Empleo de las Componentes Principales en sus investigaciones biológicas. II.- Obtención de variables canónicas.

435 variables were analyzed in 4876 experimental units, from 23 experiments in the biological sciences, conducted in the period 1990-2004, which were significant to the Kaiser-Mayer –Olkin and Bartlet tests, with a view to assessing, when the Main Components technique, the methodology to be used in obtaining the canonical variables. The results obtained in the number of canonical variables per experiment, independent variables and cumulative variability (%) were 2.8 ± 0.08; 1.5 ± 0.51 and 61.1 ± 0.05 respectively. The behavior of the variables responses and the necessary Dollars to be carried out when I.- The Methodology is applied and II.- It does not apply, they left I = 19.0 and II = 4.3 ± 1.22 (p <0, 05) Variables Response and I = 66.8 and II = 14, 6 ± 4.89 (p <0.05) Dollars made. It is concluded that there is a significant decrease in the statistical tests with the canonical variables obtained (p <0.05), obtaining that in 17% of the experiments analyzed the transformed variables were not independent, being necessary to apply the proposed method again, which requires that the sphericity and Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin tests be carried out to guarantee the independence of the variables to be processed in decision making.Se analizaron 435 variables en 4876 unidades experimentales, procedentes de 23 experimentos en las ciencias biológicas, realizados en el período 1990-2004, que fueron significativos a las pruebas de Kaiser-Mayer –Olkin y Bartlet, con vistas a valorar , cuando se emplea la técnica de Componentes Principales, la metodología a utilizar en la obtención de las variables canónicas. Los resultados obtenidos en el número de variables canónicas por experimento, variables independientes y variabilidad acumulada (%) fueron 2,8 ± 0,08 ; 1,5 ± 0,51 y 61,1 ± 0,05 respectivamente. El comportamiento de las variables respuestas y las Dócimas necesarias a realizar cuando I.- Se Aplica la Metodología y II.- No se Aplica se fueron de I = 19,0 y II =4,3 ± 1,22 ( p< 0,05) Variables Respuesta y I=66,8 y II =14, 6 ± 4,89 (p < 0,05) Dócimas realizadas. Se concluye que se produce una disminución significativa en las pruebas estadísticas con las variables canónicas obtenidas ( p < 0,05 ), obteniéndose que en el 17% de los experimentos analizados las variables transformadas no fueron independientes siendo necesario aplicar nuevamente el método propuesto, lo que exige que las pruebas de esfericidad y Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin se efectúen para garantizar la independencia de las variables a procesar en la toma de decisiones

Empleo de las componentes principales en investigaciones biológicas. III. Aplicación en experimentos con animales

The principal components technique was used in research evaluating four hatchings with different kinds of eggs according to their weight and shape. To this end, a factorial experiment (3 x 2) with a completely randomized design was carried out to determine hatching development through biological control. Main results from Kaiser- Mayer- Olkin’s and Bartlett’s tests showed that evaluated indexes were associated; hence, a number of transformations are required to guarantee the analyzed variables independence. Throughout the suggested methodology, four independent final variables were obtained. The variance analysis showed no interaction between egg weight and shape. In conclusion, the original variables transformation guaranteed their independence, thus confirming the preliminary hypotheses concerning variance analysis and simplifying result interpretation. The canonical variables assessment will be easier therefore when using terms such as efficiency and proportion in relation to the most significant reported value.Se utilizó la técnica de componentes principales en una investigación donde se evaluaron cuatro incubaciones de distintos huevos de reproductores White Leghorn clasificados por su peso y forma, mediante un experimento factorial (3 x 2) diseñado completamente al azar, para determinar el desarrollo de la incubación mediante su control biológico. Los principales resultados obtenidos en la prueba de Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin y de Bartlett, demuestran que los indicadores evaluados se encuentran asociados, lo que hace necesario realizar las transformaciones pertinentes que garanticen la independencia de las variables analizadas. Con la metodología propuesta se obtuvieron cuatro variables finales independientes. Con el análisis de varianza se determinó que no existe interacción entre peso y forma. Se concluye que la transformación de las variables originales garantizó su independencia. Así, se cumplieron las hipótesis de base del análisis de la varianza y se simplificó la interpretación de los resultados, siendo más fácil la valoración de las variables canónicas al emplear el término de eficiencia o proporción del mejor valor reportado

