Retinal arteriolar narrowing is a marker of chronic microvascular damage from hypertension. We hy... more Retinal arteriolar narrowing is a marker of chronic microvascular damage from hypertension. We hypothesized that the presence of retinal arteriolar narrowing increases the likelihood of chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with hypertension. We examined 3602 persons of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicities, aged at least 24 years residing in Singapore. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2). Hypertension was defined as SBP of at least 140 mmHg or DBP of at least 90 mmHg or self-reported physician-diagnosed hypertension. Retinal arteriolar caliber was measured from retinal photographs and summarized. The lowest arteriolar caliber quartile was defined as retinal arteriolar narrowing. Both hypertension and retinal arteriolar narrowing were associated with CKD (n = 185), independent of major confounders, with multivariable odds ratio of 2.10 (95% confidence interval 1.46-3.02) for CKD associated with hypertension and odds ratio of 1.68 (95% confidence interval 1.04-2.71) for retinal arteriolar narrowing. The association between hypertension and CKD was stronger in the presence of retinal arteriolar narrowing (P for interaction 0.09), and joint exposure to both hypertension and retinal arteriolar narrowing was associated with a three-fold odds of having CKD (multivariable odds ratio 3.61, 95% confidence interval 1.88-6.93) compared with absence of hypertension and arteriolar caliber in the highest quartile (quartile 4). These findings show that the presence of microvascular disease in the retina increases the likelihood of CKD associated with hypertension and suggest that examination of the retinal vasculature may aid in stratification of CKD risk in hypertensive patients.
The aim of this study was to reevaluate the clinical significance of sonographic appearances, in ... more The aim of this study was to reevaluate the clinical significance of sonographic appearances, in particular the application of color Doppler ultrasound imaging, in discriminating peripheral air-fluid lung abscess from empyema. We retrospectively studied patients who had had peripheral air-fluid lesions due to empyema or lung abscess and who had undergone color Doppler ultrasound and grayscale ultrasound examinations between January 2003 and October 2007. A total of 34 patients with confirmed lung abscess and 30 patients with empyema were identified. The four sonographic characteristics observed and analyzed were the wall characteristics of the lesions (wall width, luminal margin, outer margin, and chest wall angle), split pleura sign, internal echogenicity (suspended microbubble sign, complex-septated effusions, and passive atelectasis), and identification of color Doppler ultrasound vessel signals in pericavitary lesions (consolidation or atelectasis). Among the sonographic characteristics, complex-septated effusions and passive atelectasis were specific for empyema, but the sensitivity was only 40% (n = 12 of 30) and 47% (n = 14 of 30), respectively. The identification of color Doppler ultrasound vessel signals in pericavitary consolidation was the most useful and specific for identifying lung abscesses. In our series, if we define the identification of color Doppler ultrasound vessel signals in a pericavitary consolidation as a predictor for peripheral lung abscess, we can achieve sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 94%, 100%, 100%, and 94%, respectively. Color Doppler ultrasound is a powerful tool for differentiating the peripheral air-fluid abscess from empyema, with high specificity and without any risk.
Objective: To examine the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with incident cor... more Objective: To examine the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality.
The energetic beam of (spin and isospin zero) α-particles remains a very efficient probe for the ... more The energetic beam of (spin and isospin zero) α-particles remains a very efficient probe for the nuclear isoscalar giant resonances. In the present work, a microscopic folding model study of the isoscalar giant resonances in 208 Pb induced by inelastic α+ 208 Pb scattering at E lab = 240 and 386 MeV has been performed using the (complex) CDM3Y6 interaction and nuclear transition densities given by both the collective model and Random Phase Approximation (RPA) approach. The fractions of energy weighted sum rule around the main peaks of the isoscalar monopole, dipole and quadrupole giant resonances were probed in the Distorted Wave Born Approximation analysis of inelastic α+ 208 Pb scattering using the double-folded form factors given by different choices of the nuclear transition densities. The energy distribution of the E0, E1 and E2 strengths given by the multipole decomposition analyses of the (α, α ′ ) data under study are compared with those predicted by the RPA calculation.
