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Introduction Oxalate nephropathy is a relatively rare and under-recognized condition that commonly presents as acute kidney injury (AKI) and often leads to end-stage renal disease. Complete recovery of kidney function is extremely rare even when treatment is instituted early on. Case presentation We present the case of a 68-year-old man with known type 2 diabetes mellitus and an asymptomatic unrecognized exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, who was admitted due to dialysis-dependent AKI. Kidney biopsy revealed oxalate nephropathy. A wide diagnostic assessment and a multi-factorial treatment plan that included a change of diet, therapy for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and fat malabsorption, sodium bicarbonate and potassium citrate, calcium supplements with meals, and methylprednisolone, resulted in complete recovery of kidney function. Conclusion It is important for physicians to be aware of oxalate nephropathy in cases of prolonged AKI. After confirmation of diagnosis, a wide diagnostic approach is imperative to identify all the causes that have led to oxalosis. A multi-factorial therapeutic approach can lead to complete kidney recovery.

The diagnostic performances of photodetectors based on Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) single crystal diamonds that were installed on one of the equatorial ports of the FTU tokamak during the last six months of operation of the machine are reported. Examples of plasma fast events have been collected in several different plasma conditions, confirming the fast response capabilities of diamond detectors and the high S/N ratio. During the Runaway Control and Mitigation experiments, for example, the so-called Anomalous Doppler Instabilities were observed as sharp peaks of Ly-α emission caused by fast electrons hitting the wall, as a result of RE beam instabilities, perfectly correlated in time with other magnetic diagnostics and fast EC polychromator signals. Fast oscillations in the plasma emission are also observed in the presence of tearing modes, while other interesting observations relate to pellet ablation processes. The CVD diamond detectors were installed on FTU in view of their possible use for replacement of the Si photodiodes currently adopted for Soft X-Ray tomography (SXT) on future devices with harsher radiation environments. In fact, it was realized that the relatively flat response of the UV diamond sensor opened the possibility of using these detectors as bolometers. The first encouraging results have prompted launching an R&D program for the development of full-fledged diamond bolometers, which will be especially well suited for the coverage of the divertor and edge regions in high performance devices, in the energy range from 10 eV to about 20 keV.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), in which inflammatory activity has a crucial role. The manifestation of OSA varies significantly between individuals in clinical cohorts, not all adults with OSA demonstrate the same set of symptoms, i.e., excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and/or increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers. The further exploration of the molecular basis of these differences is therefore essential for a better understanding of the OSA phenotypes in cardiac patients. In this current secondary analysis of the Randomized Intervention with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in CAD and OSA (RICCADSA) trial (Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, No: NCT 00519597), we aimed to address the association of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-308G/A gene polymorphism with circulating TNF-α levels and EDS among 326 participants. CAD patients with OSA (apnea–hypopnea-index (AHI) ≥ 15 events/h, n = 256) were categorized as having EDS (n = 100) or no-EDS (n = 156) based on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score with a cut-off of 10. CAD patients with no-OSA (AHI &lt, 5 events/h, n = 70) were included as a control group. The results demonstrated no significant differences regarding the distribution of the TNF-α alleles and genotypes between CAD patients with vs. without OSA. In a multivariate analysis, the oxygen desaturation index and TNF-α genotypes from GG to GA and GA to AA as well as the TNF-α-308A allele carriage were significantly associated with the circulating TNF-α levels. Moreover, the TNF-α-308A allele was associated with a decreased risk for EDS (odds ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.41–0.99, p = 0.043) independent of age, sex, obesity, OSA severity and the circulating TNF-α levels. We conclude that the TNF-α-308A allele appears to modulate circulatory TNF-α levels and mitigate EDS in adults with CAD and concomitant OSA.

These data demonstrate that binocular vision disorders (BVDs) contribute to contact lens (CL) dissatisfaction independently of CL discomfort (CLD) in myopic, pre-presbyopic, adult, single-vision CL wearers.This study aimed to determine whether BVDs contribute to CL dissatisfaction and whether this contribution is independent of CLD.Participants attended one clinical visit while wearing their habitual CLs. Symptoms from CLD and BVDs were measured with the Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire-8 (CLDEQ-8) and Convergence Insufficiency Syndrome Survey (CISS), respectively. A comprehensive binocular vision (BV) assessment was performed. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) was used to measure CL dissatisfaction from CLD and BVDs based on reported correlations between the CLDEQ-8 and the CISS with the OSDI. Participants were categorized according to their CL comfort status (CLD [≥12 on CLDEQ-8] or non-CLD [12 on CLDEQ-8]) and BV status (BVD or non-BVD).Seventy-six participants completed the trial, and 19 (25%) were diagnosed with BVD. Those diagnosed with BVD scored higher than did those diagnosed with non-BVD for the OSDI (25.1 ± 12.7 vs. 10.7 ± 7.3, P.001) and CISS (18.7 ± 7.7 vs. 11.9 ± 5.9, P = .001), but not the CLDEQ-8 (P = .25). Those categorized as having CLD scored higher than did those categorized as having non-CLD for the OSDI (19.0 ± 12.3 vs. 9.3 ± 5.9, P = .003) and CISS (16.1 ± 6.8 vs. 11.0 ± 6.2, P = .001). There were no significant interactions between BV status and CL comfort status for any questionnaire (P.08).Higher scores for OSDI in those with CLD or BVD indicate that both conditions contribute to CL dissatisfaction. Higher scores for the CISS in those with CLD suggest a degree of overlap for some BVD symptoms. Nonsignificant differences between BVD and non-BVD for the CLDEQ-8 suggest that BVDs contribute to CL dissatisfaction independently of CLD.

To assess two prototype contact lenses (CLs) that extend depth of focus through deliberate manipulation of multiple spherical aberration terms (extended depth-of-focus [EDOF]) for visual performance, accommodative and binocular function, and objective static near refraction against a single-vision (SV) CL.This was a prospective, randomized, cross-over, single-masked (participant) clinical trial in which 16 myopic children wore 2 prototype CLs (EDOFL/EDOFH) designed for presbyopes and a SV CL, each for one week. Measurements comprised monocular and binocular high-contrast visual acuity (HCVA: 6 m, 40 cm), binocular low-contrast visual acuity (LCVA: 6 m), contrast sensitivity (CS: 6 m), phorias (3 m, 33 cm), monocular-accommodative facility (33 cm), and objective static refraction (spherical equivalent M) at zero, -3, and -5 D vergences. Measurements were taken 10 min after lens insertion. Subjective response was assessed using take-home questionnaires comprising vision clarity (distance/intermediate/near), vision quality (haloes at night/ghosting), vision stability when moving (playing sport/using stairs), and comfort.Single vision was significantly better than both EDOF CLs for monocular HCVA, LCVA, and CS (6 m); vision clarity (distance), ghosting (P≤0.040), and EDOFL for binocular HCVA (6 m, P=0.047). M was significantly closer to the ideal objective static refraction at -3 and -5 D vergences (P≤0.004) with both EDOF compared with SV CLs. There were no differences between CLs for any other variable (P≥0.169).Extended depth-of-focus CLs caused minimal disruption to the accommodative and binocular system compared with SV CLs when worn by myopic children. Future EDOF designs for children should reduce the difference between SV for distance vision and vision quality while maintaining the same performance for intermediate and near.

