Twenty-four-hour intraocular pressure and ocular perfusion pressure characteristics in newly diagnosed patients with normal tension glaucoma

PurposeTo determine the mean 24-h intraocular pressure (IOP) and mean ocular perfusion pressure (MOPP) characteristics of newly diagnosed, previously untreated, Caucasian, normal tension glaucoma (NTG) patients and to identify relationships between these features and visual field (VF) loss at diagnosis.MethodsConsecutive newly diagnosed NTG patients underwent 24-h habitual IOP and blood pressure (BP) monitoring. Parameters from pooled measurements obtained in the sitting (0800-2200 hours) and supine (1200-0600 hours) positions were compared and associations were sought with VF mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD).ResultsSixty-two Caucasian NTG patients (24 men and 38 women) successfully completed circadian IOP and BP monitoring. In habitual position, 8 subjects (12.9%) exhibited a diurnal acrophase, 42 subjects (67.7%) demonstrated a nocturnal acrophase, one subject (1.6%) showed a flat rhythm and 11 patients (17.7%) revealed a biphasic/polyphasic rhythm. Nighttime MOPP values (supine position) were significantly greater than diurnal values (sitting position); (P<0.001). No association could be demonstrated between glaucomatous damage, as indicated by VF parameters, and either mean habitual 24-h IOP (P=0.20 and P=0.12 for MD and PSD, respectively), or habitual 24-h MOPP (P=0.96 and 0.29, for MD and PSD, respectively).ConclusionsIn this cohort of Caucasian NTG patients, most patients exhibited a nocturnal IOP acrophase when evaluated in a habitual position. No association was found between 24-h IOP or MOPP and VF damage.Eye advance online publication, 29 July 2016; doi:10.1038/eye.2016.168

Mutagenesis of the Oil-producing Algae by Ion beam irradiation

　藻類を利用したバイオ燃料生産は、単位面積あたりの生産量が陸上植物よりも高く、食料生産と競合しないなどの利点を持つため、次世代エネルギーの候補として注目されている。しかし、藻類バイオマス産業の進展のためには、既存のオイル産生藻を改良し、よりオイル生産に適した有用変異体（オイル高蓄積株あるいは高い増殖速度を持つ株）を作出する必要がある。オイル産生藻については、薬剤処理あるいはUV照射による変異体作出が試みられているものの、目的形質が安定した有用変異体を得る事は難しい。本研究では、培地上に置いたオイル産生藻体に対してイオンビームを照射し、オイル産生藻の放射線感受性を調べ、突然変異の誘導に最適な線量・照射方法を検討すると共に目的形質が安定した有用変異体の取得を目指すことで、よりオイル生産に適した有用突然変異系統等の作出に寄与するイオンビーム利用技術の開発を実施した

Rapid Detection and Quantification of Alkenones, Unique Storage Lipids of Haptophytes, by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).

Several haptophyte algae produce unique neutral long-chain (C37\\C40) ketones (alkenones) with two to four trans-carbon-carbon double (C_C) bonds and a keto-group. These molecules are of great biological interest andmay have substantial commercial relevance as biofuel sources. Unfortunately, their detection and quantification, involving extraction fromcellswith organic solvents and fractionation of lipids through columns, are rather cumbersome. Hence,we developed amethod for the rapid and reliable quantification of alkenones in intact cells using Fourier transforminfrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Themethod is based on the absorption band at 962.5cm−1, which corresponds to a trans-C_C bond that is unequivocally attributable to alkenones. This peak was exclusively observed in alkenone-producing haptophytes such as Emiliania huxleyi NIES-837, Emiliania huxleyi CCMP 2090, Tisochrysis lutea (former Isochrysis galbana T-iso), Tisochrysis lutea CCMP 463, and Chrysotila lamellosa CCMP 1307, as well as in appropriate standards. We compared our FTIR method with a typical GC analysis method. The alkenone quantity determined by these twomethods showed similar values. Nevertheless, the FTIR method developed in this study does not require complex extraction procedures and is therefore a much easier and rapid quantification method. This FTIRmethod can also be used for the screening of strains and the optimization of culture conditions for alkenone production

Whole gene transcriptomic analysis of pcb/ biphenyl degrading rhodococcus jostii rha1

This study gives the first picture of whole RNASequencing analysis of a PCB-degrading microbe, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1. Genes that were highly expressed in biphenyl-grown cells, compared with pyruvate-grown cells, were chosen based on the Reads Per Kilobase Million (RPKM) value and were summarized based on the criteria of RPKM = 100 and fold change =2.0. Consequently, 266 total genes were identified as genes expressed particularly for the degradation of biphenyl. After comparison with previous microarray data that identified highly-expressed genes, based on a fold change =2.0 and p-value £0.05, 62 highly-expressed genes from biphenyl-grown cells were determined from both analytical platforms. As these 62 genes involve known PCB degradation genes, such as bph, etb, and ebd, the genes identified in this study can be considered as essential genes for PCB/biphenyl degradation. In the 62 genes, eleven genes encoding hypothetical proteins were highly expressed in the biphenyl-grown cells. Meanwhile, we identified several highly-expressed unannotated DNA regions on the opposite strand. In order to verify the encoded proteins, two regions were cloned into an expression vector. A protein was successfully obtained from one region at approximately 25 kDa from the unannotated strand. Thus, the genome sequence with transcriptomic analysis gives new insight, considering re-annotation of the genome of R. jostii RHA1, and provides a clearer picture of PCB/biphenyl degradation in this strain