Heart Rate Recordings Research Articles

Identification of Bradycardia Following Remdesivir Administration Through the US Food and Drug Administration American College of Medical Toxicology COVID-19 Toxic Pharmacovigilance Project

The rapid spread and mortality associated with COVID-19 emphasized a need for surveillance system development to identify adverse events (AEs) to emerging therapeutics. Bradycardia is a remdesivir infusion-associated AE listed in the US Food and Drug Administration-approved prescribing information. To evaluate the magnitude and duration of bradycardic events following remdesivir administration. A multicenter cohort study of patients with recorded heart rate less than 60 beats per minute within 24 hours after administration of a remdesivir dose was conducted between November 23, 2020, and October 31, 2021. Participants included patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at 15 medical centers across the US. Patients excluded had AEs unrelated to bradycardia, AEs in addition to bradycardia, or first onset of bradycardia after 5 remdesivir doses. Remdesivir administration. Linear mixed-effect models for the minimum HR before starting remdesivir and within 24 hours of each dose included doses as fixed effects. Baseline covariates were age (≥65 years vs <65 years), sex (male vs female), cardiovascular disease history (yes vs no), and concomitant use of bradycardia-associated medications. The interactions between variables and doses were considered fixed-effects covariates to adjust models. A total of 188 patients were included in the primary analysis and 181 in the secondary analysis. The cohort included 108 men (57.4%); 75 individuals (39.9%) were non-Hispanic White and mean (SD) age was 61.3 (15.4) years. Minimum HR after doses 1 to 5 was lower than before remdesivir. Mean minimum HR was lowest after dose 4, decreasing by -15.2 beats per minute (95% CI, -17.4 to -13.1; P < .001) compared with before remdesivir administration. Mean (SD) minimum HR was 55.6 (10.2) beats per minute across all 5 doses. Of 181 patients included in time-to-event analysis, 91 had their first episode of bradycardia within 23.4 hours (95% CI, 20.1-31.5 hours) and 91 had their lowest HR within 60.7 hours (95% CI, 54.0-68.3 hours). Median time to first bradycardia after starting remdesivir was shorter for patients aged 65 years or older vs those younger than 65 years (18.7 hours; 95% CI, 16.8-23.7 hours vs 31.5 hours; 95% CI, 22.7-39.3 hours; P = .04). Median time to lowest HR was shorter for men vs women (54.2 hours; 95% CI, 47.3-62.0 hours vs 71.0 hours; 95% CI, 59.5-79.6 hours; P = .02). In this cohort study, bradycardia occurred during remdesivir infusion and persisted. Given the widespread use of remdesivir, practitioners should be aware of this safety signal.

Utilising physiological data for augmenting travel choice models: methodological frameworks and directions of future research

ABSTRACT Recent technological and methodological advances have led to the possibility of a wider range of data being incorporated into travel choice models. In particular, physiological data such as eye-tracking information, skin conductance, heart rate recordings and electroencephalogram (EEG) have emerged as promising sources of information that could be used to gain insights into the decision-making process as well as the decision-maker's state of mind. However, research on methodologies to utilise these data sources and to integrate them with mobility data for advancing state-of-the-art travel behaviour models is still very limited. In this paper, we discuss the key benefits of using these emerging sources of physiological data, review applications of different types of physiological data and highlight their strengths and weaknesses. Particular attention is paid to two different generic frameworks for integrating these types of data into econometric choice models of travel behaviour. The first framework involves using physiological sensor data as indicators of latent variables while in the second framework, they are used as exogenous variables. We identify the research gaps and outline the directions for future methodological and applied research required to better utilise the physiological data for travel choice models.

The role of sleep and heart rate variability in metabolic syndrome: evidence from the Midlife in the United States study.

