Trade-Offs Between Energy and Depth of Neural Networks.

We present an investigation on threshold circuits and other discretized neural networks in terms of the following four computational resources-size (the number of gates), depth (the number of layers), weight (weight resolution), and energy-where the energy is a complexity measure inspired by sparse coding and is defined as the maximum number of gates outputting nonzero values, taken over all the input assignments. As our main result, we prove that if a threshold circuit C of size s, depth d, energy e, and weight w computes a Boolean function f (i.e., a classification task) of n variables, it holds that log( rk (f))≤ed(logs+logw+logn) regardless of the algorithm employed by C to compute f, where rk (f) is a parameter solely determined by a scale of f and defined as the maximum rank of a communication matrix with regard to f taken over all the possible partitions of the n input variables. For example, given a Boolean function CD n(ξ) =⋁i=1n/2ξi∧ξn/2+i, we can prove that n/2≤ed( log s+logw+logn) holds for any circuit C computing CD n. While its left-hand side is linear in n, its right-hand side is bounded by the product of the logarithmic factors of s,w,n and the linear factors of d,e. If we view the logarithmic terms as having a negligible impact on the bound, our result implies a trade-off between depth and energy: n/2 needs to be smaller than the product of e and d. For other neural network models, such as discretized ReLU circuits and discretized sigmoid circuits, we also prove that a similar trade-off holds. Thus, our results indicate that increasing depth linearly enhances the capability of neural networks to acquire sparse representations when there are hardware constraints on the number of neurons and weight resolution.

(E)-7-phenyl-2-heptene-4,6-diyn-1-ol from Bidens pilosa as a repellent against isopods.

The development of repellents as alternatives to insecticides has expanded in recent years. However, their use in isopod pest control is limited. To develop an isopod repellent, a plant extract library from wild plants native to the Kochi Prefecture was screened for repellent activity against pillbugs, and 82 samples (87%) exhibited repellent activity. Among them, (E)-7-phenyl-2-heptene-4,6-diyn-1-ol was isolated and identified as a repellent from the root of Bidens pilosa. It had a half-maximal effective concentration of 0.20 µm, with a strong repellency. A study of the structure-activity relationship to (E)-7-phenyl-2-heptene-4,6-diyn-1-ol revealed that the presence of a hydroxyl group and an aromatic at both ends of the length of the seven-carbon chain is important for the expression of repellency. These results can potentially lead to a new repellent of phenylalkyl alcohol.

Primary open-angle glaucoma in a population associated with high prevalence of primary angle-closure glaucoma: the Kumejima Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in a rural population of southwestern Japan. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: All residents 40 years of age and older in Kumejima, Okinawa, Japan. METHODS: Of the eligible 4632 residents 40 years of age and older, 3762 subjects (participant rate, 81.2%) underwent screening examinations, including visual acuity (VA) measurement, slit-lamp examination, Goldmann applanation tonometry, gonioscopy, undilated stereoscopic fundus photographs, autorefractometry, noncontact specular microscopy, pachymetry, and visual field (VF) testing using frequency-doubling technology. If glaucoma or other related ocular disorders were suspected, subjects were referred for definitive examinations including VF testing with the Humphrey Field Analyzer. The diagnosis of POAG was based on the criteria of the International Society for Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence and risk factors of POAG. RESULTS: The prevalence of POAG was 4.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4%-4.7%); 82% of patients had an intraocular pressure (IOP) less than 22 mmHg, resulting in a prevalence of 3.3% (95% CI, 2.8%-3.9%). Because of POAG, 3 subjects had a VA worse than 20/400 in only 1 eye, and 1 subject had VA loss of worse than 20/400 bilaterally. The average IOP values (mean ± standard deviation) were 14.9 ± 3.2 and 14.6 ± 3.3 mmHg in the right and left eyes, respectively; the IOP values were higher in patients with POAG (15.4 ± 3.3 and 15.2 ± 3.3 mmHg, respectively) than in subjects without glaucoma (14.8 ± 3.1 and 14.4 ± 3.1 mmHg, respectively; P<0.045, Student t test). Multivariate analysis showed that male gender (P = 0.003), older age (P<0.001), higher IOP (P<0.001), longer axial length (P<0.001), and thinner central cornea (P = 0.006) were associated with POAG. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalence rates of POAG (4.0%) and POAG with normal IOP levels (3.3%), which were comparable with those on the Japanese mainland, were found in a southwestern rural island of Japan, where the prevalence of primary angle-closure glaucoma (previously reported as 2.2%) was considerably higher than on the Japanese mainland (0.6% in the Tajimi Study) or other countries. The risk factors for POAG included male gender, older age, higher IOP, myopia, and a thinner cornea.

