Biomedical subjects

Paul Adler

Publications and source records attributed to Paul Adler.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

The WD40 repeat protein fritz links cytoskeletal planar polarity to frizzled subcellular localization in the Drosophila epidermis.

Much of our understanding of the genetic mechanisms that control planar cell polarity (PCP) in epithelia has derived from studies of the formation of polarized cell hairs during Drosophila wing development. The correct localization of an F-actin prehair to the distal vertex of the pupal wing cell has been shown to be dependent upon the polarized subcellular localization of Frizzled and other core PCP proteins. However, the core PCP proteins do not organize actin cytoskeletal polarity directly but require PCP effector proteins such as Fuzzy and Inturned to mediate this process. Here we describe the characterization of a new PCP effector gene, fritz, that encodes a novel but evolutionarily conserved coiled-coil WD40 protein. We show that the fritz gene product functions cell-autonomously downstream of the core PCP proteins to regulate both the location and the number of wing cell prehair initiation sites.

Actins↗

PubMed2005

Effect of training on attitudes and expertise of optometrists towards people with intellectual disabilities.

PURPOSE: To determine whether participation in an educational programme, which comprised both lectures and supervised patient contacts, did more to improve the attitudes, expertise, knowledge and confidence of optometrists and student optometrists towards people with intellectual disabilities (ID) compared with receiving didactic lectures only. METHODS: Optometrists and student optometrists were invited to take part in vision screening. A series of lectures were provided followed by supervised practice for a minimum of 2 days. A questionnaire was administered before the commencement of the training, and afterwards, in order to assess the impact of the training. The results were compared with a group of control subjects who received similar lectures without the clinical experience. RESULTS: For both groups there were statistically significant improvements in self-reported knowledge of ophthalmic complications of ID, confidence in working with people with ID, and there was a significantly reduced perceived need for further training after the courses. There was a significantly better result for the group experiencing patient contact particularly in respect of self-reported attitudes towards people with ID. Confidence in dealing with people with ID was related to the number of such patients seen over the last year. CONCLUSIONS: Training incorporating clinical experience, and using real patients, is particularly effective, although there is still benefit in providing lecture type courses. It is recommended that, whenever possible, courses are provided that offer hands-on experience with real patients. There is a need for further research using validated attitudinal scales to investigate the attitudes of optometrists to people with ID.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2004

RAF Near Point Rule modification.

A simple and inexpensive modification to the RAF near point rule is described. This modification allows a greater range of values for near point of convergence to be measured.

Accommodation, Ocular↗

PubMed2002

Efficacy of treatment for convergence insufficiency using vision therapy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if vision therapy (VT), as practised within the constraints of UK optometric practice, employing graded routine eye exercises, is as an effective method for treatment of convergence insufficiency (CI) as previously published data suggest. The study also evaluates the associated symptoms before and after therapy. METHODS: As many optometrists diagnose CI solely on the basis of near point of convergence (NPC) and treat only when symptoms are present (Letourneau et al., 1979; Rouse et al., 1997), in this study CI was defined as NPC of 10 cm or greater (either with or without the presence of asthenopic symptoms for near work) accompanied by exophoria greater at near than at distance. The effect of treatment by optometric vision therapy (OVT) on the NPC and number of symptoms was investigated for 92 patients by retrospectively reviewing the clinical records. Success was defined as the restoration of NPC to normal values and significant reduction in the presenting symptoms. RESULTS: The effect of treatment on the NPC was shown to be highly significant (t = 14.61, p < 0.001). Although treatment times were slightly longer, the success rates were higher than reported by other authors. Post-treatment values for NPC were: <10 cm (98.9%), <8.5 cm (95.7%) and <6.5 cm (80.4%). Longer treatment times were noted for patients who complained that the text appeared to move (chi2, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Vision therapy is an effective method for treatment of CI.

Adolescent↗