bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The short-term impact and sustainability of multiple lifestyle interventions on metabolic health and remission of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: a two-year experience
Authors: Iglesies-Grau J , Dionne V , Latour É , Pelletier V , Bisaillon M , Tessier G , Aubut L , Hamrioui N , Gagnon C , Simard F , Nigam A , L Allier PL , Bherer L , Bouabdallaoui N , Juneau M
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Different intensive lifestyle interventions have been shown to be useful for effective control and even reversal of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Objectives

Our heart institute cardiovascular prevention center started a comprehensive lifestyle clinic in 2019 to study the impact of 6 and 12-month non-pharmacological interventions on metabolic health and remission of these two conditions.

Methods

Between January 2019 and December 2020, 81 prediabetic (HbA1c ≥ 5.7%) and 184 T2D (HbA1c ≥ 6.5%) were recruited. All participants received regular nutritional counselling (therapeutic moderate carbohydrate restriction Mediterranean diet) and personalized physical exercise prescription (≥30 minutes of moderate aerobic training, 5 times a week, and strength training). Anthropometric measures and fasting blood analysis were measured at 0, 3, 6 and 12 months. Glucose-lowering therapies were not modified, unless necessary.

Complete remission of prediabetes and T2D was defined as HbA1c <5.7%, whereas partial remission of T2D was defined as HbA1c <6.5% for at least 3 months, and it was calculated for all the participants that completed the 12-month program. Remission was further evaluated according to pharmacological status (drug-naïve or on glucose-lowering therapy).

Results

231 participants completed the short-term program (87%) and 117 were followed-up to 12 months. Mean age was 67.1 (9.1) years, 67% male, 48.3% with CHD, 53.5% with glucose-lowering therapies. All metabolic health measures were improved, particularly among T2D participants (Table 1). Gains were achieved at 3 months and were maintained during the remainder of the program without significant change.

Complete remission of prediabetes was achieved in 24% (95CI: 10.7 to 45.4%) of participants. Complete and partial remission of T2D were achieved in 5.4% (95CI: 2.2 to 12.5%) and 41.3% (95CI: 31.6 to 51.7%) of participants respectively and was observed in both with or without glucose-lowering therapies subgroups (Table 2).

Conclusions

Prioritizing lifestyle changes were shown to improve metabolic health measures even to the point of achieving remission among subjects with prediabetes or T2D. These metabolic changes were mostly achieved after 3 months and persisted throughout the intervention. Future research is required to better understand which non-pharmacological interventions work best among subjects with varying metabolic profiles and pharmacotherapy, how long should the interventions last and how partial or complete normalization of glucose impacts long-term outcomes.
Heat exposure after the rainy season is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular emergency
Authors: Fujimoto R , Suzuki E , Nakamura K , Yorifuji T , Ito H
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Climate change and global warming are some of the biggest issues in our society. Despite the growing concern for heat waves, while some previous studies have examined the effects of heat on CVD by focusing on maximum or mean daily temperature or long heat exposure periods, few studies have investigated the hourly effects of heat exposure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the elderly.

Purpose

We aimed to examine the association between heat exposure and the risk of CVD in the elderly and to evaluate possible effect-measure modifications by the rainy season in East Asia.

Methods

Our study was designed as a time-stratified case-crossover. The study included 6527 residents in Japan, aged 65 years or older who were dispatched to emergency hospitals between 2012 and 2019 for the onset of CVD during and a few months after the rainy seasons. We examined the association between temperature and CVD onset for each year and for hourly intervals (lag) before the emergency call during the most relevant months.

Results

Heat exposure during one month after the rainy season was associated with CVD risk; the odds ratio (OR) for a 1°C increase in temperature was 1.34 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29–1.39). By hourly time interval (lag) before the emergency call during the month after the end of the rainy season, 0-6 hour before the case event (lag 0–6) were associated with CVD risk, particularly for lag 0–1 (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.28–1.39). For longer periods, the highest risk was at lag 0-23 (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.34-1.46) (Picture).

Conclusions

The present study suggests that heat exposure increases the risk of CVD onset during the month after the end of the rainy season in the elderly. Hourly exposure in less than one day to heat rise obtained from the temporal resolution may triggers CVD onset.
Treatment of iron deficiency anemia after cardiac surgery
Authors: Venturini E , Masini G , Giallauria F
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) after cardiac surgery (CS) increases mortality, serious adverse events and length of stay. Aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of Sucrosomal Iron (SI) on IDA and hematinic deficiencies (HD) in patients (P) after CS, compared to i.v. Ferric Carboxymaltose (FCM). SI was chosen for its peculiar intestinal absorption properties such as to overcome the hepcidin's block.

Methods

106 consecutive anemic P were tested for HD after the admission in Cardiac Rehabilitation and alternately treated with SI (56) or FCM (54). The study design included a single dose of 1000 mg of FCM at T1 (8-10 days CS) or a dose of 120 mg of SI per day from T1 to T2 (on the day of discharge 10 days after T1); since then the SI was reduced to 30 mg per day until T3 (follow-up, 10 days after T2). Measures of efficacy included changes from baseline in Hb, HD, natriuretic peptides (NP), C-reactive protein (CRP), and the 6-minute-walking-test (6MWT).

