Advancing Cardiovascular Risk Assessment with Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Implications in North Carolina.

Cardiovascular disease mortality is increasing in North Carolina with persistent inequality by race, income, and location. Artificial intelligence (AI) can repurpose the widely available electrocardiogram (ECG) for enhanced assessment of cardiac dysfunction. By identifying accelerated cardiac aging from the ECG, AI offers novel insights into risk assessment and prevention

Knowledge, perceptions and myths regarding infertility among selected adult population in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The reported prevalence of infertility in Pakistan is approximately 22% with 4% primary and 18% secondary infertility. Infertility is not only a medical but also a social problem in our society as cultural customs and perceived religious dictums may equate infertility with failure on a personal, interpersonal, or social level. It is imperative that people have adequate knowledge about infertility so couples can seek timely medical care and misconceptions can be rectified.</p> <p>We aim to assess the knowledge, perception and myths regarding infertility and suggest ways to improve it.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional survey was carried out by interviewing a sample of 447 adults who were accompanying the patients at two tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. They were interviewed one-on-one with the help of a pretested questionnaire drafted by the team after a thorough literature review and in consultation with infertility specialists.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The correct knowledge of infertility was found to be limited amongst the participants. Only 25% correctly identified when infertility is pathological and only 46% knew about the fertile period in women's cycle. People are misinformed that use of IUCD (53%) and OCPs (61%) may cause infertility. Beliefs in evil forces and supernatural powers as a cause of infertility are still prevalent especially amongst people with lower level of education. Seeking alternative treatment for infertility remains a popular option for 28% of the participant as a primary preference and 75% as a secondary preference. IVF remains an unfamiliar (78%) and an unacceptable option (55%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Knowledge about infertility is limited in the population and a lot of misconceptions and myths are prevalent in the society. Alternative medicine is a popular option for seeking infertility treatment. The cultural and religious perspective about assisted reproductive technologies is unclear, which has resulted in its reduced acceptability.</p

Structural crack detection system using internet of things (IoT) for structural health monitoring (SHM): a review

Monitoring the state of civil engineering infrastructure is critical for a country’s economic development since structures with long service life and timely maintenance have lower reconstruction costs. Crack occurrence is the most important element that influences the performance and lifespan of civil infrastructures like bridges and pipelines. As a result, several fracture detection and characterization approaches have been explored and developed in the domains of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) throughout the last few decades. The major goal of implementing the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm is to enable the Internet-based connectivity extension of various typical SHM devices. As a result, connected devices can communicate and process data, opening new possibilities in the design of acquisition systems in various disciplines of research and engineering. The researchers have extended the application of the IoT paradigm to the SHM crack detection because of the advances, ensuring that the tests done in this framework can produce good results with promising future improvements. Thus, this paper reviews structural crack detection based IoT for SHM as reported by previous research in the literature. The strengths and limitations of current systems are discussed. This paper is aimed to serve as a reference for crack detection and characterisation researchers as well as others who are interested in SHM in general. In addition, several case studies on real structures, as well as laboratory experiments for monitoring structural crack health of civil engineering structures, are also presented

Prevalence, hemodynamics, and cytokine profile of effusive-constrictive pericarditis in patients with tuberculous pericardial effusion

BACKGROUND: Effusive constrictive pericarditis (ECP) is visceral constriction in conjunction with compressive pericardial effusion. The prevalence of proven tuberculous ECP is unknown. Whilst ECP is distinguished from effusive disease on hemodynamic grounds, it is unknown whether effusive-constrictive physiology has a distinct cytokine profile. We conducted a prospective study of prevalence and cytokine profile of effusive-constrictive disease in patients with tuberculous pericardial effusion. METHODS: From July 2006 through July 2009, the prevalence of ECP and serum and pericardial levels of inflammatory cytokines were determined in adults with tuberculous pericardial effusion. The diagnosis of ECP was made by combined pericardiocentesis and cardiac catheterization. RESULTS: Of 91 patients evaluated, 68 had tuberculous pericarditis. The 36/68 patients (52.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 41.2-65.4) with ECP were younger (29 versus 37 years, P=0.02), had a higher pre-pericardiocentesis right atrial pressure (17.0 versus 10.0 mmHg, P 15 mmHg (odds ratio [OR] = 48, 95%CI: 8.7-265; P 200 pg/ml (OR=10, 95%CI: 1.1, 93; P=0.04) were independently associated with ECP. CONCLUSION: Effusive-constrictive disease occurs in half of cases of tuberculous pericardial effusion, and is characterized by greater elevation in the pre-pericardiocentesis right atrial pressure and pericardial and serum IL-10 levels compared to patients with effusive non-constrictive tuberculous pericarditis

