Occurrence Of Flashes Research Articles

Перименопаузальные расстройства у женщин после COVID-19

Aim: to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of women with perimenopause after COVID-19 and to determine the possibilities of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the postcovid period. Patients and Methods: 96 female patients aged 45 to 54 years were examined. Group 1 consisted of 52 female patients who were being treated in a hospital for COVID-19 12–16 weeks before study. Group 2 (comparison group) consisted of 44 female patients without COVID-19. Further, HRT was performed in 21 female patients of group 1 without contraindications (subgroup 1A). HRT regimen: estradiol hemihydrate, 1.58 mg, transdermally sequestered and dydrogesterone, 10 mg, per os. In subgroup 1B, 31 female patients did not undergo HRT. All patients were examined, which included the following: survey, follow-up, hormone blood test and hemostasiogram. HRT efficacy was evaluated after 3 months. Results: group 1 had more significant neurovegetative, psychoemotional and metabolic disorders, as well as an increase in the frequency of menstrual disorders versus group 2. In group 1, 43/52 (82,7%) of the respondents experienced hot flashes, where 23/52 (44,2%) of female patients noted the first occurrence of hot flashes after suffering COVID-19. In group 2, 16/44 (36,3%) of patients were concerned about this symptom. In group 1, 42.3% (22/52) of patients reported menstrual disorders. In patients of subgroup 1A, the severity of neurovegetative, metabolic and psychoemotional disorders decreased after HRT versus those in subgroup 1B. Conclusion: in female patients who suffered moderate to severe COVID-19, perimenopausal disorders include more significant neurovegetative, psychoemotional and metabolic symptoms. Cyclic HRT using transdermal estrogens significantly improves the life quality of women, however, the unfavorable comorbid background observed may reduce the effect of hormone therapy KEYWORDS: perimenopause, menopausal syndrome, COVID-19, postcovid syndrome, modified Kuperman Index, hormone replacement therapy FOR CITATION: Irgasheva S.U., Nadirkhanova N.S., Azamkulova N.O. Perimenopausal disorders in women after COVID-19. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2024;7(2):110–115 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2024-7-2-4.

Correlation analysis between lightning flashes and rainfall rate during a flash flood thunderstorm

This paper presents the correlation analysis between lightning flashes and the rainfall rate of a thunderstorm when a flash flood event happened in Melaka on 11 August 2020. Four types of data have been collected from the electric field mill (EFM), fast antenna (FA) system, constant altitude plan position indicator (CAPPI) radar and world wide lightning location network (WWLLN). Two storms have been detected by the EFM occurred between 04:00:00 and 14:00:00. The FA system recorded a total of 33 lightning flashes had detected with the highest number occurrence of flashes which positive narrow bipolar event (+NBE) around 21 flashes, the maximum rainfall rate and reflectivity have been detected by radar during the first storm were 8 mm h-1 and 37 dBZ, respectively (light rain). During the second storm, there was a total of 980 lightning flashes detected by the FA system with the highest number occurrence of flashes around 429 flashes (IC), the highest value of rainfall rate and reflectivity is 50 mm h-1 and 50 dBZ, respectively (heavy rain). Analyses of the lightning and rainfall rate data also show a close link between the occurrence of major thunderstorms systems and flash flooding on a regional scale.

Upward Bipolar Lightning Flashes Originated From the Connection of Recoil Leaders With Intracloud Lightning

AbstractThe present work shows high‐speed videos of two upward flashes that started with positive upward leaders and, instead of being followed by negative subsequent return strokes, they were followed by positive subsequent return strokes. In both cases, after the positive leaders developed, recoil leaders (RL) appeared in their decayed branches as would be usual in negative upward lightning flashes. However, in these flashes the negative end of a recoil leader connected to a positive leader of an intracloud (IC) flash nearby. The connection initiated a downward positive leader that re‐ionized the decayed channel of the upward flash all the way to the tower giving origin to a positive subsequent return stroke. This work shows that RL do play an important role in the occurrence of bipolar upward flashes and their interaction with IC flashes can provide explanations for all types of bipolar upward flashes initiated by upward positive leaders.

