05). In addition, the AROCs of the temporal, superior and inferior check details RNFL were higher compared with that of nasal RNFL (P<0.05). The AROCs of all parameters for NAION were not significantly different, with the exception of superior, nasal superior and inferior temporal RNFL (P<0.05). In conclusion, FDOCT is able to detect quantitative differences in the optic disc morphology and RNFL thickness between glaucomatous

and NAION eyes. These differences may provide new insights into the clinical characteristics and diagnosis of the two diseases.”
“In normal development and pathology, the vascular system depends on complex interactions between cellular elements, biochemical molecules, and physical forces. The electrokinetic vascular streaming potential (EVSP) is an endogenous extremely low frequency (ELF) electrical field resulting from blood flowing past the vessel wall. While generally unrecognized, it is a ubiquitous electrical biophysical force to which the vascular tree is exposed. Extracellular matrix elastin plays a central role in normal blood vessel function and in the development of atherosclerosis. It was hypothesized that ELF

fields of low amplitude would alter elastin accumulation, supporting a link between the EVSP and the biology of vascular smooth muscle cells. Neonatal rat aortic smooth muscle cell cultures were exposed learn more chronically to electrical fields characteristic of the EVSP. Extracellular protein accumulation, DNA content, and electron microscopic (EM) evaluation were performed after 2 weeks of exposure. Stimulated ERK inhibitor cultures showed no significant change in cellular proliferation as measured by the DNA concentration. The per-DNA normalized protein in the extracellular matrix was unchanged while extracellular elastin accumulation decreased 38% on average. EM analysis showed that the stimulated cells had a 2.85-fold increase in mitochondrial number. These results support the formulation

that ELF fields are a potential factor in both normal vessel biology and in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic diseases including heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Bioelectromagnetics 34:358-365, 2013. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.”
“Catalysts composed of NiO/Y2O3/ZrO2 mixtures were synthesized by the polymerization method in a single step. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), physisorption of N-2 (BET) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and then tested in the oxidative reforming of a model biogas (1.5CH(4):1CO(2)) in the presence of oxygen (1.5CH(4) + 1CO(2) + 0.25O(2)) at 750 degrees C for 6 h. It was observed that the catalysts Ni20YZ and Ni40YZ performed better in catalytic processes than NiO/ZrO2 and NiO/Y2O3, synthesized under the same conditions.