Gallinas White Leghorn con baja productividad inoculadas parenteralmente con un bioestimulador vegetal (Eichornia crassipea). II. Calidad de los huevos

In order to determine whether a plant biostimulator parentally inoculated proved to be useful in regaining previous laying per- formance levels after their decrease due to unfavorable feeding conditions, 432 White Leghorn layers with a nine-month produc- tive lifespan were sampled. Treatments applied were: I  0 mL biostimulator; II 1 mL leaf biostimulator; III 2 mL leaf biostimula- tor; IV 1 mL petiole biostimulator; V 2 mL petiole biostimulator. The principal results for morphological indexes yolk and egg white (%) and Haugh units, per each treatment, respectively were: 73,9a; 74,1a; 64,9b; 73,1a y 72,7a (p<0.05); 42,8; 45,3; 44,9; 43,8 y 41,7 (NS);  7,7; 8,1; 9,0; 9,1 y 8,9 (NS); 82,1b; 83,8b; 90,8a; 87,1ab y 86,7ab (p<0,05). Apparently biostimulator paren- tally inoculated does not alter eggs quality.Se utilizaron 432 gallinas ponedoras Leghorn de 9 meses de vida productiva, con vistas a determinar si el empleo de un bioes- timulador vegetal (Eichornia crassipea)  aplicado por vía parenteral les permitiría recuperar los niveles de producción (estaban sometidas a condiciones nutricionales desfavorables) sin afectar la calidad de los huevos. Los tratamientos fueron: I.- 0 mL; II.- 1 mL de  bioestimulador de hoja; III.- 2 mL  de bioestimulador de hoja; IV.- 1 mL de bioestimulador de pecíolo y V.- 2 mL de bioestimulador de pecíolo. Los principales resultados para los índices morfológico, yema y clara (%) y unidades Haugh fueron respectivamente, para los tratamientos del I al V: 73,9a; 74,1a; 64,9b; 73,1a y 72,7a (P<0,05); 42,8; 45,3; 44,9; 43,8 y 41,7 (NS); 7,7; 8,1; 9,0; 9,1 y 8,9 (NS); 82,1b; 83,8b; 90,8a; 87,1ab; y 86,7ab (P<0,05), lo que nos indica que aparentemente la inclusión de bioestimulador no afecta la calidad de los huevos

Gallinas White Leghorn con baja productividad inoculadas parenteralmente con un bioestimulador vegetal (Eichornia crassipea). III. Evaluación del suero sanguíneo y cuadro hemático

Se utilizaron 432 gallinas ponedoras Leghorn de 9 meses de vida productiva, sometidas a condiciones nutricionales desfavora- bles, con vistas a determinar si el empleo de un bioestimulador vegetal de Eichornia crassipea, aplicado por vía parenteral, pro- ducía cambios en el suero sanguíneo y en el cuadro hematológico. Los tratamientos utilizados fueron: I.- 0 mL; II.- 1 mL de bio- estimulador de hoja; III.- 2 mL de bioestimulador de hoja; IV.- 1 mL de bioestimulador de pecíolo y V.- 2 mL de bioestimulador de pecíolo. Los principales resultados (P<0,05) fueron, respectivamente, para los tratamientos del I al V: fósforo (mg/100 mL) 9,2ab; 10,4a; 10,3a; 9,3ab y 7,9b. Calcio (mg/100 mL) 23,7; 21,8; 24,3; 23,8 y 26,7. Eficiencia de transporte asimilativo (%) 41,5ab; 40,3ab; 36,8a; 45,1b y 41,3ab. Leucocitos (miles/mm3) 17,5; 15,7; 16,6; 16,2 y 17,3. Monocitos (%) 0,5; 0,1; 0,1; 0,5 y 0,5. Se concluye que aparentemente la inoculación del bioestimulador no produce alteraciones en los principales indicadores hematológicos. Se logró una mejor absorción del fósforo al emplear el bioestimulador de hojas.Se utilizaron 432 gallinas ponedoras Leghorn de 9 meses de vida productiva, sometidas a condiciones nutricionales desfavora- bles, con vistas a determinar si el empleo de un bioestimulador vegetal de Eichornia crassipea, aplicado por vía parenteral, pro- ducía cambios en el suero sanguíneo y en el cuadro hematológico. Los tratamientos utilizados fueron: I.- 0 mL; II.- 1 mL de bio- estimulador de hoja; III.- 2 mL de bioestimulador de hoja; IV.- 1 mL de bioestimulador de pecíolo y V.- 2 mL de bioestimulador de pecíolo. Los principales resultados (P<0,05) fueron, respectivamente, para los tratamientos del I al V: fósforo (mg/100 mL) 9,2ab; 10,4a; 10,3a; 9,3ab y 7,9b. Calcio (mg/100 mL) 23,7; 21,8; 24,3; 23,8 y 26,7. Eficiencia de transporte asimilativo (%) 41,5ab; 40,3ab; 36,8a; 45,1b y 41,3ab. Leucocitos (miles/mm3) 17,5; 15,7; 16,6; 16,2 y 17,3. Monocitos (%) 0,5; 0,1; 0,1; 0,5 y 0,5. Se concluye que aparentemente la inoculación del bioestimulador no produce alteraciones en los principales indicadores hematológicos. Se logró una mejor absorción del fósforo al emplear el bioestimulador de hojas

