StemCell Therapy

How do magpies detect worms and other food sources underground? I often see them look or listen, then rapidly hop across the ground and start digging with their beak and extract a worm or bug from the earth Catherine, age 10, Perth.

You have posed a very good question.

Foraging for food can involve sight, hearing and even smell. In almost all cases learning is involved. Magpies are ground foragers, setting one foot before the other looking for food while walking, called walk-foraging. It looks like this:

Finding food on the ground, such as beetles and other insects, is not as easy as it may sound. The ground can be uneven and covered with leaves, grasses and rocks. Insects may be hiding, camouflaged, or staying so still it is hard for a magpie to notice them.

Read more: Curious Kids: why is a magpie's poo black and white?

Detecting a small object on the ground requires keen vision and experience, to discriminate between the parts that are important and those that are not.

Magpie eyes, as for most birds, are on the side of the head (humans and other birds of prey, by contrast, have eyes that face forward).

To see a small area in front of them, close to the ground, birds use both eyes together (scientists call this binocular vision). But birds mostly see via the eyes looking out to the side (which is called monocular vision).

This picture gives you an idea of what a magpie can see with its left eye, what it can see with its right eye and what area it can see with both eyes working together (binocular vision).

You asked about underground foraging. Some of that foraging can also be done by sight. Worms, for instance, may leave a small mound (called a cast) on the surface and, to the experienced bird, this indicates that a worm is just below.

Magpies can also go a huge step further. They can identify big scarab larvae underground without any visual help at all.

Scarab larvae look like grubs. They munch on grassroots and can kill entire grazing fields. Once they transform into beetles (commonly called Christmas beetles) they can do even more damage by eating all the leaves off eucalyptus trees.

Here is the secret: magpies have such good hearing, they can hear the very faint sound of grass roots being chewed.

We know this from experiments using small speakers under the soil playing back recorded sounds of scarab beetle larvae. Magpies located the speaker every time and dug it up.

So how do they do it? Several movements are involved.

To make certain that a jab with its beak will hit the exact spot where the juicy grub is, the magpie first walks slowly and scans the ground. It then stops and looks closely at the ground seemingly with both eyes working together.

Then, holding absolutely still, the magpie turns its head so the left side of the head and ear is close to the ground for a final confirming listen.

Finally, the bird straightens up, then executes a powerful jab into the ground before retrieving the grub.

That is very clever of the magpies. Very few animals can extract food they cant see. Only great apes and humans were thought to have this ability. Clever magpies indeed. And farmers love them for keeping a major pest under control.

Read more: Curious Kids: Why do birds sing?

Hello, curious kids! Have you got a question youd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au

Original post:
Curious Kids: how do magpies detect worms and other food underground? - The Conversation AU

ANN ARBOR, MI -- A Christmas Day phone call to Ann Arbor eye bank Eversight four years ago has stuck with CEO David Bosch as the most memorable reaction to a successful surgery.

A woman who received a cornea transplant called to express thanks after an emotional experience with her restored vision.

She told us, I just wanted to call and thank you because today, I got to see my children open their presents.' Thats my favorite story, Bosch said. It doesnt get any better than that.

Eversight, headquartered in an eye-shaped building at 3985 Research Park Drive in Ann Arbor, uses donated corneas for research and transplants to restore eyesight.

Another patient, who before a transplant could only see shadows, told Eversight technicians how excited she was to see her toilet flushing with a blue Ty-D-Bol, Bosch said.

She said 'it was so blue and it was so vibrant, and it was so cool to see a color because shes never seen that. Ill never take Ty-D-Bol for granted ever again. That was really cool, Bosch said.

The 72-year-old company runs a network of eye banks that began operating in 1947 in Ohio, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois and South Korea. The company works with more than 300 surgeons and healthcare professionals to prepare and provide more than 8,000 sight-restoring transplants a year in about 30 countries.

Eversight, which moved into the 30,000-square-foot space in August, collects tissue through donations, and has an in-house lab to prepare corneas based on surgeons needs.

It also donates 3,000 corneas to eye and vision researchers each year, saving the higher quality tissue for surgical needs when possible.

Last year (in Michigan), we provided 1,000 tissues for transplant. That came from about 1,300 donors. So some of that tissue goes around the world, really, Bosch said. We provide people with sight who suffer some kind of disease or industrial accidents. Theres a lot of reasons people are blind. We deal with corneal disease and injuries to the cornea.

Hospitals notify Eversight when a potential donor dies, and its staff checks whether the individual is in a donor registry. Family members are then contacted to discuss using the persons corneal tissue for transplants or research, Bosch said.

Once they receive the tissue, they evaluate it, test it, ensure its safe and usable for transplants.

We prepare it, we send it to (surgeons), they transplant it and they can see again, Bosch said.

The process takes 14 days, at most, but averages 10, he added. And the company offers at least 100 cornea a year at little to no cost to anyone who cannot afford a transplant through the companys Gift of Sight Fund.

The company is also in the process of building six eye banks in Pakistan as part of an international outreach effort to serve more countries, Bosch said. Two eye banks have opened there so far, with a third expected to open next year.

The mission is to restore sight and prevent blindness, and Eversight envisions a world without blindness.

I cant imagine doing anything else. Theres still somebody we can help, which keeps me going, Bosch said. If we dont do more, then people suffer.

Read more here:
Ann Arbor eye bank gives the gift of vision, preparing 8,000 cornea transplants annually - mlive.com

People always say how your life can change in an instant, sometimes for the better and other times, well, not so much. I experienced a moment in time that caused my life to drastically change course. One night, not long ago, the eyesight in my right eye was suddenly taken from me after a traumatic injury. When it was determined the vision loss would be permanent, I was left with so many questions that needed to be answered. No matter how desperately I needed to find those answers, I knew deep down they would only come with time.

When will I get used to this?

It is common for most people to assume because you can still see out of your sighted eye that once you adjust to the loss of depth perception, youll be OK. Ive grown used to everybody thinking I have adjusted to this and we have all moved on and everything is fine, except its not fine.

Related: Please Consider Blind People When Placing Holiday Decorations

There are so many variables that can determine how good or bad your vision will be on any given day, and these things can also have a direct impact on your mood. Your vision can be affected by the amount of light you are exposed to, the type of weather outside, how tired you are or how much stress youre under. I have become comfortable with the fact that I am blind in one eye, but it can present differently from day to day and that is the part that frustrates me the most.

When will I adjust to the loss of depth perception?

For whatever reason, I did not realize the scope of the loss of depth perception until a few months after my accident. There was the inability to pour liquids into a glass without spilling it, and I bumped into my fair share of people and walls (still do)! Beyond that, the loss of depth perception was a bit scary. For example, oncoming traffic was always headed my way, and trees, signs and pretty much everything in the world looked flat. Still objects would all blend together while moving objects such as flying bugs and falling leaves seemed to appear much larger in size than they really were. I didnt always understand what I was looking at, all I knew was that I was terrified of how my brain was now perceiving things.

Related: U.K.-Based Disability Rights Advocate Berated by Animal Rights Activist for Using a Service Dog

As time went on I learned to slow down, take my time and just try to be very mindful of my surroundings. I still get caught off guard (pretty often, actually) when something doesnt look quite right. I will stop and stare, trying to understand what Im looking at and attempt to remember what it looked like before my vision loss.When will things stabilize?

