Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States. The Cure Sickle Cell Initiative (CureSCi) was created by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to improve the lives of people with SCD by accelerating the advancement of safe and promising genetic therapies, engaging the SCD community and healthcare providers, and encouraging collaboration among stakeholders. CureSCi is a collaborative, patient-focused research effort that includes patients at every level of the Initiative. Patient engagement is a key component, particularly during the development of clinical trials.

To describe the processes and strategies utilized by the CureSCi to engage individuals living with SCD about genetic therapy clinical trials.

The CureSCi Patient Engagement team conducted nine Community Outreach visits in 2019, each of which was structured to include separate group interviews with patients and medical providers. A set of guidance questions was developed for each audience and the interviews lasted approximately 60 minutes.

Patients were asked about their participation in a clinical trial, and approximately 50% had participated in a trial. SCD individuals reported trusting their medical provider to provide them with information relevant to trials. Medical providers emphasized the individual, family, and health aspects of SCD that warrant additional investigation. Providers reported barriers encountered by patients as transportation, childcare support, infertility, and trust in the healthcare system.

Lessons learned from the community have helped to influence recommendations for clinical trial design and key messaging development for the Cure Sickle Cell Initiative.

Lessons learned from the community have helped to influence recommendations for clinical trial design and key messaging development for the Cure Sickle Cell Initiative.

To evaluate changes in biometric variables and intraocular lens (IOL) calculation results after posterior chamber phakic IOL (PCPIOL) implantation.

This retrospective, observational study included 65 eyes of 38 patients who underwent PCPIOL (EVO Visian ICL) implantation for correction of myopia. Prior to and a minimum of one year (mean 14.9 months) after EVO Visian ICL implantation, biometric variables and IOL calculation results were compared. Optical biometry, including anterior chamber depth, axial length, flat, steep, and mean keratometry values and IOL calculation results for the Holladay 2, Hoffer Q, Haigis, and SRK/T formulas were measured using the IOLMaster 700 SWEPT Source OCT biometer.

The mean anterior chamber depth decreased from 3.70±0.22mm to 3.34±0.39mm, the mean axial length increased from 26.61±1.61mm to 26.71±1.66mm, and the mean flat keratometry changed from 42.82±1.86 D to 42.73±1.83 D. These changes were statistically significant. The mean IOL power calculation also revealed a statistically significant decrease with all four formulas (ranging from 0.19 D to 0.30 D) after PCPIOL implantation.

Biometric variables and IOL calculation results showed statistically significant changes one year after EVO Visian ICL implantations. However, IOL power calculations yielded a decrease of less than 0.50 D, inducing much less refractive deviation in the spectacle plane; and the change was primarily related to an increase in AL measurements. IOL power calculations in eyes with EVO Visian ICL in situ provided satisfactory and reliable results.

Biometric variables and IOL calculation results showed statistically significant changes one year after EVO Visian ICL implantations. However, IOL power calculations yielded a decrease of less than 0.50 D, inducing much less refractive deviation in the spectacle plane; and the change was primarily related to an increase in AL measurements. IOL power calculations in eyes with EVO Visian ICL in situ provided satisfactory and reliable results.

To determine the effect of two distinct intravitreal injection (IVI) techniques on the frequency of vitreous reflux (VR) and on treatment response at cumulative dosages in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) patients.

Ninety-three eyes of 93 nAMD patients were included in the study. IVI was performed in 47 eyes using the straight technique (ST) and 46 eyes with the tunneled technique (TT). Patients received three loading doses of intravitreal bevacizumab, and substantial VR was noted for each IVI. Central (CMT), 1mm (MT1), and 3mm (MT3) macular thicknesses were measured before and after treatment. VR frequency and treatment response were compared in both groups, and correlation analysis was performed.

Post-treatment VR was seen in 91 of 141 IVI with the ST and 33 of 138 IVI with the TT. The decrease in CMT, MT1, and MT3 after treatment with the ST was 121.4±92.5μm, 65.3±50.6μm, 28.8±30.8μm, respectively, and with the TT was 114.0±97.5μm, 67.8±72.6μm, and 27.1±31.4μm, respectively. The ST substantially increased the rate of VR compared to the TT (P<0.001), whereas the decrease in CMT, MT1, and MT3 did not vary significantly (P>0.05). There was no correlation between VR rate and decreases in CMT, MT1, or MT3 (P>0.05).

According to our findings, the ST resulted in a higher frequency of VR than the TT, but VR did not affect the treatment response, despite multiple doses. Complication rates were negligible with both approaches. As a result, it appears that practitioners may use either IVI approach.

According to our findings, the ST resulted in a higher frequency of VR than the TT, but VR did not affect the treatment response, despite multiple doses. Complication rates were negligible with both approaches. As a result, it appears that practitioners may use either IVI approach.

Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for cataract and other ailments, including heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cannabis smoke, like tobacco smoke, contains a comparable variety of carcinogenic and toxic compounds.

