Improvement of binocular summation in intermittent exotropia following successful postoperative alignment

To investigate the improvement of binocular summation (BiS) at high contrast (100%) and different low contrasts (10, 5 and 2.5%) in patients with intermittent exotropia (IXT) after successfully postoperative alignment. A total of 76 patients (aged 9–40 years) with IXT and poor control at distance before surgery were enrolled in this study. The postoperative deviations ranged between 4 PD esophoria to 10 PD exotropia in the primary position (at near and at distance) in all the enrolled patients. The follow-up visits were 2–3 months after the surgery. We analyzed preoperative and postoperative BiS and the proportions of patients with different BiS for the high contrast and the low contrasts. Binocular summation (BiS) was classified into three situations: binocular summation, equal and inbibition. The results of the distant random dots stereograph (RDS) were grouped into A, unable to recognize; B, moderate, 200″ ≤ RDS ≤ 400″ and C, good, RDS < 200″. Following the successful postoperative alignment, the proportion of patients with BiS were increased from 9.2 to 40.8%, 17.1 to 53.9%, 21.1 to 76.1% and 21.1 to 72.4% at 100%, 10%, 5% and 2.5% contrasts respectively. At 2.5% contrast, (1) more patients presented binocular summation in the groups B and C; (2) postoperative improvements of binocular visual acuity (BVA) in groups B (1.5 ± 1.03 lines) and C (1.57 ± 1.26 lines) were significantly different from the BVA in the group A (0.74 ± 1.00 line); and (3) in the group with central fusion, more patients presented BiS after surgery and the postoperative BVA improved by 1.43 ± 1.16 lines. Binocular summation for high contrast and different low contrasts can be improved in patients with IXT after successful surgical treatment. The improvement of BiS was associated with obtaining central fusion, recovering distant stereopsis and good alignment after the surgeries. The most significant improvement was shown at 2.5% contrast and was associated with good stereopsis and central fusion. The improvement of BiS, particularly at low contrast, has benefits for the daily activities in the real environment. BiS improvement could be used as a supplementary assessment of binocular function in patients with IXT before and after treatment.

Improvement of Binocular Summation in Intermittent Exotropia Following Successful Postoperative Alignment

Purpose: To investigate the improvement of binocular summation (BiS) for the high (100%) contrast and different low contrasts (10%, 5%, 2.5%) and the relationship of BiS with stereopsis and central fusion in patients with intermittent exotropia (IXT) after strabismic surgeries.Design: Prospective studyParticipants: Seventy-six patients with IXT aging 9 to 40 years with poor control at distance before strabismus surgeries. Methods: To analyze preoperative and postoperative BiS records and the proportions of patients with different BiS for the high (100%) contrast and the low contrasts (10%, 5%, 2.5%). The score of visual acuity (log Mar) was recorded when patient recognizing the full line with full refraction correction. BiS was classified into three situations depending on whether binocular visual acuity (BVA) was better, worse or equal to that of the better-seeing eye . The results of distant random dots stereograph(RDS) were grouped into A, unable to recognize; B, moderate, 200”≤RDS≤400” and C, good, RDS<200”.Results: The patients with binocular summation were increased from 9.2% to 40.8% for 100%contrast, from 17.1% to 53.9% for 10% contrast, from 21.1% to 76.1% for 5% contrast, from 21.1% to 72.4% for 2.5% contrast after surgeries, respectively. Tested using 2.5% contrast, (1) more patients presented binocular summation in the groups B and C ; (2) postoperative improvements of BVA in group B(1.5±1.03 lines) and group C (1.57±1.26 lines) differed significantly with that in the group A (0.74±1.00 line); (3)more patients presented binocular summation and the improvement of BVA was 1.43±1.16 lines in the group with central fusion after surgeries.Conclusions: BiS for high contrast and different low contrasts can be improved in IXT after successful surgical treatment. It may be associated with obtaining central fusion, recovering stereopsis at distance and good alignment after the surgeries. BiS for 2.5% contrast was improved significantly and sensitive to the good stereopsis and central fusion. Improvement of BiS, particularly for low contrast, has benefit for the daily activities in the real environment. BiS could be as supplementary assessment of binocular function for the patients with IXT before and after treatment.

