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We applied deep learning-based noise reduction (NR) to optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCTA) images of the radial peripapillary capillaries (RPCs) in eyes with glaucoma and investigated the usefulness of this method as an objective analysis of glaucoma.This cross-sectional study included 118 eyes of 94 open-angle glaucoma patients (male/female = 38/56, age: 56.1 ± 10.3 years). We used OCTA (OCT-HS100, Canon) and built-in software (RX software, v. 4.5) to perform NR and calculate RPC vessel area density (VAD) and skeleton vessel length density (VLD). We also examined NR's effect on reproducibility. Finally, we assessed the vascular structure (PRCs)/function relationship at different glaucoma stages with Spearman's correlation.Regardless of NR, RPC parameters had excellent coefficients of variation (1.7-4.1%) in glaucoma patients and controls, and mean deviation (MD) was significantly correlated with VAD (NR:Denoised RPC images might have the potential for a closer structural/functional relationship, in which the floor effect of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness affects measurements. Deep learning-based NR promises to improve glaucoma assessment.

[Purpose] To examine the health-related quality of life of community-dwelling elderly by age group in the early stage of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic [Participants and Methods] The subjects were 201 older adults who had attended a university open lecture at least once in the past Responses to a questionnaire, sent to the participants on April 1st, 2020, were compared with those collected after the most recent open lecture The questionnaire items included age, outing frequency, and the Short Form-36 item health survey ver 2 (SF-36) [Results] For those in their 60s and 70s, the scores for “Physical functioning”, “Social functioning” and “Mental health” were significantly lower after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic than before For those in their 80s, there was no significant difference between the SF-36 scores recorded before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic [Conclusion] Care for older adults in an emergency situation should be tailored according to age group © 2020, Society of Physical Therapy Science (Rigaku Ryoho Kagakugakkai) All rights reserved

Aim: The present study aims to examine the association between tongue and lip movement and physical fitness with a sample of independent community-dwelling elderly. Methods: A total of 119 older adults living in a city of Japan participated in this study. Tongue and lip movement was evaluated with oral diadochokinesis (ODK) rate for the syllable “pa”, “ta”, and “ka” measured by counting syllable repetitions within one second. Physical fitness was objectively evaluated with the Timed-Up and Go Test (TUG) and the 30-Second Chair Stand Test (CS-30). Subjective physical fitness was also assessed with a Physical Component Summary score (PCS) of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Partial correlation coefficients between ODK rates and physical fitness measures were obtained after adjusting the effects of age and the number of present teeth. Results: There were significant differences in ODK rates for the syllable “ta” and “ka” between the participants aged 65 - 74 and 75 or older. Significant differences in all the physical fitness measures were also observed in the two age groups. Partial correlation analysis with age and number of present teeth as covariates yielded significant correlations of ODK rates to TUG and PCS, but not with CS-30. Conclusion: Older adults whose functional mobility declined tended to maintain the movement of tongue and lips. Moreover, those who perceived declining physical fitness also tended to show a decline of tongue and lip movement. Thus, the present study added some knowledge on the relationships between general physical fitness and tongue and lip movement. It also made several suggestions for future interventions based on the findings.

Background: For effective allocations of limited human resources, it is significant to have accurate estimates of future elderly care demands at the regional level, especially in areas where aging and population decline vary by region, such as Hokkaido prefecture in Japan.Objectives: The present study aimed to estimate the numbers of short-stay service recipients in all administrative units in Hokkaido from 2020 to 2045 with the machine learning approaches and reviewed the changing trends of spatial distributions of the service recipients with cartograms.Methods: A machine learning approach was used for the estimation. To develop the model to estimate, population data in Japan from 2015 to 2017 were used as input signals, whereas data on the numbers of short-stay service recipients at each level of needs for long-term care (levels 1–5) from 2015 to 2017 were used as a supervisory signal. Three models were developed to avoid problems of repeatability. Then, data of the projected population in Hokkaido every 5 years from 2020 to 2045 were fed into each model to estimate the numbers of the service recipients for the 188 administrative units of Hokkaido. The medians of the estimations from the models were considered as the final results; the estimates for 188 administrative units were presented with continuous area cartograms on the map of Hokkaido.Results: The developed models predicted that the number of the service recipients in Hokkaido would peak at 18,016 in 2035 and the number of people at level 3 in particular would increase. The cartograms for levels 2 and 3 from 2020 to 2030 and level 3 for 2035 were heavily distorted in the populated areas in Hokkaido.Discussion: The large correlation coefficients indicated the accuracy of estimations by the developed models. The growing number of the service recipients especially at level 3 by 2035 was assumed to be related to aging of the first baby boomers in Japan. The distortions of the cartograms suggested that the majority of the service recipients would be concentrated in the populated areas in Hokkaido. Future allocations of human resources were discussed on the basis of the findings.

Objectives:The objective of this study is to provide road centerline data for professionals of disaster medicine areas who are often beginners in GIS use.Methods:Newly developed vector tile format data were converted into shapefile format data, then were organized as second level medical districts to which medical professionals are accustomed.Results:Road centerline data in Japan is being prepared to release from Association for Promotion of Infrastructure Geospatial Information Distribution free of charge.Conclusion:Professionals of disaster medicine areas increased their accessibility of GIS. Logistic planning for evacuation activities and dispatching of rescue teams were improved.

PurposeTo investigate the clinical significance of color visual acuity (CVA) in preperimetric glaucoma (PPG) and open-angle glaucoma (OAG).MethodsA total of 123 eyes of 73 subjects (22 normal eyes, 14 PPG eyes, and 87 OAG eyes; mean age: 44.9 ± 10.1 years, age range: 21-64 years) were enrolled. CVA was tested for red, green-yellow, blue-green and blue-purple with a newly developed test.ResultsThere was no statistical difference in clinical background factors, including age, sex, intraocular pressure, or spherical equivalent between the three groups. Red VA and blue-green VA were significantly worse in the OAG eyes than in the normal eyes (P = 0.008 and P = 0.015, respectively), although green-yellow VA and blue-purple VA were not significantly worse. Furthermore, red VA and blue-green VA were significantly correlated with MD in a group of eyes with either PPG or OAG (r = -0.23, P = 0.023; r = -0.25, P = 0.012, respectively), but green-yellow VA and blue-purple VA were not.ConclusionRed VA and blue-green VA were detectably worse in eyes with OAG, in close association with the degree of functional loss. This suggests that measuring CVA with the new color test described here may be a promising supplement to existing methods of detecting glaucoma and evaluating its severity.

Aqueous anthracene/phenanthrene compound solutions were treated with chlorine under various experimental conditions. Diethyl ether extracts from the chlorinated waters were determined by gas chromatography for their product distributions, and were tested for their mutagenic effects on TA98 and TA100 strains with and without S9 mix. Aqueous chlorination not only generated mutagens from non-mutagenic compounds (anthracene, 2-methylanthracene, phenanthrene and 2-methylphenanthrene), but also enhanced the activity of mutagenic compounds (9, 10-dimethyl anthracene and 1-methylphenanthrene). The chlorination products of anthracene compounds were most mutagenic on TA98 strain with S9 mix, while these products of phenanthrene compounds were mutagenic without S9 mix. The parent compounds were shown to produce a variety of chlorination products, including chlorine-substituted, oxygenated, and hydroxylated compounds. The formation of chlorination products and mutagenic substances was dependent on the reaction pH and chlorine dose. The significance of these findings for water chlorination systems is discussed.