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

Ozonation: A unique route to prepare nickel oxyhydroxides. Synthesis optimization and reaction mechanism study

This paper details the reacting paths involved during the oxidation of αII-Ni(OH)2 and βII-Ni(OH)2 with ozone, which is compared to the oxidation process conducted in aqueous solution. The main advantage of the ozone method lies in the control of the reaction medium steps owing to the feasibility of operating in the presence or absence of alkaline cations. This enables the preparation of the pure βIII-NiOOH phase, well-known to be difficult to obtain in aqueous media without γIII-NiOOH traces. The reaction mechanisms for both oxidation processes were found to be similar, and to yield the same final products, except for αII-Ni(OH) 2, where ozonation allowed the preparation of a new oxidized phase that was isolated and characterized by means of complementary techniques such as X-ray diffraction, chemical analysis, HRTEM, TGA, and FT-IR. A mechanism to account for the formation of this phase is proposed

Electrochemically active LiCoO 2 and LiNiO 2 made by cationic exchange under hydrothermal conditions

The layered LiMO 2 (M = Co, Ni) compounds, which are of potential interest for Li-ion batteries, were synthesized at low temperatures by treatment under hydrothermal conditions of LiOH · H 2O aqueous solutions containing powdered H xMO 2 phases. We studied the reaction mechanism and the influence of temperature, pressure, water dilution, and precursor ratio on the degree of progress of the ion exchange process. Single-phase LiMO 2 can be obtained in 48 h at 160°C under an air pressure of 60 bars from an MOOH/LiOH · H 2O/H 2O mixture. The degree of advancement of the exchange reaction for M = Co was monitored in situ using an autoclave which allows the withdrawal of samples in the course of the reaction. From transmission electron microscopy coupled with x-ray diffraction studies we conclude that the reaction occurs by surface H +/Li + exchange and is accompanied by a progressive breaking of the particles due to an interfacial collapse phenomenon. Infrared studies indicate that the LiCoO 2 and LiNiO 2 phases obtained are contaminated by carbonates that can more easily be eliminated in the case of LiCoO 2 by water washing and post-heating treatments under primary vacuum at 200°C for 2 days. Once the ion-exchange parameters are controlled, the LiMO 2 products exhibit electrochemical performances comparable to those of high-temperature made phases

Titanium(III) sulfate as new negative electrode for sodium-ion batteries

A straightforward synthesis of Ti2(SO4)3 and reversible intercalation of 1.7 sodium ions via a two step process with formation of an intermediate phase was reported. The product was then washed with ethyl acetate and dried at 80°C overnight under vacuum. Electrochemical measurements were carried out in Swagelok cells using sodium metal as counter electrode and Whatman GF/D borosilicate glass fiber soaked in the electrolyte as separator. For the sample manually milled, a pseudo-plateau is observed at ca. 1.5 V vs Na+/Na followed by a sloping region to 1.0 V and another pseudo-plateau at ca. 1.0 V. Ball-milled samples exhibit similar profiles but with substantially enhanced capacity, even above 1.5 V. Upon oxidation, two well-defined plateaus at 1.10 and 1.64 V are observed in all samples. The number of electrons exchanged per mol of Ti2(SO4)3 increases with milling time to reach 3.4, which is above the theoretical expected capacity, but only 1.7 are reversible

A low temperature TiP2O7 polymorph exhibiting reversible insertion of lithium and sodium ions

A new TiP2O7 form has been prepared by low temperature synthesis, which does not exhibit the superstructure reported when TiP2O7 is prepared via a conventional ceramic route. This LT-TiP2O7 polymorph presents linear P2O 7 pyrophosphate groups, connected through a pivotal oxygen which ensure the flexibility of the structure. Therefore it can reversibly take up both Li and Na ions, contrary to the high temperature polymorph that can only take up Li. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry

Na2Ti3O7: Lowest voltage ever reported oxide insertion electrode for sodium ion batteries

Na2Ti3O7 is found to reversibly uptake 2 Na ions per formula unit (200 mA h/g) at an average potential of 0.3 V and is hence a very promising negative electrode material for building sodium ion batteries working at room temperature. © 2011 American Chemical Society

In search of an optimized electrolyte for Na-ion batteries

Electrolytes are essential for the proper functioning of any battery technology and the emerging Na-ion technology is no exception. Hence, a major focus on battery research is to identify the most appropriate formulation so as to minimize interface reactions and enhance both cell performances and safety aspects. In order to identify suitable electrolyte formulations for Na-ion chemistry we benchmarked various electrolytes containing diverse solvent mixtures (cyclic, acyclic carbonates, glymes) and Na-based salts having either F-based or perchlorate anions and measured viscosity, ionic conductivity, and thermal and electrochemical stability. The binary EC:PC solvent mixture has emerged as the best solvent formulation and has been used to test the performance of Na/hard carbon cells with both NaClO 4 and NaPF 6 as dissolved salts. Hard carbon electrodes having reversible capacities of 200 mA h g -1 with decent rate capability and excellent capacity retention (>180 cycles) were demonstrated. Moreover, DSC heating curves demonstrated that fully sodiated hard carbon cycled in NaPF 6-EC:PC exhibits the highest exothermic onset temperature and nearly the lowest enthalpy of reaction, thus making this electrolyte most attractive for the development of Na-ion batteries. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry