Hyperfine Magnetic Field Measurements in Ferromagnetic Chalcogenide Spinels and Heusler Alloys by TDPAC Technique

Supported by the National Science Foundation and Indiana Universit

The learning curve associated with the introduction of the subcutaneous implantable defibrillator

Aims: The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) was introduced to overcome complications related to transvenous leads. Adoption of the S-ICD requires implanters to learn a new implantation technique. The aim of this study was to assess the learning curve for S-ICD implanters with respect to implant-related complications, procedure time, and inappropriate shocks (IASs). Methods and results: In a pooled cohort from two clinical S-ICD databases, the IDE Trial and the EFFORTLESS Registry, complications, IASs at 180 days follow-up and implant procedure duration were assessed. Patients were grouped in quartiles based on experience of the implanter and Kaplan-Meier estimates of complication and IAS rates were calculated. A total of 882 patients implanted in 61 centres by 107 implanters with a median of 4 implants (IQR 1,8) were analysed. There were a total of 59 patients with complications and 48 patients with IAS. The complication rate decreased significantly from 9.8% in Quartile 1 (least experience) to 5.4% in Quartile 4 (most experience) (P = 0.02) and non-significantly for IAS from 7.9 to 4.8% (P = 0.10). Multivariable analysis demonstrated a hazard ratio of 0.78 (P = 0.045) for complications and 1.01 (P = 0.958) for IAS. Dual-zone programming increased with experience of the individual implanter (P 13 implants). Conclusion: There is a short and significant learning curve associated with physicians adopting the S-ICD. Performance stab

Global maps of soil temperature.

Research in global change ecology relies heavily on global climatic grids derived from estimates of air temperature in open areas at around 2 m above the ground. These climatic grids do not reflect conditions below vegetation canopies and near the ground surface, where critical ecosystem functions occur and most terrestrial species reside. Here, we provide global maps of soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at a 1-km <sup>2</sup> resolution for 0-5 and 5-15 cm soil depth. These maps were created by calculating the difference (i.e. offset) between in situ soil temperature measurements, based on time series from over 1200 1-km <sup>2</sup> pixels (summarized from 8519 unique temperature sensors) across all the world's major terrestrial biomes, and coarse-grained air temperature estimates from ERA5-Land (an atmospheric reanalysis by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). We show that mean annual soil temperature differs markedly from the corresponding gridded air temperature, by up to 10°C (mean = 3.0 ± 2.1°C), with substantial variation across biomes and seasons. Over the year, soils in cold and/or dry biomes are substantially warmer (+3.6 ± 2.3°C) than gridded air temperature, whereas soils in warm and humid environments are on average slightly cooler (-0.7 ± 2.3°C). The observed substantial and biome-specific offsets emphasize that the projected impacts of climate and climate change on near-surface biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are inaccurately assessed when air rather than soil temperature is used, especially in cold environments. The global soil-related bioclimatic variables provided here are an important step forward for any application in ecology and related disciplines. Nevertheless, we highlight the need to fill remaining geographic gaps by collecting more in situ measurements of microclimate conditions to further enhance the spatiotemporal resolution of global soil temperature products for ecological applications

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for low back pain: an updated cochrane review

Study Design. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. ObjectiveS. To assess the effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and COX-2 inhibitors in the treatment of nonspecific low back pain and to assess which type of NSAID is most effective. Summart of Background Data. NSAIDs are the most frequently prescribed medications worldwide and are widely used for patients with low back pain. Selective COX-2 inhibitors are currently available and used for patients with low back pain. Methods. We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to and including June 2007 if reported in English, Dutch, or German. We also screened references given in relevant reviews and identified trials. Randomized trials and double-blind controlled trials of NSAIDs in nonspecific low back pain with or without sciatica were included. Results. In total, 65 trials (total number of patients = 11,237) were included in this review. Twenty-eight trials (42%) were considered high quality. Statistically significant effects were found in favor of NSAIDs compared with placebo, but at the cost of statistically significant more side effects. There is moderate evidence that NSAIDs are not more effective than paracetamol for acute low back pain, but paracetamol had fewer side effects. There is moderate evidence that NSAIDs are not more effective than other drugs for acute low back pain. There is strong evidence that various types of NSAIDs, including COX-2 NSAIDs, are equally effective for acute low back pain. COX-2 NSAIDs had statistically significantly fewer side effects than traditional NSAIDs. Conclusion. The evidence from the 65 trials included in this review suggests that NSAIDs are effective for short-term symptomatic relief in patients with acute and chronic low back pain without sciatica. However, effect sizes are small. Furthermore, there does not seem to be a specific type of NSAID, which is clearly more effective than others. The selective COX-2 inhibitors showed fewer side effects compared with traditional NSAIDs in the randomized controlled trials included in this review. However, recent studies have shown that COX-2 inhibitors are associated with increased cardiovascular risks in specific patient populations. © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Results of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of increasing package size on usage volume of peanut butter in older adults

BACKGROUND: Portion and package sizes of foods generally influence energy intake in children and adults. However, little is known about this effect in older adults. This study aimed to determine the effect of increasing package size on usage volume of peanut butter in older adults. Furthermore, it is investigated whether older women and men, different age groups (<65, 65-80, and 80+), and non-overweight (BMI<25), overweight (BMI≥25) and obese (BMI>30) older adults had different responses to variation in package size. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial among 205 older adults was conducted wherein participants were randomized to either the small (350 g) (n = 103) or the large (1000 g) (n = 102) package size condition. Linear regression analyses were used to determine the association between package size condition and usage volume of peanut butter on a slice of bread. Interactions of sex, age groups and BMI categories with package size were tested to investigate differences in responses to variation in package size. RESULTS: Older adults spread on average 12.4 g (SD = 4.3) of peanut butter on a slice of bread when exposed to a small jar of peanut butter and 12.6 g (SD = 4.4) when exposed to a large jar of peanut butter (B = 0.15; 95%CI = -1.04 to 1.35). Interactions between sex, age groups or BMI categories with package size condition were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Increased package size has no effect on usage volume of peanut butter among older adults. Older women and men, different age groups within older adults, and normal-weight, overweight and obese older adults do not respond differently to variation in package size of spreads

