Search results for "visual"

Effects of PSA Removal from NCAM on the Critical Period Plasticity Triggered by the Antidepressant Fluoxetine in the Visual Cortex.

2016

Neuronal plasticity peaks during critical periods of postnatal development and is reduced towards adulthood. Recent data suggests that windows of juvenile-like plasticity can be triggered in the adult brain by antidepressant drugs such as Fluoxetine. Although the exact mechanisms of how Fluoxetine promotes such plasticity remains unknown, several studies indicate that inhibitory circuits play an important role. The polysialylated form of the neural cell adhesion molecules (PSA-NCAM) has been suggested to mediate the effects of Fluoxetine and it is expressed in the adult brain by mature interneurons. Moreover, the enzymatic removal of PSA by neuroaminidase-N not only affects the structure of…

Histidine tracts in human transcription factors: insight into metal ion coordination ability

2017

Consecutive histidine repeats are chosen both by nature and by molecular biologists due to their high affinity towards metal ions. Screening of the human genome showed that transcription factors are extremely rich in His tracts. In this work, we examine two of such His-rich regions from forkhead box and MAFA proteins—MB3 (contains 18 His) and MB6 (with 21 His residues), focusing on the affinity and binding modes of Cu2+ and Zn2+ towards the two His-rich regions. In the case of Zn2+ species, the availability of imidazole nitrogen donors enhances metal complex stability. Interestingly, an opposite tendency is observed for Cu2+ complexes at above physiological pH, in which amide nitrogens part…

Graphical Workflow System for Modification Calling by Machine Learning of Reverse Transcription Signatures

2019

Modification mapping from cDNA data has become a tremendously important approach in epitranscriptomics. So-called reverse transcription signatures in cDNA contain information on the position and nature of their causative RNA modifications. Data mining of, e.g. Illumina-based high-throughput sequencing data, is therefore fast growing in importance, and the field is still lacking effective tools. Here we present a versatile user-friendly graphical workflow system for modification calling based on machine learning. The workflow commences with a principal module for trimming, mapping, and postprocessing. The latter includes a quantification of mismatch and arrest rates with single-nucleotide re…

Exercise and Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation Induce Changes in the Composition of Liver Fatty Acids

2019

Exercise and supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are used to reduce body weight and to improve health. Applied together, they may exert a synergistic effect. However, the effects of exercise and CLA supplementation on liver metabolism are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of exercise and CLA supplementation on fatty acids (FA) composition in mouse liver. We analyzed 44 of known FAs of this organ by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results demonstrated that exercise contributed to a decrease in odd-chain FA and an increase in n-6 polyunsaturated FA contents. In turn, CLA stimulated an increase in branched-chain FAs and n-3 polyunsa…

Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Europe

2017

Manuscript no. 2016-1147 Supplemental material is available at www.aaojournal.org/; International audience; [u]Purpose:[/u] Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a frequent, complex disorder in elderly of European ancestry. Risk profiles and treatment options have changed considerably over the years, which may have affected disease prevalence and outcome. We determined the prevalence of early and late AMD in Europe from 1990 to 2013 using the European Eye Epidemiology (E3) consortium, and made projections for the future. [u]Design:[/u] Meta-analysis of prevalence data. [u]Participants:[/u] A total of 42 080 individuals 40 years of age and older participating in 14 population-based cohor…

INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB FOR PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

2017

PURPOSE To evaluate the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) on retinal neovascularization in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS Retrospective multicenter interventional case series. A chart review was performed of 81 consecutive patients (97 eyes) with retinal neovascularization due to PDR, who received at least 1 IVB injection. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 55.6 ± 11.6 years. The mean number of IVB injections was 4 ± 2.5 injections (range, 1-8 injections) per eye. The mean interval between IVB applications was 3 ± 7 months. The mean duration of follow-up was 29.6 ± 2 months (range, 24-30 months). Best-corrected visual acuity and optical coheren…

Clinical Decision-Making when Treating Diabetic Macular Edema Patients with Dexamethasone Intravitreal Implants.

2017

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease frequently associated with comorbidities that include diabetic macular edema (DME). The current medical approach to treating DME involves intravitreal injections with either anti-vascular endothelial growth factors or steroids. However, the burden associated with intravitreal injections and DM-derived complications is high, underlining the need to find optimal treatment regimens. In this article we describe the considerations we apply when treating DME patients with dexamethasone intravitreal implants (Ozurdex®), particularly those that influence the clinical decision-making process during the follow-up period. These considerations are based bot…

2018

Abstract Purpose To report on a case of recurrence of paraproteinemic keratopathy (PPK) associated with monoclonal gammopathy after bilateral penetrating keratoplasty. Observations Penetrating keratoplasty was performed on both eyes of a 45-year-old man due to bilateral progressive corneal stromal clouding. Recurrence of the corneal stromal opacities accompanied by a decrease in visual acuity was observed on slit-lamp examination already two years after penetrating keratoplasty. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) of the corneal grafts performed three years after penetrating keratoplasty showed bilateral morphological changes identical to that found in the patient's corneas prior to p…

Complete locked-in and locked-in patients: Command following assessment and communication with vibro-tactile P300 and motor imagery brain-computer in…

2017

Many patients with locked-in syndrome (LIS) or complete locked-in syndrome (CLIS) also need brain-computer interface (BCI) platforms that do not rely on visual stimuli and are easy to use. We investigate command following and communication functions of mindBEAGLE with 9 LIS, 3 CLIS patients and three healthy controls. This tests were done with vibro-tactile stimulation with 2 or 3 stimulators (VT2 and VT3 mode) and with motor imagery (MI) paradigms. In VT2 the stimulators are fixed on the left and right wrist and the participant has the task to count the stimuli on the target hand in order to elicit a P300 response. In VT3 mode an additional stimulator is placed as a distractor on the shoul…

Drosophila Food-Associated Pheromones: Effect of Experience, Genotype and Antibiotics on Larval Behavior

2016

International audience; Animals ubiquitously use chemical signals to communicate many aspects of their social life. These chemical signals often consist of environmental cues mixed with species-specific signals-pheromones-emitted by conspecifics. During their life, insects can use pheromones to aggregate, disperse, choose a mate, or find the most suitable food source on which to lay eggs. Before pupariation, larvae of several Drosophila species migrate to food sources depending on their composition and the presence of pheromones. Some pheromones derive from microbiota gut activity and these food-associated cues can enhance larval attraction or repulsion. To explore the mechanisms underlying…