Preoperative electrophysiological characterization of patients with primary macula-involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Purpose: To determine 1) which components of retinal function are impaired after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, 2) which outer retinal pathways (rod- or cone-driven) are more severely affected, and 3) whether there is concomitant inner retinal dysfunction. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in a large academic institution. We performed preoperative electroretinography on eight patients to assess outer and inner retinal function. In all cases, a comparison between the eye with the detached retina and the control fellow eye was made. Results: Eyes with a detached retina had significantly lower a-wave and b-wave amplitudes with respect to both rod- and cone-dominated testing parameters (P < 0.05) and reduced 30 Hz flicker responses compared to fellow eyes (P < 0.05); the effect size was similar for all significantly reduced parameters (r~0.6). There were no significant differences between eyes with detached retinas and control fellow eyes with respect to b/a-wave ratios, a-wave latencies, or b-wave latencies. Conclusion: Patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment have preoperative outer retinal dysfunction equally affecting both rod- and cone-driven pathways, and they have minimal inner retinal dysfunction

Law Applicable to Consumer Contracts: Interaction of the Rome I Regulation and EU-directive-based Rules on Conflicts of Laws

The article discusses the abundance and interaction of rules aimed at determining the law applicable to cross-border consumer contracts. Firstly, it examines whether there is a continuing need for conflict-of-laws rules that stem from consumer-related directives. It then addresses the question of whether the Estonian Law of Obligations Act’s conflict-of-laws rules comply with the consumer-related directives. Lastly, the relations between the conflict‑of‑laws rules stemming from consumer-related directives and the Rome I Regulation are analysed. The authors conclude that the level of consumer protection afforded by Rome I seems to allow for a waiver of the various simultaneously existing directive-based conflict rules. Such renunciation would not only resolve the issue of inaccurate transposition to national laws – an apparent problem for the Estonian legislator as well – but also contribute to legal certainty. While the conflict-of-laws rules of Rome I and the national directive-based rules coexist, the latter are to be considered subordinately to Rome I. The conflict rules of the Estonian Law of Obligations Act are deemed to be only domestically mandatory and therefore not to be viewed as overriding mandatory rules in the sense of Article 9 of Rome I

An overview of the most advanced frameworks for bridge asset management

During this paper it will be discussed some important novelties related to the topic of bridge asset management. In a first step, it will be covered the problematic of bridge assessment through the use of Key Performance Indicators. An emphasis will be made to the outcomes from the COST Action TU 1406 (www.tu1406.eu). Then, it will be discussed how these indicators can be used in the management of existing bridge stock. It will be introduced the problematic of performance predictive models and how maintainability could be integrated for the Life Cycle Cost analysis. At the end it will be discussed the difference between the management of a single and a network of bridges, what type of optimization models and decision-support algorithms can be used. An example is shown through the main results from the research and development project SustIMS – Sustainable Infrastructure Management Systems. The main objective is to show operators how the standardization of this procedure, and how these frameworks would contribute for a more sustainable and efficient management of their bridge stock.This article is based upon the work from COST Action TU1406, Quality specifications for roadway bridges, standardization at a European level (BridgeSpec), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Microscopic surface structure of C/SiC composite mirrors for space cryogenic telescopes

We report on the microscopic surface structure of carbon-fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composite mirrors that have been improved for the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) and other cooled telescopes. The C/SiC composite consists of carbon fiber, silicon carbide, and residual silicon. Specific microscopic structures are found on the surface of the bare C/SiC mirrors after polishing. These structures are considered to be caused by the different hardness of those materials. The roughness obtained for the bare mirrors is 20 nm rms for flat surfaces and 100 nm rms for curved surfaces. It was confirmed that a SiSiC slurry coating is effective in reducing the roughness to 2 nm rms. The scattering properties of the mirrors were measured at room temperature and also at 95 K. No significant change was found in the scattering properties through cooling, which suggests that the microscopic surface structure is stable with changes in temperature down to cryogenic values. The C/SiC mirror with the SiSiC slurry coating is a promising candidate for the SPICA telescope.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure

MICELLE TO LAMELLAR AGGREGATE TRANSITION OF AN ANIONIC SURFACTANT IN DILUTE AQUEOUS-SOLUTION INDUCED BY ALKALI-METAL CHLORIDE AND TETRAALKYLAMMONIUM CHLORIDE SALTS

Micelles of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (NaDoBS) in dilute aqueous solution can be transformed into lamellar aggregates by the addition of alkali metal chloride (LiCl to CsCl) and tetraalkylammonium chloride (alkyl is methyl or n-butyl) salts. Depending on the type of cation, concentration of salt, and isomeric purity of the alkyl chain of the surfactant, different types of phases are observed: large unilamellar vesicles, multivesicular vesicles, and flocculated multilamellar vesicles (lamellar droplets). Over limited concentration ranges, some salts induce phase separation in a surfactant-rich and a surfactant-lean phase. The formation of the different phases was monitored by turbidity and fluorescence depolarization measurements, whereas the phases were characterized by light microscopy, freeze-fracture electron microscopy, and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Thermodynamic aspects of aggregation, in particular the counterion binding characteristics, were studied by microcalorimetry and conductivity. On a molecular level, the packing in a lamellar array can be explained largely in terms of a change in counterion binding and, to a lesser extent, by a decrease of the hydration of the headgroup and the. counterion. A better counterion binding is facilitated by a less hydrated cation or by an increase of the electrolyte concentration. The formation of different types of lamellar aggregates is due to different types of interactions between lamellar layers or between aggregates: largely repulsive for stable dispersions of unilamellar vesicles to attractive down to short distances for the flocculated lamellar droplets

Legal Problems and Regulations related to Easy-access Non-secured Consumer Loans in Estonia

The article analyses the current market situation related to electronic non-secured consumer loans (instant loans) in Estonia and social problems related to them. Firstly, the authors provide a legal and institutional overview of the instant‑loan market. The article further covers the market situation and statistics related to the credit products and possible numbers of users and providers of instant loans. Then, the administrative and also civil-law consumer‑protection measures currently in force in Estonia are described, and the authors assess whether those measures have been functioning efficiently in practice. Finally, the ongoing discussions of further legislative measures are described and the associated legislative proposals evaluated

Immersive Simulations and Engineering Environment (iSEE): Improving Fidelity of Virtual Reality Simulations

The Immersive Simulation and Engineering Environment (iSEE) provides Kennedy Space Center (KSC) with accurate Human Systems Integration (HSI) analysis of the stresses on a human body incurred from physical work, along with accessibility and reach factors. Human Factors engineers can observe the simulations conducted by iSEE and work with the gathered data to help make the working environment at KSC safer. The software that runs the HSI analysis, however, provides users with a low fidelity virtual environment. Previously, this led to the addition and implementation of other iSEE programs that were capable of higher-fidelity simulations. The difficulties of streamlining the workflow in the lab with these new programs is currently being addressed

単眼ステレオ視によるカメラモーシヨンの推定と3次元立体形状計測に関する研究

博士(工学)大阪市立大