Operator representation and logistic extension of elementary cellular automata

We redefine the transition function of elementary cellular automata (ECA) in terms of discrete operators. The operator representation provides a clear hint about the way systems behave both at the local and the global scale. We show that mirror and complementary symmetric rules are connected to each other via simple operator transformations. It is possible to decouple the representation into two pairs of operators which are used to construct a periodic table of ECA that maps all unique rules in such a way that rules having similar behavior are clustered together. Finally, the operator representation is used to implement a generalized logistic extension to ECA. Here a single tuning parameter scales the pace with which operators iterate the rules. We show that, as this parameter is tuned, many rules of ECA undergo multiple phase transitions between periodic, locally chaotic, chaotic and complex (Class 4) behavior

Productivity and disease resistance of primary hexaploid synthetic wheat lines and their crosses with bread wheat

Hexaploid synthetic wheat, derived from crosses between durum wheat and Aegilops tauschii, is widely accepted as an important source of useful traits for wheat breeding. During 2015 and 2016, three groups of synthetics were studied in Azerbaijan (3 sites) and Russia (1 site). Group 1 comprised CIMMYT primary synthetics derived from eastern European winter durum wheats crossed to Ae. tauschii accessions from the Caspian Sea basin. Group 2 included lines derived from CIMMYT synthetics × bread wheat crosses. Group 3 consisted of synthetics developed in Japan by crossing durum variety Langdon with a diverse collection of Ae. tauschii accessions. Varieties Bezostaya-1 and Seri were used as checks. Group 1 synthetics were better adapted and more productive than those in group 3, indicating that the durum parent plays an important role in the adaptation of synthetics. Compared to Bezostaya-1 synthetics produced fewer spikes per unit area, an important consideration for selecting bread wheat parents for maintenance of productivity. Synthetics had longer spikes but were not generally free-threshing. All synthetics and derivatives had 1000-kernel weights comparable to Bezostya-1 and significantly higher than Seri. All primary synthetics were resistant to leaf rust, several to stem rust, and few to stripe rust. Superior genotypes from all three groups that combine high expression of spike productivity traits and stress tolerance index were identified

Influence of socioeconomic factors on pregnancy outcome in women with structural heart disease

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac disease is the leading cause of indirect maternal mortality. The aim of this study was to analyse to what extent socioeconomic factors influence the outcome of pregnancy in women with heart disease.  METHODS: The Registry of Pregnancy and Cardiac disease is a global prospective registry. For this analysis, countries that enrolled ≥10 patients were included. A combined cardiac endpoint included maternal cardiac death, arrhythmia requiring treatment, heart failure, thromboembolic event, aortic dissection, endocarditis, acute coronary syndrome, hospitalisation for cardiac reason or intervention. Associations between patient characteristics, country characteristics (income inequality expressed as Gini coefficient, health expenditure, schooling, gross domestic product, birth rate and hospital beds) and cardiac endpoints were checked in a three-level model (patient-centre-country).  RESULTS: A total of 30 countries enrolled 2924 patients from 89 centres. At least one endpoint occurred in 645 women (22.1%). Maternal age, New York Heart Association classification and modified WHO risk classification were associated with the combined endpoint and explained 37% of variance in outcome. Gini coefficient and country-specific birth rate explained an additional 4%. There were large differences between the individual countries, but the need for multilevel modelling to account for these differences disappeared after adjustment for patient characteristics, Gini and country-specific birth rate.  CONCLUSION: While there are definite interregional differences in pregnancy outcome in women with cardiac disease, these differences seem to be mainly driven by individual patient characteristics. Adjustment for country characteristics refined the results to a limited extent, but maternal condition seems to be the main determinant of outcome

European Society of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Disease Statistics 2019

