To investigate treat and extend versus pro re nata regimen in neovascular age-related macular degeneration: results from the IDEM study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to report the 24-month outcomes of a pro re nata (PRN) compared with a treat and extend (T&E) regimen in patients previously treated for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). METHODS: This was a 2-year prospective, single-center study. Previously treated patients for nAMD were randomized into two regimen groups: T&E and PRN groups. Main outcome measured was change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline to month 24. Secondary outcomes encompassed anatomical features such as central retinal thickness (CRT), number of intravitreal injections (IVI), and visits required. RESULTS: A total of 124 eyes received the T&E (n = 61) or PRN (n = 63) regimen. At month 24, the mean BCVA change was -4.4 early treatment diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) letters (T&E) and -3.4 ETDRS letters (PRN), with a difference of +1.1 ETDRS letters (95% CI [-2.25]; p = 0.006). The mean change in CRT was -10.6 µm (T&E) and -7.9 µm (PRN), with a difference of +2.6 µm (95% CI [+19.2]; p = 0.004). The T&E group had received a mean of +4.6 more injections (95% CI [-7.06; -2.12]; p < 0.001) at month 24. CONCLUSION: There was statistically proven non-inferiority between the PRN and T&E regimens in terms of visual and anatomical outcomes at 24 months, with significantly more IVI administered in the T&E regimen.

Nomogram for Predicting a Complex Ureteral Procedure in Pelvic Endometriosis Surgery.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To develop a nomogram for predicting the type of ureteral procedure in pelvic deep endometriosis (DE) surgery (1) and to describe the factors and complications associated with the ureteral procedure (2). DESIGN: Retrospective monocentric study of 920 patients who underwent surgery for pelvic DE between June 2009 and March 2020 in the gynecologic surgery department of the Versailles Hospital Center. The main criterion was evaluation of the ureteral procedure, classified as simple (isolation of the ureter) or complex (dissection of the ureter, segmental ureteral resection, or nephroureterectomy). Postoperative complications, including ureteral stenosis and fistula formation, were tabulated. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital and expert center in endometriosis. PATIENTS: A total of 920 patients with DE. INTERVENTIONS: Ureteral procedure during surgery for DE. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In total, 724 patients (79%) underwent a ureteral procedure, of which 307 (33%) were complex, including 17 (1.8%) segmental ureteral resections. In multivariate analysis, the predictive variables for a complex ureteral procedure were age (p = .036), a previous surgery for endometriosis (p <.01), and ureteral dilatation on magnetic resonance imaging (p <.001). The area under the curve for the model predicting a complex ureteral procedure was 0.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.71). A complex ureteral procedure was associated with a 3.5% rate of ureteral fistula (n = 15). CONCLUSION: Age, a previous surgery for endometriosis, a rectovaginal nodule size ≥30 mm, endometriotic involvement of the rectum or sigmoid, and ureteral dilatation are significantly associated with a complex ureteral procedure. Our results allowed us to build a nomogram that can be used to better inform patients, anticipate the therapeutic strategy, and optimize the modalities of postoperative surveillance.

Repeat corneal transplantation: indication, surgical technique, and early graft failures trends in France from 2004 to 2019.

PURPOSE: To investigate the repeat corneal transplantation trend in France from 2004 to 2019. METHODS: Review of the prospectively compiled French Biomedicine Agency electronic database containing all corneal transplantation records from 2004 to 2019. The surgical technique, demographic characteristics, diagnosis, and previous graft data were retrieved and analyzed using the Cochran-Armitage trend test. RESULTS: A total of 66,584 corneal transplantations were performed, 51,260 of which were first grafts and 15,324 (23%) were regrafts. For regrafts, 77% were penetrating keratoplasties (PK) and 19.6% were lamellar keratoplasties (LK). Age, hypertonia, glaucoma, trauma, lens surgery, immune disorders, diameter > 8.5 mm, and neovessels in > 2 quadrants were associated with a higher rate of repeat keratoplasty. Keratoconus, secondary endothelial dystrophy, and Fuchs' dystrophy were the principal indications for regrafting. When a previous graft failed, it occurred earlier for patients with LK (4.6 years, median = 2, SD = 7.54) than PK (8.48 years, median = 5, SD = 9.51). Failure within a year was the reason why 28.3% of the LK regrafts and 12.5% of PK regrafts were performed, while for failure within two years these values were 49.9% and 27.8%, respectively. Graft survival decreased with the number of repeat keratoplasty, being more pronounced after a second LK regraft and after a first PK regraft. CONCLUSION: The number of LK regrafts increased continuously, and 1/3 were performed for failure within the year. This rate increased until 2015, after which it stabilized until 2019, probably due to the better mastery of the technique.