Medically speaking, the damage to my eye has stabilized. The healing process has been a long road that included many stressful doctors appointments. They were filled with fear, then hope, followed by devastation. The trauma caused damage that had a domino effect; some pieces fell quickly while others fell much later on. Ive had to rush back to the eye doctor more times than I care to count in order to have new symptoms checked out. This entire experience has caused me to worry greatly about any change in vision I may now have.

Related: Popular Game UNO Creates Braille Version of Its Card Deck

How long am I supposed to be upset about this?

Losing sight in one eye is a big deal even though you still have eyesight in the other. I struggled for a long time about how long I should be letting this upset me. Feeling like I should just get over it already, I sensed those around me around me felt that way too. In reality, I lost a part of my body, and when that happens you need time to grieve. I also lost a huge part of my independence and who I was. Through it all, amazingly, I found a way to cope with the cards Ive been dealt but it takes time to get there. There is no clear-cut timeline; everybodys journey is different.

What else is going to happen inside this damaged eye?

Along with my vision loss also came unstable eye pressures, vitreous gel detachment, constant floaters, flashing lights, spinning lights, brain confusion, night blindness and extreme light sensitivity. So for me, blindness has been like a bag of tricks. Just when I start to feel comfortable again, something new presents itself. Until it is checked out by the doctor, it creates swirling thoughts of uncertainty in my mind and the questions start all over again.

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5 Things I Needed to Know When I Lost My Vision in One Eye - Yahoo Lifestyle

There are hundreds of leaders in the industry with a big year ahead of them.

Some have huge strategic decisions to make in 2020, while others are overseeing brands with issues to revolve.

There are also some that may find themselves elsewhere by the end of the next 12 months.

As part of our December theme month (2019 And Beyond), we take a look at 20 movers and shakers in the industry who may catch your eye in 2020.

Anthony Tan (CEO at Grab)

Ariel Cohen (CEO at TripActions)

Axel Hefer (CEO at Trivago)

Barry Diller (chairman at Expedia Group)

Dara Khosrowshahi (CEO at Uber)

Eric Breon (CEO at Vacasa)

Gillian Tans (chairwoman at Booking.com)

Greg Webb (CEO at Travelport)

Jane Sun (CEO at Trip.com Group)

Jeff Bezos (CEO at Amazon)

Jeff Hurst (senior vice president and general manager at Vrbo)

* Check out this panel discussion featuring Hurst in the PhocusWire Studio at the Phocuswright Conference 2019.

Johannes Reck (CEO at GetYourGuide)

* Check out this panel featuring Reck during The Phocuswright Conference 2019.

Lindsay Nelson (president of core experience at TripAdvisor)

* Check out Nelson's interview with PhocusWire during our Marketing Masters theme month.

Margaret Richardson (vice president of trust at Airbnb)

Mark Okerstrom (ex-CEO at Expedia Group)

* Check out Okerstrom's interview in the PhocusWire Studio at The Phocuswright Conference 2019 (we think it may have been his last as Expedia Group CEO).

Ritesh Agarwal (CEO at OYO Rooms & Hotels)

* Check out Agarwal's appearance at The Phocuswright Conference 2019:

Sean Menke (CEO at Sabre)

Tony Fernandes (Group CEO at AirAsia)

The Hot 25 Startups 2020

ALL OF US!

* Check out this discussion recorded in the PhocusWire Studio at The Phocuswright Conference 2019.

Continued here:
2020 Vision: Travel's movers and shakers to keep your eyes on - PhocusWire

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the fourth anniversary of the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute in Hyderabad, the Tej Kohli Foundation has renewed its commitment of $14m of funding from 2020. During 2019 5,736 individuals were cured of blindness or severe visual impairment at The Tej Kohli Cornea Institute, which is a collaboration between the Tej Kohli Foundation in London, and the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.

The Tej Kohli Cornea Institute was inaugurated in December 2015 to tackle the problem of poverty blindness by providing free treatment to anyone who needs it. Since its inauguration the Cornea Institute has taken care of 223,404 outpatients, completed 43,255 surgical procedures, collected 38,225 donor corneas into its eye bank, utilized 22,176 donor corneas, trained 152 clinicians, published 202 papers and given 892 educational presentations.

Reaching people living with blindness and severe visual impairment in the hard-to-reach rural areas where 66% of Indians live is a particular challenge that the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute is uniquely solving. A unique presence of eye care centres in villages supplemented with a fully equipped mobile diagnostics van take eye care directly to hard-to-reach patients, with more than 100 corneal transplants completed so far in these rural areas.

Other 2019 operational highlights at the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute included:

According to the World Health Organisation, 90% of those affected by blindness and severe visual impairment live in the poorest countries in the world. 14m live in India, where between 6m and 7m people are currently waiting for a corneal transplant. At least 300,000 children in India have some form of severe visual impairment or blindness.

Whilst approximately 75% of corneal disease is curable, the costs of corneal transplantation surgery using donor cornea, and the many years of medicine needed to prevent rejection, makes treatment inaccessible to many. Born out of a partnership with the LV Prasad Eye Institute and the Tej Kohli Foundation, the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute is focussed on prevention, treatment and cure at no cost directly into these high-impact populations that are living needlessly with corneal blindness.

Dr Pravin K Vaddavalli, MD, Director of Tej Kohli Cornea Institute said:

The last four years have been an opportunity to assess the magnitude of the problem of corneal blindness, create strategic partnerships to expand our reach and start to evolve ways and means to allow these patients to live longer, more productively and with dignity.

Wendy Kohli, co-Founder of the Tej Kohli Foundation said:

Its an uncomfortable reality that millions of people worldwide are living with curable blindness that persists entirely because they cannot afford to access treatment. The impact of restoring a persons vision on that persons confidence, wellbeing and economic prospects is substantial. Through the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute we are able to make direct interventions into individual lives that help and transform entire families every single day.

---

About The Tej Kohli Cornea Institute

The mission of the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute is to prevent, control and eliminate corneal blindness worldwide. The Institute is a global leader in research and development, preventative medicine, education and cornea transplants. The Institute enables access to affordable treatment through systemic long-term efforts to create widespread access to high-quality eye care facilities that are delivered by people with the resources, technical skills and compassion to handle diverse population segments.

http://www.tejkohlicorneainstitute.com

About LV Prasad Eye Institute

Established in 1987, the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness, is a comprehensive eye health facility. The Institute has ten active arms to its areas of operations: Clinical Services, Education, Research, Vision Rehabilitation, Rural and Community Eye Health, Eye Banking, Advocacy and Policy Planning, Capacity Building, Innovation and Product Development. LVPEI's mission is to provide equitable and quality eye care to all sections of society.

http://www.lvpei.org

About the Tej Kohli Foundation

Founded in 2005, the Tej Kohli Foundation seeks to make interventions that transform individual lives. It is best known for its global mission to end corneal blindness worldwide. Since 2015 the Foundation has funded the provision of corneal transplants in underserved communities in India through the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute; and in 2019 the Foundation gifted $2m to Mass Eye and Ear in Boston, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, to support the development of new technologies to cure blindness. In December 2019 the Foundation launched the Future Bionics program to gift 3D printed bionic arms to children and young people who are living with limb difference in the United Kingdom.

http://www.tejkohlifoundation.com

END

Read the rest here:
5736 of the World's Poorest People Received the Gift of Sight in 2019 at the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute - Business Wire

HUGHESVILLE Kelley Sprout, who is legally blind, came close to being struck by a vehicle recently while trying to cross at Main and Walnut streets here.

