning Approach Based on a Real-World Large-Scale Dataset.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have explored the connections between various ocular biological parameters with myopia. Our previous study also found that pupil data can predict the myopic progression during the interventions for myopia. However, studies exploring the association between pupil diameter and myopia in preschoolers with myopia were lacking. Hence this study was aimed to investigate the association between pupil diameter and myopia in preschoolers with myopia based on a real-world, large-scale dataset. METHODS: Data containing 650,671 preschoolers were collected from a total of 1943 kindergartens in Shenzhen, China. Refraction and pupil parameters were collected. After data filtering, the occurrence of myopia and its association with age, gender, pupil diameter, and other variables, were analyzed. Random forest (RF) and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were selected from seven machine learning algorithms to build the model. The mean decrease accuracy (MDA), mean decrease Gini (MDG), and gain feature importance (GFI) techniques were employed to quantify the importance of pupil diameter and other features. RESULTS: After the assessments, 51,325 valid records with complete pupil data were included, and 3468 (6.76%) were identified as myopia based on the calculated cycloplegic refraction. Preschoolers with myopia presented reduced pupil diameter and greater variation (5.00 ± 0.99 mm) compared to non-myopic preschoolers (6.22 ± 0.67 mm). A nonlinear relationship was found according to the scatterplots between pupil diameter and refraction (R2 = 0.14). Especially preschoolers with myopia had reduced pupil diameter compared to emmetropic preschoolers, but hyperope did not experience additional pupil enlargement. After adjusting for other covariates, this relationship is still consistent (P < 0.001). XGBoost and RF algorithms presented the highest performance and validated the importance of pupil diameter in myopia. CONCLUSIONS: Based on a real-world large-scale dataset, the current study illuminated that preschoolers with myopia had a reduced pupil diameter compared to emmetropic preschoolers with a nonlinear pattern. Machine learning algorithms visualized and validated the pivotal role of pupil diameter in myopia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: chictr.org Identifier: ChiCTR2200057391.

[Retracted] MicroRNA­106a­5p promotes the proliferation, autophagy and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells by targeting LKB1/AMPK.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10857.].

Temporal trends in the visual impairment burden attributable to high fasting plasma glucose levels: a population-based study.

AIMS: Elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels have been associated with visual impairment. Recognising global patterns of high FPG level exposure can facilitate the prevention and treatment of related visual impairment. We aimed to assess the trends of the visual impairment burden attributable to high FPG levels globally, regionally, nationally, and by income level. METHODS: We obtained data on the visual impairment burden attributable to high FPG levels from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. We evaluated the trends of related disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2019 through joinpoint regression analysis and calculated the annual percentage change (APC) and average APC (AAPC). Countries/territories were categorised into high-, upper-middle-, lower-middle-, and low-income groups based on the 2019 World Bank criteria. RESULTS: The age-standardised rate of DALYs due to visual impairment attributable to high FPG levels significantly increased globally, from 6.75 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 1.55-15.79) in 1990 to 8.44 per 100,000 population (95% UI, 2.00-19.63) in 2019 (AAPC, 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69-0.89; p < 0.001). The largest increases were observed in high-income (AAPC, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.60-0.85) and lower-middle-income countries/territories (AAPC, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.62-0.73). In 2019, lower-middle-income countries/territories had the highest age-standardised DALY rate (18.94 per 100,000 population; 95% UI, 4.39-43.98), whereas high-income countries/territories had the lowest (2.97 per 100,000 population; 95% UI, 0.75-6.74). CONCLUSIONS: The visual impairment burden associated with elevated FPG levels has increased significantly, necessitating enhanced public health prevention measures, clinical management, and treatment to mitigate adverse outcomes.

Role of N6-methyladenosine-related lncRnas in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.

