Mathematical model of rabies vaccination in the United States.

Rabies is one of the oldest viral diseases and it has been present on every continent except Antarctica. Within the U.S. human rabies cases are quite rare. In the eastern USA, raccoons are the main reservoir hosts and pet vaccination serves as an important barrier against human rabies exposure. In this paper, we develop a compartmental model for rabies transmission amongst raccoons and domestic pets. We find the disease-free equilibria, reproduction numbers for the raccoons and domestic pets. We also determine the vaccination coverage/rates, both for raccoons and pets, needed to achieve the elimination of rabies.

Surgical options and clinical outcomes for high myopia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Higher degrees of myopia are currently being treated with refractive surgery. However, there is limited characterization and outcomes data for this cohort. This article aims to review the literature on highly myopic patients who had refractive surgery and present a retrospective analysis of 149 patients (270 eyes) with high to extreme myopia (≤-5.0D SE) who underwent refractive surgery [laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis (LASIK), photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), or implantable collamer lense (ICL)] at a single practice. RECENT FINDINGS: There is substantial literature on the efficacy of LASIK, PRK, and phakic intraocular lenses for refractive error correction, but a dearth of studies on patients with high to extreme myopia undergoing different types of refractive surgery. Our study reveals that this cohort of patients has excellent outcomes with minimal complications. SUMMARY: Our study reveals that the average preoperative myopia was highest in ICL patients (-10.03D), followed by PRK (-7.21D), and LASIK (-7.04D) patients. Not surprisingly, eyes with high myopia and thin corneas were offered and elected ICLs for their procedure. Highly myopic patients achieved outcomes consistent with data reported in the literature- average postoperative uncorrected visual acuity was 20/20 for LASIK and ICL eyes and 20/25 for PRK eyes.

The effects of bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on high-risk anogenital HPV infection among sexually active female adolescents with and without perinatally acquired HIV.

BACKGROUND: Females with perinatal HIV (PHIV) infection are at elevated risk for anogenital high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. Limited data are available around the effect of the HPV vaccination after initiation of sexual activity among PHIV youth. This study aims to assess the impact of a bivalent HPV vaccination on the persistence of anogenital HR-HPV among sexually active female PHIV youth and matched HIV-negative controls aged 12-24years in Thailand and Vietnam. METHODS: During a 3-year study, prevalent, incident, and persistent HR-HPV infection were assessed at annual visits. A subset of participants received a bivalent HPV vaccine. Samples were taken for HPV testing from the vagina, cervix, and anus. HR-HPV persistence was defined as the detection of the same genotype(s) at any anogenital compartment over≥two consecutive visits. RESULTS: Of the 93 PHIV and 99 HIV-negative female youth enrolled in this study, 25 (27%) PHIV and 22 (22%) HIV-negative youth received a HPV vaccine. Persistent infection with any HR-HPV type was significantly lower among PHIV youth who received the vaccine compared to those who did not (33%vs 61%, P =0.02); a difference was not observed among HIV-negative youth (35%vs 50%, P =0.82). PHIV infection (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 2.31, 95% CI 1.45-3.67) and not receiving a HPV vaccine (aPR, 1.19, 95%CI 1.06-1.33) were associated with persistent anogenital HR-HPV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Bivalent HPV vaccination after initiation of sexual activity was associated with reduced persistence of anogenital HR-HPV infection in Southeast Asian PHIV female youth, which may be related to vaccine cross-protection. Primary and catch-up HPV vaccinations should be prioritised for children and youth with HIV.

Refractive lens exchange - who is getting it, what are they getting, how are they doing?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the literature on refractive lens exchange and present a retrospective analysis of 55 patients who underwent refractive lens exchange at a single practice. RECENT FINDINGS: Our study substantiates refractive lens exchange as an important option for presbyopic patients, hyperopic patients or patients with extremely high refractive error who desire spectacle independence. SUMMARY: Our study reveals that the refractive lens exchange population is younger than the average cataract population and their primary motivations are to resolve hyperopic or myopic refractive errors, gain spectacle independence, and address near vision loss. A variety of presbyopia-addressing intraocular lens options are available and we present our experience with multifocal, extended depth-of-focus, light-adjustable, and monofocal lenses.

