Los guardianes silenciosos de la Quebrada de Humahuaca: etnobotánica del “cardón” (Trichocereus atacamensis, Cactaceae) entre pobladores originarios en el Departamento Tilcara, Jujuy, Argentina

The “cardón”, Trichocereus atacamensis, is an emblematic species in the Quebrada de Humahuaca (Jujuy, Argentina). However, although data can be found scattered throughout the literature, its ethnobotany has never been studied in depth. The aim of the present paper is to conduct a comprehensive ethnobotanical study of T. atacamensis in the Department of Tilcara (Jujuy, Argentina), among members of the Kolla people, to shed light on the complex interrelations between this human group and the “cardón”. The information collected includes narratives, uses, knowledge of the morphology, qualities, ecological and phenological distribution, details of the role of these cacti in the area and other aspects on the relationship between the plants and the people. Results suggest that the phytosanitary state of both the “cardones” and the study area is of concern, and that the very close links with the “cardón”, in accordance with traditional cultural patterns and conceptions, are fiercely maintained despite the socioenvironmental changes. This study also highlights the pressing need to devise strategies to gain a better insight into the phytosanitary state of the “cardones” and their habitat, and thus safeguard local relations and knowledge associated with themEl “cardón”, Trichocereus atacamensis es una especie emblemática en la Quebrada de Humahuaca. Si bien hay datos dispersos en la literatura, hasta hoy su etnobotánica no ha sido foco de investigaciones. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue realizar un estudio etnobotánico integral sobre Trichocereus atacamensis en el departamento Tilcara (Jujuy, Argentina), con pobladores kollas, para dar luz sobre las complejas interrelaciones entre este grupo humano y los “cardones”. La información reunida incluye narrativas, usos, saberes sobre la morfología, cualidades, distribución ecológica y fenología, detalles del rol de estos cactus en la zona y otros aspectos relacionados a los vínculos de la gente con estas plantas. Los resultados sugieren que el estado fitosanitario de los “cardones” y de la zona de estudio es preocupante. Se concluye que los lazos con el “cardón” son estrechos, acordes a pautas y concepciones culturales tradicionales, y que se mantienen con fuerza a pesar de los cambios socioambientales acaecidos; además, urge pensar estrategias para conocer mejor la situación sanitaria de los “cardones” y su hábitat y resguardar así los vínculos y saberes vernáculos asociados a ello

Varespladib and cardiovascular events in patients with an acute coronary syndrome: the VISTA-16 randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE: Secretory phospholipase A2(sPLA2) generates bioactive phospholipid products implicated in atherosclerosis. The sPLA2inhibitor varespladib has favorable effects on lipid and inflammatory markers; however, its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of sPLA2inhibition with varespladib on cardiovascular outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial at 362 academic and community hospitals in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, and North America of 5145 patients randomized within 96 hours of presentation of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) to either varespladib (n = 2572) or placebo (n = 2573) with enrollment between June 1, 2010, and March 7, 2012 (study termination on March 9, 2012). INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized to receive varespladib (500 mg) or placebo daily for 16 weeks, in addition to atorvastatin and other established therapies. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary efficacy measurewas a composite of cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke, or unstable angina with evidence of ischemia requiring hospitalization at 16 weeks. Six-month survival status was also evaluated. RESULTS: At a prespecified interim analysis, including 212 primary end point events, the independent data and safety monitoring board recommended termination of the trial for futility and possible harm. The primary end point occurred in 136 patients (6.1%) treated with varespladib compared with 109 patients (5.1%) treated with placebo (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95%CI, 0.97-1.61; log-rank P = .08). Varespladib was associated with a greater risk of MI (78 [3.4%] vs 47 [2.2%]; HR, 1.66; 95%CI, 1.16-2.39; log-rank P = .005). The composite secondary end point of cardiovascular mortality, MI, and stroke was observed in 107 patients (4.6%) in the varespladib group and 79 patients (3.8%) in the placebo group (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02-1.82; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In patients with recent ACS, varespladib did not reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and significantly increased the risk of MI. The sPLA2inhibition with varespladib may be harmful and is not a useful strategy to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes after ACS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01130246. Copyright 2014 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Improved functionalization of oleic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can providemultiple benefits for biomedical applications in aqueous environments such asmagnetic separation or magnetic resonance imaging. To increase the colloidal stability and allow subsequent reactions, the introduction of hydrophilic functional groups onto the particles’ surface is essential. During this process, the original coating is exchanged by preferably covalently bonded ligands such as trialkoxysilanes. The duration of the silane exchange reaction, which commonly takes more than 24 h, is an important drawback for this approach. In this paper, we present a novel method, which introduces ultrasonication as an energy source to dramatically accelerate this process, resulting in high-quality waterdispersible nanoparticles around 10 nmin size. To prove the generic character, different functional groups were introduced on the surface including polyethylene glycol chains, carboxylic acid, amine, and thiol groups. Their colloidal stability in various aqueous buffer solutions as well as human plasma and serum was investigated to allow implementation in biomedical and sensing applications.status: publishe

