The Contribution of BaTiO3 to the Stability Improvement of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Rubber: Part II-Doped Filler.

The thermal and radiation stabilities of the formulations based on ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), which contain barium titanate (BaTiO3) doped with lanthanum and cerium oxides, were investigated by chemiluminescence and mechanical testing. The contributions of these doped fillers are related to the surface interaction between the structural defects (doping atoms, i.e., lanthanum and cerium) implanted in the filler lattice and the molecular fragments formed during the progress of degradation. These composite materials present extended durabilities with respect to the references; the oxidation periods are a minimum of three times longer than the corresponding times for pristine polymers. This behavior is associated with the scavenging activity of dopants. Mechanical testing has demonstrated the contributions of doped filler to the improvement of tensile strength and elongation at break by the restructuration of the polymer phase. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the densification of materials in the presence of doped barium titanates. All the investigations constitute valid proof for the qualification of BaTiO3 doped with Ce as the more efficient stabilizer compared to the same inorganic filler doped with La.

Case report: Torpedo maculopathy in a pediatric patient.

Objective: Torpedo maculopathy (TM) is an atypical congenital retinal lesion and, as the name suggests, with an oval shape like a torpedo, usually situated in the temporal sector of the macula. The objective of this paper was to show an accidental finding of torpedo maculopathy in a pediatric patient. Case presentation: A 7-year-old dizygotic twins Caucasian girl, born at 38 weeks, came to our clinic for a routine ophthalmological examination. She had no ocular history, other symptoms, pain, or decreased visual acuity in her left eye. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 6/ 6 for both eyes. The posterior pole at OD (oculus dexter) was normal, without any pathological changes. OS (oculus sinister) fundus had an oval well defined hypopigmented lesion in the temporal sector of the macula, with the tip oriented towards the central fovea and the tail extending to the temporal retina, elongated in the horizontal axis, with normal underlying choroidal details, approximately 2-disc diameters (DD) in width and 1 DD in height, and with 2 smalls areas of hyperpigmentation at the level of temporal margin. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) realized on OS exposed an absent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) combined with hyper-reflectivity of the adjacent choroid, a decreased thickness of ellipsoid zone (EZ), interdigitation zone (IZ), and the outer nuclear layer (ONL), with no focal choroidal cavitation. The inner retina was normal. OCT performed on OD was normal, without any pathological change. Conclusion: Generally, torpedo maculopathy is an asymptomatic benign congenital retinal lesion that is most often diagnosed at a routine eye examination, but with an increased risk of choroidal neovascular membrane appearance, which is why the patients must have a long-term follow-up. Abbreviations: TM = torpedo maculopathy, BCVA = best-corrected visual acuity, OD = oculus dexter, OS = oculus sinister, DD = disc diameters, OCT = optical coherence tomography, RPE = retinal pigment epithelium, EZ = ellipsoid zone, IZ = interdigitation zone, ONL = outer nuclear layer.

Predictors of Success in Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty: Data From the Lausanne Laser Trabeculoplasty Registry.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with the outcomes of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a database analysis (Lausanne Laser Trabeculoplasty Registry) of patients who had SLT between 2015 and 2017. Exclusion criteria were age below 40 years and diagnosis other than ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma. Intraocular pressure (IOP) and number of medications were recorded before and at various follow-ups after laser treatment. Success was defined as "complete" if an IOP reduction of at least 20% was observed at a given time, and "qualified" if any reduction of IOP was observed with either at least a 20% difference from baseline or a reduction in IOP-lowering medications. Associations of complete and qualified success with patients' baseline characteristics, laser settings, and clinical examination findings were studied using multivariate regression and survival analysis. RESULTS: A total of 170 eyes (126 patients) were included. Mean age was 68.3±12.2 years and 57.9% of the study cohort were female individuals. Average baseline IOP was 18.7±4.8 mm Hg, and average IOP reduction was 3.3±4.3 (-17.6% from baseline) and 3.5±3.9 mm Hg (-18.7% from baseline) at years 1 and 2, respectively. Male sex [odds ratio (OR)=2.79, P=0.02], baseline IOP (OR=1.15, P<0.01), and medical treatment before SLT (OR=2.57, P=0.03) were positive predictors of success. Total energy was associated with the duration of success. SLT outcome was strongly correlated to the outcome of the fellow eye, which represented the strongest predictor (OR=17.33, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: SLT achieved good IOP-lowering in a majority of patients with mild-to-moderate glaucoma, while it was inefficient in up to 35% of eyes. SLT success in the fellow eye was a strong predictive factor.

Protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of grass allergen immunotherapy tablet for seasonal allergic rhinitis: time course of nasal, cutaneous and immunological outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis is characterised by inflammation of the nasal mucosa upon exposure to common aeroallergens, affecting up to 20-25 % of the population. For those patients whose symptoms are not controlled by standard medical treatment, allergen specific immunotherapy is a therapeutic alternative. Although several studies have shown changes in immunologic responses as well as long term tolerance following treatment with a sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet, a detailed time course of the early mechanistic changes of local and systemic T and B cell responses and the effects on B cell repertoire in the nasal mucosa have not been fully examined. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a randomized, double-blind, single-centre, placebo controlled, two arm time course study based in the United Kingdom comparing sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet (GRAZAX(®), ALK-Abello Horsholm, Denmark) plus standard treatment with placebo plus standard treatment. Up to 50 moderate to severe grass pollen allergic participants will be enrolled to ensure randomisation of at least 44. Further, we shall enrol 20 non-atopic volunteers. Screening will be completed before eligible atopic participants are randomised to one of the two treatment arms in a 1 to 1 ratio. The primary endpoint will be the total nasal symptom score assessed over 60 min following grass pollen nasal allergen challenge after 12 months of treatment. Clinical assessments and/or mechanistic analyses on blood, nasal fluid, brushing and biopsies will be performed at baseline at 1, 2, 3, 4 (coinciding with the peak pollen season), 6 and 12 months of treatment. After 12 months of treatment, unblinding will take place. Those atopic participants receiving active treatment will continue therapy for another 12 months followed by a post treatment phase of 12 months. Assessments and collection of biologic samples from these participants will take place again at 24 and at 36 months from the start of treatment. The 20 healthy, non-atopic controls will undergo screening and one visit only coinciding with the 12 month visit for the atopic participants. DISCUSSION: The trial will end in April 2017. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov and the trial identifying number is NCT02005627. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Primary Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, Trial Identifying number: NCT02005627, Secondary identifying numbers: EudraCT number: 2013-003732-72 REC: 13/EM/0351, Imperial College London (Sponsor): 13IC0847, Protocol Version 6.0, Date: 16.05.2014.

Petasol butenoate complex (Ze 339) relieves allergic rhinitis-induced nasal obstruction more effectively than desloratadine.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis symptoms of itching, sneezing, rhinorrhea, and nasal obstruction significantly decrease patients' quality of life. Compared with histamine and leukotriene receptor antagonists, the petasol butenoate complex Ze 339 displays pharmacologically distinct properties. In vitro it inhibits the biosynthesis of leukotrienes and mediator release from activated eosinophils. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and mode of action of Ze 339, desloratadine, and placebo on allergic rhinitis symptoms, nasal airflow, and local mediator levels after unilateral nasal allergen provocation. METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized, crossover study 18 subjects with allergic rhinitis to grass pollen received Ze 339, desloratadine, and placebo for 5 days before nasal allergen challenge with grass pollen extract. Rhinomanometry, symptom assessment, and local inflammatory mediator measurement were performed during the 24 hours after allergen challenge. RESULTS: With Ze 339, the patient's time to recovery (5.4 ± 1.6 hours) from nasal obstruction after allergen challenge (time for return to 90% of baseline value ± SEM) was significantly shorter than with placebo (9.1 ± 2.3 hours, P = .035) and desloratadine (10.7 ± 2.5 hours, P = .022). Likewise, Ze 339's standardized symptom assessment for nasal obstruction (3.2 ± 1.3 hours) showed significantly faster relief (time for return to baseline value ± SEM compared with placebo, 8.3 ± 2.4 hours; P = .027) and desloratadine (4.5 ± 1.2 hours, P = .030). One interesting finding was that Ze 339 significantly reduced IL-8 and leukotriene B(4) levels in nasal secretions before challenge. CONCLUSION: When compared with desloratadine and placebo, Ze 339 shows better efficacy in relieving nasal obstruction symptoms and inhibiting critical components of the chemokine network and as such represents a novel symptomatic and possible prophylactic treatment for allergic rhinitis.