To explore the role of lncRNA m6A methylation modification in aqueous humour (AH) of patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PXG). Patients with open-angle PXG under surgery from June 2021 to December 2021 were selected. Age- and gender-matched patients with age-related cataract (ARC) were chosen as control. Patients underwent detailed ophthalmic examinations. 0.05-0.1 ml AH were extracted during surgery for MeRIP-Seq and RNA-Seq. Joint analysis was used to screen lncRNAs with differential m6A methylation modification and expression. Online software tools were used to draw lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network (ceRNA). Expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs was confirmed using quantitative real-time PCR. A total of 4151 lncRNAs and 4386 associated m6A methylation modified peaks were identified in the PXG group. Similarly, 2490 lncRNAs and 2595 associated m6A methylation modified peaks were detected in the control. Compared to the ARC group, the PXG group had 234 hypermethylated and 402 hypomethylated m6A peaks, with statistically significant differences (| Fold Change (FC) |≥2, p < 0.05). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that these differentially methylated lncRNA enriched in extracellular matrix formation, tight adhesion, TGF- ß signalling pathway, AMPK signalling pathway, and MAPK signalling pathway. Joint analysis identified 10 lncRNAs with differential m6A methylation and expression simultaneously. Among them, the expression of ENST000000485383 and ROCK1 were confirmed downregulated in the PXG group by RT-qPCR. m6A methylation modification may affect the expression of lncRNA and participate in the pathogenesis of PXG through the ceRNA network. ENST000000485383-hsa miR592-ROCK1 May be a potential target pathway for further investigation in PXG m6A methylation.

Quantitative Assessment of Fundus Tessellated Density in Highly Myopic Glaucoma Using Deep Learning.

Purpose: To characterize the fundus tessellated density (FTD) in highly myopic glaucoma (HMG) and high myopia (HM) for discovering early signs and diagnostic markers. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included hospital in-patients with HM (133 eyes) and HMG (73 eyes) with an axial length ≥26 mm at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center. Using deep learning, FTD was quantified as the average exposed choroid area per unit area on fundus photographs in the global, macular, and disc regions. FTD-associated factors were assessed using partial correlation. Diagnostic efficacy was analyzed using the area under the curve (AUC). Results: HMG patients had lower global (0.20 ± 0.12 versus 0.36 ± 0.09) and macular FTD (0.25 ± 0.14 vs. 0.40 ± 0.09) but larger disc FTD (0.24 ± 0.11 vs. 0.19 ± 0.07) than HM patients in the tessellated fundus (all P < 0.001). In the macular region, nasal FTD was lowest in the HM (0.26 ± 0.13) but highest in the HMG (0.32 ± 0.13) compared with the superior, inferior, and temporal subregions (all P < 0.05). A fundus with a macular region nasal/temporal (NT) FTD ratio > 0.96 (AUC = 0.909) was 15.7 times more indicative of HMG than HM. A higher macular region NT ratio with a lower horizontal parapapillary atrophy/disc ratio indicated a higher possibility of HMG than HM (AUC = 0.932). Conclusions: FTD differs in degree and distribution between HMG and HM. A higher macular NT alone or with a lower horizontal parapapillary atrophy/disc ratio may help differentiate HMG. Translational Relevance: Deep learning-based FTD measurement could potentially assist glaucoma diagnosis in HM.

Age-period-cohort analysis of the global burden of visual impairment according to major causes: an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