Taking the pulse of Earth's tropical forests using networks of highly distributed plots

Tropical forests are the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth. While better understanding of these forests is critical for our collective future, until quite recently efforts to measure and monitor them have been largely disconnected. Networking is essential to discover the answers to questions that transcend borders and the horizons of funding agencies. Here we show how a global community is responding to the challenges of tropical ecosystem research with diverse teams measuring forests tree-by-tree in thousands of long-term plots. We review the major scientific discoveries of this work and show how this process is changing tropical forest science. Our core approach involves linking long-term grassroots initiatives with standardized protocols and data management to generate robust scaled-up results. By connecting tropical researchers and elevating their status, our Social Research Network model recognises the key role of the data originator in scientific discovery. Conceived in 1999 with RAINFOR (South America), our permanent plot networks have been adapted to Africa (AfriTRON) and Southeast Asia (T-FORCES) and widely emulated worldwide. Now these multiple initiatives are integrated via ForestPlots.net cyber-infrastructure, linking colleagues from 54 countries across 24 plot networks. Collectively these are transforming understanding of tropical forests and their biospheric role. Together we have discovered how, where and why forest carbon and biodiversity are responding to climate change, and how they feedback on it. This long-term pan-tropical collaboration has revealed a large long-term carbon sink and its trends, as well as making clear which drivers are most important, which forest processes are affected, where they are changing, what the lags are, and the likely future responses of tropical forests as the climate continues to change. By leveraging a remarkably old technology, plot networks are sparking a very modern revolution in tropical forest science. In the future, humanity can benefit greatly by nurturing the grassroots communities now collectively capable of generating unique, long-term understanding of Earth's most precious forests.Additional co-authors: Susan Laurance, William Laurance, Francoise Yoko Ishida, Andrew Marshall, Catherine Waite, Hannsjoerg Woell, Jean-Francois Bastin, Marijn Bauters, Hans Beeckman, Pfascal Boeckx, Jan Bogaert, Charles De Canniere, Thales de Haulleville, Jean-Louis Doucet, Olivier Hardy, Wannes Hubau, Elizabeth Kearsley, Hans Verbeeck, Jason Vleminckx, Steven W. Brewer, Alfredo Alarcón, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Eric Arets, Luzmila Arroyo, Ezequiel Chavez, Todd Fredericksen, René Guillén Villaroel, Gloria Gutierrez Sibauty, Timothy Killeen, Juan Carlos Licona, John Lleigue, Casimiro Mendoza, Samaria Murakami, Alexander Parada Gutierrez, Guido Pardo, Marielos Peña-Claros, Lourens Poorter, Marisol Toledo, Jeanneth Villalobos Cayo, Laura Jessica Viscarra, Vincent Vos, Jorge Ahumada, Everton Almeida, Jarcilene Almeida, Edmar Almeida de Oliveira, Wesley Alves da Cruz, Atila Alves de Oliveira, Fabrício Alvim Carvalho, Flávio Amorim Obermuller, Ana Andrade, Fernanda Antunes Carvalho, Simone Aparecida Vieira, Ana Carla Aquino, Luiz Aragão, Ana Claudia Araújo, Marco Antonio Assis, Jose Ataliba Mantelli Aboin Gomes, Fabrício Baccaro, Plínio Barbosa de Camargo, Paulo Barni, Jorcely Barroso, Luis Carlos Bernacci, Kauane Bordin, Marcelo Brilhante de Medeiros, Igor Broggio, José Luís Camargo, Domingos Cardoso, Maria Antonia Carniello, Andre Luis Casarin Rochelle, Carolina Castilho, Antonio Alberto Jorge Farias Castro, Wendeson Castro, Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro, Flávia Costa, Rodrigo Costa de Oliveira, Italo Coutinho, John Cunha, Lola da Costa, Lucia da Costa Ferreira, Richarlly da Costa Silva, Marta da Graça Zacarias Simbine, Vitor de Andrade Kamimura, Haroldo Cavalcante de Lima, Lia de Oliveira Melo, Luciano de Queiroz, José Romualdo de Sousa Lima, Mário do Espírito Santo, Tomas Domingues, Nayane