Using the entropy of the corneal pulse signal to distinguish healthy eyes from eyes affected by primary open-angle glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the complexity of the corneal pulse (CP) signal can be used to differentiate patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) from healthy subjects. APPROACH: The study sample consisted of 28 patients with POAG and a control, age-matched group of 30 subjects. After standard ophthalmic examination, the CP signal from a randomly selected eye of each participant was measured using non-contact ultrasonic micro-displacement measurement technology. After pre-processing, the complexity of the CP signal was estimated using refined composite multiscale fuzzy entropy (RCMFE) up to scale factor 50. The average RCMFE values were computed from three repeated measurements of the CP signals for each participant and each scale factor. MAIN RESULTS: The complexity of the CP signal in glaucomatous eyes was higher than that observed in healthy ones. Also, RCMFE of the CP signal was found to differentiate (statistically significantly) between the two groups for scales in the range from 26 to 43. For these scales, the one for which the lowest p-value (t-test, p = 0.017) was obtained when comparing RCMFE between the two groups was selected as the optimal scale. Next, a receiver operating characteristic analysis for the optimal scale showed that the proposed approach of calculating the multiscale entropy of the CP signal has some potential to discriminate between patients with POAG and healthy controls (sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 0.643, 0.700 and 0.672, respectively). SIGNIFICANCE: In conclusion, RCMFE, as a complexity measure, may be considered an auxiliary indicator to support glaucoma diagnostics

Using the entropy of the corneal pulse signal to distinguish healthy eyes from eyes affected by primary open-angle glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the complexity of the corneal pulse (CP) signal can be used to differentiate patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) from healthy subjects. APPROACH: The study sample consisted of 28 patients with POAG and a control, age-matched group of 30 subjects. After standard ophthalmic examination, the CP signal from a randomly selected eye of each participant was measured using non-contact ultrasonic micro-displacement measurement technology. After pre-processing, the complexity of the CP signal was estimated using refined composite multiscale fuzzy entropy (RCMFE) up to scale factor 50. The average RCMFE values were computed from three repeated measurements of the CP signals for each participant and each scale factor. MAIN RESULTS: The complexity of the CP signal in glaucomatous eyes was higher than that observed in healthy ones. Also, RCMFE of the CP signal was found to differentiate (statistically significantly) between the two groups for scales in the range from 26 to 43. For these scales, the one for which the lowest p-value (t-test, p = 0.017) was obtained when comparing RCMFE between the two groups was selected as the optimal scale. Next, a receiver operating characteristic analysis for the optimal scale showed that the proposed approach of calculating the multiscale entropy of the CP signal has some potential to discriminate between patients with POAG and healthy controls (sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 0.643, 0.700 and 0.672, respectively). SIGNIFICANCE: In conclusion, RCMFE, as a complexity measure, may be considered an auxiliary indicator to support glaucoma diagnostics

Study of β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with volatile molecules geraniol and α-terpineol enantiomers in solid state and in solution

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Geraniol and α-terpineol are insoluble in water volatile compounds. α-Terpineol is a potentially important agent for medical applications. Formation of molecular complexes with β-cyclodextrin would lead to the increase of water solubility and bioavailability. β-Cyclodextrin forms 2:2 inclusion complexes with both enantiomers of α-terpineol and their precursor geraniol. Solid state complexes are thoroughly characterized by single X-ray crystallography and their stability over vast range of temperatures is proven by TG analysis. Intermolecular host-guest, host-host and guest-guest interactions give good insight into the nature of formed inclusion complexes. Stability constants of the complexes in solution are determined by HPLC

Quadrupole collectivity in Ca 42 from low-energy Coulomb excitation with AGATA

A Coulomb-excitation experiment to study electromagnetic properties of Ca42 was performed using a 170-MeV calcium beam from the TANDEM XPU facility at INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro. γ rays from excited states in Ca42 were measured with the AGATA spectrometer. The magnitudes and relative signs of ten E2 matrix elements coupling six low-lying states in Ca42, including the diagonal E2 matrix elements of 21+ and 22+ states, were determined using the least-squares code gosia. The obtained set of reduced E2 matrix elements was analyzed using the quadrupole sum rule method and yielded overall quadrupole deformation for 01,2+ and 21,2+ states, as well as triaxiality for 01,2+ states, establishing the coexistence of a weakly deformed ground-state band and highly deformed slightly triaxial sideband in Ca42. The experimental results were compared with the state-of-the-art large-scale shell-model and beyond-mean-field calculations, which reproduce well the general picture of shape coexistence in Ca42

