Factors related to central nervous system involvement of primary vitreoretinal lymphoma.

PURPOSE: This single center retrospective study aimed to investigate the factors associated with central nervous system (CNS) involvement of primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL). METHODS: Clinical features of patients with PVRL (Group 1), those diagnosed with vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) after primary CNS lymphoma diagnosis (Group 2), and those concurrently diagnosed with CNS lymphoma and VRL (Group 3), were compared. The main outcomes included sex, age, types of treatment, survival, visual acuity, diagnostic methods, VRL recurrence, ocular manifestations, and interleukin levels in the aqueous humor. RESULTS: Groups 1, 2, and 3 included 66 eyes in 38 patients, 29 eyes in 18 patients, and 14 eyes in 8 patients, respectively. Group 3 had shorter overall survival (OS) than Groups 1 and 2 (P = 0.042 and P = 0.009, respectively). The three groups did not differ in progression-free survival (P = 0.060). The 5-year survival rates of Groups 1, 2, and 3 were 56.5%, 44.0%, and 25.0%, respectively (P = 0.001). Patients with CNS involvement in Group 1 exhibited VRL recurrence (P < 0.001), high interleukin-10 (P = 0.024), and sub-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) infiltration (P = 0.009). Patients experiencing VRL recurrence in Group 1 tended to show CNS involvement (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients concurrently diagnosed with CNS lymphoma and VRL had a shorter OS and a lower 5-year survival rate. In patients with PVRL, the recurrence of VRL, high interleukin-10, and sub-RPE infiltration were associated with CNS involvement.

Analysis of retinal and choroidal microvascular changes using optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with acute leukemia.

PURPOSE: Although leukemic retinopathy accounts for 80% of ocular complications in acute leukemia, its pathogenesis remains unclear. To evaluate changes in retinal and choroicapillaris and structural parameters in patients with acute leukemia, we analyzed the correlation between vascular perfusion metrics and laboratory parameters and assessed the changes after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS: Herein, 104 eyes of 52 patients aged 18 and above with acute leukemia were enrolled. 80 eyes of 40 healthy patients were recruited as control participants. All participants underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) at baseline. RESULTS: Patients with acute leukemia had a significantly thicker ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and lower circularity index than the control participants. Post-HSCT perfusion metrics did not differ significantly, but parafoveal thickness decreased significantly. During the active phase of acute leukemia, lower platelet levels were associated with significant GCIPL thickening and increased foveal avascular zone and perimeter. D-dimer levels positively correlated with GCIPL thickness. CONCLUSION: Patients with acute leukemia had subclinical retinal microvascular deficits on OCTA and GCIPL thickening on OCT, possibly associated with bone marrow function. GCIPL thickness may indicate acute ischemia in such patients. Further studies must elucidate their clinical and prognostic significance.

Molecular Markers for Marker-Assisted Breeding for Biotic and Abiotic Stress in Melon (Cucumis melo L.): A Review.

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a globally grown crop renowned for its juice and flavor. Despite growth in production, the melon industry faces several challenges owing to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses throughout the growth and development of melon. The aim of the review article is to consolidate current knowledge on the genetic mechanism of both biotic and abiotic stress in melon, facilitating the development of robust, disease-resistant melon varieties. A comprehensive literature review was performed, focusing on recent genetic and molecular advancements related to biotic and abiotic stress responses in melons. The review emphasizes the identification and analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), functional genes, and molecular markers in two sections. The initial section provides a comprehensive summary of the QTLs and major and minor functional genes, and the establishment of molecular markers associated with biotic (viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens, and nematodes) and abiotic stress (cold/chilling, drought, salt, and toxic compounds). The latter section briefly outlines the molecular markers employed to facilitate marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC) and identify cultivars resistant to biotic and abiotic stressors, emphasizing their relevance in strategic marker-assisted melon breeding. These insights could guide the incorporation of specific traits, culminating in developing novel varieties, equipped to withstand diseases and environmental stresses by targeted breeding, that meet both consumer preferences and the needs of melon breeders.

