Publications by authors named "Beck K"

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the commonest cause of death in Turner syndrome (TS) for which, arterial hypertension has a direct influence and is a key modifiable risk factor.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and patterns of hypertension diagnosis and management in adult patients with TS who are registered in a large international multicentre database (TS-HTN study).

Methods: Retrospective multi-centre observational study of patients aged ≥18 years, included in the I-TS (International-TS) registry (2020-2022) utilising registry and participating centre collected data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Increasingly, pregnant women living with HIV (WLHIV) initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) before conception. We assessed the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes among pregnant WLHIV initiating ART preconception or antenatally, compared with women without HIV or ART-naïve WLHIV.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and serious psychiatric disorder associated with significant morbidity. There is mounting evidence for the role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of depression.

Objective: To investigate alterations in the brain antioxidant glutathione in depression by undertaking a meta-analysis of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Children born small or sick in rural Rwanda often lack proper follow-up care, which the Pediatric Development Clinics (PDC) aim to address by providing structured support after hospital discharge.
  • The study compared the impact of PDC on children's health and development in two districts, using surveys and statistical analysis to measure outcomes such as survival and growth.
  • Results showed that children attending PDC had lower mortality rates and developmental delays, along with reduced stunting, highlighting the importance of improving access to such clinics across Rwanda.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the past 50 years, the age at first birth in Norway and other European countries has shifted, leading to concerns that individuals begin childbearing too late to reach their intended family size. This article analyzes the effect of school starting age on fertility and family formation by utilizing Norway's age-based school entry policy. Using individual-level register data and a regression discontinuity design, we find that being born after the age cutoff for school start results in an increased age at first birth of 2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The study of prehabilitation and rehabilitation ([p]rehabilitation) to alleviate the sequelae of bladder cancer and its treatment has generated numerous opportunities to improve the quality of life of bladder cancer survivors. The authors conducted a scoping review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to identify knowledge gaps in and research directions for (p)rehabilitative support for those affected by bladder cancer. The authors systematically searched six databases and synthesized key findings from RCTs conducted from January 1, 2004, through March 15, 2022, that enrolled participants with bladder cancer, survivors, or caregivers in outpatient (p)rehabilitative programs (e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Incorporating a steric barrier between the two stations in a bistable [2]rotaxane based on monopyrrolotetrathiafulvalene and cyclobis(paraquat--phenylene) allows the high-energy metastable-state co-conformation to be physically isolated following a single redox cycle, thus making it possible to store energy (4.4 J L) and to follow its interconversion back to the ground-state co-conformation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The age of individuals has consequences not only for their fitness and behaviour but also for the functioning of the groups they form. Because social behaviour often changes with age, population age structure is expected to shape the social organization, the social environments individuals experience and the operation of social processes within populations. Although research has explored changes in individual social behaviour with age, particularly in controlled settings, there is limited understanding of how age structure governs sociality in wild populations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Progressive harm reduction policies in British Columbia have not effectively addressed the barriers young people (ages 12-26) face when seeking care, leading to increased hospitalizations and drug-related deaths.
  • A scoping review identified 13 relevant studies, revealing that barriers include self-stigma, difficulty navigating services, poor service delivery, and negative interactions with providers, while facilitators include meeting basic needs, positive provider relationships, support from social networks, and risk mitigation guidance.
  • To improve access, tailored policy interventions focused on equity are needed to better support youth in harm reduction initiatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Study Overview
  • : This research examined the nutritional status and malnutrition effects among older adults (65+) diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), utilizing specific definitions and tools to assess malnutrition and risk factors.
  • Findings
  • : Among 290 patients studied, only 18% were malnourished, but a significant 76% had at least one micronutrient deficiency, with common deficiencies noted in vitamin D (38%), iron (43%), and B12 (11%).
  • Conclusions
  • : While malnutrition was less common, high rates of micronutrient deficiencies and bone health issues were identified, highlighting the necessity for routine evaluations regarding nutrition and bone density in older UC patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unlabelled: The increasing knowledge of microbial ecology in food products relating to quality and safety and the established usefulness of machine learning algorithms for anomaly detection in multiple scenarios suggests that the application of microbiome data in food production systems for anomaly detection could be a valuable approach to be used in food systems. These methods could be used to identify ingredients that deviate from their typical microbial composition, which could indicate food fraud or safety issues. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of using shotgun sequencing data as input into anomaly detection algorithms using fluid milk as a model system.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The prevalence of food allergies in New Zealand infants is uncertain but is believed to be similar to Australia, exceeding 10%. Current recommendations for reducing food allergy risk are to offer all major food allergens to infants from as early as six months of age (start of complementary feeding), and before 12 months of age. However, little is known regarding parental practices around introducing major food allergens.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate how caregiver practices for children aged 0-23 months changed after a 10-month integration of Responsive Care and Early Learning (RCEL) counseling into nutrition services.
  • Data was collected through surveys and observations before and after the intervention, which trained health staff and community volunteers to support caregivers in their practices.
  • Results showed significant improvements in RCEL practices, home learning opportunities, reduced parenting stress, and better feeding practices, indicating that combining RCEL with nutrition counseling enhanced overall caregiver support without disrupting services.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a significant public health concern with limited treatment options. Dysregulated nitric oxide-mediated signaling has been implicated in HFpEF pathophysiology, however, little is known about the role of endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S).