Superdeformed and Triaxial States in Ca 42

Shape parameters of a weakly deformed ground-state band and highly deformed slightly triaxial sideband in ^{42}Ca were determined from E2 matrix elements measured in the first low-energy Coulomb excitation experiment performed with AGATA. The picture of two coexisting structures is well reproduced by new state-of-the-art large-scale shell model and beyond-mean-field calculations. Experimental evidence for superdeformation of the band built on 0_{2}^{+} has been obtained and the role of triaxiality in the A∼40 mass region is discussed. Furthermore, the potential of Coulomb excitation as a tool to study superdeformation has been demonstrated for the first time

Wielopierścieniowe węglowodory aromatyczne w kurzu mieszkań warszawskich

The content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the dust from Warsaw apartments were studied. Samples were collected from 48 flats, from a few places in each flat: living room (floor, shelves), bedroom (bed), kitchen, lavatory. At the same time a survey by questionnaire was carried out, in which outside and internat factors were described. PAHs concentration in samples were determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The levels of PAHs concentration varied between 8 and 173 mg/kg. The content of PAHs in dust from most of Warsaw apartments was high (from 5 to 50 ppm), and in more than ten was extremely high (> 50 ppm). It could be one of the sources of health hazards in home environment. In the greater part of analyzed samples, very high levels of the following hydrocarbons have been found: benzo[b]fluoranthene, fluoranthene, pyrene, fhiorene and phenanthrene. Among microenvironments, selected for the study, the sum of PAHs in kitchen and cellars has been two-three times higher as compared with that in other places. The results show a clear trend to an increased concentration of PAHs in apartment of tobacco smokers.Badano poziom zanieczyszczenia wielopierścieniowymi węglowodorami aromatycznymi (WWA[PAHs]) kurzu z mieszkań warszawskich. Próbki pobrano z 48 mieszkań, z kilku miejsc w każdym mieszkaniu: pokój dzienny (podłoga, półki), sypialnia (łóżko), kuchnia, łazienka. Równocześnie przeprowadzano ankietę, w której w kilku stopniowej skali oceniano różne czynniki zewnętrzne i wewnętrzne. Stężenie WWA w próbkach oznaczono metodą chromatografii cieczowej (HPLC). Uzyskane zakresy stężeń dla sumy szesnastu WWA, wahają się od 8 do 173 mg/kg. Wartości stężeń sumy WWA w większości próbek były duże, w granicach od 5 do 50 ppm, co może stanowić duże zagrożenie dla zdrowia. W kilkunastu próbkach stężenia WWA osiągały wartości bardzo duże. W większości próbek stwierdzono wyjątkowo duże stężenia takich węglowodorów, jak: benzo[b]fluoranten, fluoranten, piren, fluoren i fenantren. W wytypowanych do badań mikrośrodowiskach stwierdzono dwu-trzykrotnie większe stężenie sumy szesnastu WWA w kuchniach i piwnicach niż w pozostałych miejscach. Porównanie zawartości węglowodorów w kurzu ze zwaloryzowanymi danymi z ankiety wskazuje na wyraźną tendencję większego stężenia WWA w mieszkaniach osób palących

Safety and Efficacy of Three Variants of Canaloplasty with Phacoemulsification to Treat Open-Angle Glaucoma and Cataract: 12-Month Follow-Up

Background: A single-center prospective randomized observational study to compare three types of canaloplasty, i.e., ab externo (ABeC), minicanaloplasty (miniABeC) and ab interno, (ABiC) combined with cataract surgery in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients over 12 months. Methods: 48 POAG patients underwent one of three canaloplasty procedures: ABeC (16 eyes), miniABeC (16 eyes) or ABiC (16 eyes) or combined with phacoemulsification. Patients were assessed at baseline, at day 0–1–7 and at month 1–3–6–12. Successful treatment was defined as unmedicated IOP reduction ≥20%. Complete surgical success was defined as an IOP ≤ 15 mmHg without medications, and a qualified surgical success as IOP ≤ 15 mmHg with or without medications. Results: Pre-washout IOP median values (mmHg) were 17 (ABeC), 18 (miniABeC) and 17 (AbiC) and decreased at 12-month follow up postoperatively to 13 (p = 0.005), 13 (p = 0.004) and 14 (p = 0.008), respectively—successful treatment was achieved in approximately 100% of patients for ABeC and in 93.8% for both miniABeC and AbiC groups. Preoperatively, the median number of medications was 2.0 (range 1–3) (ABeC), 2.0 (1–3) (miniABeC) and 2.0 (0–4) (ABiC); 12-month post-operatively, all medications were withdrawn except in two patients (followed miniABeC and AbiC). Conclusions: The three variants of canaloplasty significantly reduced IOP and the number of medications in patients with mild to moderate POAG and gave no significant complications