Treatment Effects of Switching to Faricimab in Eyes with Diabetic Macular Edema Refractory to Aflibercept.

: Faricimab is a vascular endothelial growth factor A and angiopoietin-2 bispecific antibody. It is a novel therapeutic approach distinct from previous anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of switching from aflibercept to faricimab in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) refractory to aflibercept, with a specific focus on the resolution of macular edema.

Long-Read Whole-Genome Sequencing Using a Nanopore Sequencer and Detection of Structural Variants in Cancer Genomes.

Long-read sequencing technologies enable us to precisely identify structural variants (SVs), which would be occasionally associated with various types of diseases, including cancers. In this section, we introduce experimental and computational procedures for conducting long-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of cancer genomes from fresh frozen tissues/cells. We also demonstrate the analysis of SVs in cancer genomes using long-read WGS data from lung cancer cell lines by several representative computational tools, such as cuteSV and Sniffles2, as examples.

Comparisons of One to Three Monthly Injections of Aflibercept for Diabetic Macular Edema by Practical Protocol.

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacies of one initial intravitreal injection of aflibercept followed by a (PRN; 1+PRN) regimen to those of three consecutive monthly injections followed by the PRN (3+PRN) regimen for diabetic macular edema (DME) with practical protocols. The medical records of 95 eyes of 71 cases that were diagnosed with DME and had received intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) injections were reviewed. Fifty-seven eyes had received IVA with the 1+PRN regimen, and 38 eyes had received IVA with the 3+PRN regimen.

Safety and Efficacy of Ranibizumab and Luseogliflozin Combination Therapy in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema: Protocol for a Multicenter, Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Diabetic macular edema (DME) threatens daily life activities such as reading and driving and reduces the patients' quality-of-life. Recently, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents have become a first-line therapy in DME. However, therapy with anti-VEGF agents has several problems: repeated invasive injections are required; medical costs are high; and a certain proportion of patients with DME are resistant to treatment with anti-VEGF agents.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Sub-Tenon versus Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection during Cataract Surgery for Diabetic Macular Edema.

Purpose: We compared the efficacy of sub-Tenon triamcinolone acetonide (STTA) to intravitreal triamcinolone aceto-nide (IVTA) injections during cataract surgery (CS) for patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods: The medical records of 33 eyes (26 patients) with DME which had undergone CS with STTA were compared to those of 34 eyes (27 patients) with DME which had undergone CS with IVTA. Central foveal thickness and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were measured at the baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after the surgery.

Efficacy of One-Year Treatment with Aflibercept for Diabetic Macular Edema with Practical Protocol.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of one-year treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) with intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) injections on a practical protocol. The medical records of 51 eyes of 43 patients who were diagnosed with DME and had received IVA treatments were reviewed. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the central macular thickness (CMT) were measured at the baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the IVA.

Comparisons of Efficacy of Intravitreal Aflibercept and Ranibizumab in Eyes with Diabetic Macular Edema.

We compared the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) to intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) injections in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME). The medical records of 49 eyes of 36 patients who were diagnosed with DME and had received IVR and 46 eyes of 40 patients who had received IVA treatment were reviewed. The central macular thickness (CMT) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were measured at the baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the IVR or IVA.

Neuregulin-1 type III knockout mice exhibit delayed migration of Schwann cell precursors.

In an embryonic developmental stage of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), Schwann cell precursors migrate along neuronal axons to their final destinations. After birth, they eventually wrap around individual axons to form myelin sheaths, which insulate axons to increase the nerve conduction velocity. Some growth factors and adhesion molecules are known to control these developmental stages from in the fish to in the mammal.

Prasugrel for Japanese patients with acute coronary syndrome in short-term clinical practice (PRASFIT-Practice I): a postmarketing observational study.

Unlabelled: Data on prasugrel use in Japanese patients are limited to phase II/III clinical trials. This early postmarketing observational study evaluated the safety and efficacy of short-term prasugrel use in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in real-world clinical settings in Japan. From May 2014 to January 2015, we enrolled consecutive patients with ACS requiring percutaneous coronary intervention in each institution.

