27 research outputs found
OP0063 QUANTITATIVE COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY PREDICTS 10-YEAR MORTALITY IN INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE RELATED TO SYSTEMIC SCLEROSI
Background:
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the main cause of death in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Chest CT is the gold standard in detecting ILD although it is not easy to understand its prognostic value. ILD qualitative assessment is almost worthless. Goh et al. semi quantitative score of ILD extent is related to mortality risk but it is burdened by relevant inter/intra-readers variability. An operator independent algorithm based on voxel-wise analysis proved to identify SSc patients with an increased risk of mortality according to prediction models.
Objectives:
To verify if quantitative analysis of chest CT (QCT) predict 10 years-mortality in SSc patients.
Methods:
SSc patients with availability of a chest CT were enrolled in 13 different centers. The CT voxel-wise analysis with a free software (www.horosproject.com) provided QCT indexes: kurtosis, skewness, mean lung attenuation and standard deviation. Patients
Regulation of proteinaceous effector expression in phytopathogenic fungi
Effectors are molecules used by microbial pathogens to facilitate infection via effector-triggered susceptibility or tissue necrosis in their host. Much research has been focussed on the identification and elucidating the function of fungal effectors during plant pathogenesis. By comparison, knowledge of how phytopathogenic fungi regulate the expression of effector genes has been lagging. Several recent studies have illustrated the role of various transcription factors, chromosome-based control, effector epistasis, and mobilisation of endosomes within the fungal hyphae in regulating effector expression and virulence on the host plant. Improved knowledge of effector regulation is likely to assist in improving novel crop protection strategies
The WOPR Protein Ros1 Is a Master Regulator of Sporogenesis and Late Effector Gene Expression in the Maize Pathogen Ustilago maydis
475Ventricular arrhythmias at 24-hours ambulatory ECG monitoring: young versus senior competitive athletes
P658Prevalence and determinant of ventricular arrhythmias at 24-hours ambulatory ECG monitoring in young competitive athletes and sedentary controls
Normal values for fundus perimetry with the microperimeter MP1.
Purpose: To identify age-stratified normal light sensitivity values for microperimetry (fundus perimetry) and
to evaluate the short-term repeatability of the MP1 microperimeter in normal volunteers.
Design: Multicenter, prospective, observational study.
Participants: One hundred ninety subjects.
Methods: One hundred ninety eyes of 190 healthy volunteers (age range, 20\u201375 years) underwent automatic,
full-threshold microperimetry of the central field (2020\ub0, 77 stimulated points) with the MP1 microperimeter
(Nidek Technologies, Gamagori, Japan). Fixation was documented simultaneously. A subgroup of 10
subjects was retested after 1 hour and 1 week to determine the repeatability of this technique.
Main Outcome Measures: By linear regression analyses, light sensitivity values were obtained from 4
fundus areas and were analyzed for differences related to region, age, and, in a subset of subjects, repeat testing
over time and right and left eye variability. Short-term repeatability for each area was evaluated by calculating
intraclass correlation coefficients.
Results: Linear regression analysis showed a significantly greater (P0.0001) mean macular sensitivity
of 19.60.5 dB in the 20 to 29 years of age group compared with 18.61.5 dB in the oldest age group of
70 to 75 years. These results were confirmed by the fifth percentile of light sensitivity threshold distribution.
Normal and 95% confidence interval age-stratified values were calculated. When results for all 190 subjects
were analyzed by region, the superior retinal sector showed significantly lower mean sensitivity values than
other sectors (P0.01, Bonferroni test). In a subset of 10 subjects, repeatability of the test performed at 3
separate visits showed consistent values over time in all areas (P0.01, intraclass correlation coefficients).
Conclusions: Automatic fundus perimetry with the MP1 microperimeter allows for an accurate, repeatable,
topographically specific examination of the retinal threshold in selected retinal areas. These findings are the first
extensive database of age-related, normal MP1 microperimetry results available to clinician