To critically evaluate the potential impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on global ophthalmology and VISION 2020. Perspective supplemented with epidemiologic insights from available online databases. We extracted data from the Global Vision Database (2017) and Global Burden of Disease Study (2017) to highlight temporal trends in global blindness since 1990, and provide a narrative overview of how COVID-19 may derail progress toward the goals of VISION 2020. Over 2 decades of VISION 2020 advocacy and program implementation have culminated in a universal reduction of combined age-standardized prevalence of moderate-to-severe vision impairment (MSVI) across all world regions since 1990. Between 1990 and 2017, low-income countries observed large reductions in the age-standardized prevalence per 100,000 persons of vitamin A deficiency (25,155 to 19,187), undercorrected refractive disorders (2,286 to 2,040), cataract (1,846 to 1,690), onchocerciasis (5,577 to 2,871), trachoma (506 to 159), and leprosy (36 to 26). Despite these reductions, crude projections suggest that more than 700 million persons will experience MSVI or blindness by 2050, principally owing to our growing and ageing global population. Despite the many resounding successes of VISION 2020, the burden of global blindness and vision impairment is set to reach historic levels in the coming years. The impact of COVID-19, while yet to be fully determined, now threatens the hard-fought gains of global ophthalmology. The postpandemic years will require renewed effort and focus on vision advocacy and expanding eye care services worldwide. Despite the many resounding successes of VISION 2020, the burden of global blindness and vision impairment is set to reach historic levels in the coming years. The impact of COVID-19, while yet to be fully determined, now threatens the hard-fought gains of global ophthalmology. The postpandemic years will require renewed effort and focus on vision advocacy and expanding eye care services worldwide.Tryptophan-5-hydroxylase-1 (T5H-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of serotonin, which is involved in the biosynthesis of melatonin (Mel). Mel, a biological hormone, plays crucial roles in stressors tolerance, such as cold, hot, Ultraviolet (UV) and pesticide tolerance. However, the direct correlation between T5H-1 and Mel and the underlying mechanism in organisms remains elusive. Mel-mediated cold tolerance was studied extensively in plants and somewhat in insects, including bees. The present study isolated the Mel synthesis gene T5H-1 from Apis cerana cerana for the first time. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that AccT5H-1 played vital roles during some adverse conditions, including 4 °C, 8 °C, 10 °C, 45 °C, UV, cyhalothrin, abamectin, paraquat and bifenthrin exposure. Knockdown of AccT5H-1 using RNA interference (RNAi) technology upregulated most antioxidant genes. Additionally, an enzyme activity assay revealed higher contents of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lower content of Vitamin C (VC), and higher activities of Glutathione S-transferase (GST), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Peroxidase (POD) in the AccT5H-1 silenced group than the control group. These results suggest that AccT5H-1 is involved in the response to different oxidative stressors in A. cerana cerana. The survival rate of A. cerana cerana exposed to low temperature treatment revealed that the optimal concentration of Mel in the diet was 10 µg/mL. We also found that the antioxidant enzyme (GST, SOD, POD and CAT) concentrations at 10 µg/mL Mel increased to different degrees, and the content of oxidizing substances (MDA and H2O2) decreased, the content of VC increased, and the content of substances that promote cold resistance (glycerol and glycogen) increased. Mel increased the resistance of A. cerana cerana exposed to low temperatures. The expression of AccT5H-1 decreased after the feeding of exogenous Mel to bees. These results provide a reference for other insect studies on Mel and T5H-1. There is growing evidence to support beneficial effects of the hypothalamic synthesised hormone, oxytocin, on metabolism. However, the biological half-life of oxytocin is short and receptor activation profile unspecific. We have characterised peptide-based oxytocin analogues with structural modifications aimed at improving half-life and receptor specificity. Following extensive in vitro and in vivo characterisation, antidiabetic efficacy of lead peptides was examined in high fat fed (HFF) mice. Following assessment of stability against enzymatic degradation, insulin secretory activity, receptor activation profile and in vivo bioactivity, analogues 2N (Ac-C YIQNC PLG-NH ) and D7R ((d-C)YIQNCYLG-NH ) were selected as lead peptides. Twice daily injection of either peptide for 22days reduced body weight, energy intake, plasma glucose and insulin and pancreatic glucagon content in HFF mice. In addition, both peptides reduced total- and LDL-cholesterol, with concomitant elevations of HDL-cholesterol, and D7R also decreased triglyceride levels. The two oxytocin analogues improved glucose tolerance and insulin responses to intraperitoneal, and particularly oral, glucose challenge on day 22. Both oxytocin analogues enhanced insulin sensitivity, reduced HOMA-IR and increased bone mineral density. In terms of pancreatic islet histology, D7R reversed high fat feeding induced elevations of islet and beta cell areas, which was associated with reductions in beta cell apoptosis. Islet insulin secretory responsiveness was improved by 2N, and especially D7R, treatment. Novel, enzymatically stable oxytocin analogues exert beneficial antidiabetic effects in HFF mice. These observations emphasise the, yet untapped, therapeutic potential of long-acting oxytocin-based agents for obesity and type 2 diabetes. These observations emphasise the, yet untapped, therapeutic potential of long-acting oxytocin-based agents for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Zra belongs to the envelope stress response (ESR) two-component systems (TCS). It is atypical because of its third periplasmic repressor partner (ZraP), in addition to its histidine kinase sensor protein (ZraS) and its response regulator (ZraR) components. Furthermore, although it is activated by Zn , it is not involved in zinc homeostasis or protection against zinc toxicity. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/s64315-mik665.html Here, we mainly focus on ZraS but also provide information on ZraP. The purified periplasmic domain of ZraS and ZraP were characterized using biophysical and biochemical technics multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS), circular dichroism (CD), differential scanning fluorescence (DSF), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), cross-linking and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). In-vivo experiments were carried out to determine the redox state of the cysteine residue in ZraP and the consequences for the cell of an over-activation of the Zra system. We show that ZraS binds one Zn molecule with high affinity resulting in conformational changes of the periplasmic domain, consistent with a triggering function of the metal ion.