Improving assessment and escalation of threatened haemodialysis access: results of a nursing-led program.

BACKGROUND: Optimal vascular access is critical to successful haemodialysis. Acute thrombosis of haemodialysis access often leads to unplanned hospital admissions and interventions to restore patency. Western Health is a large health service in Victoria, Australia. During the period February 2019 to January 2020, the rate of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous graft (AVG) at Western Health satellite dialysis units was 0.33 episodes per 1000 patient-days, higher than the reported rate in the literature of 0.24 events per 1000 patient-days, and was associated with a cumulative total of 139 days of inpatient stay (2.2 per 1000 patient-days). METHODS: The above results prompted creation of an education and escalation pathway for threatened haemodialysis access, based upon clinical markers of vascular access stenosis or imminent thrombosis assessed by nursing staff in satellite haemodialysis centres. In the period February 2020 to January 2021, the education and escalation pathway was implemented. We assessed referrals via the pathway, rates of AVF/AVG thrombosis and associated hospital length of stay in the following 12-month period (February 2021 to January 2022). RESULTS: Following introduction of the pathway, rates of AVF/AVG thrombosis declined to 0.15 per 1000 patient-days (p = 0.02), associated with a decline in attributable cumulative inpatient stay to 55 days (0.69 per 1000 patient-days). CONCLUSIONS: Our program demonstrates that the majority of thrombosed vascular access can be predicted and potentially averted with vigilant and well-practiced routine clinical assessment by trained nursing staff. Our nursing-led education and escalation program successfully identified vascular access at risk of imminent thrombosis, reduced rates of acute thrombosis and associated healthcare costs. Despite these improvements, there are still disparities in outcomes for patients with thrombosed vascular access, with regards to length of stay and requirement for insertion of a temporary central venous catheter (CVC) for urgent dialysis whilst awaiting intervention, and these are areas for further investigation and improvement.

Aerobic vaginitis in the third trimester and its impact on pregnancy outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a vaginal inflammation characterized by disruption of the lactobacillus microbiota and increased counts of different aerobic bacteria. AV may result in severe complications, especially during pregnancy, including preterm delivery, neonatal and maternal infections. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of AV in the third trimester of pregnancy, and the relationship between AV and pregnancy outcomes.  METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study included 323 pregnant women attending for routine antenatal care in the Hue University Hospital. Vaginal samples collected at the third trimester of pregnancy were evaluated for AV according to the scoring system of Donders and cultured for identification of predominant bacteria. Pregnancy was followed to its end, and pregnancy outcomes were recorded for both mothers and infants. RESULTS: The proportion of pregnant women diagnosed with AV in the third trimester was found to be 15.5%, with the vast majority of the cases (84%) displaying the light AV and 16% the moderate AV. The vaginal cultures in the women with AV revealed most frequently Streptococcus agalactiae (6%), followed by Enterococcus spp (4%), Staphylococcus aureus (4%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (2%). In addition, AV during the last trimester of pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of puerperal sepsis (OR 8.65, 95% CI: 1.41-53.16, p = 0.020) and there was a slightly increased risk for neonatal infections, which was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of AV is relatively high in Vietnamese pregnant women. Since it is associated with an increased risk of puerperal sepsis, it needs to be diagnosed and treated before delivery.