Poor sleep and autonomic dysregulation can both disrupt metabolic processes. This study examined the individual and combined effects of poor sleep and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) on metabolic syndrome among 966 participants in the Midlife in the United States II (MIDUS II) study. Self-reported sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). HRV was acquired from 11-minute resting heart rate recordings. Spearman correlations, general linear regression, and logistic regression models were used to examine the study hypotheses. Poor sleep quality was associated with metabolic syndrome when global PSQI scores were evaluated as a continuous (odds ratio [OR]: 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03 to 1.11) or categorical measure (cutoff > 5, OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.10), after adjustment for confounding. There also was an association between reduced HRV and metabolic syndrome (ln [HF-HRV] OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.80 to 0.99; ln [LF-HRV] OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.72 to 0.92; ln [SDRR] OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.43 to 0.79; ln [RMSSD] OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.60 to 0.94). When the combined effects of poor sleep and low HRV were examined, the association with metabolic syndrome was further strengthened relative to those with normal sleep and HRV. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to suggest a combined effect of poor sleep and low HRV on the odds of metabolic syndrome.

Cardiovascular Reaction to Orthostatic Test Among Non-functional Overreaching Athletes with Vegetative Disorders (The Physical Therapist Perspective)

Aim: The non-functional overreaching requires a deeper study because its diagnosing is not based on conventional methods. Orthostatic and clinostatic tests make it easy and quick to detect health problems. The purpose of this research is defining orthostatic reactions among 68 athletes with and without signs of non-functional overreaching. Materials and Methods: Our research comprises 2 groups of 68 athletes subdivided by presence of non-functional overreaching. The first group includes 27 persons with vegetative disorder signs. The second group covers 41 individuals without non-functional overreaching. For all of them, we conducted orthostatic tests to record blood pressure and heart rate horizontally and vertically. Results: The research showed that 9 athletes (33.3% of the O+ group) had unsatisfactory results after body tests in horizontal and vertical positions. All athletes revealed the orthostatic tolerance disorder. For 5 sportsmen, the latter was accompanied by the clinostatic overreaction. Resting heart rate did not vary considerably between both groups (р=0.412). However, orthostatic tests reflected the sharp index rise among 9 individuals. For non-functional overreaching athletes, the mean value (р&lt;0.001) exceeded the corresponding one in the O- group more than twofold. Conclusions: Although today it is possible to differentiate orthostatic-clinostatic tolerance from vegetative dysfunction, further research must be conducted to clarify this syndrome types and to improve physical recovery for non-functional overreaching athletes.

Sleep in Residents: A Comparison between Anesthesiology and Occupational Medicine Interns.

Sleep deprivation is a significant risk to the health and judgment of physicians. We wanted to investigate whether anesthesiology residents (ARs) who work only one night shift per week have different physical and mental health from occupational medicine residents (OMRs) who do not work at night. A total of 21 ARs and 16 OMRs attending a university general hospital were asked to wear an actigraph to record sleep duration, heart rate and step count and to complete a questionnaire for the assessment of sleep quality, sleepiness, fatigue, occupational stress, anxiety, depression and happiness. ARs had shorter sleep duration than OMRs; on average, they slept 1 h and 20 min less (p < 0.001). ARs also had greater daytime sleepiness, a higher heart rate and lower happiness than OMRs. These results should be interpreted with caution given the cross-sectional nature of the study and the small sample size, but they are an incentive to promote sleep hygiene among residents.

Evaluation of Athlete Monitoring Tools across 10 Weeks of Elite Youth Basketball Training: An Explorative Study.

The growth of sport science technology is enabling more sporting teams to implement athlete monitoring practices related to performance testing and load monitoring. Despite the increased emphasis on youth athlete development, the lack of longitudinal athlete monitoring literature in youth athletes is concerning, especially for indoor sports such as basketball. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of six different athlete monitoring methods over 10 weeks of youth basketball training. Fourteen state-level youth basketball players (5 males and 9 females; 15.1 ± 1.0 years) completed this study during their pre-competition phase prior to their national basketball tournament. Daily wellness and activity surveys were completed using the OwnUrGoal mobile application, along with heart rate (HR) and inertial measurement unit (IMU) recordings at each state training session, and weekly performance testing (3x countermovement jumps [CMJs], and 3x isometric mid-thigh pulls [IMTPs]). All of the athlete monitoring methods demonstrated the coaching staff's training intent to maintain performance and avoid spikes in workload. Monitoring IMU data combined with PlayerLoad™ data analysis demonstrated more effectiveness for monitoring accumulated load (AL) compared to HR analysis. All six methods of athlete monitoring detected similar trends for all sessions despite small-trivial correlations between each method (Pearson's correlation: -0.24 < r < 0.28). The use of subjective monitoring questionnaire applications, such as OwnUrGoal, is recommended for youth sporting clubs, given its practicability and low-cost. Regular athlete education from coaches and support staff regarding the use of these questionnaires is required to gain the best data.

Physiological changes associated with copper sulfate-induced nausea and retching in felines.

Nausea is a common disease symptom, yet there is no consensus regarding its physiological markers. In contrast, the process of vomiting is well documented as sequential muscular contractions of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles and esophageal shortening. Nausea, like other self-reported perceptions, is difficult to distinguish in preclinical models, but based on human experience emesis is usually preceded by nausea. Here we focused on measuring gastrointestinal and cardiorespiratory changes prior to emesis to provide additional insights into markers for nausea. Felines were instrumented to chronically record heart rate, respiration, and electromyographic (EMG) activity from the stomach and duodenum before and after intragastric delivery of saline or copper sulfate (CuSO4, from 83 to 322mg). CuSO4 is a prototypical emetic test agent that triggers vomiting primarily by action on GI vagal afferent fibers when administered intragastrically. CuSO4 infusion elicited a significant increase in heart rate, decrease in respiratory rate, and a disruption of gastric and intestinal EMG activity several minutes prior to emesis. The change in EMG activity was most consistent in the duodenum. Administration of the same volume of saline did not induce these effects. Increasing the dose of CuSO4 did not alter the physiologic changes induced by the treatment. It is postulated that the intestinal EMG activity was related to the retrograde movement of chyme from the intestine to the stomach demonstrated to occur prior to emesis by other investigators. These findings suggest that monitoring of intestinal EMG activity, perhaps in combination with heart rate, may provide the best indicator of the onset of nausea following treatments and in disease conditions, including GI disease, associated with emesis.

Applying clinical audit for quality improvement in canine dystocia cases seen at a UK primary-care emergency practice.

The paucity of published veterinary clinical audits suggests that clinical audit is an under-used tool for quality improvement (QI) in the veterinary profession. Therefore, a continuous QI process was designed and implemented at a UK multisite small animal emergency practice, focusing on audit of clinical management of canine dystocia. Data collection phases were undertaken in 2014, 2019 and 2021, with intervening knowledge dissemination activities. Nine variables relating to clinical management of canine dystocia were selected as audit criteria in the initial dataset, and 21 variables were measured in each subsequent phase. Between 2014 and 2021, statistically significant increases (p < 0.05) were demonstrated in recording of bodyweight, use of diagnostic imaging, use of ultrasonography, recording of fetal heart rates, use of calcium gluconate, and use during caesarean section of intravenous fluid therapy, multimodal analgesia, full agonist opioids, paracetamol and local anaesthesia. Statistically significant decreases were demonstrated in median first quantity and median first dose of oxytocin, and in the use of NSAIDs during caesarean section. A clinical audit planning template was created for future audits. Typical case presentation and management of canine dystocia cases may vary between dedicated emergency and non-emergency primary-care settings. This study demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale veterinary clinical audit and suggests that the application of the clinical audit process promotes learning within the veterinary team and improved clinical outcomes.

Quantifying training load and intensity in elite male ice hockey according to game-related contextual variables.

We aimed to quantify training load (TL) and intensity during practice sessions according to game-related contextual variables (game outcome, opponent standard, game location) in an elite male ice hockey team. Practice data were collected using a wearable 200-Hz accelerometer, heart rate (HR) recording, and session-rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) throughout 23 sessions (n = 306 files). The reference team performed a greater number of accelerations, decelerations, spent longer time > 85% maximum HR (t85%HRmax) and reported greater s-RPE after losing a game compared to a win (r = 0.13-0.19). Moreover, a lower number of accelerations, decelerations, t85%HRmax and s-RPE (r = 0.15-0.45) were found before playing against a top-ranked opponent. In contrast, more accelerations, decelerations, longer t85%HRmax and greater s-RPE were observed after playing against a top-ranked team opponent (r = 0.15-0.41). The players performed more accelerations/min, spent more t85%HRmax and reported greater s-RPE before playing an away game (r = 0.13-0.22). Weekly TL seems to slightly increase after losing a game, when preparing a game against a weaker opponent, after playing against a stronger opponent, and when preparing an away game. On the other hand, training intensity seems not to be affected by game-related contextual variables. Thus, ice hockey practitioners involved with TL monitoring should consider the interplay of the numerous variables that influence the volume of prescribed training and the actual training responses in each individual player.

Cereset Research Standard Operating Procedures for Insomnia: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial.

Interventions for insomnia that also address autonomic dysfunction are needed. We evaluate Cereset Research™ Standard Operating Procedures (CR-SOP) in a pilot randomized, controlled trial. CR-SOP is a less operator-dependent, more generalizable innovation of HIRREM®, a noninvasive, closed-loop, allostatic, acoustic stimulation neurotechnology demonstrated to improve insomnia and autonomic function. Adults with Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores of ≥8 were randomized to receive ten sessions of CR-SOP, with tones linked to brainwaves (LB, intervention), or a sham condition of random tones not linked to brainwaves (NL, control). Measures were collected at enrollment and 0-14days and 4-6weeks post-allocated intervention. The primary outcome was differential change in ISI from baseline to 4-6weeks post-intervention. Secondary self-report measures assessed sleep quality65 and behavioral outcomes. Ten-minute recordings of heart rate and blood pressure were collected to analyze autonomic function (heart rate variability [HRV] and baroreflex sensitivity). Of 22 randomized, 20 participants completed the allocated condition. Intention to treat analysis of change from baseline to the 4-6 week outcome demonstrated mean ISI score reduction of 4.69 points among controls (SE 1.40). In the intervention group, there was an additional 2.58 point reduction in ISI score (SE 2.13; total reduction of 7.27, P = .24). Sleep quality and some measures of autonomic function improved significantly among the intervention group compared to control. This pilot study compared use of a standardized, allostatic, acoustic neurotechnology intervention with a sham, active control condition. The magnitude of change in insomnia severity was clinically relevant and similar to the findings in a prior, fully powered trial, but the differential improvement observed was not statistically significant. Significant improvements were demonstrated in sleep quality and some autonomic function measures.

Analysis of Heart Rate Variability in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypoventilation Syndrome

A total of 110 patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypoventilation syndrome were selected from January 2017 to December 2018, including 76 cases of men and 34 females, aged 40-50 y and according to the apnea hyponea index, patients were classified into 3 groups of moderate to moderate and 5 apnea hyponea index 20 was divided into group A (36 cases), the 40 of 20 to apnea hyponea index is divided into group B (45 cases) and apnea hyponea index the 40 of 20 to 40 is divided into group B (45 cases) and apnea hyponea index to 40 is divided into group C (29 cases). In the same period in the health check-up center to extract 40 cases without obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome, arrhythmia and other medical history of health check-up objects. 24 h Holter-monitoring and polysomography monitoring of 4 groups of people, observed and recorded heart rate variability indicators for each group, including all standard deviations for sinus cardiac arrest, standard deviation per 5 min sinus cardiac interstitial period, the average root mean square of successive differences of the total sinus intercardial period difference is divided by the number of individuals of the sinus cardiac interstitial period of 50 ms the average root mean square of successive differences of the total sinus intercardial period difference is divided by the number of individuals of the sinus cardiac inner struggle period of 50 ms divided by the percentage of the total sinus cardiac inner struggle period (proportion of NN50), low frequency and high frequency. Standard deviation of all sinus beats, standard deviation of the mean value of sinus, root mean square of successive differences, proportion of NN50, low frequency and high frequency were lower than those in the control group (p<0.05) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. The proportion of NN50 and high frequency in group C were lower than A and B (p<0.05) and the low frequency was higher than the proportion of NN50 and high frequency in group C were lower than A and B (p<0.05) and the low frequency was higher than group A, group B and control group (p<0.05). Holter-monitoring is a non-invasive test, the price is not high and it can be a regular test for testing the autonomic nervous function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

Computerized cardiotocography analysis during labor - A state-of-the-art review.

