Thiourea-formaldehyde (TF) and ureaformaldehyde (UF) chelating resins were synthesized and these resins were used in the separation of gold(III) ions from copper(II) and zinc(II) base metal ions. In the experimental studies, the effect of acidity on gold(III) uptake and gold(III) adsorption capacities by batch method, and loading and elution profiles of gold(III) ions, gold(III), copper(II), and zinc(II), dynamic adsorption capacities and the stability tests of TF and UF resins by column method were examined. By batch method, the optimum acidities were found as pH 2 and 0.5M HCl, and gold(III) adsorption capacities in the solutions including copper(II) and zinc(II) ions were obtained as 0.088 and 0.151 meq Au(III)/g for UF and TF resins, respectively. On the other hand, by column method, the dynamic adsorption capacities were calculated as 0.109 meq Au(III)/g with TF, 0.023 meq Au(III)/g with UF, 0.015 meq Cu(II)/g with TF, 0.0057 meq Cu(II)/g with UF, and under 6.1 Â 10 À5 meq Zn(II)/g with TF or UF. TF resin was more effective in the separation and the concentration of gold(III) ions from copper(II) and zinc(II) ions than UF resin. It was seen that sulfur atoms contributed the gold(III) adsorption comparing with oxygen atoms.

Background: To compare the repeatability and agreements of central corneal thickness measurements of healthy individuals obtained by Scheimpflug-Placido topographer (Sirius), anterior segment spectral domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis) (AS-OCT), optical biometry (AL-Scan) and ultrasonic pachymetry. Methods: Sixty-four eyes of 32 subjects with no ocular or systemic diseases were included in this study. Central corneal thickness measurements performed with Sirius, AS-OCT, optical biometry AL-Scan and ultrasonic pachymetry were compared. Bland-Altman analysis was used to demonstrate agreement between methods. Intra-examiner repeatability was assessed by using intraclass correlation co-efficients (ICCs). Results: Sixty-four eyes of 32 patients were enrolled (25 male and seven female). The mean age was 23.8 years (range 21-28 years). The mean central corneal thickness was 560.8 AE 37.2 μm, 528.8 AE 32.0 μm, 546.4 AE 33.8 μm, 543.4 AE 35.8 μm for the ultrasonic pachymetry, optical biometry AL-Scan, Sirius and AS-OCT values, respectively. The thickest mean central corneal thickness (560.8 AE 37.2 μm) was obtained from ultrasonic pachymetry. The thinnest mean central corneal thickness (528.8 AE 32.0 μm) was obtained from optical biometry AL-Scan. All four modalities of central corneal thickness measurements correlated closely with each other. Intra-examiner repeatability was excellent for all devices with ICCs > 0.90. Conclusions: In conclusion, although measurements obtained by various methods correlate well, the measurements are not directly interchangeable. Between ultrasonic pachymetry and the three optical instruments tested, significant diferences can be seen. Therefore, the same imaging method should be used in corneal thickness follow-ups.

Background This study aimed to compare pain scores of patients during intravitreal aflibercept, ranibizumab or dexamethasone implant injection procedures. Methods This study included 162 eyes of 162 patients, who received intravitreal ranibizumab, aflibercept or dexamethasone implant injections at our clinic. Following the injection, patients were asked to rate their pain from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain) using a visual analogue pain score survey (VAS). VAS was evaluated according to age, sex, indication for the injection, number of previous intravitreal injections, and lens status in the study eye. Results The mean VAS in the ranibizumab, aflibercept or dexamethasone implant groups was 3.38 ± 2.31, 3.82 ± 2.46, and 3.61 ± 2.94, respectively. Female patients reported a higher average pain score than male patients (p = 0.02). Also, phakic patients reported a higher average pain score than pseudophakic patients (p = 0.01). Pain did not significantly correlate with indication for the injection, number of injections, and injection drugs (p > 0.05). Conclusion Pain associated with intravitreal injection is generally mild and associated with sex, age, and lens status. There was no significant difference in pain between intravitreal injections of dexamethasone implant, ranibizumab or aflibercept.

Purpose: This research is aimed at determination of total oxidant status, total antioxidant status, serum thiol-disulfide, catalase, albumin, ischemia-modified albumin, and ceruloplasmin in patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa and drawing a comparison with these parameters determined from healthy controls. Methods: The study involved 35 patients of retinitis pigmentosa and 33 controls who were healthy individuals of comparable gender and age. Native thiol, total thiol, disulfide concentration, disulfide/native thiol, disulfide/total thiol, native thiol/total thiol ratios, total oxidant status, total antioxidant status, catalase, ceruloplasmin, albumin, and ischemia-modified albumin were determined from peripheral blood samples and comparison was drawn between the measurements of retinitis pigmentosa and controls. Results: The two groups were similar in gender and age distributions. It was found that retinitis pigmentosa group demonstrated greater total oxidant status, ischemia-modified albumin, and disulfide concentrations as compared to controls (p < 0.001). However, total antioxidant status, catalase, native thiol, total thiol, albumin, and ceruloplasmin of the two groups did not show statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Moreover, disulfide/total thiol and disulfide/native thiol ratios of the retinitis pigmentosa group were significantly greater in comparison to controls (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The researchers reached the conclusion that thiol oxidation in retinitis pigmentosa patients caused the dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis to shift toward the generation of disulfide. This is a novel research that involves analysis of thiol/disulfide homeostasis in retinitis pigmentosa patients using a novel automated assay. The researchers identified the cause for persistent oxidative stress and damage reported in retinitis pigmentosa patients. Still, future research is required for analysis of progression of antioxidant-oxidant state through various retinitis pigmentosa stages.

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