Changing refractive outcomes with increasing astigmatism at longer-term follow-up for infant cataract surgery.

PurposeTo present longer-term refractive and ocular health outcomes for patients who had primary intraocular lens (IOL) insertion following infant cataract surgery.Patients and methodsA retrospective review of all infant cataract cases at a tertiary children's hospital between 2003 and 2006 was conducted. Surgery was performed before 12 months of age. IOL power was calculated using the SRK/T formula targeting hyperopia based on the child's age; children under 3 months were targeted at +9.0 D, between 3 and 6 months at +6.0 D, and between 6 and 12 months at +3.0 D. Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing and mixed models were used.ResultsA total of 12 eyes from 9 children were included (4 bilateral and 5 unilateral). Spherical equivalent refraction decreased dramatically in the first 2 years of life, with milder changes from age 2 to 4 years and minimal changes thereafter. Cylinder increased until age 5 years at ∼0.57 dioptres/year (95% confidence intervals 0.27-0.87 D, P<0.001). Lens reproliferation was the commonest complication (58%). All children eventually developed strabismus.ConclusionEarly and frequent refraction is critical in the first 2 years of life to try and compensate for the rapid changes encountered in the growing eye. Astigmatism may be another important consequence to manage.

Algal biofuels from urban wastewaters: maximizing biomass yield using nutrients recycled from hydrothermal processing of biomass.

Recent studies have proposed algal cultivation in urban wastewaters for the dual purpose of waste treatment and bioenergy production from the resulting biomass. This study proposes an enhancement to this approach that integrates cultivation of an acidophilic strain, Galdieria sulphuraria 5587.1, in a closed photobioreactor (PBR); hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of the wet algal biomass; and recirculation of the nutrient-rich aqueous product (AP) of HTL to the PBR to achieve higher biomass productivity than that could be achieved with raw wastewater. The premise is that recycling nutrients in the AP can maintain optimal C, N and P levels in the PBR to maximize biomass growth to increase energy returns. Growth studies on the test species validated growth on AP derived from HTL at temperatures from 180 to 300°C. Doubling N and P concentrations over normal levels in wastewater resulted in biomass productivity gains of 20-25% while N and P removal rates also doubled.