Results

The data are shown in the Table. At T1, two treatment groups did not show statistically significant differences. Hb increased significantly (p<0.001), with no differences between SI and FCM. Transferrin saturation and sideremia significantly increased, albeit more rapidly with FCM. Ferritin, elevated at baseline for inflammation due to CS, decreases to T3 with SI, while significantly increases in the FCM group. NP were reduced with both treatments, but not significantly; CRP, on the other hand, was significantly reduced over time. At 6MWT the distance increased significantly with no difference between SI and FCM.

Conclusions

SI and FCM show similar efficacy on HD, starting from Hb, in P with IDA, after CS. The quick response to treatment, comparable between SI and FCM, could support the choice of oral iron, with organizational and cost benefits. In addition, was shown a positive impact on functional capacity, assessed with the 6MWT, for the first time similar between an oral and i.v. iron. Inflammation was reduced, but only SI is able to recover Hb levels, avoiding the risk of hyperferritinemia.
Predictors of poor exercise self-efficacy improvements after cardiac rehabilitation
Authors: Candelaria D , Gullick J , Randall S , Ladak L , Gallagher R
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): SOLVE-CHD Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Synergy Grant [GNT1182301] PhD Scholarships

Background/Introduction

Building confidence to exercise regularly (exercise self-efficacy (ESE)) in the face of constraints and barriers, is a key goal of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) because such self-efficacy beliefs are predictors of sustained exercise behaviours. Therefore, identifying patient subgroups at risk of poor ESE enables tailoring of CR and appropriate targeting of support interventions.

Purpose

To identify independent predictors of poor ESE and poor improvements in ESE in CR participants.

Methods

The study used a prospective observational cohort design and recruited patients with coronary heart disease at CR entry across four sites in Metropolitan Sydney, Australia (2019-2020). Data were also compared for traditional in-person and remote-delivered CR during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The Exercise Self Efficacy Scale was used to measure ESE at CR entry and completion, and General Linear Models were used for analyses.

Results

Participants (n=194) had a mean age of 65.94 (SD 10.46) years, with 80.9% males; and 80.0% were married or partnered, with 23.6% from an ethnic minority background. Referral diagnosis included elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (40.2%), coronary artery bypass surgery (26.3%), and myocardial infarction with or without PCI (33.5%).

At CR entry, the mean ESE score was 24.93 (SD 5.99) points, which improved significantly by completion (p=.027). The GLM of ESE change (Adjusted R2=.247) identified that predictors of less change in ESE scores by CR completion included ethnic minorities (β=2.96, p=.003), not having a spouse or an intimate partner (β=-2.42, p=.023), and attending in-person CR (β=1.75, p=.036). Having higher ESE scores at entry was also associated with less ESE change on completion, such that for every point increase in ESE at entry, there was a reduction of .37 points in change (p<.001). These variables were also the same predictors of poor ESE at CR completion.

Conclusions

Confidence to exercise improves in CR, and screening for ESE at CR entry enables identification of patients at-risk of poor improvements. Tailoring of interventions to provide appropriate support such as extending CR should be considered for patients from ethnic minorities and those who are single/widowed. Exploring the reasons for differences in outcomes from in-person and remote-delivered CR using appropriate methods should be the focus of future research.
Outcomes from a digital cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation programme delivered in Ireland during COVID 19
Authors: Gibson I , Mccrudden Z , Harris A , Hynes L , Dunne D , Murphy A , Byrne M , Mcevoy JW
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Government of Ireland's Sláintecare Integration Fund Health Research Board, Ireland

Background & Aim

COVID 19 has accelerated the uptake and acceptance of digital health tools for the prevention and management of Cardiovascular Disease. With health systems being urged to learn from the pandemic and to reassess how they will deliver services in future, robust audit and evaluation of digital interventions are required to inform best practice.

This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of a digital CVD prevention and rehabilitation programme which was established during COVID 19 to provide cardiac patients with efficient and timely access to a home-based, structured, comprehensive programme of care.

Methods

Developed and delivered by an interdisciplinary team (Nurse Prescriber, Physiotherapist, Dietitian, Cardiologist), the core components of this 12 week programme included, behavioural change support, lifestyle modification, medical risk factor management and electronic prescribing of cardio-protective medication. To support self-management, patients were provided with a Fitbit, blood pressure monitor and a workbook to support goal setting and overall tracking of progress. Patients were given access to a bespoke web-based platform and invited to attend weekly (2hr) group-based sessions, which included an exercise component and an interactive educational workshop.

Results

Over a 4 month period, 105 patients were referred with an uptake rate of 73% (n=77). Of these, 97% (n=75) enrolled in the programme, with an 85% (n=64) completion rate. Significant improvements in CVD risk factors were observed between initial and end of programme assessment. The proportion of patients meeting guideline-recommended physical activity targets increased from 14 to 82% (p<0.001), mean BMI (kg/m2) reduced from 28.7 to 27.7 (p<0.001), mean Mediterranean diet score improved from 5.2 to 7.3 (p<0.001), and anxiety and depression levels ≥8 (Hospital Anxiety and Depression score) both reduced by more than 50% (p<0.001). The proportions achieving the recommended blood pressure (<130/80 mmHg) and LDL cholesterol targets (<1.4 mmol/L) increased from 24 to 68% (p<0.001) and 14 to 41% (p<0.001), respectively.

