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Meron Teklu, Philip M Parel, Nehal N Mehta National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USACorrespondence: Nehal N MehtaLasker Senior Investigator, Chief, Section of Inflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Clinical Research Center, Room 5-5140, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USATel +1-301-827-0483Fax +1-301-827-0915Email nehal.mehta@nih.govAbstract: Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory condition associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Psoriasis confers a dose-dependent increase in risk for the metabolic syndrome and its components. The metabolic syndrome and its components have been associated with higher coronary atherosclerosis in psoriasis and cardiovascular events in the general population. In this review, we discuss the role of inflammation and psoriasis in cardiometabolic diseases with a focus on the metabolic syndrome and its components. We highlight the relationship between psoriasis and important cardiovascular risk factors encompassed by obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and hypertension. Furthermore, we briefly highlight literature on anti-inflammatory therapies and their impact on the components of the metabolic syndrome as well as directly quantified coronary atherosclerosis burden.Keywords: psoriasis, inflammation, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is classed among the most important leguminous crops of high economic value in Ethiopia. Two plant-parasitic nematode species, Pratylenchus delattrei and Quinisulcius capitatus, were recovered from chickpea-growing areas in Ethiopia and characterized using molecular and morphological data, including the first scanning electron microscopy data for P. delattrei. New sequences of D2-D3 of 28S, ITS rDNA and mtDNA COI genes have been obtained from these species, providing the first COI sequences for P. delattrei and Q. capitatus, with both species being found for the first time on chickpea in Ethiopia. Furthermore, Pratylenchus delattrei was recovered in Ethiopia for the first time. The information obtained about these nematodes will be crucial to developing effective nematode management plans for future chickpea production.

Abstract Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) have played an increasingly important role in the fields of ocean exploration, underwater environment monitoring, underwater navigation target tracking, terrain-assisted navigation, and so on. However, UWSNs are a dynamic network, which are unlike terrestrial wireless sensor networks, and the complexity of underwater environment poses many challenges for the positioning of sensor nodes. Aiming at the difficulty of location update, this paper proposes a UWSN positioning technology based on iterative optimization and data position correction (IO-DPC). Firstly, particle swarm optimization technology is used to perform the rough positioning stage of sensor nodes, and iterative optimization is performed for many times. Then, data position correction work is carried out, and a scheme is designed for correcting underwater sensor data position when base station receives the data packet. An underwater ocean current model is established, and IO-DPC technology is simulated in various underwater simulation environments. Experimental results show that IO-DPC technology has higher positioning accuracy than other traditional technologies.

In recent years, with the popularity of smartphones, mobile sensor technologies have been widely used in indoor localization. Its advantage is that data can be collected directly from smartphones without installing any other equipment. Meanwhile, it has the disadvantages of high requirements on positioning conditions and large deviations in positioning results. A technology of crowd-sourcing landmarks-assisted smartphone in indoor localization (CLS-IL) is proposed in this paper so as to solve these disadvantages. Firstly, the accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope sensors are used to acquire initial positioning of users. The characteristics of magnetometer and gyroscope sensors are analyzed through a series of experiments in allusion to the key problem of heading estimation errors, then corresponding data is matched for different experimental conditions. After that, the corresponding landmark database is established for experimental environment and an adaptive optimization algorithm of landmarks is proposed to correct drift errors caused by the readings of sensors influenced by surrounding environment and long positioning time excessively during traditional pedestrian dead reckoning. Experimental results show that the location accuracy of CLS-IL system is significantly improved compared with traditional technologies, which provides strong support for subsequent studies.

