How price-gouging regulation undermined COVID-19 mitigation: county-level evidence of unintended consequences.

Despite long-standing criticisms, restrictions on price increases during emergencies remain widespread in the US. Criticisms most often cite the social costs of the shortages, but, we have found another, as yet unknown, cost: price-gouging regulations increased social contact during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, thirty-four US states declared emergencies, which activated their preexisting price-gouging regulations, and eight others introduced new regulation along with their emergency declarations. Because these states border eight others that also declared emergencies, but had no price-gouging regulations, this created a unique natural experiment. Exploiting the pandemic-induced variation in regulation, and cellphone mobility data, we find that price controls increased visits to, and social contact in, commercial spaces, presumably because the regulation-induced shortages forced consumers to visit more stores and come in contact with more people as they struggled to find what they needed. This, of course, undermines social distancing efforts. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11127-023-01054-z.

Immediate Postoperative Alignment Measurements as a Predictor of Alignment Stability in Fixed Suture Strabismus Surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of immediate postoperative alignment measurements as a predictor of future alignment stability in fixed suture strabismus surgery. METHODS: Forty-seven patients were prospectively evaluated after undergoing horizontal or vertical rectus muscle surgery using a fixed suture technique. Alignment measurements were taken approximately 1 hour, 1 to 3 weeks, and 2 to 3 months postoperatively. A Spearman correlation coefficient was used to compare measurements from the immediate postoperative period to the 2- to 3-month postoperative period. Patients with dissociated strabismus, only oblique muscle surgery, or poor vision in one or both eyes precluding precise alternate cover test were excluded. RESULTS: Mean age of all patients was 46.7 years (range: 12 to 86 years). Twenty-two patients underwent surgery for exotropia: 19 for esotropia and 6 for hypertropia. Mean alignment for all surgeries was 2 prism diopters (PD) undercorrection in the immediate postoperative period, which was similar to the mean of 4.6 PD undercorrection at 2 to 3 months postoperatively. However, the Spearman correlation between the immediate postoperative and 2- to 3-month postoperative measurements was 0.18 for all surgeries, 0.03 for exotropia, 0.56 for esotropia, and 0.40 for hypertropia. The overall success rate, defined as 8 PD or less of horizontal deviation and 4 PD or less of vertical deviation, was 77% at 2 to 3 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between immediate postoperative alignment and future alignment stability in fixed suture strabismus surgery has not been previously defined. The current study demonstrated that although the surgical success rate was reasonably good, poor correlation occurred between the alignment immediately postoperatively and 2 to 3 months postoperatively. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2018;55(4):240-244.].

A pilot randomized clinical trial of intermittent occlusion therapy liquid crystal glasses versus traditional patching for treatment of moderate unilateral amblyopia.

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of intermittent occlusion therapy (IO therapy) using liquid crystal glasses and continuous occlusion therapy using traditional adhesive patches for treating amblyopia. METHODS: Children 3-8 years of age with previously untreated, moderate, unilateral amblyopia (visual acuity of 20/40 to 20/100 in the amblyopic eye) were enrolled in this randomized controlled trial. Amblyopia was associated with strabismus, anisometropia, or both. All subjects had worn any optimal refractive correction for at least 12 weeks without improvement. Subjects were randomized into two treatment groups: a 4-hour IO therapy group with liquid crystal glasses (Amblyz), set at 30-second opaque/transparent intervals (occluded 50% of wear time), and a 2-hour continuous patching group (occluded 100% of wear time). For each patient, visual acuity was measured using ATS-HOTV before and after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Data from 34 patients were available for analysis. Amblyopic eye visual acuity improvement from baseline was 0.15 ± 0.12 logMAR (95% CI, 0.09-0.15) in the IO therapy group (n = 19) and 0.15 ± 0.11 logMAR (95% CI, 0.1-0.15) in the patching group (n = 15). In both groups improvement was significant, but the difference between groups was not (P = 0.73). No adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, IO therapy with liquid crystal glasses is not inferior to adhesive patching and is a promising alternative treatment for children 3-8 years of age with moderate amblyopia.

Macular structural characteristics in children with Down syndrome.

