Refraction dynamics in children up to age 3

Въведение: Състоянието на рефракцията при деца в ранна възраст е важно да бъде изследвано с оглед превенция на редица очни заболявания (амблиопия, страбизъм, хордеолоза, блефарит и др.). В литературата съществуват достатъчно данни относно динамиката в сферичната рефракция. Относно промяната в асферичната рефракция информацията е значително по-оскъдна. Цел: Целта на настоящото проучване е да се определи и проследи във времето динамиката в рефракцията при деца до 3 години. Материал и методи: Проучването обхваща 324 деца (648 очи) на възраст между 6 и 12 месеца при първото им посещение и изследване на рефракцията. Децата са разпределени в четири възрастови групи и са разделени по пол. От тях 159 са момичета (318 очи) и 165 момчета (330 очи). Пациентите са проследени минимум еднократно (до трикратно) във възрастовия период между една и три години. Използваните методи са: фотоавторефрактометрия с PlusoptiX S04; по преценка: циклоплегия, скиаскопия и оптична корекция при необходимост; статистически методи за обработка на данните. Резултати: 1. Хиперметропията е най-често срещаната рефракция сред изследваните деца; 2. Миопията е рядко очно състояние при деца до 3 години; 3. Астигматизмът намалява с възрастта; 4. Астигматизмът се променя в най-голяма степен във възрастта между 18 и 24 месеца; 5. Не съществува статистически значима разлика в рефракцията между двата пола. Заключение: Фотоавторефрактометрията с Plusoptix S04 е метод, който дава възможност за прецизно установяване и проследяване на динамиката в рефракцията при деца от 6- месечна възраст в хода на диагностично-лечебния процес. Благодарение на него можем да изкажем категорично становище, че астигматизмът намалява с възрастта.Introduction: The state of refraction in young children is important to be examined with regard to preventing various eye diseases (amblyopia, strabismus, hordeolosis, blepharitis etc.). There is enough literature data about the dynamic changes of the spherical refraction during childhood. Regarding the dynamics of the aspheric refraction the information is much more poor. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine and follow-up refraction in children up to age 3. Material and methods: The study covers 324 children (648 eyes) aged between 6 and 12 months at their first visit and refraction examination. 159 of them are girls (318 eyes) and 165- boys (330 eyes) .The children are grouped in four age groups and are divided by gender. They are followed up one to three times later. The methods used are: photoautorefractometry with PlusoptiX S04; cycloplegia, retinoscopy and optical correction if needed; statistics. Results: 1. Hypermetropic refraction remains the most prevalent among the studied children; 2. Myopia is a rare eye condition in children up to age 3; 3. Astigmatism changes with age (towards reducing); 4. Diopters of astigmatism are most decreased in age between 12 and 18 months; 5. There is no statistically significant difference in refraction between genders. Conclusions: The PlusoptiX S04 photoautorefractometer is operational for children aged at least 6 months. This method can be used to define and follow-up the refraction dynamics in children in the course of the diagnostics and the treatment process. It allows us to state that astigmatism reduces with age

UV-B radiation modifies the acclimation processes to drought or cadmium in wheat

Under natural conditions plants are often subjected to multiple stress factors. The main aim of the present work was to reveal how UV-B radiation affects acclimation to other abiotic stressors. Wheat seedlings grown under normal light conditions or normal light supplemented with UV-B radiation were exposed to drought or Cd stress and were screened for changes in the contents of salicylic acid and its putative precursor ortho-hydroxy-cinnamic acid, and in the activity of the key synthesis enzyme, phenylalanine ammonia lyase. Certain other protective mechanisms, such as antioxidant enzyme activities and polyamines, were also investigated. PEG treatment under UV-B radiation did not cause wilting, but resulted in more pronounced salicylic acid accumulation, which may provide protection against drought stress in wheat plants. In contrast, the high level of salicylic acid accumulation in Cd-treated plants was not further enhanced by UV-B stress, but resulted in pronounced oxidative stress and the activation of antioxidant systems and polyamine synthesis. Changes in the levels of phenolic compounds are accompanied by increased phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity in the roots, but not in the leaves. The similar pattern observed for stress-induced changes in salicylic acid and ortho-hydroxy-cinnamic acid contents suggested that salicylic acid may play a decisive role via ortho-hydroxy-cinnamic acid. The results indicated that UV-B radiation might have either a positive or negative impact under the same conditions in wheat, depending on the type of secondary abiotic stress factor. The protective or damaging effects observed may be related to changes in the levels of phenolic compounds

EBAG9/RCAS1 in human breast carcinoma: a possible factor in endocrine–immune interactions

