bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mobile Social Media as a Catalyst for Collaborative Curriculum Redesign
Authors: Cochrane Thomas , Guinibert Matthew , Simeti Clinton , Brannigan Ross , Kala Abhishek
Published: October 2015

This chapter illustrates the potential of mobile social media to be used as a catalyst for collaborative curriculum redesign. The authors critique a case study implementing a mobile social media framework for creative pedagogies and draw out the implications of this framework for wider educational contexts. They conclude that an effective mobile social media framework for collaborative curriculum redesign must meet three goals: model the building of learning communities, explore the unique affordances of mobile social media to enable new pedagogies, and establish a supporting technology infrastructure.
English-Language Learning at Their Fingertips
Authors: Alhinty Mona
Published: October 2015

The emergence of multi-touch screen tablets has increased the opportunities for mobile learning, as the unique capabilities and affordances of these devices give them an educational advantage over other mobile technologies. Tablets are progressively finding their way into classrooms and transforming modes of learning and teaching. However, research on educational applications of this digital tool, particularly with reference to foreign-/second-language acquisition by young beginner learners, is still limited. In this paper, the use of various tablet applications (apps) to support mobile English-language learning by children as beginners is discussed. The apps are classified into five main categories: communication, content-access, productivity, interactive and storage. The educational affordances of each category are presented and explained, with examples. This typology provides insight into the educational uses of tablet apps for English language learning, and has implications for research in the field of classroom practices and beyond.
Rethinking Education for Sustainability
Authors: Giusti Leonardo , Pollini Alessandro , Casalegno Federico
Published: October 2015

This chapter presents a pedagogical model and a technological platform consisting of web and mobile technologies designed to support a mix of formal and informal, indoor and outdoor learning experiences. In particular, the platform is a reconfigurable system that can be adapted to support different kinds of learning formats. Two case studies will be presented to describe how the proposed pedagogical model and the technological platform can be adapted to address different contexts and learning objectives. The first case study – H2Flow – has been carried out in an high-school in Trento (north Italy) as an extension of the school curricula; the second one – Youth Mapping – has been deployed in underserved areas in Rio De Janeiro as part of a community-driven initiative led by UNICEF. In the conclusion, we discuss educational challenges and design opportunities concerning the use of mobile technologies in the context of education on sustainable development.
Ubiquity and Context-Aware M-Learning Model
Authors: Alnabhan Mohammad
Published: October 2015

This paper presents a new adaptive m-learning model supporting collaborative and context-aware learning. A seamless integration between learners' location information and a set of associated learning context dimensions is used to facilitate the provision of pervasive and ubiquitous learning services. The new model adopts nearest search algorithm in order to group spatially related mobile learners, constructing learning-oriented virtual communities and achieving a collaborative learning experience. The presented model implements two virtual community construction modes, described as client-based and server-based collaboration modes. A preliminary evaluation methodology was conducted, measuring the successful implementation of the proposed new model, and confirming the establishment of the virtual community after considering a set of learning context dimensions; such as learning collaboration type, learning style and learners' location information. Results have confirmed that both collaboration modes were successful in establishing the virtual communities between mobile learners. However, the server-based mode was more scalable than client-based mode while handling the increased number of mobile peers, in which less response time was experienced and a smaller learning grid area was formed.
Quality Enhancement for Mobile Learning in Higher Education
Authors: Ossiannilsson Ebba
Published: October 2015

Students entering higher education today have grown up with the Internet and mobile devices. Thus, there is a need for universities to offer a greater mix of face-to-face and online learning possibilities, such as Open Educational Resources (OER) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that allow individuals to access education anywhere, anytime, and to have it personalized through apps. This chapter focuses on mobile learning (M-learning) in open learning educational arenas and contexts. The author defines M-learning and the usefulness of M-learning in education. Then some examples of mobile devices and principles of M-learning are given, and some design examples of M-learning are presented. Next, the advantages and the use of M-learning in education are discussed. As quality of e-learning and M-learning is a complex subject, this chapter focuses mainly on quality and a frame of reference to understand M-learning dimension concerns as course design, learning design, and media design and content. Consistent layout and design, clear organization, presentation of information, consistency, easy-to-use navigation, and aesthetically pleasing design and graphics are dimensions that also have to be taken into consideration. It is argued in this chapter that security, accessibility, interactivity, flexibility, personalization, and the devices and interfaces are the main quality dimensions. In the final section, challenges and conclusions are discussed.
Exploring Future Seamless Learning Research Strands for Massive Open Online Courses
Authors: de Waard Inge , Keskin Nilgun Ozdamar , Koutropoulos Apostolos
Published: October 2015

