The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey: HerMES

The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey, HerMES, is a legacy program designed to map a set of nested fields totalling ~380 deg^2. Fields range in size from 0.01 to ~20 deg^2, using Herschel-SPIRE (at 250, 350 and 500 \mu m), and Herschel-PACS (at 100 and 160 \mu m), with an additional wider component of 270 deg^2 with SPIRE alone. These bands cover the peak of the redshifted thermal spectral energy distribution from interstellar dust and thus capture the re-processed optical and ultra-violet radiation from star formation that has been absorbed by dust, and are critical for forming a complete multi-wavelength understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The survey will detect of order 100,000 galaxies at 5\sigma in some of the best studied fields in the sky. Additionally, HerMES is closely coordinated with the PACS Evolutionary Probe survey. Making maximum use of the full spectrum of ancillary data, from radio to X-ray wavelengths, it is designed to: facilitate redshift determination; rapidly identify unusual objects; and understand the relationships between thermal emission from dust and other processes. Scientific questions HerMES will be used to answer include: the total infrared emission of galaxies; the evolution of the luminosity function; the clustering properties of dusty galaxies; and the properties of populations of galaxies which lie below the confusion limit through lensing and statistical techniques. This paper defines the survey observations and data products, outlines the primary scientific goals of the HerMES team, and reviews some of the early results.Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, 9 Tables, MNRAS accepte

Colchicine and diabetes in patients with chronic coronary artery disease: insights from the LoDoCo2 randomized controlled trial

IntroductionDespite optimal treatment, patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are at high risk of cardiovascular events, emphasizing the need for new treatment options. The Low-Dose Colchicine 2 (LoDoCo2) trial demonstrated that colchicine reduces cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic CAD. This analysis determines the efficacy of colchicine in patients with chronic CAD and DM as well as the effect of colchicine on the development of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsThe LoDoCo2 trial randomized 5,522 patients to placebo or colchicine 0.5 mg once daily, with a median follow-up of 28.6 months. The primary composite endpoint was cardiovascular death, spontaneous myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or ischemia-driven revascularization. The effect of its treatment in patients with and without DM was evaluated by including an interaction term in the model.ResultsA total of 1,007 participants (18.2%) had T2DM at baseline. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) [(95% confidence interval (CI)] for the primary endpoint in the T2DM group was 1.52 (1.15–2.01, p < 0.01) compared with the group without T2DM. The HR for the treatment effect on the primary endpoint was 0.87 (0.61–1.25) in participants with T2DM and 0.64 (0.51–0.80) in participants without diabetes (pinteraction = 0.14). The incidence of new-onset T2DM was 1.5% (34 out of 2,270) in the colchicine group and 2.2% (49 out of 2,245) in the placebo group (p = 0.10).DiscussionIn conclusion, based on the current evidence, the beneficial effects of colchicine on cardiovascular endpoints are consistent regardless of DM status. The potential benefits of colchicine in preventing new-onset DM need further investigation. These findings are only hypothesis-generating and require larger prospective trials to confirm the results

Boehringer immunoinhibition procedure for creatine kinase-MB evaluated and compared with column ion-exchange chromatography

In determination of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB), the Boehringer immunoinhibition method gives a high and variable blank activity as compared with column-chromatography. Thus a correction must be applied. Furthermore, a second correction of 1% of total creatine kinase activity is necessary to compensate for nonspecific creatine phosphate-dependent activity. As a consequence, two immunoinhibition determinations--one for CK-MB and one for blank activity--and a determination of total creatine kinase are required. Use of the manufacturer's diagnostic criteria, on the basis of which suspected myocardial infarction is confirmed or eliminated, leads to a high frequency of false-negative conclusion

The origin of increased cytoplasmic calcium upon reversal of the Na+/Ca(2+)-exchanger in isolated rat ventricular myocytes

