Measuring macular pigment optical density using reflective images of confocal scanning laser system.

Purpose: To develop a method to measure the macular pigment optical density (MPOD) using scanning laser ophthalmoscopic images in young adults and children.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Blue light reflectance fundus images of 32 healthy subjects were used.

Autosomal dominant foveal hypoplasia without visible macular abnormalities and PAX6 mutations.

Purpose: Autosomal dominant foveal hypoplasia (FVH1) is a rare disorder associated with mutations in the PAX6 gene. As an isolated disease entity, FVH1 does not include ocular disorders such as aniridia, microphthalmia, albinism, and achromatopsia. However, it only includes isolated foveal hypoplasia and foveal hypoplasia with presenile cataract.

Blastomere movement post first cell division correlates with embryonic compaction and subsequent blastocyst formation.

Background: Blastomere movement (BMov) occurs after the first cell division in human embryos. This movement has been suggested as a prognostic parameter for pregnancy outcome prediction following cleavage-stage embryo transfer. However, the effect of BMov on preimplantation development and pregnancy outcome after blastocyst transfer remains unclear.

Prolonged blastomere movement induced by the delay of pronuclear fading and first cell division adversely affects pregnancy outcomes after fresh embryo transfer on Day 2: a time-lapse study.

Research Question: What is the incidence, origin and clinical significance of blastomere movement after the first cell division in the human embryo?

Design: A total of 1096 embryos, cultured in the EmbryoScope+ ® time-lapse system and subjected to a single fresh cleaved embryo transfer, were retrospectively analysed. Type and duration of blastomere movement (dBMov) between the first (t2) and second cell division (t3) was monitored, and the ratio of dBMov during the 2-cell stage [dBMov/(t3-t2)] was calculated. Morphological evaluation of embryos was performed by referring to the size of the blastomere and fragmentation after first division in addition to Veeck's criteria on Day 2.

Histology of fibrovascular membranes of proliferative diabetic retinopathy after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab.

Purpose: The purpose was to study the histology of the fibrovascular membranes in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab.

Methods: Light and electron microscopic studies were performed on surgical specimens obtained during a pars plana vitrectomy from 6 PDR eyes after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. The patients had preoperatively received no or scant retinal photocoagulations.

Direct inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor function by antiglaucomatous beta-antagonists.

In the present study, we investigated the direct effects of antiglaucoma drugs (timolol, betaxolol, pilocarpine, and latanoprost) on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor function using a Xenopus oocytes expression system and electrophysiological techniques. In oocytes expressing wild-type NMDA (NR1a/NR2A) receptors, timolol and betaxolol significantly inhibited glutamate-evoked currents, whereas less inhibition was obtained with pilocarpine, and latanoprost had few effects. Moreover, the effect of timolol and betaxolol was noncompetitive with respect to glutamate.

[Informed consent for colorectal cancer surgery].

There are two issues in informed consent for colorectal cancer surgery. One is the actual surgical technique. Recently intersphincteric resection (ISR) has been performed to avoid permanent colostomy, although it is not standard procedure.

Degeneration of the stria vascularis during development in melanocyte-deficient mutant rats (Ws/Ws rats).

Developmental changes in the stria vascularis of white spotting (Ws) rats were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopes and by diaminobenzidine-staining techniques. The stria of Ws/Ws homozygote rats was found to have both pigmented and non-pigmented portions. While the pigmented portions possessed intermediate cells in the same manner as the stria of wild +/+ rats, the non-pigmented portions lacked the cells.