Do costs and benefits of children matter for religious people? Perceived consequences of parenthood and fertility intentions in Poland.

The aim of this study was to examine the positive relationship between religiosity and fertility from the perspective of perceived consequences of parenthood. Previous studies in Germany have found that highly religious people ascribe higher benefits and lower costs to having children. Furthermore, the impact of costs and benefits on fertility is less pronounced among the highly religious. This study tested these mechanisms for fertility intentions and in the context of Poland - a country with a low fertility rate and high religiosity in comparison to other European countries. A sample of 4892 men and women of childbearing age from the second wave of the Polish version of the Generations and Gender Survey conducted in 2014/2015 was used. First, the extent to which perceived costs and benefits mediate the impact of religiosity on fertility intentions was analysed. Second, whether religiosity moderates the impact of perceived costs and benefits on fertility intentions was investigated. The results show that part of the positive effect of religiosity on fertility intentions can be explained by more-religious people seeing higher benefits of having children. Furthermore, but only in the case of women, religiosity moderates the impact of perceived costs on fertility intentions, suggesting that the effect of perceived costs decreases with increasing religiosity.

Having a child within a cohabiting union in Europe and North America: What is the role of parents' socio-economic status?

The link between parental socio-economic status (SES) and the likelihood of having a birth in cohabitation or in marriage varies considerably across countries. Previous studies have referred to the pattern of disadvantage perspective and the second demographic transition theory to explain this cross-national variation. Yet no study has directly tested the explanatory power of both theories in this context. In the current study, hypotheses are formulated about the influence of economic inequality and norms regarding family formation on this relationship. The hypotheses are tested in 19 European and North American countries, using data of the Generations and Gender Survey and four other datasets. The analyses show that in societies that have more traditional family formation norms, women with lower parental SES are more likely to have a birth in cohabitation whereas such differences are not found in less traditional societies. The influence of economic inequality is less clear-cut.

Regional trends in corneal transplantation from 2004 to 2015 in France: a 12-year review on indications, technique and waiting period.

The aim of this study was to report the 12-year longitudinal trends in regional disparity in terms of indications, techniques and waiting period for corneal transplantation in France from 2004 to 2015. The records of all corneal transplantations performed from 2004 to 2015 in France were retrospectively reviewed by analasing the registry and the territorial organization [divided France into 7 interregional areas of collection and distribution of grafts (IACD)] of the French Biomedicine Agency. A total of 46,658 corneal transplantations were performed between 2004 and 2015. In 2014, there was 65.8 keratoplasties per million inhabitants (10-6 per capita in France, but there were some regional disparities, from 44.9 × 10-6 per capita in IACD 2 to 87.2 × 10-6 per capita in IACD 5. In 2014, IACD 7 performed the highest number of transplantations for keratoconus with 15.7 × 10 - 6 per capita; IACD 5 ranked first for Fuchs endothelial disease and secondary endothelial failure with, respectively, 20.5 × 10-6 per capita and 21.2 × 10-6 per capita, and IACD 4 ranked first for graft failure with 17.4 × 10-6 per capita. All regions over the years began to perform more lamellar keratoplasties (4.3% in 2004 vs 45.2% in 2015) and fewer penetrating keratoplasties (85.8% in 2004 vs 48.2% in 2015). The mean waiting time was 3.4 ± 5.2 months in France over 12 years, with minimal disparities between regions: all of them under 4 months waiting time in 2015, from 1.4 months for IACD 1-3.8 months for IACD 5. Regional disparities have changed over the years, with a modification of indications, and upgrading surgical techniques for some indications. Some disparities remain, mainly because of the variability in the number and activity of transplantation centres and eye banks. Measures could be taken to minimize these disparities, such as increasing communication between eye banks. The waiting time for keratoplasty decreasing below the 4-month mark is a good indicator of the progress made. Regional disparities have decreased over the years, but some regions remain disadvantaged in terms of needs and access to transplants. Tomorrow's challenge is to identify solutions and adapt the offer to the needs.