Variation among individual bulls in the distribution of acrosomal tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa.

In Japanese black cattle, AI severely subfertile males have occasionally been found. In order to solve this problem, we previously asserted the need for exact examinations of acrosomal tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins and acrosome morphology in cryopreserved spermatozoa. In the present study, we further investigated acrosomal tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in spermatozoa before cryopreservation and examined possible relationships between these phosphoproteins and acrosome stability.

Effects of sub-Tenon's capsule triamcinolone acetonide injection combined with microaneurysm photocoagulation on diabetic macular edema.

Purpose: To compare the effects of sub-Tenon's capsule triamcinolone acetonide (STTA) injection to that of STTA injection combined with microaneurysm photocoagulation (MAPC; STTA + MAPC) on eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME).

Patients And Methods: The medical records of 138 eyes of 138 patients with DME treated by either STTA or STTA + MAPC were reviewed. The degree of DME was determined by the optical coherence tomographic features: patients with serous retinal detachment (SRD+; 38 eyes) and patients without SRD (non-SRD; 100 eyes).

Conditional deletion of CD98hc inhibits osteoclast development.

The CD98 heavy chain (CD98hc) regulates virus-induced cell fusion and monocyte fusion, and is involved in amino acid transportation. Here, we examined the role that CD98hc plays in the formation of osteoclasts using CD98hcLysM-cre peritoneal macrophages (CD98hc-defect macrophages). Peritoneal macrophages were stimulated with co-cultured with osteoblasts in the presence of 1,25(OH) vitamin D, and thereafter stained with tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining solution.

Risk Factors for Refractory Diabetic Macular Oedema after Sub-Tenon's Capsule Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection.

The purpose of this study is to identify the risk factors for a recurrence or persistence of diabetic macular oedema (DME) after a sub-Tenon's capsule triamcinolone acetonide (STTA) injection. The medical records of 124 patients (124 eyes) treated by STTA were reviewed. The age, sex, HbA1c level, best-corrected visual acuity, central macular thickness, insulin use, pioglitazone use, systemic hypertension, serous retinal detachment, proteinuria, panretinal photocoagulation, microaneurysm photocoagulation (MAPC), subthreshold micropulse diode laser photocoagulation (SMDLP), cataract surgery, and history of vitrectomy were examined by logistic regression analysis.

Effects of acrosomal conditions of frozen-thawed spermatozoa on the results of artificial insemination in Japanese Black cattle.

The purposes of this study were to examine the relationship between male artificial insemination (AI) fertility and sperm acrosomal conditions assessed by new and conventional staining techniques and to identify possible reproductive dysfunctions causing low conception rates in AI using frozen-thawed spermatozoa with poor acrosomal conditions in Japanese Black bulls. We investigated individual differences among bulls in the results concerning (1) acrosomal conditions of frozen-thawed spermatozoa as assessed by not merely peanut agglutinin-lectin staining (a conventional staining technique) but also immunostaining of acrosomal tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins (a new staining technique), (2) routine AI using frozen-thawed spermatozoa as assessed by pregnancy diagnosis, (3) in vivo fertilization of frozen-thawed spermatozoa and early development of fertilized eggs as assessed by superovulation/AI-embryo collection tests and (4) in vitro fertilization of frozen-thawed spermatozoa with oocytes. The percentages of frozen-thawed spermatozoa with normal acrosomal conditions assessed by the abovementioned staining techniques were significantly correlated with the conception rates of routine AI, rates of transferable embryos in superovulation/AI-embryo collection tests and in vitro fertilization rates.

Distinct segment-specific functions of calyculin A-sensitive protein phosphatases in the regulation of cAMP-triggered events in ejaculated bull spermatozoa.

Livestock spermatozoa possess more tenacious suppressors of cAMP-triggered events-including capacitation-associated changes-than laboratory animal spermatozoa, leading to flagellar hyperactivation. In order to identify the suppressors, we examined effects of an inhibitor of serine/threonine protein phosphatases (calyculin A) on cAMP-triggered changes in the protein phosphorylation state, and subsequent occurrence of hyperactivation and acrosome reaction in ejaculated bull spermatozoa. Ejaculated spermatozoa were incubated in cAMP-supplemented medium, then assessed for motility, acrosome morphology, and phosphorylated protein localization.