Purpose We aimed to determine myopia control efficacy with novel contact lenses (CL) that (1) reduced both central and peripheral defocus, and (2) provided extended depth of focus with better global retinal image quality for points on, and anterior to, the retina and degraded for points posterior to the retina. Methods Children (n = 508, 8–13 years) with cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) −0.75 to −3.50D were enrolled in a prospective, double blind trial and randomised to one of five groups: (1) single vision, silicone hydrogel (SH) CL; (2) two groups wearing SH CL that imposed myopic defocus across peripheral and central retina (test CL I and II; +1.00D centrally and +2.50 and +1.50 for CL I and II at 3 mm semi‐chord respectively); and (3) two groups wearing extended depth of focus (EDOF) hydrogel CL incorporating higher order aberrations to modulate retinal image quality (test CL III and IV; extended depth of focus of up to +1.75D and +2.50D respectively). Cycloplegic autorefraction and axial length (AL) measurements were conducted at six monthly intervals. Compliance to lens wear was assessed with a diary and collected at each visit. Additionally, subjective responses to various aspects of lens wear were assessed. The trial commenced in February 2014 and was terminated in January 2017 due to site closure. Myopia progression over time between groups was compared using linear mixed models and where needed post hoc analysis with Bonferroni corrections conducted. Results Myopia progressed with control CL −1.12 ± 0.51D/0.58 ± 0.27 mm for SE/AL at 24 months. In comparison, all test CL had reduced progression with SE/AL ranging from −0.78D to −0.87D/0.41–0.46 mm at 24 months (AL: p

We describe our submissions to the 6th edition of the Social Media Mining for Health Applications (SMM4H) shared task. Our team (OGNLP) participated in the sub-task: Classification of tweets self-reporting potential cases of COVID-19 (Task 5). For our submissions, we employed systems based on auto-regressive transformer models (XLNet) and back-translation for balancing the dataset.

In considering the changing world, the authors of the Integrated Science: Science without Borders were asked how you would see the future of your field 30 years later. The present chapter publishes authors’ views on this subject in 2050. Authors have integrated science into the person, thinking of complex problems, artificial intelligence, management under changing conditions, and a sustainable future.

PROTO-SPHERA (Spherical Plasma for Helicity Relaxation Assessment) is a new concept of torus that aims to produce a spherical torus with closed flux surfaces and a force-free Screw Pinch with open flux surfaces, fed by electrodes. In order to verify the stability of the configuration and the technical components of the PROTO-SPHERA initial arc, the initial Phase-1 experiment was built, and its plasma, in the year 2108, has reached both the total current (10 kA) and total duration (1 s) targets. A two colour interferometer is one of the diagnostic system proposed to provide PROTO-SPHERA with the measurement of its electron density, which is currently of the order of ∼1020 m−3. It will allow to obtain line density, necessary to characterize this uncommon plasma, as integrate measurement along the equatorial plane. The design and the interferometer characteristics are described in this paper.

The Phaeobacter genus has been explored as probiotics in mariculture as a sustainable strategy for prevention of bacterial infections. Its antagonistic effect against common fish pathogens is predominantly due to the production of the antibacterial compound tropodithietic acid (TDA) and TDA-producing strains have repeatedly been isolated from mariculture environments. Despite many in vitro trials targeting pathogens, little is known about its impact on host-associated microbiomes in mariculture. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate how the addition of a TDA-producing P. inhibens affects the microbiomes of live feed organisms and fish larvae. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the bacterial diversity associated with live-feed microalgae (Tetraselmis suecica), live-feed copepod nauplii (Acartia tonsa), and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) eggs/larvae. The microbial communities were unique to the three organisms investigated and the addition of the probiotic bacterium had varying effects on the diversity and richness of the microbiomes. The structure of the live-feed microbiomes were significantly changed, while no effect was seen on the community structure associated with turbot larvae. The changes were highly targeted at particular taxa. The Rhodobacterales order were indigenous to all three microbiomes and decreased in relative abundance when P. inhibens was introduced in the copepod and turbot microbiomes, while they were unaffected in the microalgal microbiome. Altogether, the study demonstrates that addition of P. inhibens in higher concentrations, as part of a probiotic regime, does not appear to cause major imbalances in the microbiome, but the effects are particular towards closely related taxa.Importance This work is an essential part of the risk assessment of the application of roseobacters as probiotics in mariculture. It provides insights into the impact of TDA-producing Phaeobacter inhibens on the commensal bacteria related to mariculture live-feed and fish larvae. Also, the study provides a sequencing-based characterization of the microbiomes related to mariculture-relevant microalga, copepods, and turbot larvae.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether initial assessment of contact lenses prescribed for myopia control (MC) predicts short-term visual performance. METHOD Retrospective analysis of 43 participants in a double-masked, randomized, cross-over trial wearing at least one lens: single-vision (SV) lens (1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST) or MC lenses (MiSight or Proclear Multifocal-Distance +2.00D). Participants completed questionnaires at the fitting visit, a take-home questionnaire (THQ) 3 days after fitting and finally at the assessment visit (≥5 days after fitting). Questions comprised vision clarity and lack of ghosting (distance, intermediate, near at day/night time); vision stability; driving vision; overall vision satisfaction and comfort (1-10 scale, 1-point steps); and willingness to purchase based on vision and MC benefit of lens (yes/no response). Visual acuity was measured at fitting and assessment visits. RESULTS Vision clarity (intermediate and near) was significantly worse at assessment compared with fitting while wearing MC lenses (P

The expanding aquaculture industry plays an important role in feeding the growing human population and with the expansion, sustainable bacterial disease control, such as probiotics, becomes increasingly important. Tropodithietic acid (TDA)‐producing Phaeobacter spp. can protect live feed, for example rotifers and Artemia as well as larvae of turbot and cod against pathogenic vibrios. Here, we show that the emerging live feed, copepods, is unaffected by colonization of the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum, making them potential infection vectors. However, TDA‐producing Phaeobacter inhibens was able to significantly inhibit V. anguillarum in non‐axenic cultures of copepod Acartia tonsa and the copepod feed Rhodomonas salina. Vibrio grew to 106 CFU ml−1 and 107 CFU ml−1 in copepod and R. salina cultures, respectively. However, vibrio counts remained at the inoculum level (104 CFU ml−1) when P. inhibens was also added. We further developed a semi‐strain‐specific qPCR for V. anguillarum to detect and quantify the pathogen in non‐axenic systems. In conclusion, P. inhibens efficiently inhibits the fish larval pathogen V. anguillarum in the emerging live feed, copepods, supporting its use as a probiotic in aquaculture. Furthermore, qPCR provides an effective method for detecting vibrio pathogens in complex non‐axenic live feed systems.

