Defining Dry Eye from a Clinical Perspective

Over the past decades, the number of patients with dry eye disease (DED) has increased dramatically. The incidence of DED is higher in Asia than in Europe and North America, suggesting the involvement of cultural or racial factors in DED etiology. Although many definitions of DED have been used, discrepancies exist between the various definitions of dry eye disease (DED) used across the globe. This article presents a clinical consensus on the definition of DED, as formulated in four meetings with global DED experts. The proposed new definition is as follows: “Dry eye is a multifactorial disease characterized by a persistently unstable and/or deficient tear film (TF) causing discomfort and/or visual impairment, accompanied by variable degrees of ocular surface epitheliopathy, inflammation and neurosensory abnormalities.” The key criteria for the diagnosis of DED are unstable TF, inflammation, ocular discomfort and visual impairment. This definition also recommends the assessment of ocular surface epitheliopathy and neurosensory abnormalities in each patient with suspected DED. It is easily applicable in clinical practice and should help practitioners diagnose DED consistently. This consensus definition of DED should also help to guide research and clinical trials that, to date, have been hampered by the lack of an established surrogate endpoint.     

Isolation of antimicrobial agent from the marine algae Cystoseira hakodatensis

Cystoseira hakodatensis is an unutilised brown algae belonging to family Sargassaceae. A crude methanol extract from the algae showed inhibitory effects on the growths of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus licheniformis. To isolate the major antimicrobial agent, a sequential active‐guided isolation procedure was applied: liquid–liquid extraction, column chromatography and bio‐autography. A marked antimicrobial agent (active α) was isolated in hydrophobic fraction and was determined to phenolics without carbohydrates and proteins by phytochemical test. Regarding the antimicrobial potential, the isolated active α showed better inhibitory effects against B. cereus and B. licheniformis at 2 and 4 times of lower concentrations (62.5 and 31.3 μg mL^?1) in comparison with epigallocatechin gallate. These results showed that C. hakodatensis is a potential source of antimicrobial agent capable of preventing the growth of the two bacteria.     

Fabrication of lotus-type porous carbon steel by the continuous zone melting method and its mechanical properties

A lotus-type porous carbon steel with cylindrical pores was fabricated by the continuous zone melting method in a pressurized mixture of hydrogen and helium gases. The porosity increases with increasing partial pressure of the hydrogen gas, while the pore diameter remains almost constant, independent of the pressure. The ultimate tensile strength of the specimen with cylindrical pores parallel to the tensile direction is lower than the estimated value, assuming that the strength is decreased in proportion to the decrease of the cross-sectional area of the specimen, while the yield strength is higher than the estimated value. The compressive yield strength is also higher than the estimated value. The increase in yield strength is considered to be due to precipitation strengthening. The tensile strength is increased by quenching and tempering, while the elongation decreases. Such mechanical properties are discussed in terms of the microstructural analysis.     

Comparison of activities in selective catalytic reduction of NOx by C3H8 over Co/MFI, Fe/MFI, and H/MFI zeolite catalysts

The Co/MFI(SiO₂/Al₂O₃ = 30) were prepared by a precipitation method with NaOCl in alkali solutions exhibited high activities to N₂ at 250 °C for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x. These catalysts showed two UV–vis bands at 700 and 400 nm, indicating the presence of octahedral Co(III) as well as tetrahedral Co(II). The high SCR activity over such Co(III, II)/MFI(30) seems to come from Co(III)---O moieties. The Co(II)MFI(30) catalysts prepared from Co(II)Cl₂ exhibited low SCR activities due to the presence of tetrahedral Co(II) ions in MFI. Less CO formation occurred over Co/MFI catalysts. The Fe/MFI(30) catalyst exhibited high activity due to the presence of some Fe---O species in MFI but more amount of CO were produced during SCR. H/MFI(30) catalyst exhibited a good SCR activity. However, more amount of carbonaceous deposits were produced on it. The correlation between acid concentration and SCR activity was discussed over H/MFIs.     

Operant conditioning of hippocampal theta: Dissociating reward from performance deficits.

Dopaminergic blocking agents have been known to suppress intracranial self-stimulation, but whether the suppression results from a reduction in the rewarding value of stimulation or from motor deficits has remained controversial. We have resolved this controversy by developing an operant technique minimally dependent on motor activity; rats were trained to perform a bar-holding response for 3s or to produce hippocampal theta waves for 3s when the bar was retracted. Decamethonium bromide (a muscle relaxant) reduced bar holding without affecting theta production for brain stimulation. Pimozide (a dopaminergic blocking-agent) reduced both bar holding and theta production for stimulation, though rats were still capable of making the theta response at a rate comparable to the preinjection rate. Dopaminergic blocking at low doses reduces the rewarding value of brain stimulation at the level of the lateral hypothalamus. The method described in this report has wide applicability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analysis of brushless three-phase synchronous generator without exciter

Recently, a demand for small-capacity generators has been increasing as electric sources in small ships and automobiles or as portable electric sources driven by engines. It is desired that the structure of small-capacity generators be simple and robust, and that the generators be highly reliable, easily maintained and controlled. This paper describes an analysis of the original brushless synchronous generator without exciter. The output voltage can be adjusted in the wide range by controlling the stator dc current. To analyze the characteristics of this generator, the finite element method is applied. It is found that the results of theoretical analysis agree well with the experimental results.     

