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The Scrophulariaceae are one of the most diverse paklnt families and has been shown to be polyphyletic. Several Scrophulariaceae which belong to the genera Craterostigma, Lindernia and its allies are poikilohydric and are therefore of particular interest. Craterostigma plantagineum has been used extensively to identify molecular mechanisms, which are involved in the acquisition of desiccation tolerance. These studies revealed a large number of genes which are up-regulated in response to dehydration. The genes can approximately be divided into two groups. One group encodes proteins which are directly involved in protection of cellular structures. The other group of genes encodes genes which are involved in regulating the response to dehydration. C. plantagineum belongs to the Linderniae which comprises desiccation tolerant and non-desiccation tolerant plants. Using molecular markers a phylogenetic tree was constructed to determine the molecular relationships of the different plant species, It appears that desiccation tolerant plants cluster together and are thus closely related. Comparative studies of these plant species are undertaken to identify genes essential in the acquisition of desiccation tolerance.

Purpose: To estimate the vitreous cavity replacement volume after pars plana vitrectomy and analyze its correlation with axial length and refractive error., Methods: Observational cross-sectional study on 103 eyes undergoing vitrectomy. Fluid-air exchange was performed using a soft-tip cannula connected to a PVC tubing, the distal end of which opened into a 10-cc syringe without the plunger. The collected fluid was measured (and correction factors applied) to estimate the vitreous cavity volume., Results: The mean axial length of 103 eyes was 23.43 ± 1.54 mm. The mean vitreous cavity volume was 4.46 ± 0.83 mL (2.8-8.1 mL). There was a strong positive correlation between axial length and vitreous volume, which was stronger for pseudophakic and aphakic groups than for phakic groups., Conclusion: Accurate assessment of vitreous cavity volume can enable precise quantification of tamponade, intravitreal drugs, and intravitreal chemotherapeutic agents. This will allow better surgical outcomes, decreased toxicity, and increased cost-effectiveness due to lesser wastage., Objective: To estimate the vitreous cavity replacement volume after pars plana vitrectomy and analyze its correlation with axial length and refractive error., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.)

Intraocular tumors constitute a small subset of cases in ophthalmologic practice. Proper diagnosis of intraocular tumors is crucial because some pose threat to vision and life, while others may indicate underlying systemic disorders. Intraocular tumors comprise benign and malignant lesions affecting the retina, choroid, optic disc, iris, and ciliary body. Retinal tumors can be classified as vascular, neural, glial, and retinal pigment epithelial tumors. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a noninvasive imaging modality employed in diagnosis and management of retinal and choroidal vascular diseases, and has enhanced our knowledge in better understanding of the vascular physiology and pathology. Multiple case reports and small series evaluating the role of OCTA in retinal tumors are published in literature. OCTA helps in better understanding of the vascularity of intraocular tumors. In addition to this, OCTA has its role in clinical practice. It helps in identification of small retinal capillary hemangioblastoma (RCH), assessment of treatment response, and identification of tumor recurrence in RCH. It aids in identification of retinal astrocytic hamartoma missed on clinical examination and differentiating retinal astrocytic hamartoma and presumed solitary circumscribed retinal astrocytic proliferation. It helps in assessment of risk of tumor recurrence in retinoblastoma. It helps in differentiating tumors of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) origin from pigmented tumors of the choroid. It also helps in detection of choroidal neovascular membrane in combined hamartoma of the retina and RPE., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.)

Being sessile, plants encounter various biotic and abiotic threats in their life cycle. To minimize the damages caused by such threats, plants have acquired sophisticated response mechanisms. One major such response includes memorizing the encountered stimuli in the form of a metabolite, hormone, protein, or epigenetic marks. All of these individually as well as together, facilitate effective transcriptional and post-transcriptional responses upon encountering the stress episode for a second time during the life cycle and in some instances even in the future generations. This review attempts to highlight the recent advances in the area of plant memory. A detailed understanding of plant memory has the potential to offer solutions for developing climate-resilient crops for sustainable agriculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No conflict of interest declared., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recently, post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA mediated by N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) has been found to have profound effects on transcriptome regulation during plant responses to various abiotic stresses. However, whether this RNA modification can affect an oxidative stress response in plants has not been studied. To assess the role of m 6 A modifications during copper-induced oxidative stress responses, m 6 A-IP-seq was performed in Arabidopsis seedlings exposed to high levels of copper sulfate. This analysis revealed large-scale shifts in this modification on the transcripts most relevant for oxidative stress. This altered epitranscriptomic mark is known to influence transcript abundance and translation; therefore we scrutinized these possibilities. We found an increased abundance of copper-enriched m 6 A-containing transcripts. Similarly, we also found increased ribosome occupancy of copper-enriched m 6 A-containing transcripts, specifically those encoding proteins involved with stress responses relevant to oxidative stressors. Furthermore, the significance of the m 6 A epitranscriptome on plant oxidative stress tolerance was uncovered by assessing germination and seedling development of the mta (N 6 -methyladenosine RNA methyltransferase A mutant complemented with ABI3 : MTA ) mutant exposed to high copper treatment. These analyses suggested hypersensitivity of the mta mutant compared to the wild-type plants in response to copper-induced oxidative stress. Overall, our findings suggest an important role for m 6 A in the oxidative stress response of Arabidopsis.

