Summary Background To contribute to the WHO initiative, VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, an assessment of global vision impairment in 2020 and temporal change is needed. We aimed to extensively update estimates of global vision loss burden, presenting estimates for 2020, temporal change over three decades between 1990–2020, and forecasts for 2050. Methods We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based surveys of eye disease from January, 1980, to October, 2018. Only studies with samples representative of the population and with clearly defined visual acuity testing protocols were included. We fitted hierarchical models to estimate 2020 prevalence (with 95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]) of mild vision impairment (presenting visual acuity ≥6/18 and <6/12), moderate and severe vision impairment (<6/18 to 3/60), and blindness (<3/60 or less than 10° visual field around central fixation); and vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia (presenting near vision

BACKGROUND:The suicide risk after a new cancer diagnosis remains a controversial issue. This study examines the suicide risk within the year after a cancer diagnosis. This is the largest study to assess recent trends in suicide risk after a cancer diagnosis. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. All patients diagnosed with cancer between 2000 and 2014 were selected. The event was defined as death due to suicide within the first year after a cancer diagnosis, and patients who experienced the event after their diagnosis were observed. The observed/expected (O/E) ratio was assessed as well as the excess risk per 10,000 person-years to determine the suicide risk change after the diagnosis in comparison with the general population. RESULTS: A total of 4,671,989 patients with cancer were included; 1585 committed suicide within 1 year of their diagnosis. The risk of suicide increased significantly with an O/E ratio of 2.52 and with an excess risk of 2.51 per 10,000 person-years. When the risk of suicide was studied according to the cancer site, the highest increases in the O/E ratio came after diagnoses of pancreatic cancer (8.01) and lung cancer (6.05). The risk of suicide also increased significantly after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer with an O/E ratio of 2.08. However, the risk of suicidal death did not increase significantly after breast and prostate cancer diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of suicide increases significantly in the first year after a diagnosis of cancer in comparison with the general population, and this increase varies with the type and prognosis of cancer. Close observation and referral to mental health services, when indicated, are important for mitigating such risk. Cancer 2019;125:972-979.

Objective: In developed countries, pharmacists play a crucial role in designing and implementing cancer treatments as part of a multidisciplinary oncology team. However, developing countries have a shortage of pharmacists, and their role is generally limited to dispensing and selling drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of providing clinical pharmacy educational activities via international teleconferencing to improve cancer care in developing countries. Materials and Methods: Meticulous preparation and intense promotion of the workshop were done in Egypt before the telepharmacy conferences began. Multiple connectivity tests were performed to resolve technical problems. Nine telepharmacy conferences were delivered during 3-h sessions that were held on three consecutive days. Talks were subsequently made available via Web streaming. Attendees were requested to complete a survey to measure their satisfaction with the sessions. Results: The teleconference was attended by a total of 345 persons, and it was subsequently reviewed online via 456 log-in sessions from 10 countries. Technical issues (e.g., poor auditory quality) were resolved on the first day of the event. The rate of attendees' responses on the survey was 30.1%, and satisfaction with the event was generally good. Conclusions: Telecommunication is a relatively inexpensive approach that may improve pharmacy practices, especially those used to treat patients with cancer in developing countries. Special attention to patient-based telepharmacy education, including the use of cost-effective technology, should be considered.

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Changes in cell function occur by specific patterns of intracellular Ca2+, activating Ca2+-sensitive proteins. The anoctamin (TMEM16) protein family has Ca2+-dependent ion channel activity, which provides transmembrane ion transport, and/or Ca2+-dependent phosphatidyl-scramblase activity. Using amino acid sequence analysis combined with measurements of ion channel function, we clarified the so far unknown Ano4 function as Ca2+-dependent, non-selective monovalent cation channel; heterologous Ano4 expression in HEK293 cells elicits Ca2+ activated conductance with weak selectivity of K+ > Na+ > Li+. Endogenously expressed Ca2+-dependent cation channels in the retinal pigment epithelium were identified as Ano4 by KO mouse-derived primary RPE cells and siRNA against Ano4. Exchanging a negatively charged amino acid in the putative pore region (AA702–855) into a positive one (E775K) turns Ano4-elicited currents into Cl− currents evidencing its importance for ion selectivity. The molecular identification of Ano4 as a Ca2+-activated cation channel advances the understanding of its role in Ca2+ signaling.

The implementation of standardized protocols and a multidisciplinary approach improved reporting; discrepancies in disease classification and the amount of missing data were reduced; and quality measures and prognostic capabilities of the team were substantially improved. Such established data-driven practice supports faster decision making to enucleate diseased eyes and save patients' lives through providing measurable indicators.

In Egypt, retinoblastoma patients present more frequently with advanced disease. There is an ever-increasing need to develop a national team dedicated to studying disease significance and formulating a national awareness program.

Orbital, conjunctival and lacrimal gland malignant tumors differ among children and adults. Over the years there has been a noticeable increase in incidence rates of orbital and lacrimal gland tumors mainly caused by an increase in lymphomas and an apparent increase due to advances in diagnostic techniques. ICD-O-3 topographical coding should be improved to consider the different orbital bones and ocular structures.