Comparing the stromal demarcation line depth in standard versus high-intensity corneal CXL using anterior segment OCT

Paper no. 10466PURPOSE: To compare the depth of the corneal stromal demarcation line at center and periphery in standard versus high intensity collagen cross-linking (CXL) using Visante (Carl-Zeiss Meditec) anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). METHODS: Cases with keratoconus or post-LASIK ectasia with CXL performed by a single surgeon in a private setting tertiary hospital during a 24 month period (November 2011 to November 2013) were retrospectively reviewed. Cases were divided into Group 1: standard 30 minutes CXL with average intensity 3.0 mW/cm² and Group 2: high intensity 10 minutes ...postprin

Effects of corticosterone and amyloid-beta on proteins essential for synaptic function: Implications for depression and Alzheimer's disease.

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The Complete Genome Sequence of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’, the Bacterium Associated with Potato Zebra Chip Disease

Zebra Chip (ZC) is an emerging plant disease that causes aboveground decline of potato shoots and generally results in unusable tubers. This disease has led to multi-million dollar losses for growers in the central and western United States over the past decade and impacts the livelihood of potato farmers in Mexico and New Zealand. ZC is associated with ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’, a fastidious alpha-proteobacterium that is transmitted by a phloem-feeding psyllid vector, Bactericera cockerelli Sulc. Research on this disease has been hampered by a lack of robust culture methods and paucity of genome sequence information for ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’. Here we present the sequence of the 1.26 Mbp metagenome of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’, based on DNA isolated from potato psyllids. The coding inventory of the ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ genome was analyzed and compared to related Rhizobiaceae to better understand ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ physiology and identify potential targets to develop improved treatment strategies. This analysis revealed a number of unique transporters and pathways, all potentially contributing to ZC pathogenesis. Some of these factors may have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer. Taxonomically, ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ is related to ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’, a suspected causative agent of citrus huanglongbing, yet many genome rearrangements and several gene gains/losses are evident when comparing these two Liberibacter. species. Relative to ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’, ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ probably has reduced capacity for nucleic acid modification, increased amino acid and vitamin biosynthesis functionalities, and gained a high-affinity iron transport system characteristic of several pathogenic microbes

The action of methimazole and L-thyroxine in radioiodine therapy: A prospective study on the incidence of hypothyroidism

Thiourea drugs have been postulated to possess radioprotective property. We studied the effect of adjunctive antithyroid drugs (ATD) and L-thyroxine (L-T4) on the result of radioiodine (RAI) 131I therapy and determined the incidence of hypothyroidism and relapse of hyperthyroidism. One hundred and fifty-nine patients with Graves' disease were randomized prospectively to receive either RAI alone or adjunctive ATD in a form of block-replacement regimen of methimazole (MMI) plus L-T4 for 6 months. The patients were observed for a mean period of 4.6 (range 2-10) years. The incidence of permanent hypothyroidism was studied and the effect of ATD on iodine kinetics was analyzed. The cumulative incidence of hypothyroidism in the ATD group was significantly lower than the RAI group (p = 0.0009), and the difference is accounted by a reduction of early hypothyroidism within 12 months from 20.2 to 3.7% (p = 0.003). The incidence of late hypothyroidism was similar between the two groups. Treatment with ATD did not affect the one dose cure rate with RAI (61.2 vs 55.5%, p = NS), but the time to achieve euthyroidism was significantly earlier with adjunctive ATD (2 vs 8 weeks, p < 0.02). The incidence of relapse within the first year after one dose was also similar between the two groups (38.7 vs 44.5 %, p = NS). Comparing the kinetics of the therapeutic dose with a tracer dose, patients receiving MMI were found to be underdosed by 22% (p = 0.003) and the biological half-life was significantly shortened. We conclude that ATD rendered euthyroidism earlier without com-promising the one dose cure rate of RAI. It also reduced the incidence of RAI-induced hypothyroidism by preventing early hypothyroidism. We advocate adjunctive ATD in view of the more liberal prescription of RAI to young patients.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Effects of dopants on the electrical behavior of grain boundary in metal-induced crystallized polysilicon film

The effects of doping on the electrical behavior of grain boundary in large grain polysilicon-on-insulator (LPSOI) film formed by metal-induced lateral crystallization (MILC) with nickel is studied. It is found that N-channel MOSFETs formed on LPSOI film exhibits larger leakage current and more susceptible to punchthrough compared with P-channel MOSFETs. Strong correlation between leakage current of the devices and the electrical property of a single longitudinal grain boundary is observed. Through careful process calibration and experimental characterization, the effects of dopant on nickel atom diffusion and final transistor characteristics are reported

A dosimetric comparison of the use of equally spaced beam (ESB), beam angle optimization (BAO), and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in head and neck cancers treated by intensity modulated radiotherapy

