Homeostasis and Defense at the Surface of the Eye. The Conjunctival Microbiota.

The literature on ocular microbiome has grown tremendously over the past decade, and our knowledge of the different aspects and roles in homeostasis and protection is continuously growing. The development of 16 S rRNA sequencing has allowed the field to characterize communities of bacteria in health and ocular disease. Efforts should continue to further elucidate the interplay between microbiome and key players, such as age, comorbidities, and contact lens usage in order to have better control of the sight-threatening complications.

Excisional Goniotomy in Latino Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma: Outcomes Through 24 Months.

PURPOSE: To characterize the efficacy of combined phacoemulsification and excisional goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB-phaco) in eyes of Latino adults with cataract and open-angle glaucoma (OAG). METHODS: Health records of consecutive Latino patients undergoing KDB-phaco were retrospectively reviewed. Intraocular pressure (IOP) and IOP-lowering medication use were recorded at baseline and each postoperative visit through up to 24 months. Primary outcomes were reductions in IOP and medication use from baseline; secondary outcomes were the proportions of eyes achieving IOP reductions of ≥20% and medication reductions ≥1 medication from baseline. Subgroup analysis was conducted in eyes with high and low baseline IOP. RESULTS: Data from 44 eyes of 32 Latino patients with OAG were analyzed. Mean IOP was 17.8 (0.7) mmHg at baseline and postoperatively ranged from 12.4 to 13.8 mmHg (p≥0.0003), representing mean IOP reductions of 4.2-4.6 mmHg (19.7-23.1%). Mean medication was 1.5 (0.2) medications per eye at baseline and postoperatively ranged from 0.2 to 1.0 (p≥0.0061), representing mean medication reductions of 0.7-1.2 medications per eye (47.1-87.2%). In the low baseline IOP group (<18 mmHg), mean IOP was significantly reduced through Month 24 and medications through Month 12; in the high baseline IOP group (≥18 mmHg), IOP and medications were significantly reduced through Month 24. From Months 1-24, IOP reductions of ≥20% were achieved by 48.4-56.2% of eyes in the full cohort, by 20.0-33.3% in the low IOP group, and by 66.7-100% in the high IOP group; medication reductions of ≥1 medication were achieved by 72.0-95.6%, 64.7-94.2%, and 87.5-100% of eyes, respectively. CONCLUSION: Combined KDB-phaco in eyes of Latino patients with glaucoma and cataract significantly lowers IOP and the need for IOP-lowering medications for up to 24 months and should be considered for such patients who warrant IOP reduction, medication reduction, or both.

Usability Operations on Touch Mobile Devices for Users with Autism.

The Autistic Spectrum Disorder is a cognitive disorder that affects the cognitive and motor skills; due that, users cannot perform digital and fine motor tasks. It is necessary to create software applications that adapt to the abilities of these users. In recent years has been an increase in the research of the use of technology to support autistic users to develop their communication skills and to improve learning. However, the applications' usability for disable users is not assessed objectively as the existing models do not consider interaction operators for disable users. This article focuses on identifying the operations that can easily be performed by autistic users following the metrics of KML-GOMS, TLM and FLM. In addition, users of typical development were included in order to do a comparison between both types of users. The experiment was carried out using four applications designed for autistic users. Participants were subjects divided in two groups: level 1 and level 2 autistic users, and a group of users of typical development. During the experimentation, users performed a use case for each application; the time needed to perform each task was measured. Results show that the easiest operations for autistic users are K (Keystroke), D (Drag), Initial Act (I) and Tapping (T).