Quantitative analysis of optical coherence tomographic angiography (OCT-A) in patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) corresponds to visual function.

Purpose: Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common cause of non-glaucomatous optic neuropathy in older adults. Optical coherence tomographic angiography (OCT-A) is an emerging, non-invasive method to study the microvasculature of the posterior pole, including the optic nerve head. The goal of this study was to assess the vascular changes in the optic nerve head and peripapillary area associated with NAION using OCT-A.

Quantifying positional variation of retinal blood vessels in glaucoma.

We studied the relationship between major retinal blood vessel (BV) positions and glaucoma parameters based on pairs of Cirrus optical coherence tomography scans and Humphrey visual fields of 445 eyes from 445 glaucoma patients in our cross-sectional study. A trained observer marked the major superior and inferior temporal BV (artery and vein) positions on four concentric circles around the optic disc. Analysis of variance was performed to analyze the group differences of BV positions related to the factors of radius, BV type, myopia status and glaucoma stage.

Dyslipidemia, steatohepatitis and atherogenesis in lipodystrophic apoE deficient mice with Seipin deletion.

SEIPIN is an integral membrane protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum, regulating adipocytes differentiation and lipolysis. Deficiency of Seipin in mice causes severe general lipodystrophy, accompanied by insulin resistance, postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and steatohepatitis. In atherosclerosis-prone Ldlr null (Ldlr) mice, lipodystrophy caused by Seipin deletion even led to severe hypercholesteremia and accelerated atherogenesis, when challenged with an atherogenic diet.

The Interrelationship between Refractive Error, Blood Vessel Anatomy, and Glaucomatous Visual Field Loss.

Purpose: We quantified the interrelationship between retinal blood vessel (BV) anatomical variation, spherical equivalent (SE) of refractive error, and functional diagnostic parameters in glaucoma to identify optimal parameters for the improvement of optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) norms.

Methods: A trained observer marked the intersections of the main superior/inferior temporal arteries and veins with concentric circles around the optic nerve head (ONH) center on fundus images. The interrelationship of BV, SE, and visual field global parameters was analyzed by multivariate regression and model comparison.

Age, ocular magnification, and circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) manufacturers graphically present circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (cpRNFLT) together with normative limits to support clinicians in diagnosing ophthalmic diseases. The impact of age on cpRNFLT is typically implemented by linear models. cpRNFLT is strongly location-specific, whereas previously published norms are typically restricted to coarse sectors and based on small populations.

Ametropia, retinal anatomy, and OCT abnormality patterns in glaucoma. 2. Impacts of optic nerve head parameters.

Clinicians use retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) as an adjunct to glaucoma diagnosis. Ametropia is accompanied by changes to the optic nerve head (ONH), which may affect how OCT machines mark RNFLT measurements as abnormal. These changes in abnormality patterns may bias glaucoma diagnosis.

Ametropia, retinal anatomy, and OCT abnormality patterns in glaucoma. 1. Impacts of refractive error and interartery angle.

Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) is widely used in clinical practice to support glaucoma diagnosis. Clinicians frequently interpret peripapillary RNFLT areas marked as abnormal by OCT machines. However, presently, clinical OCT machines do not take individual retinal anatomy variation into account, and according diagnostic biases have been shown particularly for patients with ametropia.

Effects of glucose and gibberellic acid on glucosinolate content and antioxidant properties of Chinese kale sprouts.

Glucosinolates, anthocyanins, total phenols, and vitamin C, as well as antioxidant capacity, were investigated in Chinese kale sprouts treated with both glucose and gibberellic acid (GA). The combination of 3% (0.03 g/ml) glucose and 5 μmol/L GA treatment was effective in increasing glucosinolate content while glucose or GA treatment alone did not influence significantly almost all individual glucosinolates or total glucosinolates.

Reversal of Glaucoma Hemifield Test Results and Visual Field Features in Glaucoma.

