Biometric Parameters Research Articles

Evaluation of early period changes in intraocular pressure, ocular biometry and anterior segment after upper eyelid blepharoplasty.

To investigate the acute effects of upper eyelid blepharoplasty on intraocular pressure (IOP) and ocular biometric parameters. This prospective cross sectional study examined the eyes of 49 patients with dermatochalasis. Following a detailed ophthalmological examination, corneal topography was used to evaluate the eyes mesopic and photopic pupil diameter, anterior chamber depth, and corneal astigmatism on the day of surgery and on days first and seventh postoperatively. Ocular biometry was used to assess axial length and intraocular lens power. Goldmann applanation tonometry was used to measure intraocular pressure. Forty-nine eyes (26 males and 23 females) of 49 patients aged between 44 and 76years (mean 61 ± 7.9) were included in our study. The mean anterior chamber depth (ACD) was 2.90 ± 0.37mm preoperatively, 3.00 ± 0.29mm at postoperative day first, and 3.04 ± 0.29mm at postoperative day seventh, and the increase in anterior chamber depth was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The mean astigmatism values were measured as preoperative 0.73 ± 0.69 D, postoperative first day 0.93 ± 0.81 D, and postoperative seventh day 1.26 ± 0.90 D. The increase in astigmatism values was statistically significant (p < 0.001).The mean pupil diameter measurements in the mesopic environment were 4.20 ± 0.61mm preoperatively, 4.40 ± 0.59mm on the first postoperative day, and 4.39 ± 0.57mm on the seventh postoperative day, and there was a statistically significant difference between the three measurements (p = 0.03). The mean IOP measurements of the patients were 15.91 ± 3.51mmHg preoperatively, 16.81 ± 3.36mmHg on the first postoperative day, and 16.97 ± 3.13mmHg on the seventh postoperative day. The increase between these three measurements was statistically significant (p = 0.013). This study includes important insights into the potential acute phase impact of blepharoplasty surgery on ocular findings. Patients undergoing upper eyelid surgery should be informed about the possible change in ocular biometric parameters, intraocular pressure, and pupil diameter.

Can lettuce plants grow in saline soils supplemented with biochar?

Salt stress is presently a major environmental concern, given the huge number of soils affected by the presence of dissolved salts. Therefore, it is necessary to find solutions, preferably nature-based ones, to deal with this problem. In this study, biochar, a product made from plant biomass residues through the process of pyrolysis, was tested to alleviate salt stress on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants. Six different concentrations of NaCl were tested: 0, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mM with and without the addition of 5% (w/w) biochar. Biochar ability to mitigate salinity damage was assessed by means of both biometric (fresh weight), physiological (chlorophyll content), and biochemical (i.e., electrolyte leakage, total antioxidant power, total soluble proteins, free amino acids, and mineral content) parameters. The experiment lasted four weeks. The results showed that NaCl has a negative effect from the concentration of 100–200 mM and that biochar was to some extent effective in mitigating the negative effects of salt on plant physiology; nevertheless, biochar failed to counteract Na accumulation. Similarly, biochar did not influence the content of free amino acids in lettuce leaves, but enhanced the expression of several parameters, such as total antioxidant power, fresh weight, chlorophyll content, total soluble protein, K content, although only clearly evident in some cases. Overall, the present study showed that biochar is a viable solution to counteract the damage caused by high salt concentrations on plant growth.

Impact of two Erwinia sp. on the response of diverse Pisum sativum genotypes under salt stress