This chapter reviews the concept of seamless learning for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) based on the distillation of key factors from papers discussing and describing the Mobile Seamless Learning (MSL) concept. The MSL concept was used as a starting point to explore how MOOC could be prepared for seamless learning and to explore future research options. There is a vast area of research to be explored related to seamless learning in MOOC. The authors belief that some of the challenges faced by MOOC, such as “dropout” rates, redefining learning activities to fit diversity of contexts, self-directed learning, collaborative content artifact creation, the mobility of the adult learners, and the “dip-in, jump-out” aspect of participation, can be countered by researching and suggesting seamless learning designs and guidelines that fit both the adult learners and the MOOC realities. Investigating all the elements, challenges and benefits for providing seamless learning in MOOC environments will contribute to the body of knowledge of contemporary online learning.
Mobile Voting Systems for Creating Collaboration Environments and Getting Immediate Feedback
Authors: Titova Svetlana , Talmo Tord
Published: October 2015

Mobile devices can enhance learning and teaching by providing instant feedback and better diagnosis of learning problems, helping design new assessment models, enhancing learner autonomy and creating new formats of enquiry-based activities. The objective of this paper is to investigate the pedagogical impact of mobile voting tools. The authors' research demonstrated that Student Response System (SRS) supported approaches influenced not only lecture design - time management, the mode of material presentation, activity switch patterns - but also learner-teacher interaction, student collaboration and output, formats of activities and tasks. SRS-supported lectures help instructors gradually move towards flipped classrooms and MOOC lecturing. The authors' analysis, based on qualitative and quantitative data collected from two student groups (56 undergraduate students) in the 2012-2013 academic year, showed that SRS supported lectures encouraged foreign language learners to produce more output in the target language, improved their intercultural competence and language skills and enhanced their motivation.
Recommending Academic Papers for Learning Based on Information Filtering Applied to Mobile Environments
Authors: Cazella Sílvio César , Barbosa Jorge Luiz Victória , Reategui Eliseo Berni , Behar Patricia Alejandra , Acosta Otavio Costa
Published: October 2015

Mobile learning is about increasing learners' capability to carry their own learning environment along with them. Recommender Systems are widely used nowadays, especially in e-commerce sites and mobile devices, for example, Amazon.com and Submarino.com. In this chapter, the authors propose the use of such systems in the area of education, specifically for the recommendation of learning objects in mobile devices. The advantage of using Recommender Systems in mobile devices is that it is an easy way to deliver recommendations to students. Based on this scenario, this chapter presents a model of a recommender system based on information filtering for mobile environments. The proposed model was implemented in a prototype aimed to recommend learning objects in mobile devices. The evaluation of the received recommendations was conducted using a Likert scale of 5 points. At the end of this chapter, some future works are described.
Journalism and Media
Authors: Walck Pamela E. , Kalyango Jr. Yusuf
Published: October 2015

This chapter investigates how fast-changing mobile technology has transformed the traditional approach to journalism education at some major mass communication schools, media organizations, and institutions in the United States. This traditional approach to instruction, referred to here as its pedagogical niche, is defined as instructional methods, content, and tools used in mass communication academic, practice and training units. The first and primary objective of this chapter will be to determine how journalism academic institutions are using the rapidly changing media and communication technologies, particularly mobile tools, to reinvent themselves and to enhance their curricula and teaching effectiveness. The second objective is to determine how media organizations have adapted to the increasing use of mobile technologies in journalism.
Ideas on the Future of Intelligent Web-Based E-Learning
Authors: Kose Utku
Published: October 2015

With the outstanding improvements in technology, the number of e-learning applications has increased greatly. This increment is associated with awareness levels of educational institutions on the related improvements and the power of communication and computer technologies to ensure effective and efficient teaching and learning experiences for teachers and students. Consequently, there is a technological flow that changes the standards of e-learning processes and provides better ways to obtain desired educational objectives. When we consider today's widely used technological factors, Web-based e-learning approaches have a special role in directing the educational standards. Improvements among m-learning applications and the popularity of the Artificial Intelligence usage for educational works have given great momentum to this orientation. In this sense, this chapter provides some ideas on the future of intelligent Web-based e-learning applications by thinking on the current status of the literature. As it is known, current trends in developing Artificial Intelligence-supported e-learning tools continue to shape the future of e-learning. Therefore, it is an important approach to focus on the future. The author thinks that the chapter will be a brief but effective enough reference for similar works, which focus on the future of Artificial Intelligence-supported distance education and e-learning.
The School Experiences of Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Gordon Maria
Published: October 2015

Are the special needs of students with a chronic disease such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) being met at school? A qualitative case study conducted by Gordon (2013) with six youth with IBD between seven to 18 years of age were interviewed. Individual interviews were performed to explore their perceptions of their school experiences. Research conducted from the student's perspective is sparse and this study aimed to hear the student's school stories first hand. The chapter reveals the findings from the study and provides an overview of the Quebec school system and the evolution of educational reforms that were amended for the purpose of accommodating students with special needs. The value in seeking students' points of view regarding their education is also discussed. The chapter concludes with recommendations made by students for educators teaching in inclusive classroom settings.
Living with ADHD
Authors: Fellus Osnat O. , Fellus Daniel P.
Published: October 2015

