Neuroprotective response after photodynamic therapy: Role of vascular endothelial growth factor

Background: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs and/or photodynamic therapy (PDT) constitute current treatments targeting pathological vascular tissues in tumors and age-related macular degeneration. Concern that PDT might induce VEGF and exacerbate the disease has led us to current practice of using anti-VEGF drugs with PDT simultaneously. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of these therapies are not well understood. Methods: We assessed VEGF levels after PDT of normal mouse retinal tissue, using a laser duration that did not cause obvious tissue damage. To determine the role of PDT-induced VEGF and its downstream signaling, we intravitreally injected a VEGF inhibitor, VEGFR1 Fc, or a PI3K/Akt inhibitor, LY294002, immediately after PDT. Then, histological and biochemical changes of the retinal tissue were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and immunoblot analyses, respectively. Results: At both the mRNA and protein levels, VEGF was upregulated immediately and transiently after PDT. VEGF suppression after PDT resulted in apoptotic destruction of the photoreceptor cell layer in only the irradiated area during PDT. Under these conditions, activation of the anti-apoptotic molecule Akt was suppressed in the irradiated area, and levels of the pro-apoptotic protein BAX were increased. Intravitreal injection of a PI3K/Akt inhibitor immediately after PDT increased BAX levels and photoreceptor cell apoptosis. Conclusion: Cytotoxic stress caused by PDT, at levels that do not cause overt tissue damage, induces VEGF and activates Akt to rescue the neural tissue, suppressing BAX. Thus, the immediate and transient induction of VEGF after PDT is neuroprotective

Association between Optic Nerve Head Microcirculation and Macular Ganglion Cell Complex Thickness in Eyes with Untreated Normal Tension Glaucoma and a Hemifield Defect

Purpose. We evaluated the association between optic nerve head (ONH) microcirculation and macular ganglion cell complex (mGCC) thickness in patients with untreated normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and a hemifield defect. Methods. The medical records of 47 patients with untreated NTG were retrospectively reviewed. Laser speckle flowgraphy was used to obtain mean blur rate (MBR), a relative measure of blood flow. Average total deviation (TD), mGCC, and the circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFL) thickness were also analyzed. Results. All parameters corresponding to the defective hemifield were significantly lower than those corresponding to the normal hemifield. In the defective hemifield, MBR was correlated with TD, mGCC, and cpRNFL thickness. In the normal hemifield, MBR was only correlated with mGCC thickness, and multiple regression analysis showed that mGCC thickness was a significant contributing factor of the MBR. Conclusion. MBR was well correlated with mGCC thickness in eyes with untreated NTG and a hemifield defect. In the normal hemifield, mGCC thickness was a contributing factor of the MBR indicating that ONH circulatory dysfunction may be associated with retinal structural changes in the early stages of glaucoma. A reduction in ONH microcirculation may be an early indicator of the presence and progression of glaucoma

The Mikabu and Chichibu belts in the Iya-gawa area, Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku, SW Japan : An integrated research of geology and geomorphology

The Mikabu and Chichibu belts in the Iya-gawa area are studied with respect to their composition, boundaries and the relation with landslides. The Kyobashira-Sugeoi Fault bound the Mikabu Greenstone Belt from the Sambagawa Belt. The Kubo Greenstone body, a part of the Mikabu Greenstone, distributes as an axial part of antiform in the southern margin of the Sambagawa Belt. The Mikabu Greenstone of the area is composed of tholeiitic and alkaline rocks. The Mikabu Greenstone thrust to the south with the Okoyatoko-Nagoro Fault upon the Jurassic accretionary complex of the North Chichibu Belt. Even the phillite generally dipping towards the north in the northern part of the North Chichibu Belt, the oceanic-plate successions of chert-mudstone sequences are stratigraphically upper towards the south. The radiolarian age, estimated at the lithological transition from chert to mudstone in the oceanic-plate sequences, is Early Jurassic. The landslides concentrate in the areas of the Mikabu Greenstone and valley walls along the Iya-gawa River. The linear depressions and ponds, arrange on the mountain ridge between the Miune and Tengu-Zuka along the southern border of the Mikabu Greenstone, are regarded as a sign of large-scale collapse by long-period gravitational mass rock deformation of the mountain body. The weathered zone of the Mikabu Greenstone often includes swelling clay that causes landslides in the area

日本海側における孤立化した照葉樹林の樹林面積と種多様性, 種組成の関係

[論文

Fast WDM provisioning with minimal probing: the first field experiments for DC exchanges

We propose an approach to estimate the end-to-end GSNR accurately in a short time when a data center interconnect (DCI) network operator receives a service request from users, not by measuring the GSNR at the operational route and wavelength for the End-End optical path but by simply applying a QoT probe channel link by link, at a convenient wavelength/modulation-format for measurement. Assuming connections between coherent transceivers of various frequency ranges, modulators, and modulation formats, we propose a new device software architecture in which the DCI network operator optimizes the transmission mode between user transceivers with high accuracy using only standard parameters such as Bit Error Rate. In this paper, we first experimentally built three different routes of 32 km/72 km/122 km in the C-band to confirm the accuracy of this approach. For the operational end-to-end GSNR measurements, the accuracy estimated from the sum of the measurements for each link was 0.6 dB, and the wavelength-dependent error was about 0.2 dB. Then, using field fibers deployed in the NSF COSMOS testbed (deployed in an urban area), a Linux-based transmission device software architecture, and coherent transceivers with different optical frequency ranges, modulators, and modulation formats, the fast WDM provisioning of an optical path was completed within 6 minutes (with a Q-factor error of about 0.7 dB).Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, 3 table

The long-term consequences of hybridization between the two Daphnia species, D. galeata and D. dentifera, in mature habitats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ecological specializations such as antipredator defense can reinforce morphological and distributional divergence within hybridizing species. Two hybridizing species of <it>Daphnia </it>(<it>D. galeata </it>and <it>D. dentifera</it>) are distributed in both Japan and North America; however, these populations have a longer history in Japan than in North America due to the differing impact of the last glaciation on these two regions. We tested the hypothesis that this longer coexistence in Japan would lead to extensive genetic admixture in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA whilst the distinct morphological traits and distributional patterns would be maintained.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The high level of correspondence among morphological traits, distribution, and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA types for the specimens with <it>D. dentifera </it>mtDNA indicated that the species distinction has been maintained. However, a discordance between mtDNA and nuclear ITS-1 types was observed for most specimens that had <it>D. galeata </it>mtDNA, consistent with the pattern seen between the two species in North America. This observation suggests nuclear introgression from <it>D. dentifera </it>into <it>D. galeata </it>without mitochondrial introgression.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The separation of morphological traits and distribution ranges of the two hybridizing species in Japan, as well as in North America, has been maintained, despite large differences in climatic and geographical histories of these two regions. Variations in environmental factors, such as predation pressure, might affect maintenance of the distribution, although the further studies are needed to confirm this.</p