Currently, salinization is impacting more than 50% of arable land, posing a significant challenge to agriculture globally. Salt causes osmotic and ionic stress, determining cell dehydration, ion homeostasis, and metabolic process alteration, thus negatively influencing plant development. A promising sustainable approach to improve plant tolerance to salinity is the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). This work aimed to characterize two bacterial strains, that have been isolated from pea root nodules, initially called PG1 and PG2, and assess their impact on growth, physiological, biochemical, and molecular parameters in three pea genotypes (Merveille de Kelvedon, Lincoln, Meraviglia d’Italia) under salinity. Bacterial strains were molecularly identified, and characterized by in vitro assays to evaluate the plant growth promoting abilities. Both strains were identified as Erwinia sp., demonstrating in vitro biosynthesis of IAA, ACC deaminase activity, as well as the capacity to grow in presence of NaCl and PEG. Considering the inoculation of plants, pea biometric parameters were unaffected by the presence of the bacteria, independently by the considered genotype. Conversely, the three pea genotypes differed in the regulation of antioxidant genes coding for catalase (PsCAT) and superoxide dismutase (PsSOD). The highest proline levels (212.88 μmol g−1) were detected in salt-stressed Lincoln plants inoculated with PG1, along with the up-regulation of PsSOD and PsCAT. Conversely, PG2 inoculation resulted in the lowest proline levels that were observed in Lincoln and Meraviglia d’Italia (35.39 and 23.67 μmol g−1, respectively). Overall, this study highlights the potential of these two strains as beneficial plant growth-promoting bacteria in saline environments, showing that their inoculation modulates responses in pea plants, affecting antioxidant gene expression and proline accumulation.

Analysis of factors related to the development of ocular biometric parameters in Chinese children aged 6–10 years: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesEmmetropia depends on the precise coordination of ocular biometry, including axial length (AL), corneal curvature, lens thickness and anterior chamber depth (ACD). Disruption of this coordination leads to refractive errors...

Postoperative longitudinal refractive changes in children younger than 8 years with ectopia lentis and Marfan syndrome.

To evaluate the postoperative longitudinal refractive changes in children younger than 8 years with ectopia lentis and Marfan syndrome (MFS). Zhongshan ophthalmic center, Guangzhou, China. Retrospective cohort study. Medical data of patients diagnosed with ectopia lentis and MFS that underwent surgery younger than 8 years were collected. Refractive errors and ocular biometric parameters were collected preoperatively and at each follow-up visit. Patients were stratified into groups according to age at surgery, and only the eye operated on first was selected. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the association between refractive shift and potential risk factors. In total, 54 eyes of 54 patients were enrolled. The median age at surgery was 6.21 years (interquartile range [IQR], 5.25 to 6.85), and the median follow-up was 2.0 years (IQR, 1.2 to 2.8 years). At age 8 years, patients demonstrated a median myopic shift ranged from -1.75 diopters (D) (IQR, -2.75 to -1.00 D) for the 4-year-old group to -0.13 D (IQR, -0.50 to -0.06 D) for the 7-year-old group. Multivariate analysis showed that greater myopic shift was associated with younger age at surgery ( P = .004), male sex ( P = .026), and shorter preoperative axis length ( P = .005). A tendency toward increasing postoperative myopic was demonstrated in children with ectopia lentis and MFS, with the greatest myopic shift in the younger age groups. If the goal is to reach emmetropia by age 8 years, the immediate postoperative hypermetropic targets should be 1.75 D for age 4 years, 1 D for age 5 years, 0.5 D for age 6 years, and 0 to 0.25 D for age 7 years.

Intraocular lens tilt and decentration in secondary ciliary sulcus implantation in paediatric eyes: A 3-year prospective study.

The purpose of this study was to compare the tilt and decentration of one-piece anti-vaulting haptic intraocular lenses (IOL) and three-piece C-loop haptic IOLs in paediatric eyes undergoing secondary IOL implantation into the ciliary sulcus. Paediatric aphakic patients receiving either one-piece anti-vaulting haptic or three-piece C-loop haptic IOL implants into the ciliary sulcus were enrolled in this prospective non-randomized interventional study and followed up for 3 years. IOL decentration and tilt were measured using Scheimpflug images. Preoperative and postoperative information, including demographic data and ocular biometric parameters and complications, were collected and analysed. Among 123 eyes of 79 paediatric patients, there were 72 eyes (58.54%) in the anti-vaulting haptic IOL group and 51 eyes (41.46%) in the C-loop haptic group. The anti-vaulting haptic IOL group had a lower incidence of clinically significant vertical IOL decentration than the C-loop haptic IOL group (23.88% vs. 43.14%, p = 0.037). No intergroup differences were observed in vertical or horizontal tilt or in horizontal decentration (all p > 0.05). One-piece anti-vaulting haptic IOL implantation was associated with a lower risk of clinically significant vertical decentration than three-piece C-loop haptic IOL implantation (odds ratio: 0.42, p = 0.037). There was a higher incidence of IOL dislocation in the C-loop haptic IOL group (15.22% vs. 4.17%, p = 0.046). In paediatric aphakic eyes undergoing secondary IOL implantation into the ciliary sulcus, one-piece anti-vaulting haptic IOLs can reduce the risk of clinically significant vertical IOL decentration compared with three-piece C-loop haptic IOLs and may favour long-term IOL positional stability.

