Vision problems following stroke: developing a best practice statement

An estimated 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke each year, and in developed countries, survival is increasing. Of those who survive 30 days or more after their first event, many experience stroke-related vision and visual problems. Although screening for such problems after diagnosis of stroke is recommended, no standard method for complying with this recommendation is available. As visual problems are not always recognised by the sufferer, or obvious to others, they can be overlooked. Undetected problems result in distress to the individual and the people important to them, and may result in longer stays in hospital or repeat admissions. Health professionals in the acute care setting need to be aware that there is a risk of visual problems after stroke and have access to best practice guidance for screening, assessment and management of stroke-related visual problems. This paper describes the process used by a multidisciplinary team to develop a best practice statement for screening, assessment and management of vision problems during the acute phase of stroke

Dockside Shellfish Aquaculture Project, Smith, B

The intent of this project was to train private dock owners and marina personnel how to deploy and maintain “spat collectors” under their docks in an effort to capture commercially important shellfish larvae, scallops and oysters in particular, with a minimum amount of effort and cost. The New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) provided major funding for this phase of the project, with addition funding from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and the Gulf of Maine Council (GOMC). This year’s effort expands upon the pilot studies that were funded previously by the New Hampshire Coastal Program (NHCP) and the Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation (GPCF). The larvae of most shellfish are free swimming, and can be carried by the tides, currents and wind a great distance. Most of the larvae never survive due to predation and lack of suitable habitat. If it were possible to capture even a small percentage of the larvae within a suitable predator free habitat, the resulting grown out shellfish could be used to enhance the existing beds of wild population shellfish. There are such programs currently being managed, including the Wild Scallop Enhancement Program in Maine and the Oyster Gardening Project on Chesapeake Bay. AERC was able to recruit a number of volunteers, or “Shellfish Stewards”, from the entire seacoast region to join in the project. Although there were challenges, the project was a success. The scallop spat collectors proved to work efficiently with minimal loss over the winter. Lots of shellfish larvae were found growing in the spat bags, with no predators present. Unfortunately, none of the targeted species were found in the bags. The oyster bags did not work as well; only three of the nine bags were covered to date. They may weigh too much, or have fouled too heavily and sank. The bags recovered had lots of shellfish spat growing on them, just no oysters. The next logical step in future efforts with the dockside aquaculture projects would be to consider the options of placing “pre-seeded” collectors onto the sites. AERC attempted to import scallops from the Maine enhancement program last summer as a contingency plan, but the transfer never occurred due to weather and logistical problems encountered at the time. AERC would like to thank our funding agencies for their support and aid in this research. Thanks as well to all of our shellfish stewards who dedicated their dock space, time and effort to help restore an important natural resource. Special thanks to Bill Marshall of the New Castle Conservation Committee, who was instrumental in recruiting our many shellfish stewards in New Castle. Bill also assisted the AERC staff in the deployment phase and was even there to tow us out of the mud during the retrieval operations

Best Practice Statement for Screening, Assessment and Management of Vision Problems in the First 30 Days after an Acute Stroke

No abstract available

Synthesis, X-Ray Crystallography, And Spectroscopic Studies Of Lanthanide Complexes Nitrogen Of Donor Ligand

In this study, several new compounds containing N-based donor ligands and group 11 transitions metal complexes were prepared and studied through luminescence, infrared, Raman, and other spectroscopic techniques. The coordinating N containing ligands used in this study were terpyridine (terpy) and phenanthroline (phen) derivatives, and TPAO (triazaphosphaadamantane oxide). TPAO was used to substitute some of the H2O quencher and to probe whether it could also act as an effective sensitizer. The photoluminescence studies show characteristic f-f emissions of the Tb3+ and Eu3+ ions. For the Tb3+ complexes the strongest band (hypersensitive band) was observed ~ 540nm corresponding to the5D4ï‚®7F5 transition, while for Eu3+ complexes the band at 615nm corresponding to the 5D0 → 7F2 transition dominates. The excitation spectra in both systems provides a strong band at ï¾358 nm corresponding to ï°ï€­ï€ ï°* transition the terpy ligand and ï¾380nm for Au(CN)2-. Terpy with phenanthroline derivatives were also explored which yielded four new compounds – [Tb(H2O)4(Au(CN)2)(C22H17N3)(TPAO)]Cl3 (1) ,[Eu(H2O)4(Au(CN)2)(C22H17N3)]Cl3 (2), [Tb(H2O)4(Au(CN)2)(C22H17N3)]Cl3 (3) and [Eu(H2O)4Au(CN)2(Phen)]Cl3 (4). New understanding regarding the mode of interaction is reported as well as spectroscopic data of these complexes

