Outcome of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery in a tertiary referral centre in Northern Ireland - A regional study.

Purpose: To report the primary and final success, functional outcome and complication rates of patients with primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) who underwent retinal detachment surgery in a tertiary referral centre in Northern Ireland.

Venue: Vitreoretinal service, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Methods: This is a retrospective case series of all patients who underwent primary RRD repair between 1st of January 2013 and 31st of December 2013.

A one-piece 3D printed flexure translation stage for open-source microscopy.

Open source hardware has the potential to revolutionise the way we build scientific instruments; with the advent of readily available 3D printers, mechanical designs can now be shared, improved, and replicated faster and more easily than ever before. However, printed parts are typically plastic and often perform poorly compared to traditionally machined mechanisms. We have overcome many of the limitations of 3D printed mechanisms by exploiting the compliance of the plastic to produce a monolithic 3D printed flexure translation stage, capable of sub-micron-scale motion over a range of 8 × 8 × 4 mm.

Commercial air travel after intraocular gas injection.

Passengers with intraocular gas are at risk of profound visual loss when exposed to reduced absolute pressure within the cabin of a typical commercial airliner. Information provided on the websites of the world's 10 largest airlines offer a considerable range of opinion as to when it might be safe to fly after gas injection. Physicians responsible for clearing pseassengers as 'fit to fly' should be aware modern retinal surgical techniques increasingly employ long-acting gases as vitreous substitutes.

Cartwheel retinopathy.

A case of Valsalva retinopathy is presented, with a discussion of treatment options.

Cdk5rap2 exposes the centrosomal root of microcephaly syndromes.

Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) is characterized by small brain size as a result of deficient neuron production in the developing cerebral cortex. Although MCPH is a rare disease, the questions surrounding its etiology strike at the core of stem cell biology. The seven genes implicated in MCPH all encode centrosomal proteins and disruption of the MCPH gene Cdk5rap2 in mice revealed its role in neural progenitor proliferation and in maintaining normal centriole replication control.

Melatonin sensitizes human myometrial cells to oxytocin in a protein kinase C alpha/extracellular-signal regulated kinase-dependent manner.

Context: Studies have shown that labor occurs primarily in the night/morning hours. Recently, we identified the human myometrium as a target for melatonin (MEL), the neuroendocrine output signal coding for circadian night.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the signaling pathway underlying the effects of MEL on contractility and the contractile machinery in immortalized human myometrial cells.

The incidence and rate of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment seven years after cataract surgery in patients with high myopia.

Background: Cataract extraction is the most commonly performed surgery in the National Health Service. Myopia increases the risk of postoperative rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and rate of RRD seven years after cataract extraction in highly myopic eyes.

Melatonin synergizes with oxytocin to enhance contractility of human myometrial smooth muscle cells.

Context: Studies have shown that labor occurs primarily in the night/morning hours. Recently, we identified the human myometrium as a target for melatonin (MEL), the neuroendocrine output signal coding for circadian night.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of MEL on contractility and the contractile machinery in telomerase-immortalized human myometrial cells.

Transcriptional inhibition of oxytocin receptor expression in human myometrial cells by melatonin involves protein kinase C signaling.

Context: Our laboratory recently characterized the expression of the melatonin receptors in the human myometrium and showed that the expression of these receptors is suppressed during late pregnancy.

Objective: In an effort to understand better the significance of melatonin in the human myometrium, we explored the mechanisms through which this hormone influences the expression of the oxytocin receptor in vitro.

Design: The stable melatonin analog iodomelatonin was presented to cultured telomerase-immortalized myometrial cells of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase line under physiological doses and durations.