Formation and productivity of the assimilation apparatus of corn under different sowing and fertilization rates

Purpose. Establishing the influence of the elements of cultivation technology (fertilizer and sowing rates, different hybrids of corn), as well as their combination on the formation and functioning of the assimilation apparatus of corn plants in the Forest Steppe. Methods. Field research was carried out at the Agronomic research station of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (Pshenychne, Vasylkiv district, Kyiv region), located in the Forest Steppe, in 2017–2019. Different methods were used to achieve the goals of the study: field, laboratory methods (measurement and weight analysis to establish biometric parameters of plants) and statistical methods (comparative-calculation analysis and analysis of variances). Results. It is determined that all hybrids differed significantly in terms of the average maximum leaf area. Over the years of research, the hybrid ‘Splendis’ formed an average of 37.8 thousand m2/ha of leaf area, ‘ES Concord’ – 38.7 thousand m2/ha, and ‘MAS 36.A’ – 40.6 thousand m2/ha. The maximum leaf area was in ‘P8816’ – 41.5 thousand m2/ha. The dependence of the leaf area on the sowing rate was also significant: when the sowing rate increased from 75 to 80 thousand seeds/ha, leaf area increased from 38.2 to 40.0 thousand m2/ha. It was established that the photosynthetic potential of hybrids with FAO 250 (‘Splendis’ and ‘ES Concord’) did not differ significantly, as well as in hybrids with FAO 300 – ‘MAS 36.A’ and ‘P8816’. Conclusions. All the studied factors had a significant impact on the formation of the leaf apparatus, and the variation of the maximum leaf area was 36.2% depending on the hybrid, 35.5% on fertilization and 26.2% on the sowing rate. A separate significant effect was the interaction of hybrid with fertilizer, which accounted for 1.3% of all variations, while other interactions were insignificant.

The Role of Emergent Technologies in the Dynamic and Kinematic Assessment of Human Movement in Sport and Clinical Applications

Physical activity analysis assessment has been a concern throughout human history. The intersection of technological growth with sports has given rise to a burgeoning field known as sports engineering. In the 19th century, the advent of chrono-photography and pioneering marked the inception of sports performance analysis. In recent years, the noticeable developments achieved in wearable low-power electronics with wireless high interconnection capability, as a part of modern technologies, have aided us in studying sports parameters such as motor behavior, biomechanics, equipment design, and materials science, playing an essential role in the understanding of sports dynamics. This study aims to review over 250 published articles since 2018, focusing on utilizing and validating these emergent technologies in sports and clinical aspects. It is predicted that one of the next steps in sports technology and engineering development will be using algorithms based on artificial intelligence to analyze the measurements obtained by multi-sensor systems (sensor fusion) to monitor biometric and physiological parameters in performance analysis and health assessments.

Artificial Intelligence in Obstetric Anomaly Scan: Heart and Brain.

The ultrasound scan represents the first tool that obstetricians use in fetal evaluation, but sometimes, it can be limited by mobility or fetal position, excessive thickness of the maternal abdominal wall, or the presence of post-surgical scars on the maternal abdominal wall. Artificial intelligence (AI) has already been effectively used to measure biometric parameters, automatically recognize standard planes of fetal ultrasound evaluation, and for disease diagnosis, which helps conventional imaging methods. The usage of information, ultrasound scan images, and a machine learning program create an algorithm capable of assisting healthcare providers by reducing the workload, reducing the duration of the examination, and increasing the correct diagnosis capability. The recent remarkable expansion in the use of electronic medical records and diagnostic imaging coincides with the enormous success of machine learning algorithms in image identification tasks. We aim to review the most relevant studies based on deep learning in ultrasound anomaly scan evaluation of the most complex fetal systems (heart and brain), which enclose the most frequent anomalies.

