Corneal transparency after cross-linking for keratoconus : 1-year follow-up

PURPOSE: To evaluate the changes in corneal transparency and thickness measured objectively using Pentacam Scheimpfl ug (Oculus Optikgerate GmbH) corneal tomography (densitometry) after corneal cross-linking (CXL). METHODS: Twenty-two eyes from 15 patients with keratoconus underwent CXL. Corneal thickness and curvature as well as lens and corneal densitometry were measured at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after CXL with Pentacam. RESULTS: Immediately after CXL, central corneal thickness signifi cantly decreased (240 ƒÊm) and corneal densitometry increased signifi cantly. At 6-month followup, densitometry values were reduced and seemed to stabilize at a higher value than baseline. No statistically signifi cant differences were noted (mean difference at 12 months: 130%). Changes in corneal densitometry were detected with the Pentacam even when clinical haze did not increase beyond grade 1 during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Corneal CXL is associated with a transient reduction in central corneal thickness, which recovered to baseline after 12 months. During the same time period, corneal densitometry experienced a transient increase that recovered to baseline values after 3 months. Changes in compactness of the corneal tissue after CXL may have an impact in corneal power not due to curvature changes, but to refractive index changes as a result of hydration changes. Pentacam is a useful objective method to monitor corneal transparency after CXL.This study was supported in part by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Health, Instituto Carlos III, Red Tematica de Investigacion Cooperativa en Salud "Patologia ocular del envejecimiento, calidad visual y calidad de vida," Subproyecto de Calidad Visual (RD07/0062

Peripheral refraction in myopic patients after Orthokeratology

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to characterize the central and peripheral refraction across the horizontal meridian of the visual field before and after myopic corneal refractive therapy (CRT) with contact lenses. Methods: Twenty-eight right eyes (mean age±SD = 24.6±6.3 years) were fitted with Paragon CRT contact lenses to treat myopia between -0.88 and -5.25D of spherical equivalent. Along with a complete set of examination procedures to assess suitability for treatment, the central and peripheral refraction was measured along the horizontal meridian up to 35º of eccentricity in the nasal and temporal retinal area in 5º steps. Results: Baseline central average spherical equivalent (M) measured by subjective refraction changed from -1.95±1.27D to -0.38±0.67D. Changes in M component ranged between 1.42±0.89D at center to 0.43±0.88D at 20º in the temporal retina (p0.351). Beyond the 25º limit, M component changed in the myopic direction up to -1.11±0.88D at 35º in temporal retina (p0.05 for all eccentricities). Furthermore, the degree of myopic increase in spherical equivalent for 30º (r2=0.573, p<0.001) and 35º (r2=0.645, p<0.001) eccentric refraction was highly correlated with axial spherical equivalent at baseline. Conclusions: CRT inverts the pattern of peripheral refraction in spherical equivalent refraction creating a treatment area of myopic reduction within the central 25º of visual field, and a myopic shift beyond the 25º. In peripheral refraction for 30º and 35º, the amount of myopia induced in terms of spherical equivalent has an almost 1:1 relationship with the amount of baseline spherical equivalent refraction to be corrected.Objectivo: O objectivo deste estudo foi caracterizar a refracção central e periférica através do meridiano horizontal do campo visual, antes e depois da Terapia Refractiva Corneal à miopia (CRT) com lentes de contacto. Métodos: Foram adaptados com lentes de contacto Paragon CRT vinte e oito olhos direitos de 28 indivíduos (com uma idade média ± DP = 24,6 ± 6,3 anos) para corrigir miopia entre – 0.88 e – 5.25 D de equivalente esférico. Juntamente com um conjunto completo de exames para avaliar a possibilidade de tratamento, foi medida a refracção central e periférica ao longo do meridiano horizontal até aos 35º de excentricidade na área da retina nasal e temporal em intervalos de 5º. Resultados: A média do equivalente esférico central no estado inicial (M) medido pela refracção subjectiva mudou de - 1,95 ± 1,27 D para - 0,38 ± 0,67 D. As alterações no componente M variaram entre +1,42 ± 0,89 D no centro e +0,43 ± 0,88 D a 20º na retina temporal (p 0,351), a 25º para ambos os lados da medida da refracção central. Para além do limite de 25º, o componente M mudou no sentido da miopia até – 1,11 ± 0,88 D a 35º na retina temporal (p 0,050 para todas as excentricidades). Além disso, o aumento do valor de miopia em equivalente esférico para 30º (r2 = 0,573, p < 0,001) e 35º (r2 = 0,645, p < 0,001) de refracção excêntrica foi altamente correlacionado com o equivalente esférico do estado inicial. Conclusões: As lentes CRT invertem o padrão da refracção periférica no equivalente esférico da refracção, criando uma área de tratamento na redução da miopia dentro de 25º do campo visual central, e um deslocamento miópico para além de 25º. Na refracção periférica para 30º e 35º, o valor da miopia induzida em termos de equivalente esférico, tem uma relação de quase 1:1 com o valor da refracção do equivalente esférico do estado inicial a ser corrigido.Ministério da Ciência e do Ensino SuperiorFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Bolsa SFRH/BD/61768/200

Assessing the individual acquisition of teamwork competence by exploring students’ instant messaging tools use: the WhatsApp case study

