Reliability and Validity of a Wearable Shirt for Ventilatory Measurements in Team Sports

Tittel: Reliabilitet og Validitet av en Bærbar Skjorte for Ventilasjonsmålinger i Lagsporter. Formål: Formålet til denne studien er å utføre innledende undersøkelser av egenheten til et nylig utviklet bærbart måleverktøy for ventilasjonsmålinger, Tyme Wear Smart Shirt, i en lagsportkontekst. Kan måleverktøyet gi valide og reliable data om variabler som pustefrekvens (BR), tide volum (TV) og deres produkt, ventilasjonsvolum (VE), i lagsporter? Metode: Denne studien er en intervensjonsstudie som følger et deskriptivt design basert på valid og reliabel kvantitativ data. Forsøkspersonene er i aldersgruppen 19-35 år med god fysisk form og er kjent med løpsbasert lagsport. Målinger av BR, TV og VE fra et laboratorium og Tyme Wear Smart Shirt ble analysert ved hjelp av Pearsons korrelasjonskoeffisient. Statistisk signifikans er satt til P < 0.05. Testene som ble gjennomført inkluderer en klinisk test (VO2 max test) og en felt test (Yo-Yo Intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-Yo IRL1)). Resultat: Prosjektet inkluderer 18 forskningspersoner (15 menn, 3 kvinner) med komplette datasett for alle variabler for 16 (13 menn, 3 kvinner). Det var en positiv signifikant korrelasjon av BR-dataene fra Yo-Yo IRL1 test (R2 = 0.41), som anses som lovende data. VEdataene fra Yo-Yo IRL1 test (R2 = 0.86) og TV-dataene fra Yo-Yo IRL1 test (R2 = 0.89) fremtrer også lovende. Skjorten viser reliable målinger av BR for VO2 max testen (R2 = 0.68). Konklusjon: Tyme Wear Smart Shirt har bevist at den evner å gjøre valide BR målinger under VO2 maks testen med både reliable og signifikante data. For VE og TV dataen derimot, var det ingen signifikant forskjell i dataen selv om de viste seg å være reliable. Det må derfor utføres mer spesifikk forskning for å kunne fastslå reliabiliteten og validiteten av Tyme Wear Smart Shirt i løpsbasert lagidretter. Nøkkelord: Bærbart måleverktøy, løpsbasert lagidrett, VO2 max, Yo-Yo IRL1, BR, TV, VE

Cytology of some Iranian Stipa (Poaceae) species and populations

Meiotic studies were performed on 16 populations of 13 Stipa species concerning polyploidy level, chiasma frequency and distribution, chromosome association and segregation. The species and populations studied possessed 2n = 24, 36 and 44 chromosome number. The chromosome numbers of four species are reported for the first time. The populations and species studied differed significantly in their meiotic characteristics. Meiotic abnormalities observed included laggard chromosome formation, stickiness and cytomixis. Cytomixis led to the formation of aneuploid meiocytes. Unreduced pollen grains were observed in some of the species, which differed significantly in their size compared to the normal (reduced) pollen grains

Wildlife capture in Zambia – An evaluation of immobilization techniques and physiological parameters on wild ungulates

There is an increasing need for the development of immobilization techniques on wild ungulates. Many African ungulates are kept in national parks, conservation parks and game ranches, and the immobilization of these ungulates are often necessary managing such areas. Conserving wild species carries a significant responsibility for ensuring proper animal welfare. However, knowledge of the capture-induced stress in wild African ungulates is limited. This study aims to evaluate different immobilization techniques and physiological parameters like body temperature, serum cortisol and blood biochemistry values in wild Zambian ungulates. This study consists of both physical capture by boma and chemical capture by darting, and the ungulates were captured for translocation reasons. A total of 15 ungulates were captured including the species impala (Aepyceros melampus), sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), puku (Kobus vardonii) and kudu (Tragelaphus stresiceros). Venous blood samples were collected from 12 of the captured ungulates. The samples were analysed for cortisol by DetectX® Cortisol ELISA kit. The selected biochemistry parameters ALT, AST, CK, glucose and creatinine, were analysed by Atellica® CH Analyzer. The blood sample results indicated a correlation between cortisol levels and body temperature with elevated cortisol levels and elevated body temperature. We found no correlation between body temperature and ambient temperature. The ungulates with the highest CK measurements exhibited significant muscle activity prior to sampling. During the captures of this study, there was one recorded incident of mortality and three incidents of capture-related injuries. There is a critical need for further research to enhance animal welfare during the capture of wild African ungulates, with the goal of minimizing capture-induced morbidity and mortality. The research should include a variety of ungulate species to address their unique requirements.VE