Cristina dos Santos Prestes, Steffan Eduardo Silva Carneiro, Fernando Elias, Gabriel Eliseu, Thaise Emilio, Camila Laís Farrapo, Letícia Fernandes, Gustavo Ferreira, Joice Ferreira, Leandro Ferreira, Socorro Ferreira, Marcelo Fragomeni Simon, Maria Aparecida Freitas, Queila S. García, Angelo Gilberto Manzatto, Paulo Graça, Frederico Guilherme, Eduardo Hase, Niro Higuchi, Mariana Iguatemy, Reinaldo Imbrozio Barbosa, Margarita Jaramillo, Carlos Joly, Joice Klipel, Iêda Leão do Amaral, Carolina Levis, Antonio S. Lima, Maurício Lima Dan, Aline Lopes, Herison Madeiros, William E. Magnusson, Rubens Manoel dos Santos, Beatriz Marimon, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Roberta Marotti Martelletti Grillo, Luiz Martinelli, Simone Matias Reis, Salomão Medeiros, Milton Meira-Junior, Thiago Metzker, Paulo Morandi, Natanael Moreira do Nascimento, Magna Moura, Sandra Cristina Müller, Laszlo Nagy, Henrique Nascimento, Marcelo Nascimento, Adriano Nogueira Lima, Raimunda Oliveira de Araújo, Jhonathan Oliveira Silva, Marcelo Pansonato, Gabriel Pavan Sabino, Karla Maria Pedra de Abreu, Pablo José Francisco Pena Rodrigues, Maria Piedade, Domingos Rodrigues, José Roberto Rodrigues Pinto, Carlos Quesada, Eliana Ramos, Rafael Ramos, Priscyla Rodrigues, Thaiane Rodrigues de Sousa, Rafael Salomão, Flávia Santana, Marcos Scaranello, Rodrigo Scarton Bergamin, Juliana Schietti, Jochen Schöngart, Gustavo Schwartz, Natalino Silva, Marcos Silveira, Cristiana Simão Seixas, Marta Simbine, Ana Claudia Souza, Priscila Souza, Rodolfo Souza, Tereza Sposito, Edson Stefani Junior, Julio Daniel do Vale, Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira, Dora Villela, Marcos Vital, Haron Xaud, Katia Zanini, Charles Eugene Zartman, Nur Khalish Hafizhah Ideris, Faizah binti Hj Metali, Kamariah Abu Salim, Muhd Shahruney Saparudin, Rafizah Mat Serudin, Rahayu Sukmaria Sukri, Serge Begne, George Chuyong, Marie Noel Djuikouo, Christelle Gonmadje, Murielle Simo-Droissart, Bonaventure Sonké, Hermann Taedoumg, Lise Zemagho, Sean Thomas, Fidèle Baya, Gustavo Saiz, Javier Silva Espejo, Dexiang Chen, Alan Hamilton, Yide Li, Tushou Luo, Shukui Niu, Han Xu, Zhang Zhou, Esteban Álvarez-Dávila, Juan Carlos Andrés Escobar, Henry Arellano-Peña, Jaime Cabezas Duarte, Jhon Calderón, Lina Maria Corrales Bravo, Borish Cuadrado, Hermes Cuadros, Alvaro Duque, Luisa Fernanda Duque, Sandra Milena Espinosa, Rebeca Franke-Ante, Hernando García, Alejandro Gómez, Roy González-M., Álvaro Idárraga-Piedrahíta, Eliana Jimenez, Rubén Jurado, Wilmar López Oviedo, René López-Camacho, Omar Aurelio Melo Cruz, Irina Mendoza Polo, Edwin Paky, Karen Pérez, Angel Pijachi, Camila Pizano, Adriana Prieto, Laura Ramos, Zorayda Restrepo Correa, James Richardson, Elkin Rodríguez, Gina M. Rodriguez M., Agustín Rudas, Pablo Stevenson, Markéta Chudomelová, Martin Dancak, Radim Hédl, Stanislav Lhota, Martin Svatek, Jacques Mukinzi, Corneille Ewango, Terese Hart, Emmanuel Kasongo Yakusu, Janvier Lisingo, Jean-Remy Makana, Faustin Mbayu, Benjamin Toirambe, John Tshibamba Mukendi, Lars Kvist, Gustav Nebel, Selene Báez, Carlos Céron, Daniel M. Griffith, Juan Ernesto Guevara Andino, David Neill, Walter Palacios, Maria Cristina Peñuela-Mora, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, Gorky Villa, Sheleme Demissie, Tadesse Gole, Techane Gonfa, Kalle Ruokolainen, Michel Baisie, Fabrice Bénédet, Wemo Betian, Vincent Bezard, Damien Bonal, Jerôme Chave, Vincent Droissart, Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury, Annette Hladik, Nicolas Labrière, Pétrus Naisso, Maxime Réjou-Méchain, Plinio Sist, Lilian Blanc, Benoit Burban, Géraldine Derroire, Aurélie Dourdain, Clement Stahl, Natacha Nssi Bengone, Eric Chezeaux, Fidèle Evouna Ondo, Vincent Medjibe, Vianet Mihindou, Lee White, Heike Culmsee, Cristabel Durán Rangel, Viviana Horna, Florian Wittmann, Stephen Adu-Bredu, Kofi Affum-Baffoe, Ernest Foli, Michael Balinga, Anand Roopsind, James Singh, Raquel Thomas, Roderick Zagt, Indu K. Murthy, Kuswata Kartawinata, Edi Mirmanto, Hari Priyadi, Ismayadi Samsoedin, Terry Sunderland, Ishak Yassir, Francesco Rovero, Barbara Vinceti, Bruno Hérault, Shin-Ichiro