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that is diagnosed in a constantly growing number of individuals in the Western world. This chapter provides a short overview of the shift in the conceptualization of ADHD drawing on the five Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals (DSMs). The authors argue that focusing on the concept of timing and understanding time in ADHD may allow teachers and parents to look beyond using pharmaceutics as the first course of treatment. The chapter concludes with a case study that showcases the experience of timing domains in ADHD.
Imagining Social Equity
Authors: Farrell Helen J.
Published: October 2015

In my view, work in special and inclusive education, and early childhood special education intervention is challenging and exciting. The children and young people (and adults) with complex special needs have become the shared responsibility of both educators and many other allied health professionals in recent years. The unique patterns of special education service delivery to these children and young people require work in interdisciplinary teams. The mission and concern of the chapter offers the interdisciplinary community in the education sector including teachers, academics, graduate students, policy makers, researchers, non-governmental organisations, government officials, school boards, medical and paramedical professionals, and advocacy groups the opportunity to work together to explore what notions of social equity mean, and to investigate ways of ameliorating disadvantage in special and inclusive education, and early childhood special education intervention sectors.
Case Studies of Chronically Ill Children
Authors: Gibbon Thomas C. , Schwilk Christopher L. , Cline Jenifer , Matthews Kimberly , Sweigart Katie , Ferguson Emily , Bateman David F.
Published: October 2015

Medical advances have increased the number of children who have survived and are now living with chronic medical conditions (Irwin & Elam, 2011; Singer 2012). Diseases and conditions that as recently as a decade ago were considered fatal or completely debilitating are now increasingly treated as chronic conditions. Among these are several types of cancer, HIV/AIDS, respiratory illnesses, and severe epilepsy. Increasingly, students with severe chronic conditions are educated in public schools instead of home or hospital settings. The purpose of this chapter is to present case studies of real children and families that will allow educators and others a personal glimpse into the lives of children with chronic illness and their families. Suggestions for analyzing the case studies are provided that will help teachers, administrators, and teacher educators to examine the complex issues surrounding the educational needs of children with chronic illnesses.
A Cognitive and Augmentative Communication System for Special Needs Education
Authors: Al Ja'am Jihad M. , Abou El-Seoud M. Samir , Dandashi Amal , Karkar AbdelGhani
Published: October 2015

A triple component system which can serve basic communication and cognitive needs of developmentally disabled children in the Arab world is proposed. This system is based on a combinational cognitive model which merges Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and Skinner's Operant Conditioning Theory. The system aims to benefit three main groups of children: 1) children with hearing impairments (HI), 2) children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and 3) children with Down syndrome (DS) and other intellectual disabilities (ID), in their struggle for augmentative communication and enhanced learning. This study elaborates on the cognitive models and the methodologies for each of the three proposed components: Pedagogical approach, Dynamic Arabic text translation to multimedia elements, Multimedia-based system for daily living task learning, as well as Cognitive multimedia tutorials and exercises. The proposed Multimedia-based triple component system has been tested on a group of 100 children, 50 with DS and 50 with other IDs. Evaluation results from these studies demonstrated that the multimedia system is effective in terms of cognition and motivation for children with DS and ID.
A Monte Carlo Analysis of Alternative Meta-Analysis Estimators in the Presence of Publication Bias
Authors: Reed W. Robert
Published: October 2015

A meta-analysis (MA) aggregates estimated effects from many studies to calculate a single, overall effect. There is no one, generally accepted procedure for how to do this. Several estimators are commonly used, though little is known about their relative performance. A complication arises when the sample of published studies is subject to sample selection due to “publication bias.” This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the performance of five different MA estimators in the presence of publication bias. The author considers two kinds of publication bias: publication bias directed against statistically insignificant estimates, and publication bias directed against wrong-signed estimates. The experiments simulate two data environments. In the Random Effects environment, each study produces only one estimate and the true effect differs across studies. In the Panel Random Effects environment, each study produces multiple estimates, and the true effect differs both within and across studies. The simulations produce a number of findings that challenge results from previous research.
Law and Corporate Behaviour
Authors: Hodges Christopher
Published: October 2015

This book examines the theories and practice of how to control corporate behaviour through legal techniques. The principal theories examined are deterrence, economic rational acting, responsive regulation, and the findings of behavioural psychology. Leading examples of the various approaches are given in order to illustrate the models: private enforcement of law through litigation in the USA, public enforcement of competition law by the European Commission, and the recent reform of policies on public enforcement of regulatory law in the United Kingdom. Noting that behavioural psychology has as yet had only limited application in legal and regulatory theory, the book then analyses various European regulatory structures where behavioural techniques can be seen or could be applied. Sectors examined include financial services, civil aviation, pharmaceuticals, and workplace health and safety. Key findings are that ‘enforcement’ has to focus on identifying the causes of non-compliance, so as to be able to support improved performance, rather than be based on fear motivating complete compliance. Systems in which reporting is essential for safety only function with a no-blame culture. The book concludes by proposing an holistic model for maximising compliance within large organisations, combining public regulatory and criminal controls with internal corporate systems and external influences by stakeholders, held together by a unified core of ethical principles. Hence, the book proposes a new theory of ethical regulation.