Visualization with Prediction Scheme for Early DDoS Detection in Ethereum.

Blockchain technologies have gained widespread use in security-sensitive applications due to their robust data protection. However, as blockchains are increasingly integrated into critical data management systems, they have become attractive targets for attackers. Among the various attacks on blockchain systems, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are one of the most significant and potentially devastating. These attacks render the systems incapable of processing transactions, causing the blockchain to come to a halt. To address the challenge of detecting DDoS attacks on blockchains, existing visualization schemes have been developed. However, these schemes often fail to provide early DDoS detection since they typically display only past and current system status. In this paper, we present a novel visualization scheme that not only portrays past and current values but also forecasts future expected system statuses. We achieve these future predictions by utilizing polynomial regression with blockchain data. Additionally, we offer an alternative DDoS detection method employing statistical analysis, specifically the coefficient of determination, to enhance accuracy. Through our experiments, we demonstrate that our proposed scheme excels at predicting future blockchain statuses and anticipating DDoS attacks with minimal error. Our work empowers system managers of blockchain-based applications to identify and mitigate DDoS attacks at an earlier stage.

Molecular Marker-Assisted Mapping, Candidate Gene Identification, and Breeding in Melon (Cucumis melo L.): A Review.

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is an important crop that is cultivated worldwide for its fleshy fruit. Understanding the genetic basis of a plant's qualitative and quantitative traits is essential for developing consumer-favored varieties. This review presents genetic and molecular advances related to qualitative and quantitative phenotypic traits and biochemical compounds in melons. This information guides trait incorporation and the production of novel varieties with desirable horticultural and economic characteristics and yield performance. This review summarizes the quantitative trait loci, candidate genes, and development of molecular markers related to plant architecture, branching patterns, floral attributes (sex expression and male sterility), fruit attributes (shape, rind and flesh color, yield, biochemical compounds, sugar content, and netting), and seed attributes (seed coat color and size). The findings discussed in this review will enhance demand-driven breeding to produce cultivars that benefit consumers and melon breeders.

Development of a Gene-Based Marker Set for Orange-Colored Watermelon Flesh with a High ß-Carotene Content.

The fruit flesh of watermelons differs depending on the distinct carotenoid composition. Orange-colored flesh relates to the accumulation of ß-carotene, which is beneficial to human health. Canary-yellow-fleshed OTO-DAH and orange-ß-fleshed (orange-fleshed with high ß-carotene) NB-DAH near-isogenic lines (NILs) were used to determine the genetic mechanism attributed to orange watermelon flesh. For genetic mapping, an F2 population was developed by crossing the two NILs. The segregation ratio of flesh color in the F2 population indicated that the orange-ß flesh of the NB-DAH NIL was controlled by a single incompletely dominant gene. Through a comparative analysis of the whole-genome sequences of the parent lines and NILs, a major introgression region unique to the NB-DAH NIL was detected on Chr. 1; this was considered a candidate region for harboring genes that distinguish orange from canary-yellow and red flesh. Among the 13 genes involved in the carotenoid metabolic pathway in watermelons, only ClPSY1 (ClCG01G008470), which encodes phytoene synthase 1, was located within the introgression region. The genotyping of F2 plants using a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence marker developed from a non-synonymous SNP in ClPSY1 revealed its relationship with orange-ß flesh. The insights gained in this study can be applied to marker-assisted breeding for this desirable trait.