CRISPR/Cas9 system is one of the most often utilized engineering tools for genome editing in many organisms including crop plants and presents great value in both basic and applied research. This is a preferred method because of its relative simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. The Cas9 nuclease guided by a short single guide RNA (gRNA) can generate double-strand DNA breaks (DSB) at the specific sites in chromosomal DNA. The DSB site is repaired by error-prone repair methods. During repair, some nucleotides are deleted or added at the target site. Here, we present a simplified protocol for generating mutants in gene of interest in rice using CRISPR/Cas9., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Recent advancements in detection and mapping methods have enabled researchers to uncover the biological importance of RNA chemical modifications, which play a vital role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Although numerous types of RNA modifications have been identified in higher eukaryotes, only a few have been extensively studied for their biological functions. Of these, N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) is the most prevalent and important mRNA modification that influences various aspects of RNA metabolism, including mRNA stability, degradation, splicing, alternative polyadenylation, export, and localization, as well as translation. Thus, they have implications for a variety of biological processes, including growth, development, and stress responses. The m 6 A deposition or removal on transcripts is dynamic and is altered in response to internal and external cues. Because this mark can alter gene expression under stress conditions, it is essential to identify the transcripts that can acquire or lose this epitranscriptomic mark upon exposure to stress conditions. Here we describe a step-by-step protocol for identifying stress-responsive transcriptome-wide m 6 A changes using RNA immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (MeRIP-seq)., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: The incidence of post vitrectomy endophthalmitis (PVE) is reported to be between 0.02 and 0.84%. Resterilization of single use instruments is a common practice amidst developing countries to make it more affordable to the patients by reducing the cost of the surgery and also reduce the environmental hazard. The aim of our study is to evaluate the incidence of PVE amidst existing sterilization practices of reused instruments in multiple vitreoretinal centres in India., Methodology: Centres with an endophthalmitis tracking system were invited to participate in a survey. Twenty-five centres were sent a questionnaire via email. The questionnaire included details about the institution, number of vitrectomies performed in a year, sterilization practices followed pre-operatively, intraoperatively and postoperatively, incidence of endophthalmitis and instrument reuse policies., Results: A total of 29 cases of endophthalmitis were reported out of the 47,612 vitrectomies performed across various centres. The mean incidence of endophthalmitis was 0.06%. There was no difference in the rates of endophthalmitis based on various pre-operative, intraoperative or postoperative prophylactic measures. Nearly 80% of the centres change most of the instruments after every case, while the rest reused. The mean number of times a cutter was being reused until discarded was 4.7. Nearly 76% followed a performance-based protocol, and the remaining 24% had a fixed protocol for the number of times an instrument can be reused before discarding it., Conclusion: PVE rates are not significantly different in India despite the multiuse of single use instruments. The purpose of this paper is not to suggest an alternate protocol but to creating one in the future with these results in mind, to rationalise the use of single use instruments, make VR surgery more affordable and also have a positive impact on the carbon footprint of consumables in surgery., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.)

Purpose: To describes one case of syphilitic necrotizing retinitis and one case of presumed syphilitic necrotizing retinitis with presence of subhyaloid hypopyon., Case Description: We report two cases of necrotizing retinitis, which were noted to have yellow boat-shaped lesions at the inferior edge of retinitis resembling subhyaloid hypopyon. The subhyaloid location was confirmed on optical coherence tomography in one case. Both the cases were positive for venereal disease research laboratory test (VDRL) and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA). But in one case, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the aqueous humor was positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and responded well to piperacillin. As piperacillin is effective against Pseudomonas and the efficacy of piperacillin in the management of syphilis is not studied, we may have to consider it as a case of presumed syphilitic retinitis., Discussion: Subhyaloid hypopyon is an uncommon presentation and is reported in two cases of syphilitic necrotizing retinitis in literature. Severe infection and necrosis confined to the inner retina leads to collection of white blood cells and necrotic material in the subhyaloid space and would settle down resulting in subhyaloid hypopyon. Two cases of subhyaloid hypopyon reported in literature and 2 cases reported in our article are syphilitic retinitis and is not reported in other entities., Conclusion: It is possible that subhyaloid hypopyon may serve as a diagnostic cue in syphilitic necrotizing retinitis.

