Risk Factors Associated With Aortic and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Adolescents and Young Adults The Muscatine Offspring Study

ObjectivesThis study sought to determine whether cardiovascular risk factors are associated with aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in adolescents and young adults.BackgroundAtherosclerotic lesions begin developing in youth, first in the distal abdominal aorta and later in the carotid arteries. Knowledge of how risk factors relate to aIMT and cIMT may help in the design of early interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease.MethodsParticipants were 635 members of the Muscatine Offspring cohort. The mean aIMT and cIMT were measured using an automated reading program.ResultsThe mean (SD) values of aIMT and cIMT were 0.63 (0.14) and 0.49 (0.04) mm, respectively. In adolescents (age 11 to 17 years), aIMT was associated with triglycerides, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI), and waist/hip ratio, after adjusting for age, sex, and height. In young adults (age 18 to 34 years), aIMT was associated with those same 5 risk factors, plus high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and pulse pressure. In adolescents, cIMT was associated with SBP, pulse pressure, heart rate, BMI, and waist/hip ratio. In young adults, cIMT was associated with total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, SBP, DBP, BMI, waist/hip ratio, and glycosylated hemoglobin. In both age groups, aIMT and cIMT were significantly correlated with the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth coronary artery risk score.ConclusionsBoth aIMT and cIMT are associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Using aIMT in adolescents gives information beyond that obtained from cIMT alone. Measurement of aIMT and cIMT may help identify those at risk for premature cardiovascular disease

New insertable cardiac monitors show high diagnostic yield and good safety profile in real-world clinical practice. results from the international prospective observational SMART Registry

Aims: Insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) are indicated for long-term monitoring of unexplained syncope or palpitations, and for detection of bradycardia, ventricular tachycardia, and/or atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and clinical value associated with a new generation ICM (Confirm Rx™, Abbott, Illinois, USA), featuring a new remote monitoring system based on smartphone patient applications. Methods and results: The SMART Registry is an international prospective observational study. The main endpoints were ICM safety (incidence of serious adverse device and procedure-related events (SADEs) at 1 month), ICM clinical value (incidence of device-detected true arrhythmias and of clinical diagnoses and interventions), and patient-reported experience measurements (PREMs). A total of 1400 subjects were enrolled. ICM indications included syncope (49.1%), AF (18.8%), unexplained palpitations (13.6%), risk of ventricular arrhythmia (6.6%), and cryptogenic stroke (6.0%). Freedom from SADEs at 1 month was 99.4% (95% Confidence Interval: 98.8-99.7%). In the 6-month monitoring period, the ICM detected true cardiac arrhythmias in 45.7% of patients and led to clinical interventions in a relevant proportion of patients; in particular, a pacemaker implant was performed after bradycardia detection in 8.9% of subjects who received an ICM for syncope and oral anticoagulation therapy was indicated after AF detection in 15.7% of subjects with cryptogenic stroke. PREMs showed that 78.2% of subjects were satisfied with the remote monitoring patient app. Conclusion: The evaluated ICM is associated with an excellent safety profile and high diagnostic yield. Patients reported positive experiences associated with the use of their smartphone for the device remote monitoring

The influence of reindeer grazing and trampling on newly seeded fields in Finnmark, Norway

In recent years, conflicts between reindeer herdsmen and resident farmers have increased in Finnmark, northern Norway. The causes of these conflicts vary, but one of the major causes is reindeer grazing and trampling on newly seeded fields in spring and early summer. I studied the effect reindeer have on the production of grass at harvesting time as a result of their grazing and trampling on newly seeded fields in early summer. Field experiments were conducted between June and September 2009 on a farmland at Sopnes in west Finnmark. Comparing grazed and ungrazed pastures when manipulated with two reindeer densities, crop reduction increased with increasing intensity of grazing and trampling. Two different ages of grass seeded with a three week interval showed no difference in tolerance towards reindeer grazing. Over-compensation is therefore expected under a relatively low grazing pressure on newly seeded fields. The grass along the fence where trampling was most prevalent appeared to overcompensate, opposite to expectation of more damage on heavily trampled pasture. Further studies focusing on the over-compensatory capacity of new seeded fields under a relatively low grazing intensive are required

Analysis of deep-ultraviolet nonlinear optical borates:approaching the end

The rapid development of deep-UV (DUV) all-solid-state laser sources greatly depends on the good performance of the nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals used for harmonic generation. In this work, the potential prospects for NLO borate crystals are investigated from the point of view of their structure–property relationships. The microscopic structural units, energy bandgaps, linear and nonlinear optical properties of numerous borate compounds with diverse structural features are compared and summarized. The results reveal that KBe2BO3F2 almost achieves the theoretical limits of DUV NLO borates. It would be a great challenge to discover other borates which have comparable NLO capability, especially for coherent light production below the wavelength of 190 nm by direct second harmonic generation.</p

Experimental study on the influence of embankment slope direction on near-surface thermal conditions in permafrost region, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Heterogeneous ground thermal conditions caused by slope orientation are significant in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau because of the high altitude and strong solar radiation. Variation in solar radiation may result in contrasting thermal and upper boundary conditions, causing engineering problems at infrastructure with sloped embankments. Quantitative research on conditions on different man-made slopes is insufficient in permafrost regions, and consequently, planning for long-term effects on linear infrastructure is challenging. Net radiation, heat flux, near-surface temperature, soil moisture content, were recorded for one whole year (2021) at a field platform with eight slopes. Slope orientation affected net radiation (Rn) and ground heat flux (G), resulting in different energy balances between slopes. The north facing slope had a lowest Rn (174 W m-2), while the south slope had a maximum (239.8 W m-2). The north slope had a negative annual heat flux (-0.7 W m-2), while a maximum positive flux (1.5 W m-2) was recorded on the southeast slope. The annual mean surface temperature (Ts) was highest on the south slope and lowest on the north slope. The maximum difference of ground temperatures (within 30 cm depth) (Tg), was close to differences in Ts of over 4 °C. The maximum difference in soil moisture content during the thawing season (May–October) was 11% between the W and E slopes. Due to the different ground temperatures and soil moisture conditions, the annual number of freeze-thaw cycles was variable, and the maximum freeze-thaw cycles were 106 times in south slope and the minimum were 18 times in west slope. Those different thermal conditions between different slope orientations were significant, and pertinent to planning and maintenance of infrastructure. The results provide accurate boundary conditions for modeling to support development of new infrastructure that have embankment slopes in any direction, and for ensuring the stability of existing structures on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Analysis of deep-ultraviolet nonlinear optical borates:approaching the end

The rapid development of deep-UV (DUV) all-solid-state laser sources greatly depends on the good performance of the nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals used for harmonic generation. In this work, the potential prospects for NLO borate crystals are investigated from the point of view of their structure–property relationships. The microscopic structural units, energy bandgaps, linear and nonlinear optical properties of numerous borate compounds with diverse structural features are compared and summarized. The results reveal that KBe2BO3F2 almost achieves the theoretical limits of DUV NLO borates. It would be a great challenge to discover other borates which have comparable NLO capability, especially for coherent light production below the wavelength of 190 nm by direct second harmonic generation.</p