Quantitative analysis of choroidal blood flow parameters in optical coherence tomography and angiography in central serous chorioretinopathy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the choriocapillaris (CC) flow in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and determine the relationship between CC flow void with the choroidal thickness (CT) and choroidal vascularity index (CVI). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 20 patients with CSC (40 eyes, including unaffected fellow eyes) and 20 age- and sex-matched controls. After compensation with optical coherence tomography (OCT) en-face structural image, the CC flow void (%) was measured using the phansalkar threshold with a window radius of 3 and 15 pixels. The mean CC flow voids of acute CSC, recovered-acute CSC, unaffected fellow, and control eyes were compared by matched data analysis. A regression analysis was performed on the choroidal parameters (CT and CVI) and CC flow voids. RESULTS: The CC flow void had an increasing tendency in the following order: control, fellow, recovered-acute CSC, and acute CSC eyes. Acute/recovered comparison showed a significant P value (0.008) in the foveal lesion. Recovered/fellow and fellow/control presented significant P values regardless of location to fovea (all <0.05). There were significant positive correlations between CT and CC flow void (P < 0.05) in the acute CSC, recovered-acute CSC eyes. CONCLUSION: The CC flow on OCT angiography decreased in acute CSC eyes, especially in the foveal lesion, with a published compensation method. The findings suggest that unmodulated choroidal blood flow contributed to partially reversible diminished CC flow.

Germplasm Screening Using DNA Markers and Genome-Wide Association Study for the Identification of Powdery Mildew Resistance Loci in Tomato.

Powdery mildew (PM), caused by Oidium spp. in tomato, is a global concern that leads to diminished yield. We aimed to evaluate previously reported DNA markers linked to powdery mildew resistance (PMR) and identify novel quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for PMR through a genome-wide association study in tomato. Sequencing analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of a PM strain (PNU_PM) isolated from Miryang, Gyeongnam, led to its identification as Oidium neolycopersici. Thereafter, a PM bioassay was conducted for a total of 295 tomato accessions, among which 24 accessions (4 S. lycopersicum accessions and 20 accessions of seven wild species) showed high levels of resistance to PNU_PM. Subsequently, we genotyped 11 markers previously linked to PMR in 56 accessions. PMR-specific banding patterns were detected in 15/22 PMR accessions, while no such bands were observed in the powdery mildew-susceptible accessions. The genome-wide association study was performed using TASSEL and GAPIT, based on the phenotypic data of 290 accessions and 11,912 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained from the Axiom® Tomato SNP Chip Array. Nine significant SNPs in chromosomes 1, 4, 6, 8, and 12, were selected and five novel QTL regions distinct from previously known PMR-QTL regions were identified. Of these QTL regions, three putative candidate genes for PMR were selected from chromosomes 4 and 8, including two nucleotide binding site-leucine rich repeat class genes and a receptor-like kinase gene, all of which have been identified previously as causative genes for PMR in several crop species. The SNPs discovered in these genes provide useful information for understanding the molecular basis of PMR and developing DNA markers for marker-assisted selection of PMR in tomato.

C-reactive protein/albumin ratio as an indicator of disease activity in Behçet's disease and human leukocyte antigen-B27-associated uveitis.

PURPOSE: To explore the role of systemic inflammatory markers as indicators of acute exacerbation of chronic diseases and disease activity in uveitis. METHODS: This study included 50 patients with Behçet's disease (BD)-associated uveitis and 52 patients with human leukocyte antigen-B27 (HLA-B27)-associated uveitis. Laboratory tests were conducted to measure complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), CRP/albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) during the uveitis phase and after resolution. The results measured during the two phases were assessed and compared. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 41.4 ± 10.8 years; 68.6% of the patients were male. In both groups, ESR, CRP, and CAR were significantly higher during the uveitic phase (P < .001). However, the white blood cell count, albumin, NLR, and PLR measured during the uveitic phase and after resolution did not vary significantly (P > .05). ESR and CAR were correlated with the severity of intraocular inflammation. The area under the curve (AUC) of CAR, which was used to predict the presence of uveitis, was 0.801 (95% CI, 0.741-0.861); this value is strong compared with those of other inflammatory biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: CAR is correlated with the severity of intraocular inflammation in BD- and HLA-B27-associated uveitis. Furthermore, CAR appears to be a useful marker of disease activity for uveitis and is the most sensitive marker for discriminating the presence of acute uveitis in patients who have chronic uveitis as a symptom of BD- and HLA-B27-associated diseases.

