Glaucoma Patients Have a Lower Abundance of Butyrate-Producing Taxa in the Gut.

Purpose: Glaucoma is an eye disease that is the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. It has been suggested that gut microbiota can produce reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines that may travel from the gastric mucosa to distal sites, for example, the optic nerve head or trabecular meshwork. There is evidence for a gut-eye axis, as microbial dysbiosis has been associated with retinal diseases.

Association analyses of rare variants identify two genes associated with refractive error.

Purpose: Genetic variants identified through population-based genome-wide studies are generally of high frequency, exerting their action in the central part of the refractive error spectrum. However, the power to identify associations with variants of lower minor allele frequency is greatly reduced, requiring considerable sample sizes. Here we aim to assess the impact of rare variants on genetic variation of refractive errors in a very large general population cohort.

Association between dietary niacin and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in healthy eyes of different ages.

Background: To investigate the relationship between dietary intake of niacin (water-soluble form of vitamin B ) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness in healthy eyes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the association between daily niacin intake and RNFL thickness in three large population-based cohorts with varied age differences. RNFL thickness was extracted from optical coherence tomography data; energy-adjusted niacin intake was estimated from food frequency questionnaires.

A genome-wide analysis of 340 318 participants identifies four novel loci associated with the age of first spectacle wear.

Refractive errors, particularly myopia, are the most common eye conditions, often leading to serious visual impairment. The age of onset is correlated with the severity of refractive error in adulthood observed in epidemiological and genetic studies and can be used as a proxy in refractive error genetic studies. To further elucidate genetic factors that influence refractive error, we analysed self-reported age of refractive error correction data from the UK Biobank European and perform genome-wide time-to-event analyses on the age of first spectacle wear (AFSW).

Correction: Genetic variation affects morphological retinal phenotypes extracted from UK Biobank optical coherence tomography images.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.

Genetic variation affects morphological retinal phenotypes extracted from UK Biobank optical coherence tomography images.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) enables non-invasive imaging of the retina and is used to diagnose and manage ophthalmic diseases including glaucoma. We present the first large-scale genome-wide association study of inner retinal morphology using phenotypes derived from OCT images of 31,434 UK Biobank participants. We identify 46 loci associated with thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer or ganglion cell inner plexiform layer.

Association Between Medication-Taking and Refractive Error in a Large General Population-Based Cohort.

Purpose: Refractive errors, particularly myopia, are common and a leading cause of blindness. This study aimed to explore associations between medications and refractive error in an aging adult cohort and to determine whether childhood-onset refractive errors predict future medication use to provide novel insights into disease mechanisms.

Methods: The study compared the spherical equivalent values measured in 102,318 UK Biobank participants taking the 960 most commonly used medications.

Associations Between Fetal Growth Trajectories and the Development of Myopia by 20 Years of Age.

Purpose: To evaluate the contribution of genetic and early life environmental factors, as reflected by fetal anthropometric growth trajectories, toward the development of myopia during childhood and adolescence.

Methods: This analysis included 498 singleton Caucasian participants from the Raine Study, a pregnancy cohort study based in Western Australia. Serial fetal biometric measurements of these participants were collected via ultrasound scans performed at 18, 24, 28, 34, and 38 weeks' gestation.

Age-dependent regional retinal nerve fibre changes in SIX1/SIX6 polymorphism.

SIX1/SIX6 polymorphism has been shown to be associated with glaucoma. Studies have also found that, in older adults, retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness is significantly thinned with each copy of the risk allele in SIX1/SIX6. However, it is not known whether these genetic variants exert their effects in younger individuals.

Comparison of Associations with Different Macular Inner Retinal Thickness Parameters in a Large Cohort: The UK Biobank.

Purpose: To describe and compare associations with macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thicknesses in a large cohort.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Participants: We included 42 044 participants in the UK Biobank.

Genetic Variants Associated With Corneal Biomechanical Properties and Potentially Conferring Susceptibility to Keratoconus in a Genome-Wide Association Study.

Importance: Keratoconus is an important cause of visual loss in young adults, but little is known about its genetic causes. Understanding the genetic determinants of corneal biomechanical factors may in turn teach us about keratoconus etiology.

Objectives: To identify genetic associations with corneal biomechanical properties and to examine whether these genetic variants are associated with keratoconus.

Ascorbic acid metabolites are involved in intraocular pressure control in the general population.

Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is an important risk factor for glaucoma. Mechanisms involved in its homeostasis are not well understood, but associations between metabolic factors and IOP have been reported. To investigate the relationship between levels of circulating metabolites and IOP, we performed a metabolome-wide association using a machine learning algorithm, and then employing Mendelian Randomization models to further explore the strength and directionality of effect of the metabolites on IOP.

Genome-wide analyses identify 68 new loci associated with intraocular pressure and improve risk prediction for primary open-angle glaucoma.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness globally . Despite its gravity, the disease is frequently undiagnosed in the community . Raised intraocular pressure (IOP) is the most important risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Sixteen new lung function signals identified through 1000 Genomes Project reference panel imputation.

Lung function measures are used in the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In 38,199 European ancestry individuals, we studied genome-wide association of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC with 1000 Genomes Project (phase 1)-imputed genotypes and followed up top associations in 54,550 Europeans. We identify 14 novel loci (P<5 × 10(-8)) in or near ENSA, RNU5F-1, KCNS3, AK097794, ASTN2, LHX3, CCDC91, TBX3, TRIP11, RIN3, TEKT5, LTBP4, MN1 and AP1S2, and two novel signals at known loci NPNT and GPR126, providing a basis for new understanding of the genetic determinants of these traits and pulmonary diseases in which they are altered.

Genome-wide meta-analysis of myopia and hyperopia provides evidence for replication of 11 loci.

Refractive error (RE) is a complex, multifactorial disorder characterized by a mismatch between the optical power of the eye and its axial length that causes object images to be focused off the retina. The two major subtypes of RE are myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness), which represent opposite ends of the distribution of the quantitative measure of spherical refraction. We performed a fixed effects meta-analysis of genome-wide association results of myopia and hyperopia from 9 studies of European-derived populations: AREDS, KORA, FES, OGP-Talana, MESA, RSI, RSII, RSIII and ERF.

Genome-wide association studies of refractive error and myopia, lessons learned, and implications for the future.

The investigation of the genetic basis of refractive error and myopia entered a new stage with the introduction of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Multiple GWAS on many ethnic groups have been published over the years, providing new insight into the genetic architecture and pathophysiology of refractive error. This is a review of the GWAS published to date, the main lessons learned, and future possible directions of genetic studies of myopia and refractive error.

The heritability of ocular traits.

Heritability is the proportion of phenotypic variation in a population that is attributable to genetic variation among individuals. Many ophthalmic disorders and biometric traits are known to have a genetic basis and consequently much work has been published in the literature estimating the heritability of various ocular parameters. We collated and summarized the findings of heritability studies conducted in the field of ophthalmology.

Applications of slow electron velocity map imaging to the study of spectroscopy and dynamics in small aromatic molecules.

Slow electron velocity map imaging provides a means of performing relatively high resolution photoelectron spectroscopy while still maintaining many of the advantages of imaging techniques. Here, we describe its application to the spectroscopy and dynamics of some substituted toluene molecules and show it to be a versatile technique whose resolution can approach that of zero kinetic energy (ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy, and provides a good match to the bandwidth of transform limited 1 ps laser pulses. We provide a series of comparisons of the results obtained with different ionizing wavelengths and use these to help understand the advantages and limitations of the technique.

The heritability of corneal hysteresis and ocular pulse amplitude: a twin study.

Purpose: To examine the roles of genetic and environmental factors in corneal hysteresis and ocular pulse amplitude by performing a classic twin study.

Design: Cross-sectional twin study.

Participants And/or Controls: Two hundred sixty-four twin pairs: 135 monozygotic (MZ) and 129 dizygotic (DZ).

The Roles of PAX6 and SOX2 in Myopia: lessons from the 1958 British Birth Cohort.

Purpose: Myopia is a common complex trait that affects up to 60% of some populations. Its development is influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors. PAX6 and SOX2 are genes with fundamental roles in ocular growth and development, and they have been linked with myopia in a recent linkage study.

Zero electron kinetic energy spectroscopy of the para-fluorotoluene cation.

Zero electron kinetic energy (ZEKE) spectroscopy is employed to gain information on the vibrational energy levels of the para-fluorotoluene (pFT) cation. Vibrationally resolved spectra are obtained following excitation through a range of intermediate vibrational energy levels in the S1 state. These spectra allow the observation of different cationic vibrational modes, whose assignment is achieved both from a knowledge of the S1 vibrational states and also by comparison with density functional calculations.

Progress in understanding the intramolecular vibrational redistribution dynamics in the S(1) state of para-fluorotoluene.

We employ zero-kinetic-energy (ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy with nanosecond laser pulses to study intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR) in S(1) para-fluorotoluene. The frequency resolution of the probe step is superior to that obtained in any studies on this molecule to date. We focus on the behavior of the 13(1) (C-CH(3) stretch) and 7a(1) (C-F stretch) vibrational states whose dynamics have previously received significant attention, but with contradictory results.

Observation of a simple vibrational wavepacket in a polyatomic molecule via time-resolved photoelectron velocity-map imaging: a prototype for time-resolved IVR studies.

We have prepared a coherent superposition of the two components of a Fermi resonance in the S1 state of toluene at approximately 460 cm(-1) with a approximately 1 ps laser pulse and monitored time-resolved photoelectron velocity-map images. The photoelectron intensities oscillate with time in a manner that depends on their kinetic energy, even though full vibrational resolution in the cation is not achieved. Analysis of the time-dependent photoelectron spectra enables information on the composition of the S1 wavepacket to be deduced.