Menopausal Hot Flashes and Renal Function

BackgroundDuring the menopause transition, women are at an increased risk of developing hypertension, which is a key marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although historically hot flashes have been considered a quality‐of‐life issue, emerging data provides a link between hot flashes and risk of CVD. Poor renal function is suggested to be one of the key physiological contributors to increased risk of hypertension and CVD among women with hot flashes. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize the relationship between hot flashes and renal function in peri‐ and post‐menopausal women using a retrospective chart review. We hypothesized that women with hot flashes would demonstrate reduced renal function compared to women without hot flashes.MethodsWe performed a chart review using serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as proxies to assess renal function. Electronic health records for Mayo Clinic patients across multiple sites were abstracted for female patients who were diagnosed with peri‐ or post‐menopause between 2016 and 2020, between 45 and 55 years of age, and had available creatinine laboratory test results. Data regarding demographics, anthropometrics, systemic blood pressure, menopausal stage, occurrence of hot flashes, and comorbidities were extracted from electronic health records. Differences between women with and without hot flashes were evaluated using two‐tailed, independent samples t‐tests. We completed a univariate analysis of variance testing the main effects of menopausal status (peri‐ or post‐menopausal) and presence of hot flashes (yes or no). Given the potential modifying effects of menopause, analytical models were performed in duplicate with and without models separated by menopausal status (peri‐and post‐menopause).ResultsData from 83 medical charts were assessed, including 57 women with hot flashes and 26 women without hot flashes. Without separating by menopausal status, there were no hot flash‐related differences in age (51 ± 3 vs. 51 ± 3 years, P = 0.64) or body mass index (30 ± 7 vs. 33 ± 11, P = 0.19) between women with and without hot flashes. Additionally, there were no hot flash‐related differences in metrics of blood pressure, including systolic (120 ± 13 vs. 125 ± 20, P = 0.19), diastolic (75 ± 11 vs. 77 ± 13, P = 0.54), and mean arterial pressure (90 ± 11 vs. 92 ± 14, P = 0.62). There were also no hot flash‐related differences in indicators of renal function, including creatinine (0.8 ± 0.1 vs. 0.8 ± 0.2, P = 0.65) and eGFR (88 ± 11 vs. 85 ± 16, P = 0.36). The clinical characteristics of the perimenopausal versus postmenopausal women are summarized in Table 1by hot flash status. There were no main effects of hot flash or menopausal status on creatinine (menopausal stage: p=0.810, hot flash status: p=0.659, interaction effect: p=0.983) or eGFR (menopausal stage: p=0.508, hot flash status: p=0.405, interaction effect: p=0.834).ConclusionsIn this retrospective chart review of peri‐ and post‐menopausal women, there were no differences in systemic blood pressure or renal function between groups. Future investigations may include longitudinal markers of renal function and metrics describing frequency and severity of hot flashes.

Decreased Frequency of Mental Workload-Induced Subjective Hot Flashes Through Gum Massage: An Open-Label, Self-Controlled Crossover Trial.

Objective:Hot flashes, a symptom of menopause, can decrease women's quality of life. Sympathetic nervous system activation has been identified as an important factor in the occurrence of hot flashes. Given that somatosensory stimulation of the oral cavity can affect autonomic nervous activity, we aimed to investigate the possibility that somatosensory stimulation of the gums (i.e., gum massage) could improve hot flashes.Materials and Methods:Nineteen women experiencing at least one hot flash per day were instructed to perform a gum massage on themselves before undertaking mental workload, using arithmetic task, and the frequency of hot flashes experienced during this task was measured. Changes in autonomic nervous activity were assessed based on heart rate variability.Results:Massage conditions promoted a significantly lower arithmetic task-induced hot flash frequency compared with nonmassage conditions (p < 0.05). During gum massage, the ratio between low and high frequency (LF/HF) values decreased significantly under massage conditions compared with nonmassage conditions (p < 0.01). During the arithmetic task, the gum massage-induced reduction in LF/HF, which changed from baseline, was significantly correlated with the gum massage-induced reduction in hot flash frequency.Conclusions:The results of this study indicate that gum massage can reduce the subjective frequency of hot flashes over a certain period under mental workload. Our study also indicates that gum massage can potentially decrease sympathetic nerve activity, which is known to be involved in the occurrence of hot flashes.Clinical Trial Registration number 328 (the institutional review board of Lion Corporation).

