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Retinopathy of prematurity is a leading cause of preventable childhood vision loss, and infants remain at risk of long-term ocular complications even after ROP screening concludes. However, adherence to recommended pediatric ophthalmology follow-up after ROP screening completion is not well characterized. This study aimed to evaluate adherence to pediatric ophthalmology follow-up visits after completion of ROP screening and identify factors associated with loss to follow-up in a tertiary care setting. We performed a retrospective chart review of premature infants eligible for ROP screening at a single urban academic center between January 2018 and December 2021. All infants were screened by a single vitreoretinal specialist, with pediatric ophthalmology follow-up recommended at the time of ROP clearance within 4 to 6 months. The primary outcome was a documented follow-up visit with pediatric ophthalmology. Demographic, perinatal, and ROP-related factors were compared between those who did and did not follow up, using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Of 475 eligible infants, 223 (46.9%) completed at least one pediatric ophthalmology follow-up appointment. In multivariate analysis, outpatient discharge from ROP care (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.45-0.97, p = 0.035) and higher gestational age (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.84-1.00, p = 0.041) were significantly associated with lower adherence to follow-up. Timing of follow-up (pre-COVID-19 vs COVID-19 era), insurance status, race, ethnicity, number of comorbidities, and distance to the clinic were not significantly associated with follow-up adherence. Fewer than half of infants completed their recommended pediatric ophthalmology follow-up appointments after ROP screening completion. Lower adherence among infants discharged from outpatient ROP care and those born at higher gestational ages highlights a critical care transition from ROP screening to pediatric ophthalmology. Interventions such as scheduling follow-up appointments prior to discharge and improving caregiver education may enhance continuity of care and reduce preventable vision loss in this vulnerable population.

Face mask-wearing practices and their impact on the visual field bear particular importance in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era. This case series examines 10 participants with no history of ocular impairment or visual field defects who underwent age-corrected visual field testing in both eyes with different types of face masks. Wearing duckbill N95 masks was consistently associated with increased accuracy errors in the inferior altitudinal visual field when compared to wearing surgical masks or no masks. These findings support public health guidance that has previously attributed the risks of falls and accidents to face mask wearing.

Non-immersive, technology-based mindfulness meditation programs have been shown to effectively reduce depressive symptoms and improve the emotional health of older adults. Still, little research has been conducted to assess the mental health benefits of an immersive virtual reality meditation (IVRM) program among persons living with dementia (PLWD). The present study investigates the impact of the IVRM on depression, emotional health, and quality of life among PLWD. This study is based on a single-arm design. PLWD (n=8) received six sessions (three times a week for 2 weeks) of an IVRM program lasting 30-40 minutes each. The IVRM program is used as an individualized, customized meditation tool that provides more than 300 audio tracks, meditation process monitoring, and a selection of meditation environments. The findings indicated significant changes between pre and post interventions, showing a decrease in depression (M = 2.25, SD = 2.12; t(7) = 3.0, p <.05, d = 1.06) and an increase in emotional health (M = -3.87, SD = 4.05; t(7) = -2.71, p <.05, d = -0.95). However, a significant difference was not found in quality of life. This study provides suggestive evidence that the IVRM program led to the improvement in emotional health and a reduction in depression among PLWD. Healthcare professionals need to become more aware of the impact of the use of individualized VR-based meditation programs and learn how they might be integrated into their services to improve the emotional health and well-being of their clients.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) poses a significant public health concern, and exposures to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM[sub.2.5] ) and carbon dioxide (CO[sub.2] ) could have detrimental health impacts. This study focused on assessing the indoor air pollutants in a residential house located in the town of Mission, Hidalgo County, South Texas, USA. The PM[sub.2.5] and CO[sub.2] were monitored indoors: the kitchen and the bedroom. This investigation also aimed to elucidate the effects of household activities such as cooking and human occupancy on these pollutants. Low-cost sensors (LCSs) from TSI AirAssure™ were used in this study. They were deployed within the breathing zone at approximately 1.5 m above the ground. Calibration of the low-cost sensors against Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) instruments was undertaken using a multiple linear regression method (MLR) model to improve the data accuracy. The indoor PM[sub.2.5] levels were significantly influenced by cooking activities, with the peak PM[sub.2.5] concentrations reaching up to 118.45 μg/m[sup.3] . The CO[sub.2] levels in the bedroom increased during the occupant’s sleeping period, reaching as high as 1149.73 ppm. The health risk assessment was assessed through toxicity potential (TP) calculations for the PM[sub.2.5] concentrations. TP values of 0.21 and 0.20 were obtained in the kitchen and bedroom, respectively. The TP values were below the health hazard threshold (i.e., TP < 1). These low TP values could be attributed to the use of electric stoves and efficient ventilation systems. This research highlights the effectiveness of low-cost sensors for continuous IAQ monitoring and helps promote better awareness of and necessary interventions for salubrious indoor microenvironments.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) poses a significant public health concern, and exposures to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO2) could have detrimental health impacts. This study focused on assessing the indoor air pollutants in a residential house located in the town of Mission, Hidalgo County, South Texas, USA. The PM2.5 and CO2 were monitored indoors: the kitchen and the bedroom. This investigation also aimed to elucidate the effects of household activities such as cooking and human occupancy on these pollutants. Low-cost sensors (LCSs) from TSI AirAssure™ were used in this study. They were deployed within the breathing zone at approximately 1.5 m above the ground. Calibration of the low-cost sensors against Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) instruments was undertaken using a multiple linear regression method (MLR) model to improve the data accuracy. The indoor PM2.5 levels were significantly influenced by cooking activities, with the peak PM2.5 concentrations reaching up to 118.45 μg/m3. The CO2 levels in the bedroom increased during the occupant’s sleeping period, reaching as high as 1149.73 ppm. The health risk assessment was assessed through toxicity potential (TP) calculations for the PM2.5 concentrations. TP values of 0.21 and 0.20 were obtained in the kitchen and bedroom, respectively. The TP values were below the health hazard threshold (i.e., TP < 1). These low TP values could be attributed to the use of electric stoves and efficient ventilation systems. This research highlights the effectiveness of low-cost sensors for continuous IAQ monitoring and helps promote better awareness of and necessary interventions for salubrious indoor microenvironments.

