Implantation of Hydrophobic Acrylic Toric Intraocular Lens with High-Water Contents Using Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Biometer Integrated with a Surgical Guiding System.

Purpose: To evaluate postoperative outcomes after implantation of toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) made of high-water-content hydrophobic acrylic material in Japanese patients using a swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) biometer integrated with a surgical guiding system. Patients and Methods: In this prospective observational study, toric IOL models CNW0T3 to CNW0T9 (Alcon) were implanted in 33 eyes of 33 patients and followed-up for one month. Powers and toric models were determined using an SS-OCT biometer ARGOS® Ver 1.5 (Alcon), and the IOLs were aligned using surgical guidance. Differences between planned and actual axis positions at the end of the surgery (misalignment) and rotations from the end of surgery to one month postoperatively were measured. Additionally, postoperative uncorrected visual acuity, refraction, and residual astigmatism were evaluated. Results: Mean and median misalignments were 2.3° (standard deviation [SD]: 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7-2.9) and 2°, and those of postoperative rotation were 2.4° (SD: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.5-3.4) and 2°, respectively. Mean postoperative refraction was 0.06 D (SD: 0.62). Prediction errors within ±0.5 and ±1.0 D were 69.7% and 93.9%, respectively. Mean residual astigmatisms were 0.19 D (SD: 0.41), and mean uncorrected visual acuity was 0.00 logMAR (SD: 0.11), and 64% of the eyes scored 20/20 or better. Conclusion: Implantation of high-water-content hydrophobic acrylic toric IOLs using SS-OCT biometry integrated with a surgical guiding system effectively corrected corneal astigmatism with accurate IOL alignment in Japanese patients.

Accurate measurement of the bond stress between rebar and concrete in reinforced concrete using FBG sensing technology.

Recent earthquakes in several developing countries have shown that reinforced concrete (RC) buildings with improper structural detailing experience severe damage under seismic motions. Using low-quality construction materials such as brick aggregates, resulting in low-strength concrete, significantly impacts the bond between rebar and concrete. Accurate evaluation of the bond performance of such low-strength concrete is one of the key issues for seismic safety assessment of RC buildings, especially in Bangladesh; thus, the bond performance is usually evaluated through laboratory tests. However, conventional measurements of bond stress based on rebar strains measured by electrical resistance strain gauges are likely to negatively impact the bond behavior/performance because of the reduced total contact area between rebar and concrete as well as the changing rebar surface boundary conditions. Under the above social and academic backgrounds, in this study, a new measurement technique that applies fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors embedded in optical fiber to rebar strain measurements is developed, and its effectiveness is investigated to realize more accurate measurements of the bond stress between rebar and concrete. Two 70% scaled RC beam-column joint specimens in which the beam rebar was anchored in a straight manner were constructed with identical detailing, except for the beam rebar strain measuring methods. The specimens were then subjected to cyclic lateral loading until failure. By comparing the experimental data acquired by the above two different devices (the FBG sensors and conventional strain gauges), it was found that the experimental bond strength on the beam rebar based on the strain data measured by the FBG sensors was much higher than that from the data measured using conventional strain gauges. Which negatively impacted the test data on the beam-column joint's capacity in the specimen applied the conventional measuring method, indicating the necessity of the presented method not only for accurate evaluation of the bond stress between rebar and concrete but also for seismic safety assessments of RC buildings.

Improvement of lateral property of unidirectional-strengthened CFRP laminates using recycled carbon fiber.

The unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer (UD-CFRP) lacks the modulus of elasticity and strength in the lateral direction. This study investigates whether matrix resin with CFRP waste, recycled carbon fiber (rCF), can improve the lateral properties of CFRP. In total, twelve CFRP strips specimen were prefabricated of unidirectional carbon fiber (CF) sheet by hand lay-up (HLU) method and were tested by tensile test and X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT). Factors such as fiber direction and void distribution significantly affecting its mechanical properties are assessed by X-ray CT inspection. It can be seen that rCF is mixed in a random direction at the position filled with matrix resin without rCF. However, a similar frequency of unimpregnation and voids can be observed in both specimens. Test results showed that experimental values of CFRP laminates with rCF-mixed matrix resin increased compared to the CFRP laminates without rCF. The percentage increase in the lateral tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of the rCFRP compared to the control specimen without rCF is 27.36% and 10.62%, respectively. This study proved that rCF can increase the lateral properties of unidirectional CFRP and shows the effective use of rCF for strengthening material in construction applications.

Multi-Bolted Connection for Pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer's Structure: A Study on Strengthening by Multiaxial Glass Fiber Sheets.

Pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (PGFRPs) are becoming a new mainstream in civil construction because of their advantageous properties. One of two main elements, glass fibers, have been constructed by unidirectional glass roving in applicate progress. PGFRPs do not have high shear strength, which is determined by another element is the matrix. In the future, the demand for enhanced serviceability of existing PGFRP structures could be seen as unavoidable. Therefore, multi-bolted connection being the most typical type of connecting member, strengthening the connection performance of PGFRPs through connection is necessary. Previous researchers have studied several methods for improving connection capacity, including pasting glass fiber sheets (GFS). However, experimental research is lacking for multi-bolted connection. This study investigated several strategies of specimens, including the quantity of bolts (two bolts, four bolts, and five bolts); the end distance/diameter ratio (e = 2d; e = 3d) under tensile load; and three types of glass fiber sheets (GFS) (0°/90°, ±45° and chopped strand mat (CSM)). The experiment's results showed the strengthening effects and the failure mode on the specimens. These findings could address the gap in knowledge that needs to be resolved with respect to PGFRPs' composite design, through evaluation and discussion of their behavior.

