Peculiarities of Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) anisotropy variation in connection with the recurrent and sporadic Forbush effects

It has been established, that the beginning of the change of vector of Solar-diurnal anisotropy of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) preceeds due to disturbed region (DR) of Solar wind existing time of which is Tau or = 8 days. The meridional gradient delta theta eta of density during the recurrent FD is valued

Landslides near Enguri dam (Caucasus, Georgia) and possible seismotectonic effects

The Enguri dam and water reservoir, nested in the southwestern Caucasus (Republic of Georgia), are surrounded by steep mountain slopes. At a distance of 2.5&thinsp;km from the dam, a mountain ridge along the reservoir is affected by active deformations with a double vergence. The western slope, directly facing the reservoir, has deformations that affect a subaerial area of 1.2&thinsp;km2. The head scarp affects the Jvari–Khaishi–Mestia main road with offsets of man-made features that indicate slip rates of 2–9&thinsp;cm&thinsp;yr−1. Static, pseudostatic and Newmark analyses, based on field and seismological data, suggest different unstable rock volumes based on the environmental conditions. An important effect of variation of the water table is shown, as well as the possible destabilization of the slope following seismic shaking, compatible with the expected local peak ground acceleration. This worst-case scenario corresponds to an unstable volume on the order of up to 48±12×106&thinsp;m3. The opposite, eastern slope of the same mountain ridge is also affected by wide deformation affecting an area of 0.37&thinsp;km2. Here, field data indicate 2–5&thinsp;cm&thinsp;yr−1 of slip rates. All this evidence is interpreted as resulting from two similar landslides, whose possible causes are discussed, comprising seismic triggering, mountain rapid uplift, river erosion and lake variations.</p

Symptoms and syndromes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity in pregnant women from two community cohorts

We tested whether pregnant and non-pregnant women differ in COVID-19 symptom profile and severity, and we extended previous investigations on hospitalized pregnant women to those who did not require hospitalization. Two female community-based cohorts (18-44 years) provided longitudinal (smartphone application, N = 1,170,315, n = 79 pregnant tested positive) and cross-sectional (web-based survey, N = 1,344,966, n = 134 pregnant tested positive) data, prospectively collected through self-participatory citizen surveillance in UK, Sweden and USA. Pregnant and non-pregnant were compared for frequencies of events, including SARS-CoV-2 testing, symptoms and hospitalization rates. Multivariable regression was used to investigate symptoms severity and comorbidity effects. Pregnant and non-pregnant women positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection were not different in syndromic severity, except for gastrointestinal symptoms. Pregnant were more likely to have received testing, despite reporting fewer symptoms. Pre-existing lung disease was most closely associated with syndromic severity in pregnant hospitalized. Heart and kidney diseases and diabetes increased risk. The most frequent symptoms among non-hospitalized women were anosmia [63% pregnant, 92% non-pregnant] and headache [72%, 62%]. Cardiopulmonary symptoms, including persistent cough [80%] and chest pain [73%], were more frequent among pregnant who were hospitalized. Consistent with observations in non-pregnant populations, lung disease and diabetes were associated with increased risk of more severe SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection in pregnant women: characterization of symptoms and syndromes predictive of disease and severity through real-time, remote participatory epidemiology

Objective: To test whether pregnant and non-pregnant women differ in COVID-19 symptom profile and severity. To extend previous investigations on hospitalized pregnant women to those who did not require hospitalization. Design: Observational study prospectively collecting longitudinal (smartphone application interface) and cross-sectional (web-based survey) data. Setting:Community-based self-participatory citizen surveillance in the United Kingdom, Sweden and the United States of America. Population: Two female community-based cohorts aged 18-44 years. The discovery cohort was drawn from 1,170,315 UK, Sweden and USA women (79 pregnant tested positive) who self-reported status and symptoms longitudinally via smartphone. The replication cohort included 1,344,966 USA women (134 pregnant tested positive) who provided cross-sectional self-reports. Methods: Pregnant and non-pregnant were compared for frequencies of symptoms and events, including SARS-CoV-2 testing and hospitalization rates. Multivariable regression was used to investigate symptoms severity and comorbidity effects. Results: Pregnant and non-pregnant women positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection were not different in syndromic severity. Pregnant were more likely to have received testing than non-pregnant, despite reporting fewer symptoms. Pre-existing lung disease was most closely associated with the syndromic severity in pregnant hospitalized women. Heart and kidney diseases and diabetes increased risk. The most frequent symptoms among all non-hospitalized women were anosmia [63% pregnant, 92% non-pregnant] and headache [72%, 62%]. Cardiopulmonary symptoms, including persistent cough [80%] and chest pain [73%], were more frequent among pregnant women who were hospitalized. Conclusions: Symptom characteristics and severity were comparable among pregnant and non-pregnant women, except for gastrointestinal symptoms. Consistent with observations in non-pregnant populations, lung disease and diabetes were associated with increased risk of more severe SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. Tweetable abstract: Pregnancy with SARS-CoV-2 has no higher risk of severe symptoms. Underlying lung disease or cardiac condition can increase risk. Competing Interest Statement: ATC previously served as an investigator on a clinical trial of diet and lifestyle using a separate mobile application that was supported by Zoe Global Ltd. Clinical Trial -- Funding Statement: This work was supported by Zoe Global. The Department of Twin Research receives grants from the Wellcome Trust (212904/Z/18/Z) and Medical Research Council/British Heart Foundation Ancestry and Biological Informative Markers for Stratification of Hypertension (AIMHY; MR/M016560/1), and support from the European Union, the Chronic Disease Research Foundation, Zoe Global, the NIHR Clinical Research Facility and the Biomedical Research Centre (based at Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Kings College London). The School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Science and Center for Medical Engineering at Kings College London receive grants from the Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Medical Engineering [WT 203148/Z/16/Z]. E.M. is funded by the Skills Development Scheme of the Medical Research Council UK. C.M.A. is funded by NIDDK K23 DK120899 and the Boston Childrens Hospital Office of Faculty Development Career Development Award. CHS is supported by an Alzheimers Society Junior fellowship (AS-JF-17-011). W.M., J.S.B. and A.T.C. are supported by the Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness (MassCPR) and Mark and Lisa Schwartz

Eventual role of myocardial muscular «bridges» in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome

Aim of the study was to investigate the role of myocardial muscular «bridges» (MMB) in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Material and methods. The study comprised of 27 patents with ACS: 21 (77,8 %) with diagnosed unstable angina pectoris (UA) and 6 (22,2 %) with acute anterior myocardial infarction with ST elevation (STEMI). Results. All patients with STEMI had positive qualitative troponin test. The serum level of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) was 857.7 ± 495.5 U/l, the CPK MB level was 46.5 ± 42.4 U/l. The patients’ age varied from 32 to 68 years (on average, 52.4 ± 4.6 years). Selective coronary angiography (CAG) revealed systolic functional obstruction of the LAD with vessel’s lumen recovery to the norm during diastole in all 27 patients, which is typical for MMB. In all cases with UA, the clinical aggravation was associated with ECG signs of transitory or permanent myocardial hypoxia in the territory supplied by the LAD, while the patients with STEMI had ECG, biochemical and EchoCG signs of myocardial damage and kinetics disturbances in the left ventricular areas supplied by the LAD. All patients underwent intravascular instrumental investigation. During in-hospital stage all patients received conservative therapy including β-adrenergic receptors or CA-channels blockers; ACE inhibitors; disaggregants. Upon 12 months all patients underwent repeated outpatient examination. In all cases, the conducted therapy resulted in the improvement of the patients’ condition. Conclusion. This study allows concluding that MMB play an essential role in the pathogenesis of ACS, including STEMI

A phenome-wide comparative analysis of genetic discordance between obesity and type 2 diabetes

