Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa-Associated Cystoid Macular Oedema Using Intravitreal Aflibercept (Eylea) despite Minimal Response to Ranibizumab (Lucentis): A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: We present an interesting case of bilateral retinitis pigmentosa (RP)-associated cystoid macular oedema that responded on two separate occasions to intravitreal injections of aflibercept, despite previously demonstrating only minimal response to intravitreal ranibizumab. This unique case would support a trial of intravitreal aflibercept for the treatment of RP-associated cystoid macular oedema. CASE PRESENTATION: A 38-year-old man from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, presented to the UK with a 3-year history of bilateral RP-associated cystoid macular oedema. Previous treatment with topical dorzolamide, oral acetazolamide, and intravitreal ranibizumab had demonstrated only minimal reduction of cystoid macular oedema. Following re-confirmation of the diagnosis by clinical examination and optical coherence tomography imaging, bilateral loading doses of intravitreal aflibercept were given. Central macular thickness reduced and the patient returned to Dubai. After 6 months, the patient was treated with intravitreal ranibizumab due to re-accumulation of fluid and the unavailability of aflibercept in Dubai. Only minimal reduction of central macular thickness was observed. Once available in Dubai, intravitreal aflibercept was administered bilaterally with further reduction of central macular thickness observed. Visual acuity remained stable throughout. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case report to demonstrate a reduction of RP-associated CMO following intravitreal aflibercept, despite inadequate response to ranibizumab on two separate occasions. Aflibercept may provide superior action to other anti-VEGF medications due to its intermediate size (115 kDa) and higher binding affinity. This is worthy of further investigation in a large prospective cohort over an extended time to determine the safety and efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept for use in this condition

"Chiamo uomo chi \ue8 padrone delle sue lingue". modelli di plurilinguismo da Lampedusa in su.

Il plurilinguismo dei nuovi migranti viene analizzato insieme al ruolo della lingua nella costruzione di modelli di societ\ue0 inclusiva e plural

Gamer-Generated Language and the Localisation of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

Video game localisation has received increased academic attention over the past few years. Despite the call for user-oriented research, few researchers have chosen to focus on issues that are central to end-user experience and its relation to the localised text. With the increased connectivity of gaming in general, and certain game genres in particular, gamers’ language use has become an integral aspect of the game experience. As a result, gamers have become innovative, creating and re-appropriating language, often using non-standard forms to coordinate their gameplay. This innovative and non-standard language, that I call gamer-speak, is the object of my research. In particular, the focus is on the gamer-speak generated by French gamers during group play of two localised Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs): World of Warcraft and WildStar. The main aim is to investigate the phenomenon of gamer-speak in MMORPGs and examine its significance for MMORPG localisation. I achieve this through a linguistic analysis and comparison of gamer conversations, analyses of localised texts and its original counterparts, and from survey data collected from active MMORPG gamers regarding their language use. In this thesis I devise an interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological framework for the study of gamer-speak and its influence on MMORPGs which draws principally from Translation Studies and Games Studies. This framework is used to describe the salient features of gamer-speak generated by French gamers when playing the two MMORPGs chosen in the context of Polysystem Theory and Descriptive Translation Studies. The familiarity with and knowledge of French MMORPG players of gamer-speak is determined through surveys. I also examine localised MMORPG text, translated from English into French, paying attention to the role of gamer-speak. Finally, I address the social and cultural implications that gamer-speak has for the target audience of localised MMORPGs. This work adds to our understanding of gamer culture and has implications for game localisation and translation studies

An Electron Fixed Target Experiment to Search for a New Vector Boson A' Decaying to e+e-