Quality of life and life-space mobility after total knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a pilot case-controlled study.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify factors inhibiting improvement in the quality of life after total knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. [Participants and Methods] This was a pilot case-control study. The sample comprised of five participants with rheumatoid arthritis and 11 participants with osteoarthritis, who underwent total knee arthroplasty. We compared the groups in terms of physical function, walking ability, Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure, and Life-Space Assessment. Measurements were taken before surgery and at four weeks and five months post-surgery. All patients underwent rehabilitation for five months postoperatively, first as inpatients, and then as outpatients after discharge. [Results] In the period from 4 weeks to 5 months post-surgery, physical function improved similarly in both groups in terms of muscle strength and walking ability. Despite the patients with rheumatoid arthritis being younger, their self-health assessment score by the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure and measures of life-space mobility by Life-Space Assessment were lower. [Conclusion] It is important to consider exercise therapy, and gait instruction to alleviate anxiety about health status and improve the quality of life and life-space mobility in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who undergo total knee arthroplasty.

Experimental Investigation on the Buckling Capacity of Angle Steel Strengthened at Both Legs Using VaRTM-Processed Unbonded CFRP Laminates.

Strengthening steel structures by using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates showed a growth trend in the last several years. A similar strengthening technique, known as adhesive bonding, has also been adopted. This paper presented a promising alternative for strengthening steel members against buckling by using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VaRTM)-processed unbonded CFRP laminates. A total of thirteen slender angle steel members (L65x6), including two control specimens, were prepared and experimentally tested. The specimens were strengthened only at both legs and were allowed to buckle on their weak axes. The test showed that the unbonded CFRP strengthening successfully increased the buckling capacity of the angle steel. The strengthening effect ranged from 7.12% to 69.13%, depending on various parameters (i.e., number of CFRP layers, CFRP length, and angle steel's slenderness ratio). Flexural stiffness of the CFRP governed the failure modes in terms of location of plastic hinge and direction of buckling curvature.

Pilot Demonstration of a Strengthening Method for Steel-Bolted Connections Using Pre-Formable Carbon Fiber Cloth with VaRTM.

In recent years, many seismic retrofitting methods have been performed to improve the structural performance and prevent the brittle failure of structural members. In the case of steel structures, slender seismic braces have been widely used for buildings, towers, and bridges. The brace connections should resist the full plastic axial tension load to ensure adequate plastic deformation performance for vibration energy absorption. However, certain connections do not satisfy these requirements. Recently, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) has been used extensively to strengthen existing structures because of its high-strength, high elastic modulus, and light-weight characteristics. In this paper, we investigate the applicability of CFRP strengthening for brace connections and gusset plates with stepped surfaces using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding technique as a pilot demonstration. Stepped surfaces can be eliminated by using alternative CFRP layers to straighten the structural CFRP layers in order to effectively transfer the axial stress. Eventually, it is shown that CFRP strengthening can improve the connection strength and plastic deformation with 3% elongation, even if the CFRP is molded on the stepped surface.

Two case reports of continued progression of chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease without concurrent systemic comorbidities treated by amniotic membrane transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD) is an ocular comorbidity of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) that usually occurs concurrently with systemic manifestations. Failure to detect and treat oGVHD in its early stages may lead to progression of ocular signs and symptoms leading to oGVHD that is refractory to conventional treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the clinical course of a 19-year-old male and a 59-year-old female with severe and progressive chronic oGVHD without concurrent systemic signs of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Although their systemic conditions had been stable, both suffered from severe oGVHD and were referred to our clinic. Both cases exhibited marked improvement in conjunctival inflammation and fibrotic changes after amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT). Both cases underwent keratoplasty eventually to stabilize ocular surface conditions and to improve visual function. CONCLUSIONS: We reported the clinical outcomes of 2 cases of chronic oGVHD without concurrent systemic comorbidities that were treated with AMT. The clinician should be aware that cGVHD may persist in target organs even in the absence of concurrent systemic comorbidities following seemingly successful systemic treatment. A multidisciplinary team approach is essential in the early detection and therapeutic intervention for chronic oGVHD.

Mechanical Behavior of GFRP Connection Using FRTP Rivets.

In recent years, the application of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs) as structural members has been promoted. Metallic bolts and rivets are often used for the connection of FRP structures, but there are some problems caused by corrosion and stress concentration at the bearing position. Fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (FRTPs) have attracted attention in composite material fields because they can be remolded by heating and manufactured with excellent speed compared with thermosetting plastics. In this paper, we propose and evaluate the connection method using rivets produced of FRTPs for FRP members. It was confirmed through material tests that an FRTP rivet provides stable tensile, shear, and bending strength. Then, it was clarified that non-clearance connection could be achieved by the proposed connection method, so initial sliding was not observed, and connection strength linearly increased as the number of FRTP rivets increased through the double-lapped tensile shear tests. Furthermore, the joint strength of the beam using FRTP rivets could be calculated with high accuracy using the method for bolt joints in steel structures through a four-point beam bending test.

Finite Element Analysis of Axial Compression Steel Members Strengthened with Unbonded CFRP Laminates.

This paper presented a non-linear finite element (FE) analysis to investigate the potential of unbonded carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) strengthening in improving the axial compression performance of steel members. The FE model was firstly developed and validated against experimental works. Four parameters considered in the parametric study were the number of CFRP layers, CFRP length, slenderness ratio, and elastic modulus of CFRP. It was confirmed that the unbonded CFRP strengthening method is effective at enhancing the load-carrying capacity as well as delaying the overall buckling of the axial steel members. The strength increase is highly affected by the first three parameters. In addition, the method of an equivalent slenderness ratio can be used for strength design.