Conclusion

Outcomes from this programme demonstrate that digital CVD prevention and rehabilitation programmes can achieve the recommended lifestyle, medical and therapeutic targets associated with reduced CVD events and improved health outcomes. This programme represents a scalable, accessible and effective option to deliver vital CVD preventive care in the patient’s home.
The initial validation of indonesian version of heartqoL: a short health-related quality of life questionnaire for post-myocardial infarction patients
Authors: Kusuma R , Sawitri DR , Herry Y , Bahrudin U
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Indonesia Ministry of Health

Background

HeartQoL questionnaire was developed to measure specific health-related quality of life for post-myocardial infarction patients. However, it has not been adapted and tested for its validity and reliability for Indonesian population.

Purpose

To assess the validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the HeartQoL Questionnaire in post-acute myocardial infarction patients.

Method

We admitted 102 Indonesian-native speaking patients treated at a tertiary hospital who experienced the first episode of acute myocardial infarction (93% male; mean age = 56.8 years) into the study. They were randomly contacted to fill out the Indonesian version of HeartQoL and SF-36 questionnaire independently. Construct validity of the HeartQoL questionnaire was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and convergent validity was assessed by correlation of the HeartQoL and SF-36 similar subscales, whereas internal consistency was examined using Cronbach's Alpha value.

Results

EFA showed that the Indonesian version of HeartQoL consisted of 14-items with a 2-factor structure, and CFA supported the results by showing a satisfactory fit, CFI = 0.972, TLI = 0.961, and RMSEA = 0.075. Convergent validity was shown by r > 0.50 for physical and mental domain. The internal consistency of the HeartQoL scales was indicated by the Cronbach's Alpha value of 0,865-0.953.

Conclusions

The Indonesian version of the HeartQol questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure to assess the quality of life of patients after myocardial infarction.
ST-Segment Elevation and T-Wave Inversion Confined to V1-V4 in Young Soccer Players: Prevalence and Differences from Afro-Brazilians to Ghanaians
Authors: Stein R , Ferrari F , Helal L , Dilda GD , Bassan F , Da Silveira AD
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre Research and Event Incentive Fund (FIPE-HCPA)

Introduction

Black athletes may present some peculiarities in the resting 12-lead electrocardiogram, such as T-wave inversion (TWI) confined to V1-V4 preceded by ST-segment and J-point elevation (‘domed’ ST-elevation and TWI in V1-V4), the so-called Afro-Caribbean pattern, a benign variant of the athlete's heart according to the "2017 International criteria for electrocardiographic interpretation in athletes". However, the prevalence of these findings in young Afro-Brazilian (AB) soccer players is unknown.

Purpose

To compare the prevalence of ‘domed’ ST-elevation and TWI in V1-V4 among young AB soccer players with Ghanaians black soccer players.

Methods

We sought to do this analysis visually, as the data from AB soccer players were as raw data; and those from Ghana’s were else aggregated. A forest plot with the point estimate and confidence intervals at 95% was built and, whenever any region from the lower limit up to the upper limit of the confidence interval of a given variable interpolate to the other, no differences could be claimed. The forest plot was built at R v. 4.1.2 using the package "metafor".

Results

Data from 517 young AB soccer players (mean age: 20 years) and 159 young black soccer players from Ghana (mean age: 19 years) were evaluated and compared. The average height and weight were similar (177.2 cm and 70.7 kg for AB, and 175.2 cm and 68.4kg for Ghanaians players). Ghanaians had a significant higher prevalence of ‘domed’ ST-elevation and TWI in V1-V4 than AB (16.7%; 95% CI, 13.1 to 25.8 versus 2.1%; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.9, respectively).

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to describe the low prevalence of the ‘domed’ ST-elevation combined with TWI in V1-V4 in young AB soccer players. Interestingly, when compared to Ghanaians young soccer players (all of them black African individuals), AB athletes presented a significant lower frequency of this finding (16.7% versus 2.1%). Finally, we hypothesize that ‘domed’ ST-elevation and TWI in V1-V4 seen in African athletes appears to become less prevalent in the generations after the time of migration from Africa to Brazil. Whether this is due to environmental or genetic changes, further studies should clarify.
The impact of the italian law mandating an automatic external defibrillation in all sports venues on sudden cardiac arrest survival
Authors: Gianni A , Villa G , Mattesi G , Botteri M , Corrado D , Zorzi A
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Introduction

The chances of surviving a sport-related cardiac arrest depend strictly on resuscitation efforts. Since 2015, all Italian recreational and competitive sport venues must be equipped with automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and trained staff must be present during competitions. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence and survival rates of cardiac arrests in sport Venues in the Lombardia region of Italy before and after 2015.

