Pre-implant right ventricular function might be an important predictor of the response to cardiac resynchronization therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>Cardiac resynchronization therapy is proven efficacious in patients with heart failure (HF). Presence of biventricular HF is associated with a worse prognosis than having only left ventricular (LV) HF and pacing might deteriorate heart function. The aim of the study was to assess a possible significance of right ventricular (RV) pre-implant systolic function to predict response to CRT.</p> <p>Design</p> <p>We studied 22 HF-patients aged 72 ± 11 years, QRS-duration 155 ± 20 ms and with an LV ejection fraction (EF) of 26 ± 6% before and four weeks after receiving a CRT-device.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no changes in LV diameters or end systolic volume (ESV) during the study. However, end diastolic volume (EDV) decreased from 226 ± 71 to 211 ± 64 ml (p = 0.02) and systolic maximal velocities (SMV) increased from 2.2 ± 0.4 to 2.6 ± 0.9 cm/s (p = 0.04). Pre-implant RV-SMV (6.2 ± 2.6 cm/s) predicted postoperative increase in LV contractility, p = 0.032.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Pre-implant decreased RV systolic function might be an important way to predict a poor response to CRT implicating that other treatments should be considered. Furthermore we found that 3D- echocardiography and Tissue Doppler Imaging were feasible to detect short-term changes in LV function.</p

Therapy Insight: Parenteral Estrogen treatment for Prostate Cancer—a new dawn for an old therapy

Oral estrogens were the treatment of choice for carcinoma of the prostate for over four decades, but were abandoned because of an excess of cardiovascular and thromboembolic toxicity. It is now recognized that most of this toxicity is related to the first pass portal circulation, which upregulates the hepatic metabolism of hormones, lipids and coagulation proteins. Most of this toxicity can be avoided by parenteral (intramuscular or transdermal) estrogen administration, which avoids hepatic enzyme induction. It also seems that a short-term but modest increase in cardiovascular morbidity (but not mortality) is compensated for by a long-term cardioprotective benefit, which accrues progressively as vascular remodeling develops over time. Parenteral estrogen therapy has the advantage of giving protection against the effects of andropause (similar to the female menopause), which are induced by conventional androgen suppression and include osteoporotic fracture, hot flashes, asthenia and cognitive dysfunction. In addition, parenteral estrogen therapy is significantly cheaper than contemporary endocrine therapy, with substantive economic implications for health providers

Predictors of positive health in disability pensioners: a population-based questionnaire study using Positive Odds Ratio

BACKGROUND: Determinants of ill-health have been studied far more than determinants of good and improving health. Health promotion measures are important even among individuals with chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to find predictors of positive subjective health among disability pensioners (DPs) with musculoskeletal disorders. METHODS: Two questionnaire surveys were performed among 352 DPs with musculoskeletal disorders. Two groups were defined: DPs with positive health and negative health, respectively. In consequence with the health perspective in this study the conception Positive Odds Ratio was defined and used in the logistic regression analyses instead of the commonly used odds ratio. RESULTS: Positive health was associated with age ≥ 55 years, not being an immigrant, not having fibromyalgia as the main diagnosis for granting an early retirement, no regular use of analgesics, a high ADL capacity, a positive subjective health preceding the study period, and good quality of life. CONCLUSION: Positive odds ratio is a concept well adapted to theories of health promotion. It can be used in relation to positive outcomes instead of risks. Suggested health promotion and secondary prevention efforts among individuals with musculoskeletal disorders are 1) to avoid a disability pension for individuals <55 years of age; if necessary, to make sure rehabilitation actions continue, 2) to increase efforts to support immigrants to adjust to circumstances connected to ill-health and retirement, 3) to pay special attention to individuals with fibromyalgia and other general pain disorders, and 4) to strengthen ADL activities to support an independent active life among disability pensioners

Duplication of a well-conserved homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor gene in barley generates a copy with more specific functions

