Optical coherence tomography appearance of “drusenoid” pigment epithelial detachment

A case of bilateral “drusenoid” pigment epithelial detachment that was studied with fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography is described. Fundus fluorescein anglography depicted staining of the drusen without any sign of pooling of the dye, whereas optical coherence tomography displayed detachment of the retinal pigment epithelium. These findings remained unchanged during a 10-month period

A gamified community for fostering learning engagement towards preventing Early school leaving

Early school leaving is a complex phenomenon that may adversely affect on a learner’s future development. ESL is the result of a combination of factors, such as insufficient school curricula understanding, low value placed on education by families, unavailability or low capacity of parents to support learners in schooling, insufficient parent-teacher-learner communication, and more. Many factors are socio-economic and are related to the extended social environment of learners. This work aims at strengthening the ties of school networks aiming at preventing ESL risk factors to set root in a learner’s life through early interventions that start in primary school. This is pursued through a gamified school community and supporting gamified complementary to school curricula learning activities that aim at fostering engagement of parents, teachers, and learners. The community promotes a sense of affiliation, opens-up communication channels, and promotes a positive school environment for the benefit of learners and their parents. © ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering 2016

Serious game design for vehicular language learning addressing work needs

In today’s open business environment peer communication across borders is the norm. It is commonplace in face-to-face interaction as well as on-line communities that facilitate work related collaboration of cross-border teams. To effectively work in these international surroundings, individuals resort to commonly understood, vehicular languages. In work-related contexts, impeccable use of a language is less important than effective communication towards addressing common goals. This work departs from typical professional language learning approaches by introducing a serious game for building language and cultural communication skills in a lingua franca. The game exposes professionals to typical deployment of a lingua franca by native and non-native speakers. Learners build communication competence through situated learning approaches that draw inspiration from the real world, which is both multilingual and multicultural. At the same time they become aware of the cultural wealth that is manifested in the individualized uses of vehicular languages by individuals with diverse backgrounds. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014

Comparison of optical coherence tomography and scanning laser polarimetry in glaucoma, ocular hypertension, and suspected glaucoma

■ BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of the newest generation optical coherence topography (OCT) and scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation (SLP-VCC) in eyes with glaucoma, ocular hypertension, and suspected glaucoma. ■ PATIENTS AND METHODS: One eye each of 84 patients (30 with glaucoma, 26 with suspected glaucoma, and 28 with ocular hypertension) was included in the study. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness was measured with both technologies and thickness parameters were compared in the three groups of eyes. The correspondence of RNFL thickness measurements with visual field function was also studied. ■ RESULTS: Average OCT-RNFL thickness was found to have a statistically significant difference between patients with glaucoma and either suspected glaucoma or ocular hypertension. A statistically significant correlation between the average RNFL thicknesses measured by the two different technologies was shown only in the glaucoma group. A significant correlation with visual field mean deviation was found for superior average RNFL thickness as measured by SLP and for nerve fiber indicator and average and inferior average RNFL thickness as measured by OCT in glaucomatous eyes. Regression analysis indicated nerve fiber indicator to be the most valuable factor in predicting mean deviation. ■ CONCLUSION: RNFL thickness measurements obtained with OCT and SLP-VCC correlate well only in eyes with more advanced glaucomatous damage. The nerve fiber indicator parameter derived by SLP correlated best with mean deviation

Acanthamoeba keratitis and contact lens disinfecting solutions

Objectives: To report cases of culture-proved Acanthamoeba keratitis in Greece over a 10-year period and to evaluate the effectiveness of the commonly used commercial contact lens disinfecting systems in clinical cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Material and Methods: During the years 1994-2004, 45 contact lens wearers and 3 non-contact lens wearers presenting with symptoms and signs of keratitis underwent corneal sampling. The scrapings obtained were inoculated directly onto appropriate culture media for bacteria, fungi and Acanthamoeba. All proved positive for Acanthamoeba. The contact lenses and contact lens disinfecting solutions (16 one-step 3% hydrogen peroxide and 3 multipurpose solutions) of 19/45 patients with culture-proven Acanthamoeba keratitis were cultured for bacteria, fungi and Acanthamoeba. Results: Acanthamoeba was isolated from contact lenses and contact lens disinfecting solutions in all 19 cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis studied. Conclusions: The main risk factor for corneal infection in contact lens wearers is the use of contact lens disinfecting systems ineffective at killing Acanthamoeba cysts and trophozoites, as well as bacteria and fungi. Improvement or development of new contact lens disinfecting systems by manufacturers is needed to prevent Acanthamoeba keratitis. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG

Playing games with observation, dependency and agency in a new environment for making construals

© 2016 IEEE.Making construals is a new digital skill that complements conventional programming. Its primary focus is on using computer-related technology to stage interactive experience of unprecedented richness and subtlety. This paper is a tutorial on the latest version of an instrument for making construals developed in the ongoing EU Erasmus+ CONSTRUIT! project. Its principal theme is the re-creation of "the OXO laboratory" - an interactive environment in which variants of the game of noughts-and-crosses can be freely designed and evaluated

Making Construals as a New Digital Skill: Dissolving the Program - And the Programmer - Interface

© 2015 IEEE.Making a construal is a way of using the computer to help us in making sense of a situation. Its merits as a new digital skill for developing open educational resources in the constructionist tradition are illustrated using a basic construal of shopping activity. Making construals is the central theme of the three year EU Erasmus+ CONSTRUIT! project. This paper takes the form of an introductory tutorial highlighting key qualities of construals that will shape the CONSTRUIT! agenda