Pre-emptive treatment of heart failure exacerbations in patients managed with the HeartLogic™ algorithm.

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease affecting 64 million people worldwide and places a severe burden on society because of its mortality, numerous re-hospitalizations and associated costs. HeartLogic™ is an algorithm programmed into implanted devices incorporating several biometric parameters which aims to predict HF episodes. It provides an index which can be monitored remotely, allowing pre-emptive treatment of congestion to prevent acute decompensation. We aim to assess the impact and security of pre-emptive HF management, guided by the HeartLogic™ index. The HeartLogic™ France Cohort Study is an investigator-initiated, prospective, multi-centre, non-randomized study. Three hundred ten patients with a history of HF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%; or at least one episode of clinical HF with elevated NT-proBNP ≥450ng/L) and implanted with a cardioverter defibrillator enabling HeartLogic™ index calculation will be included across 10 French centres. The HeartLogic™ index will be monitored remotely for 12months and in the event of a HeartLogic™ index ≥16, the local investigator will contact the patient for assessment and adjust HF treatment as necessary. The primary endpoint is unscheduled hospitalization for HF. Secondary endpoints are all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, HF-related death, unscheduled hospitalizations for ventricular or atrial arrhythmia and HeartLogic™ index evolution over time. Blood samples will be collected for biobanking, and quality of life will be assessed. Finally, the safety of a HeartLogic™-triggered strategy for initiating or increasing diuretic therapy will be assessed. A blind and independent committee will adjudicate the events. The HeartLogic™ France Cohort Study will provide robust real-world data in a cohort of HF patients managed with the HeartLogic™ algorithm allowing pre-emptive treatment of heart failure exacerbations.

Absence of adverse effects of Blutaparon portulacoides (A.St.-Hil.) Mears in mice exposed during pregnancy

Blutaparon portulacoides (A.St.-Hil.), also known as capotirguá, pirrixu, and bredo-de-praia, is a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory agent used in folk medicine to treat leukorrhea. The present study evaluated the effects of an ethanolic extract of B. portulacoides (EEBp) on the reproductive performance, embryo-fetal development, and chromosomal stability of mice of pregnant female mice treated during the gestational period with oral EEBp (500 or 1000 mg/kg) or vehicle (1% Tween 80). EEBp did not alter biometric parameters, placental index, placental efficiency, or other parameters related to reproductive performance, neither embryo-fetal development and DNA integrity, but 500 and 1000 mg/kg EEBp decreased fetal and placental weight, respectively. Although the frequency of external and skeletal malformations did not differ between these groups and the control group, EEBp increased the frequency of reduced ossification of the presphenoid and xiphoid, which can be considered variants of normality. These findings indicate that EEBp is a safe and cost-effective treatment for leukorrhea during pregnancy, although caution should be exercised in its use.

A Study on Biometric Parameters and Chemical Composition of Super Napier Green Fodder

An experiment was conducted to study the biometric parameters of Super Napier green fodder along with assessment of chemical composition, cell wall constituents and fodder characteristics at different days of harvest at Livestock Research Station, Siddarampuram, in Anantapur district. The fodder characteristics of Super Napier i.e., plant height (cm), basal circumference (cm), tillers per plant (number), leaves per tiller (number), leaves per plant (number) increased as age advanced showing a significant difference (P &lt; 0.01) at 15, 30, 45 and 60 days of harvesting. The mean proximate values of Super Napier fodder for DM, CP, CF, EE, TA and NFE were 22.43 ± 2.35, 9.94 ± 1.04, 32.66 ± 1.63, 1.94 ± 0.23, 11.32 ± 1.23 and 44.11 ± 1.47 per cent, respectively. The mean cell wall constituents of NDF, ADF, Hemicellulose, Cellulose, ADL and Silica were 63.64 ± 1.51, 37.90 ± 1.54, 25.74 ±1.47, 27.31 ± 1.74, 8.26 ± 1.31 and 3.38 ± 0.28 per cent, respectively. The leaf area index noticed at the time of harvest was 9.43. The leaf to stem ratio observed at 15th, 30th, 45th and 60th day of harvest was 1.50 ± 0.22, 0.65 ± 0.05, 0.43 ± 0.03 and 0.22 ± 0.11, respectively. Highest leaf to stem ratio was recorded at 15 days of age and lowest at 60 days of age.

