Journey to work:exploring difficulties, solutions and the impact of aging

A study was conducted in the UK, as part of the New Dynamics of Ageing Working Late project, of the journey to work among 1215 older workers (age groups 45-49, 50-55, 56-60 and 60 + ). The aim was to identify problems or concerns that they might have with their commute, strategies that have been adopted to address them, and the role that employers can play to assist them. Follow-up interviews with 36 employees identified many strategies for assisting with the problems of journeys to work, ranging from car share and using public transport to flexible working and working some days from home. Further interviews with a sample of 12 mainly larger companies showed that employers feel a responsibility for their workers’ commute, with some offering schemes to assist them, such as adjusting work shift timings to facilitate easier parking. The research suggests that the journey to work presents difficulties for a significant minority of those aged over 45, including issues with cost, stress, health, fatigue and journey time. It may be possible to reduce the impact of these difficulties on employee decisions to change jobs or retire by assisting them to adopt mitigating strategies. It does not appear that the likelihood of experiencing a problem with the journey to work increases as the employee approaches retirement; therefore, any mitigating strategy is likely to help employees of all ages. These strategies have been disseminated to a wider audience through an online resource at www.workinglate.org

Acanthamoeba and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia keratitis with fungal keratitis in the contralateral eye

Thomas F Mauger, Rebecca Ann Kuennen, Reynell Harder Smith, William SawyerDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USAPurpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the diagnosis, course, and outcome of a case of Acanthamoeba and Stenotrophomonas keratitis with a fungal keratitis in the contralateral eye.Methods: A case of Acanthamoeba and Stenotrophomonas keratitis was diagnosed with confocal microscopy and cultures with confocal diagnosis of fungal keratitis in the fellow eye.Results: During the initial treatment of the Acanthamoeba and Stenotrophomonas keratitis, the contralateral eye developed a keratitis that demonstrated hyphae in the corneal stroma with confocal microscopy consistent with fungal keratitis.Conclusions: Bilateral chronic keratitis cannot be assumed to be caused by the same organism and independent cultures, and confocal microscopy needs to be performed to direct appropriate therapy.Keywords: Acanthamoeba, Stenotrophomonas, confocal, fungus, keratiti

Enucleation following treatment with intravenous pentamidine for Acanthamoeba sclerokeratitis

Rebecca A Kuennen, Reynell Harder Smith, Thomas F Mauger, Elson CraigDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USAPurpose: To describe the course and outcome of treatment of advanced Acanthamoeba sclerokeratitis with intravenous pentamidine.Methods: A case of advanced Acanthamoeba sclerokeratitis was resistant to conventional therapy and was treated with intravenous pentamidine. The eye was later removed due to incapacitating pain.Results: The eye showed Acanthamoeba organisms within the cornea and evidence of acute and chronic inflammation throughout the remainder of the eye. The patient has survived without orbital recurrence for 2 years.Conclusions: This case demonstrates late inflammation with active Acanthameoba keratitis following systemic pentamidine therapy.Keywords: keratitis, scleriti

Comparison of biomechanical deformation response after myopic LASIK to thin normal corneas

Ohio State Univ, Wexner Med Ctr, Dept Ophthalmol & Visual Sci, Columbus, OH 43210 USAOhio State Univ, Dept Biomed Engn, Columbus, OH 43210 USARoyal Liverpool Univ Hosp, St Pauls Eye Unit, Liverpool, Merseyside, EnglandUniv Insubria, Circolo Hosp, Dept Surg & Morphol Sci, Varese, ItalyHumanitas Clin & Res Ctr, Ctr Eye, Milan, ItalyVincieye Clin, Milan, ItalyRio de Janeiro Corneal Tomog & Biomech Study Grp, Rio De Janeiro, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ophthalmol, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ophthalmol, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Medium-Dependent Phenotypes of Streptomyces coelicolor with Mutations in ftsI or ftsW▿ †

Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) ftsI- and ftsW-null mutants produced aerial hyphae with no evidence of septation when grown on a traditional osmotically enhanced medium. This phenotype was partially suppressed when cultures were grown on media prepared without sucrose. We infer that functional FtsZ rings can form in ftsI- and ftsW-null mutants under certain growth conditions