Biogas Production From a Mixture of Cow Manure with Chicken Manure

Biogas technology with zero waste concept is expected to be the alternative energy and to reduce environmental problems. The purpose of this study is to know the biogas yield per kilogram of each chicken and cow manure comparison. The study was conducted in six treatments with the addition of chicken manure of 0, 100, 300, 500, 700 and 1000 grams. The fermentation process is done using a batch system and biogas measurement was taken daily. The parameters to be observed were organic matter, the degree of acidity (pH), temperature, volume of biogas, biogas productivity, and C / N ratio of each treatment. The results showed that the overall pH at the beginning and end of the study tend to be close to neutral. The highest biogas yield was resulted from a mixture of chicken manure and cow manure at the composition of 1:1 or 50%:50% with biogas total amount of 35.690 ml and biogas productivity of 0,33 liters/g (volatile solid)

Autoantibody Biomarker Discovery in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Using Serological Proteome Analysis (SERPA)

Glaucoma is an optic neurological disorder and the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) as its most prevalent form. An early diagnosis of the disease is crucial to prevent loss of vision. Mechanisms behind glaucoma pathogenesis are not completely understood, but disease related alterations in the serological autoantibody profile indicate an immunologic component. These changes in immunoreactivity may serve as potential biomarkers for glaucoma diagnostics. We aimed to identify novel disease related autoantibodies targeting antigens in the trabecular meshwork as biomarkers to support early detection of POAG. We used serological proteome analysis (SERPA) for initial autoantibody profiling in a discovery sample set. The identified autoantibodies were validated by protein microarray analysis in a larger cohort with 60 POAG patients and 45 control subjects. In this study, we discovered CALD1, PGAM1, and VDAC2 as new biomarker candidates. With the use of artificial neural networks, the panel of these candidates and the already known markers HSPD1 and VIM was able to classify subjects into POAG patients and non-glaucomatous controls with a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 93%. These results suggest the benefit of these potential autoantibody biomarkers for utilization in glaucoma diagnostics

Dynamics, Alterations, and Consequences of Minimally Invasive Intraocular Pressure Elevation in Rats

Citation: Gramlich OW, Lueckner TCS, Kriechbaum M, et al. Dynamics, alterations, and consequences of minimally invasive intraocular pressure elevation in rats. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:600-611. DOI: 10.1167/iovs. PURPOSE. An important, yet not exclusive, aspect of primary open angle glaucoma is elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) profiles within fluctuations and pressure peaks. The study aimed at establishing minimally invasive methods for recurrent IOP elevation in rats to investigate the impact of IOP dynamics and pathomorphologic retinal alterations during and after IOP elevation. METHODS. Intraocular pressure was elevated unilaterally in Long Evans rats to a level of »35 mm Hg for 1 hour in a total of 30 manipulations within 6 weeks, by using two methods: (1) suction-cup oculopression and (2) loop-adjusted oculopression. Retinal thickness (RT) was measured via optical coherence tomography (OCT), and neuronal survival was analyzed. Additional experiments were performed for ''in situ'' OCT investigations during exposures to different IOP levels. RESULTS. A mean IOP exposure of þ737.3 6 9.6 DIOP mm Hg for loop adjustment and þ188.9 6 16 DIOP mm Hg for suction cup was achieved. Optical coherence tomography examination revealed notable changes of RT between controls, untreated, and treated eyes, and evaluation of neuronal loss showed a significant decrease of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) density in both groups. In situ OCT investigation showed paradoxical retinal distortion and deformation of the optic nerve head toward the eye background. CONCLUSIONS. After accurate IOP elevation with minimally invasive methods, it was possible to detect RGC loss and retinal thinning. While suction cup is capable of simulating accurate arbitrary IOP profiles, loop adjustment enables the detection of pressure-dependent retinal alterations. For the first time, it was feasible to investigate consequences of variable IOP elevation profiles, including pressure peaks, by using real-time live imaging in vivo. Keywords: recurrent IOP elevation, OCT imaging, retinal degeneration, ''in situ'' imaging T he pathology of glaucoma is still subject to research. In general, it is considered a multifactorial, heterogeneous group of ocular diseases and is the second most common cause of human blindness worldwide. 1 Furthermore, it is defined by a progressive and irreversible loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, 2 which leads to visual field loss in more advanced stages. 3 Glaucoma is often associated with an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), 4 but solely 60% to 75% of the patients who suffer from primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) show an IOP elevation of more than 21 mm Hg. 5 Several studies have demonstrated that an elevated IOP does not remain at a stable level, but rather that it underlies strong dynamics including IOP fluctuations, pressure peaks, and circadian variations of approximately 10% to 20% (up to 64 mm Hg). 6-8 Moreover, there are hints of a relationship between IOP fluctuations and increased mean IOP, which further impacts the visual field. 9-12 While half of these studies indicate a direct link to disease progression, others do not. On the other hand, the remaining 25% to 35% of the glaucoma patients suffering from normal tension glaucoma manifest glaucomatous symptoms without significant elevation of the IOP. 14 By now, numerous different hypotheses concerning the pathogenesis exist, but none is sufficient to elucidate the disease pattern on its own. It is assumed that the interaction of individual pathomechanisms, such as IOP-dependent and IOP-independent dysregulations of the ocular blood flow and retinal ischemia, lead to the final loss of RGCs. These pressureinduced dysfunctions and autoregulations in retinal blood vessels often lead to RGC loss by, for example, anoxia and reperfusion injury

Proteomics unravels the regulatory mechanisms in human tears following acute renouncement of contact lens use : a comparison between hard and soft lenses