Methods

We collected retrospectively data regarding all sudden cardiac arrests of presumed cardiac origin that involved both athletes and non-athletes (coaches, referees, spectators, etc.) and which occurred in sports venues of the Lombardia region in the period 2015-2019 versus those that occurred in the period 2011-2014, when automatic external defibrillators were not mandatory yet. All cases have been gathered thanks to the database built by the regional territorial emergency service (AREU) of the Lombardia region and consulting the news reported by the local and national press.

Results

Between 2015 and 2019, the incidence of cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac origin which affected athletes in sports venues of the Lombardia region was 0.19 per 100,000 inhabitants/year, versus 0.28 per 100,000 inhabitants/year in the period 2011-2014 (p<0.005). The average age of the victims was 49.9 years in 2015-2019 and 52 years in 2011-2014 (p=0.96). After the enactment of the "compulsory AED law", the proportion of cardiac arrests treated with onsite AEDs increased from 15% to 42.1% (p<0.001) and the return of spontaneous circulation (successful resuscitation) increased from 67% to 80% (p<0.05). The association between mandatory presence of AEDs in sports venues and resuscitation success in terms of ROSC was found significant (p<0.05).

Conclusions

Cardiac arrest in sports venues is a rare event and involves mainly male athletes older than 30 years old. A nationwide law mandating the presence of AEDs in all sport venues significantly increased the proportion of individuals suffering cardiac arrest who received defibrillation before the emergency medical system arrival and favorably influenced survival rates.
Cost-effectiveness of the cardiovascular pre-participation screening in children practicing sport
Authors: Graziano F , Schiavon M , Paiaro S , Cipriani A , Brunetti G , Corrado D , Zorzi A
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Introduction

In Italy, preparticipation screening of competitive athletes is mandatory. The age at which pre-participation screening (PPS) should start is established by each sport federation and it is sometimes under 10 years old. The aim of this study is to detect both PPS efficacy and cost in paediatric age and to define the cut-off age from which it is more cost-effective.

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled 25251 athletes aged ≤15 to evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) diseases and cost-effectiveness ratio who underwent PPS from 2011 to 2020. In addition, we retrospectively studied a subgroup of 1307 competitive athletes aged 7-15 who underwent PPS from January 2019 to February 2020 for an in-depth analysed regarding costs. Cardiovascular preparticipation screening included first-line investigations (history, physical examination, resting ECG and exercise testing) and further examinations in case of abnormalities at first-line tests.

Results

In the period 2010-2020, 66 athletes were permanently disqualified for a CV disease (0,11%), 26 for a CV disease at risk of sudden cardiac death (0.05%), with a prevalence of 0.15% over 12 years old versus 0.01% under 12 (p<0.001). In the cost analysis subgroup, second-line investigations were prescribed to 5% of athletes because of abnormalities at first line tests: 1 was disqualified for a CV disease (0,07%). The cost for each athlete was 69,80€. Between 2011 and 2020, 58185 PPS were carried out. The overall cost of PPS was about €4 million, the cost for each diagnosis of any CV disease was 61.535€, and for each CV disease at risk of sudden cardiac death was 156.204€.

Conclusion

The cost-effectiveness of PPS before competitive sports in the pediatric age is lower than reported for older athletes in previously published studies. According to our data, starting PPS before 12 years of age does not appear to be justified.
A big data-driven eHealth approach to prevent, detect, and reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease burden
Authors: Scheenstra B , Bruninx A , Van Daalen F , Stahl N , Latuapon E , Townend D , Bermejo I , Dekker A , Spreeuwenberg M , Maessen J , Van 'T Hof A , Kietselaer B
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)

eHealth is a promising tool to support citizens and patients to reduce their risk of future atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASCVD). Currently, many eHealth initiatives are developed, however their use is limited. To improve the adoption of eHealth initiatives, personalization is needed according to preferences and understanding of the individual. Together with stakeholders, we used the design thinking method to create a dream user-scenario for an eHealth solution to improve cardiovascular outcomes. This point-of-view shows the essential concepts of such an eHealth initiative and focuses on scientific solutions and the most important challenges faced during its development.

In the user-scenario a federated data infrastructure collects distributed medical and non-medical data from different organizations, while ensuring maximal privacy. This data, that is currently not available, is used in a screening model to identify citizens with an increased risk for ASCVD. Citizens at risk are offered the use of an eCoach, which is connected to a counterfactual prediction model to calculate a residual risk for hypothetical interventions. This risk is visualized in a personalized way to support the shared decision making process of personalized lifestyle and healthcare goals. eHealth modules, integrated in the eCoach, encourages the patient in achieving these goals. Relevant outcomes are monitored and are used to adjust the intensity of the modules and follow-up accordingly. To realize this federated data infrastructure, an ethical and legal framework should be developed to ensue responsible data handling.
Triglycerides, polymorphisms and the risk of acute coronary syndrome in the Czech population
Authors: Todorovova V , Dlouha L , Hubacek JA , Satny M , Adamkova V , Pitha J , Ceska R , Vrablik M
Published: May 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Supported by Ministry of Health, Czech Republic - conceptual development of research organization 64165, General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic

Background and Aims

Elevated levels of plasma triglycerides (TG) have been identified as a risk factor for the development of cardiovacular disease, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Final TG levels are largely influenced by genetic factors. The most important genetic factors influencing TG levels in the Czech population are the polymorphisms in APOA5, GCKR, MAP3K1, CTF1, CYP26A1, LRP1, CILP2, LIPC, APOE, GALNT2 and LPL genes.