Sprout, 50, spoke Thursday to ninth-through-12th grade students who were enrolled in an innovation center class at Hughesville Junior-Senior High School, his alma mater.

He spoke candidly about the ordeal and offered tips and suggestions so they could get to know what visually-impaired and blind individuals go through in life.

So, here comes the ambulance, he said, of the accident, which took place about two weeks ago.

They thought I was injured, but I was looking for my cane tip, he said. I just got that.

Grateful for the quick response from borough police and the ambulance personnel, Sprout said he was not certain if the woman driving the vehicle had veered into his path, but the tire on the car came into contact with his cane tip and it broke.

I must listen for traffic, he said.

Sometimes, he noted, other pedestrians will tell him when to cross, but the borough isnt too populated with people out walking.

I would like to have audible signals, he said, adding he understood that might be too cost prohibitive and told borough council about his request. The street is one managed by the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

Sprouts challenge to walk across a street doesnt end with vehicles going one way or the other. He has no ability to see a vehicles turn signal.

Heightening his concern are those who honk or yell for him to watch out for that tree, including other insults.

Instead, Sprout encouraged the students to take a look at the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and to read the law.

While at Hughesville High School, his fondest memories are of former school teacher Fred Springman, a special education teacher, and of joining the band and playing instruments, first under the guidance of band director Michael Hutton and then with Samuel Arnone.

Arnone, he said, was supportive and told him he could pick up a piece of music and learn to play a clarinet or other instrument by feel.

Devices for the blind also help to add to Sprouts day.

He showed the students his digital talking book player with several buttons on it.

He demonstrated its navigation menu, which included but was not limited to, sound up and down, tone and speed, and other nifty helper buttons.

The other tools he brought included a calculator that spoke back to him and a hand-held device that could inform him of the color of his shirt.

He put it up to his shirt and the voice indicated it was blue.

Sprouts positive attitude was inspiring to the students who listened.

I want people to know I am here, he said.

Sprout said he was not always blind.

For much of his youth he had scant vision in both eyes, about 5 percent in each eye, or enough to ride a bicycle.

But retinal degeneration worsened over time.

He initially was sent to the Overbrook School for the Blind in a section of Philadelphia, before attending school in the East Lycoming School District. He was the 1988 senior of the year in his graduating class.

He worked in various factories and for a while with the North Central Sight Services. His hobbies include being an amateur radio operator.

Before leaving, Sprout played what sounded like the schools alma mater. His arms rose up as a conductors would.

I want to speak to others about blindness educate them, he said.

The year 2019 had its moments. Today the Sun-Gazette continues a daily offering of news highlights from the year. ...

City Council has scheduled a meeting at 11:30 a.m. Friday to consider the 2020 budget veto by Mayor Gabriel J. ...

The year 2019 had its moments. Today the Sun-Gazette continues a daily offering of news highlights from the year. ...

(EDITORS NOTE: Today the Sun-Gazette continues its annual review of the past years major news ...

Read the original:
Resident talks to students about his life without sight | News, Sports, Jobs - Williamsport Sun-Gazette

news, latest-news,

"Do you know what I've just seen?" I excitedly gasped and gibbered, running up to a group of six complete strangers in the sculpture garden of Canberra's Australian National Gallery. It was early one morning last October and I had just seen Jesus, Our Redeemer, striding confidently across the surface of the waters of nearby Lake Burley Griffin, just as in the Bible he walks on the waters of Galilee, amazing his disciples. The strangers seemed inexplicably unmoved. Strangely still and slow-moving I took them to be a group of Tai-Chi practitioners unprepared to let anything interrupt their oriental ritual. "What's WRONG with you people?" I raged at them. "I bring you thrilling news about Jesus' second coming and you just stand there like crash test dummies!" Exasperated I ran up to one of the strangers and shirtfronted him. The lapels of his shirt had a strangely metallic feel. "Excuse me grandad," a sculpture garden security guard intervened, "please don't touch the sculptures." And it emerged that the group of strangers were not Tai-Chi enthusiasts but Rodin's famous bronze Burghers of Calais. My imperfect eyes, awaiting the corrections of cataract surgery had played yet another trick on me. Suspicious now about my earlier vision I went back to the lake shore to check on my Jesus. It turned out that he, far closer to me now and more easily discerned, was in fact just a bearded mortal man. He was not walking on water but only shuffling across the waters standing upright on a hired paddle board. "I'm glad my cataract surgery is happening soon," I confided to an indistinct woman I was fairly sure was my wife after I arrived home from my morning's embarrassing adventures. I've since had cataract surgery, splendidly restoring hawk-eyed accuracy to my vision. It is something to be grateful for and to rejoice over. And yet. Between rejoicings I find myself half-missing some of the delusions, mirages and hallucinations that wonky vision gave me. I'm reminded of James Thurber's amusing memoir The Admiral on the Wheel in which Thurber (already with wonky vision) tells of adventures he suffered/enjoyed after breaking his glasses and having a long wait for new ones. Waiting for his glasses he saw, or seemed to see, wondrous things. "I saw the Cuban flag flying over a national bank, I saw a gay old lady with a grey parasol walk right through the side of a truck, I saw a cat roll across a street in a small striped barrel, I saw bridges rise lazily into the air, like balloons." Thurber enjoyed seeing these sorts of things and came to realise: "With perfect vision, one is inextricably trapped in the workaday world, a prisoner of reality. For the hawk-eyed person life has none of those soft edges which for me blur into fantasy." I strongly identify with Thurber in all this, although overall I am very glad to have had my eyesight corrected since poor eyesight did cause me some embarrassments. There was the time when I put on the first undies I could find in the laundry basket, my wife's, and got very funny looks later that day in the men's locker room at my gym. Then there was that time at my local shops when, not seeing the shopfronts clearly, I went into the bakery, mistaking it for the chemist's and handed the woman behind the counter my doctor's prescription for a well-known medication pertaining to my sexual health. Now I am too embarrassed to go there again; a shame, since its lamingtons are the best in Australia. But so many of my visual mistakes, like dear Thurber's, had a magic about them that I miss now that surgery has put me back into prison with the hawk-eyed. I miss how at the Yarralumla off-leash dog park my dog always seemed to be playing not with mere dogs but with mythical creatures galore, including unicorns and hippogriffs. Once I threw a ball for a bunyip and it, now with a pixie riding on its back, brought it back to me. I miss, now, the flying things (like albatrosses, pterodactyls and airborne superheroes, like Batman) that used to come down to and gather around my garden's birdbath. An art buff, back in perfect eyesight's prison now I miss some of the things I seemed to see in the great paintings reproduced in my coffee-table books. Where, now, is the mystery object (depending on the state of the light in my study either an iPad, a souvenir snowdome of St Basil's Cathedral or a miniature Schnauzer dog) that always seemed to be there in the lap of Whistler's Mother? Today, hawk-eyed now, all I can find in her lap are the frilly cuffs (reminiscent of the frills on the undergarment I once blush-makingly wore to my gym) of her long-sleeved garment where it meets her folded hands. And, now that I see so pragmatically I can no longer find the lamingtons (perhaps bought from my shopping centre's noble bakery) that always seemed to be there on the table in Leonardo da Vinci's painting The Last Supper. Nor, in the same masterpiece, is Judas any longer holding in his right hand what I always believed before my surgery was either a lamington or a mobile phone. Disappointingly hawk-eyed now, I can see it is, predictably, just a bag of coins. Cataract surgery, so magical in every medical way, has taken everyday magic from my every day.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc76o44a3o4iw1eym1o6n6.jpg/r0_642_6000_4032_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

OPINION

December 22 2019 - 4:30AM

"Do you know what I've just seen?" I excitedly gasped and gibbered, running up to a group of six complete strangers in the sculpture garden of Canberra's Australian National Gallery.