Angulation of the inner nuclear layer as an indicator of the severity of macular pseudohole.

PURPOSE: To investigate foveal morphologic parameters related to visual acuity and the stages classified in this study reflect the severity of the macular pseudohole (MPH). METHODS: Seventy-eight eyes of 78 consecutive patients diagnosed with MPH were studied. Quantitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters including central foveal thickness, parafoveal thickness, parafoveal inner and outer retinal thickness (PIRT and PORT), pseudohole depth, pseudohole diameter, and inner nuclear layer (INL) angulation were measured and the morphologic features of the inner retina (disorganization of retinal inner layers (DRIL)) and the photoreceptor layer (external limiting membrane (ELM), ellipsoid zone (EZ), interdigitation zone (IZ), and cotton ball sign) were determined. Associations between OCT parameters and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were analyzed. Based on the location of the inner margin of INL, all patients were divided into three stages and the mean comparison between the three stages was analyzed. RESULTS: PIRT (r = 0.6489; p < 0.0001) and pseudohole depth (r = 0.5266; p < 0.0001) had a statistically significant correlation with BCVA. Statistically significant visual acuity differences were found in eyes with DRIL (p < 0.001) and IZ disruption (p = 0.018), but not in ELM disruption (p = 0.916), EZ disruption (p = 0.581), and cotton ball sign (p = 0.075). According to the univariate and multivariate regression analyses, PIRT was associated with BCVA in both univariate (p < 0.001) and multivariate (p = 0.002) regression analyses. Defect diameters of both ELM (p = 0.025) and IZ (p = 0.006) were associated with BCVA in univariate regression analysis, but not in multivariate regression analysis. INL angulation and the ratio of the IZ disruption was significantly different in the three groups. Stage 3 (95.8%) had significantly higher disrupted IZ ratio than stage 1 (40%) and stage 2 (65.5%). The BCVA of stages 1, 2, and 3 were identified as 0.06 ± 0.07 (20/23 Snellen equivalent), 0.23 ± 0.17 (20/34 Snellen equivalent), and 0.48 ± 0.23 (20/60 Snellen equivalent), respectively, and the differences in BCVA between the three groups were significant (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The parameters related to visual acuity were PIRT, pseudohole depth, DRIL, and IZ. The stage classification proposed in this study included morphologic changes of the inner retina and photoreceptor layer and is likely to be clinically useful for showing the severity of the MPH.

OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY BIOMARKERS FOR REDUCTION OF DRUSENOID PIGMENT EPITHELIUM DETACHMENT.

PURPOSE: To identify the optical coherence tomography biomarkers that can collectively predict the probability of collapse or reduction of drusenoid pigment epithelium detachment (PED). METHODS: This consecutive observational case series reviewed the clinical data of 24 eyes with non-neovascular drusenoid PED. Among the study population, 17 eyes showed collapse or reduction of drusenoid PED. The mean follow-up duration was 44.8 ± 24.6 months. Optical coherence tomography-derived parameters were analyzed at baseline, at the last available visit before reduction of PED, at the first available visit after reduction of PED, and at the final visit. RESULTS: The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness showed a significant decrease after PED reduction and at the most recent visit (P = 0.015). Migration of retinal pigment epithelium cells was detected in 15 (88.2%) after PED reduction; however, there was no significance in the frequency of migration of retinal pigment epithelium cells at each time point (P = 0.392). Non-neovascular subretinal fluid was detected in 7 (41.2%) before PED reduction, 2 (11.8%) after PED reduction, and 2 (11.8%) at the final visit. Interestingly, subretinal fluid appeared more frequently just before reduction of PED (P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: We found evidence of non-neovascular subretinal fluid and choroidal thinning before reduction in PED. This finding might be useful for detection and prediction of the progression of drusenoid PED.