Abstract Background Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to at least Rifampicin and Isoniazid drugs. The treatment success rate for MDR-TB cases is lower than for drug susceptible TB. Globally only 55% of MDR-TB patients were successfully treated. Monitoring the early treatment outcome and better understanding of the specific reasons for early unfavorable and unknown treatment outcome is crucial for preventing the emergence of further drug-resistant tuberculosis. However, this information is scarce in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the intensive phase treatment outcome and contributing factors among patients treated for MDR-TB in Ethiopia. Methods A 6 year retrospective cohort record review was conducted in fourteen TICs all over the country. The records of 751 MDR-TB patients were randomly selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a pre-tested and structured checklist. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression was undertaken to identify the contributing factors. Results At the end of the intensive phase, 17.3% of MDR-TB patients had an unfavorable treatment outcome, while 16.8% had an unknown outcome with the remaining having a favorable outcome. The median duration of the intensive phase was 9.0 months (IQR 8.04–10.54). Having an unfavorable intensive phase treatment outcome was found significantly more common among older age [ARRR = 1.047, 95% CI (1.024, 1.072)] and those with a history of hypokalemia [ARRR = 0.512, 95% CI (0.280, 0.939)]. Having an unknown intensive phase treatment outcome was found to be more common among those treated under the ambulatory care [ARRR = 3.2, 95% CI (1.6, 6.2)], rural dwellers [ARRR = 0.370, 95% CI (0.199, 0.66)], those without a treatment supporter [ARRR = 0.022, 95% CI (0.002, 0.231)], and those with resistance to a limited number of drugs. Conclusion We observed a higher rate of unfavorable and unknown treatment outcome in this study. To improve favorable treatment outcome more emphasis should be given to conducting all scheduled laboratory monitoring tests, assignment of treatment supporters for each patient and ensuring complete recording and reporting which could be enhanced by quarterly cohort review. Older aged and rural patients need special attention. Furthermore, the sample referral network should be strengthened.

Abstract Considering the insufficient global energy consumption optimization of the existing routing algorithms for Underwater Wireless Sensor Network (UWSN), a new algorithm, named improved energy-balanced routing (IEBR), is designed in this paper for UWSN. The algorithm includes two stages: routing establishment and data transmission. During the first stage, a mathematical model is constructed for transmission distance to find the neighbors at the optimal distances and the underwater network links are established. In addition, IEBR will select relays based on the depth of the neighbors, minimize the hops in a link based on the depth threshold, and solve the problem of data transmission loop. During the second stage, the links built in the first stage are dynamically changed based on the energy level (EL) differences between the neighboring nodes in the links, so as to achieve energy balance of the entire network and extend the network lifetime significantly. Simulation results show that compared with other typical energy-balanced routing algorithms, IEBR presents superior performance in network lifetime, transmission loss, and data throughput.

Abstract In multi-antenna simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) system, beamforming strategy has been widely analyzed due to the increasing signal strength. It can not only increase the signal strength in the direction of the antenna array but also reduce the interference strength, which is a good option for SWIPT system to achieve directional transmission of information and energy. However, the traditional beamforming strategy only uses single beamforming vector, and it does not consider the differences between information and energy in SWIPT system. Actually, interference can also be collected as energy. Based on the traditional beamforming strategy, the resources in SWIPT system are not properly utilized. Therefore, this paper proposes a joint beamforming strategy in multi-input and single-output (MISO) SWIPT system. We extend the traditional single beamforming vector into two beamforming vectors to realize independent control of information and energy based on time switching (TS) receiving mode. In information receiving phase, information beamforming vector is used to carry specific user’s information for information alignment. Since there is an orthogonal relationship between information beamforming vector and channel gain vector, we can achieve to eliminate interference and realize error-free information transmission. In energy receiving phase, energy beamforming vector is used to carry user’s energy. Energy beamforming vector and channel gain vector do not require the orthogonality so that the interference can also be collected as energy. In this paper, we model it as a transmission power optimization (TPO) problem, which is a complex non-convex problem. We firstly transform it into a convex problem, and then, it can be solved using CVX toolbox. Simulation results show that the proposed strategy could increase the energy collection at the same transmission power and also decrease the transmission power at the same energy collection.

Aiming at the serious effect of coverage hole caused by the poor deployment environment and the limited energy of wireless sensor network (WSN) on network lifetime, an optimized and lightweight energy-efficient connected coverage heuristic (OECCH) algorithm is proposed. Armed with the analysis of the coverage contribution, the sensor nodes are categorized into sensing nodes and relay nodes. Then, an intersection connected cover set is constructed based on the heuristic values, and the network lifetime is maximized in combination with energy update and coverage recovery. Simulation results indicate that OECCH can prolong the network lifetime while reducing the computation overhead of WSN obviously.