Hot Flashes in Adolescence and Young Adult Females: a Link to Vitamin D and Calcium.

Background:Menopause is a stage in life when a woman stops having menstruation and the ovaries produce less estrogen. Hot flashes (HFs) are the classical symptoms for menopausal transition and cessation of menses. Increased anxiety had been reported as a significant risk factor of HFs. Vitamin D deficiency and low daily dietary calcium intake may be associated with the occurrence of hot flashes (HFs) in adolescents and young females that are not related to hormonal changes of menopausal transition.Objective:The aim of this study is to validate this hypothesis.Methods:A case-control study was conducted. Thirty-eight females (38) with HFs aged 18-40 years, and 38 age-matched healthy controls with no HFs were involved. Participants answered questions about HFs symptoms. Psychological symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Serum vitamin D, Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Estradiol, and Prolactin were measured.Results:Vitamin D deficiency, psychological symptoms, and Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) were more prevalent in cases versus controls. About 73.68% of females had HFs on a daily basis, 73.7% of them reported that their HFs associated with excessive sweating. Spearman correlation revealed that number of daily HFs were correlated positively and significantly with anxiety scores (r2= -0.278, p=0.045), and average MSP pain (r2=-0.536, p=<0.001). Binary logistic regression showed that, Anxiety score and vitamin D status, (OR=1.33(1.104-1.7), p=0.02, and OR=0.89(0.79-0.99, p=0.03) respectively were the predictors for HFs.Conclusion:This study showed that adolescents and young females may experience HFs that are not related to hormonal changes of menopausal transition. The predictors for HFs were vitamin D deficiency and anxiety.

Simulation of Earth‐Ionosphere Cavity Resonances With Lightning Flashes Reported by OTD/LIS

AbstractLightning flashes cause a globally resonant electromagnetic wave field known as Earth‐ionosphere cavity resonances. This global wave field is simulated here by use of lightning flashes reported by the lightning imagers on board the Optical Transient Detector (OTD)/Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) space missions. The stochastic occurrence of global lightning flashes in time and space is described with a likelihood function composed of a series of delta functions. This likelihood function is generated by random variates calculated from inverse transform sampling of the global lightning distributions measured by OTD/LIS. The simulation uses spherical harmonic expansion coefficients, calculated from frequency and distance dependent magnetic field measurements, to describe the wave field around the Earth. The incoherent superposition of the waves at each location results in simulated time series and spectra. The simulations agree very well with actual measurements of magnetic fields with a radiometer at Arrival Heights in the Antarctic as part of the Stanford ELF/VLF Radio Noise Survey. The simulated relative radiant energy distributions are attributed to corresponding “Earth‐ionosphere cavity brightness temperatures” TEIC. The spherical harmonic expansion of these brightness temperatures exhibits a spectrum where the amplitudes of the spatial expansion coefficients decrease with increasing angular degree. The calculated Earth‐ionosphere cavity brightness temperatures can be used for comparison with atmospheric temperatures in future studies.

Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 2 Thermosensitive Neurons in the Preoptic Area Involved in Menopausal Hot Flashes in Ovariectomized Mice

Introduction: Menopausal hot flashes are related to hypothalamic preoptic area (POA) dysfunction. Thermosensitive transient receptor potential channels (ThermoTRPs) are involved in temperature sensing and regulation of thermosensitive neurons (TSNs) in the POA. Whether ThermoTRP-TSNs in the POA, particularly the non-noxious thermoreceptor, transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2), are involved in the occurrence of hot flashes is still unclear. Methods: Twenty wild-type and 50 Trpm2-Cre adult female mice were randomly divided into sham (SHAM) and ovariectomy (OVX) groups. In the POA, ERα, ERβ, GPR30, TRPA1, TRPM8, TRPM2, and TRPV1 expression was detected by Western blot or/and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and the number of TSNs expressing TRPM2 (TRPM2-TSNs) by immunofluorescence. Before and after TRPM2-TSN activation/inhibition, back (BST) and tail skin temperature (TST) and the proportion of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons among TRPM2-TSNs were recorded. Results: Compared with SHAM, the expression of ERα, ERβ, TRPM2, and TRPM8 in the POA of the OVX group decreased, with a significantly larger change range for TRPM2 than TRPM8. In addition, the number of TRPM2-TSNs showing TRPA1, TRPM8, and TRPV1 expression in the OVX group decreased, and the proportion of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in TRPM2-TSNs decreased and increased, respectively. Meanwhile, BST and TST increased. After activating or inhibiting TRPM2-TSNs, the proportions of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in TRPM2-TSNs changed, along with the BST and TST. Conclusion: In menopause, the abnormal quantity and function of TRPM2-TSNs in the POA is key for the development of hot flashes, characterized by an imbalance in heat dissipation and production due to the corresponding imbalance in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons.

Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 enzymes with experience of vasomotor, vaginal and musculoskeletal symptoms among breast cancer patients: a systematic review

BackgroundAdjuvant endocrine therapies are known to induce undesirable adverse effects such as vasomotor, vaginal and musculoskeletal symptoms among breast cancer patients. Drugs used in these therapies are often metabolised by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, in which their metabolising activities can be modified by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in CYP genes and CYP genotypes. This review aims to explore whether SNPs or genotypes of CYP are associated with the occurrence, frequency and severity of vasomotor, vaginal and musculoskeletal symptoms in breast cancer patients on adjuvant endocrine therapies.MethodsA literature review was conducted using five electronic databases, resulting in the inclusion of 14 eligible studies, and their findings were presented narratively. Selected items from the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist were used for critical appraisal of the reporting quality of the included studies.ResultsMost of the included studies showed that SNPs or genotypes of CYP that modify its metabolising activity have no effect on the occurrence, frequency or severity of vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes. One study showed no correlation of these genetic variations in CYP with musculoskeletal symptoms, and no data were available on the association between such genetic variations and vaginal symptoms.ConclusionsOverall, genetic variations in CYP have no effect on the experience of hot flashes among breast cancer patients. We recommend exploration of the link between the active metabolites of chemotherapeutic drugs and the molecules shown to affect the occurrence or severity of hot flashes, and the establishment of the relationship between such genetic variations and patients’ experience of musculoskeletal and vaginal symptoms. Subgroup analyses based on patients’ duration of adjuvant endocrine therapies in such studies are recommended.

Percentage of single-stroke flashes related to different thunderstorm types

This study shows an analysis of data from measurements of natural cloud-to-ground lightning performed in Austria between 2009 and 2018. The measurement system consists of a high-speed Video and electric Field Recording System (VFRS). Over the whole period, 735 negative cloud-to-ground flashes were recorded at 33 different locations on 61 individual days. The measurement locations are scattered across the Austrian territory in Alpine and pre-Alpine terrain. Data from the Austrian Lightning Location System (LLS), ALDIS, are correlated with the collected VFRS ground truth data to complete the dataset. These datasets are used to analyze possible reasons for the detected variation of single-stroke flashes in Austria. The percentage of single-stroke flashes among all negative flashes is higher in this study (27 %) than in previous studies from different countries (12 to 24 %). A classification of thunderstorms does not show any dependency of the single-stroke flash occurrence on different thunderstorm types (based on radar data) or underlying meteorological characteristics (based on vertical wind shear computed from weather stations and radiosondes). In contrast, a possible dependency of the occurrence of single-stroke flashes on underlying terrain (Alpine versus pre-Alpine) is noted.

Abstract PS4-16: Symptoms of cold discomfort are reduced in breast cancer patients with a composite cytokine pattern associated with increased anti-tumor immunity

Abstract Background: In preclinical models of breast cancer (BC), chronic stress enhances tumor growth and metastasis through β-adrenergic signaling as part of the “fight or flight” stress response pathway. These effects involve norepinephrine-mediated sympathetic regulation of cancer-related immunity. In a novel discovery, adrenergic stress in tumor-bearing mouse models of BC was associated with symptoms of intense cold discomfort, reduced CD8+ T cells, and higher immunosuppressive myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and regulatory T cells. BC survivors often experience heightened sympathetic activation and anecdotally report symptoms of feeling overly cold. Based on preclinical findings, symptoms of cold discomfort reported by BC survivors are hypothesized to identify those with reduced anti-cancer immunity and increased immunosuppression. Methods: Women with incident stage I to III BC were prospectively enrolled into the Women’s Health after Breast Cancer Study prior to BC treatment at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Participants provided blood samples and completed a survey assessing BC risk factors at the time of diagnosis and survivorship outcomes one-year post. Symptoms of being persistently and inappropriately cold as well as the occurrence of hot flashes and sweats were assessed using a Likert scale patterned on the validated Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue Scale. A total of 424 women who had questionnaire data and plasma samples were included in the study. A panel of 27 Th1, Th2, Th9, and Th17 cytokines were assayed using a multiplex Luminex bead-based approach. Perceived symptoms of thermal discomfort were evaluated using logistic regression over cytokine tertiles (T1, T2, T3). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify clusters of cytokines associated with symptoms of thermal discomfort. Cytokine composite scores were further refined based on their role with anti-tumor or pro-tumor activity. Multivariate models were adjusted for age, race, menopausal status, body mass index, stage, estrogen receptor status, grade, and treatment received. Results: Forty-six percent (195/424) of patients reported symptoms of feeling cold while 65% (275/424) experienced hot flashes and night sweats. There were no differences in patient or tumor characteristics between women who reported feeling cold versus those who did not, with women receiving chemotherapy more likely to report feeling cold (p = 0.01). Importantly, menopausal onset occurring after BC diagnosis or receipt of hormonal therapy were not associated with symptoms of feeling cold, but as expected were associated with experiencing hot flashes indicating that feeling cold is a distinct symptom from hot flashes. Higher pre-treatment levels of IL-6 was associated with 40-55% lower risk of feeling inappropriately cold 1-year post-diagnosis (T3 vs T1: OR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.34-1.00, p=0.01). PCA analysis identified a composite cytokine score at 1-year post diagnosis, which included the Th1 cytokines IL-12p70 and TNFα, IL-9 and IL-21 as cytokines involved in Th9 antitumor immunity, and the type 3 interferon IFN-λ2/IL-28α, which are all associated with increased CD8+ T cell activity. Increased scores were associated with reduced odds of feeling cold (T3 vs T1: OR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.23-0.77, p=0.02). Hot flashes in contrast were not associated with individual cytokine levels or composite scores. Conclusions: Symptoms of cold discomfort are less likely to be reported by BC survivors with a composite cytokine pattern associated with increased anti-tumor immunity. Further research is needed to determine if this symptom is associated with increased adrenergic stress and worse BC outcomes as observed in preclinical models. Citation Format: Shipra Gandhi, Maithreyi Sarma, Kristopher Attwood, Christine B. Ambrosone, Elizabeth A. Repasky, Chi-Chen Hong. Symptoms of cold discomfort are reduced in breast cancer patients with a composite cytokine pattern associated with increased anti-tumor immunity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS4-16.

