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Supported by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 770680 (RESPECT).

The aim of this report was to compare corneal topographic measurements and anterior high order corneal aberrations in eyes with keratoconus and normal eyes by using Scheimpflug-Placido topography.Eighty cases diagnosed with mild (group 1), moderate (group 2), and advanced (group 3) stage keratoconus (KC) according to Amsler-Krumeich Classification and 81 healthy (control group) cases were retrospectively examined. The mean keratometric measurements (as both diopters (Kavg) and mm values (mmavg)), central corneal thickness values (CCT), high order aberration (HOA), total wavefront aberration (TWA), coma, trefoil, and spherical aberration measurements were performed using Sirius topography equipment. The topographic values were compared between the groups.There were 25 cases in group 1 KC (15.5%), 34 cases in group 2 KC (21.1%), 21 cases in group 3 KC (13.1%), and 81 cases (50.3%) in the control group. In terms of mean age and gender distributions, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p0.05). However, there was significant difference between the groups in terms of Kavg, CCT, HOA, TWA, coma, trefoil, and spherical aberration values (p0.01). Mean HOA, TWA, coma, trefoil, and spherical aberration values were observed to increase with the severity of KC disease.Anterior high order corneal aberrations were significantly increased in eyes with moderate and advanced keratoconus. Anterior high order corneal aberration measurements are a useful tool to guide the physician in diagnosis and classification of keratoconus.

This paper reports findings from an on-line expert survey implemented as part of the Horizon 2020-supported research project RESPECT (Realizing Europe’s Soft Power in External Cooperation and Trade). The RESPECT survey provides information on perceptions of trade policy practitioners and expert observers on the common commercial policy of the EU with a specific focus on the perceived utility and effectiveness of linking trade to non-trade policy objectives - such as sustainable development, human rights, labor standards and environmental protection. After discussing the design and implementation of the survey, the paper provides a descriptive analysis of the results.

Background Resistin is a peptide hormone that is secreted from lipid cells and is linked to type-2 diabetes, obesity, and inflammation. Being an important adipocytokine, resistin was proven to play an important role in cardiovascular disease. We compared resistin levels in patients with and without atrial fibrillation (AF) to demonstrate the relationship between plasma resistin levels and AF. Method One hundred patients with AF and 58 control patients who were matched in terms of age, gender, and risk factors were included in the trial. Their clinical risk factors, biometric measurements, echocardiographic work up, biochemical parameters including resistin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were compared. Results In patients with AF, plasma resistin levels (7.34 ± 1.63 ng/mL vs 6.67 ± 1.14 ng/mL; p = 0.003) and hs-CRP levels (3.01 ± 1.54 mg/L vs 2.16 ± 1.28 mg/L; p = 0.001) were higher than control group. In subgroup analysis, resistin levels were significantly higher in patients with paroxysmal (7.59 ± 1.57 ng/mL; p = 0.032) and persistent AF (7.73 ± 1.60 ng/mL; p = 0.006), but not in patients with permanent AF subgroups (6.86 ± 1.61 ng/mL; p = 0.92) compared to controls. However, hs-CRP levels were significantly higher only in permanent AF patients compared to control group (3.26 ± 1.46 mg/L vs 2.16 ± 1.28 mg/L; p = 0.02). In multivariate regression analysis using model adjusted for age, gender, body mas index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and creatinine levels, plasma resistin levels [odds ratio (OR): 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.70; p = 0.04] and hs-CRP levels (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.12–1.86; p = 0.004) were the only independent predictors of AF. Conclusion The elevated levels of plasma resistin were related to paroxysmal AF group and persistent AF group, but not to permanent AF group.

Objective The main objective of this study was to determine a cutoff level of plasma N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) that could successfully predict the short- and long-term prognosis of patients with acute heart failure at the time of admission to the emergency department. The results of our study are presented in context with previously published literature. We believe that the present study will be useful and salutary for the progress of literature. Methods N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide plasma levels were obtained from 100 patients with shortness of breath and left ventricular dysfunction upon admission to the emergency department. All patients underwent follow-up evaluations 30 days and 1 year after admission. The end point was defined as all-cause mortality. Results The mean age of the patients in this study was 70.8 ± 11.6 years, and 51% were female. All-cause mortality at the 30-day and 1-year follow-up evaluations was 21.2% and 53.5%, respectively. We determined that the optimal NT-proBNP cutoff point for predicting 30-day mortality at the time of admission was 9152.4 pg/mL, with a 71.4% sensitivity and an 81.3% specificity (95% confidence interval, area under the curve: 0.726; P = .002). The optimal NT-proBNP cutoff point for predicting 1-year mortality at the time of admission was 3630.5 pg/mL, with an 83.0% sensitivity and a 52.2% specificity (95% confidence interval, area under the curve: 0.644; P = .014). Conclusion Elevated NT-proBNP levels at the time of admission are a strong and independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with acute heart failure at 30 days and 1 year after admission. Furthermore, the optimal cutoff level of NT-proBNP used to predict 30-day and 1-year mortality had high sensitivity.

The aim of this study was to assess left ventricular diastolic function and forearm endothelial function in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) without overt cardiovascular disease. Forearm endothelial function and diastolic Doppler parameters, including tissue Doppler imaging, were studied in 32 men with ED and 27 age-matched, healthy, male control subjects. Left ventricular diastolic function in patients with ED and the relation between endothelium-dependent vasodilation and the Doppler parameters of left ventricular diastolic function, including tissue Doppler imaging, were assessed. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation (4.1+/-3.3% vs 9.7+/-4.2%, p0.001) as well as the mitral inflow E velocity (0.66+/-0.17 vs 0.80+/-0.16 m/s, p=0.01), the E/A ratio (the ratio of mitral inflow E velocity to mitral inflow A velocity; 0.91+/-0.3% vs 1.22+/-0.26%, p0.001), and the E/Em ratio (the ratio of mitral A-wave velocity to early diastolic velocity in the annulus derived by tissue Doppler imaging; 7.4+/-2.7% vs 6.6+/-1.6%, p=0.03) were smaller in the ED group than in the control group. Deceleration time (228.6+/-61.6 vs 192.9+/-44.6 ms, p=0.03) and isovolumetric relaxation time (112.8+/-18 vs 94+/-15.9 ms, p0.001) were also prolonged in the ED group compared with the control group. The mitral E-wave velocity (r=0.40, p=0.022), the E/A ratio (r=0.40, p=0.027), and the E/Em ratio (r=-0.52, p= 0.003) were related to endothelium-dependent vasodilation by nivariate analysis. Only the E/Em ratio was correlated with endothelium-dependent vasodilation by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, this study indicates that endothelial function and left ventricular diastolic function are impaired in patients with ED without overt cardiovascular disease.

We aimed to visualize the coronary flow velocities (CFV) of patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy by using transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, and to determine the relationship between abnormal CFV patterns and conventional echocardiography indices. Guided by 2-dimensional echocardiography and Doppler color flow mapping, CFV in the distal left anterior descending coronary artery were measured in 21 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy using a 3.5-MHz transducer. The results were compared with those of 18 control subjects. Abnormal systolic flow patterns were observed in 15 (71%) patients (11 systolic-reversal flow and 4 no systolic flow). For patients and control subjects, peak diastolic velocity and velocity-time integral obtained from distal left anterior descending coronary artery were higher (63 +/- 21 cm/s and 18.5 +/- 4 cm vs 41 +/- 11 cm/s and 14.2 +/- 5 cm, respectively; P.01 for both) whereas peak systolic velocity and velocity-time integral were significantly lower (-17 +/- 10 cm/s and 4.5 +/- 6 cm vs 24 +/- 9 cm/s and 9.5 +/- 4 cm, respectively; P.001 for both). Significant positive and negative correlations between diastolic CFV and septal thickness index (r = 0.79, P.0001), and between systolic CFV and septal thickness index (r = -0.65, P.005), have been observed. CFV abnormalities that could easily be recorded by a standard Doppler echocardiographic study seem to be related to septal thickness rather than the degree of obstruction in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

To report the long-term results of combined same-day intrastromal corneal ring segment placement and corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for postoperative laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) ectasia.Retrospective, interventional case series.This retrospective, interventional cases series was performed in Turkiye Hospital Eye Clinic and the Department of Ophthalmology, Fatih University Medical Faculty Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Sixteen eyes of 14 patients with postoperative ectasia after LASIK were enrolled. All consecutive patients were treated with femtosecond laser-assisted intrastromal corneal ring segment implantation and followed by same-day corneal collagen cross-linking for ectasia occurring after LASIK. Main outcome measures included uncorrected distance visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity, spherical and cylindrical refraction, and simulated keratometry values.The mean age ± standard deviation of the 10 women and 4 men was 33.0 ± 6.5 years (range, 23 to 44 years), and the mean follow-up was 43 months (range, 36 to 62 months). The uncorrected distance visual acuity improved significantly from 1.18 ± 0.42 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) units to 0.44 ± 0.22 logMAR (P.001), and the corrected distance visual acuity improved significantly from 0.46 ± 0.26 logMAR to 0.21 ± 0.14 logMAR (P.001). The mean spherical and cylindrical refraction decreased significantly (P.001 for both). The maximum keratometry value decreased from baseline by 49.3 ± 4.9 diopters (D) to 43.9 ± 2.8 D at the last visit, and the minimum keratometry value decreased from 44.3 ± 4.7 D to 41.5 ± 3.5 D (P.001 for both). No serious complications were shown during follow-up.Implantation of intrastromal corneal ring segment implantation combined with same-day corneal collagen cross-linking was a safe and effective treatment for ectasia occurring after LASIK. It also significantly improved the visual acuity, refraction, and keratometry values.