GenTAC registry report: Gender differences among individuals with genetically triggered thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection

Previous data suggest women are at increased risk of death from aortic dissection. Therefore, we analyzed data from the GenTAC registry, the NIH‐sponsored program that collects information about individuals with genetically triggered thoracic aortic aneurysms and cardiovascular conditions. We performed cross‐sectional analyses in adults with Marfan syndrome (MFS), familial thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection (FTAAD), bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) with thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection, and subjects under 50 years of age with thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection (TAAD <50 years). Women comprised 32% of 1,449 subjects and were 21% of subjects with BAV, 34% with FTAAD, 22% with TAAD <50 years, and 47% with MFS. Thoracic aortic dissections occurred with equal gender frequency yet women with BAV had more extensive dissections. Aortic size was smaller in women but was similar after controlling for BSA. Age at operation for aortic valve dysfunction, aneurysm or dissection did not differ by gender. Multivariate analysis (adjusting for age, BSA, hypertension, study site, diabetes, and subgroup diagnoses) showed that women had fewer total aortic surgeries (OR = 0.65, P  < 0.01) and were less likely to receive angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi; OR = 0.68, P  < 0.05). As in BAV, other genetically triggered aortic diseases such as FTAAD and TAAD <50 are more common in males. In women, decreased prevalence of aortic operations and less treatment with ACEi may be due to their smaller absolute aortic diameters. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if women are at higher risk for adverse events. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97193/1/35836_ftp.pd

Maintaining natural and traditional cultural green infrastructures across Europe: learning from historic and current landscape transformations

CONTEXT: Maintaining functional green infrastructures (GIs) require evidence-based knowledge about historic and current states and trends of representative land cover types. OBJECTIVES: We address: (1) the long-term loss and transformation of potential natural forest vegetation; (2) the effects of site productivity on permanent forest loss and emergence of traditional cultural landscapes; (3) the current management intensity; and (4) the social-ecological contexts conducive to GI maintenance. METHODS: We selected 16 case study regions, each with a local hotspot landscape, ranging from intact forest landscapes, via contiguous and fragmented forest covers, to severe forest loss. Quantitative open access data were used to estimate (i) the historic change and (ii) transformation of land covers, and (iii) compare the forest canopy loss from 2000 to 2018. Qualitative narratives about each hotspot landscape were analysed for similarities (iv). RESULTS: While the potential natural forest vegetation cover in the 16 case study regions had a mean of 86%, historically it has been reduced to 34%. Higher site productivity coincided with transformation to non-forest land covers. The mean annual forest canopy loss for 2000–2018 ranged from 0.01 to 1.08%. The 16 case studies represented five distinct social-ecological contexts (1) radical transformation of landscapes, (2) abuse of protected area concepts, (3) ancient cultural landscapes (4) multi-functional forests, and (5) intensive even-aged forest management, of which 1 and 4 was most common. CONCLUSIONS: GIs encompass both forest naturalness and traditional cultural landscapes. Our review of Pan-European regions and landscapes revealed similarities in seemingly different contexts, which can support knowledge production and learning about how to sustain GIs

Identifying Patients at High Risk of a Cardiovascular Event in the Near Future Current Status and Future Directions: Report of a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a working group to provide basic and clinical research recommendations to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on the development of an integrated approach for identifying those individuals who are at high risk for a cardiovascular event such as acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or sudden cardiac death in the “near term.” The working group members defined near-term as occurring within 1 year of the time of assessment. The participants reviewed current clinical cardiology practices for risk assessment and state-of-the-science techniques in several areas, including biomarkers, proteomics, genetics, psychosocial factors, imaging, coagulation, and vascular and myocardial susceptibility. This report presents highlights of these reviews and a summary of suggested research directions

Report of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group on epigenetics and hypertension

Hypertension, defined as a condition associated with 65140-mm Hg systolic blood pressure or 6590-mm Hg diastolic blood pressure, affects >1 billion people worldwide,1 and in 2009 it cost the US healthcare system more than $73 billion.2 Despite the availability of many antihypertensive therapies, individual responses vary, and efficacy remains a concern. Current treatments have yielded only modest reductions in the overall disease risk even in countries where therapeutics are available and affordable. The initiating causes and the pathogenic mechanisms for disease and its comorbidities remain largely unknown, and prognostic markers for adult hypertension that could improve its diagnosis, prevention, and, ultimately, its management are not yet available. As a result, 4828$3.6 trillion more over the next 10 years.