SIGNIFICANCE This study shows satisfaction in contact lens (CL) wear is influenced by both comfort and vision. Eighty-six percent of participants were willing to continue with trial CL wear if satisfied with both comfort and vision, dropping to 50% if either variable was unsatisfactory and 0% if both were unsatisfactory. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between subjective ratings and satisfaction with CL wear. METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of two daily-disposable CL trials (delefilcon A, somofilcon A) on participants 40 years or younger followed over 3 months. Subjective ratings (numerical rating scale 1 to 10, 1-point step) collected at visits following baseline (2 weeks, 1 and 3 months) included comfort (insertion, during day, end of day), vision clarity, and binary response for satisfaction with comfort and vision (yes/no). Willingness to continue with trial CL was obtained at completion. RESULTS There was no significant association of comfort on insertion with comfort satisfaction (odds ratio [OR], 1.2; P = .30); however, comfort during day (OR, 2.1; P < .001) and end of day (OR, 3.4; P < .001) was associated with comfort satisfaction. For comfort during day ratings of at least 8/10 and end of day of at least 6/10, 90% of participants were considered satisfied. There was a 14% increase in participants satisfied with comfort for each unit increase on the numerical rating scale from ratings of 3 to 8 for comfort during day and a 20% increase from ratings of 3 to 7 for comfort end of day. The percentage of satisfied participants reached its maximum at a lower end of day rating (8/10) compared with during day (10/10). The percentage of participants satisfied with vision reached its maximum (100%) at a vision rating of 9/10. CONCLUSIONS Satisfaction in CL wear is influenced by both comfort and vision. A higher rating for comfort during the day compared with end of day is necessary for participants to attain satisfaction.

Measurements of total radiated power are very important in tokamak plasmas, especially in the divertor region where they are required for heat flux active control. Bolometric detectors based on metal foils are used as sensors. The signal readout is provided by an electronic system which drives processes and acquires the signals from the resistive bridge-based bolometer. A project for a new electronic system is being carried on at ENEA Frascati Laboratories, aimed to develop an architecture and a system sufficiently flexible in order to be applied to large fusion devices, such as DTT and ITER. The project, conceived for high reliability and lasting time levels, is based on FPGA boards and a completely digital lock-in. A prototype has been recently tested both in the laboratory and on FTU plasma. A key point of the project is the capability of on-line calibration. The paper describes the architecture of the project for the bolometric diagnostic and the analysis of the first results on FTU plasma.

Purpose: To compare the visual performance of prototype contact lenses which extend depth-of-focus (EDOF) by deliberate manipulation of multiple higher-order spherical aberration terms and a commercially-available center-near lens (AIR OPTIX Aqua Multifocal, AOMF). Methods: This was a prospective, cross-over, randomized, single-masked (participant), short-term clinical trial where 52 participants (age 45–70 years) were stratified as low, medium or high presbyopes and wore EDOF and AOMF on different days. Objective measures comprised high and low contrast visual acuity (HCVA/LCVA, log MAR), and contrast sensitivity (log units) at 6 m; HCVA at 70 cm, 50 cm and 40 cm and stereopsis (seconds of arc) at 40 cm. HCVA at 70 cm, 50 cm and 40 cm were measured as “comfortable acuity” rather than conventional resolution acuity. Subjective measures comprised clarity-of-vision and ghosting at distance, intermediate and near, overall vision satisfaction and ocular comfort (1–10 numeric rating scale) and lens purchase (yes/no response). Statistical analysis included repeated measures ANOVA, paired t-tests and McNemar's test. Results: Significant differences between lens types were independent of strata (p ≥ 0.119). EDOF was significantly better than AOMF for HCVA at 40 cm (0.42 ± 0.18 vs. 0.48 ± 0.22, p = 0.024), stereopsis (98 ± 88 vs. 141 ± 114, p

The aim of this paper is to improve the operating share of a biomass cogeneration unit by using unavoidable heat waste heat recovered from a district network heating used for drying woody biomass’ return water (law-grade temperature heat). The optimal operating conditions of a drying unit added to the system were estimated from an energy and a financial point of view, applying four objective functions (drying time, energy consumption, energy balance, and financial performance of the cogeneration unit). An experimental design methodology used heat for the implementation of these functions and to obtain an operating chart. Numerical modelling was performed to develop a simulation tool able to illustrate the unsteady operations able to take into account the available waste heat. Surprisingly, the model shows that the right strategy to increase the financial gain is to produce more warm water than necessary and to consequently dispose higher quantities of unavoidable heat in the network’s return water, which heat up the drying air at a higher temperature. This result contrasts with the current approaches of setting-up cogeneration units that are based on the minimization of the heat production.

We describe our submissions to the 4th edition of the Social Media Mining for Health Applications (SMM4H) shared task. Our team (UZH) participated in two sub-tasks: Automatic classifications of adverse effects mentions in tweets (Task 1) and Generalizable identification of personal health experience mentions (Task 4). For our submissions, we exploited ensembles based on a pre-trained language representation with a neural transformer architecture (BERT) (Tasks 1 and 4) and a CNN-BiLSTM(-CRF) network within a multi-task learning scenario (Task 1). These systems are placed on top of a carefully crafted pipeline of domain-specific preprocessing steps.

Significance The present study highlights the differences between modern daily-disposable multifocal soft contact lenses to assist eye care practitioners in fitting presbyopic contact lens wearers. Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare visual performance of three daily-disposable multifocal contact lenses. Methods Presbyopes (n = 72) wore 1-Day Acuvue Moist Multifocal, BioTrue ONEday for Presbyopia, and Dailies AquaComfort Plus Multifocal for 1 week in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover clinical trial. After 1 week, high- and low-contrast visual acuities (HCVA, LCVA) were measured between 6 m and 40 cm and stereopsis at 40 cm. Subjective performance was assessed with 1- to 10-point rating scales for clarity, ghosting, driving vision, vision stability, ease of focusing, overall vision satisfaction, and ocular comfort. Willingness to purchase was reported with categorical responses. Linear mixed models and χ tests were used for analysis, and level of significance was set at 5%. Results BioTrue provided better HCVA and LCVA at distance than did Acuvue Moist (P ≤ .03). Subjectively, Acuvue Moist was rated lowest for distance clarity, distance ghosting, and driving vision (P ≤ .05). Acuvue Moist provided better HCVA at 70 to 40 cm and LCVA at 1 m to 40 cm than did BioTrue (P ≤ .01) and better LCVA at 1 m to 50 cm than did AquaComfort Plus (P ≤ .02). AquaComfort Plus also provided better HCVA and LCVA at 50 and 40 cm than did BioTrue (P ≤ .03). Acuvue Moist provided better stereopsis than did BioTrue (P = .02). Subjectively, BioTrue was rated lowest for near clarity (P ≤ .007) and lower than Acuvue Moist for intermediate clarity and near ghosting (P ≤ .04). No other differences were found between lenses (P > .05). Conclusions BioTrue had better distance performance compared with near, whereas Acuvue Moist performed conversely. AquaComfort Plus performed reasonably overall.

Objetivo: comparar conhecimentos e atitudes dos profissionais de enfermagem atuantes em hospital público e privado sobre higiene bucal em pacientes críticos. Método: estudo transversal, realizado em duas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Adulto, uma pública e outra privada no período entre dezembro de 2018 e janeiro de 2019 por meio de um questionário estruturado e autoaplicável. Resultados: a taxa de conhecimento dos profissionais do hospital público foi de 76,6% e a atitude foi de 62,7%, enquanto no hospital privado essas taxas foram de 81,8% e 67,1%, respectivamente. Houve diferença significativa quanto à existência de protocolo (p 0,006), participação em treinamento (p 0,004), uso de escova de dentes com cerdas macias e sucção (p 0,001) no hospital privado. Conclusão: o nível de conhecimento foi mais elevado e as atitudes sobre higiene bucal foram mais positivas entre os profissionais de enfermagem do hospital privado em comparação com os profissionais do hospital público.

