Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Catalytic supercritical water gasification of eucalyptus wood chips in a batch reactor

Eucalyptus wood chips were reacted under supercritical water conditions to evaluate the effect of a NiFe2O4 catalyst, residence time and temperature parameters. Experiments were performed in a batch reactor at 400 °C , 450 °C and 500 °C using three different amounts of catalyst (0, 1.0, 2.0 g) and three different residence times (30, 45, 60 min). Results showed that eucalyptus wood chips reacted and produced CO2 as the dominant gas in all cases, followed by H2 and CH4. However, the presence of NiFe2O4 catalyst led to a 60% increase in H2 produced, while significantly reducing the solid residue and enhancing the percentage of methyl derivatives in the organic liquid products. The highest H2 mol% was at 450 °C, 2 g of catalyst and 60 min of residence time. Analysis of the derived oils showed that they were mostly composed of ketones, aldehydes, methylbenzenes and alkylated phenols. Increasing the reaction temperature to 500 °C increased the molar composition of methane by 62% compared to its yield at 450 °C. In generally, this work showed that NiFe2O4 acted as an effective heterogeneous catalyst for improved production of H2 and CH4 via supercritical water gasification process

Transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in dogs in a risk area of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

ABSTRACT Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has spread rapidly across cities in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. The aim of this study was to investigate VL dynamics in a prospective cohort study of dogs in Juatuba, between 2010 and 2011, to confirm the incidence of Leishmania infantum, and to assess possible risk factors associated with infection. An observational and prospective closed cohort study was performed using serology testing in dogs, randomly selected from the whole municipality. All seronegative dogs, or dogs with inconclusive results were monitored using indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) at 6-month intervals. The dog's owners completed a semi-structured questionnaire to assess possible causal factors of seroconversion, and the responses were assessed using logistic regression. The canine incidence coefficient was 206/1,000 dogs per year (CI: 178-238), and a cluster was identified in an area with a high concentration of seropositive dogs, but a low overall canine population. Large dogs were identified as a risk factor and the following variables were identified as protection factors: dogs aged over 4 years, daily peridomicile cleaning, and better socioeconomic conditions. VL is spreading over a large area in Juatuba in a short period of time

Alfa-amilase em frangos de corte: efeitos do balanço eletrolítico e do nível protéico da dieta Alpha-amylase in broiler chickens: effects of electrolytic balance and dietary protein level

Um experimento foi conduzido com pintos de corte macho para o estudo dos efeitos dos níveis de 20 e 23% de PB combinados com 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 mEq/kg de balanço dietético eletrolítico (BDE) sobre a atividade da alfa-amilase pancreática de frangos de corte de 1 a 21 dias de idade. O delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado. Dietas e água foram fornecidas ad libitum. Aos 1, 7, 14 e 21 dias, três aves de cada tratamento foram sacrificadas por deslocamento cervical para remoção do pâncreas, o qual foi removido, homogeneizado, congelado em nitrogênio líquido e liofilizado. Uma alíquota de cada amostra foi solubilizada em água deionizada e centrifugada a 7500 x g por 3 minutos a 4ºC, para determinação da atividade da alfa-amilase no sobrenadante. Aves alimentadas com 20% de PB apresentaram atividades específicas (U/mg de proteína) superiores à daquelas que receberam 23%, exceto para os níveis de BDE de 100 a 200 mEq/kg, aos 14 dias. Observou-se tendência de aumento da atividade específica dos 7 aos 14 dias e redução dos 14 aos 21 dias. Para maior atividade específica de alfa-amilase, recomendam-se dietas com 20% de PB e 200 mEq/kg de BDE na fase pré-inicial e dietas com 20% de PB e 135 a 250 mEq/kg de BDE para frangos de corte dos 8 aos 21 dias de idade.<br>An experiment was conducted with male broiler chicks to study the effects of 20 and 23% of crude protein (CP) combined with 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 mEq/kg of dietary electrolytic balance (DEB) on the pancreatic alpha-amylase activity from 1 to 21 days. A completely randomized factorial design was used. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. At days 1, 7, 14 and 21, three birds from each treatment were sacrificed by cervical dislocation, pancreas were removed, homogeneized and frozen in liquid nitrogen which were then freeze-dried. An aliquot of each sample was solubilized with deionized water and centrifuged at 7500 x g for three minutes at 4ºC. Activities of the pancreatic alpha-amylase in the supernatants were determined. Chicks fed 20% of CP showed specific activities (U/mg protein) higher than those fed 23%, except for DEB levels from 100 to 200 mEq/kg at 14 days. A tendency to increase specific activity was observed from 7 to 14 days and to reduce from 14 to 21 days. The highest specific activity of pancreatic alpha-amylase was observed in diets with 20% CP and 200 mEq/kg of DEB from 1 to 7 days, diets with 20% of CP and 135 to 250 mEq/kg of DEB from 8 to 21 days of age