A simple system, based on standard photographs, has been developed to classify lens opacities. The system allows the definition of cataract cases and noncases according to the location of lens ...opacification (nuclear, cortical, posterior subcapsular) and its extent (early or more advanced). Evaluation of the system has shown good to excellent reproducibility for clinical and photographic classifications. Comparisons of clinical and photograph-derived gradings has shown generally good agreement in classifying the presence and type of cataract; this agreement is highest for nuclear cataract. Photographic gradings of posterior subcapsular and, to a lesser degree, cortical opacities tend to underestimate the extent of opacification found by clinical gradings. The Lens Opacities Case-Control Study system is simple, reproducible, and easy to implement; it is offered for use in case-control and other cross-sectional studies of cataract with compatible classification goals.
A cataract classification system is being developed based on a set of standard photographs. The system uses an ordinal scale ranging from 0 (no opacities) to 2 (definite opacities) to classify ...cataractous changes in the nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular lens zones. The reproducibility of slitlamp-derived and photo-derived classifications using the system was evaluated. The reproducibility between 2 observers for slitlamp-derived classifications was very high (n = 60). The reproducibility within and among 4 photography readers was also good for photo-derived classifications (n = 100). Discrepancies were found between ratings derived from slitlamp examinations and from photographs; such discrepancies were most frequent for gradings of cortical opacities.
Phys.Lett. B544 (2002) 113-120 The Sigma beam asymmetry for positive pion photoproduction on the proton has
been measured over an angular range of 40-170 deg at photon energies from 0.8
to 1.5 GeV. ...The resulting data set includes 237 accurate points, 136 of these
belonging to an almost unexplored domain above 1.05 GeV. Data of such high
precision provide severe constraints for partial wave analyses. The influence
of this experiment on the GW multipole analysis is demonstrated. Significant
changes are found in multipoles connected to the S31(1620) and P13(1720)
resonances. Comparisons using the MAID analysis are also presented.
To evaluate associations with biochemical indicators of nutritional and other risk factors in the Lens Opacities Case-Control Study.
Case-control study.
The Lens Opacities Case-Control Study ...determined risk factors for cortical, nuclear, and posterior subcapsular opacities among 1380 participants aged 40 to 79 years.
Vitamin E, selenium, and biochemistry profile determinations were performed on all patients; red blood cell enzymes and amino acids were measured in systematic samples of about 25% of the Lens Opacities Case-Control Study population.
Laboratory test values in cases and controls were compared and expressed as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
In polychotomous logistic regression analyses controlling for age and sex, the risk of opacities was reduced to less than one half in persons with higher levels of vitamin E (odds ratio, 0.44 for nuclear opacities), albumin-globulin ratio (odds ratio, 0.41 for mixed opacities), or iron (odds ratio, 0.43 for cortical opacities); higher uric acid levels increased risk (odds ratio, 1.74 for mixed opacities). Persons with opacities were twice as likely to have high glutathione reductase activity (with flavin adenine dinucleotide), which suggests low riboflavin status (odds ratio, 2.13). Most odds ratios for amino acids were under unity and were significantly decreased for glycine (0.36) and aspartic acid (0.31).
Lens opacities were associated with lower levels of riboflavin, vitamin E, iron, and protein nutritional status. Higher levels of uric acid increased risk of mixed opacities. The findings for riboflavin, vitamin E, iron, and uric acid are compatible with the dietary intake and medical history results of the Lens Opacities Case-Control Study.
The Sigma beam asymmetry for positive pion photoproduction on the proton has been measured over an angular range of 40-170 deg at photon energies from 0.8 to 1.5 GeV. The resulting data set includes ...237 accurate points, 136 of these belonging to an almost unexplored domain above 1.05 GeV. Data of such high precision provide severe constraints for partial wave analyses. The influence of this experiment on the GW multipole analysis is demonstrated. Significant changes are found in multipoles connected to the S31(1620) and P13(1720) resonances. Comparisons using the MAID analysis are also presented.
In a hospital-based case-control study of 1441 patients with age-related cataracts and 549 controls, we studied associations between types of cataract--nuclear, cortical, posterior subcapsular, and ...mixed--and a number of physiologic, behavioral, environmental, and biochemical variables. Using polychotomous logistic regression analysis, we found an increased risk of cataract with lower educational achievement (all types of cataract), decreased cloud cover at place of residence (all types), use of aspirin less than once a month (posterior subcapsular and mixed), diets low in selected nutrients (posterior subcapsular, nuclear, and mixed), higher blood pressure (nuclear and mixed), lower body mass index (nuclear and mixed), use of cheaper cooking fuels (cortical, nuclear, and mixed), and lower levels of an antioxidant index based on red blood cell levels of glutathione peroxidase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and plasma levels of ascorbic acid and vitamin E (posterior subcapsular and mixed). All risks cited were significantly different from those for the other cataract types, a finding that emphasizes the need to investigate the epidemiology of specific types of cataract.