Aiba, Kanehiro Kitayama, Armandu Daniels, Darlington Tuagben, John T. Woods, Muhammad Fitriadi, Alexander Karolus, Kho Lip Khoon, Noreen Majalap, Colin Maycock, Reuben Nilus, Sylvester Tan, Almeida Sitoe, Indiana Coronado G., Lucas Ojo, Rafael de Assis, Axel Dalberg Poulsen, Douglas Sheil, Karen Arévalo Pezo, Hans Buttgenbach Verde, Victor Chama Moscoso, Jimmy Cesar Cordova Oroche, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Massiel Corrales Medina, Nallaret Davila Cardozo, Jano de Rutte Corzo, Jhon del Aguila Pasquel, Gerardo Flores Llampazo, Luis Freitas, Darcy Galiano Cabrera, Roosevelt García Villacorta, Karina Garcia Cabrera, Diego García Soria, Leticia Gatica Saboya, Julio Miguel Grandez Rios, Gabriel Hidalgo Pizango, Eurídice Honorio Coronado, Isau Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, Walter Huaraca Huasco, Yuri Tomas Huillca Aedo, Jose Luis Marcelo Peña, Abel Monteagudo Mendoza, Vanesa Moreano Rodriguez, Percy Núñez Vargas, Sonia Cesarina Palacios Ramos, Nadir Pallqui Camacho, Antonio Peña Cruz, Freddy Ramirez Arevalo, José Reyna Huaymacari, Carlos Reynel Rodriguez, Marcos Antonio Ríos Paredes, Lily Rodriguez Bayona, Rocio del Pilar Rojas Gonzales, Maria Elena Rojas Peña, Norma Salinas Revilla, Yahn Carlos Soto Shareva, Raul Tupayachi Trujillo, Luis Valenzuela Gamarra, Rodolfo Vasquez Martinez, Jim Vega Arenas, Christian Amani, Suspense Averti Ifo, Yannick Bocko, Patrick Boundja, Romeo Ekoungoulou, Mireille Hockemba, Donatien Nzala, Alusine Fofanah, David Taylor, Guillermo Bañares-de Dios, Luis Cayuela, Íñigo Granzow-de la Cerda, Manuel Macía, Juliana Stropp, Maureen Playfair, Verginia Wortel, Toby Gardner, Robert Muscarella, Hari Priyadi, Ervan Rutishauser, Kuo-Jung Chao, Pantaleo Munishi, Olaf Bánki, Frans Bongers, Rene Boot, Gabriella Fredriksson, Jan Reitsma, Hans ter Steege, Tinde van Andel, Peter van de Meer, Peter van der Hout, Mark van Nieuwstadt, Bert van Ulft, Elmar Veenendaal, Ronald Vernimmen, Pieter Zuidema, Joeri Zwerts, Perpetra Akite, Robert Bitariho, Colin Chapman, Eilu Gerald, Miguel Leal, Patrick Mucunguzi, Miguel Alexiades, Timothy R. Baker, Karina Banda, Lindsay Banin, Jos Barlow, Amy Bennett, Erika Berenguer, Nicholas Berry, Neil M. Bird, George A. Blackburn, Francis Brearley, Roel Brienen, David Burslem, Lidiany Carvalho, Percival Cho, Fernanda Coelho, Murray Collins, David Coomes, Aida Cuni-Sanchez, Greta Dargie, Kyle Dexter, Mat Disney, Freddie Draper, Muying Duan, Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, Robert Ewers, Belen Fadrique, Sophie Fauset, Ted R. Feldpausch, Filipe França, David Galbraith, Martin Gilpin, Emanuel Gloor, John Grace, Keith Hamer, David Harris, Tommaso Jucker, Michelle Kalamandeen, Bente Klitgaard, Aurora Levesley, Simon L. Lewis, Jeremy Lindsell, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Jon Lovett, Yadvinder Malhi, Toby Marthews, Emma McIntosh, Karina Melgaço, William Milliken, Edward Mitchard, Peter Moonlight, Sam Moore, Alexandra Morel, Julie Peacock, Kelvin Peh, Colin Pendry, R. Toby Pennington, Luciana de Oliveira Pereira, Carlos Peres, Oliver L. Phillips, Georgia Pickavance, Thomas Pugh, Lan Qie, Terhi Riutta, Katherine Roucoux, Casey Ryan, Tiina Sarkinen, Camila Silva Valeria, Dominick Spracklen, Suzanne Stas, Martin Sullivan, Michael Swaine, Joey Talbot, James Taplin, Geertje van der Heijden, Laura Vedovato, Simon Willcock, Mathew Williams, Luciana Alves, Patricia Alvarez Loayza, Gabriel Arellano, Cheryl Asa, Peter Ashton, Gregory Asner, Terry Brncic, Foster Brown, Robyn Burnham, Connie Clark, James Comiskey, Gabriel Damasco, Stuart Davies, Tony Di Fiore, Terry Erwin, William Farfan-Rios, Jefferson Hall, David Kenfack, Thomas Lovejoy, Roberta Martin, Olga Martha Montiel, John Pipoly, Nigel Pitman, John Poulsen, Richard Primack, Miles Silman, Marc Steininger, Varun Swamy, John Terborgh, Duncan Thomas, Peter Umunay, Maria Uriarte, Emilio Vilanova Torre, Ophelia Wang, Kenneth Young, Gerardo A. Aymard C., Lionel Hernández, Rafael Herrera Fernández, Hirma Ramírez-Angulo, Pedro Salcedo, Elio Sanoja, Julio Serrano, Armando Torres-Lezama, Tinh Cong Le, Trai Trong Le, Hieu Dang Tra

