Comparison of Intravitreal Bevacizumab Upload Followed by a Dexamethasone Implant versus Dexamethasone Implant Monotherapy for Retinal Vein Occlusion with Macular Edema

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of three intravitreal bevacizumab upload injections followed by a dexamethasone implant versus dexamethasone implant monotherapy in eyes with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion. Methods: Sixty-four eyes of 64 patients were included in this prospective, consecutive, nonrandomized case series: group 1 consisted of 38 patients (22 with central retinal vein occlusion, CRVO, 16 with branch retinal vein occlusion, BRVO) treated using a dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex) alone; group 2 consisted of 26 patients (14 CRVO, 12 BRVO) treated with three consecutive intravitreal bevacizumab injections at monthly intervals followed by a dexamethasone implant. In case of recurrence, both cohorts received further dexamethasone implants. Preoperatively and monthly best corrected visual acuity (BCVA, ETDRS), central retinal thickness (Spectralis-OCT), intraocular pressure, and wide-angle fundus photodocumentation (Optomap) were performed. The primary clinical endpoint was BCVA at 6 months after initiation of therapy. Secondary endpoints were central retinal thickness and safety of the therapy applied. Results: In group 1, an increase in BCVA of 2.5 (+/- 1.6) letters in the CRVO and of 13.0 (+/- 3.2) letters in BRVO patients was seen after 6 months, in group 2 of 5.9 (+/- 0.4) letters (CRVO) and 3.8 (+/- 2.4) letters (BRVO), which was not statistically significant. When comparing the two treatment groups with respect to the type of vein occlusion, there was a significant advantage for BRVO patients for the dexamethasone implant monotherapy (BRVO patients in group 1, p = 0.005). Central retinal thickness showed a significant reduction after 6 months only in patients of group 1, both for CRVO (p = 0.01) and BRVO (p = 0.003). First recurrence after the first dexamethasone implant injection occurred after 3.8 months (mean) in CRVO and 3.5 months in BRVO patients (group 1), versus 3.2 and 3.7 months, respectively, in group 2. In group 1, 63.6% with CRVO and 50% with BRVO showed an increased intraocular pressure after treatment; in group 2, 57.1% with CRVO and 50.0% with BRVO, respectively. Conclusion: In CRVO, there was no difference between the two treatment strategies investigated. However, in BRVO, dexamethasone implant monotherapy was associated with better functional outcome. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Slender False Brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum, Poaceae), an Invasive Grass New to Ontario, Canada

Brachypodium sylvaticum, Slender False Brome, an invasive Eurasian grass, is reported for the first time in Ontario and eastern Canada from Grey County, southern Ontario. The only previous Canadian record is from Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The species is widespread in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, where it is spreading aggressively throughout much of western Oregon. In the eastern U.S.A., known populations are few and localized, although the species will likely spread

Visual acuity and central retinal thickness: fulfilment of retreatment criteria for recurrent neovascular AMD in routine clinical care

Background: To evaluate the fulfilment of retreatment criteria in recurrent neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) for a pro-re-nata treatment regime with ranibizumab in routine clinical care. Methods: Data from patients with treatment-naive nAMD were analysed retrospectively. As an `upload', all patients had received three-monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injections in a university eye hospital and were then seen by ophthalmologists in private practice who referred them back in case of recurrence. Recurrence was defined as a decrease of visual acuity (VA) of one line or more (functional retreatment criteria), a central retinal thickness (CRT) increase of at least 100 mm upon Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) examination (morphological retreatment criteria) or a new macular haemorrhage (clinical retreatment criteria). Results: We included 92 patients (36 men and 56 women). The mean VA before retreatment of a recurrence was -0.63 +/- 0.33 logMAR and improved significantly (p<0.001) by 0.10 +/- 0.16 logMAR to -0.53 +/- 0.28 logMAR thereafter. Mean CRT before retreatment was 278.07 +/- 87.56 mu m and decreased significantly (p<0.001) by 71.22 +/- 106.93 to 206.85 +/- 60.30 mu m. Evaluation of the fulfilment of retreatment criteria revealed functional retreatment criteria in 82.6% of patients. However, upon re-evaluation of VA using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) charts in the treatment centre, mean decrease of VA was 10 letters as compared with the end of upload therapy. All patients presented an increased CRT when treated for recurrence of nAMD (mean increase 69.47 mu m), but the morphological retreatment criteria (CRT increase of 100 mu m or more) were fulfilled in only 44.4% of patients upon Spectral Domain OCT (SD-OCT) evaluation in the treatment centre. Conclusions: In a routine clinical care, evaluation of VA using ETDRS charts seems to be more sensitive than Snellen VA testing. Quantitative OCT-based retreatment criteria (eg, increase of CRT of 100 mm or more) appear to be not sensitive enough in a clinical setting with referring ophthalmologists

Visual acuity and central retinal thickness: fulfilment of retreatment criteria for recurrent neovascular AMD in routine clinical care

Background: To evaluate the fulfilment of retreatment criteria in recurrent neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) for a pro-re-nata treatment regime with ranibizumab in routine clinical care. Methods: Data from patients with treatment-naive nAMD were analysed retrospectively. As an `upload', all patients had received three-monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injections in a university eye hospital and were then seen by ophthalmologists in private practice who referred them back in case of recurrence. Recurrence was defined as a decrease of visual acuity (VA) of one line or more (functional retreatment criteria), a central retinal thickness (CRT) increase of at least 100 mm upon Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) examination (morphological retreatment criteria) or a new macular haemorrhage (clinical retreatment criteria). Results: We included 92 patients (36 men and 56 women). The mean VA before retreatment of a recurrence was -0.63 +/- 0.33 logMAR and improved significantly (p<0.001) by 0.10 +/- 0.16 logMAR to -0.53 +/- 0.28 logMAR thereafter. Mean CRT before retreatment was 278.07 +/- 87.56 mu m and decreased significantly (p<0.001) by 71.22 +/- 106.93 to 206.85 +/- 60.30 mu m. Evaluation of the fulfilment of retreatment criteria revealed functional retreatment criteria in 82.6% of patients. However, upon re-evaluation of VA using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) charts in the treatment centre, mean decrease of VA was 10 letters as compared with the end of upload therapy. All patients presented an increased CRT when treated for recurrence of nAMD (mean increase 69.47 mu m), but the morphological retreatment criteria (CRT increase of 100 mu m or more) were fulfilled in only 44.4% of patients upon Spectral Domain OCT (SD-OCT) evaluation in the treatment centre. Conclusions: In a routine clinical care, evaluation of VA using ETDRS charts seems to be more sensitive than Snellen VA testing. Quantitative OCT-based retreatment criteria (eg, increase of CRT of 100 mm or more) appear to be not sensitive enough in a clinical setting with referring ophthalmologists

Hypothesizing hybrids and parents using character intermediacy, parental distance, and equality

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149771/1/tax05097.pd

Selected Extracts of Chinese Herbal Medicines: Their Effect on NF-κB, PPARα and PPARγ and the Respective Bioactive Compounds

Chinese herbal medicinal (CHM) extracts from fourteen plants were investigated in cell-based in vitro assays for their effect on nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), a key regulator of inflammation, as well as on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) being key regulators of genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. 43% of the investigated CHMs showed NF-κB inhibitory and 50% PPARα and PPARγ activating effects. Apolar extracts from cortex and flos of Albizia julibrissin Durazz. and processed rhizomes of Arisaema sp. and Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. that effectively inhibited TNF-α-induced NF-κB activation and dose-dependently activated PPARα and PPARγ were further investigated. Bioassay-guided fractionation and analysis by GC-MS led to the identification of fatty acids as PPAR agonists, including linoleic and palmitic acid

Long-distance dispersal explains the bipolar disjunction in Carex macloviana

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: The sedge Carex macloviana d’Urv presents a bipolar distribution. To clarify the origin of its distribution, we consider the four main hypotheses: long-distance dispersal (either by mountain hopping or by direct dispersal), vicariance, parallel evolution, and human introduction. METHODS: Phylogenetic, phylogeographic, and divergence time estimation analyses were carried out based on two nuclear ribosomal (ETS and ITS) regions, one nuclear single copy gene (CATP), and three plastid DNA regions (rps 16 and 5′ trn K introns, and psb A-trn H spacer), using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and statistical parsimony. Bioclimatic data were used to characterize the climatic niche of C. macloviana. KEY RESULTS: C arex macloviana constitutes a paraphyletic species, dating back to the Pleistocene (0.62 Mya, 95% highest posterior density: 0.29–1.00 Mya). This species displays strong genetic structure between hemispheres, wiThtwo different lineages in the Southern Hemisphere and limited genetic differentiation in Northern Hemisphere populations. Also, populations from the Southern Hemisphere show a narrower climatic niche wiThregards to the Northern Hemisphere populations. CONCLUSIONS: C arex macloviana reached its bipolar distribution by long-distance dispersal, although it was not possible to determine whether it was caused by mountain hopping or by direct dispersal. While there is some support that Carex macloviana might have colonized the Northern Hemisphere by south-to-norThtranshemisphere dispersal during the Pleistocene, unlike the southwards dispersal pattern inferred for other bipolar Carex L. species, we cannot entirely rule out north-to-souThdispersion.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2016-77401-

The Herbal Drug Melampyrum pratense

Melampyrum pratense L. (Koch) is used in traditional Austrian medicine for the treatment of different inflammation-related conditions. In this work, we show that the extracts of M. pratense stimulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors- (PPARs-)α and -γ that are well recognized for their anti-inflammatory activities. Furthermore, the extract inhibited the activation of the proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB and induction of its target genes interleukin-8 (IL-8) and E-selectin in vitro. Bioassay-guided fractionation identified several active flavonoids and iridoids including melampyroside and mussaenoside and the phenolic compound lunularin that were identified in this species for the first time. The flavonoids apigenin and luteolin were distinguished as the main components accountable for the anti-inflammatory properties. Apigenin and luteolin effectively inhibited tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)-induced NF-κB-mediated transactivation of a luciferase reporter gene. Furthermore, the two compounds dose-dependently reduced IL-8 and E-selectin protein expression after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or TNF-α in endothelial cells (ECs). The iridoids melampyroside and mussaenoside prevented the elevation of E-selectin in LPS-stimulated ECs. Lunularin was found to reduce the protein levels of the proinflammatory mediators E-selectin and IL-8 in ECs in response to LPS. These data validate the ethnomedical use of M. pratense for the treatment of inflammatory conditions and point to the constituents accountable for its anti-inflammatory activity

Single hadron response measurement and calorimeter jet energy scale uncertainty with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The uncertainty on the calorimeter energy response to jets of particles is derived for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, the calorimeter response to single isolated charged hadrons is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo simulation using proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = 900 GeV and 7 TeV collected during 2009 and 2010. Then, using the decay of K_s and Lambda particles, the calorimeter response to specific types of particles (positively and negatively charged pions, protons, and anti-protons) is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo predictions. Finally, the jet energy scale uncertainty is determined by propagating the response uncertainty for single charged and neutral particles to jets. The response uncertainty is 2-5% for central isolated hadrons and 1-3% for the final calorimeter jet energy scale.Comment: 24 pages plus author list (36 pages total), 23 figures, 1 table, submitted to European Physical Journal