Electropolymerized Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/Screen-Printed Reduced Graphene Oxide-Chitosan Bilayer Electrodes for Flexible Supercapacitors.

An electropolymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)/screen-printed reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-chitosan (CS) bilayer material was coated on carbon cloth to form electrodes for gel-electrolyte flexible supercapacitors. The conductive polymer and carbon-based materials mainly contribute pseudocapacitance (PC) and electrical double-layer capacitance (EDLC), respectively. The high porosity and hydrophilicity of the PEDOT/rGO-CS bilayer material offers a large contact area and improves the contact quality for the gel electrolyte, thereby enhancing the capacitive performance. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) under a potential scan rate of 2 mV/s revealed that a maximum areal capacitance of 1073.67 mF/cm2 was achieved. The capacitance contribution ratio PC/EDLC was evaluated to be ∼67/33 by the Trasatti method. A 10,000-cycle CV test showed a capacitance retention rate of 99.3% under a potential scan rate of 200 mV/s, indicating good stability. The areal capacitance remains similar under bending with a bending curvature of up to 1.5 cm-1.

Antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates from bacterial keratitis cases in a university hospital in Taiwan.

PURPOSE: To analyze in vitro antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates from patients with bacterial keratitis at the National Taiwan University Hospital over the past 12 years. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for patients with culture-proven bacterial keratitis at the National Taiwan University Hospital from January 1994 to December 2005. Microbial isolation and in vitro antibiotic susceptibility were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 272 pathogens were isolated from 254 eyes. Pseudomonas species were the most commonly isolated organisms (46.7%), followed by Staphylococcus species (11%), Propionibacterium species (8.1%), Streptococcus species (7.6%), and nontuberculous Mycobacteria (6.6%). There was no significant change in antibiotic susceptibility in the strains of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, or nontuberculous Mycobacteria during the study period. From 1994 to 2005, 81.8% of the gram-negative organisms were susceptible to the combination of cefazolin and gentamicin, whereas 95.8% were susceptible to ciprofloxacin (P < .001). For all bacterial isolates, 83.7% and 89.7% were susceptible to the combination of cefazolin and gentamicin and the combination of cefazolin and ciprofloxacin, respectively (P < .001). CONCLUSION: There was no increase in drug resistance in strains of Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, or nontuberculous Mycobacteria from 1994 to 2005. Ciprofloxacin is a more efficacious choice than the combination of cefazolin and gentamicin for gram-negative bacterial keratitis in Taiwan. The combination of cefazolin and ciprofloxacin is an effective empirical therapeutic regimen for bacterial keratitis.

Overnight orthokeratology-associated microbial keratitis.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to report the clinical aspects, microbiologic findings, and treatment outcomes of overnight orthokeratology-associated microbial keratitis. METHODS: Medical records of patients with overnight orthokeratology-associated microbial keratitis at National Taiwan University Hospital from August 2000 to October 2001were reviewed. The clinical and microbiologic characteristics and treatment outcomes were investigated. RESULTS: Nine patients (in total 10 eyes) from aged 8 to 17 (mean, 12.3 +/- 2.9) years were included in this study. Eight patients had a unilateral infection and one had a bilateral infection. The initial best corrected visual acuities ranged from hand motion to 20/20. The lesions were located at the central cornea in nine eyes (90%). Smears and cultures from corneal scrapings were obtained from all patients. Four eyes were culture-positive, which included nonfermentative Gram-negative bacillus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acanthamoeba. Positive smears from another two eyes revealed Gram-negative bacilli and double-walled cyst. All patients were cured using antimicrobial medications with complete re-epithelization and disappearance of corneal infiltrates. Four eyes had a final best corrected visual acuity of 20/30 or worse after a mean follow-up of 9.4 months, including one eye that had visual acuity of hand motion only. Complications included corneal opacity in all eyes, glaucoma in one eye, and cataract in one eye. CONCLUSIONS: Overnight orthokeratology is an important risk factor of microbial keratitis, especially in school children. Acanthamoeba and Gram-negative bacilli, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are the most common pathogens in our series. The risk of microbial keratitis after overnight orthokeratology should not be overlooked.

Clinical characteristics of microbial keratitis in a university hospital in Taiwan.

PURPOSE: To analyze the clinical and microbiological characteristics of microbial keratitis at the National Taiwan University Hospital in the preceding 10 years. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for all patients with clinically diagnosed microbial keratitis presenting at the National Taiwan University Hospital from January 1992 to December 2001. Risk factors, microbial isolations, clinical patterns, treatment, and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Microbial keratitis was diagnosed for 476 eyes in 453 patients (220 female and 233 male; mean age, 40.7 years). Pseudomonas species were the most commonly isolated organisms (37.7%), followed by fungi (13.5%), staphylococci (8.4%), nontuberculous mycobacteria (7.9%), streptococci (7.6%), and Acanthamoeba (4.4%). Contact-lens wear was the most common predisposing factor (44.3%). Medical treatment was successful for a total of 344 eyes (72.3%), with 132 eyes (27.7%) requiring surgery. The duration from symptom onset to diagnosis of microbial keratitis was statistically significantly shorter for the cases treated medically than the cases treated surgically (7.70 +/- 14.37 and 20.53 +/- 28.85 days, respectively, p =.000000332). Response to medical treatment was more favorable for bacterial infection (except nontuberculous mycobacterial infection) as compared with fungal or Acanthamoeba infection. A total of 84.4% of pseudomonal keratitis cases were cured by medical treatment, while 85% of nontuberculous mycobacterial keratitis cases eventually required surgical treatment to control the infection. CONCLUSION: Contact-lens related pseudomonal keratitis was the most common form of microbial keratitis in Taiwan. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important for successful management of microbial keratitis.

Removal of semitranslucent cactus spines embedded in deep cornea with the aid of a fiberoptic illuminator.

PURPOSE: To report a rare case of multiple cactus spines embedded deep in the cornea that were removed with the aid of a fiberoptic illuminator. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHODS: A 20-year-old man had an accidental ocular injury of the right eye when he hit a household miniature cactus plant. There were 80 to 90 spiculated foreign bodies embedded in the cornea, some of them even penetrating the anterior chamber. RESULTS: Removal of the foreign bodies was performed with the aid of a fiberoptic illuminator, which was chosen because it provides superior visualization of the semitranslucent spines. No residual corneal spines were found postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Household miniature cactus plants can cause corneal injury, with multiple foreign bodies that can be difficult to localize and remove. The use of a fiberoptic illuminator in such a situation is simple and effective.