Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2023 Jun 13. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202301-0070LE. Online ahead of print.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:37311208 | DOI:10.1164/rccm.202301-0070LE
Games Health J. 2023 Jun 13. doi: 10.1089/g4h.2022.0212. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: We investigated the effects of an exergames-based exercise program for older adults, and its benefits on their physical literacy (PL) domains, such as physical (mobility skills), affective (motivation and confidence), cognitive (knowledge about physical activity [PA]), and behavioral (daily exertion) when compared with a conventional exercise program and no training (NT) (control). Material and Methods: Forty older adults (mean age 72 years) volunteered and were randomized within three groups-exergame training (ET; n = 15), conventional training (CT; n = 14), and NT (n = 11). ET group performed training sessions based on a commercially available exergame console, while the CT group enrolled in a convention exercise program (aerobic, strength, balance, and flexibility exercises). The training program was conducted three times a week for 6 weeks. The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Exercise Confidence Survey (ECS), Motives for Physical Activity Measure-Revised (MPAM-R), Knowledge and Understanding Questionnaire (K&UQ), and total PA tracking (using wearable technology) were used as the study’s outcomes. Outcome variables were measured at preintervention (week 0), postintervention (week 6), and at the time of final follow-up (week 9). Results: We observed a reduction in the ET TUG time at postintervention and follow-up. Also, a significant main effect for group and moment of measurement was observed for the Fitness-Health subscore, derived from MPAM-R. The values demonstrated by ET and CT were statistically different (P = 0.01) and a within-group comparison revealed significant differences in the ET from preintervention to both postintervention and follow-up (both, P = 0.01). We did not observe any other significant difference. Conclusion: Our results suggest that a 6-week exergame-based training program may have the potential in improving the physical and affective domains of PL in community-dwelling older adults. The topics related to fitness and health seem to be of interest in this population and programs can make use of them to improve the PL domains.
PMID:37311178 | DOI:10.1089/g4h.2022.0212
Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2023 Jun 13. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2022.0240. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
The benefits of nature tourism, or nature-based travel, are plentiful. For example, participation in nature tours has positively impacted environmental attitudes and behaviors. Unfortunately, while psychologically beneficial, nature-based tourism can hurt the environment through a myriad of factors. Therefore, we must continue to explore ways to make the benefits of nature-based travel more sustainable and impactful. Research suggests that nature-based travel in virtual reality (VR) may impart numerous travel benefits, such as improving conservational behavior and interconnectedness with nature. While these early findings are promising, questions remain regarding the theoretical mechanisms underlying the effects of nature-based VR travel. Therefore, this study explores how VR may provide an avenue to make nature tourism more environmentally friendly while simultaneously making people more environmentally connected and conscious. Furthermore, a theoretical framework is posited that combines concepts from the spatial presence and narrative persuasion literature to help explain the effects. To accomplish these goals, an experiment was conducted using a two-condition (VR travel vs. TV control) between-subjects factorial design with random assignment. The participants were 66 college students from a large Midwestern University in the United States. Results indicated that there wasn’t a statistically significant difference between the VR travel condition and the television (TV) control condition regarding the environmental outcome variables. However, while the nature-based VR travel experience did not appear to influence the environmental outcome variables directly, it did indirectly affect them through the mediating roles of spatial presence and narrative engagement.
PMID:37311166 | DOI:10.1089/cyber.2022.0240
Clin Exp Dermatol. 2023 Jun 13:llad203. doi: 10.1093/ced/llad203. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) leads to changes in body composition, secondary sex characteristics and in the distribution and pattern of hair growth. Transgender individuals undergoing GAHT may experience altered hair growth patterns that may be affirming and desirable, or undesirable with subsequent impacts on quality of life. Given increasing numbers of transgender individuals commencing GAHT worldwide and clinical relevance of the impact of GAHT on hair growth, we systematically reviewed the existing literature on the impact of GAHT on hair changes and androgenic alopecia (AGA). The majority of studies used grading schemes or subjective measures of hair changes based on patient or investigators’ examination. Very few studies used objective quantitative measures of hair parameters but demonstrated statistically significant changes in hair growth length, diameter and density. Feminizing GAHT with estradiol and/or antiandrogens in trans women may reduce facial and body hair growth, and can improve AGA. Masculinizing GAHT with testosterone in trans men may increase facial and body hair growth as well as induce or accelerate AGA. The impact of GAHT on hair growth may not align with a transgender person’s hair growth goals and specific treatment for AGA and/or hirsutism may be sought. Further research on how GAHT affects hair growth is required.
