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The Foundation Fighting Blindness today announced it has named Jason Menzo the foundation’s president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.

According to a news release, since joining the foundation in 2018, Menzo has had an impact on redefining the non-profit's operations, including fiscal, fundraising, communications, and managerial operations. He is recognized by colleagues and constituents for his passionate leadership style and ability to create innovative partnerships.

In addition, the foundation noted that he was involved in the formation of the RD Fund (Retinal Degeneration Fund), the venture arm of Foundation Fighting Blindness, which was created to further serve its mission. Menzo also is one of the founders of Opus Genetics, the first spin-off company internally conceived and launched by the RD Fund to further the Foundation's mission.

"We are excited to have Jason as president, along with continuing his current operational responsibilities," David Brint, chairman of the Foundation Fighting Blindness board of directors, said in a statement. "He has shown tremendous dedication to the mission and causes of the organization during his tenure."

Foundation CEO Benjamin Yerxa, PhD, noted that Menzo’s impact on the foundation has been undeniable.

“His ability to engage and influence the culture of internal staff alongside our constituents, while also guiding operational and fundraising efforts, has benefitted the foundation and our mission immensely,” Menzo said in a statement.

According to the release, before he joined the foundation, Menzo was a healthcare executive, having led the successful development and launch of several notable ophthalmic companies and brands.

"I am proud of the advances we have made to date and remain focused on new ways we can accelerate future milestones," Menzo said in a statement. "I am excited to focus on the future in an effort to continually expand the foundation's advancement, faster and further than ever before. Our constituents are at the heart of everything we do, and it is an honor to continue my service to them through the efforts of the foundation."

Established in 1971, the Foundation Fighting Blindness is a private funding source for retinal degenerative disease research. According to the release, it. has raised more than $816 million toward its mission of accelerating research for preventing, treating, and curing blindness caused by the entire spectrum of blinding retinal diseases including: retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, and Usher syndrome.

The RD Fund (Retinal Degeneration Fund) is the venture arm of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and a leading investor in the inherited retinal disease space.

Articles

Since joining the foundation in 2018, Menzo has been involved in the formation of the Retinal Degeneration Fund, the venture arm of Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Foundation Fighting Blindness names Jason Menzo president, COO

A team of investigators from the University of California Davis conducted a small, randomly assigned trial that found regularly eating a small serving of dried goji berries may help prevent or delay the development of 

AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in older people, and is estimated to affect more than 

“AMD affects your central field of vision and can affect your ability to read or recognize faces,” said Glenn Yiu, MD, PhD, a co-author of the study1 and an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Services.

According to a university news release, the investigators found that 13 healthy participants aged 45 to 65 who consumed 28 grams (about one ounce, or a handful) of goji berries 5 times a week for 90 days increased the density of protective pigments in their eyes. In contrast, 14 study participants who consumed a commercial supplement for eye health over the same period did not show an increase.

Investigators noted that the pigments that increased in the group that ate goji berries, lutein and zeaxanthin, filter out harmful blue light and provide antioxidant protection. Both help to protect the eyes during aging, according to the release

“Lutein and zeaxanthin are like sunscreen for your eyes,” lead author 

“The higher the lutein and zeaxanthin in your retina, the more protection you have. Our study found that even in normal healthy eyes, these optical pigments can be increased with a small daily serving of goji berries,” Li explained.

, two species of shrubby bushes found in northwest China. The dried berries are a common ingredient in Chinese soups and are popular as herbal tea. They are similar to raisins and eaten as a snack.

The investigators noted that in Chinese medicine, goji berries are said to have “eye brightening” qualities. Li grew up in northern China and became curious whether there were any physiological properties to “eye brightening.”

“Many types of eye diseases exist, so it is not clear which disease ‘eye brightening’ is targeting,” Li said in the statement.

She researched the bioactive compounds in goji berries and found they contain high quantities of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are known to 

 related to AMD. The form of zeaxanthin in goji berries is also a highly bioavailable form, according to Li, meaning it is readily absorbed in the digestive system so the body can use it.

According to the university release, the current treatment for intermediate stages of AMD uses special dietary supplements, called 

, that contain vitamins C, E, zinc, copper and lutein and zeaxanthin. No known therapy has yet been shown to impact early stages of AMD.

The cause of AMD is complex and multifactorial, according to Yiu, and involves a mix of genetic risks, age-associated changes, and environmental factors like smoking, diet and sun exposure. Early stages of AMD do not have symptoms; however, physicians can detect AMD and other eye problems during a regular comprehensive eye exam.