In the process of indoor visual positioning and navigation, difficult points often exist in corridors, stairwells, and other scenes that contain large areas of white walls, strong consistent background, and sparse feature points. Aiming at the problem of positioning and navigation in the real physical world where the walls with sparse feature points are difficult to be filled with pictures, this paper designs a feature extraction method, ARAC (Adaptive Region Adjustment based on Consistency) using Free and Open-Source Software and tools. It divides the image into foreground and background and extracts their features respectively, to achieve not only retain positioning information but also focus more energy on the foreground area which is favourable for navigation. In the test phase, under the combined conditions of illumination, scale and affine changes, the feature matching maps by the feature extraction algorithm proposed in this paper are compared with those by SIFT and SURF. Experiments show that the number of correctly matched feature pairs obtained by ARAC is better than SIFT and SURF, and whose time of feature extraction and matching is comparable to SURF, which verifies the accuracy and efficiency of the ARAC feature extraction method.

Mobile sensors are widely used in indoor positioning in recent years, but most methods require cumbersome calibration for precise positioning results, thus the paper proposes a new unsupervised indoor positioning (UIP) without cumbersome calibration. UIP takes advantage of environment features in indoor environments, as some indoor locations have their signatures. UIP considers these signatures as the landmarks, and combines dead reckoning with them in a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) frame to reduce positioning errors and convergence time. The test results prove that the system can achieve accurate indoor positioning, which highlights its prospect as an unconventional method of indoor positioning.

Current and continuing climate change in the Anthropocene epoch requires sustainable agricultural practices. Additionally, due to changing consumer preferences, organic approaches to cultivation are gaining popularity. The global market for organic grapes, grape products, and wine is growing. Biostimulant and biocontrol products are often applied in organic vineyards and can reduce the synthetic fertilizer, pesticide, and fungicide requirements of a vineyard. Plant growth promotion following application is also observed under a variety of challenging conditions associated with global warming. This paper reviews different groups of biostimulants and their effects on viticulture, including microorganisms, protein hydrolysates, humic acids, pyrogenic materials, and seaweed extracts. Of special interest are biostimulants with utility in protecting plants against the effects of climate change, including drought and heat stress. While many beneficial effects have been reported following the application of these materials, most studies lack a mechanistic explanation, and important parameters are often undefined (e.g., soil characteristics and nutrient availability). We recommend an increased study of the underlying mechanisms of these products to enable the selection of proper biostimulants, application methods, and dosage in viticulture. A detailed understanding of processes dictating beneficial effects in vineyards following application may allow for biostimulants with increased efficacy, uptake, and sustainability., Competing Interests: Author YA was employed by Chitose Laboratory Corp. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Jindo, Goron, Pizarro-Tobías, Sánchez-Monedero, Audette, Deolu-Ajayi, van der Werf, Goitom Teklu, Shenker, Pombo Sudré, Busato, Ochoa-Hueso, Nocentini, Rippen, Aroca, Mesa, Delgado and Tortosa.)

Background: Statin treatment is a potent lipid-lowering therapy associated with decreased cardiovascular risk and mortality. Recent studies including the PARADIGM trial have demonstrated the impact of statins on promoting calcified coronary plaque., Hypothesis: The degree of systemic inflammation impacts the amount of increase in coronary plaque calcification over 2 years of statin treatment., Methods: A subgroup of 142 participants was analyzed from the Risk Stratification with Image Guidance of HMG CoA Reductase Inhibitor Therapy (RIGHT) study (NCT01212900), who were on statin treatment and underwent cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) at baseline and 2-year follow-up. This cohort was stratified by baseline median levels of high-sensitivity hs-CRP and analyzed with linear regressions using Stata-17 (StataCorp)., Results: In the high versus low hs-CRP group, patients with higher baseline median hs-CRP had increased BMI (median [IQR]; 29 [27-31] vs. 27 [24-28]; p < .001), hypertension (59% vs. 41%; p = .03), and LDL-C levels (97 [77-113] vs. 87 [75-97] mg/dl; p = .01). After 2 years of statin treatment, the high hs-CRP group had significant increase in dense-calcified coronary burden versus the low hs-CRP group (1.27 vs. 0.32 mm 2 [100×]; p = .02), beyond adjustment (β = .2; p = .03)., Conclusions: Statin treatment over 2 years associated with a significant increase in coronary calcification in patients with higher systemic inflammation, as measured by hs-CRP. These findings suggest that systemic inflammation plays a role in coronary calcification and further studies should be performed to better elucidate these findings., (© 2022 The Authors. Clinical Cardiology published by Wiley Periodicals, LLC.)

