2D vs. 3D pain visualization: User preferences in a spinal cord injury cohort

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2011 Springer VerlagResearch on pain experienced after Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) has revealed that not only are there several types of pain present in the same individual with this kind of trauma, but also that people who suffer such an injury can describe the characteristics of the same type of pain in different ways. Making it possible, therefore, to more precisely describe pain experience could prove to be vital for an increased quality of life. Accordingly, fifteen individuals with pain after SCI were asked to describe their pain experience using a 3 Dimensional (3D) model of the human body that could be used as an aid in communicating their pain. The results of this study suggest that the consensus of the participants approved the ability of the 3D model to more accurately describe their pain, an encouraging outcome towards the use of 3D technology in support of post SCI pain rehabilitation

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Genetic associations at 53 loci highlight cell types and biological pathways relevant for kidney function.

Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation of glucose metabolism. Chromatin state mapping and DNase I hypersensitivity analyses across adult tissues demonstrate preferential mapping of associated variants to regulatory regions in kidney but not extra-renal tissues. These findings suggest that genetic determinants of eGFR are mediated largely through direct effects within the kidney and highlight important cell types and biological pathways

Dynamic Programming Approach to Design FPTAS for Single Machine Scheduling Problems

Report n° RR-12-03, LIMOS, CNRS UMR 615

Voluntary total fasting in political prisoners – clinical and biochetnical observations

Thirty-three political prisoners on hunger strike  (voluntary total fast -VTF) for 6 - 24 days were admitted to two hospitals in Johannesburg in 1989. They had been detained without trial for 4 - 32 months. Sound doctor-patient relationships were established by eDlphasis of the principle of full patient participation in clinical decision-making at every level, by rejection of police interference in patient care, and by refusal to discharge subjects back into detention. Depression and abdominal pains were the predominant symptoms. In 6 lean subjects with complete data the expected initial period of rapid weight loss was not observed. Before hospitalisation most subjects became dehydrated from inadequate fluid intake and an apparent absence of thirst. Serum creatinine concentrations were a better indication of dehydration than serum urea levels. Mild hyponatraemia was found in one-third of patients. Refeeding after 6 - 27 days of VTF was initiated with a dilute lactose-free formula diet, and was uncomplicated. Close clinical monitoring of subjects during VTF is essential, and it is recommended that prisoners should be admitted to hospital at 10% of weight loss, if not before. The health care of prisoners can best be provided by professionals independent of the police and prison services

Drought and fire determine juvenile and adult woody diversity and dominance in a semi-arid African savanna

The aim of this study was to understand how communities of adult and juvenile (seedlings and saplings) woody plants were impacted by fire and the 2014–2016 El Niño drought in Kruger National Park, South Africa. We used a landscape-scale fire experiment spanning 2013–2019 in a semi-arid savanna in the central west of Kruger National Park (mean annual precipitation, 543 mm). Adult and juvenile woody species composition were recorded during and after the drought in 40 plots that experienced a mix of no fire, moderate fire, and frequent fire treatments. Using multivariate modeling, we related community composition in juvenile and adult woody plants to year of sampling and the experimental fire treatments. Post-drought, there was significant adult woody plant top-kill, especially in dominant species Dichrostachys cinerea (81% reduction in abundance), Acacia nigrescens (30%), and Combretum apiculatum (19%), but there was no significant change in adult species richness. Two years post-drought, abundance of all juveniles decreased by 35%, and species richness increased in juveniles in both the frequent fire (7%) and no fire treatments (32%). Counter-intuitively, the El Niño drought increased species richness of the woody plant community due to the recruitment of new species as juveniles, a potential lasting impact on diversity, and where different fire regimes were associated with differences in community composition. Drought events in semi-arid savannas could drive temporal dynamics in species richness and composition in previously unrecognized ways.DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in the Dryad Digital Repository: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3ffbg79m7 (Trotter et al. 2022).South African NRF unrated researcher funding; University of Edinburgh and the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) E3 Doctoral training program; USAID/NAS program ‘‘Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research’’; Scottish Funding Council and University of Edinburgh.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/btphj2023Zoology and Entomolog