Abstract. The Testing Algorithmic and Application Skills (TAaAS) project was launched in the 2011/2012 academic year to test first year students of Informatics, focusing on their algorithmic skills in traditional and non-traditional programming environments, and on the transference of their knowledge of Informatics from secondary to tertiary education. The results of the tests clearly show that students start their studies in Informatics with underdeveloped algorithmic skills, only a very few of them reaching the level of extended abstract. To find reasons for these figures we have analyzed the students' problem solving approaches. It was found that the students, almost exclusively, only consider traditional programming environments appropriate for developing computational thinking, algorithmic skills. Furthermore, they do not apply concept and algorithmic based methods in non-traditional computer related activities, and as such, mainly carry out ineffective surface approach methods, as practiced in primary and secondary education. This would explain the gap between the expectations of tertiary education, the students' results in the school leaving exams, and their overestimation of their knowledge, all of which lead to the extremely high attrition rates in Informatics.
Aim To quantitatively assess corneal endothelial changes after phacoemulsification with the fluid-based system compared to conventional ultrasound technique. Methods This prospective, randomized clinical study included patients with cataract who were randomly assigned either to have phacoemulsification with the fluid-based system (30 eyes of 30 patientsFGroup 1) or with traditional ultrasound (30 eyes of 30 patientsFGroup 2). Patients who were available at each follow-up visit (25 eyes in both groups) were enrolled in the statistical analysis. Endothelial function was evaluated by measuring central corneal thickness, central endothelial cell density (ECD), mean cell size, and coefficient of variation in cell size preoperatively, 10 days, 1 and 3 months, and 1 year after surgery. Statistical analyses were performed using two-way repeated measure ANOVA. Results An acute, reversible increase of central corneal thickness (CCT) was found 10 days after surgery, which was similar in both groups (P ¼ 0.35). ECD decreased, whereas mean cell size increased significantly immediately after surgery. However, the impairments were finished after 1 month. The alterations were similar in both groups (ECD: P ¼ 0.99; mean cell size: P ¼ 0.85). The coefficient of variation in cell size remained stable after surgery (P ¼ 0.08), and significant difference was not found between groups (P ¼ 0.99). The endothelial cell loss (ECL) was 6.578.4% in Group 1 and 6.5711.7% in Group 2 (P ¼ 0.69). Conclusions Corneal endothelial changes were similar using the fluid-based system compared to the traditional ultrasound technique. The fluid-based method proved to be as safe as conventional ultrasound in cataract surgery.
Pseudoaccommodative amplitude of the investigated monofocal IOLs was independent of IOL movement. Anterior shift did not affect good near visual acuity with the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL.
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