Sexual Orientation Differences in the Association between Physical Activity and Allostatic Load: Results from the National Health And Nutrition Examination Study

Higher levels of allostatic load (AL), a composite measure of the impact of chronic stress on the body, are found among socially marginalized groups compared to privileged groups. AL is associated with premature aging and death, as well as a variety of chronic health conditions that impact quality of life. Effects of AL may be offset by physical activity (PA). Queer populations (including those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual) may be at risk for elevated AL due to repeated exposure to discrimination in the form of sexual minority stress. There is mixed literature on sexual orientation differences in PA and research on AL among queer populations is limited. This study describes sexual orientation differences in the 1) prevalence of PA and mean AL levels and 2) association between PA and AL. Data from the 2001-2015 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to fit sex-stratified linear regression models assessing sexual orientation (heterosexual, gay/lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual with same-sex experience) differences as well as sexual orientation-specific associations in PA and AL. AL was assessed using 8 biomarkers, while PA was assessed using metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hours/week calculated from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Models were adjusted for race/ethnicity, income, education, relationship status, veteran status, and citizenship status. Overall, heterosexual adults reported more PA than their same-sex queer counterparts. Gay men had lower (0.8), while bisexual men had higher AL scores (1.9) than heterosexual men (1.2). Among women, AL score was similar across sexual orientation groups. Overall, more PA was associated with lower AL scores among men and women (badjusted = -0.00508, padjusted=-0.00505, punadjusted =-0.00934, punadjusted =-0.03269, p=0.04), and heterosexual women with same-sex experience (bunadjusted =-0.01059, p=0.02). After adjusting for covariates the association was no longer statistically significant. Consistent with previous work, PA was inversely associated with AL score. PA may be an important modifiable behavior to mitigate some sexual orientation disparities in health

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Where does religion meet democracy? A comparative analysis of attitudes in Europe

Starting from the growing importance of religion for politics, this article tests whether religion in Europe is connected with democratic attitudes. Analyzing and understanding such a relationship is essential for a better understanding of the prospects of present and future democratic consolidation. Our two-step approach aims to assess the variation and causal forces of democratic attitudes in Europe in the light of broader country-level factors and individual proclivities towards religion and politics. We use data from the European Values Study (1999) for the correlations and regression model. Our findings undermine the existing prejudices according to which Islam leads to authoritarian attitudes. Moreover, we illustrate the crucial roles played by satisfaction with democracy and confidence in the Church in shaping democratic attitudes across religions

Effect of general anaesthesia on functional outcome in patients with anterior circulation ischaemic stroke having endovascular thrombectomy versus standard care: a meta-analysis of individual patient data

Background: General anaesthesia (GA) during endovascular thrombectomy has been associated with worse patient outcomes in observational studies compared with patients treated without GA. We assessed functional outcome in ischaemic stroke patients with large vessel anterior circulation occlusion undergoing endovascular thrombectomy under GA, versus thrombectomy not under GA (with or without sedation) versus standard care (ie, no thrombectomy), stratified by the use of GA versus standard care. Methods: For this meta-analysis, patient-level data were pooled from all patients included in randomised trials in PuMed published between Jan 1, 2010, and May 31, 2017, that compared endovascular thrombectomy predominantly done with stent retrievers with standard care in anterior circulation ischaemic stroke patients (HERMES Collaboration). The primary outcome was functional outcome assessed by ordinal analysis of the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 90 days in the GA and non-GA subgroups of patients treated with endovascular therapy versus those patients treated with standard care, adjusted for baseline prognostic variables. To account for between-trial variance we used mixed-effects modelling with a random effect for trials incorporated in all models. Bias was assessed using the Cochrane method. The meta-analysis was prospectively designed, but not registered. Findings: Seven trials were identified by our search; of 1764 patients included in these trials, 871 were allocated to endovascular thrombectomy and 893 were assigned standard care. After exclusion of 74 patients (72 did not undergo the procedure and two had missing data on anaesthetic strategy), 236 (30%) of 797 patients who had endovascular procedures were treated under GA. At baseline, patients receiving GA were younger and had a shorter delay between stroke onset and randomisation but they had similar pre-treatment clinical severity compared with patients who did not have GA. Endovascular thrombectomy improved functional outcome at 3 months both in patients who had GA (adjusted common odds ratio (cOR) 1·52, 95% CI 1·09–2·11, p=0·014) and in those who did not have GA (adjusted cOR 2·33, 95% CI 1·75–3·10, p<0·0001) versus standard care. However, outcomes were significantly better for patients who did not receive GA versus those who received GA (covariate-adjusted cOR 1·53, 95% CI 1·14–2·04, p=0·0044). The risk of bias and variability between studies was assessed to be low. Interpretation: Worse outcomes after endovascular thrombectomy were associated with GA, after adjustment for baseline prognostic variables. These data support avoidance of GA whenever possible. The procedure did, however, remain effective versus standard care in patients treated under GA, indicating that treatment should not be withheld in those who require anaesthesia for medical reasons