Phosphoproteomics study based on in vivo inhibition reveals sites of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II regulation in the heart

Background The multifunctional Ca2+‐ and calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a crucial mediator of cardiac physiology and pathology. Increased expression and activation of CaMKII has been linked to elevated risk for arrhythmic events and is a hallmark of human heart failure. A useful approach to determining CaMKII's role therein is large‐scale analysis of phosphorylation events by mass spectrometry. However, current large‐scale phosphoproteomics approaches have proved inadequate for high‐fidelity identification of kinase‐specific roles. The purpose of this study was to develop a phosphoproteomics approach to specifically identify CaMKII's downstream effects in cardiac tissue. Methods and Results To identify putative downstream CaMKII targets in cardiac tissue, animals with myocardial‐delimited expression of the specific peptide inhibitor of CaMKII (AC3‐I) or an inactive control (AC3‐C) were compared using quantitative phosphoproteomics. The hearts were isolated after isoproterenol injection to induce CaMKII activation downstream of β‐adrenergic receptor agonist stimulation. Enriched phosphopeptides from AC3‐I and AC3‐C mice were differentially quantified using stable isotope dimethyl labeling, strong cation exchange chromatography and high‐resolution LC‐MS/MS. Phosphorylation levels of several hundred sites could be profiled, including 39 phosphoproteins noticeably affected by AC3‐I‐mediated CaMKII inhibition. Conclusions Our data set included known CaMKII substrates, as well as several new candidate proteins involved in functions not previously implicated in CaMKII signaling

Phosphoproteomics study based on in vivo inhibition reveals sites of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II regulation in the heart

Background The multifunctional Ca2+‐ and calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a crucial mediator of cardiac physiology and pathology. Increased expression and activation of CaMKII has been linked to elevated risk for arrhythmic events and is a hallmark of human heart failure. A useful approach to determining CaMKII's role therein is large‐scale analysis of phosphorylation events by mass spectrometry. However, current large‐scale phosphoproteomics approaches have proved inadequate for high‐fidelity identification of kinase‐specific roles. The purpose of this study was to develop a phosphoproteomics approach to specifically identify CaMKII's downstream effects in cardiac tissue. Methods and Results To identify putative downstream CaMKII targets in cardiac tissue, animals with myocardial‐delimited expression of the specific peptide inhibitor of CaMKII (AC3‐I) or an inactive control (AC3‐C) were compared using quantitative phosphoproteomics. The hearts were isolated after isoproterenol injection to induce CaMKII activation downstream of β‐adrenergic receptor agonist stimulation. Enriched phosphopeptides from AC3‐I and AC3‐C mice were differentially quantified using stable isotope dimethyl labeling, strong cation exchange chromatography and high‐resolution LC‐MS/MS. Phosphorylation levels of several hundred sites could be profiled, including 39 phosphoproteins noticeably affected by AC3‐I‐mediated CaMKII inhibition. Conclusions Our data set included known CaMKII substrates, as well as several new candidate proteins involved in functions not previously implicated in CaMKII signaling

Implant and Midterm Outcomes of the Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Registry

BACKGROUND The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) was developed to defibrillate ventricular arrhythmias, avoiding drawbacks of transvenous leads. The global EFFORTLESS S-ICD (Evaluation oF FactORs ImpacTing CLinical Outcome and Cost EffectiveneSS of the S-ICD) registry is collecting outcomes in 985 patients during a 5-year follow-up. OBJECTIVES The primary goal of the EFFORTLESS registry is to determine the safety of the S-ICD by evaluating complications and inappropriate shock rate. METHODS This is the first report on the full patient cohort and study endpoints with follow-up $1 year. The predefined endpoints are 30- and 360-day complications, and shocks for atrial fibrillation or supraventricular tachycardia. RESULTS Patients were followed for 3.1 ± 1.5 years and 82 completed the study protocol 5-year visit. Average age was 48 years, 28% were women, ejection fraction was 43 ± 18%, and 65% had a primary prevention indication. The S-ICD system and procedure complication rate was 4.1% at 30 days and 8.4% at 360 days. The 1-year complication rate trended toward improvement from the first to last quartile of enrollment (11.3% [quartile 1]) to 7.8% [quartile 2], 6.6% [quartile 3], and 7.4% [quartile 4]; quartile 1 vs. quartiles 2 to 4; p ¼ 0.06). Few device extractions occurred due to need for antitachycardia (n ¼ 5), or biventricular (n ¼ 4) or bradycardia pacing (n ¼ 1). Inappropriate shocks occurred in 8.1% at 1 year and 11.7% after 3.1 years. At implant, 99.5% of patients had a successful conversion of induced ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. The 1- and 5-year rates of appropriate shock were 5.8% and 13.5%, respectively. Conversion success for discrete spontaneous episodes was 97.4% overall. CONCLUSIONS This registry demonstrates that the S-ICD fulfills predefined endpoints for safety and efficacy. Midterm performance rates on complications, inappropriate shocks, and conversion efficacy were comparable to rates observed in transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator studies