PMID:37311161 | DOI:10.1093/ced/llad203
Plant Dis. 2023 Jun 13:PDIS09222242RE. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-09-22-2242-RE. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Stem rust is one of the major diseases threatening wheat production globally. To identify novel resistance quantitative trait loci (QTLs), we performed 35K Axiom Array SNP genotyping assays on an association mapping panel of 400 germplasm accessions, including Indian landraces, in conjunction with phenotyping for stem rust at seedling and adult plant stages. Association analyses using three genome wide association study (GWAS) models (CMLM, MLMM, and FarmCPU) revealed 20 reliable QTLs for seedling and adult plant resistance. Among these 20 QTLs, five QTLs were found consistent with three models, i.e., four QTLs on chromosome 2AL, 2BL, 2DL, and 3BL for seedling resistance and one QTL on chromosome 7DS for adult plant resistance. Further, we identified a total of 21 potential candidate genes underlying QTLs using gene ontology analysis, including a leucine rich repeat receptor (LRR) and P-loop nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase, which have a role in pathogen recognition and disease resistance. Furthermore, four QTLs (Qsr.nbpgr-3B_11, QSr.nbpgr-6AS_11, QSr.nbpgr-2AL_117-6, and QSr.nbpgr-7BS_APR) were validated through KASP located on chromosomes 3B, 6A, 2A, and 7B. Out of these QTLs, QSr.nbpgr-7BS_APR was identified as a novel QTL for stem rust resistance which has been found effective in both seedling as well as the adult plant stages. Identified novel genomic regions and validated QTLs have the potential to be deployed in wheat improvement programs to develop disease resistant varieties for stem rust and can diversify the genetic basis of resistance.
PMID:37311158 | DOI:10.1094/PDIS-09-22-2242-RE
High Alt Med Biol. 2023 Jun 13. doi: 10.1089/ham.2023.0046. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Hurtado-Aréstegui, Abdías, Karina Rosales-Mendoza, Yanissa Venegas-Justiniano, José Gonzales-Polar, Rina Barreto-Jara, and Alaciel Melissa Palacios-Guillén. Hemoglobin levels in Peruvian patients with chronic kidney disease at different altitudes. High Alt Med Biol. 24:000-000, 2023. Background: Decreased hemoglobin is a manifestation of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and people who reside at high altitude adapt to hypoxia by increasing their hemoglobin. The study’s objective was to determine the influence of altitude and the associated factors on the hemoglobin levels of patients with CKD who were not on dialysis (ND). Methods: This exploratory and cross-sectional study was carried out in three Peruvian cities, located at different altitudes: (1) “sea level” (161 m), (2) “moderate altitude” (2,335 m), and “high altitude” (3,399 m). The study included female and male individuals between 20 and 90 years old, with CKD stage 3a, through stage 5. Results: Of the 256 volunteers evaluated, 92 lived at sea level, 82 at moderate altitude, and 82 at high altitude. The three groups were similar in age, number of volunteers in each CKD stage, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. Hemoglobin levels were statistically different according to gender (p = 0.024), CKD stage, and altitude (p < 0.001). High-altitude dwellers had higher hemoglobin by 2.5 g/dl (95% confidence interval: 1.8-3.1, p < 0.001) than those living at lower altitudes (adjusted for gender, age, nutritional status, and smoking habit). For all CKD stages, the high-altitude population had higher hemoglobin levels than population at moderate altitude and at sea level. Conclusion: Subjects living at high altitude with CKD stages 3 to 5 who are yet ND have higher hemoglobin levels than those who live at moderate altitude and at sea level.
PMID:37311154 | DOI:10.1089/ham.2023.0046
Salud Colect. 2023 Feb 1;19:e4203. doi: 10.18294/sc.2023.4203.
ABSTRACT
An analytical study based on Chilean birth records obtained from the Department of Statistics and Health Information (DEIS) was conducted. This study aimed to evaluate temporal trends in preterm births by maternal age in Chile from 1990 to 2018. Results show that the preterm birth rate in 1992 was 5.0% and increased to 7.2% in 2018. The average annual percent change (AAPC) was 1.44. Age groups at the extremes (19 and under and 35 and over) presented the highest rates of preterm birth, both at the beginning and at the end of the study period. The latter group showed a smaller decrease at the beginning (1992 to 1995), with an annual percentage change (APC) of -3.00. The probability of preterm birth in both groups was higher compared to the 20-34 year old group. Although Chile boasts some of the best maternal and child health indicators in the region, repercussions associated with the current postponement of maternity – including preterm birth – must be monitored.
PMID:37311139 | DOI:10.18294/sc.2023.4203
Salud Colect. 2023 Mar 23;19:e4247. doi: 10.18294/sc.2023.4247.