Volume 3 in the series Civil Justice Systems
Modeling the Zeeman effect in high altitude SSMIS channels for numerical weather prediction profiles: comparing a fast model and a line-by-line model
Authors: Larsson R. , Milz M. , Rayer P. , Saunders R. , Bell W. , Booton A. , Buehler S. A. , Eriksson P. , John V.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. We present a comparison of a reference and a fast radiative transfer model using numerical weather prediction profiles for the Zeeman-affected high altitude Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder channels 19–22. We find that the models agree well for channels 21 and 22 compared to the channels' system noise temperatures (1.9 and 1.3 K, respectively) and the expected profile errors at the affected altitudes (estimated to be around 5 K). For channel 22 there is a 0.5 K average difference between the models, with a standard deviation of 0.24 K for the full set of atmospheric profiles. Same channel, there is 1.2 K in average between the fast model and the sensor measurement, with 1.4 K standard deviation. For channel 21 there is a 0.9 K average difference between the models, with a standard deviation of 0.56 K. Same channel, there is 1.3 K in average between the fast model and the sensor measurement, with 2.4 K standard deviation. We consider the relatively small model differences as a validation of the fast Zeeman effect scheme for these channels. Both channels 19 and 20 have smaller average differences between the models (at below 0.2 K) and smaller standard deviations (at below 0.4 K) when both models use a two-dimensional magnetic field profile. However, when the reference model is switched to using a full three-dimensional magnetic field profile, the standard deviation to the fast model is increased to almost 2 K due to viewing geometry dependencies causing up to ± 7 K differences near the equator. The average differences between the two models remain small despite changing magnetic field configurations. We are unable to compare channels 19 and 20 to sensor measurements due to limited altitude range of the numerical weather prediction profiles. We recommended that numerical weather prediction software using the fast model takes the available fast Zeeman scheme into account for data assimilation of the affected sensor channels to better constrain the upper atmospheric temperatures.
OMI NO2 column densities over North American urban cities: the effect of satellite footprint resolution
Authors: Kim H. C. , Lee P. , Judd L. , Pan L. , Lefer B.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Nitrogen dioxide vertical column density (NO2 VCD) measurements via satellite are compared with a fine-scale regional chemistry transport model, using a new approach that considers varying satellite footprint sizes. Space-borne NO2 VCD measurement has been used as a proxy for surface nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission, especially for anthropogenic urban emission, so accurate comparison of satellite and modeled NO2 VCD is important in determining the future direction of NOx emission policy. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) NO2 VCD measurements, retrieved by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), are compared with a 12 km Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) simulation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We found that OMI footprint pixel sizes are too coarse to resolve urban NO2 plumes, resulting in a possible underestimation in the urban core and overestimation outside. In order to quantify this effect of resolution geometry, we have made two estimates. First, we constructed pseudo-OMI data using fine-scale outputs of the model simulation. Assuming the fine-scale model output is a true measurement, we then collected real OMI footprint coverages and performed conservative spatial regridding to generate a set of fake OMI pixels out of fine-scale model outputs. When compared to the original data, the pseudo-OMI data clearly showed smoothed signals over urban locations, resulting in roughly 20–30 % underestimation over major cities. Second, we further conducted conservative downscaling of OMI NO2 VCD using spatial information from the fine-scale model to adjust the spatial distribution, and also applied Averaging Kernel (AK) information to adjust the vertical structure. Four-way comparisons were conducted between OMI with and without downscaling and CMAQ with and without AK information. Results show that OMI and CMAQ NO2 VCDs show the best agreement when both downscaling and AK methods are applied, with correlation coefficient R = 0.89. This study suggests that satellite footprint sizes might have a considerable effect on the measurement of fine-scale urban NO2 plumes. The impact of satellite footprint resolution should be considered when using satellite observations in emission policy making, and the new downscaling approach can provide a reference uncertainty for the use of satellite NO2 measurements over most cities.
Review of variations in Mw < 7 earthquake motions on position and tec (Mw = 6.5 aegean sea earthquake sample)
Authors: Yildirim O. , Inyurt S. , Mekik C.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Turkey is a country located in Middle Latitude zone and in which tectonic activity is intensive. Lastly, an earthquake of magnitude 6.5Mw occurred at Aegean Sea offshore on date 24 May 2014 at 12:25 UTC and it lasted approximately 40 s. The said earthquake was felt also in Greece, Romania and Bulgaria in addition to Turkey. In recent years seismic origin ionospheric anomaly detection studies have been done with TEC (Total Electron Contents) generated from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals and the findings obtained have been revealed. In this study, TEC and positional variations have been examined seperately regarding the earthquake which occurred in the Aegean Sea. Then The correlation of the said ionospheric variation with the positional variation has been investigated. For this purpose, total fifteen stations have been used among which the data of four numbers of CORS-TR stations in the seismic zone (AYVL, CANA, IPSA, YENC) and IGS and EUREF stations are used. The ionospheric and positional variations of AYVL, CANA, IPSA and YENC stations have been examined by Bernese 5.0v software. When the (PPP-TEC) values produced as result of the analysis are examined, it has been understood that in the four stations located in Turkey, three days before the earthquake at 08:00 and 10:00 UTC, the TEC values were approximately 4 TECU above the upper limit TEC value. Still in the same stations, one day before the earthquake at 06:00, 08:00 and 10:00 UTC, it is being shown that the TEC values were approximately 5 TECU below the lower limit TEC value. On the other hand, the GIM-TEC values published by the CODE center have been examined. Still in all stations, it has been observed that three days before the earthquake the TEC values in the time portions of 08:00 and 10:00 UTC were approximately 2 TECU above, one day before the earthquake at 06:00, 08:00 and 10:00 UTC, the TEC values were approximately 4 TECU below the lower limit TEC value. Again, by using the same fifteen numbers of stations, positional variation investigation before and after the earthquake has been made for AYVL, CANA, IPSA and YENC stations. As result of the analysis made, positional displacements has been seen before and after earthquake at CANA station which is the nearest station to earthquake center. It is about 10 and 3 cm before three days and one day earthquake.
Bilateral Type III Duane Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: García Esperanza , Fernández De Arévalo Bernardo T. , Arévalo Eva M. , Mhanna Hasan , Alija María
Published: October 2015

