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Purpose: To analyze quantitative OCT-angiography (OCTA) measurements of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease at different disease stages. Methods: OCTA scans of 110 VKH patients in acute uveitic, convalescent and chronic recurrent stage were reviewed; posterior uveitis recurrent cases were excluded. Superficial and deep capillary plexus (SCP and DCP) vascular densities (VD) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) were compared. Results: DCP VD was significantly lower and SFCT higher in VKH than normal controls (NC) in all 3 stages (all p <.001). Anterior uveitis recurrent patients had lower SCP and DCP VDs and thicker SFCT than convalescent patients (p =.001, p <.001, and p =.003, respectively). DCP VD was significantly correlated with visual acuity (p <.05). Patients with history of anterior recurrence had lower retinal VDs in the convalescent stage than those without (p <.001). Conclusion: Retinal microcirculation is impaired in VKH. DCP VD might be a sensitive indicator of inflammatory status and appeared to be well associated with visual outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteins recognize partner proteins and take function through short-range interaction at a small interface area. Therefore, protein and its partner form a series of encounter complex ensembles on the pathway to simplify conformational searching and facilitate protein-protein association. The encounter complex is hard to detect by traditional structural-biology methods due to its short life and low population. This paper chose histidine phosphate carrier protein (HPr) and enzyme II (EIIAGlc) complex as the research target, combining paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) with molecular dynamics simulation to characterize the encounter complex structure and dynamics. We found that the HPr first formed encounter complexes with EIIAGlc in three directions, and then compelled the formation of the specific complex. The methods utilized in this paper can visualize the encounter complex ensembles, and help understand the mechanism of bio-molecule interaction and protein function pathway in cell.

The mass incident is an evolutionary game process involving multiple subjects. In this process, each subject has strategy space and payoff matrix in the state space. The subject can get different payoffs according to the feedback information from the environment and decide after comparing different payoffs. The entire process is called the evolutionary game of mass events. This paper will do the following research work: (1) analyzing the general process of mass incidents from the perspective of an evolutionary game; (2) constructing the evolutionary game model of mass incidents based on Q-learning; and (3) validating the model by using certain mass incidents.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of high-energy selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) for steroid-induced glaucoma in patients with quiescent uveitis.Methods: A retrospective study of steroid-induced glaucoma in quiescent uveitic patients who underwent SLT at our center from December 2014 to November 2017 and had been followed up for at least 1 year. Intraocular pressure (IOP) and IOP-lowering medications were recorded at baseline, and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after SLT. Treatment success was defined as IOP ≤18 mmHg and a ≥ 20% reduction in IOP without additional glaucoma surgery.Results: Twenty eyes from 19 patients were included. At the 12-month visit, mean IOP and mean number of IOP-lowering medications were significantly reduced as compared to baseline with an overall success rate of 65.0%.Conclusions: High-energy SLT appeared to be an effective and safe procedure for steroid-induced glaucoma with quiescent uveitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Velocity sensitivity refers to the possibility and degree of reservoir permeability decline caused by the migration of various particles in the reservoir rock due to the increase in fluid flow velocity and the blockage of pore channels. To improve the development results of M reservoir in Karamay Oil field, two reservoir cores were selected to carry out velocity sensitivity experiments. The permeability of No. 1 core decreases obviously when the flow rate is greater than 0.04 mL/min. Therefore, it can be considered that the injection rate of velocity sensitivity is between 0.04 and 0.06 mL/min, and the displacement rate should be less than 0.04 mL/min in the core displacement experiment. When the flow rate is greater than 0.5 mL/min, the permeability of No. 2 core decreases significantly. This is mainly due to the high permeability and critical velocity of No. 2 core. The study can provide a basis for the selection of displacement velocity in core displacement experiments, and also provide a reference for the determination of reasonable injection-production velocity in actual production.

In the paper, our main aim is to generalize the qth dual volume to Lp space, and introduce pqth-dual mixed volume by calculating the first order variation of qth dual volumes. We establish the Lpq-Minkowski inequality for pqth-dual mixed volumes and Lpq-Brunn-Minkowski inequality for the qth-dual volumes, respectively. The new inequalities in special case yield some new dual inequalities for the qth-dual volumes.

Nested spectral partition (NSP) method, fMRI data, machine learning and gene otology analysis show that positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia have opposite effects on the functional organization of resting-state brains.

