Hard contact lenses used in orthokeratology, a non-invasive technique to reduce nearsightedness and astigmatism, have long proved to be effective. A new study explains why they are successful.

 

Patients receiving orthokeratology treatment wear hard contact lenses overnight and wake to clearer vision. The study by Korean researchers, published in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science, shows that the lens works because it flattens the front surface of the cornea. Scientists had been wondering whether the lens reshapes just the front surface of the cornea or the entire cornea.

 

The Korean researchers conducted their research on 18 young adults with relatively mild myopia who wore the lenses for 14 consecutive nights. After the first night, the front surface of the cornea had been significantly reshaped, and vision showed a marked improvement. After 14 nights, the participants had near-normal uncorrected vision. Approximately 80% of the improvement occurred over the first 4 nights.

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304123124.htm

 

A team of Canadian and international researchers has found a new type of retinoblastoma, an eye cancer that affects babies.

 

The researchers showed that a single cancer gene (an oncogene) drives an aggressive retinoblastoma that starts long before birth in families with no history of the disease. These tumours are much larger than those found in babies of the same age who have hereditary retinoblastoma. About 2% of patients are affected by this form of the disease.

 

“We’ve thought for a long time that all retinoblastoma were caused by loss of the retinoblastoma gene,” explains Dr. Brenda Gallie, head researcher and an ophthalmologist affiliated with the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Toronto. “Our study now reveals that’s not the whole story: a new type of retinoblastoma, with normal retinoblastoma genes, is instead driven by extra copies of a powerful cancer gene, causing the cancer to grow very rapidly long before birth. The average age of diagnosis is four months.”

 

The diagnosis is generally made after parents notice their child has a white rather than black pupil.

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312231012.htm

Style has become an integral part of eyewear design. People wear their glasses all day and often see this accessory as a reflection of their identity.

 

A survey conducted by MasterCard Canada during Fashion Week, which was held in Toronto March 18–22, found that 60% of Canadians see themselves as “moderately stylish.” A mere 6% said they were “very stylish” and nearly a third admitted to having no style at all!

 

A little more than a third (36%) of respondents think Canadians are more stylish than Americans. When asked which Canadian city is most stylish, 40% placed Montreal at the top of the list, followed by Toronto (22%), Vancouver (14%) and Ottawa (2%).

 

The Hudson’s Bay and Roots were picked as the brands that best define Canadian style, followed by Le Chateau, Lululemon, and Canada Goose. Which Canadian people are considered most stylish? Ryan Gosling, Justin Trudeau, and Ryan Reynolds were the top three men, while Shania Twain, Rachel McAdams, and Kim Cattrall were ranked as the top three women.

Source: http://www.newswire.ca/fr/story/1129969/canadians-think-they-are-only-moderately-stylish-when-it-comes-to-personal-style

It happens with all technological innovations. After the initial excitement come the questions and concerns. It seems that the Google Glass augmented reality glasses are no different.

 

On March 4, Sina Fateh, ophthalmologist specialized in new technologies, and Steve Mann, professor at the University of Toronto, filled an entire page of Forbes Magazine with their concerns. The main issue: the risk of visual confusion caused by Google Glass’s single screen above one eye, which could lead to misalignment of the eyes. “The problem is that you have two eyes and the brain hates seeing one image in front of one eye and nothing in front of the other,” Fateh explained. On the defensive, Google said that Google Glasses were designed for micro-use rather than extended wear.

 

Furthermore, at Seattle’s 5 Point Café, the concern is with the preservation of privacy.  The owner has already banned the use of Google Glasses on the premises, afraid the glasses will be used to film his patrons without their knowledge.

 

Source: http://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/google-glass-premiers-signes-de-mefiance.N193032

 

Researchers at Queen’s University, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, hope to develop an innovative treatment using stem cells to save the sight of millions of diabetes sufferers.

 

As part of the Repair of Diabetic Damage by Stromal Cell Administration (REDDSTAR) study, researchers will isolate stem cells derived from bone-marrow from adult donors, expanding them in the lab and implanting them in patients with diabetes, where they should help repair the blood vessels in the eye.

 

“Currently available treatments for diabetic retinopathy are not always satisfactory,” says lead researcher professor Alan Stitt. “They focus on end-stages of the disease, carry many side effects and fail to address the root causes of the condition.”

 

Over €6 million will be invested in this research, which will bring together experts from Northern Ireland, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, and the United States.

Source: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/CentreforVisionandVascularScience/News/Title,371105,en.html