High temperature impairs starch biosynthesis in developing rice grains and thereby increases chalkiness, affecting the grain quality. Genome encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) fine-tune target transcript abundances in a spatio-temporal specific manner, and this mode of gene regulation is critical for a myriad of developmental processes as well as stress responses. However, the role of miRNAs in maintaining rice grain quality/chalkiness during high daytime temperature (HDT) stress is relatively unknown. To uncover the role of miRNAs in this process, we used five contrasting rice genotypes (low chalky lines Cyp, Ben, and KB and high chalky lines LaGrue and NB) and compared the miRNA profiles in the R6 stage caryopsis samples from plants subjected to prolonged HDT (from the onset of fertilization through R6 stage of caryopsis development). Our small RNA analysis has identified approximately 744 miRNAs that can be grouped into 291 families. Of these, 186 miRNAs belonging to 103 families are differentially regulated under HDT. Only two miRNAs, Osa-miR444f and Osa-miR1866-5p, were upregulated in all genotypes, implying that the regulations greatly varied between the genotypes. Furthermore, not even a single miRNA was commonly up/down regulated specifically in the three tolerant genotypes. However, three miRNAs (Osa-miR1866-3p, Osa-miR5150-3p and canH-miR9774a,b-3p) were commonly upregulated and onemiRNA (Osa-miR393b-5p) was commonly downregulated specifically in the sensitive genotypes (LaGrue and NB). These observations suggest that few similarities exist within the low chalky or high chalky genotypes, possibly due to high genetic variation. Among the five genotypes used, Cypress and LaGrue are genetically closely related, but exhibit contrasting chalkiness under HDT, and thus, a comparison between them is most relevant. This comparison revealed a general tendency for Cypress to display miRNA regulations that could decrease chalkiness under HDT compared with LaGrue. This study suggests that miRNAs could play an important role in maintaining grain quality in HDT-stressed rice.

Background: A patient with a retained intraocular metallic foreign body post-trauma was taken up for vitrectomy and intraocular foreign body removal. Unfortunately, the intraocular magnet was not available at the moment on the table! How a little bit of creativity and innovative thought helped us tide over this crisis is the content of this video., Purpose: To demonstrate magnetization of a metallic surgical instrument for temporary use in the event of unavailability of the intraocular magnet for intraocular foreign body removal., Synopsis: A ferromagnetic substance can be magnetized temporarily using an existing magnet. We obtained a general-purpose magnet and wrapped it in sterile plastic, using which we magnetized normal intraocular forceps and a Micro Vitreo Retinal (MVR) blade by giving about 20-30 strokes over the magnet in a single direction. This aligned the magnetic domains in the metal in a parallel fashion. These Do It Yourself (DIY)- magnetic instruments were then effectively utilized to remove the metallic intraocular foreign body., Highlights: The video showcases effectively harnessing the available resources and tiding over the dearth of a necessary instrument, with the right use of an innovative idea and some creativity!., Video Link: https://youtu.be/QtRC-AK5FLU., Competing Interests: None

Point-of-care diagnosis has become the need of the hour and along with its guided interventions, ultrasound could be utilised bedside in a palliative care patient. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in palliative care medicine is fast emerging and has varied applications ranging from performing bedside diagnostic evaluation to the performance of interventional paracentesis, thoracocentesis and chronic pain interventions. Handheld ultrasound devices have transformed the application of POCUS and should revolutionise the future of home-based palliative care. Palliative care physicians should be enabled to carry out bedside ultrasounds at home care and hospice setting for achieving rapid symptom relief. The aim of POCUS in palliative care medicine should be adequate training of palliative care physicians, transforming the applicability of this technology to OPD as well as community driven to achieve home outreach. The goal is towards empowering technology by reaching out to the community rather than the terminally ill patient transported for the hospital admission. Palliative care physicians should receive mandatory training in POCUS to enable diagnostic proficiency and early triaging. The inclusion of ultrasound machine in an outpatient palliative care clinic brings about value addition in rapid diagnosis. Limiting POCUS application to certain selected sub-specialities such as emergency medicine, internal medicine and critical care medicine should be overcome. This would need acquiring higher training as well as improvised skill sets to perform bedside interventions. Ultrasonography competency among palliative care providers proposed as palliative medicine point-of-care ultrasound (PM-POCUS) could be achieved by imparting dedicated POCUS training within the core curriculum., Competing Interests: Dr. Raghavendra Ramanjulu is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal., (© 2023 Published by Scientific Scholar on behalf of Indian Journal of Palliative Care.)