In the present study, we analyzed UK Biobank data to determine whether smoking cannabis, like cigarettes, might be related to cataract.

Our analysis included all UK Biobank subjects with cataracts and information on cannabis and cigarette smoking habits. The diagnosis of cataract was ascertained using the 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD10), H25. The age at diagnosis of cataract was obtained from UK Biobank data field 4700. Cannabis information was recorded in UK Biobank category 143, data field 20453, ever taken cannabis.

Subjects who used cannabis 11-100 times or more were significantly younger (4-5 years) when they developed cataract than subjects who never used cannabis. To determine the relationship of cucal compounds. Cannabis tar is chemically similar to tar found in tobacco smoke, and over fifty known carcinogens have been identified in cannabis smoke, including nitrosamines, reactive aldehydes, and polycyclic hydrocarbons. Thus, the association of cannabis with cataract that we report here is not entirely surprising. Further studies are warranted.

Like tobacco smoke, cannabis smoke contains thousands of organic and inorganic chemical compounds. Cannabis tar is chemically similar to tar found in tobacco smoke, and over fifty known carcinogens have been identified in cannabis smoke, including nitrosamines, reactive aldehydes, and polycyclic hydrocarbons. Thus, the association of cannabis with cataract that we report here is not entirely surprising. Further studies are warranted.

To determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of age-related macular degeneration in patients in Yaoundé.

A multicenter, analytical and cross-sectional study was carried out from March 2017 to June 2018 in four hospitals in the city of Yaoundé. Included were all consenting patients aged at least 40 years with an established diagnosis of AMD both clinically and by imaging. The data were analyzed with CSPro software version 7.0. Chi

and Student’s „t” tests in univariate mode and logistic regression in multivariate mode were used with a significance of P≤5%.

Of the 9,989 patients who were seen during the 16-month study period, 38 met our inclusion criteria – a frequency of 0.4%. The sex ratio was 0.3, and the mean age was 68±11 years. As a function of geographic origin, AMD is more common in patients from the forest and mountain areas. The systemic comorbidities associated recorded were hypertension (47.4%) and diabetes (21.1%). After optical correction, 60 of 76 eyes (78.9%) had useful visual acuity according to WHO criteria, and the rate of blindness was 9.2%. Fundus examination revealed fewer lesions than optical coherence tomography, which demonstrated miliary drusen in 57 (75%) eyes, serous drusen in 27 (35.5%), retinal atrophy in 19 (25%) and neovascularization in 3 (3.9%). The clinical forms were dominated by age-related maculopathy, found in 45 eyes (69.2%), followed by atrophic AMD in 17 (26.2%) and finally by exudative AMD in 3 (4.6%), for a total of 65 out of 76 eyes. Age was related to the risk of MLA and atrophic AMD (P≤0.05).

AMD is an uncommon pathology in our setting, predominant in women over the age of 60 years.

AMD is an uncommon pathology in our setting, predominant in women over the age of 60 years.

Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Tobacco smoke contains a variety of chemicals, including nicotine, free radicals, and carbon monoxide, all of which can play a role in the development of POAG. Cannabis smoke, like tobacco smoke, contains a comparable variety of carcinogenic and toxic compounds. In the present study, we analyzed UK Biobank data to determine whether smoking cannabis, like cigarettes, might be related to POAG.

Our analysis included all subjects with glaucoma and cannabis smoking information. Data processing was performed on Minerva, a Linux mainframe with Centos 7.6, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. We used the UK Biobank Data Parser (ukbb parser), a python-based package that allows easy interfacing with the large UK Biobank dataset. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 25 and R.

Subjects who used cannabis 100 times or more were significantly younger (10years) when they developed glaucoma than subjects who never usferent from those of inhaled tobacco smoke. Cannabis reduces intraocular pressure but accelerates glaucoma development. Cannabis does not increase risk of glaucoma. Cigarette smoking increases risk of glaucoma and significantly accelerates glaucoma development. Apparently, early use of cannabis leads to the earlier development of glaucoma.

Firearms and motor vehicle collisions (MVC) are leading causes of mortality in children. We hypothesized that firearm injuries would have a higher mortality than MVCs in children and a higher level of resource utilization METHODS Trauma patients <18 years old at a Level 1 pediatric trauma center sustaining gunshot wounds (GSW) or MVCs 2009-2019 were included. The primary outcome was mortality. The secondary outcome was immediate surgery. The California Department of Public Health’s Overall Injury Surveillance tool was queried for patients <18 with GSW or MVC 2006-2015 to compare statewide case fatality rates (CFRs), and analyze proportions of GSWs by intent assault, self-inflicted, and unintentional.

Of 13,840 pediatric trauma patients at our institution, 295 GSWs (2.1%) and 4467 MVCs (32.3%) were included. Mortality was higher for GSWs (7.5% vs. 0.8%, p<0.0001). GSW patients were more likely to require immediate surgery (34.4% vs. 11.2%, p<0.0001). On multivariable analysis, GSW patients were 7.