Purpose: To assess the characteristics of parafoveal microvascular abnormalities in Behcet's uveitis (BDU) using projection-resolved optical coherence tomographic angiography (PR-OCTA).Methods: A retrospective study of BDU patients who underwent PR-OCTA examination between April 1, 2017 and October 31, 2018.Results: Sixty consecutive BDU patients (102 eyes) were included. Sixty-two (124 eyes) healthy subjects served as normal controls (NCs). As compared with NCs, the vessel densities (VDs) of superficial and deep retinal capillary plexuses were decreased, and the fovea avascular zone area, perimeter and acircularity index were increased in BDU eyes (all p < .001). Macular edema (p < .001) and long uveitis course (p = .033) were identified as risk factors for capillary disruptions. Consistent VD reductions were observed in the quiescent fellow eyes of BDU patients during unilateral uveitis relapse.Conclusions: BDU patients had significant OCTA changes. Macular circulatory disturbances may exist in the quiescent fellow eyes during unilateral BDU attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the plasma metabolism of young ICR mice after exposure to nano-TiO2 at different doses were measured to investigate the mechanism of its toxic side-effects and to identify its toxicity-related biological targets. Mice were assigned randomly to control group and nano-TiO2 (10, 30, 100, or 300 mg⋅kg-1 ) exposure groups. Plasma data were analyzed using metabonomics technology to identify potential biomarkers. Topology of biomarkers was determined using the KEGG database. Contents of cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid and taurocholic acid in plasma were measured by targeted quantitative methods to find the biomarkers corresponding to the toxic effects of TiO2. Forty-nine metabolites were screened from plasma. The toxicity of nano-TiO2 resulted mainly from an abnormality of phospholipids and bile-acid compounds. The toxicity of nano-TiO2 in mice after 28 d exposure may be related to the abnormal metabolism of phospholipids and bile-acid compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a phloem‐feeding insect and causes extensive agricultural damage around the world. Although the parasitic wasp Encarsia formosa is widely used to control B. tabaci on glasshouse tomatoes, low efficiency and discontinuity are frequently recorded. It has been well‐documented that herbivore‐induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are important cues in the foraging behavior of the natural enemies of herbivores. However, the volatiles emitted from tomatoes infested by different developmental stages of B. tabaci (nymphs versus adults) have not been compared in terms of their effects on E. formosa attraction. RESULTS: Olfactometer assays with four tomato cultivars revealed that the E. formosa wasps showed a significant attraction to the volatiles from adult‐infested plants (except for cv. Castlemart), but not to those from nymph‐infested plants. In a close‐range habitat, however, the wasps appeared to use visual or tactile cues derived from nymphs for host location. Volatile analyses and behavioral assays showed that wasp attraction was correlated with enhanced β‐myrcene and β‐caryophyllene emissions from adult‐infested plants. Furthermore, the use of B. tabaci adult‐induced plant cues under glasshouse conditions resulted in a higher parasitism rate by this parasitoid. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm that E. formosa uses the HIPVs resulting from feeding of B. tabaci adults to locate host habitat. Release of β‐myrcene and β‐caryophyllene from dispensers may enhance the efficacy of E. formosa as a biological control agent against B. tabaci in glasshouse production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies concerning the circulating interleukin-17 (IL-17) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were contradictory. To further precisely investigate circulating IL-17 in SLE and evaluate its influential factors by meta-analysis. EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched to obtain studies on circulating IL-17 in SLE patients by November 22, 2018. The results were illustrated by pooled standard mean difference (SMD) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) using random-effects model as there was significant heterogeneity, which was estimated using Cochran Q and I2 statistics. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. Overall, 1872 articles were reviewed and 20 studies involving 1067 subjects with SLE and 721 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the final analysis according to inclusion criteria. Compared with HCs, circulating IL-17 levels in SLE patients were elevated (SMD: 1.183, 95% CI: 0.763–1.603; P <.001). Moreover, in comparison to HCs, European and Asian SLE patients, age <30 years, disease duration ≥5 years, NOS scores <7 and using ELISA showed increased circulating IL-17 status, whereas no significant change was observed in other subgroups. There was no significant publication bias. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the results of our meta-analysis were robust. SLE patients have higher circulating IL-17 levels, which is influenced by ethnic, age and disease duration, literature quality and measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although patients with psoriasis frequently report seasonal changes in their symptoms, the seasonality of psoriasis has rarely been explored. This study aims to investigate the seasonal pattern of and global public interest in psoriasis using Google search data.Methods: Internet search data were collected from Google Trends. Data on the relative search volume (RSV) from January 2004 to December 2018 were retrieved using the term psoriasis. Cosinor analyses were conducted to examine the seasonality of psoriasis using data from two southern hemisphere countries (Australia and New Zealand) and four northern hemisphere countries (USA, Canada, UK and Ireland).Results: Overall, searches for psoriasis steadily decreased between 2004 and 2010, and then rose from 2011 to 2018. On cosinor analyses, RSV of 'psoriasis' displayed a significant seasonal variation worldwide (p<0.025). Further analyses confirmed the seasonality of psoriasis-related RSV in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK and Ireland (p<0.025 for all), with peaks in the late winter/early spring months and troughs in the late summer/early autumn months. The top 11 rising topics were calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate, ustekinumab, apremilast, shampoo, eczema, guttate psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, dermatitis, psoriatic arthritis, atopic dermatitis and arthritis.Conclusion: There was a significant seasonal pattern for psoriasis, with peaks in the late winter/early spring and troughs in the late summer/early autumn. Further studies are warranted to confirm the seasonal pattern of psoriasis using clinical data and to explore the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of data suggests that semaphorins are involved in both normal and pathological immune responses, as well as autoimmune pathologies. To investigate the plasma semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) and semaphorin 7A (Sema7A) levels in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and their correlation with clinical manifestations and laboratory indexes, a two-step method was applied. First, 80 SLE patients and 80 healthy controls were recruited for comparing serum Sema3A and Sema7A concentrations. Second, 40 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and 40 sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients were then included as disease controls. Plasma Sema3A and Sema7A concentrations were detected by ELISA. There were significant differences in Sema3A and Sema7A among four groups. When compared to healthy controls, both Sema3A and Sema7A levels were decreased in SLE and increased in RA; increased Sema3A level and decreased Sema7A level were found in SS. There were significant differences in Sema3A concentration between SLE and RA, SLE and SS. Moreover, there were significant differences in Sema7A level between SLE and RA, SS and RA. However, no significant differences in Sema3A between SS and RA and no significant differences in Sema7A between SS and SLE were observed. Both plasma Sema3A and Sema7A levels were correlated with anti-SSA and IgM. Area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for Sema3A and Sema7A were 0.535 (0.455–0.613) and 0.671 (0.594–0.742), respectively. Aberrant Sema3A and Sema7A expression and their clinical associations in SLE suggest their important role in this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]