The relationships between lens diameter and ocular biometric parameters: an ultrasound biomicroscopy-based study.

This study aims to explore the relationships between lens diameter (LD) measured with ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and ocular biometric parameters. Ocular biometric parameters including axial length (AL), white-to-white distance (WTW), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT) and anterior segment length (ASL) were measured with IOL-Master 700, and the direct measurement of LD was conducted through UBM (ArcScan Insight 100). Relationships between LD and ocular biometric parameters were then investigated. Eyes with AL ≥ 28 mm were defined as eyes with extreme myopia, and eyes with AL < 28 mm were defined as eyes without extreme myopia. A total of 194 eyes from 194 subjects were included. The mean LD was 9.58 ± 0.49 mm, ranging from 8.60 to 10.96 mm. According to univariate analysis, larger LD was associated with elder age, male gender, larger WTW, ACD and ASL (all p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the LD was positively correlated with AL in eyes without extreme myopia (p < 0.05), but not in eyes with extreme myopia (p > 0.05). Backward stepwise regressions revealed that a larger LD was associated with larger WTW, ASL and AL in eyes without extreme myopia (all p < 0.05), while ASL was the only significant variable in eyes with extreme myopia (p < 0.05). Larger WTW, ASL and AL in eyes without extreme myopia, as well as longer ASL in eyes with extreme myopia indicated a larger LD, which provides guidance in personalized surgical choice and promises ideal visual outcomes.

Behavioral, Biometric and Oxidative Stress-Induced Alterations in Clarias gariepinus Juveniles Exposed to Chlorpyrifos

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate pesticide used to kill wide range of pest including insect and worms. The present study investigates the behavioral, biometric and oxidative stress alterations in Clarias gariepinus juveniles exposed to chlorpyrifos. The 96 h LC50 values of the pesticide estimated by probit analysis was 4.67 mg/L while the toxic unit was 21.41 indicating that the pesticide is very toxic. Fish were exposed to chlorpyrifos sublethal concentrations of 0.43 mg/L and 0.93 mg/L and the behavioral, biometric and oxidative stress parameters were determined on day 1, 5, 10, and 15. The results indicate changes in the behavior and hepatosomatic indices in C. gariepinus at different chlorpyrifos concentrations and time. There were concentration and duration dependent increase in lipid peroxidation, protein and glucose but mixed trends in catalase values. The use of chlopyrifos in the environment especially near aquatic ecosystem should be strictly monitored to avoid the hazards associated with its application.

Supplementary Light on the Development of Lettuce and Cauliflower Seedlings

The production of seedlings is one of the main activities for implementing agricultural crops. Many factors are involved in producing quality seedlings, including nutrition, health, genetics, and climatic factors such as temperature, humidity, and light. To evaluate the effect of light supplementation, a study was conducted using supplementary artificial light to produce lettuce and cauliflower seedlings. Sowing was carried out in styrofoam trays under a floating irrigation system. Part of the experiment containing the two species, received treatment with LED light for an additional 4 h per day, in addition to solar radiation (10 h∙day−1). The remaining seedlings received only solar radiation (without supplementation). After 37 days, the seedlings’ biometric (leaf area, root length, aerial dry mass, and root dry mass) and biochemical parameters (phenolic compounds, flavonoids, chlorophyll a/b, and total chlorophyll) were analyzed. The data showed that the complementary light enhanced the performance in all the biometric parameters evaluated in the experiment for lettuce and cauliflower. The biochemical parameters in lettuce were also higher in seedlings with light supplementation. For cauliflower, supplementary light did not differ from the natural photoperiod for biochemical parameters except for a reduction in the levels of total phenolic compounds. Considering the enhanced biometric and biochemical parameters and greater dry weight and leaf area of the seedlings grown with supplemental light, using such a tool can optimize seedling development, possibly reducing production time in the nursery and providing greater productivity.