Jennifer Sha,1 Daniel Tilia,1,2 Jennie Diec,1 Cathleen Fedtke,1,2 Nisha Yeotikar,1 Monica Jong,1,2 Varghese Thomas,1 Ravi C Bakaraju1,2 1Brien Holden Vision Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 2School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia Purpose: To compare the visual performance of soft contact lenses reported to reduce myopia progression. Methods: In a double-blind, randomized, crossover trial, 30 non-presbyopic myopes wore MiSight™, center-distance Proclear® Multifocal (+2.00 D add), and two prototype lenses for 1 week each. High- and low-contrast visual acuities at 6 m, and 70 and 40 cm; stereopsis at 40cm; accommodative facility at 33 cm; and horizontal phoria at 3 m and 33 cm were measured after 1 week. Subjective performance was assessed on a numeric rating scale for vision clarity, lack of ghosting, vision stability, haloes, overall vision satisfaction, and ocular comfort. Frequency of eye-strain symptoms and willingness to purchase lenses were also reported with categorical responses. Participants reported wearing times (total and visually acceptable). Linear mixed models and chi-square tests were employed in analysis with level of significance set at 5%. Theoretical optical performance of all lenses was assessed with schematic myopic model eyes (−1.00, −3.00, and −6.00 D) by comparing the slope of the edge spread function (ESF), an indicator for optical performance/resolution and the blur patch size of the line spread function, an indicator for contrast, between the lenses. Results: Proclear Multifocal and MiSight provided the best distance acuities. However, the prototype lenses were rated significantly higher for many subjective variables, and there were no subjective variables where commercial lenses were rated significantly higher than the prototypes. Theoretical optical performance showed steeper slopes of the ESF and greater blur patch sizes of the LSP with commercial lenses, supporting the clinical findings of better visual acuities but reduced subjective performance. Participants wore prototypes longer and reported their vision acceptable for longer each day compared to MiSight. Both prototypes had the highest willingness-to-purchase rate. Conclusions: The prototypes were better tolerated by myopes compared to the commercial soft contact lenses currently used for slowing myopia progression. Keywords: accommodation, theoretical optical performance, extended depth of focus

STUDY QUESTION Is the number of oocytes retrieved after ovarian stimulation for ICSI independently associated with the number of day-3 euploid embryos (EE)? SUMMARY ANSWER A larger oocyte yield is independently associated with more day-3 EE, although the expected benefit decreases significantly with advancing age. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Although traditionally ovarian stimulation aims at collecting more than one oocyte in order to increase the chance of pregnancy, there is evidence suggesting that excessive ovarian response leads to lower live birth rates. Whether a larger oocyte yield after ovarian stimulation is associated with the genetic composition of the resulting embryos and therefore with their reproductive potential is still largely unknown. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This is a multi-centered retrospective cohort study analyzing 724 cycles of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) cycles using day-3 biopsy and array-comparative genomic hybridization between March 2011 and December 2016 in three laboratories. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The primary outcome measure was the number of EE on day-3. Statistical analysis was performed using the generalized estimating equations (GEE) framework and multivariate regression models to control for the clustered nature of the data while adjusting for potential confounders. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A multivariate regression GEE model including all significant population and stimulation characteristics as covariates as well as an interaction term between female age and number of oocytes revealed that the number of oocytes retrieved was still positively associated with the number of EE (coeff: +0.40, 95% CI: 0.24-0.56). The interaction term was highly significant (coeff: -0.01, P < 0.001) indicating an effect modifying role of female age on the association of oocytes retrieved with the number of EE. The number of oocytes retrieved was also positively associated with cumulative live birth rates (odds ratio: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03-1.12). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study is retrospective and the presence of residual unknown bias cannot be excluded. Furthermore, the population analyzed in this study might not be completely representative of the general population undergoing ICSI. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS These results provide an explanatory mechanism for the recently published positive association between the number of oocytes retrieved and cumulative live birth rates. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) CAV is supported by a NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (GNT1147154)/ No competing interests to declare.

Our team at the University of Zurich participated in the first 3 of the 4 sub-tasks at the Social Media Mining for Health Applications (SMM4H) shared task. We experimented with different approaches for text classification, namely traditional feature-based classifiers (Logistic Regression and Support Vector Machines), shallow neural networks, RCNNs, and CNNs. This system description paper provides details regarding the different system architectures and the achieved results.

To reduce patient inconvenience during in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, some protocols delay intensive monitoring until mid-follicular stimulation. Others assess hormone levels prior to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) administration, not commencing stimulation until baseline progesterone (P4) levels (5 nmol/l) are achieved. Higher P4 levels (4.8 nmol/L) on the day of FSH trigger have been implicated in poorer pregnancy rates. This study evaluates the association of P4 levels at day 1-2 in gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-antagonist cycles with pre-trigger P4 levels and clinical pregnancy rates (CPRs).All fresh GnRH-antagonist IVF cycles between June 2011 and June 2012, in which pre-FSH P4 levels were not routinely performed (group 1), were retrieved from the IVF Australia database and compared with controls (group 2).There were 163 cycles in each group. P4 levels on the day of trigger were significantly higher in group 1 (3.75 vs. 2.77, p0.05). The incidence of pre-trigger P4 levels4.8 nmol/l was significantly higher in group 1 (30 vs. 16, p0.05). The number of oocytes retrieved was higher in group 1 (11.1 vs. 9, p0.05), however fertilization rates were significantly lower in that group (53.6% vs. 61.2%, p0.05); CPRs were similar between the two groups (27.8% vs. 31.8%, p = ns). Overall, pregnancy rates were lower in cycles with pre-trigger P4 level of4.8 nmol/L compared with those with lower levels (15% vs. 32.5%, p0.05).We found that measurement of P4 level at early follicular phase was associated with significantly lower pre-trigger levels. However, this did not translate into a difference in CPR between the monitored and unmonitored groups. We have confirmed that elevation in pre-trigger P4 level is associated with halving of the CPR, indicating that the most important P4 measurements are those in the late follicular/pre-trigger phase.

Editorial: The microbiome as a source of new enterprises and job creation

To compare visual performance of extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) prototypes with a new, center-near, commercial, multifocal contact lens.Presbyopic participants (n=57) wore 1-Day ACUVUE MOIST MULTIFOCAL (1DAMM) and an EDOF prototype for one week in a double-masked, prospective, cross-over, randomized clinical trial. Manufacturers' guide was used to select the first pair of lens to be fit based on subjective distance refraction and near addition. After one week, high- and low-contrast visual acuities were measured at distance (6 m), intermediate (70 cm) and near (50 and 40 cm), and stereopsis at 40 cm. Subjective performance was assessed on a 1 to 10 numeric rating scale for vision clarity and lack of ghosting at distance, intermediate and near, vision stability, haloes at night time, overall vision satisfaction, and ocular comfort. Linear mixed models were used for analysis and the level of significance was set at 5%.1DAMM was not significantly different from EDOF for high- or low-contrast visual acuity at any distance, or for stereopsis. Subjectively, EDOF was significantly better than 1DAMM for vision clarity at intermediate (P=0.033) and near (P0.001), overall lack of ghosting (P=0.012), vision stability (P=0.004), and overall vision satisfaction (P=0.005). For all other subjective variables, there were no differences between EDOF and 1DAMM (P0.05).EDOF prototype lenses offer improvements over the newly marketed 1DAMM lenses for several subjective variables.

