Traffic gap judgment in people with significant peripheral field loss.

PURPOSE: Subjects with significant peripheral field loss (PFL) self report difficulty in street crossing. In this study, we compared the traffic gap judgment ability of fully sighted and PFL subjects to determine whether accuracy in identifying crossable gaps was adversely affected because of field loss. Moreover, we explored the contribution of visual and nonvisual factors to traffic gap judgment ability. METHODS: Eight subjects with significant PFL as a result of advanced retinitis pigmentosa or glaucoma with binocular visual field <20 degrees and five age-matched normals (NV) were recruited. All subjects were required to judge when they perceived it was safe to cross at a 2-way 4-lane street while they stood on the curb. Eye movements were recorded by an eye tracker as the subjects performed the decision task. Movies of the eye-on-scene were made offline and fixation patterns were classified into either relevant or irrelevant. Subjects' street-crossing behavior, habitual approach to street crossing, and perceived difficulties were assessed. RESULTS: Compared with normal vision (NV) subjects, the PFL subjects identified 12% fewer crossable gaps while making 23% more errors by identifying a gap as crossable when it was too short (p < 0.05). The differences in traffic gap judgment ability of the PFL subjects might be explained by the significantly smaller fixation area (p = 0.006) and fewer fixations distributed to the relevant tasks (p = 0.001). The subjects' habitual approach to street crossing and perceived difficulties in street crossing (r > 0.60) were significantly correlated with traffic gap judgment performance. CONCLUSIONS: As a consequence of significant field loss, limited visual information about the traffic environment can be acquired, resulting in significantly reduced performance in judging safe crossable gaps. This poor traffic gap judgment ability in the PFL subjects raises important concerns for their safety when attempting to cross the street.

Endothelial cell loss and surgically induced astigmatism after sutureless large-incision manual cataract extraction (SLIMCE).

OBJECTIVES:

To describe a modified manual cataract extraction technique, sutureless large-incision manual cataract extraction (SLIMCE), and to report its clinical outcomes.

METHODS:

Case notes of 50 consecutive patients with cataract surgery performed using the SLIMCE technique were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical outcomes 3 months after surgery were analyzed, including postoperative uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity, intraoperative and postoperative complications, endothelial cell loss, and surgically induced astigmatism using the vector analysis method.

RESULTS:

At the 3-month follow-up, all 50 patients had postoperative best-corrected visual acuity of at least 20/60, and 37 patients (74%) had visual acuity of at least 20/30. Uncorrected visual acuity was at least 20/68 in 28 patients (56%) and was between 20/80 and 20/200 in 22 patients (44%). No significant intraoperative complications were encountered, and sutureless wounds were achieved in all but 2 patients. At the 3-month follow-up, endothelial cell loss was 3.9%, and the mean surgically induced astigmatism was 0.69 diopter.

CONCLUSIONS:

SLIMCE is a safe and effective manual cataract extraction technique with low rates of surgically induced astigmatism and endothelial cell loss. In view of its low cost, SLIMCE may have a potential role in reducing cataract blindness in developing countries.

Forced Displacement, Suffering and the Aesthetics of Loss

This article investigates how artists have addressed shocking experiences of displacement in different political contexts. Drawing on the notion of ‘the aesthetics of loss’ (Köstlin, 2010), it examines and compares the different aims, desires and strategies that have shaped the histories and social lives of paintings, memorial statues, installations and other artefacts. The analysis identifies a mode of artistic engagement with the sense of a ‘loss of homeland’ that has been commonly felt amongst Sudeten German expellees, namely the production and framing of visual images as markers of collective trauma. These aesthetics of loss are contrasted with the approach taken by the Dutch artist Sophie Ernst in her project entitled HOME. Working with displaced people from Pakistan, India, Palestine, Israel and Iraq, she created a mnemonic space to stimulate a more individualistic, exploratory engagement with the loss of home, which aimed, in part, to elicit interpersonal empathy. To simply oppose these two modes of aesthetic engagement, however, would ignore the ways in which artefacts are drawn into different discursive, affective and spatial formations. This article argues for the need to expose such dynamic processes of framing and reframing by focusing on the processual aspects of aestheticisation with attention to the perspective of loss.