Evaluation of a New Clinical Test of Fusion Status: A Pilot Study

Background Suppression is associated with binocular vision conditions such as amblyopia and strabismus. Commercial methods of testing fusion often only measure central fusion or suppression at near. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess a new iPad picture fusion test that assesses foveal and central fusion at near. Methods Participants aged 5 years and older presenting for eye examination at The Ohio State University College of Optometry were enrolled. Results from visual acuity, dry and wet refraction/retinoscopy, stereopsis and cover testing were recorded from the patient chart. The iPad picture fusion test, Worth four-dot, Worth type test with foveal letter targets, and Polarized four-dot were performed by one examiner in a randomized order at 40 cm. Testing was repeated with the anaglyphic filters reversed. Crosstabulation and McNemar chi-square analysis were used to compare the results between fusion testing devices. Results Of the fifty participants (mean age = 17.5), twelve reported suppression and one reported diplopia. Testability was excellent for all tests (98% to 100%). There were no significant differences between tests in reported results (P ≥ 0.22 for all comparisons). No difference in reported fusion or suppression status was observed with change in orientation of the anaglyphic filters. Six participants reported foveal suppression alone at near which was not identified with Worth four-dot at near. Conclusion The iPad picture fusion test provided excellent testability and agreement with commonly used tests of fusion and allowed testing of both central and foveal fusion at near. Nearly half (46%) of participants with suppression reported foveal suppression, supporting the importance of testing for foveal suppression.

Integrasi Agama dan Sains dalam Tafsir Ilmi Kementerian Agama RI

The application of religious and scientific integration in the Tafsir Ilmi of Ministry of Religious Affairs was critically analyzed in this paper. The paradigm of religious and scientific integration was used in order to expose the building framework of the integration. Three forms of the integration paradigm were highlighted, namely: [1] scientific interpretation as one of the patterns of integration of religion and science, [2] theology as the basis of the integration, and [3] Tafsir Ilmi as an effort to present ethical values. The result of the study showed that Tafsir Ilmi was the one which was deductive-confirmatively implemented in the integration of religion and science. The pattern of religious and scientific integration had included theology as its basis in the Tafsir Ilmi, in which the theological side became central fusion of the Qur’anic text and the universe through the reading of tafsir and science. Metaphysical side was presented in order to bring the majesty of Allah SWT. The values of monotheism, science, and caliphs had an integral relationship and became instruments for the birth of the ethical values. Theological aspects and ethics looked thickly decorated in the pages of the Ilmi interpretation

Asexual queen succession in the higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus

Asexual queen succession (AQS), in which workers, soldiers and dispersing reproductives are produced sexually while numerous non-dispersing queens arise through thelytokous parthenogenesis, has recently been described in three species of lower termites of the genus Reticulitermes . Here, we show that AQS is not an oddity restricted to a single genus of lower termites, but a more widespread strategy occurring also in the most advanced termite group, the higher termites (Termitidae). We analysed the genetic structure in 10 colonies of the Neotropical higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus (Syntermitinae) using five newly developed polymorphic microsatellite loci. The colonies contained one primary king accompanied either by a single primary queen or by up to almost 200 neotenic queens. While the workers, the soldiers and most future dispersing reproductives were produced sexually, the non-dispersing neotenic queens originated through thelytokous parthenogenesis of the founding primary queen. Surprisingly, the mode of thelytoky observed in E. neotenicus is most probably automixis with central fusion, contrasting with the automixis with terminal fusion documented in Reticulitermes . The occurrence of AQS based on different mechanisms of ploidy restoration raises the hypothesis of an independent evolutionary origin of this unique reproductive strategy in individual lineages of lower and higher termites.