SENYAPAN DAN KILIR LIDAH DALAM ACARA GELAR WICARA MATA NAJWA 2020 SEBAGAI KAJIAN PSIKOLINGUISTIK

Speaking is one of the four language skills. Speaking skills are always needed in human interaction activities, especially communicating. However, humans in speaking experience often experience mistakes in practice, one of which is the Silent and Tongue Shrink at the Mata Najwa 2020 talk show. On that basis the researcher wants to explore, look for the causes and processes of the occurrence of Silence and Tongue Flashes from several sources in the event. Tongue smiles and flashes are one of the obstacles that occur in communicating activities, both official and non-official. This type of research is descriptive qualitative with research carried out to determine the problem without comparing or linking the existing problems with the interversion picture of research on a phenomenon. In this study, researchers used a data collection technique with a listening method consisting of listening proficiently, listening freely fold proficiently, taking notes, and recording. By using Graunded Theory analysis with the Axial Coding method Paradigm model. Based on the analysis obtained from the results of the research that the Silence and the Flickering of the Tongue in the 2020 Mata Najwa talk show, there are lots of silences performed with various factors that influence it.

The dynamics of 3-min wavefronts and their relation to sunspot magnetic fields.

We present a study of wave processes occurring in solar active region NOAA 11131 on 10 December 2010, captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory in the 1600 Å, 304 Å and 171 Å channels. For spectral analysis, we employed pixelized wavelet filtering together with a developed digital technique based on empirical mode decomposition. We studied the ∼3-minute wave dynamics to obtain relationships with the magnetic structuring of the underlying sunspot. We found that during development of wave trains the motion path occurred along a preferential direction, and that the broadband wavefronts can be represented as a set of separate narrowband oscillation sources. These sources become visible as the waves pass through the umbral inhomogeneities caused by the differing magnetic field inclination angles. We found the spatial and frequency fragmentation of wavefronts, and deduced that the combination of narrowband spherical and linear parts of the wavefronts provide the observed spirality. Maps of the magnetic field inclination angles confirm this assumption. We detect the activation of umbral structures as the increasing of oscillations in the sources along the front ridge. Their temporal dynamics are associated with the occurrence of umbral flashes. Spatial localization of the sources is stable over time and depends on the oscillation period. We propose that these sources are the result of wave paths along the loops extending outwards from the magnetic bundles of the umbra. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'High-resolution wave dynamics in the lower solar atmosphere'.

Bazedoxifene effects on osteoprotegerin, insulin-like growth factor, tumor necrosis factor and bone mineral density

112 patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis who received Bazedoxifene drugs in our hospital from January to December 2018 were collected as a study group, and 56 patients treated with calcium alone were collected as a control group. the risk of adverse events such as bone mineral density, osteoprotegerin (OPG), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and fracture after treatment were analyzed before and after treatment. There was no significant difference in the mean lumbar positive position (L2-4) and right femoral neck bone density and OPG, IGF, TNF-α level between the two groups before treatment (P&gt;0.05). The total effective rate of clinical treatment in the study group was 88.39%, the control group was 23.21%, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P˂0.05). After treatment, the mean lumbar positive position (L2-4) and the right femoral neck bone density and OPG, IGF in the study group were higher than those in the control group, lower than those in the control group (P&lt;0.05). the occurrence of adverse events such as fracture, spinal deformation and fatigue in the study group after 12 months of treatment was significantly lower than that in the control group (P&lt;0.05), but there was no significant difference in the occurrence of hot flashes and venous thromboembolism between the two groups (P&gt;0.05). Bazedoxifene is an effective drug for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. It can not only prevent the rapid loss of bone mass, effectively relieve the symptoms of menopause, but also improve bone density and reduce the risk of fracture.

