Long-Term Clinical Course and Treatment Outcomes in Occult and Overt Acute Zonal Outer Retinopathy.

Purpose: To report the longitudinal outcomes for AZOOR patients including treatment response, imaging evolution, and overlap with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS).

Methods: Visual acuity (VA) and visual field (VF) outcomes of occult and overt AZOOR patients were retrospectively compared between the first and final visits as well as between the two AZOOR subtypes. For treated patients, rates of VA change and fundus lesion area were compared before and after treatment.

Corilagin ameliorates macrophages inflammation in atherosclerosis through TLR4-NFκB/MAPK pathway.

Corilagin, a polyphenolic tannic acid compound, showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in atherosclerotic mice. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect and mechanism of corilagin in atherosclerosis by , and in molecular docking strategies analysis. An atherosclerotic model was established by feeding ApoE mice a high-fat diet.

Role of Social Capital and Financial Wellbeing in Reaching Successful Entrepreneurial Financial Performance: A Moderated-Mediated Model of Financial Intelligence.

Financial wellbeing is an emerging variable in business psychology that is expected to measure overall financial status and future financial trajectories. Financial intelligence and wellbeing have been key determining factors for the financial performance of entrepreneurs. The present study aimed to examine the crucial financial determinants (financial wellbeing and financial intelligence) and social capital factors for the entrepreneurial intentions and their financial performances among the 326 entrepreneurs in China.

Intrinsic effect of interfacial coupling on the high-frequency intralayer modes in twisted multilayer MoTe.

The interfacial coupling at the interface makes the van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) exhibit many unique properties that cannot be realized in its constituents. Such a study usually starts with a twisted stack of two flakes exfoliated from the same layered materials to form twisted multilayers, in which the impact of interfacial coupling on the low-frequency interlayer modes had been well understood. However, it is not clear how interfacial coupling affects the high-frequency intralayer modes of twisted multilayers.

Understanding angle-resolved polarized Raman scattering from black phosphorus at normal and oblique laser incidences.

The selection rule for angle-resolved polarized Raman (ARPR) intensity of phonons from standard group-theoretical method in isotropic materials would break down in anisotropic layered materials (ALMs) due to birefringence and linear dichroism effects. The two effects result in depth-dependent polarization and intensity of incident laser and scattered signal inside ALMs and thus make a challenge to predict ARPR intensity at any laser incidence direction. Herein, taking in-plane anisotropic black phosphorus as a prototype, we developed a so-called birefringence-linear-dichroism (BLD) model to quantitatively understand its ARPR intensity at both normal and oblique laser incidences by the same set of real Raman tensors for certain laser excitation.

Therapy in Rhodopsin-Mediated Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Rhodopsin-mediated autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (RHO-adRP) is a hereditary degenerative disorder in which mutations in the gene encoding RHO, the light-sensitive G protein-coupled receptor involved in phototransduction in rods, lead to progressive loss of rods and subsequently cones in the retina. Clinical phenotypes are diverse, ranging from mild night blindness to severe visual impairments. There is currently no cure for RHO-adRP.

KIT as an Oncogenic Driver in Melanoma: An Update on Clinical Development.

Metastatic melanoma is a heterogenous disease that has served as a model for the development of both targeted therapy and immunotherapy. KIT-mutated melanoma represents a rare subset, most commonly arising from acral, mucosal, and chronically sun-damaged skin. Additionally, KIT alterations are enriched in the triple wild-type subtype of cutaneous melanoma.

Phonon-Assisted Photoluminescence Up-Conversion of Silicon-Vacancy Centers in Diamond.

Phonon-assisted anti-Stokes photoluminescence (ASPL) up-conversion lies at the heart of optical refrigeration in solids. The thermal energy contained in the lattice vibrations is taken away by the emitted anti-Stokes photons' ASPL process, resulting in laser cooling of solids. To date, net laser cooling of solids is limited in rare-earth (RE)-doped crystals, glasses, and direct band gap semiconductors.

Neuronal activity regulates neurotransmitter switching in the adult brain following light-induced stress.