“Our study shows goji berries, which are a natural food source, can improve macular pigments of healthy participants beyond taking high-dose nutritional supplements,” Yiu concluded in the statement. “The next step for our research will be to examine goji berries in patients with early-stage AMD.”

Although the results are promising, the researchers note that the study size was small and more research will be needed.

Glenn Yiu, MD, PhD; Roberta R. Holt, Carl L. Keen, Lawrence S. Morse and Robert M. Hackman. Goji Berry Intake Increases Macular Pigment Optical Density in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Pilot Trial; Nutrients Published Dec. 9, 2021. 

A University of California Davis study shows that small serving of the fruit increased protective pigments in the eye. 

Investigators find dried goji berries may provide protection against AMD

The biped.ai smart harness. Image courtesy of biped

Swiss-start-up biped recently demonstrated its AI-co-pilot for blind and visually impaired people during the Consumer Electronics Show 2022 in Las Vegas.

According to the company, biped.ai includes a comfortable and lightweight collar fitted with 3D cameras that continuously monitor a 170° field of view for the user detecting, tracking and predicting the trajectories of all surrounding elements a few seconds in advance. It then filters the relevant information and warns the wearer via immersive 3D sounds.

“This mirrors the way autonomous vehicles work,” CEO and co-founder Mael Fabien said in a statement. “biped will, for example, warn a user about a bike 12 meters ahead on the user’s trajectory, but ignore an object that is closer but with no collision risk.”

According to the release, biped was formed in January 2021 after Fabien met his co-founder and CTO Bruno Vollmer at the International Create Challenge hackathon in Switzerland.

“I was both inspired by my research and by working next to the main ophthalmic hospital in Lausanne,” Fabien said in the release. “Every day I would encounter blind and visually impaired people and wondered if we could go beyond sticks and guide-dogs to help them.”

Further research revealed that only 5% of the estimated 5 million fully blind people in Europe and the US would take up the option of a guide-dog. Furthermore, the biped team also discovered that younger people are interested in solutions that are less stigmatizing than a stick.

Fabien pointed out that the company worked extensively with trialists on the user-friendliness of biped and the model shown recently at CES incorporates their feedback. The collar weighs under 1 kg and can be worn over any thickness of clothing – from t-shirts to parkas – and has no clips or special fastenings. It also looks like a rucksack strap rather than a medical device. The signals are transmitted through comfortable bone conduction earphones and the system can also connect to mobile apps to use GPS.”

According to the company, it recently closed a $1.1 million seed round from Swiss and French business angels and a Swiss VC and is now filing for Class I medical device status.

Fabien added that the company’s goal is to launch first in Switzerland in Q2 and then the US in early 2023.

“Sales will be either direct or by monthly subscription,” Fabien concluded. “We also see an opportunity for campuses and large companies to loan bipeds to visitors. Overall, we hope to make a major difference to the quality of life for blind and visually impaired people worldwide.”

According to the company, biped.ai includes a comfortable and lightweight collar fitted with 3d cameras that continuously monitor a 170° field of view for the user detecting, tracking and predicting the trajectories of all surrounding elements a few seconds in advance.

Biped unveils smart harness to help visually impaired people avoid obstacles while walking

The COVID-19 pandemic has had peaks and valleys, right now it is still going up, with the omicron variant driving infection rates and hospitalizations higher in many regions of the country.

As a result, office workers, including those working in ophthalmology practices, continue to have health and safety concerns for themselves as well as the patients they work with.

Honeywell today released initial findings from its second annual study on workers' perceptions and feelings on the health and safety of their workplace.

Conducted by Wakefield Research, the study surveyed 3,000 office workers who typically work in buildings with 500 or more employees across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, the Middle East and ASEAN.

As variants of COVID-19 spread, the survey shows that a significant majority of respondents (87%) are more concerned about working in an office building. Despite the broad rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations, this is a 19 percentage point increase in concern compared to last year's findings. Results from the 

 of a smaller sample size, showed 68% of workers not feeling completely safe working in their employer's buildings at the time.

62% of all respondents would leave their job if their employer does not take necessary measures to create a healthier indoor environment that promotes well-being.

When asked their thoughts on what poses a bigger threat to their safety, nearly 3 in 5 (57%) of those surveyed noted co-workers not following safety guidelines, while more than 2 in 5 (43%) said outdated ventilation systems.

Manish Sharma, vice president, chief technology and chief product officer for Honeywell Building Technologies, said companies have been forced to again rethink their return to office strategies given rising infection rates.

“These insights imply that employers need to continue to consider how they are creating healthier and safer workspaces, in particular related to improving indoor air quality and tracking compliance to guidelines such as social distancing and mask wearing,” Sharma said in a statement. “In the long term, creating a healthier workplace can be a competitive advantage to drive employee satisfaction and retainment."