202002 bcrcVersion of RecordPublishe

Treatment outcome for synchronous locoregional failures of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background. To review the outcome and evaluate the prognostic factors in the treatment of synchronous locoregional failures of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods. We reviewed the records of 43 patients with synchronous locoregional failures of NPC who received salvage treatment or chemotherapy between November 1986 and January 2001. The recurrent disease was stage II in 61%, stage III in 30%, and stage IV in 9%. The local disease was rT1-2 in 67% and rT3-4 in 33%, and the regional disease was rN1 in 91% and rN2 in 9%. Persistent disease, defined as failures within 4 months of completion of primary radiotherapy, occurred in 53.5% and recurrent disease in 46.5%. Seventeen patients received surgery for regional and/or local failures with or without combined radiotherapy (ST group), 14 patients received reirradiation to both local and regional disease (RT group), and 12 patients received palliative chemotherapy only (CT group). The median follow-up was 18 months (range, 4-153) and for the surviving patients it was 29 months (range, 6-153). Results. The 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rate and disease-specific survival (DSS) rate after salvage treatment or chemotherapy were 17% and 38%, respectively. The 3-year RFS rates in stage II, III, and IV disease were 25%, 8%, and 0%, respectively. The corresponding 3-year DSS rates were 43%, 28%, and 38%. The 3-year RFS rates in the ST, RT, and CT group were 39%, 7%, and 0%, respectively. The corresponding 3-year DSS rates were 55%, 25%, and 25%. Patients whose local disease was treated by surgical resection had a 3-year local control rate of 71% compared with 38% by reirradiation using brachytherapy or external radiotherapy. For regional disease, the 3-year nodal control rate after radical neck dissection was 65% compared with 24% by reirradiation. Further locoregional failure represents the major failure pattern, and the proportion of patients who had further local, regional, and both locoregional failures were 16%, 9%, and 53%, respectively. Distant metastasis occurred in 30% of patients, and only 5% had isolated distant metastasis in the absence of locoregional failures. On multivariate analysis, treatment by reirradiation or chemotherapy alone and rN2 disease were independent factors that predicted poor survival, whereas treatment by reirradiation or chemotherapy alone was the only independent factor that predicted further relapse or failure. Conclusions. Proper selection of patients for aggressive salvage treatment and individualization of treatment are important in managing patients with synchronous locoregional failures of NPC. A significant proportion of patients with early stage locoregional failures can still achieve long-term disease control and survival after aggressive salvage treatment using surgery with or without combined radiotherapy. In patients with more advanced disease, treatment by reirradiation alone or palliative chemotherapy is largely ineffective and is associated with a poor outcome. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Use of atropine for prevention of childhood myopia progression in clinical practice: efficacy and safety during treatment and when tapering off medication

Conference Theme: Myopia and OculoplasticFree Paper Session 3: Myopia: no. 3-

Evaluating of microtubules and tau in corticosterone-induced depression, similar pathological processes as in beta-amyloid peptide neurotoxicity

Session: 03z. Pathophysiology & Disease Mechanisms: otherConference Theme: Mechanisms, Clinical Strategies, and Promising Treatments of Neurodegenerative DiseasesThis FREE journal suppl. entitled: Mechanisms, Clinical Strategies, and Promising Treatments of Neurodegenerative Diseases: 12th International Conference AD/PD™, Nice, March 2015OBJECTIVES: Among different risk factors, it has been implicated that depression can be a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cytoskeleton plays important role in stabilize both axonal transport and even the spines. It has been reported for the perturbation of cytoskeleton in AD and different psychiatric disorders. Therefore, we aim to evaluate cytoskeletal protein microtubules, phosphorylation of tau and actin in experimental models of depression and AD. METHODS: We have used corticosterone as a model agent for depression and oligomeric ß-amyloid (Aß) peptide as a toxin agent for AD. We employed cultured hippocampal neurons for as our experimental model. We used live-cell imaging, Western-blot analysis and immunofluorescent staining to evaluate the stability of microtubules, phosphorylation of tau and even the abundant of postsynaptic density protein PSD-95. RESULTS: After exposure to Aß or corticosterone, aggregation of microtubules was found in neurons expressing GFP-tubulin. The level of acetylated tubulin was reduced, suggesting instable microtubules. On the other hand, increased phosphorylation of tau occurred. The effect was not limited to microtubule. By expressing mCherry-actin in cultured hippocampal neurons, Aß or corticosterone also induced actin rod formation and reduction of PSD95 protein. To maintain the stability of microtubules by taxol, all the above pathological changes could be attenuated. CONCLUSION: Our results have proved that corticosterone in depression induces similar pathological changes of microtubules and actin as if Aß in AD, which may explain why depression can be a risk factor for promoting cognitive impairment in AD.link_to_OA_fulltex