Difficult Differences: A Socio-cultural Analysis of How Diversity Can Enable and Inhibit Creativity

The relationship between diversity and creativity can be seen as paradoxical. A diversity of perspectives should be advantageous for collaborative creativity, yet its benefits are often offset by adverse social processes. One suggestion for overcoming these negative effects is perspective taking. We compared four dyads with low scores on trait perspective taking with four dyads who were high on trait perspective taking on a brainstorming task followed by reconstructive interviews. Trait-based perspective taking was strongly associated with greater creativity. However, contrary with expectation, interactional perspective taking behaviors (including questioning, signaling understanding, repairing) were associated with lesser creativity. The dyads that generated the fewest ideas were most likely to get stuck within ideational domains, struggling to understand one-another, having to elaborate and justify their ideas more. In contrast, the dyads that generated many ideas were more likely to recognize each other's ideas as valuable without extensive justification or negotiation. We suggest that perspective taking is crucially important for mediating diversity in the generation of new ideas not only because it enables understanding the perspective of the other, but because it entails an atmosphere of tolerance, playfulness, and mutual recognition

Spontaneous full thickness macular hole development and closure in a patient with nucleus dislocation due to hypermature cataract: a case report

Spontaneous posterior capsule rupture with lens-nucleus dislocation is a very rare entity, as is the development and spontaneous closure of a full thickness macular hole (FTMH) after vitrectomy. The occurrence of these two entities in one eye has not been previously described. A 79- year-old woman was referred because of the right eye intermittent pain and progressive visual loss. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with correction for aphakia was 20/20. Intraocular pressure was normal with therapy. The cornea, anterior chamber, and vitreous were clear. Gonioscopy was normal. The capsular bag was clear, with rolled-up anterior and posterior lens capsule, and the nucleus dislocated in the vitreous. As surgery waiting time was prolonged due to administrative problems, the patient’s intraocular pressure (IOP) increased and cystoid macular edema (CME) with lamellar macular hole developed. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy with endophacofragmentation and epiretinal membrane peeling. Postoperative optical coherence tomography was normal, BCVA was 20/40, and IOP was normal with topical therapy. One month after surgery, the eye was without signs of inflammation and IOP started rising in spite of maximum therapy. CME reoccurred and progressed to a FTMH, which started closing spontaneously in one month. One year after surgery, IOP normalized and FTMH closed completely. A dislocated crystalline lens in a quiet eye with normal BCVA, which rapidly developed into intractable glaucoma and FTMH, is an unusual finding. The deterioration was followed by spontaneous IOP normalization and macular hole closure. Such unexpected disease course, suggesting a possible autoimmune reaction, has not yet been describe

Spontaneous full thickness macular hole development and closure in a patient with nucleus dislocation due to hypermature cataract: a case report

Spontaneous posterior capsule rupture with lens-nucleus dislocation is a very rare entity, as is the development and spontaneous closure of a full thickness macular hole (FTMH) after vitrectomy. The occurrence of these two entities in one eye has not been previously described. A 79- year-old woman was referred because of the right eye intermittent pain and progressive visual loss. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with correction for aphakia was 20/20. Intraocular pressure was normal with therapy. The cornea, anterior chamber, and vitreous were clear. Gonioscopy was normal. The capsular bag was clear, with rolled-up anterior and posterior lens capsule, and the nucleus dislocated in the vitreous. As surgery waiting time was prolonged due to administrative problems, the patient’s intraocular pressure (IOP) increased and cystoid macular edema (CME) with lamellar macular hole developed. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy with endophacofragmentation and epiretinal membrane peeling. Postoperative optical coherence tomography was normal, BCVA was 20/40, and IOP was normal with topical therapy. One month after surgery, the eye was without signs of inflammation and IOP started rising in spite of maximum therapy. CME reoccurred and progressed to a FTMH, which started closing spontaneously in one month. One year after surgery, IOP normalized and FTMH closed completely. A dislocated crystalline lens in a quiet eye with normal BCVA, which rapidly developed into intractable glaucoma and FTMH, is an unusual finding. The deterioration was followed by spontaneous IOP normalization and macular hole closure. Such unexpected disease course, suggesting a possible autoimmune reaction, has not yet been describe

COMPARISON OF FAST PERIMETRIC STRATEGIES USING G2 PROGRAM ON OCTOPUS 101 PERIMETER

Background. The duration of the perimetric examination was significantly shortened by development of fast perimetric strategies. By analyzing the results of normal, dynamic and TOP strategy we studied the differences in determination of MD, LV, in determination of number of all points with a deficit and number of points with a significant deficit of p &lt; 0.5%.Methods. 22 normal visual fields of 17 subjects (mean age 33 ± 15 years) and 22 visual fields with defects of 17 patients (47 ± 16 years) having different types and degrees of visual lesions were examined. All visual fields were examined once with each strategy in alternating order using Octopus 101 perimeter with the G2 program.Results. No statistically significant differences were measured in MD values. In abnormal visual fields group, TOP strategy showed 11 ± 14 dB2 lower LV values compared to dynamic strategy (p &lt; 0.01) and 9.8 ± 16 dB2 lower LV values compared to normal strategy (p = 0.02). In the abnormal visual fields group the dynamic strategy measured in average 3 points with the deficit less compared to the other two strategies (p &lt; 0.05). There were no significant differences between strategies in the number of points with a deficit of p &lt; 0.5%.Conclusions. With the exception of lower LV values measured with TOP strategy, the differences between TOP, dynamic strategy results are small and the time sparing benefits are substantial. Therefore the usage of fast perimetric strategies is clinically justified.</p

Anatomical success rate of pars plana vitrectomy for treatment of complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

