Microwave Treatments of Cereals: Effects on Thermophysical and Parenchymal-Related Properties.

Dielectric heating is one of the most interesting techniques for pest disinfestation. However, most of the literature works give information about the ability of microwave treatments at different power-time conditions to kill insects; less is given about the analysis of matrices structural properties and heat transport. Accordingly, the aim of this work is to investigate the effect of microwave treatments, applied for pest disinfestation, on heat transport behavior and physical/structural properties, such as water uptake capability, mineral losses, texture change, and germination capability, of most consumed cereals in human diet, such as weak wheat, durum wheat, and corn. Two different radiative treatments were performed: one in time-temperature conditions capable of inactivating the weed fauna, and the other at high temperatures of ~150 °C, simulating uncontrolled treatments. Heat transport properties were measured and showed to keep unvaried during both effective and uncontrolled microwave treatments. Instead, grain physical properties were worsened when exposed to high temperatures (reduction of germination ability and texture degradation). The achieved results, on the one hand, provide new structural and heat transport data of cereals after microwave treatments, actually not present in the literature, and on the other, they confirm the importance of correctly performing microwave treatments for an effective disinfestation without affecting matrices physical properties and nutritional features.

On the relevance of thermophysical characterization in the microwave treatment of legumes.

This study is focused on the characterization of the thermal behavior and physical properties of the most consumed legumes in the daily diet such as beans, lentils and chickpeas. Because of a lack of information in the literature about the effect of microwave treatments on legumes, characterization protocols have been applied before and after subjecting them to microwave irradiation suitable for pest disinfestation. The effects of two different radiative treatments, one suitable for inactivating the infesting fauna and the other simulating uncontrolled treatments, characterized by very high temperatures, were tested. The impacts of microwave treatments on legumes, in terms of thermal behavior, germination capability, tannin and total polyphenol composition and other physical properties (water uptake capability, texture change, mineral losses), after typical soaking cooking processes, are also studied. The thermal properties of the examined legumes were found to be comparable for all samples. Similarly, no significant differences in antinutritional factors, polyphenol and tannin content among all samples were detected. From the structural point of view, samples exposed to high temperatures showed texture degradation and in turn, loss of mineral nutrients during soaking processes. Moreover, their germination capability was drastically reduced. These latter results highlighted why it is important to correctly perform the radiative microwave process in order to both ensure effective and safe disinfestation and avoid nutritional value loss and the worsening of physical properties.

Outcome of adjustment for posterior corneal curvature in toric intraocular lens calculation and selection.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of the cylinder power choice and the astigmatic refractive outcome for toric intraocular lenses (IOLs), the cylinder power of which was calculated using the Goggin nomogram that allows for the likely effect of posterior corneal astigmatism. SETTING: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, Australia. DESIGN: Observational case series. METHODS: The absolute value of the prediction error of the toric IOL cylinder power effect in consecutive eyes with preoperative anterior keratometric cylinder values of 1.0 diopter (D) or more was compared with the absolute value of the prediction error in a historical control group. The anteriorly measured keratometric cylinder values were altered by 2 coefficients of adjustment, one for with-the-rule eyes and one for against-the-rule eyes, before calculation of the IOL cylinder power to be implanted. In the controls, unadjusted keratometric cylinder values were used. RESULTS: The case-series group comprised 31 eyes (29 patients) and the control group, 65 eyes. The absolute error in prediction of the toric IOL cylinder power effect was reduced from a median of 0.45 D (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.33-0.58) in the controls to a median of 0.23 D (95% CI, 0.13-0.35) in the adjusted eyes (P = .004). CONCLUSION: Adjustment of toric IOL cylinder power by application of a coefficient of adjustment to anteriorly measured keratometric cylinder values based on the keratometric rule of the eye led to a clinically and statistically significant improvement in refractive astigmatic outcome. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Man versus Machine: Software Training for Surgeons-An Objective Evaluation of Human and Computer-Based Training Tools for Cataract Surgical Performance.

This study aimed to address two queries: firstly, the relationship between two cataract surgical feedback tools for training, one human and one software based, and, secondly, evaluating microscope control during phacoemulsification using the software. Videos of surgeons with varying experience were enrolled and independently scored with the validated PhacoTrack motion capture software and the Objective Structured Assessment of Cataract Surgical Skill (OSACCS) human scoring tool. Microscope centration and path length travelled were also evaluated with the PhacoTrack software. Twenty-two videos correlated PhacoTrack motion capture with OSACCS. The PhacoTrack path length, number of movements, and total procedure time were found to have high levels of Spearman's rank correlation of -0.6792619 (p = 0.001), -0.6652021 (p = 0.002), and -0.771529 (p = 0001), respectively, with OSACCS. Sixty-two videos evaluated microscope camera control. Novice surgeons had their camera off the pupil centre at a far greater mean distance (SD) of 6.9 (3.3) mm, compared with experts of 3.6 (1.6) mm (p ≪ 0.05). The expert surgeons maintained good microscope camera control and limited total pupil path length travelled 2512 (1031) mm compared with novices of 4049 (2709) mm (p ≪ 0.05). Good agreement between human and machine quantified measurements of surgical skill exists. Our results demonstrate that surrogate markers for camera control are predictors of surgical skills.

An Automated Detection System for Microaneurysms That Is Effective across Different Racial Groups.

Patients without diabetic retinopathy (DR) represent a large proportion of the caseload seen by the DR screening service so reliable recognition of the absence of DR in digital fundus images (DFIs) is a prime focus of automated DR screening research. We investigate the use of a novel automated DR detection algorithm to assess retinal DFIs for absence of DR. A retrospective, masked, and controlled image-based study was undertaken. 17,850 DFIs of patients from six different countries were assessed for DR by the automated system and by human graders. The system's performance was compared across DFIs from the different countries/racial groups. The sensitivities for detection of DR by the automated system were Kenya 92.8%, Botswana 90.1%, Norway 93.5%, Mongolia 91.3%, China 91.9%, and UK 90.1%. The specificities were Kenya 82.7%, Botswana 83.2%, Norway 81.3%, Mongolia 82.5%, China 83.0%, and UK 79%. There was little variability in the calculated sensitivities and specificities across the six different countries involved in the study. These data suggest the possible scalability of an automated DR detection platform that enables rapid identification of patients without DR across a wide range of races.

In vivo imaging of cortical vitreous using 1050-nm swept-source deep range imaging optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To image the cortical vitreous, determine the prevalence of the bursa premacularis and space of Martegiani, and measure the dimensions of the bursa using the new 1050-nm swept-source deep range imaging optical coherence tomography (DRI OCT-1 Atlantis). DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. METHODS: One hundred and nineteen consecutive patients (5-100 years) underwent an OCT scan using 1050-nm swept-source deep range imaging optical coherence tomography. Prevalence of the bursa premacularis and space of Martegiani and the stage of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) were determined. The horizontal (width) and anteroposterior (depth) dimensions of the bursa were recorded along with the patient's age. RESULTS: A bursa was detected in 57.1% (136/238) of eyes. The bursa and space of Martegiani coexisted in 97.8% of eyes. Prevalence of detected bursa was 84.5% in eyes with either no PVD or perifoveal PVD only; the prevalence fell with further increases in the extent of PVD. Prevalence of detected bursa was 75.4% in patient group aged 0-60 years and 38% in the group aged 60-100 years. Mean width was 7001 µm (range: 3354-10 316 µm, SD: 1412 µm). Mean depth was 416 µm (range: 31-1189 µm, SD: 187 µm). Width and depth of the bursa did not correlate with age (R(2) width = 0.0316; R(2) depth = 0.0108). Bilateral bursa tended to be symmetrical in width but less so in depth (R(2) width = 0.63, P < .001; R(2) depth = 0.33, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Swept-source OCT has allowed us to demonstrate the almost invariable coexistence of the bursa premacularis and space of Martegiani. Swept-source OCT can image both in patients from as early as the first to as late as the tenth decade of life.