Herein, visible light mediated organophoto redox catalysed simple and convenient method for the α-benzylation and α-oxygenation of tertiary amines is demonstrated. Synthesis of novel thiophenol based donor acceptor organophotoredox catalysts 4 a-4 d were investigated along with commercial catalyst 4-CzIPN (4 e). A diverse biologically active α-benzylated tetrahydroisoquinolines and natural products such as (±)-Norlaudanosine, (±)-laudanosine and (±)-xylopinine have been synthesized under the optimized conditions in yields ranging from from 62-91%. Exploitation of synthesized α-benzylated compound using present phtoredox catalyzed conditions gave rise to dehydyrogenative benzylic oxidation product under oxygen atmosphere which is known to display biologically and structurally important properties. Also, various N-protected tertiary amines were found to be suitable for the α-oxygenation reactions using catalyst 4 e and resulted in good yields (61-85%)., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Plants respond to low temperatures by altering the mRNA abundance of thousands of genes contributing to numerous physiological and metabolic processes that allow them to adapt. At the post-transcriptional level, these cold stress-responsive transcripts undergo alternative splicing, microRNA-mediated regulation and alternative polyadenylation, amongst others. Recently, m 6 A, m 5 C and other mRNA modifications that can affect the regulation and stability of RNA were discovered, thus revealing another layer of post-transcriptional regulation that plays an important role in modulating gene expression. The importance of m 6 A in plant growth and development has been appreciated, although its significance under stress conditions is still underexplored. To assess the role of m 6 A modifications during cold stress responses, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing was performed in Arabidopsis seedlings esposed to low temperature stress (4°C) for 24 h. This transcriptome-wide m 6 A analysis revealed large-scale shifts in this modification in response to low temperature stress. Because m 6 A is known to affect transcript stability/degradation and translation, we investigated these possibilities. Interestingly, we found that cold-enriched m 6 A-containing transcripts demonstrated the largest increases in transcript abundance coupled with increased ribosome occupancy under cold stress. The significance of the m 6 A epitranscriptome on plant cold tolerance was further assessed using the mta mutant in which the major m 6 A methyltransferase gene was mutated. Compared to the wild-type, along with the differences in CBFs and COR gene expression levels, the mta mutant exhibited hypersensitivity to cold treatment as determined by primary root growth, biomass, and reactive oxygen species accumulation. Furthermore, and most importantly, both non-acclimated and cold-acclimated mta mutant demonstrated hypersensitivity to freezing tolerance. Taken together, these findings suggest a critical role for the epitranscriptome in cold tolerance of Arabidopsis., (© 2022 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Accurate and comprehensive annotation of transcript sequences is essential for transcript quantification and differential gene and transcript expression analysis. Single-molecule long-read sequencing technologies provide improved integrity of transcript structures including alternative splicing, and transcription start and polyadenylation sites. However, accuracy is significantly affected by sequencing errors, mRNA degradation, or incomplete cDNA synthesis., Results: We present a new and comprehensive Arabidopsis thaliana Reference Transcript Dataset 3 (AtRTD3). AtRTD3 contains over 169,000 transcripts-twice that of the best current Arabidopsis transcriptome and including over 1500 novel genes. Seventy-eight percent of transcripts are from Iso-seq with accurately defined splice junctions and transcription start and end sites. We develop novel methods to determine splice junctions and transcription start and end sites accurately. Mismatch profiles around splice junctions provide a powerful feature to distinguish correct splice junctions and remove false splice junctions. Stratified approaches identify high-confidence transcription start and end sites and remove fragmentary transcripts due to degradation. AtRTD3 is a major improvement over existing transcriptomes as demonstrated by analysis of an Arabidopsis cold response RNA-seq time-series. AtRTD3 provides higher resolution of transcript expression profiling and identifies cold-induced differential transcription start and polyadenylation site usage., Conclusions: AtRTD3 is the most comprehensive Arabidopsis transcriptome currently. It improves the precision of differential gene and transcript expression, differential alternative splicing, and transcription start/end site usage analysis from RNA-seq data. The novel methods for identifying accurate splice junctions and transcription start/end sites are widely applicable and will improve single-molecule sequencing analysis from any species., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Management of posterior scleral perforation is commonly done with cryotherapy/laser or scleral patch graft depending on the size of perforation. However, for large perforations, the availability of donor sclera is always an issue. To overcome this problem, we tried using absorbable gelatin sponge to plug the perforation as an alternative., Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of gelatin foam as an alternative to scleral patch graft in cases with perforation of posterior sclera., Synopsis: Here we report the case of a 27-year-old male, who sustained penetrating injury to right eye with two metallic intraocular foreign bodies with visual acuity of hand movement close to face. Primary wound repair was done, followed by retrieval of the first piece of metallic foreign body that measured 11X3mm in size. The second foreign body visualized at posterior pole adjascent to the disc was removed using Machemar forceps and it measured 10X3 mmin size. Leakage of PFCL at the site confirmed a posterior scleral perforation. Cryotherapy was avoided due to its proximity to optic nerve head, and donor sclera was not readily available at that moment. We managed the case by plugging the defect with absorbable gelatin foam, followed by silicone oil injection into the vitreous cavity. Post operative outcome was good with restoration of anatomical integrity of the globe along with improvement in visual acuity upto 6/18., Highlights: Gelatin foam being absorbable and inciting less reaction aids in sealing the perforation and maintenance of globe contour with the advantage being readily available, cost-effective and it can be left in situ without the need for additional surgery for its removal. This would be of use in situations where the donor sclera is not readily available, and thus can be a potential alternative. However, further studies with larger sample size need to be done to evaluate and compare its effectiveness over donor scleral grafts., Online Video Link: https://youtu.be/fkardnkMQQo., Competing Interests: None

