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Yosuke Harada,1,2 Ken Fukuda,1 Asami Nakahira,1 Kentaro Tada,1 Tamaki Sumi,1 Atsuki Fukushima1 1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku, Japan; 2Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of therapy in patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) anterior uveitis. Patients and methods: We reviewed the records of patients with CMV anterior uveitis who attended our institution between October 2010 and December 2015 and who were confirmed to have CMV DNA in the aqueous humor by polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results: Fourteen immunocompetent patients (10 men and 4 women, total of 17 eyes) were enrolled. The mean ± SD age at the onset of antiviral therapy was 63.1 ± 11.3 years (range, 44–87 years). CMV DNA was not detected in the aqueous humor of 3 patients on initial testing, but it was detected on subsequent analysis. All patients underwent systemic antiviral therapy. Among the patients who were followed up for more than 6 months after starting systemic antiviral therapy, systemic antiviral therapy was successfully terminated in all 4 patients without corneal endothelial loss but had to be continued because of disease recurrence on its termination in 5 of 8 patients (62.5%) with corneal endothelial damage (P = 0.038). Conclusions: Patients with corneal endothelial cell loss are likely to require longer term antiviral therapy than those without endothelial damage. In addition, whereas definitive diagnosis of CMV anterior uveitis requires the detection of CMV DNA in aqueous humor by polymerase chain reaction, one-fifth of patients in the present study tested negative on initial examination. Keywords: cytomegalovirus, anterior uveitis, corneal endothelial cell, polymerase chain reaction, clinical course

Yoko Ikeda,1,2,* Kazuhiko Mori,1,* Kaori Tada,3 Morio Ueno,1 Shigeru Kinoshita,4 Chie Sotozono1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 2Oike-Ganka Ikeda Clinic, 3Department of Ophthalmology, Japanese Red Cross Society Kyoto Daini Hospital, 4Department of Frontier Medical Science and Technology for Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: To evaluate and compare the intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction efficacy and safety between the ophthalmic solutions 0.005% latanoprost (Lat) and 0.0015% tafluprost (Taf) in Japanese patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).Methods: In this randomized nonmasked study, we prospectively enrolled 30 Japanese NTG patients who had used Lat monotherapy for more than 4 weeks, and randomly divided them into the following two groups: 1) Lat-to-Taf group (LT group) and 2) Taf-to-Lat group (TL group). At the beginning of the study, both groups were switched from initial Lat to Lat or Taf for 12 weeks, and then switched over to the other drug (crossover) for 12 additional weeks. At 0, 4, 12, 16, and 24 weeks, we evaluated each patient’s IOP, conjunctival injection, and corneal epitheliopathy score, and at 0, 12, and 24 weeks, we evaluated their eyelash changes and pigmentation of the eyelids and irises.Results: The mean IOP of the LT group (15 eyes) was 10.5, 10.6, and 11.1 mmHg, at 0, 12, and 24 weeks, respectively, whereas that of the TL group (15 eyes) was 11.7, 11.1, and 10.5 mmHg at 0, 12, and 24 weeks, respectively. No significant differences were found between the two groups and in the intragroup comparisons. Moreover, no significant differences were found between Lat and Taf in regard to the conjunctival injection score and corneal epitheliopathy score. Eyelash changes and eyelid and iris pigmentation were similar in both groups.Conclusion: The findings of this study show that Lat and Taf have equivalent efficacy and safety in Japanese patients with NTG. Keywords: latanoprost, tafluprost, normal-tension glaucoma, crossover

Net ecosystem production (NEP) by submerged aquatic vegetation plays a substantial role in capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide into aquatic ecosystems. In lakes and estuaries, the net uptake of carbon dioxide by submerged aquatic vegetation is mediated by stratification of the water column which suppresses the vertical flux of carbon dioxide between the upper and lower layers. The presence of submerged aquatic vegetation can also affect the strength of stratification such that the interactions between vegetation, stratification, and NEP can moderate the carbon dioxide emissions. Since stratification can occur in lakes and estuaries, there is need for a new numerical approach able to consider the effect of submerged aquatic vegetation on stratification, NEP, and carbon dioxide. This study aims to develop a model to investigate how stratification, mediated by vegetation density and flexibility, affects the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). After initial parameterization of coefficients based on experimental work, horizontal and vertical variations in DIC were successfully modeled by a spatially (horizontally) integrated DIC (SiDIC) model, which was validated with field observations from an estuarine and freshwater lake case study. The SiDIC model was able to reproduce the pCO2 changes between daytime and nighttime throughout the water column. Sensitivity tests showed that the fluctuation of pCO2 was controlled by the suppression of stratification due to the density of submerged aquatic vegetation. The results highlight the importance of resolving vegetation‐induced stratification when modeling the carbon budget within freshwater lakes and coastal environments. Plain Language Summary: The key idea of the present study is that "vegetation‐induced stratification" suppresses vertical mixing in lakes and plays a substantial role in determining how much atmospheric carbon dioxide exchanges with the water. Field observations in Komuke Lagoon and Lake Monger were used to create a representative data set for understanding dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) metabolism in coastal and freshwater lake ecosystems, respectively. A spatially integrated DIC model was then created to reveal that the fluctuation of partial pressure of carbon dioxide was controlled by the suppression of stratification which is related to the density of submerged aquatic vegetation. The results demonstrate the effect of submerged aquatic vegetation on the vertical mixing of DIC, with implications for our understanding of carbon capture within aquatic ecosystems. Key Points: Submerged vegetation promotes stratification in shallow freshwater and coastal lakes which can impact net CO2 captureModel results demonstrate that vegetation properties mediate the diurnal pCO2 excursion by influencing vertical exchange with the canopyThe results highlight the importance of resolving vegetation‐mediated changes in mixing when estimating carbon uptake by submerged canopies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]