Objective: To examine the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with incident cor... more Objective: To examine the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality.
Bovine urothelial cells (90% confluent) cultured in serum-free medium were rinsed twice with PBS ... more Bovine urothelial cells (90% confluent) cultured in serum-free medium were rinsed twice with PBS prewarmed to 37°C and incubated for 30 rain in a methionine-free MEM supplemented with hydrocortisone (5/~g/ml), choleratoxin (5 #g/ml), insulin (5/~g/ml), and epidermal growth factor (15 ng/ml). The cells were then pulse-labeled for l0 rain by adding 1 mCi [35S]methionine per 10 mi of the same serum-free, methionine-free medium per 100-ram dishes (containing l07 cells). Chasing was done using serumfree medium (see Cell Culture) with an excess of unlabeled methionine (30 /~g/ml). The labeled cells were washed with cold PBS, and extracted with lysis buffer 0% Triton X-100, 25 mM Tris-HC1, pH 7.4; 0.5 M NaC1; 1 mM PMSF, 1 mM EDTA; 1 /zg/ml of antipain, pepstatin, and chymostatin) for immanoprecipitation.
Research into the genetic effects and specific genes associated with retinal vascular caliber, a ... more Research into the genetic effects and specific genes associated with retinal vascular caliber, a risk marker of cardiovascular diseases, may provide new insights into the genetic contribution of early microvascular disease. A combined 374 monozygotic and 536 dizygotic twin pairs and 322 siblings from the Twins Eye Study in Tasmania and the Brisbane Adolescent Twin Study underwent complete ophthalmic examinations, including retinal photography, and bilateral retinal vascular caliber was measured. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the heritability. Genome-wide linkage analysis was conducted on 836 individuals from 381 Brisbane Adolescent Twin Study families, with adjustments for age, sex, and other covariates. The heritabilities for the retinal arteriolar caliber were 59.4% (95% CI: 53.2% to 64.7%) and 56.5% (95% CI: 50.1% to 61.9%) in the Twins Eye Study in Tasmania and the Brisbane Adolescent Twin Study, respectively, and for venular caliber they were 61.7% (95% CI: 55.6% to 67.0%) and 64.2% (95% CI: 58.7% to 68.8%), respectively, after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index. Two multipoint peaks detected on chromosomes 3p12.3 and 8p23.1 for retinal arteriolar caliber had suggestive linkage, with the highest multipoint peak logarithm of odds score of 2.24 on chromosome 8p23.1 (genome-wide Pϭ7.0ϫ10 Ϫ4 ). Two suggestive logarithm of odds scores for venular caliber were identified on chromosomes 2p14 and 9q21.13. The largest multipoint logarithm of odds score was 2.69 on chromosome 2p14 (genome-wide Pϭ2.0ϫ10 Ϫ4 ). In this large twin population, genetic factors appear to play a significant role in the variation of retinal vascular caliber. Several putative loci were identified for the retinal vascular caliber. (Hypertension. 2009;54:788-795.)
Chìa khóa cho sự thành công trên thị trường ngoại hối là việc hiểu rõ điều gì ảnh hưởng đến sự di... more Chìa khóa cho sự thành công trên thị trường ngoại hối là việc hiểu rõ điều gì ảnh hưởng đến sự di chuyển của các cặp đồng tiền. Đồng thời, chính các nhà đầu tư tham gia mua bán trên thị trường làm nên sự dịch chuyển của các cặp đồng tiền, nhưng những nhà đầu tư này hành động mua-bán đều có nguyên nhân. Hoặc họ nhận thấy có điều gì đó đang xảy ra với những yếu tố cơ bản của nền kinh tế toàn cầu làm cho họ tin rằng một đồng tiền sẽ mạnh lên hoặc yếu đi. Nói một cách khác, họ theo dõi sự thay đổi của những yếu tố cơ bản của nền kinh tế và đưa ra quyết định dựa trên những gì họ nhận thấy.