We describe an experiment to search for a new vector boson A' with weak coupling alpha' > 6 x 10^{-8} alpha to electrons (alpha=e^2/4pi) in the mass range 65 MeV < m_A' < 550 MeV. New vector bosons with such small couplings arise naturally from a small kinetic mixing of the "dark photon" A' with the photon -- one of the very few ways in which new forces can couple to the Standard Model -- and have received considerable attention as an explanation of various dark matter related anomalies. A' bosons are produced by radiation off an electron beam, and could appear as narrow resonances with small production cross-section in the trident e+e- spectrum. We summarize the experimental approach described in a proposal submitted to Jefferson Laboratory's PAC35, PR-10-009. This experiment, the A' Experiment (APEX), uses the electron beam of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility at Jefferson Laboratory (CEBAF) at energies of ~1-4 GeV incident on 0.5-10% radiation length Tungsten wire mesh targets, and measures the resulting e+e- pairs to search for the A' using the High Resolution Spectrometer and the septum magnet in Hall A. With a ~1 month run, APEX will achieve very good sensitivity because the statistics of e+e- pairs will be ~10,000 times larger in the explored mass range than any previous search for the A' boson. These statistics and the excellent mass resolution of the spectrometers allow sensitivity to alpha'/alpha one to three orders of magnitude below current limits, in a region of parameter space of great theoretical and phenomenological interest. Similar experiments could also be performed at other facilities, such as the Mainz Microtron.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, 2 table

GRIPS - Gamma-Ray Imaging, Polarimetry and Spectroscopy

We propose to perform a continuously scanning all-sky survey from 200 keV to 80 MeV achieving a sensitivity which is better by a factor of 40 or more compared to the previous missions in this energy range. The Gamma-Ray Imaging, Polarimetry and Spectroscopy (GRIPS) mission addresses fundamental questions in ESA's Cosmic Vision plan. Among the major themes of the strategic plan, GRIPS has its focus on the evolving, violent Universe, exploring a unique energy window. We propose to investigate $\gamma$-ray bursts and blazars, the mechanisms behind supernova explosions, nucleosynthesis and spallation, the enigmatic origin of positrons in our Galaxy, and the nature of radiation processes and particle acceleration in extreme cosmic sources including pulsars and magnetars. The natural energy scale for these non-thermal processes is of the order of MeV. Although they can be partially and indirectly studied using other methods, only the proposed GRIPS measurements will provide direct access to their primary photons. GRIPS will be a driver for the study of transient sources in the era of neutrino and gravitational wave observatories such as IceCUBE and LISA, establishing a new type of diagnostics in relativistic and nuclear astrophysics. This will support extrapolations to investigate star formation, galaxy evolution, and black hole formation at high redshifts.Comment: to appear in Exp. Astron., special vol. on M3-Call of ESA's Cosmic Vision 2010; 25 p., 25 figs; see also www.grips-mission.e

Retrospective cohort study exploring whether an association exists between spatial distribution of cystoid spaces in cystoid macular oedema secondary to retinitis pigmentosa and response to treatment with carbonic anhydrase inhibitors

BACKGROUND: Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) are frequently used as an initial step to treat retinitis pigmentosa-associated cystoid macular oedema (RP-CMO). Interestingly, it has been postulated that CAIs might reduce outer nuclear layer (ONL) fluid more effectively than inner nuclear layer (INL) fluid due to better access to retinal pigment epithelium basolateral membrane than neurosensory retina. This retrospective cohort study explores if an association between spatial distribution of cystoid spaces in RP-CMO and CAI response exists. METHODS: Two independent graders reviewed pretreatment and post-treatment optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of 25 patients (43 eyes) initiated on topical and/or oral CAIs between January 2013 and December 2014. Documentation included the presence/absence of fluid (and layer(s) involved), external limiting membrane, epiretinal membrane (ERM), vitreomacular adhesion/traction, lamellar/full-thickness macular hole and central macular thickness (CMT)/volume. RESULTS: INL fluid was found in all study eyes. All 13 'responders' (at least 11% reduction of CMT after treatment) demonstrated pretreatment ONL fluid. In seven patients (four responders and three non-responders), complete clearance of ONL fluid was achieved despite persistence of INL fluid. ERM presence was similar in responders and non-responders. CONCLUSION: In this study, INL fluid was found to be the most common spatial distribution of RP-CMO. However, patients who were classed as a 'responder' to CAI treatment all demonstrated coexisting ONL fluid on their pretreatment OCT scans. This may be explained by CAIs having better access to retinal pigment epithelium basolateral membrane than neurosensory retina. Our study also suggests a minimal impact on response to CAIs by ERM