Innovative corneal active storage machine for long-term eye banking.

Optimal ex vivo corneal storage in eye banks is crucial to increase both the number of corneas suitable for graft and their intrinsic quality, mainly the number of viable endothelial cells, which dictates graft survival in recipients. With both passive storage methods used worldwide (short-term cold storage in the United States, long-term organ culture in Europe), significant endothelial cell loss is inevitable. Here we show that, with an active storage machine, also called a bioreactor, which restores 2 fundamental physiological parameters, intraocular pressure and medium renewal, endothelial cell survival is improved by 23% compared with organ culture after 4 weeks' storage. Also observed in the bioreactor is a 4-fold higher expression of Na+ /K+ ATPase, which supports one of the major endothelial cell pumping functions. In addition, corneas remain thin and transparent, so they are suitable for surgery at any time. This new active eye banking method may help to reduce the severe global scarcity of donor corneas.

Long-term adverse event: inflammatory orbitopathy induced by pembrolizumab in a patient with metastatic melanoma.

The recent advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), including anti-programmed cell death 1 protein (anti-PD-1) agents has revolutionized the therapeutic approach of metastatic malignancies. Yet, ICI can disrupt immune tolerance resulting in enhanced immune activation in normal tissues with significant toxicity. A dysregulated activation of T-cells directed to normal tissues stands as the main mechanism of immune-related adverse events (irAE). To date, only two cases of immune-related inflammatory orbitopathy related to anti-PD-1 agents have been reported. This rare immune adverse event usually occurred early after ICI initiation. Here, we report the first case of late inflammatory orbitopathy occurring in a melanoma patient treated with pembrolizumab. Consequently, the occurrence of irAE under ICI should be monitored, even late after treatment instauration.

Successful treatment of psychosis in a patient with Kufor-Rakeb syndrome with low dose aripiprazole: a case report.

We present a case of a 32-year-old male with Kufor-Rakeb syndrome (KRS), a form of juvenile parkinsonism due to mutations of the ATP13A2 gene at PARK9 locus. The patient was seen for daily behavioral outbursts and psychotic symptoms. At first assessment, CGI scale was estimated at 5; "Markedly ill". Aripiprazole was started at 2 mg and then increased to 3 mg. Two years later, psychotic symptoms were judged to be "much improved" (CGI-C = 2). This significant improvement without drug-induced motor side effects suggests that aripiprazole at low doses (2-5 mg) is effective and tolerated in patients with KRS.

Impact of Metamorphopsia on Quality of Life after Successful Retinal Detachment Surgery.

PURPOSE: To determine the impact of metamorphopsia on quality of life after successful retinal detachment (RD) surgery and to determine which retinal changes are related to the most severe distortions. DESIGN: This was a prospective, observational, consecutive study. METHODS: The study included 58 eyes of 58 consecutive patients who underwent successful RD surgery. At 6 months postoperatively, the incidence and severity of metamorphopsia were assessed by a quality-of-life questionnaire. Microstructure retinal changes were studied with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). The questionnaire score was compared with pre- and postoperative OCT findings. RESULTS: Overall, 20 patients (34.5%) had metamorphopsia. Outer retinal folds (ORFs) and the macular status before surgery, together with postoperative ORFs and decrease in ellipsoid and/or interdigitation photoreceptor zone reflectivity, were identified as risk factors of developing metamorphopsia (relative risk, 1.7-4.8). The most severe visual distortions were associated with ORFs. CONCLUSION: Metamorphopsia is a frequent occurrence after RD surgery and its impact on patients' quality of life appears to be limited. While it may be difficult to prevent photoreceptor loss occurring after surgery, limiting postoperative ORFs may be helpful in reducing their incidence.

Quantitative analysis of photoreceptor layer reflectivity on en-face optical coherence tomography as an estimator of cone density.

