Overview of Common and Less Common Ocular Infections

Infection may occur in any tissue of the eye, orbit, and adnexa. Infection may spread directly through contact and indirectly through blood vessels (especially valveness veins) and nerves. A proper treatment for ocular infections is imperative because it dictates the prognosis. Ocular infections may share identical clinical finding and be caused by different etiologic agents. To obtain the best outcome, a systematic approach for ocular infections is essential. This chapter describes the characteristic clinical features and manifestations of some common ocular infections and the differentiation between them and inflammations and other diseases even without using new imaging modalities such as confocal electron microscopy, anterior segment optical coherence tomography, and laboratory tests including polymeraze chain reaction

Associations Between Parent Characteristics and Acceptability of Exposure-Based Treatments For Child and Adolescent Anxiety

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), particularly exposure therapy, is the most effective treatment for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents (Kendall et al., 2005). Little research has been done to explore parent acceptability of treatment for anxiety in children and adolescents, and no research has explored the acceptability of exposure for this population. The purpose of the present study was to examine parent acceptability of exposure for child and adolescent anxiety as well as variables associated with acceptability. Parents completed a demographic questionnaire, the Clinically Useful Anxiety Outcome Scale (Zimmerman et al., 2010), and the Family Accommodation Scale – Anxiety (Lebowitz et al., 2013). They then watched a brief video of a clinician explaining exposure to the parent of a child client. Lastly, they completed an assessment of their beliefs about exposure and rated the acceptability of exposure utilizing the Treatment Evaluation Inventory (Kazdin, 1980). Parental anxiety, accommodation, and endorsement of negative beliefs about exposure were hypothesized to negatively correlate with the acceptability of exposure. No significant associations were found between the variables. Exposure therapy was found to be acceptable by parents, as evidenced by a mean TEI-SF score that was above the cutoff for moderate acceptability. Theoretical implications relating to our understanding of parental factors influencing acceptability of exposure, as well as other factors that may be associated with acceptability of exposure, are discussed

Why Do Patients with Controlled Glaucoma Continue to Lose Their Vision?

The question why patients with controlled glaucoma continue to lose their vision and may end with blindness was raised at the conference last year, but no answer was provided. This presentation will address some of the possible clinical causes such as supine position during sleep and sleeping on the affected eye(s). Antihypertensive drugs at bedtime increase the risk of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, which is a challenge to diagnose in advanced glaucoma. Basic causes include the continuation of neuronal apoptosis despite controlled intraocular pressure. To prevent further visual loss in these patients, practical steps such as sleeping at 20–30° head-up position, avoiding sleeping on the affected eye(s), avoiding taking antihypertensive drugs at bedtime, and developing antiapoptotic drugs such as antibodies are essential

Intra-arterial Thrombolysis for Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: Two Cases Report

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) causes severe visual loss in affected eye and vision does not recover in more than 90% of the patients. It is believed that it occurs by occlusion of the central retinal artery with small emboli from atherosclerotic plaque of internal cerebral artery. Retina is a part of the brain, thus basically CRAO is corresponding to acute occlusion of intracerebral artery and retinal ischemia is to cerebral stroke. Therefore, intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT) has been considered as a treatment method in CRAO. Recently, we treated 2 patients diagnosed as CRAO and could achieve complete recanalization on fundus fluorescein angiogram with IAT. Of them, one recovered visual acuity to 20/25. We report our 2 CRAO cases treated with IAT and discuss technical aspects for IAT and management of patient. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Korean report of IAT for CRAO

Quantity versus Quality: The Impact of Environmental Disclosures on the reputations of UK plcs

The theoretical framework of this paper integrates quality-signalling theory and the resource based view of the firm to test the differential effects of the quantity and quality of environmental disclosures on the firm’s environmental reputation. Uniquely, the study uses a quality-adjusted method of content analysis, so that sentences are not merely counted but also weighted to reflect their likely significance. Investments in research and development and diversification, as potential methods of enhancing of environmental reputation, are also considered. In doing so the paper complements and extends the work of Toms (2002). The results confirm the framework and models tested in the original paper on more recent data and also suggest that quality of environmental disclosure rather than mere quantity has a stronger effect on the creation of environmental reputation amongst executive and investor stakeholder groups. Research and development expenditure, and under certain circumstances, diversification, also add to reputation