Three spikelets are formed at each rachis node of the cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare) spike. In two-rowed barley, the central one is fertile and the two lateral ones are sterile, whereas in the six-rowed type, all three are fertile. This characteristic is determined by the allelic constitution at the six-rowed spike 1 (vrs1) locus on the long arm of chromosome 2H, with the recessive allele (vrs1) being responsible for the six-rowed phenotype. The Vrs1 (HvHox1) gene encodes a homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factor. Here, we show that the Vrs1 gene evolved in the Poaceae via a duplication, with a second copy of the gene, HvHox2, present on the short arm of chromosome 2H. Micro-collinearity and polypeptide sequences were both well conserved between HvHox2 and its Poaceae orthologs, but Vrs1 is unique to the barley tribe. The Vrs1 gene product lacks a motif which is conserved among the HvHox2 orthologs. A phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that Vrs1 and HvHox2 must have diverged after the separation of Brachypodium distachyon from the Pooideae and suggests that Vrs1 arose following the duplication of HvHox2, and acquired its new function during the evolution of the barley tribe. HvHox2 was expressed in all organs examined but Vrs1 was predominantly expressed in immature inflorescence

Gravitational waves from single neutron stars: an advanced detector era survey

With the doors beginning to swing open on the new gravitational wave astronomy, this review provides an up-to-date survey of the most important physical mechanisms that could lead to emission of potentially detectable gravitational radiation from isolated and accreting neutron stars. In particular we discuss the gravitational wave-driven instability and asteroseismology formalism of the f- and r-modes, the different ways that a neutron star could form and sustain a non-axisymmetric quadrupolar "mountain" deformation, the excitation of oscillations during magnetar flares and the possible gravitational wave signature of pulsar glitches. We focus on progress made in the recent years in each topic, make a fresh assessment of the gravitational wave detectability of each mechanism and, finally, highlight key problems and desiderata for future work.Comment: 39 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables. Chapter of the book "Physics and Astrophysics of Neutron Stars", NewCompStar COST Action 1304. Minor corrections to match published versio

Cancer survivors’ experiences of a community-based cancer-specific exercise programme: results of an exploratory survey

Purpose Exercise levels often decline following cancer diagnosis despite growing evidence of its benefits. Treatment side-effects, older age, lack of confidence and opportunity to exercise with others in similar circumstances influence this. Our study explored the experiences of people attending a cancer-specific community-based exercise programme (CU Fitter™). Methods A survey distributed to those attending the programme gathered demographic/clinical information, self-reported exercise levels, information provision and barriers to/benefits of exercise. Results Sixty surveys were evaluable from 65/100 returned (62% female, 68% >60yrs, 66% breast/prostate cancer). Most (68%) were receiving treatment. 68% attended classes once or twice weekly. 55% received exercise advice after diagnosis, usually from their hospital doctor/nurse. More (73%) had read about exercising, but less used the internet to source information (32%). Self-reported exercise levels were higher currently than before diagnosis (p=0.05). 48% said their primary barrier to exercising was the physical impact of cancer/treatment. Improving fitness/health (40%) and social support (16%) were the most important gains from the programme. Many (67%) had made other lifestyle changes and intented to keep (50%), or increase (30%) exercising. Conclusions This community-based cancer-specific exercise approach engaged people with cancer and showed physical, psychological, and social benefits. Implications for cancer survivors Community grown exercise initiatives bring cancer survivors together creating their own supportive environment. Combining this with instructors familiar with the population and providing an open-ended service may prove particularly motivating and beneficial. Further work is required to provide evidence for this

An exploration of patient-reported symptoms in systemic lupus erythematosus and the relationship to health-related quality of life