Characteristics of retinal detachment associated with atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: To examine the characteristics of rhegmatous retinal detachment (RRD) associated with atopic dermatitis. METHOD: Medical records of 2257 patients who underwent RD surgery at this clinic between 2008 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 61 patients who were diagnosed as AD were assigned into the experimental group and 100 patients who did not have AD were randomly selected and assigned into the control group. Demographics, characteristics of detachment, initial operative method, and prognosis after surgery were investigated as main outcomes. Additionally, in pseudophakic RD patients, the period between the cataract surgery and onset of RD was measured. RESULT: Postoperative VA and prognosis were significantly worse and bilateral involvement of RD was more common in the atopy group than in the control group. (P value = 0.005, 0.001 each) Characteristics of retinal breaks were different between the two groups. Additionally, the risk of developing RD within 1 year after cataract surgery was significantly higher in pseudophakic patients of the atopic group than in the control group. (P value = 0.013) However, there was no significant difference in mean preoperative VA or refractive index between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Our results show that in atopic patients, RD occurs at a young age with different characteristics compared to non-atopic patients. Atopic RD has a poor visual prognosis. Thus, it requires careful management. Furthermore, the risk of developing RD within 1 year after cataract surgery is higher in atopic patients. Therefore, it is important to perform regular and extensive check-up after cataract surgery for atopic patients.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Generation of Pathogen-Resistant Tomato against Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus and Powdery Mildew.

Tomato is one of the major vegetable crops consumed worldwide. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and fungal Oidium sp. are devastating pathogens causing yellow leaf curl disease and powdery mildew. Such viral and fungal pathogens reduce tomato crop yields and cause substantial economic losses every year. Several commercial tomato varieties include Ty-5 (SlPelo) and Mildew resistance locus o 1 (SlMlo1) locus that carries the susceptibility (S-gene) factors for TYLCV and powdery mildew, respectively. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) is a valuable genome editing tool to develop disease-resistant crop varieties. In this regard, targeting susceptibility factors encoded by the host plant genome instead of the viral genome is a promising approach to achieve pathogen resistance without the need for stable inheritance of CRISPR components. In this study, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was employed to target the SlPelo and SlMlo1 for trait introgression in elite tomato cultivar BN-86 to confer host-mediated immunity against pathogens. SlPelo-knockout lines were successfully generated, carrying the biallelic indel mutations. The pathogen resistance assays in SlPelo mutant lines confirmed the suppressed accumulation of TYLCV and restricted the spread to non-inoculated plant parts. Generated knockout lines for the SlMlo1 showed complete resistance to powdery mildew fungus. Overall, our results demonstrate the efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to introduce targeted mutagenesis for the rapid development of pathogen-resistant varieties in tomato.

Analysis of choroidal thickness and vascularity in patients with unilateral polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the choroidal characteristics in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV, affected eyes) and unaffected fellow eyes, and investigated the longitudinal changes in the choroidal structure of fellow eyes in patients with unilateral PCV. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 55 treatment-naïve patients with unilateral PCV. The choroidal thickness and vascularity between PCV affected eyes, unaffected fellow eyes, and normal control eyes were compared. Structural changes in the choroid of the fellow eyes were reviewed during follow-up. RESULTS: PCV eyes had thicker subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) (p < 0.001), greater ratio of Haller layer to SFCT (p < 0.001), and lower choroidal vascularity index (p = 0.023), compared to controls. In unaffected fellow eyes, the ratio of the Haller layer to SFCT was greater (p < 0.001) than in controls. During a 58.91-month mean follow-up, nine (16%) fellow eyes developed new PCV. These eyes showed a greater ratio of Haller layer to SFCT at baseline (p < 0.001) compared to the other fellow eyes. We also observed a numerical change in the choroidal vascularity index during follow-up of fellow eyes that developed new PCV. CONCLUSION: The dilation of the Haller layer was prominent in PCV eyes and fellow eyes, compared to normal controls. In the fellow eyes that developed new PCV lesions, there were changes in the choroidal vascularity during follow-up.

