The Unsung Kingdom Translation Project Designing an Effective and Sustainable Classroom Activity for a Japanese Video Game Translation

This paper presents the experience of the design of a didactic activity for the translation of a Japanese video game in Italian, carried out in 2020 during the first year of the Japanese language course of the Master’s Degree Programme in Language and Civilisation of Asia and Mediterranean Africa at Ca’ Foscari University. The described protocol allows the design of video game translation sessions as a teaching activity, overcoming some typical technical and organisational problems. One important issue this paper addresses involves the possibility of reviewing the translation within the game, which is fundamental to understanding how to translate texts for this medium. The paper will also give an overview of the translation issues that students encountered during the activity and of how they solved them. Finally, the results of a survey will show whether the implemented protocol and classroom activity were satisfactory for the students and how they can be improved

Sex hormones in allergic conjunctivitis: altered levels of circulating androgens and estrogens in children and adolescents with vernal keratoconjunctivitis

PURPOSE: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic allergic disease mainly affecting boys in prepubertal age and usually recovering after puberty. To evaluate a possible role of sex hormones in VKC, serum levels of sex hormones in children and adolescents with VKC were assessed. METHODS: 12 prepubertal and 7 early pubertal boys with active VKC and 6 male patients with VKC in remission phase at late pubertal age and 48 healthy age and sex-matched subjects were included. Serum concentration of estrone, 17 beta-estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate, total testosterone and free testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), cortisol, delta-4-androstenedione, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and sex-hormones binding globuline (SHBG) were evaluated. RESULTS: Serum levels of Estrone were significantly increased in all groups of patients with VKC when compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). Prepubertal and early pubertal VKC showed a significant decrease in DHT (P = 0.007 and P = 0.028, resp.) and SHBG (P = 0.01 and P = 0.002, resp.) when compared to controls and serum levels of SHBG were increased in late pubertal VKC in remission phase (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: VKC patients have different circulating sex hormone levels in different phases of the disease and when compared to nonallergic subjects. These findings suggest a role played by sex hormones in the pathogenesis and/or activity of VKC

The Kanji game: An online word recognition application for SL Italian learners of Japanese

Aim of this study is to investigate the impact of an online word recognition application on the reading skills of Italian Japanese learners. The application is designed to enhance learners' automatic word recognition abilities by incorporating principles of reaction time research and gamification. Japanese being a complex writing system that requires mastery of orthography and phonology, automatic word recognition is a crucial aspect of fluent reading. Reaction time research has demonstrated that the faster a person can recognize a word, the more fluent their reading becomes. Moreover, gamification has been found to be an effective means of motivating learners and improving their performance. The implementation and evaluation of this online word recognition application represents a novel approach to enhancing Italian Japanese learners’ reading proficiency

E-learning sostenibile per la didattica del giapponese. Progettare per l'apprendimento autonomo.

Il presente volume intende fornire al lettore gli strumenti teorici di base per affrontare la progettazione di e-learning per la lingua giapponese. La monografia, tramite la disamina del caso di studio JaLea, prende in considerazione aspetti degli artefatti digitali raramente indagati nella letteratura sui software per l’apprendimento, ma fondamentali per aumentare la motivazione del discente, ovvero: il sistema, l’interfaccia, la navigazione e la grafica. In particolare, viene introdotto un quadro di riferimento per l’analisi delle strategie di esperienza utente e sostenibilità, adattabili anche a differenti esigenze di progettazione di applicativi per lo studio delle lingue straniere.With the Lisbon 2000 Strategy, the focus of education systems has shifted from contents to competencies and due to the constant update of new technologies, education has to be considered as a lifelong process. In this context, online technologies play an increasingly crucial role. While research on learning software has mainly focused on the contents and digital medium in teaching, this study examines aspects of the digital artifacts that have been rarely investigated but are fundamental to increase the learner’s motivation, including system, interface, navigation, and graphics. Specifically, this work develops a new framework to analyze user experience and sustainability strategies that have been implemented in the case study JaLea. The analysis of primary data, collected with surveys and interviews, allows determining whether these strategies are effective for the creation of e-learning systems that are useful for the learner’s personal study, as well as investigate possible developments for teaching environments