Neurotransmitter switching in the adult mammalian brain occurs following photoperiod-induced stress, but the mechanism of regulation is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that elevated activity of dopaminergic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PaVN) in the adult rat is required for the loss of dopamine expression after long-day photoperiod exposure. The transmitter switch occurs exclusively in PaVN dopaminergic neurons that coexpress vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2), is accompanied by a loss of dopamine type 2 receptors (D2Rs) on corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons, and can lead to increased release of CRF.

Diuretic Properties and Chemical Constituent Studies on Stauntonia brachyanthera.

The pharmacological evaluation demonstrated that the extracts from the stem of S. brachyanthera could significantly increase the outputs of urine of rats compared to those of furosemide treated group, and the effect could last for a longer period of time. The best effect appeared in the first two hours, which scientifically confirmed the diuretic effect of the plant.

Non-cell-autonomous mechanism of activity-dependent neurotransmitter switching.

Activity-dependent neurotransmitter switching engages genetic programs regulating transmitter synthesis, but the mechanism by which activity is transduced is unknown. We suppressed activity in single neurons in the embryonic spinal cord to determine whether glutamate-gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) switching is cell autonomous. Transmitter respecification did not occur, suggesting that it is homeostatically regulated by the level of activity in surrounding neurons.

Quantitative analysis of human salivary gland-derived intact proteome using top-down mass spectrometry.

There are several notable challenges inherent for fully characterizing the entirety of the human saliva proteome using bottom-up approaches, including polymorphic isoforms, PTMs, unique splice variants, deletions, and truncations. To address these challenges, we have developed a top-down based LC-MS/MS approach, which cataloged 20 major human salivary proteins with a total of 83 proteoforms, containing a broad range of PTMs. Among these proteins, several previously reported disease biomarker proteins were identified at the intact protein level, such as beta-2 microglobulin.

Characterization of intact N- and O-linked glycopeptides using higher energy collisional dissociation.

Simultaneous elucidation of the glycan structure and the glycosylation site are needed to reveal the biological function of protein glycosylation. In this study, we employed a recent type of fragmentation termed higher energy collisional dissociation (HCD) to examine fragmentation patterns of intact glycopeptides generated from a mixture of standard glycosylated proteins. The normalized collisional energy (NCE) value for HCD was varied from 30 to 60% to evaluate the optimal conditions for the fragmentation of peptide backbones and glycoconjugates.

lncRNA-dependent mechanisms of androgen-receptor-regulated gene activation programs.

Although recent studies have indicated roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in physiological aspects of cell-type determination and tissue homeostasis, their potential involvement in regulated gene transcription programs remains rather poorly understood. The androgen receptor regulates a large repertoire of genes central to the identity and behaviour of prostate cancer cells, and functions in a ligand-independent fashion in many prostate cancers when they become hormone refractory after initial androgen deprivation therapy. Here we report that two lncRNAs highly overexpressed in aggressive prostate cancer, PRNCR1 (also known as PCAT8) and PCGEM1, bind successively to the androgen receptor and strongly enhance both ligand-dependent and ligand-independent androgen-receptor-mediated gene activation programs and proliferation in prostate cancer cells.

Top-down proteomics reveals a unique protein S-thiolation switch in Salmonella Typhimurium in response to infection-like conditions.

Characterization of the mature protein complement in cells is crucial for a better understanding of cellular processes on a systems-wide scale. Toward this end, we used single-dimension ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to investigate the comprehensive "intact" proteome of the Gram-negative bacterial pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium. Top-down proteomics analysis revealed 563 unique proteins including 1,665 proteoforms generated by posttranslational modifications (PTMs), representing the largest microbial top-down dataset reported to date.

Top-Down Characterization of the Post-Translationally Modified Intact Periplasmic Proteome from the Bacterium Novosphingobium aromaticivorans.