Cardiotocography is defined as the recording of fetal heart rate and uterine contractions and is widely used during labor as a screening tool to determine fetal wellbeing. The visual interpretation of the cardiotocography signals by the practitioners, following common guidelines, is subject to a high interobserver variability, and the efficiency of cardiotocography monitoring is still debated. Since the 1990s, researchers and practitioners work on designing reliable computer-aided systems to assist practitioners in cardiotocography interpretation during labor. Several systems are integrated in the monitoring devices, mostly based on the guidelines, but they have not clearly demonstrated yet their usefulness. In the last decade, the availability of large clinical databases as well as the emergence of machine learning and deep learning methods in healthcare has led to a surge of studies applying those methods to cardiotocography signals analysis. The state-of-the-art systems perform well to detect fetal hypoxia when evaluated on retrospective cohorts, but several challenges remain to be tackled before they can be used in clinical practice. First, the development and sharing of large, open and anonymized multicentric databases of perinatal and cardiotocography data during labor is required to build more accurate systems. Also, the systems must produce interpretable indicators along with the prediction of the risk of fetal hypoxia in order to be appropriated and trusted by practitioners. Finally, common standards should be built and agreed on to evaluate and compare those systems on retrospective cohorts and to validate their use in clinical practice.

Horticultural Therapy May Reduce Psychological and Physiological Stress in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study.

Studies in psychiatric populations have found a positive effect of Horticultural therapy (HCT) on reductions in stress levels. The main objective of the present pilot study was to evaluate the impact of the addition of HCT to conventional clinical treatment (Treatment as Usual, TaU) in a sample of six female adolescents with anorexia nervosa restricting type (AN-R), as compared to six AN-R patients, matched for sex and age, under TaU only. This is a prospective, non-profit, pilot study on patients with a previous diagnosis of AN-R and BMI < 16, recruited in 2020 in clinical settings. At enrolment (T0) and after treatment completion (TF), psychiatric assessment was performed. At T0, all the patients underwent: baseline electrocardiogram acquisition with a wearable chest strap for recording heart rate and its variability; skin conductance registration and thermal mapping of the individual’s face. An olfactory identification test was administered both to evaluate the olfactory sensoriality and to assess the induced stress. One-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were performed to analyze modifications in clinical and physiological variables, considering time (T0, TF) as a within-subjects factor and group (experimental vs. control) as between-subjects factors. When the ANOVA was significant, post hoc analysis was performed by Paired Sample T-tests. Only in the HCT group, stress response levels, as measured by the biological parameters, improved over time. The body uneasiness level and the affective problem measures displayed a significant improvement in the HCT subjects. HCT seems to have a positive influence on stress levels in AN-R.

Directional sensitivity of dynamic cerebral autoregulation during spontaneous fluctuations in arterial blood pressure at rest

Directional sensitivity, the more efficient response of cerebral autoregulation to increases, compared to decreases, in mean arterial pressure (MAP), has been demonstrated with repeated squat-stand maneuvers (SSM). In 43 healthy subjects (26 male, 23.1 ± 4.2 years old), five min. recordings of cerebral blood velocity (bilateral Doppler ultrasound), MAP (Finometer), end-tidal CO2 (capnograph), and heart rate (ECG) were obtained during sitting (SIT), standing (STA) and SSM. A new analytical procedure, based on autoregressive-moving average models, allowed distinct estimates of the autoregulation index (ARI) by separating the MAP signal into its positive (MAP+D) and negative (MAP−D) derivatives. ARI+D was higher than ARI−D (p < 0.0001), SIT: 5.61 ± 1.58 vs 4.31 ± 2.16; STA: 5.70 ± 1.24 vs 4.63 ± 1.92; SSM: 4.70 ± 1.11 vs 3.31 ± 1.53, but the difference ARI+D–ARI−D was not influenced by the condition. A bootstrap procedure determined the critical number of subjects needed to identify a significant difference between ARI+D and ARI−D, corresponding to 24, 37 and 38 subjects, respectively, for SSM, STA and SIT. Further investigations are needed on the influences of sex, aging and other phenotypical characteristics on the phenomenon of directional sensitivity of dynamic autoregulation.

The influence of severity of gastric ulceration on horse behavior and heart rate variability

Despite the high prevalence of gastric ulceration in horses, little is known about the behavior and heart rate variability (HRV) indices associated with the severity of this condition. This study examined the effect of severity of gastric ulceration on behavior and HRV indices associated with pain in 8 mature University teaching horses, in which ulcers were induced for a coinciding trial. Horses were divided into 2 groups (n = 4) by the severity of gastric ulceration: severe ulcer group (S; scores 3-4), and a mild group [M; scores 0-2]. Horses were housed in 3.05 × 3.65m stalls and fed 0.5% body weight (BW) long-stem hay in slow-feeder nets and 0.25% BW concentrate twice daily with ad libitum access to water. Dietary modifications were made after endoscopy and horses were administered supportive treatment immediately post-data collection. Horses received a 24-hour rest period post-endoscopic examination before data sampling began. Behavior and HRV were collected for 3 consecutive days to account for day-to-day variation and optimize data validity. Behavior was recorded at three 2-hour time points per day (Morning, Noon, and Evening) and analyzed in 2 15-minute increments an hour, totaling 9 hours of data per horse. Polar® Equine V800 Heart Rate Monitors were used to record heart rate and HRV, later analyzed using Kubios HRV and MATLAB® software. Mean heart rate and HRV indices, for example standard deviation of beat-to-beat intervals (SDRR) and root mean square of successive beat-to-beat differences (RMSSD), the low (LF; sympathetic tone) and high frequency (HF; parasympathetic tone) component of HRV, and their ratio (LF/HF; index representing the sympatho-vagal balance) were calculated and expressed as response values. The effects of gastric ulcer severity between groups on behavior and HRV were assessed using GLMMs with Tukey's Post hoc test applied to significant results (α=0.05) in R (version 3.3.1). Horses with severe ulcers (S) showed higher heart rate (63.3 beats) and LF/HF ratio (5.0%) and reduced SDRR and RMSSD (155.6, 39.73) when compared with M horses (51.08, 3.25, 199.0, 52.57), respectively, (all P ≤ 0.05). S horses had more frequent eating bouts than M horses (26.6, 12.1 bouts; P = 0.03). S horses displayed more abdominal kicks, tail switching, tongue activity and pawed more than M horses (5.26, 10.0, 10.35, 6.87 versus 1.32, 3.69, 2.07, 1.38 times, all P ≤ 0.05). Therefore, horses with severe gastric ulcers showed a more stressed pattern of behavior and HRV indicators, suggesting these may be reliable in determining severity of gastric ulcers in horses.

A colonial-nesting seabird shows no heart-rate response to drone-based population surveys

Aerial drones are increasingly being used as tools for ecological research and wildlife monitoring in hard-to-access study systems, such as in studies of colonial-nesting birds. Despite their many advantages over traditional survey methods, there remains concerns about possible disturbance effects that standard drone survey protocols may have on bird colonies. There is a particular gap in the study of their influence on physiological measures of stress. We measured heart rates of incubating female common eider ducks (Somateria mollissima) to determine whether our drone-based population survey affected them. To do so, we used heart-rate recorders placed in nests to quantify their heart rate in response to a quadcopter drone flying transects 30 m above the nesting colony. Eider heart rate did not change from baseline (measured in the absence of drone survey flights) by a drone flying at a fixed altitude and varying horizontal distances from the bird. Our findings suggest that carefully planned drone-based surveys of focal species have the potential to be carried out without causing physiological impacts among colonial-nesting eiders.

Sistem Pengukuran Detak Jantung Janin Melalui Elektrokardiogram Abdominal dan Android

&lt;p class="Abstract"&gt;An android-based fetal heart rate measurement is presented in this article. The fetal heart rate was obtained from the mother's abdominal electrocardiogram which was then measured and processed by Raspberry pi using k-means. Raspberry pi processed results produce ECG signals and fetal heart rate which was displayed on Android devices in real-time. The android application can also save heart rate and ECG data or retrieve previously taken heart rate recordings. The system obtained that the average value of accuracy, sensitivity and predictive positive were 90.49%, 97.10% and 93.03%, respectively. The variation of the training time of the algorithm showed that the training time of 10 and 15 seconds mostly has better performance than the training time of 5 seconds.&lt;/p&gt;

Investigating attentional scope as a novel indicator of emotional state in animals

In humans, contrasting emotional states can lead to a broadening or narrowing of attentional scope. Whether this is also the case in animals has yet to be investigated. If confirmed, measurement of attentional scope has potential as a novel cognitive method of welfare assessment. In this study, we therefore aimed to investigate a test of attentional scope as a measure of emotional state in animals. We did this by inducing four putatively different emotional states in dogs (N = 10), varying in valence (positive, negative) and arousal (high, low), in two different reward contexts (food rewards in Experiment 1, social rewards in Experiment 2) and then assessing dogs’ behavioural responses in a test of attentional scope. We also recorded heart rate variability (HRV) parameters as additional confirmatory affective indicators. In Experiment 1, the dogs showed a narrowing of attentional scope after the induction of both positively valenced emotional states. That dogs were in a positive state was supported by the reduced Standard Deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals (SDNN) and the reduced Low Frequency (LF) and Very Low Frequency (VLF) HRV. In Experiment 2, when responses to social rewards were examined, we did not detect any statistically significant differences in attentional scope between the emotional states, but dogs had a slightly narrow attentional scope in the negatively valenced emotional states. The LF tended to be reduced in the high arousal positive treatment. In conclusion, our study provides the first indication that emotional states can also alter attentional scope in animals. The results justify further investigation of this approach for use in animal welfare assessment, although additional studies are needed to refine predictions.

MHealth-based assessment of rate control during recurrent paroxysms after an emergency department visit for recent-onset atrial fibrillation: a subanalysis of the RACE 7 ACWAS trial

Abstract Introduction Achieving adequate rate control is a mainstay in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). In the Rate Control versus Electrical Cardioversion Trial 7 – Acute Cardioversion versus Wait and See (RACE 7 ACWAS) trial, an early cardioversion approach was compared to a delayed cardioversion approach for patients with recent-onset symptomatic AF, followed by a four-week monitoring period using mobile health (mHealth). Purpose To assess the adequacy of rate control during recurrences of AF in the four weeks after an emergency department visit for recent-onset AF using mHealth. Methods After restoration of sinus rhythm (spontaneous or through cardioversion), patients (n=335) were asked to record one minute heart rate and rhythm recordings three times daily and in case of symptoms by using an electrocardiographic-based handheld device to monitor for recurrences for four weeks after the index visit. Recordings from the handheld device were collected at the end of the follow-up period. For this subanalysis, a cut-off for lenient rate control during AF recurrences was used and this was defined as a heart rate of &amp;lt;110 beats per minute. A p-value of &amp;lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results mHealth-based monitoring identified 99 patients with a total of 314 recurrences (29.6% of the included patients; median age 67 [interquartile range (IQR) 13] years, 60.6% male, 49.5% delayed cardioversion group, median number of recurrences 2 [IQR 2]). Two recurrences in one patient were excluded from analysis because heart rate could not be adequately assessed due to too much interference. Rate control was always adequate during 126 recurrences (40.4%), always inadequate during 111 recurrences (35.6%) and varying between adequate and inadequate in the remaining 75 recurrences (24.0%). On a patient level, rate control was always adequate in 26 patients (26.5%), always inadequate in 20 patients (20.4%) and varying between or within recurrences in the remaining 52 patients (53.1%) (Figure 1). Although there were no differences in clinical characteristics of the patients based on their adequacy of rate control, there is a trend towards significance regarding randomisation group (p=0.051), with patients with adequate rate control being more often in the delayed cardioversion group compared to those with varying and inadequate rate control (18 (69.2%) vs 24 (46.2%) vs 7 (35.0%), respectively). Conclusion It is feasible to assess heart rate and the adequacy of rate control during recurrences of recent-onset AF using mHealth. Whether real time mHealth-based rate and rhythm monitoring can be integrated in a remote management pathway to adapt rate control in AF patients warrants further studies. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development–Health Care Efficiency Research Program

A Shift of the Parameters of the Cardiovascular System in Adolescents during the Period from 2004 to 2020 as a Result of Modification of Educational Environment

The purpose of our study was to search for possible changes in the parameters of the cardiovascular system in adolescents during the period from 2004 to 2020 against the background of the introduction of digital technologies into the educational environment. Methods: A comparative analysis of the parameters of the cardiovascular system in female and male adolescents aged from 13.9 to 15.4 years was carried out (57 adolescents in 2004 and 53 adolescents in 2020). We used a spiroartheriocardiorythmograph allowing recording of heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) and spectral parameters of HR variability and variability of systolic (sBP) and diastolic (dBP) BP. The parameters were recorded at rest in the sitting position for over two min. All studies were performed during school hours in February-March. Results: An increase in the mean sBP values and an increase in the proportion of adolescents with BP in the