Management of patients with valvular and non-valvular atrial fibrillation in Poland: Results from Reference Cardiology University Center

Background: Information on epidemiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) in Middle European Countries such as Poland is limited. Methods: We studied 1,556 patients with AF. We focused on different types of AF in terms of clinical features and management. Results: CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.5 ± 1.7 and HAS-BLED score — 2.4 ± 1.1. In-hospital mortality was 2%. The CHA2DS2-VASc score was the highest in permanent AF (p < 0.001) and the HAS-BLED score was the highest in paroxysmal and permanent AF (p < 0.001). The CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2 was found in the majority of non-valvular AF patients. Permanent AF was associated with the highest thromboembolic risk (p < 0.001). Valvular AF was more commonly observed in patients with permanent AF (p = 0.004). Seventy-one percent of pa­tients who had CHA2DS2-VASc > 2 received antithrombotic therapy. Acetylsalicylic acid alone was most common in paroxysmal AF (p < 0.001). Patients with valvular AF had more often permanent AF (p < 0.004). Valvular AF patients were more often prescribed antithrombotic therapy (p = 0.001). The in-hospital mortality did not differ between patients with valvular and non-valvular AF (p = 0.3). In multivariate logistic regression, odds of in-hospital death were higher for patients > 75 years old (OR = 6.26, p = 0.001, 95% CI 2.06–19.02) and with ejection fraction < 35% (OR = 5.25, p < 0.001, 95% CI 2.24–12.32). Conclusions: Our population with AF have similar risk of stroke and bleeding as in Euro­pean registries. The need for anticoagulation in AF patients is well established in daily medical care in Poland similarly to Western Europe. Patients with valvular AF are more frequently prescribed antithrombotic therapy than patients with non-valvular AF. In-hospital mortality is relatively low in both valvular and non-valvular AF patients and is connected with old age and diminished ejection fraction

Is there the gap in public health literature in Europe?

Introduction and objective: The growing expectations for the effectiveness of public health increase the demand for scientific literature, concerning research, reviews and other forms of information. The bibliographic databases are of crucial importance for researchers and policy makers. The objective of this study is to estimate the supply of scientific literature related to public health in selected European countries, which are available to a wide range of users. Material and Methods: Analysis of the number of bibliographic records on topics related to public health was based on searches in Ovid MEDLINE ( R) in May and June 2011. According to MeSH terms, 11 keywords and names of 13 European countries were used in the search. Publications from the years 2001–2010 were analyzed. A number of publications indexed under ‘public health’, and related to selected countries were compared with the size of the population of those countries, GDP, total expenditure on health and burden of disease (DALYS’s). Results: The most popular topic was ‘health policy’, whereas the topics ‘occupational health’ and ‘environmental health’ were less prevalent. There were no significant changes in the number of publications in 2001–2010. The number of articles indexed under ‘public health’ had significant positive correlation with national GDP, expenditure on health and population size, and negative with DALY’s. Conclusions: According to the criteria accepted in this study, the Nordic countries – Finland, Sweden and Norway – were very productive in this respect. Poland and other Central European Countries were less productive

Thermal Decomposition Pathways of ZnxFe3- xO4Nanoparticles in Different Atmospheres

This article shows how initial composition and thermal treatment of nonstoichiometric zinc ferrite nanoparticles (nZFN) can be chosen to adjust the structure and cation distribution and enhance magnetism in the resulting nanoscale material. It also provides insight into new prospects regarding the production and design of nanoscale materials. Investigations were conducted before and after heating of nZFN in an inert atmosphere and a vacuum up to temperature of 1170 °C. Annealing leads to partial reduction of Fe ions, enhanced magnetism, and an increase in the size of the particles independent of the atmosphere. Use of the inert atmosphere delivers a solid solution of magnetite and zinc ferrite with a reduced Zn content in the structure as a result of sublimation of newly formed ZnO and reduction of Fe, and it favors crystallization. A preference for normal-spinel phase and enhancement of magnetic saturation from 20 Am2/kg up to 101 Am2/kg was observed. Vacuum annealing with high probability produces ZnO, Fe3O4, and Fe2O3 multiphase system with signs of amorphization, mainly on the surface. A large fraction of Fe ions is reduced and the volume ratio of Fe3O4 to Fe2O3 increases with heating time. The final solid product from a complete decomposition of ZFN is magnetite

Electrochemically deposited nanocrystalline InSb thin films and their electrical properties

We present an electrochemical route to prepare nanocrystalline InSb thin films that can be transferred to an industrial scale. The morphology, composition, and crystallinity of the prepared uniform and compact thin films with a surface area of around 1 cm2 were investigated. The essential electrical characteristics such as conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, the type, concentration and mobility of charge carriers have been examined and compared with InSb nanowires obtained in the same system for electrochemical deposition (fixed pulse sequence, temperature, electrolyte composition, and system geometry). Moreover, obtained thin films show much higher band gap energy (0.53 eV) compared to the bulk material (0.17 eV) and InSb nanowires (0.195 eV)

