Congruency and its related factors between patients' fall risk perception and nurses' fall risk assessment in acute care hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: Inpatients need to recognize their fall risk accurately and objectively. Nurses need to assess how patients perceive their fall risk and identify the factors that influence patients' fall risk perception. PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the congruency between nurses' fall risk assessment and patients' perception of fall risk and identify factors related to the non-congruency of fall risk. DESIGNS: A descriptive and cross-sectional design was used. The study enrolled 386 patients who were admitted to an acute care hospital. Six nurses assessed the participants' fall risk. Congruency was classified using the Morse Fall Scale for nurses and the Fall Risk Perception Questionnaire for patients. FINDINGS: The nurses' fall risk assessments and patients' fall risk perceptions were congruent in 57% of the participants. Underestimation of the patient's risk of falling was associated with gender (women), long hospitalization period, department (orthopedics), low fall efficacy, and history of falls before hospitalization. Overestimation of fall risk was associated with age group, gender (men), department, and a high health literacy score. In the multiple logistic regression, the factors related to the underestimation of fall risk were hospitalization period and department, and the factors related to the overestimation of fall risk were health literacy and department. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses should consider the patient's perception of fall risk and incorporate it into fall prevention interventions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurses need to evaluate whether patients perceive the risk of falling consistently. For patients who underestimate or overestimate their fall risk, it may be helpful to consider clinical and fall-related characteristics together when evaluating their perception of fall risk.

HM15912, a Novel Long-Acting Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 Analog, Improves Intestinal Growth and Absorption Capacity in a Male Rat Model of Short Bowel Syndrome.

Extensive bowel resection caused by various diseases that affect the intestines, such as Crohn's disease, volvulus, and cancer, leads to short bowel syndrome (SBS). Teduglutide is the only approved glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) drug for SBS; however, it requires daily administration. A novel GLP-2 analog with a prolonged duration of action to reduce dosing frequency and promote a greater efficacy may provide patients with a better quality of life. In the present study, the sustained exposure of HM15912 was characterized in normal male rats. The efficacy of HM15912 on intestinal growth and absorption capacity was also evaluated in normal male mice, rats, and SBS rats. HM15912 exhibited a remarkably extended half-life (42.3 hours) compared with teduglutide (0.6 hours) in rats. Despite somewhat lower in vitro potency on GLP-2 receptor than human GLP-2 or teduglutide, this longer-lasting mode of action promotes HM15912 to be more effective in terms of small intestinal growth than existing GLP-2 analogs even with a less frequent dosing interval of as little as once a week in rodents, including SBS rats. Furthermore, the small intestinal weight was approximately doubled, and the D-xylose absorption was significantly increased after pre-treatment of existing GLP-2 analogs on the market or under clinical development followed by HM15912 in rodents. These results indicate that HM15912 possesses a significant small bowel trophic effect driven by continuously increased exposure, supporting that HM15912 may be a novel treatment option with greater efficacy and the longest dosing interval among existing GLP-2 analogs for SBS with intestinal failure. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: HM15912, a novel long-acting glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) analog, has a significant small bowel hypertrophic effect in rodents with a reduced frequency of administration compared to the existing GLP-2 analogs on the market or currently under clinical development. This study supports the possibility that HM15912 could be administered much less frequently than other long-acting GLP-2 analogs for patients with short bowel syndrome.

Oxindole and Benzoxazinone Alkaloids from the Seeds of Persea americana (Avocado) and Their SIRT1 Stimulatory Activity.

Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae), commonly known as avocado, is a well-known food because of its nutrition and health benefits. The seeds of avocado are major byproducts, and thus their phytochemicals and bioactivities have been of interest for study. The chemical components of avocado seeds were investigated by using UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS-based molecular networking, resulting in the isolation of seven new oxindole alkaloids (1-7) and two new benzoxazinone alkaloids (8 and 9). The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were identified by the analysis of NMR data in combination with computational approaches, including NMR and ECD calculations. Bioactivities of the isolated compounds toward silent information regulation 2 homologue-1 (SIRT1) in HEK293 cells were assessed. The results showed that compound 1 had the most potent effect on SIRT1 activation with an elevated NAD+/NADH ratio with potential for further investigation as an anti-aging agent.

Flavonostilbenes Isolated from the Stems of Rhamnoneuron balansae as Potential SIRT1 Activators.