Rare diseases of the anterior segment of the eye: update on diagnosis and management

This special issue is focused on the current approaches used to identify and manage rare diseases of the anterior segment of the eye, which range from congenital to acquired disorders that are caused by ocular or systemic conditions and often have consequences that extend beyond the anterior segment of the eye

Ocular manifestations of Sturge–Weber syndrome: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management

Sturge-Weber syndrome has been included in the group of phakomatoses that is characterized by hamartomas involving the brain, skin, and eyes. The characteristic facial port-wine stain, involving the first branch of the trigeminal nerve and the embryonic vasculature distribution in this area, leads to several ocular complications of the anterior segment and can involve the eyelids and conjunctiva. The posterior segment of the eyes is also affected with diffuse choroidal hemangiomas. However, the most frequent ocular comorbidity is glaucoma with a prevalence rate ranging from 30%-70%. Glaucoma is related to anterior chamber malformations, high episcleral venous pressure (EVP), and changes in ocular hemodynamics. Glaucoma can be diagnosed at birth, but the disease can also develop during childhood and in adults. The management of glaucoma in Sturge-Weber syndrome patients is particularly challenging because of early onset, frequently associated severe visual field impairment at the time of diagnosis, and unresponsiveness to standard treatment. Several surgical approaches have been proposed, but long-term prognosis for both intraocular pressure control and visual function remains unsatisfactory in these patients. Choroidal hemangiomas may also lead to visual impairment thorough exudative retinal detachment and macular edema. Treatment of exudative hemangioma complications is aimed at destructing the tumor or decreasing tumor leakage

NGF and NGF-receptor expression of cultured immortalized human corneal endothelial cells

Several growth factors, including nerve growth factor (NGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), play an important role in the homeostasis of the ocular surface. The involvement of both these growth factors in the pathophysiology of intraocular tissues has been extensively investigated. Despite the expression of NGF receptors by corneal endothelium, to date the role of NGF on the endothelial cell remains to be determined. Using a clonal cell line of human corneal endothelial cells, the aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the NGF-receptor and the potential partnership of NGF and VEGF in maintaining cell viability in vitro

Sands of Sahara after LASIK in Avellino Corneal Dystrophy

We report the case of a patient diagnosed with Avellino corneal dystrophy (ACD) who developed diffuse interstitial keratitis following excimer laser insitu keratomileusis (LASIK). ACD is an autosomal dominant corneal dystrophy characterized by multiple asymmetric stromal opacities that impair vision. Accepted treatments for this condition include corneal transplantation and phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). Our patient underwent LASIK at another institution to correct myopia. LASIK and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) are usually contraindicated in ACD for the high risk of disease recurrence and postoperative complications. The patient came to our attention lamenting blurry vision, decreased visual acuity, and photophobia. Ophthalmologic examination revealed bilateral interstitial keratitis, also known as “sands of Sahara”, a seldom-seen complication of LASIK characterized by fine and diffuse granular infiltrates at the surgical flap interface.The risk of developing interstitial keratitis, as in the case presented here, represents another valid reason for avoiding LASIK in patients with ACD

Tear levels of neuropeptides increase after specific allergen challenge in allergic conjunctivitis

Growing evidence is showing a role of neurogenic inflammation in allergic reactions, with sensory and autonomic nerve fibers releasing neuromediators, which may actively participate in the allergic inflammatory cascade. Although the cornea is the most densely innervated tissue of the human body, little is known on the role of neuromediators at the ocular surface. In this study, we aimed at evaluating the role of substance P (SP), calcitonine gene related peptide (CGRP), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in allergic reactions of the ocular surface