According to the news release, Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings solutions that integrate air quality, safety, and security technologies along with advanced analytics to help building owners improve the health of their buildings, operate more cleanly and safely, comply with new guidelines, and help reassure occupants. Honeywell's advanced indoor air quality portfolio can help improve occupant well-being, meet energy efficiency goals, and importantly, change the way that occupants experience a building.

These initial survey results are a preview of a larger, forthcoming report from Honeywell Building Technologies that will be available in February.

The Honeywell Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 3,000 office workers in buildings of more than 500 workers in six markets: U.S., U.K., Germany, India, Middle East and ASEAN between December 17 and January 11, using an email invitation and an online survey.

In a separate study, researchers found that waning immunity, and not increased transmissibility, could be driving COVID-19 infections higher.

According to the study, as the three primary COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. lose some of their ability to prevent breakthrough infections over time, but they remain highly effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths.

The study, a collaboration between the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, sought to determine whether COVID-19 breakthrough infections are the result of waning immunity provided by vaccines or the greater transmissibility of the disease’s variants.

To find out, researchers looked at vaccination histories and health outcomes of 10.6 million North Carolina residents who received either the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine between December 2020 and September 2021. The data did not include outcomes from the omicron variant, which emerged after the study concluded. Results were published in the 

,® the researchers found that the mRNA Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both of which require two doses, were 95% effective at lowering the risk of COVID-19 two months after the first dose. After seven months the Moderna vaccine dropped to 80% effectiveness, while the Pfizer vaccine was 67% effective.

The effectiveness of both vaccines dropped significantly during June and July, when the COVID-19 Delta variant was at its height in the state.

The Johnson & Johnson adenovirus vaccine, which requires a single dose, was 75% effective after one month and 60% effective after five months. Based on these findings, the authors conclude that the reduced protection against COVID-19 infection was due to both declining immunity and the emergence of the delta variant.

However, all three vaccines have been more effective at preventing hospitalizations due to severe COVID-19. The Pfizer vaccine reached peak effectiveness of 96% at two months and was about 90% after seven months.

Effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine was 97% and 94%, respectively, at the same points. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine peaked at 86% effectiveness at two months and was higher than 80% through six months. All three vaccines were more effective against death than hospitalization.

Whether the spike in infections and hospitalizations is the result of waning immunity or the spreading of a new variant, a range of companies, including medical practices, are taking a cautious approach.

In a separate survey by Gartner, an advisory and research firm , about one-third of companies that responded in late December said they were either sending workers home, delaying reopenings or reducing the number of employees in their offices, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“It’s no longer, we’ve got a virus or we don’t have a virus,” Brian Kropp, chief of human resources research for Gartner, told the publication. “They’re shifting their mind-set to say: We’re going to create a set of conditions and those sets of conditions will determine how many people are allowed in the office at any point in time.”

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is shortening its recommended isolation period for people who test positive for COVID-19 from 10 days to 5, provided they are asymptomatic or have been without a fever for 24 hours.

In a recent statement, the CDC said the updated guidance is based on scientific evidence showing that most COVID-19 transmissions occur early in the course of the illness, either one to two days before the onset of symptoms or two to three days after. The guidelines also recommend that people with COVID-19 wear masks for five days when around others to minimize the risk of spreading infection, regardless of vaccination status.

As the omicron variant continues to surge across the country, putting staff at many practices on edge, waning immunity may be driving an increase in virus infections.  

Study: 87% of workers have increased concerns about working in an office amid rise of new COVID-19 variants

According to a team of investigators, the “Retinal age gap” could see potential use as screening tool, with the microvasculature in the retina a possible indicator of the overall health of the body’s circulatory system and the brain.

The difference between the biological age of the retina, the light sensitive layers of nerve tissue at the back of the eye, and a person’s real (chronological) age, is linked to their risk of death, finds research published online in the 

According to a news release, this “retinal age gap” could be used as a screening tool, suggest the team of Australian investigators, led by Zhuoting Zhu, MD, from the Center for Eye Research Australia.

Investigators note that a growing body of evidence suggests that the microvasculature in the retina might be a reliable indicator of the overall health of the body’s circulatory system and the brain.

While the risks of illness and death increase with age, it’s clear that these risks vary considerably among people of the same age, implying that ‘biological ageing’ is unique to the individual and may be a better indicator of current and future health, say the researchers.

