High anomalous origin of both coronary arteries in a patient with aortic valve disease.

High anomalous origin of both coronary arteries is extremely rare. We report the case of a patient with a right coronary artery that originated from the left surface of the ascending aorta approximately 25 mm above the sinotubular junction and a left coronary artery that originated from the sinotubular junction close to the non-left commissure. The patient also had persistent left superior vena cava.

Identification of lymphatic pathway involved in the spreading of prostate cancer by fluorescence navigation approach with intraoperatively injected indocyanine green.

Objective: : The objective of this study was to identify lymphatic vessels draining from the prostate by using a fluorescence navigation (FN) system.

Methods: : Fourteen subjects were candidates for radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). After an indocyanine green solution was injected into the prostate during RRP, lymphatic vessels draining from the prostate were analyzed using a FN system.

The carbohydrate ligands on the host embryo mediate intercellular migration of the parasitic wasp embryo.

Invasive stage embryos of the parasitic wasp Copidosoma floridanum transmigrate through the epithelium of phylogenetically distant host embryos in a manner that is similar to mammalian leukocyte infiltration. Host embryonic cells appear to recognize the invading wasp embryo by components on the cell surface. We developed an in vitro wasp entry inhibition assay and found that C-type lectins of the wasp embryo bound to N-linked carbohydrate chains with fucose residues on the surface of host embryo.

Rare complication of a sigmoid colon perforation after a kidney transplant with an artificial vascular graft.

A 65-year-old man (blood type O) came to our hospital for transplant of an unrelated kidney (6/6 mismatch of HLA genotype) donated by his living 60-year-old wife (blood type B). The planned right donor nephrectomy was uneventful, with a warm ischemic time of 5 minutes, but her right renal vein was too fragile and weak to be repaired for vascular anastomosis. Therefore, we used an artificial vascular graft (polytetrafluoroethylene) interposed between the donor renal vein and the recipient's left external iliac vein.

Ability to determine postoperative status of macular hole in gas-filled eyes by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Background: To determine whether the status of a macular hole can be determined by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in gas-filled eyes.

Design: Prospective study, university hospital setting.

Participants: Twenty-six eyes with a macular hole, seven eyes with a macular hole retinal detachment and four eyes with a macular hole and myopic traction maculopathy underwent vitreous surgery.

Neurobehavioral changes in mice exposed to fast neutrons in utero.

Epidemiological studies have revealed that radiation causes brain development abnormalities in atomic bomb survivors exposed in utero. Rat and mouse studies have also shown that prenatal exposure to low-linear energy transfer radiation induces developmental brain anomalies. Because the effects of prenatal irradiation on adult behavior patterns remain largely unknown, the present study investigated the effects of neutron exposure in utero on postnatal behavior patterns in mice.

Aloe vera oral administration accelerates acute radiation-delayed wound healing by stimulating transforming growth factor-β and fibroblast growth factor production.

Background: Delayed wound healing is a significant clinical problem in patients who have had previous irradiation. This study investigated the effectiveness of Aloe vera (Av) on acute radiation-delayed wound healing.

Methods: The effect of Av was studied in radiation-exposed rats compared with radiation-only and control rats.

Time course of changes in ocular aberrations after instillation of carteolol long-acting solution and timolol gel-forming solution.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of 2% carteolol long-acting solution (long-acting carteolol) and 0.5% timolol gel-forming solution (timolol gel) on ocular wavefront aberrations.

Methods: Ocular aberrations were assessed in the right eye of 24 healthy volunteers at baseline and at 2, 5, 10, and 15 min after instillation of long-acting carteolol, timolol gel or physiological saline using the Hartmann-Shack aberrometer.

Ophthalmodynamometric pressure in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy measured during pars plana vitrectomy.

Purpose: To measure ophthalmodynamometric pressure (ODP) during vitrectomy in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Design: Prospective, interventional, consecutive case series.

Methods: This study included 75 eyes of 75 patients undergoing vitrectomy for PDR.

Influence of overnight orthokeratology on axial elongation in childhood myopia.

Purpose: This prospective study was conducted to assess the influence of overnight orthokeratology (OK) on axial elongation in children, with those wearing spectacles as controls.

Methods: One hundred five subjects (210 eyes) were enrolled in the study. The OK group comprised 45 patients (90 eyes, age 12.

Successful treatment of endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis: a case report.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis is rare and despite immediate management, visual outcome is generally poor. We report a case of endogenous K. pneumoniae endophthalmitis that was treated successfully.

Contrast sensitivity and optical quality of the eye after instillation of timolol maleate gel-forming solution and brinzolamide ophthalmic suspension.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of timolol maleate 0.5% gel-forming solution and brinzolamide 1% ophthalmic suspension on contrast sensitivity, ocular higher-order aberration (HOA), and corneal surface light scattering.