The cumulative effects of cell damage result in aging, which gradually decreases human function in various aspects and leads to multiple age-related chronic diseases. To overcome the adverse effects of aging, silent mating type information regulation 2 homologue (SIRT1) activators are promising bioactive compounds that mimic calorie restriction to improve quality of life and prevent aging. In this study, 11 new flavonostilbenes (1-11) and three known compounds (12-14) were purified from stems of Rhamnoneuron balansae. The structures of the new compounds were determined using extensive data from spectroscopic methods, including NMR and HRESIMS. Their absolute configurations were deduced by ECD calculations with coupling constant analysis. All of the isolated new compounds (1-11) were evaluated for their effects on SIRT1 deacetylase activity, the NAD+/NADH ratio, and the AMP-activated protein kinase activation level in cell-based assays. The results showed that rhamnoneuronal D (1) exhibits promising biological activity in several in vitro models related to SIRT1 and suggest it is a potential natural-product-based antiaging agent.

Rugonidines A-F, Diastereomeric 1,6-Dioxa-7,9-diazaspiro[4.5]dec-7-en-8-amines from the Leaves of Alchornea rugosa.

Rugonidines A-F (1-6), three pairs of novel configurationally semistable diastereomers featuring an unprecedented 1,6-dioxa-7,9-diazaspiro[4.5]dec-7-en-8-amine scaffold, were isolated from Alchornea rugosa based on MS/MS-based molecular networking analysis. Their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy in combination with quantum-chemical calculations. Compounds 1-3 showed a significant increase in glucose uptake level in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes using 2-deoxy-2-[(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]-d-glucose (2-NBDG) as a fluorescent-tagged glucose probe.

Triterpenoid saponins from the leaves and stems of Pericampylus glaucus and their insulin mimetic activities.

During an attempt to discover insulin mimetics, thirteen new triterpenoid saponins (1-13), including three phytolaccagenic acids (1, 2, and 12) and ten serjanic acids (3-11 and 13), as aglycones were isolated from a 70% ethanol extract of leaves and stems from Pericampylus glaucus. The chemical structures of compounds 1-13 were determined through spectroscopic data analysis, including NMR, IR, and HRESIMS. All isolated compounds (1-13) were evaluated using 2-deoxy-2-[(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]-d-glucose (2-NBDG) as a fluorescent-tagged glucose probe to determine their stimulatory effects on glucose uptake in differentiated 3 T3-L1 adipocyte cells. Consequently, four compounds (4, 7, 11, and 12) exhibited stimulatory effects on glucose uptake.

Clomiphene Citrate Shows Effective and Sustained Antimicrobial Activity against Mycobacterium abscessus.

Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) causes chronic pulmonary infections and is the most difficult non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) to treat due to its resistance to current antimicrobial drugs, with a treatment success rate of 45.6%. Thus, novel treatment drugs are needed, of which we identified the drug clomiphene citrate (CC), known to treat infertility in women, to exhibit inhibitory activity against M. abscessus. To assess the potential of CC as a treatment for M. abscessus pulmonary diseases, we measured its efficacy in vitro and established the intracellular activity of CC against M. abscessus in human macrophages. CC significantly inhibited the growth of not only wild-type M. abscessus strains but also clinical isolate strains and clarithromycin (CLR)-resistant strains of M. abscessus. CC's drug efficacy did not have cytotoxicity in the infected macrophages. Furthermore, CC worked in anaerobic non-replicating conditions as well as in the presence of biofilm. The results of this in vitro study on M. abscessus activity suggest the possibility of using CC to develop new drug hypotheses for the treatment of M. abscessus infections.

Dual control of RegX3 transcriptional activity by SenX3 and PknB.

The mycobacterial SenX3-RegX3 two-component system consists of the SenX3 sensor histidine kinase and its cognate RegX3 response regulator. This system is a phosphorelay-based regulatory system involved in sensing environmental Pi levels and induction of genes required for Pi acquisition under Pi-limiting conditions. Here we demonstrate that overexpression of the kinase domain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis PknB (PknB-KDMtb) inhibits the transcriptional activity of RegX3 of both M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis (RegX3Mtb and RegX3Ms, respectively). Mass spectrometry results, along with those of in vitro phosphorylation and complementation analyses, revealed that PknB kinase activity inhibits the transcriptional activity of RegX3Mtb through phosphorylation events at Thr-100, Thr-191, and Thr-217. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays disclosed that phosphorylation of Thr-191 and Thr-217 abolishes the DNA-binding ability of RegX3Mtb and that Thr-100 phosphorylation likely prevents RegX3Mtb from being activated through conformational changes induced by SenX3-mediated phosphorylation. We propose that the convergence of the PknB and SenX3-RegX3 signaling pathways might enable mycobacteria to integrate environmental Pi signals with the cellular replication state to adjust gene expression in response to Pi availability.