Chlorophyll derivatives as catalysts and comonomers for atom transfer radical polymerizations

Copper trisodium chlorophyllin is obtained from natural chlorophyll, and is widely used as a major green food colorant in cosmetics and in medical devices. Copper chlorophyllin also proves to be an efficient catalyst and comonomer for atom transfer radical polymerizations (ATRP). Aqueous ATRP of poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate (PEGA) results in PEGA-chlorophyllin copolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions and a controlled content of chlorophyllin. The reactions proceed with first order kinetics, and the polymer's molecular weight increases with conversion. The resulting copolymers could find application in drug delivery and in biomedical materials, or as solar energy harvesting materials. In order to suppress the incorporation of the catalyst into the growing polymer chains, the vinyl bond of chlorin e6, one of the major porphyrin components of chlorophyllin, is deactivated by hydrobromination and hydration. Complexation of copper by the porphyrin leads to a bio-derived catalyst which mediates the polymerization of PEGA, yielding homopolymers with molecular weights ranging from 4000-5000 g mol-1 and dispersities ≤ 1.11. UV-Vis spectroscopy indicates that chlorophyllin is stable during the polymerization. Copper chlorophyllin is a plant-derived compound from a renewable feedstock that can be used for a more environmentally friendly route to ATRP

In vitro-to-in vivo correlation of the skin penetration, liver clearance and hepatotoxicity of caffeine

Abstract This work illustrates the use of Physiologically-Based Toxicokinetic (PBTK) modelling for the healthy Caucasian population in in vitro -to- in vivo correlation of kinetic measures of caffeine skin penetration and liver clearance (based on literature experiments), as well as dose metrics of caffeine-induced measured HepaRG toxicity. We applied a simple correlation factor to quantify the in vitro and in vivo differences in the amount of caffeine permeated through the skin and concentration-time profiles of caffeine in the liver. We developed a multi-scale computational approach by linking the PBTK model with a Virtual Cell-Based Assay to relate an external oral and dermal dose with the measured in vitro HepaRG cell viability. The results revealed higher in vivo skin permeation profiles than those determined in vitro using identical exposure conditions. Liver clearance of caffeine derived from in vitro metabolism rates was found to be much slower than the optimised in vivo clearance with respect to caffeine plasma concentrations. Finally, HepaRG cell viability was shown to remain almost unchanged for external caffeine doses of 5–400 mg for both oral and dermal absorption routes. We modelled single exposure to caffeine only

Affect-Modulated Startle: Interactive Influence of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Genotype and Childhood Trauma

The etiology of emotion-related disorders such as anxiety or affective disorders is considered to be complex with an interaction of biological and environmental factors. Particular evidence has accumulated for alterations in the dopaminergic and noradrenergic system – partly conferred by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene variation – for the adenosinergic system as well as for early life trauma to constitute risk factors for those conditions. Applying a multi-level approach, in a sample of 95 healthy adults, we investigated effects of the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism, caffeine as an adenosine A2A receptor antagonist (300 mg in a placebo-controlled intervention design) and childhood maltreatment (CTQ) as well as their interaction on the affect-modulated startle response as a neurobiologically founded defensive reflex potentially related to fear- and distress-related disorders. COMT val/val genotype significantly increased startle magnitude in response to unpleasant stimuli, while met/met homozygotes showed a blunted startle response to aversive pictures. Furthermore, significant gene-environment interaction of COMT Val158Met genotype with CTQ was discerned with more maltreatment being associated with higher startle potentiation in val/val subjects but not in met carriers. No main effect of or interaction effects with caffeine were observed. Results indicate a main as well as a GxE effect of the COMT Val158Met variant and childhood maltreatment on the affect-modulated startle reflex, supporting a complex pathogenetic model of the affect-modulated startle reflex as a basic neurobiological defensive reflex potentially related to anxiety and affective disorders

Repurposing biocatalysts to control radical polymerizations

Reversible-deactivation radical polymerizations (controlled radical polymerizations) have revolutionized and revitalized the field of polymer synthesis. While enzymes and other biologically derived catalysts have long been known to initiate free radical polymerizations, the ability of peroxidases, hemoglobin, laccases, enzyme-mimetics, chlorophylls, heme, red blood cells, bacteria, and other biocatalysts to control or initiate reversible-deactivation radical polymerizations has only been described recently. Here, the scope of biocatalytic atom transfer radical polymerizations (bioATRP), enzyme-initiated reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer radical polymerizations (bioRAFT), biocatalytic organometallic-mediated radical polymerizations (bioOMRP), and biocatalytic reversible complexation mediated polymerizations (bioRCMP) is critically reviewed, and the potential of these reactions for the environmentally friendly synthesis of precision polymers, for the preparation of functional nanostructures, for the modification of surfaces, and for biosensing is discussed

Quality assurance, benchmarking, assessment and mutual international recognition of qualifications

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