BACKGROUND: Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) is preferred surgical procedure for the management of complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anatomical results of primary PPV for the treatment of primary complex RRD and to determine the influence of lens status, tamponading agent, preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and axial length (AL) of the eye upon the anatomical outcome. METHODS: A retrospective consecutive chart analysis was performed on 117 eyes from 117 patients with complex RRD managed with PPV. Fifty-nine eyes were phakic and 58 pseudophakic eyes. All patients had a minimum follow-up period of 12 months. Eyes were classified into groups using independent variables (first classification based upon lens status and tamponade used, second classification based upon lens and PVR status and third classification based upon AL of the eye). The groups were compared for anatomical outcomes (dependent variables) using nonparametric- or, in case of normally distributed data, parametric- statistical tests. RESULTS: Retinal reattachment rate in phakic eyes was 94.9% compared to 93.1% in pseudophakic, with no statistically significant difference between the two. The overall retinal reattachment rate with single surgery was 94.0%. Final reattachment rate was 97.4%. In case of established PVR >/= C1, the reattachment rate was not statistically different (92.6%) from eyes with no PVR (91.1%) irrespective of lens status. A statistically significant difference was found between redetachment rates only between phakic eyes with gas tamponade compared to silicon oil (SO) (p = 0.001). Reattachment rate proved to be similar in both AL groups ( 24 mm). CONCLUSIONS: High anatomical success rate of primary vitrectomy for complex RRD with either gas or SO tamponade was achieved in phakic as well as pseudophakic eyes irrespective of AL of the eye

COMPARISON OF FAST STRATEGIES WITH NORMAL THRESHOLD STRATEGY USING OCTOPUS PROGRAMME M2 IN CENTRAL FIELD DEFECTS

Background. Fast test strategies are relatively new methods for assessing differential light sensitivity threshold in computer assisted perimetry. The purpose of our study was to compare and evaluate the accuracy of normal threshold strategy, dynamic strategy and TOP (Tendency Oriented Perimetry) strategy by testing central visual field with programme Octopus M2, which has the greatest concentration of test points (81 test points in the central 10 degrees area). A similar comparative study with programme Octopus M2 has not been done yet.Methods. 30 normal eyes and 30 eyes with central field defects of different degrees and etiology were tested. The testing was performed with Octopus 101 perimeter in standard conditions. The programme M2 was used. Each eye was tested three times – once with normal, once with dynamic and once with TOP strategy. Each subject had at least 20 minutes of break between each testing. The sequence of the strategies was equally alternated for all three strategies.Differences between strategies were statistically evaluated regarding examination time, parameters MS (Mean Sensitivity), MD (Mean Defect) and LV (Loss Variance), the extent and depth of a field defect, sensitivity and specificity.Results. Fast strategies significantly reduce examination time. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the observed parameters in the group of eyes with field defects. There were statistically significant differences in MS and MD in the group of normal eyes (p &lt; 0.01), but these differences were not clinically important. All three strategies are well comparable regarding sensitivity and specificity.Conclusions. Fast test strategies (especially TOP strategy) represent a good alternative to normal threshold strategy. Better efficiency of fast strategies justifies their greater clinical application.</p

Začetak transplantacije bubrega u jugoistočnoj Europi

Organ transplantation is one of the most important medical achievements of the 20th century. Kidney transplantation is the most efficient method of renal replacement therapy. The first successful kidney transplantation in human was performed in 1954 in Boston, USA. In former Yugoslavia, the first kidney transplantation was performed on April 16, 1970 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and second one on January 30, 1971 in Rijeka, Croatia. In both cases, the mother donated kidney to the son. In the article, we describe the prerequisite conditions for this operation, the characteristics of first patients, and the impact of transplantation program on the development of the hospitals and medical schools.Transplantacija organa zasigurno predstavlja jedno od najvećih dostignuća 20. stoljeća. Transplantacija bubrega je najučinkovitija metoda od svih oblika nadomještanja bubrežne funkcije. Prva uspješna transplantacija bubrega u ljudi je učinjena u Bostonu, SAD, 1954. godine. U bivšoj Jugoslaviji prva transplantacija bubrega je učinjena 16. travnja 1970. u Ljubljani, Slovenija, a potom 30. siječnja 1971. u Rijeci, Hrvatska. Darivatelj je kod oba bolesnika bila majka, a primatelj sin. U članku ćemo prikazati što je prethodilo ovim operacijama, značajke prvih bolesnika te utjecaj transplantacijskog programa na razvoj matičnih bolnica i fakulteta

POLYMORPHISMS OF DOPAMINE RECEPTORS IN PATIENTS WITH RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA

Background. Dopamine (DA) has a specific role in modulation of retinal function, renewal and phagocytosis of shed discs by the retinal pigment epithelium. Animal model of RCS (Royal College of Surgeons) rats which have impaired retinal phagocytosis has shown an appearance similar to the clinical picture seen in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Based on RCS rats’ studies and the fact that DA has an important role in retinal renewal we assume that certain DA receptor polymorphisms might play a role in pathogenesis of RP.Materials and methods. We compared a group of 65 RP patients and 80 healthy individuals. Using PCR method and restriction with DdeI, TaqI or MspI restriction enzymes (DRD1, DRD2, DRD3 respectively) we determined the polymorphisms of DRD1, DRD2 and DRD3. Three models of expression (codominant, dominant, recessive) were statistically compared with χ 2-test.Results. We found an evidence for association between DRD2 TaqI RFLP, OR = 1.9 (95% CI: 1.7–2.3), p = 0.08, under autosome recessive model of inheritance. Other models for any of the DRD polymorphisms did not show a significant association with RP.Conclusions. A potential association was found between RP and DRD2 polymorphism. Further investigation is needed to confirm potential implication of DRD2 in the pathogenesis of RP.</p