Narrow Angle Research Articles

A scoring system to predict the technical difficulty of endoscopic resection for cardial submucosal tumors.

Endoscopic resection has been successfully used for the removal of digestive submucosal tumors (SMTs). However, the cardia has been considered a challenging location for endoscopic resection due to its narrow lumen and sharp angle. The objective of this study was to establish a clinical scoring model to grade the technical difficulty of endoscopic resection for cardial SMTs. A total of 246 patients who suffered cardial SMTs and received endoscopic resection were included in this retrospective study. All of them were randomized into the training cohort (n=123) or internal validation cohort (n=123). Potential predictors were analyzed using univariate analysis. Then, covariates with P<0.05 were selected for the multivariate logistic regression model. The β coefficients from the logistic regression model were used to create a scoring system for technical difficulty prediction by rounding the score to the nearest integer of the absolute β coefficient value. The clinical score consisted of the following factors: male gender (2 points), extraluminal growth (3 points), and maximum diameter ≥3cm (3 points). The scoring model demonstrated good discriminatory power, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.860 and a 95% confidence interval of 0.763-0.958. The model also showed a good goodness of fit in the Hosmer-Lemeshow test (P=0.979). In the training cohort, the probability of encountering technical difficulty in the easy (score=0), intermediate (score=1-3), difficult (score=4-6), and very difficult (score >6) categories was 0, 6.8%, 33.3%, and 100.0%, respectively; similarly, in the validation cohort, it was 0, 5.6%, 22.2%, and 50.0%, respectively. This scoring system could serve as a valuable tool for clinicians in predicting the technical difficulty of endoscopic resection for cardial SMTs.

Cost–Utility Analysis of Prophylactic Laser Peripheral Iridotomy for Primary Angle Closure Suspects

To assess the cost-utility of prophylactic laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) for primary angle closure (PAC) suspects (PACS). Economic evaluation. Our Markov model randomized PACS eyes to LPI or observation for 40 one-year cycles (100,000 iterations per strategy). Each cycle, an eye remained in its current health state, advanced linearly through PAC, mild, moderate, severe, and end-stage PAC glaucoma (PACG), or died. Transition rates were derived from the literature including the Zhongshan Angle Closure Prevention (ZAP) trial and the Singapore Asymptomatic Narrow Angles Laser Iridotomy Study (ANA-LIS). Eyes with acute-angle closure advanced to either PAC or directly to various PACG severities. A tracker monitored accumulated perimetric decibel reduction to progress PACG through increasing severities, with an annual probability of either stable or severity-dependent perimetry loss. We set a willingness to pay of an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) <$50,000/quality-adjusted life-years. At age 50 years, LPI was cost-saving using ZAP data and cost-effective using ANA-LIS data. The ZAP iterations became cost-effective from the societal perspective when the model started at age 55 years and third-party perspective at age 70 years. LPI was no longer cost-effective from the societal perspective using ANA-LIS data at age 80 years or from the societal perspective using ZAP data or third-party perspective with ANA-LIS data at age 85. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses favored LPI until starting age 85. Prophylactic LPI for PACS is cost-effective across a spectrum of ages and should be considered from a public health perspective.

Comparison between degree of hyperopia and iridocorneal angle, cross-sectional study

Objectives: To determine whether there is a correlation between the degree of hyperopia and the presence of a narrow iridocorneal angle (ICA) in the general population. Methods: Cross-sectional study, period December 2022 - June 2023 at the Instituto de la Visión, Chile. Sample size of 177 patients (353 eyes). Hyperopes are classified as mild (less than 3 dioptres), moderate (3 to 6 dioptres), or high (greater than 6 dioptres). The AIC, assessed by gonioscopy (4-mirror gonioscope), according to Shaffer in 4 degrees, dichotomised from 0 to 2 as narrow angle, and 3 to 4 as open. An emmetropic "control" group was maintained, with a range of +/- 0.5 spherical dioptres. Statistical analysis: The chi-square test was used for the association between the two variables. Results: Of the total number of patients, 65% had mild hyperopia (n=229), 13% moderate (n=47), 0.6% high, while 21% corresponded to the "control" group (n=75). Of the total, 41% had narrow angle (n=146) and 59% open (n=207). In the analysis by group, mild hypermetropes showed 46% (n=105) of narrow angles compared to 27% (n=20) of the 'control' group. This difference was statistically significant (p&lt;0.05). When comparing the moderate hyperopia group, which had 40.4% (n=19) of narrow angles, significant differences were observed compared to the 'control group', but not compared to the mild hyperopia group (p=0.2). Conclusion: There is a significant association between hyperopia and narrow AIC measured by gonioscopy, independent of the degree of severity of hyperopia. It is therefore advisable to screen for narrow angles in these patient groups.