BACKGROUND: Cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are major causes of visual impairment. As these are age-related conditions, the prevalence of associated visual impairment is anticipated to increase as the population ages. However, age-period-cohort effects on the disease burden have not been investigated. METHODS: This was a population-based study using aggregated data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Age-period-cohort analysis was conducted using age-standardised prevalence rates (ASPRs) of visual impairment caused by cataract, glaucoma and AMD as disease burden indicator. RESULTS: In 2019, the estimated global ASPRs of visual impairment due to cataract, glaucoma and AMD were 1207.9, 94.7 and 96.8 per 100 000 people, respectively. Between 1990 and 2019, the global visual impairment ASPRs for glaucoma and AMD declined by 15.4% and 2.0%, respectively, whereas that for cataract increased by 5.0%. Wide heterogeneity was observed in age-period-cohort effects on ASPRs across different Sociodemographic Index (SDI) regions. Low-middle SDI regions had the largest ASPR reductions for all three eye diseases and showed improvement in both period and cohort effects. In contrast, in high-middle SDI regions, visual impairment ASPRs significantly increased during the study period with unfavourable patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The wide heterogeneity in age-period-cohort effects reflects different stages of societal transition and vision health. The unfavourable trends in age-period-cohort effects on disease prevalence identified in specific groups provide key information that may be used to identify priority groups in need of treatment and prevention.

Injectable and In Situ Formed Dual-Network Hydrogel Reinforced by Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and Loaded with BMP-4 for the Closure and Repair of Skull Defects.

Bone defects are a common and challenging orthopedic problem with poor self-healing ability and long treatment cycles. The difficult-to-heal bone defects cause a significant burden of medical expenses on patients. Currently, biomaterials with mechanical stability, long-lasting action, and osteogenic activity are considered as a suitable way to effectively heal bone defects. Here, an injectable double network (DN) hydrogel prepared using physical and chemical cross-linking methods is designed. The first rigid network is constructed using methylpropenylated hyaluronic acid (HAMA), while the addition of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) forms a second flexible network by physical cross-linking. The mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) loaded with bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) were embedded into DN hydrogel, which not only enhanced the mechanical stability of the hydrogel, but also slowly released BMP-4 to achieve long-term skull repair. The designed composite hydrogel showed an excellent compression property and deformation resistance. In vitro studies confirmed that the HAMA/COS/MSN@BMP-4 hydrogel had good biocompatibility and showed great potential in supporting proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mouse embryo osteoblast precursor (MC3T3-E1) cells. Furthermore, in vivo studies confirmed that the DN hydrogel successfully filled and closed irregular skull defect wounds, effectively promoted bone regeneration, and significantly promoted bone repair compared with the control group. In addition, HAMA/COS/MSN@BMP-4 hydrogel precursor solution can quickly form hydrogel in situ at the wound by ultraviolet light, which can be applied to the closure and repair of wounds of different shapes, which provides the new way for the treatment of bone defects.

Microbiome in a ground-based analog cabin of China Space Station during a 50-day human occupation.

Dead-corner areas in space station that untouched by the clean-up campaign often experience microorganisms outbreaks, but the microbiome of these areas has never been studied. In this study, the microbiome in a ground-based analog ``Tianhe'' core module of China Space Station was first investigated during a 50-day three-crew occupation. Dead-corner areas were receiving attention by adopting a new sampling method. Results indicate that the astronauts occupation did not affect the dominant bacteria community, but affected a small proportion. Due to the frequent activity of astronauts in the work and sleep areas, the biomarkers in these two areas are common human skin surface and gut microorganisms, respectively. For areas that astronaut rarely visits, the biomarkers in which are common environmental microbial groups. Fluorescence counting showed that 70.12-84.78% of bacteria were alive, with a quantity of 104-105 cells/100 cm2. With the occupation time extension, the number of microorganisms increased. At the same sampling time, there was no significant bioburden difference in various locations. The cultivable bioburden ranged from 101 to 104 colony forming unit (CFU)/100 cm2, which are the following eight genera Penicillium, Microsphaeropsis, Stachybotrys, Humicola, Cladosporium, Bacillus, Planomicrobium, and Acinetobacter. Chryseomicrobium genus may be a key focus for future microbial prevention and control work.