[Comparison between binocular and monocular reading ability and its relation with central visual field sensitivity in glaucoma patients].

PURPOSE: To evaluate binocular and monocular reading ability in glaucoma patients with good visual acuity and to examine its relationship with central visual field sensitivity. METHODS: Glaucoma patients(35 individuals, mean +/- SD : 51.8 +/- 12.9 years) with a decimal visual acuity in each eye of >or=1.0, reading ability was tested both binocular and monocular using Japanese version of Minnesota Reading Acuity Chart (MNREAD-J). Reading ability parameters were calculated for maximum reading speed (MRS), critical print size (CPS), and reading acuity (RA). The results were compared with those of people with normal vision; differences in reading ability under varied testing conditions and correlations between visual field sensitivity and each parameter were examined. RESULTS: Under binocular reading conditions, MRS, CPS, and RA were decreased significantly in glaucoma patients compared with normal controls (p = 0.00044, p = 0.00004, p = 0.00028, respectively). Under monocular reading conditions, glaucoma patient MRS and RA were decreased significantly in comparison with normal controls (p=0.00155, p= 0.00142). In glaucoma patients undergoing binocular reading tests, MRS was greatest in the paracentral bottom right quadrant of the worse eye (r = 0.41709, p= 0.04447). The CPS decreased in proportion to the extent of the difference between both eyes in the mean deviation value and the visual field sensitivity of the paracentral bottom left (r = 0.40693, p = 0.02699 and r=0.41478, p=0.02384). RA improved in proportion to the extent of the difference between both eyes in the visual field sensitivity of the upper left (r = 0.33557, p=0.04799). CONCLUSION: In glaucoma patients, binocular reading is not necessarily useful in cases of visual field sensitivity differences.

Genetic diversity of viruses infecting cnidium plants (Cnidium officinale) in Japan.

Cnidium vein yellowing virus (CnVYV), cnidium virus X (CnVX), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and cnidium virus 1 (CnV1) were detected at extremely high levels in Cnidium officinale plants showing viral symptoms collected from Iwate and Hokkaido Prefectures, Japan. The complete nucleotide sequence of the newly detected CnVYV and CnV1, and genetic diversity of the cnidium-infecting viruses (CnVYV, CnVX, and CnV1) indicated that South Korean and Japanese cnidium plants had close relationship with each other. All three viruses can infect vegetatively propagated perennials and are vertically transmitted once infection occurs. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-023-00835-w.

Live-cell imaging of septins and cell polarity proteins in the growing dikaryotic vegetative hypha of the model mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea.

The developmental biology underlying the morphogenesis of mushrooms remains poorly understood despite the essential role of fungi in the terrestrial environment and global carbon cycle. The mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea is a leading model system for the molecular and cellular basis of fungal morphogenesis. The dikaryotic vegetative hyphae of this fungus grow by tip growth with clamp cell formation, conjugate nuclear division, septation, subapical peg formation, and fusion of the clamp cell to the peg. Studying these processes provides many opportunities to gain insights into fungal cell morphogenesis. Here, we report the dynamics of five septins, as well as the regulators CcCla4, CcSpa2, and F-actin, visualized by tagging with fluorescent proteins, EGFP, PA-GFP or mCherry, in the growing dikaryotic vegetative hyphae. We also observed the nuclei using tagged Sumo proteins and histone H1. The five septins colocalized at the hyphal tip in the shape of a dome with a hole (DwH). CcSpa2-EGFP signals were observed in the hole, while CcCla4 signals were observed as the fluctuating dome at the hyphal tip. Before septation, CcCla4-EGFP was also occasionally recruited transiently around the future septum site. Fluorescent protein-tagged septins and F-actin together formed a contractile ring at the septum site. These distinct specialized growth machineries at different sites of dikaryotic vegetative hyphae provide a foundation to explore the differentiation program of various types of cells required for fruiting body formation.