Diagnostic performance of immunochromatography assay for rapid detection of IgM and IgG in coronavirus disease 2019.

Serologic assays have been developed to detect infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of an immunochromatography-based assay of human serum for COVID-19. The present study enrolled 149 subjects who had been tested by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for COVID-19 and were classified into two groups: 70 who were positive for COVID-19 and 79 who were negative for COVID-19 based on RT-PCR. An immunochromatography-based COVID-19 immunoglobulin G (IgG)/immunoglobulin M (IgM) rapid test on the sera of the study population was applied to measure the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve compared to RT-PCR, with a 95% confidence interval (CI). IgM or IgG antibodies were detected in 65 subjects (92.9%) classified as positive for COVID-19 and in three subjects (3.8%) classified as negative for COVID-19. The sensitivity and specificity percentages for IgM or IgG antibodies were 92.9% (95% CI: 84.1-97.6) and 96.2% (95% CI: 89.3-99.2), respectively, with 95.6% PPV and 93.8% NPV. The PPV rapidly improved with increasing disease prevalence from 19.8% to 96.1% in the presence of either IgM or IgG, while the NPV remained high with a change from 99.9% to 93.1%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.945 (95% CI: 0.903-0.988) for subjects with either IgM or IgG positivity. In conclusion, the immunochromatography-based COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid test is a useful and practical diagnostic assay for detection of COVID-19, especially in the presence of IgM or IgG antibodies.

Performance Enhancement of a Quartz Tuning Fork Sensor Using a Cellulose Nanocrystal-Reinforced Nanoporous Polymer Fiber.

A cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-reinforced polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) fiber was obtained via electrospinning, and then attached between the two tines of a quartz tuning fork (QTF). The change in the resonance frequency of the CNC/PMMA composite fiber-coated QTF (CP-QTF) was measured upon being exposed to various concentrations of ethanol vapor. The frequency decreased as the ethanol vapor concentration increased, because the modulus of the composite fiber decreased due to the adsorption of the ethanol vapor. The composite fiber obtained at a high relative humidity (RH; 60% RH, CP60 fiber) produced a highly porous structure as a result of the moisture adsorption-induced phase separation of PMMA. The porosity of the CP60 fiber was higher than that of a CNC/PMMA composite fiber obtained at 30% RH (CP30 fiber) or that of a plain PMMA fiber obtained at 60% RH (P60 fiber), because hygroscopic CNCs promote moisture adsorption. The CP60 fiber-coated QTF (CP60-QTF) exhibited a greater frequency change and faster response time than P60-QTF and CP30-QTF upon exposure to ethanol vapor at the same concentration. The enhanced performance of CP60-QTF was attributed to its higher surface area and larger fiber modulus.

Combined MS/MS-NMR Annotation Guided Discovery of Iris lactea var. chinensis Seed as a Source of Viral Neuraminidase Inhibitory Polyphenols.

In this study, the chemical diversity of polyphenols in Iris lactea var. chinensis seeds was identified by combined MS/MS-NMR analysis. Based on the annotated chemical profile, the isolation of stilbene oligomers was conducted, and consequently, stilbene oligomers (1-10) were characterized. Of these, compounds 1 and 2 are previously undescribed stilbene dimer glycoside (1) and tetramer glycoside (2), respectively. Besides, to evaluate this plant seed as a rich source of stilbene oligomers, we quantified three stilbene oligomers of I. lactea var. chinensis seeds. The contents of three major stilbene oligomers-trans-ε-viniferin (3), vitisin A (6), and vitisin B (9)-in I. lactea var. chinensis seeds were quantified as 2.32 (3), 4.95 (6), and 1.64 (9) mg/g dry weight (DW). All the isolated compounds were tested for their inhibitory activities against influenza neuraminidase. Compound 10 was found to be active with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values at 4.76 µM. Taken together, it is concluded that I. lactea var. chinensis seed is a valuable source of stilbene oligomers with a human health benefit.