EBAG9 has been recently identified as an oestrogen responsive gene in MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells. EBAG9 is identical to RCAS1, a cancer cell surface antigen possibly involved in immune escape. In this study, we examined the expression of EBAG9/RCAS1 in human breast carcinomas using immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). EBAG9 immunoreactivity was also associated with various clinicopathological parameters, including intratumoural infiltration of inflammatory cells, to examine the biological significance of EBAG9 in human breast carcinomas. EBAG9 immunoreactivity was detected in the entire surface and cytoplasm of carcinoma cells in 82 out of 91 invasive ductal carcinomas (90.1%). In non-neoplastic mammary glands, EBAG9 immunoreactivity was weakly present on the luminal surface of epithelial cells. Results from RT-PCR (n = 7) were consistent with those of immunohistochemistry. EBAG9 immunoreactivity was significantly associated with estrogen receptor (ER) α labelling index (P = 0.0081), and inversely associated with the degree of intratumoural infiltration of mononuclear cells (P = 0.0020), or CD3+ T lymphocytes (P = 0.0025). This study suggests that EBAG9 is produced via ER in carcinoma cells and inhibits the intratumoural infiltration of T lymphocytes in the context of a possible endocrine–immune interaction in human breast carcinomas. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Individual Shrink Wrapping of Zucchini Fruit Improves Postharvest Chilling Tolerance Associated with a Reduction in Ethylene Production and Oxidative Stress Metabolites

We have studied the effect of individual shrink wrapping (ISW) on the postharvest performance of refrigerated fruit from two zucchini cultivars that differ in their sensitivity to cold storage: Sinatra (more sensitive) and Natura (more tolerant). The fruit was individually shrink wrapped before storing at 4°C for 0, 7 and 14 days. Quality parameters, ethylene and CO2 productions, ethylene gene expression, and oxidative stress metabolites were assessed in shrink wrapped and non-wrapped fruit after conditioning the fruit for 6 hours at 20°C. ISW decreased significantly the postharvest deterioration of chilled zucchini in both cultivars. Weight loss was reduced to less than 1%, pitting symptoms were completely absent in ISW fruit at 7 days, and were less than 25% those of control fruits at 14 days of cold storage, and firmness loss was significantly reduced in the cultivar Sinatra. These enhancements in quality of ISW fruit were associated with a significant reduction in cold-induced ethylene production, in the respiration rate, and in the level of oxidative stress metabolites such as hydrogen peroxide and malonyldialdehyde (MDA). A detailed expression analysis of ethylene biosynthesis, perception and signaling genes demonstrated a downregulation of CpACS1 and CpACO1 genes in response to ISW, two genes that are upregulated by cold storage. However, the expression patterns of six other ethylene biosynthesis genes (CpACS2 to CpACS7) and five ethylene signal transduction pathway genes (CpCTR1, CpETR1, CpERS1, CpEIN3.1 and CpEN3.2), suggest that they do not play a major role in response to cold storage and ISW packaging. In conclusion, ISW zucchini packaging resulted in improved tolerance to chilling concomitantly with a reduction in oxidative stress, respiration rate and ethylene production, as well as in the expression of ethylene biosynthesis genes, but not of those involved in ethylene perception and sensitivity.This work was supported by grants AGL2011-30568-C02/ALI from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and AGR1423 from the Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia, Junta de Andalucía, Spain. Z.M. acknowledges FPU program scholarships from MEC, Spain. S.M. is funded by grant PTA2011-479-I from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation

Clinical Use and Therapeutic Potential of IVIG/SCIG, Plasma-Derived IgA or IgM, and Other Alternative Immunoglobulin Preparations

Intravenous and subcutaneous immunoglobulin preparations, consisting of IgG class antibodies, are increasingly used to treat a broad range of pathological conditions, including humoral immune deficiencies, as well as acute and chronic inflammatory or autoimmune disorders. A plethora of Fab- or Fc-mediated immune regulatory mechanisms has been described that might act separately or in concert, depending on pathogenesis or stage of clinical condition. Attempts have been undertaken to improve the efficacy of polyclonal IgG preparations, including the identification of relevant subfractions, mild chemical modification of molecules, or modification of carbohydrate side chains. Furthermore, plasma-derived IgA or IgM preparations may exhibit characteristics that might be exploited therapeutically. The need for improved treatment strategies without increase in plasma demand is a goal and might be achieved by more optimal use of plasma-derived proteins, including the IgA and the IgM fractions. This article provides an overview on the current knowledge and future strategies to improve the efficacy of regular IgG preparations and discusses the potential of human plasma-derived IgA, IgM, and preparations composed of mixtures of IgG, IgA, and IgM