Depressive symptoms are prevalent among older adults and may be early manifestations of Alzheimer disease (AD) before onset of mild cognitive impairment. However, it remains unclear whether worsening depressive symptoms in the presence of AD pathology are associated with cognitive decline in older adults. To determine the longitudinal association between depressive symptoms, cognition, and cortical amyloid in community-dwelling older adults. Participants from the Harvard Aging Brain Study, a cohort study, underwent annual assessments of depression and cognition and baseline cortical amyloid measurement (mean, 4.42 years; range, 2-7 years). Data collection was from September 2010 to August 2017 in a convenience sample of community-dwelling adults (276 participants, all cognitively unimpaired) with at most mild depression at entry. Depression (Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS]), cognition (Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite [PACC]), and a continuous measure of cortical amyloid (Pittsburgh Compound-B positron emission tomography imaging). Change in GDS and baseline amyloid were examined as interactive predictors of PACC decline in a linear mixed model with backward elimination, adjusting for age, sex, and education. Participants were 164 women and 112 men (mean [SD] age, 73.5 [6.0] years). At baseline, the mean (SD) GDS score was 3.0 (2.8) (range, 0-12), the mean (SD) PACC score was -0.004 (0.67) (range, -2.32 to 1.88), and the mean (SD) amyloid positron emission tomography distribution volume ratio was 1.16 (0.20) (range, 0.92-1.94). At last follow-up, the mean (SD) GDS score was 3.9 (2.9) (range, 0-12), and the mean (SD) PACC score was -0.09 (1.27) (range, -5.66 to 1.67). The interaction between cortical amyloid and increasing GDS was associated with declining cognition (β = -0.19; 95% CI, -0.27 to -0.12; P < .001). In this study, cortical amyloid moderated the association between worsening depressive symptoms and declining cognition in older adults. While future work is needed to better understand causal associations, these findings may enhance early detection and prevention of AD clinical symptoms.

Face mask-wearing practices and their impact on the visual field bear particular importance in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era. This case series examines 10 participants with no history of ocular impairment or visual field defects who underwent age-corrected visual field testing in both eyes with different types of face masks. Wearing duckbill N95 masks was consistently associated with increased accuracy errors in the inferior altitudinal visual field when compared to wearing surgical masks or no masks. These findings support public health guidance that has previously attributed the risks of falls and accidents to face mask wearing.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown promise in hematologic malignancies, but its application to solid tumors has been challenging 1 , 2 , 3 – 4 . Given the unique effector functions of macrophages and their capacity to penetrate tumors 5 , we genetically engineered human macrophages with CARs to direct their phagocytic activity against tumors. We found that a chimeric adenoviral vector overcame the inherent resistance of primary human macrophages to genetic manipulation and imparted a sustained pro-inflammatory (M1) phenotype. CAR macrophages (CAR-Ms) demonstrated antigen-specific phagocytosis and tumor clearance in vitro. In two solid tumor xenograft mouse models, a single infusion of human CAR-Ms decreased tumor burden and prolonged overall survival. Characterization of CAR-M activity showed that CAR-Ms expressed pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, converted bystander M2 macrophages to M1, upregulated antigen presentation machinery, recruited and presented antigen to T cells and resisted the effects of immunosuppressive cytokines. In humanized mouse models, CAR-Ms were further shown to induce a pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment and boost anti-tumor T cell activity. Primary macrophages engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors have anti-tumor activity in humanized mice.

Aziridines—three-membered nitrogen-containing cyclic molecules—are important synthetic targets. Their substantial ring strain and resultant proclivity towards ring-opening reactions makes them versatile precursors of diverse amine products 1 – 3 , and, in some cases, the aziridine functional group itself imbues important biological (for example, anti-tumour) activity 4 – 6 . Transformation of ubiquitous alkenes into aziridines is an attractive synthetic strategy, but is typically accomplished using electrophilic nitrogen sources rather than widely available amine nucleophiles. Here we show that unactivated alkenes can be electrochemically transformed into a metastable, dicationic intermediate that undergoes aziridination with primary amines under basic conditions. This new approach expands the scope of readily accessible N -alkyl aziridine products relative to those obtained through existing state-of-the-art methods. A key strategic advantage of this approach is that oxidative alkene activation is decoupled from the aziridination step, enabling a wide range of commercially available but oxidatively sensitive 7 amines to act as coupling partners for this strain-inducing transformation. More broadly, our work lays the foundations for a diverse array of difunctionalization reactions using this dication pool approach. The synthesis of aziridines—three-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles—is achieved by a new method involving the electrochemical coupling of alkenes and amines, via a dicationic intermediate.