A carbon nanotube x-ray source array designed for a new multisource cone beam computed tomography scanner

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is known to suffer from strong scatter and cone beam artifacts. The purpose of this study is to develop and characterize a rapidly scanning carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission x-ray source array to enable a multisource CBCT (ms-CBCT) image acquisition scheme which has been demonstrated to overcome these limitations. A CNT x-ray source array with eight evenly spaced focal spots was designed and fabricated for a medium field of view ms-CBCT for maxillofacial imaging. An external multisource collimator was used to confine the radiation from each focal spot to a narrow cone angle. For ms-CBCT imaging, the array was placed in the axial direction and rapidly scanned while rotating continuously around the object with a flat panel detector. The x-ray beam profile, temporal and spatial resolutions, energy and dose rate were characterized and evaluated for maxillofacial imaging. The CNT x-ray source array achieved a consistent focal spot size of 1.10 ± 0.04 mm × 0.84 ± 0.03 mm and individual beam cone angle of 2.4° ± 0.08 after collimation. The x-ray beams were rapidly switched with a rising and damping times of 0.21 ms and 0.19 ms, respectively. Under the designed operating condition of 110 kVp and 15 mA, a dose rate of 8245 μGy s−1 was obtained at the detector surface with the inherent Al filtration and 2312 μGy s−1 with an additional 0.3 mm Cu filter. There was negligible change of the x-ray dose rate over many operating cycles. A ms-CBCT scan of an adult head phantom was completed in 14.4 s total exposure time for the imaging dose in the range of that of a clinical CBCT scanner. A spatially distributed CNT x-ray source array was designed and fabricated. It has enabled a new multisource CBCT to overcome some of the main inherent limitations of the conventional CBCT.

Uveal effusion syndrome: a case report

BackgroundThis case report is applicable to the field of ophthalmology because there is a paucity of medical literature related to the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of uveal effusion syndrome. This is an urgent concern because there are severe complications associated with this disease, including non-rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, angle closure glaucoma, and possible blindness. This report will fill clinical knowledge gaps using a patient example.Case presentationA 68-year-old white male with multiple cardiovascular risk factors initially presented to the Eye Institute Urgent Care Clinic with new onset visual symptoms, including eye pain, eye lid swelling, redness, and tearing of his left eye. He had experienced a foreign body sensation in the left eye and bilateral floaters weeks prior to his presentation. The patient was examined, and vision was 20/30 in both eyes, and intraocular pressure was 46 in the right eye and 36 in the left eye. After initial assessment, including compression gonioscopy, intermittent angle closure glaucoma was suspected. He received oral diamox 500 mg, one drop of alphagan in both eyes, one drop of latanoprost in both eyes, one drop of dorzolamide in both eyes, and one drop of 2% pilocarpine in both eyes. There was only slight response in intraocular pressure. Owing to the bilateral angle closure, he underwent laser peripheral iridotomy to decrease intraocular pressure and open the angle that was found closed on gonioscopy. The patient was discharged on oral and topical glaucoma drops and scheduled for the glaucoma clinic. When he presented for follow-up in the glaucoma clinic, he was evaluated and noted to have bilateral narrow angles and intraocular pressure in the mid-twenties. A brightness scan (B-scan) was performed and was noted to have bilateral choroidal effusions, confirmed by Optos fundus photos. He was started on prednisone at 60 mg once per day (QD) with taper, continuation of oral and topical glaucoma medications, and a retina evaluation. Evaluation with a retina specialist showed resolving choroidal effusion in the left eye. He continued the prednisone taper as well as glaucoma drops as prescribed. Follow-up in the glaucoma clinic revealed a grade 3 open angle. He continued the prednisone taper, cosopt twice per day in both eyes, and discontinued brimonidine. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that was performed showed results that were remarkable. No hemorrhage or mass was present. Follow-up with the retina specialist found that the choroidal effusions had resolved completely.ConclusionThis case report emphasizes the value in early detection, keen diagnostic evaluation, and cross-collaboration between multiple ophthalmology specialists to optimize healthcare outcomes for patients with uveal effusion syndrome.