To compare subjective, objective and safety performance of silicone hydrogel (SiHy) daily disposable (DD) with hydrogel (Hy) DD contact lenses.Retrospective analysis on approximately 40 participants (Px) each in 5 trials. Lenses grouped into SiHy (delefilcon A, somofilcon A, narafilcon A) and Hy (omafilcon A, nelfilcon A). Participants attended follow-up visits at baseline, 2 weeks, 1 and 3 months. Subjective ratings (1-10 scale), adverse events (percentage of Px), physiological variables (0-4 scale), and wearing time were collected at each visit and compared between groups.Trials enrolled 201 Px totally. No differences in age, sex, and lens wear experience were found between SiHy and Hy groups (P≥0.09). There was greater increase in limbal redness from baseline in Hy group (0.18±0.38 vs. 0.02±0.47, P0.001), whereas conjunctival staining and indentation were less in Hy group (P0.001). No differences in comfortable wearing time were found between groups (P=0.41), and comfort at insertion, during day, and end of day was also no different (P≥0.71). Incidence of corneal infiltrative events (SiHy vs. Hy: 6.7% vs. 2.5%; P=0.32) and mechanical adverse events (SiHy vs. Hy: 0.0% vs. 0.0%; P=1.00) were no different.Though some statistical significance was found between the groups, these differences were within measurement error. Neither material types showed superiority in comfort, and adverse event rates were low with both material types. These findings suggest that choice of material is a patient and practitioner preference; however, for patients at risk of hypoxia-related complications, SiHy materials should be considered.

PURPOSE To determine the efficacy of written instructions on contact lens case hygiene and to quantify the effect of noncompliance on contact lens case contamination. METHODS Data were retrospectively analyzed from 16 prospective, 3-month daily-wear studies during which six commercially available silicone hydrogel contact lenses and seven lens care solutions (LCS) were tested following a similar protocol. Verbal instructions regarding case hygiene (rinse case with LCS, not tap water) were given in nine studies, while the same instructions were given verbally and in written format in seven studies. A survey on contact lens, LCS, and lens case hygiene was completed at 1- and 3-month visits and compliance with case hygiene instructions was determined. Regular contact lens cases were used for 1 month and collected for microbial analysis at the 1- and 3-month visits. The rate of case contamination and the types of microbes contaminating cases were evaluated. RESULTS Participants given verbal and written instructions were more likely to be compliant with case hygiene instructions than those just given verbal instructions (odds ratio [OR]: 2.19, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40-3.44). The overall case contamination rate was 79%. Use of tap water to rinse contact lens cases was associated with significantly more cases contaminated with Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) (30% vs. 10%, p < 0.001), a greater risk of GNB case contamination (OR: 2.91, p < 0.001. 95% CI: 1.72-4.92), and a higher quantity of GNB in cases (mean colony-forming unit/case ± SD: 28,286 ± 131,935 vs. 6477 ± 60,447, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Lens case hygiene can be improved by effective communication of instructions. Contact lens wearers should be actively discouraged from rinsing contact lens cases with tap water because of the increased risk of GNB contamination.

OBJECTIVE To compare the short-term clinical performance of two dual-disinfectant multipurpose disinfecting solutions (MPDS) when used in conjunction with two silicone hydrogel contact lenses. METHODS Participants wore galyfilcon A and balafilcon A lenses, randomly allocated one type to each eye. Multipurpose disinfecting solutions were double-masked and allocated using a randomized crossover design. Lenses were presoaked overnight in the allocated MPDS, containing either polyquaternium-1/alexidine dihydrochloride (PQ-alexidine) or polyquaternium-1/myristamidopropyl dimethylamine (PQ-MAPDA). Lenses were worn daily for 4 days and disinfected with the same MPDS in which they had been soaked. Clinical assessments occurred immediately after insertion, 2 hours after insertion, and after 2 hours of wear on day 4. Subjective ratings were collected at each assessment and after 6 hours of wear on days 1 to 3. Linear mixed models were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Solution-induced corneal staining (SICS) incidence was significantly different between MPDS lens combinations (P=0.01) with PQ-MAPDA-balafilcon A showing the highest incidence (27.8%). The incidence of SICS was significantly higher when balafilcon A lenses were worn compared with galyfilcon A (19.4% vs. 2.8%; P=0.04). There was no significant difference in SICS incidence between MPDS (PQ-alexidine=5.6%, PQ-MAPDA=16.7%; P=0.08). Polyquaternium-1/alexidine dihydrochloride was associated with significantly fewer symptoms of burning/stinging (9.7±0.6 vs. 9.1±2.2; P=0.03) and self-assessed redness (9.8±0.5 vs. 9.2±1.9; P=0.03) on initial lens insertion. There were no significant differences between MPDS for comfort ratings (P>0.05). CONCLUSION These short-term clinical results provide an initial indication that PQ-alexidine is associated with fewer symptoms on insertion but no significant difference in ocular comfort compared with PQ-MAPDA. Longer studies are required to provide further evidence.

Plasma properties can be useful in a wide spectrum of applications. Experimental projects on controlled nuclear fusion are the most challenging of these applications and, at the same time, the best way to approach plasma science. Since nuclear fusion reactors can ensure a large-scale, safe, environmentally-friendly and virtually inexhaustible source of energy, several fusion-oriented megaprojects and innovative companies are appearing all over the world. PROTO-SPHERA (Spherical Plasma for HElicity Relaxation Assessment) is the first plasma project with a simply connected configuration, namely not requiring additional objects inside the plasma volume. This is obtained by a plasma arc, shaped as a screw pinch, acting as the centerpost of a spherical torus with minimal aspect ratio. Due to its intrinsic physical, engineering and economic advantages, this new approach is attractive also on an industrial scale and with several developments that still needs to be explored. This paper presents the PROTO-SPHERA basic principles, its first encouraging results and its expected and potential evolutions.

To compare the objective and subjective visual performance of a novel contact lens which extends depth of focus by deliberate manipulation of higher-order spherical aberrations and a commercially available zonal-refractive multifocal lens.A prospective, cross-over, randomized, single-masked, short-term clinical trial comprising 41 presbyopes (age 45 to 70 years) wearing novel Extended Depth of Focus lenses (EDOF) and ACUVUE OAYS for Presbyopia (AOP). Each design was assessed on different days with a minimum overnight wash-out. Objective measures comprised high-contrast visual acuity (HCVA, logMAR) at 6 m, 70 cm, 50 cm, and 40 cm; low-contrast visual acuity (LCVA, logMAR) and contrast sensitivity (log units) at 6 m; and stereopsis (seconds of arc) at 40 cm. HCVA at 70 cm, 50 cm, and 40 cm were measured as "comfortable acuity" rather than conventional resolution acuity. Subjective performance was assessed on a 1-10 numeric rating scale for clarity of vision and ghosting at distance, intermediate and near, overall vision satisfaction, ocular comfort, and lens purchase. Statistical analysis included repeated measures ANOVA and paired t tests.HCVA, clarity of vision, and ghosting with EDOF were significantly better than AOP (p0.01); however, differences were dependent on testing distances and add groups. Post hoc analysis showed EDOF was significantly better than AOP for HCVA at 70 cm (0.11 ± 0.11 vs. 0.21 ± 0.16, p0.001), 50 cm (0.26 ± 0.17 vs. 0.36 ± 0.18, p = 0.003), 40 cm (0.42 ± 0.17 vs. 0.52 ± 0.21, p = 0.001), and LCVA at 6 m (0.22 ± 0.08 vs. 0.27 ± 0.12, p = 0.024). EDOF was significantly better than AOP for clarity of vision at distance (7.7 ± 1.6 vs. 6.8 ± 2.3, p = 0.029), intermediate (8.8 ± 1.4 vs. 7.0 ± 2.2, p0.001), and near (7.4 ± 2.4 vs. 5.2 ± 2.7, p0.001), ghosting at distance (9.1 ± 1.2 vs. 8.1 ± 2.5, p = 0.005), and overall vision satisfaction (7.6 ± 1.6 vs. 6.0 ± 2.6, p0.001). More participants chose to purchase EDOF compared to AOP (61 vs. 39%) and significantly more chose to only-purchase EDOF compared to only-purchase AOP (27 vs. 5%, p = 0.022).When compared with AOP, EDOF lenses provide better intermediate and near vision performance in presbyopic participants without compromising distance vision.

