T eleauscu ltation: Bringing you to the bedside

A custom-made device was used for the acquisition, dig iti1ation. compression. storage and telephone transmiss ion o f respiratory sounds anJ airflow data. Acoustical infomrntion from two patie nts at a small community in rural Mani toba was sent over a distance of 500 km vi a conventional telephone lines . D ig ital transmission left the resp iratory sounds unaffected by telephone line noise. Data processing by computer at the rece ivi ng s ite provided more de tail than would have been avail able o n conventional auscul tati on . This new method fo r tcleauseultation could he of value not only in remote areas but also for the survei I lance of patients at home in urban setting s

International perception of lung sounds : a comparison of classification across some European borders

Peer reviewe

Computerised lung auscultation: sound software (CLASS)

Computer-assisted learning tools have been shown to promote self-directed learning and enhance problem-solving skills. However, few have been developed in the area of respiratory medicine and the majority does not include all the required features for integration of knowledge (e.g., sound recording and analysis). Thus, we aimed to develop and evaluate an open-source computer-assisted learning application for respiratory sound recording, analysis and interpretation, the Computerised Lungs Auscultation – Sound Software (CLASS). CLASS is the only computer-assisted learning tool which simultaneously allows the recording and analyses of respiratory sounds. The usability of CLASS has been tested by eight physiotherapy students through an open-ended questionnaire and a focus group interview. Participants highlighted its utility and great potential to be used in academic and clinical environments, and they also identified some drawbacks. New developments are being incorporated to improve CLASS usability in the academic context but also to make it available in health professionals’ clinical practice

Treatment variation in stent choice in patients with stable or unstable coronary artery disease

Aim: Variations in treatment are the result of differences in demographic and clinical factors (e.g. anatomy), but physician and hospital factors may also contribute to treatment variation. The choice of treatment is considered important since it could lead to differences in long-term outcomes. This study explores the associations with stent choice: i.e. drug-eluting stent (DES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) for Dutch patients diagnosed with stable or unstable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods & results: Associations with treatment decisions were based on a prospective cohort of 692 patients with stable or unstable CAD. Of those patients, 442 patients were treated with BMS or DES. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables associated with stent choice. Bivariate analyses showed that NYHA class, number of diseased vessels, previous percutaneous coronary intervention, smoking, diabetes, and the treating hospital were associated with stent type. After correcting for other associations the treating hospital remained significantly associated with stent type in the stable CAD population. Conclusions: This study showed that several factors were associated with stent choice. While patients generally appear to receive the most optimal stent given their clinical characteristics, stent choice seems partially determined by the treating hospital, which may lead to differences in longterm outcome

Correction:How the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the necessity of animal research (vol 30, pg R1014, 2020)

(Current Biology 30, R1014–R1018; September 21, 2020) As a result of an author oversight in the originally published version of this article, a number of errors were introduced in the author list and affiliations. First, the middle initials were omitted from the names of several authors. Second, the surname of Dr. van Dam was mistakenly written as “Dam.” Third, the first name of author Bernhard Englitz was misspelled as “Bernard” and the surname of author B.J.A. Pollux was misspelled as “Pullox.” Finally, Dr. Keijer's first name was abbreviated rather than written in full. These errors, as well as various errors in the author affiliations, have now been corrected online

Genome-wide meta-analysis of 241,258 adults accounting for smoking behaviour identifies novel loci for obesity traits

Few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) account for environmental exposures, like smoking, potentially impacting the overall trait variance when investigating the genetic contribution to obesity-related traits. Here, we use GWAS data from 51,080 current smokers and 190,178 nonsmokers (87% European descent) to identify loci influencing BMI and central adiposity, measured as waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio both adjusted for BMI. We identify 23 novel genetic loci, and 9 loci with convincing evidence of gene-smoking interaction (GxSMK) on obesity-related traits. We show consistent direction of effect for all identified loci and significance for 18 novel and for 5 interaction loci in an independent study sample. These loci highlight novel biological functions, including response to oxidative stress, addictive behaviour, and regulatory functions emphasizing the importance of accounting for environment in genetic analyses. Our results suggest that tobacco smoking may alter the genetic susceptibility to overall adiposity and body fat distribution.Peer reviewe

Формирование эмоциональной культуры как компонента инновационной культуры студентов

Homozygosity has long been associated with rare, often devastating, Mendelian disorders1 and Darwin was one of the first to recognise that inbreeding reduces evolutionary fitness2. However, the effect of the more distant parental relatedness common in modern human populations is less well understood. Genomic data now allow us to investigate the effects of homozygosity on traits of public health importance by observing contiguous homozygous segments (runs of homozygosity, ROH), which are inferred to be homozygous along their complete length. Given the low levels of genome-wide homozygosity prevalent in most human populations, information is required on very large numbers of people to provide sufficient power3,4. Here we use ROH to study 16 health-related quantitative traits in 354,224 individuals from 102 cohorts and find statistically significant associations between summed runs of homozygosity (SROH) and four complex traits: height, forced expiratory lung volume in 1 second (FEV1), general cognitive ability (g) and educational attainment (nominal p<1 × 10−300, 2.1 × 10−6, 2.5 × 10−10, 1.8 × 10−10). In each case increased homozygosity was associated with decreased trait value, equivalent to the offspring of first cousins being 1.2 cm shorter and having 10 months less education. Similar effect sizes were found across four continental groups and populations with different degrees of genome-wide homozygosity, providing convincing evidence for the first time that homozygosity, rather than confounding, directly contributes to phenotypic variance. Contrary to earlier reports in substantially smaller samples5,6, no evidence was seen of an influence of genome-wide homozygosity on blood pressure and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Since directional dominance is predicted for traits under directional evolutionary selection7, this study provides evidence that increased stature and cognitive function have been positively selected in human evolution, whereas many important risk factors for late-onset complex diseases may not have been

Of Microsoft and mycobacteria

Bill Gates should have run for President of the United States. Not only would he have been a candidate with some legitimate claim to the Internet, but his call for a major increase in funding for new defence systems would have been supported by the general public, both at home and abroad. The founder of Microsoft himself spent US$1.44 billion last year to support the fight against global health threats from infectious diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB). This contribution from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was more than one-quarter of the total amount that all industrialized nations together raised for this cause

Teleauscultation: Bringing You to the Bedside

A custom-made device was used for the acquisition, digitization, compression, storage and telephone transmission of respiratory sounds and airflow data. Acoustical information from two patients at a small community in rural Manitoba was sent over a distance of 500 km via conventional telephone lines. Digital transmission left the respiratory sounds unaffected by telephone line noise. Data processing by computer at the receiving site provided more detail than would have been available on conventional auscultation. This new method for teleauscultation could be of value not only in remote areas but also for the surveillance of patients at home in urban settings