The Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Intraocular Pressure in Horse

The present study was planned to investigate the effect of the intensity of exercise on intraocular pressure (IOP), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glycaemia and blood lactate concentration in regularly trained Italian saddle jumper horses. On the first day five female horses performed 1 h of walking on an electronically controlled horse-walker at 100 m/min; on the second day 1 h session consisted of 5 min of walk, 30 min of trot, 20 min of gallop and one exercise of a 300 m long trail with eight jumps 90 cm high to be run in 1 min. The studied indicators were collected at rest, immediately after the exercise and 30 min after the exercise. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant effect of different workloads on blood lactate concentration, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. No significant difference was found in IOP reduction when comparing aerobic and moderate anaerobic exercise. Our results confirm that the lack of a significant change in IOP in the athletic horse after mild exercise is in accordance with the human athlete. The cardiovascular and haematological changes induced by aerobic and moderate anaerobic exercise had no significant effect on IOP, either

Long-term rearrangement of retinal structures in a novel mutation of X-linked retinoschisis

The aim of the present study was to report a novel mutation in the retinoschisin 1 (RS1) gene in a Caucasian family affected by X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) and to describe the long-term modification of retinal structure. Two brothers with an early onset maculopathy were diagnosed with XLRS. Fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography and electroretinogram analyses were performed. Their sister was also examined. All subjects were screened for mutations in the RS1 gene. XLRS patients demonstrated a marked reduction of best-corrected visual acuity. SD-OCT scans reported a cystic degeneration primarily involving the inner nuclear layer, though some cysts were detected in the outer plexiform layer and in the ganglion cell layer. During the ten-year follow-up, a progressive retinal thickening and coalescence of the cysts was observed. Genetic testing revealed a novel mutation (p.Ile212Asn) in the RS1 gene in both XLRS patients, whereas their sister was not a genetic carrier. Several mutations of the RS1 gene were recognized to be responsible for XLRS. Although the correspondence between genotype and phenotype is still under debate, is reasonable that siblings affected by XLRS could share other genetic and/or epigenetic factors capable to influence clinical course of the disease

Pneumococcal polysaccharide abrogates conjugate-induced germinal center reaction and depletes antibody secreting cell pool, causing hyporesponsiveness.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access.Plain pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPS) booster administered during second year of life has been shown to cause hyporesponsiveness. We assessed the effects of PPS booster on splenic memory B cell responses and persistence of PPS-specific long-lived plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM).Neonatal mice were primed subcutanously (s.c.) or intranasally (i.n.) with pneumococcal conjugate (Pnc1-TT) and the adjuvant LT-K63, and boosted with PPS+LT-K63 or saline 1, 2 or 3 times with 16 day intervals. Seven days after each booster, spleens were removed, germinal centers (GC), IgM(+), IgG(+) follicles and PPS-specific antibody secreting cells (AbSC) in spleen and BM enumerated.PPS booster s.c., but not i.n., compromised the Pnc1-TT-induced PPS-specific Abs by abrogating the Pnc1-TT-induced GC reaction and depleting PPS-specific AbSCs in spleen and limiting their homing to the BM. There was no difference in the frequency of PPS-specific AbSCs in spleen and BM between mice that received 1, 2 or 3 PPS boosters s.c.. Repeated PPS+LT-K63 booster i.n. reduced the frequency of PPS-specific IgG(+) AbSCs in BM.PPS booster-induced hyporesponsiveness is caused by abrogation of conjugate-induced GC reaction and depletion of PPS-specific IgG(+) AbSCs resulting in no homing of new PPS-specific long-lived plasma cells to the BM or survival. These results should be taken into account in design of vaccination schedules where polysaccharides are being considered.Icelandic Research Fund for Graduate Students/ 50940005, Icelandic Research Fund/40438021-23, Eimskip University Fund, University of Iceland Research Fund, Landspitali University Hospital Research Fun

Non\u2011syndromic isolated dominant optic atrophy caused by the p.R468C mutation in the AFG3 like matrix AAA peptidase subunit 2 gene

