Decadal stability in coral cover could mask hidden changes on reefs in the East Asian Seas.

Coral reefs in the Central Indo-Pacific region comprise some of the most diverse and yet threatened marine habitats. While reef monitoring has grown throughout the region in recent years, studies of coral reef benthic cover remain limited in spatial and temporal scales. Here, we analysed 24,365 reef surveys performed over 37 years at 1972 sites throughout East Asia by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network using Bayesian approaches. Our results show that overall coral cover at surveyed reefs has not declined as suggested in previous studies and compared to reef regions like the Caribbean. Concurrently, macroalgal cover has not increased, with no indications of phase shifts from coral to macroalgal dominance on reefs. Yet, models incorporating socio-economic and environmental variables reveal negative associations of coral cover with coastal urbanisation and sea surface temperature. The diversity of reef assemblages may have mitigated cover declines thus far, but climate change could threaten reef resilience. We recommend prioritisation of regionally coordinated, locally collaborative long-term studies for better contextualisation of monitoring data and analyses, which are essential for achieving reef conservation goals.

Surgeons need to know more about intraocular lens design for accurate power calculation.

Improvement in biometry and formulas has raised the bar for accurate intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation. However, when we look closely at the performance of a specific IOL model, we often find that the prediction error varies with the implant power. This phenomenon has no explanation other than that the optic design of the IOL has shifted over the power range, thereby disrupting the assumptions of the calculations. By this report, we call the industry to be more transparent and disclose the basic information about the IOL design that is important for accurate IOL power calculation. The relevant information concerns the refractive index, the central optic thickness, the anterior and posterior curvature radii, the toricity location, the spherical aberration, and haptic angulation. The goal is to predict possible shifts in principal planes or IOL position over the power range causing a refractive surprise if not corrected for.

Secondary metabolite compounds from Sida genus and their bioactivity.

Plants are the key source for the production of novel therapeutic products for new medicines. The biological properties of the plant species used world wide are mainly accountable for their secondary metabolites obtained from plants. The goal of this analysis is to summarize the chemical composition and biological effects of the genus Sida (Malvaceae) to identify potential research opportunities. This analysis draws on the literature review of scientific journals, and books from libraries, and electronic sources like ScienceDirect, Springer, PubMed, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and the Website. Some groups of secondary metabolite compounds isolated from the genus Sida include alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarin, and others. Pharmacological experiments found that there are a wide variety of biological activities in extracts and compounds isolated from the genus Sida comprising antimalarial, antiplasmodial, antimicrobial, analgesic, antibacterial, antioxidant, vasorelaxant, wound healing, antifungal activities, the inhibition of quinone reductase, and mouse mammary organ culture.

Chemical constituents and their biological activities from Taunggyi (Shan state) medicinal plants.

Medicinal plants are essential aspects of readily available primary healthcare remedies. Phytochemical constituents of medicinal plants cover a broad variety of chemical fields to explore medicines. This review highlights selected empirical data on traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of Taunggyi medicinal plants, Andrographis paniculata, Physalis peruviana, and Cassia fistula. Historically, these plants have been used for many infections and diseases in Taunggyi. More than 361 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified from the selected plants. Some of the chemical constituents have substantial pharmacological properties. It is clear that these herbs have significant potential for useful natural supplements in many contemporary diseases. Thus, the aim of this review compiles an ethnobotanical survey and documentation of medicinal plants in Taunggyi (Myanmar). This review will also inspire Myanmar researcher's to further investigate the potential of these plants in their future work into new compound and new drugs.

Beyond the Coral Triangle: high genetic diversity and near panmixia in Singapore's populations of the broadcast spawning sea star Protoreaster nodosus.

The Coral Triangle is widely considered the most important centre of marine biodiversity in Asia while areas on its periphery such as the South China Sea, have received much less interest. Here, we demonstrate that a small population of the knobbly sea star Protoreaster nodosus in Singapore has similarly high levels of genetic diversity as comparable Indonesian populations from the Coral Triangle. The high genetic diversity of this population is remarkable because it is maintained despite decades of continued anthropogenic disturbance. We postulate that it is probably due to broadcast spawning which is likely to maintain high levels of population connectivity. To test this, we analysed 6140 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci for Singapore's populations and demonstrate a pattern of near panmixia. We here document a second case of high genetic diversity and low genetic structure for a broadcast spawner in Singapore, which suggests that such species have high resilience against anthropogenic disturbances. The study demonstrates the feasibility and power of using genome-wide SNPs for connectivity studies of marine invertebrates without a sequenced genome.