Study on polymer dispersed liquid crystal films with wide viewing angle

ABSTRACT Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) films have been widely used as electronically controlled dimming technology, and solving the problem of narrow angle of PDLC is a cutting-edge challenge for their application. In this paper, a theoretical model of the viewing angle characteristics of PDLC is constructed, and the corresponding samples are experimentally fabricated. It is found that the simulation results of transmittance changing with the viewing angle are in good agreement with the experimental results. Furthermore, the technical approaches to improve PDLC viewing angle characteristics and achieve a wide viewing angle are discussed theoretically. The results show that the PDLC films for wide viewing angle can be obtained by using liquid crystal materials with smaller anisotropy of refractive index and polymer materials with refractive index slightly higher than the ordinary refractive index of liquid crystal.

Contemporary Approach to Narrow Angles.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Among all glaucoma types, primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) affects approximately 23 million people worldwide, and is responsible for 50% of glaucoma-related blindness, highlighting the devastating consequences of this disease. The main mechanism of PACG is relative pupillary block. High-risk populations are female gender, Asian ethnicity, high hyperopia, short axial length, and a thick/anteriorly positioned lens. This review discusses the clinical diagnosis, classification, and management of patients with a narrow angle with and without intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation and glaucomatous optic nerve damage, including laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI), endocycloplasty (ECPL), lens extraction, and goniosynechialysis.

Transoral laser microsurgery for T1 glottic cancer with anterior commissure: Identifying clinical and radiological variables that predict oncological outcome

PurposeThe involvement of the anterior commissure (AC) is regarded to be a risk factor for poor results after transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) for early glottic cancer. The objective of this study was to determine how AC-related clinical and radiological factors affected oncological outcomes in a cohort of patients with T1 stage early glottic carcinoma involving the anterior commissure who were treated with TLM with negative surgical margins.MethodsRetrospective analysis was performed on clinical, radiological, and follow-up data of patients consecutively treated with TLM at a tertiary academic center between November 2011 and August 2021 for T1 glottic squamous cell carcinoma involving the anterior commissure. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), local control with laser alone (LCL), laryngeal preservation (LP), and overall survival (OS) rates (Kaplan–Meier) were the primary outcome metrics.ResultsIn our series, 5-year OS probability was 75.1%, RFS was 64.8%, LCL was 73.8%, and LP was 83.4%. OS and RFS were higher in patients with early stages of AC pattern than in patients with advanced stage (p = 0.004, p = 0.034, respectively). Vertical extension ratio was found to be associated with OS and RFS (p = 0.023, p = 0.001, respectively), and thyroid cartilage interlaminar angle with LCL by multiple Cox regression analysis (p = 0.041).ConclusionTLM remains a valuable treatment option for AC involvement. AC3 type involvement and elevated vertical extension ratio were associated with negative prognosis. There have been signs that thyroid cartilage with a narrow angle increases recurrence. Alternative modalities should be kept in mind in the treatment decision of these cases.