Reliability and Validity of a Wearable Shirt for Ventilatory Measurements in Team Sports

Formålet med denne studien var å utføre innledende undersøkelser av egenheten til et nylig utviklet bærbart måleverktøy for ventilasjonsmålinger, Tyme Wear Smart Shirt, i en lagsportkontekst. Kan måleverktøyet gi valide og reliable data om variabler som pustefrekvens (BR), tide volum (TV) og deres produkt, ventilasjonsvolum (VE), i lagsporter? Denne studien er en intervensjonsstudie som følger et deskriptivt design basert på valid og reliabel kvantitativ data. Forsøkspersonene er i aldersgruppen 19.35 år med god fysisk form og er kjent med løpsbasert lagsport. Målinger av BR, TV og VE fra et laboratorium og Tyme Wear Smart Shirt ble analysert ved hjelp av Pearsons korrelasjonskoeffisient. Statistisk signifikans er satt til P < 0.05. Testene som ble gjennomført inkluderer en klinisk test (VO2 maks test) og en felt test (Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-Yo IRL1)). Prosjektet inkluderer 18 forskningspersoner (15 menn, 3 kvinner) med komplette datasett for alle variabler for 16 (13 menn, 3 kvinner). Det var en positiv signifikant korrelasjon av BR-dataene fra Yo-Yo IRL1 test (R2=0.41), som anses som lovende data. VE-dataene fra Yo-Yo IRL1 test (R2=0.86) og TV (R2=0.89) fremtrer også lovende. Skjorten viser reliable målinger av BR for VO2 maks testen (R2=0.68). Tyme Wear Smart Shirt har bevist at den evner å gjøre valide BR målinger under VO2 maks testen med både reliable og signifikante data. For VE og TV dataen derimot, var det ingen signifikant forskjell i dataen selv om de viste seg å være reliable. Det må derfor utføres mer spesifikk foskning for å kunne fastslå reliabiliteten og validiteten av Tyme Wear Smart Shirt i løpsbasert lagidretter

Economic burden of cardiovascular diseases in the European Union: a population-based cost study

Background and aims Cardiovascular disease (CVD) impacts significantly health and social care systems as well as society through premature mortality and disability, with patients requiring care from relatives. Previous pan-European estimates of the economic burden of CVD are now outdated. This study aims to provide novel, up-to-date evidence on the economic burden across the 27 European Union (EU) countries in 2021. Methods Aggregate country-specific resource use data on morbidity, mortality, and health, social and informal care were obtained from international sources, such as the Statistical Office of the European Communities, enhanced by data from the European Society of Cardiology Atlas programme and patient-level data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Country-specific unit costs were used, with cost estimates reported on a per capita basis, after adjustment for price differentials. Results CVD is estimated to cost the EU €282 billion annually, with health and long-term care accounting for €155 billion (55%), equalling 11% of EU-health expenditure. Productivity losses accounted for 17% (€48 billion), whereas informal care costs were €79 billion (28%). CVD represented a cost of €630 per person, ranging from €381 in Cyprus to €903 in Germany. Coronary heart disease accounted for 27% (€77 billion) and cerebrovascular diseases for 27% (€76 billion) of CVD costs. Conclusions This study provides contemporary estimates of the wide-ranging impact of CVD on all aspects of the economy. The data help inform evidence based polices to reduce the impact of CVD, promoting care access and better health outcomes and economic sustainability