27 years of benthic and coral community dynamics on turbid, highly urbanised reefs off Singapore.

Coral cover on reefs is declining globally due to coastal development, overfishing and climate change. Reefs isolated from direct human influence can recover from natural acute disturbances, but little is known about long term recovery of reefs experiencing chronic human disturbances. Here we investigate responses to acute bleaching disturbances on turbid reefs off Singapore, at two depths over a period of 27 years. Coral cover declined and there were marked changes in coral and benthic community structure during the first decade of monitoring at both depths. At shallower reef crest sites (3-4 m), benthic community structure recovered towards pre-disturbance states within a decade. In contrast, there was a net decline in coral cover and continuing shifts in community structure at deeper reef slope sites (6-7 m). There was no evidence of phase shifts to macroalgal dominance but coral habitats at deeper sites were replaced by unstable substrata such as fine sediments and rubble. The persistence of coral dominance at chronically disturbed shallow sites is likely due to an abundance of coral taxa which are tolerant to environmental stress. In addition, high turbidity may interact antagonistically with other disturbances to reduce the impact of thermal stress and limit macroalgal growth rates.

Coral community response to bleaching on a highly disturbed reef.

While many studies of coral bleaching report on broad, regional scale responses, fewer examine variation in susceptibility among coral taxa and changes in community structure, before, during and after bleaching on individual reefs. Here we report in detail on the response to bleaching by a coral community on a highly disturbed reef site south of mainland Singapore before, during and after a major thermal anomaly in 2010. To estimate the capacity for resistance to thermal stress, we report on: a) overall bleaching severity during and after the event, b) differences in bleaching susceptibility among taxa during the event, and c) changes in coral community structure one year before and after bleaching. Approximately two thirds of colonies bleached, however, post-bleaching recovery was quite rapid and, importantly, coral taxa that are usually highly susceptible were relatively unaffected. Although total coral cover declined, there was no significant change in coral taxonomic community structure before and after bleaching. Several factors may have contributed to the overall high resistance of corals at this site including Symbiodinium affiliation, turbidity and heterotrophy. Our results suggest that, despite experiencing chronic anthropogenic disturbances, turbid shallow reef communities may be remarkably resilient to acute thermal stress.

Does the third cervical vertebra need to be rimmed for odontoid screwing? A hypothetical study of anatomic landmarks.

BACKGROUND: The superoanterior portion of the third cervical vertebra may need to be rimmed during anterior odontoid screw fixation procedures. We, therefore, retrospectively evaluated radiological data to analyze the anatomical relation between the second and third cervical vertebra of the patients who were operated by an anterior cervical approach with respect to the question if odontoid screw fixation would have been possible without rimming or not. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients in whom the anterior approach for cervical disc prolapse and/or cervical stenosis was used between 2008 and 2010 were included in this study. The odontoid screw angle, and the angle between the lower second and the upper third cervical vertebral endplate were measured on intraoperative cervical lateral radiographs. If the screw line passed through the superior anterior portion of the third vertebral body, it was determined that the third cervical vertebra would have been needed to be rimmed if odontoid screwing would have been planned. RESULTS: 100 patients were included. There were 50 males and 50 females with a mean age of 47.9 years (mean ± SD: 47.9 ± 12.6 years). The mean odontoid screw angle, and the angle between the lower second and the upper third cervical vertebral endplate were 65.61° ± 3.75° and 15.24° ± 4.85° (nonparallel vertebral endplates only), respectively. The odontoid screw angle, in which the third cervical vertebra would not have been needed to be rimmed, was 63.87° ± 2.84°. In addition, the odontoid screw angle in which the third cervical vertebra would have been needed to be rimmed was 67.28° ± 3.77°. CONCLUSION: The odontoid screw angle may be easily measured on lateral radiographs. In cases in which the odontoid screw angle is 67.28° ± 3.77° or higher, the superoanterior portion of the third cervical vertebra would be needed to be rimmed for proper screw fixation of odontoid fractures.

Late dissemination of ependymoma: case report.