Development and validation of algorithms to identify patients with chronic kidney disease and related chronic diseases across the Northern Territory, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Electronic health records can be used for population-wide identification and monitoring of disease. The Territory Kidney Care project developed algorithms to identify individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and several commonly comorbid chronic diseases. This study aims to describe the development and validation of our algorithms for CKD, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. A secondary aim of the study was to describe data completeness of the Territory Kidney Care database. METHODS: The Territory Kidney Care database consolidates electronic health records from multiple health services including public hospitals (n = 6) and primary care health services (> 60) across the Northern Territory, Australia. Using the database (n = 48,569) we selected a stratified random sample of patients (n = 288), which included individuals with mild to end-stage CKD. Diagnostic accuracy of the algorithms was tested against blinded manual chart reviews. Data completeness of the database was also described. RESULTS: For CKD defined as CKD stage 1 or higher (eGFR of any level with albuminuria or persistent eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.732, including renal replacement therapy) overall algorithm sensitivity was 93% (95%CI 89 to 96%) and specificity was 73% (95%CI 64 to 82%). For CKD defined as CKD stage 3a or higher (eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.732) algorithm sensitivity and specificity were 93% and 97% respectively. Among the CKD 1 to 5 staging algorithms, the CKD stage 5 algorithm was most accurate with > 99% sensitivity and specificity. For related comorbidities - algorithm sensitivity and specificity results were 75% and 97% for diabetes; 85% and 88% for hypertension; and 79% and 96% for cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS: We developed and validated algorithms to identify CKD and related chronic diseases within electronic health records. Validation results showed that CKD algorithms have a high degree of diagnostic accuracy compared to traditional administrative codes. Our highly accurate algorithms present new opportunities in early kidney disease detection, monitoring, and epidemiological research.

Tracking Tag Stabilization With a Small-Diameter Implant in an Edentulous Mandible to Assist Dynamically Navigated Surgery: A Case Report.

This report describes the use of a temporary dental implant to secure a radiographic fiducial marker and patient-tracking tag to an edentulous mandible for dynamically guided implant placement into a fibula microvascular free flap. A small-diameter dental implant was placed into the anterior mandible to secure a radiographic fiducial marker followed by a patient tag. The patient tag allowed for tracking of the patient's mandible during placement of endosseous dental implants. Four endosseous dental implants were successfully placed into the edentulous fibula free flap mandibular reconstruction. Dynamic navigation using a small-diameter implant to secure radiographic fiducial markers and patient tags provides a novel technique to place implants into an edentulous microvascular free flap with minimal incision and reflection of soft tissue.

Supply-chain strategies for essential medicines in rural western Kenya during COVID-19.

PROBLEM: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted health systems worldwide and threatened the supply of essential medicines. Especially affected are vulnerable patients in low- and middle-income countries who can only afford access to public health systems. APPROACH: Soon after physical distancing and curfew orders began on 15 March 2020 in Kenya, we rapidly implemented three supply-chain strategies to ensure a continuous supply of essential medicines while minimizing patients' COVID-19 exposure risks. We redistributed central stocks of medicines to peripheral health facilities to ensure local availability for several months. We equipped smaller, remote health facilities with medicine tackle boxes. We also made deliveries of medicines to patients with difficulty reaching facilities. LOCAL SETTING: Τo implement these strategies we leveraged our 30-year partnership with local health authorities in rural western Kenya and the existing revolving fund pharmacy scheme serving 85 peripheral health centres. RELEVANT CHANGES: In April 2020, stocks of essential chronic and non-chronic disease medicines redistributed to peripheral health facilities increased to 835 140 units, as compared with 316 330 units in April 2019. We provided medicine tackle boxes to an additional 46 health facilities. Our team successfully delivered medications to 264 out of 311 patients (84.9%) with noncommunicable diseases whom we were able to reach. LESSONS LEARNT: Our revolving fund pharmacy model has ensured that patients' access to essential medicines has not been interrupted during the pandemic. Success was built on a community approach to extend pharmaceutical services, adapting our current supply-chain infrastructure and working quickly in partnership with local health authorities.

Increased Burden of Concordant and Sequential Anogenital Human Papillomavirus Infections Among Asian Young Adult Women With Perinatally Acquired HIV Compared With HIV-Negative Peers.