Health-related quality of life and healthcare costs of symptoms and cardiovascular disease events in patients with atrial fibrillation: a longitudinal analysis of 27 countries from the EURObservational Research Programme on Atrial Fibrillation general long-term registry

Aims: We examine the effects of symptoms and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and healthcare costs in a European population with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results: In the EURObservational Research Programme on AF long-term general registry, AF patients from 250 centres in 27 European countries were enrolled and followed for 2 years. We used fixed effects models to estimate the association of symptoms and CVD events on HRQOL and annual healthcare costs. We found significant decrements in HRQOL in AF patients in whom ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) [−0.075 (95% confidence interval −0.144, −0.006)], angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) [−0.037 (−0.071, −0.003)], new-onset/worsening heart failure [−0.064 (−0.088, −0.039)], bleeding events [−0.031 (−0.059, −0.003)], thromboembolic events [−0.071 (−0.115, −0.027)], mild symptoms [0.037 (−0.048, −0.026)], or severe/disabling symptoms [−0.090 (−0.108, −0.072)] occurred during the follow-up. During follow-up, annual healthcare costs were associated with an increase of €11 718 (€8497, €14 939) in patients with STEMI, €5823 (€4757, €6889) in patients with angina/NSTEMI, €3689 (€3219, €4158) in patients with new-onset or worsening heart failure, €3792 (€3315, €4270) in patients with bleeding events, and €3182 (€2483, €3881) in patients with thromboembolic events, compared with AF patients without these events. Healthcare costs were primarily driven by inpatient costs. There were no significant differences in HRQOL or healthcare resource use between EU regions or by sex. Conclusion: Symptoms and CVD events are associated with a high burden on AF patients and healthcare systems throughout Europe

Disease characteristics and treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus attending government health services in Indonesia, Peru, Romania and South Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics and management of Diabetes mellitus (DM) patients from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). METHODS: We systematically characterized consecutive DM patients attending public health services in urban settings in Indonesia, Peru, Romania and South Africa, collecting data on DM treatment history, complications, drug treatment, obesity, HbA1c, and cardiovascular risk profile; and assessing treatment gaps against relevant national guidelines. RESULTS: Patients (median 59 years, 62.9% female) mostly had type 2 diabetes (96%), half for >5 years (48.6%). Obesity (45.5%) and central obesity (females 84.8%; males 62.7%) were common. The median HbA1c was 8.7% (72 mmol/mol), ranging from 7.7% (61 mmol/mol; Peru) to 10.4% (90 mmol/mol; South Africa). Antidiabetes treatment included metformin (62.6%), insulin (37.8%), and other oral glucose-lowering drugs (34.8%). Disease complications included eyesight problems (50.4%), EGFR <60 ml/min (18.9%), heart disease (16.5%), and proteinuria (14.7%). Many had an elevated cardiovascular risk with elevated blood pressure (36%), LDL (71.0%), and smoking (13%), but few were taking antihypertensive drugs (47.1%), statins (28.5%) and aspirin (30.0%) when indicated. Few patients on insulin (8.0%), statins (8.4%) and antihypertensives (39.5%) reached treatment targets according to national guidelines. There were large differences between countries in terms of disease profile and medication use. CONCLUSION: DM patients in government clinics in four LMIC with considerable growth of DM have insufficient glycemic control, frequent macrovascular and other complications, and insufficient preventive measures for cardiovascular disease. These findings underline the need to identify treatment barriers and secure optimal DM care in such settings. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Differentiation of Biliary Atresia from the Intrahepatic Etiology of Infantile Cholestasis with Alagille Criteria

Background: Biliary atresia (BA) is an important etiology of liver disease in pediatric patients which manifests as extrahepatic cholestasis. Alagille criterion is a combination of noninvasive findings for the diagnosis of BA. In this regard, the current retrospective study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Alagille criteria for BA. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ghaem Hospital, affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences during 2009-2014. All infants less than 2 years old with cholestasis referred to the pediatric gastrointestinal ward were included in this study. Alagille criteria were evaluated for each patient, and BA was confirmed with intraoperative cholangiography. Finally, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of Alagille criteria were determined according to the final diagnosis. Results: In general, 92 patients were included in this study. The male-to-female ratio and the mean age of patients were 54/38 and 42±5 days (ranging between 1 and 5 months), respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender, onset time of jaundice, and the presence of the acholic stool (P=0.02, 0.04, and 0.005, respectively). Eventually, the acholic stool had the highest sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the presence of the acholic stool was the most valuable criterion for the diagnosis of BA among all Alagille criteria