Reversal of the driving force of the Na+/Ca(2+)-exchanger (delta Gexch) by a sufficiently large change of the transsarcolemmal electrochemical potential of sodium and calcium causes a transient increase of cytoplasmic calcium ([Ca2+]i). The objective of this study was to investigate the origin of this transient increase of calcium. In isolated quiescent rat ventricular myocytes delta Gexch was abruptly changed by reduction of extracellular sodium ([Na+]o), with or without a simultaneous increase of potassium ([K+]o) or calcium ([Ca2+]i). [Ca2+]i was measured with indo-1. A particular change of delta Gexch induced either by reduction of [Na+]o alone or in combination with increase of [Ca2+]o, produced a transient increase of [Ca2+]i of the same magnitude with a maximum after around 30s. The response of [Ca2+]i was insensitive to verapamil, but was greatly reduced by ryanodine, thapsigargin and caffeine, indicating a large contribution originating from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The magnitude of the response of [Ca2+]i and also the contribution from SR increased with increasing change of delta Gexch. A particular change of delta Gexch. Induced by a reduction of [Na+]o in combination with membrane depolarization (increase of [K+]o) increased the response of [Ca2+]i, compared that induced by reduction of [Na+]o alone at the same change of delta Gexch. This effect increased with the degree of depolarization, and was completely abolished by verapamil. Also in depolarized cells the response of [Ca2+]i was reduced by ryanodine. However, the contribution from SR to the response did not depend on the degree of depolarization, but only on the magnitude of the change of delta Gexch. Inhibition of the Na+/Ca(2+)-exchanger by Ni2+ almost completely abolished the response of [Ca2+]i to reduction of [Na+]o. Restitution of [Na+]o during the course of the calcium response greatly accelerated the rate of decay of [Ca2+]i. It is concluded that in quiescent rat ventricular myocytes, a large part of the transient increase of cytoplasmic calcium associated with reversal of the driving force of the Na+/Ca(2+)-exchanger originates from SR. Reversal of the exchanger combined with sustained depolarization increased the transient of [Ca2+]i, but the extra influx of calcium associated with depolarization did not affect the contribution from S

[Na+](i) and the driving force of the Na+/Ca2+-exchanger in heart failure

Objective: Diastolic calcium is increased in myocytes from failing hearts despite up-regulation of the principal calcium extruding mechanism the Na+/Ca2+-exchanger (NCX). We hypothesize that increased diastolic calcium ([Ca2+](i)) is secondary to increased cytosolic sodium ([Na+](i)) and decreased driving force of NCX (DeltaG(exch)). Methods: The stimulation rate dependence of simultaneously measured cytosolic sodium ([Na+](i)), calcium transients ([Ca2+](i)) and action potentials were determined with SBFI, indo-1 and the perforated patch technique in midmural left ventricular myocytes isolated from rabbits with pressure and volume overload induced heart failure (HF) and in age matched controls. Dynamic changes of DeltaG(exch) were calculated. Results: With increasing stimulation frequency, 0.2-3 Hz (all data HF versus control): [Na+](i) increased (6.4 to 10.8 versus 3.8 to 6.4 mmol/l), diastolic [Ca2+](i) increased (142 to 219 versus 47 to 98 nmol/l), calcium transient amplitude decreased in HF (300 to 250 nmol/l) but increased in control (201 to 479 nmol/l), action potential duration (APD(90).) decreased (380 to 260 versus 325 to 205 ms) and time averaged DeltaG(exch) decreased (6.8 to 2.8 versus 8.7 to 6.4 kJ/mol). With increasing stimulation rate the forward mode time integral of DeltaG(exch) decreased in HF by about 30%, the reversed mode time integral increased about ninefold and the duration of reversed mode operation more than sixfold relative to control. Conclusions: [Na+](i) is increased in HF and the driving force of NCX is decreased. NCX exerts thermodynamic control over diastolic calcium. Disturbed diastolic calcium handling in HF is due to decreased forward mode DeltaG(exch) secondary to increased [Na+](i) and prolongation of the action potential. Enhanced reversed mode DeltaG(exch) may account for increased contribution of NCX to e-c coupling in HF. (C) 2003 European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserve

Distribution of extracellular potassium and electrophysiologic changes during two-stage coronary ligation in the isolated, perfused canine heart

We studied the relation between [K+]o and the electrophysiologic changes during a "Harris two-stage ligation," which is an occlusion of a coronary artery, preceded by a 30-minute period of 50% reduction of flow through the artery. This two-stage ligation has been reported to be antiarrhythmic. Local direct current electrograms and [K+]o signals from up to 48 intramural sites were simultaneously recorded in isolated, perfused dog hearts. A second period of one-stage ligation was compared with a consecutive two-stage ligation because reproducibility in [K+]o and electrophysiologic changes are established only after the first period of ischemia. In control experiments, no difference was found between the second and third period of one-stage ligation in the electrophysiologic changes and in increases in [K+]o. After complete occlusion during two-stage ligation, activation block in the ischemic tissue occurred about 6 minutes earlier than during one-stage ligation, but the average potassium concentration at which block occurred was identical. This [K+]o during total ischemia was achieved earlier during two-stage ligation than during one-stage ligation. No indication was found for a large decrease of intracellular potassium content during the period of low flow perfusion. Early activation block may explain the previously reported reduced incidence of ventricular fibrillation during two-stage ligatio

Intracellular Ca2+, intercellular electrical coupling, and mechanical activity in ischemic rabbit papillary muscle. Effects of preconditioning and metabolic blockade