Background: We sought to characterize the level of LDL-C control and identify opportunities for improvement and characteristics of patients who were undertreated., Methods: Study patients were from a large multihospital system, age <90, with documentation of at least two encounters with a CAD diagnosis or procedure before a first measured LDL-C level and a last recorded LDL-C measurement over a minimum six-month (median = 22 months, IQR = 15-26 months) follow-up from January 2017 to September 2019. Linear regression analysis for last recorded LDL-C level was used to analyze the effects of statin intensity and patient characteristics., Results: Among 15,111 eligible patients, mean age was 68.4 (SD = 10.8), 68.7% were male, and 79.4% were non-Hispanic White. At follow-up, 87.8% of patients were prescribed a statin, 9.7% were on ezetimibe, and 0.5% were on a PCSK9 inhibitor. Mean LDL-C at follow-up was 75.6 mg/dL and 45.5% of patients were on high-intensity treatment. Higher LDL-C values were associated with female sex, younger patients, non-Hispanic Black patients, high poverty or out of state zip code, Medicaid, or angina as the qualifying diagnosis. For 332 clinicians with >10 patients in the cohort, mean last recorded LDL-C values ranged from 47 to 102 mg/dL., Conclusions: There were important variations in LDL-C control between patients in our health system with the same indication for treatment. Variation in treatment among physicians is an area ripe for quality improvement interventions. This study may be easily reproduced by other medical centers and used for highlighting both patient and physician opportunities for improvement., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Gary J. Martin et al.)

Epidemiological and clinical studies have demonstrated a consistent relationship between increased systemic inflammation and increased risk of cardiovascular events. In chronic inflammatory states, traditional risk factors only partially account for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) but underestimate total cardiovascular risk likely due to the residual risk of inflammation. Computed coronary tomography angiography (CCTA) may aid in risk stratification by noninvasively capturing early CAD, identifying high risk plaque morphology and quantifying plaque at baseline and in response to treatment. In this review, we focus on reviewing studies on subclinical atherosclerosis by CCTA in individuals with chronic inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and psoriasis. We start with a brief review on the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis, highlight the utility of using CCTA to delineate vessel wall and plaque characteristics and discuss combining CCTA with laboratory studies and emerging technologies to complement traditional risk stratification in chronic inflammatory states., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest, (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Psoriasis is associated with a higher risk of liver diseases. We investigated the impact of hepatic steatosis (European cohort) and hepatic inflammation (United States cohort) on subclinical atherosclerosis. In the European cohort (n = 76 psoriasis participants and 76 controls), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, assessed by the sonographic hepatorenal index, was more prevalent in psoriasis than in controls (61% vs. 45%; P = 0.04). Participants with psoriasis with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease had a higher prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis (ultrasonographic presence of plaque in femoral or carotid arteries) than participants with psoriasis without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (61% vs. 23%; P = 0.006) and controls with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (61% vs. 32%; P < 0.05). Sonographic hepatorenal index was a determinant of subclinical atherosclerosis