0831 Hot Flashes and Insomnia Throughout the Life Span of Women from the Episono Cohort

Abstract Introduction Hormonal changes may trigger sleep disturbances in women. Insomnia affects one in every three-to-four of them, most likely during pre to post menopause, and especially in association with hot flashes. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of hot flashes among women with and without insomnia and on different reproductive stages. Methods Sampling procedure was a three-stage clustering of the population of Sao Paulo, Brazil according to gender, age (20-80 years), and socio-economic status. A total of 574 women were interviewed, underwent polysomnographic recording (PSG), and had fasting-blood samples collected. Hormone levels and a gynecological questionnaire were used to classify reproductive stages. Premenopausal women were classified either in the follicular, luteal, or periovulatory stage or as anovulatory or under hormonal contraceptives; whereas those menopausal were classified in perimenopause or in early or late stages. Individuals reporting frequent and persistent insomnia symptoms accompanied by relevant daytime impairment were classified with insomnia syndrome. Objective insomnia was defined by increased sleep onset latency and/or awake after sleep onset, decreasing sleep duration. Results The final sample included 550 women, representing 53% of the EPISONO cohort (n=1,042). Hot flashes were reported by 9% of the premenopausal women (n=339) and by 42% of the menopausal. Complaints were more frequent among women in perimenopause (67%) and those in use of hormonal therapy (60%), and it tended to decrease in later stages (33%); whereas before menopause, hot flashes were especially reported by anovulatory women (26%), while significantly less by those using contraceptives (6%). Hot flashes were associated with a 2-fold increase in insomnia symptoms and while it predicted objective sleep alterations among premenopausal women, they did not after menopause, when alterations in sleep were better explained by an effect of aging. Conclusion Our current findings suggest that hot flashes are associated with irregular menstrual cycles among premenopausal women, and particularly with early stages of menopause, predicting both subjective and objective sleep alterations. Support This research was supported by fellowships from Associação Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa (AFIP) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) - Finance Code 001.

Changes in skin temperature of ovariectomized rats under different incubation temperatures.

This study aimed to investigate changes in skin temperature in the main body regions of ovariectomized rats under different incubation temperatures to identify regions that are similar to hot flashes experienced by menopausal women. A total of 96 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham, ovariectomized and ovariectomized with estrogen treatment groups, with treatment lasting for 4 weeks. After 3 weeks of treatment, each group was randomly divided into five subgroups and placed in separate incubators set at 4, 15, 25, and 37°C. Changes in the skin temperature in seven main regions (head, neck, chest, abdomen, back, tail, and paws) for four time intervals (0-3 min, 3-5 min, 5-10 min and 10-15 min) were monitored using infrared thermography. All rats showed rapid changes in skin temperature followed by a gradual slowdown under different incubation temperatures. However, changes in ovariectomized rats were significantly different from that in normal rats, and changes on the back, tail and paws were more rapid and lasted longer. Estrogen treatment effectively controlled these abnormalities of ovariectomized rats. Temperature responses in the back, tail and paws in ovariectomized rats might be similar to the face, neck and upper chest in menopausal women, where the symptoms of hot flashes are most obvious, which suggests that the back, tail and paws could be regarded as the focus of research on hot flashes, and offer theoretical foundations for mechanisms behind the occurrence of hot flashes in specific regions. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; ••: ••-••.

Fire foci related to rainfall and biomes of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

The state of Mato Grosso do Sul (SMS), located in the Midwest of Brazil, is devoid of climatological studies, mainly on the characterization of rainfall regime and producers’ meteorological systems and rain inhibitors. This state has different soil and climatic characteristics distributed among three biomes: Cerrado, Mata Atlântica, and Pantanal. This study aimed to investigate the temporal variability of fire foci in different SMS biomes. Data regarding fire foci and rainfall were obtained on an annual scale, collected from 15 municipalities (nine in Cerrado, four in Mata Atlântica, and two in Pantanal). Boxplot and distribution graphs were constructed for fire foci data and rainfall data associated with the biomes in each year. Subsequently, we applied the Mann–Kendall test to verify if there is a significant trend to the rainfall and fire foci data of the biomes. Pantanal revealed the higher occurrence of fire foci in relation to Cerrado and Mata Atlântica. The highest records of fire foci in Pantanal are caused by the longer drought period and anthropogenic activities (based on extensive agriculture). There is a tendency for positive growth in the occurrence of fire foci in the Pantanal, Cerrado and Mata Atlântica. Therefore, it is necessary to establish public policies to mitigate the occurrence of hot flashes in the SMS biomes, especially in the Pantanal.