Potentialities of the combined use of underwater fluorescence imagery and photogrammetry for the detection of fine-scale changes in marine bioconstructors

Marine communities are facing both natural disturbances and anthropogenic stressors. Bioconstructor species are endangered by multiple large-scale and local pressures and the early identification of impacts and damages is a primary goal for preserving coral reefs. Taking advantage of the recent development in underwater photogrammetry, the use of photogrammetry and fluorimetry was coupled to design, test and validate in laboratory a multi-sensor measuring system that could be potentially exploited in open water by SCUBA divers for assessing the health status of corals and detecting relevant biometric parameters with high accuracy and resolution. The approach was tested with fragments of the endemic coral Cladocora caespitosa, the sole zooxanthellate scleractinian reef-builder in the Mediterranean. The most significant results contributing to the scientific advancement of knowledge were: 1) the development of a cost-effective, flexible and easy-to-use approach based on emerging technologies; 2) the achievement of a sub-centimetric resolution for measuring relevant biometric parameters (polyp counting, colony surface areas and volumes); 3) set up of a reliable and repeatable strategy for multi-temporal analyses capable of quantifying changes in coral morphology with sub-centimeter accuracy; 4) detect changes in coral health status at a fine scale and under natural lighting through autofluorescence analysis. The novelty of the present research lies in the coupling of emerging techniques that could be applied to a wide range of 3D morphometrics, different habitats and species, thus paving the way to innovative opportunities in ecological research and more effective results than traditional in-situ measurements. Moreover, the possibility to easily modify the developed system to be installed on an underwater remotely operated vehicle further highlights the possible concrete impact of the research for ecological monitoring and protection purposes.

Understanding the role of emotion in decision making process: using machine learning to analyze physiological responses to visual, auditory, and combined stimulation.

Emotions significantly shape decision-making, and targeted emotional elicitations represent an important factor in neuromarketing, where they impact advertising effectiveness by capturing potential customers' attention intricately associated with emotional triggers. Analyzing biometric parameters after stimulus exposure may help in understanding emotional states. This study investigates autonomic and central nervous system responses to emotional stimuli, including images, auditory cues, and their combination while recording physiological signals, namely the electrocardiogram, blood volume pulse, galvanic skin response, pupillometry, respiration, and the electroencephalogram. The primary goal of the proposed analysis is to compare emotional stimulation methods and to identify the most effective approach for distinct physiological patterns. A novel feature selection technique is applied to further optimize the separation of four emotional states. Basic machine learning approaches are used in order to discern emotions as elicited by different kinds of stimulation. Electroencephalographic signals, Galvanic skin response and cardio-respiratory coupling-derived features provided the most significant features in distinguishing the four emotional states. Further findings highlight how auditory stimuli play a crucial role in creating distinct physiological patterns that enhance classification within a four-class problem. When combining all three types of stimulation, a validation accuracy of 49% was achieved. The sound-only and the image-only phases resulted in 52% and 44% accuracy respectively, whereas the combined stimulation of images and sounds led to 51% accuracy. Isolated visual stimuli yield less distinct patterns, necessitating more signals for relatively inferior performance compared to other types of stimuli. This surprising significance arises from limited auditory exploration in emotional recognition literature, particularly contrasted with the pleathora of studies performed using visual stimulation. In marketing, auditory components might hold a more relevant potential to significantly influence consumer choices.