VISUAL PROGNOSIS AFTER PNEUMATIC DISPLACEMENT OF SUBMACULAR HEMORRHAGE ACCORDING TO AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION SUBTYPES.

PURPOSE: This study compared the visual outcome after pneumatic displacement of submacular hemorrhage among patients with different subtypes of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 67 patients (67 eyes) who underwent treatment for submacular hemorrhage associated with AMD. All the patients underwent pneumatic displacement. Demographic parameters, visual acuity, and anatomical features were analyzed among AMD subtypes: typical AMD, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP). RESULTS: Among the eyes with submacular hemorrhage, 24, 30, and 13 eyes had typical AMD, PCV, and RAP, respectively. Post-treatment best-corrected visual acuity was best in the PCV group and worst in the RAP group (P < 0.001). The proportion of eyes with improved visual acuity was highest in the PCV subtype and lowest in the RAP subtype (P = 0.044). Logistic regression analysis showed that AMD subtype (P = 0.016) and time to treatment (<7 days) (P = 0.037) are associated with the final visual outcome. CONCLUSION: The final post-treatment visual outcome after the incidence of submacular hemorrhage was best in the PCV group and worst in the RAP group. Age-related macular degeneration subtype is a significant factor associated with the visual prognosis of submacular hemorrhage.

USE OF CHOROIDAL VASCULARITY INDEX FOR CHOROIDAL STRUCTURAL EVALUATION IN CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY WITH CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION.

PURPOSE: To evaluate choroidal vascular structure in eyes with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) by assessing the choroidal vascular index (CVI). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 117 eyes with CSC. Subjects were divided into 4 groups according to clinical characteristics: 1) acute CSC (N = 29), 2) non-neovascularized chronic CSC without flat irregular pigment epithelial detachment (N = 49), 3) non-neovascularized chronic CSC with flat irregular pigment epithelial detachment (N = 21), and 4) chronic CSC with choroidal neovascularization (N = 18). Subfoveal choroidal area (1,500 mm) of swept source optical coherence tomography scans were divided into luminal and stromal areas by the image binarization technique. The CVI was defined as the ratio of the luminal to the total subfoveal choroidal area. RESULTS: The CVI was significantly lower in eyes of Group 4 than those of other groups (all P < 0.05). The subfoveal choroidal thickness was significantly lower in Group 4 than in Groups 1 and 2 (P < 0.05), but regression analysis showed no association with the CVI. CONCLUSION: Decreased CVI may reflect choroidal vascular structure changes in eyes with choroidal neovascularization complicating CSC. These findings suggest that the CVI could be useful for evaluating choroidal vascular changes in eyes with CSC.

Comparing effects of photodynamic therapy in central serous chorioretinopathy: full-dose versus half-dose versus half-dose-half-fluence.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of full-dose, half-dose, and half-dose-half-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients with CSC who received full-dose (verteporfin 6 mg/m2), half-dose (verteporfin 3 mg/m2), and half-dose-half-fluence (verteporfin 3 mg/m2 and light energy reduced to 25 J/cm2) PDT. We measured visual acuity, subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), subretinal fluid (SRF) thickness, and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) before and 3 months after PDT. RESULTS: Forty-three eyes (42 patients) were analyzed. Full-dose and half-dose groups showed improved vision (P = 0.023, 0.004, respectively), but half-dose-half-power group was not significantly improved (P = 0.254). SFCT in all three groups were significantly decreased (P = 0.005, 0.004, 0.002, respectively). SRF thicknesses in full-dose and half-dose groups showed significant decreases (P = 0.005, < 0.001, respectively). Half-dose-half-fluence group demonstrated the decrease but it was not statistically significant (P = 0.084). CVI were decreased in full-dose and half-dose groups (all P = 0.005). However, in the half-dose-half-fluence group, CVI was increased (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Full-dose and half-dose PDT were both effective in CSC treatment. Half-dose PDT can be considered to reduce complications. The effect of half-dose-half-fluence PDT was less clear than the other two protocols.

