(Lack of) Pension Knowledge

Governments are increasingly concerned about the capacity of pensions systems to meet demands in the coming years. According to the OECD, one part of the policy response in many countries will be greater private provision on the part of individuals through occupational and other pension arrangements. If such a strategy is to work, it requires that individuals are well-informed about pensions. However, there are many reasons to believe that individuals may not be well-informed due to the complexity of pensions systems and degrees of myopia. In this paper, we assess levels of knowledge of pensions using a representative sample of older Irish people. Looking at people who are enrolled in pension schemes, we find that two thirds of these people do not know what amount will be paid out on retirement and/or whether the payments will be in the form of lump-sums, monthly payments or both. Women are more likely not to know, as are people with lower levels of education. While one policy conclusion might be to direct pensions-related information at certain groups, another approach might be to extend the mandatory elements in pension systems such as contribution rates

Eyewear for rugby union: wearer characteristics and experience with rugby goggles

YesUnlike many other sports, Rugby Union has not permitted players to wear spectacles or eye protection. With an industrial partner, World Rugby developed goggles suitable for use while playing rugby for the purposes of growing participation amongst those that need to wear corrective lenses. This study reports on the profile and experiences of goggle wearers. 387 players received the goggles. Data were obtained from 188 (49 %) using an online, 75-item questionnaire. 87 % “strongly agreed/agreed” that goggles are beneficial and 75 % are happy with goggle performance. Common problems reported by 49.7 and 32.6 % of respondents were issues with fogging-up and getting dirty. 15 (8 %) players stopped wearing the goggles because of fogging-up, limits to peripheral vision and poor comfort/fit. Injuries were reported in 3 % of respondents. In none of these cases did the player stop wearing the goggles. From the positive experience of players in the trial, the goggles were adopted into the Laws of the game on July 1, 2019. As the need to correct vision with spectacles is common, and contact lenses are not worn by 80 % + of spectacle wearers, the new Rugby goggles will widen participation for those that need to wear refractive correction, or have an existing/increased risk of uniocular visual impairment

Repeatability and Reproducibility of Macular Thickness Measurements Using Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Aim: To evaluate repeatability and reproducibility of macular thickness measurements in visually normal eyes using the Topcon 3D OCT-1000. Methods: Phase 1 investigated scan repeatability, the effect of age and pupil dilation. Two groups (6 younger and 6 older participants) had one eye scanned 5 times pre and post- dilation by 1 operator. Phase 2 investigated between-operator, within and between-visit reproducibility. 10 participants had 1 un-dilated eye scanned 3 times on 2 separate visits by 2 operators. Results: Phase 1: No significant difference existed between repeat scans (p=0.75) and no significant difference was found pre- and post-dilation (p=0.54). In the younger group variation was low (95% limits ± 3.62 m) and comparable across all retinal regions. The older group demonstrated greater variation (95% limits ± 7.6 m). Phase 2: For a given retinal location, 95% confidence limits for within-operator, within-visit reproducibility was 5.16 m. This value increased to 5.56 m for the same operator over two visits and to 6.18 m for two operators over two visits. Conclusion: A high level repeatability, close to 6 m, of macular thickness measurement is possible using the 3D OCT- 1000. Measured differences in macular thickness between successive visits that exceed 6 m in pre-presbyopic individuals are therefore likely to reflect actual structural change. OCT measures are more variable in older individuals and it is advisable to take a series of scans so that outliers can be more easily identified

Athletes’ Perspectives of the Classification System in Para Alpine Skiing for Those With Visual Impairment

This study explored the classification experiences and views of Para Alpine skiers with visual impairment. Data from 11 interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to generate three themes: Suitability—The skiers questioned the suitability of the visual measurements, testing environment, and the information they received regarding classification; Exclusivity—Skiers felt certain aspects of the system remain exclusive due to the restrictions of sport classes and lack of the athlete voice; and (Dis)trust—Skiers felt distrust in those implementing the system and in other athletes due to intentional misrepresentation. Speculation surrounding this resulted in the skiers’ feeling doubt in their own classification. While there is not a “one size fits all” approach to classification, understanding skiers’ experiences can be a vital first step and will help to guide future research into the evolution of this sport’s classification