PURPOSE: This prospective study aimed to investigate macular structural characteristics in children with Down syndrome compared to those in healthy children. METHODS: Two groups of children (aged 6-16 years) were enrolled: children with Down syndrome (Down syndrome group, N = 17) and age-matched healthy children who were full-term at birth (control group, N = 18). Eligible patients had visual acuity of 20/100 or better and gestational age at birth of ≥ 36 weeks. Fourier domain optical coherence tomography was used for imaging of the macular retinal structure, and retinal volume scans centered on the macula were obtained. Central subfield thickness (CST) and the thickness of the inner and outer retinal layer regions were analyzed using the instrument's segmentation software. The analysis of data is provided for the right eye only, since there was no significant difference between right and left eyes for either the Down syndrome or control groups. RESULTS: Children in the Down syndrome group generally had identifiable retinal structure. The CST for the full retina and inner and outer retinal layers were all significantly greater in the Down syndrome group than the control group (independent t test, all p < 0.05). Despite the significantly thicker macula, only about 29 % (5 of 17) of the right eyes of patients with Down syndrome had macular thickness outside the normal range. Visual acuity in the Down syndrome group was not directly correlated with increased CST (t = 1.288, r = 0.326, p = 0.202). CONCLUSIONS: On average, CST in the Down syndrome group was greater than that in the control group, suggesting abnormal macular development in children with Down syndrome.

Macular structural characteristics in children with congenital and developmental cataracts.

PURPOSE: To investigate macular structural characteristics in children with congenital or developmental cataracts. METHODS: Children 5-16 years of age with a history of surgery for congenital or acquired cataract were enrolled. Eligible patients had visual acuity of 20/400 or better and ≥37 weeks gestational age at birth. Patients were divided into two groups: unilateral (n = 22) and bilateral (n = 19). Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) was used to image the retinal structure. Retinal volume scans centered on the fovea were obtained. Using the instrument's segmentation software, central subfield thickness (CST) and the thickness of the inner and outer retinal layer regions were measured. RESULTS: In the unilateral group, 1 child with persistent fetal vasculature had unidentifiable retinal structure and was excluded. Most unilateral eyes (20/21) had a CST within the normal range. However, the CST, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal sectors were all significantly thicker in the cataractous eye compared to the noncataractous eye (all P < 0.01 [paired t test]). The interocular difference for CST was not associated with age at surgery or interocular difference for visual acuity. In the bilateral group, although 34 of 38 eyes were within the normal range, the average CST of this group was significantly thicker than the noncataractous eye in the unilateral group. CONCLUSIONS: Following cataract extraction during infancy or childhood, most cataractous eyes had normal macular structure. Cataractous eyes of both unilaterally and bilaterally affected children have thicker CST values compared to the noncataractous eye.

Refractive outcomes with secondary intraocular lens implantation in children.

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of postoperative predicted refractive outcomes in surgically aphakic pediatric patients undergoing secondary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Comparisons were also made with other variables historically considered important in cataract surgery. METHODS: Retrospective review of 50 eyes from 35 consecutive pediatric patients (< or =18 years of age) undergoing secondary IOL implantation within the ciliary sulcus or posterior capsular bag. All cases were performed by 1 of 2 surgeons and all refractions were performed manually using the retinoscope by an experienced pediatric ophthalmologist. RESULTS: The mean patient age at the time of the secondary implantation was 6.5 years of age (range, 0.58-15.04). The mean patient age at the time of the primary cataract extraction was 0.78 years (range, 0.08-5.77). For all patients, mean absolute value of prediction error was 1.64 D (SD 1.58 D). There were no significant associations between mean absolute value of prediction error and any of the variables measured including axial length, corneal mean curvature, bag or sulcus implantation, formula used, or age at primary and secondary surgery (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The mean absolute value of prediction error observed in this study is consistent with previous pediatric primary and secondary IOL data in that it shows a considerable difference from that expected in adult populations. Our findings support the argument that methods currently employed to calculate IOL power may fail to accurately account for all the variations in the eyes of pediatric patients.

Longitudinal assessment of plus disease in retinopathy of prematurity using color Doppler imaging.

Retinal vascular changes and the development of plus disease are the hallmarks of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether or not serial examinations of retrobulbar blood flow characteristics, as measured by color Doppler imaging (CDI) performed repeatedly over a period of several weeks, would be useful for predicting those infants at risk for developing plus disease and to determine whether this technique may be used as an objective tool for confirming the presence of plus disease. Of the 73 infants followed in this study, 14 (19%) developed plus disease confirmed by a panel of experts. When comparing the group of infants developing plus disease with those infants who did not develop plus disease, we did not find any significant differences in the retrobulbar blood flow characteristics of either the central retinal or ophthalmic arteries. Color Doppler imaging did not appear to be a clinically useful tool in the longitudinal management of ROP, nor did it appear to be useful as an objective determinant of plus disease in these premature infants.

Accuracy of biometry in pediatric cataract extraction with primary intraocular lens implantation.

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of predicted postoperative refractive outcomes in pediatric patients having cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and to compare them with other variables historically considered important in cataract surgery. SETTING: Tertiary care referral hospital. METHODS: This retrospective review comprised 203 eyes of 153 consecutive pediatric patients (< or = 18 years old) having cataract extraction with primary posterior chamber IOL implantation in the capsular bag. All cases were performed by 1 of 2 surgeons, and all refractions were performed manually by an experienced pediatric ophthalmologist using a retinoscope. RESULTS: In all patients, the mean absolute value (MAE) of the prediction error was 1.08 diopters (D) +/- 0.93 (SD). Age at time of surgery and corneal (K) mean curvature were significantly correlated with the absolute value of the prediction error (P = .0006 and P = .0088, respectively). A multiple regression model showed that age at time of surgery and K mean curvature were the only 2 variables significantly associated with MAE; axial length, formula, surgeon, and A-scan type were not significantly associated with prediction error. CONCLUSIONS: Data from 203 consecutive primary pediatric IOL implantations showed the heterogeneous nature of the variables involved in predictions of refractive outcomes in this population. The complexities of this issue support the need for specific methods of measurement and an IOL calculation formula for the pediatric population.

Accuracy of IOL calculations in children: a comparison of immersion versus contact A-scan biometery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of pediatric IOL calculations performed under general anesthesia by using immersion A-scan biometry and to compare the results to those obtained using contact A-scan biometry. METHODS: A retrospective review of 203 consecutive cases of pediatric cataract extraction with primary IOL implantation within the capsular bag; mean patient age was 5.52 +/- 4.19 years (range, 18 days to 18 years). Axial length measurements were performed with the contact A-scan biometry in 138 eyes, whereas immersion technique biometry was used in the remaining consecutive 65 eyes. Preoperative predictive target refraction was compared with the refractive result obtained at the 2-month postoperative visit. RESULTS: The mean of the absolute value lens prediction error for all eyes was 1.08 +/- 0.93 D from the desired postoperative refractive result. Lens prediction error for the contact A-scan subgroup was 1.11 +/- 0.90 D, whereas the immersion A-scan subgroup was less at 1.03 +/- 0.98 D. This result was not statistically significant (p = 0.6442). Statistically significant correlations were found between increased lens prediction error and age at time of surgery or corneal curvature. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective, noncomparative pilot study showed no significant difference in IOL prediction error when comparing the postoperative refractive results obtained with immersion versus contact A-scan biometry in pediatric IOL calculations.

Comparison of the MTI Photoscreener and the Welch-Allyn SureSight autorefractor in a tertiary care center.

INTRODUCTION: The MTI photoscreener (MTI) and the Welch-Allyn SureSight autorefractor are commonly used for preschool vision screening. We compared both of these methods on 100 consecutive patients in a prospective, randomized, masked, clinical trial conducted at a tertiary care center. METHODS: One hundred patients between 1 and 6 years of age were included in the study. All participants underwent a comprehensive eye examination with cycloplegic refraction. Examination failure analysis was done on the SureSight data using the manufacturer's referral criteria, the Vision in Preschoolers study (VIP) 90% specificity criteria, the VIP 94% specificity criteria, and the referral criteria proposed by Rowatt and colleagues. RESULTS: Data were successfully obtained on 76% of children using the SureSight and 96% with the MTI. The sensitivity and specificity of the SureSight to detect clinically significant amblyogenic factors using the manufacturer's criteria was 96.6 and 38.1%, using the VIP 90% criteria was 79.3 and 64.3%, using the VIP 94% criteria was 67.2 and 69.0%, and using criteria proposed by Rowatt and colleagues was 62.1 and 73.8%. The sensitivity and specificity of the MTI photoscreener was 94.8 and 88.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Using the manufacturer's referral criteria, the SureSight had a sensitivity equal to the MTI photoscreener; however, the specificity was low and over-referrals were anticipated. As specificity levels were increased, a substantial number of children with amblyogenic risk factors were not appropriately identified within our study population..

Postoperative povidone-iodine prophylaxis in strabismus surgery.

PURPOSE: While antibiotic/steroid combinations are routinely administered during the first week after strabismus surgery, they can be costly and inconvenient and may be unnecessary. This study compares the use of single-dose 5% povidone-iodine drops versus a week-long course of antibiotic/steroid as a prophylaxis against postoperative infection in extraocular muscle surgery. METHODS: Retrospective chart review was performed of 1871 patients undergoing routine strabismus surgery. Patients received either a single application of 5% povidone-iodine solution to the operative eye(s) at the conclusion of the surgical procedure or a week-long course of topical antibiotic/steroid. Postoperative records were then reviewed to identify abnormalities or complications occurring during the first 2 months after surgery. RESULTS: Complete documentation was found for 1603 patients. Single-dose povidone-iodine prophylaxis was used in 953 cases (59.5%), and a postoperative course of topical antibiotic/steroid combination was used in 650 cases (40.5%). Of the 1603 cases, possible infection occurred in 46 patients (2.87%). Of the 46 possible infections, 20 (3.08%) occurred in 650 patients on an antibiotic/steroid combination and 26 (2.83%) occurred in the 953 patients treated with single-dose povidone-iodine prophylaxis. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.6815). No cases of orbital cellulitis or endophthalmitis occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Single-dose povidone-iodine is an inexpensive alternative to postoperative antibiotic/steroid prophylaxis following routine strabismus surgery performed through a fornix incision. Patients who had reoperations and limbal incisions were more likely to have complicated postoperative courses: antibiotic/steroid use in these groups may be beneficial.

Endoscopic diode laser cyclophotocoagulation in the management of aphakic and pseudophakic glaucoma in children.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) has been shown to be a useful adjunct in the management of a variety of difficult pediatric and adult glaucomas. This study reports the efficacy and safety of this procedure for pediatric aphakic and pseudophakic glaucoma. METHODS: ECP was performed on 34 eyes of 25 patients under 16 years of age with aphakic or pseudophakic glaucoma between April 1994 and November 2004. Patients were followed for a minimum of 12 months or until a treatment failure had been declared. Treatment failure was defined as postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) of >24 mm Hg and IOP lowering of less than 15% despite the addition of glaucoma medications or the occurrence of any visually significant complications. Aphakic eyes of patients with congenital glaucoma or an anterior segment dysgenesis were not included in the study group. RESULTS: Pretreatment IOP averaged 32.6 mm Hg in the 34 eyes, compared with a final postoperative average of 22.9 mm Hg. Mean follow-up period for study eyes was 44.4 months, and the average number of procedures per eye was 1.5. Overall success rate was 53% (18/34). Thirteen of the 34 eyes (38%) received one treatment only and were deemed a success. Retinal detachments developed in two eyes within the first postoperative month. CONCLUSIONS: ECP is a useful tool in the treatment of aphakic and pseudophakic glaucoma, with a low rate of visually significant complications. Retreatment of eyes improved the overall success rate, although experience with cases beyond two treatment sessions is limited. Hypotony was not encountered despite 8 of the 34 eyes receiving 360 degrees of total endocyclophotoablation to the ciliary processes.

Alternative splicing: combinatorial output from the genome.

Alternative splicing has emerged as a mechanism that can account for a large proportion of the disparity between the modest number of genes in the human genome and the much higher complexity of the expressed proteome. At least a third, and probably the majority, of human genes are alternatively spliced, and some genes can generate thousands of protein isoforms by complex alternative splicing events. Analysis of the transcriptome will therefore require the development of massively parallel technologies that are able to encompass the complexity arising from alternative splicing.