It was early one morning last October and I had just seen Jesus, Our Redeemer, striding confidently across the surface of the waters of nearby Lake Burley Griffin, just as in the Bible he walks on the waters of Galilee, amazing his disciples.

Unicorns at Yarralumla's off-leash dog park: where for art thou? Picture: Shutterstock

The strangers seemed inexplicably unmoved. Strangely still and slow-moving I took them to be a group of Tai-Chi practitioners unprepared to let anything interrupt their oriental ritual.

"What's WRONG with you people?" I raged at them.

"I bring you thrilling news about Jesus' second coming and you just stand there like crash test dummies!"

Exasperated I ran up to one of the strangers and shirtfronted him. The lapels of his shirt had a strangely metallic feel.

"Excuse me grandad," a sculpture garden security guard intervened, "please don't touch the sculptures."

And it emerged that the group of strangers were not Tai-Chi enthusiasts but Rodin's famous bronze Burghers of Calais. My imperfect eyes, awaiting the corrections of cataract surgery had played yet another trick on me.

Suspicious now about my earlier vision I went back to the lake shore to check on my Jesus. It turned out that he, far closer to me now and more easily discerned, was in fact just a bearded mortal man. He was not walking on water but only shuffling across the waters standing upright on a hired paddle board.

"I'm glad my cataract surgery is happening soon," I confided to an indistinct woman I was fairly sure was my wife after I arrived home from my morning's embarrassing adventures.

I've since had cataract surgery, splendidly restoring hawk-eyed accuracy to my vision. It is something to be grateful for and to rejoice over. And yet.

Between rejoicings I find myself half-missing some of the delusions, mirages and hallucinations that wonky vision gave me. I'm reminded of James Thurber's amusing memoir The Admiral on the Wheel in which Thurber (already with wonky vision) tells of adventures he suffered/enjoyed after breaking his glasses and having a long wait for new ones.

Waiting for his glasses he saw, or seemed to see, wondrous things.

"I saw the Cuban flag flying over a national bank, I saw a gay old lady with a grey parasol walk right through the side of a truck, I saw a cat roll across a street in a small striped barrel, I saw bridges rise lazily into the air, like balloons."

Thurber enjoyed seeing these sorts of things and came to realise: "With perfect vision, one is inextricably trapped in the workaday world, a prisoner of reality. For the hawk-eyed person life has none of those soft edges which for me blur into fantasy."

I strongly identify with Thurber in all this, although overall I am very glad to have had my eyesight corrected since poor eyesight did cause me some embarrassments.

There was the time when I put on the first undies I could find in the laundry basket, my wife's, and got very funny looks later that day in the men's locker room at my gym.

Then there was that time at my local shops when, not seeing the shopfronts clearly, I went into the bakery, mistaking it for the chemist's and handed the woman behind the counter my doctor's prescription for a well-known medication pertaining to my sexual health. Now I am too embarrassed to go there again; a shame, since its lamingtons are the best in Australia.

But so many of my visual mistakes, like dear Thurber's, had a magic about them that I miss now that surgery has put me back into prison with the hawk-eyed.

Between rejoicings [of successful cataract surgery] I find myself half-missing some of the delusions, mirages and hallucinations that wonky vision gave me.

I miss how at the Yarralumla off-leash dog park my dog always seemed to be playing not with mere dogs but with mythical creatures galore, including unicorns and hippogriffs. Once I threw a ball for a bunyip and it, now with a pixie riding on its back, brought it back to me.

I miss, now, the flying things (like albatrosses, pterodactyls and airborne superheroes, like Batman) that used to come down to and gather around my garden's birdbath.

An art buff, back in perfect eyesight's prison now I miss some of the things I seemed to see in the great paintings reproduced in my coffee-table books.

Where, now, is the mystery object (depending on the state of the light in my study either an iPad, a souvenir snowdome of St Basil's Cathedral or a miniature Schnauzer dog) that always seemed to be there in the lap of Whistler's Mother? Today, hawk-eyed now, all I can find in her lap are the frilly cuffs (reminiscent of the frills on the undergarment I once blush-makingly wore to my gym) of her long-sleeved garment where it meets her folded hands.

And, now that I see so pragmatically I can no longer find the lamingtons (perhaps bought from my shopping centre's noble bakery) that always seemed to be there on the table in Leonardo da Vinci's painting The Last Supper.

Nor, in the same masterpiece, is Judas any longer holding in his right hand what I always believed before my surgery was either a lamington or a mobile phone. Disappointingly hawk-eyed now, I can see it is, predictably, just a bag of coins.

Cataract surgery, so magical in every medical way, has taken everyday magic from my every day.

More here:
Perfect vision sadly a sight for sore eyes - The Canberra Times

From elementary to high school, children in Japan are breaking records for bad eyesight, an education ministry health survey showed Friday.

According to the survey results, children with uncorrected vision of less than 1.0 on the Japanese acuity scale account for 34.6 percent of elementary school students, 57.5 percent of junior high school students and 67.6 percent of high school students all record highs.

A score of 1.0 is equivalent to 20/20 vision.

Looking at smartphone screens at close distances and reading books may be having some effects on childrens eyesight, the ministry said.

The preliminary figures came from samples collected from the results of medical checkups nationwide for children between 5 and 17 from April to June. A more detailed investigation covering several thousand students will be conducted for the first time in fiscal 2020.

The fiscal 2019 survey also found record high ratios of nasal or paranasal sinus conditions, such as allergic rhinitis, in 12.1 percent of junior high students and 9.9 percent of high school students.

The share of high schoolers with ear problems aside from hearing impairments also hit a record high at 2.9 percent.

On the other hand, the ratios for tooth decay continued to fall, setting record lows of 34 percent in junior high schoolers and 43.7 percent in high schoolers.

The downtrend is being credited to improved education on brushing teeth at school and greater awareness of parents about dental hygiene.

The survey also found that the proportion of 13-year-olds in Fukushima Prefecture weighing at least 20 percent more than standard stood at 12.29 percent, the highest by prefecture.

While obesity in children rose after the March 2011 nuclear disaster, which caused restrictions to be placed on outdoor activities as a result of contamination, It cannot be said that (the proportion in Fukushima) is markedly higher than in other prefectures, so there may not be any significant effect, the ministry said.

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In the age of smartphones, Japanese schoolchildren's eyesight is worst on record, health ministry finds - The Japan Times

PEORIA Bryce Weiler has a vision: Help people with disabilities connect with sports.

Weiler was born without eyesight, but he hasn't let that hamper his love for sports. He has worked as a broadcast color commentator for more than 140 games, one of which was a Peoria Chiefs game at Dozer Park in 2014.

He played catch on the field with then-Chiefs manager Joe Kruzel. He can hit a baseball. Shoot free throws. You name it, he's tried it.

And that's what he wants for everyone with a disability. To that end, the Baltimore Orioles disability consultant co-founded the Beautiful Lives Project after his college days.

Beautiful Lives helps sports organizations create participation chances for people with disabilities.

