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Seeding rate in hard red spring wheat (HRSW; Triticum aestivum L.) production impacts input cost and grain yield. Predicting the optimal seeding rate (OSR) for HRSW cultivars can eliminate the need for costly seeding rate research and growers using OSRs can maximize yield and seeding efficiency. Data were compiled from seeding rate studies conducted in 32 environments in the Northern Plains United States to determine the OSR of HRSW cultivars grown in diverse environments. Twelve cultivars with diverse genetic and phenotypic characteristics were evaluated at five seeding rates in 2013-2015, and nine cultivars were evaluated in 2017-2018. OSR varied among cultivar within environments. Cultivar x environment interactions were explored with the objective of developing a decision support system (DSS) to aid growers in determining the OSR for the cultivar they select, and for the environment in which it is sown. A 10-fold repeated cross-validation of the seeding rate data was used to fit 10 decision tree models and the most robust model was selected based on minimizing the value for model variance. The final decision tree model for predicting OSR of HRSW cultivars in diverse environments was considered the most reliable as bias was minimized by pruning methods, and model variance was acceptable for OSR predictions (RMSE = 1.24). Findings from this model were used to develop the grower DSS for determining OSR dependent on cultivar straw strength (as a measure of lodging resistance), tillering capacity, and yield of the environment. Recommendations for OSR ranged from 3.1 to 4.5 million seeds ha -1 . Growers can benefit from using this DSS by sowing at OSR relative to their average yields; especially when seeding new HRSW cultivars., (Copyright © 2020 Stanley, Mehring, Wiersma and Ransom.)

This project was initiated with the goal of investigating the malt quality of winter rye cultivars and hybrids grown in the United States in 2014 and 2015, but high levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) were subsequently found in many of the malt samples. DON levels in 75% of the investigated rye samples (n = 117) were actually below 1.0 mg/kg, as quantified by a gas chromatography combined with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). However, 83% of the samples had DON in excess of 1.0 mg/kg following malting, and the average DON level in malted rye was 10.6 mg/kg. In addition, relatively high levels of 3-acetate DON (3-ADON), 15-acetate DON (15-ADON), nivalenol (NIV), and DON-3-glucoside (D3G) were observed in some rye malts. Our results show that rye grain DON is likely a poor predicator of type B trichothecenes in malt in practice, because high levels of malt DON, 15-ADONm and D3G were produced, even when the rye samples with DON levels below 0.50 mg/kg were processed. Fusarium Tri5 DNA content in rye was highly associated with malt DON levels ( r = 0.83) in a small subset of samples (n = 55). The impact of Fusarium infection on malt quality was demonstrated by the significant correlations between malt DON levels and wort viscosity, β -glucan content, wort color, wort p -coumaric acid content, and total phenolic content. Additional correlations of rye Fusarium Tri5 DNA contents with malt diastatic power (DP), wort free amino nitrogen (FAN) content, and arabinoxylan content were observed.

We describe a patient with acute heart failure shortly after pacemaker implantation. With the documentation of typical dyskinesia of the apical segments with hyperdynamic contractility of the basal segments and a normal coronary angiogram, pacemaker implantation-induced Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was diagnosed. Supportive care was administered and within several days the patient's symptoms resolved. After several weeks, the left ventricular function had fully recovered. A review of the literature on Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after pacemaker implantation is presented.

Background: MPO, an enzyme of the innate immune system, exhibits pro-atherogenic effects. These include oxidative damage to LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, and promotion of endothelial dysfunction. Recent studies revealed that MPO independently predicts adverse outcomes in patients with chest pain or suspected acute coronary syndrome. We evaluated whether plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels are associated with scintigraphic myocardial perfusion abnormalities, in type 2 diabetic patients with mild anginal complaints., Methods: MPO was measured in plasma samples of 267 patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 and stable angina pectoris complaints (Canadian Cardiovascular Society class I-II/IV) prior to myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS)., Results: The median plasma level of MPO was 141 pmol/L (IQR 115-171 pmol/L). One-hundred-ninety patients (71%) had perfusion abnormalities on MPS and of these, 138 patients had myocardial ischemia. No relation was found between plasma MPO levels and the scintigraphic myocardial perfusion abnormalities. Even in combination with known other cardiovascular risk factors MPO failed to predict scintigraphic myocardial perfusion abnormalities., Conclusions: MPO levels are not associated with scintigraphic myocardial perfusion abnormalities in type 2 diabetic patients with mild anginal complaints. Therefore, in type 2 diabetic patients MPO is not a useful biomarker to predict hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To determine the prognostic value of reversible myocardial perfusion defects on myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild anginal complaints., Methods and Results: In the MERIDIAN trial, patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, stable, mild anginal symptoms (Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification (CCS) I-II/IV) and reversible perfusion defects were randomized to either continued pharmacological treatment or early invasive treatment. In this sub analysis, the severity of the myocardial perfusion defect was related to the occurrence of cardiac death and non-fatal myocardial infarction, in 319 patients (63% male, 65 +/- 9 years). During follow-up (2.2 +/- 0.6 years), 14 patients had a cardiac event: 3 in 171 patients without myocardial ischemia and 11 in 148 patients with myocardial ischemia. Annual event rates rose from 0.8% to 5.8% with increasing severity of myocardial ischemia. Multivariable analysis identified the presence of severe myocardial ischemia (hazard ratio (HR) 5.45, 95%CI 1.89-15.71) and insulin use (HR 4.00, 95%CI 1.25-12.75) as independent predictors of cardiac events., Conclusions: Type 2 diabetics with mild anginal symptoms with no or moderate myocardial ischemia have a low annual cardiac event rate. In patients with severe myocardial ischemia event rate increased 3-6 fold.