BACKGROUND: To investigate whether outer retinal reflectivity on en-face Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can be considered as an estimator of cone density measured in the same area. METHODS: Forty-one points of comparisons were studied in 9 eyes (n = 6 patients) presenting maculopathies with various degrees of impairment of the photoreceptor layer. The inner segment ellipsoid zone (EZ), interdigitation zone (IZ), and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) reflectivity were measured on coronal reconstruction of the photoreceptor layer using homemade dedicated software (Matlab, MathWorks Inc., Natick, USA). The cone metrics were measured in the same perifoveal region of interest using a high-resolution flood illumination adaptive optics camera. A semi-automatic cone counting method was adopted and all photoreceptor densities provided by the manufacturer's software were recounted manually by two experienced readers. RESULTS: Mean manual cone count was 21,522 ± 6700 (range, 5908-31,233 cells/mm2). Both EZ and IZ reflectivity values were closely correlated with cone density in the area studied (r2: 0.80 and 0.62, respectively; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Outer retinal reflectivity on en-face optical coherence tomography correlates well with photoreceptor density. This cone density estimation method based on retinal reflectivity could have interesting applications in the exploration and management of maculopathies.

A Giant Tumefactive Virchow-Robin Space: A Rare Cause of a Homonymous Quadrantanopia.

A 53-year-old woman was found to have a left inferior homonymous quadrantanopia. Brain MRI disclosed a giant Virchow-Robin space compressing the right optic tract. After fenestration of this cystic lesion, most of the visual field loss resolved. Giant Virchow-Robin spaces may cause homonymous field defects which, with appropriate management, may improve.

Corneal transplantation: study of the data of a regional eye bank for the year 2013 and analysis of the evolution of the adverse events reported in France since 2010.

To analyze the data of the adverse events collected in a single major eye bank (EFS Bourgogne Franche Comté, Besançon, France) for the year 2013 and to report the French data of biovigilance provided by the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM) between 2010 and 2013. we have set up a study of adverse events in 2013, in collaboration with a single eye bank (EFS Bourgogne Franche Comté, Besançon, France). A survey was sent to the surgeon for each delivered corneal button by the eye bank in 2013. They were asked for each grafted patient performed in their center, the type of graft (penetrating keratoplasty, anterior keratoplasty or endothelial keratoplasty), the occurrence of adverse events (primary failure, infectious keratis, endophthalmitis, immune rejection, and other events) and the time interval between surgery and events (Less than 1 postoperative month, between 1 month and 1 year postoperatively, >1 year postoperatively). In 2013, 407 corneal buttons were delivered by the eye bank of Besançon in 21 medical centers which performed corneal grafts and we sent 407 surveys. We received 243 completed questionnaires (59.75%) from 11 centers (52.38%). The global reported rate of adverse events was 27.54% of the graft (n = 65/236 corneal grafts performed in 11 centers in 2013; 20% of Primary graft failure, 11% of infectious keratitis, 1% of endophthalmitis, 34% of rejection, 34% of other incidents). 30.16% of complications were noticed before the first month after surgery versus 52.38% of complications noticed between the first month and the first year after surgery and 17.46% of complications noticed after the post-operative first year The most common causes of adverse events after PK were Immune rejection (13.17%), surgical causes (5.98%) and infection (4.79%) and after EK were Primary graft failure (8.2%) and surgical causes (19.67%). In 2013, in France 0.83% of adverse events were notified in ANSM. For the 236 performed graft issued from a major eye bank (EFS Besançon) in 2013 the global reported rate of post-graft adverse events was 27.54% of the grafts (20% of Primary graft failure, 11% of infectious keratitis, 1% of endophthalmitis, 34% of rejection and 34% of other incidents). Compared to the ANSM data (0.83% of adverse events reported in 2013) this rate is high. This difference can be explained by the low rate of annual notification to the ANSM and shows that biovigilance in France must be more developed. Since biovigilance needs constant improvement for the safety of the graft system, training, information for practitioners, simplifications of procedures and international standardization of the definition are the main points that could be improved.

Considering 3D topography of endothelial folds to improve cell count of organ cultured corneas.

The posterior side of the cornea is covered by the endothelial monolayer, which governs corneal transparency but cannot proliferate. Determination of endothelial cell density (ECD) is therefore the minimal and mandatory quality control in all eye banks. It avoids primary graft failures caused by endothelial insufficiency, and allows allocation of corneas to surgical techniques requiring different numbers of endothelial cells (ECs). Corneas stored in organ culture (17% of grafts worldwide), are characterized by heavy stromal swelling and numerous deep endothelial folds, up to 200 µm high. During microscopic en face observation, flat surfaces are thus exceptional and EC counting is biased by parallax errors, resulting in overestimated eye bank ECD (ebECD). We used a motorized transmitted light microscope to acquire Z-stacks of images every 10 µm, and processed them to reconstruct the 3D surface of the folded endothelium. This method (3D-ECD) takes into account the local point-by-point slope in order to correct ECD. On a set of 30 corneas, we compared 3D-ECD and ebECD determined on five identical zones at the center of the cornea. 3D reconstruction allowed us to visualize twice as many cells, and ebECD was 8.1 ± 4.5% (95%CI 6.4-9.7) higher than 3D-ECD, with 1744 ± 488 versus 1606 ± 473 cells/mm2. 3D counting makes it possible to increase cell sampling and to correct overestimation by the conventional en face counting still routinely performed in eye banks.