Summary Microorganisms are of great importance to aquaculture where they occur naturally, and can be added artificially, fulfilling different roles. They recycle nutrients, degrade organic matter and, occasionally, they infect and kill the fish, their larvae or the live feed. Also, some microorganisms may protect fish and larvae against disease. Hence, monitoring and manipulating the microbial communities in aquaculture environments hold great potential; both in terms of assessing and improving water quality, but also in terms of controlling the development of microbial infections. Using microbial communities to monitor water quality and to efficiently carry out ecosystem services within the aquaculture systems may only be a few years away. Initially, however, we need to thoroughly understand the microbiomes of both healthy and diseased aquaculture systems, and we need to determine how to successfully manipulate and engineer these microbiomes. Similarly, we can reduce the need to apply antibiotics in aquaculture through manipulation of the microbiome, i.e. by the use of probiotic bacteria. Recent studies have demonstrated that fish pathogenic bacteria in live feed can be controlled by probiotics and that mortality of infected fish larvae can be reduced significantly by probiotic bacteria. However, the successful management of the aquaculture microbiota is currently hampered by our lack of knowledge of relevant microbial interactions and the overall ecology of these systems.

The growing aquaculture industry is in need for non-antibiotic based disease control strategies to reduce risk of bacteria developing and spreading antibiotic resistance. We have previously, in axenic model systems of live larval feed, demonstrated that bacteria from the Roseobacter clade can antagonize fish pathogens such as Vibrio anguillarum and Vibrio harveyi and that they can reduce larval mortality in challenge trials. However, in the aquaculture production, a natural microbiota is present at all stages and may affect the efficacy of the probiotic bacteria. The purpose of the present study was to determine if marine roseobacters in non-axenic systems were capable of antagonizing fish pathogenic vibrios. We added a controlled background microbiota of four bacterial strains to axenic Artemia and algae ( Duniella ) and these bacteria had a marginal but significant reducing effect on inoculated Vibrio anguillarum that grew to 10 7 in control samples but to a level 1–2 log lower in samples with background microbiota. The addition of the Roseobacter -clade bacteria, Phaeobacter inhibens , caused a significant reduction in growth of the pathogen that reached levels 3–4 log lower than in the control. In non-axenic natural Artemia and algae ( Tetraselmis ) received from an aquaculture unit, Vibrio anguillarum grew to 10 7 CFU/ml but only reached 10 4 CFU/ml when P. inhibens was also added. P. inhibens was added at a concentration 10 6 CFU/ml in all systems and remained at this concentration at the end of the study, irrespective of the background microbiota. We therefore conclude that P. inhibens are indeed promising as probiotic bacteria in marine larvi-culture where it in natural live feed can suppress fish larval pathogens. Statement of relevance We and others have in several studies demonstrated the potential effect of probiotic bacteria in axenic or gnotobiotic models. Here, we for the first time present data that demonstrate that probiotic roseobacters also are efficient in non-axenic systems; even in commercial algae and Artemia from a commercial fish farmer. This adds further promise to probiotics as disease control in aquaculture.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between solution-induced corneal staining (SICS) and silicone hydrogel contact lens comfort and vision.A retrospective analysis of a series of open-label studies were conducted with 24 groups of approximately 40 participants, each wearing 1 of 6 silicone hydrogel contact lenses with 1 of 4 lens care products bilaterally for 3 months of daily wear. The presence of SICS and subjective ocular ratings were collected at 2 weeks and at 1 and 3 months.A total of 1,051 participants were enrolled. The participants with SICS rated significantly less favorably than did the participants without SICS for comfort during the day (7.9±1.7 vs. 8.5±1.4, P=0.03), comfort at the end of the day (6.6±2.1 vs. 7.4±1.9, P=0.03), overall dryness (7.4±1.9 vs. 8.0±1.7, P=0.04), dryness at the end of the day (6.7±2.2 vs. 7.5±2.1, P=0.01), feelings of burning and stinging (8.5±2.0 vs. 8.9±1.8, P=0.02), and overall vision (8.2±1.6 vs. 8.7±1.3, P0.001).The participants with SICS had lower subjective comfort and vision compared with those who did not experience SICS.

Automatic extraction of biological network information is one of the most desired and most complex tasks in biological and medical text mining. Track 4 at BioCreative V attempts to approach this complexity using fragments of large-scale manually curated biological networks, represented in Biological Expression Language (BEL), as training and test data. BEL is an advanced knowledge representation format which has been designed to be both human readable and machine processable. The specific goal of track 4 was to evaluate text mining systems capable of automatically constructing BEL statements from given evidence text, and of retrieving evidence text for given BEL statements. Given the complexity of the task, we designed an evaluation methodology which gives credit to partially correct statements. We identified various levels of information expressed by BEL statements, such as entities, functions, relations, and introduced an evaluation framework which rewards systems capable of delivering useful BEL fragments at each of these levels. The aim of this evaluation method is to help identify the characteristics of the systems which, if combined, would be most useful for achieving the overall goal of automatically constructing causal biological networks from text.