Background: Diabetes mellitus type 2 is linked to augmented endothelial dysfunction and accelerated atherosclerosis. Myeloperoxidase plays an important role in the initiation, progression, and the complications of atherosclerosis. We investigated whether myeloperoxidase levels are increased in diabetic patients., Material/methods: We compared baseline plasma myeloperoxidase levels in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with mild, stable anginal complaints (Canadian Cardiovascular Society I-II/IV) and performed multivariate linear regression analyses to adjust for possible confounding factors., Results: A total of 440 patients were recruited from the outpatient clinic of cardiology, 268 patients with and 172 without diabetes mellitus type 2. Levels of myeloperoxidase were significantly higher in diabetic patients (median, 141 pM; interquartile range, 115-171 pM) than in nondiabetic patients (median, 126 pM; interquartile range, 105-167 pM) (P=0.01). Diabetes mellitus type 2, age in years, current smoking status, presence of hypercholesterolemia, and use of calcium antagonists and ACE inhibitors were associated with logarithmically transformed myeloperoxidase levels. Of these variables, diabetes mellitus type 2 (beta 0.096, SE 0.038, P=0.01); age (beta 0.01, SE 0.002, P<0.001), and current smoking (beta 0.166, SE 0.05, P=0.001) remained independently associated with myeloperoxidase levels in multivariate analysis. The linear regression coefficient of diabetes mellitus type 2 in relation to myeloperoxidase was 0.092 in univariate linear regression and 0.078 after adjusting for age, current smoking, and use of ACE inhibitors and calcium antagonists., Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus type 2 is associated with mildly increased levels of myeloperoxidase, independent of other clinical variables. This association may contribute to the accelerated progression of atherosclerosis in diabetics.

Background/objective: To compare early invasive treatment with continued pharmacological treatment in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, mild anginal symptoms and documented myocardial ischaemia., Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild anginal symptoms underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). Patients with myocardial ischaemia were randomly assigned to early invasive or continued pharmacological treatment. All patients were followed for the occurrence of MACE (death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or hospitalisation for unstable angina pectoris)., Results: A total of 156 patients were randomised when the sponsor (ZonMW) prematurely terminated the study because of a slow recruitment rate. With a mean follow-up of 2.1±0.6 years, 9 of 79 patients assigned to early invasive treatment developed MACE compared with 10 of 77 patients randomised to continued pharmacological treatment, annual event rate 5.4 vs. 6.3%, hazard ratio 0.89, 95% CI 0.36 to 2.20, p=0.34. Due to the limited number of included patients and the low event rate, the study did not have sufficient power for the study objective., Conclusion: Patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, mild anginal symptoms and documented myocardial ischaemia, under appropriate medical treatment, have a lower than anticipated annual event rate of MACE of ±5 to 6% which questions the beneficial effect of early revascularisation.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and predictors of reversible myocardial perfusion defects, indicative of myocardial ischaemia, in patients with mild, stable anginal complaints [Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification (CCS) I-II/IV] and diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM)., Methods: A total of 329 patients with T2DM and stable, mild anginal symptoms (CCS I-II/IV) underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Perfusion images were assessed using a five-point (semi)-quantitative scoring system according to a 17-segment myocardial model., Results: One-hundred and fifty-six (47%) patients showed reversible myocardial perfusion defects defined as a summed difference score of >or=3. Male gender [odds ratio (OR) 2.28, 95% CI 1.4-3.71, p=0.001], previous myocardial infarction (MI) without revascularisation (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.28-7.24, p=0.01), and the use of two or more classes of anti-anginal medication (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.48-3.76, p<0.001) were independent predictors for the presence of reversible defects. By contrast, lipid-lowering therapy reduced the possibility of reversible perfusion defects (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.33-0.95, p=0.03)., Conclusion: Approximately half of the patients with mild, stable angina pectoris and T2DM showed evidence of myocardial ischaemia. Male gender, previous MI and the use of anti-anginal medication were positive predictors and lipid-lowering therapy was a negative predictor for the results of the scintigraphic stress test.

Of all patients presenting with coronary, artery disease, 20-30% already have a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus type 2. Of the remaining patients, another 15-20% are found at presentation to have diabetes mellitus and 30% have glucose intolerance. Both conditions are major risk factors for the recurrence of coronary artery disease and mortality. The treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 always includes improvement in lifestyle, adequate blood-glucose control, cholesterol-lowering therapy and blood-pressure control. Furthermore, if one or more other traditional cardiovascular risk factors are present, or if the patient is over 40 years of age, acetylsalicylic acid must be added. Finally, with a prior history of coronary-artery disease, patients must be given an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. During percutaneous coronary interventions, patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 are preferably treated with a drug-eluting stent in combination with clopidogrel, and in case of an acute coronary syndrome, glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists are added to the standard treatment.