NEIVATECH pilot study: immersive virtual reality training in older amblyopic children with non-compliance or non-response to patching.

Immersive virtual reality (VR) is recently being explored as a therapeutic alternative for the treatment of amblyopia. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, safety, usability and satisfaction obtained with the use of a novel VR system (NEIVATECH) to provide binocular vision training in previously treated older amblyopic children with non-compliance or non-response to patching. A prospective, multicentre, open-label, single-arm, pilot study was conducted in which the intervention under study was 9 h of therapy with the NEIVATECH system, distributed in 18 half-hour sessions spread over 1 month.

Development of a new reference material for accurate measurements of lithium in Li-clays.

Currently, there are no national and international certified reference materials (CRM) in lithium clays that can make reliable and traceable lithium measurements for the International System of Units (SI). Hence, it is necessary to have references to meet the needs in terms of mining and activities that involve the use of lithium to favor the economy derived from its multiple uses and associated benefits in the exploration, exploitation, and handling of lithium ore. In this study, a candidate for reference material (RM) of Li in clays was developed and certified based on the provisions of ISO 17034:2016 and ISO Guide 35:2017.

Rehabilitation of amblyopia using a digital platform for visual training combined with patching in children: a prospective study.

Purpose: To assess the possible benefits of the use of perceptual learning and dichoptic therapy combined with patching in children with amblyopia over the use of only patching.

Methods: Quasi-experimental multicentric study including 52 amblyopic children. Patients who improved their visual acuity (VA) by combining spectacles and patching were included in patching group (PG: 20 subjects), whereas those that did not improved with patching performed visual training (perceptual learning + dichoptic therapy) combined with patching, being assigned to the visual treatment group (VT: 32 subjects).

Pilot Study Assessing the Safety and Acceptance of a Novel Virtual Reality System to Improve Visual Function.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of the clinical use of a novel Virtual Reality (VR) training software designed to be used for active vision therapy in amblyopic patients by determining its preliminary safety and acceptance on the visual function of healthy adults.

Methods: Pilot study enrolling 10 individuals (3 men, 7 women, mean age: 31.8 ± 6.

Photoelectrocatalytic activity of silicon nanowires decorated with electroless copper nanoparticles and graphene oxide using a plasma jet for removal of methyl orange under visible light.

Silicon nanowires (Si) have been studied due to their interesting properties, such as light trapping and catalytic activity for removing organic molecules. In this work, silicon nanowires are decorated with copper (Si-Cu), graphene oxide (Si-GO), and both copper and graphene oxide GO (Si-Cu-GO). They were prepared and tested as photoelectrocatalysts to remove the azoic dye methyl orange (MO).

Characterization of Dysfunctional Lens Index and Opacity Grade in a Healthy Population.

This study enrolled 61 volunteers (102 eyes) classified into subjects < 50 years (group 1) and subjects ≥ 50 years (group 2). Dysfunctional Lens Index (DLI); opacity grade; pupil diameter; and corneal, internal, and ocular higher order aberrations (HOAs) were measured with the i-Trace system (Tracey Technologies). Mean DLI was 8.

Efficacy of Perceptual Learning-Based Vision Training as an Adjuvant to Occlusion Therapy in the Management of Amblyopia: A Pilot Study.

A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate preliminarily the efficacy of perceptual learning (PL) visual training in medium-term follow-up with a specific software (Amblyopia iNET, Home Therapy Systems Inc., Gold Canyon, AZ, USA) for visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) recovering in a sample of 14 moderate to severe amblyopic subjects with a previously unsuccessful outcome or failure with patching (PL Group). This efficacy was compared with that achieved in a patching control group (13 subjects, Patching 2).

Stimuli Characteristics and Psychophysical Requirements for Visual Training in Amblyopia: A Narrative Review.

Active vision therapy using perceptual learning and/or dichoptic or binocular environments has shown its potential effectiveness in amblyopia, but some doubts remain about the type of stimuli and the mode and sequence of presentation that should be used. A search was performed in PubMed, obtaining 143 articles with information related to the stimuli used in amblyopia rehabilitation, as well as to the neural mechanisms implied in such therapeutic process. Visual deficits in amblyopia and their neural mechanisms associated are revised, including visual acuity loss, contrast sensitivity reduction and stereopsis impairment.

Active Vision Therapy for Anisometropic Amblyopia in Children: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: The aim of the study was evaluation of the scientific evidence about the efficacy of vision therapy in children and teenagers with anisometropic amblyopia by performing a systematic literature review.

Methods: A search was performed using 3 searching strategies in 4 different databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PruQuest). The quality of the included articles was evaluated using two tools for the risk of bias assessment, ROBINS-I for nonrandomized studies of intervention (NRSI), and ROB 2.

The Potential of Virtual Reality for Inducing Neuroplasticity in Children with Amblyopia.

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a new safe and effective tool for neurorehabilitation of different childhood and adulthood conditions. VR-based therapies can induce cortical reorganization and promote the activation of different neuronal connections over a wide range of ages, leading to contrasted improvements in motor and functional skills. The use of VR for the visual rehabilitation in amblyopia has been investigated in the last years, with the potential of using serious games combining perceptual learning and dichoptic stimulation.

A systematic review about the impact of phakic intraocular lenses on accommodation.

Phakic intraocular lenses (pIOL) are the main treatment for patients who have either high ametropia or contraindications for laser refractive surgery. The main feature that makes this kind of lenses suitable for its implantation in young adults searching for independence of optical prescription is the conservation of accommodation, since lens extraction is not required. A systematic review has been performed to evaluate the scientific literature on the effect of pIOL implantation on accommodation.

Theoretical models for chronotherapy: periodic perturbations in hyperchaos.

In this work, a hyperchaotic system was used as a model for chronotherapy. We applied a periodic perturbation to a variable, varying the period and amplitude of forcing. The system, five-dimensional, has until three positive Lyapunov exponents.