Changes in saccadic eye movement and smooth pursuit gain in patients with acquired comitant esotropia after strabismus surgery

This study investigates the change in horizontal saccadic eye movement and smooth pursuit in patients with acquired comitant esotropia (ACE), before and after strabismus surgery. The horizontal saccades and pursuit in 11 patients with ACE were recorded using a video eye-tracker under binocular viewing before and after strabismus surgery. Participants were instructed to fixate on the new target as rapidly as possible when it randomly appeared at either 18.3° rightward or 18.3° leftward. For smooth pursuit, participants were asked to track, as accurately as possible, a step-ramp target moving at ±6.1°/s. The asymmetry of adduction-abduction and the binocular coordination in gains of saccade and pursuit were compared between the pre- and post-surgical data. The asymmetry of adduction-abduction saccade gain in each eye after surgery tended to be smaller than that before surgery. The binocular coordination of saccade showed significant improvement after surgery in only the non-dominant eye direction. Adduction-abduction asymmetry in the smooth pursuit gain in each eye after surgery tended to be smaller than before surgery. After surgery, the binocular coordination of pursuit was improved significantly in both directions. In patients with ACE, binocular coordination of saccade and smooth pursuit was poor. Binocular coordination of saccade and pursuit seems to be improved due to the improvement in ocular deviation angle and binocular visual function after surgery

Quantitative activation-induced manganese-enhanced MRI reveals severity of Parkinson’s disease in mice

We demonstrate that activation-induced manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with quantitative determination of the longitudinal relaxation time (qAIM-MRI) reveals the severity of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in mice. We first show that manganese ion-accumulation depends on neuronal activity. A highly active region was then observed by qAIM-MRI in the caudate-putamen in PD-model mice that was significantly correlated to the severity of PD, suggesting its involvement in the expression of PD symptoms

An Improved DDS Tool with Versatile Cell-targeting Ability

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to develop an improved drug delivery system (DDS) tool with enhanced versatility in the cell-targeting step using as Z-domain, a modified IgG binding domain of protein A from Staphylococcus aureus, as an IgG adapter domain. Materials and Methods: The chimera protein expression system composed of the Z-domain and chimeric cholesterol-dependent cytolysin mutant named His-Z-CDC(ss)IS was constructed in Escherichia coli. His-Z-CDC(ss)IS was purified by Ni-affinity chromatography, and its abilities for controlled pore formation, membrane binding, IgG binding, and target cell-specific delivery of liposomes carrying medicine were investigated. Results and Discussion: His-Z-CDC(ss)IS purified by Ni-affinity chromatography indicated pore-forming activity only under disulfide bond reducing conditions. His-Z-CDC(ss)IS also demonstrated an ability to bind both IgG and cholesterol-embedded liposomes via its Z-domain and domain 4, respectively. Furthermore, anticarcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) IgG-bound His-Z-CDC(ss)IS indicated effective delivery of liposomes carrying drugs to CEA-expressing cells. Conclusion: His-Z-CDC(ss)IS was revealed to be an improved DDS tool with enhanced versatility in cell targeting

Involvement of both protein kinase C and G proteins in superoxide production after IgE triggering in guinea pig eosinophils

ABSTRACTTo study the function and mechanism of eosinophils via the low affinity IgE receptor (FceRII), we examined the production of 02 metabolites by measuring the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) response and the generation of cysteinyl leukotrienes. Eosinophils obtained from guinea pig peritoneal fluid sensitized with horse serum were purified. Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence was induced by stimulation with monoclonal anti-CD23 antibody, but not by mouse serum (controls). The mean (±SEM) value of LDCL was 20.6±1.3X103 c.p.m. This reaction consisted of an initial rapid phase and a propagation phase and ended within lOmin. Guinea pig eosinophils were histochemically stained with monoclonal anti-CD23 antibody. The major product generated in the LDCL response was superoxide, as determined by the measurement of superoxide by cytochrome c reduction and the complete inhibitory effect of superoxide dismutase on the LDCL response. Pretreatment with either pertussis toxin or cholera toxin inhibited the LDCL reaction. Depletion of bivalent ions by EDTA inhibited this response and the protein kinase C inhibitor D-sphingosin inhibited both 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol-induced and FcϵRII-mediated LDCL. These findings suggest that the NADPH-protein kinase C pathway may be involved in the FceRII-mediated LDCL response in guinea pig eosinophils

Measurement of the Rossiter--McLaughlin Effect in the Transiting Exoplanetary System TrES-1

We report a measurement of the Rossiter--McLaughlin effect in the transiting extrasolar planetary system TrES-1, via simultaneous spectroscopic and photometric observations with the Subaru and MAGNUM telescopes. By modeling the radial velocity anomaly that was observed during a transit, we determine the sky-projected angle between the stellar spin axis and the planetary orbital axis to be $\lambda = 30 \pm 21$ [deg]. This is the third case for which $\lambda$ has been measured in a transiting exoplanetary system, and the first demonstration that such measurements are possible for relatively faint host stars ($V \sim 12$, as compared to $V \sim 8$ for the other systems). We also derive a time of mid-transit, constraints on the eccentricity of the TrES-1b orbit ($e = 0.048 \pm 0.025$), and upper limits on the mass of the Trojan companions ($\lesssim$14 $M_{\oplus}$) at the 3$\sigma$ level.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Published in PASJ. Corrected typo