Prevalence of primary angle closure and primary angle-closure glaucoma in a southwestern rural population of Japan: the Kumejima Study.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence and ocular biometry of primary angle closure (PAC) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) in a rural population in southwestern Japan. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: All residents aged 40 years or older in Kumejima, Okinawa, Japan. INTERVENTION: Of the 4632 residents 40 years of age or older, 3762 (participation rate, 81.2%) underwent a detailed ocular examination, including measurement of the best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, Goldmann applanation tonometry, static and dynamic gonioscopy, undilated stereoscopic optic fundus photographs, autorefractometry, partial coherence laser interferometry, noncontact specular microscopy, and screening visual field (VF) testing using frequency-doubling technology. If glaucoma or related or other ocular disorders were suspected, the subject was referred for a definitive examination including VF testing with the 24-2 Swedish Interactive Thresholding Algorithm Standard program of the Humphrey Field Analyzer (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence rates of primary angle-closure suspects (PACS), PAC, PACG, and PACG suspects. RESULTS: Under the standard definitions of the International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology, the prevalence rates of PACS, PAC, and PACG were 8.8%, 3.7%, and 2.0%. Extending the diagnosis of PAC and PACG to include people with narrow but open angles and primary peripheral anterior synechiae, the prevalence rates of PAC and PACG increased to 6.0% and 2.2%, respectively. Hence, broadening the diagnostic categories in PAC and PACG increased the prevalence rates by 62% and 10%. Twenty-three subjects (0.6%; 95% confidence interval, 0.4%-0.9%) had a history of or were diagnosed with acute PAC. Older age, female gender, hyperopic refractive error, short axial length, and shallow anterior chamber depth were independent predictors of an occludable angle. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of PACG in Kumejima (2.2%) was one of the highest reported in population-based studies, that is, 3.7 times higher than in the Tajimi Study carried out in an urban center located in the central area of the main island of Japan. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Fibrin membrane pupillary-block glaucoma after uneventful cataract surgery treated with intracameral tissue plasminogen activator: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Fibrin pupillary-block glaucoma is a rare complication after cataract surgery. The treatment for this condition is still controversial, since Nd:YAG laser fibrin membranotomy tends to reocclude and laser peripheral iridotomy entails the risk of damaging the corneal endothelium in the presence of corneal edema associated with elevated intraocular pressure. CASE PRESENTATION: A 62-year-old man with diabetes mellitus developed acute elevation of intraocular pressure with a shallow anterior chamber five days after uneventful cataract surgery. Initially, slit lamp examination provided only limited information due to severe corneal edema. After resolution of corneal edema with systemic glaucoma therapy, a complete fibrin membrane was observed across the pupil by slit lamp examination. Anterior segment optic coherence tomography clearly revealed a thin fibrin membrane covering the entire pupillary space, a shallow anterior chamber, and a deep posterior chamber. The intraocular lens was not observed by anterior segment optic coherence tomography. In contrast, ultrasound biomicroscopy, which has superior penetration depth, was able to visualize the intraocular lens deep in the posterior chamber. Injection of tissue plasminogen activator into the anterior chamber resulted in complete fibrinolysis and released the pupillary block. CONCLUSION: This case suggests that ocular anterior segment imaging modalities, especially ultrasound biomicroscopy, serve as powerful diagnostic tools to identify mechanisms of acute angle closure glaucoma, which is often accompanied by poor intraocular visibility. This is the first reported case of fibrin pupillary-block glaucoma after cataract surgery successfully treated with intracameral tissue plasminogen activator.

Investigation of the association between SLC1A3 gene polymorphisms and normal tension glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the solute carrier family 1, member 3 (SLC1A3) gene, which encodes the glutamate aspartate transporter, is associated with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) in Japanese patients. METHODS: Two hundred and ninety-five Japanese patients with NTG and 518 Japanese healthy controls were recruited. Patients exhibiting comparatively early NTG onset were selected because early onset suggests that genetic factors may show stronger involvement. We genotyped 5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SLC1A3 and assessed the allelic and genotypic diversity among cases and controls. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of SLC1A3 alleles and genotypes between cases and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed no association between SLC1A3 and NTG, suggesting that the SLC1A3 gene may not be an associated factor in NTG pathogenesis.

Evaluation of the relationship between quality of vision and the visual function index in Japanese glaucoma patients.

BACKGROUND: We compared two types of visual field index including mean deviation (MD) and the visual field index (VFI) for assessing the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and the loss of visual field in open-angle glaucoma patients. METHODS: We examined 336 eyes of 168 consecutive glaucoma patients. All participants completed the Japanese version of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). Visual field testing using the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) was performed to obtain both MD and VFI in the bilateral eyes of each patient. We defined eyes of better MD or VFI as the better eye and the fellow eyes as the worse eye. Visual field data and scores of NEI VFQ-25 were compared between patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). A single linear regression analysis was applied to assess the significance of the relationship between QOL and visual field, and to compare the strength of correlations between MD and the VFI. An unpaired t test was used for the comparison the data between NTG and POAG. RESULTS: A significant relationship was observed between QOL and visual field in nine subscales and the composite in both the better eye and the worse eye. The relationship was stronger in the better eye than in the worse eye. The correlation coefficients of the VFI were slightly higher than those of MD overall. The highest correlation coefficients were demonstrated in ten subscales and the composite in the better eye of the VFI. Only the score for general vision was significantly higher in NTG patients than POAG patients. CONCLUSIONS: A significant relationship was found between QOL and both the VFI and MD, but the VFI had a marginally better correlation than that of MD. While QOL was better related with visual field loss in the better eye than in the worse eye, the difference was not large. Not much of a difference was found in the status of QOL between NTG patients and POAG patients.

A review of food poisoning caused by local food in Japan.

Increasingly popular worldwide, Japanese cuisine includes several raw preparations such as sashimi and sushi; however, limited information on food poisoning from Japanese local food is available in English literature. Without appropriate knowledge, physicians may underdiagnose traveler's diarrhea among people returning from Japan. To provide accurate information to primary care physicians worldwide, we conducted a narrative review on food poisoning research published in Japanese and English over the past four years, considering the frequency and clinical importance of various presentations.

Genotyping HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 alleles in Japanese patients with normal tension glaucoma.

PURPOSE: Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is a subtype of glaucoma in which intraocular pressure is within the statistically normal range. NTG may be associated with an immune disorder. The aim of this study was to determine whether specific alleles in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 genes correlated with NTG in Japanese patients. METHODS: We genotyped the HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 alleles in 113 Japanese patients with NTG and in 184 healthy Japanese control subjects using the polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR-SSOP) Luminex method. We assessed the allelic diversity in patients and controls. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the allele frequency of HLADRB1 and HLA-DQB1 between NTG patients and control subjects, and no HLA-DRB1-HLA-DQB1 haplotypes demonstrated any significant association with NTG. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 polymorphisms have no significant effect on the development of NTG in Japanese patients.

Analysis of microsatellite polymorphisms within the GLC1F locus in Japanese patients with normal tension glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the GLC1F locus is associated with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) in Japanese patients. METHODS: We recruited 242 unrelated Japanese subjects, including, 141 NTG patients and 101 healthy controls. The patients exhibiting a comparatively early onset were selected as they suggest that genetic factors may show stronger involvement. Genotyping and assessment of allelic diversity was performed on 11 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers in and around the GLC1F locus. RESULTS: Individuals carrying the 163 allele of D7S1277i had a statistically significant increased risk of NTG (p=0.0013, pc=0.016, OR=2.47, 95%CI=1.42-4.30). None of the other markers identified significant loci (pc>0.05) after Bonferroni's correction. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that the genes in the GLC1F locus may be associated with the pathogenesis of NTG.

Association of toll-like receptor 2 gene polymorphisms with normal tension glaucoma.

PURPOSE: Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is a transmembrane receptor that mediates immune responses to exogenous and endogenous ligands, and interacts with heat-shock proteins, which are reportedly involved in normal tension glaucoma (NTG). We investigated whether TLR2 polymorphisms are associated with NTG. METHODS: 200 Japanese patients with NTG and 128 healthy Japanese controls were recruited. We genotyped five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TLR2 gene and assessed the allele and haplotype diversities between cases and controls for all SNPs. RESULTS: No significant differences in the frequency of TLR2 alleles and haplotypes in the NTG cases were detected, compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed no evidence for an association between TLR2 polymorphisms and NTG. TLR2 polymorphisms may not play an important role in NTG pathogenesis in the Japanese population.