Acute cervical lymphadenitis and infections of the retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal spaces in children.

BACKGROUND: Acute cervical adenitis can evolve into suppurative cervical lymphadenitis and may sometimes be associated with infection of the retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal spaces (i.e., retropharyngeal and poststyloid parapharyngeal abscesses). This study aimed to describe the clinical presentation of acute cervical lymphadenitis and infections of the retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal spaces in children and examine the management of these conditions. METHODS: This was a retrospective study including children from 3 months to 18 years old who were hospitalized in the Pediatric Department of the Centre-Intercommunal-de-Créteil between January 2003 and May 2010. Selected cases were based on the diagnosis of acute cervical lymphadenitis, suppurative cervical lymphadenitis, or infections of the retropharyngeal or parapharyngeal spaces. Case history, clinical signs, laboratory tests, imaging, treatment and clinical course were collected from patient charts. RESULTS: We included 75 children (54 males [72%]); 62 (83%) were < 6 years old. Diagnoses were acute cervical lymphadenitis in 43 patients (57%), suppurative cervical lymphadenitis in 13 (17%), retropharyngeal or poststyloid parapharyngeal abscess in 18 (24%) and cervical necrotizing fasciitis in 1 (1%). In total, 72 patients (96%) presented fever and 34 (45%) had torticollis. Suppurative cervical lymphadenitis or abscesses of the retropharyngeal or poststyloid parapharyngeal spaces was significantly higher for children with than without torticollis (52.9% vs. 4.8%, p < 0.001). In all, 21 patients among the 44 > 3 years old (48%) underwent a rapid antigen detection test (RADT) for group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus pyogenes; results for 10 were positive (48%). Contrast-enhanced CT scan of the neck in children with torticollis (n = 31) demonstrated an abscess in 21 (68%). Fine-needle aspiration was performed in 8 patients (11%) and 8 (11%) required surgical drainage. Bacteriology was positive in 8 patients (11%), with a predominance of Staphylococcus aureus and S. pyogenes. All patients received intravenous antibiotics and the outcome was favorable regardless of surgery. Recurrence was observed in only 1 case among the 34 patients with a follow-up visit after discharge. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that presentation with cervical lymphadenitis associated with fever and torticollis requires evaluation by contrast-enhanced CT scan. Furthermore, abscess drainage should be restricted to the most severely affected patients who do not respond to antibiotic therapy.

Corneal perforation: another side effect of nicorandil.

CONTEXT: Nicorandil is an antianginal drug used for 20 years in Japan and introduced in France in 1994. Since 1997, side effects such as mucocutaneous ulcerations have regularly been reported. OBJECTIVE: To describe the first case of a patient with a spontaneous corneal perforation associated with mucocutaneous ulcerations while taking Nicorandil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 81-year-old patient, with no past history of ocular disease but a long past history of cardiovascular disease, presented with a spontaneous paracentral corneal perforation. This was consecutive to 5 months of recurrent keratoconjunctivitis and mucocutaneous ulcerations resistant to conventional therapy. (He was taking nicorandil for 5 years.) A penetrating keratoplasty was performed in emergency. RESULTS: Inflammatory and infectious causes of spontaneous corneal perforation were ruled out. After initial uneventful post-operative wound healing, an epithelial ulcer appeared on the graft. Dermatologists suggested the iatrogenic role of nicorandil and the drug was discontinued. Both mucocutaneous and corneal ulcerations resolved rapidly. DISCUSSION: Although mucocutaneous ulcerations have been attributed several times to nicorandil, this is, to our knowledge, the first major corneal damage due to this antianginal drug. Timing, pattern of illness, absence of other aetiology, recurrence of epithelial ulceration on the corneal graft and its spontaneous healing after nicorandil discontinuation make it highly apparent probable that nicorandil was directly involved in this corneal perforation. CONCLUSION: Ophthalmologists and dermatologists should be aware of the risk of severe but reversible corneal ulcerations in patients treated with nicorandil. A pharmacovigilance warning statement should be compulsory.