BACKGROUND: Youth with perinatally acquired HIV (YPHIV) are at higher risk for anogenital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. METHODS: We enrolled a cohort of YPHIV and HIV-negative youth in Thailand and Vietnam, matched by age and lifetime sex partners, and followed them up for 144 weeks (to 2017). Participants had annual pelvic examinations with samples taken for HPV genotyping. Concordant infection was simultaneous HPV detection in multiple anogenital compartments (cervical, vaginal, anal); sequential infection was when the same type was found in successive compartments (cervicovaginal to/from anal). Generalized estimating equations were used to assess factors associated with concordant infection, and Cox regression was used to assess factors associated with sequential infection. RESULTS: A total of 93 YPHIV and 99 HIV-negative women were enrolled, with a median age of 19 years (interquartile range, 18-20 years). High-risk anogenital HPV infection was ever detected in 76 (82%) YPHIV and 66 (67%) HIV-negative youth during follow-up. Concordant anogenital high-risk HPV infection was found in 62 (66%) YPHIV versus 44 (34%) HIV-negative youth. Sequential cervicovaginal to anal high-risk HPV infection occurred in 20 YPHIV versus 5 HIV-negative youth, with an incidence rate of 9.76 (6.30-15.13) versus 2.24 (0.93-5.38) per 100 person-years. Anal to cervicovaginal infection occurred in 4 YPHIV versus 0 HIV-negative women, with an incidence rate of 1.78 (0.67-4.75) per 100 person-years. Perinatally acquired HIV was the one factor independently associated with both concordant and sequential high-risk HPV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Children and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV should be prioritized for HPV vaccination, and cervical cancer screening should be part of routine HIV care for sexually active YPHIV.

The Relationship Between Household Microfinance Group Participation and Vaccine Adherence Among Children in Rural Western Kenya.

INTRODUCTION: High childhood vaccine adherence is critical for disease prevention, and poverty is a key barrier to vaccine uptake. Interventions like microfinance programs that aim to lift individuals out of poverty could thus improve vaccine adherence of the children in the household. BIGPIC Family Program in rural Western Kenya provides group-based microfinance services while working to improve access to healthcare and health screenings for the local community. The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the association between household participation in BIGPIC's microfinance program and vaccine adherence among children in the household. We hypothesize that microfinance group participation will have a positive impact on vaccine adherence among children in the household. METHODS: From 2018 to 2019, we surveyed a sample of 300 participants from two rural communities in Western Kenya, some of whom were participants in the BIGPIC Family's microfinance program. The primary outcome of interest was vaccine adherence of children in the household. Log-binomial models were used to estimate the relationship between microfinance group participation and vaccine adherence, adjusted for key covariates. We also assessed whether the relationship differed by gender of the adult respondent. RESULTS: Microfinance group members were more likely to have all children in their households fully vaccinated [aPR (95% CI): 1.68 (1.20,2.35)] compared to non-microfinance group members. Further, the association was stronger when women were the microfinance members [PR (95% CI): 1.87 (1.27,2.76)] compared to men [PR (95% CI): 1.24 (0.81,1.90)]. CONCLUSIONS: Microfinance participation was associated with higher childhood vaccine adherence in rural Western Kenya. Microfinance interventions should be further explored as strategies to improve child health and well-being in low- and middle-income countries.

Incidence and Persistence of High-risk Anogenital Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Female Youth With and Without Perinatally Acquired Human Immunodefiency Virus Infection: A 3-year Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Female youth with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus (PHIV) may be at higher risk than uninfected youth for persistent anogenital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, due to prolonged immunodeficiency. METHODS: A 3-year cohort study was conducted between 2013 and 2017 among Thai and Vietnamese PHIV and HIV-uninfected females 12-24 years, matched by age group and number of lifetime sexual partners. For HPV genotyping, cervical and anal samples were obtained at baseline and annually. Vaginal samples were collected at baseline and every 6 months. Factors associated with high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) persistence and incidence were assessed. RESULTS: We enrolled 93 PHIV and 99 HIV-uninfected females. Median age was 19 (interquartile range [IQR] 18-20) years. For the 7 HR-HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, 58) in the nonavalent HPV vaccine, PHIV had significantly higher incidence (P = .03) and persistence (P = .01) than HIV-uninfected youth over a 3-year period. Having HIV (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-3.9) and ever using illegal substances (aHR 4.8, 95% CI 1.8-13.0) were associated with incident 7 HR-HPV infections. HIV-positive status (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 2.2, 95% CI 1.5-3.2), recent alcohol use (aPR 1.75, 95% CI 1.2-2.5), and higher number of lifetime partners (aPR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4-3.1, for 3-5 partners; aPR 1.93, 95% CI 1.2-3.2, for ≥6 partners) were significantly associated with persistent 7 HR-HPV infections. CONCLUSIONS: Female PHIV were at higher risk of having anogenital HR-HPV acquisition and persistence. Primary and secondary prevention programs for HPV infection and HPV-related diseases should be prioritized for PHIV children and youth.