Lenz's Law-Based Virtual Net for Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria from Water.

We have developed a method for rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria from water using a virtual net comprising magnetic nanoparticle clusters (MNC). When an external magnetic field was applied to the antibody-functionalized MNC (Ab-MNC) solution in a glass tube (GT), the Ab-MNCs were aligned along the direction of the applied magnetic field to form a wall of MNCs. The injection of a liquid into the GT pushed the MNCs to flow when the drag force exceeded the magnetic force that held the MNCs. In contrast, injection of a liquid into the GT wrapped with a copper tape (Cu-GT) created a magnetic field in the opposite direction of the liquid flow according to Lenz's law, which retained the MNCs inside Cu-GT even at a flow rate 2.5 times higher than the maximum flow rate at which the MNCs were retained inside the GT. As proof of concept, E. coli O157:H7-spiked aqueous solutions were injected into Cu-GT containing Ab-MNCs. The structural flexibility of the Ab-MNC wall allowed the liquid to pass through but induced binding of the bacteria to the Ab-MNC wall, just as the wall acted like a virtual net. The detection limit was 102 CFU/mL of E. coli as measured by an ATP luminometer, and the total assay time was 15 min including 10 min for the isolation and separation steps.

Assessment of the trueness and tissue surface adaptation of CAD-CAM maxillary denture bases manufactured using digital light processing.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Limited information is available evaluating the trueness and tissue surface adaptation of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) maxillary denture bases fabricated using digital light processing (DLP). PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the trueness of DLP-fabricated denture bases and to compare the tissue surface adaptation of DLP with milling (MIL) and pack and press (PAP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The maxillary denture bases were virtually designed on the reference cast and were fabricated using DLP and MIL. Their intaglio surfaces were scanned and superimposed on the reference computer-aided design denture base to evaluate the trueness. A total of 20 denture bases (10 per technique) were also fabricated on the duplicated master casts using DLP and MIL. Ten denture bases were additionally made using PAP. The intaglio surfaces of the dentures were scanned and superimposed on the corresponding casts to compare the degree of tissue surface adaptation among the 3 techniques. The Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA were used for statistical analyses (α=.05). RESULTS: The trueness of the DLP denture base was significantly better than that of the MIL denture base (P<.001). Statistically significant differences were detected with respect to tissue surface adaptation of the denture base among the groups (P<.001). The DLP denture base showed the best denture base fit among the 3 techniques with a small interquartile range. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the DLP maxillary denture base showed better trueness and tissue surface adaptation of ≤100 µm of the 3-dimensional surface deviation than the MIL and PAP denture bases.

The Effect of Temporary Cement Cleaning Methods on the Retention of Crowns.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of temporary cement cleaning methods on the retention of cemented crowns using zinc phosphate cement and resin-modified glass ionomer cement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty titanium specimens were fabricated to simulate prepared molars with minimally retentive taper. The Ni-Cr cast crowns were fabricated, temporarily cemented, and separated. The specimens were divided into four groups according to the temporary cement cleaning method (n = 10) as follows: control group (no temporary cementation), orange solvent group, ultrasonic cleaning group, and air-abrasion group. After the cleaning procedures, the specimens were cemented with definitive cements (zinc phosphate cement and resin-modified glass ionomer, RMGI, cement) and subjected to thermocycling (5000 cycles, 5-55°C, dwell time, 10 seconds). The tensile bond strength of each specimen was measured using a universal testing machine, and the results were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test (α = 0.05). RESULTS: When cemented with zinc phosphate cement, the statistical analysis showed that the value of the air-abrasion group was significantly higher than those of the other groups (p < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference among the other groups. When cemented with RMGI cement, the air-abrasion group showed the lowest value, and the control group showed the highest value (p < 0.01). The difference between the ultrasonic cleaning group and the orange solvent group was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The use of temporary cement did not have a significant influence on retention of permanently cemented crowns when zinc phosphate cement was used for permanent cementation. Airborne-particle abrasion after provisional cementation improved retention of crowns cemented with zinc phosphate cement; however, the use of temporary cement significantly decreased retention of permanently cemented crowns when RMGI cement was used regardless of the temporary cement cleaning method.

Intraocular Pressure Measurement by Rebound Tonometry (TonoVet) in Normal Pigeons (Columba livia).

We evaluated the applicability of a rebound tonometer (TonoVet) in pigeon eyes and established normal reference intraocular pressure (IOP) values in healthy pigeons; 20 eyes of euthanized pigeons were used for calibration of the TonoVet and 48 eyes of 24 adult pigeons were used for measurement of reference IOP. First, IOP of pigeon eyes ex vivo were measured using the 'd' and the 'p' modes of the TonoVet and compared to manometric IOP values from 5 to 80 mm Hg. Then, to establish normal reference values, IOP was measured from clinically normal pigeons in vivo. The 'd' and the 'p' modes of the TonoVet showed a strong linear correlation with the manometric IOP (R2 = .996 and .991, respectively). The obtained regression formulas were: y1 = 0.439x + 2.059 and y2 = 0.330x - 0.673, respectively (y1, 'd' mode of TonoVet; y2, 'p' mode of TonoVet; x, manometric IOP). The 'd' and the 'p' modes consistently measured one-half and one-third of the actual IOP, respectively. Therefore, the formula obtained through the 'd' mode was applied to obtain reference values. The calibrated IOP of normal pigeon eyes was 19.5 ± 4.4 mm Hg. The actual IOP could be calculated using the presented formula. Considering the limitations of the 'p' mode, use of the 'd' mode is more appropriate. Therefore, the TonoVet rebound tonometry under the 'd' mode is a reliable method for measuring IOP in pigeons.

Effect of Three Different Sedatives on Electroretinography Recordings in Domestic Pigeons (Columba livia).

This study was conducted to compare the effects of 3 different sedative agents on electroretinography (ERG) in domestic pigeons (Columba livia). Six pigeons were sedated with alfaxalone, xylazine, and medetomidine at separate times with a 1-week washout period between sedative administration. After sedation with each agent, pigeons underwent the modified ERG protocol adapted from the standardized protocol for dogs. The scotopic mixed rod and cone response was recorded after 20 minutes of dark adaptation, and the photopic cone response and photopic flicker response were recorded after 10 minutes of light adaptation. Either a 1-way analysis of variance or a Kruskall-Wallis test was used to compare the a-wave and b-wave implicit time and amplitude. No significant differences were observed in the scotopic mixed rod and cone response among all 3 sedatives used. Compared with alfaxalone, medetomidine significantly prolonged the a-wave implicit time, depressed the b-wave amplitude of photopic cone response, and prolonged the peak implicit time of the photopic flicker response (P < .05). These results show that medetomidine has a depressant effect on photopic ERG in pigeons at a dosage that produces light sedation.

Geographic and Host-Associated Variations in Bacterial Communities on the Floret Surfaces of Field-Grown Broccoli.

Fresh vegetables harbor diverse bacterial populations on their surfaces. However, information on this microbiota is limited to a few types of fresh vegetables, and little is known about how it varies with geography and host condition. Here, we analyzed bacterial communities on the floret surfaces of 66 field-grown broccoli collected from 22 farms in four farming regions of Jeju Island, South Korea, using 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons, and we determined their relationships to farming region and host-associated factors. Geographic variations in bacterial community composition and diversity were observed among farming regions, which partly reflected their relative humidity and insolation. The most abundant phyla were Proteobacteria, followed by Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes; core operational taxonomic units (OTUs) assigned to Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Oxalobacteraceae, Comamonadaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae contributed to the community differences. Bacterial community composition differed between immature and mature samples, with mature samples harboring higher bacterial diversity. In comparison with communities on other types of fresh vegetables and fruits, bacterial communities on broccoli florets were unique but more similar to those of ground vegetables than to those of tree fruits/vegetables. This study presents novel data on the variability of floret-associated bacterial populations of field-grown broccoli relative to environmental and host-associated factors.IMPORTANCE Fresh vegetables harbor diverse and complex bacterial populations on their surfaces. These indigenous bacteria may play a role in human and crop health; however, the diversity and variability of bacterial communities on fresh vegetables require further study. A popular crop of leafy vegetables, broccoli, is of great agricultural and industrial importance. This study provides a detailed description of the bacterial community composition and diversity on the surfaces of broccoli florets. The variability of bacterial communities is associated with the geographic location of farming sites and is affected by host growth and health. The bacterial communities specific to broccoli were identified and showed greater similarity to those found on ground vegetables than to those found on tree fruits/vegetables. This study presents novel data on the impact of environmental and host-associated conditions on the variability of floret-associated bacterial populations present on field-grown broccoli.

Maternal Depression and Children's Screen Overuse.

BACKGROUND: It is known that there are various factors associated with children's screen overuse. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of maternal depression on 2-5-year-old children's overuse of various household screen devices. METHODS: Participants were from the Internet-Cohort for Understanding of internet addiction Risk factors/Rescue in Early livelihood (I-CURE) study, an observational prospective cohort study in Korea. Screen time for six types of screen devices (smartphone, television, computer, tablet, video gaming console, and portable gaming console) were assessed by parental questionnaire. Maternal depression was measured by the Korean version of the Beck Depression Inventory II. Logistic regression models were run to determine the association between maternal depression and children's screen overuse. RESULTS: Maternal depression was associated with children's television overuse after adjusting for other factors (odds ratio, 1.954; P = 0.034). Contrary to expectation, the relationship between maternal depression and screen time was not present on other devices such as smartphones, computers and tablets. CONCLUSION: Maternal depression is related with 2-5-year-old children's television overuse. Interventions in maternal depressive symptoms and the associated changes in parent-child relationship can be useful for preventing children's television overuse.

Influence of an intentionally induced posterior lens capsule rupture on the real-time intraocular pressure during phacoemulsification in canine ex vivo eyes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes in the intraocular pressure (IOP) following an intentionally induced posterior lens capsule rupture (PLCR) during phacoemulsification in enucleated canine eyes. Furthermore, to compare the IOPs between different stages of phacoemulsification for two different bottle heights (BH). PROCEDURES: Coaxial phacoemulsification was performed using a venturi-based machine at a 60 or 90 cm BH. A pressure transducer, inserted into the anterior chamber through the peripheral cornea, monitored real-time IOP. For one half of the lens, the sculpt-segment removal (SS) was followed by irrigation/aspiration (IA). The PLCR was intentionally created, and the SS and IA were repeated on the residual lens fragments. RESULTS: For the 60 cm BH, the mean IOP following the PLCR was significantly higher than before the PLCR during SS (28.30 ± 12.56 and 38.71 ± 9.43 mmHg before and after PLCR, respectively) and IA (42.76 ± 12.46 and 47.88 ± 7.10 mmHg before and after PLCR, respectively) stages (P < 0.001). For the 90 cm BH, the mean IOP following the PLCR was also significantly higher than before the PLCR during SS (33.39 ± 11.09 and 58.17 ± 6.89 mmHg before and after PLCR, respectively) and IA (62.39 ± 12.46 and 72.04 ± 8.59 mmHg before and after PLCR, respectively) stages (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of a PLCR led to an increase in IOP during both the SS and IA stages. The elevated IOP after the PLCR might be one of the most important factors for ocular tissue damage, as it reduces ocular perfusion. Additionally, the BH should be reduced following PLCR to prevent complications stemming from the raised IOP.

Comparison of corneal thickness measurements using ultrasound pachymetry, ultrasound biomicroscopy, and digital caliper in frozen canine corneas.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy among ultrasound pachymetry (UP), ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), and manual measurement (MM) with digital caliper by comparing corneal thickness (COT) values obtained from frozen canine corneas ex vivo. PROCEDURES: COT was measured using UP, UBM, and MM in eight enucleated normal canine eyes frozen at -20 °C for 4 weeks. After thawing at room temperature for 2 h, the COT values were obtained from five sites on each cornea: central corneal thickness (CCOT), thickness at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions (3COT, 6COT, 9COT, and 12COT, respectively). For each device, measurements were performed three times at each designated site by one operator. Intraclass correlation coefficient, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and Bland-Altman plot were performed for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The mean CCOT was 839.0 ± 138.2, 857.6 ± 127.9, and 849.1 ± 132.8 µm for UP, UBM, and MM, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference among the measurements by all three devices (P > 0.05). The statistical agreement among these devices was also shown to be good according to Bland-Altman plots. In addition, the values measured on the peripheral sites of the cornea (3COT, 6COT, 9COT, and 12COT) also revealed no significant differences among the three devices. The difference between CCOT and peripheral corneal thickness was also statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: The UP, UBM, and MM measurements showed statistically similar COT values. The UBM and UP provided accurate and reliable measurements comparable to MM and could be used effectively for clinical COT measurements.