The growth, survival, and productivity of plants are constantly challenged by diverse abiotic stresses. When plants are exposed to stress for the first time, they can capture molecular information and store it as a form of memory, which enables them to competently and rapidly respond to subsequent stress(es). This process is referred to as a priming-induced or acquired stress response. In this review, we discuss how (i) the storage and retrieval of the information from stress memory modulates plant physiological, cellular, and molecular processes in response to subsequent stress(es), (ii) the intensity, recurrence, and duration of priming stimuli influences the outcomes of the stress response, and (iii) the varying responses at different plant developmental stages. We highlight current understanding of the distinct and common molecular processes manifested at the epigenetic, (post-)transcriptional, and post-translational levels mediated by stress-associated molecules and metabolites, including phytohormones. We conclude by emphasizing how unravelling the molecular circuitry underlying diverse priming-stimuli-induced stress responses could propel the use of priming as a management practice for crop plants. This practice, in combination with precision agriculture, could aid in increasing yield quantity and quality to meet the rapidly rising demand for food., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Revesz syndrome is a rare telomeropathy characterized by bone marrow failure and exudative retinopathy. We report the case of a 2-year-old male child, initially treated with bilateral laser photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity. He developed exudative changes in the right eye, presumed to be Coats disease. Later, the left eye developed a total vitreous hemorrhage. Proliferative retinopathy was noted intraoperatively. Systemic features of bone marrow failure, growth retardation, and nail pigmentation were present. Genetic testing confirmed the diagnosis of Revesz syndrome. We describe our approach to diagnosis and surgical management of the case. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2022;53(6): 346-348.] .

Superoxide dismutases (SODs, EC 1.15.1.1) are ubiquitous antioxidant metalloenzymes important for oxidative stress tolerance and cellular redox environment. Multiple factors have contributed toward the origin and diversity of SOD isoforms among different organisms. In plants, the genome duplication events, responsible for the generation of multiple gene copies/gene families, have also contributed toward the SOD diversity. However, the importance of such molecular events on the characteristics of SODs has not been studied well. This study investigated the effects of divergence on important characteristics of two block-duplicated rice cytosolic CuZn SODs ( OsCSD1 , OsCSD4 ), along with in silico assessment of similar events in other plants. The analysis revealed heterogeneity in gene length, regulatory regions, untranslated regions (UTRs), and coding regions of two OsCSDs . An inconsistency in the database-predicted OsCSD1 gene structure was also identified and validated experimentally. Transcript analysis showed differences in the basal levels and stress responsiveness of OsCSD1 and OsCSD4 , and indicated the presence of two transcription start sites in the OsCSD1 . At the amino acid level, the two OsCSDs showed differences at 18 sites; however, both exist as a homodimer, displaying typical CuZn SOD characteristics, and enhancing the oxidative stress tolerance of Escherichia coli cells. However, OsCSD4 showed higher specific activity as well as stability. The comparison of the two OsCSDs with reported thermostable CSDs from other plants identified regions likely to be associated with stability, while the homology modeling and superposition highlighted structural differences. The two OsCSDs displayed heteromeric interaction capability and forms an enzymatically active heterodimer (OsCSD1:OsCSD4) on co-expression, which may have significance as both are cytosolic. In silico analysis of 74 plant genomes revealed the prevalence of block duplications for multiple CSD copies (mostly cytosolic). The divergence and clustering analysis of CSDs suggested the possibility of an ancestral duplication event in monocots. Conserved SOD features indicating retention of SOD function among CSD duplicates were evident in few monocots and dicots. In most other species, the CSD copies lacked critical features and may not harbor SOD function; however, other feature-associated functions or novel functions might be present. These aspects of divergent CSD copies encoding co-localized CSDs may have implications in plant SOD functions in the cytosol and other organelles., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Sanyal, Prashar, Jawali, Sunkar, Misra and Saini.)

Sub-macular hemorrhage poses a potential threat to vision if left untreated. The preferred surgical technique to clear sub-macular hemorrhage includes vitrectomy followed by retinotomy using a 41G needle with subsequent injection of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) followed by air/SF6 injection into the sub-retinal space. A malleable nature, increased resistance, and the cost of the 41G needle limit its use. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of a 26G needle for retinotomy as a supplement for the 41G needle in a series of six subjects with sub-macular hemorrhage. A slight modification in the procedure was done by injecting air into the sub-retinal space prior to the r-tPA injection. We found that our technique of using the 26G needle for retinotomy is safe and effective due to its stable nature and self-sealing properties. An air injection prior to r-tPA allows for increased bioavailability of the drug by preventing efflux due to its tamponading effect., Competing Interests: None

