Three-year results of visual outcome with disease activity-guided ranibizumab algorithm for the treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE To evaluate 3-year follow-up treatment outcomes with ranibizumab (Lucentis(®)) 0.5 mg administered either monthly or quarterly on a pro re nata (PRN) basis according to a disease activity-guided monitoring and treatment algorithm. METHODS A total of 316 treatment-naive eyes of 316 patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration met the criteria for inclusion in this retrospective, interventional case series. Patients were treated with ranibizumab 0.5 mg according to a disease activity-guided algorithm with monthly monitoring. Optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography were routinely used to assess disease activity: active lesions were treated with a series of three monthly injections, whereas inactive lesions were treated with quarterly injections. RESULTS Mean Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study best-corrected visual acuity improved from 52 letters at baseline to 59 letters at 12 months, achieved with a mean of 7.1 injections, 61 letters at 24 months with a mean of 5.0 injections administered in the second year and 60 letters at 36 months with a mean number of 5.2 injections. CONCLUSIONS Monthly visits and a morphology-driven PRN regimen with 3 injections in case of recurrence plus quarterly injections in case of inactive CNV resulted in an average VA gain of 7-9 letters that could be maintained over 3 years.

Evaluating the Impact of the Number of Access Points in Mobile Robots Localization Using Artificial Neural Networks

Localization is information of fundamental importance to carry out various tasks in the mobile robotic area. The exact degree of precision required in the localization depends on the nature of the task. The GPS provides global position estimation but is restricted to outdoor environments and has an inherent imprecision of a few meters. In indoor spaces, other sensors like lasers and cameras are commonly used for position estimation, but these require landmarks (or maps) in the environment and a fair amount of computation to process complex algorithms. These sensors also have a limited field of vision. Currently, Wireless Networks (WN) are widely available in indoor environments and can allow efficient global localization that requires relatively low computing resources. However, the inherent instability in the wireless signal prevents it from being used for very accurate position estimation. The growth in the number of Access Points (AP) increases the overlap signals areas and this could be a useful means of improving the precision of the localization. In this paper we evaluate the impact of the number of Access Points in mobile nodes localization using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). We use three to eight APs as a source signal and show how the ANNs learn and generalize the data. Added to this, we evaluate the robustness of the ANNs and evaluate a heuristic to try to decrease the error in the localization. In order to validate our approach several ANNs topologies have been evaluated in experimental tests that were conducted with a mobile node in an indoor space.

Tenascin-C and matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels in crevicular fluid of teeth and implants

The role of and interaction between bacterial infection and biomechanical impact in the development of peri-implant inflammatory processes is not clear.

What is the optimal number of implants for fixed reconstructions: a systematic review

To assess the 5-year and 10-year survival and complication rates of implant-supported fixed reconstructions in partially and totally edentulous patients with regard to the optimal number and distribution of dental implants.

What is the optimal number of implants for removable reconstructions? A systematic review on implant-supported overdentures

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the optimal number of implants for removable reconstructions.

Follicle flushing in monofollicular in vitro fertilization almost doubles the number of transferable embryos

Follicle flushing has been proved to be ineffective in polyfollicular in vitro fertilization. To analyze the effect of flushing in monofollicular in vitro fertilization we aspirated and then flushed the follicles in 164 cycles. Total oocyte yield/aspiration was 44.5% in the aspirate, 20.7% in the 1(st) flush, 10.4% in the 2(nd) flush and 4.3% in the 3(rd) flush. By flushing, the total oocyte yield increased (p < 0.01) by 80.9%, from 44.5 to 80.5%. The total transfer rate increased (p < 0.01) by 91.0%, from 20.1 to 38.4%. The results indicate that the oocyte yield and the number of transferable embryos can be increased significantly by flushing.

17β-estradiol protects 7-day old rats from acute brain injury and reduces the number of apoptotic cells

To test a possible neuroprotective activity of 17β-estradiol in the neonatal rat brain exposed to hypoxic-ischemia (controlled hypoxia after unilateral carotid artery ligation).

Estimating the number of motor units using random sums with independently thinned terms

The problem of estimating the numbers of motor units N in a muscle is embedded in a general stochastic model using the notion of thinning from point process theory. In the paper a new moment type estimator for the numbers of motor units in a muscle is denned, which is derived using random sums with independently thinned terms. Asymptotic normality of the estimator is shown and its practical value is demonstrated with bootstrap and approximative confidence intervals for a data set from a 31-year-old healthy right-handed, female volunteer. Moreover simulation results are presented and Monte-Carlo based quantiles, means, and variances are calculated for N in{300,600,1000}.

