2,220 research outputs found
The Nigerian national blindness and visual impairment survey: Rationale, objectives and detailed methodology
No full textBackground: Despite having the largest population in Africa, Nigeria has no accurate population based data to plan and evaluate eye care services. A national survey was undertaken to estimate the prevalence and determine the major causes of blindness and low vision. This paper presents the detailed methodology used during the survey.Methods: A nationally representative sample of persons aged 40 years and above was selected. Children aged 10-15 years and individuals aged < 10 or 16-39 years with visual impairment were also included if they lived in households with an eligible adult. All participants had their height, weight, and blood pressure measured followed by assessment of presenting visual acuity, refractokeratomery, A-scan ultrasonography, visual fields and best corrected visual acuity. Anterior and posterior segments of each eye were examined with a torch and direct ophthalmoscope. Participants with visual acuity of < = 6/12 in one or both eyes underwent detailed examination including applanation tonometry, dilated slit lamp biomicroscopy, lens grading and fundus photography. All those who had undergone cataract surgery were refracted and best corrected vision recorded. Causes of visual impairment by eye and for the individual were determined using a clinical algorithm recommended by the World Health Organization. In addition, 1 in 7 adults also underwent a complete work up as described for those with vision < = 6/12 for constructing a normative data base for Nigerians. Discussion: The field work for the study was completed in 30 months over the period 2005-2007 and covered 305 clusters across the entire country. Concurrently persons 40+ years were examined to form a normative data base. Analysis of the data is currently underway. Conclusion: The methodology used was robust and adequate to provide estimates on the prevalence and causes of blindness in Nigeria. The survey would also provide information on barriers to accessing services, quality of life of visually impaired individuals and also provide normative data for Nigerian eyes
Ecological determinants of blindness in Nigeria: the Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey.
No full textOBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and causes of visual loss in different ecological zones across Nigeria. METHODS: A population-based survey using multi-stage, stratified, cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size comprising a nationally representative sample of adults aged > or = 40 years from six ecological zones. OUTCOME MEASURES: Distance vision was measured using reduced logMAR charts. Clinical examination included basic eye examination for all respondents and a detailed examination including visual fields, gonioscopy and fundus photography for those who were visually impaired or blind (i.e. presenting vision or = 40 years were enumerated, 13 599 (89.9%) of whom were examined. The prevalence of blindness varied according to ecological zone, being highest in the Sahel region (6.6%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.2 - 10.4) and lowest in the rain forest region (3.23%; 95% CI 2.6 - 3.9). Age/ gender-adjusted analyses showed that risk of blindness was highest in Sahel (odds ratio (OR) 3.4; 95% CI 2.1 - 5.8). More than 80% of blindness in all ecological regions was avoidable. Trachoma was a significant cause only in the Sudan savannah belt. The prevalence of all major blinding conditions was highest in the Sahel. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this national survey may be applicable to other countries in West and Central Africa that share similar ecological zones. Onchocerciasis and trachoma are not major causes of blindness in Nigeria, possibly reflecting successful control efforts for both these neglected tropical diseases
Peribulbar versus retrobulbar anaesthesia for cataract surgery.
No full textBACKGROUND: Cataract is a major cause of blindness worldwide. Unless medically contraindicated, cataract surgery is usually performed under local (regional) anaesthesia. Local anaesthesia involves the blockage of a nerve subserving a given part of the body by infiltration of the area around the nerve with local anaesthetic. The two main approaches in the eye are retrobulbar and peribulbar. There is debate over whether the peribulbar approach provides more effective and safer anaesthesia for cataract surgery than retrobulbar block. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the effects of peribulbar anaesthesia (PB) compared to retrobulbar anaesthesia (RB) on pain scores, ocular akinesia, patient acceptability and ocular and systemic complications. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2007, Issue 4); MEDLINE (1960 to December 2007); and EMBASE (1980 to December 2007). SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled clinical trials comparing peribulbar anaesthesia and retrobulbar anaesthesia for cataract surgery. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We contacted trial authors for additional information, study methodology and missing data. We carried out a descriptive narrative of results as the methods used by the included stories for reporting the outcomes varied. We performed a subgroup analysis for globe akinesia. MAIN RESULTS: We included six trials involving 1438 participants. Two of the six trials had a low risk of bias; the remaining four had a moderate risk of bias. There was no evidence of any difference in pain perception during surgery with either retrobulbar or peribulbar anaesthesia. Both were largely effective. There was no evidence of any difference in complete akinesia or the need for further injections of local anaesthetic. Conjunctival chemosis was more common after peribulbar block (relative risk (RR) 2.11, 95% confidence Interval (CI) 1.46 to 3.05) and lid haematoma was more common after retrobulbar block (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.88). Retrobulbar haemorrhage was uncommon and occurred only once, in a patient who had a retrobulbar block. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is little to choose between peribulbar and retrobulbar block in terms of anaesthesia and akinesia during surgery in terms of acceptability to patients, need for additional injections and development of severe complications. Severe local or systemic complications were rare in PB and RB
Photoelectro-chemical properties of anilino squaraine derivatives in LB films
No full textPhotocurrent generation from Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) overlays on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, where the active components are 2,4-bis[4-(dibutylamino)-2-hydroxyphenyl]squaraine (1) and the unsubstituted analogue, 2,4-bis[4-(dibutylamino)phenyl]squaraine (2), have been investigated. Dye 1 shows improved behaviour compared with the latter and differences in performance are attributed to a modified aggregate structure, this being indicated by variations in the LB film spectra. The photocurrent generation is enhanced by the presence of electron accepters, e.g. N,N'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium diiodide (MV2+), but quenched by electron donors, e.g. hydroquinone (HQ). The concentration dependence is reported