Purpose: Coats' disease is associated with poor outcomes, and there are limited studies on long-term outcomes of Coats' disease. The purpose of our study is to identify various predictive factors to help in prognosticating the treatment outcomes in advanced Coats' disease in children., Methods: This is a retrospective case series from a single tertiary eye care center of children (<18 years) diagnosed with coat's disease. Sixty-seven patients with Coat's disease were identified from the medical records from 2009 to 2020. Patients' demographic data, clinical presentation, stage, extent of involvement, detailed treatment history, clinical sequelae post-treatment (including complications and anatomical and functional outcomes) were noted. Binary logistic regression was performed to correlate the predictive factors for anatomical and functional improvement., Results: Of the 67 patients, 51 eyes of 51 patients were included in the study. The male to female proportion was 2.2. Mean age at presentation was 4.98 ± 3.55 years (range: 2 months-15 years). Mean duration of follow-up was 31.53 ± 26.38 months. Overall, our globe salvage rate was 92.2%. We found that vitreoretinal fibrosis (P < 0.001), subretinal gliosis (P < 0.001), vitreous hemorrhage (P = 0.02), tractional or combined retinal detachment (P < 0.001), foveal scar (P < 0.006), and cataract (P < 0.001) to be important factors to affect the outcome., Conclusion: Advanced stage of presentation (stage 3B and above), diffuse involvement, cataract, vitreoretinal fibrosis (preretinal and subretinal), vitreous hemorrhage, tractional or combined retinal detachment, and anterior hyaloid proliferation are poor prognostic factors for globe salvage in advanced disease. Subretinal gliotic nodule or scar and lack of visual rehabilitation suggest poor functional outcomes., Competing Interests: None

Purpose: Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injection therapy has emerged as the mainstay of treatment in the management of diabetic macular edema (DME) today. Various systemic risk factors have to be considered before initiating anti-VEGF therapy. The aim of our study was to form a consensus on various systemic factors to consider before starting anti-VEGF therapy for DME., Methods: A questionnaire was created and sent across to various retina specialists across India. A Google TM form with various questions pertaining to what systemic parameters would one consider before giving anti-VEGF therapy for DME was sent to each of them by email/WhatsApp TM /direct telephonic interview., Results: Of the 650 retina specialists contacted, 322 responded to the questionnaire. There was no difference in responses between private and institutional practitioners. The majority would consider RBS (85%), HbA1c (61%), blood pressure (63%), and renal function (57%) as a routine before administering the anti-VEGF injection, while the majority would not consider hemoglobin (63%) or lipid profile (55%) of the patient as a routine practice prior to administering the injection., Conclusion: In our study, most VR specialists prefer to consider RBS, HbA1c, BP, and renal profile (creatinine) routinely prior to anti-VEGF injection. We suggest that it is important to consider blood pressure control, glycemic control, HbA1c, Hb, lipid profile, and renal profile (UACR, eGFR, and creatinine) prior to anti-VEGF therapy in all diabetic patients and to discuss the need for statins in patients with dyslipidemias with the physician., Competing Interests: None

Purpose: This study aims to assess the novel and innovative method of Safe Eye Examination (SEE) technique using the model eye for the purpose of teaching, training, and resident examination., Methods: A questionnaire-based study (Descriptive Data) with 53 participants, including ophthalmology residents, fellows in various subspecialties, and trainee optometrists was used. In our study, we used the Reti Eye model, but instead of the usual retina template sheet, we used prominent pathological fundus photographs loaded into the model eye. The study participants were asked to view prominent pathological fundus images printed on a matte finish paper. A circular image was cut and was placed in the Reti Eye model. The candidates were made to perform indirect ophthalmoscopy with a + 20D lens and to fill up a Google image assessment scale questionnaire with characteristics, including pixelation, sharpness, contrast, reflexes, blotchy appearance, and diagnostic confidence, which were then analyzed and depicted. Association between categorical variables was analyzed using Fisher exact test and Chi-square test. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All data were analyzed with a statistical software package (SPSS, Version 16.0 for Windows)., Results: The number of positive responses (>90%) obtained for the pixelation, sharpness, contrast, reflexes, blotchy appearance, and diagnostic confidence of the image viewed were statistically more significant than the negative responses (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The SEE technique of using the model eye can be incorporated for teaching, training, and skill assessment in the examinations in these difficult times of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic., Competing Interests: None

