Search

Due to their similarities in anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology to humans, mice are a valuable model system to study the generation and mechanisms modulating conventional outflow resistance and thus intraocular pressure. In addition, mouse models are critical for understanding the complex nature of conventional outflow homeostasis and dysfunction that results in ocular hypertension. In this review, we describe a set of minimum acceptable standards for developing, characterizing, and utilizing mouse models of open-angle ocular hypertension. We expect that this set of standard practices will increase scientific rigor when using mouse models and will better enable researchers to replicate and build upon previous findings.

Objectives: To determine the accuracy, precision, and clinical applicability of the ICare® TONOVET Plus (TVP) in cats. Animals and Procedures: IOP readings obtained with the TVP were compared to values obtained concurrently with the original TONOVET (TV01) and Tono‐Pen Vet™ (TP) in 12 normal cats (24 eyes) and 8 glaucomatous LTBP2‐mutant cats (13 eyes) in vivo. Reproducibility of TVP readings was also assessed for three observers in the above cats. The anterior chambers of five different normal cat eyes were cannulated ex vivo. IOP was measured with the TVP, TV01, and TP at manometric IOPs ranging from 5 to 70 mmHg. Data were analyzed by linear regression, ANOVA and Bland–Altman plots. ANOVA was used to assess reproducibility of TVP readings obtained by different observers and an ANCOVA model controlled for variation of individual cats. p <.05 was considered significant. Results: TVP values strongly correlated with TV01 values (y = 1.045x + 1.443, R2 =.9667). The TP significantly underestimated IOP relative to the TVP and TV01, particularly at high IOP. IOP values obtained by 1 observer were significantly higher (~1 mmHg average) compared to the other 2 observers via ANCOVA analysis (p =.0006479 and p =.0203). Relative to manometry, the TVP and TV01 were significantly more accurate (p <.0001) and precise (p <.0070) than the TP in ex vivo eyes. Conclusions: IOP readings obtained with the TVP and TV01 are broadly interchangeable between models and between observers, but subtle differences may be important in a research context. TP readings vastly underestimate high IOP in feline glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detailed measures collected longitudinally in the BRHS will allow the prospective study of risk factors and will help in establishing the relationship between oral health, behaviours and age-related health outcomes in older adults. Moreover, being one of the very few population-based epidemiological studies of older adults to have a physical examination of oral health in 2010-12, the BRHS data have been used to provide estimates of the burden of poor oral health in older British men which, among other BRHS publications, have received considerable media attention.[36] A full list of peer-reviewed publications is available at [https://www.ucl.ac.uk/british-regional-heart-study]. At the 30-year follow-up, when the cohort were aged 71-92 years (2010-12), the data collection addressed a wider range of disease, health conditions and determinants relevant to CVD and healthy ageing. Key Features The British Regional Heart Study (BRHS) consists of an all-male cohort of 7735 participants aged 40-59 years, first recruited in 1978-80 and followed up over 40 years to 2018. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: This study explored the feasibility of conducting a classroom-based active breaks intervention on sedentary behavior (SB), physical activity (PA) and attention in 8–12-year-old children. Methods: Eight schools were randomized on a 1:1 basis to the control or intervention. Teachers selected 10 cards detailing an activity break at random. Children then undertook each of the ten activity breaks for 30 s, three times per day for 6 weeks. School and participant recruitment, attrition rates, percentage of outcome measures collected, and acceptability were used to explore the feasibility of the study. Mixed effects models were undertaken to examine intervention effects upon measures of PA, SB and attention. Results: Two hundred and thirty-nine consent forms were issued and 153 were returned (64%). Of the 153 consents, 146 children (95%) were measured at baseline, and 117 participated in the follow-up measures (80%) 6 weeks later suggesting the intervention was acceptable for the participants. From teacher interviews, it was noted that the intervention was feasible to implement, and teachers observed positive classroom behavior changes in children. Inclusion rates for outcome measures ranged from 49% to 66%. Significant, intervention effects were observed for sitting time (B = −27.19; 95%CI: −36.84, −17.17), standing time (B = 23.51; 95%CI 14.1, 32.45) and the number of sit to stand transitions (B = 16.1; 95%CI 4.7, 26.79). Conclusion: Findings suggest that it was feasible and acceptable to implement an active breaks intervention within the classroom setting. Future work should consider the effectiveness of implementing this intervention across a full academic year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Physical inactivity and overweight status has been linked to low socioeconomic status (SES) in youth. Parents are known to influence both their child's weight and physical activity (PA). The relationship between parent and child PA is of interest to many researchers; however, previous research typically relies on self-reported measures. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parent and child moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and body mass index (BMI) in a sample of children (4–11 years old) using wrist-worn accelerometers and to explore mediating processes by which SES influences child MVPA and BMI through their parents MVPA and BMI. Methods: Parent and child dyads (n = 174) wore an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer on their non-dominant wrist for 7 days. Mediation analyses were conducted to understand the indirect relationships between SES and child MVPA and BMI. Results: Weekend parent and child MVPA was significantly related (p <.01). Parent and child BMIs were also significantly related (p <.001). There was a significant negative direct effect of SES on child BMI (p <.05). Additionally, we observed a significant negative indirect effect of SES on child BMI via their parents BMI (B = −.04, SE.02, 95% CI = −.07 to −.01). Conclusions: Whilst parent and child MVPA were significantly related during the weekend, there were no associations between SES and MVPA. Future interventions aiming to improve health outcomes in children should consider the influence SES can have as well as parental activity on children's weekend MVPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is highly prevalent in dogs and is often refractory to medical therapy. We hypothesized that pathology affecting the post‐trabecular conventional aqueous outflow pathway contributes to persistent intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation in dogs with PACG. The goal of this study was to determine the potential for aqueous angiography (AA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) to identify abnormalities in post‐trabecular aqueous outflow pathways in canine PACG. Methods: AA and anterior segment OCT (Spectralis HRA + OCT) were performed ex vivo in 19 enucleated canine eyes (10 normal eyes and 9 irreversibly blind eyes from canine patients enucleated for management of refractory PACG). Eyes were cannulated and maintained at physiologic IOP (10–20 mmHg) prior to intracameral infusion of fluorescent tracer. OCT scleral line scans were acquired in regions of high and low perilimbal AA signal. Eyes were then perfusion fixed and cryosections prepared from 10/10 normal and 7/9 PACG eyes and immunolabeled for a vascular endothelial marker. Results: Normal canine eyes showed segmental, circumferential limbal AA signal, whereas PACG eyes showed minimal or no AA signal. AA signal correlated with scleral lumens on OCT in normal dogs, but lumens were generally absent or flattened in PACG eyes. Collapsed vascular profiles were identified in tissue sections from PACG eyes, including those in which no lumens were identified on AA and OCT. Conclusions: In canine eyes with PACG, distal aqueous outflow channels are not identifiable by AA, despite normalization of their IOP, and intra‐scleral vascular profiles are collapsed on OCT and histopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Raw acceleration data lend themselves to innovative metrics in which comparisons can be made across populations. This study examined whether the intensity gradient (IG) or average acceleration (AvAcc) was associated with body mass index (BMI) in children and adults and explored parent–child associations between time spent in physical activity intensities and BMI. Methods: Parent–child dyads (n = 90) wore a wrist-mounted ActiGraph GT3X+ monitor for ≥ 3 valid days (i.e., ≥ 16 hrs each day). Participants' BMI was calculated. Results: Girls' BMI-z scores were positively associated with parent BMI and inactive time. Parent BMI was negatively associated with boys' inactive time. Parental inactive time predicted girls' BMI-z scores. The metrics were not associated with parent BMI, and no independent effects were observed between the metrics. Associations between boys' IG and BMI z-score were observed. No independent effects were observed between the metrics and no significant associations were observed between boys' BMI z-score and AvAcc. Girls' AvAcc and IG were not associated with BMI z-score and no independent effects were observed between the metrics. Conclusion: Findings support previous research which suggests that parent's activity does not influence their child's activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guidelines were developed to assist authors when planning studies and preparing manuscripts for submission to I Veterinary Ophthalmology i and to help ensure that manuscripts published in I Veterinary Ophthalmology i are of the highest ethical standards. I Veterinary Ophthalmolog i y is an international journal with international authors and readership. At the request of readership and supporting membership organizations, the Editorial Board of I Veterinary Ophthalmology i has created, and recently approved, the guidelines for ethical research in veterinary ophthalmology (GERVO). [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify a robust, representative region of interest (ROI) for studies of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) soma loss in feline congenital glaucoma (FCG), a spontaneous, large-eyed glaucoma model., Methods: Seven FCG and three wild-type (wt) eyes were collected from 10 adult cats of both sexes. Eyes enucleated postmortem were immediately fixed overnight in 4% paraformaldehyde and then stored in 0.1 M PBS at 4 °C. The retinas were wholemounted, Nissl stained with cresyl violet, and imaged using light microscopy. Somas of RGCs were manually identified according to long-established morphological criteria and quantified using a semiautomated method; their coordinates were used to create density maps and plots of the retinal topography. The RGC axon counts for the corresponding eyes were obtained from glutaraldehyde-fixed, resin-embedded optic nerve cross-sections stained with 0.1% p-phenylenediamine (PPD) using a semiautomated counting method. Correlations between total optic nerve axons and RGC soma counts were assessed by linear regression. A k-means cluster algorithm was used to identify a retinal ROI, with further definition using a probability density algorithm., Results: Interindividual variability in RGC total soma counts was more pronounced in FCG cats (mean = 83,244, range: 0-155,074) than in wt cats (mean = 117,045, range: 97,373-132,972). In general, RGC soma counts were lower in FCG cats than they were in wt cats. RGC axon counts in the optic nerve cross-sections were lower than, but strongly correlated to, the total RGC soma count across all cats (in wt and FCG retinas; R 2 = 0.88) and solely FCG eyes (R 2 = 0.92). The k-means cluster algorithm indicated a region of the greatest mean difference between the normal wt retinas and FCG-affected retinas within the temporal retina, incorporating the region of the area centralis., Conclusions: As in other species, RGC soma count and topography are heterogeneous between individual cats, but we identified an ROI in the temporal retina for future studies of RGC soma loss or preservation in a large-eyed model of congenital glaucoma. Many of the methods refined and established to facilitate studies in this FCG model will be broadly applicable to studies in other large-eyed models., (Copyright © 2021 Molecular Vision.)