Herring Warming (eastvise8)

Purpose To investigate whether qualitative and quantitative features of choroidal neovascular membranes are associated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment response in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Methods A total of 41 eyes were included in this cross-sectional observational study and divided into "good responders" and "poor responders" based on the long-term functional changes, frequency of recurrent choroidal neovascular activity, and injection need. Enface optical coherence tomography angiography images were obtained and qualitative features of choroidal neovascular membranes were described based on vessel network density. Then, quantitative measurements including vessel area, vessel length, junction density, and lacunarity were calculated using validated software (ImageJ and AngioTool). Chi-square tests, t-test, or Mann-Whitney U tests were used for group comparisons, and intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated for reliability assessment of quan. Quantitative analysis and lacunarity index, in particular, may be used as a measure of vessel maturation and guide treatment strategies in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.Background. Socioeconomic disparities in secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure exist among nonsmokers. The present study examined the prevalence and socioeconomic disparities of both objective and self-reported measures of SHS exposure in various indoor environments among U.S. nonsmokers. Method. Data were drawn from the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of objective measures of SHS (nonsmokers with serum cotinine levels of 0.05-10 ng/mL) and the self-reported SHS exposure status in restaurants, cars, and homes other than their own were examined for the overall population as well as by sociodemographic characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between sociodemographic characteristics and SHS exposure measures. Results. The prevalence of self-reported SHS exposure in restaurants, cars, and homes other than one's own decreased significantly between 2013-2014 and 2015-2016. We found higher odds of the objective measure of SHS exposure among non-Hispanic Blacks (aOR 2.07, 95% confidence interval [1.93, 2.81]) and males (aOR 1.12, confidence interval [1.05, 1.18]), while lower odds were found among Mexican Americans, other Hispanics, and those who had family income greater or equal to the poverty level. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, the non-Hispanic Black group had higher odds of SHS exposure in restaurants and homes other than their own. Age was positively associated with self-reported SHS exposure measures but not the objective SHS measure. However, age was negatively associated with SHS measures in the adult sample (aged ≥ 20 years). Conclusions. Findings suggest that although SHS exposure may be decreasing in specific at-risk populations, socioeconomic disparities still exist.Background Microvascular dysfunction in the setting of ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) plays an important role in long-term poor clinical outcome. Coronary flow reserve (CFR) is a well-established physiological parameter to interrogate the coronary microcirculation. Together with hyperaemic average peak flow velocity, CFR constitutes the coronary flow capacity (CFC), a validated risk stratification tool in ischaemic heart disease with significant prognostic value. This mechanistic study aims to elucidate the time course of the microcirculation as reflected by alterations in microcirculatory physiological parameters in the acute phase and during follow-up in STEMI patients. Methods We assessed CFR and CFC in the culprit and non-culprit vessel in consecutive STEMI patients at baseline (n = 98) and after one-week (n = 64) and six-month follow-up (n = 65). Results A significant trend for culprit CFC in infarct size as determined by peak troponin T (p = 0.004