The relationship between a microfinance-based healthcare delivery platform, health insurance coverage, health screenings, and disease management in rural Western Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Structural barriers often prevent rural Kenyans from receiving healthcare and diagnostic testing. The Bridging Income Generation through grouP Integrated Care (BIGPIC) Family intervention facilitates microfinance groups, provides health screenings and treatment, and delivers education about health insurance coverage to address some of these barriers. This study evaluated the association between participation in BIGPIC microfinance groups and health screening/disease management outcomes. METHODS: From November 2018 to March 2019, we interviewed a sample of 300 members of two rural communities in Western Kenya, 100 of whom were BIGPIC microfinance members. We queried participants about their experiences with health screening and disease management for HIV, diabetes, hypertension, tuberculosis, and cervical cancer. We used log-binomial regression models to estimate the association between microfinance membership and each health outcome, adjusting for key covariates. RESULTS: Microfinance members were more likely to be screened for most of the health conditions we queried, including those provided by BIGPIC [e.g. diabetes: aPR (95% CI): 3.46 (2.60, 4.60)] and those not provided [e.g. cervical cancer: aPR (95% CI): 2.43 (1.21, 4.86)]. Microfinance membership was not significantly associated with health insurance uptake and disease management outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In rural Kenya, a microfinance program integrated with healthcare delivery may be effective at increasing health screening. Interventions designed to thoughtfully and sustainably address structural barriers to healthcare will be critical to improving the health of those living in low-resource settings.

Risk Factors for Human Papillomavirus Infection and Abnormal Cervical Cytology Among Perinatally Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected and Uninfected Asian Youth.

Background: Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) may be higher in perinatally human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected (PHIV) than HIV-uninfected (HU) adolescents because of long-standing immune deficiency. Methods: PHIV and HU females aged 12-24 years in Thailand and Vietnam were matched by age group and lifetime sexual partners. At enrollment, blood, cervical, vaginal, anal, and oral samples were obtained for HPV-related testing. The Wilcoxon and Fisher exact tests were used for univariate and logistic regression for multivariate analyses. Results: Ninety-three PHIV and 99 HU adolescents (median age 19 [18-20] years) were enrolled (June 2013-July 2015). Among PHIV, 94% were currently receiving antiretroviral therapy, median CD4 count was 593 (392-808) cells/mm3, and 62% had a viral load <40 copies/mL. Across anogenital compartments, PHIV had higher rates of any HPV detected (80% vs 60%; P = .003) and any HR-HPV (60% vs 43%, P = .02). Higher proportions of PHIV had abnormal Pap smears (eg, atypical squamous cells of unknown significance [ASC-US], 12% vs 14%; low-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplastic lesions, 19% vs 1%). After adjusting for ever being pregnant and asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections (STI) at enrollment, PHIV were more likely to have HR-HPV than HU (odds ratio, 2.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-3.77; P = .03). Conclusions: Perinatal HIV infection was associated with a higher risk of HR-HPV and abnormal cervical cytology. Our results underscore the need for HPV vaccination for PHIV adolescents and for prevention and screening programs for HPV and other STIs.

Dental Shade Matching and Value Discernment Abilities of First-Year Dental Students.

