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Maternal mortality rates within the United States have reached an all-time high.  Annually, nearly seven hundred women die from pregnancy-related complications, a number of which were highly preventable.  When taking a closer look at these statistics, these deaths disproportionately affect Native American and African American women, making them two to three times more likely to suffer from poorer pregnancy outcomes.  This paper examines the variety of factors that contribute to such a disproportionate maternal mortality rate, including geographic differences, racial and economic inequalities, and the accessibility of healthcare.  Despite attempts to fix these issues, systemic and intrinsic issues persist, and individuals continue to suffer.  This paper highlights the need to address maternal mortality disparities that affect marginalized groups, improved accessibility to healthcare for all, and overall policy reform in order to solve this issue indefinitely.

The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) plays a crucial role in assessing nutritional status and predicting clinical outcomes in older patients. This study explores the GNRI as a prognostic tool for clinical outcomes in older inpatients. Spanning from August 2013 to December 2020, the research involved 573 older patients at Tianjin Third Central Hospital, China. The study assessed the association of GNRI with 6-month hospital readmission and 3-year all-cause mortality rates. Our findings reveal that higher GNRI scores significantly correlate with reduced hospital readmissions and mortality, underscoring the utility of GNRI in predicting clinical outcomes and guiding interventions in geriatric care. The study highlights the potential of integrating GNRI assessments into routine clinical evaluations to enhance patient care and optimize resource utilization in healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paediatric septic shock is a formidable challenge worldwide that significantly impacts health care systems. This nationwide retrospective study analyses the prevalence and mortality rates of paediatric septic shock across Thailand from 2015 to 2022, focusing on hospital burdens, including mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy. Methods: The study included paediatric patients ranging from infants to individuals under 18 years of age who were admitted to hospitals due to septic shock across Thailand. Data were retrospectively gathered from the Thai National Health Security Office for the years 2015–2022. The data included demographic data, clinical outcomes, and hospital burden indicators such as mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy. Results: From 2015 to 2022, there were 30,718 paediatric admissions for septic shock, with a peak in 2019. The highest incidence was observed in infants, accounting for 44.7% of the cases. The prevalence rate increased from 190 per 100,000 population in 2015 to a peak of 280 per 100,000 population in 2020. Mortality rates decreased from 30.7% in 2015 to 20.2% in 2022, with a peak of 40.5% observed in the central region in 2015. The study highlighted a substantial health care burden, with 34.9% of patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation and 23.4% needing renal replacement therapy. Conclusions: Despite a decrease in mortality, paediatric septic shock remains a significant burden on the health care system in Thailand. Urgent improvements in resources and adherence to clinical guidelines, especially in under-resourced areas, are necessary. Addressing disparities in mortality and resource usage across hospital levels is vital for improving outcomes and reducing the health care burden of paediatric patients with septic shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The systemic inflammatory response significantly influences the progression and prognosis of various cancers. The novel Inflammatory Burden Index (IBI) was recently introduced as a biomarker to gauge systemic inflammation and evaluate cancer patient prognosis. However, studies investigating the relationship between IBI and mortality rates in cancer patients remain limited. Methods: This study analyzed data from 2748 cancer patients enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 1999 and 2018. We used weighted Cox regression analysis and restricted cubic spline models to examine the relationship between the IBI and mortality due to all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer. Furthermore, we employed Kaplan‐Meier survival curves, subgroup analyses, and receiver operating characteristic curves to elaborate on these associations. Results: Over a median follow‐up period of 112 months, the cohort experienced 1067 deaths, including 320 from cancer, 239 attributable to heart disease, and 508 from various other causes. The Kaplan‐Meier curve indicated that individuals in the higher quartiles of the IBI faced significantly increased mortality risks compared to those in lower quartiles. Analyses using weighted Cox proportional hazards models demonstrated that subjects in the top IBI quartile were at a substantially higher risk for all‐cause mortality (Hazard Ratio [HR] 2.09, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.67–2.62, p < 0.001), CVD mortality (HR = 1.95, 95% CI= 1.18–3.23, p = 0.010), and cancer mortality (HR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.31–3.26, p = 0.002). Furthermore, stratification and interaction analyses affirmed the uniformity of these initial findings. The areas under the curve for the 3‐, 5‐, and 10‐year survival predictions for all‐cause mortality were 0.62, 0.62, and 0.67, respectively; for cardiovascular mortality, they were 0.64, 0.64, and 0.70; and for cancer mortality, they were 0.62, 0.77, and 0.70. Conclusion: In cancer patients, higher IBI levels significantly correlate with increased mortality from all causes, CVD, and cancer‐specific deaths. This index could possess considerable diagnostic and prognostic importance, possibly acting as a new biomarker for evaluating outcomes in cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyse age-specific all-cause mortality trends in the UK before and after COVID-19 emergence to determine if pre-pandemic trends contributed to increased mortality levels in the post-pandemic era. Statistical analysis of UK mortality data. We utilised age-structured population and mortality data for all UK countries from 2005 to 2023. Mortality rates were calculated for each age group, and excess mortality was estimated using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) method. Our most concerning finding is an increase in all-cause mortality rates for middle-aged adults (30–54 years) starting around 2012. The COVID-19 pandemic may have further impacted these rates, but the pre-existing upward trend suggests that current elevated mortality rates might have been reached regardless of the pandemic. This finding is more alarming than the slowdown in the decline of cardiovascular disease death rates for individuals under 75 noted by the British Heart Foundation. Our results highlight the importance of considering both immediate pandemic impacts and long-term mortality trends in public health strategies. This underscores the need for targeted interventions and improved healthcare planning to address both ongoing and future challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demographers have developed a number of methods for expanding abridged mortality data into a complete schedule; however, these can be usefully applied only under certain conditions, and the presence or absence of one or more additional sources of incompleteness can degrade their relative accuracy, lead to implausible profiles, or even cause the methods to fail. We develop a new method for expanding an abridged schedule based on calibrated splines; this method is accurate and robust in the presence of errors in mortality rates, missing values, and truncation. We compare its performance with the performance of existing methods for expanding abridged data and find that it is superior to current methods at producing accurate and plausible complete schedules over a broad range of data-quality conditions. The method when applied is a valuable addition to existing tools for estimating mortality, especially for small nations, countries with incomplete vital statistics, and subnational populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how Lithuania’s CO2 emissions were affected by macroeconomic variables and mortality rates between 1995 and 2020. ARDL analysis, cointegration regression, diagnostics test, and robustness test were used to quantify the impact of mortality rates, macroeconomic variables, and CO2 emissions. The findings of the unit root test confirmed that all variables are stationary. Similarly, the ARDL bound test values show that the variables are cointegrated and that a long-run relationship exists between them. However, the ARDL methods both showed that mortality rates, trade openness, and economic growth have a significant positive impact on CO2 emissions. Hence, renewable energy consumption helps reduce CO2 emissions. Furthermore, diagnostic tests confirmed no serial correlation, no heteroscedasticity exists, and robust tests also show that the model is stable. While cointegration regression results are similar to the ARDL model test. The study analysis suggests the essential policy recommendations aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and the need to improve health sectors (specifically, mortality rates under 5). This study expands the existing literature on environmental economics, and its findings will help improve policy and frameworks in Lithuania to reduce carbon emissions.