ABSTRACT
The objective is to analyze the effect of multiple homicides on male and female life expectancy and to provide empirical evidence of the temporal and spatial associations between male and female homicide rates by age group during the period 2002-2020. Using data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) and population projections from the National Population Council (CONAPO), mortality rates due to homicide from 2002-2020 were estimated for both men and women, and the adjacency of homicides of men and women was analyzed, along with the spatial proximity between multiple homicides of men and women, along with changes in life expectancy due to homicide. Individual homicides have caused the greatest decrease in life expectancy for both men and women. The negative impact of multiple homicides on both female and male life expectancy began to draw attention in 2008. By analyzing the murders of women adjacent to the homicides of one or more men questions are raised about whether these crimes are primarily the result of criminal violence, and to a lesser extent the role of gender.
PMID:37311137 | DOI:10.18294/sc.2023.4247
Arq Bras Cardiol. 2023 Jun 9;120(6):e20220671. doi: 10.36660/abc.20220671. eCollection 2023.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In addition to coronary artery disease, non-high-density lipoprotein(non-HDL-C) provides short and long-term predictive information for many chronic inflammatory diseases such as stroke, hemodialysis, post-renal transplant, non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis, and human immunodeficiency virus.
OBJECTIVES: This study examined the predictive value of non-HDL-C measured before SARS-CoV-2 for mortality in COVID-19 infection.
METHODS: This study retrospectively included 1435 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated in the thoracic diseases ward in a single center between January 2020 and June 2022. All patients included in the study had clinical and radiological features and signs of COVID-19 pneumonia. The COVID-19 diagnosis of all patients was confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction studied from an oropharyngeal swab. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
RESULTS: The study patients, including 1435 subjects, were divided into 712 patients in the non-surviving group and 723 in the surviving group. While there was no difference between the groups regarding gender, there was a statistically significant age difference. The non-surviving group was older. Age, lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), C reactive protein(CRP), triglycerides, D-dimer, and non-HDL-C were independent risk factors for mortality in regression analyses. In correlation analysis, age, CRP, and LDH were positively correlated with non-HDL-C. In the ROC analysis, sensitivity for non-HDL-C was 61.6%, and specificity was 89.2%.
CONCLUSION: We believe that the non-HDL-C level studied before COVID-19 infection can be used as a prognostic biomarker for the disease.
PMID:37311127 | DOI:10.36660/abc.20220671
JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2023 Jun 13. doi: 10.2196/45586. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Both COVID-19 and pregnancy are associated with hypercoagulability. Due to increased risk for thrombosis, the United States National Institute of Health’s recommendation for prophylactic anticoagulant use for pregnant patients has expanded from patients hospitalized for severe COVID-19 manifestation to all patients hospitalized for the manifestation of COVID-19 (no guideline: ~12-26-2020, first update: 12-27-2020~02-23-2022, second update: 02-24-2022~present). However, no study has evaluated this recommendation.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize prophylactic anticoagulant use among hospitalized pregnant people with COVID-19 from 03-20-2020~10-19-2022.
METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study in large US healthcare systems across seven states. The cohort of interest was pregnant patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19, without prior coagulopathy or contraindication to anticoagulants (n=2,767). The treatment group consisted of patients prescribed prophylactic dose anticoagulation during -2~+14 days from COVID-19 treatment onset (n=191). The control group was patients with no anticoagulant exposure during -14~+60 days of the SARS-CoV-2 infection date (n=2,534). We ascertained the use of prophylactic anticoagulants with attention to the updates in guidelines and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. We propensity score matched the treatment and control group 1:1 on the most important features contributing to the prophylactic anticoagulant administration status classification. Outcome measures included coagulopathy, bleeding, COVID-19-related complications, and maternal-fetal health outcomes. Additionally, the inpatient anticoagulant administration rate was validated in a nationwide population from Truveta, a collective of 700 hospitals across the United States.
RESULTS: The overall administration rate of prophylactic anticoagulants was 7.0% (191/2,725). It was lowest after the second guideline update (no guideline: 10.4%, first update: 9.0%, second update: 2.5%; P<.05) and during the omicron-dominant period (WT:8.3%, Alpha:14.0%, Delta:16.6%, Omicron:3.5%; P<.05). Models developed on retrospective data showed that the variable most associated with administration of inpatient prophylactic anticoagulant. The patients who administered prophylactic anticoagulant were also more likely to receive supplementary oxygen (33.0% versus 4.8%; P<.05). There was no statistical difference in new diagnosis of coagulopathy, bleeding, or maternal-fetal health outcomes between those who received treatment and the matched control group.
CONCLUSIONS: Most hospitalized pregnant COVID-19 patients did not receive prophylactic anticoagulants across healthcare systems as recommended by guidelines. Guideline recommended treatment was administered more frequently to patients with greater COVID-19 illness severity. Given the low rate of administration and differences between treated and untreated cohorts, efficacy could not be assessed.
PMID:37311123 | DOI:10.2196/45586