Laser scanning tomography of optic discs of the normal Japanese population in a population-based setting.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the optic disc characteristics using the Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT) II in a large sample of normal Japanese subjects. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 3576 eyes of 2036 normal subjects, with good-quality HRT II images, of 6042 eyes of 3021 subjects aged 40 years or more who participated in the Tajimi Study, a population-based eye study in Japan. METHODS: Optic disc parameters were obtained using HRT II, and the association of gender, age, height, weight, blood pressure, ocular perfusion pressure, refraction, intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), and disc size on HRT parameters was assessed using simple and multiple regression analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HRT parameters, including disc area, cup area, rim area, cup-to-disc area ratio, cup volume, rim volume, mean cup depth, maximum cup depth, height variation contour, cup shape measure, mean retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, and RNFL cross-sectional area, and the crude and partial correlations of the potential confounders with the HRT parameters. RESULTS: Disc area, cup-to-disc area ratio, and rim area averaged 2.06+/-0.41 mm(2) (mean+/-standard deviation), 0.23+/-0.13, and 1.55+/-0.29 mm(2), respectively. All HRT parameters were strongly or moderately correlated between right and left eyes (Pearson's correlation coefficients = 0.45-0.83, P<0.001). Absolute inter-eye differences in several HRT parameters were positively correlated with disc area (P<0.05). Multiple regression analyses adjusting for the confounders showed weak but significant correlations of height, refractive error, IOP, and CCT with several HRT parameters (partial correlation coefficient (absolute value) = 0.04-0.16, P<0.05), and moderate or weak but significant correlations of disc area with all HRT parameters (partial correlation coefficient [absolute value] = 0.05-0.73, P<0.05). Gender, weight, blood pressure, and ocular perfusion pressure did not significantly correlate with HRT parameters. CONCLUSIONS: This report presents reference data of normality for the HRT parameters based on a large sample of normal Japanese subjects. There were small but significant influences of height, refractive error, IOP, and CCT on several HRT parameters. Many HRT parameters were moderately or weakly affected by disc size. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

[A variety of orbital lymphangioma treatments: one case treated with orbital decompression therapy and the other case with intralesional injection of OK-432 therapy].

BACKGROUND: Orbital lymphangioma can result in ocular emergencies due to acute enlargement, leading to painful proptosis, compressive optic neuropathy, exposure keratopathy, restrictive ocular motility and increased intraocular pressure. Treatment methods and clinical courses of two cases with orbital lymphangioma are reported, one with orbital decompression therapy and the other with intralesional injection of OK-432 therapy. CASE 1: An 8-year-old girl had multilocular cystic orbital intracornal lymphangioma. Emergency operation was deemed necessary because the patient presented with the painful proptosis, the compressive optic neuropathy, and increased intraocular pressure due to acute enlargement, we put the orbital inferior wall was decompressed by inserting an intact inframedial orbital strut. The proptosis vanished completely and visual acuity loss improved. CASE 2: A 2-year-old girl had multilocular cystic orbital intra and extracornal lymphangioma. She had severe proptosis and exposure keratopathy. The extracornal cystic lesion was treated with an intralesional injection of OK-432. On the 7th day after injection, the patient presented with painful severe proptosis. Aspiration of the fluid in the cystic lesion was performed, and the drain was preserved. After the treatment, both the severe proptosis and the exposure keratopathy improved. CONCLUSIONS: Inferior wall decompression was performed on case 1 while keeping the inframedial orbital strut. Although the eye movement disorder was low at the time, the medial and lateral wall decompression improved. In case 2, the extracornal cystic lesion was treated with an intralesional injection of OK-432 Judging from the results of that clinical course, the injection of OK-432 to the intracornal lesion could prove dangerous to the visual performance. Although OK-432 is predictably-effective against lymphangioma, it should not perform be applied without careful consideration.

Refraction and pupil diameter in 3-year- and 1-month-old children as measured by Spot Vision Screener.

