Underdiagnosis and prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after percutaneous coronary intervention: a prospective study

Background: Retrospective studies based on clinical data and without spirometric confirmation suggest a poorer prognosis of patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The impact of undiagnosed COPD in these patients is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of COPD – previously or newly diagnosed – in patients with IHD treated with PCI. Methods: Patients with IHD confirmed by PCI were consecutively included. After PCI they underwent forced spirometry and evaluation for cardiovascular risk factors. All-cause mortality, new cardiovascular events, and their combined endpoint were analyzed. Results: A total of 133 patients (78%) male, with a mean (SD) age of 63 (10.12) years were included. Of these, 33 (24.8%) met the spirometric criteria for COPD, of whom 81.8% were undiagnosed. IHD patients with COPD were older, had more coronary vessels affected, and a greater history of previous myocardial infarction. Median follow-up was 934 days (interquartile range [25%–75%]: 546–1,160). COPD patients had greater mortality (P=0.008; hazard ratio [HR]: 8.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.76–44.47) and number of cardiovascular events (P=0.024; HR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.04–3.33), even those without a previous diagnosis of COPD (P=0.01; HR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.12–2.83). These differences remained after adjustment for sex, age, number of coronary vessels affected, and previous myocardial infarction (P=0.025; HR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.08–3.1)The CATEPOC study was supported in part by Menarini Spai

Taxing the Informal Economy: The Current State of Knowledge and Agendas for Future Research

This paper reviews the literature on taxation of the informal economy, taking stock of key debates and drawing attention to recent innovations. Conventionally, the debate on whether to tax has frequently focused on the limited revenue potential, high cost of collection, and potentially adverse impact on small firms. Recent arguments have increasingly emphasised the more indirect benefits of informal taxation in relation to economic growth, broader tax compliance, and governance. More research is needed, we argue, into the relevant costs and benefits for all, including quasi-voluntary compliance, political and administrative incentives for reform, and citizen-state bargaining over taxation

Agricultura familiar e agroindústria canavieira: impasses sociais.

A Política Agroenergética para produção de biocombustíveis é apresentada sob os pressupostos do desenvolvimento sustentável. O álcool, produzido a partir da cana-de-açúcar, aparece como a alternativa mais viável, o que estimula a expansão e redistribuição espacial da produção canavieira. O estado de Goiás está entre as principais rotas de ampliação da cana. O objetivo do artigo é compreender o debate das questões sociais no plano dos discursos oficiais em torno do Plano Nacional de Agroenergia, bem como as contradições sociais associadas à expansão da monocultura canavieira em regiões de predomínio da agricultura familiar. O desenvolvimento do tema baseou-se num estudo de caso, realizado no município de Itapuranga (GO), valendo-se de uma abordagem qualitativa e da combinação das técnicas de pesquisa bibliográfica, observação e, principalmente, entrevistas. Constatou-se que a expansão do cultivo da cana-de-açúcar contribuiu para transformar o contexto social de Itapuranga e provocar alterações consideráveis na dinâmica produtiva e organizacional dos agricultores familiares

Disrupting MLC1 and GlialCAM and ClC-2interactions in leukodystrophy entails glial chloridechannel dysfunction

Defects in the astrocytic membrane protein MLC1, the adhesion molecule GlialCAM or the chloride channel ClC-2 underlie human leukoencephalopathies. Whereas GlialCAM binds ClC-2 and MLC1, and modifies ClC-2 currents in vitro, no functional connections between MLC1 and ClC-2 are known. Here we investigate this by generating loss-of-function Glialcam and Mlc1 mouse models manifesting myelin vacuolization. We find that ClC-2 is unnecessary for MLC1 and GlialCAM localization in brain, whereas GlialCAM is important for targeting MLC1 and ClC-2 to specialized glial domains in vivo and for modifying ClC-2's biophysical properties specifically in oligodendrocytes (OLs), the cells chiefly affected by vacuolization. Unexpectedly, MLC1 is crucial for proper localization of GlialCAM and ClC-2, and for changing ClC-2 currents. Our data unmask an unforeseen functional relationship between MLC1 and ClC-2 in vivo, which is probably mediated by GlialCAM, and suggest that ClC-2 participates in the pathogenesis of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts

Journal Staff

We present the first measurements of the differential cross section d sigma/dp(T)(gamma) for the production of an isolated photon in association with at least two b-quark jets. The measurements consider photons with rapidities vertical bar y(gamma)vertical bar < 1.0 and transverse momenta 30 < p(T)(gamma) < 200 GeV. The b-quark jets are required to have p(T)(jet) > 15 GeVand vertical bar y(jet)vertical bar < 1.5. The ratio of differential production cross sections for gamma + 2 b-jets to gamma + b-jet as a function of p(T)(gamma) is also presented. The results are based on the proton-antiproton collision data at root s = 1.96 TeV collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The measured cross sections and their ratios are compared to the next- to- leading order perturbative QCD calculations as well as predictions based on the k(T)- factorization approach and those from the sherpa and pythia Monte Carlo event generators

Detailed α-decay study of 180Tl

International audienceA detailed $\alpha$-decay spectroscopy study of $^{180}\mathrm{Tl}$ has been performed at ISOLDE (CERN). $Z$-selective ionization by the Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS) coupled to mass separation provided a high-purity beam of $^{180}\mathrm{Tl}$. Fine-structure $\alpha$ decays to excited levels in the daughter $^{176}\mathrm{Au}$ were identified and an $\alpha$-decay scheme of $^{180}\mathrm{Tl}$ was constructed based on an analysis of $\alpha$-$\gamma$ and $\alpha$-$\gamma$-$\gamma$ coincidences. Multipolarities of several $\gamma$-ray transitions deexciting levels in $^{176}\mathrm{Au}$ were determined. Based on the analysis of reduced $\alpha$-decay widths, it was found that all $\alpha$ decays are hindered, which signifies a change of configuration between the parent and all daughter states

Measurement of the t-channel single top quark production cross section

The D0 collaboration reports direct evidence for electroweak production of single top quarks through the t-channel exchange of a virtual W boson. This is the first analysis to isolate an individual single top quark production channel. We select events containing an isolated electron or muon, missing transverse energy, and two, three or four jets from 2.3 fb^-1 of ppbar collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. One or two of the jets are identified as containing a b hadron. We combine three multivariate techniques optimized for the t-channel process to measure the t- and s-channel cross sections simultaneously. We measure cross sections of 3.14 +0.94 -0.80 pb for the t-channel and 1.05 +-0.81 pb for the s-channel. The measured t-channel result is found to have a significance of 4.8 standard deviations and is consistent with the standard model prediction.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Precise measurement of the top quark mass in the dilepton channel at D0

We measure the top quark mass (mt) in ppbar collisions at a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV using dilepton ttbar->W+bW-bbar->l+nubl-nubarbbar events, where l denotes an electron, a muon, or a tau that decays leptonically. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb-1 collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We obtain mt = 174.0 +- 1.8(stat) +- 2.4(syst) GeV, which is in agreement with the current world average mt = 173.3 +- 1.1 GeV. This is currently the most precise measurement of mt in the dilepton channel.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Correction: Long-term outcome after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for Shwachman–Diamond syndrome: a retrospective analysis and a review of the literature by the Severe Aplastic Anemia Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (SAAWP-EBMT)

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper