1,720,964 research outputs found
RE-PERG, a new procedure for electrophysiologic diagnosis of glaucoma that may improve PERG specificity
Full text linkPurpose: A significant variability of the second harmonic (2ndH) phase of steady-state pattern electroretinogram (SS-PERG) in intrasession retest has been recently described in glaucoma patients (GP), which has not been found in healthy subjects. To evaluate the reliability of phase variability in retest (a procedure called RE-PERG or REPERG) in the presence of cataract, which is known to affect standard PERG, we tested this procedure in GP, normal controls (NC), and cataract patients (CP). Methods: The procedure was performed on 50 GP, 35 NC, and 27 CP. All subjects were examined with RE-PERG and SS-PERG and also with spectral domain optical coherence tomography and standard automated perimetry. Standard deviation of phase and amplitude value of 2ndH were correlated by means of one-way analysis of variance and Pearson correlation, with the mean deviation and pattern standard deviation assessed by standard automated perimetry and retinal nerve fiber layer and the ganglion cell complex thickness assessed by spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Receiver operating characteristics were calculated in cohort populations with and without cataract. Results: Standard deviation of phase of 2ndH was significantly higher in GP with respect to NC (P<0.001) and CP (P<0.001), and it correlated with retinal nerve fiber layer (r=−0.5, P<0.001) and ganglion cell complex (r=−0.6, P<0.001) defects in GP. Receiver operating characteristic evaluation showed higher specificity of RE-PERG (86.4%; area under the curve 0.93) with respect to SS-PERG (54.5%; area under the curve 0.68) in CP. Conclusion: RE-PERG may improve the specificity of SS-PERG in clinical practice in the discrimination of GP
Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as adjuvant therapy in the prevention of macular edema after cataract surgery
No full textPurpose: The purpose of the study was to assess adjuvant treatment with topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (0.9 % bromfenac, 0.1 % nepafenac, 0.5 % indomethacin, or 0.1 % diclofenac) in addition to topical steroidal treatment with 0.1 % dexamethasone and 0.3 % netilmicin for prevention of cystoid macular edema (CME) after uneventful small incision cataract extraction with foldable intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Setting: Institute of Ophthalmology, Department of Scienze Mediche di Base, Neuroscienze ed Organi di Senso, Aldo Moro University, Policlinico Consorziale di Bari, Bari, Italy. Design: A retrospective 6-month single center study. Methods: Patients were divided into groups according to treatment with topical drugs for 2 weeks, after phacoemulsification with foldable IOL implantation. CME incidence was evaluated by assessing retinal foveal thickness changes using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. All patients were treated with a fixed combination of dexamethasone and netilmicin, and some patients were additionally treated with NSAIDs (bromfenac, nepafenac, indomethacin, or diclofenac). Results: Fourteen patients were treated with bromfenac, 15 with nepafenac, 12 with indomethacin, and 14 with diclofenac; ten patients were treated with dexamethasone and netilmicin alone. At the end of the follow-up, macular thickness, evaluated at 1-week post-surgery, was reduced only in the group treated with nepafenac (−1.3 %, p = 0.048), was increased in the group treated with dexamethasone and netilmicin alone (+4.3 %, p = 0.04), and did not change in the groups treated with bromfenac (−1.1 %, p = 0.3), indomethacin (+0.1 %, p = 0.19), or diclofenac (+1.2 %, p = 0.74). There were no side effects in any group. Conclusions: Topical treatment with nepafenac, bromfenac, and indomethacin enhanced the efficacy of steroids to reduce postoperative macular edema. Diclofenac did not improve steroids efficacy
Ex-Press Mini-Implant in the Management of Ocular Hypertension Secondary to Silicone Oil Tamponed.
