Ocular Hypertension: A Review And Evidence-Based Roadmap

Increased intraocular pressure is arguably the most important, and currently the only modifiable, risk factor for glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Ocular hypertension is often encountered by clinicians in daily practice and is expected to be seen with increasing frequency as the population ages. Awareness and understanding of the extensive research performed on this subject, with particular focus on the work of the Ocular Hypertension Study Group, are critical for comprehensively assessing the risk of conversion to glaucoma. Although management decisions can be complex, they can be aptly handled by the well-informed optometrist in consultation with their patients

Exploring the Language of Facilitation

Abstract Whilst language is the means by which facilitation is realised, there has been little research to date investigating language use in facilitation. Through the design of an online reflective practice survey, this paper explores facilitators' perceptions of language use in facilitation. The paper presents results from the online reflective practice survey involving 140 facilitators from around the world. The paper establishes that like the language of business, or the language of politics, there may be an emerging language of facilitation, with facilitators implicitly understanding what it means to "speak facilitatively". Indeed, speaking facilitatively appears to be based on respect and can be characterised by the use of linguistic politeness devices. While spoken language plays an important part in facilitation, our survey participants strongly indicated that body language is as important as spoken language, and that spoken language is only a part of the 'complete facilitation package'. Finally, the use of metaphor for investigating facilitator styles is found to be a useful tool for revealing core facilitator values

Beyond employability skills: Developing professional purpose

Rapid transformation of the workplace and a highly competitive labour market has changed the nature of graduate employability. In addition to discipline related knowledge, students now need to be proactive and adaptable in identifying career opportunities.  This paper presents a conceptual model that views employability as determined by an overarching professional purpose mindset.  This mindset reflects a person’s commitment to developing a professional future aligned to personal values, professional aspirations and societal outlook. Four specific mindsets are encapsulated within professional purpose (curiosity, collaboration, action and growth) and relate to three domains of development (self and social awareness; navigating the world of work and networks). Two studies were conducted to explore the professional purpose model.  Study one was a qualitative study in which 33 undergraduate students (19 female; 14 male) explored their career decision making.  Focus group and interview data showed that each of the four positive mindsets operated in many students’ proactive career related behaviours.  However, for other students, alternative mindsets negatively influenced their career related behaviour.  In the second study, 42 academics (28 male; 14 female)  identified unit learning outcomes in existing curricula related to the three domains of development.  All domains were evident but outcomes for navigating the world of work received most emphasis.  Implications of the findings for further development of the professional purpose model are discussed

A case of open angle glaucoma secondary to Posner-Schlossman Syndrome

This is a case report demonstrating appropriate diagnosis and management of PSS and its possible sequelae. Posner-Schlossman Syndrome is characterized by recurrent, unilateral attacks of significantly increased intraocular pressure. The etiology and pathophysiology of this condition remains unclear. Duration of this chronic condition and the risk of developing secondary open angle glaucoma are directly proportional. The patient and managing optometrist must be aware of the necessity of timely intervention during acute attacks, as well as adherent longitudinal care to preserve function and quality of life. The ensuing case report and review underscores the impact of this disease

Un cas de glaucome à angle ouvert consécutif au syndrome de Posner-Schlossman

Cette observation clinique présente le diagnostic et la prise en charge appropriés du syndrome de Posner-Schlossman (SPS) et de ses séquelles possibles. Le SPS se caractérise par des poussées unilatérales et récurrentes de pression intraoculaire fortement accrue. Bien que l’étiologie et la pathophysiologie de cette maladie chronique demeurent incertaines, sa durée est directement corrélée au risque de développer un glaucome secondaire à angle ouvert. Le patient et l’optométriste responsable doivent être conscients de la nécessité d’une intervention en temps opportun pendant les poussées aiguës, ainsi que du respect des soins longitudinaux pour préserver la fonction et la qualité de vie. Cette observation clinique et cet examen de cas soulignent l’impact de cette maladie

Effect of postactivation potentiation on fifty-meter freestyle in national swimmers

Effect of postactivation potentiation (PAP) on fifty meters freestyle in national swimmers. 2013.- The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of PAP on 50m freestyle in national-level swimmers. Four warm-ups were compared: A traditional race-specific warm-up (RSWU), upper body PAP (UBPAP), lower body PAP (LBPAP) and combined PAP warm-up (CPAP). Eighteen (10 men, 8 women) national-level swimmers participated in this study, which included seven separate testing sessions. Participants' 3 repetition maximum (3RM) of the pull-up (PU) was established in session 1. In session 2, rest periods for muscle enhancement of the upper body were determined using a medicine-ballthrow test 4, 8 and 12 minutes post UBPAP stimulus (1 x 3RM of the PU). In session 3, swimmers performed a counter movement jump 4, 8 and 12 minutes post LBPAP stimulus (1x5 jumps to a box whilst carrying 10% of the participants' body weight). The 50m freestyle tests were performed on sessions 4 to 7, preceded by each warm-up protocol and corresponding rest periods. A repeated measures ANOVA (p<0.05) and Bonferroni post hoc test revealed that RSWU elicited faster swimming times than UBPAP (29.00 ± 2.05 vs. 29.36 ± 1.88s p=0.046). Additionally, when data were split into gender, in the male group the UBPAP elicited significantly slower times than RSWU (27.51 ± 1.06 vs. 28.01 ± 1.17s p=0.047) and CPAP (27.49 ± 1.12 vs. 28.01 ± 1.17s p=0.02). These findings suggest individualized PAP warm-up may be a valuable tool to enhance performance in sprint events, particularly in male swimmers. However, the PU may not be an appropriate PAP stimulus on its own

Identification and characterization of a novel non-structural protein of bluetongue virus

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the causative agent of a major disease of livestock (bluetongue). For over two decades, it has been widely accepted that the 10 segments of the dsRNA genome of BTV encode for 7 structural and 3 non-structural proteins. The non-structural proteins (NS1, NS2, NS3/NS3a) play different key roles during the viral replication cycle. In this study we show that BTV expresses a fourth non-structural protein (that we designated NS4) encoded by an open reading frame in segment 9 overlapping the open reading frame encoding VP6. NS4 is 77–79 amino acid residues in length and highly conserved among several BTV serotypes/strains. NS4 was expressed early post-infection and localized in the nucleoli of BTV infected cells. By reverse genetics, we showed that NS4 is dispensable for BTV replication in vitro, both in mammalian and insect cells, and does not affect viral virulence in murine models of bluetongue infection. Interestingly, NS4 conferred a replication advantage to BTV-8, but not to BTV-1, in cells in an interferon (IFN)-induced antiviral state. However, the BTV-1 NS4 conferred a replication advantage both to a BTV-8 reassortant containing the entire segment 9 of BTV-1 and to a BTV-8 mutant with the NS4 identical to the homologous BTV-1 protein. Collectively, this study suggests that NS4 plays an important role in virus-host interaction and is one of the mechanisms played, at least by BTV-8, to counteract the antiviral response of the host. In addition, the distinct nucleolar localization of NS4, being expressed by a virus that replicates exclusively in the cytoplasm, offers new avenues to investigate the multiple roles played by the nucleolus in the biology of the cell

Developing expertise through experience: Ideas for continuing professional development

Edited by Alan Maley, the book is focusing on the role of experience in teacher training and life-long development, it is an exploration and extension of Prabhu’s concept of ‘the teacher’s sense of plausibility’. Prabhu suggests that whatever forms of training and professional development teachers are exposed to, they will make sense of them in their own way, drawing on their own values, beliefs and experiences and their evolving sense of what will be appropriate for them in their specific context. Twenty practitioners world-wide were invited to reflect on their own career trajectories in the light of Prabhu’s idea. Their responses offer fascinating insights into the way places, publications, ideas and key people have influenced the professional and personal development of the contributors