This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

In vitro rumen incubation studies were conducted to determine effects of initial pH on bacterial attachment and fiber digestion. Ruminal fluid pH was adjusted to 5.7, 6.2 and 6.7, and three major fibrolytic bacteria attached to rice straw in the mixed culture were quantified with real-time PCR. The numbers of attached and unattached Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Ruminocococcus albus were lower (p<0.05) at initial pH of 5.7 without significant difference between those at higher initial pH. Lowering incubation media pH to 5.7 also increased bacterial numbers detached from substrate regardless of bacterial species. Dry matter digestibility, gas accumulation and total VFA production were pH-dependent. Unlike bacterial attachment, maintaining an initial pH of 6.7 increased digestion over initial pH of 6.2. After 48 h in vitro rumen fermentation, average increases in DM digestion, gas accumulation, and total VFA production at initial pH of 6.2 and 6.7 were 2.8 and 4.4, 2.0 and 3.0, and 1.2 and 1.6 times those at initial pH of 5.7, respectively. The lag time to reach above 2% DM digestibility at low initial pH was taken more times (8 h) than at high and middle initial pH (4 h). Current data clearly indicate that ruminal pH is one of the important determinants of fiber digestion, which is modulated via the effect on bacterial attachment to fiber substrates.

No abstract

No abstract

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Purpose To investigate, in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and healthy subjects, the pattern and magnitude of diurnal variation in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) retinal vessel density (RVD). Design Prospective, observational cross-sectional study. Participants A prospective study was conducted on 20POAG patients and 19 healthy subjects. Methods Peripapillary/macular RVD (using swept-source OCTA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and systemic blood pressure (BP) were measured five times a day (8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m.,5 p.m. and 8 p.m.). The magnitudes and patterns of diurnal changes in RVD, diastolic BP, and mean ocular-perfusion pressure (MOPP) were analyzed and compared between the POAG patients and the healthy subjects. Main outcome measures The patterns and magnitudes of diurnal RVD change in OCTA. Results Intra-visit repeatability (0.755–0.943) and inter-visit reproducibility (0.843–0.986) for the RVD measurements showed excellent reliability. In the POAG patients, the magnitude of diurnal change in peripapillary RVD (9.71±7.04%) and macular RVD (7.22±4.73%) were significantly greater than that in the healthy group (5.73±3.85%, P = 0.013 and 5.51±3.45%, P = 0.042, respectively). The magnitudes of diurnal variations of IOP and MOPP in the POAG group likewise were greater than those in the healthy group ( P = 0.003 and 0.039). As for the patterns of diurnal RVD change, interestingly, at 8 p.m., the macular RVD of the healthy group increased to the highest level (44.12±2.95%) while that of the POAG group decreased to the lowest level (40.41±2.54%). Conclusions In POAG eyes, diurnal change of IOP, MOPP and RVD was significantly greater than in the healthy eyes. These findings suggest that diurnal RVD changes might reflect the hemodynamic variation of POAG.

Background/AimsTo investigate the topographic relationship between macular superficial microvessel density (SMD) and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness in eyes with glaucoma-suspect (GS) and early normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).MethodsA total of 86 eyes of 86 patients with early NTG (standard automated perimetry mean deviation >−5.5 decibels) and a total of 25 eyes of 25 patients with GS were retrospectively reviewed. All of the subjects underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) scan. On the OCTA scan images, macular SMD was analysed by customised software.ResultsIn GS and patients with early NTG, macular GCIPL thickness showed significant correlations with macular SMD in the superotemporal (ST), inferotemporal (IT) and inferoinferior (II) sectors (r=0.191, 0.373 and 0.346 for ST, IT and II sector, respectively). Additionally, circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness and macular SMD showed significant correlations between the ST sector of the macula and the 1, 9 clock-hour peripapillary regions and between the IT and II sectors of the macula and the 6, 7, 8 clock-hour peripapillary regions. The IT sector macular SMD showed fair diagnostic power (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC] = 0.758) and showed high diagnostic power when combined with IT sector macular GCIPL thickness (AUROC=0.954).ConclusionsSectoral macular SMD showed topographic correlations with macular GCIPL thickness and circumpapillary RNFL thickness in patients with GS and early-stage NTG. Macular SMD analysis is potentially useful in the clinical evaluation of early glaucoma.

Background/AimsTo investigate the risk factors for disease progression of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) with pretreatment intraocular pressure (IOP) in the low-teens.MethodsOne-hundred and two (102) eyes of 102 patients with NTG with pretreatment IOP≤12 mm Hg who had been followed up for more than 60 months were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were divided into progressor and non-progressor groups according to visual field (VF) progression as correlated with change of optic disc or retinal nerve fibre layer defect. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics including diurnal IOP and 24 hours blood pressure (BP) were compared between the two groups. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify the risk factors for disease progression.ResultsThirty-six patients (35.3%) were classified as progressors and 66 (64.7%) as non-progressors. Between the two groups, no significant differences were found in the follow-up periods (8.7±3.4 vs 7.7±3.2 years; p=0.138), baseline VF mean deviation (−4.50±5.65 vs −3.56±4.30 dB; p=0.348) or pretreatment IOP (11.34±1.21 vs 11.17±1.06 mm Hg; p=0.121). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model indicated that greater diurnal IOP at baseline (HR=1.609; p=0.004), greater fluctuation of diastolic BP (DBP; HR=1.058; p=0.002) and presence of optic disc haemorrhage during follow-up (DH; HR=3.664; p=0.001) were risk factors for glaucoma progression.ConclusionIn the low-teens NTG eyes, 35.3% showed glaucoma progression during the average 8.7 years of follow-up. Fluctuation of DBP and diurnal IOP as well as DH were significantly associated with greater probability of disease progression.