Sectoral changes of the peripapillary choroidal thickness in patients with unilateral branch retinal vein occlusion

AIM: To investigate sectoral changes in the mean peripapillary choroidal thickness(PCT) in patients with unilateral branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO). METHODS: This retrospective, interventional study included 41 patients with acute, unilateral BRVO without macular edema. All patients completed at least a 6-month follow-up period. The PCT was measured at eight locations(temporal, superotemporal, superior, superonasal, nasal, inferonasal, inferior, and inferotemporal). In addition to calculating the average of all locations, the peripapillary choroidal area was divided into four sectors: superior(average of superotemporal PCT, superior PCT, and superonasal PCT), temporal, inferior(average of inferotemporal PCT, inferior PCT, and inferonasal PCT), and nasal. RESULTS: In the BRVO-affected eyes, the mean PCT was 177.7±69.8 μm(range, 70.1-396.0 μm) at baseline and 127.8±54.8 μm(range, 56.4-312.1 μm) at 6 mo(P<0.001). In the non-affected contralateral eyes, the mean PCT was 192.5±60.6 μm(range, 61.4-365.0 μm) at baseline and 165.9±61.1 μm(range, 56.8-326.8 μm) at 6 mo(P<0.001). In sectoral analysis, the mean PCT in each sector was significantly reduced in over 6 mo in the BRVO-affected eyes(all P<0.001). In the non-affected contralateral eyes, the mean PCT was not significantly changed in any sector over the 6-month follow-up period(superior sector, P=0.143; temporal sector, P=0.825; inferior sector, P=0.192; and nasal sector, P=0.599).CONCLUSION: Sectoral analysis shows that the mean PCTs in all sectors are reduced significantly over 6 mo in the BRVO-affected eyes, but not in the non-affected contralateral eyes.

辣椒中ABA介导的干旱胁迫响应相关基因CaDRT1的鉴定与功能分析

植物时常受到高盐和干旱等各种各样的环境胁迫,因此植物也进化出了各种防御机制以应对胁迫所带来的毒害作用。脱落酸(ABA)是一种植物激素,调控植物的生长发育并对非生物胁迫产生响应。本研究从经ABA处理的甜辣椒(Capsicum annuum)叶片中鉴定出了一个耐旱基因Ca DRT1(Drought Tolerence 1)。Ca DRT1基因在叶片中的表达受环境胁迫大幅诱导。经ABA处理后,Ca DRT1在辣椒叶片中大量表达,表明Ca DRT1蛋白在非生物胁迫响应中具有着重要功能。通过病毒诱导基因沉默(VIGS)技术沉默Ca DRT1基因后,叶片气孔关闭受限,蒸腾失水量上升,植株受到显著伤害。Ca DRT1过表达(Ca DRT1-OX)的拟南芥在发芽期、幼苗期及成株阶段均呈ABA敏感的表型。此外,Ca DRT1-OX植株呈耐旱表型,其特点是气孔关闭程度高,蒸腾率低,叶片温度高,叶片中干旱应答基因表达量增加。上述结果表明Ca DRT1在ABA介导的干旱胁迫响应中起正向调控的作用。

Prevalence of focal lamina cribrosa defects in eyes with pachychoroid disease spectrum

AIM:To determine the prevalence of focal lamina cribrosa(LC)defect among patients with pachychoroid disease spectrum(PDS)in the absence of peripapillary retinoschisis.METHODS:This retrospective,cross-sectional study comprised of 180 patients with PDS,including polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy(PCV),central serous chorioretinopathy,and pachychoroidal neovasculopathy.Medical records and optic ner ve head evaluations conducted using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging were reviewed.As a control group,236 patients who underwent ophthalmologic evaluation for vitreous floaters,without obvious ocular disease,were also included.RESULTS:The mean age of the PDS group,which included 118 male patients(65.6%),was 57.4±11.1 y.There was no significant difference between the two groups in age(P=0.710)or sex(P=0.248).Six patients(3.3%)in the PDS group and none in the control group showed focal LC defect(P=0.318).Among the six patients with focal LC defect in the PDS group,four eyes had PCV,one eye was the fellow eye of a PCV eye,and one eye had pachychoroidal neovasculopathy.CONCLUSION:Focal LC defect can be defected in patients with PDS in the absence of peripapillar y retinoschisis.However,the prevalence of focal LC defect was not different significantly between PDS patients and those who did not have PDS.