And one of those events happened Saturday during a basketball game at Galva High School.

The Galva dance team welcomed a handful of students with disabilities, led them through practice on Friday, and then danced with them at halftime on Saturday.

"We had three students, two from Geneseo and one from Kewanee, join us for this," Galva dance team coach Ali Weston said. "The goal for us was to be inclusive. I wanted our dancers to experience this, and work toward helping others achieve something they didn't think they could do.

"None of the three guests who joined us had a background in dance. They wanted to experience it and we were excited to help them."

Weston met Weiler when the two were students at Western Illinois University. She danced for WIU and Weiler became a friend.

"We found out we both had a love for sports," said Weston, 26. "The thing you have to know about Bryce is, any obstacle that comes into his path he embraces and overcomes."

The idea for the Galva dance event was formed over the summer.

"I just thought it was an amazing opportunity," Weston said. "It helps our dancers, too. They learn what it is like for someone who cant do all the things that they can do."

Said Galva junior dance team member Jacqueline Boyce:

"This is a good opportunity for our dance team to reach out to people who haven't had the experiences we've had."

Weiler earned a bachelor's degree in Sports Management and Communication from University of Evansville, and earned a master's in Sports Administration from Western Illinois.

He was born with the retinas in his eyes detached, so he's never had sight. But he certainly has vision.

"The Beautiful Lives Project is my chance to give back to all the people who have helped me out," said Weiler, 28. "Ali has been such a good friend, helped me so much at Western Illinois and is such a good person.

"She's passing along these experiences to her dance team now, and that's a great thing."

You can check out the Beautiful Lives Project at https://www.beautifullives.org/.

Dave Eminian covers the Rivermen and Chiefs for the Journal Star, and writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

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Cleve In The Eve: Beautiful Lives Project teams up with Galva dance team for special event - Peoria Journal Star

Andy Warhol. All images courtesy of Supple and totalcontent

This is certainly a sight for sore eyes: a printed wall calendar for 2020, inspired by famous spectacle wearers past and present, ranging from Gandhi to Ga Ga, Elton John to Audrey Hepburn.

Brought to you by design studio Supple and copywriting firm totalcontent, 2020 Visionaries focuses on familiar specs and the little-known stories behind them.

Supple went all ocular on the design, basing the creative on graphic illustrations of the iconic face furniture, judicious use of the Optician Sans font, and a take on the traditional opticians' Snellen vision test chart on the cover.

The glasses illustrations are reproduced true to size. The lenses reflect not only the identity of the wearer but what they might see through them. For example, January poster boy Michael Caine's lenses feature a couple of speeding Minis, a nod to his iconic British heist movie The Italian Job.

totalcontents Jim K Davies says: "I had the idea for a spectacles-based calendar a couple of years ago when I saw '2020' printed in a newspaper. The research was a real eye-opener. Most interesting find? Elton John doesn't need specs anymore, thanks to the lens implantsurgery he had in 2003. It was a shame not to include Dame Edna though. Her extravagant glasses dont have lenses, so, unfortunately, we couldnt use her."

Designer and illustrator Yee Poon adds: After Jim suggested a 2020 calendar of famous spec wearers, we explored loads of ways of featuring the glasses, before focusing on the idea of reflections. We decided to keep things pure and simple, taking our cues from eye-test cards for colour, typography and minimalism."

The 2020 Visionaries calendar is supported by a pop-up microsite by web design agency Our Name is Mud, along with a link for donations to Guide Dogs for the Blind, one of Supple's clients.

Creative Director Matt Powell said: "When we saw the calendar, we immediately thought it would lend itself to an online quiz and we could have some fun with opticians' iconography. The red and green screens lend themselves beautifully to right and wrong and using some clever mask effects, we could mimic the way test lenses work."

Michael Caine

Elton John

John Lennon

Amelia Earhart

Ray Charles

Billie Jean King

Lady Gaga

Audrey Hepburn

Gandhi

Karl Lagerfeld

The Two Ronnies

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Supple's eye-catching 2020 calendar inspired by famous spectacle wearers and your local opticians - Creative Boom

Every New Year prompts new resolutions. 2020 still makes us think of perfect vision, even if we are metric now. So how do you wish this year to unfold for you and for your patients?

Where and how you practice will to some extent determine the patients you see, but most optometrists will see a cross-section of the population coming through the consulting room in the year. Patients will range from children to the very elderly, and those in the middle who are coming to terms with their changing sight needs with the passing years. Each patient presents their own challenges to optometrists, some greater than others.

It has never been more important for optometrists to be at the centre of eye health and care at every stage in a patients life, and to be recognised as such. Too many members of the public think of the optician as there for the healthy eye, and to detect disease. Not enough people understand the role that optometrists can play in supporting patients in the longer term after a diagnosis, whether with treatment, monitoring or expert prescribing and support for low vision. This view will only change as more and more people experience the full range of what optometrists can offer in primary care.

Not enough people understand the role that optometrists can play in supporting patients in the longer term after a diagnosis, whether with treatment, monitoring or expert prescribing and support for low vision

The commissioning landscape continues to change. There are more pathways and local schemes being set up all the time. Scotland and Wales continue to make the greatest strides that the other nations can learn from. The devolved governments fully understand that optometrists are the untapped resource to relieve pressure on GPs and secondary care. This is being recognised in England too, with its patchy commissioning landscape. The Local Optical Committee Support Unit works hard to increase the number of schemes and pathways, such as the introduction of a pathway for children following problems identified in screening last summer.

If the optometric practice supports patients from youth to old age, in good times and in bad, the AOP does the same for its members. We protect, support and represent our members throughout their careers. This personal and individual understanding of your career is our hallmark.

We recognise how your needs will change at different stages of your career, whatever your mode of practice. Our unrivalled insurance and member defence package is a given in the event of needing assistance with complaints from any source. We have your back.

But we also recognise that the support a locum needs will be different from a business owner, employee, lecturer, hospital optometrist or student, and we recognise the importance of offering the right support at every stage. This is why you can find advice on our website on employment status and tax, government regulation, employee contracts, making accurate claims and dealing with post-payment verification and anything else that might arise for you. It is why we provide CET opportunities for the whole practice team, as well as specialised opportunities for learning at the Hospital Optometrists Annual Conference and Therapeutics London Conference. And it is why the education opportunities we offer cover personal skills and attributes as well as clinical knowledge.

It has never been more important for optometrists to be at the centre of eye healthand to be recognised as such

We also acknowledge career changes in our fee structure, with special rates for newly qualified optometrists, and members taking parental leave or career breaks.

2020 is an auspicious year for all those involved in eye health and care, and we are determined to make it a particularly special one. It begins with an even bigger and better 100% Optical with more CET, more dedicated streams for the whole practice team, more AOP dedicated sessions and the biggest Awards event in the sector, to celebrate outstanding achievement. I look forward to seeing lots of you there and I hope 2020 proves to be one to remember, for all the right reasons.

AOP benefits for membersSee the benefits of being AOP member at different career stages

Image Credit: Getty/sorbetto

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At the centre of eye health - AOP

Cathryn Aylett and Carron Strachan from Bright Eyes Centre (BEC) for Visually Impaired Children show off the Plusoptix Vision Screener.

GLENHILLS resident, Cathryn Aylett has urged the north Durban community to give the gift of sight this festive season by sponsoring an eye screening. Aylett who works with the Bright Eyes Centre (BEC) for Visually Impaired Children is actively involved in fundraising for the non profit organisation and to help fund their newest initiative, the Bheka Project.

