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

The state of natural grass at the reclamation facility of Ryazan Meschera

The purpose of the geobotanical survey was to analyze the natural grass stand at the Tinki-II drained object within Ryazan Meschera. When monitoring the former forage lands, the methods of Bogolyubov and Kravchenko, Neshtaev and others were used. The meadow survey area had an area of 10,000 m2 and was located near the main canal, a tree belt area, a settlement and an open collector. Earlier monitoring studies revealed the presence of degradation processes in peat soil that has been drained for 65 years, which manifested itself in the form of peat depletion, an increase in density, and the transformation of peat into a humified mass. The local flora dominated with the inclusion of such species as Elytrigia repens, Hypericum perforatum, etc. Plants with frequent occurrence and high Druda abundance (Elytrígia répens and Alopecúrus praténsis) were identified. The association Elytrígetum urtícetosum was highlighted. The entire variety of phytocenosis was grouped into dynamic series of community development: perennial, biennial, and annual grasses, considering their aboveground mass. The prospects for the development of meadow farming are unsatisfactory due to the low level of development of animal husbandry. At controlled facility Tinki-II, only 5 % of the meadow area leased by the Novoselki agricultural holding is now sown © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

Sanding of drained peatlands

The results of many years of original research based on soil-ecological monitoring showed the development of degradation processes of previously drained peat soils of the Ryazan Meshchera. Structural amelioration (sanding) of peat soils had some positive effect. The aim of the research was to study the properties of the dried peat soil at reclamation site Tinki-II in the settlement of Polkovo, Ryazan District of Ryazan Region, as a result of sanding. The most common type of German mixed-layer sanding was used in investigations. The methodology was based on the principle of comparing the state of dried peat soil before and after sanding. The content of the less than 0.01 mm fractions was 4.3 %, the rest consisted of particles from 0.25 to 0.05 mm; the pH of the salt extract was 5.7. Mineral fertilizers were applied in the experiment in small quantities: ammonium nitrate – 180 g, superphosphate – 185 g and potassium sulfate – 260 g. The water supply was atmospheric-ground. Variant 2 was more effective – sanding with a dose of 1200 t/ha for sluicing and maintaining GWL = 90 cm, as evidenced by improved water-physical properties of the soil: the total porosity increased by 5 %; the total water capacity decreased from 270 to 70%, that was almost 4 times. Keywords: peat soil, degradation, sluicing, sanding, yield, potato