Full text linkThis study was designed to compare the success of patients with ocular hypertension, secondary to pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil tamponade, who received an Ex-PRESS Glaucoma Filtration Device P50 (Alcon Laboratories, Inc. Fort Worth, Texas, USA) to those who had conventional trabeculectomy. The records of 10 eyes of 10 consecutive subjects who had Ex-press implants and 9 eyes of 9 consecutive controls who had trabeculectomy procedures were reviewed. Success was defined as the reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients who did not require further glaucoma surgery in the eye of note during the entire follow-up. IOP was reduced by 10.3 ± 9.7 mmHg (range -31 to 3) in the Ex-PRESS group and by 13.9 ± 11.4 mmHg (range -35 to -4) in the trabeculectomy group. The difference in the percentage of IOP reduction between the standard trabeculectomy group (42.7%) and the Ex-PRESS group (35.9%) was not statistically significant (P = 0.72). The Ex-PRESS device seems to be at least as effective as the standard trabeculectomy in lowering the IOP of patients with hypertension secondary to pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil tamponade. Even though the data suggested that the Ex-PRESS device did not result in an overall greater reduction in IOP than trabeculectomy, this does not reach statistical significance
Graft Detachment After Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty in Bullous Keratopathy and Fuchs Dystrophy
Full text linkDescemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) is a surgical technique for corneal transplantation in case of corneal decompensation. One of the main complications is graft detachment (GD) recoverable with Air Re-bubbling (ARB). The aim of this retrospective, interventional case series was to identify factors related to this complication in eyes operated for bullous keratopathy (BK) and Fuchs dystrophy (FD). We considered one-hundred patients who underwent DSAEK for BK or FD between January 2016 and October 2017 at Department of Ophthalmology, Policlinico Universitario of Bari, Italy. Studied parameters included physiological and pathological anamnesis of both donors and recipients and properties of donor lenticules and of the recipient corneas. Data was analyzed using One-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc test and Chi-square test with Odds Ratio (OR) calculation. We grouped patients according to diagnosis. GD occurred in 9 eyes affected by BK and 19 by FD (p=0.003, OR = 0.25, 95% CI, 0.098-0.62). It was recovered with ARB. In BK, ARB correlated to complicated cataract extraction (p=0.04, OR = 7.83, 95% CI, 1.28 - 47.98) and aphakia (p=0.026, OR = 54.38, 95% CI, 2.51 - 11.76). In FD, ARB was associated to donor death for neoplasia (p=0.06, OR= 4.04, 95% CI, 1.06 - 15.37). No other differences were found. In conclusion, we could hypothesize that in FD patients, donor cancer therapy may play a role on altered corneal fibroblast metabolism, activating a synergetic effect between chemotherapy and genetic alteration of FD, which may lead to an altered adhesion of donor lenticule on recipient's stroma. In BK patients, complicated cataract extraction and aphakic status of recipient eye may contribute to altered adhesion of donor lenticule post-DSAEK
The role of AS-OCT in the diagnoses and treatment of retained Descemet’s membrane–endothelial layer complex after penetrating re-keratoplasty. A case report and review of the literature
Full text linkTo report the successful management of a retained Descemet’s membrane–endothelial layer complex (DM-ELC) after penetrating re-keratoplasty in a patient with history of keratoconus and trabeculectomy. Femto-laser was used to cut both the host and the donor tissues. On postoperative day 1, a weak corneal suture and an endothelial detachment were detected. Rebubbling and substitution of the weak suture were performed. The persistence of the membrane the day after with a clear lenticule led to the diagnosis of retained DM-ELC. Intraoperative OCT, trypan blue staining, and shifting bubble technique were used for the surgical removal of the supernumerary membrane
Intraocular pressure in silicon-oil tamponated eyes using a non-contact pulse synchronous tonometer: IOP measurement in vitrectomized and silicon-oil tamponated eyes by NT-4000
Full text linkObjective To assess the reliability of intraocular pressure (IOP)measurement by means of NidekNT - 4000 tonometer in vitrectomized and siliconoil tamponaded (VSOT)eyes. Methods IOP was measured by means of NidekNT - 4000 and compared with standard Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT)in 36 consecutive VSOT eyes and 36 normal eyes. Results In VSOT and nor mal eyes NidekNT - 4000 showed agreement with GAT (VSOT eyes mean difference:1. 83 ± 2. 64,P = 0 55;correlation:P < 0 0001,r = 0 95;Normal eyes mean difference:1 ± 2 8,P = 0 42;correlation:P = 0 0045,r = 0 69 ). Differences were similar be tween groups (P = 0 81). Conclusions NidekNT - 4000 tonometer offers a new affordable method to measure IOP in vitrectomized and siliconoil tamponaded eyes
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
- …