in psoriasis (OR = 3.5; P = 0.01). In the United States cohort (n = 162 participants with psoriasis who underwent positron emission tomography and coronary computed tomography angiography), those with high hepatic 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake had higher noncalcified (1.3 [0.49 mm 2 ] vs. 1.0 [0.40 mm 2 ]), fibrofatty (0.23 [0.15 mm 2 ] vs. 0.11 [0.087 mm 2 ]), and lipid-rich necrotic core (4.3 [2.3 mm 2 ] vs. 3.0 [1.7 mm 2 ]) coronary burden (all P < 0.001). Hepatic 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake associated with noncalcified (β = 0.28; P < 0.001), fibrofatty (β = 0.49; P < 0.001), and lipid-rich necrotic core (β = 0.28; P = 0.003) burden. These results show the downstream cardiovascular effects of subclinical liver disease in psoriasis., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background and Aims: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease with increased risk of myocardial infarction. Preclinical studies in psoriasis models show an association between chronic inflammation and immune cell proliferation in the spleen and bone marrow (BM). We sought to test the hypothesis that splenic and BM 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) uptake is heightened in psoriasis and that higher uptake associates with systemic inflammation and subclinical atherosclerotic disease measures in this cohort., Methods: Multimodality imaging and biomarker assays were performed in 240 participants (210 with psoriasis and 30 healthy). Splenic and BM uptake was obtained using 18 F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Coronary artery plaque characteristics including non-calcified burden (NCB) and lipid rich necrotic core (LRNC) were quantified using a dedicated software for CT angiography. All analyses were performed with StataIC 16 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA)., Results: Splenic and BM 18 F-FDG uptake was increased in psoriasis (vs. healthy volunteers) and significantly associated with proatherogenic lipids, immune cells and systemic inflammation. Higher splenic 18 F-FDG uptake associated with higher total coronary burden (β = 0.37; p<0.001), NCB (β = 0.39; p<0.001), and LRNC (β = 0.32; p<0.001) in fully adjusted models. Similar associations were seen for BM 18 F-FDG uptake in adjusted models (β = 0.38; β = 0.41; β = 0.24; respectively, all p<0.001)., Conclusions: Heightened splenic and BM uptake of 18 F-FDG is associated with proatherogenic lipids, immune cells, inflammatory markers and coronary artery disease. These findings provide insights into atherogenic mechanisms in psoriasis and suggest that immune cell proliferation in the spleen and BM is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Over the past several decades, molecular imaging techniques to assess cellular processes in vivo have been integral in advancing our understanding of disease pathogenesis. 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in particular has shaped the field of atherosclerosis research by highlighting the importance of underlying inflammatory processes that are responsible for driving disease progression. The ability to assess physiology using molecular imaging, combining it with anatomic delineation using cardiac coronary angiography (CCTA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and lab-based techniques, provides a powerful combination to advance both research and ultimately clinical care. In this review, we demonstrate how molecular imaging studies, specifically using 18-FDG PET, have revealed that early vascular disease is a systemic process with multiple, concurrent biological mechanisms using inflammatory diseases as a basis to understand early atherosclerotic mechanisms in humans., (© 2020. This is a U.S. government work and its text is not subject to copyright protection in the United States; however, its text may be subject to foreign copyright protection.)