The mitochondrial DNA T16189C polymorphism and HIV-associated cardiomyopathy: a genotype-phenotype association study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) T16189C polymorphism, with a homopolymeric C-tract of 10–12 cytosines, is a putative genetic risk factor for idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in the African and British populations. We hypothesized that this variant may predispose to dilated cardiomyopathy in people who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A case-control study of 30 HIV-positive cases with dilated cardiomyopathy and 37 HIV-positive controls without dilated cardiomyopathy was conducted. The study was confined to persons of black African ancestry to minimize confounding of results by population admixture. HIV-positive patients with an echocardiographically confirmed diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy and HIV-positive controls with echocardiographically normal hearts were studied. Patients with secondary causes of cardiomyopathy (such as hypertension, diabetes, pregnancy, alcoholism, valvular heart disease, and opportunistic infection) were excluded from the study. DNA samples were sequenced for the mtDNA T16189C polymorphism with a homopolymeric C-tract in the forward and reverse directions on an ABI3100 sequencer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The cases and controls were well matched for age (median 35 years versus 34 years, P = 0.93), gender (males 60% vs 53%, P = 0.54), and stage of HIV disease (mean CD4 T cell count 260.7/μL vs. 176/μL, P = 0.21). The mtDNA T16189C variant with a homopolymeric C-tract was detected at a frequency of 26.7% (8/30) in the HIV-associated cardiomyopathy cases and 13.5% (5/37) in the HIV-positive controls. There was no significant difference between cases and controls (Odds Ratio 2.33, 95% Confidence Interval 0.67–8.06, p = 0.11).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The mtDNA T16189C variant with a homopolymeric C-tract is not associated with dilated cardiomyopathy in black African people infected with HIV.</p

Radio galaxy zoo EMU: towards a semantic radio galaxy morphology taxonomy

© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)We present a novel natural language processing (NLP) approach to deriving plain English descriptors for science cases otherwise restricted by obfuscating technical terminology. We address the limitations of common radio galaxy morphology classifications by applying this approach. We experimentally derive a set of semantic tags for the Radio Galaxy Zoo EMU (Evolutionary Map of the Universe) project and the wider astronomical community. We collect 8486 plain English annotations of radio galaxy morphology, from which we derive a taxonomy of tags. The tags are plain English. The result is an extensible framework, which is more flexible, more easily communicated, and more sensitive to rare feature combinations, which are indescribable using the current framework of radio astronomy classifications.Peer reviewe

Alzheimer\u27s Therapeutics Targeting Amyloid Beta 1-42 Oligomers I: Abeta 42 Oligomer Binding to Specific Neuronal Receptors is Displaced by Drug Candidates That Improve Cognitive Deficits

Synaptic dysfunction and loss caused by age-dependent accumulation of synaptotoxic beta amyloid (Abeta) 1-42 oligomers is proposed to underlie cognitive decline in Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). Alterations in membrane trafficking induced by Abeta oligomers mediates reduction in neuronal surface receptor expression that is the basis for inhibition of electrophysiological measures of synaptic plasticity and thus learning and memory. We have utilized phenotypic screens in mature, in vitro cultures of rat brain cells to identify small molecules which block or prevent the binding and effects of Abeta oligomers. Synthetic Abeta oligomers bind saturably to a single site on neuronal synapses and induce deficits in membrane trafficking in neuronal cultures with an EC50 that corresponds to its binding affinity. The therapeutic lead compounds we have found are pharmacological antagonists of Abeta oligomers, reducing the binding of Abeta oligomers to neurons in vitro, preventing spine loss in neurons and preventing and treating oligomer-induced deficits in membrane trafficking. These molecules are highly brain penetrant and prevent and restore cognitive deficits in mouse models of Alzheimer\u27s disease. Counter-screening these compounds against a broad panel of potential CNS targets revealed they are highly potent and specific ligands of the sigma-2/PGRMC1 receptor. Brain concentrations of the compounds corresponding to greater than 80% receptor occupancy at the sigma-2/PGRMC1 receptor restore cognitive function in transgenic hAPP Swe/Ldn mice. These studies demonstrate that synthetic and human-derived Abeta oligomers act as pharmacologically-behaved ligands at neuronal receptors--i.e. they exhibit saturable binding to a target, they exert a functional effect related to their binding and their displacement by small molecule antagonists blocks their functional effect. The first-in-class small molecule receptor antagonists described here restore memory to normal in multiple AD models and sustain improvement long-term, representing a novel mechanism of action for disease-modifying Alzheimer\u27s therapeutics