The growth and mortality parameters were examined for the annular seabream Diplodus annularis collected from the Didim coast, Southern Aegean Sea. A total of 654 annular seabream individuals, 263 female (40.21%) and 391 male (59.79%), were sampled by commercial trawlers and gillnets from September 2022 to January 2024. The total length varied between 9.0 and 24.3 cm for females, 8.6 and 24.0 cm for males, and the weight varied between 8.60 and 146.57 g for females, 7.00 and 128.96 g for males. The length-weight relationships were calculated for females, males, and all individuals as W = 0.0115 x L2.9641, W = 0.0131 x L2.8995, and W = 0.0118 x L2.9440, respectively. The growth pattern was determined as negative allometric. The maximum age class was V for both females and males. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were L∞ = 25.27 cm, k = 0.424 year-1, t0 = -0.308 years for females; L∞ = 25.63 cm, k = 0.338 year-1, t0 = -0.935 years for males; L∞ = 27.43 cm, k = 0.283 year-1, t0 = -1.121 years for all individuals. The growth performance index (Φ´) for females, males, and all individuals were 2.432, 2.347, and 2.329, respectively. This study provides the first information on the growth and mortality parameters of D. annularis along the Didim coast, southern Aegean Sea.

In this paper, we aim to present a graph depicting the quantified mortality rates for the entire population of Indonesia, derived from the 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) mortality data for Indonesia. First, the mortality rates which consisted of five-year age groups were interpolated to determine the rates for each individual age. Next, these rates were extrapolated to extend the data from age 85 up to age 110. The resulting crude rates were adjusted with the Whittaker-Henderson smoothing technique by utilizing Python and MS Excel. The refined results were then compared to the insured lives from the fourth Indonesian Mortality Rates Table (TMI IV). This assessment supplied the government with insights to help shape health policies and inform economic forecasts. The results indicated that male mortality rates were higher than those of females, although no significant difference was observed among the younger generation. On the contrary, mortality rates of old people were significantly greater compared to the insured lives which was due to WHO’s limited data availability and more comprehensive data collection process, compared to TMI IV’s insured lives through the underwriting process.

The paper analyzes the gender and age structure of the population of the Potapovo and Sintashta cultures in the late Bronze Age based on anthropological materials from a cemetery in the Volga-Ural region. According to archaeological data, both of them belong to a single cultural block; nevertheless, issues of their correlation and primacy in the time of origin are still debatable. 336 markers of gender and age definition in the individuals were applied. Calculations of the main demographic indicators were carried out; histograms of the ratio of age and gender groups were constructed for each culture under consideration. Using the principal components method, an intergroup comparison was carried out on demographic indicators of 31 series in the south of Eastern Europe and Transcaucasia. The indicators of the Potapovo and Sintashta groups have high infant mortality. At the same time, more even ratios of sex and age classes were noted for the Sintashta group of the Trans-Urals. In contrast to Potapovo, a more favorable external and internal social situation for the Sintashta population is assumed. A comparison of demographic indicators against a broader geographical and chronological background demonstrates, firstly, the convergence of the Potapovo and Sintashta groups, the manifestation of similar trends among subsequent series of log culture in the same region, and, on the contrary, sharp differences with the data of the previous pastoral Yamno-Poltavka population. Thus, the demographic indicators of the Potapovo and Sintashta cultures can symbolize the transition to new ethno-cultural living conditions, to the beginning of the formation of stationary geographical points, to the gradual settling of collectives.

Throughout the western tropical Pacific Ocean, eddies and currents play an important role in biogeochemical cycling. Many studies have investigated the effects of hydrography on vertical patterns of picophytoplankton and heterotrophic bacterial abundance in mesoscale eddies. There is a lack of field observations to determine what impact dynamic hydrological systems of eddies have on prokaryotic community activity (growth and mortality rates). An objective of this study was to examine how anticyclonic eddies influence picoplankton abundance and activity (growth and mortality rates). To meet this purpose, heterotrophic bacterial and picophytoplankton growth and mortality rates were examined by modified dilution experiments conducted at the surface, deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), and 200 m depth outside (OE) and inside of warm eddies core (EC) in the west Pacific Ocean. A high heterotrophic bacterial grazing rate was found in the EC region in the present study. Furthermore, the picophytoplankton grazing rate in EC was frequently greater than the grazing rate in OE. Furthermore, the higher grazing rates in the EC region cause a lower proportion of viral lysis to account for heterotrophic bacteria and picophytoplankton mortality. The results of our experiments suggest that downwelling in EC might increase picophytoplankton growth and grazing rates, increasing the carbon sink in the warm eddy and potentially increasing ocean carbon storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dementia, a term for a range of cognitive impairments impacting memory, thinking, and social abilities, represents a formidable challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. Analysing the temporal trends in dementia‐related mortality among individuals, identifying the populations at high risk, and guiding the implementation of tailored interventions to address the escalating effects of dementia on public health. Methods: Data from CDC WONDER database was examined from 1999 to 2020 for the four causes of dementia mortality: unspecified dementia (F03), Alzheimer's disease (G30), vascular dementia (F01), and other degenerative diseases of nervous system not elsewhere classified (G31). Age‐adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 persons and annual percent change (APC) were calculated and stratified by geographic region, year, age groups, sex, and race/ethnicity. Results: A total of 4,077,973 reported deaths were related to dementia from 1999 to 2020 in the United States. The greatest proportion of deaths was associated with Alzheimer's disease (45.9%), followed by unspecified dementia (43.8%). Very low proportion of deaths were associated with vascular dementia (4.9%) or other neurodegenerative diseases (5.3%). The AAMR increased in two distinct periods: a steep incline from 1999 to 2010 (APC: 6.95, 95% CI: 6.00–7.90), followed by a modest incline till 2020 (APC: 1.41, 95% CI: 0.80–2.04). Overall, females had a higher AAMR than males. AAMRs were highest among NH Whites patients and lowest in NH Asians or Pacific Islanders. A significant geographical difference was also observed among different US census regions. Nearly equal AAMRs were seen in non‐metropolitan areas and metropolitan areas. States with AAMRs in the top 90th percentile included South Carolina, North Carolina, Maine, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama while states with AAMRs in the bottom 10th percentile included South Dakota, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey, District of Columbia, and New York (33.1). Individuals aged above 85 had the highest AAMRs. Most deaths occurred in nursing homes and least in hospice facilities. Conclusion: The dementia related deaths are continuously increasing. Highest AAMRs were observed among the NH White people, females, and in the southern areas of the United States. People aged 85+ were most affected. To stop the rising death rates, targeted interventions and awareness are required for both prevention and treatment of dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fracture-related infection (FRI) is a devastating event, directly affecting fracture healing, impairing patient function, prolonging treatment, and increasing healthcare costs. Time plays a decisive role in prognosis, as biofilm maturation leads to the development of antibiotic resistance, potentially contributing to infection chronicity and increasing morbidity and mortality. Research exploring the association between biofilm maturation and antibiotic resistance in orthopaedics primarily addresses aspects related to quality of life and physical function; however, little exists on life-threatening conditions and mortality. Understanding the intrinsic relationship between biofilm maturation, bacterial resistance, and mortality is critical in all fields of medicine. In the herein narrative review, we summarize recent evidence regarding biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and infection chronicity (BARI), the three basic components of the "triangle of death" of FRI, and its implications. Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative prevention strategies to avoid the "triangle of death" of FRI are presented and discussed. Additionally, the importance of the orthopaedic trauma surgeon in understanding new tools to combat infections related to orthopaedic devices is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to explore the influence of demographic factors on economic growth as well as sectoral development. Research reveals which factors have more influence on economy and which sector is more affected by demographic variables. This study utilizes panel data to investigate the effect of demographic changes on economic growth. The analysis employs the pooled mean group/autoregressive distributed lag model (PMG/ARDL) to estimate the impact. The ARDL model is used to estimate the long run relationship between variables and short run dynamics as well. To determine the stationarity of the variables, panel unit root tests such as the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips and Perron (PP) tests are employed. The findings of ARDL indicate that economic growth (GDP) is adversely affected by death rate (DR), population growth (PG) and migration (LNMIG), whereas birth rate (BR) and life expectancy (LE) have a positive impact on GDP over long term. This research contributes to the existing literature by offering a unique perspective on the interplay between demographics and economic growth within the South Asian context, potentially uncovering region-specific trends, challenges, and opportunities that may differ from other parts of the world. The research suggests policies for education, healthcare, investment, family planning, and migration policies to overcome the influence of these factors. Additionally, the research addresses the sustainable development goals that help to improve sustainability in these economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The control of insect pest species, mainly belonging to Orthoptera, Hemiptera, and Coleoptera orders, can be based on novel emerging species-specific pesticides. These consist of dsRNA molecules delivered by feeding to insect larvae or adults, which suppress vital gene functions by RNA-RNA sequence complementarity and RNA interference. However, fewer studies of dsRNA feeding have been performed in dipteran pest insects. Two studies in Orthoptera and Coleoptera species have shown that suppressing intestinal enzymes degrading exogenous dsRNA can improve insect mortality rates. Ceratitis capitata (Tephritidae), the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), is a major dipteran pest significantly impacting fruit and vegetable farming. Currently, its control heavily relies mainly on chemical insecticides, which pose health risks and have effects on beneficial pollinators. Previous attempts to induce mortality by adult dsRNA feeding in this and other Tephritidae species, such as Bactrocera tryoni and B. dorsalis, showed some effectiveness, but were often limited. We improved this method by simultaneously silencing two intestinal nucleases and a vital gene. We found a mix of three dsRNAs able to induce much higher mortality (79%) within one week, following only three days of adult feeding. Ceratitis capitata, known as the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), is a major dipteran pest significantly impacting fruit and vegetable farming. Currently, its control heavily relies mainly on chemical insecticides, which pose health risks and have effects on pollinators. A more sustainable and species-specific alternative strategy may be based on double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) delivery through feeding to disrupt essential functions in pest insects, which is poorly reported in dipteran species. Previous reports in Orthoptera and Coleoptera species suggested that dsRNA degradation by specific nucleases in the intestinal lumen is among the major obstacles to feeding-mediated RNAi in insects. In our study, we experimented with three-day adult feeding using a combination of dsRNA molecules that target the expression of the ATPase vital gene and two intestinal dsRNA nucleases. These dsRNA molecules were recently tested separately in two Tephritidae species, showing limited effectiveness. In contrast, by simultaneously feeding dsRNA against the CcVha68-1, CcdsRNase1, and CcdsRNase2 genes, we observed 79% mortality over seven days, which was associated with a decrease in mRNA levels of the three targeted genes. As expected, we also observed a reduction in dsRNA degradation following RNAi against nucleases. This research illustrates the potential of utilizing molecules as pesticides to achieve mortality rates in Medfly adults by targeting crucial genes and intestinal nucleases. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of exploring RNAi-based approaches for pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract. The New Zealand (NZ) population incidence has not previously been documented nor has the potential effect of ethnicity been reviewed. We furthermore wanted to assess the difference between those undergoing a wedge resection versus a more extensive operation which we hypothesised would correlate with recurrence and mortality. Methods: All patients (n = 103) with a GIST diagnosed and treated at Te Whatu Ora Waitematā (Auckland, New Zealand) between 2012 and 2021 are presented. Patient demographics, method of GIST detection, management approach, index surgery, histological features, use of adjuvant and neoadjuvant imatinib, follow‐up, recurrence and mortality rates were analysed. Results: This paper reports the largest NZ GIST cohort to date and estimates an incidence of 17 cases per million per year. Eighty‐four patients underwent surgical resection, 58 received a wedge resection and 17 received a more extensive operation. Five‐year disease‐free survival rates were 100% in the low/very low risk, 90% in the intermediate and 59% in the high risk groups as determined by the modified NIH criteria. Our overall 5‐year GIST‐specific survival rate was 83%; it was 91% in those who underwent a wedge resection and 60% in the extensive operation group. There is evidence that Māori have higher rates of GIST recurrence compared to non‐Māori and are more likely to require an extensive surgical resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of studies have reported the close relation of the hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) with metabolism, inflammation, and disease prognosis. However, the prognostic relationship between the HGI and patients with sepsis remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the association between the HGI and all-cause mortality in patients with sepsis using data from the MIMIC-IV database. In this study, 2605 patients with sepsis were retrospectively analyzed. The linear regression equation was established by incorporating glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose levels. Subsequently, the HGI was calculated based on the difference between the predicted and observed HbA1c levels. Furthermore, the HGI was divided into the following three groups using X-tile software: Q1 (HGI ≤ − 0.50%), Q2 (− 0.49% ≤ HGI ≤ 1.18%), and Q3 (HGI ≥ 1.19%). Kaplan–Meier survival curves were further plotted to analyze the differences in 28-day and 365-day mortality among patients with sepsis patients in these HGI groups. Multivariate corrected Cox proportional risk model and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used. Lastly, mediation analysis was performed to assess the factors through which HGI affects sepsis prognosis. This study included 2605 patients with sepsis, and the 28-day and 365-day mortality rates were 19.7% and 38.9%, respectively. The Q3 group had the highest mortality risk at 28 days (HR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.89–3.44, p < 0.001) and 365 days (HR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.29–1.97, p < 0.001). In the fully adjusted multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, patients in the Q3 group still displayed the highest mortality rates at 28 days (HR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.45–2.80, p < 0.001) and 365 days (HR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.08–1.56, p < 0.001). The RCS analysis revealed that HGI was positively associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Finally, the mediation effect analysis demonstrated that the HGI might influence patient survival prognosis via multiple indicators related to the SOFA and SAPS II scores. There was a significant association between HGI and all-cause mortality in patients with sepsis, and patients with higher HGI values had a higher risk of death. Therefore, HGI can be used as a potential indicator to assess the prognostic risk of death in patients with sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background The systemic inflammatory response significantly influences the progression and prognosis of various cancers. The novel Inflammatory Burden Index (IBI) was recently introduced as a biomarker to gauge systemic inflammation and evaluate cancer patient prognosis. However, studies investigating the relationship between IBI and mortality rates in cancer patients remain limited. Methods This study analyzed data from 2748 cancer patients enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 1999 and 2018. We used weighted Cox regression analysis and restricted cubic spline models to examine the relationship between the IBI and mortality due to all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer. Furthermore, we employed Kaplan‐Meier survival curves, subgroup analyses, and receiver operating characteristic curves to elaborate on these associations. Results Over a median follow‐up period of 112 months, the cohort experienced 1067 deaths, including 320 from cancer, 239 attributable to heart disease, and 508 from various other causes. The Kaplan‐Meier curve indicated that individuals in the higher quartiles of the IBI faced significantly increased mortality risks compared to those in lower quartiles. Analyses using weighted Cox proportional hazards models demonstrated that subjects in the top IBI quartile were at a substantially higher risk for all‐cause mortality (Hazard Ratio [HR] 2.09, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.67–2.62, p