Design: Prospective, comparative study.

Infrared and fundus autofluorescence imaging in eyes with optic disc pit maculopathy.

Background: To characterize the infrared (IR) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images of eyes with optic disc pit maculopathy.

Methods: A retrospective non-comparative study of three patients with optic disc pit maculopathy who were followed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and retinal angiography (Heidelberg retina angiograph 2) before and after vitreous surgery without laser photocoagulation.

Results: The areas of serous retinal detachment and inner retinal schisis were dark in the IR and FAF images preoperatively; and they changed to brighter areas following reattachment of the retina.

Successful Removal of a Ruptured Orbital Cyst Using 2.3% Sodium Hyaluronate and Indocyanine Green.

A healthy 64-year-old man presented with a non-tender soft mass in the upper inner quadrant of the anterior left orbit. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 14 x 16 x 14-mm homogeneous cystic lesion in the anterior superonasal orbit with a distinct margin. An orbital cyst was suspected, and its surgical removal was planned.

An ultrastructural study of polyembryonic parasitoid embryo and host embryo cell interactions.

The morula-stage embryo of the polyembryonic egg-larval parasitoid Copidosoma floridanum forms outside the host embryo and secondarily invades the host body. Electron microscopic analyses of cellular interactions between the extraembryonic syncytium of the parasitic morula and the host embryonic epithelial cells showed that morula penetration into the host embryo did not cause obvious damage to the host cells, except for the abrasion of the embryonic cuticle. Epithelial cells of the host embryo extended microvilli toward the invading C.

Measurement of ophthalmodynamometric pressure with the vented-gas forced-infusion system during pars plana vitrectomy.

Purpose: To measure ophthalmodynamometric pressure (ODP) with the vented-gas forced-infusion (VGFI) system during vitrectomy in patients with various vitreoretinal disorders and to investigate factors related to ODP.

Methods: This study included 169 eyes of 169 patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy. After core vitrectomy, the intraocular pressure was gradually raised by using the VGFI system.

Hemolytic activity is mediated by the endogenous lectin in the mosquito hemolymph serum.

Although cytolysis of invading organisms is an innate form of immunity used by invertebrates, so far the underlying mechanism remains less explored. The pupal hemolymph of the mosquito Armigeres subalbatus induces an activity that causes hemolysis of human red blood cells (HRBC). This hemolytic activity was inhibited by sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) and serine protease inhibitors.

Vision-related quality of life after transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma.

PURPOSE. To use the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) to evaluate vision-related quality of life (VR-QOL) in patients with pituitary adenoma who undergo transsphenoidal surgery. METHODS.

[Time course of changes in contrast sensitivity function after application of antiglaucomatous eyedrops].

Purpose: Some antiglaucomatous eyedrops can cause blurred vision after application. Contrast sensitivity after application, however, has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of antiglaucomatous eyedrops on contrast sensitivity function.

Effects of (L)-cystine and (L)-theanine supplementation on the common cold: a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial.

The common cold is one of the most frequent illnesses caused by viral infection. Recently, we have reported that oral administration of cystine and theanine (CT) to mice enhanced the humoral immune response associated with antibody production. Based on this mouse study, we investigated the effects of CT supplementation on the common cold in humans as a pilot study.

Improvement of the light extraction efficiency of top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes by a two-dimensional diffraction layer fabricated using self-assembled nanoparticles.

The light extraction efficiency of top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was improved by insertion of a two-dimensional (2D) diffraction layer. The 2D diffraction layer was fabricated by our original nanofabrication technique, the embedded particle monolayer method, which could form a self-assembled particle monolayer. As a result, the electroluminescence intensity of the device with the 2D diffraction layer was improved by 1.

Influence of induced decentered orthokeratology lens on ocular higher-order wavefront aberrations and contrast sensitivity function.

Purpose: To quantitatively evaluate the effect of overnight orthokeratology lenses intentionally left decentered after 3 months of wear and assess the influence on clinical outcomes such as ocular higher-order wavefront aberrations and contrast sensitivity function.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Tsukuba University Hospital, Ibaraki, Japan.

Methods: This prospective study assessed refraction, visual acuity, corneal topography, wavefront aberration, and contrast sensitivity function before and 3 months after overnight orthokeratology treatment.

Time course of changes in ocular wavefront aberration after instillation of 0.5% timolol gel-forming solution.

Aims: To investigate the influence of 0.5% timolol gel-forming solution on ocular wavefront aberrations.

Methods: In 17 normal volunteers, ocular aberration was assessed before and 5 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after instillation of timolol gel-forming solution.