Repeatability of \u3cem\u3eIn Vivo\u3c/em\u3e Parafoveal Cone Density and Spacing Measurements

Purpose. To assess the repeatability and measurement error associated with cone density and nearest neighbor distance (NND) estimates in images of the parafoveal cone mosaic obtained with an adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope (AOSLO).Methods. Twenty-one participants with no known ocular pathology were recruited. Four retinal locations, approximately 0.65[degrees] eccentricity from the center of fixation, were imaged 10 times in randomized order with an AOSLO. Cone coordinates in each image were identified using an automated algorithm (with or without manual correction) from which cone density and NND were calculated. Owing to naturally occurring fixational instability, the 10 images recorded from a given location did not overlap entirely. We thus analyzed each image set both before and after alignment.Results. Automated estimates of cone density on the unaligned image sets showed a coefficient of repeatability of 11,769 cones/mm2 (17.1%). The primary reason for this variability appears to be fixational instability, as aligning the 10 images to include the exact same retinal area results in an improved repeatability of 4358 cones/mm2 (6.4%) using completely automated cone identification software. Repeatability improved further by manually identifying cones missed by the automated algorithm, with a coefficient of repeatability of 1967 cones/mm2 (2.7%). NND showed improved repeatability and was generally insensitive to the undersampling by the automated algorithm.Conclusions. As our data were collected in a young, healthy population, this likely represents a best-case estimate for corresponding measurements in patients with retinal disease. Similar studies need to be carried out on other imaging systems (including those using different imaging modalities, wavefront correction technology, and/or image analysis software), as repeatability would be expected to be highly sensitive to initial image quality and the performance of cone identification algorithms. Separate studies addressing intersession repeatability and interobserver reliability are also needed

Three poems wi a preamble in the Scots tongue

The language o these three poems may be shortly described as the East-Side Edinburgh, dialect, bit Ah hae a word or twa ti say anent language in general, an ma Edinburgh dialect in particular. Noo, it hiz aye appeared ti me that, gin ony Scottish speech wud be true an natural-lika, it maun follow the same development in the individual as ony ither language ix' dialect whatsoiver. Ony sort o hauf-nducated buddy; ony raan ir wummin, that is, wha hiz eneugh buik-learnin ti ettle eftir writin somethin original, maun develoo his language oi the same Process, nae maitter whither he writes in Braid Scots ir in Standard English. This process, ti ma wey o thinkin, sterts richt awaw back when as bairns wi first ettle ti parrot the soons spoken bi the folk moon about iz. The basis o ony tongue, therefore, is yin o pronunciation; the wee bairn stammers oot his smaw speec1 in the accent o his alu fireside, the accent that will inair ir less bide _ in his speech ti the end o his days. The words thirsels hae less importance than the accent in wailk they are spoken. As the bairn grows in knowledge an in years, his min' gits filled wi new ideas that maun be expressed bi the general standard terminology, beciz the local mainner o speakin canny cope wi the situation.! At the schuil, forbye, the growin bairn maun read buiks written in Standard English, an gin he dizny hatïen ti hae been bro3ht up on standard weys o speakin, he will hae ti anak a stoot- herted, bit no over successfy, attempt ti read thorn the wey he is telt. The later deve.lonment o the soeech o ony individual wha gaes aboot e bit, an reads onything that he oin git a haud o, involves the assimilation o aw kinds o words an phrases, ivory yin o whilk, hooiver, is altered bi contact 1 his ain original accent. The ootcoa,:,e o aw this is that a literary dialect maun bi its ain nature contain words assimilated. frae the standard language and frae ither dialects, the hale bein in a measure unified bi bein pronounced accordin ti the original local accent o the individual. In these three poems Ah has therefore ettled ti vase the function o accent in a mainner worthy o the 1mj)ortance whilk it posse,_ ?es in this theory o dialect, bi writin doon the words as Ah wud naiturally pronounce thump wi as muckle phonetic accuracy as is possible ri the usual alphabetic characters. The first poem describes a wee laddie' s adventure, frae a bairn's point o vie, an in the dialect o a wee Edinburgh keelie. Ah'll no say that it is juist the bonniest dialect that Ah hae heard, bit thalx ye are; Ah happened ti be brocht up on it, an had ti tak whit Al got. The second Yin belongs ti the transition period, in whilk the growin balm is warslin awaw wi an unfamiliar accent an maistly findin it a sair feat. The third is written in th last stage o the process, when a buddy is free ti think fir himsel. It will be seen that the vocabulary is a wee bit main varied nor that o the first Wee poem, an that the ugly, staucherin glolal stop hiz been dropped awthigitherp fir sharely a man may hae as muckle discretion o his ain as practise speakin withoot that awfy-like soon. In conclusion, Ah wad like ti apJly this theory o dialect ti the question o Synthetic Scots. Ti ma wey o thinkin, the yin true an naitural Scottish literature maun follow the process described abuin, an the malt advantage it tales o the widenin o scope afforded bi the last stage, the richer a meal* w. it hae ti wart wi. Naethin, on the ither haunt cud be main artificial than ti gae ti a fermhoose wi a wee note-bulk jottin doon the words as they tumble frae the lips o the :termer an his guid wife, an then atudyin thum up at hame, an manufacturin a poem accordin ti the limitations o thir speech