Purpose: To develop a visual field (VF) feature model to predict the reversal of glaucoma hemifield test (GHT) results to within normal limits (WNL) after 2 consecutive outside normal limits (ONL) results.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Participants: Visual fields of 44 503 eyes from 26 130 participants.

Dispersion engineering of a microsphere via multi-layer coating.

Controlling dispersion of a whispering gallery mode resonator is of critical importance for many nonlinear applications, such as frequency comb generation, parametric oscillators, Raman lasers, stimulated Brillouin lasers, and ultrafast optics. Here, we show by numerical and theoretical modeling that dispersion can be strongly engineered in a three-layer-coated microsphere of high, low, and high refractive indices (RIs). We investigate the impact of the coating thickness, the gap between the two high-RI layers, the surrounding medium, and the coating materials on the group-velocity dispersion and discover that the dispersion is controllable over a broad range in both normal and anomalous dispersion regimes.

Oncolytic peptide LTX-315 induces an immune-mediated abscopal effect in a rat sarcoma model.

LTX 315 is an oncolytic peptide with potent immunological properties. In the present study, we demonstrate that intratumoral treatment with LTX-315 resulted in a complete regression and systemic immune response in a rat fibrosarcoma model. The treatment was T-cell dependent, and also resulted in an abscopal effect as demonstrated by the regression of distal non-treated lesions.

Case report of a pair of siblings with cryptogenic multifocal ulcerating stenosing enteritis: A rare disease easily to be misdiagnosed as Crohn disease.

Rationale: The rare disease cryptogenic multifocal ulcerous stenosing enteritis (CMUSE) is characterized by multiple and recurring small intestinal ulcers with stenosis of unknown causes. In clinic, it is difficult to be differentiated from the inflammatory bowel disease, especially the Crohn disease.

Patient Concerns: Here we report a pair of siblings who suffered from long-time anemia and abdominal pain and misdiagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for many years.

Impact of Natural Blind Spot Location on Perimetry.

We study the spatial distribution of natural blind spot location (NBSL) and its impact on perimetry. Pattern deviation (PD) values of 11,449 reliable visual fields (VFs) that are defined as clinically unaffected based on summary indices were extracted from 11,449 glaucoma patients. We modeled NBSL distribution using a two-dimensional non-linear regression approach and correlated NBSL with spherical equivalent (SE).

Associations between Optic Nerve Head-Related Anatomical Parameters and Refractive Error over the Full Range of Glaucoma Severity.

Purpose: To evaluate the associations between optic disc (OD)-related anatomical parameters (interartery angle [IAA] between superior and inferior temporal retinal arteries, OD tilt [TL], rotation [ROT], and torsion [TO], OD surface curvature [CUR], and central retinal vessel trunk entry point location [CRVTL] on OD) and the spherical equivalent of refractive error (SE), and to assess the impact of glaucoma severity on these relationships.

Methods: Cirrus optical coherence tomography (OCT) fundus images and 24-2 visual fields of 438 patients were included. Ellipses were fitted to OD borders.

Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Respond to Short-Term Hypoxia by Secreting Factors Beneficial for Human Islets In Vitro and Potentiate Antidiabetic Effect In Vivo.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) release factors beneficial for islets in vitro and protect against hyperglycemia in rodent models of diabetes. Oxygen tension has been shown to induce metabolic changes and alter ASCs' release of soluble factors. The effects of hypoxia on the antidiabetic properties of ASCs have not been explored.

A novel rat fibrosarcoma cell line from transformed bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells with maintained in vitro and in vivo stemness properties.

Increasing evidence suggests a possible relationship between mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and sarcoma. MSCs are hypothesized to be the cells initiating sarcomagenesis, and cancer stem cells (CSCs) sharing features of MSCs have been identified in sarcomas. Here, we report on the characteristics of a bone marrow-derived rat mesenchymal stem cell line that spontaneously transformed in long-term culture.