PURPOSE: To determine if Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test, Perceptual Ability Test, gender, age, ethnicity, and time predict dental shade matching and value discernment in first-year dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test was administered to 95 first-year-dental students beneath a Judge II booth (color temperature of 6500°K, and color rendering index of 90). Students also arranged 16 masked shade tabs from a Vita Classic shade guide by value (lightest to darkest) and matched together 16 pairs of masked shade tabs from two Vita Classic shade guides. Ethnicity, age, Perceptual Ability Test scores, gender, and time to complete the tests were recorded. Associations and correlations were investigated using chi-square, Tukey-Kramer HSD, standard least square, and multilinear regression (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Total error scores on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test ranged from 0 to 144. Forty-eight students exhibited superior color acuity, 45 average, and two poor. The mean number of correct answers for matching shade tabs together was 11.6, and 6.1 for arranging the shade tabs by value. Females performed statistically better than males on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test and shade tab matching. Better color discrimination identified by lower total error scores on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test was directly correlated to greater ability to match shade tabs together. Perceptual Ability Test scores had slight significance. As the scores increased there was slightly better performance on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test. Older participants performed better than younger subjects on the value test. No other correlations were significant for any of the tests. CONCLUSIONS: Females and individuals who performed better on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test have improved dental shade-matching ability.

How Effective Is the Tent Screw Pole Technique Compared to Other Forms of Horizontal Ridge Augmentation?

PURPOSE: The tent screw pole technique is one of the methods available for practitioners to perform horizontal ridge augmentation to facilitate dental implant placement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the tent screw pole technique for horizontal ridge augmentation and to compare the results with those of the tunnel technique and open ridge augmentation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 35 patients underwent horizontal ridge augmentation with the tent screw pole technique, a 1:1 ratio of mineralized freeze-dried bone allograft and particulate bovine hydroxyapatite, and a resorbable collagen membrane. The incidence of early wound dehiscence and membrane exposure, the number of courses of antibiotics and postoperative visits required for their management, and the number of sites that subsequently had successful implant placement were recorded. These parameters were compared with those in 21 patients who had undergone horizontal ridge augmentation by the tunnel technique and 31 patients who had been treated using an open procedure and a resorbable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane in the authors' previous study (J Oral Maxillofac Surg 74:1752, 2016). RESULTS: Implant placement rate was similar for all 3 methods (71 to 97%). However, there were significant differences among the 3 surgical techniques for membrane exposure and wound dehiscence (P = .0033), graft loss (P = .0256), courses of antibiotics (P = .0017), and postoperative visits (P = .0043). The PTFE method consistently had the highest rate of complications, whereas the tent screw and tunnel techniques were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: All 3 techniques allowed a high rate of implant placement; however, the PTFE technique was consistently associated with increased postoperative complications compared with the other 2 methods. The tent screw technique might be more favorable than the tunnel technique in cases in which the bony deficiency is flat.

Treatment of Presbyopia in Emmetropes Using a Shape-Changing Corneal Inlay: One-Year Clinical Outcomes.

PURPOSE: To report 1-year safety and efficacy clinical outcomes of a shape-changing corneal inlay for the treatment of presbyopia. DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter United States Food and Drug Administration Investigational Device Exemption clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT01373580). PARTICIPANTS: Nondominant eyes (N = 373) of emmetropic presbyopic subjects were implanted at 11 sites with the Raindrop Near Vision Inlay (ReVision Optics, Lake Forest, CA); 340 eyes underwent the 1-year follow-up visit. METHODS: The corneal inlay was implanted under a corneal flap at the center of the light-constricted pupil created with a femtosecond laser. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For subjects completing the 1-year follow-up, monocular and binocular uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, refractive stability, contrast sensitivity (CS; photopic and mesopic), symptom and satisfaction questionnaire results, and adverse events. RESULTS: At 1 year in the treated eye, on average, uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA) improved by 5.1 lines, uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UIVA) improved by 2.5 lines, and uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) decreased by 1.2 lines. From 3 months through 1 year, 93% of subjects achieved UNVA of 20/25 or better, 97% achieve UIVA of 20/32 or better, and 95% achieved UDVA of 20/40 or better. Binocularly, the mean UDVA exceeded 20/20 from 3 months through 1 year. Contrast sensitivity loss occurred only at the highest spatial frequencies, with no loss binocularly. Absent or mild scores were reported in 96% of subjects for visual symptoms (glare, halos, double vision, and fluctuations in vision), in 99% for ocular symptoms (pain, light sensitivity, and discomfort), and in 95% for dryness. Adverse events were treatable and resolved. Eighteen inlays were replaced, usually soon after implantation because of decentration, but UNVA was little affected in this group thereafter. In the 11 cases requiring inlay explantations, 100% achieved a corrected distance visual acuity of 20/25 or better by 3 months after explant. CONCLUSIONS: The Raindrop Near Vision Inlay provides significant improvement in near and intermediate visual performance, with no significant change in binocular distance vision or CS. Subject satisfaction is improved significantly with minimal ocular or visual symptoms.