The periplasm of Gram-negative bacteria is a dynamic and physiologically important subcellular compartment where the constant exposure to potential environmental insults amplifies the need for proper protein folding and modifications. Top-down proteomics analysis of the periplasmic fraction at the intact protein level provides unrestricted characterization and annotation of the periplasmic proteome, including the post-translational modifications (PTMs) on these proteins. Here, we used single-dimension ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with the Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) to investigate the intact periplasmic proteome of Novosphingobium aromaticivorans.

Automated immobilized metal affinity chromatography system for enrichment of Escherichia coli phosphoproteome.

Enrichment of bacterial phosphopeptides is an essential step prior to bottom-up mass spectrometry-based analysis of the phosphoproteome, which is fundamental to understanding the role of phosphoproteins in cell signaling and regulation of protein activity. We developed an automated immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) system to enrich strong cation exchange-fractionated phosphopeptides from the soluble proteome of Escherichia coli MG1655 grown on minimal medium. Initial demonstration of the system resulted in identification of 75 phosphopeptides covering 52 phosphoproteins.

A reversed-phase capillary ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) method for comprehensive top-down/bottom-up lipid profiling.

Lipidomics is a critical part of metabolomics and aims to study all the lipids within a living system. We present here the development and evaluation of a sensitive capillary UPLC-MS method for comprehensive top-down/bottom-up lipid profiling. Three different stationary phases were evaluated in terms of peak capacity, linearity, reproducibility, and limit of quantification (LOQ) using a mixture of lipid standards representative of the lipidome.

Comprehensive identification of glycated peptides and their glycation motifs in plasma and erythrocytes of control and diabetic subjects.

Nonenzymatic glycation of proteins sets the stage for formation of advanced glycation end-products and development of chronic complications of diabetes. In this report, we extended our previous methods on proteomics analysis of glycated proteins to comprehensively identify glycated proteins in control and diabetic human plasma and erythrocytes. Using immunodepletion, enrichment, and fractionation strategies, we identified 7749 unique glycated peptides, corresponding to 3742 unique glycated proteins.

blaCMY-2-positive IncA/C plasmids from Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica are a distinct component of a larger lineage of plasmids.

Large multidrug resistance plasmids of the A/C incompatibility complex (IncA/C) have been found in a diverse group of Gram-negative commensal and pathogenic bacteria. We present three completed sequences from IncA/C plasmids that originated from Escherichia coli (cattle) and Salmonella enterica serovar Newport (human) and that carry the cephamycinase gene blaCMY-2. These large plasmids (148 to 166 kbp) share extensive sequence identity and synteny.

A Java-based tool for the design of classification microarrays.

Background: Classification microarrays are used for purposes such as identifying strains of bacteria and determining genetic relationships to understand the epidemiology of an infectious disease. For these cases, mixed microarrays, which are composed of DNA from more than one organism, are more effective than conventional microarrays composed of DNA from a single organism. Selection of probes is a key factor in designing successful mixed microarrays because redundant sequences are inefficient and limited representation of diversity can restrict application of the microarray.

Increased protein identification capabilities through novel tandem MS calibration strategies.

High mass measurement accuracy is critical for confident protein identification and characterization in proteomics research. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry is a unique technique which can provide unparalleled mass accuracy and resolving power. However, the mass measurement accuracy of FTICR-MS can be affected by space charge effects.

Sesquiterpene esters from the fruits of Celastrus orbiculatus.

Three new beta-dihydroagarofuran sesquiterpene esters, 6 alpha-acetoxy-9 beta-benzoyloxy-1 beta-cinnamoyloxy-8 beta-butanoyloxy-beta-dihydroagarofuran (1), 6 alpha-acetoxy-9 beta-benzoyloxy-1 beta-cinnamoyloxy-8 beta-(2-methylbutanoyloxy)-beta-dihydroagarofuran (2), and 6 alpha-acetoxy-1 beta,8 beta-dibenzoyloxy-9 beta-hydroxy-beta-dihydroagarofuran (6), together with three known compounds (3-5) were isolated from the fruits of Celastrus orbiculatus THUNB. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods. Compound 4 showed moderate activity in inhibiting LPS-induced nitric oxide production in murine macrophage RAW264.