Purpose

Duane syndrome (DS) belongs to a group of congenital retraction syndromes, the incidence of which varies between 2% and 4% in patients with strabismus. In most cases the damage is unilateral, but it manifests as bilateral in about 20% of cases. According to the classification of Huber, type III DS exhibits a limitation of abduction and adduction.

Methods

We report the case of a 5-year-old boy from Eastern Europe who was taken to the hospital because he was unable to move both eyes horizontally from birth and had not been previously seen by an ophthalmologist.

Results

The examination showed inability to abduct and adduct bilaterally, with narrowing of the palpebral fissures on attempted adduction. The patient was diagnosed with bilateral type III DS.

Conclusions

Treatment is individualized on a case-by-case basis. For our patient, monitoring by way of regular checkups was chosen, with the parents rejecting surgery for now.
Intravitreal Ranibizumab for Choroidal Neovascularization Secondary to Gyrate Atrophy in a Young Patient: A Multimodal Imaging Analysis
Authors: Chatziralli Irini , Theodossiadis George , Emfietzoglou Ioannis , Theodossiadis Panagiotis
Published: October 2015

Purpose

To present a case of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to gyrate atrophy (GA) treated with intravitreal ranibizumab.

Methods

A 35-year-old man presented with sudden loss of vision and central scotoma in the right eye, as well as progressive night vision deterioration over the past several years in both eyes. His best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 6/60 in the right eye and 6/5 in the left eye. Funduscopy revealed bilateral confluent areas of chorioretinal atrophy and optical coherence tomography showed subretinal fluid consistent with CNV development in the right eye, which was confirmed by fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). The left eye was normal. The patient had a family history of GA. Elevated levels of plasma ornithine were detected, establishing the diagnosis.

Results

The patient received a regimen of 3 monthly off-label intravitreal ranibizumab injections in the right eye. At the 6-month follow-up, no subretinal fluid was noticed and BCVA was 6/48. No other injections were performed, but the patient was advised to start an arginine-restricted diet and take vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 300 mg daily. The BCVA was preserved and chorioretinal atrophy had not progressed on funduscopy, FFA, or ICGA 1 year later.

Conclusions

Intravitreal ranibizumab can offer promising anatomical and functional results, maintaining visual acuity in patients with CNV secondary to GA, especially if used in combination with arginine-restricted diet and vitamin B6 supplementation.
Prevalence of Reticular Pseudodrusen in Eyes with Newly Presenting Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Wilde Craig , Patel Moneesh , Lakshmanan Arun , Morales Marco A. , Dhar-Munshi Sushma , Amoaku Winfried M.K.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

To use multimodal imaging to evaluate the prevalence of reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) in eyes with newly presenting neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in a UK population and explore associations with RPD and angiographic subtypes of nAMD.

Methods

A retrospective review of all spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, color fundus photographs, red-free and blue channel images, and fundus fluorescein angiograms of 202 consecutive patients who presented to a rapid access macular clinic over a 4-year period was performed. All images were graded by at least 2 ophthalmologists for the presence of RPD and choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV) subtypes.