Intraoperative refractive biometry for predicting intraocular lens power calculation after prior myopic refractive surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a new method of intraoperative refractive biometry (IRB) for intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation in eyes undergoing cataract surgery after prior myopic LASIK or photorefractive keratectomy. DESIGN: Retrospective consecutive cases series. PARTICIPANTS: We included 215 patients undergoing cataract surgery with a history of myopic LASIK or photorefractive keratectomy. METHODS: Patients underwent IRB for IOL power estimation. The Optiwave Refractive Analysis (ORA) System wavefront aberrometer was used to obtain aphakic refractive measurements intraoperatively and then calculate the IOL power with a modified vergence formula obtained before refractive surgery. Comparative effectiveness analysis was done for IRB predictive accuracy of IOL power determination against 3 conventional clinical practice methods: surgeon best preoperative choice (determined by the surgeon using all available clinical data), the Haigis L, and the Shammas IOL formulas. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Median absolute error of prediction and percentage of eyes within ±0.50 diopters (D) and ±1.00 D of refractive prediction error. RESULTS: In 246 eyes (215 first eyes and 31 second eyes) IRB using ORA achieved the greatest predictive accuracy (P < 0.0001), with a median absolute error of 0.35 D and mean absolute error of 0.42 D. Sixty-seven percent of eyes were within ±0.5 D and 94% were within ±1.0 D of the IRB's predicted outcome. This was significantly more accurate than the other preoperative methods: Median absolute error was 0.6, 0.53, and 0.51 D for surgeon best choice, Haigis L method, and Shammas method, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The IOL power estimation in challenging eyes with prior LASIK/photorefractive keratectomy was most accurately predicted by IRB/ORA.

Leveraging Text-to-Text Pretrained Language Models for Question Answering in Chemistry.

In this study, we present a question answering (QA) system for chemistry, named Marie, with the use of a text-to-text pretrained language model to attain accurate data retrieval. The underlying data store is "The World Avatar" (TWA), a general world model consisting of a knowledge graph that evolves over time. TWA includes information about chemical species such as their chemical and physical properties, applications, and chemical classifications. Building upon our previous work on KGQA for chemistry, this advanced version of Marie leverages a fine-tuned Flan-T5 model to seamlessly translate natural language questions into SPARQL queries with no separate components for entity and relation linking. The developed QA system demonstrates competence in providing accurate results for complex queries that involve many relation hops as well as showcasing the ability to balance correctness and speed for real-world usage. This new approach offers significant advantages over the prior implementation that relied on knowledge graph embedding. Specifically, the updated system boasts high accuracy and great flexibility in accommodating changes and evolution of the data stored in the knowledge graph without necessitating retraining. Our evaluation results underscore the efficacy of the improved system, highlighting its superior accuracy and the ability in answering complex questions compared to its predecessor.

Pan-cancer discovery of somatic mutations from RNA sequencing data.

Identification of somatic mutations (SMs) is essential for characterizing cancer genomes. While DNA-seq is the prevalent method for identifying SMs, RNA-seq provides an alternative strategy to discover tumor mutations in the transcribed genome. Here, we have developed a machine learning based pipeline to discover SMs based on RNA-seq data (designated as RNA-SMs). Subsequently, we have conducted a pan-cancer analysis to systematically identify RNA-SMs from over 8,000 tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). In this way, we have identified over 105,000 novel SMs that had not been reported in previous TCGA studies. These novel SMs have significant clinical implications in designing targeted therapy for improved patient outcomes. Further, we have combined the SMs identified by both RNA-seq and DNA-seq analyses to depict an updated mutational landscape across 32 cancer types. This new online SM atlas, OncoDB ( https://oncodb.org ), offers a more complete view of gene mutations that underline the development and progression of various cancers.