Chronic coronary syndromes without standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes: the CLARIFY registry

Background and Aims: It has been reported that patients without standard modifiable cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (SMuRFs—diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and smoking) presenting with first myocardial infarction (MI), especially women, have a higher in-hospital mortality than patients with risk factors, and possibly a lower long-term risk provided they survive the post-infarct period. This study aims to explore the long-term outcomes of SMuRF-less patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: CLARIFY is an observational cohort of 32 703 outpatients with stable CAD enrolled between 2009 and 2010 in 45 countries. The baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with and without SMuRFs were compared. The primary outcome was a composite of 5-year CV death or non-fatal MI. Secondary outcomes were 5-year all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE—CV death, non-fatal MI, or non-fatal stroke). Results: Among 22 132 patients with complete risk factor and outcome information, 977 (4.4%) were SMuRF-less. Age, sex, and time since CAD diagnosis were similar across groups. SMuRF-less patients had a lower 5-year rate of CV death or non-fatal MI (5.43% [95% CI 4.08–7.19] vs. 7.68% [95% CI 7.30–8.08], P = 0.012), all-cause mortality, and MACE. Similar results were found after adjustments. Clinical event rates increased steadily with the number of SMuRFs. The benefit of SMuRF-less status was particularly pronounced in women. Conclusions: SMuRF-less patients with stable CAD have a substantial but significantly lower 5-year rate of CV death or non-fatal MI than patients with risk factors. The risk of CV outcomes increases steadily with the number of risk factors