Results

A total of 231 consecutive eyes were studied, of which 131 (56.7%) were in women. Of these, 51 eyes with CNV (22.1%) had identifiable RPD, with one or more imaging methods in that eye. A total of 30.3% of patients with newly presenting CNV in either or both eyes had identifiable RPD. The RPD were bilateral in 85.4% of patients and were identified more commonly in women than men (72.5% vs 27.5%), a difference that reached statistical significance (p = 0.011). No association between RPD and any particular CNV subtype was demonstrated, including for retinal angiomatous proliferations (RAP).

Conclusions

Reticular pseudodrusen have a high prevalence in eyes presenting with nAMD (22.1%), although at rates much lower than that of conventional drusen. They are largely a bilateral finding, occurring more frequently in women. Unlike other previous reports, we found no difference in their occurrence between the different subtypes of CNV including RAPs.
Phacoemulsification at High-Altitude Himalayan Region: Comparison
Authors: Parihar Jitendra Kumar Singh , Chaturvedi Piyush , Kaushik Jaya , Jain Vaibhav Kumar , Mukherjee Shantanu , Mishra Sanjay Kumar
Published: October 2015

Purpose

To compare phacoemulsification parameters at different high-altitude regions as well as between peristaltic and Venturi-based machines.

Methods

In this prospective, nonrandomized clinical study, 160 eyes of 160 patients with senile cataract underwent phacoemulsification using either peristaltic or Venturi system at a high-altitude Himalayan region (>10,000 feet). Patients (n = 200, including 100 each with either peristaltic or Venturi system) operated at mean altitude of 1115 feet (Delhi) were included as controls (group 1). At Leh (11,203 feet), 110 patients were operated with peristaltic (62) or Venturi (48) system (group 2), whereas 50 patients (group 3) (peristaltic = 37; Venturi = 13) were operated either with peristaltic (37) or Venturi (13) system at Tangtse (14,106 feet). Intraoperative parameters–i.e., bottle height (BH), vacuum (V), and flow rate (FR)–were compared for different phacoemulsification steps–i.e., central chopping (CC), segment removal (SR), epinucleus removal (ER), and cortex removal (CR)–between all groups and between peristaltic and Venturi pump-based machines in each group.

Results

Mean BH, V, and FR for CC, SR, ER, and CR significantly increased with the increment in altitude of surgery (p = 0.000). Venturi and peristaltic-based phacoemulsification showed higher values of the mean BH and V, respectively, for CC, SR, ER, and CR at Leh as well as Tangtse.

Conclusions

At the high-altitude region, the higher setting of BH, FR, and V is required in phacoemulsification.
Vitrectomy without Laser Treatment for Macular Serous Detachment Associated with Optic Disc Pit: Long-Term Outcomes
Authors: Talli Pietro Maria , Fantaguzzi Paolo Maria , Bendo Edlira , Pazzaglia Alberto
Published: October 2015

Purpose

To evaluate the clinical outcome of surgical treatment for macular serous detachment associated with optic disc pit with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) without laser photocoagulation on the temporal edge.

Methods

Vitrectomy was performed in 8 eyes of 8 patients (mean age 27.25 years; range 12-57 years) with unilateral macular detachment associated with optic disc pit. All patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy (cases 1, 2, 3, and 4, PPV 20 G; cases 5, 6, 7, and 8, PPV 25 G), internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, and SF6 20% gas tamponade (case 1 was treated with silicone oil tamponade). Endolaser on the temporal margin of the optic disk was not performed. Every patient was observed for a follow-up period of 59.25 months after surgery. Statistical analysis was carried out using Student t test paired data. p Value <0.05 was considered to be significant.

Results

Complete retinal reattachment was achieved in 7 of 8 patients. Case 8 was operated 11 months ago and he still has a small area of subretinal fluid not completely reabsorbed. Mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/83 and the mean postoperative BCVA was 20/40. Mean preoperative foveal thickness was 973 μm and mean postoperative foveal thickness was 363.5 μm. Case 7 developed a macular hole after treatment.

Conclusions

Pars plana vitrectomy, ILM peeling, and endotamponade (SF6 20% gas) without endolaser on the temporal edge of optic disc is an effective treatment. This procedure achieved successful anatomical and functional results.
Combined use of Intravenous and Topical Tranexamic Acid following Cementless Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Randomised Clinical Trial
Authors: Xie Jinwei , Ma Jun , Yue Chen , Kang Pengde , Pei Fuxing
Published: October 2015

Purpose

This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of the combined use of tranexamic acid (TXA) with the intravenous (IV) or local use alone in total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods

210 patients were randomised to a IV group, a local group or a combined group. Participants received 1.5 g IV-TXA in the IV group, 3 g local TXA in the local group, or 1 g IV-TXA combined with 2 g local TXA in the combined group. The primary outcomes were total blood loss (TBL), maximum haemoglobin drop, and the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

Results

TBL was (776.75 ± 188.95) ml in the combined group, which was significantly lower than in the IV group or the local group (p = 0.015, p = 0.001 respectively). Likewise, the mean values of maximum hemoglobin drop in the combined, IV, and local groups were 2.98 ± 0.78, 3.36 ± 0.78, and 3.89 ± 0.72 g/dL, respectively, with a significant intergroup difference (p<0.001 for all). Asymptomatic DVT was detected in 1 patient of the IV group, and 2 patients of the combined group with the use of ultrasound. There were no episodes of PE, and no significant differences were seen between groups in terms of complications.