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita produces a functional mimic of the Arabidopsis INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION signaling peptide.

INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) is a signaling peptide that regulates cell separation in Arabidopsis including floral organ abscission and lateral root emergence. IDA is highly conserved in dicotyledonous flowering plant genomes. IDA-like sequences were also found in the genomic sequences of root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp., which are globally deleterious pathogens of agriculturally important plants, but the role of these genes is unknown. Exogenous treatment of the Arabidopsis ida mutant with synthetic peptide identical to the M. incognita IDA-like 1 (MiIDL1) protein sequence minus its N-terminal signal peptide recovered both the abscission and root architecture defects. Constitutive expression of the full-length MiIDL1 open reading frame in the ida mutant substantially recovered the delayed floral organ abscission phenotype whereas transformants expressing a construct missing the MiIDL1 signal peptide retained the delayed abscission phenotype. Importantly, wild-type Arabidopsis plants harboring an MiIDL1-RNAi construct and infected with nematodes had approximately 40% fewer galls per root than control plants. Thus, the MiIDL1 gene produces a functional IDA mimic that appears to play a role in successful gall development on Arabidopsis roots.

Development of DNA markers for Slmlo1.1, a new mutant allele of the powdery mildew resistance gene SlMlo1 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

Reductions in growth and quality due to powdery mildew (PM) disease cause significant economic losses in tomato production. Oidium neolycopersici was identified as the fungal species responsible for tomato PM disease in South Korea in the present study, based on morphological and internal transcribed spacer DNA sequence analyses of PM samples collected from two remote regions (Muju and Miryang). The genes involved in resistance to this pathogen in the tomato accession 'KNU-12' (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) were evaluated, and the inheritance of PM resistance in 'KNU-12' was found to be conferred via simple Mendelian inheritance of a mutant allele of the PM susceptibility locus Ol-2 (SlMlo1). Full-length cDNA analysis of this newly identified mutant allele (Slmlo1.1) showed that a 1-bp deletion in its coding region led to a frameshift mutation possibly resulting in SlMlo1 loss-of-function. An alternatively spliced transcript of Slmlo1.1 was observed in the cDNA sequences of 'KNU-12', but its direct influence on PM resistance is unclear. A derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) and a high-resolution melting (HRM) marker were developed based on the 1-bp deletion in Slmlo1.1, and could be used for efficient marker-assisted selection (MAS) using 'KNU-12' as the source for durable and broad-spectrum resistance to PM.

Potential predictors for frequent relapse in human leukocyte antigen-B27-associated uveitis.

PURPOSE: To identify potential predictors for frequent relapse in a cohort of patients with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27-associated uveitis in a tertiary referral center at the initial visit. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study comprised 130 patients diagnosed with HLA-B27-associated uveitis. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the frequency of uveitis attacks (number/year): frequent relapse (FR) (who relapsed more than twice a year, 38) and infrequent relapse (IR) group (who relapsed twice or less than twice a year, 92). RESULTS: The FR group presented more often with hypopyon or posterior synechiae at the initial presentation. Interestingly, posterior segment involvements including vitritis, vasculitis, or cystoid macular edema were not significantly different between the groups. In terms of laboratory findings, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was higher in the FR group. Multivariate Cox hazards analysis showed male sex, the presence of hypopyon, and ESR to be potential predictive factors for frequent relapse. CONCLUSION: We found that male sex, hypopyon at presentation, and high ESR are potential predictors for frequent relapse in HLA-B27-associated uveitis. Identifying patients at higher risk of relapse could provide important information for patients, allowing patients to understand their condition and increase their acceptance of strict management.