The retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) gene is not associated with myopia, hypermetropia, and ocular biometric measures

Purpose: The Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha (RARA) gene is a potential candidate gene for myopia due to its differential expression in animal models during experimentally induced myopia. To test for whether RARA is associated with myopia we have undertaken a case-control study assessing for associations between RARA and myopia, hypermetropia, and ocular biometric measures. Methods: A total of 802 Anglo-Celtic individuals were genotyped. Five tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) in RARA with an r2 of 0.8 and a minor allele frequency greater than 5% were selected for genotyping. Genotype frequencies of these 5 tSNPs were compared between individuals with emmetropia and those with myopia or hypermetropia. A quantitative analysis was also performed to assess associations with ocular biometric measures including axial length, corneal curvature and anterior chamber depth. Results: We did not identify any significant association between tSNPs in RARA with either myopia or hypermetropia as qualitative traits. Neither did we identify any significant associations of these tSNPs with the quantitative traits of axial length, corneal curvature and anterior chamber depth. Conclusions: This is the first study to assess for associations between RARA and myopia, hypermetropia, and ocular biometric measures. Our findings suggest that variations in the nucleotide sequence of RARA are not associated with myopia, hypermetropia, or ocular biometric measures in our population

Optimization of supercritical CO2 extraction of Anastatica hierochuntica.

Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the variables affecting the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction of non-polar compounds from Anastatica hierochuntica using the Central Composite Design technique (CCD). Independent variables were temperature (32–46 °C) and pressure (22–46 MPa). Dependent variables were the percentage of the content of hexadecanoic acid, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, heneicosane and heptacosane. Pressure was the most significant parameter that affected the content of the compounds. The hexadecanoic and 9,12-octadecadienoic content decreased while heneicosane and heptacosane increased with pressure. A number of choices can be run either at low pressure and low temperature or at low pressure and high temperature in order to optimize extraction of the selected compounds. Extraction either at low temperature (33 °C) and low pressure (25.6 MPa), or at high temperature (42 °C) and low pressure (22.0 MPa) maximized the yield of hexadecanoic, 9,12-octedecanoic, heneicosane and heptacosane

Prevalence and characteristics of choroidal nevi in an asian vs white population

10.1001/archophthalmol.2008.625Archives of Ophthalmology1273314-319AROP

Influence of Intraocular Pressure on Retinal Vascular Caliber Measurements in Children

10.1016/j.ajo.2007.01.032American Journal of Ophthalmology14361040-104

Retinal vascular caliber, cardiovascular risk factors, and inflammation: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

10.1167/iovs.05-1539Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science4762341-2350IOVS

Prevalence and risk factors of retinal vein occlusion in an Asian population

British Journal of Ophthalmology92101316-131

Retinal vascular fractal dimension and risk of early diabetic retinopathy: A prospective study of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

10.2337/dc09-0719Diabetes Care32112081-2083DICA