Background The aim of our study was to investigate serum chitotriosidase level in tuberculosis patients, its relationship with microbiological and clinical parameters, and response to treatment. Materials and methods This longitudinal panel study included 149 patients with confirmed TB disease. Serum chitotriosidase activity was measured at the beginning and the end of treatment. Factors associated with chitotriosidase activity were explored using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results Out of 149 study participants, 71(47.7%) were female. The mean age was 53.0 (SD = 18.2). Majority of cases were new 118(79.2), predominantly 145 (97.3%) having pulmonary tuberculosis. More than half of the patients were sputum smear positive 91 (61.1%) while culture positive in 146 (98%) of them. According to radiological findings, cavitary lesions were found in 92 (63.4%) patients. Anti TB treatment was associated with significant decrease in serum chitotriosidase level (< 0.001). New TB treatment (OR = 4.41%;95% CI = 1.20–9.89), and cavitary lesions (OR = 3.86;95%CI = 0,59-26.57) were found to be significantly associated with decrease of chitotriosidase activity. Conclusions The results of our study showed that serum chitotriosidase values are strong biomarkers for starting anti TB treatment and for treatment monitoring, since decrease in serum chitotriosidase level can predict favorable treatment response in patients with tuberculosis. Further studies are needed to explore these, and other factors associated with chitotriosidase activity among tuberculosis patients.

INTRODUCTION Coastal locations contribute significantly to global drowning, with surfers frequently conducting rescues. This study explored the characteristics of surfers as bystander rescuers in Europe. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey collected demographics (age, sex, geographical location), surfing experience, ability, lifesaving and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, information seeking behaviors and previous performance of a rescue. Analyses comprised descriptive frequencies, binomial logistic regression with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) and chi-squares (p < .05). RESULTS Europe-dwelling respondents totaled 1705 (76% male; 43% 25-34 years). Thirty-nine percent (39.2%; n = 668) had previously performed a rescue. Likelihood of having conducted a rescue significantly increased with 6 or more years of surfing experience (6-10 years [AOR = 1.96; 95%CI: 1.20-3.22]; 11-15 years [AOR = 3.26; 95%CI: 1.56-6.79]; 16 years or more [AOR = 4.27; 95%CI: 2.00-9.11]) when compared to surfers with <1 year experience. Expert/professional ability surfers were 10.89 times (95%CI: 4.72-25.15) more likely to have conducted a rescue than novice/beginners. Respondents who had received both a certified lifeguard and CPR course were significantly more likely to have conducted a rescue (AOR = 3.34; 95%CI: 2.43-4.60). CONCLUSION Surfers who had previously conducted rescues commonly had more years of experience, higher self-rated surf ability and greater likelihood of having received certified training. However, not all surfers who have performed rescues had received training. Findings suggest surfers should receive rescue and CPR training before they start surfing at locations without trained supervision and refresh training regularly. Surfers are amenable to injury prevention information, especially online and via apps.

Rydberg dressing provides optically controllable interactions between neutral atoms, of interest for generating many-body entanglement. We demonstrate these interactions and emulate transverse-field Ising dynamics in a cold gas of cesium atoms.

Presbyopia is the condition in which a patient’s amplitude of accommodation has decreased to the point where clear or comfortable vision at the desired nearpoint is not obtainable (Figure 1). Presbyopia generally occurs if the amplitude of accommodation is less than five to two diopters.1 Throughout the literature the point at which presbyopia starts varies due to different definitions. The word presbyopia finds its origin in Greek,. where the prefix „presby“ means old and the suffix „opia“ refers to eyes. Therefore, presbyopia is sometimes referred to as the „old age vision“. Due to the demographic development of the world’s population the prevalence of presbyopia will increase from about 590 million today to one billion by the year 2020. It is an inevitable part of aging and should therefore get the proper attention from all the people working in the field of ophthalmology. ABSTRACT – Presbyopia is the progressive inability of the eye’s lens to change shape and focus clearly on near objects. This review gives a comprehensive overview of the symptoms, influencing factors in the progression of presbyopia, age-related changes of the eye, optical correction and surgical approaches to presbyopia. The age-related changes of the lens, the capsule, the ciliary muscle and the vitreous are well examined; however, a distinction whether those changes are a cause or a consequence of presbyopia cannot be made. The optical correction of presbyopia reaches from monovision, bifocals, trifocals to progressive lenses and contact lenses. Approaches to surgical techniques for correcting presbyopia include scleral expansion bands, radial sclerotomy, anterior ciliary sclerotomy, polymer injectable lenses, photodisruptive laser and accommodative IOLs. Milestone innovations can only be expected in the surgical field as the optical correction of presbyopia using spectacles and contact lenses has already reached extremely high quality levels and is limited by optical laws.