During myocardial ischemia, electrical uncoupling and contracture herald irreversible damage. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that an increase of intracellular Ca2+ is an important factor initiating these events. Therefore, we simultaneously determined tissue resistance, mechanical activity, pH(0), and intracellular Ca2+ (with the fluorescent indicator indo 1, Molecular Probes, Inc) in arterially perfused rabbit papillary muscles. Sustained ischemia was induced in three experimental groups: (1) control, (2) preparations preconditioned with two 5-minute periods of ischemia followed by reperfusion, and (3) preparations pretreated with 1 mmol/L iodoacetate to block anaerobic metabolism and minimize acidification during ischemia. In a fourth experimental group, intracellular Ca2+ was increased under nonischemic conditions by perfusing with 0.1 mmol/L ionomycin and 0.1 mumol/L gramicidin. Ca2+ transients and contractions rapidly disappeared after the induction of ischemia. In the control group, diastolic Ca2+ began to rise after 12.6 +/- 1.3 minutes of ischemia; uncoupling, after 14.5 +/- 1.2 minutes of ischemia; and contracture, after 12.6 +/- 1.5 minutes of ischemia (mean +/- SEM). Preconditioning significantly postponed Ca2+ rise, uncoupling, and contracture (21.5 +/- 4.0, 24.0 +/- 4.1, and 23.0 +/- 5.3 minutes of ischemia, respectively). Pretreatment with iodoacetate significantly advanced these events (1.9 +/- 0.7, 3.6 +/- 0.9, and 1.9 +/- 0.2 minutes of ischemia, respectively). In all groups, the onset of uncoupling always followed the start of Ca2+ rise, whereas the start of contracture was not different from the rise in Ca2+. Perfusion with ionomycin and gramicidin permitted estimation of a threshold [Ca2+] for electrical uncoupling of 685 +/- 85 nmol/L. In conclusion, the rise in intracellular Ca2+ is the main trigger for cellular uncoupling during ischemia. Contracture is closely associated with the increase of intracellular Ca2+ during ischemi

Increased Na+/H+-exchange activity is the cause of increased [Na+](i) and underlies disturbed calcium handling in the rabbit pressure and volume overload heart failure model

Objective: Cytosolic sodium ([Na+](i)) is increased in heart failure (HF). We hypothesize that up-regulation of Na+/H+-exchanger (NHE) in heart failure is causal to the increase of [Na+](i) and underlies disturbance of cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+](i)) handling. Methods:, Heart failure was induced in rabbits by combined volume and pressure overload. Age-matched animals served as control. [Na+](i), cytosolic calcium [Ca2+](i) and cytosolic pH (pH(i)) were measured in isolated left ventricular midmural myocytes with SBFI, indo-1 and SNARF. SR calcium content was measured as the response of [Ca2+](i) to rapid cooling (RC). Calcium after-transients were elicited by cessation of rapid stimulation (3 Hz) in the presence of 100 nmol/l noradrenalin. NHE and Na+/K+-ATPase activity were inhibited with 10 mumol/l cariporide and 100 mumol/l ouabain, respectively. Results: At all stimulation rates (0-3 Hz) [Na+](i) and diastolic [Ca2+](i) were significantly higher in HF than in control. With increasing frequency [Na+](i) and diastolic [Ca2+](i) progressively increased in HF and control, and the calcium transient amplitude (measured as total calcium released from SR) decreased in HF and increased in control. In HF (at 2 Hz), SR calcium content was reduced by 40% and the calcium gradient across the SR membrane by 60%. Fractional systolic SR calcium release was 90% in HF and 60% in control. In HF the rate of pH(i) recovery following acid loading was much faster at all pH(i) and NHE dependent sodium influx was almost twice as high as in control. In HF cariporide (10 mumol/l, 5 min) reduced [Na+](i) and end diastolic [Ca2+](i) to almost control values, and reversed the relation between calcium transient amplitude and stimulation rate from negative to positive. It increased SR calcium content and SR membrane gradient and decreased fractional systolic SR depletion to 60%. Cariporide greatly reduced the susceptibility to develop calcium after-transients. In control animals, cariporide had only minor effects on all these parameters. Increase of [Na+](i) with ouabain in control myocytes induced abnormal calcium handling as found in HF. Conclusions: In HF up-regulation of NHE activity is causal to increased [Na+](i) and secondarily to disturbed diastolic, systolic and SR calcium handling. Specific inhibition of NHE partly normalized [Na+](i), end diastolic [Ca2+](i) and SR calcium handling and reduced the incidence of calcium after-transients. Chronic treatment with specific NHE inhibitors may provide a useful future therapeutic option in treatment of developing hypertrophy and heart failure. (C) 2003 European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserve