Obstructive sleep apnea is common among patients referred for coronary artery bypass grafting and can be diagnosed by portable monitoring

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among patients with coronary artery disease. However, OSA remains largely under recognized. The lack of clinical suspicion and difficulties to access full polysomnography (PSG) are limiting factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate, among patients referred to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG): (i) the prevalence of OSA, (ii) the association of OSA with clinical symptoms, (iii) the performance of overnight unattended portable monitoring (PM) as an alternative method for the diagnosis of OSA. Methods Consecutive patients referred for CABG were evaluated by standard physical evaluation and validated questionnaires (Berlin questionnaire and Epworth Sleepiness Scale) and underwent full PSG and PM (Stardust II). Results We studied 70 consecutive patients (76% men), age 58 +/- 7 years (mean +/- SD), BMI [median (interquartile range)] 27.6 kg/m(2) (25.8-31.1). The prevalence of OSA (full PSG) using an apnea-hypopnea index of at least 5 events/h was 87%. Commonly used clinical traits for the screening of OSA such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and neck circumference had low sensitivities to detect OSA. In contrast, the Berlin questionnaire showed a good sensitivity (72%) to detect OSA. PM showed good sensitivity (92%) and specificity (67%) for the diagnosis of OSA. Conclusion OSA is strikingly common among patients referred for CABG. The Berlin questionnaire, but not symptom of excessive daytime sleepiness is a useful tool to screen OSA. PM is useful for the diagnosis of OSA and therefore is an attractive tool for widespread use among patients with coronary artery disease. Coron Artery Dis 23:31-38 (C) 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.FAPESPFAPES

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

The prevalence and impact of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in patients submitted to myocardial revascularization

Introdução: A apneia obstrutiva do sono (AOS) é caracterizada por episódios recorrentes de colapso parcial ou completo da faringe responsáveis por roncos e eventos de hipopneia ou apneia, respectivamente, associados à queda de saturação de oxigênio e despertares frequentes durante o sono. A AOS está associada à doença arterial coronariana e é um fator de risco independente para complicações após cirurgia. Entretanto, a maioria dos pacientes com AOS submetidos à cirurgia não tem suspeita ou diagnóstico prévio de AOS. Objetivos: O principal objetivo do estudo foi determinar prevalência da AOS em candidatos à cirurgia de revascularização do miocárdio (RM) e compará-la à prevalência da AOS em candidatos à cirurgia abdominal eletiva (ABD-cirurgia). Como objetivo secundário, avaliamos os preditores clínicos e o desempenho do questionário de Berlin, que estratifica os pacientes em alto risco e baixo risco de AOS, como teste de triagem no pré-operatório, assim como os preditores clínicos de AOS em ambos os grupos. Métodos: Foram incluídos 40 pacientes consecutivos no grupo RM [29 homens; idade: 56±7 anos; índice de massa corporal (IMC): 30±4 kg/m2], e 41 pacientes no grupo ABD-cirurgia, que foram pareados para sexo, idade e IMC (28 homens; idade: 56±8 anos; IMC: 29±5 11 kg/m2). Todos os pacientes foram submetidos à polissonografia completa noturna (PSG) e à avaliação clínica e laboratorial pré-operatória, incluindo avaliação da sonolência diurna com a escala de sonolência Epworth (ESS) e com o questionário de Berlin. Resultados: A prevalência de AOS (índice de apneia hipopneia na PSG 15 eventos/hora) no grupo RM e ABD-cirurgia foi alta e semelhante (52% e 41%, respectivamente, p=0,32). O grupo RM apresentou menor nível de sonolência (ESS: 6±3 e 9±5; RM vs. ABD-cirurgia, respectivamente, p=0,008). A sensibilidade e a especificidade do Berlin no grupo RM foi 67% e 26%, e no grupo ABD-cirurgia, 82 e 62%, respectivamente. O IMC, as circunferências abdominal e cervical, a pressão arterial sistólica, a pressão arterial diastólica, os triglicerídeos, a lipoproteína de alta densidade sérica (HDL-c), a Diabetes Mellitus e o risco alto de AOS (de acordo com questionário de Berlin) se correlacionaram com a AOS na análise univariada. No entanto, a circunferência abdominal foi o único preditor independente associado à presença de AOS após regressão logística múltipla. Conclusão: A AOS é extremamente comum entre pacientes candidatos à cirurgia cardíaca e cirurgia abdominal. O questionário de Berlin apresentou baixa sensibilidade para detecção AOS em pacientes do grupo RM, mas a sensibilidade e a especificidade no grupo ABD-cirurgia foram semelhantes aos valores encontrados na literatura. A sonolência diurna não está associada à presença de AOS entre portadores de doença arterial coronariana com indicação de tratamento cirúrgico e entre candidatos à cirurgia abdominal eletiva, o que pode ajudar a explicar o subdiagnóstico de AOS na nossa populaçãoBackground: The obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by recurrent episodes of partial or complete collapse of the pharynx account for snoring and apnea or hypopnea events, respectively, associated with the decrease of oxygen saturation and frequent arousals during sleep. OSA is associated with coronary artery disease and is an independent risk factor for complications after surgery. However, most patients with OSA undergoing surgery is not suspected or previously diagnosed OSA. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of OSA in candidates for coronary arterial bypass grafting surgery (CABG) and compare it with the prevalence of OSA in candidates for elective abdominal surgery (ABD-surgery). As a secondary objective, we evaluated the clinical predictors and performance of the Berlin questionnaire, which stratifies patients into high risk and low risk for OSA, as a screening test in the preoperative as well as clinical predictors of OSA in both groups. Methods: We included 40 consecutive patients in the CABG group [29 men, age: 56 ± 7 years, body mass index (BMI): 30 ± 4 kg/m2] and 41 patients in the ABD-surgery, who were matched for gender, age and BMI (28 men, age: 56 ± 8 years, BMI: 29 ± 5 kg/m2 ¬). All patients underwent full nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) and clinical and laboratory pre-operative evaluation, 14 including assessment of daytime sleepiness with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Berlin questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of OSA (apnea hypopnea index in PSG 15 events/hour) in the RM group and ABD-surgery was high and similar (52% and 41% respectively, p = 0.32). Patients submitted to CABG presented lower levels of daytime somnolence than ABD-surgery patients (ESS: 6±3 vs. 9±5; p=0.008, respectively). The sensitivity and specificity of Berlin in the RM group was 67% and 26%, and ABD-surgery group, 82 and 62% respectively. The BMI, waist and neck circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, serum high density lipoprotein (HDL-C), Diabetes Mellitus and the high risk of OSA (according to questionnaire Berlin) correlated with OSA in univariate analysis. However, waist circumference was the only independent predictor associated with the presence of OSA after multiple logistic regression. Conclusion: OSA is extremely common among patients who are candidates for CABG and abdominal surgery. The Berlin questionnaire showed low sensitivity for detecting OSA in patients in the RM group, but the sensitivity and specificity in ABD-surgery group were similar to those found in the literature. Daytime sleepiness is not associated with the presence of OSA among patients with coronary artery disease with indication for surgical treatment and patients with indication for elective abdominal surgery, which may help explain the underdiagnosis of OSA in our populatio