Survival implications vs. complications: unraveling the impact of vitamin D adjunctive use in critically ill patients with COVID-19—A multicenter cohort study

BackgroundDespite insufficient evidence, vitamin D has been used as adjunctive therapy in critically ill patients with COVID-19. This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of vitamin D as an adjunctive therapy in critically ill COVID-19 patients.MethodsA multicenter retrospective cohort study that included all adult COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) between March 2020 and July 2021. Patients were categorized into two groups based on their vitamin D use throughout their ICU stay (control vs. vitamin D). The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were the length of stay (LOS), mechanical ventilation (MV) duration, and ICU-acquired complications. Propensity score (PS) matching (1:1) was used based on the predefined criteria. Multivariable logistic, Cox proportional hazards, and negative binomial regression analyses were employed as appropriate.ResultsA total of 1,435 patients were included in the study. Vitamin D was initiated in 177 patients (12.3%), whereas 1,258 patients did not receive it. A total of 288 patients were matched (1:1) using PS. The in-hospital mortality showed no difference between patients who received vitamin D and the control group (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.87–1.71; p = 0.26). However, MV duration and ICU LOS were longer in the vitamin D group (beta coefficient 0.24 (95% CI 0.00–0.47), p = 0.05 and beta coefficient 0.16 (95% CI −0.01 to 0.33), p = 0.07, respectively). As an exploratory outcome, patients who received vitamin D were more likely to develop major bleeding than those who did not [OR 3.48 (95% CI 1.10, 10.94), p = 0.03].ConclusionThe use of vitamin D as adjunctive therapy in COVID-19 critically ill patients was not associated with survival benefits but was linked with longer MV duration, ICU LOS, and higher odds of major bleeding

Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and DNA Methylation in Newborns Findings From the Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics Consortium

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are associated with low birth weight, shorter gestational age, and increased risk of maternal and offspring cardiovascular diseases later in life. The mechanisms involved are poorly understood, but epigenetic regulation of gene expression may play a part. We performed meta-analyses in the Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics Consortium to test the association between either maternal HDP (10 cohorts; n=5242 [cases=476]) or preeclampsia (3 cohorts; n=2219 [cases=135]) and epigenome-wide DNA methylation in cord blood using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. In models adjusted for confounders, and with Bonferroni correction, HDP and preeclampsia were associated with DNA methylation at 43 and 26 CpG sites, respectively. HDP was associated with higher methylation at 27 (63%) of the 43 sites, and across all 43 sites, the mean absolute difference in methylation was between 0.6% and 2.6%. Epigenome-wide associations of HDP with offspring DNA methylation were modestly consistent with the equivalent epigenome-wide associations of preeclampsia with offspring DNA methylation (R-2=0.26). In longitudinal analyses conducted in 1 study (n=108 HDP cases; 550 controls), there were similar changes in DNA methylation in offspring of those with and without HDP up to adolescence. Pathway analysis suggested that genes located at/near HDP-associated sites may be involved in developmental, embryogenesis, or neurological pathways. HDP is associated with offspring DNA methylation with potential relevance to development.Peer reviewe

Radio Galaxy Zoo EMU : Towards a Semantic Radio Galaxy Morphology Taxonomy

We present a novel natural language processing (NLP) approach to deriving plain English descriptors for science cases otherwise restricted by obfuscating technical terminology. We address the limitations of common radio galaxy morphology classifications by applying this approach. We experimentally derive a set of semantic tags for the Radio Galaxy Zoo EMU (Evolutionary Map of the Universe) project and the wider astronomical community. We collect 8,486 plain English annotations of radio galaxy morphology, from which we derive a taxonomy of tags. The tags are plain English. The result is an extensible framework which is more flexible, more easily communicated, and more sensitive to rare feature combinations which are indescribable using the current framework of radio astronomy classifications