This review article is focused on the impact of antioxidants and prooxidants on health with emphasis on the type of antioxidants that should be taken. Medical researchers suggest that diet may be the ...solution for the control of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular complications, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and different cancers. In this survey, we found scientific evidence that the use of antioxidants should be limited only to the cases where oxidative stress has been identified. This is often the case of specific population groups such as postmenopausal women, the elderly, infants, workers exposed to environmental pollutants, and the obese. Before starting any supplementation, it is necessary to measure oxidative stress and to identify and eliminate the possible sources of free radicals and thus increased oxidative stress.
This letter presents a fully monolithically integrated receiver with a large-diameter avalanche photodiode (APD). Using a standard high-voltage 0.35-μm CMOS technology, the APD is implemented with ...separated absorption and multiplication regions optimizing the ionization ratio between holes and electrons. This optimized ionization ratio leads to a low excess noise factor of the APD, which considerably improves the receiver's sensitivity to -31.8 dBm at 1 Gbit/s (bit error rate <;10 -9 ). A 1-Gbit/s wireless optical communication link with a distance of 3.3 m is demonstrated. Due to the highly sensitive receiver, it is possible to omit any kind of input optics, resulting in a wide receiving angle of 68° for a bit error rate of <;10 -9 .
This study aimed to investigate whether infertility and its treatment affect couple sexuality. A systematic literature review was performed, focusing on female and male sexual dysfunctions due to ...infertility. The method was descriptive, using a meta-synthesis of scientific research published between 2012 and 2017 in the English language. The search for suitable studies was carried out with the research databases Medline, CINAHL, PubMed and ScienceDirect using the following keywords: infertility, sexual dysfunctions, couple. It can be concluded that infertility negatively affects the sexuality of an infertile couple, which is further proven by a high percentage of sexual dysfunctions (43%-90% among women and 48%-58% among men). Couples report less satisfaction with sexuality. Since lower satisfaction and dysfunctions are closely connected with infertility and its treatment, couples might benefit from sexual therapy and support during the process of infertility treatment. Further research should focus on the evaluation of different psychological interventions that would address sexuality in couples when diagnosed and treated for infertility.
To evaluate the impact of different intraocular tamponades on the vision-related quality of life (VRQOL) after idiopathic epiretinal membrane (IEM) surgery with epiretinal membrane peeling.
We ...prospectively enrolled 50 patients diagnosed with IEM who underwent pars plana vitrectomy. Patients were consecutively assigned to either the air tamponade (air) group (25 patients) or the balanced salt solution (BSS) tamponade group (25 patients). The following data were collected before and after surgery and compared between the two groups: VRQOL, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, metamorphopsia, contrast sensitivity, and central macular thickness.
Pars plana vitrectomy was performed in 50 eyes. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the two groups. At 6 months postoperatively, VRQOL ( P < 0.001), best-corrected visual acuity ( P < 0.001), central macular thickness ( P < 0.001), contrast sensitivity ( P < 0.001), and metamorphopsia ( P < 0.001) improved significantly in comparison with baseline, without significant differences between the air tamponade and BSS groups.
Removing IEM significantly improved visual function and VRQOL. Despite improvements, this study showed no difference postoperatively whether air or BSS tamponade was used during surgery. As a result, air tamponade may not be a mandatory treatment for IEM surgery and provides no additional advantage compared with BSS tamponade.
The design and measurement of a monolithically integrated optoelectronic chip consisting of two different receivers are presented. A high-speed receiver for communication including a highly ...sensitive, large-area avalanche photodiode builds one receiver. A data rate of 1 Gbit/s with a BER <;10 -9 is received with a sensitivity of -31.8 dBm. The second receiver consists of two pn-photodiodes connected to a highly sensitive differential transimpedance amplifier with a nonlinear feedback. This circuit is capable of detecting light power differences down to -90 dBm and is implemented two times. Its purpose is the detection of the light spot's position on the receiver. The complete chip is fabricated in a standard high-voltage 0.35 μm CMOS technology. The performance in a wireless communication scenario with strong background irradiance is explored, and a comparison with published optoelectronic integrated receivers is given.
Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of topical bromfenac and dexamethasone on the intraocular concentration of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and incidence of ...pseudophakic cystoid macular oedema (PCME) after cataract surgery in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). Materials and Methods: Ninety eyes of patients with mild-to-moderate NPDR that underwent phacoemulsification cataract surgery were divided into three groups. A detailed description of the clinical study protocol is described later in paper. In short, Group 1 received topical bromfenac (0.9 mg/mL), Group 2 dexamethasone (1 mg/mL), and Group 3 placebo, both preoperatively and postoperatively. Additionally, all patients received combined topical steroid and antibiotic drops (dexamethasone, neomycin and polymyxin B) 3 weeks postoperatively. On the day of the surgery, aqueous humour samples (0.1–0.2 mL) were obtained and IL-6 concentrations were analysed. Central foveal subfield thickness (CFT) measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was analysed preoperatively and postoperatively. Results: There was no significant difference in IL-6 concentrations between groups. Postoperative CFT was significantly lower in the dexamethasone group compared to the placebo group. In addition, the correlation between IL-6 and CFT was statistically significant in the dexamethasone group. No patient developed PCME in any of the three groups. No adverse events were reported during the study. Conclusion: Topical bromfenac and dexamethasone have no significant effect on intraocular IL-6 concentration in patients with NPDR. Topical bromfenac is not more effective than topical dexamethasone in reducing postoperative CFT in patients with NPDR.
Background and Objectives: Uveitis, a prevalent eye disorder characterized by inflammatory processes, often leads to cataract formation and significant visual impairment. This study aimed to evaluate ...preoperative conditions and postoperative outcomes following cataract surgery in uveitis patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the University Hospital Center Rebro Zagreb, Croatia, involving uveitis patients who underwent cataract surgery between 2013 and 2022. Eligible patients had uveitic cataracts affecting visual acuity or posterior segment visualization in a “quiet eye” and were disease-inactive for at least three months. Patients with certain pre-existing ocular conditions were excluded. The data collected included patient demographics, uveitis type, preoperative therapy, preexisting lesions, and postoperative outcomes such as visual acuity, intraocular pressure, central macular thickness, and complications. Statistical analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with complications. Results: This study included 105 patients. The most common uveitis types were idiopathic uveitis, HLA-B27-associated uveitis, and JIA uveitis. After cataract surgery, there was a significant improvement in visual acuity at various time points, with 90% of eyes showing improvement. Intraocular pressure decreased over time. Central macular thickness increased at three months post-surgery but remained stable thereafter. Early and late complications were observed in 52.4% and 63.8% of eyes, respectively. The most common complications were posterior capsular opacification (53.3%), macular edema (26.6%), and epiretinal membrane formation (9.52%). The factors associated with complications varied between early and late stages but included age, age at the onset of uveitis, and the uveitis type. Conclusions: In patients with quiescent uveitis undergoing cataract surgery, significant visual improvement was achieved. This study highlights the importance of careful patient selection, preoperative and postoperative inflammation management, and precise surgical techniques. Although complications were common, the risk of capsular opacification, macular edema, and epiretinal membrane formation after surgery increased. However, future investigations should address this study’s limitations and further refine perioperative strategies.
Background
Mutations in one or multiple genes can lead to hypodontia and its characteristic features. Numerous studies have shown a strong genetic influence on the occurrence of hypodontia, and ...identified several genes, including AXIN2, EDA, FGF3, FGFR2, FGFR10, WNT10A, MSX1, and PAX9, that are directly associated with dental agenesis and carcinogenesis. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence and pattern of tooth agenesis, microdontia, and palatally displaced canine (PDC) in women diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), compared to a control group of women without any malignancy or thyroid disease.