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become a significant cause of death around the world, with heart-related problems being a major contributor to this trend. It's crucial to identify the signs and symptoms of potential health problems before they become severe. To address this issue, an IoT-based prototype has been proposed. This prototype utilizes an ML-based prediction model to provide precautionary measures for heart-related issues. It includes an IoT device that gathers real-time data from the user's body, such as heart rate and ECG. This data is utilized to create an ML-based prediction model for heart-related problems. The model can alert the user of any potential heart-related risks. The proposed prototype is designed to offer a practical solution for the early detection of heart-related issues, therefore achieving a greater accuracy of 98.3% in lowering the death rate from heart disease than current methods. The results demonstrate that the suggested IoT-based prototype is useful for detecting various heart diseases and predicting future mortality rates compared to other existing machine-learning methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the food-dependent growth and thermal response of the freshwater ciliate Colpidium kleini using numerical response (NR) experiments. This bacterivorous ciliate occurs in lotic water and the pelagial of lakes and ponds. The C. kleini strain used in this work was isolated from a small alpine lake and identified by combining detailed morphological inspections with molecular phylogeny. Specific growth rates (rmax) were measured from 5 to 21 °C. The ciliate did not survive at 22 °C. The threshold bacterial food levels (0.3 − 2.2 × 106 bacterial cells mL−1) matched the bacterial abundance in the alpine lake from which C. kleini was isolated. The food threshold was notably lower than previously reported for C. kleini and two other Colpidium species. The threshold was similar to levels reported for oligotrich and choreotrich ciliates if expressed in terms of bacterial biomass (0.05 − 0.43 mg C L−1). From the NR results, we calculated physiological mortality rates at zero food concentration. The mean mortality (0.55 ± 0.17 d−1) of C. kleini was close to the mean estimate obtained for other planktonic ciliates that do not encyst. We used the data obtained by the NR experiments to fit a thermal performance curve (TPC). The TPC yielded a temperature optimum at 17.3 °C for C. kleini, a maximum upper thermal tolerance limit of 21.9 °C, and a thermal safety margin of 4.6 °C. We demonstrated that combining NR with TPC analysis is a powerful tool to predict better a species' fitness in response to temperature and food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Between 1995 and 2018, just over half of U.S. states enacted laws requiring private insurance plans cover medical care provided remotely. These telemedicine parity laws likely increase health care access, particularly in areas with few providers, by granting patients access to specialists or primary care providers located elsewhere. We estimate the effect of telemedicine parity laws on mortality rates of all causes and for causes of death due to conditions more frequently treated with telemedicine. Mortality rates decline postparity laws, driven by decreases in ischemic heart disease deaths. Ischemic heart disease mortality rates decline by about 6% in the difference‐in‐differences specification and 9% in the event study estimation. These effects are concentrated in counties located in the fringes of metropolitan areas. We also estimate declines in hospital admissions postparity law, consistent with improved health outcomes. Our results suggest that relaxing current telemedicine regulations would reduce mortality rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimated COVID-19 mortality indicators in 2020–2021 to show the epidemic's impact at subnational levels and to analyze educational attainment-related inequalities in COVID-19 mortality in Brazil. This was an ecological study with secondary mortality information. Crude and age-standardized COVID-19 mortality rates were calculated by gender, major regions, and states. The COVID-19 proportional mortality (percentage) was estimated by gender and age in each region. Measures of education-related inequalities in COVID-19 mortality were calculated per state, in each of which the COVID-19 maternal mortality rate (MMR) was estimated by the number of COVID-19 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (LBs). The analysis of mortality rates at subnational levels showed critical regional differences. The North region proved to be the most affected by the pandemic, followed by the Center-West, with age-standardized COVID-19 mortality rates above 2 per 1000 inhabitants. The peak of COVID-19 mortality occurred in mid-March/April 2021 in all regions. Great inequality by educational level was found, with the illiterate population being the most negatively impacted in all states. The proportional mortality showed that males and females aged 50–69 years were the most affected. The MMR reached critical values (>100/100,000 LB) in several states of the North, Northeast, Southeast, and Center-West regions. This study highlights stark regional and educational disparities in COVID-19 mortality in Brazil. Exacerbated by the pandemic, these inequalities reveal potential areas for intervention to reduce disparities. The results also revealed high MMRs in certain states, underscoring pre-existing healthcare access challenges that worsened during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Epidemiological studies involving patients with acromegaly have yielded conflicting results regarding cancer incidence and causes of mortality in relation to control of growth hormone (GH) excess. Objective: The objective of this retrospective cohort study is to clarify these questions and identify goals for treatment and monitoring patients. Methods: We studied 1845 subjects from the UK Acromegaly Register (1970–2016), obtaining cancer standardised incidence rates (SIR) and all causes standardised mortality rates (SMR) from UK Office for National Statistics, to determine the relationship between causes of mortality—age at diagnosis, duration of disease, post‐treatment and mean GH levels. Results: We found an increased incidence of all cancers (SIR, 1.38; 95% CI: 1.06–1.33, p <.001), but no increase in incidence of female breast, thyroid, colon cancer or any measure of cancer mortality. All‐cause mortality rates were increased (SMR, 1.35; 95% CI: 1.24–1.46, p <.001), as were those due to vascular and respiratory diseases. All‐cause, all cancer and cardiovascular deaths were highest in the first 5 years following diagnosis. We found a positive association between post‐treatment and mean treatment GH levels and all‐cause mortality (p <.001 and p <.001), which normalised with posttreatment GH levels of <1.0 µg/L or meantreatment GH levels of <2.5 µg/L. Conclusion: Acromegaly is associated with increased incidence of all cancers but not thyroid or colon cancer and no increase in cancer mortality. Excess mortality is due to vascular and respiratory disease. The risk is highest in the first 5 years following diagnosis and is mitigated by normalising GH levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escalating drug overdose death rates in Canada are of ever-increasing concern. To better understand the extent of this health threat, we obtained mortality statistics and population figures for the years 2000 to 2020, and examined rates of overdose deaths, coded (using ICD-10) as accidental, suicide or "undetermined intent." The drug deemed as primarily responsible for the death was categorized as opioid, non-opioid, or unspecified. Age patterns of drug deaths were graphed. Joinpoint analysis was used to test the significance of changes in death rates. Accidental opioid and stimulant overdose death rates in Canada have climbed faster since 2011, though not as high as corresponding US rates. Unknown cause death rates have increased. However, opioid and non-opioid suicide rates have decreased significantly since 2011, and there have been fewer drug deaths of undetermined intent. Increased attention to the possibility that some suicides are being misclassified is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has been a persistent global health challenge for