Summary of a Best Practice Statement for Screening, Assessment and Management of Vision Problems in the First 30 Days After an Acute Stroke

No abstract available

“Creating a Virtual Retail Store Using The Sims4™ Programs in a Visual Merchandising Course”

SnapFashun, a plugin software used in conjunction with Adobe Illustrator (SnapFashun, 2017), was previously used in a visual merchandising course to create a final project: a digital retail store. Due to technological problems and student frustrations, an alternative was chosen: The Sims4™ programs. The expectation was the change in technology would permit students to focus on applications of visual merchandising concepts and result in a more engaged, creative final project. YouTube videos and online guides aided in learning the software for The Sims4™ programs. The outcome was a digital retail store that permitted increased engagement, greater creativity, and the application of visual merchandising concepts learned in the course. Implications exist for a variety of other college programs for the creation of prototypes. Future plans include using The Sims4™ programs in the visual merchandising course for the purpose of creating multiple types of virtual window displays and digital retail floor plans

Vestibular Case Studies: A Case of CVA and Vestibular Paroxysmia

Case 1: Introduction: One of the leading causes of centrally based vestibular impairment is a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Patients typically present with limb or facial weakness, dizziness and imbalance, impaired vision, and speech or language dysfunction, however, these symptoms can vary depending on the site of lesion. Case presentation: An 85-year-old female presented with dizziness, bilateral tinnitus, aural fullness, and aphasia, occurring after she suffered a CVA. Three months after the CVA, she was seen by a balance clinic for a videonystagmography (VNG) and audiologic evaluation. Discussion: CVAs can alter the blood supply to the inner ear and its nerve support, leading to neurotologic symptoms. Consideration of the stroke location, like the AICA or PICA, can help lead to an accurate diagnosis and therapy recommendations. Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging is strongly encouraged for CVA patients presenting with dizziness. Locating the site of lesion before vestibular testing can provide better patient outcomes and recommendations. Case 2: Introduction: Vestibular Paroxysmia (VP) is a rare disease with symptoms such as episodic positional vertigo, tinnitus, and unilateral audiometric findings. Case presentation: A 68-year-old female reported to her local otolaryngologist with unilateral hearing loss in her right ear and vestibular symptoms. An MRI revealed VP, also known as a vascular loop, on her right side. Discussion: It is important to utilize a thorough case history in the diagnostic protocol for VP. An accurate case history and patient report can be the most important diagnostic tool in identifying the cause of symptoms. Conclusion: While diagnostic tests can at times definitively identify vestibular disorders, it is also important to consider the patient’s reported symptoms when investigating their dizziness. In this case study, an accurate and thorough case history helped lead to an MRI which identified VP when diagnostic tests could not

A novel paradigm to identify age- and stroke- related changes to gaze behaviour associated with falls risk during walking

This thesis aimed to investigate a novel way to explore changes in gaze behaviour, whilst walking, in frail populations. Initially three studies were conducted to establish how similar gaze behaviour recorded during walking was to that recorded whilst scene viewing. Duration of time and number of times different features were fixated were found to be similar in the three experiments. Older adults were assessed for falling risk and split into higher risk of falling (HROA) and lower risk of falling (LROA) groups. Their gaze behaviour was recorded whilst scene viewing along with a group of young adults. HROA were found to fixate the travel path longer than LROA and younger adults. HROA were slower at completing the incongruent Stroop task, suggesting a relationship between response inhibition and increased falling risk. A group of stroke patients were assessed for falling risk and split according to lesion location (parietal, occipital or frontal-temporal); gaze behaviour was recorded during scene viewing and compared to controls. Observable differences, which related to falling risk and lesion location, were shown in the gaze behaviour of the stroke patients compared to the controls. The findings of this thesis suggest that scene viewing could be used to better inform us about the changes in gaze behaviour which occur in frail populations that led to an increased risk of falling and the cognitive mechanisms which underlie these changes than laboratory studies