The project, which launches next year, is a drive to screen 1 000 school children across the province ensuring all grade ones have 20/20 vision in 2020. The initiative is called the Clicks for Christmas campaign which sees a donation of R200 help sponsor an eye screening.

BEC has partnered with Peek A Vu, using a machine Plusoptix Vision Screener, which is used across 98 per cent of pediatric practices in Europe.

The Plusoptix Vision Screener is used across 98 per cent of pediatric practices in Europe.

The reality is that our country doesnt currently have the systems in place to screen the eyes of children under the age of six at their vaccination appointments. On average one in 20 children suffer from an undetected visual disorder. This eye screening is superior as ordinary school vision/acuity tests do not test refractive errors accurately. The sooner visual disorders are detected and treated the greater the probability of successful treatment.More often than not, affected children dont notice their own visual disorders as they are accustomed to seeing the world through their own eyes with no way to compare. Little children who cannot see may be fidgety and have a hard time concentrating. Through the machine we are able to play our part in early detection of visual disorders in children younger than six, Aylett explained.

Speaking on the partnership with Peek A Vu, Aylett said the device allowed them to go into schools and offer eye tests to young children.

The cutting edge technology means we make no physical contact with the the child and the machine uses infrared technology in the form of refraction measurement to determine whether there is an underlying visual impairment. The screening takes seconds and a single click of the device and we have the an immediate pass or refer suit. Most little ones have no idea they have just had their eyes tested. We do not need to rely on verbal feedback from the child. Think of it as taking a photo of your little ones eyes. Click and its done. Early intervention is key.

The cutting edge technology means we make no physical contact with the the child and the machine uses infrared technology in the form of refraction measurement to determine whether there is an underlying visual impairment.

Through the Bheka Project, Aylett said the school would also like to help children from informal settlements who cannot afford eye tests.

You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us aTelegram message(not an SMS) with yourname and surname(ONLY)to 060 532 5532.

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Give the gift of sight by supporting local project - Northglen News

The last four weeks have been rough for Todays Savannah Guthrie.

After her young son, Charley, accidentally hit her in the eye with the sharp end of a toy train at the end of November, the anchor suffered an injury to her retina. Its been an up and down journey for her but it looks like things are finally on the upswing for her.

Get the details on the Today party Guthrie got the green light from her doctors to attend, plus find out when shell finally be back on the job.

Once her doctors felt that laser treatments were no longer helping the 47-year-olds situation, they prepped her for surgery on Dec. 11.

Doctors initially had put hope in the laser treatments ability to address Guthries retinal damage. It did look promising the first week of December and the newswoman hoped she could avoid going under the knife.

Five laser treatments later, it was clear the severe injury of her retina was beyond their ability to help. And so, surgery became unavoidable.

It turned out to be kind of serious. They were afraid my retina would detach, Guthrierevealed to Today viewers. They told me to just take it easy and theyve been doing a bunch of laser procedures to avoid having to do the whole surgery.

She added, It was so blurry from not to get too gross but there was so much blood in my eye that it completely blocked my vision.

Post-surgery, the anchor has had to keep her head facedown to be sure the surgery worked. Now she can switch between being facedown and sitting upright.

Its uniquely challenging, this recovery, she says. Your body starts hurting in different places, lying down like that, she told PEOPLE the day after her surgery.

Although shes still recovering from very delicate eye surgery, People reported that the morning show host could not resist the opportunity to make it to the annual holiday party with the Today crew at Catch Steak on Wednesday night this week.

Guthrie documented her big night out on Instagram with a post showing herself, her co-anchor Hoda Kotb, 3rd Hour host Jenna Bush Hager, and executive producer Libby Leist all smiles.

Reunited and it feels so good,she posted. Loving up on my@todayshowgirls at the TODAY holiday party.

Kotb also posted the photo to her Instagram, saying Lookie lookie who is on the mend! @savannahguthriemade it to the@todayshowChristmas party and then everything was right xoxo

Willie Geist quipped that Guthrie said at the party, You all are a sight for sore eye, singular!

USA Today reports that Guthrie is planning her big return for after the holidays.

It will most probably be one more week before her doctor can tell if her eye can hold the retina on its own. Guthrie had hoped to return at the end of this week but thinks itll probably be after the holidays.

Read more: Today Show: What Is Carson Dalys Net Worth and Which Late Night Host Played a Huge Role in His Career?

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'Today': Savannah Guthrie's Return to Work, Plus the Anchor Parties with Her Show Pals - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Glasses today the fashion and even become an accessory the youth picks up a massive rim on half of the face. Teaser four-eyes almost gone. Bespectacled become. Just not immediately. After all, children are born with a perfect vision But even the kids get in the hands of the phone or tablet. To stop technical progress is impossible. So what to do?

See also: Read from the screen of the gadget in transport or on the go bad: this is especially dangerous for childrens eyes

If we are talking about young children, then surely we must limit their communication with a phone or a tablet, says the head of the Department of ophthalmology of the National medical Academy of postgraduate education named after P. L. Shupyk Professor Sergey Rykov. The eye is being shaped, with prolonged stress on the eye muscles can form incorrectly. Then already in the first class many children need glasses. We, however, advocate that even congenital problems strabismus, myopia and other repair by the time when the child starts school. So the choice for parents how to save eyesight child.

In adults the eye is already formed. What factors affect vision?

One of the main strain of the eye muscles. If a person for a long time staring at objects up close, muscles tense, and gradually the eye loses its ability to change focus, to switch quickly from near objects to far. The ability to accommodate the inherent nature. If it is not claimed, myopia develops.

But in fact before schoolchildren it started, but the adults have progressed.

Yes, and to slow down the process, we recommend special exercises to relax the eye muscles. Teachers had to replant students on the first Desk, the last. But now the problem is in the gadgets. It concerns both children and adults. The fact that the screen is a Ticker. And when we look at the moving text, the eye muscles tense up to five (!) times stronger. In addition, people blink much less frequently, the cornea badly washed by tears and there is dryness of the eyes. And this is a disease.

Result in the need to pick up points

Or contact lenses. But to do it properly. In most optical stores have special equipment with which the optometrist (a specialist in the selection of points) can accurately determine which glasses or lenses you need. Options there are many bifocal, trifocal, coated, without him.

What if before the eyes of murky veil fly or flies? Who needs to remove cataracts? How long can I wear contact lenses removing?

To these and other questions from our readers on Monday, December 23 from 15:00 to 16:00 during the direct line of FACTS will answer ophthalmologist Professor Sergey Rykov.

Call in edition by phone (044) 503-77-74

Pre-send questions to the email address [email protected]

The material on a straight line read on Thursday, January 9, 2020.

See also: Red eye is a symptom of many diseases requiring serious treatment

Maria Batterburyis a general assignment reporter at the Saxon. She has covered sports, entertainment and many other beats in her journalism career, and has lived in Manhattan for more than 8 years. Vivian has appeared periodically on national television shows and has been published in (among others) NPR, Politico, The Atlantic, Harpers, Wired.com, Vice and Salon.com..

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What to do if vision deteriorates? - The Saxon

Concerned about your eyesight? You probably should be. And we're not just talking about seniors here. Young or old, we're all at risk of coming down with vision issues

Most of us might get a vision test only once every couple of years or so when we get a new pair of glasses - if that. And there's not many who can afford regular preventative trips to an optometrist.