Methods

The variants in mentioned genes were analyzed in total 929 patients with ACS and 936 healthy controls (study post-MONICA). Only adult men under the age of 65 were included in the study.

Results

Plasma TG levels did not differ significantly between patients and controls (1.96 ± 1.30 mmol/L vs. 2.06 ± 1.47 mmol/L). CYP26A1 AA homozygotes (rs2068888) were more common (P <0.05; OR; 95% CI = 1.34; 1.03-1.74) among patients. The differences in the frequencies of the other variants were not statistically significant, however, with the exception of GCKR, LRP1, MAP3K1, GALNT2 and LPL variants, they were used to calculate the risk genetic score due to the higher OR value (above 1.15). Subjects with a score of 8 or more vs less than 3 occurred more frequently among patients with ACS than among controls (60% vs. 30%, P = 0.005; OR; 95% CI – 2.03; 1.24 – 3.31).

Conclusions

Genetic score calculated from six selected variants associated with plasma TG levels is a significant predictor of ACS in Czech Caucasian males.
A randomized trial of non-fasting vs. fasting for cardiac implantable electronic device procedures (Fast-CIED Study)
Authors: Bode Kerstin , Gerhards Matthias , Doering Michael , Lucas Johannes , Tijssen Jan , Dagres Nikolaos , Hilbert Sebastian , Richter Sergio , Nedios Sotirios , Lurz Julia , Moscoso-Luduena Cathleen , Arya Arash , Shamloo Alireza Sepehri , Hindricks Gerhard
Published: May 2022

Aims

Data on safety and efficacy of a non-fasting strategy in minimal invasive cardiac procedures are lacking. We assessed a non-fasting strategy compared with a fasting strategy regarding patient’s well-being and safety in elective cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) procedures.

Methods and results

In this randomized, single-blinded clinical trial, 201 patients (non-fasting = 100, fasting = 101) with a mean age of 72.0 ± 11.6 years (66.7% male) were assigned to a non-fasting strategy (solids/fluids allowed up to 1 h) or a fasting strategy (at least 6 h no solids and 2 h no fluids) before the procedure and analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The co-primary outcomes were patients’ well-being scores (based on numeric rating scale, 0–10) and incidence of intra-procedural food-related adverse events, including vomiting, perioperative pulmonary aspiration, and emergency intubation. Renal, haematological, and metabolic blood parameters and 30-day follow-up data were gathered. The summed pre-procedural patients’ well-being score was significantly lower in the non-fasting group [non-fasting: 13.1 ± 9.6 vs. fasting: 16.5 ± 11.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) of mean difference (MD) −6.35 to −0.46, P = 0.029], which was mainly driven by significantly lower scores for hunger and tiredness in the non-fasting group (non-fasting vs. fasting; hunger: 0.9 ± 1.9 vs. 3.1 ± 3.2, 95% CI of MD −2.86 to −1.42, P < 0.001; tiredness: 1.6 ± 2.3 vs. 2.6 ± 2.7, 95% CI of MD −1.68 to −0.29, P = 0.023). No intra-procedural food-related adverse events were observed. Relevant blood parameters and 30-day follow-up did not show significant differences.

Conclusion

These results showed that a non-fasting strategy is beneficial to a fasting one regarding patient’s well-being and comparable in terms of safety for CIED procedures (NCT04389697).
Abnormal depletion of terrestrial water storage and crustal uplift owing to the 2019 drought in Yunnan, China
Authors: Su Guangli , Zhan Wei
Published: May 2022

Droughts are natural disasters that cause severe economic and social impacts. Analysing changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS) before and after typical drought events is important for understanding the principles of the regional terrestrial water transport law and drought response, and for providing scientific agricultural production guidance. Yunnan is a drought-prone region, and high temperatures and low rainfall in 2019 led to a severe drought. Precipitation data showed that the wet season in Yunnan started 1 month later than usual in 2019. Moreover, 52 per cent (205 000 km2) of the total area of Yunnan experienced a cumulative precipitation anomaly (PA; in percentage) of −30 per cent between January and May. In this study, we used data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) missions to identify the spatial and temporal variations in TWS before and after the 2019 drought. Our results show that the drought led to an average reduction of 125 mm (equivalent water height) in the TWS, with the greatest loss in southern Yunnan, with a maximum loss of 272 mm. The reduced TWS caused by the delayed and anomalously weak southwest monsoon in 2019 gradually spread from the southwest to the northeast. By comparing with the drought in 2009–2010, we find that the southern Yunnan with abundant rainfall is more vulnerable to drought and has a relatively larger deficit in TWS. Furthermore, we used GRACE and GRACE-FO data to invert the crustal uplift caused by terrestrial water unloading in the 2019 drought, and found a maximum uplift of 8.4 mm. This showed a consistent spatial distribution with displacement variations recorded by 26 continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) stations in Yunnan during the same period, albeit slightly different in magnitude, indicating the potential of GPS for monitoring regional TWS changes.
Species targeting and discarding in mixed fisheries
Authors: Marchal Paul , Vermard Youen
Published: May 2022

