Luteal Function and Conception in Lactating Cows and Some Factors Affecting Luteal Function after Insemination

Reduced steroidogenic capacity of the corpus luteum (CL) during early luteal phase has been reported to cause decreased fertility in cows. Higher concentrations of progesterone were observed in pregnant cows 5-10 days after artificial insemination (AI) compared to non-pregnant cows. However, the extent to which luteal sub-function affects fertility in high producing dairy cows is not clear. The present study, therefore, was undertaken to: 1) investigate the type and incidence of luteal sub-function after insemination; 2) to study the relationship between post-insemination luteal sub-function and conception rate; and 3) clarify the relationship of luteal function with parity, body condition score, milk yield and dietary intake.</jats:p

Impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on STEMI percutaneous interventions

Abstract Background Measures taken to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been correlated to a decline in the number of patients seeking medical care for emergency cardiovascular illness. Here we evaluate the impact of a state-wide lockdown on ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care. Purpose The purpose of this study is to help understand the impact of COVID-related lockdowns on STEMI interventions. Methods All consecutive adult patients admitted with an acute STEMI diagnosis and percutaneous intervention (PCI) performed between January 17, 2020, and July 14, 2020, at five sites across our health care network, were included in this study. Patient demographics, medical history and procedure details were collected retrospectively from electronic medical records. Data were segregated according to date into pre-lockdown, lockdown (March 17 to May 13, 2020) and post-lockdown groups. Results A total of 225 patients formed the study cohort. Median age was 62 (IQR: 53–71) years. Patients were predominantly male (n=154, 68%), white (n=208, 92%), hypertensive (n=139, 61%) and dyslipidemic (n=135, 60%). The average weekly rate of STEMI PCIs performed pre-lockdown decreased by 40% during the lockdown from 10.9 to 6.5 PCIs per week (p&amp;lt;0.05). Door-to-balloon (D2B) times increased from 42 (IQR: 28–68) min pre-lockdown to 53 (IQR: 40–72) min during the lockdown (p=0.01). No significant differences were observed in in-hospital mortality or cardiac troponin measurements within 24 h of procedure between the three groups. Conclusion Adverse effects of COVID-19-related lockdowns on acute STEMI care include a decrease in PCI volumes and prolonged D2B times. Our results provide valuable data-driven criteria to help inform patient decisions to seek care and to find ways to protect healthcare workers without compromising timely critical intervention. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. </jats:sec

Clinical Characteristics, Risk Factors, and Outcomes Among a Large Midwestern U.S. Cohort of Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 Prior to Vaccine Availability

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented demands on health care. This study aimed to characterize COVID-19 inpatients and examine trends and risk factors associated with hospitalization duration, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalized at an integrated health system between February 2, 2020, and December 12, 2020. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were obtained from medical records. Backward stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors of ICU admission and in-hospital mortality. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate relationships between ICU admission and in-hospital mortality. Results: Overall, 9647 patients were analyzed. Mean age was 64.6 ± 18 years. A linear decrease was observed for hospitalization duration (0.13 days/week, R2 = 0.71; P \u3c 0.0001), ICU admissions (0.35%/week, R2 = 0.44; P \u3c 0.001), and hospital mortality (0.16%/week, R2 = 0.31; P \u3c 0.01). Bacterial co-infections, male sex, history of chronic lung and heart disease, diabetes, and Hispanic ethnicity were identified as independent predictors of ICU admission (P \u3c 0.001). ICU admission and age of ≥65 years were the strongest independent risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality (P \u3c 0.001). The in-hospital mortality rate was 8.3% (27.4% in ICU patients, 2.6% in non-ICU patients; P \u3c 0.001). Conclusions: Results indicate that, over the pandemic’s first 10 months, COVID-19 carried a heavy burden of morbidity and mortality in older patients (\u3e 65 years), males, Hispanics, and those with bacterial co-infections and chronic comorbidities. Although disease severity has steadily declined following administration of COVID-19 vaccines along with improved understanding of effective COVID-19 interventions, these study findings reflect a “natural history” for this novel infectious disease in the U.S. Midwest