Spinal cord dissemination over 10 years after surgical removal of the fourth ventricle ependymoma without local recurrence is extremely rare. A 49-year-old male underwent a macroscopically gross total removal of the fourth ventricle ependymoma and postoperative radiotherapy to the posterior fossa. Twelve years after the initial operation, the patient complained from uncontrolled fever attacks, low back pain and numbness of the legs. Spinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging revealed intradural extramedullary mass lesions located at the thoracic 2-3 and lumbar 5 vertebrae levels. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed no tumour cells. He underwent total excision of these spinal lesions. Although the majority of the recurrences take place within a few years after surgery, we experienced a case with multiple spinal disseminations 12 years after the resection of the fourth ventricle ependymoma and administration of the radiation therapy to the posterior fossa. Up to our knowledge, this case represents the second unusual late recurrence reported in the literature. We conclude that low grade ependymomas should be followed neurologically and radiologically for more than 10 years after the initial treatment.

Late dissemination of ependymoma: case report

Spinal cord dissemination over 10 years after surgical removal of the fourth ventricle ependymoma without local recurrence is extremely rare. A 49-year-old maleunderwent a macroscopically gross total removal of the fourth ventricle ependymoma and postoperative radiotherapy to the posterior fossa. Twelve years after the initial operation, the patient complained from uncontrolled fever attacks, low back pain and numbness of the legs. Spinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging revealed intradural extramedullary mass lesions located at the thoracic 2-3 and lumbar 5 vertebrae levels. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed no tumour cells. He underwent total excision of these spinal lesions. Although the majority of there currences take place within a few years after surgery, we experienced a case with multiple spinal disseminations12 years after the resection of the fourth ventricle ependymoma and administration of the radiation therapy to the posterior fossa. Up to our knowledge, this case represents the second unusual late recurrence reported in the literature. We conclude that low grade ependymomas should be followed neurologically and radiologically for more than10 years after the initial treatment

La diseminación raquídea, después de la extirpaciónquirúrgica de un ependimoma del cuarto ventrículo, sin recurrencia local, es muy rara. Un varón de 49 años fue intervenido de un ependimoma del IV ventrículo, con resección total y radioterapia postoperatoria de la fosa posterior. Doce años después de esta intervención, el paciente comenzó a quejarse de episodios febriles incontrolables, dolor lumbar y adormecimiento en las piernas. La resonancia magnética mostraba lesiones localizadas a la altura de la 2-3ª vértebra dorsal y de la L5. El líquido cefalorraquídeo no mostraba células tumorales. Fue operado de ambos tumores raquídeos, con resección total. Aunque la mayoría de las recurrencias tienen lugar en los primeros años después de la operación, hemos observado un caso con diseminación raquídea múltiple, después de la resección de un ependimoma del IV ventrículo y radioterapia de la fosa posterior. Que sepamos, este caso es el segundo de recurrencia tardía, publicado en la literatura. En conclusión, los ependimomas de bajo grado deben ser vigilados neurológica y radiológicamente durante más de diez años después del tratamiento inicial

Chemokine gene polymorphisms in idiopathic anterior uveitis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether there are any associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms of the chemokine genes IL-8, MCP-1, their corresponding receptors CXCR1 and CCR2 and disease outcome in patients with acute idiopathic anterior uveitis. METHODS: 60 Caucasian patients with idiopathic acute recurrent anterior uveitis together with 120 healthy Caucasian control subjects were tested for the presence of 16 bi-allelic polymorphisms and HLA-B27 using polymerase chain reaction in association with sequence-specific primers with mismatches at the 3' end. The genetic data was then compared between patients and controls, and within the patient group itself for association with clinical disease outcome. RESULTS: As expected, the frequency of HLA-B27 was significantly higher in the patient group than the control group (63.33% versus 15.83%; Pearson's P<0.0001, Fisher's P<0.0001). In addition, the frequency of the T allele of MCP-1 63555 was found to be significantly higher in the control group when compared to the patient group (P=0.0160). CONCLUSION: This study describes an association between acute anterior uveitis and MCP-1 63555 polymorphisms where the T allele may be a protective marker against the disease.

Primary intracranial hydatid cyst in the interpeduncular cistern.

Cerebral involvement in hydatid disease occurs in 1-4% of cases. There are few documented cases in the literature of intracranial hydatid cysts in unusual locations such as pons and thalamus. In this report, a case of 33-year-old male with primary intracranial hydatid cyst in the interpeduncular cistern is reported. This is the first such case in the literature.

Infratemporal and intraorbital metastasis of the glioblastoma multiforme. A case report.

