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Abstract Aim To explore the experiences of Nigerian nurses in research and scholarly endeavours. Design Descriptive phenomenological qualitative study design. Method In‐depth interviews were conducted among 30 nurses until data saturation was reached. Data were analysed using the thematic analysis method, and consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research guidelines (COREQ) were adhered to in reporting this study. Results Three themes emerged: (1) challenges of nurses with research; (2) the state of nursing research in Lagos state; (3) strategies to improve the state of nursing research in Lagos state. Some challenges nurses in Lagos State encounter with research include heavy workload and nursing shortage due to brain drain, faulty research foundation, lack of continuing education in research and the stressful nature of conducting research in Lagos. Conclusion As research is essential in addressing healthcare challenges, policymakers are encouraged to employ more nurses to reduce the workload and provide time for research activities. Training and continuing education in research can be incorporated into professional development programmes. Lagos State will benefit from nursing research units in the hospitals, and a coordinating centre for the units should be provided with adequate funding. Support could be obtained from the Institute of Nursing Research Nigeria in establishing these structures. Hospital management should embrace and welcome research output from nurses and ensure such results are implemented to improve patients' care. Nurses who excel in research might be recognised with awards and other incentives to inspire their peers.

Subhasish Pramanik,1,* Chinmay Saha,1,2,* Subhankar Chowdhury,1 Chiranjit Bose,1 Nitai P Bhattacharyya,1 Lakshmi Kanta Mondal3 1Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, 700020, West Bengal, India; 2Genome Science, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Kalyani, Nadia, 741235, West Bengal, India; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical College Campus, Kolkata, 700 073, West Bengal, India*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Subhankar ChowdhuryDepartment of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, 700020, West Bengal, India, Email subhankar.chowdhury@gmail.comLakshmi Kanta MondalDepartment of Ophthalmology, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical College Campus, 88, College Street, Kolkata, 700 073, West Bengal, India, Email lakshmi.mondal62@gmail.comPurpose: Diabetic retinopathy (DR), the leading cause of blindness among working adults, is an urgent public health problem as diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing at an alarming rate. Hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction is the principal contributing factor leading to the development of microangiopathy. Altered levels of microRNA (miR), the negative regulator of protein-coding genes, have been observed and considered to be markers for DR. Present study aimed to find out whether miR levels in plasma could be effective biomarkers to differentiate between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with non-proliferative retinopathy (NPDR) from T2DM with no-DR (DNR).Methods: We recruited 50 T2DM subjects comprising 31 NPDR and 19 DNR individuals. Surrogate markers of systemic oxidative stress and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured in plasma. Levels of miR-126 and miR-132 were determined in plasma and vitreous fluid using real-time PCR.Results: We observed that levels of miR-126 and miR-132 were decreased in NPDR subjects in comparison to DNR. Plasma levels of miRs were inversely correlated with secreted levels of VEGF and oxidative stress marker. The levels of these miRs showed discriminating ability between NPDR and DNR.Conclusion: Circulating miRs 126 and 132 in plasma or vitreous may serve as biomarkers for early diabetic retinopathy risk prediction, provided validated in a larger cohort and other forms of retinal vasculopathy or retinopathy in the future.Keywords: diabetic retinopathy, microRNA-126, microRNA-132, oxidative stress, malondialdehyde, vascular endothelial growth factor

Subhasish Pramanik,1 Lakshmi Kanta Mondal,2 Suman Kalyan Paine,3 Sneha Jain,2 Subhankar Chowdhury,1 Upasana Ganguly,4 Sayantan Ghosh,2 Chiranjit Bose,1 Koena Bhattacharjee,2 Gautam Bhaduri5 1Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER), Kolkata, 700020, India; 2Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO), Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, 700073, India; 3National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani, West Bengal, India; 4Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Mullana, Haryana, India; 5MGM Medical College, Kishanganj, Bihar, IndiaCorrespondence: Lakshmi Kanta MondalRegional Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical College, Kolkata, IndiaTel +91 9830830216Email Lakshmi.mondal62@gmail.comPurpose: In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF), namely ranibizumab (RBZ) or bevacizumab (BVZ), after either focal or grid or scatter laser photocoagulation, for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) in the Indian population.Methods: Retrospective data were collected in the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Kolkata, India between January 2018 and June 2019. Seventy-seven eyes received 3 consecutive monthly intravitreal injections of RBZ (0.5 mg) and were followed by prompt laser photocoagulation (within 7– 10 days after the third injection). Similarly, 51 eyes received 3 consecutive monthly intravitreal injections of BVZ (1.25 mg), an off-label drug, and were followed by prompt laser therapy. Safety assessments of the therapy, as well as surrogate markers of biochemical derangements related to diabetic retinopathy (DR), were also investigated at the end of 12 months.Results: Seventy-seven subjects who were given a treatment of RBZ+laser therapy showed average 6.87± 5.53 letters gain in their best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) score, whereas the ones treated with off-label BVZ+ laser therapy demonstrated improvement in BCVA of an average 6.82± 5.76 letters in “Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study” (ETDRS) chart. The study also highlights the cost-effectiveness of both RBZ+laser and BVZ+laser therapies for the treatment of DME in DR. The results demonstrated that a subject has to pay 20.951 times more cost (in INR) for RBZ+laser therapy compared to BVZ+laser therapy, to get an almost similar outcome.Conclusion: BVZ is found to be the more attractive option for treating DME in DR for its cost-friendliness over RBZ in terms of BCVA outcome, as well as the safety perspectives, at least for the economically backward population in developing countries, like India.Keywords: diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, ranibizumab, bevacizumab, laser therapy, cost-effectiveness