Alternaria species are well-known aggressive pathogens that are widespread globally and warmer temperatures caused by climate change might increase their abundance more drastically. Early blight (EB) disease, caused mainly by Alternaria solani, and brown spot, caused by Alternaria alternata, are major concerns in potato, tomato and eggplant production. The development of EB is strongly linked to varieties, crop development stages, environmental factors, cultivation and field management. Several forecasting models for pesticide application to control EB were created in the last century and more recent scientific advances have included modern breeding technology to detect resistant genes and precision agriculture with hyperspectral sensors to pinpoint damage locations on plants. This paper presents an overview of the EB disease and provides an evaluation of recent scientific advances to control the disease. First of all, we describe the outline of this disease, encompassing biological cycles of the Alternaria genus, favorite climate and soil conditions as well as resistant plant species. Second, versatile management practices to minimize the effect of this pathogen at field level are discussed, covering their limitations and pitfalls. A better understanding of the underlying factors of this disease and the potential of novel research can contribute to implementing integrated pest management systems for an ecofriendly farming system. © 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

Objective: Understand the relationship between abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT) and coronary atherosclerosis defined as noncalcified and lipid-rich necrotic core burden in psoriasis., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 232 participants (92 women) with psoriasis and without known cardiovascular disease. Participants underwent coronary computed tomography angiography to characterize coronary atherosclerosis burden and low dose abdominal computed tomography to quantify subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue. Fat depot volumes were first adjusted for each participant's BMI (ASAT adjBMI )., Results: In women, there was a positive correlation between ASAT adjBMI and systemic inflammation as assessed by hs-C-reactive protein (r=0.30; p=.004) and GlycA (r=0.29; p=.007) as well as total cholesterol (r=0.24; p=.02) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=0.22; p=.04). In men, ASAT adjBMI correlated with hs-C-reactive protein (r=0.18; p=.04) and insulin resistance (r=0.17; p=.04). In models fully adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, ASAT adjBMI negatively associated with noncalcified and lipid-rich necrotic core burden in men (β= -0.17; p=.03, β= -0.20; p=.03, respectively), but not women (β= -0.06; p=.57, β= 0.09; p=.49, respectively) with psoriasis., Conclusions: For a given BMI, ASAT negatively associated with coronary atherosclerosis burden in male participants with psoriasis. The observed sex-specific effects warrant further study of ASAT in states of chronic inflammation., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: Increased left ventricular (LV) mass is an important precursor to heart failure. Inflammation plays an important role in increasing LV mass. However, the contribution of subclinical coronary artery disease (CAD) to the inflammation-LV mass relationship is unknown. In subjects with psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, we evaluated if systemic inflammation assessed by plasma glycoprotein A (GlycA) associated with LV mass measured on coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Additionally, we analyzed whether this relationship was mediated by early CAD assessed as noncalcified coronary burden (NCB)., Methods: We performed an observational longitudinal study of 213 subjects with psoriasis free of known cardiovascular disease, 189 of whom were followed over one year. All participants had GlycA measurements by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and LV mass and NCB quantified by CCTA., Results: The cohort had a mean age of 50.3 (±12.9) years and 59% were male. There was moderate psoriasis severity and low cardiovascular risk. LV mass increased by GlycA tertiles [1st tertile:24.6 g/m 2.7 (3.8), 2nd tertile:25.5 g/m 2.7 (3.8), 3rd tertile:27.7 g/m 2.7 (5.5), p <0.001]. Both GlycA (β=0.24, p  = 0.001) and NCB (β=0.50, p <0.001) associated with LV mass in models adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, hypertension therapy, lipid therapy, biologic therapy for psoriasis, waist:hip ratio, psoriasis disease duration and severity. In multivariable-adjusted mediation analyses, NCB accounted for 32% of the GlycA-LV mass relationship. Finally, over one year, change in NCB independently associated with change in LV mass (β=0.25, p  = 0.002)., Conclusions: Both systemic inflammation and coronary artery NCB were associated with LV mass beyond cardiovascular risk factors in psoriasis. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of the inflammatory-LV mass relationship was mediated by NCB. These findings underscore the possible contribution of early coronary artery disease to the relationship between systemic inflammation and LV mass., Competing Interests: Dr. Mehta is a full-time US government employee and has served as a consultant for Amgen, Eli Lilly, and Leo Pharma receiving grants/other payments; as a principal investigator and/or investigator for AbbVie, Celgene, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Novartis receiving grants and/or research funding; and as a principal investigator for the National Institutes of Health receiving grants and/or research funding. All other authors declare no conflicts of interests in relation to the work presented in this manuscript., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Psoriasis is associated with a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease and higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome., Objective: Investigate the effect of metabolic syndrome and its factors on early coronary artery disease assessed as noncalcified coronary burden by coronary computed tomography angiography in psoriasis., Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of 260 participants with psoriasis and coronary computed tomography angiography characterization. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the harmonized International Diabetes Federation criteria., Results: Of the 260 participants, 80 had metabolic syndrome (31%). The metabolic syndrome group had a higher burden of cardiometabolic disease, systemic inflammation, noncalcified coronary burden, and high-risk coronary plaque. After adjusting for Framingham risk score, lipid-lowering therapy, and biologic use, metabolic syndrome (β = .31; P < .001) and its individual factors of waist circumference (β = .33; P < .001), triglyceride levels (β = .17; P = .005), blood pressure (β = .18; P = .005), and fasting glucose (β = .17; P = .009) were significantly associated with noncalcified coronary burden. After adjusting for all other metabolic syndrome factors, blood pressure and waist circumference remained significantly associated with noncalcified coronary burden., Limitations: Observational nature with limited ability to control for confounders., Conclusions: In psoriasis, individuals with metabolic syndrome had more cardiovascular disease risk factors, systemic inflammation, and noncalcified coronary burden. Efforts to increase metabolic syndrome awareness in psoriasis should be undertaken to reduce the heightened cardiovascular disease risk., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest Dr Siegel reports personal fees from AbbVie, Janssen, and Lilly outside the submitted work. Dr Gelfand reports personal fees from Abcentra, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cara (data safety monitoring board [DSMB]), GSK, Lilly (data monitoring committee), Janssen Biologics, Novartis Corp, UCB (DSMB), Neuroderm (DSMB), Dr. Reddy’s Labs, Happify, Inc, Mindera Dx, Pfizer Inc, and Sun Pharma and grants from AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen, Novartis Corp, Celgene, Ortho Dermatologics, and Pfizer Inc outside the submitted work. Dr Mehta is a full-time US government employee and has received research grants from AbbVie, Janssen, Novartis Corp, and Celgene outside the submitted work. Drs Zhou, Dey, Sorokin, Teague, Sajja, Shanbhag, Chen, Bluemke, and Playford, and Authors Teklu, Kapoor, Patel, Manyak, Erb-Alvarez, Abdelrahman, Reddy, Uceda, Lateef, Scott, Prakash, Svirydava, Parel, Rodante, and Keel have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives/hypothesis: Otolaryngologic symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and their diagnostic utility are not well studied. We aimed to elucidate the prevalence of otolaryngologic symptoms among patients being evaluated for OSA. Given findings that the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) was strongly associated with OSA status, we evaluated the diagnostic utility of the RSI for predicting OSA status., Study Design: Cross-sectional., Methods: We recruited 101 adults presenting for ambulatory polysomnograms to the Northwestern Sleep Disorders Center from July 2017 to July 2018. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), RSI, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22, Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire 7, and Headache Impact Test were administered. Polysomnogram results were subsequently obtained. Patients with OSA (apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 5) and without OSA were compared., Results: Of the 101 participants, 98 had valid sleep study results. Of those, 72 were diagnosed with OSA and 26 were not. The two groups differed significantly in age and body mass index (BMI). Of the questionnaires, only the RSI and LCQ means differed significantly, with worse symptoms in the OSA group (P = .003 and .014, respectively). Upon univariate regression, age, BMI, and RSI were associated with OSA status. Using regression coefficients, a clinical score of 2 (RSI) + 1.5 (BMI) + age yielded a diagnostic model (C-statistic = 0.807, P < .001). A threshold score of 104.21 was 76.4% sensitive and 73.1% specific., Conclusions: Patients with OSA have worse symptoms of laryngopharyngeal reflux as measured by the RSI. The addition of the RSI to the recognized factors of age and BMI improves diagnostic utility for OSA., Level of Evidence: 2 Laryngoscope, 2020., (© 2020 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Objective: To assess the health utility of chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD)., Methods: This is a prospective study of 53 patients with chronic ETD recruited from a tertiary clinic from April 2017 to July 2018. The 7-Item Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) was administered, and health utility was evaluated using the EuroQol-5 Dimensions-3 Level Instrument (EQ-5D-3L), the visual analogue scale (VAS), time tradeoff (TTO), and standard gamble (SG). Participants were grouped into medical or procedural management groups. One-week follow-up included repeated health utility measures and ETDQ-7., Results: Fifty-three patients were included in the final analysis. Of those, 34 were managed medically, and 19 received myringotomies ± PE tubes. The mean baseline ETDQ-7 was 4.26 ± 1.31; whereas health utility measures were different depending on the method utilized: EQ-5D-3L 0.90 ± 0.11; VAS 0.76 ± 0.21; TTO 0.85 ± 0.23; and SG 0.94 ± 0.11 (P < .001). There was a significant change in ETDQ-7 (P = .001) and TTO (P = .011) scores posttreatment. On the ETDQ-7, question 2 (pain in the ears) was significantly associated with VAS (P = .032), and question 4 (ear symptoms during a cold or sinusitis) was significantly associated with TTO (P = .006)., Conclusion: Chronic ETD has a significant burden on quality of life, with a health utility similar to gastroesophageal reflux disease and moderate asthma. Although treatment-related changes are measurable using disease-specific quality-of-life measures, only TTO was significantly changed after treatment. Health utility seemed to depend on the method of measurement but provided a benchmark for evaluating cost-effectiveness of innovations to manage ETD., Level of Evidence: 2 Laryngoscope, 130:E39-E44, 2020., (© 2019 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)