Idiopathic multifocal choroiditis/punctate inner choroidopathy with acute photoreceptor loss or dysfunction out of proportion to clinically visible lesions.

PURPOSE To report acute/subacute vision loss and paracentral scotomata in patients with idiopathic multifocal choroiditis/punctate inner choroidopathy due to large zones of acute photoreceptor attenuation surrounding the chorioretinal lesions. METHODS Multimodal imaging case series. RESULTS Six women and 2 men were included (mean age, 31.5 ± 5.8 years). Vision ranged from 20/20-1 to hand motion (mean, 20/364). Spectral domain optical coherence tomography demonstrated extensive attenuation of the external limiting membrane, ellipsoid and interdigitation zones, adjacent to the visible multifocal choroiditis/punctate inner choroidopathy lesions. The corresponding areas were hyperautofluorescent on fundus autofluorescence and were associated with corresponding visual field defects. Full-field electroretinogram (available in three cases) showed markedly decreased cone/rod response, and multifocal electroretinogram revealed reduced amplitudes and increased implicit times in two cases. Three patients received no treatment, the remaining were treated with oral corticosteroids (n = 4), oral acyclovir/valacyclovir (n = 2), intravitreal/posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetate (n = 3), and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (n = 2). Visual recovery occurred in only three cases of whom two were treated. Varying morphological recovery was found in six cases, associated with decrease in hyperautofluorescence on fundus autofluorescence. CONCLUSION Multifocal choroiditis/punctate inner choroidopathy can present with transient or permanent central photoreceptor attenuation/loss. This presentation is likely a variant of multifocal choroiditis/punctate inner choroidopathy with chorioretinal atrophy. Associated changes are best evaluated using multimodal imaging.

Voting behavior in Indonesia from 1999 to 2014 : religious cleavage or economic performance?

In this study, we examine the voting behavior in Indonesian parliamentary elections from 1999 to 2014. After summarizing the changes in Indonesian parties' share of the vote from a historical standpoint, we investigate the voting behavior with simple regression models to analyze the effect of regional characteristics on Islamic/secular parties' vote share, using aggregated panel data at the district level. Then, we also test the hypothesis of retrospective economic voting. The results show that districts which formerly stood strongly behind Islamic parties continued to select those parties, or gave preference to abstention over the parties in some elections. From the point of view of retrospective economic voting, we found that districts which experienced higher per capita economic growth gave more support to the ruling parties, although our results remain tentative because information on 2014 is not yet available.

Sermones aurei atq[ue] subtiles de t[em]p[or]e [et] de sanctis cu[m] Co[m]muni sanctoru[m] S[a]ncti Bonauenture ... Veri [et] indubitati, Diuersiq[ue] ab his aliq[uando] imp[re]ssis [et] sancto Bonauenture falso adscriptis, a deuio erroris accuratissime

Sign.: a-d8, e6, f8, g6, h-r8, s6, t8, v6, x8, y6, z8, [et]10, []5; A-N8, O5, []5; 2A8, 2B6, 2C8, 2D6, 2E8, 2F6, 2G-2H8, 2J10, 2K-2L6, 2M8

1927-1929, 1937-1938: William B. Jason

8th President 1927-19291937-1938 (Acting President)

A physiologic function for p-glycoprotein (MDR-1) during the migration of dendritic cells from skin via afferent lymphatic vessels

P-glycoprotein (MDR-1) is a well-known transporter that mediates efflux of chemotherapeutic agents from the intracellular milieu and thereby contributes to drug resistance. MDR-1 also is expressed by nonmalignant cells, including leukocytes, but physiologic functions for MDR-1 are poorly defined. Using an initial screening assay that included >100 mAbs, we observed that neutralizing mAbs MRK16, UIC2, and 4E3 against MDR-1 specifically and potently blocked basal-to-apical transendothelial migration of mononuclear phagocytes, a process that may mimic their migration into lymphatic vessels. Antagonists of MDR-1 then were used in a model of authentic lymphatic clearance. In this model, antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DC) migrate out of explants of cultured human skin and into the culture medium via dermal lymphatic vessels. DC and T cells derived from skin expressed MDR-1 on their surfaces. Addition of anti-MDR-1 mAbs MRK16, UIC2, or the MDR-1 antagonist verapamil to skin explants at the onset of culture inhibited the appearance of DC, and accompanying T cells, in the culture medium by approximately 70%. Isotype-matched control mAbs against other DC molecules including CD18, CD31, and major histocompatibility complex I did not block. In the presence of MDR-1 antagonists, epidermal DC were retained in the epidermis, in contrast to control conditions. In summary, this work identifies a physiologic function for MDR-1 during the mobilization of DC and begins to elucidate how these critical antigen-presenting cells migrate from the periphery to lymph nodes to initiate T lymphocyte-mediated immunity.

CD8 T cell ignorance or tolerance to islet antigens depends on antigen dose

There are two major mechanisms reported to prevent the autoreactivity of islet-specific CD8+ T cells: ignorance and tolerance. When ignorance is operative, naïve autoreactive CD8+ T cells ignore islet antigens and recirculate without causing damage, unless activated by an external stimulus. In the case of tolerance, CD8+ T cells are deleted. Which factor(s) contributes to each particular outcome was previously unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the concentration of self antigen determines which mechanism operates. When ovalbumin (OVA) was expressed at a relatively low concentration in the pancreatic islets of transgenic mice, there was no detectable cross-presentation, and the CD8+ T cell compartment remained ignorant of OVA. In mice expressing higher doses of OVA, cross-presentation was detectable and led to peripheral deletion of OVA-specific CD8+ T cells. When cross-presentation was prevented by reconstituting the bone marrow compartment with cells incapable of presenting OVA, deletional tolerance was converted to ignorance. Thus, the immune system uses two strategies to avoid CD8+ T cell-mediated autoimmunity: for high dose antigens, it deletes autoreactive T cells, whereas for lower dose antigens, it relies on ignorance.

Effects of Dietary Fibre (Pectin) and/or Increased Protein (Casein or Pea) on Satiety, Body Weight, Adiposity and Caecal Fermentation in High Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats

Funding: This work was funded by the Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

hSK4, a member of a novel subfamily of calcium-activated potassium channels

The gene for hSK4, a novel human small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel, or SK channel, has been identified and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. In physiological saline hSK4 generates a conductance of approximately 12 pS, a value in close agreement with that of other cloned SK channels. Like other members of this family, the polypeptide encoded by hSK4 contains a previously unnoted leucine zipper-like domain in its C terminus of unknown function. hSK4 appears unique, however, in its very high affinity for Ca2+ (EC50 of 95 nM) and its predominant expression in nonexcitable tissues of adult animals. Together with the relatively low homology of hSK4 to other SK channel polypeptides (approximately 40% identical), these data suggest that hSK4 belongs to a novel subfamily of SK channels.

Mass spectrometric determination of dioxygen bond splitting in the “peroxy” intermediate of cytochrome c oxidase

The “peroxy” intermediate (P form) of bovine cytochrome c oxidase was prepared by reaction of the two-electron reduced mixed-valence CO complex with 18O2 after photolytic removal of CO. The water present in the reaction mixture was recovered and analyzed for 18O enrichment by mass spectrometry. It was found that approximately one oxygen atom (18O) per one equivalent of the P form was present in the bulk water. The data show that the oxygen–oxygen dioxygen bond is already broken in the P intermediate and that one oxygen atom can be readily released or exchanged with the oxygen of the solvent water.