Simple technique for the rescue and refixation of a partially disenclavated retropupillary iris claw intraocular lens

Dear Editor,We would like to introduce a simple technique for the efficient rescue and refixation of a subluxated retropupillary iris claw intraocular lens(RPICIOL;Artisan■Aphakia model 205,Ophtec BV,Groningen,the Netherlands).The RPICIOL is a suture-less,posterior iris-fixated,polyinethyl methacrylate intraocular lens(IOL)that has gained widespread recognition and expanding use because of its efficiency in management of aphakia,combined with long-term intraocular safety and excellent sustained visual outcomes11 Postoperative dislocation/disenclavation of the RPICIOL may occur spontaneously or following trauma,with a rate reportedly between 0 to 10%[4-6].

Intraoperative optical coherence tomography findings during surgery for optic disc pit-associated maculopathy

Dear Editor,We report our experience using a continuous intraoperative optical coherence tomography(OCT)-enabled microscope system for real-time anatomical evaluation of the optic pit during surgery in an 8-year-old girl who presented with symptomatic optic disc pit(ODP) maculopathy. ODP is an extremely rare congenital anomaly secondary to colobomatous malformation of the optic nerve head, with a reported incidence of 0.00009%[1]. Although patients are frequently asymptomatic, approximately 40%-50% of patients experience visual symptoms because of subretinal fluid(SRF) accumulation beneath the macula.

ABA Signaling in Guard Cells Entails a Dynamic Protein-Protein Interaction Relay from the PYL-RCAR Family Receptors to Ion Channels

Plant hormone abscisic acid （ABA） serves as an integrator of environmental stresses such as drought to trig-ger stomatal closure by regulating specific ion channels in guard cells. We previously reported that SLAC1, an outward anion channel required for stomatal closure, was regulated via reversible protein phosphorylation events involving ABA signaling components, including protein phosphatase 2C members and a SnRK2-type kinase （OST1）. In this study, we reconstituted the ABA signaling pathway as a protein-protein interaction relay from the PYL/RCAR-type receptors, to the PP2C-SnRK2 phosphatase-kinase pairs, to the ion channel SLAC1. The ABA receptors interacted with and inhibited PP2C phosphatase activity against the SnRK2-type kinase, releasing active SnRK2 kinase to phosphorylate, and activate the SLAC1 channel, leading to reduced guard cell turgor and stomatal closure. Both yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays were used to verify the interactions among the components in the pathway. These biochemical assays demonstrated activity modifications of phosphatases and kinases by their interaction partners. The SLAC1 channel activity was used as an endpoint readout for the strength of the signaling pathway, depending on the presence of different combinations of signaling components. Further study using transgenic plants overexpressing one of the ABA receptors demonstrated that changing the relative level of interacting partners would change ABA sensitivity.

The Law of Iterated Logarithm of Rescaled Range Statistics for AR(1) Model

Let {Xn,n ≥ 0} be an AR（1） process. Let Q（n） be the rescaled range statistic, or the R/S statistic for {Xn} which is given by （max1≤k≤n（∑j=1^k（Xj - ^-Xn）） - min 1≤k≤n（∑j=1^k（ Xj - ^Xn ））） /（n ^-1∑j=1^n（Xj -^-Xn）^2）^1/2 where ^-Xn = n^-1 ∑j=1^nXj. In this paper we show a law of iterated logarithm for rescaled range statistics Q（n） for AR（1） model.