The impact of gender norms on the national economy is an area that has been overlooked in extant literature. Since there has been a paucity of evaluation of gender and gender equality from an economic growth perspective, compared to the extensive literature on gender and gender equality, this study investigates gender-responsive economic growth within the framework of the classification created within the scope of the human development index. The study analyses the relationship between human development and gender-related indices at four different levels of development. The relationship is analyzed using a panel data analysis method with data from 1995-2021. The study finds that the variables that increase economic growth in the four country groups are the gender-related development index and labor force participation rate. In contrast, the gender inequality index decreases economic growth in almost every country. The present study's findings indicate a relationship between gender-related index (i.e., independent variables) and economic growth. It is suggested that advances in gender equality are a prerequisite for attaining systematic economic growth.
PURPOSE:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of dazdotuftide (TRS01 eye drops), a novel, steroid-free, anti-inflammatory drug in patients with active anterior noninfectious uveitis (NIU), following previous studies in which it had shown a favorable risk/benefit profile with regards to safety and specifically intraocular pressure (IOP) safety profile. DESIGN:A randomized, double-masked, multicenter, active-controlled phase 3 trial. PARTICIPANTS:Adults (≤75 years of age) and pediatric patients, with active anterior NIU, with or without uveitic glaucoma, on stable medical therapy for NIU or who had received no prior therapy, requiring further treatment for an active NIU flare-up. Patients eligible for inclusion had Anterior Chamber Cell (ACC) Grade 2 or Grade 3 on Visual Analog Scale in the study eye. METHODS:Patients were randomized 2:1 to topical TRS01 1% or prednisolone acetate 1% administered 4 times daily for 28 days. Key ocular assessments included slit-lamp examination, ocular pain, Best Corrected Visual Acuity, IOP and dilated ophthalmoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Resolution of inflammation (ACC = 0), clinically meaningful improvement of ACC, ocular pain, flare, and IOP changes on Day 28. RESULTS:The Full Analysis Set included 136 patients; the mean age was 43 years in the TRS01 arm and 42 years in the prednisolone acetate arm. 48% of TRS01 vs 68% of prednisolone acetate patients achieved ACC Grade = 0 on Day 28 (95.1% Confidence Interval (CI): -0.37, -0.02; P = .0311) and 64% of TRS01 vs 89% prednisolone acetate patients experienced clinically meaningful improvement of ACC Grade = 0 or 1, ie, ≤5 cells (95.1% CI: -0.33, -0.06; P = .0049). While TRS01 was found to be inferior to topical steroids to control ACC, TRS01 was noninferior to topical steroids to control flare and ocular pain and exhibited a superior IOP safety compared to topical steroids. For patients who reached ACC = 0, TRS01-treated patients benefited from statistically significantly improved safety outcomes for IOP (including change from baseline and at each IOP threshold evaluated [P < .05]) versus steroid-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS:TRS01 offers the potential to serve as an effective and safe treatment option in NIU that meets the urgent need for a drug that controls inflammation without the steroids' associated risk of IOP elevation.
Sarcoidosis is a multi-organ granulomatous disorder that predominantly affects the eyes, lungs, and skin. Biopsy, the standard for a definitive sarcoidosis diagnosis, is often impractical for ocular sarcoidosis due to the delicate nature of the eye and risks associated with surgical procedures such as inflammation, infection, retinal detachment, and cataracts. Ocular sarcoidosis is typically treated with steroids and immunosuppressive medications. However, because infectious uveitis exhibits a similar clinical presentation as ocular sarcoidosis, there is an incipient risk of inappropriate treatment without a definitive diagnosis. Failing to prescribe immunosuppressive medications to patients with ocular sarcoidosis can lead to scarring and permanent blindness; conversely, prescribing this treatment to patients with infectious uveitis risks exacerbating the infection and associated pathologies. Saliva is an emerging diagnostic biofluid that is easy to collect, cost-effective, and well-tolerated by patients. Although saliva has been used to identify biomarkers for diseases like cancer and diabetes, its use in diagnosing ocular diseases remains limited. This review provides an overview of sarcoidosis and ocular sarcoidosis, the utility of saliva as a diagnostic tool, and a pilot experiment testing if saliva can be used to diagnose ocular sarcoidosis.
Bacterial ocular infections pose significant risks to vision and incur substantial economic burdens worldwide. Current standards of care, such as eye drops and ointments, suffer from poor drug bioavailability (<5 %), rapid clearance, and insufficient retention, preventing dual prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy. To address these limitations, we developed naturally derived mucoadhesive gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with phenylboronic acid (PBA), named GelMAP, for the sustained delivery of moxifloxacin (MFX), a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent. Dispersed in a custom-designed shear-thinning matrix formulated with hyaluronic acid (HA) to enhance viscosity and ocular retention, the GelMAP nanosuspension exhibited robust mucoadhesion, efficient drug loading (>70 %), and sustained in vitro drug release. Biocompatibility and bactericidal efficacy were confirmed in vitro, showing >95 % cell viability in NIH 3T3 and human corneal epithelial cells, along with notable antibacterial activity against key ocular pathogens over 7 days. In a healthy murine model, the biosafety of the nanosuspension was confirmed. The MFX-loaded nanosuspension demonstrated around 2.6-fold longer half-life in the cornea compared to commercial MFX drops (Vigamox®), indicating higher drug retention. Designed to prevent infection and treat established conditions, its efficacy was evaluated in a murine bacterial keratitis model. The MFX-loaded nanosuspension outperformed Vigamox® by reducing corneal opacity, achieving lower clinical scores (indicating better outcomes), and decreasing bacterial counts. Histological analysis showed minimal inflammation and a preserved corneal structure, validating the effectiveness of the GelMAP nanosuspension. Currently, no NP formulation has been widely demonstrated to offer dual efficacy in both early and established infections, underscoring GelMAP nanosuspension's potential for comprehensive ocular infection management by reducing treatment frequency, minimizing complications, and enhancing patient compliance.
PURPOSE:To compare the corticosteroid sparing efficacy of frequently used antimetabolites to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in the management of noninfectious ocular inflammation. METHODS:Retrospective analysis of patients with noninfectious uveitis on conventional antimetabolite (methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine,or leflunomide, "CONV") or a TNF inhibitor (adalimumab or infliximab, "TNFi") with active inflammation or more than 7.5 mg daily prednisone. Eyes were assessed in three groups: CONV only, TNFi only and combination of both (COMB). Cox regression models compared treatment success, adjusted for age, race, smoking, anatomic location of uveitis, duration of uveitis and visual acuity. Corticosteroid sparing success was defined as: inactive or slightly active uveitis on <=7.5 mg daily oral prednisone and <=2 drops of prednisolone acetate 1%. RESULTS:There were 1475 eligible patients in the analysis. By 6 and 12 months, respectively, the Cox model-predicted, percentage success was 27.6% and 44.9% for the CONV group; 34.2% and 53.9% in the TNFi group and 39.9% and 61.1% for the COMB group. COMB was more likely than CONV to achieve success (adjusted HR 1.58 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.28, 1.95, p < 0.0001). Factors associated with lower success were age under 18 years, smoking, visual acuity worse than 20/50 at cohort entry, over 4-year duration of uveitis and daily baseline prednisone 7.5 mg or higher (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION:Our results suggest COMB is more effective than CONV at achieving disease quiescence and corticosteroid sparing success among patients with active noninfectious uveitis. More research is needed to determine if TNFi alone is superior to CONV for uveitic corticosteroid-sparing.
