Quejas visuales durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en España y Portugal / Visual complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain and Portugal

Objetivo Este estudio reporta los hábitos de la población y las quejas oculares relacionadas con la salud visual en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19 a partir de visitas realizadas durante 2021 en España y en Portugal. Material y métodos Invitación por correo electrónico a una encuesta transversal online y también realizada en persona a pacientes de clínicas de oftalmología de España y de Portugal de septiembre a noviembre de 2021. Participaron 3.833 encuestados mayores de 18años con respuestas anónimas válidas. Resultados El 60% de los encuestados explicó mucha incomodidad causada por el aumento de los síntomas de ojo seco debido al trabajo digital más intenso y el empañamiento de los lentes al usar mascarillas. El 81,6% de los encuestados usaba dispositivos digitales al menos 3horas en promedio por día, y el 40% comenzó a usar dispositivos digitales más de 8horas en promedio por día. Además, el 44% de los encuestados sintió que su visión de cerca había empeorado en este período. El primer síntoma importante de la presbicia estaba relacionado con la dificultad para leer las letras más pequeñas de los paquetes. El 86% presentó los primeros síntomas a los 40años. Las ametropías más frecuentes identificadas fueron miopía (40,2%) y astigmatismo (36,7%). Para los padres, tener buena vista (87,2%) era el aspecto más valorado en la vida de sus hijos. Conclusiones Los hallazgos brindan una idea de los desafíos durante la COVID-19 para las prácticas oftalmológicas. En una sociedad altamente dependiente de la visión, es fundamental centrarse en los signos y los síntomas que conducen a afecciones oftalmológicas. El uso excesivo de dispositivos digitales y el uso de mascarillas durante esta pandemia han agravado algunos, señalando la importancia de la referencia para planificar una atención ocular eficiente en situaciones similares (AU)

Purpose This study reports visual health during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 in Spain and Portugal, focusing on eye complaints and population habits. Material and methods Cross-sectional survey through an online email invitation to patients attending ophthalmology clinics in Spain and Portugal from September to November 2021. Around 3833 participants offered valid anonymous responses in a questionnaire. Results Sixty percent of respondents identified significant discomfort related to dry eye symptoms for increased screen time and lens fogging using facemasks. 81.6% of the participants used digital devices for more than 3h per day and 40% for more than 8h. In addition, 44% of participants referred to worsening near vision. The most frequent ametropias were myopia (40.2%) and astigmatism (36.7%). Parents considered eyesight the most important aspect of their children (87.2%). Conclusions The results show the challenges for eye practices during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on signs and symptoms that lead to ophthalmologic conditions is an essential concern, especially in our digital society highly dependent on vision. At the same time, the excessive use of digital devices during this pandemic has aggravated dry eye and myopia (AU)

Visual complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain and Portugal.

PURPOSE: This study reports visual health during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 in Spain and Portugal, focusing on eye complaints and population habits. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional survey through an online email invitation to patients attending ophthalmology clinics in Spain and Portugal from September to November 2021. Around 3833 participants offered valid anonymous responses in a questionnaire. RESULTS: Sixty percent of respondents identified significant discomfort related to dry eye symptoms for increased screen time and lens fogging using facemasks. 81.6% of the participants used digital devices for more than 3 h per day and 40% for more than 8 h. In addition, 44% of participants referred to worsening near vision. The most frequent ametropias were myopia (40.2%) and astigmatism (36.7%). Parents considered eyesight the most important aspect of their children (87.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The results show the challenges for eye practices during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on signs and symptoms that lead to ophthalmologic conditions is an essential concern, especially in our digital society highly dependent on vision. At the same time, the excessive use of digital devices during this pandemic has aggravated dry eye and myopia.

[Visual complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain and Portugal]. / Quejas visuales durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en España y Portugal.

Purpose: This study reports visual health during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 in Spain and Portugal, focusing on eye complaints and population habits. Material and methods: Cross-sectional survey through an online email invitation to patients attending ophthalmology clinics in Spain and Portugal from September to November 2021. Around 3833 participants offered valid anonymous responses in a questionnaire. Results: Sixty percent of respondents identified significant discomfort related to dry eye symptoms for increased screen time and lens fogging using facemasks. 81.6% of the participants used digital devices for more than 3 h per day and 40% for more than 8 h. In addition, 44% of participants referred to worsening near vision. The most frequent ametropias were myopia (40.2%) and astigmatism (36.7%). Parents considered eyesight the most important aspect of their children (87.2%). Conclusions: The results show the challenges for eye practices during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on signs and symptoms that lead to ophthalmologic conditions is an essential concern, especially in our digital society highly dependent on vision. At the same time, the excessive use of digital devices during this pandemic has aggravated dry eye and myopia.

Buccal dental-microwear and feeding ecology of Early Pleistocene Theropithecus oswaldi from Cueva Victoria (Spain).

Despite the scarcity of fossil specimens of Theropithecus oswaldi in Eurasia, its presence out of Africa attests to the great dispersal of this Papionini genus during the Early Pleistocene. In the present study, we analyze the buccal dental microwear of T. oswaldi (T. o. leakeyi) fossil specimens from Cueva Victoria (Southeastern Spain). This analysis is the first characterization of the feeding ecology of T. oswaldi in Europe. The buccal microwear pattern of the molar and premolar teeth of T. oswaldi from Cueva Victoria shows great similarities to that observed for the extant frugivorous forest-dwelling Mandrillus sphinx and mangabeys (Cercocebus sp.)-both species adapted to durophagous dietary habits-while significantly different from that observed for the gramnivorous Theropithecus gelada. These results suggest that T. oswaldi from Cueva Victoria could have exploited both hard-shelled fruits or seeds and succulent fruits from open and forested Mediterranean ecosystems.

N-Heterocyclic carbene-stabilized gold nanoparticles with tunable sizes.

A simple and straightforward synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-protected gold nanoparticles is derived from (benz)imidazolium-AuX4 complexes and NaBH4 only. The proposed method allows size tuning, from 3 to 6 nm, by adding (benz)imidazolium bromide. Changing the reducing agent to tBuNH2BH3 shifts the size range to ca. 6-12 nm. A one pot protocol is also reported from AuCl, (benz)imidazolium bromides and NaBH4, thereby providing an even more straightforward way of producing NHC-capped gold nanoparticles. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to unambiguously evidence, on the nanoparticles, the covalent bond formed between the NHC and the surface gold atoms.

Sn12O8(OH)4(OEt)28(HOEt)4: an additional member in the family of dodecameric oxo clusters.

A tin(IV) oxoalkoxo cluster with unprecedented architecture has been prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The cluster obeys the formula Sn 12O 8(OH) 4(OEt) 28(HOEt) 4 (1) and is based on an elongated centrosymmetric assembly of 12 six-coordinate tin centers, 28 peripheral ethoxy groups (terminal and bridging), 8 oxo bridges (mu2 and mu3), 4 hydroxy bridges (mu2), and 4 ethanol molecules that are all bound to tin atoms and interact strongly, through hydrogen bonds, with an ethoxy group located on a vicinal tin atom. This compound has also been fully characterized in solution by multinuclear 1D and 2D NMR, with all of its (119)Sn, (1)H, and (13)C NMR resonances assigned with respect to the structure. Altogether, the data allowed unambiguous location of the hydroxy groups. Information on the exchange of the ethoxy groups is also presented.