The contemporaneous phase of GRB afterglows – application to GRB 221009A

ABSTRACT The TeV observations of GRB 221009A provided us with a unique opportunity to analyse the contemporaneous phase in which both prompt and afterglow emissions are seen simultaneously. To describe this initial phase of gamma-ray burst afterglows, we suggest a model for a blast wave with an intermittent energy supply. We treat the blast wave as a two-element structure. The central engine supplies energy to the inner part (shocked ejecta material) via the reverse shock. As the shocked ejecta material expands, its internal energy is transferred to the shocked external matter. We take into account the inertia of the shocked external material so that the pressure difference across this region determines the derivative of the blast wave’s Lorentz factor. Applied to GRB 221009A, the model yields a very good fit to the observations of the entire TeV light curve except for three regions where there are excesses in the data with respect to the model. Those are well correlated with the three largest episodes of the prompt activity and thus, we interpret them as the reverse shock emission. Our best-fitting solution for GRB 221009A is an extremely narrow jet with an opening angle θj ≈ 0.07° (500/Γ0) propagating into a wind-like external medium. This extremely narrow angle is consistent with the huge isotropic equivalent energy of this burst, and its inverse jet break explains the very rapid rise of the afterglow. Such inverse jet break occurs in an accelerating blast wave when the relativistic beaming becomes narrower than the jet’s opening angle. Interestingly, photon–photon annihilation does not play a decisive role in the best-fitting model.

Patterns and Disparities in Recorded Gonioscopy During Initial Glaucoma Evaluations in the United States

To assess patterns in gonioscopy during initial glaucoma evaluations in the United States. Retrospective, case-control study. Patients undergoing initial glaucoma evaluation between 2009-2020 were identified in the Optum Clinformatics DataMart. Initial evaluation was defined as follows: (1) glaucoma suspect, anatomical narrow angle (ANA), or primary/secondary glaucoma diagnosed by an ophthalmologist; (2) continuously observable during a 36-month lookback period; (3) no history of glaucoma medications, laser, or surgical procedures; and (4) optical coherence tomography (OCT) or visual field performed within 6 months of initial diagnosis. Logistic regression models were developed to identify factors associated with no record of gonioscopy based on Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Among 198,995 patients, 20.4% and 29.5% had recorded gonioscopy on the day of diagnosis or within 6 months, respectively. On multivariable analysis, odds of recorded gonioscopy within 6 months of initial evaluation was lower (P < .001) among non-Hispanic Whites (OR=0.84) but similar for Blacks (OR=1.02) and Hispanics (OR=0.96) compared with Asians. Age ≥60 years (OR<0.82), pseudophakia/aphakia (OR=0.58), or residence outside of the Northeast region (OR=0.66-0.84) conferred lower odds of recorded gonioscopy (P < .001). Angle closure glaucoma (OR=0.85), secondary glaucoma (OR=0.31), or open angle glaucoma/suspect (OR=0.12/0.24, respectively) patients were less likely to have recorded gonioscopy compared to ANA patients (P < .01). More than 70% patients undergoing initial glaucoma evaluation in the United States do not have a record of gonioscopy, especially elderly, non-Hispanic White, and pseudophakic patients in non-Northeast regions. This pattern does not conform to current practice guidelines and could contribute to misdiagnosed disease and suboptimal outcomes.

Defect detection by multi-axis infrared process monitoring of laser beam directed energy deposition

Laser beam directed energy deposition (DED-LB) is an attractive additive manufacturing technique to produce versatile and complex 3D structures on demand, apply a cladding, or repair local defects. However, the quality of manufactured parts is difficult to assess by inspection prior to completion, and parts must be extensively inspected post-production to ensure conformance. Consequently, critical defects occurring during the build go undetected. In this work, a new monitoring system combining three infrared cameras along different optical axes capable of monitoring melt pool geometry and vertical displacement throughout deposition is reported. By combining multiple sensor data, an automated algorithm is developed which is capable of identifying the formation of structural features and defects. An intersecting, thin-walled geometry is used to demonstrate the capability of the system to detect process-induced porosity in samples with narrow intersection angles, which is validated using micro-CT observations. The recorded results indicate the root cause of this process-induced porosity at the intersection, and it is shown that advanced toolpath planning can eliminate such defects. The presented methodology demonstrates the value of multi-axis monitoring for identifying both defects and structural features, providing an advancement towards automated detection and alert systems in DED-LB.