thousands of years, known historically by various names and often romanticized in 19th-century literature. Despite advancements in medical science, TB remains a significant issue, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions like Romania, which has one of the highest TB mortality rates in the European Union. The disease's ability to remain latent and become active when the immune system is weakened contributes to its persistence and danger. Adherence to TB treatment is crucial for controlling the disease and preventing the development of drug resistance. Factors affecting adherence include socio-economic status, education, access to healthcare, and social support. Financial incentives have been shown to improve treatment adherence among vulnerable populations, suggesting that addressing economic barriers is essential for effective TB control. This study explores the socio-historical context of TB and evaluates the effectiveness of financial incentives in improving treatment adherence, especially for multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Moreover, a quantitative analysis was performed on MDR-TB and XDR-TB patients in order to achieve a comprehensive grasp on the interaction between financial incentives and adherence to treatment. This article highlights the importance of a patient-centered approach in TB treatment, incorporating psychological and social support to enhance adherence. More precisely, the combination of socio-historical and quantitative analyses pinpoints the fact that improving living conditions and providing financial aid are vital components in the battle against TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of Romanian prisoners of war in Germany during World War I reveals their confinement across numerous camps in 21 military regions. Of the 43,297 Romanian captives, around 15,000 were concentrated in the sixth region, mainly at Lamsdorf and Neuhammer, while 2,398 were in the seventeenth region at Tuchel. Conditions in these camps were often dire. At Tuchel, for instance, prisoners lived in rudimentary huts and faced extremely high mortality rates due to severe malnutrition and rampant disease. Although international conventions, such as the 1907 Hague Convention, stipulated treatment standards for prisoners, these regulations were frequently ignored. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other humanitarian organizations attempted to oversee and ameliorate conditions in these detention facilities, but their efforts yielded only modest improvements. Romanian prisoners endured significant abuse and severe living conditions, exacerbated by starvation, harsh temperatures, and forced labor, particularly in camps like Tuchel and Lamsdorf. Survivor testimonies reveal a pattern of systematic brutality and neglect, sharply contrasting with the official guidelines for humane treatment. Prisoners from these camps were eventually sent to labor detachments in Alsace and Lorraine, where many died from mistreatment endured earlier. Post-war, strong anti-German sentiment in these French regions attributed high mortality rates to local conditions, overlooking earlier contributing factors. However, after June 1917, mortality rates in Alsace and Lorraine significantly decreased due to improved measures by German military health authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the western tropical Pacific Ocean, eddies and currents play an important role in biogeochemical cycling. Many studies have investigated the effects of hydrography on vertical patterns of picophytoplankton and heterotrophic bacterial abundance in mesoscale eddies. There is a lack of field observations to determine what impact dynamic hydrological systems of eddies have on prokaryotic community activity (growth and mortality rates). An objective of this study was to examine how anticyclonic eddies influence picoplankton abundance and activity (growth and mortality rates). To meet this purpose, heterotrophic bacterial and picophytoplankton growth and mortality rates were examined by modified dilution experiments conducted at the surface, deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), and 200 m depth outside (OE) and inside of warm eddies core (EC) in the west Pacific Ocean. A high heterotrophic bacterial grazing rate was found in the EC region in the present study. Furthermore, the picophytoplankton grazing rate in EC was frequently greater than the grazing rate in OE. Furthermore, the higher grazing rates in the EC region cause a lower proportion of viral lysis to account for heterotrophic bacteria and picophytoplankton mortality. The results of our experiments suggest that downwelling in EC might increase picophytoplankton growth and grazing rates, increasing the carbon sink in the warm eddy and potentially increasing ocean carbon storage.

Background A multidisciplinary heart team (HT) approach to patients with complex coronary artery disease has a class IB recommendation, yet there are limited data on adherence to HT treatment recommendations and long‐term clinical follow‐up. The objective of this study was to assess adherence rates to HT recommendations and assess long‐term mortality rates among patients with complex CAD. Methods and Results Six hundred eighty‐four sequential HT cases for complex coronary artery disease from January 2015 to May 2017 were reviewed. After excluding cases with significant comorbid valve disease, baseline characteristics were compared based on HT treatment recommendations: optimal medical therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass grafting. Adherence rates were manually extracted, and 5‐year mortality rates were obtained from the Michigan Death Registry. Seventy‐two percent of 405 included patients were men (mean age 66±11 years), with high rates of medical comorbidities. Estimated surgical risk scores were lowest in the coronary artery bypass grafting group. Optimal medical therapy was recommended in 138 patients (34%), percutaneous coronary intervention in 95 (23%), and coronary artery bypass grafting in 172 (42%). Adherence to HT recommendations across groups was high (96%) and did not differ between treatment groups. Over 5 years of follow‐up, there were 119 deaths, resulting in a cumulative mortality rate of 29%. Conclusions In the largest HT cohort in the United States to date, high rates of adherence to HT recommendations were observed among high‐risk patients with coronary artery disease. High rates of adherence to HT recommendations were observed irrespective of treatment group recommendation, suggesting that HT recommendations were individualized and acceptable to both patients and physicians alike.

Abstract Background Food insecurity and environmental degradation pose significant threats to health outcomes in South Asia, necessitating effective policy interventions. Therefore, this study aims to examine the impact of food insecurity and environmental degradation on health outcome indicators amidst global inflationary shocks and institutional quality arrangements. Additionally, it aims to explore the intricate moderating role of institutional quality on the relationship between food insecurity, endogenous variables, and external shocks. Method In alignment with the study’s objectives, a set of panel data spanning from 2000 to 2021 is compiled for South Asia. The study introduces a novel variable representing inflationary shock, crafted through the integration of inflation datapoints and the application of the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity model. Additionally, a distinctive aggregate institutional quality index is formulated, drawing from six key measures of the Worldwide Governance indicators. To scrutinize the effects of food insecurity, environmental degradation, and other explanatory variables, the study employs the two-step system generalized method of moment technique, offering a robust analytical approach to uncover complex relationships and dynamics in the region. Results The results indicate that the prevalence of undernourishment, inequality in per capita calorie intake, and CO2 emissions significantly reduce life expectancy and increase mortality rates. Additionally, it shows that per capita kilocalorie supply, per capita GDP, per capita health expenditures, and urbanization are statistically significant for increasing life expectancy and decreasing mortality rates. The findings reveal that inflationary shocks severely affect food insecurity and environmental factors, exerting further pressure on contemporary life expectancy and mortality rates. In rebuttal, the institutional quality index is found to have significant effects on increasing and decreasing life expectancy and mortality rates, respectively. Furthermore, the institutional quality index is effective in moderating the nexus between food insecurity, environmental degradation, and health outcomes while also neutralizing the negative impact of inflationary shocks on the subject. Conclusion The results verify triple health constraints such as food insecurity, environmental factors, and economic vulnerability to global shocks, which impose severe effects on life expectancy and mortality rates. Furthermore, poor institutional quality is identified as a hindrance to health outcomes in South Asia. The findings suggest specific policy implications that are explicitly discussed.