In vivo knockdown of ErbB3 in mice inhibits Schwann cell precursor migration.

The myelin sheath insulates neuronal axons and markedly increases the nerve conduction velocity. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), Schwann cell precursors migrate along embryonic neuronal axons to their final destinations, where they eventually wrap around individual axons to form the myelin sheath after birth. ErbB2 and ErbB3 tyrosine kinase receptors form a heterodimer and are extensively expressed in Schwann lineage cells.

The effect of posterior sub-Tenon's capsule triamcinolone acetonide injection to that of pars plana vitrectomy for diabetic macular edema.

Purpose: To compare the effect of posterior sub-Tenon's capsule triamcinolone acetonide (STTA) injection to that of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for diabetic macular edema (DME).

Patients And Methods: The medical records of 50 patients (52 eyes) with DME were reviewed. Twenty-six eyes underwent STTA (20 mg) and the other 26 eyes underwent vitrectomy combined with cataract surgery.

[Comparison of visual acuity and central macular thickness after vitrectomy for diffuse diabetic macular edema with or without preoperative treatments].

Purpose: To compare the surgical outcomes during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for diffuse diabetic macular edema (DME) with pretreatment to those without pretreatment.

Methods: The medical charts of 43 eyes of 46 patients who underwent PPV for DME were reviewed. The previously treated (Prev.

Comparison of vitrectomy with brilliant blue G or indocyanine green on retinal microstructure and function of eyes with macular hole.

Purpose: To evaluate the microstructure of the inner and outer retina and the visual function after macular hole (MH) surgery using brilliant blue G (BBG) or indocyanine green (ICG) to make the internal limiting membrane (ILM) more visible.

Design: Comparative, retrospective, interventional case series.

Participants: Sixty-three eyes of 63 consecutive cases with MH were studied.

[Macular ischemia following intravitreal bevacizumab therapy for diabetic macular edema].

Purpose: To examine the effects of macular ischemia after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in patients with diabetic macular edema(DME).

Methods: Thirty-three eyes of 33 patients with DME were treated with IVB. Fluorescein angiography (FA) was conducted before and 3 months after IVB, the pretreatment sizes of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) calculated by FA were compared to the values at 3 months after IVB.

Long-term therapeutic efficacy of the subthreshold micropulse diode laser photocoagulation for diabetic macular edema.

Purpose: To investigate the long-term efficacy of subthreshold micropulse diode laser photocoagulation (SMDLP) on diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods: The effects of SMDLP (810 nm) were studied on 56 eyes of 44 patients with DME. Optical coherence tomography-determined foveal thickness and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were evaluated at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the SMDLP.

Successful salvage treatment of blastic natural killer cell lymphoma with methotrexate.

A 69-year-old man with blastic natural killer cell lymphoma (BNKL) was treated mainly with methotrexate (MTX). He presented with skin and bone marrow involvement at onset. Neoplastic cells were blastic in appearance with CD3-, CD4-, CD8-, CD7-, CD16-, CD56+ and HLA-DR+ phenotype.

[Subthreshold micropulse diode laser photocoagulation for diabetic macular edema with hard exudates].

Purpose: To examine the efficacy of subthreshold micropulse diode laser photocoagulation (SMDLP) in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) with hard exudates.

Methods: Ten eyes of 10 patients with diffuse DME were treated with SMDLP (810 nm). Hard exudates had accumulated within the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in all patients.

Efficacy of vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane removal for macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion.

Aim: To compare the results of vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling to that without ILM peeling for macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Methods: The medical records of 47 eyes of 47 patients with BRVO-associated macular edema were examined. To treat the macular edema, a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) was created, and the ILM was removed in 13 eyes (ILM-removed group), whereas a PVD was created and the ILM was not removed in 34 eyes (ILM-preserved group).