This study examined some of the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of species targeting and discarding, for the French bottom trawlers operating in the eastern English Channel, building on spatial overlaps (or mismatches) between fishing effort, survey-based biomass or abundance indices and discard rates. We first identified that cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), squids (Loligo sp.) and, to a lesser degree, striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus), and seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were the main targets, while fishing for historically important species was less attractive. This result was broadly in accord with catch compositions, although mackerel (Scomber scombrus) targeting was possibly underestimated. We also showed that the distributions of fishing effort and of undersized herring, plaice, and whiting did not overlap. Although fishing effort covered fishing grounds populated with undersized horse mackerel, the proportion of undersized individuals in the discards was small. Plaice and whiting discard rates overlapped in space with undersized abundance indices. Fishing effort may have avoided spatial units with potentially high plaice discard rates, which may have been driven by large proportions of undersized fish, but also by restricted access to coastal area. Overall, the EU Landing Obligation had limited effects on fishing effort allocation relative to either undersized abundance or discard rates distributions.
Construction of a hypoxia-immune-related prognostic model and targeted therapeutic strategies for cervical cancer
Authors: Xie Shuqian , Ding Bo , Wang Shiyuan , Zhang Xing , Yan Wenjing , Xia Qianqian , Meng Dan , Shen Siyuan , Yu Bingjia , Liu Haohan , Hu Jing , Wang Shizhi
Published: May 2022

Emerging evidence indicates that hypoxia and immunity play important roles in tumorigenesis and development. However, the hypoxia-immune-related prognostic risk model has not been established in cervical cancer (CC). We aimed to construct a hypoxia-immune-related prognostic risk model, which has potential application in predicting the prognosis of CC patients and the response to targeted therapy. The RNA-seq data and corresponding clinical information were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The hypoxia status and immune status of CC patients were evaluated using the Consensus Clustering method and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), respectively. The univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression were applied to establish the prognostic risk model of CC. The chemotherapy response for six chemotherapeutic agents of each CC patient was calculated according to the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC). And the Connectivity Map (CMap) database was performed to screen candidate small-molecule drugs. In this study, we identified seven gene signatures (P4HA2, MSMO1, EGLN1, ZNF316, IKZF3, ISCU and MYO1B) with prognostic values. And the survival time of patients with low risk was significantly longer than those with high risk. Meanwhile, CC patients in the high-risk group yielded higher sensitivity to five chemotherapeutic agents. And we listed 10 candidate small-molecule drugs that exhibited a high correlation with the prognosis of CC. Thus, the prognostic model can accurately predict the prognosis of patients with CC and may be helpful for the development of new hypoxia-immune prognostic markers and therapeutic strategies for CC.
Distributional reinforcement learning with the independent learners for flexible job shop scheduling problem with high variability
Authors: Oh Seung Heon , Cho Young In , Woo Jong Hun
Published: May 2022

Multi-agent scheduling algorithm is a useful method for the flexible job shop scheduling problem (FJSP). Also, the variability of the target system has to be considered in the scheduling problem that includes the machine failure, the setup change, etc. This study proposes the scheduling method that combines the independent learners with the implicit quantile network by modeling of the FJSP with high variability to the form of the multi-agent. The proposed method demonstrates superior performance compared to the several known heuristic dispatching rules. In addition, the trained model exhibits superior performance compared to the reinforcement learning algorithms such as proximal policy optimization and deep Q-network.
The Fake One is the Real One: Finstas, Authenticity, and Context Collapse in Teen Friend Groups
Authors: Darr Christopher R , Doss Erin F
Published: May 2022

Research has shown that as individuals—particularly teenagers—navigate social media, they value authenticity, typically understood as congruence between their online and offline identities. Portraying oneself in an authentic manner, however, is complicated by the phenomenon of context collapse, where multiple audiences (e.g., friends, teachers, parents) become homogenized and boundaries become blurred. Drawing on focus group data with 20 teenagers aged 13–17, we examined how teens use Finstas (“fake Instagram” accounts) to navigate tensions between context collapse and authenticity. Our participants see themselves as quite skilled at creating idealized identities on their Rinstas (“real Instagram” accounts) but turn to Finstas because they find such performances unsatisfying, using these secondary accounts for active resistance to norms of mainstream Instagram, often through negative emotional expression and self-description. Our study adds to the literature on teen social media use by illuminating strategies teens use to navigate context collapse as they seek authenticity.
The Emergence of the qirāʾāt: The Divine Permission Hypothesis
Authors: Moqbel Tareq
Published: May 2022

