Systematic review of potential causes of intraocular lens opacification

Intraocular lens (IOL) opacification is an infrequent complication of cataract surgery. Surface analysis has demonstrated that the opacification of IOLs is related to calcium or phosphate precipitation on or within the lenses, but the associated mechanisms are unknown, and the scientific literature is heterogeneous and limited to case series and retrospective studies. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyse the most frequent conditions associated with opacification of IOLs reported by studies. A search was carried out using the PubMed MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The quality of the studies selected was evaluated using the Pierson tool. The search provided a total of 811 articles, of which 39 were selected following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The most common opacified lenses were hydrophilic IOLs according to our analysis. The mean time of appearance of lens opacification was 14.93 ± 17.82 months. The most frequent conditions associated with opacification of the IOLs were Descemet Stripping with Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK/DSEK) and diabetes mellitus (DM), followed by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), blood hypertension (HT), and glaucoma. Concerning the quality analysis, the mean score was 7.00 ± 1.43 (scoring range from 0 to 10), indicating an acceptable quality of the case reports and retrospective studies. In conclusion, DSAEK/DSEK, DM, PPV, glaucoma and hypertension are conditions with potential risk of IOL opacification after cataract surgery, especially when implanting hydrophilic acrylic IOLs.Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness of Spain, Grant/Award Number: RYC‐2016‐20471

Relationship between metamorphism and Variscan deformation in the Pallaresa massif, central sector of the Pyrenean Axial Zone

La relación cristalización–deformación y el estudio microestructural de las rocas metasedimentarias del macizo de la Pallaresa y de la zona de contacto con los domos gneísicos del Aston y del Hospitalet, han permitido identificar dos episodios metamórficos (AT-BP) y caracterizar su relación con los eventos de deformación producidos durante la Orogenia Varisca en este sector de la Zona Axial pirenaica. Los episodios metamórficos son: (i) el primero, representado por asociaciones minerales de bajo grado metamórfico, que pudo alcanzar condiciones de grado medio, y principalmente sin-tectónico con el primer evento de deformación Varisca; (ii) el segundo episodio, con asociaciones minerales de grado medio–alto, sería el principal y contemporáneo con el evento más tardío de deformación Varisca. Este evento es extensional y favoreció las intrusiones magmáticas en etapas tardías de la Orogenia VariscaThe crystallization–deformation relationship and the microstructural analysis of metasedimentary rocks in the La Pallaresa Massif and the contact area with the Aston and Hospitalet gneissic domes have made it possible to identify two HT-LP metamorphic events and characterize their relationship with the Variscan deformation events in this sector of the Pyrenean Axial Zone. These metamorphic episodes are: (i) the first one, represented by low-grade mineral assemblages, which could occasionally reach medium–grade conditions, and is syntectonic with the first Variscan deformation event; (ii) the second episode presents medium–high–grade metamorphic mineral associations, it is the main one in this area, and coeval with the last Variscan deformation event. It is associated with an extensional event, which favoured magmatic intrusions during the last stages of the Variscan Orogen

Breakup mechanisms in the He 6 + Zn 64 reaction at near-barrier energies

New experimental results for the elastic scattering of He6 on Zn64 at incident energies of 15.0 and 18.0 MeV and He4 at 17.5 MeV along with results already published at 10.0 and 13.6 MeV, are presented. Elastic and α experimental cross sections are compared with coupled-reaction-channel, continuum-discretized coupled-channel, and DWBA inclusive-breakup models. The large yield of α particles observed at all measured energies can be explained by considering a nonelastic breakup mechanism.Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and FEDER funds (FIS2014-53448-C2-1-P, FIS2017-88410P, FPA2016-77689-C2-1-R)European Union’s Horizon 2020 65400

Estilos de enseñanza y las nuevas tecnologías en la educación

El objetivo de este estudio es conocer la posible relación entre los estilos de enseñanza del profesor y la adaptación a la aplicación de las nuevas tecnologías en el aula. Los estilos de enseñanza son los comportamientos que el docente exhibe en su actividad profesional, éstos estarían basados en su conocimiento y experiencia pudiendo depender del contexto. La evolución dentro del sistema educativo español, ha dado lugar a diferentes estilos de enseñanza en el profesorado entre los que se encuentran el estilo autocrático, democrático, dominador o integrador, entre otros. Se considera la existencia de un continuo en los estilos de enseñanza donde los liberales o restrictivos, estarían situados en los extremos y los combinados en el centro del mismo. Con respecto a las nuevas tecnologías actualmente utilizadas en la enseñanza, hay que hacer referencia a las técnicas usadas en el tratamiento y transmisión de información, principalmente de informática y telecomunicaciones.Proyecto de Innovación Docente ReiDoCrea. Departamento de Psicología Social. Universidad de Granada

Relación entre el sodio edáfico y foliar y su efecto sobre plantas de algodón y soya en el Norte del Cesar.

Se evaluó el efecto de los contenidos de sodio remanente de un suel salino sódico tratado con enmiendas químicas, orgánicas y mexclas de ellas sobre algunos aspectos del comportamiento de algodón y soya. Así mismo, se estudio la relación entre los contenidos del mismo y la absorción de las plantas. El estudio se realizó en el centro de investigaciones de molitonia de Corpoica ubicado en el municipio de Codazzi (Cesar), en condiciones de invernader, bajo un diseño completamente al azar con nueve tratamientos y tres repeticiones. Los parámetros fueron el estado inicial del suelo, estado del suelo después de lavado en cada enmienda, contenido de sodi, altura de planta y masa seca. Los resultados indicaron que para todos los tratamientos, los contenidos de sodio total en el suelo disminuyeronde 10,2 hasta un promedio de tres meg/100 g y las hojas de algodón mostraron una relación lineal y positiva con los niveles de este elemento en el suelo entanto que para la soya no evidenció claramente este comportamiento. Los contenidos de sodio foliar en algodón y soya fueron en promedio de 0,45 y 0,19 por ciento para los tratamientos de enmiendas químicas y de 1,02 y 0,12 por ciento para los organicos respectivamente. En los tratamientos de enmiendas químicas se observó que menores contenidos de sodio enn la hoja, se presentaron mayores valores de masa seca total, sin embargo este comportamiento no fue aplicable a las enmiendas donde se utilizaron altos contenidos de material orgánico. En general y para las dos especies del estudio, la altura de planta fue mayor a medida que el procentaje de sodio en la hoja fue menor pero su comportamiento no es lienal y depende de la clase de enmienda usada.AlgodónSoya-Soja- Glycine ma

Comment on "X-ray resonant scattering studies of orbital and charge ordering in Pr1-xCaxMnO3"

In a recent published paper [Phys. Rev. B 64, 195133 (2001)], Zimmermann et al. present a systematic x-ray scattering study of charge and orbital ordering phenomena in the Pr1-xCaxMnO3 series with x= 0.25, 0.4 and 0.5. They propose that for Ca concentrations x=0.4 and 0.5, the appearance of (0, k+1/2, 0) reflections are originated by the orbital ordering of the eg electrons in the a-b plane while the (0, 2k+1, 0) reflections are due to the charge ordering among the Mn3+ and Mn4+ ions. Moreover, for small Ca concentrations (x<0.3), the orbital ordering is only considered and it occurs at (0, k, 0) reflections. A rigorous analysis of all these resonance reflections will show the inadequacy of the charge-orbital model proposed to explain the experimental results. In addition, this charge-orbital model is highly inconsistent with the electronic balance. On the contrary, these reflections can be easily understood as arising from the anisotropy of charge distribution induced by the presence of local distortions, i.e. due to a structural phase transition.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures.To be published Phys. Rev.

Impact of fast ions on density peaking in JET: fluid and gyrokinetic modeling

The effect of fast ions on turbulent particle transport, driven by ion temperature gradient (ITG)/ trapped electron mode turbulence, is studied. Two neutral beam injection (NBI) heated JET discharges in different regimes are analyzed at the radial position ρt = 0.6, one of them an L-mode and the other one an H-mode discharge. Results obtained from the computationally efficient fluid model EDWM and the gyro-fluid model TGLF are compared to linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic GENE simulations as well as the experimentally obtained density peaking. In these models, the fast ions are treated as a dynamic species with a Maxwellian background distribution. The dependence of the zero particle flux density gradient (peaking factor) on fast ion density, temperature and corresponding gradients, is investigated. The simulations show that the inclusion of a fast ion species has a stabilizing influence on the ITG mode and reduces the peaking of the main ion and electron density profiles in the absence of sources. The models mostly reproduce the experimentally obtained density peaking for the L-mode discharge whereas the H-mode density peaking is significantly underpredicted, indicating the importance of the NBI particle source for the H-mode density profile.EURATOM 63305

RF sheath modeling of experimentally observed plasma surface interactions with the JET ITER-Like Antenna