The increasing number of survivors at advanced ages represents a real economic challenge, with high impact over the pension system and over the principal macroeconomic indicators, even if there are studies which emphasise the positive impact of an increasing life expectancy over economic development. In this case, an accurate estimation is essential in improving predictions, considering that a continuous aging of the population is expected in the coming decades. In this sense, parameterized mortality models are useful tools in demographic and actuarial projections. Therefore, this study aims to present a forecast for life expectancy, after estimating mortality rates and determining mortality table.

Introduction There is insufficient evidence in statin on the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infection, we observe and analyze the clinical outcomes and antibiotic resistance of SA bloodstream infections in patients who received statins. Material and methods A retrospective study was carried out in SA bloodstream infection of hospitalized patients from January 2018 to August 2023. The 30-day attributable mortality, 30-day all-cause mortality and clinical data of patients who received statins and non-statins were compared. Results A total of 74 patients with SA bloodstream infection were included, 32 (43.2%) patients received treatment with statins and 42 (56.8%) with non-statins. The incidence of methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA) was significantly lower in the statins group (15.6% vs. 38.1%, p = 0.034), however, no significant differences were observed in the mortality rate (p = 0.410). Conclusions This study revealed the superiority of statins in reducing incidence of MRSA among SA bloodstream infection patients, but statins do not improve the 30-day mortality rate.

The Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, is one of the most commercially important fish species in Ethiopia. Effective management is essential to sustaining their fisheries and providing benefits for the local communities. The study was aimed at determining the basic population characteristics (growth, mortality rates, and recruitment), size at first maturity, length at first capture, and stock status of O. niloticus in Lake Abaya. These basic quantitative population characteristics enable a fisheries manager to identify population changes resulting from fishing. The parameters were determined using length frequency data collected from 4089 samples of O. niloticus ranging from 23 to 47 cm in total length. The total length (TL) and total weight (TW) of O. niloticus samples were gathered between September 2021 and August 2022. The length-weight relationship parameters were (TW = 0.0157TL3.0192, R2 = 0.9603) and the condition factor K=1.69. The population parameters were determined using the ELEFAN I routine in FiSAT software. Estimated von Bertalanffy growth parameters were (L∞) = 49.35 cm, growth curvature (k) = 0.36 yr-1, age at length zero (to) = -0.40, and growth performance index (Փ') = 3.0.The estimated values of total natural and fishing mortalities were Z= 1.34 yr-1, M =0.34 yr-1,and F= 1.0 yr-1, respectively. The current exploitation rate (E) was0.74, which is higher than the optimal (E = 0.5) and indicates that O. niloticus in Lake Abaya was overexploited. In order to maintain the sustainability of the fish population, it is advised that the local authorities establish regulations for the management of O. noloticus in Lake Abaya. These regulations should include protecting the use of small fishing gear and safeguarding fish that are caught smaller than their length at first maturity.

Aquaculture can provide foraging habitat for birds, but it can also result in intentional and accidental mortality. We examined an overlooked conflict between razor clam (Sinonovacula spp.) aquaculture and declining shorebirds in southeastern China's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. We surveyed 6 out of 11 internationally important stopover sites for these shorebirds and monitored shorebird mortality in 2 sites (Xinghua Bay, Yueqing Bay) with razor clam aquaculture. We visited an additional 32 sites in these 2 provinces to determine if there was netting in other razor clam farms. Approximately 8–9 km2 of intertidal foraging habitat was covered by horizontal nets to prevent birds from feeding on young razor clams at Xinghua Bay and Yueqing Bay. We conservatively estimated that 13,676 (2.5th–97.5th percentile 8,330–21,285) individual shorebirds were entangled in the nets at the 2 monitored sites in April and May 2021, including 2 endangered and 7 near‐threatened species. Mortality of 5 species for which we had sufficient data accounted for 0.76% (black‐tailed godwit [Limosa limosa]) to 4.27% (terek sandpiper [Xenus cinereus]) of their total flyway populations. This level of mortality could strongly affect their populations. We found netting at 17 additional razor clam farms, indicating a widespread threat to shorebirds. Although razor clams are typically harvested in late March to early April, nets are left on the mudflats throughout the spring and summer, including when the bulk of shorebird migration takes place. Immediately removing these nets after the clam harvest could prevent most of the spring mortality of shorebirds, although this is unlikely to happen without government regulations or economic incentives. To better assess and mitigate the impacts of this conflict, future research should quantify shorebird mortality at other razor clam farms, including during winter, explore less harmful deterrence methods, and assess the socioeconomic factors driving the conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This comprehensive epidemiological analysis provides detailed insight into epidemiological trends of ischemic heart disease and cardiac interventions in Mediterranean countries. Variations among countries are mainly attributable to different levels of preventive care, disease patterns, and distinctive characteristics of their healthcare system. Based on the results of this study, future analyses should be focused on exploring sex differences and the appropriateness of cardiac interventions in clinical settings. There is a need to implement country-tailored and effective primary prevention strategies. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) morbidity and mortality indices, along with medical intervention rates, were analyzed among Mediterranean countries, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, Italy, and France, in the pre-COVID period. Standardized IHD incidence and prevalence rates from 1990 and mortality rates from 1985 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 and Health for All databases. Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and transluminal coronary angioplasty (TCA) rates in the 2011–2019 period were obtained from Eurostat. Trends were estimated with Joinpoint regression analysis. IHD mortality rates range from 13.6 to 74.3 for females and from 37.8 to 126.03 for males. IHD mortality rates in Croatia were 5.6-fold higher among females and 3.3-fold higher among males compared to France. All countries decreased standardized IHD prevalence and incidence rates, although the magnitude varied. The high-to-low ratio, Croatia vs. Spain, was 3.5-fold for CABG and 3.2-fold for TCA. Slovenia, as opposed to Croatia, reduced the gap for all medical indicators except for relatively high prevalence rates. Despite a significant rise in medical interventions in Croatia, ineffective clinical and public health initiatives have led to only modest declines in IHD mortality rates over the past decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food insecurity and environmental degradation pose significant threats to health outcomes in South Asia, necessitating effective policy interventions. Therefore, this study aims to examine the impact of food insecurity and environmental degradation on health outcome indicators amidst global inflationary shocks and institutional quality arrangements. Additionally, it aims to explore the intricate moderating role of institutional quality on the relationship between food insecurity, endogenous variables, and external shocks. Method: In alignment with the study's objectives, a set of panel data spanning from 2000 to 2021 is compiled for South Asia. The study introduces a novel variable