Cause of Death and Predictors of All-Cause Mortality in Anticoagulated Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation : Data From ROCKET AF

M. Kaste on työryhmän ROCKET AF Steering Comm jäsen.Background-Atrial fibrillation is associated with higher mortality. Identification of causes of death and contemporary risk factors for all-cause mortality may guide interventions. Methods and Results-In the Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared with Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation (ROCKET AF) study, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were randomized to rivaroxaban or dose-adjusted warfarin. Cox proportional hazards regression with backward elimination identified factors at randomization that were independently associated with all-cause mortality in the 14 171 participants in the intention-to-treat population. The median age was 73 years, and the mean CHADS(2) score was 3.5. Over 1.9 years of median follow-up, 1214 (8.6%) patients died. Kaplan-Meier mortality rates were 4.2% at 1 year and 8.9% at 2 years. The majority of classified deaths (1081) were cardiovascular (72%), whereas only 6% were nonhemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism. No significant difference in all-cause mortality was observed between the rivaroxaban and warfarin arms (P=0.15). Heart failure (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.33-1.70, P= 75 years (hazard ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.51-1.90, P Conclusions-In a large population of patients anticoagulated for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, approximate to 7 in 10 deaths were cardiovascular, whereasPeer reviewe

Annual personalised calculator for prognostication after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Aim. To create a calculator for the annual personalised risk assessment of adverse cardiovascular events in patients after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Materials and Methods. Here we performed a prospective data analysis of 1,000 patients diagnosed with STEMI during 2017 and 2018 and admitted to Regional Vascular Center. For evaluating the risk of adverse cardiovascular events after STEMI, we applied the GRACE scale. After 1 year of follow-up, the predicted outcomes were compared with the actual outcomes. We then created a personalised calculator of unfavorable outcome by using logistic regression.Results. The calculator included six indicators that significantly correlated with outcomes and poorly correlated with each other: left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) &lt; 40%, anterior STEMI, tachycardia upon admission, fasting blood glucose, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), and patient age.Conclusion. We found a high reliability of our calculator for the annual personalised prognosis of adverse outcome in patients after STEMI.</jats:p

Annual personalised calculator for prognostication after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Aim. To create a calculator for the annual personalised risk assessment of adverse cardiovascular events in patients after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Materials and Methods. Here we performed a prospective data analysis of 1,000 patients diagnosed with STEMI during 2017 and 2018 and admitted to Regional Vascular Center. For evaluating the risk of adverse cardiovascular events after STEMI, we applied the GRACE scale. After 1 year of follow-up, the predicted outcomes were compared with the actual outcomes. We then created a personalised calculator of unfavorable outcome by using logistic regression.Results. The calculator included six indicators that significantly correlated with outcomes and poorly correlated with each other: left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) &lt; 40%, anterior STEMI, tachycardia upon admission, fasting blood glucose, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), and patient age.Conclusion. We found a high reliability of our calculator for the annual personalised prognosis of adverse outcome in patients after STEMI