Comparison of “Van Herick’s” method versus “Borrone’s” method for estimating narrow angles

Background: Strategies for indirectly assessing the iridocorneal angle aim to be reproducible, reliable, and comparable to gonioscopy for screening in cases of narrow angles and their clinical spectrum. Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine which of the indirect estimation methods of the iridocorneal angle, either the "Van Herick" method or the "Borrone" method, exhibits a higher correlation with gonioscopy in detecting narrow iridocorneal angles in patients at the Ophthalmology outpatient clinic of the Hospital San Borja Arriarán. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 32 patients (64 eyes) who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results were obtained through gonioscopy, identifying narrow angles in 16 eyes and open angles in 48 eyes. Sensitivity and specificity of both methods (Borrone and Van Herick) were calculated in comparison to gonioscopy, using a selected cutoff point. Results: The Borrone method showed a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 91%, with a 95% confidence interval, compared to gonioscopy. In contrast, the Van Herick method demonstrated a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 82% in relation to gonioscopy. Discussion: The high sensitivity and specificity of the “Borrone” method are attributed to its technical details and its dichotomous nature, making it easier for the operator to determine and interpret. This reduces variability and provides a high correlation with gonioscopy. Conclusions: In this study, the “Borrone” method was found to have a more significant correlation with gonioscopy compared to the “Van Herick” method. Therefore, the “Borrone” method is considered more reliable and reproducible for detecting possible narrow iridocorneal angles, especially in high patient volume settings, such as ophthalmology outpatient clinics.

Inside-Out Anchor Placement: A Technique to Instrument Far Medial Anchors in Acetabular Labral Repair

Labral tears most commonly occur anteriorly between the 12- and 3-o’clock positions, with the 12-o’clock position denoted as superior and the 3-o’clock position denoted as anterior. When approaching the 3-o’clock position and beyond, suture anchor placement becomes difficult given the challenging arthroscopic trajectory and an overall thin anterior rim of cortical bone for anchor purchase, resulting in a narrow angle of safe drilling. The purpose of this technical note is to present a safe and reproducible method of suture anchor placement during acetabular labral repair approaching the 3- and 4-o’clock positions, with the 12-o’clock position representing the superior anatomic location and the 3-o’clock position representing the anterior anatomic location regardless of hip laterality. We use an inside-out anchor placement technique to place far medial anchors, which differs from the conventional techniques (e.g., outside-in technique) in which anchor placement is performed along the external margin of the acetabular labrum.

Switchable unidirectional emissions from hydrogel gratings with integrated carbon quantum dots

Directional emission of photoluminescence despite its incoherence is an attractive technique for light-emitting fields and nanophotonics. Optical metasurfaces provide a promising route for wavefront engineering at the subwavelength scale, enabling the feasibility of unidirectional emission. However, current directional emission strategies are mostly based on static metasurfaces, and it remains a challenge to achieve unidirectional emissions tuning with high performance. Here, we demonstrate quantum dots-hydrogel integrated gratings for actively switchable unidirectional emission with simultaneously a narrow divergence angle less than 1.5° and a large diffraction angle greater than 45°. We further demonstrate that the grating efficiency alteration leads to a more than 7-fold tuning of emission intensity at diffraction order due to the variation of hydrogel morphology subject to change in ambient humidity. Our proposed switchable emission strategy can promote technologies of active light-emitting devices for radiation control and optical imaging.