Retinal arteriolar narrowing is a marker of chronic microvascular damage from hypertension. We hy... more Retinal arteriolar narrowing is a marker of chronic microvascular damage from hypertension. We hypothesized that the presence of retinal arteriolar narrowing increases the likelihood of chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with hypertension. We examined 3602 persons of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicities, aged at least 24 years residing in Singapore. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2). Hypertension was defined as SBP of at least 140 mmHg or DBP of at least 90 mmHg or self-reported physician-diagnosed hypertension. Retinal arteriolar caliber was measured from retinal photographs and summarized. The lowest arteriolar caliber quartile was defined as retinal arteriolar narrowing. Both hypertension and retinal arteriolar narrowing were associated with CKD (n = 185), independent of major confounders, with multivariable odds ratio of 2.10 (95% confidence interval 1.46-3.02) for CKD associated with hypertension and odds ratio of 1.68 (95% confidence interval 1.04-2.71) for retinal arteriolar narrowing. The association between hypertension and CKD was stronger in the presence of retinal arteriolar narrowing (P for interaction 0.09), and joint exposure to both hypertension and retinal arteriolar narrowing was associated with a three-fold odds of having CKD (multivariable odds ratio 3.61, 95% confidence interval 1.88-6.93) compared with absence of hypertension and arteriolar caliber in the highest quartile (quartile 4). These findings show that the presence of microvascular disease in the retina increases the likelihood of CKD associated with hypertension and suggest that examination of the retinal vasculature may aid in stratification of CKD risk in hypertensive patients.
The aim of this study was to reevaluate the clinical significance of sonographic appearances, in ... more The aim of this study was to reevaluate the clinical significance of sonographic appearances, in particular the application of color Doppler ultrasound imaging, in discriminating peripheral air-fluid lung abscess from empyema. We retrospectively studied patients who had had peripheral air-fluid lesions due to empyema or lung abscess and who had undergone color Doppler ultrasound and grayscale ultrasound examinations between January 2003 and October 2007. A total of 34 patients with confirmed lung abscess and 30 patients with empyema were identified. The four sonographic characteristics observed and analyzed were the wall characteristics of the lesions (wall width, luminal margin, outer margin, and chest wall angle), split pleura sign, internal echogenicity (suspended microbubble sign, complex-septated effusions, and passive atelectasis), and identification of color Doppler ultrasound vessel signals in pericavitary lesions (consolidation or atelectasis). Among the sonographic characteristics, complex-septated effusions and passive atelectasis were specific for empyema, but the sensitivity was only 40% (n = 12 of 30) and 47% (n = 14 of 30), respectively. The identification of color Doppler ultrasound vessel signals in pericavitary consolidation was the most useful and specific for identifying lung abscesses. In our series, if we define the identification of color Doppler ultrasound vessel signals in a pericavitary consolidation as a predictor for peripheral lung abscess, we can achieve sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 94%, 100%, 100%, and 94%, respectively. Color Doppler ultrasound is a powerful tool for differentiating the peripheral air-fluid abscess from empyema, with high specificity and without any risk.
Objective: To examine the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with incident cor... more Objective: To examine the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality.
The energetic beam of (spin and isospin zero) α-particles remains a very efficient probe for the ... more The energetic beam of (spin and isospin zero) α-particles remains a very efficient probe for the nuclear isoscalar giant resonances. In the present work, a microscopic folding model study of the isoscalar giant resonances in 208 Pb induced by inelastic α+ 208 Pb scattering at E lab = 240 and 386 MeV has been performed using the (complex) CDM3Y6 interaction and nuclear transition densities given by both the collective model and Random Phase Approximation (RPA) approach. The fractions of energy weighted sum rule around the main peaks of the isoscalar monopole, dipole and quadrupole giant resonances were probed in the Distorted Wave Born Approximation analysis of inelastic α+ 208 Pb scattering using the double-folded form factors given by different choices of the nuclear transition densities. The energy distribution of the E0, E1 and E2 strengths given by the multipole decomposition analyses of the (α, α ′ ) data under study are compared with those predicted by the RPA calculation.
Objective: To examine the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with incident cor... more Objective: To examine the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality.
Bovine urothelial cells (90% confluent) cultured in serum-free medium were rinsed twice with PBS ... more Bovine urothelial cells (90% confluent) cultured in serum-free medium were rinsed twice with PBS prewarmed to 37°C and incubated for 30 rain in a methionine-free MEM supplemented with hydrocortisone (5/~g/ml), choleratoxin (5 #g/ml), insulin (5/~g/ml), and epidermal growth factor (15 ng/ml). The cells were then pulse-labeled for l0 rain by adding 1 mCi [35S]methionine per 10 mi of the same serum-free, methionine-free medium per 100-ram dishes (containing l07 cells). Chasing was done using serumfree medium (see Cell Culture) with an excess of unlabeled methionine (30 /~g/ml). The labeled cells were washed with cold PBS, and extracted with lysis buffer 0% Triton X-100, 25 mM Tris-HC1, pH 7.4; 0.5 M NaC1; 1 mM PMSF, 1 mM EDTA; 1 /zg/ml of antipain, pepstatin, and chymostatin) for immanoprecipitation.
Research into the genetic effects and specific genes associated with retinal vascular caliber, a ... more Research into the genetic effects and specific genes associated with retinal vascular caliber, a risk marker of cardiovascular diseases, may provide new insights into the genetic contribution of early microvascular disease. A combined 374 monozygotic and 536 dizygotic twin pairs and 322 siblings from the Twins Eye Study in Tasmania and the Brisbane Adolescent Twin Study underwent complete ophthalmic examinations, including retinal photography, and bilateral retinal vascular caliber was measured. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the heritability. Genome-wide linkage analysis was conducted on 836 individuals from 381 Brisbane Adolescent Twin Study families, with adjustments for age, sex, and other covariates. The heritabilities for the retinal arteriolar caliber were 59.4% (95% CI: 53.2% to 64.7%) and 56.5% (95% CI: 50.1% to 61.9%) in the Twins Eye Study in Tasmania and the Brisbane Adolescent Twin Study, respectively, and for venular caliber they were 61.7% (95% CI: 55.6% to 67.0%) and 64.2% (95% CI: 58.7% to 68.8%), respectively, after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index. Two multipoint peaks detected on chromosomes 3p12.3 and 8p23.1 for retinal arteriolar caliber had suggestive linkage, with the highest multipoint peak logarithm of odds score of 2.24 on chromosome 8p23.1 (genome-wide Pϭ7.0ϫ10 Ϫ4 ). Two suggestive logarithm of odds scores for venular caliber were identified on chromosomes 2p14 and 9q21.13. The largest multipoint logarithm of odds score was 2.69 on chromosome 2p14 (genome-wide Pϭ2.0ϫ10 Ϫ4 ). In this large twin population, genetic factors appear to play a significant role in the variation of retinal vascular caliber. Several putative loci were identified for the retinal vascular caliber. (Hypertension. 2009;54:788-795.)
Chìa khóa cho sự thành công trên thị trường ngoại hối là việc hiểu rõ điều gì ảnh hưởng đến sự di... more Chìa khóa cho sự thành công trên thị trường ngoại hối là việc hiểu rõ điều gì ảnh hưởng đến sự di chuyển của các cặp đồng tiền. Đồng thời, chính các nhà đầu tư tham gia mua bán trên thị trường làm nên sự dịch chuyển của các cặp đồng tiền, nhưng những nhà đầu tư này hành động mua-bán đều có nguyên nhân. Hoặc họ nhận thấy có điều gì đó đang xảy ra với những yếu tố cơ bản của nền kinh tế toàn cầu làm cho họ tin rằng một đồng tiền sẽ mạnh lên hoặc yếu đi. Nói một cách khác, họ theo dõi sự thay đổi của những yếu tố cơ bản của nền kinh tế và đưa ra quyết định dựa trên những gì họ nhận thấy.
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