Relationship Between Central Retinal Vessel Trunk Location and Visual Field Loss in Glaucoma.

Purpose: To study the relationship between horizontal central retinal vessel trunk location (CRVTL) on glaucomatous optic discs and sector-specific visual field (VF) loss.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Methods: CRVTL of 421 eyes from 421 patients was manually tracked on the horizontal optic disc axis on fundus images.

Deficiency of scavenger receptor class B type 1 leads to increased atherogenesis with features of advanced fibroatheroma and expansive arterial remodeling.

Background: Scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-BI) is the main high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor in mammalians. Loss of SR-BI has been proven to disturb HDL metabolism and accelerate atherosclerosis. However, little is known about the plaque features and arterial remodeling in the increased atherogenesis caused by SR-BI deficiency.

Protection of neuronal cells from excitotoxicity by disrupting nNOS-PSD95 interaction with a small molecule SCR-4026.

Stroke is a major public health problem leading to high rates of death and disability in adults. Coupling of postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) plays an important part in neuronal damage caused by stroke. Recent studies suggest the possibility of alleviating post ischemia neuron damage by blocking ischemia-induced nNOS-PSD-95 association.

Scavenger Receptor Class B Type 1 Deletion Led to Coronary Atherosclerosis and Ischemic Heart Disease in Low-density Lipoprotein Receptor Knockout Mice on Modified Western-type Diet.

Aim: Atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E (apoE) or low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) knockout (KO) mice are generally resistant to developing coronary atherosclerosis (CA) and ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, studies have demonstrated the occurrence of spontaneous CA and IHD in scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-BI)/apoE double KO (dKO) mice, which suggests that SR-BI could be a potential target for the prevention and therapy of CA and IHD. This possibility was later investigated in SR-BI/LDL-R dKO mice, but no signs of CA or IHD was identified when mice were fed a normal western-type diet.

Membrane Supply and Demand Regulates F-Actin in a Cell Surface Reservoir.

Cells store membrane in surface reservoirs of pits and protrusions. These membrane reservoirs facilitate cell shape change and buffer mechanical stress, but we do not know how reservoir dynamics are regulated. During cellularization, the first cytokinesis in Drosophila embryos, a reservoir of microvilli unfolds to fuel cleavage furrow ingression.

The Virtual Screening of the Drug Protein with a Few Crystal Structures Based on the Adaboost-SVM.

Using the theory of machine learning to assist the virtual screening (VS) has been an effective plan. However, the quality of the training set may reduce because of mixing with the wrong docking poses and it will affect the screening efficiencies. To solve this problem, we present a method using the ensemble learning to improve the support vector machine to process the generated protein-ligand interaction fingerprint (IFP).

Measurement of gene regulation in individual cells reveals rapid switching between promoter states.

In vivo mapping of transcription-factor binding to the transcriptional output of the regulated gene is hindered by probabilistic promoter occupancy, the presence of multiple gene copies, and cell-to-cell variability. We demonstrate how to overcome these obstacles in the lysogeny maintenance promoter of bacteriophage lambda, P(RM). We simultaneously measured the concentration of the lambda repressor CI and the number of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) from P(RM) in individual Escherichia coli cells, and used a theoretical model to identify the stochastic activity corresponding to different CI binding configurations.

Adipose tissue deficiency results in severe hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis in the low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice.

Adipose tissue can store over 50% of whole-body cholesterol; however, the physiological role of adipose tissue in cholesterol metabolism and atherogenesis has not been directly assessed. Here, we examined lipoprotein metabolism and atherogenesis in a unique mouse model of severe lipodystrophy: the Seipin(-/-) mice, and also in mice deficient in both low-density lipoprotein receptor (Ldlr) and Seipin: the Ldlr(-/-)Seipin(-/-) mice. Plasma cholesterol was moderately increased in the Seipin(-/-) mice when fed an atherogenic diet.