Delayed onset Mycobacterium intracellulare keratitis after laser in situ keratomileusis: A case report and literature review.

Rationale: Infectious keratitis is a relatively uncommon but potentially sight-threatening complication of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Mycobacterial keratitis is usually regarded as late onset keratitis among post-LASIK keratitis. There has been no documented case of Mycobacterium intracellulare post-LASIK keratitis of a long-latent period.

Robust Protection against Highly Virulent Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Swine by Combination Treatment with Recombinant Adenoviruses Expressing Porcine Alpha and Gamma Interferons and Multiple Small Interfering RNAs.

Unlabelled: Because the currently available vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) provide no protection until 4 to 7 days postvaccination, the only alternative method to halt the spread of the FMD virus (FMDV) during outbreaks is the application of antiviral agents. Combination treatment strategies have been used to enhance the efficacy of antiviral agents, and such strategies may be advantageous in overcoming viral mechanisms of resistance to antiviral treatments. We have developed recombinant adenoviruses (Ads) for the simultaneous expression of porcine alpha and gamma interferons (Ad-porcine IFN-αγ) as well as 3 small interfering RNAs (Ad-3siRNA) targeting FMDV mRNAs encoding nonstructural proteins.

Analgesic effect of preoperative topical nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs on postoperative pain after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy.

Purpose: To assess the effect of preoperative topical nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on postoperative pain after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) and to investigate their mechanism.

Setting: Severance Eye Hospital and Saeyan Eye Clinic, Seoul, South Korea.

Design: Prospective randomized clinical trial.

A recombinant adenovirus bicistronically expressing porcine interferon-α and interferon-γ enhances antiviral effects against foot-and-mouth disease virus.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a virulent and economically costly disease in domestic livestock. Since the current vaccine available against FMD provides no protection until 7days postvaccination, the only alternative method to halt the spread of the FMD virus (FMDV) during outbreaks is by the application of anti-viral agents. The combination of recombinant adenovirus expressing type I interferon (IFN-α) and adenovirus expressing type II IFN (IFN-γ) has been reported to be an effective anti-viral treatment strategy against FMDV.

Inflammatory cytokine and osmolarity changes in the tears of dry eye patients treated with topical 1% methylprednisolone.

Purpose: To evaluate changes in clinical outcomes, inflammatory cytokine levels, and tear osmolarity in the tears of patients with moderate to severe dry eye syndrome before and after the application of topical 1% methylprednisolone.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-two patients with moderate to severe dry eye unresponsive to previous aqueous enhancement therapy were enrolled. Five patients were lost to follow up, and twenty-seven patients were eligible for analysis.

Enhanced inhibition of foot-and-mouth disease virus by combinations of porcine interferon-α and antiviral agents.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an economically significant animal disease because of the speed of its transmission. The current FMD vaccine provides no protection until 7days after the vaccination, which reduces its effectiveness in the case of an outbreak. Therefore, to find an alternative method of applying antiviral agents for rapid and enhanced inhibition of the FMD virus (FMDV), we compared the antiviral effects of promising antiviral agents and attempted to apply them in combination.

Optimization of pretreatment and saccharification for the production of bioethanol from water hyacinth by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Alkaline-oxidative (A/O) pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification were optimized for bioethanol fermentation from water hyacinth by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Water hyacinth was subjected to A/O pretreatment at various NaOH and H(2)O(2) concentrations and reaction temperatures for the optimization of bioethanol fermentation by S. cerevisiae.

Effect of expression of genes in the sphingolipid synthesis pathway on the biosynthesis of ceramide in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ceramide is important not only for the maintenance of the barrier function of the skin but also for the water-binding capacity of the stratum corneum. Although the exact role of ceramide in the human skin is not fully understood, ceramide has become a widely used ingredient in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Compared to other microorganisms, yeast is more suitable for the production of ceramide because yeast grows fast and is non-toxic.