Associations between changes in physical activity and perceived social exclusion and loneliness within middle-aged adults: longitudinal evidence from the German Ageing Survey

Previous research showed negative associations between physical activity and loneliness in older adults. However, information on associations among middle-aged adults is scarce. In this prognostic factor study, we investigated if starting or stopping to follow the WHO physical activity recommendations was associated with changes in perceived social exclusion and loneliness in this age bracket

Does Recreational Diving Impact Hawksbill Sea Turtle Sighting Rates? Preliminary Analysis for a Marine Protected Area, Honduras

Recreational diving is a form of ecotourism that is traditionally viewed as an ecologically sustainable activity prompting increased awareness for the marine environment. Still, recent studies indicate that recreational diving may cause increased spatio-temporal variability within coral ecosystems and unintended behavioral changes in marine macrofauna. Few studies however, have looked specifically at the effect of recreational diving on sea turtles. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in dive site use and habitat composition can affect the rate of Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) sightings in a marine protected area. From June 3 – August 31, 2014 we collected turtle sightings data from 14 different dive shops within the Roatán marine Park (RMP), a marine protected area around the western tip of the island of Roatán, in the Bay Islands of Honduras. We also collected daily dive logs from 2 dive shops to calculate the rate of turtle sightings per dive for each site. To quantify benthic habitat we conducted habitat transects at 12 different sites within the RMP. For each site, we delineated 6-7 transects at random, and photographed 1m2 quadrants at 5m intervals along a 30m transect. We analyzed habitat data for 10 of the 12 sites using Coral Point Count with Excel Extensions 4.1 (CPCe) and calculated percent abundance and percent coverage for different species. Using ArcMap 10.1, we plotted habitat composition, turtle sighting rate, and number of divers over 4 months for dive sites in the RMP. A total of 644 hawksbill, 406 green (Chelonia mydas), 4 loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and 17 unknown sightings were gathered from 686 dives at 46 dive sites. Total algal abundance within the RMP was high (\u3e 60%) for 5 sites, and moderate (10%) for 9 sites. High algal abundance, however, which can be indicative of degrading habitat, did not correlate with low coral abundance, and turtle sighting rate did not correlate with either metric indicating that algae and coral abundance alone are not adequate predictors of turtle sighting rate. Sightings survey effort was unevenly distributed over the 3 months with peak intensity occurring in July, the height of tourist season. We found a slight positive correlation between the number of divers per visit and the rate of turtle sighting suggesting that more turtles are spotted on dives with more divers. Due to the limited time frame of the study, however, we were unable to determine if this trend was seasonal or not. Based on these preliminary findings, we recommend that long-term studies incorporating sightings from additional dive shops and habitat analysis for more sites, should be conducted in the RMP to determine if diving pressure impacts hawksbill sighting rates

Paperwork

Catalog for the exhibition Paperwork held at the Seton Hall University Walsh Gallery, November 10 - December 12, 2008. Curated by Erin Peters and Elen Woods. Includes an essay by Erin Peters and Elen Woods. Includes color illustrations

Associations of autozygosity with a broad range of human phenotypes

Abstract: In many species, the offspring of related parents suffer reduced reproductive success, a phenomenon known as inbreeding depression. In humans, the importance of this effect has remained unclear, partly because reproduction between close relatives is both rare and frequently associated with confounding social factors. Here, using genomic inbreeding coefficients (FROH) for >1.4 million individuals, we show that FROH is significantly associated (p < 0.0005) with apparently deleterious changes in 32 out of 100 traits analysed. These changes are associated with runs of homozygosity (ROH), but not with common variant homozygosity, suggesting that genetic variants associated with inbreeding depression are predominantly rare. The effect on fertility is striking: FROH equivalent to the offspring of first cousins is associated with a 55% decrease [95% CI 44–66%] in the odds of having children. Finally, the effects of FROH are confirmed within full-sibling pairs, where the variation in FROH is independent of all environmental confounding

Associations of autozygosity with a broad range of human phenotypes.

