Topic Review
Prism Fusion Range
The prism fusion range (PFR) or fusional vergence amplitude is a clinical eye test performed by orthoptists, optometrists, and ophthalmologists to assess motor fusion, specifically the extent to which a patient can maintain binocular single vision (BSV) in the presence of increasing vergence demands. Motor fusion is largely accounted to amplitudes of fusional vergences and relative fusional vergences. Fusional vergence is the maximum vergence movement enabling BSV and the limit is at the point of diplopia (double vision). Relative fusional vergence is the maximum vergence movement enabling a patient to see a comfortable clear image and the limit is represented by the first point of blur. These motor fusion functions should fall within average values so that BSV can be comfortably achieved. Excessive stress on the vergence system or inability to converge or diverge adequately can lead to asthenopic symptoms, which generally result from decompensation of latent deviations (heterophoria) or loss of control of ocular misalignments. Motor anomalies can be managed in various ways, however, in order to commence treatment, motor fusion testing such as the PFR is required. The PFR involves placing a prism bar in front of an eye. In a patient with BSV, a natural shift of the eye occurs. When measuring horizontal fusion ranges, base in prisms assess fusional divergence while base out prisms assess fusional convergence. The vertical fusional vergence amplitude can also be measured with base up and base down prisms although the horizontal PFR is typically the main focus when testing. When performing the PFR, prism strengths are increased, placing greater demand on the vergence system, eventually resulting in a break point accompanying diplopia. Break point, recovery and blur are key aspects of this assessment. The break point occurs at the loss of BSV, recovery point when BSV is regained from break and blur point is at the loss of comfortable BSV. These stops can be subjectively indicated when the patient notices a double or blurred image. Both subjective and objective measurements can be considered however the examiner's objective observation is the gold standard.
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  • 02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep without atonia (RSWA) is the polysomnographic (PSG) hallmark of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a feature essential for the diagnosis of this condition.
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  • 24 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Antisocial Disorders
Transdiagnostic causal variables have been identified that have allowed understanding the origin and maintenance of psychopathologies in parsimonious explanatory models of antisocial disorders. However, it is necessary to systematize the information published in the last decade. The main findings indicated that at a structural level there is a general psychopathological factor (psychopathy or externalizing), non-emotional callousness and impulsivity from behavioral inhibition and activation systems, and negative affect traits as base structures. In the emotional level, the study found a risk component from emotional dysregulation and experiential avoidance. In the cognitive level, a key role of anger-rumination and violent ideation as explanatory variables of antisocial disorders. We concluded that the interaction of these identified variables makes it possible to generate an evidence-based transdiagnostic model.
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  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is characterized by a high rate of cure, but also by a non-negligible probability of recurrence and risk progression to muscle-invasive disease. NMIBC management requires a proper local resection and staging, followed by a risk-based treatment with intravesical agents. For many years, the current gold standard treatment for patients with intermediate or high-risk disease is transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) followed by intravesical bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) instillations. Unfortunately, in about half of high-risk patients, intravesical BCG treatment fails and NMIBC persists or recurs early. While radical cystectomy remains the gold standard for these patients, new therapeutic targets are being individuated and studied. Radical cystectomy in fact can provide an excellent long-term disease control, but can deeply interfere with quality of life. In particular, the enhanced immune checkpoints expression shown in BCG-unresponsive patients and the activity of immune checkpoints inhibitors (ICIs) in advanced bladder cancer provided the rationale for testing ICIs in NMIBC. Recently, pembrolizumab has shown promising activity in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC patients, obtaining FDA approval. Meanwhile multiple novel drugs with alternative mechanisms of action have proven to be safe and effective in NMIBC treatment and others are under investigation.
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  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Retard Progression of CKD
Chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined as the presence of irreversible structural or functional kidney damages, increases the risk of poor outcomes due to its association with multiple complications, including altered mineral metabolism, anemia, metabolic acidosis, and increased cardiovascular events. The mainstay of treatments for CKD lies in the prevention of the development and progression of CKD as well as its complications.
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  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
ACT Therapy for Solid Tumors
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs) has emerged as a promising therapy for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic solid tumors. One challenge to finding a universal anticancer treatment is the heterogeneity present between different tumors as a result of genetic instability associated with tumorigenesis. As the epitome of personalized medicine, TIL-ACT bypasses the issue of intertumoral heterogeneity by utilizing the patient’s existing antitumor immune response. Despite being one of the few therapies capable of inducing durable, complete tumor regression, many patients fail to respond. Recent research has focused on increasing therapeutic efficacy by refining various aspects of the TIL protocol, which includes the isolation, ex vivo expansion, and subsequent infusion of tumor specific lymphocytes.
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  • 05 May 2021
Topic Review
Almond, Hazelnut, Pistachio and their Skin
Nuts are dry, single-seeded fruits, with a combination of beneficial compounds that aid in disease prevention and treatment. Nuts’ skins are a good source of antioxidants thanks to the presence of polyphenolic compounds and other phytochemicals that can delay or inhibit lipid oxidation and neutralization of free radicals, contributing to disease prevention and treatments. Almond, hazelnut, pistachio are three very typical and common nuts.
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  • 02 Nov 2022
Topic Review
The Genetics of Hereditary Angioedema
Hereditary angioedema is a rare inherited disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of the accumulation of fluids outside of the blood vessels, causing rapid swelling of tissues in the hands, feet, limbs, face, intestinal tract, or airway.
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  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Plant Polyphenols (PPs)
Polyphenols (PPs) are the naturally occurring bioactive components in fruits and vegetables, and they are the most abundant antioxidant in the human diet.
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  • 24 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Tumor Microenvironment in melanoma
Antitumor therapies have made great strides in recent decades. Chemotherapy, aggressive and unable to discriminate cancer from healthy cells, has given way to personalized treatments that, recognizing and blocking specific molecular targets, have paved the way for targeted and effective therapies. Melanoma was one of the first tumor types to benefit from this new care frontier by introducing specific inhibitors for v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), v-kit Hardy–Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KIT), and, recently, immunotherapy. However, despite the progress made in the melanoma treatment, primary and/or acquired drug resistance remains an unresolved problem. The molecular dynamics that promote this phenomenon are very complex but several studies have shown that the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays, certainly, a key role. In this review, we will describe the new melanoma treatment approaches and we will analyze the mechanisms by which TME promotes resistance to targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
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  • 21 Oct 2020
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