representing inflationary shock, crafted through the integration of inflation datapoints and the application of the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity model. Additionally, a distinctive aggregate institutional quality index is formulated, drawing from six key measures of the Worldwide Governance indicators. To scrutinize the effects of food insecurity, environmental degradation, and other explanatory variables, the study employs the two-step system generalized method of moment technique, offering a robust analytical approach to uncover complex relationships and dynamics in the region. Results: The results indicate that the prevalence of undernourishment, inequality in per capita calorie intake, and CO2 emissions significantly reduce life expectancy and increase mortality rates. Additionally, it shows that per capita kilocalorie supply, per capita GDP, per capita health expenditures, and urbanization are statistically significant for increasing life expectancy and decreasing mortality rates. The findings reveal that inflationary shocks severely affect food insecurity and environmental factors, exerting further pressure on contemporary life expectancy and mortality rates. In rebuttal, the institutional quality index is found to have significant effects on increasing and decreasing life expectancy and mortality rates, respectively. Furthermore, the institutional quality index is effective in moderating the nexus between food insecurity, environmental degradation, and health outcomes while also neutralizing the negative impact of inflationary shocks on the subject. Conclusion: The results verify triple health constraints such as food insecurity, environmental factors, and economic vulnerability to global shocks, which impose severe effects on life expectancy and mortality rates. Furthermore, poor institutional quality is identified as a hindrance to health outcomes in South Asia. The findings suggest specific policy implications that are explicitly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. but have a disproportionate impact on patients based on gender. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to compare gender differences in clinical outcomes between male and female adult trauma patients with moderate and severe TBI. Studies assessing gender differences in outcomes following TBIs on PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and ProQuest were searched. Meta-analysis was performed for outcomes including in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay, and Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) at 6 mo. Eight studies were included for analysis with 26,408 female and 63,393 male patients. Meta-analysis demonstrated that males had a significantly lower risk of mortality than females (RR: 0.88; 95% CI 0.78, 0.99; P = 0.0001). Females had a shorter hospital length of stay (mean difference −1.4 d; 95% CI - 1.6 d, −1.2 d). No significant differences were identified in intensive care unit length of stay (mean difference −3.0 d; 95% CI -7.0 d, 1.1 d; P = 0.94) or GOS at 6 mo (mean difference 0.2 d; 95% CI -0.9 d, 1.4 d; P = 1). Compared to male patients, female patients with moderate and severe TBI had a significantly higher in-hospital mortality risk. There were no significant differences in long-term outcomes between genders based on GOS at 6 mo. These findings warrant further investigation into the etiology of these gender disparities and their impact on additional clinical outcome measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We predicted cancer mortality figures for 2024 for the European Union (EU), its five most populous countries, and the UK. We focused on mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC). Based on cancer death certification and population data from the World Health Organization and Eurostat databases from 1970 until the most available year, we predicted deaths and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for 2024 for all cancers and the 10 most common cancer sites. We fitted a linear regression to the most recent trend segment identified by the joinpoint model. The number of avoided deaths since the peak in 1988-2024 was estimated for all cancers and CRC. We predicted 1 270 800 cancer deaths for 2024 in the EU, corresponding to ASRs of 123.2/100 000 men (−6.5% versus 2018) and 79.0/100 000 women (−4.3%). Since 1988, about 6.2 million cancer deaths have been avoided in the EU and 1.3 million in the UK. Pancreatic cancer displayed unfavorable predicted rates for both sexes (+1.6% in men and +4.0% in women) and lung cancer for women (+0.3%). The focus on CRC showed falls in mortality at all ages in the EU, by 4.8% for men and 9.5% for women since 2018. The largest declines in CRC mortality are predicted among those 70+ years old. In the UK, projected ASRs for CRC at all ages are favorable for men (−3.4% versus 2018) but not for women (+0.3%). Below age 50 years, CRC mortality showed unfavorable trends in Italy and the UK, in Poland and Spain for men, and in Germany for women. Predicted cancer mortality rates remain favorable in the EU and the UK, mainly in males due to earlier smoking cessation compared to females, underlining the persisting major role of tobacco on cancer mortality in Europe. Attention should be paid to the predicted increases in CRC mortality in young adults. • We estimate a decline of 6.5% among men and 4.3% among women in the EU total cancer mortality rates between 2018 and 2024. • Almost 6.2 million avoided cancer deaths are predicted over 1989-2024 in the EU and 1.3 million in the UK. • Overall, the EU CRC mortality declines for both sexes for all age groups. • Increases in CRC mortality are predicted for young adults in Italy, the UK, Poland, and Spain for men, and Germany for women. • In the EU, some increases in mortality from lung cancer are predicted in females and from pancreatic cancer in both sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of mortality factors affecting raptors is often based on opportunistically found carcasses. Some causes of mortality, however, are more likely to produce carcasses that will be discovered, thus opportunistic collections are biased. Studies of raptors tagged with transmitters can provide relatively unbiased cause-of-death information. We used data collected during 2011–2021 from 158 tagged female Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) from an urban study area in New Mexico, USA to estimate the population-level effects of different causes of mortality. We used a multistate model to combine data from encounters of banded live and dead birds with data from transmitter-tagged hawks to estimate annual age-specific survival rates. Cause-of-death information from the subset of tagged individuals was used to estimate proportions of first year (FY) and older (AFY) hawks that died annually from different causes. Most mortalities were caused by anthropogenic factors, especially collisions with human structures (e.g., windows, vehicles), which accounted for 45% (credible interval = 31%–60%) of FY deaths and 32% (18%–45%) of AFY deaths annually. From July 2020 to June 2021, purposeful killing by humans accounted for deaths of 17 (6–33) female Cooper's Hawks out of an estimated starting population of 216 (184–254). For both age classes, the ultimate cause of most deaths in late winter and early spring appeared to be associated with securing a nesting territory and mate. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide relatively unbiased information on the importance of different causes of mortality for an urban raptor population. El conocimiento de los factores de mortalidad que afectan a las aves rapaces a menudo se basa en cadáveres encontrados de manera oportunista. Sin embargo, algunas causas de mortalidad son más propensas a producir cadáveres que serán descubiertos, por lo que las recolecciones oportunistas están sesgadas. Los estudios de rapaces seguidas con transmisores pueden proporcionar información relativamente imparcial sobre las causas de mortalidad. Utilizamos datos recolectados durante 2011–2021 de 158 hembras de Accipiter cooperii provenientes de un área de estudio urbana en Nuevo México, EEUU, para estimar los efectos a nivel poblacional de diferentes causas de mortalidad. Utilizamos un modelo de múltiples estados para combinar los datos de encuentros de aves anilladas vivas y muertas con los datos de aves seguidas por medio de transmisores para estimar tasas anuales de supervivencia específicas por edad. La información sobre la causa de mortalidad del subconjunto de individuos marcados con transmisores se utilizó para estimar las proporciones de A. cooperii del primer año (PA) y post primer año (PPA) que murieron anualmente por diferentes causas. La mayoría de las muertes fueron causadas por factores antropogénicos, especialmente colisiones con estructuras humanas (e.g., ventanas, vehículos), que representaron, anualmente, el 45% (31%–60%) de las muertes de PA y el 32% (18%–45%) de las muertes de PPA. Desde julio de 2020 a junio de 2021, la muerte intencional por parte de humanos representó la muerte de 17 (6–33) hembras de A. cooperii de una población inicial estimada en 216 (184–254) individuos. Para ambas clases de edad, la causa última de la mayoría de las muertes a fines del invierno y principios de la primavera pareció estar asociada con asegurar un territorio de nidificación y una pareja. Hasta donde sabemos, este es el primer estudio que proporciona información relativamente no sesgada sobre la importancia de diferentes causas de mortalidad para una población urbana de aves rapaces. [Traducción del equipo editorial] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting mortality rates is a crucial issue in life insurance pricing and demographic statistics. Traditional approaches, such as the Lee-Carter model and its variants, predict the trends of mortality rates using factor models, which explain the variations of mortality rates from the perspective of ages, gender, regions, and other factors. Recently, deep learning techniques have achieved great success in various tasks and shown strong potential for time-series forecasting. In this paper, we propose a modified Transformer architecture for predicting mortality rates in major countries around the world. Through the multi-head attention mechanism and positional encoding, the proposed Transformer model extracts key features effectively and thus achieves better performance in time-series forecasting. By using empirical data from the Human Mortality Database, we demonstrate that our Transformer model has higher prediction accuracy of mortality rates than the Lee-Carter model and other classic neural networks. Our model provides a powerful forecasting tool for insurance companies and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundHypertensive heart disease (HHD) is a major global public health issue resulting from hypertension-induced end-organ damage. The aim of this study was to examine the global impact, risk factors, and age-period-cohort (APC) model of HHD from 1990 to 2019.MethodsData from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease were used to assess age-adjusted HHD prevalence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), mortality rates, and contributions of HHD risk factors with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). APC models were used to analyze global age, period, and cohort mortality trends for HHD.ResultsIn 2019, 18.6 million prevalent HHD cases led to 1.16 million fatalities and 21.51 million DALYs. Age-adjusted rates were 233.8 (95%UI = 170.5–312.9) per 100,000 individuals for prevalence, 15.2 (11.2–16.7) for mortality, and 268.2 (204.6–298.1) for DALYs. Regionally, the Cook Islands (703.1), Jordan (561.6), and Kuwait (514.9) had the highest age-standardized incidence of HHD in 2019. There were significant increases in HHD prevalence in Andean Latin America (16.7%), western sub-Saharan Africa (5.6%), and eastern sub-Saharan Africa (4.6%). Mortality rate varied widely among countries. Risk factors like elevated systolic blood pressure and high body mass index significant influenced DALY rates, especially in females. The APC model revealed an association between mortality rates and age, with a decreasing mortality risk over time and improved survival rates for a later birth cohort.ConclusionsDespite the reduction in prevalence, HHD remains a significant public health issue, particularly in nations with low sociodemographic indices. To alleviate the impact of HHD, prevention efforts should concentrate on the management of hypertension, weight loss, and lifestyle improvement.

ObjectiveTo investigate the causal role of venous thrombolism mediating sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibition in death due to cardiac causes using Mendelian randomization (MR).MethodsA two-sample two-step MR was used to determine (1) the causal effects of SGLT2 inhibition on death due to cardiac causes; (2) the causal effects of venous thrombolism on death due to cardiac causes; and (3) the mediation effects of venous thrombolism. Genetic proxies for SGLT2 inhibition were identified as variants in the SLC5A2 gene that were associated with both levels of gene expression and hemoglobin A1c. Additionally, employing MR to investigate the causal association between SGLT2 inhibition and cardiac arrest as well as coronary heart disease (CHD).ResultsSGLT2 inhibition was associated with a lower risk of death due to cardiac causes (odds ratio [OR] = 0.983, [95% CI = 0.972, 0.993], P = 0.0016). Venous thrombolism was associated with death due to cardiac causes ([OR] = 1.031, [95% CI = 1.005, 1.057], P = 0.0199). Mediation analysis showed evidence of indirect effect of SGLT2 inhibition on death due to cardiac causes through venous thrombolism [β = −0.0015, (95% CI = −0.0032 −0.0002), P = 0.042], with a mediated proportion of 8.9% (95% CI = 1.2%, 18.7%) of the total. Furthermore, SGLT2 inhibition was linked to a lower risk of cardiac arrest ([OR] = 0.097, [95% CI = 0.013, 0.742], P = 0.025). SGLT2 inhibition was linked to a lower risk of CHD ([OR] = 0.957, [95% CI = 0.932, 0.982], P = 0.0009).ConclusionsOur study identified the causal roles of SGLT2 inhibition in venous thrombolism. SGLT2 inhibition may influence death due to cardiac causes through venous thrombolism. Additionally, SGLT2 inhibition was associated with reduced risk of cardiac arrest and CHD.

Introduction: Renal failure, encompassing both acute and chronic forms, stands as a formidable public health challenge with far-reaching consequences for individual well-being and healthcare systems. This study delves into the mortality rates of renal failure in the United States over two transformative decades, from 1999 to 2020. Renal failure’s significance arises from its escalating prevalence, substantial healthcare costs, and the imperative to understand the multifaceted factors that influence its outcomes. Objectives: The primary objectives of this research are to analyze temporal trends in renal failure mortality rates, explore the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and advancements in renal care practices on mortality rates, and assess demographic disparities in mortality outcomes. Methods: Utilizing CDC WONDER’s multi-cause mortality data, we assessed mortality due to renal failure (ICD-10 Codes: N17–N19). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) were collected and stratified by sex and race. The Joinpoint Regression Program analyzed trends, calculating annual percent change (APC) and significant average annual percent change (AAPC) from 1999 to 2020. Segmented line regression models were employed for parallel pairwise comparisons. Results: Renal failure mortality rates decreased for both sexes during the late 2000s. The ACA’s enactment in 2010 coincided with improved access to healthcare, possibly contributing to the decline. Demographic disparities highlighted variations in mortality rates across racial and gender groups. Advancements in renal care practices were evident, which were driven by innovations in treatment modalities and disease management. Significant temporal trends were observed by race, with varying periods of decrease or uptrend. Conclusions: The decline in renal failure mortality rates during the late 2000s was potentially influenced by the ACA and advances in renal care practices. Demographic disparities emphasize the need for equitable healthcare access and interventions. These findings underscore the significance of healthcare policies and medical advancements in reducing renal failure mortality rates and addressing disparities. Persistent efforts to mitigate challenges such as healthcare access, cost barriers, and disparities remain crucial to enhancing renal failure outcomes.