Contact lenses (CLs) provide a superior alternative to spectacles. Although beneficial, the global burden of ocular dysfunctions attributed to regular use of CLs remains a topic of much challenge in ophthalmic research owing to debilitating clinical repercussions on the ocular surface, which are often manifested as breach in tear film integrity. This study elucidated the intricate tear proteome changes attributed to the use of different CLs (hard and soft) and unravelled, for the first time, the restorative mechanisms of several protein clusters following acute renouncement of CL use employing the label-free mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics approach. The expression patterns of certain proteins clusters were specific to the use of a particular lens type and a large majority of these actively regulates cell death and survival and, modulates cellular movement on the ocular surface. Noteworthy, CL use also evoked a significant upregulation of glycolytic enzymes associated with hypoxia and corresponding cognate metabolic pathways, particularly glucose metabolism and FXR/RXR pathways. Importantly, the assessment of CL renouncement unravelled the restorative properties of several clusters of proteins involved mainly in organismal injury and abnormalities and, cellular function and maintenance. These proteins play key roles in restoring tear homeostasis and wound-healing mechanisms post-CL use-elicited injury

Reduced mRNA and Protein Expression of the Genomic Caretaker RAD9A in Primary Fibroblasts of Individuals with Childhood and Independent Second Cancer

Background: The etiology of secondary cancer in childhood cancer survivors is largely unclear. Exposure of normal somatic cells to radiation and/or chemotherapy can damage DNA and if not all DNA lesions are properly fixed, the mis-repair may lead to pathological consequences. It is plausible to assume that genetic differences, i.e. in the pathways responsible for cell cycle control and DNA repair, play a critical role in the development of secondary cancer. Methodology/Findings: To identify factors that may influence the susceptibility for second cancer formation, we recruited 20 individuals who survived a childhood malignancy and then developed a second cancer as well as 20 carefully matched control individuals with childhood malignancy but without a second cancer. By antibody microarrays, we screened primary fibroblasts of matched patients for differences in the amount of representative DNA repair-associated proteins. We found constitutively decreased levels of RAD9A and several other DNA repair proteins in two-cancer patients, compared to onecancer patients. The RAD9A protein level increased in response to DNA damage, however to a lesser extent in the twocancer patients. Quantification of mRNA expression by real-time RT PCR revealed lower RAD9A mRNA levels in both untreated and 1 Gy c-irradiated cells of two-cancer patients. Conclusions/Significance: Collectively, our results support the idea that modulation of RAD9A and other cell cycle arrest and DNA repair proteins contribute to the risk of developing a second malignancy in childhood cancer patients

Intraocular pressure and ocular pulse amplitude using dynamic contour tonometry and contact lens tonometry

BACKGROUND: The new Ocular Dynamic Contour Tonometer (DCT), investigational device supplied by SMT (Swiss Microtechnology AG, Switzerland) allows simultaneous recording of intraocular pressure (IOP) and ocular pulse amplitude (OPA). It was the aim of this study to compare the IOP results of this new device with Goldmann tonometry. Furthermore, IOP and OPA measured with the new slitlamp-mounted DCT were compared to the IOP and OPA measured with the hand-held SmartLens(®), a gonioscopic contact lens tonometer (ODC Ophthalmic Development Company AG, Switzerland). METHODS: Nineteen healthy subjects were included in this study. IOP was determined by three consecutive measurements with each of the DCT, SmartLens(®), and Goldmann tonometer. Furthermore, OPA was measured three times consecutively by DCT and SmartLens(®). RESULTS: No difference (P = 0.09) was found between the IOP values by means of DCT (mean: 16.6 mm Hg, median: 15.33 mm Hg, SD: +/- 4.04 mm Hg) and Goldmann tonometry (mean: 16.17 mm Hg, median: 15.33 mm Hg, SD: +/- 4.03 mm Hg). The IOP values of SmartLens(® )(mean: 20.25 mm Hg, median: 19.00 mm Hg, SD: +/- 4.96 mm Hg) were significantly higher (P = 0.0008) both from Goldmann tonometry and DCT. The OPA values of the DCT (mean: 3.08 mm Hg, SD: +/- 0.92 mm Hg) were significantly lower (P = 0.0003) than those obtained by SmartLens(® )(mean: 3.92 mm Hg, SD: +/- 0.83 mm Hg). CONCLUSIONS: DCT was equivalent to Goldmann applanation tonometry in measurement of IOP in a small group of normal subjects. In contrast, SmartLens(® )(contact lens tonometry) gave IOP readings that were significantly higher compared with Goldmann applanation tonometer readings. Both devices, DCT and SmartLens(® )provide the measurement of OPA which could be helpful e.g. for the management of glaucoma

Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Europe: The Past and the Future

Purpose Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a frequent, complex disorder in elderly of European ancestry. Risk profiles and treatment options have changed considerably over the years, which may have affected disease prevalence and outcome. We determined the prevalence of early and late AMD in Europe from 1990 to 2013 using the European Eye Epidemiology (E3) consortium, and made projections for the future. Design Meta-analysis of prevalence data. Participants A total of 42 080 individuals 40 years of age and older participating in 14 population-based cohorts from 10 countries in Europe. Methods AMD was diagnosed based on fundus photographs using the Rotterdam Classification. Prevalence of early and late AMD was calculated using random-effects meta-analysis stratified for age, birth cohort, gender, geographic region, and time period of the study. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was compared between late AMD subtypes; geographic atrophy (GA) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of early and late AMD, BCVA, and number of AMD cases. Results Prevalence of early AMD increased from 3.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1%–5.0%) in those aged 55–59 years to 17.6% (95%