Objectives: This study evaluated H2S bioavailability in patients and two animal models of cardiometabolic HFpEF and assessed the impact of H2S on HFpEF severity through alterations in endogenous H2S production and pharmacological supplementation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of squeezable food pouches among infants and young children, and their potential effects on energy intake and body mass index (BMI).
  • Researchers surveyed 933 children in New Zealand, and found that while pouch usage decreased as children grew older, the effect on their energy intake varied by age.
  • Notably, preschool children who frequently used pouches consumed less energy compared to non-users, while no significant differences in BMI were observed related to pouch use, suggesting concerns about pouches may be overstated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Therapeutic proteins suffer from physical and chemical instability in aqueous solution. Polysorbates and poloxamers are often added for protection against interfacial stress to prevent protein aggregation and particle formation. Previous studies have revealed that the hydrolysis and oxidation of polysorbates in parenteral formulations can lead to the formation of free fatty acid particles, insufficient long-term stabilization, and protein oxidation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Optimal nutrition during infancy is critical given its influence on lifelong health and wellbeing. Two novel methods of infant complementary feeding, commercial baby food pouch use and baby-led weaning (BLW), are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Household food insecurity may influence complementary feeding practices adopted by families, but no studies have investigated the use of BLW and baby food pouches in families experiencing food insecurity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, national cardiovascular disease (CVD) death rates increased, especially among younger adults. County-level variation has not been documented. Using county-level CVD deaths (ICD-10 codes: I00-I99) from the US National Vital Statistics System, we developed a Bayesian multivariate spatiotemporal model to estimate excess CVD death rates in 2020 based on trends from 2010-2019 for adults aged 35-64 and ≥65 years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this study, we investigated the temporal and spatial quantitative changes in the concentration of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) markers in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Four ARGs conferring resistance to different classes of antibiotics (ermB, sul1, tet[W], and bla) and a gene used as a proxy for ARG pollution (intl1) were quantified in two separate sampling campaigns covering two and half years of operation of the WWTP. First, a systematic monthly monitoring of multiple points in the inlet and the outlet revealed an absolute decrease in the concentration of all analyzed ARGs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Pulmonary thromboembolism and active haemoptysis represent distinct yet critical emergencies necessitating immediate intervention. However, the treatment protocols for these conditions-anticoagulation therapy and haemostatic therapy-often pose a dilemma.

Case Summary: We present the case of a 25-year-old female who presented to our emergency room with haemoptysis and a concurrent diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Quality of life is an important outcome to autistic individuals. However, the correlates of quality of life in this population are not well known. The purpose of this project was to investigate the extent to which employment, depression, anxiety, and social participation were associated with quality of life in autistic individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study looked at a rare heart condition called R-AAOCA, where the right coronary artery starts from the left side, and its possible link to sudden cardiac death.
  • They checked data from a lot of heart scans (over 89,000) but ended up focusing on 224 patients who had the specific condition and were followed for a while.
  • They found that out of those patients, only a few experienced serious heart problems, and none actually died suddenly, showing that this condition alone might not be a major risk for sudden death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF