The purpose of this descriptive exploratory study was to describe specific self-care behaviours related to the provision of eye care and performance of daily living activities, of postsurgical cataract patients during their first few weeks at home following cataract extraction. The twenty subjects who comprised the study sample were all over sixty years of age, were English speaking, had a best corrected visual acuity in the unoperated eye of 20/50 or less, and had undergone uncomplicated unilateral standard cataract surgery without lens implant. Subjects were interviewed in their homes on two occasions. Difficulties that were experienced and concerns that were expressed by subjects and family members in the performance of eye care procedures, and management of daily living routines were recorded; and factors which influenced the ability of subjects to manage their care at home were identified. Observations were made of the instillation of eyedrops, the application of a protective eye shield, and the status of the operated eye. The findings suggest a high degree of adherence to the prescribed medication regime, and to the precautionary measures that were to be followed. Difficulties were reported or observed in several areas such as administering eyedrops, applying the eye shield, reading instructions, opening eyedrop containers, and obtaining prescriptions or supplies. The majority of concerns expressed were related to the performance of eye care procedures, and to the prospective visual outcome of the surgery. Examples of factors identified as affecting home self-care were: the availability of direct assistance and emotional support from family and community resources; the understanding of the surgical procedure and recovery process; the knowledge, and the timing of the receipt of knowledge, of expected behaviours; and the possession of adequate manual skills to perform the eye care procedures with competence and confidence. Implications for nursing, medical, and pharmacist's practice are discussed, and areas for further research are identified. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

This thesis reports the development of potent and selective inhibitors of m-calpain for the treatment of cataract. SJA6017 has been proven to prevent lens opacity in rat and has been our lead compound. A series of Val-Leu peptidyl aldehyde inhibitors (33a-e, 33g, 33i and 35) have been designed, synthesized, and tested for therapeutic potential as cataract inhibitors. Chapter 1 is an introduction to calpain and the diseases associated with it's over activation. A review of the literature on calpain inhibition is given. Structure activity relationship (SAR) theory is presented. The techniques that have been applied in our research group to drug design include molecular modeling, synthesis, assay and animal studies which are all briefly discussed. The importance of a -strand conformation for an inhibitor to bind to calpain is discussed. Chapter 2 describes the synthesis of m-calpain inhibitors. This comprises the preparation of the Val-Leu dipeptide core 29, Val-Leu dipeptidyl alcohols 31a-g and 31i, and the synthesis of dipeptidyl aldehydes 33a-e, 33g, 33i and 35. The choice of coupling regents and conditions in the coupling reactions is investigated. Sulfur trioxide pyridine oxidation for the conversion of Val-Leu dipeptidyl alcohols to aldehydes is discussed. The molecular modeling and biological assay results are presented.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 201 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-201).

published_or_final_version / Community Medicine / Master / Master of Public Health

Cataract is one of the most common causes of visual impairment (VI) and blindness in the elderly population. In Hong Kong, the total population and the number of people over the age of 65 has been increasing over the past 10 years. The number of people suffered from cataract has also increased due to population growth and limited availability of medical resources. The waiting time for cataract surgery is long. Patients’ visual acuity (VA) continues to deteriorate while they are waiting for the surgery. Therefore, it is important for healthcare providers to explore the impact of VI on the quality of life (QOL) of cataract patients, and develop strategies to help patients overcome their difficulties. Patients who were on the cataract surgery waiting list with no cognitive impairment were recruited from the Department of Ophthalmology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. A purposive sampling method was used. 24 patients were recruited based on their age and VA. Each group contained the same number of male and female patients. Informed consent was obtained before the start of the interview. Patients’ demographics and clinical data were extracted from their medical records. A mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structural interviews (qualitative) and the administration of the Chinese version of the 25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (CHI-VFQ-25) (quantitative). Our results suggested that patients had poor knowledge regarding the definition and symptoms of cataract. In-depth interviews revealed that patients were having troubles in various ADLs, including cooking and dining, reading and writing, housekeeping, grooming and watching television (TV). Difficulties with mobility and transportation, together with the inability to recognize faces, were found to affect patients’ social lives. The fear of future deterioration in VA and the loss of abilities resulted in a range of negative feelings, such as sadness, frustration, irritation, insecurity and feeling of burden to others. Strategies used to tackle the difficulties in ADLs and patients’ adjustments to their negative emotions were also described. Certain comorbid diseases, for example stroke, arthritis and hearing impairment, further complicated patients’ QOL. Quantitative analyses showed that patients had suboptimal scores in all subscales of CHI-VFQ-25, except for ocular pain and peripheral vision. In general, the CHI-VFQ-25 composite scores reflected that patients had little to moderate difficulties in their ADLs. Working status also affected the CHI-VFQ-25 scores. Patients who were working had lower scores in almost all subscales (except general health, ocular pain, colour vision and peripheral vision) than retired patients. Intergroup comparison suggested that patients who were older and had lower VA scored worst in the CHI-VFQ-25. In conclusion, although our patients have been suffered from cataract for years, they had poor knowledge about this common eye disease. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses showed that patients experienced a lot of difficulties in their ADLs, which eventually led to a variety of negative impacts on their emotional and psychosocial wellbeing. / published_or_final_version / Anatomy / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

No description available.

This thesis reports the development of potent and selective inhibitors of m-calpain for the treatment of cataract. SJA6017 has been proven to prevent lens opacity in rat and has been our lead compound. A series of Val-Leu peptidyl aldehyde inhibitors (33a-e, 33g, 33i and 35) have been designed, synthesized, and tested for therapeutic potential as cataract inhibitors. Chapter 1 is an introduction to calpain and the diseases associated with it's over activation. A review of the literature on calpain inhibition is given. Structure activity relationship (SAR) theory is presented. The techniques that have been applied in our research group to drug design include molecular modeling, synthesis, assay and animal studies which are all briefly discussed. The importance of a -strand conformation for an inhibitor to bind to calpain is discussed. Chapter 2 describes the synthesis of m-calpain inhibitors. This comprises the preparation of the Val-Leu dipeptide core 29, Val-Leu dipeptidyl alcohols 31a-g and 31i, and the synthesis of dipeptidyl aldehydes 33a-e, 33g, 33i and 35. The choice of coupling regents and conditions in the coupling reactions is investigated. Sulfur trioxide pyridine oxidation for the conversion of Val-Leu dipeptidyl alcohols to aldehydes is discussed. The molecular modeling and biological assay results are presented.