Electronic Transmission of Antibacterial Property Into Water at Extremely Low Frequency Range: A Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of transmitting the "ampicillin" growth inhibitory property to pure sterile water. DESIGN: Three control groups were designed as references of bacterial maximal growth (MG). Different concentrations of ampicillin and pure sterile water used as "positive" and "negative" controls, respectively, and the bacterial cultures supplemented with water that merely exposed to the background carrier waves were set as "sham control." SETTINGS: The electronic characteristic of the ampicillin solution relayed to the water and then it was added to the bacterial culture medium. By this treatment, water received both the carrier wave and ampicillin electronic properties at 1-105 Hz range. RESULTS: When the MG of the "treated water" and "positive control" dilutions is getting normalized against either sham or negative control, the treated water competently imitates ampicillin in a way that there is no significant difference with the positive control. These results will be affected to some extent by the time of electronic transmission and the inoculation concentration of bacterial culture. Comparison of electromagnetic signal patterns of "treated water" with the "positive control" shows that they are more similar to each other rather than negative control. CONCLUSION: It is believed that the extremely low frequencies can facilitate electronic transmission of ampicillin supramolecular chemistry into water. Imprinting such a property in water could be the result of durable structural configuration in treated water.

Pigmentary glaucoma accompanied by Usher syndrome.

PURPOSE: To report a case of pigmentary glaucoma (PG) accompanied by Usher syndrome. DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: The results were presented after standard ocular examination, visual field test, anterior segment and fundus photography, electroretinography, and otolaryngology consultation were conducted. RESULTS: Typical retinitis pigmentosa, flat electroretinography, congenital sensorineural hearing loss, high intraocular pressure, Krukenberg spindle, iris concavity, radial iris transillumination defect, severe pigment deposition on the trabecular meshwork, and glaucomatous optic nerve damage were indicative of PG accompanied by Usher syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: In some rare cases, PG may coexist with Usher syndrome. Common findings of Usher syndrome, including night blindness, impaired vision, visual field defects, and retinal changes may distract the clinician from considering the diagnosis of glaucoma. Such association should be borne in mind to make a timely diagnosis and treatment possible.

Prevalence of retinal diseases and their pattern in Tehran: the Tehran eye study.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of retinal diseases and their pattern in Tehran through a population-based study. METHODS: In 2002, through a stratified random cluster sampling, 6497 citizens representing a cross-section of the population of Tehran were selected from 160 clusters. Eligible people were recruited through a door-to-door household survey in selected clusters and transferred to a clinic for an extensive eye examination and interview. RESULTS: The prevalence of retinal diseases was 8.56 per 100 (95% CI, 7.74-9.39). Acquired retinopathies (3.33 per 100) and peripheral retinal lesions (3.29 per 100) were the most common retinal diseases in our population. Cataract (12.47 per 100) was the major ocular comorbidity; high blood pressure (21.14 per 100) and diabetes mellitus (15.99 per 100) were the main systemic comorbidities among 415 patients with retinal diseases. The prevalence of low vision on the basis of best-corrected and presenting visual acuity was 0.63 and 2.87 per 100 in 415 patients with retinal disease. Two patients (0.48 per 100) were blind with corrected and presenting visual acuity. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in the studied population was 0.61 per 100 (95% CI, 0.39-0.82) and age-related macular degeneration was detected in 1.95 per 100 (95% CI, 1.55-2.34) of the population. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal a considerable prevalence of retinal diseases in the population. The prevalence might be underestimated due to the lack of fundus photography. The findings could be considered for case finding and planning treatment programs for specific retinal diseases.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after LASIK for myopia.

PURPOSE: To report the characteristics and incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in myopic eyes after LASIK. METHODS: The medical records of 49 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after LASIK were reviewed. The incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after LASIK was determined and potential risk factors were evaluated. RESULTS: LASIK was performed on 59,424 eyes with spherical equivalent refraction (SE) ranging from -0.75 to -26.50 diopters (D) (mean: -6.10 +/- 3.5 D). Forty-nine eyes developed rhegmatogenous retinal detachment between 1.5 and 76 months (mean: 27.3 +/- 21.7 months) after LASIK. The mean preoperative refractive error in these eyes was -8.6 +/- 3.9 D. Mean age of these patients was 38.2 +/- 11.2 years. Thirty-five (71.4%) patients were male. The cumulative incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was 0.082% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.061-0.109), and the yearly incidence was 0.032% (95% CI: 0.023-0.042) after LASIK. The most frequent location of the retinal breaks was the superior temporal quadrant (22.7%). Male sex, older age, and higher preoperative myopia were significantly related to the incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after LASIK (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this study, following the treatment of high-risk peripheral retinal lesions, LASIK did not appear to be an additional risk factor for the development of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after LASIK in our patients; however, patients should be informed of the possibility of this complication as a consequence of myopia. Patients who are male, older in age, and have high myopia preoperatively may be at increased risk.

Refractive outcome of silicone oil removal and intraocular lens implantation using laser interferometry.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the refractive outcome of silicone oil removal and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation using laser interferometry. METHODS: Thirteen silicone oil-filled eyes of 12 patients were included in the study. IOL power calculation was performed using laser interferometry (IOLMaster V1.1; Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany). All of these eyes underwent silicone oil removal and cataract extraction with IOL implantation. Post-operative refraction was evaluated. RESULTS: The mean deviation of the final post-operative refraction (spherical equivalent) was -0.30+/-0.91 D (range, -1.87 to +1.3) at 12 weeks. The mean axial length of the eyes was 22.99+/-0.84 mm (range, 22.07-25.24 mm). No major complications occurred intra- or post-operatively. CONCLUSION: Laser interferometry appears to be a feasible and satisfactorily accurate method to calculate IOL power in some silicone oil-filled eyes. Further studies comparing this technique to others are warranted.