Rivaroxaban or aspirin for patent foramen ovale and embolic stroke of undetermined source: a prespecified subgroup analysis from the NAVIGATE ESUS trial

Background: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a contributor to embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS). Subgroup analyses from previous studies suggest that anticoagulation could reduce recurrent stroke compared with antiplatelet therapy. We hypothesised that anticoagulant treatment with rivaroxaban, an oral factor Xa inhibitor, would reduce the risk of recurrent ischaemic stroke compared with aspirin among patients with PFO enrolled in the NAVIGATE ESUS trial. Methods: NAVIGATE ESUS was a double-blinded, randomised, phase 3 trial done at 459 centres in 31 countries that assessed the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban versus aspirin for secondary stroke prevention in patients with ESUS. For this prespecified subgroup analysis, cohorts with and without PFO were defined on the basis of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE). The primary efficacy outcome was time to recurrent ischaemic stroke between treatment groups. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding, according to the criteria of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. The primary analyses were based on the intention-to-treat population. Additionally, we did a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of studies in which patients with cryptogenic stroke and PFO were randomly assigned to receive anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. Findings: Between Dec 23, 2014, and Sept 20, 2017, 7213 participants were enrolled and assigned to receive rivaroxaban (n=3609) or aspirin (n=3604). Patients were followed up for a mean of 11 months because of early trial termination. PFO was reported as present in 534 (7·4%) patients on the basis of either TTE or TOE. Patients with PFO assigned to receive aspirin had a recurrent ischaemic stroke rate of 4·8 events per 100 person-years compared with 2·6 events per 100 person-years in those treated with rivaroxaban. Among patients with known PFO, there was insufficient evidence to support a difference in risk of recurrent ischaemic stroke between rivaroxaban and aspirin (hazard ratio [HR] 0·54; 95% CI 0·22–1·36), and the risk was similar for those without known PFO (1·06; 0·84–1·33; pinteraction=0·18). The risks of major bleeding with rivaroxaban versus aspirin were similar in patients with PFO detected (HR 2·05; 95% CI 0·51–8·18) and in those without PFO detected (HR 2·82; 95% CI 1·69–4·70; pinteraction=0·68). The random-effects meta-analysis combined data from NAVIGATE ESUS with data from two previous trials (PICSS and CLOSE) and yielded a summary odds ratio of 0·48 (95% CI 0·24–0·96; p=0·04) for ischaemic stroke in favour of anticoagulation, without evidence of heterogeneity. Interpretation: Among patients with ESUS who have PFO, anticoagulation might reduce the risk of recurrent stroke by about half, although substantial imprecision remains. Dedicated trials of anticoagulation versus antiplatelet therapy or PFO closure, or both, are warranted. Funding: Bayer and Janssen

The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project

The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity