Grad-CAM-Based Investigation into Acute-Stage Fluorescein Angiography Images to Predict Long-Term Visual Prognosis of Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion.

: The purpose of this study was to analyze relevant areas in acute-stage fluorescein angiography (FA) images, predicting the long-term visual prognosis of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) based on gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM). : This retrospective observational study included 136 eyes with BRVO that were followed up for more than a year post-FA. Cropped grayscale images centered on the fovea (200 × 200 pixels) were manually pre-processed from early-phase FA at the acute phase.

Stratified choroidal vascular structure in treatment-naïve diabetic retinopathy.

Objective: To analyze the anatomical choroidal vascular layers in topical treatment-naïve diabetic retinopathy (DR) eyes.

Design: A retrospective, clinical case-control study.

Methods: A total of 328 eyes from 228 patients with treatment-naive DR and 192 eyes matched for axial length from 174 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.

Extraction spectrophotometry using a lithium-ion selective metallacrown: temperature effect on extraction reaction and application to determination of lithium in serum and seawater.

A metallacrown-type ionophore, 2,3-pyridinediolate-bridged (3,5-dimethylanisole)ruthenium trinuclear complex, has a high extraction selectivity for Li, but the extraction reaction is very slow. To solve this problem, the effect of temperature on the rapidity and equilibrium of the extraction of Li and Na as picrates from water to toluene with the metallacrown was investigated in this study. While the extraction of Li requires 6 h of shaking for equilibration at 25 °C, the distribution ratio becomes nearly constant after 4 h and 2 h of shaking at 37 °C and 50 °C, respectively.

Factors to Reduce Drug-Related Recidivism Among Paroled Methamphetamine Users in Japan: 10-Year Data Analysis.

This study explored factors to reduce drug-related recidivism among paroled methamphetamine users in Japan, especially the significance of continuing care and motivation, internationally shown as positively related to better treatment outcomes. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed on 10-year drug-related recidivism data from 4,084 methamphetamine users paroled in 2007 who received a mandatory educational program conducted by professional and volunteer probation officers. Independent variables included participant characteristics, an index of motivation, and the length of parole as a substitute for the duration of continuing care with consideration of the Japanese legal system structures and socio-cultural context.

Use of ionic liquids for extraction separation and concentration of iodide ions in brine samples.

Iodine in natural salt waters such as iodine-rich underground brine generally exists as iodide ions, and to extract iodide ions, it is necessary to oxidize them to nonpolar iodine molecules. In this study, we report that iodide ions in natural brine containing high concentrations of chloride ions can be quantitatively extracted without oxidation by extraction using ionic liquids. Extraction with the ionic liquids trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride and trioctyl ammonium chloride was found to be able to enrich trace amounts of iodide in brine samples up to 40- and 100-fold, respectively.