Purpose: To compare visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity, stereopsis, and subjective visual performance of Acuvue® Oasys® for Presbyopia (AOP), Air Optix® Aqua Multifocal (AOMF), and Air Optix® Aqua Single Vision (AOSV) lenses in patients with presbyopia. Methods: A single-blinded crossover trial was conducted. Twenty patients with mild presbyopia (add ≤+1.25 D) and 22 with moderate/severe presbyopia (add ≥+1.50 D) who wore lenses bilaterally for 1 h, with a minimum overnight washout period between the use of each lens. Measurements included high- and low-contrast visual acuity (HCVA and LCVA, respectively) at a distance, contrast sensitivity (CS) at a distance, HCVA at intermediate (70 cm) and near (50 cm & 40 cm) distances, stereopsis, and subjective questionnaires regarding vision clarity, ghosting, overall vision satisfaction, and comfort. The test variables were compared among the lens types using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Distance variables (HCVA, LCVA, and CS) were significantly worse with multifocal lens than with AOSV lens (p≤0.008), except for AOMF lens in the mild presbyopia group in which no significant difference was observed (p>0.05). Multifocal lenses had significantly greater HCVA at 40 cm than AOSV lens (p≤0.026). AOMF lens had greater intermediate HCVA than AOP lens (p0.05). The proportions of patients willing to buy AOSV, AOMF, and AOP lenses were 20%, 40%, and 50%, respectively, in the mild presbyopia group and 14%, 32%, and 23%, respectively, in the moderate/severe presbyopia group; however, these differences were not statistically significant (p≥0.159). Conclusions: Further development of multifocal lenses is required before significant advantages of multifocal lenses over single vision lens are observed in patients with presbyopia. RESUMO Objetivo: Comparar a acuidade visual, sensibilidade ao contraste, estereopsia e desempenho visual subjetivo de présbitas usando lentes de contato Acuvue Oasys para presbiopia (AOP), Air Optix Aqua Multifocal (AOMF) e Air Optix Aqua Single Vision (AOSV). Método: Foi realizado estudo mascarado simples, cruzado. Vinte pacientes com presbiopia baixa (adição ≤+1,25 D) e 22 com presbiopia média/alta (adição ≥+1,50 D) usaram cada lente bilateralmente durante 1 hora, com descanso mínimo de uma noite entre as diferentes lentes. As medições incluíram acuidade visual para distância em alto e baixo contraste (HCVA, LCVA), sensibilidade ao contraste para distância (CS), HCVA para distância intermediária (70 cm) e para perto (50 cm e 40 cm), estereopsia e questionários subjetivos sobre nitidez visual, fantasmas, satisfação visão geral e conforto. As variáveis foram comparadas entre os tipos de lentes, utilizando medidas repetidas ANOVA. Resultados: As variáveis para distância (HCVA, LCVA, CS) foram significativamente piores com as multifocais em relação a AOSV (p≤0,008), exceto para AOMF no grupo de baixa adição, que não foi significativamente diferente (p>0,05). As multifocais foram significativamente melhores do que a AOSV para HCVA em 40 cm (p≤0,026). AOMF superou AOP para HCVA intermediária (p0,05). A disposição para comprar lentes AOSV, AOMF e AOP foi: 20%, 40%, 50%, respectivamente, no grupo de presbiopia baixa; 14%, 32%, 23% no grupo de presbiopia média/alto, mas essas diferenças não foram estatisticamente significativas (p≥0,159). Conclusões: Melhorias futuras parecem ser necessárias para produção de uma lente multifocal que forneça aos présbitas uma vantagem significativa sobre a lente de visão única.

The role of high power electron cyclotron (EC) waves in controlling magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities in tokamaks has been assessed in several experiments, exploiting the physical effects induced by resonant heating and current drive. Recently a new {EC} launcher, whose main goal is controlling tearing modes and possibly preventing their onset, is being implemented on FTU. So far most of the components of the launcher control strategy have been realized and successfully tested on plasma experiments. Nevertheless the operations of the new launcher must be completely integrated into the existing one, and to {FTU} control system. This work deals with this final step, proposing a hardware and software architecture implementing up to date technologies, to achieve a modular and effective control strategy well integrated into a legacy system. The slow control system of the new {EC} launcher is based on a Siemens {S7} Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), integrated into {FTU} control system supervisor through an {EPICS11EPICS} - Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System [1]. input output controller (IOC) and an in-house developed Channel Access client application creating an abstraction layer that decouples the {IOC} and the {PLC} from the {FTU} Supervisor software. This architecture could enable a smooth migration to an EPICS-only supervisory control system. The real time component of the control system is based on the open source {MARTe22MARTe} - Multi-Threaded Application Real-Time Executor [2]. framework relying on a Linux real time cluster, devoted to the detection of {MHD} instabilities and the calculation of the injection angles and the time reference for the radiofrequency power enable commands for the {EC} launcher.

To investigate if contact lens-related discomfort is a function of the time of day at which lenses are worn.This was a randomized, crossover, open-label clinical trial where subjective responses, with and without contact lenses, were assessed every 2 hours during five stages (A to E). Each stage began at the time when subjects would normally have inserted their contact lenses (T0). During stage A, no lenses were worn, whereas in stage B, lenses were worn continuously for 12 hours. In stages C to E, lenses were worn for only 4 hours. Contact lenses were inserted at T0 for stage C, but for stages D and E, lenses were not inserted until T0 + 4 and T0 + 8 hours, respectively. Mixed linear models were used for statistical analysis.In the absence of contact lenses, ocular comfort and dryness remained reasonably constant throughout the observation period. Ocular comfort and dryness decreased during 12 hours of continuous lens wear and became significantly worse from the 8-hour time onward compared with insertion (p0.023). There were no significant differences in terms of ocular comfort and dryness between any of the 4-hour lens wear stages (p0.82). During each 4-hour stage, both comfort and dryness behaved in a similar fashion (p0.05) to the first 4 hours of continuous contact lens wear. Comparing the scores of each of these stages with the no-lens response at the corresponding time showed no significant differences for comfort (p0.23) or dryness (p0.37).Short periods of wear can be experienced at any time of day without significant change in ocular discomfort and dryness. This suggests that subjective responses at the end of the day are determined by the length of time lenses are in contact with the eye, rather than the time of day at which lenses are worn.

The design of diagnostics for the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) is challenging because of the compactness of the machine (8-cm-wide ports) and the low operating temperatures requiring the presence of a cryostat. Nevertheless, a rather complete diagnostic system has been progressively installed. The basic systems include a set of magnetic probes, various visible and ultraviolet spectrometers, electron cyclotron emission (ECE) for electron temperature profiles measurements and electron tails monitoring, far-infrared and CO{sub 2} interferometry, X-ray (soft and hard) measurements, a multichord neutron diagnostics (with different type detectors), and a Thomson scattering system. Some diagnostics specific to the FTU physics program have been used such as microwave reflectometry for turbulence studies, edge-scanning Langmuir probes for radio-frequency coupling assessment, oblique ECE, and a fast electron bremsstrahlung (FEB) camera for lower hybrid current drive-induced fast electron tails.These systems are briefly reviewed in this paper. Further developments including a scanning CO{sub 2} laser two-color interferometer, two FEB cameras for tomographic analysis, a motional Stark effect system, and a collective Thomson scattering system are also described.

We demonstrate the design of a multifunctional organic layer by the rational combination of nanosized regions of two functional polymers. Instead of relying on a spontaneous and random phase separation process or on the tedious synthesis of block copolymers, the method involves the nanomolding of a first component, followed by the filling of the resulting open spaces by a second component. We apply this methodology to fabricate organic nonvolatile memory diodes of high density. These are built by first creating a regular array of ferroelectric nanodots by nanoimprint lithography, followed by the filling of the trenches separating the ferroelectric nanodots with a semiconducting polymer. The modulation of the current in the semiconductor by the polarization state of the ferroelectric material is demonstrated both at the scale of a single semiconductor channel and in a microscopic device measuring about 80.000 channels in parallel, for voltages below ca. 2 V. The fabrication process, which combines synergetically orthogonal functional properties with a fine control over their spatial distribution, is thus demonstrated to be efficient over large areas.

The Large Helical Device (LHD) is the largest helical machine with superconducting coils. Key diagnostics issues for LHD are: (a) capability for multidimensional measurements because of the nonaxisymmetric toroidal plasma; (b) measurements of the electric field; (c) cross check of fundamental parameters using different methods; (d) advanced measurements appropriate for steady-state operation; and (e) a satisfactory data acquisition system. The design and research and development of plasma diagnostics were carried out taking these issues into consideration. As a result, the present status of diagnostics is described: diagnostics for LHD operation, fundamental diagnostics for plasma performance, diagnostics for physics subjects, innovative diagnostics and diagnostics for long-pulse operation. The LHD experiment started in March, 1998. Since then, the development of diagnostics has kept pace with the experimental campaigns.