Heat stress coinciding with reproductive stage leads to a significant loss in reproductive organs viability, resulting in lower seed-set and crop productivity. Successful fertilization and seed formation are determined by the viability of male and female reproductive organs. The impact of heat stress on the male reproductive organ (pollen) is studied more often compared to the female reproductive organ (pistil). This is attributed to easier accessibility of the pollen coupled with the notion that the pistil's role in fertilization and seed-set under heat stress is negligible. However, depending on species and developmental stages, recent studies reveal varying degrees of sensitivity of the pistil to heat stress. Remarkably, in some cases, the vulnerability of the pistil is even greater than the pollen. This article summarizes the current knowledge of the impact of heat stress on three critical stages of pistil for successful seed-set, that is, female reproductive organ development (gametogenesis), pollen-pistil interactions including pollen capture on stigma and pollen tube growth in style, as well as fertilization and early embryogenesis. Further, future research directions are suggested to unravel molecular basis of heat stress tolerance in pistil, which is critical for sustaining crop yields under predicted warming scenarios., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Drought is one of the most important abiotic stress factors impeding crop productivity. With the uncovering of their role as potential regulators of gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as new targets for developing stress resistance. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs whose abundance is significantly altered under stress conditions. Interestingly, plant miRNAs predominantly targets transcription factors (TFs), and some of which are also the most critical drought-responsive genes that in turn could regulate the expression of numerous loci with drought-adaptive potential. The phytohormone ABA plays important roles in regulating stomatal conductance and in initiating an adaptive response to drought stress. miRNAs are implicated in regulating ABA-(abscisic acid) and non-ABA-mediated drought resistance pathways. For instance, miR159-MYB module and miR169-NFYA module participates in an ABA-dependent pathway, whereas several other ABA-independent miRNA-target modules (miR156-SPL; miR393-TIR1; miR160-ARF10, ARF16, ARF17; miR167-ARF6 and ARF8; miR390/TAS3siRNA-ARF2, ARF3, ARF4) collectively regulate drought responses in plants. Overall, miRNA-mediated drought response manifests diverse molecular, biochemical and physiological processes. Because of their immense role in controlling gene expression, miRNA manipulation has significant potential to augment plant tolerance to drought stress. This review compiles the current understanding of drought-responsive miRNAs in major cereals. Also, potential miRNA manipulation strategies currently in use along with the challenges and future perspectives are discussed., (© 2021 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

The superoxide dismutases (SODs) play vital roles in controlling cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are generated both under optimal as well as stress conditions in plants. The rice genome harbors seven SOD genes ( CSD1 , CSD2 , CSD3 , CSD4 , FSD1 , FSD2, and MSD ) that encode seven constitutive transcripts. Of these, five ( CSD2 , CSD3 , CSD4 , FSD1, and MSD ) utilizes an alternative splicing (AS) strategy and generate seven additional splice variants ( SVs ) or mRNA variants, i.e., three for CSD3 , and one each for CSD2 , CSD4 , FSD1, and MSD . The exon-intron organization of these SVs revealed variations in the number and length of exons and/or untranslated regions (UTRs). We determined the expression patterns of SVs along with their constitutive forms of SODs in rice seedlings exposed to salt, osmotic, cold, heavy metal (Cu +2 ) stresses, as well as copper-deprivation. The results revealed that all seven SVs were transcriptionally active in both roots and shoots. When compared to their corresponding constitutive transcripts, the profiles of five SVs were almost similar, while two specific SVs ( CSD3-SV4 and MSD-SV2 ) differed significantly, and the differences were also apparent between shoots and roots suggesting that the specific SVs are likely to play important roles in a tissue-specific and stress-specific manner. Overall, the present study has provided a comprehensive analysis of the SVs of SODs and their responses to stress conditions in shoots and roots of rice seedlings.

Background: The supply of Cilioretinal artery (CRA) to different layers of the retina influences retinal pathologies such as diabetic retinopathy (DR). Since the supply of CRA is segmental, our aim was to analyze the location of CRA with respect to non - center involving diabetic macular edema (DME) differentiated by various segments and center involving DME based on Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) scale using optical coherence tomography (OCT)., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in which forty-three patients with various stages of DR and the presence of CRA were identified. Presence and location of CRA was recognized using fundus fluorescein angiography. Classification of DME was based on ETDRS subfields on OCT., Results: Evaluation of 26 men and 17 women with varying degrees of severity involving DR revealed the presence of unilateral CRA in 40 subjects and bilateral CRA in 3 subjects. When CRA supplied the central area, maximum retinal thickness was noted at the temporal quadrant (271.67 ± 164.02 μm) along with non - center involving DME (194.87 ± 121.06 μm); when CRA supplied the lower area, maximum retinal thickness was noted at the superior quadrant (293.64 ± 159.36 μm) along with center involving DME (395 ± 285.75 μm) and when it supplied the upper area, maximum retinal thickness was noted at the nasal quadrant (293.49 ± 176.18 μm) along with center involving DME (292 ± 192.79 μm)., Conclusion: The presence of CRA seems to influence the morphology of the retina amongst patients diagnosed with DR by altering the segments involved in DME based on its supply location. However, further studies with a larger sample size are warranted to strenghten this association.

