121,882 research outputs found

    04 - Massamba N\u27Siala Lab - Marine Benthic Ecology, Physiology, and Evolution

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    My lab uses marine benthic invertebrates as models to address fundamental eco-evolutionary and applied questions related to marine species\u27 responses to environmental changes. I will showcase some of the marine annelid species we use as models in our investigations. My students and I explore how phenotypic diversification strategies help organisms cope with the uncertainty of extreme climatic events. We assess the mechanisms underlying the success of common, widespread species and the vulnerability of rare, narrowly distributed species. We study the role of species interactions in determining recruitment success, particularly for economically important species like oyster spat in the Chesapeake Bay. Our research also examines filter-feeding mechanisms and behaviors in response to environmental stressors, as well as the impacts of pollution (e.g., metals and microplastics) and healthcare products (e.g., sunscreens) on benthic community health. Finally, we use marine invertebrates as bioassay models to evaluate biofouling control devices. Through my work, I aim to contribute to the understanding of how benthic communities adapt, persist, or potentially decline in the face of global and local changes and the implications for coastal ecosystems

    Type 3 Choroidal Neovascularization Associated with Fundus Flavimaculatus

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    Aim: To describe a patient with type 3 choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with fundus flavimaculatus (FFM), who underwent treatment with intravitreal ranibizumab. Methods: A 78-year-old woman diagnosed with FFM presented at our department complaining of decreased vision and metamorphopsia in her left eye. Upon a complete ophthalmologic examination, including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), the patient was diagnosed with type 3 CNV associated with FFM, and was submitted to intravitreal ranibizumab injections at monthly intervals. Results: Six months after 3 monthly injections of ranibizumab, the patient's BCVA improved from 20/64 to 20/32. FA and ICGA revealed a type 3 CNV closure, and the SD-OCT scan showed a fibrous scar replacing the type 3 CNV, with resolution of serous retinal detachment. Conclusion: This case represents the first demonstration of type 3 CNV associated with FFM. Based on our findings, intravitreal ranibizumab may be considered as a therapeutic option for this rare association. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base

    Natural course of adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy: a spectral-domain optical coherence tomography analysis.

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    Abstract PURPOSE: To describe the natural course of adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of all consecutive patients with adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy who underwent SD-OCT at baseline and at least 12 months later (last visit). Main outcome measures were changes of clinical and SD-OCT features over time. RESULTS: Forty-six eyes (31 patients, 15 male and 16 female; mean age 74.6 ± 8.2 years) were included. Follow-up was 16.2 ± 6 (range, 12-30) months. Visual acuity (VA) reduced from 0.32 ± 0.22 logMAR at baseline to 0.39 ± 0.28 logMAR at last visit (P=.03). The stage of the disease was vitelliform in 28 eyes (60.8%), pseudohypopyon in 7 eyes (15.2%), vitelliruptive in 11 eyes (23.9%) at baseline; vitelliform in 23 eyes (50%), pseudohypopyon in 5 eyes (10.9%), vitelliruptive in 13 eyes (28.2%), and atrophic in 5 eyes (10.9%) at last visit. Stabilization of the disease stage, inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) interface status, and lesion reflectivity on SD-OCT determined no VA changes (P>.05), while their worsening determined a reduction of VA (P=.03). In eyes that presented a progression of the disease stage, mean central macular thickness, maximal thickness of the lesion, and maximal width of the lesion showed a significant change (from 404.1 ± 107.6 μm to 246.1 ± 74.0 μm, P = .004; from 277.0 ± 80.8 μm to 105.3 ± 92.3 μm, P=.001; from 2324.2 ± 1250.3 μm to 1751.0 ± 858.3 μm, P = .04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy, progression of the lesion stage (partial/complete resorption of the material) is generally accompanied by IS/OS interface disruption/loss and visual impairment

    Choroidal neovascularisation complicating geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration

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    Objective To investigate the morphological and functional outcomes after intravitreal ranibizumab injections for choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) complicating geographic atrophy (GA). Design Retrospective, interventional, consecutive case series. Methods We reviewed the charts of all consecutive patients with GA due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), who received intravitreal ranibizumab injections for the development of CNV at least 24 months earlier. Results 21 treatment-naive eyes of 21 consecutive patients (4 men, 17 women, mean age 86.9 +/- 1.6 years) were included. In 95.2% of eyes a type 2 CNV was present, extrafoveal in 42.8% of cases. After a mean of 5.0 +/- 0.87 (range 1-20) intravitreal ranibizumab injections, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) significantly worsened at the 24-month follow-up visit (0.73 +/- 0.05 vs 0.88 +/- 0.08 logMAR, respectively; p=0.01). A significant reduction of intraretinal cystic lesions, subretinal fluid and pigment epithelium detachment (p<0.001) and a significant increase of GA area (p=0.003) were present at last visit. Conclusions Ranibizumab treatment of GA-associated CNVs provides no BCVA improvement at 24 months follow-up despite an anatomic response of CNV. Low effectiveness of ranibizumab in these cases is likely due to GA progression

    Choroidal neovascularisation complicating geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration.

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    Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate the morphological and functional outcomes after intravitreal ranibizumab injections for choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) complicating geographic atrophy (GA). DESIGN: Retrospective, interventional, consecutive case series. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of all consecutive patients with GA due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), who received intravitreal ranibizumab injections for the development of CNV at least 24 months earlier. RESULTS: 21 treatment-naive eyes of 21 consecutive patients (4 men, 17 women, mean age 86.9±1.6 years) were included. In 95.2% of eyes a type 2 CNV was present, extrafoveal in 42.8% of cases. After a mean of 5.0±0.87 (range 1-20) intravitreal ranibizumab injections, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) significantly worsened at the 24-month follow-up visit (0.73±0.05 vs 0.88±0.08 logMAR, respectively; p=0.01). A significant reduction of intraretinal cystic lesions, subretinal fluid and pigment epithelium detachment (p<0.001) and a significant increase of GA area (p=0.003) were present at last visit. CONCLUSIONS: Ranibizumab treatment of GA-associated CNVs provides no BCVA improvement at 24 months follow-up despite an anatomic response of CNV. Low effectiveness of ranibizumab in these cases is likely due to GA progression

    Natural Course of Adult-Onset Foveomacular Vitelliform Dystrophy: A Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Analysis

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    PURPOSE: To describe the natural course of adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of all consecutive patients with adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy who underwent SD-OCT at baseline and at least 12 months later (last visit). Main outcome measures were changes of clinical and SD-OCT features over time. RESULTS: Forty-six eyes (31 patients, 15 male and 16 female; mean age 74.6 +/- 8.2 years) were included. Follow-up was 16.2 +/- 6 (range, 12-30) months. Visual acuity (VA) reduced from 0.32 +/- 0.22 logMAR at baseline to 0.39 +/- 0.28 logMAR at last visit (P = .03). The stage of the disease was vitelliform in 28 eyes (60.8%), pseudohypopyon in 7 eyes (15.2%), vitelliruptive in 11 eyes (23.9%) at baseline; vitelliform in 23 eyes (50%), pseudohypopyon in 5 eyes (10.9%), vitelliruptive in 13 eyes (28.2%), and atrophic in 5 eyes (10.9%) at last visit. Stabilization of the disease stage, inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) interface status, and lesion reflectivity on SD-OCT determined no VA changes (P > .05), while their worsening determined a reduction of VA (P = .03). In eyes that presented a progression of the disease stage, mean central macular thickness, maximal thickness of the lesion, and maximal width of the lesion showed a significant change (from 404.1 +/- 107.6 mu m to 246.1 +/- 74.0 mu m, P = .004; from 277.0 +/- 80.8 mu m to 105.3 +/- 92.3 mu m, P = .001; from 2324.2 +/- 1250.3 mu m to 1751.0 +/- 858.3 mu m, P = .04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy, progression of the lesion stage (partial/complete resorption of the material) is generally accompanied by IS/OS interface disruption/loss and visual impairment. (Am J Ophthalmol 2011;152:304-313. (C) 2011 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    PREFERENTIAL HYPERACUITY PERIMETER IN BEST VITELLIFORM MACULAR DYSTROPHY

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    Purpose: To determine the visual field patterns obtained by the preferential hyperacuity perimetry (PHP) in patients with Best vitelliform macular dystrophy with mutations in the BEST1 gene. Methods: Consecutive patients with Best vitelliform macular dystrophy underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, including functional assessment by best-corrected visual acuity and Foresee PHP and morphologic assessment by fundus biomicroscopy, fundus autofluorescence, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The functional "PHP visual field defect index" (which is the max peak value of the metamorphopsia [maximal distortion value at the visual field] + the max peak value of the scotoma [maximal scotoma value at the visual field]) and best-corrected visual acuity were analyzed about the disease stage. Results: Thirty eyes of 15 consecutive patients (8 men and 7 women; mean age 39 6 24 years) were included for analysis. Based on fundus biomicroscopy, fundus autofluorescence, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, the macular lesions could be counted as follows: previtelliform lesions in 5 eyes of 3 patients (Stage 1), vitelliform lesions in 2 eyes of 2 patients (Stage 2), pseudohypopyon lesions in 6 eyes of 5 patients (Stage 3), vitelliruptive lesions in 4 eyes of 3 patients (Stage 4), atrophic lesions in 7 eyes of 5 patients (Stage 5), and fibrotic lesions in 6 eyes of 4 patients (Stage 6). Best-corrected visual acuity and PHP visual field defect index were averaged for each stage. Best-corrected visual acuity showed a good correlation (P = 0.01) with the morphologic severity (stage) of the disease (Pearson correlation = -0.88). Similarly, the PHP visual field defect index showed a good correlation (P = 0.03) with the morphologic severity (stage) of the disease (Pearson correlation = 0.78). Finally, best-corrected visual acuity showed a good correlation (P = 0.02) with the functional PHP visual field defect index (Pearson correlation = -0.83) about the morphologic stage of the disease. Conclusion: Preferential hyperacuity perimetry could be considered an adjunctive useful tool in the evaluation of functional impairment and disease progression in patients with Best vitelliform macular dystrophy. RETINA 31:959-966, 201

    Functional Characterization and Multimodal Imaging of Treatment-Naive "Quiescent" Choroidal Neovascularization

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    PURPOSE. To investigate the multimodal morphological and functional characteristics of treatment-naive "quiescent" choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to AMD. METHODS. Eleven patients with treatment-naive "quiescent" CNV that consecutively presented over a 6-month period, underwent multimodal morphological and functional assessment (including indocyanine green angiography [ICGA], spectral-domain optical coherence tomography [SD-OCT], microperimetry, and preferential hyperacuity perimeter [PHP]). For the purpose of this study, asymptomatic previously untreated CNVs showing absence of intraretinal/subretinal exudation in two consecutive visits (at least 6 months apart) were defined as treatment-naive "quiescent" CNV. RESULTS. Eleven eyes of 11 patients (9 females; mean age 76.5 +/- 8.5 years) were included. On fluorescein angiography (FA), "quiescent" CNVs appeared as late speckled hyperfluorescent lesions lacking well-demarcated borders. Mid-late phase ICGA allowed visualizing the hyperfluorescent "quiescent" CNV network and delineating the plaque. Mean lesion area (mid-late phase ICGA) appeared larger compared with earliest previous examination performed 23.8 +/- 16.0 months before (3.24 +/- 2.51 mm(2) vs. 3.52 +/- 2.46 mm(2), respectively; P = 0.01). SD-OCT revealed, at the site of "quiescent" CNV, an irregularly slightly elevated RPE, without hyporeflective intraretinal/subretinal fluid, showing a major axis in the horizontal plane, which was characterized by collections of moderately reflective material in the sub-RPE space and clear visualization of the hyperreflective Bruch's membrane. Hypergeometric distribution revealed a significant correlation between microperimetry and PHP with respect to locations of "affected areas" (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS. "Quiescent" CNVs are sub-RPE CNVs secondary to AMD, showing absence of intraretinal/subretinal exudation on repeated OCT. "Quiescent" CNVs enlarge over time and may contribute to local reduced retinal sensitivity and metamorphopsia
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