Global, psychological, and visual quality of life after evisceration/enucleation surgery (QOLAE study): A descriptive case series.

PURPOSE: To describe the early health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients who have undergone an eye removal surgery. METHODS: A descriptive monocentric study was conducted. Patients with a surgical indication of eye amputation were enrolled. Three standardized surveys were given to each patient 1-3 months after the surgery. The following standardized questionnaires were used: National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (NEI VFQ-25) (range: 0-100), Short Form-36 (SF-36) (range: 0-100), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) (range: 0-40). RESULTS: Between January 2021 and January 2022, in the Ophthalmology Department of the University Hospital of Besançon (France), 20 patients who were going to undergo an eye removal surgery were included. The population comprised a majority of men (12 men vs. 8 women) with a mean age of 70 (±16.2) years. The underlying conditions leading to the eye amputation were varied: three infections (15%), three retinal detachments (15%), three chronic uveitis (15%), 11 traumas (55%), three tumors (15%), and five chronic high intraocular pressures (25%). The surgical procedure consisted of an evisceration in 15 cases (75%) or an enucleation in five cases (25%). On average, the composite NEI VFQ-25 scored 68.7 (±22.4). Regarding the SF-36 score, the physical composite score was 63.1 (±15.4), and the mental composite score was 64.7 (±14.4). The overall PSS-10 score was 12.3 (±8.7). CONCLUSION: The patients who had undergone an eye amputation had an early reduction in their HRQoL in all its domains, especially in the vision, mental, and physical specific quality of life. These patients need personalized preparation before the surgery. These findings need to be assessed in the long term.

How environments can promote active aging: results from a case study of two municipalities in Quebec, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: To address global aging, a paradigm shift is needed from disease prevention and treatment towards active aging, i.e., optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security as people age. Little is known about how age-friendly environments promote active aging. This study thus aimed to explore how (through which mechanisms and in what contexts) environments can promote active aging and, specifically, positive health, social participation, and health equity. METHODS: Using a realist approach and semi-structured focus groups, a case study was used in two Quebec municipalities known for best fostering active aging. Data also included participants' logbooks, sociodemographic questionnaires, municipalities' sociodemographic profiles, and policy documents. A conceptual framework and thematic content analysis were carried out. RESULTS: A total of 24 participants (9 older adults, 4 health professionals, 3 community-based actors, 5 municipal employees, and 3 elected officials) took part in 5 focus groups. Regarding contexts, both cases were midsize municipalities having an income and education level higher to Quebec's averages with supportive active aging policies. Two main themes explained how the environments promoted active aging: (1) by ensuring proximity through built (urban planning), social (network structures), services (variety and availability of local and outreach resources), and organizational (active listening to older adults' needs for active aging) environments; and (2) by fostering transversality through built (universal accessibility, intergenerational spaces), social (intergenerational opportunities for social participation), and political/organizational (unified and complementary policies) environments. CONCLUSION: To better promote active aging through age-friendly environments, practices should focus on fostering proximity and transversality, and act simultaneously on multiple environments.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Pour faire face au vieillissement des populations, un changement de paradigme est requis allant de la prévention et du traitement de la maladie vers la promotion d'un vieillissement actif, c.-à.-d. l'optimisation des possibilités de bonne santé, de participation sociale et de sécurité pendant l'avancement de l'âge. Peu d'informations renseignent sur comment les environnements favorisent le vieillissement actif. Cette étude visait donc à explorer comment (par quels mécanismes et dans quels contextes) les environnements favorisent le vieillissement actif et, spécifiquement, la santé positive, la participation sociale et l'équité en santé des aînés. MéTHODES: Selon une approche réaliste et des groupes de discussion semi-dirigés, une étude de cas multiples a été réalisée dans deux municipalités québécoises, reconnues pour favoriser un vieillissement actif. Les données incluaient aussi les journaux de bord et les questionnaires sociodémographiques des participants ainsi que les profils sociodémographiques des municipalités et leurs politiques municipales. Les données ont été traitées à l'aide d'un cadre conceptuel et d'une analyse de contenu thématique. RéSULTATS: Un total de 24 participants (9 aînés âgés de 65 ans ou plus, 4 professionnels de la santé, 3 acteurs communautaires, 5 employés municipaux et 3 élus) ont pris part à un des cinq groupes de discussion. Concernant les éléments de contexte, les deux municipalités étaient de taille moyenne et présentaient des revenus et un niveau de scolarité supérieurs à la moyenne québécoise ainsi que des politiques municipales favorisant un vieillissement actif. Deux thèmes principaux expliquaient comment les environnements favorisaient le vieillissement actif : 1) en assurant la proximité des environnements bâti (aménagement urbain), social (structures des réseaux sociaux), des services (ressources locales et de proximité) et politique/organisationnel (écoute active des besoins des aînés pour un vieillissement actif); et 2) en favorisant la transversalité des environnements bâti (accessibilité universelle, espaces intergénérationnels), social (opportunités intergénérationnelles) et politique/organisationnel (politiques unifiées et complémentaires). CONCLUSION: Pour mieux promouvoir le vieillissement actif grâce à des environnements conviviaux aux aînés, les pratiques doivent privilégier la proximité et les approches transversales, en plus d'agir sur plusieurs environnements simultanément.