Prospective, paired crossover comparison of multiple, single-needle plateletpheresis procedures with the Amicus and Trima Accel cell separators

BACKGROUND: The Baxter Amicus Version 2.51 (A) and the Gambro BCT Trima Accel Version 5.0 (T) cell separators may produce multiple platelet (PLT) concentrates within a single donation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The single-needle multiple plateletpheresis procedures of the two devices were compared in a prospective, randomized, paired crossover study in 60 donors. The 120 donations were compared for donor comfort, collection efficiency, residual white blood cell (WBC) count, and (in selected patients) corrected count increment (CCI). RESULTS: The mean PLT yield and the resultant mean number of units per donation were significantly lower for A (6.06 x 10(11) vs. 7.48 x 10(11) and 2.57 vs. 3.19, respectively, both p < 0.001), in spite of a longer apheresis duration (89 min vs. 79 min; p < 0.001). This resulted in a higher collection rate of T (5.68 x 10(11) PLTs/hr vs. 4.10 x 10(11) PLTs/hr, p < 0.001). Residual WBC count of every unit was fewer than 5 x 10(6), but significantly fewer A-PLT donations contained more than 10(5) WBCs per unit (1 vs. 9, p = 0.008). Although the ACD-A consumption was slightly higher for A (489 mL vs. 469 mL, p = 0.04), a trend to a higher frequency of side effects was found for T (42.4% vs. 23.7%, p = 0.06). The 1-hour CCIs of 33 transfused A-PLT units were comparable with those of 43 T-PLT units (11.8 vs. 13.9, p = 0.480). CONCLUSIONS: Both cell separators showed safe collections of up to 4 PLT units per donation with adequate CCI. T produced a higher PLT yield despite shorter apheresis duration, but with slightly higher residual WBC counts and a trend to a higher side-effect frequency.

Estimating the Number of Essential Genes in a Genome by Random Transposon Mutagenesis

We describe a Bayesian method for estimating the number of essential genes in a genome, on the basis of data on viable mutants for which a single transposon was inserted after a random TA site in a genome,potentially disrupting a gene. The prior distribution for the number of essential genes was taken to be uniform. A Gibbs sampler was used to estimate the posterior distribution. The method is illustrated with simulated data. Further simulations were used to study the performance of the procedure.

Fitting of Mixtures with Unspecified Number of Components Using Cross Validation Distance Estimate

Estimation of the number of mixture components (k) is an unsolved problem. Available methods for estimation of k include bootstrapping the likelihood ratio test statistics and optimizing a variety of validity functionals such as AIC, BIC/MDL, and ICOMP. We investigate the minimization of distance between fitted mixture model and the true density as a method for estimating k. The distances considered are Kullback-Leibler (KL) and “L sub 2”. We estimate these distances using cross validation. A reliable estimate of k is obtained by voting of B estimates of k corresponding to B cross validation estimates of distance. This estimation methods with KL distance is very similar to Monte Carlo cross validated likelihood methods discussed by Smyth (2000). With focus on univariate normal mixtures, we present simulation studies that compare the cross validated distance method with AIC, BIC/MDL, and ICOMP. We also apply the cross validation estimate of distance approach along with AIC, BIC/MDL and ICOMP approach, to data from an osteoporosis drug trial in order to find groups that differentially respond to treatment.

Characterization of retinal damage in the episcleral vein cauterization rat glaucoma model

Episcleral vein cauterization (EVC) is used in rats to generate a glaucoma model with high intraocular pressure (IOP). The long-term retinal damage in this glaucoma model, however, has not been accurately quantified. We report the location and amount of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage caused by (EVC) induced IOP elevation in two rat strains. IOP was raised in one eye of Wistar (N = 5) and Brown-Norway(B-N)(N = 7) rats by EVC and monitored monthly until IOP in contralateral eyes equalized at 5 months post-surgery. Animals were maintained for 3.5-4.5 additional months. B-N rats (N = 7) that had no EVC served as controls for this strain. Scotopic flash ERGs were recorded at baseline and just prior to euthanasia. Automated counts of all retrogradely labeled RGCs in retinal flat-mounts were determined and compared between contralateral eyes. RGC density maps were constructed and RGC size distribution was determined. Oscillatory potentials in the group of eyes which had elevated IOP were decreased at the time of euthanasia, when IOP had returned to normal. The group of normal B-N rats had similar RGC counts between contralateral eyes. In the experimental group the mean number of RGCs was not significantly different between control and experimental eyes, but 1 of 5 Wistar and 2 of 7 B-N experimental eyes had at least 30% fewer RGCs than contralateral control eyes. Total retinal area in B-N experimental eyes was higher compared to contralateral eyes. Cumulative IOP exposure of the experimental eyes was modestly correlated with RGC loss while oscillatory potentials appeared to be inversely related to RGC loss. In retinas with extensive (> 30% RGC loss) but not complete damage, smaller cells were preserved better than larger ones. The above results indicate that RGC loss in both Wistar and B-N strains is variable after a prolonged elevation of IOP via EVC. Such variability despite equivalent IOP levels and ERG abnormalities, suggests unknown factors that can protect IOP-stressed RGCs. Identification and enhancement of such factors could prove useful for glaucoma therapy.