Endokeratoplasty as an alternative to penetrating keratoplasty for the surgical treatment of the diseased endothelium.

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Effect of hinged lamellar keratotomy on postkeratoplasty eyes.

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Phonatory Symptoms and Acoustic Findings in Patients with Asthma: A Cross-Sectional Controlled Study

To investigate the prevalence of phonatory symptoms, perceptual, acoustic and aerodynamic findings in patients with asthma compared to a control group. This study is a cross-sectional study. A total of 50 subjects, 31 asthmatic and 19 control subjects matched according to age and gender were enrolled in this study. All subjects were asked about the presence or absence of dysphonia, vocal fatigue, phonatory effort, cough, dyspnea, and respiratory failure. Perceptual evaluation, acoustic analysis and aerodynamic measurements were also performed. Patient’s self assessment using the Voice Handicap Index 10 was reported. The mean age of patients was 43.5 years with a female to male ratio of 2:1. There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of dysphonia between the two groups (32.3 vs. 5.3%, p value 0.025) with a non-significant higher prevalence of vocal fatigue and phonatory effort. The overall grade of dysphonia was significantly higher in asthmatics compared to controls (p value 0.002). Patients with asthma had also significantly higher degree of asthenia and straining (p value of 0.04 and 0.008, respectively) with borderline significant difference with respect to roughness. There was no significant difference in the means of any of the acoustic parameters between patients and controls except for Shimmer, which was higher in the asthmatic group (p value of 0.037). There was also no significant difference in the Maximum phonation time between the two groups. Dysphonia is significantly more prevalent in patients with asthma compared to controls

Fractal Analysis of AFM Images of the Surface of Bowman’s Membrane of the Human Cornea

The objective of this study is to further investigate the ultrastructural details of the surface of Bowman's membrane of the human cornea, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) images. One representative image acquired of Bowman's membrane of a human cornea was investigated. The three-dimensional (3-D) surface of the sample was imaged using AFM in contact mode, while the sample was completely submerged in optisol solution. Height and deflection images were acquired at multiple scan lengths using the MFP-3D AFM system software (Asylum Research, Santa Barbara, CA), based in IGOR Pro (WaveMetrics, Lake Oswego, OR). A novel approach, based on computational algorithms for fractal analysis of surfaces applied for AFM data, was utilized to analyze the surface structure. The surfaces revealed a fractal structure at the nanometer scale. The fractal dimension, D, provided quantitative values that characterize the scale properties of surface geometry. Detailed characterization of the surface topography was obtained using statistical parameters, in accordance with ISO 25178-2: 2012. Results obtained by fractal analysis confirm the relationship between the value of the fractal dimension and the statistical surface roughness parameters. The surface structure of Bowman's membrane of the human cornea is complex. The analyzed AFM images confirm a fractal nature of the surface, which is not taken into account by classical surface statistical parameters. Surface fractal dimension could be useful in ophthalmology to quantify corneal architectural changes associated with different disease states to further our understanding of disease evolution

Arachidonic acid cascade and platelet-activating factor in the network of eye inflammatory mediators: therapeutic implications in uveitis

EYE EAR NOSE & THROAT HOSP,NEW ORLEANS,LA 70112ESCOLA PAULISTA MED SCH,BR-04023 São Paulo,BRAZILESCOLA PAULISTA MED SCH,BR-04023 São Paulo,BRAZILWeb of Scienc