Luckily, there's an effective middle ground. The vision experts at EyeQue have a range of home test kits that can help you keep track of your vision.

The basic Personal Vision Tracker makes the whole procedure simple, not to mention inexpensive. You can use it multiple times over years for less than the cost of a single visit to most eye doctors. It's a device that attaches and pairs with your smartphone and allows you to get accurate readings on your vision within minutes. You can even use the results to order eyeglasses online from eyeque.com.

Need a little more in-depth info? The EyeQue VisionCheck is a similar unit that you can even use with your eyeglasses on if you'd like to confirm that your current prescription is up to snuff. This unit also lets you track your vision ratings by doing tests once a month and comparing your stats.

There's even the EyeQue Insight, a more full-featured version of the test that's tailor-made for kids but packed with useful info for all ages. The dual-lens device again attaches to your smartphone, and the tests are sweetened up for the younger set by way of an animated mascot and virtual prizes. By the time they're done, you'll have an accurate reading on their vision that determine conditions like color blindness and provide advance warning about conditions like glaucoma and cataracts.

They're all on sale for the holiday season, and might be the most valuable gift your eyes ever get.

EyeQue Personal Vision Tracker

MSRP: $35

Sale Price: $24.99

EyeQue VisionCheck

MSRP: $69

Sale Price: $46.99

EyeQue Insight: Visual Acuity, Color & Contrast Screening

MSRP: $89

Sale Price: $49.99

Facebook offered a revealing explanation to lawmakers for why it continues to track users locations even after those users turn Facebooks location tracking services off.

After LifeLabs was hit by a a cyber attack in November, the Canada-based medical lab paid a ransom to recover stolen data belonging to more than 15 million of its customers. That stolen data included usernames, password, and some 80,000 or more test results.

Google denies claim of illegal and retaliatory firing

If you snore, you know it can be infuriating for your partner. But did you know it can also be unhealthy for you? Yep, those sawing logs that you cant even hear can be a warning buzzer, increasing your risk for stroke. There are cures for snoring that involve everything from nose strips to full-on []

Weve all heard that Boy Scout motto, be prepared. These days most everybody is, thanks to the most useful emergency device of all time: The smartphone. Except, of course, when they run out of power. Which is why if you really want to be prepared, get a power bank like the HyperCharger PRO V.2 All-in-One []

Want to get people really into the music at your next house party? Well, a killer playlist is clearly key. But we have to say, this amazingly striking sculpture/speaker combo is a pretty good plan B. This polygonal curiosity is the ADOM Prime: Kalium Humanoid Speaker. He looks like he just stepped off a prog []

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These home vision tests offer a clear look at the state of your eyesight - Boing Boing

When we look at a painting, its colors and images enter our eyes as waves of light. Thanks to a layer of tissue at the back of our eyes known as the retina, the vibrant yellows and subtle blues of van Goghs Starry Night are translated into electrical signals for our brains to interpret.

This remarkable part of our eye is actually an extension of our brain tissue. And just like our brain, the retina needs a lot of oxygen to function properly.

A study published by an international collaboration of researchers recently revealed just how important a steady supply of oxygen was to the evolution of a thicker retina, and therefore better vision.

425 million years ago, the researchers found, your ancestor was a fish with mediocre eyesight. And its sight couldnt improve until it evolved new ways for oxygen to reach the retina.

We showed that in the ancestor of most vertebrates, the retina was likely thin and had a relatively poor oxygen supply to it, says H. William Detrich, a professor of marine and environmental sciences at Northeastern. As species evolved, when the retina increased in thickness, it was always accompanied by one of several mechanisms that improve retinal oxygen delivery.

H. William Detrich is a professor of marine and environmental sciences in the College of Science at Northeastern. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

The researchers collected information about retinal thicknesses and oxygen delivery mechanisms in 87 vertebrate species around the world and examined the evolutionary links between them. They found that several unique ways had evolved to bring oxygen to the retina, and any vertebrate with good vision exhibited at least one of them.

Around 280 million years ago, when todays continents were still squished together in a giant land mass we now call Pangea, the first of these changes showed up in fish.

Hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that binds with oxygen, mutated in a way that made it extremely sensitive to acid. When the blood became even slightly acidic, the mutated hemoglobin would release a large portion of the oxygen it was holding.

In the layer of the eye right behind the retina, called the choroid, a web of capillaries evolved. This network, known as the rete mirabile (latin for miracle network, Detrich says), maintained a slightly acidic environment. When blood passed through it, oxygen was forced out of the hemoglobin to diffuse into the retina at high concentrations.

These changes were accompanied by the evolution of thicker retinas and larger eyes in fish. The influx of oxygen allowed fish eyes to sustain more cells to help them resolve finer details in an image and see better in low light.

While the choroid rete mirabile is still prevalent in fish today, it never evolved in vertebrates on land. These animals instead evolved networks of capillaries within the retina itself, or immediately in front of it, providing oxygen more directly to retinal cells. But this solution was a tradeoff, Detrich says, because the blood vessels could potentially interfere with vision by scattering incoming light.

The researchers found that these mechanisms evolved and vanished from evolutionary history multiple times. Some animals, like the Mexican blind cave fish, adapted to environments where eyesight wasnt that important, and lost some of the mutations that would bring oxygen to the eye. Ancient mammals evolved more capillaries in and around their retinas when they began being active in the daylight and relying more heavily on vision, about 100 million years ago.

Antarctic icefishes, which Detrich has been studying for decades, were a special case. They lost their red blood cells and hemoglobin in an evolutionary accident, and had to adapt.

The absence of hemoglobin in the icefishes means that they cannot provide oxygen to the retina using the choroid rete mirabile, Detrich says. If those fish were to maintain a decent retinal sickness, another mechanism of oxygen supply had to evolve.

Detrich was on an expedition in Antarctica when he received an email from Christian Damsgaard, the studys lead author. Damsgaard wanted to include icefish and several other Antarctic fish species in the study, but didnt have any high-quality specimens.

I wrote back and said, Well, I happened to be in Antarctica at the moment. And we can rectify that problem, Detrich says.

Detrich and his team collected fresh specimens and blood samples from five species of fish: two icefish species, and three Antarctic species that never lost their red blood.

The researchers found that the icefish species had retinas that were just as thick as those of the other Antarctic species, despite losing their oxygen-carrying hemoglobin. To keep supplying oxygen to their eyes, the icefish had evolved extensive networks of capillaries in front of their retinas.

It was a particularly informative aspect, Detrich says.

The odd evolutionary twist of the icefish helps to fill out a larger picture linking a steady supply of oxygen to better vision. Combined with analyses of other vertebrates around the world, it gives us a better fundamental understanding of how our eyes, and the eyes of every other vertebrate, came to be.

This really advances our state of knowledge about eye evolution, Detrich says. Our study is the most comprehensive attempt to synthesize our understanding of the vertebrate eye.

For media inquiries, please contact Shannon Nargi at s.nargi@northeastern.edu or 617-373-5718.

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The secret to better eyesight? Just add oxygen (and millions of years of evolution). - News@Northeastern

Pune: Facing difficulties in learning the sport, inadequate coaches and taunts from sighted players all these obstacles hardly matter for Megha Chakraborty and Somendra who dream to become grandmasters one day.

Chakraborty from West Bengal and Delhi boy Somendra have represented India in Asian Para Games, 2018,Jakarta, Indonesia and Asian Blind Championship, 2018 in Udupi, Karnataka respectively.

The duo is currently in city to participate in the National School Chess Championship for the Blind ongoing at Mumbai Maratha Fruitwala Dharamshala, Alandi.

Seventeen-year-old Chakraborty can only see from her left eye since her birth. She was introduced to the sport in Class 3.

I used to observe my seniors play chess at my blind hostel in Kolkata. I asked them about the game and learnt the basics, said Chakraborty.

Challenge from sighted players

Whenever I used to play chess, sighted players used to taunt me and say that I cannot beat them or become a successful player because of my sight limitations. My reply used to be that I will beat them all if given a chance.

I started practicing hard and now I play in both categories. I can compete against sighted players, said Chakraborty, who partnering with Mrunalini Pande won the silver medal in womens team Rapid VI B2/B3 and bronze in womens team Standard VI B2/B3 in 2018, Asian Para Games, 2018, Jakarta.

No fear of blindness

Chakraborty knows that she might loss her vision completely in a few years, but the thought does not make her weak.

We have raised her in such a way that now we discuss more about becoming a best player in chess instead of worrying about losing eyesight. The doctor has told us clearly that sight in left eye is getting weaker every day, but that is not is our hand. Our only aim is to give best in chess, said Bandana, mother of Megha Chakraborty.

Life is about playing chess and kabaddi for Somendra

Somendra became partially blind at the age of five in his hometown Kaisargang in Uttar Pradesh.

I was suffering from chickenpox, and then lost my eyesight (right eye). I was shifted to Delhi in a blind school, said Somendra, who is playing chess since 2014 by observing his hostel mates. It was totally a new sport for Somendra who used to play kabaddi.

I gave chess a try and soon I started enjoying it. Rules were a bit tough, but soon I started to defeat good players. I took part in National Blind Championship, where in 2016 I won silver and in 2018, managed to bag gold, said Somendra, who is also a raider when it comes to kabaddi.

Advantage for sighted players

Somendra plays against sighted and partially blind players. He finds games against sighted players tough as the latter have more advantage.

They (sighted player) can plan their moves in a much better way than us. Especially when time is less they can make fast moves which irritates me sometimes, but I try to give my best, Somendra said.

Next aim

Playing regular chess and becoming a successful player is Somendras next focus. The Class 11 student has chalked a plan to achieve the goal.

Megha Chakraborty, 1232 FIDE rank

We have many successful blind players in the country. All they need is more support from government and coaches to win more medals.

Somendra, 1423 FIDE rank

Playing more international tournaments is my aim now as it will help me to improve my game. I will also focus on listening chess audio books to learn new tricks about the game.

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Defying vision limitations to become grandmasters - Hindustan Times

Getting your eyes tested usually takes time and money. But with the EyeQue VisionCheck, you can check your vision at home. This gadget even lets you order new glasses via your smartphone. This CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree is now only $51 (Orig. $69) at 9to5Toys Specials with promo code: MERRYSAVE15.

Getting your eyes tested by a health professional is important. But between those full checkups, you might want to keep track of your eyesight. EyeQue VisionCheck helps you do just that.

The device works in combination with your phone screen. You simply look through the eyepiece and follow the test instructions; VisionCheck does the rest. In seconds, you get an accurate reading of your vision. The app can also measure your pupillary distance with a selfie.

After three tests, you should have enough data to order new eyeglasses. The app offers a huge range of stylish frames at very reasonable prices. The EyeQue app even lets you upload your prescription, so you get the right lenses every time.

Normally priced at $69, the EyeQue VisionCheck is now 26% off MSRP at $51 with promo code MERRYSAVE15 at checkout.

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Test if your eyesight is worsening with EyeQue VisionCheck for $51 (Orig. $69) - 9to5Toys

For the past decade, low-income adults on the Medi-Cal program have been covered for visual exams and other eye services, but not eyeglasses themselves. Theyve had to pay for those out of pocket, along with other excluded benefits such as podiatry, some hearing services and incontinence treatments.

But starting in 2020, these benefits are back on the list.

The federal government considers some services optional for Medicaid patients. So they were the first to go when California needed to shrink the Medi-Cal budget in 2009, said Jedd Hampton, director of policy at senior advocacy group LeadingAge California.

Across the board these services, though theyre seen as optional benefits, they provide a whole wraparound element for the overall wellness of that individual, he said, noting that seniors were hit especially hard by the benefit cuts.

The latest state budget allocates $17.4 million to cover eyeglasses, podiatry, audiology and other benefits starting Jan. 1.

This is the next step in an ongoing process of restoring previously cut Medi-Cal benefits. The state has restored dental coverage in recent years, and acupuncture has also returned as a covered service.

But the lack of vision services has remained a problem. Roughly 2 million Medi-Cal enrollees between ages 21 and 64 need glasses, according to the California Optometric Association. Children and people living in nursing homes are currently covered for glasses.

Those that had the ability to get glasses were able to perform their work functions better, they were able to drive more effectively, and read better,which is really unfair, unfortunately, said David Ardaya, chairman of the associations health care delivery systems committee. He added that people are more likely to seek routine eye exams if they know eyeglasses will be covered.

The need for eyeglasses is likely to continue as more Californians develop diabetes, which can cause eye disease. Patients with diabetes are also more likely to need toe or foot amputations, which require soon-to-be-covered podiatric care.

The Department of Health Care Services says it plans to notify all Medi-Cal providers and beneficiaries about the newly covered services.

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Eyeglasses, Speech Therapy And Other Services Returning To Medi-Cal Benefit List - Capital Public Radio News

Ryan Searle battles blurred vision as well as his opponent (Picture: Getty Images)

Ryan Searle is back for a second crack at the PDC World Darts Championship this year and will be battling his poor eyesight as well as his first round opponent.

The 32-year-old suffers from astigmatism which causes blurred vision, to the extent that he often cannot see where his darts land.

The world number 52 often has to check with the referee what he has hit with his arrows and will sometimes just be guessing if he has nailed the intended target or not.

Despite this, Searle had a superb debut at Alexandra Palace last year, reaching the last 16 after beating Mensur Suljovic, Willie OConnor and Stephen Burton.

The win over seventh seed Suljovic was a huge shock 12 months ago, and he explained his condition to Dan Dawson after the victory.

Even when I was at school I couldnt see the blackboard.Its something Ive always played with, I do really struggle, Searle told Dawson.

But considering that, I dont play too bad.

Dawson explained further on Twitter: Astigmatism in his dominant eye. Everythings blurry. Goes a lot on the feel of whether darts are in.

Some miss the target by a distance and he has to check with the ref where theyve landed.

Astigmatism means your eye is shaped more like a rugby ball than a football, so light is focused at more than one place in the eye.

This can cause:

blurred visionheadacheseye strain (you may notice this after concentrating for a long time on a computer, for example)

Courtesy of NHS.uk

Searle is back in first round action in the 2020 World Championship against 26-year-old Australian Robbie King, who is making his debut at the Alexandra Palace.

The Aussie won the DPA Oceanic Masters title to reach the big one, but has only been seen once before on TV as he averaged just 77 in a first round loss to Rob Cross at the Melbourne Darts Masters.

MORE: Devastated Michael Smith reacts to shock PDC World Darts Championship exit to Luke Woodhouse

MORE: Raymond van Barneveld reacts to nightmare loss in final PDC World Darts Championship match

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Ryan Searle back at the PDC World Darts Championship despite struggling to see the board - Metro.co.uk