Reading tea leaves worldwide: Decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass‐loss rate and stabilization

The breakdown of plant material fuels soil functioning and biodiversity. Currently, process understanding of global decomposition patterns and the drivers of such patterns are hampered by the lack of coherent large-scale datasets. We buried 36,000 individual litterbags (tea bags) worldwide and found an overall negative correlation between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization factors of plant-derived carbon, using the Tea Bag Index (TBI). The stabilization factor quantifies the degree to which easy-to-degrade components accumulate during early-stage decomposition (e.g. by environmental limitations). However, agriculture and an interaction between moisture and temperature led to a decoupling between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization, notably in colder locations. Using TBI improved mass-loss estimates of natural litter compared to models that ignored stabilization. Ignoring the transformation of dead plant material to more recalcitrant substances during early-stage decomposition, and the environmental control of this transformation, could overestimate carbon losses during early decomposition in carbon cycle models

Reading tea leaves worldwide: decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass-loss rate and stabilisation

The breakdown of plant material fuels soil functioning and biodiversity. Currently, process understanding of global decomposition patterns and the drivers of such patterns are hampered by the lack of coherent large-scale datasets. We buried 36,000 individual litterbags (tea bags) worldwide and found an overall negative correlation between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization factors of plant-derived carbon, using the Tea Bag Index (TBI). The stabilization factor quantifies the degree to which easy-to-degrade components accumulate during early-stage decomposition (e.g. by environmental limitations). However, agriculture and an interaction between moisture and temperature led to a decoupling between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization, notably in colder locations. Using TBI improved mass-loss estimates of natural litter compared to models that ignored stabilization. Ignoring the transformation of dead plant material to more recalcitrant substances during early-stage decomposition, and the environmental control of this transformation, could overestimate carbon losses during early decomposition in carbon cycle models

Reading tea leaves worldwide: decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass‐loss rate and stabilization

The breakdown of plant material fuels soil functioning and biodiversity. Currently, process understanding of global decomposition patterns and the drivers of such patterns are hampered by the lack of coherent large‐scale datasets. We buried 36,000 individual litterbags (tea bags) worldwide and found an overall negative correlation between initial mass‐loss rates and stabilization factors of plant‐derived carbon, using the Tea Bag Index (TBI). The stabilization factor quantifies the degree to which easy‐to‐degrade components accumulate during early‐stage decomposition (e.g. by environmental limitations). However, agriculture and an interaction between moisture and temperature led to a decoupling between initial mass‐loss rates and stabilization, notably in colder locations. Using TBI improved mass‐loss estimates of natural litter compared to models that ignored stabilization. Ignoring the transformation of dead plant material to more recalcitrant substances during early‐stage decomposition, and the environmental control of this transformation, could overestimate carbon losses during early decomposition in carbon cycle models

Türkiye'de Sürdürülebilir Orman Kaynakları Yönetimi, İlkeleri, Göstergeleri ve Uygulamaları

Sürdürülebilir orman yönetimi kavramı Dünya gündemine girdiği 1990'lı yıllardan bugüne önemini sürekli korumuştur. Kavramın temelinde, ormanların yönetiminde bugünkü kuşakların ihtiyaçlarının karşılanması kadar, gelecek kuşakların ihtiyaçlarının da karşılanması yatmaktadır. Ülkemiz uluslararası alanda yapılan toplantı ve tartışmalara katılarak kavramı desteklediğini göstermiştir. Çünkü ülkemizde ormanların sürdürülebilir yönetimi eski bir gelenektir. Ülkemiz, yakın doğu süreci olarak Gıda ve Tarım Teşkilatı işbirliğinde uygulanan bir projede, yedi ölçüt ve 65 gösterge ile orman kaynaklarının durumunu ortaya koyacak verileri toplamaya başlamıştır. Bu veriler Orman Genel Müdürlüğü tarafından, 2000 yılından beri orman işletme müdürlüğü düzeyinde toplanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, sürdürülebilir orman yönetimi ölçüt ve göstergelerine göre Eğirdir Orman İşletme Müdürlüğü'nün durumunu belirlemek için ele alınmıştır

Rhythm and Orthopedics: The Effect of Music Therapy in Cast Room Procedures, a Prospective Clinical Trial

INTRODUCTION: Cast room procedures generally cause anxiety in patients. Anxiety complicates the procedure as well as increases the risk of a complication. Listening to music was found to be the safest and most common non-drug treatment method. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of listening to music on adult patients in cast room procedures. This study points out the relation between anxiety and anxiety relevant cardiac arrhythmia.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on 199 patients with stable general condition, aged above 18. The patients were divided into two groups. Randomization method used in the study was coin flip. The first group (Group 1) listened to music during cast room procedures whereby the second group (Group 2) did not listen to music. Length of the procedure, complication, blood pressure and heart rate evaluations before and after the procedure, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS scores for pain), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) anxiety score, patient satisfaction, willingness of the patient to repeat the procedure, P wave dispersion (Pd) and corrected QT interval dispersion (QTcd) as electrocardiographic arrhythmia predictors were evaluated. The Clinical Research Ethics Committee approval was obtained for this study.RESULTS: Significant difference was shown between the two groups for the following criteria: VAS scores (p = 0.005), anxiety scores (p = 0.032), processing time (p = 0.027), and QTcd values (p = 0.031). Patient satisfaction (p CONCLUSION: Music therapy is a non-invasive, safe, nonpharmacologic, anxiolytic, and analgesic treatment. Music therapy should become standard protocol in cast room procedures. One of the most important achievements of this study was the fact that music decreases anxiety and anxiety-related cardiac arrhythmia. Therefore, conducting further prospective studies including high cardiac risk patients especially with arrhythmia is crucial