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A vision care-based community service subject is offered to general university students for fulfillment of a service-learning compulsory credit requirement. Here, a professional health subject is taught in a way that caters to generalist learners. Students gain basic skills they can apply to provide vision screenings for the needy population. All enrolled undergraduates had no background in eye health-related subjects. The teaching was not content-driven, requiring students' direct recall of facts. Rather, the teaching focused on Socratic teaching of logical theories and applications. The objective was to increase awareness of current eye care problems using case examples. Students learned to appreciate ways to promote active outreach services. Through activities and project work, students learned and practiced strong teamwork and direct application of knowledge in community-based eye care services. This learning experience demonstrates emergence of authentic practice from theory.

Acne, a highly prevalent skin disease, can be particularly bothersome for patients of Asian background because of its impact on self‐confidence and social interactions. In addition to active acne lesions, some patients may develop sequelae such as scarring, macular/postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, or erythema. The tendency of Asian skin to develop sequelae because of its increased susceptibility to irritation, cultural preferences for lighter skin phototypes, and differences in skincare regimens may all contribute to the increased burden of acne. Moreover, many Asia‐Pacific countries do not have their own guidelines for acne management, and those that do often have no schedule in place for regular updates. In this article, we provide a critical review of the published guidance for the management of acne and its sequelae in the Asia‐Pacific region, identifying gaps in current recommendations that could be addressed to enhance standards of acne care in Asia‐Pacific countries. Along with highlighting the importance of a comprehensive skincare regimen to increase treatment efficacy and adherence, we discuss topical retinoids and retinoid combination options in the acne armamentarium that may be beneficial for sequelae prevention and management, such as adapalene 0.3% ± benzoyl peroxide 2.5%, tretinoin 0.05%, tazarotene 0.1%, and trifarotene 0.005%. In particular, trifarotene 0.005% has been observed to significantly reduce acne scar counts in a Phase 4 study. The recent data highlight the need to establish up‐to‐date guidance for acne and acne sequelae management in Asia‐Pacific countries to provide optimal care to Asian patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HLA‐B*15:11 is associated with carbamazepine (CBZ)‐induced severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs) in Japanese and some Asian populations, but such data remains relatively limited in Chinese. Routine HLA‐B*15:02 screening is mandatory before CBZ commencement, however, SCARs related to CBZ were still observed in non‐HLA*B‐15:02 carriers. Objective: We aimed to find out the prevalence of HLA‐B*15:11 in Chinese patients and its associations with CBZ‐induced SCARs. Method: We screened 8,328 blood samples collected for HLA allele typing before CBZ commencement during the period of January 2014 to December 2019. In HLA‐B*15:02 negative Chinese patients, HLA‐B*15:11 status were further screened, and the incidence of SCARs in the CBZ group was compared with the control group without CBZ use. Result: In this cohort, 1416 out of 8328 patients (17%) tested HLA‐B*15:02 positive and were advised to avoid CBZ, while 80 (0.96%) were found to be HLA‐B*15:11 positive. In 6911 (83%) patients who tested HLA‐B*15:02 negative, 70 (1.01%) were HLA‐B*15:11 positive. Five out of 70 (7.14%) patients had SCARs. The incidence of SCARs in HLA‐B*15:11 carriers who received CBZ was significantly higher than those without CBZ (17.4% [4/23] vs. 2.13% [1/47], P = 0.037*). The odds ratio was 9.68 (95% CI 1.02–92.4, P = 0.048*). These included: one Stevens‐Johnson syndrome (SJS), two DRESS, and one MPE after CBZ use, while one developed MPE after phenytoin use in control. Conclusion: HLA‐B*15:11 is a potential risk factor of CBZ‐induced SCARs in HLA‐B*15:02 negative Chinese patients. Further screening of HLA‐B*15:11 status in those HLA‐B*15:02 negative patients is recommended to avoid undesirable SCARs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of simultaneous dual‐focus (DF) on retinal activities measured by global flash multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Methods: Thirty adults were recruited for mfERG measurement under three conditions: in‐focus (i.e., no defocus), +2.50 D DF and +7.50 D DF, administered using single vision contact lenses and DF lenses. The direct component (DC) and the induced component (IC) of the mfERG were pooled into central macular (0–8°), para‐macular (8–18°) and peri‐macular (18–30°) regions, and then compared across the three conditions using two‐way, repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Simultaneous DF had a significant effect on the IC amplitude, which was significantly stronger under +7.50 D DF (p < 0.01) than for the in‐focus condition, which was mostly derived from the central and para‐macular regions. No significant effect was observed for the +2.50 D DF condition. Conclusion: Under the effect of relatively strong simultaneous DF integration, the retina showed an enhanced retinal response, which originated from the inner retina. Compared with the peri‐macular region, central and para‐macular responses appeared to be enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vision care-based community service subject is offered to general university students for fulfillment of a service-learning compulsory credit requirement. Here, a professional health subject is taught in a way that caters to generalist learners. Students gain basic skills they can apply to provide vision screenings for the needy population. All enrolled undergraduates had no background in eye health-related subjects. The teaching was not content-driven, requiring students' direct recall of facts. Rather, the teaching focused on Socratic teaching of logical theories and applications. The objective was to increase awareness of current eye care problems using case examples. Students learned to appreciate ways to promote active outreach services. Through activities and project work, students learned and practiced strong teamwork and direct application of knowledge in community-based eye care services. This learning experience demonstrates emergence of authentic practice from theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]