Practice Patterns and Sociodemographic Disparities in the Clinical Care of Anatomical Narrow Angles in the United States

PurposeTo assess treatment and visit patterns among patients with newly diagnosed anatomical narrow angle (ANA) and identify sociodemographic factors associated with disparities in care. DesignRetrospective practice pattern evaluation study. Methods263,422 patients diagnosed with ANA between 2007 to 2019 were identified in the Optum Clinformatics® Data Mart. Inclusion was limited to newly diagnosed ANA, defined as: 1) continuous enrollment during a 2-year lookback period and 1-year study period from first diagnosis, (2) diagnosis by an ophthalmologist or optometrist, (3) no history of pseudophakia, ANA treatments, or prior PACG diagnosis. Outcome measures were treatment with laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI), cataract surgery, or IOP-lowering medications and number of eyecare visits. Logistic and Poisson regression were performed to assess factors associated with treatment and eyecare visits, respectively. ResultsAmong 52,405 eligible cases, 27.7% received LPI, 13.9% received drops, and 15.1% received cataract surgery. Odds of LPI was higher in Asians and Hispanics (OR≥1.16, p<0.001). Non-whites had higher odds of drops (OR≥1.19, p<0.001), but Hispanics had lower odds of cataract surgery (OR=0.79, p<0.001). The mean number of eyecare visits was 2.6±2.1 visits including the day of diagnosis. Older age and treatment were associated with higher rates of eye care visits (RR>1.15, p<0.001). ConclusionMore than a quarter of patients with newly diagnosed ANA receive treatment with LPI. Racial minorities are more likely to receive ANA-specific treatments but less likely to receive cataract surgery. These differences may reflect racial differences in disease severity and the need for clearer practice guidelines in ANA care.

Morphometry and Significance of Collodiaphyseal Angle among Bini Tribe in Southern Nigeria

Abstract Introduction: The collodiaphyseal angle (CDA) is an angle formed between the femoral neck and femoral shaft axes. It is a vital determinant of femoral neck fracture as narrower angle is often used as a predictor of stress fracture. It is also important in orthopedic treatment planning, especially hip replacement surgery. Aim: This study was carried out to evaluate the CDA values among the Bini tribe and elucidate its significance. Methodology: This study employed 200 anterior-posterior pelvic radiographs of the Bini tribe (100 males and 100 females) aged between 25 and 55 years obtained from selected radiological diagnostic centers in Benin City, Nigeria, after obtaining the Institutional Ethical Approval. They were used to evaluate the right and left CDA as an angle formed by intersection of the femoral neck and shaft axes and measured using the goniometer. Data were statistically analyzed using IBM-SPSS (version 20) with the mean, standard deviation, and range evaluated, and side and gender comparisons were done using t-test, and P &lt; 0.05 was set as statistically significant level. Results: The average CDA was 135.56° ± 5.75° and 131.67° ± 6.15° in males and females, respectively. This angle showed significant gender differences bilaterally (P &lt; 0.05). However, the bilateral differences in the CDA were not statistically significant among either male or female Binis (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusion: The CDA can be employed as a morphometric indicator of sexual differences and for other clinical applications.

Relationship between anterior segment biometry and primary angle-closure glaucoma in Hubei region: a retrospective case-control study.

To investigate the pathogenesis of Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma (PACG) and its relationship with the anatomical structure of the anterior segment by obtaining biometric parameters using the IOL-Master 700. A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Clinical data from 39 PACG patients and 40 normal controls treated at the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated with Wuhan University from January to December 2022 were collected. Anterior chamber depth (AC), white-to-white (WTW), lens thickness (LT), central corneal thickness (CCT), axial length (AL), corneal curvature (K1), corneal curvature (K2), and lens position (LP) were measured using the IOL-Master 700 to analyze the characteristics and differences in the anterior segment structure of both groups. Statistical methods included independent sample t-tests and logistic regression analysis. Significant differences were found in the anterior segment biometric parameters between PACG patients and normal controls (p < 0.05). Anterior chamber depth, white-to-white, lens thickness, central corneal thickness, axial length, and K2 were all related to the occurrence of PACG (p < 0.05). The occurrence of PACG was negatively correlated with ACD, CCT, and AL (OR = 0.12-0.64, p < 0.05), and positively correlated with LT. Compared to the normal control group, PACG patients in the Hubei region have a smaller anterior segment space, narrower angles, thicker lens, thinner cornea, shorter axial length, flatter cornea, and more anteriorly positioned lens.