Addiction to Runx1 is partially attenuated by loss of p53 in the Eµ-Myc lymphoma model

The Runx genes function as dominant oncogenes that collaborate potently with Myc or loss of p53 to induce lymphoma when over-expressed. Here we examined the requirement for basal Runx1 activity for tumor maintenance in the Eµ-Myc model of Burkitt's lymphoma. While normal Runx1fl/fl lymphoid cells permit mono-allelic deletion, primary Eµ-Myc lymphomas showed selection for retention of both alleles and attempts to enforce deletion in vivo led to compensatory expansion of p53null blasts retaining Runx1. Surprisingly, Runx1 could be excised completely from established Eµ-Myc lymphoma cell lines in vitro without obvious effects on cell phenotype. Established lines lacked functional p53, and were sensitive to death induced by introduction of a temperature-sensitive p53 (Val135) allele. Transcriptome analysis of Runx1-deleted cells revealed a gene signature associated with lymphoid proliferation, survival and differentiation, and included strong de-repression of recombination-activating (Rag) genes, an observation that was mirrored in a panel of human acute leukemias where RUNX1 and RAG1,2 mRNA expression were negatively correlated. Notably, despite their continued growth and tumorigenic potential, Runx1null lymphoma cells displayed impaired proliferation and markedly increased sensitivity to DNA damage and dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, validating Runx1 function as a potential therapeutic target in Myc-driven lymphomas regardless of their p53 status.

Capture and loss of electron by MeV ions penetrating through liquid spray:Formation of negative ion and neutral atom beams

Charge changing processes of MeV ions penetrating through liquid spray is confirmed to be abundant source of various energetic negative ion and neutral atom beams its generic nature is demonstrated.

Loss of Aggressiveness of Phytophthora cinnamomi (Beta-Cinnamomin Silenced Strain) in the Infection of Castanea sativa

Several forest species are severely affected by Phytophthora cinnamomi. The contribution of this oomycete to forest decline and dieback has been broadly reported. In particular, it is consensual that it is the causal agent of ink disease in Castanea sativa. It has been associated with the severe decline of Quercus species, namely the Q. suber and Q. ilex dieback in Portugal and Spain, and has been responsible for the infection of numerous native species and crops. This pathogen persists in the soil or on plant material in the form of chlamydospores allowing the infection of living root tissues when environmental conditions are favorable. © Microscopy Society of America 2012.

Loss of Par3 leads to aberrant divisions and faster mitotic progression in differentiating primary murine keratinocytes

Dissertação de Mestrado, Oncobiologia: Mecanismos Moleculares do Cancro, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015

AB1258­HPR pilot study: does a mediterranean diet­based weight loss programme improve health outcomes in overweight older women with knee osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading causes of pain and disability among older adults, particularly women. Pain and mobility disability are major consequences of knee OA which and can interfere with the functional autonomy of elderly and thus, making it difficult to perform activities of daily living. Evidence suggests that obesity is strongly linked to knee OA and that non­pharmacological therapy should be based on physical activity and weight loss in case of overweight and obesity. A positive relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and health outcomes has been widely discussed in scientific literature, including its potential benefits in weight loss.

Best Practice for Providing Social Care and Support to People Living with Concurrent Sight Loss and Dementia: Professional Perspectives

Purpose-Approximately 100,000 people in the UK aged 75 and over have concurrent dementia and sight loss, but current understanding of their experiences, needs and preferences is limited. The purpose of this paper is to report on a research project that explored the provision of social care and support for older people with both conditions. Design/methodology/approach-The project was a collaboration between the universities of York, Worcester, Bournemouth and Cambridge, supported by the Thomas Pocklington Trust and the Housing and Dementia Research Consortium. Data for this paper were drawn from focus groups held in 2013 involving 47 professionals across the dementia, sight loss and housing sectors. Findings-Thematic analysis identified five main barriers to providing high-quality, cost-effective social care and support: time constraints; financial limitations; insufficient professional knowledge; a lack of joint working; and inconsistency of services. The requirements of dementia and sight loss often conflict, which can limit the usefulness of equipment, aids and adaptations. Support and information needs to address individual needs and preferences. Research limitations/implications-Unless professionals consider dementia and sight loss together, they are unlikely to think about the impact of both conditions and the potential of their own services to provide effective support for individuals and their informal carers. Failing to consider both conditions together can also limit the availability and accessibility of social care and support services. This paper is based on input from a small sample of self-selecting professionals across three geographical regions of England. More research is needed in this area. Practical implications-There are growing numbers of people living with concurrent dementia and sight loss, many of whom wish to remain living in their own homes. There is limited awareness of the experiences and needs of this group and limited provision of appropriate services aids/adaptations. A range of measures should be implemented in order to support independence and well-being for people living with both conditions and their family carers. These include increased awareness, improved assessment, more training and greater joint working. Social implications-People living with dementia or sight loss are at high risk of social isolation, increasingly so for those with both conditions. Services that take an inclusive approach to both conditions can provide crucial opportunities for social interaction. Extra care housing has the potential to provide a supportive, community-based environment that can help residents to maintain social contact. Originality/value-This paper adds much-needed evidence to the limited existing literature, and reflects the views of diverse professionals across housing, health and social care

Evolution of the rbcS gene family in Solanaceae: concerted evolution and gain and loss of introns, with a description of new statistical guidelines for determining the number of unique gene copies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2014

Deciphering the mechanisms underlying the loss of BDNF neuroprotection in an Alzheimer’s disease model

Tese de mestrado, Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 2016

From syntagmatic to paradigmatic spatial zeroes: the loss of the preposition se in inner Asia Minor Greek

We trace the diachronic development of the preposition se in inner Asia Minor Greek from its use to mark a range of spatial functions to its ultimate loss and replacement by zero. We propose that, before spreading to all syntactic and semantic contexts, zero marking was contextually-dependent on the presence/absence of a prenominal genitive modifying the head noun of Ground-encoding NPs and on the presence/absence of Region-encoding postpositions. We attribute these developments to an informational load relief strategy aimed at producing more economical utterances as well as to language contact with Turkish, which favoured structural convergence on the adpositional level between the two languages.

Protein deiminases: new players in the developmentally regulated loss of neural regenerative ability

Spinal cord regenerative ability is lost with development, but the mechanisms underlying this loss are still poorly understood. In chick embryos, effective regeneration does not occur after E13, when spinal cord injury induces extensive apoptotic response and tissue damage. As initial experiments showed that treatment with a calcium chelator after spinal cord injury reduced apoptosis and cavitation, we hypothesized that developmentally regulated mediators of calcium-dependent processes in secondary injury response may contribute to loss of regenerative ability. To this purpose we screened for such changes in chick spinal cords at stages of development permissive (E11) and non-permissive (E15) for regeneration. Among the developmentally regulated calcium-dependent proteins identified was PAD3, a member of the peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) enzyme family that converts protein arginine residues to citrulline, a process known as deimination or citrullination. This post-translational modification has not been previously associated with response to injury. Following injury, PAD3 up-regulation was greater in spinal cords injured at E15 than at E11. Consistent with these differences in gene expression, deimination was more extensive at the non-regenerating stage, E15, both in the gray and white matter. As deimination paralleled the extent of apoptosis, we investigated the effect of blocking PAD activity on cell death and deiminated-histone 3, one of the PAD targets we identified by mass-spectrometry analysis of spinal cord deiminated proteins. Treatment with the PAD inhibitor, Cl-amidine, reduced the abundance of deiminated-histone 3, consistent with inhibition of PAD activity, and significantly reduced apoptosis and tissue loss following injury at E15. Altogether, our findings identify PADs and deimination as developmentally regulated modulators of secondary injury response, and suggest that PADs might be valuable therapeutic targets for spinal cord injury.

Low-loss austempered ductile iron gears: experimental evaluation comparing materials and lubricants

An experimental study to evaluate the power dissipation of gears was performed. Three low-loss gear models were manufactured using standard 20° pressure angle tools. Austempered ductile iron (ADI) and 20MnCr5 carburized steel gears were tested in an FZG gear test machine using mineral, ester and polyalphaolephine (PAO)-based oils. The results compare power dissipation, the influence of different tooth flank geometries, materials and lubricants. This work concludes that conventional power-transmission gears can be replaced by these improved and more efficient low–loss models, which can be produced using common tools and that steel gears can be successfully replaced by austempered ductile iron gears.

Role of abrasive material on micro-abrasion wear tests

Micro-abrasion wear tests with ball-cratering configuration are widely used. Sources of variability are already studied by different authors and conditions for testing are parameterized by BS EN 1071-6: 2007 standard which refers silicon carbide as abrasive. However, the use of other abrasives is possible and allowed. In this work, ball-cratering wear tests were performed using four different abrasive particles of three dissimilar materials: diamond, alumina and silicon carbide. Tests were carried out under the same conditions on a steel plate provided with TiB2 hard coating. For each abrasive, five different test durations were used allowing understanding the initial wear phenomena. Composition and shape of abrasive particles were investigated by SEM and EDS. Scar areas were observed by optical and electronic microscopy in order to understand the wear effects caused by each of them. Scar geometry and grooves were analyzed and compared. Wear coefficient was calculated for each situation. It was observed that diamond particles produce well-defined and circular wear scars. Different silicon carbide particles presented dissimilar results as consequence of distinct particle shape and size distribution.