Progressive changes of regional macular thickness after macular hole surgery with internal limiting membrane peeling

Citation: Kumagai K, Hangai M, Larson E, Ogino N. Progressive changes of regional macular thickness after macular hole surgery with internal limiting membrane peeling. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013;54:4491-4497. DOI:10.1167/iovs.13-11662 PURPOSE. To determine the changes of regional macular thickness after successful macular hole surgery (MHS) with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling during a 24-month followup period. METHODS. In a prospective, interventional case study, the authors evaluated 24 eyes of 24 patients who underwent 23-gauge transconjunctival pars plana vitrectomy with triamcinolone-assisted ILM peeling to treat idiopathic macular hole. Examinations were performed before and 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Average regional macular thicknesses in the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study sectors were measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS. The four inner sectors showed a significant reduction in the average retinal thickness at 1 month after surgery (P 0.0001-0.020), and the thickness continued to decrease for 24 months except in the nasal sector. The four outer sectors had a significant increase at postoperative 1 month (P ¼ 0.0003-0.029) and then progressively decreased during the postoperative 24 months. The postoperative regional macular thinning was statistically significant even between 12 and 24 months (P ¼ 0.0007-0.026) in all sectors except in the inner nasal sector (P ¼ 0.13). The postoperative percent reduction rate was significantly different among four inner sectors after postoperative 3 months (P ¼ 0.0029-0.039) in the order of temporal > superior > inferior > nasal sectors. CONCLUSIONS. These results suggest that a progressive macular thinning occurs for at least 2 years with different patterns of the changes in the macular regions after successful MHS with ILM peeling

Erythropoietin Receptor Signaling Mitigates Renal Dysfunction-Associated Heart Failure by Mechanisms Unrelated to Relief of Anemia

ObjectivesWe examined the effect of asialoerythropoietin (asialoEPO), a nonerythrogenic derivative of erythropoietin (EPO), on renal dysfunction-associated heart failure.BackgroundAlthough EPO is known to exert beneficial effects on cardiac function, the clinical benefits in patients with chronic kidney disease are controversial. It remains to be addressed whether previously reported outcomes were the result of relief of the anemia, adverse effects of EPO, or direct cardiovascular effects.MethodsMice underwent 5/6 nephrectomy to cause renal dysfunction. Eight weeks later, when renal dysfunction was established, anemia and cardiac dysfunction and remodeling were apparent. Mice were then assigned to receive saline (control), recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) at 5,000 IU (714 pmol)/kg, or asialoEPO at 714 pmol/kg, twice/week for 4 weeks.ResultsAlthough only rhEPO relieved the nephrectomy-induced anemia, both rhEPO and asialoEPO significantly and similarly mitigated left ventricular dilation and dysfunction. The hearts of rhEPO- or asialoEPO-treated mice showed less hypertrophy, reflecting decreases in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and degenerative subcellular changes, as well as significant attenuation of fibrosis, leukocyte infiltration, and oxidative deoxyribonucleic acid damage. These phenotypes were accompanied by restored expression of GATA-4, sarcomeric proteins, and vascular endothelial growth factor and decreased inflammatory cytokines and lipid peroxidation. Finally, myocardial activation was observed of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways in the treated mice.ConclusionsEPO receptor signaling exerts direct cardioprotection in an animal model of renal dysfunction-associated heart failure, probably by mitigating degenerative, pro-fibrosis, inflammatory, and oxidative processes but not through relief of anemia

