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

Effect of crop rotation on Meloidogyne spp. and Pratylenchus spp. populations in strawberry fields in Taiwan

Changes in population levels of Meloidogyne hapla, M. incognita, Pratylenchus coffeae, and P. penetrans were studied in 12 strawberry fields in the Dahu region of Taiwan. Ten potential rotation crops and two cultural practices were evaluated for their effect on nematode populations and influence on strawberry yield. Rotation with rice or taro and the cultural practice of flooding and bare fallowing for four months were found to reduce nematode soil populations to two or fewer nematodes per 100 ml soil. Average strawberry yields increased between 2.4% to 6.3% following taro compared to the bare fallow treatment. Corn suppressed M. incognita and M. hopla populations and resulted in an increased in strawberry yield compared to bare fallow. Other phytopathogens also present in these fields limited taro as the rotation choice for nematode management. Results of this research and economic analysis of the input requirements for various rotation crops, corn and bare fallow were recommended as the most appropriate rotation strategies for nematode management in strawberry in this region

Assessment of nematode community structure as a bioindicator in river monitoring

Nematode communities from river water and sediments were assessed for the abundance, feeding types, maturity indices and nematode channel ratio (NCR). The sampling sites studied included different levels of pollution and contamination from agricultural, industrial and sewage sources. The nematode abundance found in the sediment samples was more than that in the water samples. The lowest nematode abundance in sediment samples and the lowest NCR in water samples were both found at the industrial pollution site. Water samples showed positive correlation between the NCR and river pollution index (RPI). Mean maturity indices in sediment samples were inversely correlated with RPI. The pollutant source determined the relationship between NCR and pollution level, while maturity index always showed negative correlation with pollutant level regardless of the pollutant sources. The nematode abundance and its community structure were both reliable bioindicators for monitoring long-term river pollution in both qualitative and quantitative aspects. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Temperature and mechanical stimuli to regulate pear and papaya growth

Tree size and harvest season might be designed and controlled in growth chambers or by elevation in the field. By means of higher temperature, thousands of hectors of Japanese Dears in Taiwan are being cultivated to produce off-season fruit year around, mainly from spring through fall months. The height of a Japanese pear tree with setting fruit might be 30 cm if the tree is kept in 15:25. with full light intensity through out the year until the flower buds are initiated and begin to develop. Like banana trees, papayas are susceptible to wind damage. Papaya is also susceptible to the papaya ring spot virus (RSV) prevalent in Taiwan and other tropical and subtropical areas. Nethouses were constructed to prevent aphids from transferring the virus. In the nethouse, decreased light intensity induced vigorous vegetative growth of the papaya. When the tips of the papaya touched the net, the canopy could not spread, forcing farmers to remove the net. The papaya soon became infected by RSV resulting in higher cultivation costs. In order to increase the life span of papaya in nethouses, a mechanical stimulus was applied to the papaya by cleaving and bending the trunk to various heights. This technique facilitated evaluation of wind damage, disease susceptibility, and duration of the harvest. Research shows papaya trunks can be trained to a tunnel- type growth form extending the duration of the harvest for an additional year or more. This suggests that the plastic recovery properly of the papaya trunk allows cultivation economically in greenhouses or nethouses, and eventually in the field with greatly reduced affects from wind damage

Evaluation of Asteraceae plants for control of Meloidogyne incognita

Of the 56 species and 43 genera of Asteraceac tested, 9 were highly resistant or immune to Meloidogyne incognita and did not form root galls. Twenty-six species and six cultivars had 25% of fewer roots galled and were considered moderately resistant to M. incognita. Pre-planting Cosmos bipinnatus (F190), Gaillardia pulchella, Tagetes erecta, Tithonia diversifolia, or Zinnia elegans (F645) reduced root galling and M. incognita J2 in and around Ipomoea reptans. Amendment of soils with roots, stems, or leaves of G. pulchella was effective in controlling M. incognita on I. reptans. Tissue extracts of G. pulchella were lethal to various plant-parasitic nematodes but were innocuous to tree-living nematodes. Root exudates of G. pulchella were lethal to J2 of M. incognita and were inhibitory to the batch of eggs at the concentration of 250 ppm or higher. Gaillardia pulchella could be used to manage M. incognita as a rotation crop, a co-planted crop, or a soil amendment for control of root-knot nematode

Differentiation of Hemicriconemoides mangiferae and H. litchi (Nematoda: Criconematina) based on morphometrics and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences

Hemicriconemoides mangiferae and H. litchi, which have been considered as junior synonyms of H. strictathecatus, are morphologically similar, making identification difficult. In the present study, six populations of Hemicriconemoides spp. were collected from mango and litchi in Taiwan and were differentiated based on morphometrics and molecular characteristics. By comparing morphometric data from females and males, three populations collected from mango were identified as H. mangiferae and another three populations from litchi were identified as H. litchi. According to SEM, both of the H. mangiferae and H. litchi males had an areolated lateral field with four incisures; caudal alae were not found. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) from these nematode populations were sequenced and aligned. The sequence identity of the ITS region was 89-95% between H. mangiferae and H. litchi populations, suggesting rDNA sequence divergence could be a taxonomic aid for species differentiation. Since H. mangiferae and H. litchi are closely related to H. strictathecatus, more rDNA sequence information could be valuable to deal with molecular phylogenetic relationships of these species in depth

Differentiation of the Xiphinema americanum-group nematodes X-brevicollum, X-incognitum, X-diffasum and X-oxycaudatum in Taiwan by morphometrics and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences

Morphometrics and molecular variability of the X. americamun-group collected in Taiwan were studied. Morphometric data, derived from the females and their developing juveniles, revealed that the 27 populations comprised four taxa: X. brevicollum, X. incognitum, X. diffusum and X. oxycaudatum, the last species being found to have only three juvenile stages. Further identifications were conducted by analysing the nucleotide sequences of the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1), 5.8S gene and second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Pairwise comparisons revealed the sequence differences among these taxa ranging from 3.5 to 21.8% for the ITS-1, 2.9 to 28.6% for the ITS-2 and 0 to 3.1% for the 5.8S. Little or no intraspecific variation was detected in the four species for which multiple populations from different geographical regions or hosts were sequenced. Although X. incognitum is morphometrically closer to X. diffusum than it is to X. brevicollum in mean body length, total stylet length, and percentage position of vulva, there is a higher degree of genetic similarity between X. incognitum and X. brevicollum