Availability and affordability of blood pressure-lowering medicines and the effect on blood pressure control in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: an analysis of the PURE study data.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is considered the most important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, but its control is poor worldwide. We aimed to assess the availability and affordability of blood pressure-lowering medicines, and the association with use of these medicines and blood pressure control in countries at varying levels of economic development. METHODS: We analysed the availability, costs, and affordability of blood pressure-lowering medicines with data recorded from 626 communities in 20 countries participating in the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study. Medicines were considered available if they were present in the local pharmacy when surveyed, and affordable if their combined cost was less than 20% of the households' capacity to pay. We related information about availability and affordability to use of these medicines and blood pressure control with multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models, and compared results for high-income, upper-middle-income, lower-middle-income, and low-income countries. Data for India are presented separately because it has a large generic pharmaceutical industry and a higher availability of medicines than other countries at the same economic level. FINDINGS: The availability of two or more classes of blood pressure-lowering drugs was lower in low-income and middle-income countries (except for India) than in high-income countries. The proportion of communities with four drug classes available was 94% in high-income countries (108 of 115 communities), 76% in India (68 of 90), 71% in upper-middle-income countries (90 of 126), 47% in lower-middle-income countries (107 of 227), and 13% in low-income countries (nine of 68). The proportion of households unable to afford two blood pressure-lowering medicines was 31% in low-income countries (1069 of 3479 households), 9% in middle-income countries (5602 of 65 471), and less than 1% in high-income countries (44 of 10 880). Participants with known hypertension in communities that had all four drug classes available were more likely to use at least one blood pressure-lowering medicine (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2·23, 95% CI 1·59-3·12); p<0·0001), combination therapy (1·53, 1·13-2·07; p=0·054), and have their blood pressure controlled (2·06, 1·69-2·50; p<0·0001) than were those in communities where blood pressure-lowering medicines were not available. Participants with known hypertension from households able to afford four blood pressure-lowering drug classes were more likely to use at least one blood pressure-lowering medicine (adjusted OR 1·42, 95% CI 1·25-1·62; p<0·0001), combination therapy (1·26, 1·08-1·47; p=0·0038), and have their blood pressure controlled (1·13, 1·00-1·28; p=0·0562) than were those unable to afford the medicines. INTERPRETATION: A large proportion of communities in low-income and middle-income countries do not have access to more than one blood pressure-lowering medicine and, when available, they are often not affordable. These factors are associated with poor blood pressure control. Ensuring access to affordable blood pressure-lowering medicines is essential for control of hypertension in low-income and middle-income countries. FUNDING: Population Health Research Institute, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Canadian Institutes of Health Research Strategy for Patient Oriented Research through the Ontario SPOR Support Unit, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, pharmaceutical companies (with major contributions from AstraZeneca [Canada], Sanofi Aventis [France and Canada], Boehringer Ingelheim [Germany amd Canada], Servier, and GlaxoSmithKline), Novartis and King Pharma, and national or local organisations in participating countries

Variations between women and men in risk factors, treatments, cardiovascular disease incidence, and death in 27 high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries (PURE): A prospective cohort study

Some studies, mainly from high-income countries (HICs), report that women receive less care (investigations and treatments) for cardiovascular disease than do men and might have a higher risk of death. However, very few studies systematically report risk factors, use of primary or secondary prevention medications, incidence of cardiovascular disease, or death in populations drawn from the community. Given that most cardiovascular disease occurs in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a need for comprehensive information comparing treatments and outcomes between women and men in HICs, middle-income countries, and low-income countries from community-based population studies. Methods: In the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological study (PURE), individuals aged 35–70 years from urban and rural communities in 27 countries were considered for inclusion