To comprehensively annotate miRNAs and their targets in tea plant, Camellia sinensis, we sequenced small and messenger RNAs of 9 samples of Camellia sinensis var. assamica (YK-10), a diploid elite cultivar widely grown in southwest China. In order to identify targets of miRNAs, we sequenced two degradome sequencing profiles from leaves and roots of YK-10, respectively. By analyzing the small RNA-Seq profiles, we newly identified 137 conserved miRNAs and 23 species specific miRNAs in the genome of YK-10, which significantly improved the annotation of miRNAs in tea plant. Approximately 2000 differently expressed genes were identified when comparing RNA-Seq profiles of any two of the three organs selected in the study. Totally, more than 5000 targets of conserved miRNAs were identified in the two degradome profiles. Furthermore, our results suggest that a few miRNAs play roles in the biosynthesis pathways of theanine, caffeine and flavonoid. These results enhance our understanding of small RNA guided gene regulations in different organs of tea plant., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare the standard and "innovative wide-field" optical coherence tomography images in assessment of vitreoretinal interface in proliferative diabetic retinopathy., Methods: Fifty consecutive eyes of 25 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy underwent 12 × 12 mm radial swept source-optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging using standard technique and innovative wide-field (+90D) technique. The image expansion ratio was calculated using Image J software., Results: Out of the 50 eyes, only in four eyes with +90 D were minimally misaligned or were having quality less than grade 2 as compared to standard OCT. The mean age group was 51 ± 4.5 years. The expansion ratio (scan length) increased by a factor of 1.65 ± 0.67 when obtained using +90 D technique., Conclusion: Innovative wide-field technique provides us with the widest of available OCT scans with the presently available machine and the software., Competing Interests: None

Like many cereal crops, barley is also negatively affected by drought stress. However, due to its simple genome as well as enhanced stress resilient nature compared to rice and wheat, barley has been considered as a model to decipher drought tolerance in cereals. In the present study, transcriptomic and hormonal profiles along with several biochemical features were compared between drought-tolerant (Otis) and drought-sensitive (Baronesse) barley genotypes subjected to drought to identify molecular and biochemical differences between the genotypes. The drought-induced decrease in the leaf relative water content, net photosynthesis, and biomass accumulation was relatively low in Otis compared to Baronesse. The hormonal profiles did not reveal significant differences for majority of the compounds other than the GA20 and the cis-zeatin-o-glucoside (c-ZOG), whose levels were greatly increased in Otis compared to Baronesse under drought. The major differences that emerged from the transcriptome analysis are; (1), the overall number of differentially expressed genes was relatively low in drought-tolerant Otis compared to drought-sensitive Baronesse; (2), a wax biosynthesis gene (CER1), and NAC transcription factors were specifically induced in Otis but not in Baronesse; (3), the degree of upregulation of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase and a homeobox transcription factor (genes with proven roles in imparting drought tolerance), was greater in Otis compared to Baronesse; (4) the extent of downregulation of gene expression profiles for proteins of the reaction center photosystem II (PSII) (D1 and D2) was low in Otis compared to Baronesse; and, (5), alternative splicing (AS) was also found to differ between the genotypes under drought. Taken together, the overall transcriptional responses were low in drought-tolerant Otis but the genes that could confer drought tolerance were either specifically induced or greatly upregulated in the tolerant genotype and these differences could be important for drought tolerance in barley., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Harb, Simpson, Guo, Govindan, Kakani and Sunkar.)

Epigenetics is defined as changes in gene expression that are not associated with changes in DNA sequence but due to the result of methylation of DNA and post-translational modifications to the histones. These epigenetic modifications are known to regulate gene expression by bringing changes in the chromatin state, which underlies plant development and shapes phenotypic plasticity in responses to the environment and internal cues. This review articulates the role of histone modifications and DNA methylation in modulating biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as crop improvement. It also highlights the possibility of engineering epigenomes and epigenome-based predictive models for improving agronomic traits.

Competing Interests: None

Competing Interests: None

Competing Interests: None

Competing Interests: None

The date palm ( Khalas ) is an extremophile plant that can adapt to various abiotic stresses including drought and salinity. Salinity tolerance is a complex trait controlled by numerous genes. Identification and functional characterization of salt-responsive genes from the date palm is fundamental to understand salinity tolerance at the molecular level in this plant species. In this study, a salt-inducible vascular highway 1-interacting kinase ( PdVIK ) that is a MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) gene from the date palm, was functionally characterized using in vitro and in vivo strategies. PdVIK , one of the 597 kinases encoded by the date palm genome possesses an ankyrin repeat domain and a kinase domain. The recombinant PdVIK protein exhibited phosphotyrosine activity against myelin basic protein (MBP) substrate. Overexpression of PdVIK in yeast significantly improved its tolerance to salinity, LiCl, and oxidative stresses. Transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings overexpressing PdVIK displayed improved tolerance to salinity, osmotic, and oxidative stresses as assessed by root growth assay. The transgenic lines grown in the soil also displayed modulated salt response, compared to wild-type controls as evaluated by the overall plant growth and proline levels. Likewise, the transgenic lines exhibited drought tolerance by maintaining better relative water content (RWC) compared to non-transgenic control plants. Collectively, these results implicate the involvement of PdVIK in modulating the abiotic stress response of the date palm.