Various theories for the emergence of the qirāʾāt (variant readings in the Qurʾān) have been suggested. This paper proposes another: the divine permission hypothesis. It shows that the Muslim scholarly tradition appears either to have taken for granted or all-but explicitly stated that the sending down of the Qurʾān was, from the beginning, accompanied by a divine concession permitting a measure of flexibility in its recitation. The paper presents some of the scholarly discussion on the restrictions or controls on this concession, including its being time-bound. The variant readings circulating during the lifetime of the Companions did not all carry the same divine authority—they ranged from those directly taught by the Prophet, to those he specifically approved, to those initiated by the Companions under the general authority of the divine permission. The permission hypothesis offers considerable explanatory efficiency. It allows us to take more of what is recorded in the Islamic tradition at face value; to accommodate the traditions that the Qurʾān was sent down predominantly in the dialect of Quraysh; to link up the seven aḥruf and qirāʾa bi-l-maʿnā traditions; to simplify some of the issues around the so-called ‘Companion codices’; to account for the existence, before the text was standardized, of an unspecified number of variants; to anticipate some of the directions taken in ʿilm al-qirāʾāt; and to make sense of the unease with and critique of qirāʾāt of such towering figures in Qurʾān scholarship as al-Ṭabarī and al-Zamaksharī.
The Quest to Eradicate HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: An Opportunity Not to Miss
Authors: Lalonde Chloe S , Teng Yong , Burtness Barbara A , Ferris Robert L , Ahmed Rafi , Saba Nabil F
Published: May 2022

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) accounts for more than half of all head and neck cancers. Since the 1970s, OPSCC has shifted from an environmentally triggered to virally mediated disease due to a sharp rise in human papillomavirus (HPV)–related squamous cell carcinoma. Although a highly effective prophylactic vaccine is available, its current implementation is far below national targets, and OPSCC incidence is predicted to further increase by 2045. However, we believe that with prompt action now, we can not only defy these predictions but also effectively eradicate HPV-related OPSCC in these next 20 years. We herein provide an overview of the necessary elements to eliminate this disease: improved primary vaccine uptake, a 1-time universal vaccination effort, and implementation of novel therapeutics that have potential to cure existing disease.
The Association Between Sleep and Musculoskeletal Injuries in Military Personnel: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lisman Peter , Ritland Bradley M , Burke Tina M , Sweeney Lisa , Dobrosielski Devon A
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) are a significant health problem in the military. Accordingly, identifying risk factors associated with MSKI to develop targeted strategies that attenuate injury risk remains a top priority within the military. Insufficient sleep has garnered increased attention as a potential risk factor for MSKI in both civilians and military personnel. Yet, there are no systematic evaluations of the potential association between sleep and MSKI in the military. The purpose of this review is to examine the relationship between sleep and injury in military personnel.

Materials and Methods

Literature searches were performed in multiple electronic databases using keywords relevant to sleep quantity and quality, MSKI, and military populations. Two investigators independently assessed the methodological quality of each study using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for cohort studies or an adapted form of this scale for cross-sectional studies.

Results

The search yielded 2402 total citations, with 8 studies (3 cohort and 5 cross-sectional) fitting the inclusion criteria. Overall, the systematic review found 5 of the 8 reviewed studies supporting an association between sleep (quality and duration) and MSKI in military personnel. Specifically, poor sleep was associated with increased injury incidence in 2 cohort and 3 cross-sectional studies.

Conclusion

This is the first systematic review to evaluate the published literature on the association between sleep and MSKI risk in military populations. Although there is currently limited research on this topic, findings suggest that sleep is associated with MSKI and should be considered when designing strategies aimed at reducing MSKI risk in military personnel.
Intermediate- and high-velocity clouds in the Milky Way – II. Evidence for a Galactic fountain with collimated outflows and diffuse inflows
Authors: Marasco Antonino , Fraternali Filippo , Lehner Nicolas , Howk J Christopher
Published: May 2022

We model the kinematics of the high- and intermediate-velocity clouds (HVCs and IVCs) observed in absorption towards a sample of 55 Galactic halo stars with accurate distance measurements. We employ a simple model of a thick disc whose main free parameters are the gas azimuthal, radial, and vertical velocities (vϕ, vR, and vz), and apply it to the data by fully accounting for the distribution of the observed features in the distance–velocity space. We find that at least two separate components are required to reproduce the data. A scenario where the HVCs and the IVCs are treated as distinct populations provides only a partial description of the data, which suggests that a pure velocity-based separation may give a biased vision of the gas physics at the Milky Way’s disc–halo interface. Instead, the data are better described by a combination of an inflow component and an outflow component, both characterized by rotation with vϕ comparable to that of the disc and vz of $50\!-\!100\, {\rm km\, s}^{-1}$. Features associated with the inflow appear to be diffused across the sky, while those associated with the outflow are mostly confined within a bicone pointing towards (l = 220°, b = +40°) and (l = 40°, b = −40°). Our findings indicate that the lower ($|z| \lesssim 10\, {\rm kpc}$) Galactic halo is populated by a mixture of diffuse inflowing gas and collimated outflowing material, which are likely manifestations of a galaxy-wide gas cycle triggered by stellar feedback, that is, the galactic fountain.
Deep radio-interferometric imaging with POLISH: DSA-2000 and weak lensing
Authors: Connor Liam , Bouman Katherine L , Ravi Vikram , Hallinan Gregg
Published: May 2022

