External Asymmetry and Pectoral Fin Loss in the Bamboo Sole (Heteromycteris japonica): Small-Sized Sole with Potential as a Pleuronectiformes Experimental Model.

Pleuronectiform fish develop marked external asymmetry in eye location and skin color at metamorphosis. The bamboo sole, Heteromycteris japonica, also exhibits loss of the pectoral fins at metamorphosis. Because of its small body size, short generation time, and long spawning season, we focused on the bamboo sole as an experimental model to investigate metamorphic asymmetry and pectoral fin loss during development. In the present study, we utilized a small-scale culture system to evaluate bamboo sole larvae and larval development, and a microinjection system for fertilized eggs. The culture system described here uses an 18 L culture tank for rotifers (the first diet for larvae) and 5 L plastic beakers for larval culture. Under this system, most larvae completed metamorphosis, including one-eye migration and pigmentation of the ocular side, by 23 days postfertilization (dpf) at 25°C. Larvae at density of 120-150 per liter were grown from hatching to 23 dpf with a survival ratio of 60-75% per beaker. Pectoral fins, including coracoid and disk cartilage, formed but were completely lost in late metamorphosis without formation of proximal radials and fin rays. The microinjection system designed here is adequate for the bamboo sole and allows injection of 100 one-cell-stage embryos per day. We expect that the culture and microinjection systems described here will facilitate the use of the bamboo sole as an experimental model organism in developmental biology.

Palliative sequential chemoradiotherapy for pulmonary sulcus tumor: A case report.

Pulmonary sulcus tumors are occasionally encountered in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. If the patients have a good clinical condition, concurrent chemoradiotherapy is indicated. However, palliative chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy for patients exhibiting a poor overall condition have not been reported to date. We herein report the case of a 54-year-old female patient with a pulmonary sulcus tumor, who had a poor performance status. The patient received sequential chemoradiotherapy, with no severe complications. There was no local recurrence until the time of death, 8 months after the initiation of therapy. Palliative sequential chemoradiotherapy for pulmonary sulcus NSCLC must be effective and carry low risk of complications. Palliative sequential chemoradiotherapy may be considered in certain patients with pulmonary sulcus NSCLC. Either chemotherapy or radiotherapy is administered first and, if there is no apparent deterioration of the patient's general condition, the next treatment modality is administered.

Neural crest-derived multipotent cells in the adult mouse iris stroma.

The purpose of this study was to characterize neural crest-derived cells within the adult murine iris. The iris was isolated from P0-Cre/Floxed-EGFP transgenic (TG) mice. The isolated iris cells formed EGFP-positive spheres on non-adhesive culture plates. Immunostaining showed that these EGFP-positive spheres expressed neural crest markers including Sox10 and p75NTR, and these cells showing in vitro sphere-forming ability were originally resided in the iris stroma (IS), in vivo. Real-time RT-PCR showed that the EGFP-positive spheres expressed significantly higher levels of the neural crest markers than EGFP-negative spheres and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Furthermore, the iris stromal sphere had capability to differentiate into various cell lineages including smooth muscle and cartilage. These data indicate that neural crest-derived multipotent cells can be isolated from the murine IS and expanded in sphere culture.

The efficacy of an oxygen mask with reservoir bag in patients with respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND: Oxygen masks with reservoir bags (OMR) are widely used for oxygen therapy in patients with severe respiratory failure. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether OMRs are effectively used in clinical practice. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the first phase of the study on the patients with severe respiratory failure, no apparent respiratory motions of the reservoir bag were noted, and the oxygen saturation level as determined by pulseoximetry (SpO2) did not decrease even after shrinkage of the reservoir bag. In the second phase, when a healthy female volunteer wore an OMR, pressure swings in the reservoir bag were less than 0.1 cmH2O, even when she was breathing with her maximal respiratory efforts (tidal volume, 1.14 L and respiratory frequency, 19.2 bpm). These pressure swings provoke a less than 50 mL oxygen supply from the reservoir bag. The decreased efficacy of OMR in oxygen therapy may be primarily due to the large space between the OMR and the nose but this space is inevitable in sitting or orthopneic subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Fixing an OMR very tightly to the face is mandatory for its effective use. It should also be kept in mind that there are limitations to the efficacy of OMR, even when they are used with such careful management.

Introduction of the Low Vision Evaluator (LoVE) for children.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the Low Vision Evaluator (LoVE) can grade the visual acuity of young children with light perception and hand movement acuity into finer acuity steps and at what age reliable measurements can be obtained. METHODS: Two hundred twenty children were tested with the LoVE. Each eye was tested separately, and each stimulus magnitude (intensity x duration) was presented three times. Three catch trials per eye also were presented. RESULTS: Scores ranged from -8 to -1 on variable-duration tests and from 22.5 to 37.5 dB on fixed-duration tests for four children with hand movement vision. Scores ranged from -12 to 0 on variable-duration tests and from 12.5 to 40 dB on fixed-duration tests for five children with light perception vision. Reliable measurements were obtained at different times on different days. Mean scores for children with counting finger vision or better were significantly better than scores for eyes with light perception and hand movement (P < .001 and P < .01, respectively). Reliability was less for children younger than age 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: The LoVE is capable of grading the visual function of children with light perception and hand movement vision into finer steps. Reliable measurements can be obtained for children age 4 years and older.

Proteomic analysis of rat liver peroxisome: presence of peroxisome-specific isozyme of Lon protease.

Subcellular proteomics, which includes isolation of subcellular components prior to a proteomic analysis, is advantageous not only in characterizing large macro-molecular complexes such as organelles but also in elucidating mechanisms of protein transport and organelle biosynthesis. Because of the high sensitivity achieved by the present proteomics technology, the purity of samples to be analyzed is important for the interpretation of the results obtained. In the present study, peroxisomes isolated from rat liver by usual cell fractionation were further purified by immunoisolation using a specific antibody raised against a peroxisomal membrane protein, PMP70. The isolated peroxisomes were analyzed by SDS-PAGE combined with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Altogether 34 known peroxisomal proteins were identified in addition to several mitochondrial and microsomal proteins. Some of the latter may reside in the peroxisomes as well. Analysis of membrane fractions identified all known peroxins except for Pex7. Two new peroxisomal proteins of unknown function were of high abundance. One is a bi-functional protein consisting of an aminoglycoside phosphotransferase-domain and an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase domain. The other is a newly identified peroxisome-specific isoform of Lon protease, an ATP-dependent protease with chaperone-like activity. The peroxisomal localization of the protein was confirmed by immunological techniques. The peroxisome-type Lon protease, which is distinct from the mitochondrial isoform, may play an important role in the peroxisomal biogenesis.