In many species, the offspring of related parents suffer reduced reproductive success, a phenomenon known as inbreeding depression. In humans, the importance of this effect has remained unclear, partly because reproduction between close relatives is both rare and frequently associated with confounding social factors. Here, using genomic inbreeding coefficients (FROH) for &gt;1.4 million individuals, we show that FROH is significantly associated (p &lt; 0.0005) with apparently deleterious changes in 32 out of 100 traits analysed. These changes are associated with runs of homozygosity (ROH), but not with common variant homozygosity, suggesting that genetic variants associated with inbreeding depression are predominantly rare. The effect on fertility is striking: FROH equivalent to the offspring of first cousins is associated with a 55% decrease [95% CI 44-66%] in the odds of having children. Finally, the effects of FROH are confirmed within full-sibling pairs, where the variation in FROH is independent of all environmental confounding

Effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation vs surgical aortic valve replacement on all-cause mortality in patients with aortic stenosis

Importance: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a less invasive alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement and is the treatment of choice for patients at high operative risk. The role of TAVI in patients at lower risk is unclear. Objective: To determine whether TAVI is noninferior to surgery in patients at moderately increased operative risk. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this randomized clinical trial conducted at 34 UK centers, 913 patients aged 70 years or older with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis and moderately increased operative risk due to age or comorbidity were enrolled between April 2014 and April 2018 and followed up through April 2019. Interventions: TAVI using any valve with a CE mark (indicating conformity of the valve with all legal and safety requirements for sale throughout the European Economic Area) and any access route (n = 458) or surgical aortic valve replacement (surgery; n = 455). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 1 year. The primary hypothesis was that TAVI was noninferior to surgery, with a noninferiority margin of 5% for the upper limit of the 1-sided 97.5% CI for the absolute between-group difference in mortality. There were 36 secondary outcomes (30 reported herein), including duration of hospital stay, major bleeding events, vascular complications, conduction disturbance requiring pacemaker implantation, and aortic regurgitation. Results: Among 913 patients randomized (median age, 81 years [IQR, 78 to 84 years]; 424 [46%] were female; median Society of Thoracic Surgeons mortality risk score, 2.6% [IQR, 2.0% to 3.4%]), 912 (99.9%) completed follow-up and were included in the noninferiority analysis. At 1 year, there were 21 deaths (4.6%) in the TAVI group and 30 deaths (6.6%) in the surgery group, with an adjusted absolute risk difference of −2.0% (1-sided 97.5% CI, −∞ to 1.2%; P &lt; .001 for noninferiority). Of 30 prespecified secondary outcomes reported herein, 24 showed no significant difference at 1 year. TAVI was associated with significantly shorter postprocedural hospitalization (median of 3 days [IQR, 2 to 5 days] vs 8 days [IQR, 6 to 13 days] in the surgery group). At 1 year, there were significantly fewer major bleeding events after TAVI compared with surgery (7.2% vs 20.2%, respectively; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.33 [95% CI, 0.24 to 0.45]) but significantly more vascular complications (10.3% vs 2.4%; adjusted HR, 4.42 [95% CI, 2.54 to 7.71]), conduction disturbances requiring pacemaker implantation (14.2% vs 7.3%; adjusted HR, 2.05 [95% CI, 1.43 to 2.94]), and mild (38.3% vs 11.7%) or moderate (2.3% vs 0.6%) aortic regurgitation (adjusted odds ratio for mild, moderate, or severe [no instance of severe reported] aortic regurgitation combined vs none, 4.89 [95% CI, 3.08 to 7.75]). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients aged 70 years or older with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis and moderately increased operative risk, TAVI was noninferior to surgery with respect to all-cause mortality at 1 year. Trial Registration: isrctn.com Identifier: ISRCTN57819173

Analysis of Outcomes in Ischemic vs Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation A Report From the GARFIELD-AF Registry

IMPORTANCE Congestive heart failure (CHF) is commonly associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), and their combination may affect treatment strategies and outcomes