Waves in the Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) enhance local Plasma-Surface Interactions (PSI) near the wave launchers and magnetically-connected objects via Radio-Frequency (RF) sheath rectification. ITER will use 20MW of ICRF power over long pulses, questioning the long-term impact of RF-enhanced localized erosion on the lifetime of its Beryllium (Be) wall. Recent dedicated ICRF-heated L-mode discharges documented this process on JET for different types of ICRF antennas. Using visible spectroscopy in JET ICRF-heated L-mode discharges, poloidally-localized regions of enhanced (by ∼2–4x) Be I and Be II light emission were observed on two outboard limiters magnetically connected to the bottom of the active ITER-Like Antenna (ILA). The observed RF-PSI induced by the ILA was qualitatively comparable to that induced by the JET standard, type-A2 antennas, for similar strap toroidal phasing and connection geometries. The Be II line emission was found more intense when powering the bottom half of the ILA rather than its top half. Conversely, more pronounced SOL density modifications were observed with only top array operation, on field lines connected to the top half of the ILA. So far the near-field modeling of the ILA with antenna code TOPICA (Torino Polytechnic Ion Cyclotron Antenna), using curved antenna model, was partially able to reproduce qualitatively the observed phenomena. A quantitative discrepancy persisted between the observed Be source amplification and the calculated, corresponding increases in E// field at the magnetically connected locations to the ILA when changing from only top to only bottom half antenna operation. This paper revisits these current drive phased and half-ILA powered cases using for the new simulations flat model of the ILA and more realistic antenna feeding to calculate the E// field maps with TOPICA code. Further, the Self-consistent Sheaths and Waves for Ion Cyclotron Heating Slow Wave (SSWICH-SW) code, which couples slow wave evanescence with DC Scrape-Off Layer (SOL) biasing, is used to estimate the poloidal distribution of rectified RF-sheath Direct Current (DC) potential VDC in the private SOL between the ILA poloidal limiters. The approach so far was limited to correlating the observed, enhanced emission regions at the remote limiters to the antenna near-electric fields, as calculated by TOPICA. The present approach includes also a model for the rectification of these near-fields in the private SOL of the ILA. With the improved approach, when comparing only top and only bottom half antenna feeding, we obtained good qualitative correlation between all experimental measurements and the calculated local variations in the E// field and VDC potential.EURATOM 63305

The effect of beryllium oxide on retention in JET ITER-like wall tiles

Preliminary results investigating the microstructure, bonding and effect of beryllium oxide formation on retention in the JET ITER-like wall beryllium tiles, are presented. The tiles have been investigated by several techniques: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Transmission Electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with EDX and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS), Raman Spectroscopy and Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy (TDS). This paper focuses on results from melted materials of the dump plate tiles in JET. From our results and the literature, it is concluded, beryllium can form micron deep oxide islands contrary to the nanometric oxides predicted under vacuum conditions. The deepest oxides analyzed were up to 2-micron thicknesses. The beryllium Deuteroxide (BeOxDy) bond was found with Raman Spectroscopy. Application of EELS confirmed the oxide presence and stoichiometry. Literature suggests these oxides form at temperatures greater than 700 °C where self-diffusion of beryllium ions through the surface oxide layer can occur. Further oxidation is made possible between oxygen plasma impurities and the beryllium ions now present at the wall surface. Under Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) nanometric Beryllium oxide layers are formed and passivate at room temperature. After continual cyclic heating (to the point of melt formation) in the presence of oxygen impurities from the plasma, oxide growth to the levels seen experimentally (approximately two microns) is proposed. This retention mechanism is not considered to contribute dramatically to overall retention in JET, due to low levels of melt formation. However, this mechanism, thought the result of operation environment and melt formation, could be of wider concern to ITER, dependent on wall temperatures.EUROfusion 63305

First mirror test in JET for ITER: Complete overview after three ILW campaigns

The First Mirror Test for ITER has been carried out in JET with mirrors exposed during (1) the third IIW campaign (11.W-3, 2015-2016, 23.33 h plasma) and (ii) all three campaigns, Le LW1 to ILW-3: 20112016 63,52 h in total. All mirrors from main chamber wall show no significant changes of the total reflectivity from the initial value and the diffuse reflectivity does not exceed 3% in the spectral range above 500 nm. The modified Layer on surface has very small amount of impurities such as D, B, C N O and Ni. All mirrors from the divertor (inner, outer, base under the bulk ile) lost reflectivity by 20-80% due to the beryllium-rich deposition also containing D, CN, O, Ni and W. In the inner divertor N reaches 5 x 107 cm2 W is up to 4.3 x 10 cm while the content of Ni is the greatest in the outer divertor 3.8 x 10 cm Oxygen-18 used as the tracer in experiments at the end of ILW-3 has been detected at the level of 1.1 x 10 cm . The thickness of deposited Layer is in the range or 90 nm to 900 nm. The layer growth rate in the base (2.7 pms !) and inner divertor is proportional to the exposure time when a single campaign and all three are compared. In a few cases, on mirrots located at the cassette mouth, flaking of deposits and crosion occurred.EURATOM 63305