Radio interferometry allows astronomers to probe small spatial scales that are often inaccessible with single-dish instruments. However, recovering the radio sky from an interferometer is an ill-posed deconvolution problem that astronomers have worked on for half a century. More challenging still is achieving resolution below the array’s diffraction limit, known as superresolution imaging. To this end, we have developed a new learning-based approach for radio interferometric imaging, leveraging recent advances in the classical computer vision problems of single-image superresolution and deconvolution. We have developed and trained a high-dynamic range residual neural network to learn the mapping between the dirty image and the true radio sky. We call this procedure POLISH, in contrast to the traditional CLEAN algorithm. The feed-forward nature of learning-based approaches like POLISH is critical for analysing data from the upcoming Deep Synoptic Array (DSA-2000). We show that POLISH achieves superresolution, and we demonstrate its ability to deconvolve real observations from the Very Large Array. Superresolution on DSA-2000 will allow us to measure the shapes and orientations of several hundred million star-forming radio galaxies (SFGs), making it a powerful cosmological weak lensing survey and probe of dark energy. We forecast its ability to constrain the lensing power spectrum, finding that it will be complementary to next-generation optical surveys such as Euclid.
AlignMe: an update of the web server for alignment of membrane protein sequences
Authors: Staritzbichler René , Yaklich Emily , Sarti Edoardo , Ristic Nikola , Hildebrand Peter W , Forrest Lucy R
Published: May 2022

The AlignMe web server is dedicated to accurately aligning sequences of membrane proteins, a particularly challenging task due to the strong evolutionary divergence and the low compositional complexity of hydrophobic membrane-spanning proteins. AlignMe can create pairwise alignments of either two primary amino acid sequences or two hydropathy profiles. The web server for AlignMe has been continuously available for >10 years, supporting 1000s of users per year. Recent improvements include anchoring, multiple submissions, and structure visualization. Anchoring is the ability to constrain a position in an alignment, which allows expert information about related residues in proteins to be incorporated into an alignment without manual modification. The original web interface to the server limited the user to one alignment per submission, hindering larger scale studies. Now, batches of alignments can be initiated with a single submission. Finally, to provide structural context for the relationship between proteins, sequence similarity can now be mapped onto one or more structures (or structural models) of the proteins being aligned, by links to MutationExplorer, a web-based visualization tool. Together with a refreshed user interface, these features further enhance an important resource in the membrane protein community. The AlignMe web server is freely available at https://www.bioinfo.mpg.de/AlignMe/.
The Ocean Gene Atlas v2.0: online exploration of the biogeography and phylogeny of plankton genes
Authors: Vernette Caroline , Lecubin Julien , Sánchez Pablo ,   Tara Oceans Coordinators, Acinas Silvia G , Babin Marcel , Bork Peer , Boss Emmanuel , Bowler Chris , Cochrane Guy , de Vargas Colomban , Gorsky Gabriel , Guidi Lionel , Grimsley Nigel , Hingamp1 Pascal , Iudicone Daniele , Jaillon Olivier , Kandels-Lewis Stefanie , Karp-Boss Lee , Karsenti Eric , Not Fabrice , Ogata Hiroyuki , Poulton Nicole , Pesant Stéphane , Sardet Christian , Speich Sabrina , Stemmann Lars , Sullivan Matthew B , Sunagawa Shinichi , Wincker Patrick , Sunagawa Shinichi , Delmont Tom O , Acinas Silvia G , Pelletier Eric , Hingamp Pascal , Lescot Magali
Published: May 2022

Testing hypothesis about the biogeography of genes using large data resources such as Tara Oceans marine metagenomes and metatranscriptomes requires significant hardware resources and programming skills. The new release of the ‘Ocean Gene Atlas’ (OGA2) is a freely available intuitive online service to mine large and complex marine environmental genomic databases. OGA2 datasets available have been extended and now include, from the Tara Oceans portfolio: (i) eukaryotic Metagenome-Assembled-Genomes (MAGs) and Single-cell Assembled Genomes (SAGs) (10.2E+6 coding genes), (ii) version 2 of Ocean Microbial Reference Gene Catalogue (46.8E+6 non-redundant genes), (iii) 924 MetaGenomic Transcriptomes (7E+6 unigenes), (iv) 530 MAGs from an Arctic MAG catalogue (1E+6 genes) and (v) 1888 Bacterial and Archaeal Genomes (4.5E+6 genes), and an additional dataset from the Malaspina 2010 global circumnavigation: (vi) 317 Malaspina Deep Metagenome Assembled Genomes (0.9E+6 genes). Novel analyses enabled by OGA2 include phylogenetic tree inference to visualize user queries within their context of sequence homologues from both the marine environmental dataset and the RefSeq database. An Application Programming Interface (API) now allows users to query OGA2 using command-line tools, hence providing local workflow integration. Finally, gene abundance can be interactively filtered directly on map displays using any of the available environmental variables. Ocean Gene Atlas v2.0 is freely-available at: https://tara-oceans.mio.osupytheas.fr/ocean-gene-atlas/.