Comments on author citations for nomenclatural novelties published in volume 15 of the Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (FRPS)
No full textLearning theories and interprofessional education: a user's guide
No full textThere is increasing interest in the theoretical underpinning of interprofessional education (IPE) and writers in this field are drawing on a wide range of disciplines for theories that have utility in IPE. While this has undoubtedly enriched the research literature, for the educational practitioner, whose aim is to develop and deliver an IPE curriculum that has sound theoretical underpinnings, this plethora of theories has become a confusing, and un-navigable quagmire. This article aims to provide a compass for those educational practitioners by presenting a framework that summarizes key learning theories used in IPE and the relationship between them. The study reviews key contemporary learning theories from the wider field of education used in IPE and the explicit applications of these theories in the IPE literature to either curriculum design or programme evaluation. Through presenting a broad overview and summary framework, the study clarifies the way in which learning theories can aid IPE curriculum development and evaluation. It also highlights areas where future theoretical development in the IPE field is required
Photoelectrochemistry of Langmuir-Blodgett films of a C-60 iminodiacetic acid ester derivative on ITO electrodes
No full textThe photoelectrochemical response of a C-60 iminodiacetic acid ester derivative (C(60)IDA), deposited on ITO electrodes by means of the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, has been investigated. The anodic photocurrent observed on the modified electrode corresponds to an electron transfer from the electrolyte through the LB film to the electrode. The action spectrum of photocurrent indicates C60IDA as the photoactive species in the photoinduced electron transfer process. Positive bias voltage, reducing agent and higher pH of the solution are beneficial factors for generating higher photocurrent. The quantum yield for photocurrent generation is 0.94% and can be raised to 3.40% under favorable conditions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.Materials Science, MultidisciplinaryPhysics, Condensed MatterPolymer ScienceSCI(E)EI9ARTICLE3223-2279
Factorization of weakly compact operators between Banach spaces and Fréchet or (LB)-spaces
No full text[EN] In this note we show that weakly compact operators from a Banach space X into
a complete (LB)-space E need not factorize through a reflexive Banach space. If E is a Fréchet space, then weakly compact operators from a Banach space X into E factorize through a reflexive Banach space. The factorization of operators from a Fréchet or a complete (LB)-space into a Banach space mapping bounded sets into relatively weakly compact sets is also investigated.The research of the first author was partially supported by MEC and FEDER Project MTM2010-15200 and by GV Project Prometeo/2008/101. The support of the University of Aberdeen and the Universidad Polit´ecnica of Valencia is gratefully acknowledged.Bonet Solves, JA.; Wright, JM. (2012). Factorization of weakly compact operators between Banach spaces and Fréchet or (LB)-spaces. Matematicki Vesnik. 64(4):330-335. https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/58753S33033564
Simulating liquid droplets: A quantitative assessment of lattice Boltzmann and Volume of Fluid methods
No full textWhile various multiphase flow simulation techniques have found acceptance as predictive tools for processes involving immiscible fluids, none of them can be considered universally applicable. Focusing on accurate simulation of liquid-liquid emulsions at the scale of droplets, we present a comparative assessment of the single-component multiphase pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann method (PP-LB, classical and modified) and the Volume of Fluid method (VOF, classical and modified), highlighting particular strengths and weaknesses of these techniques. We show that a modified LB model produces spurious velocities 1–3 orders of magnitude lower than all VOF models tested, and find that LB is roughly 10 times faster in computation time, while VOF is more versatile. Simulating falling liquid droplets, a realistic problem, we find that despite identical setups, results can vary with the technique in certain flow regimes. At lower Reynolds numbers, all methods agree reasonably well with experimental values. At higher Reynolds numbers, all methods underpredict the droplet Reynolds number, while being in good agreement with each other. Particular issues regarding LB simulations at low density ratio are emphasized. Finally, we conclude with the applicability of VOF vis-à-vis PP-LB for a general range of multiphase flow problems relevant to myriad applications.Accepted Author ManuscriptChemE/Transport PhenomenaIntensified Reaction and Separation System
Nonadaptive Amino Acid Convergence Rates Decrease over Time.
No full textConvergence is a central concept in evolutionary studies because it provides strong evidence for adaptation. It also provides information about the nature of the fitness landscape and the repeatability of evolution, and can mislead phylogenetic inference. To understand the role of adaptive convergence, we need to understand the patterns of nonadaptive convergence. Here, we consider the relationship between nonadaptive convergence and divergence in mitochondrial and model proteins. Surprisingly, nonadaptive convergence is much more common than expected in closely related organisms, falling off as organisms diverge. The extent of the convergent drop-off in mitochondrial proteins is well predicted by epistatic or coevolutionary effects in our "evolutionary Stokes shift" models and poorly predicted by conventional evolutionary models. Convergence probabilities decrease dramatically if the ancestral amino acids of branches being compared have diverged, but also drop slowly over evolutionary time even if the ancestral amino acids have not substituted. Convergence probabilities drop-off rapidly for quickly evolving sites, but much more slowly for slowly evolving sites. Furthermore, once sites have diverged their convergence probabilities are extremely low and indistinguishable from convergence levels at randomized sites. These results indicate that we cannot assume that excessive convergence early on is necessarily adaptive. This new understanding should help us to better discriminate adaptive from nonadaptive convergence and develop more relevant evolutionary models with improved validity for phylogenetic inference
- …