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are causally related, yet there is considerable heterogeneity in the consequences of both conditions and the mechanisms of action are poorly defined. Here we show a genetic-driven approach defining two obesity profiles that convey highly concordant and discordant diabetogenic effects. We annotate and then compare association signals for these profiles across clinical and molecular phenotypic layers. Key differences are identified in a wide range of traits, including cardiovascular mortality, fat distribution, liver metabolism, blood pressure, specific lipid fractions and blood levels of proteins involved in extracellular matrix remodelling. We find marginal differences in abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes bacteria in the gut. Instrumental analyses reveal prominent causal roles for waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure and cholesterol content of high-density lipoprotein particles in the development of diabetes in obesity. We prioritize 17 genes from the discordant signature that convey protection against type 2 diabetes in obesity, which may represent logical targets for precision medicine approaches.</p

App-based COVID-19 syndromic surveillance and prediction of hospital admissions in COVID Symptom Study Sweden

The app-based COVID Symptom Study was launched in Sweden in April 2020 to contribute to real-time COVID-19 surveillance. We enrolled 143,531 study participants (≥18 years) who contributed 10.6 million daily symptom reports between April 29, 2020 and February 10, 2021. Here, we include data from 19,161 self-reported PCR tests to create a symptom-based model to estimate the individual probability of symptomatic COVID-19, with an AUC of 0.78 (95% CI 0.74–0.83) in an external dataset. These individual probabilities are employed to estimate daily regional COVID-19 prevalence, which are in turn used together with current hospital data to predict next week COVID-19 hospital admissions. We show that this hospital prediction model demonstrates a lower median absolute percentage error (MdAPE: 25.9%) across the five most populated regions in Sweden during the first pandemic wave than a model based on case notifications (MdAPE: 30.3%). During the second wave, the error rates are similar. When we apply the same model to an English dataset, not including local COVID-19 test data, we observe MdAPEs of 22.3% and 19.0% during the first and second pandemic waves, respectively, highlighting the transferability of the prediction model

Attributes and predictors of Long-COVID: analysis of COVID cases and their symptoms collected by the Covid Symptoms Study App

Reports of “Long-COVID”, are rising but little is known about prevalence, risk factors, or whether it is possible to predict a protracted course early in the disease. We analysed data from 4182 incident cases of COVID-19 who logged their symptoms prospectively in the COVID Symptom Study app. 558 (13.3%) had symptoms lasting >=28 days, 189 (4.5%) for >=8 weeks and 95 (2.3%) for >=12 weeks. Long-COVID was characterised by symptoms of fatigue, headache, dyspnoea and anosmia and was more likely with increasing age, BMI and female sex. Experiencing more than five symptoms during the first week of illness was associated with Long-COVID, OR=3.53 [2.76;4.50]. A simple model to distinguish between short and long-COVID at 7 days, which gained a ROC-AUC of 76%, was replicated in an independent sample of 2472 antibody positive individuals. This model could be used to identify individuals for clinical trials to reduce long-term symptoms and target education and rehabilitation services

Attributes and predictors of long COVID

Reports of long-lasting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms, the so-called ‘long COVID’, are rising but little is known about prevalence, risk factors or whether it is possible to predict a protracted course early in the disease. We analyzed data from 4,182 incident cases of COVID-19 in which individuals self-reported their symptoms prospectively in the COVID Symptom Study app. A total of 558 (13.3%) participants reported symptoms lasting ≥28 days, 189 (4.5%) for ≥8 weeks and 95 (2.3%) for ≥12 weeks. Long COVID was characterized by symptoms of fatigue, headache, dyspnea and anosmia and was more likely with increasing age and body mass index and female sex. Experiencing more than five symptoms during the first week of illness was associated with long COVID (odds ratio = 3.53 (2.76–4.50)). A simple model to distinguish between short COVID and long COVID at 7 days (total sample size, n = 2,149) showed an area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve of 76%, with replication in an independent sample of 2,472 individuals who were positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. This model could be used to identify individuals at risk of long COVID for trials of prevention or treatment and to plan education and rehabilitation services

Review of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment in Georgia - Main Challenges

Review of probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in Georgia with discussion on main challenges are presented