Conclusions

Combined use of intravenous TXA and local TXA in primary unilateral THA can effectively decrease total blood loss and increase postoperative haemoglobin levels without influencing complication rates. It is suggested that this combined TXA regimen is more effective in decreasing blood loss in cementeless THA than intravenous or local administration alone.
Comparative Expression Analysis of Putative Cancer Stem Cell Markers CD44 and ALDH1A1 in Various Skin Cancer Subtypes
Authors: Erfani Elham , Roudi Raheleh , Rakhshan Azadeh , Sabet Mehrdad Nasrollahzadeh , Shariftabrizi Ahmad , Madjd Zahra
Published: October 2015

Introduction

Skin cancers, particularly melanoma, are initiated and maintained by a subpopulation of tumor cells expressing stemness markers that are called cancer stem cells (CSCs). This study aimed to evaluate the expression levels and clinicopathological significance of the putative CSC markers CD44 and ALDH1A1 in patients with skin cancer.

Methods

The expression levels of CD44 and ALDH1A1 were investigated in 107 skin cancer specimens including 58 (54%) basal cell carcinomas (BCC), 37 (35%) squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), and 12 (11%) melanomas using the tissue microarray (TMA) technique. The correlation of the expression levels of these markers and clinicopathological parameters was then analyzed.

Results

The expression levels of CD44 and ALDH1A1 were significantly higher in melanoma patients than patients with SCC or BCC (p<0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). A higher level of CD44 expression was more often found in melanoma tumor cells with a higher rate of recurrence (p = 0.029) and in SCC cases with ulceration (p = 0.01), while there was no significant correlation between ALDH1A1 expression and other clinicopathological parameters. Similarly, coexpression of CD44 and ALDH1A1 (CD44high/ALDH1A1high) was significantly observed in melanoma samples (p<0.001).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that a CD44high/ALDH1A1high phenotype in melanoma and a CD44high phenotype in SCC can be considered candidates for targeted therapy of skin cancers aiming at CSCs.
TERT Promoter Mutations in Soft Tissue Sarcomas
Authors: Campanella Nathália C. , Penna Valter , Abrahão-Machado Lucas Faria , Cruvinel-Carloni Adriana , Ribeiro Guilherme , Soares Paula , Scapulatempo-Neto Cristovam , Reis Rui M.
Published: October 2015

Introduction

Oncogenic hotspot mutations in the promoter region of the TERT gene have been identified in several cancer types as being associated with a worse outcome. Additionally, a polymorphism (rs2853669) in the TERTpromoter region was reported to modify the survival of TERT-mutated patients. Our aim is to determine the frequency of c.-124 C>T and c.-146 C>T TERT mutations and to genotype the rs2853669 polymorphism in a series of 68 soft tissue sarcomas (STS) comprising 22 histological subtypes.

Methods

PCR was performed, followed by direct sequencing of a fragment of TERT containing the hotspots and the rs2853669.

Results

We found TERTmutations in 4/68 (5.9%) STSs including 1 pleomorphic liposarcoma (1/1), 1 dedifferentiated liposarcoma (1/1) and 2 myxoid liposarcomas (2/9). The variant C allele of rs2853669 was found in 54.8% (34/62) of all STSs and in 75% (3/4) of TERT-mutated cases. TERT mutations were associated with younger age, and the C allele of the rs2853669 was associated with high histological grade (2 and 3). No association was found between TERT mutation status or rs2853669 genotype and patient prognosis.

Conclusions

We showed that TERT promoter mutation is not a recurrent event in STS and is present in particular histological subtypes.
Factors Associated with Pain during Vascular Access Intervention Therapy
Authors: Muromiya Yasuto , Nagai Kojiro , Yokota Narushi , Okada Daigo , Suenaga Takehiro , Ueda Yuka , Kawahara Kana , Kanayama Hiroomi , Minakuchi Jun , Tsuchida Kenji
Published: October 2015

Objective

The objective of this study is to investigate and compare factors associated with pain during vascular access intervention therapy.

Subjects and methods

Fifty patients provided informed consent to participate in a survey of pain by questionnaire after receiving dialysis treatment at our hospital. Balloons for use during the procedure were chosen at random in this prospective randomized control study. A numeric rating scale (NRS) was used for pain assessment.

