Can human xylosyltransferase-1 serve as a biomarker and therapeutic target for corneal fibrosis?

Tested was the hypothesis that XYLT1 plays an important role in corneal wound healing and scarring and may allow development of newer strategies for curing corneal fibrosis. The specific aims were: 1) to characterize XYLT1 expression in normal and wounded human and rabbit corneas, 2) investigate its role in corneal wound healing, and 2) determine whether XYLT1 can serve as a biomarker for corneal fibrosis

The Foraminifera.eu Project: A paleoinformatics bridge between science and community

Foraminifera.eu is a non-commercial international project to foster the interest in foraminifera. A freely accessible image database with an online multi-criteria search facility based on high quality SEM and optical images and drawings has been developed. The website has become a popular resource with more than 5000 monthly unique visitors viewing more than 50000 pages. About 120 scientists and amateurs are contributing samples, images, drawings, ideas and working on projects, publications, exhibitions, talks and collection. Foraminifera from the Oporto Seamount, from the Luz Formation and from the Mem Moniz spongolithic limestone are the first Portuguese contributions to this project.publishersversionpublishe

Versuch einer neuen Pleistozän-Gliederung

Die Fülle altbekannter und neuerdings gefundener Bildungen sowie physikalischer Messungen des Pleistozäns legt ein intergredierendes Gliederungsschema zur wahlweisen Einordnung der Fakten nahe. Es basiert auf einer durch die Kalt- und Warmzeiten repräsentierten Zyklik und ist auf Mitteleuropa bezogen. Die Einwirkung von mindestens 25 Zyklen auf die Tier- und Pflanzenwelt wird diskutiert.researc

Academic performance and social background. 12 theses on problems and necessary changes

Der Autor, Ko-Vorsitzender der Amtschefkonferenz "Qualitätssicherung an Schulen" der KMK, plädiert für einen "Umbau des allgemein bildenden Schulwesens in Richtung Zweigliedrigkeit". Die Schulen des gegliederten Schulwesens vergrößerten die primären sozialen Unterschiede. Dagegen müsse Inklusion als zentraler Auftrag des Bildungssystems begriffen werden. Um alle Bildungspotentiale auszuschöpfen, müsse eine neue fördernde Unterrichtskultur entwickelt werden. Die größte Herausforderung sieht der Autor daher in der Veränderung der Lehrerqualifikation. Der schrittweise Umbau des Schulsystems biete die Chance, die extreme Unübersichtlichkeit des Schulangebots in Deutschland mit allen negativen Folgewirkungen zu überwinden und die Gefahren für die Akzeptanz des Bildungsföderalismus zu verringern. (DIPF/Orig.)The author, a politician of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), pleads "for a consistent restructuring of [the German] education system". According to him, the schools of the multi-level school system are extending the primary social differences. Instead, inclusion has to be understood as the central task of the educational system. In order to tap the full educational potential, a new promoting culture of instruction must be developed. The author therefore sees the greatest challenge in the modification of teacher training. The gradual reorganisation of the school system offers the chance to overcome the extreme complexity of the range of schools offered in Germany with all its repercussions, and can help to avoid compromising the acceptance of the educational federalism. (DIPF/Orig.

Macrocellular Pd@ionic liquid@organo-Si(HIPE) heterogeneous catalysts and their use for Heck coupling reactions

International audienceSupported ionic liquid phases (SILPs) within macrocellular silica-based foams are prepared by a simple impregnation in organic solvents. Thin ionic liquid layers with thicknesses of 6 to 12 nm were obtained. The SILs mobility has been evidenced through NMR solid state spectroscopy. Subsequently, palladium salts are efficiently trapped within the SILPs, while an in situ palladium hydrogenation allowed an efficient reduction and formation of 10 nm diameter palladium metal nanoparticles. These hybrid foams are used as heterogeneous macrocellular catalysts for the Heck coupling reaction of iodobenzene and cyclohexyl acrylate, where palladium leaching appears to be very low. Despite recyclability minimized through the entrapment of detrimental ammonium salts within the macroporous network during the reaction, competitive TONs and TOFs were reached, while separation of the products can be reached at ease, due to the fact that both palladium species and by-products are trapped within the monolithic foams

Efficacy and Safety Comparison Between Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid and Mitomycin C in Reducing the Risk of Corneal Haze After PRK Treatment In Vivo

PURPOSE: This study compared the efficacy and safety of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and mitomycin C (MMC) up to 4 months in the prevention of corneal haze induced by photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in rabbits in vivo. METHODS: Corneal haze in rabbits was produced with −9.00 diopter PRK. A single application of SAHA (25 μM) or MMC (0.02%) was applied topically immediately after PRK. Effects of the two drugs were analyzed by slit-lamp microscope, specular microscope, TUNEL assay, and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Single topical adjunct use of SAHA (25 μM) or MMC (0.02%) after PRK attenuated more than 95% corneal haze and myofibroblast formation (P \u3c .001). SAHA did not reduce keratocyte density, cause keratocyte apoptosis, or increase immune cell infiltration compared to MMC (P \u3c .01 or .001). Furthermore, SAHA dosing did not compromise corneal endothelial phenotype, density, or function in rabbit eyes, whereas MMC application did (P \u3c .01 or .001). CONCLUSIONS: SAHA and MMC significantly decreased corneal haze after PRK in rabbits in vivo. SAHA exhibited significantly reduced short- and long-term damage to the corneal endothelium compared to MMC in rabbits. SAHA is an effective and potentially safer alternative to MMC for the prevention of corneal haze after PRK. Clinical trials are warranted

Targeted AAV5-Smad7 Gene Therapy Inhibits Corneal Scarring \u3cem\u3ein vivo\u3c/em\u3e

Corneal scarring is due to aberrant activity of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway following traumatic, mechanical, infectious, or surgical injury. Altered TGFβ signaling cascade leads to downstream Smad (Suppressor of mothers against decapentaplegic) protein-mediated signaling events that regulate expression of extracellular matrix and myogenic proteins. These events lead to transdifferentiation of keratocytes into myofibroblasts through fibroblasts and often results in permanent corneal scarring. Hence, therapeutic targets that reduce transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts may provide a clinically relevant approach to treat corneal fibrosis and improve long-term visual outcomes. Smad7 protein regulates the functional effects of TGFβ signaling during corneal wound healing. We tested that targeted delivery of Smad7 using recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5-Smad7) delivered to the corneal stroma can inhibit corneal haze post photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in vivo in a rabbit corneal injury model. We demonstrate that a single topical application of AAV5-Smad7 in rabbit cornea post-PRK led to a significant decrease in corneal haze and corneal fibrosis. Further, histopathology revealed lack of immune cell infiltration following AAV5-Smad7 gene transfer into the corneal stroma. Our data demonstrates that AAV5-Smad7 gene therapy is relatively safe with significant potential for the treatment of corneal disease currently resulting in fibrosis and impaired vision