Establishment time of liquid flow in a bath agitated by bottom gas injection

The establishment time of gas-liquid two-phase flows in a cylindrical bath agitated by bottom gas injection through a central single-hole bottom nozzle was investigated. Because the turbulence intensity in the bath was comparable to or larger than the unity, the conventional definition of the flow establishment time based on the history of mean velocity was not suitable for the present case. In fact, it was difficult to determine the flow establishment time based on the well-known 90 or 99 pct criterion for the mean velocity. Accordingly, two methods of determining the flow establishment time by focusing on the turbulence components instead of the mean velocity components were proposed. Velocity measurements were made with a two-channel laser Doppler velocimeter. The flow establishment time was correlated as a function of gas flow rate. Close agreement was obtained by the two methods.     

Intestinal metaplasia with adherent Helicobacter pylori: a hybrid epithelium with both gastric and intestinal features

Helicobacter pylori seem to avoid areas of intestinal metaplasia in the gastric mucosa, but attachment of these bacteria to epithelium with the appearance of incomplete intestinal metaplasia has been documented. To characterize the nature of the epithelium to which H pylori was attached, we carried out an immunohistochemical study using monoclonal antibodies against gastric surface mucous cell mucins (M1), blood group-related carbohydrates antigens (Le(a), sialyl Le(a), Le(b), type 1H, and type 2H) and sialyl Tn antigen. The results of this study suggest that these areas of H pylori attachment represent a hybrid epithelium whose cells share characteristics of both gastric surface mucous cells and intestinal metaplastic cells. Whether all areas of incomplete intestinal metaplasia represent an intermediate stage between the normal gastric epithelium and the fully developed complete type of metaplasia remains to be determined.     

Microscale analysis of glycosphingolipids by TLC blotting/secondary ion mass spectrometry: a novel blood group A-active glycosphingolipid and changes in glycosphingolipid expression in rat mammary tumour cells with different metastatic potentials

The glycosphingolipid compositions of rat mammary tumour cell lines with different metastatic potentials for the lung [a parental tumour cell line (MTC) and its subclones MTLn2 (a non metastatic subclone) and MTLn3 (a subclone with high metastatic potential to the lung)] were studied using a newly developed TLC blotting/secondary ion mass spectrometry system and crude glycosphingolipids obtained from 0.5-1 x 10(7) cells of each cell line. GM3 and GM2 were the major components of the MTC cell line, but they were very minor components in the MTLn2 and MTLn3 cell lines, GDla being the major ganglioside HexNAc-fucosyl-GMla was found in the MTLn2 cells by the TLC blotting/SIMS method, and the terminal sugar linkage was shown to be a blood group A-type structure by immunostaining. These findings suggest that the ganglioside is a novel type of blood group A-active ganglioside, GalNAc alpha 1-3(fuc alpha 1 -2)GMla. No blood group A-active lipid was present in MTLn3 cells, whereas Hex-GMla and neutral glycosphingolipids with more than 5 sugar residues were.     

Immunochemical characterization of anti-H monoclonal antibodies obtained from a mouse immunized with human saliva

Three IgM class anti-H monoclonal antibodies (1E3, 1E5 and 3H1) were obtained from a BALB/c mouse immunized with human O type saliva. These antibodies were found to agglutinate red cells from O group and A and B subgroups but not from Bombay and para-Bombay individuals whose H antigen was barely detected by anti-H reagents. The agglutination reactions of these antibodies were inhibited by H antigens from human tissues. It was also demonstrated that both 1E3 and 3H1 reacted with H disaccharide (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta), H type 1 (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta 1-->3GlcNAc beta), H type 2 (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta), H type 3 (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta 1-->3GalNAc alpha) and H type 4 (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta 1-->3GalNAc beta) but not with Lea (Gal beta 1-->3[Fuc alpha 1-->4]GlcNAc beta), Leb (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta 1-->3[Fuc alpha 1-->4]GlcNAc beta), X (Gal beta 1-->4[Fuc alpha-->3]GlcNAc beta) or Y (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta 1-->4[Fuc alpha 1-->3]GlcNAc beta). On the other hand, 1E5 was found to react with H type 1, H type 2, Leb and Y. Because of the unique reactivities against various fucosyl linkages these monoclonal antibodies could be useful not only as anti-H reagents but also as reagents for the structural analysis of fucosylated glycoconjugates.