Association Between Electroretinogram-identified Vigabatrin Toxicity and Subsequent Visual Field Reduction

Vigabatrin (VGB) is an antiepileptic drug approved for pediatric patients with infantile spasms. VGB is associated with visual field reductions in 30-50% of adults taking the drug. The amplitude of the 30-Hz flicker electroretinogram (ERG) is recommended for screening young children on VGB treatment. To determine if standard ERG tests for VGB toxicity are correlated with visual field reductions, 22 individuals who were previously on VGB underwent visual assessment. This study also validated the use of high-resolution OCT for detecting structural changes associated with VGB toxicity. This study demonstrates that the ERG was associated with visual field loss, as measured along the temporal meridian. The retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) was attenuated in all children who showed a reduction in the visual fields indicating that RNFL attenuation may be a sensitive marker for VGB toxicity. We recommend using serial OCTs to monitor VGB toxicity since it is fast and non-invasive.MAS

Association Between Electroretinogram-identified Vigabatrin Toxicity and Subsequent Visual Field Reduction

Vigabatrin (VGB) is an antiepileptic drug approved for pediatric patients with infantile spasms. VGB is associated with visual field reductions in 30-50% of adults taking the drug. The amplitude of the 30-Hz flicker electroretinogram (ERG) is recommended for screening young children on VGB treatment. To determine if standard ERG tests for VGB toxicity are correlated with visual field reductions, 22 individuals who were previously on VGB underwent visual assessment. This study also validated the use of high-resolution OCT for detecting structural changes associated with VGB toxicity. This study demonstrates that the ERG was associated with visual field loss, as measured along the temporal meridian. The retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) was attenuated in all children who showed a reduction in the visual fields indicating that RNFL attenuation may be a sensitive marker for VGB toxicity. We recommend using serial OCTs to monitor VGB toxicity since it is fast and non-invasive.MAS

Detection of the Spatiotemporal Trends of Mercury in Lake Erie Fish Communities: A Bayesian Approach

The temporal trends of total mercury (THg) in four fish species in Lake Erie were evaluated based on 35 years of fish contaminant data. Our Bayesian statistical approach consists of three steps aiming to address different questions. First, we used the exponential and mixed-order decay models to assess the declining rates in four intensively sampled fish species, i.e., walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui), and white bass (Morone chrysops). Because the two models postulate monotonic decrease of the THg levels, we included first- and second-order random walk terms in our statistical formulations to accommodate nonmonotonic patterns in the data time series. Our analysis identified a recent increase in the THg concentrations, particularly after the mid-1990s. In the second step, we used double exponential models to quantify the relative magnitude of the THg trends depending on the type of data used (skinless-boneless fillet versus whole fish data) and the fish species examined. The observed THg concentrations were significantly higher in skinless boneless fillet than in whole fish portions, while the whole fish portions of walleye exhibited faster decline rates and slower rates of increase relative to the skinless boneless fillet data. Our analysis also shows lower decline rates and higher rates of increase in walleye relative to the other three fish species examined. The food web structural shifts induced by the invasive species (dreissenid mussels and round goby) may be associated with the recent THg trends in Lake Erie fish

Deepening Inclusive and Community-Engaged Education in Three Schools: A Teachers' Resource

In 2009 the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) initiated the Inclusive Schools three-year pilot project with the intent to engage teachers, teacher educators, students, parents, staff, and administrators in investigating and developing effective inclusive curriculum and instructional practices that could be implemented in classrooms and school-wide. In addition, the project aimed to identify practices and factors that contribute to improved student engagement and learning and that strengthen community connections. Over a three-year period, three TDSB elementary schools - Carleton Village Public School, Flemington Public School, and Grey Owl Junior Public School - carried out 19 school-based inquiries. School-based inquiries were grounded in a professional learning process that emphasized inquiry, partnership, collaboration, action and reflection, and professional choice and responsibility. Participants had different understandings and experiences, which they brought to their particular investigations. This teachers’ resource contains reports on school-based inquiries into effective inclusive curriculum practices. It is intended for teachers who are considering the integration of inclusive approaches in their day-to-day work in schools. As such, the purpose of this resource is to contribute toward understanding how to support student learning and ongoing teacher education in ways that are responsive to today’s educational context

Deepening Inclusive and Community-Engaged Education in Three Schools: A Teachers' Resource

In 2009 the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) initiated the Inclusive Schools three-year pilot project with the intent to engage teachers, teacher educators, students, parents, staff, and administrators in investigating and developing effective inclusive curriculum and instructional practices that could be implemented in classrooms and school-wide. In addition, the project aimed to identify practices and factors that contribute to improved student engagement and learning and that strengthen community connections. Over a three-year period, three TDSB elementary schools - Carleton Village Public School, Flemington Public School, and Grey Owl Junior Public School - carried out 19 school-based inquiries. School-based inquiries were grounded in a professional learning process that emphasized inquiry, partnership, collaboration, action and reflection, and professional choice and responsibility. Participants had different understandings and experiences, which they brought to their particular investigations. This teachers’ resource contains reports on school-based inquiries into effective inclusive curriculum practices. It is intended for teachers who are considering the integration of inclusive approaches in their day-to-day work in schools. As such, the purpose of this resource is to contribute toward understanding how to support student learning and ongoing teacher education in ways that are responsive to today’s educational context