Visual impairment burden in retinopathy of prematurity: trends, inequalities, and improvement gaps.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an important cause of avoidable childhood visual impairment, and the increase in number and survival of premature infants may inflate its burden globally. We aimed to comprehensively assess the trends and inequalities in the burden of ROP-related visual impairment and to identify improvement gaps to facilitate appropriate actions in neonatal care systems. We obtained ROP data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. We employed joinpoint regression analysis to assess the trends of the burden of ROP-related visual impairment, measured by age-standardised prevalence rates, health equity analysis methods to evaluate cross-country burden inequalities, and data envelopment and stochastic frontier analyses to identify improvement gaps based on the development status, i.e., sociodemographic index (SDI). Between 1990 and 2019, the age-standardised prevalence rates of ROP-related visual impairment significantly increased worldwide (average annual percentage change: 0.23 [95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.26] among males and 0.26 [0.25-0.27] among females), primarily in developed regions. Although significant SDI-related cross-country inequalities were identified, these reduced over time (slope index of inequality: -57.74 [-66.22 to -49.25] in 1990 to -29.68 [-38.39 to -20.97] in 2019; health concentration index: -0.11 [-0.13 to -0.09] in 1990 to -0.07 [-0.09 to -0.06] in 2019). Notably, some less-developed countries exhibited superior performance despite limited resources, whereas others with a higher SDI delivered lagging performance.  Conclusion: The global burden of ROP-related visual impairment has steadily increased between 1990 and 2019, with disproportionate burden concentration among less-developed countries, requiring appropriate preventive and intervention measures. What is Known: • Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an important cause of avoidable childhood visual impairment. • The prevalence of ROP is anticipated to increase due to the growing number of extremely premature infants. What is New: • The prevalence of ROP-related visual impairment has increased worldwide, primarily in developed regions, with declining but persisting cross-country inequalities. • The increasing burden of ROP-related visual impairment should be considered as part of global and national health agendas, requiring interventions with proven efficacy.

Electrostatic Gating of Spin Dynamics of a Quasi-2D Kagome Magnet.

Electrostatic gating has emerged as a powerful technique for tailoring the magnetic properties of two-dimensional (2D) magnets, offering exciting prospects including enhancement of magnetic anisotropy, boosting Curie temperature, and strengthening exchange coupling effects. Here, we focus on electrical control of the ferromagnetic resonance of the quasi-2D Kagome magnet Cu(1,3-bdc). By harnessing an electrostatic field through ionic liquid gating, significant shifts are observed in the ferromagnetic resonance field in both out-of-plane and in-plane measurements. Moreover, the effective magnetization and gyromagnetic ratios display voltage-dependent variations. A closer examination reveals that the voltage-induced changes can modulate magnetocrystalline anisotropy by several hundred gauss, while the impact on orbital magnetization remains relatively subtle. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal varying d-orbital hybridizations at different voltages. This research unveils intricate physics within the Kagome lattice magnet and further underscores the potential of electrostatic manipulation in steering magnetism with promising implications for the development of spintronic devices.

Temporal trends and projection of blindness and vision loss prevalence in older adults in BRICS countries.

BACKGROUND: Blindness and vision loss (BVL) is a major global health issue affecting older adults, but its burden in transition countries has received limited attention. Therefore, we aimed to assess the trends in the burden of BVL among older adults between 1990 and 2019 across Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS), and predict the burden by 2040. METHODS: Data on BVL and its related causes were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. We investigated the temporal trends by calculating the average annual percentage change using joinpoint regression analysis. Subsequently, we performed Bayesian age-period-cohort modeling to estimate the burden of BVL and its related causes by 2040. RESULTS: Most BRICS countries experienced a significant decline (p < 0.05) in age-standardized prevalence rates, and the decreasing trends tend to continue. However, by 2040, the number of BVL cases is expected to increase by approximately 50% across BRICS, with an estimated approximately 192, 170, 25, 17, and 7 million cases in China, India, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa, respectively. The related ranks of BVL causes are also estimated to change in the future, particularly in India. CONCLUSIONS: The different burdens and trends of BVL across BRICS reflected the different stages of population health transition. Effective eye disease prevention requires appropriate public health interventions. Developing effective health policies and services for older adults is urgently needed in BRICS countries.