Synchronous myopia development induced by bilateral form deprivation in chicks

Form deprivation (FD) is a widely employed experimental paradigm, typically used to induce unilateral myopia in animal models. This model is weakened by potential influence upon the FD eye from vision in the freely-viewing contralateral eye, which could be eliminated by imposing FD in both eyes; but while a few previous studies have explored the feasibility of inducing bilateral FD in chicks, substantial discrepancies in treatment outcomes were noted. Consequently, this study aimed to establish a bilateral FD myopia model in chicks, with validation by investigating the associated ocular growth patterns, feeding, and social behavior. Six-day-old chicks were treated with bilateral (n = 21) or unilateral (n = 10) FD for 12 days; the fellow untreated eyes in the unilateral FD group served as controls. Refractive error, corneal power, and ocular axial dimensions were measured at 4-day intervals after the onset of form deprivation, with a Hartinger refractometer, a custom-made videokeratography system, and a high-resolution A-scan ultrasonographer, respectively. Body weight was monitored to assess the chick's physical development. Our results showed that birds treated with bilateral FD grew as robustly as the unilaterally form-deprived chicks, with similar or slightly heavier body weights and mortalities. Unilateral FD induced significantly higher myopia in the treated eye, with stronger corneal power, deeper anterior and vitreous chambers, and longer axial length. Moreover, either bilaterally or unilaterally FD eyes developed similar refractive error (bilateral FD, left: −28.03 ± 9.06 D, right: −28.44 ± 9.45 D; unilateral FD: −29.48 ± 8.26 D) and ocular biometric changes; but choroidal thickness was thicker in bilaterally FD eyes, rather than thinner as in unilaterally FD eyes. In addition to the highly synchronized (symmetrical, parallel) development reported previously in bilateral FD, we found in this study that the correlations between bilaterally form-deprived eyes were highest for ocular biometric parameters directly contributing to myopia development, including corneal power (r = 0.74 to 0.93), anterior chamber depth (r = 0.60 to 0.85), vitreous chamber depth (r = 0.92 to 0.94), and axial length (r = 0.90 to 0.96). The remarkably synchronized growth pattern confirmed the feasibility of the bilateral FD paradigm for future research on myopia.

Efficacy of the DRL orthokeratology lens in slowing axial elongation in French children.

This study aims to assess and compare the impact of Orthokeratology Double Reservoir Lens (DRL) versus Single Vision Lenses (SVL) on axial elongation and anterior chamber biometric parameters in myopic children over a 6- and 12-month treatment period in France. A retrospective study involving 48 patients aged 7 to 17 years, who underwent either orthokeratology treatment or single-vision spectacle correction, was conducted. Changes in refractive error, axial length, and anterior chamber depth were examined. Twenty-five patients comprised the Orthokeratology (OK) group, while twenty-three were in the control group (single-vision spectacle group). Significant increases in mean axial length were observed over time in both the control (0.12 ± 0.13 mm and 0.20 ± 0.17 mm after 6 and 12 months, respectively; F (2,28.9) = 27.68, p < 0.001) and OK groups (0.02 ± 0.07 mm and 0.06 ± 0.13 mm after 6 and 12 months, respectively; F (2,29.1) = 5.30, p = 0.023). No statistically significant differences in axial length were found between male and female children (p > 0.620). Age-specific analysis revealed no significant axial elongation after 12 months in the 14-17 years group in the OK group. Anterior biometric data analysis at 6 and 12 months showed statistical significance only for the DRL group. Orthokeratology resulted in an 86 and 70% reduction in axial elongation after 6 and 12 months of lens wear, respectively, compared to the single-vision spectacles group. Myopia progression was more pronounced in younger children, underscoring the importance of initiating myopia control strategies at early ages.

Prenatal diagnosis of pontocerebellar hypoplasia with postnatal follow-up.

To describe the MR features enabling prenatal diagnosis of pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH). This was a retrospective single monocentre study. The inclusion criteria were decreased cerebellar biometry on dedicated neurosonography and available fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with PCH diagnosis later confirmed either genetically or clinically on post-natal MRI or by autopsy. The exclusion criteria were non-available MRI and sonographic features suggestive of a known genetic or other pathologic diagnosis. The collected data were biometric or morphological imaging parameters, clinical outcome, termination of pregnancy (TOP), pathological findings and genetic analysis (karyotyping, chromosomal microarray, DNA sequencing targeted or exome). PCH was classified as classic, non-classic, chromosomal, or unknown type. Forty-two fetuses were diagnosed with PCH, of which 27 were referred for decreased transverse cerebellar diameter at screening ultrasound. Neurosonography and fetal MRI were performed at a mean gestational age of 29+4 and 31+0weeks, respectively. Termination of pregnancy occurred. Pregnancy was terminated in 24 cases. Neuropathological examination confirmed the diagnosis in 24 cases and genetic testing identified abnormalities in 29 cases (28 families, 14 chromosomal anomaly). Classic PCH is associated with pontine atrophy and small MR measurements decreasing with advancing gestation. This is the first large series of prenatally diagnosed PCHs. Our study shows the essential contribution of fetal MRI to the prenatal diagnosis of PCH. Classic PCHs are particularly severe and are associated with certain MR features.