Estimation of cortical magnification from positional error in normally sighted and amblyopic subjects

yesWe describe a method for deriving the linear cortical magnification factor from positional error across the visual field. We compared magnification obtained from this method between normally sighted individuals and amblyopic individuals, who receive atypical visual input during development. The cortical magnification factor was derived for each subject from positional error at 32 locations in the visual field, using an established model of conformal mapping between retinal and cortical coordinates. Magnification of the normally sighted group matched estimates from previous physiological and neuroimaging studies in humans, confirming the validity of the approach. The estimate of magnification for the amblyopic group was significantly lower than the normal group: by 4.4 mm deg 1 at 18 eccentricity, assuming a constant scaling factor for both groups. These estimates, if correct, suggest a role for early visual experience in establishing retinotopic mapping in cortex. We discuss the implications of altered cortical magnification for cortical size, and consider other neural changes that may account for the amblyopic results

Prehension of a flanked target in individuals with amblyopia.

yesPurpose: Reduced binocularity is a prominent feature of amblyopia and binocular cues are thought to be important for prehension. We examine prehension in individuals with amblyopia when the target-object was flanked, thus mimicking everyday prehension. Methods: amblyopes (n=20, 36.4±11.7 years; 6 anisometropic, 3 strabismic, 11 mixed) and visually-normal controls (n=20, 27.5±6.3 years) reached forward, grasped and lifted a cylindrical target-object that was flanked with objects on either (lateral) side of the target, or in front and behind it in depth. Only 6 amblyopes (30%) had measurable stereoacuity. Trials were completed in binocular and monocular viewing, using the better eye in amblyopic participants. Results: Compared to visual normals, amblyopes displayed a longer overall movement time (p=0.031), lower average reach velocity (p=0.021), smaller maximum aperture (p=0.007) and longer durations between object contact and lift (p=0.003). Differences between groups were more apparent when the flankers were in front and behind, compared to either side, as evidenced by significant group-by-flanker configuration interactions for reach duration (p<0.001), size and timing of maximum aperture (p≤0.009), end-of-reach to object-contact (p<0.001), and between object contact and lift (p=0.044), suggesting that deficits are greatest when binocular cues are richest. Both groups demonstrated a significant binocular advantage, in that in both groups performance was worse for monocular compared to binocular viewing, but interestingly, amblyopic deficits in binocular viewing largely persisted during monocular viewing with the better eye. Conclusions: These results suggest that amblyopes either display considerable residual binocularity or that they have adapted to make good use of their abnormal binocularity

Rapid environmental change in games: complications and counter-intuitive outcomes.

Trimmer P, Barrett BJ, McElreath R, Sih A. Rapid environmental change in games: complications and counter-intuitive outcomes. Scientific reports. 2019;9(1): 7373.Human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) has recently led to alterations in the fitness and behavior of many organisms. Game theory is an important tool of behavioral ecology for analyzing evolutionary situations involving multiple individuals. However, game theory bypasses the details by which behavioral phenotypes are determined, taking the functional perspective straight from expected payoffs to predicted frequencies of behaviors. In contrast with optimization approaches, we identify that to use existing game theoretic models to predict HIREC effects, additional mechanistic details (or assumptions) will often be required. We illustrate this in relation to the hawk-dove game by showing that three different mechanisms, each of which support the same ESS prior to HIREC (fixed polymorphism, probabilistic choice, or cue dependency), can have a substantial effect on behavior (and success) following HIREC. Surprisingly, an increase in the value of resources can lead to a reduction in payoffs (and vice versa), both in the immediate- and long-term following HIREC. An increase in expected costs also increases expected payoffs. Along with these counter-intuitive findings, this work shows that simply understanding the behavioral payoffs of existing games is insufficient to make predictions about the effects of HIREC