The investigators also noted in the release that several tissue, cell, chemical, and imaging-based indicators have been developed to pick up biological ageing that is out of step with chronological ageing. But these techniques are fraught with ethical and privacy issues as well as often being invasive, expensive, and time consuming.

According to the release, investigators therefore turned to deep learning to see if it might accurately predict a person’s retinal age from images of the fundus, the internal back surface of the eye, and to see whether any difference between this and a person’s real age, referred to as the ‘retinal age gap’, might be linked to a heightened risk of death.

Deep learning is a type of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) that imitates the way people acquire certain types of knowledge. But unlike classic machine learning algorithms that are linear, deep learning algorithms are stacked in a hierarchy of increasing complexity.

The release noted that investigators drew on 80,169 fundus images taken from 46,969 adults aged 40 to 69, all of whom were part of the UK Biobank, a large, population-based study of more than half a million middle aged and older UK residents.

Some 19,200 fundus images from the right eyes of 11,052 participants in relatively good health at the initial Biobank health check were used to validate the accuracy of the deep learning model for retinal age prediction, according to the release.

This showed a strong association between predicted retinal age and real age, with an overall accuracy to within 3.5 years, investigators noted in the release.

The retinal age gap was then assessed in the remaining 35,917 participants during an average monitoring period of 11 years.

During this time, 1871(5%) participants died: 321(17%) of cardiovascular disease; 1018 (54.5%) of cancer; and 532 (28.5%) of other causes including dementia.

The proportions of ‘fast agers’--those whose retinas looked older than their real age– with retinal age gaps of more than 3, 5, and 10 years were, respectively, 51%, 28%, and 4.5%.

Large retinal age gaps in years were significantly associated with 49%-67% higher risks of death, other than from cardiovascular disease or cancer.

And each 1 year increase in the retinal age gap was associated with a 2% increase in the risk of death from any cause and a 3% increase in the risk of death from a specific cause other than cardiovascular disease and cancer, after accounting for potentially influential factors, such as high blood pressure, weight (BMI), lifestyle, and ethnicity.

The same process applied to the left eyes produced similar results, investigators said in the release.

According to the news release, this is an observational study, and as such, cannot establish cause. The researchers also acknowledge that the retinal images were captured at one moment in time, and that the participants may not be representative of the UK population as a whole.

“Our novel findings have determined that the retinal age gap is an independent predictor of increased mortality risk, especially of non-[cardiovascular disease]/ non-cancer mortality,” the investigators wrote in the release. “These findings suggest that retinal age may be a clinically significant biomarker of aging.”

Moreover, investigators added that “the retina offers a unique, accessible ‘window’ to evaluate underlying pathological processes of systemic vascular and neurological diseases that are associated with increased risks of mortality. This hypothesis is supported by previous studies, which have suggested that retinal imaging contains information about cardiovascular risk factors, chronic kidney diseases, and systemic biomarkers.”

The new findings, combined with previous research, add weight to “the hypothesis that the retina plays an important role in the ageing process and is sensitive to the cumulative damages of aging which increase the mortality risk,” they concluded.

1. Zhuoting Zhu, MD, et.al; Clinical Science: Retinal age gap as a predictive biomarker for mortality risk; British Journal of Ophthalmology; Published Jan. 18, 2022; doi 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-319807

The difference between retina’s biological age and person’s real age linked to heightened death risk, with a team of Australian investigators finding that evidence suggests the microvasculature in the retina may be a reliable indicator of the overall health of the body’s circulatory system and the brain.

Study: Eyes may become windows into aging process

MellingMedical and CorneaGen today announced an agreement that will expand corneal tissue options for doctors in the federal health system, including the Veterans Health Administration.

"More than 250,000 American veterans currently receive disability compensation for eye or vision conditions," Chris Melling, founder and CEO of Melling

 noted in the statement, "We're honored to work with CorneaGen to increase the quantity and quality of corneal tissue available for treating veterans potentially suffering from sight loss or impairment due to glaucoma."

According to a news release from the companies, the agreement will open a channel between federal health facilities and CorneaGen's laboratories whose advanced tissue processing methods yield more corneas than any other corneal tissue organization in the U.S. The Seattle-based company's comprehensive portfolio of corneal transplant tissue is processed to the standards set by the FDA and the Eye Bank Association of America.

"CorneaGen provides the highest quality donor tissue, service, and products to surgeons and their patients while driving innovations in corneal care," Bernie Iliakis, president of CorneaGen said in the statement. "This partnership with Melling

 expands our commitment to transforming the lives of those impacted by corneal disease by restoring sight, especially America's veterans."

According to the companies, the agreement will open a channel between federal health facilities and CorneaGen's laboratories.