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the most distressing symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and determine how these relate to health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety/depression, patient demographics and disease characteristics (duration, activity, organ damage). Methods: In a cross-sectional study, patients with SLE (n=324, age 18-84 years) gave written responses regarding which SLE-related symptoms they experienced as most difficult. Their responses were categorized. Within each category, patients reporting a specific symptom were compared with non-reporters and analyzed for patient demographics, disease duration, results from the questionnaires: Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Systemic Lupus Activity Measure, SLE disease activity index and the Systemic Lupus International Collaboration Clinics/American College of Rheumatology damage index. Results: 23 symptom categories were identified. Fatigue (51%), Pain (50%) and Musculoskeletal distress (46%) were most frequently reported. Compared with non-reporters, only patients reporting Fatigue showed statistically significant impact on both mental and physical components of HRQoL.. Patients with no present symptoms (10%) had higher HRQoL (p<0.001) and lower levels of depression (p<0.001), anxiety (p<0.01) and disease activity (SLAM) (p<0.001). Conclusion: Fatigue, pain or musculoskeletal distress dominated the reported symptoms in approximately half of the patients. Only patients reporting Fatigue scored lower on both mental and physical aspects of HRQoL. Our results emphasize the need for further support and interventions to ease the symptom load and improve HRQoL in patients with SLE. Our findings further indicate that this need is particularly urgent for patients with symptoms of pain or fatigue

Measurement of the Forward-Backward Asymmetry in the B -> K(*) mu+ mu- Decay and First Observation of the Bs -> phi mu+ mu- Decay

We reconstruct the rare decays $B^+ \to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$, $B^0 \to K^{*}(892)^0\mu^+\mu^-$, and $B^0_s \to \phi(1020)\mu^+\mu^-$ in a data sample corresponding to $4.4 {\rm fb^{-1}}$ collected in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96 {\rm TeV}$ by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. Using $121 \pm 16$ $B^+ \to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$ and $101 \pm 12$ $B^0 \to K^{*0}\mu^+\mu^-$ decays we report the branching ratios. In addition, we report the measurement of the differential branching ratio and the muon forward-backward asymmetry in the $B^+$ and $B^0$ decay modes, and the $K^{*0}$ longitudinal polarization in the $B^0$ decay mode with respect to the squared dimuon mass. These are consistent with the theoretical prediction from the standard model, and most recent determinations from other experiments and of comparable accuracy. We also report the first observation of the $B^0_s \to \phi\mu^+\mu^- decay and measure its branching ratio${\mathcal{B}}(B^0_s \to \phi\mu^+\mu^-) = [1.44 \pm 0.33 \pm 0.46] \times 10^{-6}$using$27 \pm 6$signal events. This is currently the most rare$B^0_s$ decay observed.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Search for a New Heavy Gauge Boson Wprime with Electron + missing ET Event Signature in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV

We present a search for a new heavy charged vector boson $W^\prime$ decaying to an electron-neutrino pair in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96\unit{TeV}. The data were collected with the CDF II detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.3\unit{fb}^{-1}. No significant excess above the standard model expectation is observed and we set upper limits on $\sigma\cdot{\cal B}(W^\prime\to e\nu)$. Assuming standard model couplings to fermions and the neutrino from the $W^\prime$ boson decay to be light, we exclude a $W^\prime$ boson with mass less than 1.12\unit{TeV/}c^2 at the 95\unit{%} confidence level.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures Submitted to PR

Measurements of the properties of Lambda_c(2595), Lambda_c(2625), Sigma_c(2455), and Sigma_c(2520) baryons

We report measurements of the resonance properties of Lambda_c(2595)+ and Lambda_c(2625)+ baryons in their decays to Lambda_c+ pi+ pi- as well as Sigma_c(2455)++,0 and Sigma_c(2520)++,0 baryons in their decays to Lambda_c+ pi+/- final states. These measurements are performed using data corresponding to 5.2/fb of integrated luminosity from ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV, collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Exploiting the largest available charmed baryon sample, we measure masses and decay widths with uncertainties comparable to the world averages for Sigma_c states, and significantly smaller uncertainties than the world averages for excited Lambda_c+ states.Comment: added one reference and one table, changed order of figures, 17 pages, 15 figure