Religiosity and trajectories of lifetime fertility intentions - Evidence from a German panel study.

Much of the literature on fertility intentions has shown that they are broadly predictive of fertility behaviour. Fertility intentions tend to change over a person's life. How religiosity affects these changes over time has rarely been the subject of investigation. In this paper, we focus on whether and how religiosity affects trajectories of lifetime fertility intentions. Specifically, we examine whether highly religious people start with higher fertility intentions and are more likely to sustain them during their life course compared to their less religious counterparts. We apply random and fixed effects growth curve models to data from the German family panel pairfam, using a sample of 6214 women and 5802 men aged 14-46. We find that religiosity mainly contributes to explain the starting level at teenage years but not the trajectories of lifetime fertility intentions as people get older. Highly religious people start with higher intentions than less religious people. However, similarly to less religious people they experience a decline in their fertility intentions with age. This study demonstrates that religiosity is an important variable in research on fertility intentions but with changing relevance over the life course.

P02-A121†Precut DSAEK stored in an active storage machine: feasibility study.

PURPOSE: The number of endothelial grafts precut by eye banks increases. Their shelf life is limited to a few days. We previously demonstrated the superiority of an active storage machine (ASM) over organ culture (passive) for whole corneas. AIMS: to measure endothelial viability of precut DSAEK after 3 or 10 days of storage in our ASM in a preclinical study. METHODS: Human pairs of corneas were included. The endothelial cell density (ECD in cells/mm2), and central corneal thickness (CCT in µm) were measured to ensure their initial intra pair comparability. After deswelling (CorneaJet, Eurobio) grafts preparation was performed by cutting the anterior stroma with a Moria linear microkeratome and keeping the anterior lamellae attached during storage. After randomization, one cornea was kept in the corneajet bottle (CJ) and the other was inserted into the ASM allowing a renewal or storage medium (CorneaMax, Eurobio) at 2.6 µL/min with 21 mmHg of pressure in the endothelial chamber. Both group of corneas were stored for 3 or 10 days at 31°C. The final viable ECD (vECD) was determined using the triple staining with Hoechst-Ethidium-Calcein-AM by an independent experimenter in a masked fashion. RESULTS: Initial ECDs were comparable: 2595±878 in ASM versus 2654±954 cells/mm2 in CJ for the 3-days period (n=5 pairs) and 2416±712 in ASM versus 2492±764 cells/mm2 in CJ for the 10-period (n=5 pairs). CCTs were also comparable. The anterior lamellae stayed attached in either the ASM or CJ. vECD was significantly higher in ASM than in CJ with respectively 2062±695 cells/mm2 versus 1632±633 cells/mm2 after 3 days either a cell loss of 20.5% and 38.5% respectively (p=0.0062) and 1082±649 versus 935±691 cells/mm2 for the 10-day period either a cell loss of 132% and 164% respectively (p=0.005). Grafts thickness did not differ after 3 days 219±25 µm in ASM versus 182±39 µm (p=0.063) or 10 days respectively 221±58 µm versus 189±48 µm (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: The storage of precut DSAEKs into the ASM allows a better preservation of grafts without use on deswelling storage medium. Nevertheless, the cell loss remains high after 10 days, suggesting a significant cell stress.