Sustainable consumption: towards action and impact. : International scientific conference November 6th-8th 2011, Hamburg - European Green Capital 2011, Germany: abstract volume

This volume contains the abstracts of all oral and poster presentations of the international scientific conference „Sustainable Consumption – Towards Action and Impact“ held in Hamburg (Germany) on November 6th-8th 2011. This unique conference aims to promote a comprehensive academic discourse on issues concerning sustainable consumption and brings together scholars from a wide range of academic disciplines. In modern societies, private consumption is a multifaceted and ambivalent phenomenon: it is a ubiquitous social practice and an economic driving force, yet at the same time, its consequences are in conflict with important social and environmental sustainability goals. Finding paths towards “sustainable consumption” has therefore become a major political issue. In order to properly understand the challenge of “sustainable consumption”, identify unsustainable patterns of consumption and bring forward the necessary innovations, a collaborative effort of researchers from different disciplines is needed

DOPPLER ULTRASOUND STUDY OF PENIS IN MEN WITH SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS: A CORRELATION WITH DOPPLER INDICES OF RENAL AND DIGITAL ARTERIES

Erectile dysfunction (ED) prevalence in male systemic sclerosis (SSc) is high and its pathogenesis is unclear. The aim of the study is to assess correlation between Doppler ultrasound indices of penis and kidneys or digital arteries in male systemic sclerosis. Fourteen men with systemic sclerosis were enrolled in this study. Erectile function was investigated by the International Index of Erectile Function-5. Peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, resistive index, pulsative index, and systolic/diastolic ratio were measured on the cavernous arteries at the peno-scrotal junction in the flaccid state, on the interlobar artery of both kidneys and all ten proper palmar digital arteries. Ten (71%) patients have an International Index of Erectile Function-5 < 21. Reduction of penis peak systolic velocity was observed in all SSc subjects. Doppler indices of cavernous arteries correlate with the International Index of Erectile Function-5. The renal and digital arteries resistive index demonstrated a good correlation (p < 0.0001) with International Index of Erectile Function-5. A positive correlation exists between penis and kidney arteries Doppler indices: end diastolic velocity (p < 0.05, r=0.54), resistive index (p < 0.0001, r=0.90), systolic/diastolic ratio (p < 0.01, r=0.69). A positive correlation was observed between penis and digital arteries Doppler indices: peak systolic velocity (p < 0.01, r=0.68), end diastolic velocity (p < 0.01, r=0.75), resistive index (p < 0.001, r=0.79), systolic/diastolic ratio (p < 0.05, r=0.59). A correlation exists between arterial impairment of penis and renal or digital arteries

Early myocardial damage and microvascular dysfunction in asymptomatic patients with systemic sclerosis: A cardiovascular magnetic resonance study with cold pressor test.

PurposeCardiac involvement in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is increasingly recognized as a mayor cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of present study is to investigate the early stages of cardiac involvement in SSc by Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), combining the non-invasive detection of myocardial inflammation and fibrosis using T2 and T1 mapping techniques and the assessment of microcirculatory impairment through perfusion response to cold pressor test (CPT).Methods40 SSc patients (30 females, mean age: 42.1 years) without cardiac symptoms and 10 controls underwent CMR at 1.5 T unit. CMR protocol included: native and contrast-enhanced T1 mapping, T2 mapping, T2-weighted, cineMR and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging. Microvascular function was evaluated by comparing myocardial blood flow (MBF) on perfusion imaging acquired at rest and after CPT. Native myocardial T1 and T2 relaxation times, extracellular volume fraction (ECV), T2 signal intensity ratio, biventricular volumes and LGE were assessed in each patient.ResultsSSc patients had significantly higher mean myocardial T1 (1029±32ms vs. 985±18ms, pConclusionsMyocardial involvement in SSc at preclinical stage increases native T1, T2 and ECV values, reflecting inflammation and fibrosis, and reduces vasodilatory response to CPT, as expression of microvascular dysfunction

Clitoral blood flow in systemic sclerosis women: correlation with disease clinical variables and female sexual dysfunction

Objectives. The objectives of this study were to investigate clitoral blood flow in SSc women compared with healthy controls and to correlate it with microvascular damage and disease clinical variables. We also evaluated the correlation between clitoral blood flow and sexual dysfunction. Methods. Twenty-two SSc women and 20 healthy controls matched for sex and age were enrolled in this study. Baseline Doppler indices of the clitoral artery were measured. Peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, resistive index (RI), pulsatile index (PI) and systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio were measured. The female sexual function index (FSFI) was used to assess sexual function. Results. The RI and S/D ratio were higher (P < 0.0001) in SSc women compared with healthy controls. The PI, RI and S/D ratio increased with progression of capillaroscopic damage. The RI and S/D ratio were higher (P < 0.01) in women with digital ulcers than in women without digital ulcers. No correlation exists between Doppler indices of the clitoral artery and age or clinical variables of disease. The FSFI was reduced in 7 (32%) of 22 SSc women. A negative correlation was observed between both the FSFI and RI (R = -0.74, P < 0.0001) and the S/D ratio (R = -0.68, P < 0.0001). A negative correlation exists between the RI and all domains of the FSFI score except for desire. Conclusion. Clitoral blood flow was reduced in SSc women compared with healthy controls. Clitoral blood flow was reduced in SSc women with digital ulcers and it correlated with capillaroscopic damage progression. A negative correlation exists between the RI and S/D ratio and all domains of the FSFI score except for desire

Correlation between intrarenal arterial stiffness and exercise tolerance in systemic sclerosis patients without renal and cardiopulmonary impairment: The role of the microvascular damage.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease characterized by endothelial dysfunction, microvascular damage and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Many of the severe internal organ complications of SSc are vascular, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and scleroderma renal crisis [1]. Pulmonary vasculopathy (PV) is early detected in SSc patients without symptoms of pulmonary involvement. At this initial stage PV is characterized by impairment of blood flow during exercise. A reduced exercise tolerance, investigated by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), has been already found in SSc patients without evidence of pulmonary and cardiac involvement [2]. In the course of SSc several manifestations of renal involvement are due to intrarenal vascular damage. In SSc patients without renal involvement, intrarenal arterial stiffness is increased and it correlates with digital microvascular damage [3], reduction of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and autonomic dysfunction [4]. The aim of the study is to assess intrarenal arterial stiffness by Doppler ultrasound and examine the correlation with CPET in patients without renal, pulmonary and cardiac involvement