Gamma rays from a reverse shock with turbulent magnetic fields in GRB 180720B

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most electromagnetically luminous cosmic explosions. They are powered by collimated streams of plasma (jets) ejected by a newborn stellar-mass black hole or neutron star at relativistic velocities (near the speed of light). Their short-lived (typically tens of seconds) prompt $\gamma$-ray emission from within the ejecta is followed by long-lived multi-wavelength afterglow emission from the ultra-relativistic forward shock. This shock is driven into the circumburst medium by the GRB ejecta that are in turn decelerated by a mildly-relativistic reverse shock. Forward shock emission was recently detected up to teraelectronvolt-energy $\gamma$-rays, and such very-high-energy emission was also predicted from the reverse shock. Here we report the detection of optical and gigaelectronvolt-energy $\gamma$-ray emission from GRB 180720B during the first few hundred seconds, which is explained by synchrotron and inverse-Compton emission from the reverse shock propagating into the ejecta, implying a low-magnetization ejecta. Our optical measurements show a clear transition from the reverse shock to the forward shock driven into the circumburst medium, accompanied by a 90-degree change in the mean polarization angle and fluctuations in the polarization degree and angle. This indicates turbulence with large-scale toroidal and radially-stretched magnetic field structures in the reverse and forward shocks, respectively, which tightly couple to the physics of relativistic shocks and GRB jets -- launching, composition, dissipation and particle acceleration.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures (main) plus Methods and Supplementary Methods, accepted for publicatio

Genome evolution in the allotetraploid frog Xenopus laevis

To explore the origins and consequences of tetraploidy in the African clawed frog, we sequenced the Xenopus laevis genome and compared it to the related diploid X. tropicalis genome. We characterize the allotetraploid origin of X. laevis by partitioning its genome into two homoeologous subgenomes, marked by distinct families of ???fossil??? transposable elements. On the basis of the activity of these elements and the age of hundreds of unitary pseudogenes, we estimate that the two diploid progenitor species diverged around 34 million years ago (Ma) and combined to form an allotetraploid around 17-18 Ma. More than 56% of all genes were retained in two homoeologous copies. Protein function, gene expression, and the amount of conserved flanking sequence all correlate with retention rates. The subgenomes have evolved asymmetrically, with one chromosome set more often preserving the ancestral state and the other experiencing more gene loss, deletion, rearrangement, and reduced gene expression.ope

Macular choroidal thickness and volume in eyes with angioid streaks measured by swept source optical coherence tomography.

[Purpose]: To study the mean choroidal thickness and volume of the macula in eyes with angioid streaks using swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the 1050-nm wavelength range. [Design]: Prospective case series. [Methods]: The macular area of 39 eyes of 23 patients with angioid streaks and of 20 normal eyes of 20 matched controls (Group 1) was studied with a swept source OCT prototype system. Eyes with angioid streaks were classified into 1 of 4 groups: those without choroidal neovascularization (CNV) (Group 2); those with CNV that had no history of treatment (Group 3); those with CNV that had previously received only anti–vascular endothelial growth factor treatments (Group 4); and those with CNV that had previously received photodynamic therapy (Group 5). Using a raster scan protocol with 512 × 128 A-scans, we produced a macular choroidal thickness map (6 × 6 mm2). [Results]: There were no significant differences in age, axial length, or refractive error among the 5 groups. Mean choroidal thickness of the macula in Group 2 (218.9 ± 46.8 μm) was as great as that in Group 1 (218.8 ± 69.2 μm). However, the macular choroidal thickness in Group 3 (119.7 ± 49.2 μm), Group 4 (140.1 ± 64.9 μm), and Group 5 (144.0 ± 52.6 μm) was significantly less than that of Group 1 (P < .05). There were no statistical differences between Groups 3 through 5. In each group, the choroid of the nasal quadrant was significantly thinner compared to that in other quadrants (P < .05). [Conclusions]: The choroid in eyes with angioid streaks without CNV was as thick as that in normal controls, but was significantly thinner in eyes with angioid streaks that had developed CNV

Systemic Sarcoidosis Presenting with Renal Involvement Caused by Various Sarcoidosis-associated Pathophysiological Conditions

A 61-year-old man was diagnosed with sarcoidosis involving the lungs, eyes, parotid gland and extrathoracic lymph nodes complicated by chronic kidney injury and hypercalcemia. Kidney biopsy showed nonspecific interstitial nephritis and nephrosclerosis. However, immunohistochemical staining of cell surface markers revealed a multinucleated giant macrophage surrounded by T-cells, suggesting granulomatous interstitial nephritis. Corticosteroid improved the kidney function, and reduced the serum levels of calcium and angiotensin-converting enzyme. Sarcoid nephropathy may be caused by the combination of several sarcoidosis-associated pathophysiological conditions and a comprehensive kidney examination should be performed to assess the type of injury when determining a treatment strategy

Molecular and functional evaluation of bovine in vitro produced embryos vitrified by Cryotop Method