Results

A semi-compliant balloon caused significantly worse pain as compared with the other types of balloons (NRS, 7.67 ± 1.57 vs. 6.02 ± 1.89; p<0.05). There was no correlation between maximum inflation pressure and pain, or between age and pain, and no difference between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. A comparison among vascular dilation locations, as well as a comparison of AVF with AVG also revealed no significant differences.

Conclusions

The reason for severe pain with use of the semi-compliant balloon as compared with the other types might have been due to its characteristics during inflation, as increased diameter leads to an increase in pressure. Mismatching of balloon diameter to vascular diameter may also increase pain.
Vascular Access for Long-Term Hemodialysis/Hemodiafiltration Patients
Authors: Yokota Narushi , Nagai Kojiro , Okada Daigo , Muromiya Yasuto , Suenaga Takehiro , Ueda Yuka , Kawahara Kana , Kanayama Hiro-omi , Minakuchi Jun , Tsuchida Kenji
Published: October 2015

Purpose

We investigated the characteristics of patients who received long-term hemodialysis/hemodiafiltration (HD/HDF) treatment for over 30 years at our group of hospitals and type of vascular access (VA) used.

Subjects and methods

As of August 2014, 950 patients were receiving HD/HDF treatment at one of our hospitals. Of those, we investigated 41 (4.3%) undergoing long-term treatment in regard to their characteristics and VA type. The items subjected to analysis were sex, primary illness, age at time of dialysis initiation, present age, duration (years) of HD/HDF, type of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous graft (AVG), history of surgery and AVF persistence rate.

Results

The subjects consisted of 22 men and 19 women, and their mean HD/HDF duration was 33.4 ± 2.8 years. For primary illness, the majority (n = 31) had chronic glomerulonephritis. The age at time of dialysis initiation was 31.7 ± 7.76 years and present age was 64.5 ± 7.65 years. They had received 3.8 VA surgeries. For present VA type, 23 patients (56.0%) had an AVF and 13 (31.7%) an AVG, while 4 AVF patients (9.7%) had a history of AVG use. One patient (2.4%) had a superficialized artery. The mean HD/HDF duration of the 13 AVG patients was 7 years and the longest was 18 years. AVF persistence rate estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method was 75% at 30 years after dialysis initiation.

Conclusions

The present results suggest that the ratio of patients with AVG increased with prolonged HD/HDF treatment. AVG has a higher probability of complications and lower patency as compared to AVF, thus careful management is needed. On the other hand, AVG contributes more to a good long prognosis, as it offers efficient dialysis. In cases of vascular deterioration due to long-term hemodialysis, it is inevitable to change from AVF to AVG, thus the ratio of AVG patients is expected to increase in cases of long-term HD/HDF.
De zaak van Sinterklaas
Authors: Bijnaar A. , Maris C.W.
Published: October 2015

De zaak van Sinterklaas: Zwarte Piet staat terecht

In De zaak van Sinterklaas: Zwarte Piet staat terecht bespreken Aspha Bijnaar en Cees Maris de maatschappelijke en juridische controverses rond Zwarte Piet vanuit het rechtsfilosofische ideaal van de liberale rechtsstaat. Ze betogen dat Zwarte Piet is besmet met het racisme van het koloniale verleden. Wegens het belang van de uitingsvrijheid moet de overheid discriminerende uitingen niet verbieden, maar met argumenten tegenspreken. Een neutrale rechtsstaat mag zelf niet discrimineren: Sinterklaasevenementen waarbij overheidsinstellingen direct zijn betrokken, moeten vrij zijn van racistische smetten.
Competition Aspects of Public Licenses
Authors: Kubeša Tomáš
Published: October 2015

Public licenses have earned a strong position in both protection and transfer of Intellectual Property Rights. Public licenses are an essential part of activities of many companies, projects and even research grants and their use is increasing. This development means that IPRs and related products protected by public licenses engage in competition with products, protected by more traditional licensing schemes. Thus, even public licenses must be assessed through competition law scrutiny. Recent case law and scientific work clearly show that viewing public licenses through competition law perspective is a difficult task and requires a deep legal assessment and debate. Many known competition concepts, such as price fixing, RPM or abuse of dominance do not seem to cope well with many common provisions of public licenses. This article will summarise existing state of such debates, introduce competition law concepts into the context of public licenses and offer a solid competition viewpoint of public licenses. The outcome of this article will answer the question whether and when can public licenses breach competition law rules.
Unclear Status of Digital Content in Polish Consumer Rights Regulation
Authors: Kaczmarek-Templin Berenika
Published: October 2015

This paper aims to focus on the influence of the new consumer rights directive (2011/83/UE) on polish law. Till now there was not any regulation of electronic commerce, which deals with digital content, although music, movie and book single sales are mostly digital downloads. Regarding to polish Civil Code and the other acts, it has never been defined what the digital content is, it has never been resolved weather it is the product or the service.