A Robust and Reliable Test to Measure Stereopsis in the Clinic

yesPurpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a convenient test of stereopsis in the clinic that is both robust and reliable and capable of providing a measure of variability necessary to make valid comparisons between measurements obtained at different occasions or under different conditions. Methods: Stereo acuity was measured based on principles derived from the laboratory measurement of stereopsis (i.e., staircase method). Potential premeasurement compensations are described if there is a significant degree of ocular misalignment, reduced visual acuity, or aniseikonia. Forty-six adults at McGill University, 44 adults at Auckland University, and 51 adults from the University of Bradford, with an age range of 20 to 65 years old and normal or corrected-to-normal vision participated in this study. Results: Stereo acuity within this normal population was widely distributed, with a significant percentage (28%) of the population with only coarse stereo (>300 arc seconds). Across subjects, the SD was approximately 25% of the mean. Measurements at two different times were strongly (r = 0.79) and significantly (P < 0.001) correlated, with little to no significant (P = 0.79) bias (0.01) between test and retest measures of stereopsis. Conclusions: The application enables measurements over the wide disparity range and not just at the finest disparities. In addition, it allows changes in stereopsis of the order of 1.9 to be statistically distinguished

Targeted transperineal biopsy of the prostate has limited additional benefit over background cores for larger MRI-identified tumors.

PURPOSE: To compare histological outcomes in patients undergoing MRI-transrectal ultrasound fusion transperineal (MTTP) prostate biopsy and determine the incremental benefit of targeted cores. METHODS: Seventy-six consecutive patients with 89 MRI-identified targets underwent MTTP biopsy. Separate targeted biopsies and background cores were obtained according to a standardized protocol. Target biopsies were considered of added diagnostic value if these cores showed a higher Gleason grade than non-targeted cores taken from the same sector (Group 1, n = 41). Conversely, where background cores demonstrated an equal or higher Gleason grade, target cores were considered to be non-beneficial (Group 2, n = 48). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in age, PSA, prostate volume, time-to-biopsy, and number of cores obtained between the groups. A greater proportion of target cores were positive for cancer (158/228; 69.3 %) compared to background (344/1881; 18.38 %). The median target volume was 0.54 cm(3) for Group 1 (range 0.09-2.79 cm(3)) and 1.65 cm(3) for Group 2 (0.3-9.07 cm(3)), p 1.0 cm.The authors acknowledge research support from Cancer Research UK, National Institute of Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cancer Research UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Imaging Centre in Cambridge and Manchester and the Cambridge Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00345-015-1650-

Contrast nephropathy in patients with impaired renal function: High versus low osmolar media

Contrast nephropathy in patients with impaired renal function: High versus low osmolar media. Prescription of low osmolar contrast to prevent nephrotoxicity in subjects with pre-existing renal impairment is costly and has not been clearly shown to be effective. We entered 249 subjects with a pre-contrast serum creatinine greater than 120 /xmol/liter (1.35 mg/dl) having cardiac catheterization or intravenous contrast into a randomized controlled trial comparing high and low osmolar contrast. The outcome assessed was a rise in serum creatinine repeated 48 to 72 hours after contrast. A further 117 patients entered the non-randomized prospective arm of the study. In the randomized study the serum creatinine rose by at least 25% after contrast in 8 of 117 (6.8%) given high and in 5 of 132 (3.8%) given low osmolar contrast (P > 0.05, one-tailed 95% confidence interval for the difference 3 to 7.8%). More severe renal failure (greater than 50% increase in serum creatinine) after contrast was uncommon (3.4% with high and 1.5% with low osmolar contrast). A rise in serum creatinine after contrast was significantly associated with the severity of the pre-contrast renal impairment and the presence of diabetes mellitus, but not with type of contrast. Diabetics with a serum creatinine greater than 200 µl/liter (2.25 mg/dl) pre-contrast had a highest risk of deterioration in renal function after contrast. We conclude that in patients with pre-existing renal impairment the incidence of contrast nephropathy was not significantly different comparing high osmolar and nonionic contrast. The potential benefit of nonionic contrast in moderate renal impairment is likely to be small, but trials in diabetics with severe renal impairment should be undertaken urgently