Comparing herbicide application methods with See &amp; Spray™ technology in soybean

Abstract New machine-vision technologies like the John Deere See &amp; Spray™ could provide the opportunity to reduce herbicide use by detecting weeds and target-spraying herbicides simultaneously. Experiments were conducted for 2 yr in Keiser, AR, and Greenville, MS, to compare residual herbicide timings and targeted spray applications versus traditional broadcast herbicide programs in glyphosate/glufosinate/dicamba-resistant soybean. Treatments utilized consistent herbicides and rates with a preemergence (PRE) application followed by an early postemergence (EPOST) dicamba application followed by a mid-postemergence (MPOST) glufosinate application. All treatments included a residual at PRE and excluded or included a residual EPOST and MPOST. Additionally, the herbicide application method was considered, with traditional broadcast applications, broadcasted residual + targeted applications of postemergence herbicides (dual tank), or targeted applications of all herbicides (single tank). Targeted applications provided comparable control to broadcast applications with a ≤1% decrease in efficacy and overall control ≥93% for Palmer amaranth, broadleaf signalgrass, morningglory species, and purslane species. Additionally, targeted sprays slightly reduced soybean injury by at most 5 percentage points across all evaluations, and these effects did not translate to a yield increase at harvest. The relationship between weed area and targeted sprayed area also indicates that nozzle angle can influence potential herbicide savings, with narrower nozzle angles spraying less area. On average, targeted sprays saved a range of 28.4% to 62.4% on postemergence herbicides. On the basis of these results, with specific machine settings, targeted application programs could reduce the amount of herbicide applied while providing weed control comparable to that of traditional broadcast applications.

Attitude Determination of Photovoltaic Device by Means of Differential Absorption Imaging

Future wireless power transmission will cover power levels up to kilowatts or more and transmission distances up to the scale of kilometers. With its narrow beam divergence angle, optical wireless power transmission (OWPT) is a promising candidate for such system implementations. In the operation of OWPT, it is necessary to estimate the position, direction (azimuth, elevation), and attitude of the target photovoltaic device before the power supply. The authors have proposed the detection of targets using differential absorption imaging and positioning with a combination of stereo imagery. In the positioning by stereo imagery, a condition regarding the consistency of the left and right images can be defined. This corresponds to the certain value of the exposure time of the image sensor, and this depends on the target’s attitude angle. In this paper, we discuss target attitude estimation using this minimum exposure time at which the integrity measure converges. A physical model was derived under general conditions of target position and experimental configuration. Target attitudes were estimated within an error range of 10 to 15 degrees in approximately 60 degrees range. On the other hand, there is an attitude estimation method based on the apparent size of the target. When using this method to estimate the attitude angle, errors are significantly large for specular and diffuse mixed targets like the PV. The method proposed in this paper is a robust attitude estimation method for the photovoltaic device in OWPT.

A pedigree with retinitis pigmentosa and its concomitant ophthalmic diseases.

To characterize the ophthalmic clinical phenotype of a family with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and closed-angle glaucoma and to detect pathogenic genes and mutation sites causing RP in this family. Ophthalmic clinic performance was examined in detail in 8 enrolled family members. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 4 family members for whole-exome sequencing (WES) to select potential genetic mutations whose structures were identified by bioinformatics analysis. Then, Sanger sequencing was used in 12 family members and control group members to validate and confirm the disease-causing mutation loci, and we analyzed the genotype-phenotype relationships. The known c.512C>T (p.P171L) mutation in the rhodopsin (RHO) gene was only found in afflicted family members and was confirmed by WES and Sanger sequencing as the pathogenic mutation in this family. In addition to being diagnosed with RP, family member III:4 was found to have bilateral closed-angle glaucoma, high myopia, and concurrent cataracts, and family members II:2 and II:4 had pathological changes of anterior chamber angle narrowing. Family members IV:3 and IV:4 were found to have retinoschisis. Glaucoma and related pathological changes, such as retinoschisis, in family members are preliminarily considered RP complications caused by RHO mutation.