Primary brain tumors rarely metastasize outside of the central nervous system. A case of 37-year-old woman with a temporal lobe glial tumor which shows infratemporal and orbital invasion is presented. She had undergone a cranial operation because of temporal lobe epilepsy 8 years ago. Defects on the dura and bone flap were thought to be the mechanisms of the infratemporal fossa invasion. The case illustrates extra-axial metastasis of glioblastoma multiforme, an exceptional finding.

Three different binding sites of Cks1 are required for p27-ubiquitin ligation.

Previous studies have shown that the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p27(Kip1) is targeted for degradation by an SCF(Skp2) ubiquitin ligase complex and that this process requires Cks1, a member of the highly conserved Suc1/Cks family of cell cycle regulatory proteins. All proteins of this family have Cdk-binding and anion-binding sites, but only mammalian Cks1 binds to Skp2 and promotes the association of Skp2 with p27 phosphorylated on Thr-187. The molecular mechanisms by which Cks1 promotes the interaction of the Skp2 ubiquitin ligase subunit to p27 remained obscure. Here we show that the Skp2-binding site of Cks1 is located on a region including the alpha2- and alpha1-helices and their immediate vicinity, well separated from the other two binding sites. All three binding sites of Cks1 are required for p27-ubiquitin ligation and for the association of Skp2 with Cdk-bound, Thr-187-phosphorylated p27. Cks1 and Skp2 mutually promote the binding of each other to a peptide similar to the 19 C-terminal amino acids of p27 containing phosphorylated Thr-187. This latter process requires the Skp2- and anion-binding sites of Cks1, but not its Cdk-binding site. It is proposed that the Skp2-Cks1 complex binds initially to the C-terminal region of phosphorylated p27 in a process promoted by the anion-binding site of Cks1. The interaction of Skp2 with the substrate is further strengthened by the association of the Cdk-binding site of Cks1 with Cdk2/cyclin E, to which phosphorylated p27 is bound.

The spontaneous umbilical perforation of the distal end of ventriculoperitoneal shunt.

We present a case of umbilical perforation of the distal end of ventriculoperitoneal shunt as a rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts including an umbilical abscess and an infection related with ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The ventriculoperitoneal catheter was removed, the umbilical abscess was drained and appropriate medication was employed for infection with successful outcome. Possible factors that might predispose to these complications of ventriculoperitoneal shunting are suggested.

Five novel highly oxygenated diterpenes of Orthosiphon stamineus from Myanmar.

Five novel highly oxygenated diterpenes, orthosiphols K (1), L (2), M (3), and N (4) and norstaminone A (5), were isolated from the aerial part of Orthosiphon stamineus, together with three known diterpenes, orthosiphols A (6) and B (7) and neoorthosiphol A (8). Orthosiphol L (2) is an isopimarane-type diterpene with a hydroxyl group at C-12, which supports the biogenesis of staminane-type diterpenes, i.e., migration of a vinylic group from C-13 of isopimarane to C-12. Norstaminone A (5) has a staminane carbon framework and supports the biosynthetic pathway from staminols to norstaminols via staminolactones. All the isolated compounds showed mild to weak antiproliferative activities toward highly liver metastatic colon 26-L5 carcinoma and human HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cell lines.

Emergence of new forms of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 intersubtype recombinants in central Myanmar.

We have previously shown that HIV-1 env subtypes B' (a Thai-B cluster within subtype B) and E (CRF01_AE) are distributed in Yangon, the capital city of Myanmar. However, HIV strains from the rest of country have not yet been genetically characterized. In the present study, we determined env (C2/V3) and gag (p17) subtypes of 25 specimens from central Myanmar (Mandalay). Phylogenetic analyses identified 5 subtype C (20%), in addition to 10 CRF01_AE (40%) and 4 subtype B' (16%). Interestingly, the remaining six specimens (24%) showed discordance between gag and env subtypes; three gag subtype B'/env subtype C, one gag subtype B'/env subtype E, one gag subtype C/env subtype B', and one gag subtype C/env subtype E. These discordant specimens were found frequently among injecting drug users (4 of 12, 33%) and female commercial sex workers (2 of 8, 25%) engaging in high-risk behaviors. The recombinant nature of these HIV-1 strains was verified in three specimens, indicating the presence of new forms of HIV-1 intersubtype C/B' and C/B'/E recombinants with different recombination breakpoints. The data suggest that multiple subtypes of B', C, and CRF01_AE are cocirculating in central Myanmar, leading to the evolution of new forms of intersubtype recombinants among the risk populations exhibiting one of the highest HIV infection rates in the region.