Aims The 2019 report from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Atlas provides a contemporary analysis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) statistics across 56 member countries, with particular emphasis on international inequalities in disease burden and healthcare delivery together with estimates of progress towards meeting 2025 World Health Organization (WHO) non-communicable disease targets. Methods and results In this report, contemporary CVD statistics are presented for member countries of the ESC. The statistics are drawn from the ESC Atlas which is a repository of CVD data from a variety of sources including the WHO, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and the World Bank. The Atlas also includes novel ESC sponsored data on human and capital infrastructure and cardiovascular healthcare delivery obtained by annual survey of the national societies of ESC member countries. Across ESC member countries, the prevalence of obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) and diabetes has increased two- to three-fold during the last 30 years making the WHO 2025 target to halt rises in these risk factors unlikely to be achieved. More encouraging have been variable declines in hypertension, smoking, and alcohol consumption but on current trends only the reduction in smoking from 28% to 21% during the last 20 years appears sufficient for the WHO target to be achieved. The median age-standardized prevalence of major risk factors was higher in middle-income compared with high-income ESC member countries for hypertension {23.8% [interquartile range (IQR) 22.5–23.1%] vs. 15.7% (IQR 14.5–21.1%)}, diabetes [7.7% (IQR 7.1–10.1%) vs. 5.6% (IQR 4.8–7.0%)], and among males smoking [43.8% (IQR 37.4–48.0%) vs. 26.0% (IQR 20.9–31.7%)] although among females smoking was less common in middle-income countries [8.7% (IQR 3.0–10.8) vs. 16.7% (IQR 13.9–19.7%)]. There were associated inequalities in disease burden with disability-adjusted life years per 100 000 people due to CVD over three times as high in middle-income [7160 (IQR 5655–8115)] compared with high-income [2235 (IQR 1896–3602)] countries. Cardiovascular disease mortality was also higher in middle-income countries where it accounted for a greater proportion of potential years of life lost compared with high-income countries in both females (43% vs. 28%) and males (39% vs. 28%). Despite the inequalities in disease burden across ESC member countries, survey data from the National Cardiac Societies of the ESC showed that middle-income member countries remain severely under-resourced compared with high-income countries in terms of cardiological person-power and technological infrastructure. Under-resourcing in middle-income countries is associated with a severe procedural deficit compared with high-income countries in terms of coronary intervention, device implantation and cardiac surgical procedures. Conclusion A seemingly inexorable rise in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes currently provides the greatest challenge to achieving further reductions in CVD burden across ESC member countries. Additional challenges are provided by inequalities in disease burden that now require intensification of policy initiatives in order to reduce population risk and prioritize cardiovascular healthcare delivery, particularly in the middle-income countries of the ESC where need is greatest

CHANGING SYTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC LV FUNCTION IN CHRONIC HEART FAILURE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF METOPROLOL

25 patients with heart failure (HF) were investigated (I FC - 8 patients, II FC - 17 patients). All the patients were administered metoprolol in the average dose 37,5+3,2 mg/day. Dopplerechocardiographic investigation of systolic-diasolic function of the left ventricle (LV) was carried out. Investigations were conducted before the treatment, after 2-week treatment course and in 19 patients after 3-month intake of the preparation.Results of conducted investigation demonstrated, that both short-term (2-weeks) and long-term (during 3 months) intake of metoprolol in the above mentioned dose in patients with HF results in the improvement of systolic and diastolic function of the LV at early and moderate stages of disease

Pregnancy outcomes in women with rheumatic mitral valve disease: Results from the registry of pregnancy and cardiac disease

BACKGROUND: Cardiac disease is 1 of the major causes of maternal mortality. We studied pregnancy outcomes in women with rheumatic mitral valve disease. METHODS: The Registry of Pregnancy and Cardiac Disease is an international prospective registry, and consecutive pregnant women with cardiac disease were included. Pregnancy outcomes in all women with rheumatic mitral valve disease and no prepregnancy valve replacement is described in the present study (n=390). A maternal cardiac event was defined as cardiac death, arrhythmia requiring treatment, heart failure, thromboembolic event, aortic dissection, endocarditis, acute coronary syndrome, and hospitalization for other cardiac reasons or cardiac intervention. Associations between patient characteristics and cardiac outcomes were checked in a 3-level model (patient-center-country). RESULTS: Most patients came from emerging countries (75%). Mitral stenosis (MS) with or without mitral regurgitation (MR) was present in 273 women, isolated MR in 117. The degree of MS was mild in 20.9%, moderate in 39.2%, severe in 19.8%, and severity not classified in the remainder. Maternal death during pregnancy occurred in 1 patient with severe MS. Hospital admission occurred in 23.1% of the women with MS, and the main reason was heart failure (mild MS 15.8%, moderate 23.4%, severe 48.1%; P<0.001). Heart failure occurred in 23.1% of patients with moderate or severe MR. An intervention during pregnancy was performed in 16 patients, 14 had percutaneous balloon mitral commissurotomy, and 2 had surgical valve replacement (1 for MS, 1 for MR). In multivariable modeling, prepregnancy New York Heart Association class \u30091 was an independent predictor of maternal cardiac events. Follow-up at 6 months postpartum was available for 53%, and 3 more patients died (1 with severe MS, 1 with moderate MS, 1 with moderate to severe MR). CONCLUSIONS: Although mortality was only 1.9% during pregnancy, 3c50% of the patients with severe rheumatic MS and 23% of those with significant MR developed heart failure during pregnancy. Prepregnancy counseling and considering mitral valve interventions in selected patients are important to prevent these complications