Perceptions and understanding of genetics and genetic eye disease and attitudes to genetic testing and gene therapy in a primary eye care setting

Background: Genetic eye pathology represents a significant percentage of the causes of blindness in industrialized countries. This study explores the level of understanding and perceptions of genetics and inherited eye diseases and the attitudes to genetic testing and gene therapy. Methods: The study was conducted in two parts. Participant groups included were: undergraduate students of optometry, primary eye care professionals and members of the general public. A preliminary study aimed to understand perceptions and to explore the level of knowledge about genetics in general, eye genetics and gene therapy. A second survey was designed to explore attitudes to genetic testing and gene therapy. Results: The majority of participants (82%) perceived genetics as an important science. However, none of them showed a high level of understanding of genetics and inherited eye diseases. Undergraduate students and primary eye care professionals were better informed about inherited eye diseases than the general public (p = 0.001). The majority (80%) across all three groups had a positive attitude to genetic testing and gene therapy. There was a lack of knowledge about the genetic services available among all groups of participants. Conclusion: This calls for serious thinking about the level of dissemination of information about genetics and inherited eye diseases. It shows a broadly supportive attitude to genomic medicine among the public. Improving public awareness and education in inherited eye diseases can improve the utility of genetic testing and therapy

Effect of nimesulide and indomethacin on contractility and the Ca(2+) channel current in myometrial smooth muscle from pregnant women

1. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indomethacin inhibits both constitutive and inducible forms of cyclo-oxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2, respectively), while nimesulide is a selective COX-2 inhibitor. Uterine COX-2 is upregulated before and during term and pre-term labour, and prostaglandins play a crucial role in parturition. We therefore evaluated the effects of these drugs on myometrial contractility and the voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel current in tissue strips and isolated human myometrial smooth muscle cells (HMSMC) from myometrial biopsies taken with informed consent from women undergoing caesarean section at term (not in labour). 2. Nimesulide and indomethacin caused almost complete inhibition of spontaneous myometrial contractions at concentrations of 100 and 300 μM, respectively. The Ca(2+) channel current was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by both drugs, with a 40% reduction of the current at 100 μM nimesulide and 300 μM indomethacin. Nimesulide also accelerated the decay of the Ca(2+) channel current. 3. The inhibition of the Ca(2+) channel current by 100 μM nimesulide and 300 μM indomethacin was unaffected by the presence of either PGF(2α) or PGE(2) (30 μM), and was of similar magnitude whether 10 mM Ba(2+) or 1.5 mM Ca(2+) was used as the charge carrier. 4. The concentrations of indomethacin and nimesulide required to suppress spontaneous contractility in human pregnant myometrium were much higher than those necessary to inhibit prostaglandin production. The results suggest that both nimesulide and indomethacin inhibit myometrial contractility via mechanisms independent of cyclo-oxygenase inhibition. Blockade of the Ca(2+) current may contribute to this effect