Are Solar Active Regions with Major Flares More Fractal, Multifractal, or Turbulent than Others?

Multiple recent investigations of solar magnetic field measurements have raised claims that the scale-free (fractal) or multiscale (multifractal) parameters inferred from the studied magnetograms may help assess the eruptive potential of solar active regions, or may even help predict major flaring activity stemming from these regions. We investigate these claims here, by testing three widely used scale-free and multiscale parameters, namely, the fractal dimension, the multifractal structure function and its inertial-range exponent, and the turbulent power spectrum and its power-law index, on a comprehensive data set of 370 timeseries of active-region magnetograms (17,733 magnetograms in total) observed by SOHO's Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) over the entire Solar Cycle 23. We find that both flaring and non-flaring active regions exhibit significant fractality, multifractality, and non-Kolmogorov turbulence but none of the three tested parameters manages to distinguish active regions with major flares from flare-quiet ones. We also find that the multiscale parameters, but not the scale-free fractal dimension, depend sensitively on the spatial resolution and perhaps the observational characteristics of the studied magnetograms. Extending previous works, we attribute the flare-forecasting inability of fractal and multifractal parameters to i) a widespread multiscale complexity caused by a possible underlying self-organization in turbulent solar magnetic structures, flaring and non-flaring alike, and ii) a lack of correlation between the fractal properties of the photosphere and overlying layers, where solar eruptions occur. However useful for understanding solar magnetism, therefore, scale-free and multiscale measures may not be optimal tools for active-region characterization in terms of eruptive ability or, ultimately,for major solar-flare prediction.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, Solar Phys., in pres

ARIA 2016: Care pathways implementing emerging technologies for predictive medicine in rhinitis and asthma across the life cycle

The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative commenced during a World Health Organization workshop in 1999. The initial goals were (1) to propose a new allergic rhinitis classification, (2) to promote the concept of multi-morbidity in asthma a

Prenatal Particulate Air Pollution and DNA Methylation in Newborns: An Epigenome-Wide Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to air pollution has been associated with childhood respiratory disease and other adverse outcomes. Epigenetics is a suggested link between exposures and health outcomes. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate associations between prenatal exposure to particulate matter (PM) with diameter [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) or [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) and DNA methylation in newborns and children. METHODS: We meta-analyzed associations between exposure to [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) at maternal home addresses during pregnancy and newborn DNA methylation assessed by Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip in nine European and American studies, with replication in 688 independent newborns and look-up analyses in 2,118 older children. We used two approaches, one focusing on single cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites and another on differentially methylated regions (DMRs). We also related PM exposures to blood mRNA expression. RESULTS: Six CpGs were significantly associ

Detectable clonal mosaicism and its relationship to aging and cancer

In an analysis of 31,717 cancer cases and 26,136 cancer-free controls from 13 genome-wide association studies, we observed large chromosomal abnormalities in a subset of clones in DNA obtained from blood or buccal samples. We observed mosaic abnormalities, either aneuploidy or copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity, of >2 Mb in size in autosomes of 517 individuals (0.89%), with abnormal cell proportions of between 7% and 95%. In cancer-free individuals, frequency increased with age, from 0.23% under 50 years to 1.91% between 75 and 79 years (P = 4.8 × 10(-8)). Mosaic abnormalities were more frequent in individuals with solid tumors (0.97% versus 0.74% in cancer-free individuals; odds ratio (OR) = 1.25; P = 0.016), with stronger association with cases who had DNA collected before diagnosis or treatment (OR = 1.45; P = 0.0005). Detectable mosaicism was also more common in individuals for whom DNA was collected at least 1 year before diagnosis with leukemia compared to cancer-free individuals (OR = 35.4; P = 3.8 × 10(-11)). These findings underscore the time-dependent nature of somatic events in the etiology of cancer and potentially other late-onset diseases

Subclinical thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular consequences: An alarming wake-up call?

Subclinical thyroid dysfunction (STD), presenting as subclinical hypothyroidism (SHypo) or subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHyper), defined as abnormal serum thyrotropin (TSH) and normal free thyroid hormones, is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality. Depending on the degree of such dysfunction, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias, predominantly atrial fibrillation, characterize both disorders and increase CV and total mortality compared to euthyroid persons. There are some differences in the mechanisms involved in the increased CV risk incurred by each type of STD, with more traditional CV risk factors clustered in SHypo than in SHyper, while the role of the TSH or its absence thereof, together with the respective, even subtle, changes incurred in thyroid hormone concentrations, seem to adversely influence the CV system in both types of STD. There is evidence that treatment of STD confers potential benefits by reducing CV events, however, no consensus has been reached due to lack of randomized controlled studies. Nevertheless, due to accumulating evidence from observational studies, many authorities agree that individuals with severe SHypo (TSH > 10 mIU/L) or grade 2 SHyper (TSH < 0.1 mIU/L) should receive treatment, mostly for the increased risk of CV morbidity and mortality. The evidence reviewed herein should alert and help the clinician to wake up to these two potentially alarming conditions of STD as they may confer serious CV complications, while their treatment appears quite beneficial. © 2019 Elsevier Inc

Sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors and cardiac arrhythmias

The introduction of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors as a new and effective class of therapeutic agents for type 2 diabetes (T2D) preventing the reabsorption of glucose in the kidneys and thus facilitating glucose excretion in the urine, but also as agents with cardiovascular benefits, particularly in patients with heart failure (HF), regardless of the diabetic status, has ushered in a new era in treating patients with T2D and/or HF. In addition, data have recently emerged indicating an antiarrhythmic effect of the SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with and without diabetes. Prospective studies, randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have provided robust evidence for a protective and beneficial effect of these agents against atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The antiarrhythmic mechanisms involved include reverse atrial and ventricular remodeling, amelioration of mitochondrial function, reduction of hypoglycemic episodes with their attendant arrhythmogenic effects, attenuated sympathetic nervous system activity, regulation of sodium and calcium homeostasis, and suppression of prolonged ventricular repolarization. These new data on antiarrhythmic actions of SGLT2 inhibitors are herein reviewed, potential mechanisms involved are discussed and pictorially illustrated, and treatment results on specific arrhythmias are described and tabulated. © 2022 Elsevier Inc

Cardiovascular implications and complications of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic: a world upside down

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The new pandemic of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has produced a global tumult and has overburdened national health systems. We herein discuss the cardiovascular implications and complications of this pandemic analyzing the most recent data clustered over the last several months. RECENT FINDINGS: COVID-19 afflicts the cardiovascular system producing acute cardiac injury in 10-20% of cases with mild disease but in greater than 50-60% in severe cases, contributing to patients' demise. Other cardiovascular complications include arrhythmias, heart failure, pulmonary embolism and shock. Off-label therapies are being trialed with their own inherent cardiovascular risks, while supportive therapies currently dominate, until more specific and effective antiviral therapies and vaccinations become available. A controversial issue relates to the safety of drugs blocking the renin--angiotensin system as an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) homologue, ACE2, serves as the receptor for viral entry into host cells. However, to-date, no harm has been proven for these drugs. SUMMARY: In the cardiovascular system, COVID-19 can induce acute cardiac injury, arrhythmias, heart failure, pulmonary embolism, shock and death, whereas anti-COVID therapies also confer serious cardiovascular side-effects. Ongoing extensive efforts focus on specific vaccines and antivirals. Meanwhile, cardiovascular risk factors and diseases should be jointly controlled according to current evidence-based guidelines. Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved

Winter swimming: Body hardening and cardiorespiratory protection via sustainable acclimation

Winter swimming is a stressful condition of whole-body exposure to cold water; however, winter swimmers have achieved variable degrees of adaptation to cold. The question arises whether this extreme sport activity has any health benefits or whether it may confer potentially harmful effects. As a form of aerobic exercise, albeit more strenuous when performed in cold water, winter swimming may increase body tolerance to stressors and achieve body hardening. When practiced by individuals who are in good general health adopting a regular, graded and adaptive mode, winter swimming seems to confer cardiovascular (CV), and other health benefits. On the other hand, unaccustomed individuals are at risk of death either from the initial neurogenic cold-shock response, or from progressive decrease of swimming efficiency or from hypothermia. Furthermore, as it may occur with any intense exercise, individuals with evident or occult underlying CV conditions may be more susceptible to adverse effects with provocation of arrhythmias and CV events that may pose a significant health risk. Hence, a stepwise strategy to initiate and build up this recreational activity is recommended to enhance and sustain acclimation, achieve protection from potential risks of cold-water exposure and possibly avail from its promising health benefits. We need more data from prospective studies to better investigate the short- and long-term health consequences of this important recreational activity. Copyright © 2019 by the American College of Sports Medicin

The Cardiovascular Benefits of Caffeinated Beverages: Real or Surreal? “Metron Ariston-All in Moderation”

Caffeinated beverages are the most widely consumed beverages globally with coffee and tea as the two most prominent sources of caffeine. Caffeine content varies across different types of beverages. In addition to caffeine, coffee and tea have other biologically active compounds, and all may affect general and cardiovascular (CV) health. Moderate caffeine consumption (<300-400 mg/day), regardless of the source, is considered safe by both European and US Health Authorities, as it is not associated with adverse health and CV effects, while it may confer certain health benefits. There is a nonlinear association between coffee ingestion and CV risk; moderate coffee drinking is inversely significantly associated with CV risk, with the highest benefit at 2-4 cups per day, while heavy coffee drinking might confer increased risk. With regards to tea, due to a lower caffeine content per serving, its consumption is only limited by the total caffeine daily intake. Both these caffeinated beverages, coffee and tea, have additional phenolic compounds, with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which confer cardioprotective benefits. Of the several coffee compounds, chloroacetic acids and melanoidins offer such beneficial effects, while diterpenes may have unfavorable effects on lipids. Most of the tea ingredients (polyphenols) are cardioprotective. A major concern relates to energy drinks with their much higher caffeine content which puts individuals, especially adolescents and young adults, at high health and CV risk. All these issues are herein discussed, including pertinent studies and meta-analyses, pathogenetic mechanisms involved and relevant recommendations from health authorities. © 2022 Bentham Science Publishers