Spot Vision Screener (SVS) can conduct refraction tests for both eyes within a short period. This study aims to evaluate the refraction and pupil diameters of 3-year- and 1-month-old Japanese children using SVS in regular medical checkup. We examined 2438 eyes of 1219 children (age: 3-year- and 1-month) in Fujieda (Shizuoka, Japan) to assess their refraction and pupil diameters and eye-position screening conducted by SVS. SVS successfully measured 1217 children (99.8%). Regarding the right eye refraction, the spherical power was +0.70 ± 0.55 D (median, +0.75 D), and the cylindrical power was -0.67 ± 0.49 D (median, -0.50 D). The pupil diameter of the right eyes was 5.57 ± 0.79 (median, 5.60) mm. we could obtain a large number of basic data for 3-year- and 1-month-old Japanese children. However, refraction and pupil diameter of children were not normally distributed, so careful handling of children's basic data on the eye is necessary.

Pupillography of relative afferent pupillary defects in amblyopia associated with peripapillary myelinated nerve fibers and myopia.

Pupillary responses to light were recorded in three patients with unilateral extensive myelinated nerve fibers and amblyopia by means of binocular infrared video pupillography. All of the patients had an afferent pupillary defect in the eye with myelinated nerve fibers. This finding supports the notion that this type of amblyopia is a severe form of anisometropic amblyopia that is often resistant to treatment.

[Tajimi Study review].

The results of The Tajimi Study (a population-based prevalence survey of glaucoma in Tajimi City performed by the Japan Glaucoma Society) are summarized. The Tajimi Study was carried out from September, 2000 to October, 2001 to investigate the prevalence of glaucoma among residents aged 40 years old or over in Tajimi. Seventy-eight point one % of 3,870 eligible people from 4,000 subjects who had been randomly selected from the 54,165 over 40 years old residents in Tajimi participated in the study. Estimated prevalence of all glaucoma and glaucoma/suspected glaucoma were 5.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2-5.8)% and 7.5 (95% CI, 6.5-8.4)%. The prevalence of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), and secondary glaucoma (SG) were 3.9 (95% CI, 3.2-4.6)%, 0.6 (95% CI, 0.4-0.9)%, and 0.5 (95% CI, 0.2-0.7)%, respectively. Including suspected cases, the prevalence of POAG, PACG, and SG was 6.0 (5.1-6.8)%, 0.8 (0.5-1.2)%, 0.7 (0.4-1.0)%. High intraocular pressure, myopia, and older age were shown to be statistically significant risk factors for POAG. It was suggested that the Frequency Doubling Technology is a good candidate as a screening test for glaucoma. The leading cause of low vision was cataracts. Investigation of refractive status showed that the prevalence of myopia(spherical equivalence [SE] < 0.5 diopters) and high myopia (SE < -5.0 diopters) was 41.8 (40.0-43.6)% and 8.2 (7.2-9.2)%, respectively.

Functional serotonin and histamine receptor subtypes in porcine ciliary artery in comparison with middle cerebral artery.

Functional serotonin (5-HT) and histamine receptor subtypes were investigated in porcine middle cerebral and ciliary arteries. An H(1) antagonist, mepyramine, antagonized histamine-induced responses with pK(B) values of 8.91-9.10. In the presence of 1 muM mepyramine, however, histamine caused dilation through H(2) receptors in the middle cerebral but not in the ciliary artery. A 5-HT(2A) antagonist, ketanserin, antagonized 5-HT-induced responses, causing rightward shifts in the concentration-response curves with pK(B) values of 8.52-8.71. A 5-HT(1B) antagonist, SB224289, produced rightward shifts of the concentration-response curves to sumatriptan with pK(B) values (6.66) only in the middle cerebral artery. In contrast, a 5-HT(1D) antagonist, BRL15572, had no effect in either artery. An RT-PCR study demonstrated the gene expression of the mRNAs of all three receptors (5HT(1B), 5HT(1D) and 5HT(2A)) in both arteries. These results suggest that histamine-induced contraction is mediated only through functional H(1) receptor in these arteries. Interestingly, there are functional 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(1B) receptor subtypes in the middle cerebral artery, whereas the only functional receptor is 5-HT(2A) in the ciliary artery. The difference may be important for treatment with 5-HT(1B/1D) agonists (e.g. for migraine) without ocular side effect.