Observations of Continuous Quasiperiodic Auroral Pulsations on Saturn in High Time‐Resolution UV Auroral Imagery

AbstractSaturn's aurora represents the ionospheric response to plasma processes occurring in the planet's entire magnetosphere. Short‐lived ∼1‐hr quasiperiodic high‐energy electron injections, frequently observed in in situ particle and radio measurements, should therefore entail an associated flashing auroral signature. This study uses high time‐resolution ultraviolet (UV) auroral imagery from the Cassini spacecraft to demonstrate the continuous occurrence of such flashes in Saturn's northern hemisphere and investigate their properties. We find that their recurrence periods of order 1 hr and preferential occurrence near dusk match well with previous observations of electron injections and related auroral hiss features. A large spread in UV auroral emission power, reaching more than 50% of the total auroral power, is observed independent of the flash locations. Based on an event observed both by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Cassini spacecraft, we propose that these auroral flashes are not associated with low‐frequency waves and instead directly caused by recurrent small‐scale magnetodisc reconnection on closed field lines. We suggest that such reconnection processes accelerate plasma planetward of the reconnection site toward the ionosphere inducing transient auroral spots while the magnetic field rapidly changes from a bent‐back to a more dipolar configuration. This manifests as a sawtooth‐shaped discontinuity observed in magnetic field data and indicates a release of magnetospheric energy through plasmoid release.

On the nature of bipolar flashes that share the same channel to ground

The paper examines the relationship between sequential events in bipolar flashes of two groups sharing the same channel to ground: one initiated by an upward positive leader, the other by a natural flash. Two quite different mechanisms are involved in the occurrence of the bipolar flashes of each group: The bipolar events that start as a natural flash are results of recoil leaders sharing parts of the initial branching structure; the bipolar events that start as upward positive leaders are the result of the interaction between these leaders' initial branching structures and the branches of the intracloud flashes they triggered.

The formation of small-scale umbral brightenings in sunspot atmospheres

Sunspot atmospheres are highly inhomogeneous hosting both quasi-stable and transient features, such as `umbral micro-jets' and dark fibril-like events. We seek to understand the morphological properties and formation mechanisms of small-scale umbral brightenings (SSUBs; analogous to umbral micro-jets) and to understand whether links between these events and short dynamic fibrils, umbral flashes, and umbral dots can be established. An SST filtergram time-series sampling the Ca II H line and a CRISP full-Stokes 15-point Ca II 8542 A line scan dataset were used. The average lifetime and lengths of 54 SSUBs identified in the sunspot umbra are found to be 44.2 seconds (sigma=20 seconds) and 0.56" (sigma=0.14"). The spatial positioning and morphological evolution of these events was investigated finding no evidence of parabolic or ballistic profiles nor a preference for co-spatial formation with umbral flashes. The presence of Stokes V profile reversals provided evidence that these events could form through the development of shocks in the chromosphere. The application of the weak-field approximation indicated that changes in the line-of-sight magnetic field were not responsible for the modifications to the line profile and suggested that thermodynamic effects are the actual cause of the increased emission. Finally, a sub-set of SSUBs were observed to form at the foot-points of short dynamic fibrils. Overall, we found no correlation between the spatial locations where these events were observed and the occurrence of umbral dots and umbral flashes. SSUBs, however, have lifetimes and spectral signatures comparable to umbral flashes and are located at the footpoints of short dynamic fibrils, during or at the end of the red-shifted stage. It is possible, therefore, that these features form due to the shocking of fibrilar material in the lower atmosphere upon its return under gravity.