CHOROIDAL STRUCTURE IN RP

Purpose: To investigate the choroidal structures in the enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomographic images in eyes with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and to determine correlations between the choroidal structures and visual functions. Methods: The enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomographic images of 100 eyes with typical RP and 60 age-, sex-, and axial length–matched normal eyes were binarized using ImageJ. The cross-sectional luminal and stromal areas of the inner and outer subfoveal choroid of 1,500-µm width were measured. The inner choroid included the choriocapillaris and medium vessel layer, and the outer choroid included the larger vessel layer. Results: In the inner choroid, the luminal area and the ratio of luminal/total choroidal area (L/C ratio) were significantly smaller in RP than in controls (P = 0.010, P < 0.001, respectively), whereas the stromal area was not significantly different (P = 0.114). The inner choroidal L/C ratio was significantly correlated with the best-corrected visual acuity, mean deviation, foveal sensitivity, width of the ellipsoid zone, and central foveal thickness in RP after adjusting for the axial length, age, and sex (all P < 0.005). Conclusion: The significant correlations between the inner choroidal structures and the visual functions and retinal structures indicate that the choroidal structures are altered in association with the progression of RP

Magnetization and transport properties in the superconducting Pr2_{2}Ba4_{4}Cu7_{7}O15−δ_{15-\delta} with metallic double-chain

We have reported the effect of pressure on the magnetization, and transport properties in the nominal composition Pr$_{2}$Ba$_{4}$Cu$_{7}$O$_{15-\delta}$ synthesized by a sol-gel technique. A reduction treatment of the as-sintered sample in vacuum causes higher superconductivity achieving $T_{c,on}=\sim 30$ K for $\delta =0.94$. Application of hydrostatic pressure on the oxygen depleted sample enhances its onset temperature up to 36 K at 1.2 GPa, indicating the nearly optimum doping level of the charge carrier in comparison to the pressure dependence of lower $T_{c}$ samples with $\delta =0.45$. Seebeck coefficient of the superconducting sample shows a metallic conduction, followed by a clear drop below $T_{c,on}$ and is in its temperature dependence below 100 K quite different from that of the non-superconducting one. This finding strongly suggests a dramatic change of the electronic state along the CuO double chain due to the reduction treatment for the appearance of superconductivity .Comment: 5 pages,4 figure

Early use of alendronate as a protective factor against the development of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss in childhood-onset rheumatic diseases: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Bisphosphonates are recommended for use as first-line therapy for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in adults. However, the appropriate usage of bisphosphonates for the prevention or treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in children remains unclear. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study to clarify the factors associated with the development of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss and osteoporosis in patients with childhood-onset rheumatic disease and to investigate the impact of the early use of alendronate. We recruited 39 patients with childhood-onset rheumatic disease who were evaluated to detect bone loss or osteoporosis at 3 months to 1.5 years after the initiation of treatment. The primary outcome of the study was the presence of bone loss or osteoporosis at the initial evaluation of the bone mineral density after at least 3 months of glucocorticoid therapy. Results Bone loss and a history of fracture were found in 56 and 18% of the participants, respectively. Weekly oral alendronate therapy (median, 25.4 mg/m2) had been started by the time of the evaluation of osteoporosis in 46% of the participants and within 3 months after the start of glucocorticoid in 31% of the participants. There were no significant differences between the participants with bone loss (wBL group) and without bone loss (w/oBL group) in terms of gender, primary disease, or the age at the onset of primary disease. In terms of glucocorticoid use, there was no significant difference in the age at the start of glucocorticoid therapy, the length of glucocorticoid use, or the dose of glucocorticoids. The proportion of patients in the w/oBL group who received alendronate within 3 months after the start of glucocorticoid therapy was significantly greater than that in the wBL group. In the logistic regression analysis, only “alendronate therapy within 3 months after the start of glucocorticoid therapy” had a statistically significant effect on the development of bone loss (OR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02–0.43). The analysis did not reveal any factors associated with the development of osteoporosis. Conclusions The early use of alendronate may have a preventive effect against the development of bone loss in glucocorticoid-treated patients with childhood-onset rheumatic disease

Additional file 3: of Early use of alendronate as a protective factor against the development of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss in childhood-onset rheumatic diseases: a cross-sectional study

Table S3. The characteristics and outcomes of alendronate-treated patients with and without bone loss. (DOCX 26 kb

Additional file 4: of Early use of alendronate as a protective factor against the development of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss in childhood-onset rheumatic diseases: a cross-sectional study

Table S4. The outcomes of the alendronate-treated participants who started alendronate within 3 months of the initiation of glucocorticoid therapy and more than 3 months after the initiation of glucocorticoid therapy. (DOCX 20 kb