Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome following Phacoemulsification Secondary to Overdose of Intracameral Gentamicin

Objective. To report a case of toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) that was caused by inadvertent anterior chamber and cornea stromal injection with high dose gentamicin following cataract surgery. Methods. Case report. Results. We report a 72-year-old female patient who developed TASS that was caused by high dose gentamicin (20 mg/0.5 mL), which was inadvertently used during the formation of the anterior chamber and hydration of the corneal incision. Unlike previous cases, hyphema and hemorrhagic fibrinous reaction were seen in the anterior chamber. Despite treatment, bullous keratopathy developed and penetrating keratoplasty was performed. The excised corneal button was sent for histopathological examination. Conclusions. Subconjunctival gentamicin is highly toxic to the corneal endothelium and anterior chamber structures. Including it on the surgical table carries a potentially serious risk for contamination of the anterior chamber

Comparison of Medpor Coated Tear Drainage Tube versus Silicon Tear Drainage Tube in Conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy: Problems and Solutions

Purpose. This study aims at comparing two different types of drainage tubes in conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy, which are used for upper lacrimal system obstruction or damage, with respect to their respective postoperative problems and solutions. Methods. Nineteen eyes of 17 patients who underwent conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy (CDCR) or conjunctivorhinostomy (CR) surgery with a Medpor coated tear drainage tube or silicon tube placement between October, 2010, and February, 2014, were included in this retrospective comparative study. Results. In the initial surgery, Medpor coated tear drainage tubes were used in 11 eyes by CDCR, whereas silicon tear drainage tubes were implanted into 2 eyes by CR and 6 eyes by CDCR. In group 1, proximal and distal obstructions developed postoperatively in 4 eyes, while 1 eye showed tube malposition and 3 eyes developed luminal obstruction by debris 3 times. In group 2, tube extrusion developed in 4 eyes, whereas tube malposition developed in 6 eyes and luminal obstruction by debris developed in 6 eyes at different times, for a total of 20 times. Conclusions. In our study, the most significant complication we observed in the use of silicon tear drainage tubes was tube extrusion,whereas the leading complication related to the use of Medpor coated tear drainage tubes was tube obstruction

Surface Quality of Wood Plastic Composites as Function of Water Exposure

The objective of this study was to evaluate the surface quality of experimentally manufactured wood plastic composite (WPC) samples exposed to water soaking. Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.), which is one of the invasive species in Oklahoma, USA, and recycled plastic were used to manufacture WPC samples. Three types of samples, namely with 0%, 3% and 6% nano-clay were soaked in water for up to one month. Stylus-type equipment was employed to evaluate their surface roughness as a function of water exposure. Two accepted roughness parameters, average roughness (Ra) and mean peak-to-valley (Rz), were used to determine changes in the surface quality of the specimens due to water exposure. Average roughness values of 1.5 µm and 4.1 µm were determined for the samples with no clay in dry conditions and those soaked for one month in water, respectively. Corresponding values were lower in the case of those with clay in their content. Based on the findings in this work, it appears that the stylus technique can be successfully applied to such samples to quantitatively evaluate their surface quality when they are exposed to water for an extended time span. It is expected that data from this work could help to produce a better understanding of the behavior of WPCs under environmental conditions

Production of core-shell type conducting FTO/TiO2 photoanode for dye sensitized solar cells

Core-shell type photoanode composed of electrically conducting fluorine doped tin dioxide (FTO) matrix and TiO2 shell layer was prepared and applied in dye sensitized solar cells. Effects of fluorine doping on tin dioxide based cells and precursor material on shell layer were investigated. Fluorine doped tin dioxide nanoparticles were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and resistivity value down to 17 Omega cm was achieved. Cells constructed from FTO nanoparticles show enhanced performance compared to intrinsic SnO2. Deposition of thin blocking TiO2 layers was conducted using ammonium hexafluorotitanate and titanium tetrachloride aqueous solutions for different dipping durations which yielded significant deviations in the layer morphology and affected cell parameters. Best results were obtained with titanium tetrachloride treated cells giving 11.51 mA/cm(2) photocurrent density and they were comparable with that of pure TiO2 based cells prepared under identical conditions

Optical Coherence Tomography in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis without Optic Neuritis: A 20-Month Longitudinal Study (vol 37, pg 104, 2013)

WOS: 00032225650000

Comprasion of ICare Rebound Tonometer and Goldmann Applanation Tonometer in High Myopia

Purpose. To compare intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements with the Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) and the ICare rebound tonometer (RBT) in high myopic eyes. Patients and Methods. This randomized prospective study included 40 eyes of 40 patients with high myopia. All patients’ central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), axial length (AXL), keratometry, and refractive measurements were recorded and followed by IOP measurement with RBT and GAT. Results. The average CCT, AXL, and ACD were determined to be 514.65±32 μm, 27.65±2.22 mm, and 3.25±0.51 mm, respectively. Mean K was 43.27±1.4 D and mean spherical equivalent was -11.31±4.30 D. The mean IOP values obtained by RBT and GAT were 17.18±3.72 mmHg and 16.48±3.19 mmHg, respectively. The deviations of RBT readings from corrected GAT values were highly correlated with CCT values (r=0.588, P=0.0001). The mean corrected GAT reading was 17.49±3.01 mmHg. Linear regression analysis showed that a CCT change of 10 μm resulted in an RBT reading deviation of 0.57 mmHg. The Bland-Altman scatter-plot and McNemar test showed a clinically good level of agreement between the two tonometers. Conclusion. This study found a good agreement level between the two tonometers in high myopic patients and that RBT measurements are influenced by CCT variations

Photovoltaic performance of bifacial dye sensitized solar cell using chemically healed binary ionic liquid electrolyte solidified with SiO2 nanoparticles

In this study, we investigated the effect of electrolyte composition, photoanode thickness, and the additions of GuSCN (guanidinium thiocyanate), NMB (N-methylbenimidazole), and SiO2 on the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs (dye sensitized solar cells). A bifacial DSSC is realized and irradiated from front and rear sides. The devices give maximum photovoltaic efficiencies for 70% PMII (1-propyl-3-methyl-imidazolium iodide)/30% (EMIB(CN)(4)) (1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetracyanoborate) electrolyte composition and 10 mu m thick photoanode coating which is considered to be the ideal coating thickness for the diffusion length of electrolyte and dye absorption. A significant increase in the photocurrent for DSSCs with optimum molarity of 0.1 M GuSCN was observed due to decreased recombination which is believed to be surface passivation effect at photoanode electrolyte interface suppressing recombination rate. Moreover, optimum NMB molarity was found to be 0.4 for maximum efficiency. Addition of SiO2 to the electrolyte both as an overlayer and dispersed particles enhanced rear side illuminated cells where dispersed particles are found to be more efficient for the front side illuminated cells due to additional electron transport properties. Best rear side illuminated cell efficiency was 3.2% compared to front side illuminated cell efficiency of 4.2% which is a promising result for future rear side dye sensitized solar cell applications where front side illumination is not possible like tandem structures and for cells working from both front and rear side illuminations

Measurement correction of a set of analog sun sensors via neural network

A Neural Network (NN) based method to improve the accuracy of a set of analog Sun sensors is presented. Analog Sun Sensors are commonly used on satellites due to their reduced cost, small size and low power consumption. However, especially in Earth imaging satellites, they are prone to the Earth albedo effects. Magnitude and direction of albedo change depending on the reflection characteristics of the Earth's surface, position and attitude of the satellite and position of the Sun. The albedo may deteriorate Sun direction measurements by the analog Sun sensor as much as 20°. In this study, a multilayer NN, which is trained using the Sun direction vector and available attitude information, is applied to the Sun sensor readings to correct the voltage output for the corresponding measurements. Then the corrected Sun angles in sensor x and y axes are obtained by combining NN outputs with the sensor measurements. The proposed algorithm is tested in various simulation scenarios of differing training and interrogation periods for the NN. Results show that the Sun sensor measurements can be corrected up to an accuracy of 1° using the NN approach. Generalization of the NN by tuning the parameters enables using the same trained NN for extended durations of time

Challenges in dried whey powder production: Quality problems

© 2022 Elsevier LtdWhey is a high nutritional value by-product of the dairy industry. It is generally produced in large quantities and its disposal as wastewater poses environmental risks. For this reason, whey streams are used for the production of value-added products such as dried whey powders. However, there are several challenges related to whey processing that lead to low powder yield and quality, especially caking. These challenges can be addressed by optimization of product formulation and processing parameters. In this review, we discuss the effects of dried whey protein powder production stages and process parameters on the quality of the final powder product. The initial composition of whey used for dried whey powder production affects the final quality of the product. Generally, a high mineral and/or lactic acid content is not desirable since these constituents cause lactose-containing whey particles to adhere to the drying equipment surfaces, thereby reducing the powder yield. An effective lactose pre-crystallization is essential since high amorphous lactose content increases the stickiness of the dried-whey powder particles and induces caking during storage. Therefore, whey should undergo filtration and lactose pre-crystallization before spray drying. Studies show that it is possible to retard caking and improve the quality attributes of dried whey powders by optimizing the product formulation and processing operations