Autosomal dominant optic atrophy (DOA) is the most frequent form of hereditary optic atrophy, a disease presenting with considerable inter- and intra-familial clinical variability. Although a number of mutations in different genes are now known to cause DOA, many cases remain undiagnosed. In an attempt to identify the underlying genetic defect, whole exome sequencing was performed in a 19-year-old male that had been affected by isolated DOA since childhood. The exome sequencing revealed a pathogenic mutation (p.R468C, c.1402C>T) in the AFG3 like matrix AAA peptidase subunit 2 (AFG3L2) gene, a gene known to be associated with spinocerebellar ataxia. The patient did not show any signs other than DOA. Thus, the result demonstrates the possibility that mutations in the AFG3L2 gene may be a cause of isolated autosomal DOA

Comparison between the diagnostic accuracy of clinico-pathological and molecular tests for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) of conventional clinic-pathological tests with that of molecular tests such as routine PCR and PCR followed by the sequencing of the Spike (S) gene. Blood, effusion and tissues specimens were collected from 21 FIP suspected cats. In vivo examination consisted of CBC, serum protein electrophoresis, AGP measurement, cytological and biochemical examination and the evaluation of the ΔTNC on effusions, and of molecular tests such the screening PCR (target: 3’UTR region) and the PCR directed towards the S gene followed by the amplification products sequencing in order to detect the aminoacidic substitution recently considered diagnostic for FIP1. These molecular techniques were applied to tissues collected during necropsy, which also allowed forming an FIP group (13 cats) and a non-FIP group (5 cats) based on histology and immunohistochemistry. The best test on tissues was immunohistochemistry (sens: 92.3%; spec: 100%), while the screening PCR suffered of low specificity (spec: 33.3%) and the S gene sequencing showed low sensitivity (sens: 69.2%).On effusions, the best tests resulted screening PCR and cytology (sens and spec: 100%) in comparison with the ΔTNC measurement (sens: 85.7 %; spec: 100%) and the S gene sequencing (sens: 42.8%; spec: 100%).On blood, the best test resulted AGP measurement (sens: 81.8%; spec: 100%), while serum protein electrophoresis showed a surprisingly low sensitivity (sens: 41.7%). Screening PCR (sens: 55.6%; spec: 100%) and S gene sequencing (sens: 33.3%; spec: 100%) proved again low accuracy.

Equivalence between Kaluza Klein modes of gravitinos and goldstinos in brane induced supersymmetry breaking

We identify the goldstino fields that give mass to the Kaluza Klein modes of five dimensional supergravity, when supersymmetry breaking is induced by brane effects. We then proof the four dimensional Equivalence Theorem that, in renormalizable gauges, allows for the replacement of Kaluza Klein modes of helicity $\pm1/2$ gravitinos in terms of goldstinos. Finally we identify the five dimensional renormalizable gauge fixing that leads to the Equivalence Theorem.Comment: Final version published in JHEP. Typo corrected in eq. 2.

On the Complementarity of Higgs and Radion Searches at LHC

Models with 3-branes in extra dimensions typically imply the existence of a radion, phi that can mix with the Higgs, h, thereby modifying the Higgs properties and the prospects for its detectability at the LHC. The presence of the phi will extend the scope of the LHC searches. Detection of both the phi and the h might be possible. In this paper, we study the complementarity of the observation of gg -> h, with h -> gamma gamma or h -> ZZ -> 4 leptons, and gg -> phi -> ZZ -> 4 leptons at the LHC in the context of the Randall-Sundrum model. The potential for determining the nature of the detected scalar(s) at the LHC and at an e+e- linear collider is discussed, both separately and in combination.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Cox regression and survival analysis from the tauro-urso-deoxycholic trial in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Recent phase II pilot clinical trials suggested that tauro-urso-deoxycholic acid (TUDCA) might slow functional decline and increase survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We performed a multivariate analysis of the original TUDCA cohort to better define the treatment effect and allow comparability with other trials. Linear regression slope analysis showed statistical differences in the decline rate, favoring the active treatment arm (p-value < 0.01; −0.262 for the TUDCA group and −0.388 for the placebo group). Mean survival time, estimated by the Kaplan–Meier analysis, showed a 1-month difference, favoring active treatment (log-rank test p-value = 0.092). Cox regression analysis demonstrated that placebo treatment was associated with a higher risk of death (p-value = 0.055). These data further support the disease-modifying effect of TUDCA monotherapy and raise the question of what could be the additional effect of combining TUDCA with sodium phenylbutyrate