[En] Nowadays, working in groups is very usual and popular in most professional environments. Thus, students, as potential workers, need to acquire teamwork competence in their educational institutions. However, when the students are working in groups, it is easy assessing their final result but not so much evaluating how each of them, individually, is developing teamwork competence. In this sense, there are several methodologies, and those with better results are the ones that explore students’ interactions in learning platforms when developing the activity/project. Taking into account the latter, students’ interactions do not only happen in a learning platform but also using other tools such as instant messaging tools. This paper explores the possibility to assess the use of instant messaging tools for the acquisition of teamwork competence, and specifically, it presents a case study about the use of WhatsApp. From the results, we can conclude that the students prefer to use instant messaging tools in teamwork activities than other interaction tools as forums; and that the employment of those tools has a positive impact in students’ grades.SIRoboSTEA

La competencia mediática en personas mayores

This article was made possible by the R&D&i project entitled "Competence in audiovisual communication in a digital environment" (I+D: EDU 2010-21395-C03) funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of Spain. Here we analyze the pretest that evaluates media competence in citizens aged 60 and over, from La Rioja and Huelva. The results obtained were taken into account for the survey process that is currently being conducted in 10 Spanish provinces with a sample of 615 people over 60 years. This article will look at the current status regarding media literacy of people over 60.Este artículo ha sido realizado gracias al proyecto I+D+ititulado “La competencia en comunicación audiovisual en un entorno digital” (I+D: EDU 2010-21395-C03) financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología del Gobierno de España. En ella analizamos el pretest que evaluaba la competencia mediática de personas mayores de 60 años de La Rioja y de Huelva. Los resultados arrojados fueron tenidos en cuenta para el proceso de encuestación que se está realizando actualmente en 10 provincias españolas con una muestra de 615 personas mayores de 60 años. En este artículo estudiaremos el estado de la cuestión en torno a las competencias mediáticas de las personas mayores de 60 años

Psychosocial and Ergonomic Conditions at Work: Influence on the Probability of a Workplace Accident

Today, the economic and social importance of occupational accidents is undeniable worldwide. Hence, research aimed at reducing this type of accident is considered a discipline of great interest for society in general. In this environment, working conditions play a fundamental role in the occurrence of accidents, and from their study, results can be obtained that provide information for decision-making that guarantee optimum conditions for the development of the employees’ tasks. Organizing the conditions of work execution is also a task that constitutes an essential aspect for a firm’s productivity, therefore, affecting their viability and results. In this work, a model is proposed for the study of different groups of working conditions and their influence on the probability of occupational accidents, in accordance with the data provided by the 7th National Survey of Working Conditions (VII NSWC). -e survey sampled 8892 workers active in all sectors of national production and is the last nation-wide survey administered in Spain. Bayesian networks (BNs) are used to generate a network that analyzes working conditions in all areas (27 variables have been included in addition to those corresponding to the sector and accident), and then, more specifically, the relationship that is established between ergonomic factors in the workplace, psychosocial factors of the worker, and the probability of an accident. -e results are achieved through the network obtained by highlighting some of the proposed variables. -e dependencies generated by the chosen variables are analyzed, and subsequently, the probability of accident for each of the productive sectors is determined. It is concluded that the ergonomic risks associated with physical strains in the workplace, together with the lack of job satisfaction on the employer’s behalf, both pose a very significant increase in the probability of being involved in an occupational accident, above the other variables of study

Epithelium-Off vs. transepithelial corneal collagen crosslinking in progressive keratoconus: 3 years of follow-up

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of epithelium-off corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) with transepithelial CXL in patients with progressive keratoconus with a follow-up of 3 years, taking into account the patients’ age and the location of the corneal ectasia. Methods: In this prospective study participated 64 eyes with progressive keratoconus were included in this long-term study, of which 31 eyes were treated by epithelium-off CXL and 33 by transepithelial CXL. All of the patients with a follow-up of 36 months were evaluated for visual variables (corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), corneal aberrations, and corneal densitometry), structure variables (astigmatism, keratometry, corneal asphericity, maximum posterior elevation, corneal thickness, and corneal volume), and keratoconus index variables. Results: After corneal CXL, CDVA improved significantly in both central and paracentral keratoconus, with greater improvement in the centrals (p = 0.001), asphericity at 6 mm improved in central keratoconus (p = 0.047). In the epi-off group, there was a significant improvement in coma-like (p = 0.038), higher-order aberrations (p = 0.036), asphericity at 8 mm (p = 0.049), asphericity at 10 mm (p = 0.049), and index of surface variance (p = 0.049). Conclusion: Although both techniques halted and stabilized the progression of keratoconus, epithelium-off CXL was more effective. In addition, after the corneal CXL, there was a greater degree of regularization of the corneal surface and, therefore, a greater improvement in the CDVA with central keratoconus than with paracentral keratoconus

Correction of negative dysphotopsia in Crystalens “Z syndrome”

We report a case of negative dysphotopsia in the left eye of a 56-year-old patient three months after uneventful bilateral phacoemulsification and implantation of a Crystalens® intraocular lens (Bausch and Lomb®) placed in the capsular bag. Three months postoperatively, the patient described visual field loss in the inferior temporal quadrant in the left eye under low light conditions. Anterior capsulorhexis was eccentric, allowing the inferior temporal optic edge to move forward, producing late asymmetric vault of the lens. One month later, when the equatorial diameter of the capsular bag decreased, we pushed the inferior temporary hinge backwards so that the lens moved back into the correct position. Six months after relocation, the lens position remained stable and negative dysphotopsia was absent. This case shows Crystalens Z syndrome as a new etiology of negative dysphotopsia, and a successful novel treatment in a patient without capsular fibrosis