To establish whether increased end-of-day discomfort during soft contact lens wear is associated with short-term changes occurring to the lens itself.Twenty-seven subjects wore hydrogel lenses (Focus Dailies; Alcon) bilaterally for 10 hours on two separate days. Comfort was reported using 1-100 numerical rating scales (1 = intolerable discomfort, 100 = lens cannot be felt). Day 1 ratings were taken before lens insertion and at 0.05, 5, and 10 hours post-insertion. Day 2 ratings occurred at similar times, but lenses were removed after the 5-hour assessment and either reinserted (n = 14) or newly replaced (n = 12). An additional rating was taken 5 minutes after re-insertion. Wear then continued to the 10-hour point. In a separate study, 24 different subjects repeated these procedures using a silicone hydrogel lens (AirOptix Aqua; Alcon) with wear taking place on 3 days to permit lens replacement to be with existing as well as new lenses in all subjects.For hydrogel lenses, comfort scores (mean ± 95% CI) reported after 10 hours were 79.4 ± 8.3 when lenses were worn un-replaced, compared with 73.2 ± 9.2 for replacement with the existing lens. When replacement was with a brand new lens, the corresponding values were 72.9 ± 10.9 (un-replaced) versus 69.2 ± 12.8 (new lens replacement). For silicone hydrogel lenses, 10-hour comfort was 90.3 ± 3.2 (un-replaced) versus 92.2 ± 2.9 (replacement with existing lens) versus 90.0 ± 3.3 (replacement with new lens). Differences between replacement conditions were not significant in any case (analysis of variance, p0.05).Final comfort was not influenced by replacing lenses midway through the wearing period. Comfort decrements experienced by users of these daily contact lenses towards the later part of the wearing period are not caused by changes occurring to the lenses on this time scale. Possible alternative etiological factors include a fatigue-like response in one or more ocular tissues or stimulation of ocular surface nociceptors induced by the presence of the contact lens.

PURPOSE To determine if the ocular comfort of symptomatic contact lens (CL) wearers can be substantially influenced by choosing a better or worse performing CL-lens care product (LCP) combination. METHODS Twenty-four symptomatic and 13 nonsymptomatic CL wearers were enrolled into a prospective, crossover, randomized clinical trial. Two CL-LCP combinations were chosen from studies previously conducted at the Brien Holden Vision Institute that were found to provide the best (galyfilcon A/polyhexanide, combination 1) and worst performance (balafilcon A/polyquaternium-1 and myristamidopropyl dimethylamine + TearGlyde, combination 2) in terms of end-of-day comfort. Subjects were not informed whether they were categorized as symptomatic or nonsymptomatic nor were they aware of the rankings of each CL-LCP combination. Subjects were randomly allocated to one of the CL-LCP combinations for 8 days on a daily wear basis. Contact lens fitting was assessed after insertion from the packaging solution. Take-home questionnaires assessing ocular comfort and dryness (1 to 10 numeric rating scale) were completed on insertion and after 2 and 8 hours of wear on days 2, 4, and 6. Ocular symptoms were assessed on days 2, 4, and 6 after 8 hours of wear. A 48-hour washout period during which CLs were not worn was applied, with the procedure repeated using the second combination. RESULTS In symptomatic subjects, combination 1 was rated significantly better than combination 2 after 8 hours of wear for ocular comfort (7.7 ± 1.3 vs. 7.1 ± 1.5, p = 0.01) and ocular dryness (7.5 ± 1.6 vs. 7.0 ± 1.6, p = 0.045), with less frequent symptoms of ocular dryness (p < 0.01) and lens awareness (p < 0.01) reported. No significant differences were found in nonsymptomatic subjects. CONCLUSIONS Ocular comfort and symptoms in symptomatic CL wearers can be perceptibly improved by switching to an alternative CL-LCP combination. This finding provides justification for the efforts of both eye care practitioners and researchers to improve the comfort of CL wearers.

A gas detector with a 2D pixel readout is proposed for a future soft x-ray (SXR) tomography with discrimination in energy bands separately per pixel. The detector has three gas electron multiplier foils for the electron amplification and it offers the advantage, compared with the single stage, to be less sensitive to neutrons and gammas. The energy resolution and the detection efficiency of the detector have been accurately studied in the laboratory with continuous SXR spectra produced by an electronic tube and line emissions produced by fluorescence (K, Fe, and Mo) in the range of 3-17 keV. The front-end electronics, working in photon counting mode with a selectable threshold for pulse discrimination, is optimized for high rates. The distribution of the pulse amplitude has been indirectly derived by means of scans of the threshold. Scans in detector gain have also been performed to assess the capability of selecting different energy ranges.

Microbial keratitis (MK) is a serious sight-threatening complication occurring with and without contact lens wear. The task of diagnosing MK is difficult because each presentation of the disease is different and can be mistaken for noninfectious ulcers such as contact lens peripheral ulcer (CLPU). The purpose of this article is to present a case report of MK initially diagnosed as a CLPU.We report the incidence of a 21-year-old female presenting with signs and symptoms in her left eye, which initially suggested a CLPU. At the 24-h follow-up, contrary to expected indications of healing, her condition had deteriorated. The diagnosis was reevaluated as an MK. Ciloxan was prescribed under care of an ophthalmologist. Despite initial misdiagnosis, due to aggressive topical treatment and the peripheral location of the lesion,1 line of vision was lost.Defined signs and symptoms criteria have been established for the differential diagnoses of MK and CLPU. However, there is often an overlap in the signs and symptoms that can complicate the diagnosis. A critical sign, however, is progress immediately after lens wear is discontinued. Prophylaxis and rapid appropriate treatment and follow-up are vitally important if there is any doubt and to ensure correct diagnosis and resolution.Any diagnosis of CLPU must be monitored carefully to ensure it is not MK. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of MK are essential for a good visual outcome.

The time-of-flight neutral particle measurement system1 has been installed on the 10-O port at the 2nd campaign. It has the capability of two-dimensional measurement with a larger viewing angle by using the pivot on the rectangular port, which is set inside of the 10-O mother port. The movable stage with the vertical scan mechanism rotates on the fan shaped stainless rails around the pivot. The sight lines of −2 to 32 degrees against the 10-O port surface makes the angle between the sight line and the magnetic axis of the standard configuration (3.6 m) of 95 to 35 in the 4th campaign. Therefore the analyzer can observe high-energy particles with these pitch angles. The higher scan speed of 0.17 degree/second than that in the last campaign (0.05 degree/s) can be obtained in this campaign. Precise spatial distribution of the high-energy particles can be expected because it enables the continuous scanning in the long discharge.

A 62-year-old female presented with unilateral pseudoexfoliation syndrome. Apart from the classic pseudoexfoliation of the lens capsule, she also manifested conspicuous endothelial deposits of pseudoexfoliation material (PXM). The potential exists to misdiagnose endothelial deposits of PXM as keratic precipitates (KP). This patient was subsequently erroneously diagnosed with Fuchs' heterochromic cyclitis. Close inspection of the endothelial deposits should allow for appropriate differentiation between PXM and KP, particularly when one examines them in the context of the presenting symptoms and other ocular findings. It is incumbent on the practitioner to make the appropriate diagnosis to prevent the patient undergoing unnecessary clinical investigations or therapies.

We describe the clinical case and MRI findings of a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome and pathologically confirmed cytomegalovirus encephalitis. Prevalent brainstem and cerebellar signs together with almost exclusive involvement as seen on MRI of posterior fossa structures at the onset of the symptoms were the main features of our case.