Calibration of the superconducting gravimeter CT#043 with an absolute gravimeter FG5#210 at Syowa Station, Antarctica

For the purpose of calibration of the superconducting gravimeter (SG) model CT#043 at Syowa Station, Antarctica, we carried out parallel observations with the absolute gravimeter (AG) FG5#210. Although the AG measurements were conducted from December 31, 2003 to February 9, 2004, SG measurements before January 17 are found to have suffered artificial sensitivity change. We finally adopted data from January 17 to February 1, 2004, and obtained the scale factor of CT#043 as -59.461 ±0.079μGal/volt by linear regression analysis. The result achieved a relative accuracy of around 0.1%, which is important to modern precise tidal analysis. We also determined the scale factor by comparing the data of parallel observations with the SG TT70#016. Both values showed good agreement, supporting the reliability of the above mentioned value

Oshika T. Contrast sensitivity and foveal microstructure following vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

PURPOSE. To evaluate contrast sensitivity (CS) in patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM) following vitrectomy and to investigate the relationship between CS and foveal microstructures with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS. Thirty-one eyes of 31 patients with ERM were included. We examined CS with a CSV-1000E chart, a logMAR best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and foveal microstructure by using SD-OCT before and at 6 months after surgery. From the CS data, the area under the log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF) was calculated. Based on the OCT images, we quantified the mean thickness of the ganglion cell layer (GCL), the inner nuclear layer (INL), and the outer retinal layer (outer nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer [ONLþOPL]). The status of the photoreceptor inner and outer segment junction (IS/OS) and external limiting membrane (ELM) was also evaluated. RESULTS. Vitrectomy significantly improved logMAR BCVA and AULCSF. Even in patients with poor improvement of visual acuity (changes in logMAR BCVA by surgery was 0.2), postoperative AULCSF significantly increased by treatment (P < 0.05). Postoperative AULCSF showed a significant correlation with preoperative (P < 0.05) and postoperative (P < 0.05) ONLþOPL thickness, whereas other parameters were not relevant. Postoperative logMAR BCVA significantly correlated with postoperative status of IS/OS (P < 0.05) and preoperative ONLþOPL thickness (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS. In patients with ERM, CS improved even though their visual acuity did not recover significantly by vitrectomy. CS was associated with the thickness of outer retinal layer

Changes in aniseikonia and influencing-factors following successful macula-off retinal detachment surgery

This study investigated the changes in the severity of aniseikonia after surgery for macula-off retinal detachment (RD), and the relationship between aniseikonia and retinal microstructures. The study included 26 eyes of 26 patients undergoing RD surgery. Visual acuity was measured preoperatively, and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Degree of aniseikonia and OCT images were obtained at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The aniseikonia values (mean +/- standard deviation) at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively were -5.3 +/- 4.2%, -4.4 +/- 4.4%, and -3.1 +/- 3.2%, respectively. Significant improvement was observed from 3 to 12 months postoperatively (P = 0.001). Twelve months postoperatively, 14 eyes had micropsia, 1 eye had macropsia, and 11 eyes were free of aniseikonia. Stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed that the severity of aniseikonia at 12 months postoperatively was significantly associated with postoperative development of cystoid macular edema (CME) and epiretinal membrane (ERM), as well as area of preoperative RD. In conclusion, although aniseikonia was gradually relieved after RD surgery during a 1-year follow-up period, approximately half of patients had aniseikonia and almost all of them had micropsia. Aniseikonia was associated with presence of postoperative CME, ERM, and area of preoperative RD

Diffusion functional MRI reveals global brain network functional abnormalities driven by targeted local activity in a neuropsychiatric disease mouse model

Diffusion functional magnetic resonance imaging (DfMRI) has been proposed as an alternative functional imaging method to detect brain activity without confounding hemodynamic effects. Here, taking advantage of this DfMRI feature, we investigated abnormalities of dynamic brain function in a neuropsychiatric disease mouse model (glial glutamate transporter-knockdown mice with obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]-related behavior). Our DfMRI approaches consisted of three analyses: resting state brain activity, functional connectivity, and propagation of neural information. We detected hyperactivation and biased connectivity across the cortico-striatal-thalamic circuitry, which is consistent with known blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD)-fMRI patterns in OCD patients. In addition, we performed ignition-driven mean integration (IDMI) analysis, which combined activity and connectivity analyses, to evaluate neural propagation initiated from brain activation. This analysis revealed an unbalanced distribution of neural propagation initiated from intrinsic local activation to the global network, while these were not detected by the conventional method with BOLD-fMRI. This abnormal function detected by DfMRI was associated with OCD-related behavior. Together, our comprehensive DfMRI approaches can successfully provide information on dynamic brain function in normal and diseased brains

Influence of Dry Eye Disease on the Measurement Repeatability of Corneal Curvature Radius and Axial Length in Patients with Cataract

The influence of dry eye disease (DED) on ocular biometric measurements is unclear. We aimed to investigate the effect of DED on the repeatability of ocular biometric measurements in cataract patients. Overall, 114 eyes scheduled for cataract surgery were enrolled. Before surgery, DED parameters including tear film break-up time (BUT), corneal and conjunctival staining scores, and subjective symptoms were examined. Corneal curvature radius and axial length were assessed twice on the same day using IOLMaster-500 (Carl Zeiss Meditec), and the absolute difference between the two measurements was calculated and used as an index of measurement repeatability. The measurement repeatability of the steep meridian of corneal curvature radius was significantly worse in eyes with DED than in those without DED (p = 0.044) and was significantly associated with BUT (r = −0.206, p = 0.031). The measurement repeatability of axial length was negatively correlated with BUT (r = −0.199, p = 0.041) and positively correlated with the corneal staining score (r = 0.253, p = 0.009). In conclusion, the measurement repeatability of corneal curvature radius declined in eyes with DED. Shortened BUTs were associated with a deterioration in the measurement repeatability of corneal curvature radius and axial length

Visual Functions Affecting Vision-Related Quality of Life Following Intravitreal Ranibizumab Therapy for Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

Visual functions that affect vision-related quality of life (VR-QoL) before and after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab in patients with cystoid macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO-CME) are poorly understood. This multicenter, open-label, single-arm prospective study included 23 treatment-naïve patients with CRVO-CME. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), letter contrast sensitivity (LCS), severity of metamorphopsia (M-CHARTS), amount of aniseikonia (New Aniseikonia Test), and stereopsis (Titmus Stereo Test and TNO stereotest) were examined every month from before treatment to 12 months after treatment. For VR-QoL assessment, the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) was provided to the patients before treatment and at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the BCVA of the fellow eye was related to the VFQ-25 composite score before treatment, and that the BCVA of the fellow eye and TNO values were related to the VFQ-25 composite score 12 months after treatment. Changes in LCS were significantly correlated with changes in the VFQ-25 composite score. In patients with CRVO-CME, visual acuity of the fellow eye had the strongest impact on VR-QoL. The contrast sensitivity of the affected eye and stereopsis were also associated with VR-QoL

Mesopic Functional Visual Acuity in Normal Subjects

<div><p>To evaluate mesopic functional visual acuity (FVA) with a newly developed system in normal subjects and to compare the results with photopic FVA, sixty-eight healthy volunteers (24.03 ± 4.42 [mean ± standard deviation] years) were enrolled in this study. A commercially available FVA measurement system (AS-28; Kowa, Aichi, Japan) was modified to measure FVA under mesopic conditions as well as photopic conditions. Measurements were performed monocularly in photopic conditions during 60 seconds. After dark adaptation for 15 minutes, the same measurements were repeated in mesopic conditions. Outcomes included starting visual acuity (VA), FVA (the average of VAs), visual maintenance ratio (VMR), maximum VA, minimum VA, and numbers of blinks during the 60-second measurement session, and were compared between mesopic and photopic conditions. Starting VA was –0.11 ± 0.08 and 0.39 ± 0.12 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) in photopic and mesopic conditions, respectively. FVA was –0.06 ± 0.09 and 0.52 ± 0.14 logMAR, VMR was 0.98 ± 0.02 and 0.94 ± 0.04, maximum VA was –0.15 ± 0.06 and 0.33 ± 0.12 logMAR, the minimum VA was 0.05 ± 0.12 and 0.78 ± 0.20 logMAR, and the number of blinks was 8.23 ± 7.54 and 7.23 ± 6.20, respectively. All these parameters except the number of blinks were significantly different between the two conditions (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Besides, the difference between maximum and minimum VAs and standard deviation of VA were significantly larger in mesopic than in photopic conditions (<i>P</i> < 0.001). This study revealed that not only overall visual function decline but also instability of vision under mesopic conditions even in healthy subjects.</p></div

Results of functional visual acuity testing in both photopic and mesopic conditions in a representative subject (22 year old female).

<p>All visual outcomes in mesopic conditions were apparently worse than those in photopic conditions. In addition, it should be noted that line graph of visual acuity during 60 seconds remarkably fluctuated in mesopic conditions. VA = visual acuity, max = maximum, min = minimum, SD = standard deviation, logMAR = logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution.</p