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, 2017.O sucesso da criopreservação de embriões bovinos é essencial para melhor aproveitamento de embriões produzidos em excesso, para o estabelecimento de bancos de germoplasma e para comercialização de genética. Neste estudo, foi analisada a alteração na expressão de genes induzida pelo procedimento de vitrificação por Cryotop em blastocistos bovinos usando lâminas de microarranjo EmbryoGENE. Embriões bovinos produzidos in vitro em estágio de blastocisto (144 a 156 horas pós-inseminação) foram vitrificados com Cryotop e não vitrificados (controle). Após 4 horas de cultivo, embriões que re-expandiram ou evoluíram para o estágio de blastocisto expandido foram usados para análises do microarranjo e para quantificação em reação de cadeia de polimerase em tempo real (qPCR). As análises da expressão global revelaram 43 genes diferencialmente expressos em embriões vitrificados comparados aos do grupo controle (p0,05), afeta a produção de blastocistos e também a resposta à criopreservação (p<0,05). E ainda, que os touros que produzem embriões mais crioresistentes nem sempre são os que produzem maior taxa de embriões PIV. Além disso, embriões macho e fêmea têm a mesma capacidade de resposta à vitrificação por Cryotop.The cryopreservation success of bovine embryos is essential for the better use of excess produced embryos, for the establishment of germplasm banks and genetics commercialization. In this study, gene expression alteration induced by the Cryotop vitrification procedure in bovine blastocysts using EmbryoGENE microarray slides was analyzed. Bovine in vitro produced embryos at blastocyst stage (144 to 156 hours postinsemination) were vitrified with Cryotop and non-vitrified (control). After 4 hours of culture, re-expanded or expanded blastocyst stage embryos were submitted to microarray analyzes and real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) quantification. Global gene expression analysis revealed 43 differentially expressed genes in vitrified embryos compared to control group (p <0.05). Nine genes in total were evaluated by qPCR, of which FOSL1, involved in apoptosis process, showed differential expression (p <0.05) for both methods, being overexpressed in vitrified embryos. The results suggest that apoptosis plays a key role in embryos response of vitrification process. Considering that vitrification response is closely related to embryo quality, it was hypothesized that embryos selection for vitrification could also influence the difference in male:female ratio due to developmental speed and stress tolerance. Therefore, in the second stage of this study, the bull´s influence on embryo developmental kinetics and embryo response to cryopreservation was evaluated. For this, five bulls were taken and embryos cryopreservation by Cryotop method was compared in addition to embryo production. Initially, blastocyst stage embryos were vitrified (144 to 156 hours post-insemination), to evaluate the cryotolerance relative to the bulls; while expanded blastocyst stage embryos were removed from culture at D6, D7 and D8, then sexed for developmental kinetics. As a second experiment, expanded blastocyst stage embryos were vitrified (168 hours post-insemination). All embryos (re-expanded, hatched blastocyst stage e, and degenerated) of both treatments, with 24 hours post-vitrification culture were used for sexing. The results suggest that sire´s choice, although not interfering in embryonic development kinetics, affects the blastocysts rates and the cryopreservation response. Besides, bulls producing more cryoresistent embryos are not always the ones that produce the highest IVP embryo rate. In addition, male and female embryos have the same Cryotop vitrification response

Natural variation in the glucose content of dilute sulfuric acid–pretreated rice straw liquid hydrolysates: implications for bioethanol production

<p>Rice straw is a promising resource for bioethanol production. Because the glucose content of pretreatment liquid hydrolysates is highly correlated with ethanol yield, the selection of appropriate rice cultivars is essential. The glucose content in liquid hydrolysates of pretreated rice straws of 208 diverse cultivars was evaluated in natural field in 2013 and 2014 using a novel high-throughput system. The glucose content of the rice straw samples varied across cultivars and was affected by environmental factors such as temperature and solar radiation. Several high-quality cultivars exhibiting high glucose content in both years were identified. The results of this study can aid in development of novel rice cultivars suitable as both feedstocks for bioethanol production and cooking.</p> <p>The rice straw glucose content after pretreatment varied by cultivar. Thus selecting suitable cultivars is crucial for efficient ethanol production.</p