10 research outputs found
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
Learning from New Product Development Projects : An Exploratory Study
Knowledge generation is a cornerstone of new product development and post-
projectreviews (PPRs) are widely recognized as a facilitator of project-to-
project learning.Empirical research on PPRs is sparse and so this paper
describes four in-depthexploratory case studies which look at how PPRs are
conducted and the learning thatcan result. The results indicate appropriately
managed PPRs can make a significantcontribution to knowledge generation and
exchange. In addition, the study indicates theurgent need for more research into
this important area
Learning from Post-project Reviews : A Cross-Case Analysis
Every new product development (NPD) project should not only deliver a successful
new product but also should generate learning for the organization. Postproject
reviews (PPRs) are recognized by both practitioners and academics as an
appropriate mechanism to stimulate and capture learning in NPD teams. However,
relatively few companies use PPRs, and those that do use them often fail to do
so effectively. Although they are widely perceived to be a useful tool,
empirical research on how PPRs are typically organized and the learning that
results is limited. The present article addresses this gap in the extant
knowledge and describes five in-depth case studies, which were conducted at
leading companies in Germany. A detailed investigation was made of how PPRs are
conducted and of the type of learning that can result. Three main sources of
data were used for each case: company documentation, in-depth interviews with
managers responsible for NPD, and observation of an actual PPR. The different
data sources enabled extensive triangulation of data to be conducted and a high
degree of reliability and validity to be achieved. The analysis enabled a number
of key characteristics of the way PPRs are managed to be identified. Various
characteristics of PPRs influence their utility, such as the time at which they
take place and the way discussions are moderated. In addition, the data show
that participants in the discussions at PPRs often use metaphors and stories,
which indicates that PPRs have the potential to generate tacit knowledge.
Interestingly, the data also show that there are various different ways in which
metaphors and stories appear to stimulate discussions on NPD projects. Based on
the cross-case analysis, a wide range of implications are identified.
Researchers need to investigate PPRs further to identify how they can generate
tacit and explicit knowledge and support project-to-project learning. The
generation of tacit knowledge in NPD is a topic that particularly needs further
investigation. The research also led to a range of recommendations for
practitioners. Companies need to strongly communicate the purpose and value of
PPRs, to run them effectively to stimulate the maximum possible learning, and to
disseminate the findings widely. PPRs have the potential to create and transfer
knowledge amongst NPD professionals, but, as they are seldom currently used,
many companies are missing an important opportunity
microRNA expression profiles and personal monitoring of exposure to particulate matter
An increasing number of findings from epidemiological studies support associations between exposure to air pollution and the onset of several diseases, including pulmonary, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and malignancies. However, intermediate, and potentially mediating, biological mechanisms associated with exposure to air pollutants are largely unknown. Previous studies on the human exposome have shown that the expression of certain circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), regulators of gene expression, are altered upon exposure to traffic-related air pollutants. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between particulate matter (PM) smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), PM2.5 absorbance (as a proxy of black carbon and soot), and ultrafine-particles (UFP, smaller than 0.1 μm), measured in healthy volunteers by 24 h personal monitoring (PEM) sessions and global expression levels of peripheral blood miRNAs. The PEM sessions were conducted in four European countries, namely Switzerland (Basel), United Kingdom (Norwich), Italy (Turin), and The Netherlands (Utrecht). miRNAs expression levels were analysed using microarray technology on blood samples from 143 participants. Seven miRNAs, hsa-miR-24-3p, hsa-miR-4454, hsa-miR-4763-3p, hsa-miR-425-5p, hsa-let-7d-5p, hsa-miR-502-5p, and hsa-miR-505-3p were significantly (FDR corrected) expressed in association with PM2.5 personal exposure, while no significant association was found between miRNA expression and the other pollutants. The results obtained from this investigation suggest that personal exposure to PM2.5 is associated with miRNA expression levels, showing the potential for these circulating miRNAs as novel biomarkers for air pollution health risk assessment