Materials and methods
This case–control study was carried at the Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb, and Department of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Centre. The study involved a clinical examination and evaluation of dental status, panoramic X-ray analysis, and assessment of medical and family history of 116 female patients aged 20–40 with PTC, as well as 424 females in the control group who were of similar age.
Results
The prevalence of hypodontia, microdontia, and PDC was statistically higher in women with PTC than in the control group. The prevalence rate of hypodontia was 11.3% in the experimental group and 3.5% in the control group. The experimental group showed a higher occurrence of missing upper lateral incisors, lower left central incisors, and all the third molars (except the upper left) compared to the control group. Women with PTC showed the prevalence of PDC significantly higher than the control group (3.5%, 0.7%,
p
= 0.002). The probability of hypodontia as a clinical finding increases 2.6 times, and microdontia occurs 7.7 times more frequently in women with PTC.
Conclusion
Our study suggests a possible link between odontogenesis and PTC. The absence of permanent teeth may increase the likelihood of PTC in women. Leveraging the age-7 orthopantomogram to identify women at high risk for PTC within a critical early detection window could significantly improve oral health outcomes and PTC prognosis through proactive interventions.
The aim of the study was to investigate the sexuality of individuals undergoing in vitro fertilization as one of the methods of infertility treatment. The focus was on sexual dysfunction, sexual ...satisfaction and associated risk factors. Data were collected based on a validated, standardized procedure. The sample consisted of 119 individuals who had undergone in vitro fertilization, 61 (51.3%) women and 58 (48.7%) men, average age 35 years. Most of the 119 survey participants were in the 31-35 age group (37%), married (79.8%), with high school diploma (51.3%), Catholic denomination (89.9%), childless (78.2%), with a one sexual partner in their lifetime (51.3%), and in current sexual relationship for a period of 7 to 8 years (18.5%). The survey found statistically significantly higher satisfaction among male participants, participants in the 26-30 age group, those with a higher level of education, nonreligious, without children in marriage, with four sexual partners in life, over a period of 1 to 2 years in current partner (sexual) relationship, and without a diagnosed sexual disorder. There was a correlation between infertility, associated treatment, and sexuality. Infertility and involvement in treatment procedures increased the risk of sexual dysfunction. The risk factors identified in our study could help facilitate detection and timely treatment of sexual dysfunction, which would help maintain healthy sexuality in couples participating in in vitro fertilization procedures.
This study aimed to investigate the impact of the cornea’s biomechanical properties, corneal hysteresis (CH), and corneal resistance factor (CRF) on postoperative astigmatism after cataract surgery ...and determine the other factors that influence it. Forty eyes of 40 patients (13M/27F; the median age of 74) were included in this prospective study, underwent 2.75 mm incision cataract surgery, and were followed for 30 days. Visits were scheduled at baseline before surgery (V0), the 1st (V1), the 7th (V2), and the 30th (V3) postoperative days. The main parameters estimated and analyzed with Statistica® 14.0.1 were CH, CRF, astigmatism diopter, and axis. Following the cataract surgery, the CH did not significantly change during the study visits (p = 0.109). However, there was a significant change in the CRF from baseline during the study visits (per protocol set) (p = 0.002). After a slight but insignificant increase from V0 to V1, post hoc analysis found a significant decrease in the mean CRF from V1 to V2 (p = 0.049) with no substantial change from V2 to V3. According to the post hoc analysis, the median astigmatism diopter increased significantly only from V0 to V1 (p = 0.001) and slightly but not significantly decreased to the end of the study with the achievement of a near-baseline value. The main predictors for the final astigmatism diopter (R2 = 0.898) obtained by stepwise regression analysis were its values at V0, V1, and V2 (p < 0.001). The CRF at V1 was marginally significant, with a negative parameter estimate of −0.098303 (p = 0.0623). In conclusion, there was no correlation between preoperative CH and CRF and postoperative astigmatism using 2.75 mm incision cataract surgery. However, the final astigmatism diopter’s main predictors were its baseline values before cataract surgery, the first, and the seventh postoperative days.
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