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To compare the outcomes of intraoperative wavefront aberrometry versus optical biometry alone for intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation in eyes undergoing cataract surgery with monofocal IOL implantation.Preoperative data were obtained with the IOLMaster. Intraoperative aphakic measurements and IOL power calculations were obtained in some patients with the optiwave refractive analysis (ORA) system. Analysis was performed to determine the accuracy of monofocal IOL power prediction and postoperative manifest refraction at 1 month of the ORA versus IOLMaster.Two hundred and ninety-five eyes reviewed, 61 had only preoperative IOLMaster measurements and 234 had both IOLMaster and ORA measurements. Of these 234 eyes, 6 were excluded, 107 had the same recommended IOL power by ORA and IOLMaster. Sixty-four percent of these eyes were within ±0.5D. 95 eyes had IOL power implantation based on ORA instead of IOLMaster. Seventy percent of these eyes were within ±0.5D of target refraction. 26 eyes had IOL power chosen based on IOLMaster predictions instead of ORA. Sixty-five percent were within ±0.5D. In the group with IOLMaster without ORA measurements, 80% of eyes were within ±0.5D of target refraction. The absolute error was statistically smaller in those eyes where the ORA and IOLMaster recommended the same IOL power based on preoperative target refraction compared to instances in which IOL selection was based on ORA or IOLMaster alone. Neither prediction errors were statistically different between the ORA and IOLMaster alone.Intraoperative wavefront aberrometry with the ORA system provides postoperative refractive results comparable to conventional biometry with the IOLMaster for monofocal IOL selection. more...

BackgroundUnderstanding research activity within any given biomedical field is important. Search outputs generated by MEDLINE/PubMed are not well classified and require lengthy manual citation analysis. Automation of citation analytics can be very useful and timesaving for both novices and experts.ResultsPubFocus web server automates analysis of MEDLINE/PubMed search queries by enriching them with two widely used human factor-based bibliometric indicators of publication quality: journal impact factor and volume of forward references. In addition to providing basic volumetric statistics, PubFocus also prioritizes citations and evaluates authors' impact on the field of search. PubFocus also analyses presence and occurrence of biomedical key terms within citations by utilizing controlled vocabularies.ConclusionWe have developed citations' prioritisation algorithm based on journal impact factor, forward referencing volume, referencing dynamics, and author's contribution level. It can be applied either to the primary set of PubMed search results or to the subsets of these results identified through key terms from controlled biomedical vocabularies and ontologies. NCI (National Cancer Institute) thesaurus and MGD (Mouse Genome Database) mammalian gene orthology have been implemented for key terms analytics. PubFocus provides a scalable platform for the integration of multiple available ontology databases. PubFocus analytics can be adapted for input sources of biomedical citations other than PubMed. more...

Although multimodal input has the potential to lead to more sound learning outcomes, it carries the risk of causing cognitive overload, making it difficult to determine the exact effects of multimodal input on the second language (L2) phrase learning. This study tests the efficacy of multimodal input on L2 phrase learning. It adopts a mixed-method approach by utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data. The experimental design is a 2 × 3 mixed model, with a group [the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG)] as the between-subject factor and time (pretest, midtest, and posttest) as the within-subject factor. A total of 66 participants were divided into two groups. All materials incorporated three aspects of phrase knowledge (form, meaning, and use), but the materials of the CG were unimodal in that they were offered only on paper, and of the EG were multimodal in that they included pictures, audio recordings, and video clips. After the treatment, a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were given to the EG learners to explore their perceptions of using multimodal materials to learn L2 phrases. The results indicate that both groups had significant gains in learning phrases, but students with the multimodal input achieved significantly better results than those with the unimodal input. Moreover, the EG students had a generally positive attitude toward the use of multimodal resources. This study validates the efficacy of multimodal input on the acquisition of English phrases and shows that cognitive overload was avoided by sequencing the information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In the era of eLearning 4.0, many researchers have suggested that multimodal input helps to enhance second language (L2) vocabulary learning. However, previous studies on the effects of multimodal teaching have failed to yield definitive conclusions. Furthermore, only few studies on the multimodal input of vocabulary learning have aimed at junior high school students and have focused on explicit vocabulary instruction in class. To explore the effects of multimodal input on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' vocabulary learning and summarize effective methods, this study adopts a mixed-method approach. Based on dual coding theory and cognitive load theory, the teaching materials in this study were designed using the resources provided by the multimodal corpus iWeb and other websites. A total of 60 junior high school students who learned EFL and had a similar English proficiency level were divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). Target words were selected through questionnaire I. During the experiment, the CG learned from monomodal materials while the EG received multimodal input, and an immediate post-test was delivered to the two groups. Questionnaire II was distributed in the EG, and five students of the EG were randomly selected for an interview. One week later, a delayed post-test was conducted on the EG and CG. The results showed that the EG performed better in the post-test but did worse than the CG in the delayed post-test. The results of the questionnaire and the interview suggest that students held both positive and negative attitudes toward the multimodal input approach in vocabulary learning. The study concludes with some implications for choosing a multimodal input approach in vocabulary learning, along with a number of suggestions on how to optimize its positive influence and minimize its negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Abstract Background Understanding research activity within any given biomedical field is important. Search outputs generated by MEDLINE/PubMed are not well classified and require lengthy manual citation analysis. Automation of citation analytics can be very useful and timesaving for both novices and experts. Results PubFocus web server automates analysis of MEDLINE/PubMed search queries by enriching them with two widely used human factor-based bibliometric indicators of publication quality: journal impact factor and volume of forward references. In addition to providing basic volumetric statistics, PubFocus also prioritizes citations and evaluates authors' impact on the field of search. PubFocus also analyses presence and occurrence of biomedical key terms within citations by utilizing controlled vocabularies. Conclusion We have developed citations' prioritisation algorithm based on journal impact factor, forward referencing volume, referencing dynamics, and author's contribution level. It can be applied either to the primary set of PubMed search results or to the subsets of these results identified through key terms from controlled biomedical vocabularies and ontologies. NCI (National Cancer Institute) thesaurus and MGD (Mouse Genome Database) mammalian gene orthology have been implemented for key terms analytics. PubFocus provides a scalable platform for the integration of multiple available ontology databases. PubFocus analytics can be adapted for input sources of biomedical citations other than PubMed. more...

Wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) is the second largest grain crop worldwide, and one of the three major grain crops produced in China. Take-all disease, caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici ( Ggt ) infection, is a widespread and devastating soil-borne disease that harms wheat production. At present, the prevention and control of wheat take-all depend largely on the application of chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides, however, not only lead to increased drug resistance of pathogens but also leave significant residues in the soil, causing serious environmental pollution. In this study, we investigated the application of Bacillus subtilis to achieve take-all disease control in wheat while reducing pesticide application. Antagonistic bacteria were screened by plate test, species identification of strains was performed by Gram staining and sequencing of 16s rDNA, secondary metabolite activity of strains was detected by clear circle method, strain compatibility and effect of compounding on Ggt were detected by plate, and the application prospects of specific strains were analyzed by greenhouse and field experiments. We found that five B. subtilis strains, JY122, JY214, ZY133, NW03, Z-14, had significant antagonistic effects against Ggt , and could secrete antimicrobial proteins including amylase, protease, and cellulase. Furthermore, Z-14 and JY214 cultures have also been shown to change the morphology of Ggt mycelium. These results also showed that Z-14, JY214, and their combination can control take-all disease in wheat at a reduced level of pesticide use. In summary, we screened two Bacillus spp. strains, Z-14 and JY214, that could act as antagonists that contribute to the biological control of wheat take-all disease. These findings provide resources and ideas for controlling crop diseases in an environmentally friendly manner., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhao, Sun, Zhang, Zhang, Bian, Hou, Zhang, Han and Wang.) more...

The curcumin (CUR)-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) inclusion complex (CUR-HP-β-CD) was prepared to erase its therapeutic restrictions of poor aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability. CUR-HP-β-CD was prepared by a simple procedure of water-ethanol cosolvent incubation-lyophilization which may be suitable for scale up production, and characterized by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), phase solubility method and dissolution study; the in vitro cytotoxicity was assayed by MTT, whereas the in vivo pharmacokinetics was tested by HPLC in rats receiving formulations via intravenous and oral administration, respectively. CUR was successfully encapsulated in HP-β-CD with a loading capacity of about 1:7 of CUR to HP-β-CD mole ratio, which remarkably enhanced drug water solubility and maintained well the antitumour activity of CUR. The CUR-HP-β-CD and free CUR have a similar pharmacokinetic behaviour in rats after intravenous administration; however, the oral bioavailability of CUR was enhanced to 2.77-fold by the HP-β-CD. The CUR-HP-β-CD can be successfully prepared by a simple method, which may be feasible for industrial scaling up, to remarkably increase drug water solubility and oral bioavailability while maintaining its bioactivity and may be a promising therapeutic preparation. more...

Purpose: To report the comparative clinical findings for two nystagmus procedures in two consecutive case series: the Sinskey anterior extirpation procedure (SAEP) and a modification, myectomy without reattachment (MWR)., Methods: Twenty consecutive patients underwent the SAEP and 19 underwent MWR. The SAEP is a snare-assisted unmeasured deep myectomy, whereas MWR is a measured myectomy at posterior Tenon's fascia. All patients underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic and orthoptic examination with infrared videonystagmography. Binocular best corrected visual acuity, nystagmus amplitude, alignment, and versions outcomes were measured., Results: The highest percentage of patients experiencing two or more lines of improvement in distance and near acuity was in the SAEP group, who were younger than 10 years and had no ocular comorbidity (100%). Distance and near acuity improved at least one line in 71% and 86% of patients in the SAEP group and 72% and 61% in the MWR group, respectively. In both groups, patients younger than 10 years had the best acuity gains. Average nystagmus amplitude was reduced 76.3% (SAEP) and 68% (MWR). Horizontal versions were more compromised in the SAEP group and one patient experienced intraoperative orbital bleeding. Patients requiring reoperation for strabismus numbered 5 of 20 (20%) in the SAEP and 3 of 19 (16%) in the MWR groups., Conclusions: Similar to SAEP, the MWR procedure reduces nystagmus amplitudes and improves visual acuity but with less limitation of versions, risk of intraoperative bleeding, and risk of postoperative strabismus. Data suggest that early surgery (for patients younger than 10 years) can have a greater beneficial effect on postoperative visual acuity. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2016;53(3):156-166.]., (Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.) more...