Retinal vessel metrics: normative data and their use in systemic hypertension: results from the Gutenberg Health Study.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW In-vivo measurement of retinal vascular calibers may be used as a tool to study the pathophysiology and clinical status of the microvasculature of the retina. The aim of this study was to generate normative data for retinal vessel parameters, and to evaluate the clinical relevance in systemic hypertension. METHODS Fundus photographs from 4309 participants of the Gutenberg Health Study were assessed using the 'retinal vessel analyzer' software (IMEDOS). We generated age and sex-specific nomograms in a disease-free subpopulation of 890 participants for determining the central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE), the central retinal venular equivalent, and the arteriovenous ratio (AVR). RESULTS Women had higher values of CRAE, central retinal venular equivalent, and AVR than men, and the decrease in measures with increasing age was less steep in women than in men. Systemic hypertension was associated with lower values [odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI) referring to area below the 5% percentile] of AVR (men: OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.669-3.490, P < 0.001; women: OR 3.01, 95% CI 2.126-4.268, P < 0.001) and CRAE (men: OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.563-4.326, P < 0.001, women: OR 3.00, 95% CI 2.004-4.487, P < 0.001). Both median CRAE and AVR were lower in participants with uncontrolled hypertension (172.28, range 83.05-251.04; and 0.81, range 0.56-1.04) versus those with screening-detected hypertension (175.72, range 101.23-222.09, P < 0.001; and 0.82, range 0.64-1.05, P = 0.001), and versus those with controlled (179.10, range 108.19-221.92, P < 0.001; and 0.84, range 0.60-1.08, P < 0.001) hypertension. CONCLUSION The study provides sex and age-specific normative data for retinal vasculature. Persons with untreated or insufficiently treated hypertension are more likely to have retinal vessel equivalents outside the reference range

Massenspektrometrische Spurengasmessungen in Abgasfahnen von Duesentriebwerken zur Untersuchung des Einflusses des Luftverkehrs auf die Atmosphaere Abschlussbericht

To estimate the influence of airtraffic on the atmosphere and climate, detailed knowledge is required about the composition, distribution, and the chemical and physical evolution of jet engine exhaust at cruise altitude, i.e., in the region of the upper troposphere, tropopause, and lower stratosphere. For this purpose we performed mass spectrometric measurements of trace gases (SO_2, H_2SO_4, HNO_3, HNO_2, HCN, (CH_3)_2CO, CH_3CN), ions, and aerosol particles directly behind aircraft at cruise altitude or at ground, as well as inside the North Atlantic flight corridor. The presence of sulfuric acid, in major part as an aerosol component, in the exhaust plume of an aircraft at cruise altitude could be demonstrated for the first time. The conversion efficiency of fuel sulfur to H_2SO_4 amounts to at least 0.4%. Increased concentrations of HNO_3, HNO_2, and SO_2 were also found in young exhaust plumes. The data indicate the conversion of about 1.3% of the NO_2 and NO formed by combustion to the respective acid by reaction with OH radicals. The total number of positive ions probably exceeds 10&quot;9 cm&quot;-&quot;3 at the engine exit and steeply decreases with increasing plume age due to ion-ion recombination. Massive ions with masses up to above 8500 amu were detected already in the very young plume, i.e., at a distance of a few m behind the engine. The mass distributions of positive and negative ions differ markedly. The abundance of negative ions above 450 amu about 100 m behind an aircraft at cruise altitude is about 1000 times higher than in the background atmosphere. Large-scale measurements in the North Atlantic flight corridor did not reval significantly enhanced concentrations of trace gases. Polluted air masses, probably originating from the planetary boundary layer, were detected above the Atlantic. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: DtF QN1(72,40) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Stadt 2030 Karlsruhe: Grenzen ueberschreiten im FUTURE-Bereich der Stadt Karlsruhe. Teilprojekt 1: Bindeglied Rheinlandschaft - raeumliche Verknuepfung in der Stadtregion Karlsruhe Schlussbericht

SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F03B461 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, Berlin (Germany)DEGerman