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Bakterie z rodzaju Azotobacter są przedmiotem wielu badań prowadzonych zarówno w Polsce jak i za granicą. Zainteresowanie tą grupą bakterii w dużej mierze związane jest z ich właściwościami, które mogą być wykorzystywane w rolnictwie. Najnowsze badania opierają się na zaawansowanych metodach molekularnych i bazują na poznanej sekwencji genomów dwóch gatunków: Azotobacter vinelandii i Azotobacter chroococcum. W 2009 roku Setubal i in. opublikowali pełną sekwencję genomu Azotobacter vinelandii DJ, z kolei pełną sekwencję genomu Azotobacter chroococcum 8003 opublikowali Robson i in. w pracy z 2015 roku. Obie bakterie mają pojedynczy, kolisty chromosom o wielkości odpowiednio 5,365,318 pz. i 5,192,291 pz. Poznanie i porównanie sekwencji genomów Azotobacter vinelandii DJ i Azotobacter chroococcum 8003 pozwoliło odpowiedzieć na wiele pytań dotyczących ewolucji, różnorodności i miejsca tych bakterii w środowisku. Zsekwencjonowanie większej liczby genomów innych szczepów A. chroococcum i A. vinelandii przyniosłoby wiele korzyści i pozwoliłoby uporządkować dotychczasową wiedzę na ich temat.

Podmínky INCOTERMS jsou mezinárodně uznávané dodací doložky. Jejich výhodou je srozumitelnost a jednotná interpretace smluvními stranami, a také jednoduché začlenění do smlouvy. Nespornou výhodou je i pravidelná aktualizace. Jednotlivé aktualizace odrážejí trendy v mezinárodně obchodní praxi a podle potřeby tedy upřesňují či ruší stávající doložky nebo zavádí nové. Cílem článku je na historickém vývoji doložek INCOTERMS zhodnotit jejich vývoj a vliv na mezinárodní obchodněprávní vztahy a prostřednictvím tohoto nastínit možný budoucí vývoj. Autoři se zamýšlejí i nad tím, zda vzhledem k rychlému technologickému pokroku je současný desetiletý cyklus revize doložek INCOTERMS vhodný nebo zda se jedná o příliš dlouhou dobu. Z nových trendů autoři poukazují na nové typy dopravy, především bezpilotní drony, dále pokračující trend transparentního a bezpečného logistického řetězce.

Objective(s): The ADHEAR is a novel non-implantable bone conduction hearing system, in which audio processor is connected directly to the skin via a special Adhesive Adapter that is placed behind the ear. It is intended for treatment of patients with conductive hearing loss. The ojbective of this acute clinical study was to assess the audiological efficacy with this hearing. Material and Methods: Material of this study consists of five native Polish adults with uni- or bilateral conductive hearing loss. Unaided and two aided conditions with the ADHEAR and the BC device on softband will be compared using the following tests: (1) Sound field audiometry with warble tones. (2) Speech in quiet by determining the word recognition score and speech reception threshold (SRT50) in sound field with Polish monosyllables. (3) Speech in noise by determining the SRT50 in sound field using the Polish Matrix Test with speech and noise coming from the front. Results and Conclusions: Preliminary results of pilot tests showed comparable performance between the ADHEAR and a bone conduction hearing device on a softband. The new bone conduction hearing device ADHEAR as a nonimplantable solution could be a good alternative to the other bone conduction hearing devices and shows comparable audiological benefit in patients with pure conductive hearing loss. It seems that the ADHEAR can be a good solution for patients with small mastoids, especially for babies and children, who are waiting for surgical procedure or are not suitable for it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charmonium production in heavy ion collisions is considered as an important diagnostic probe for studying the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter for potential phase transitions. The interpretation of existing data from the CERN SPS is hampered by a lack of knowledge on the properties of open charm particle production in the fireball. Moreover, open charm production in heavy ion collisions by itself is poorly understood. To overcome this obstacle, the NA61/SHINE was equipped with a Small Acceptance Vertex Detector (SAVD), which is predicted to make the experiment sensitive to open charm mesons produced in A-A collisions at the SPS top energy. This paper will introduce the concept and the hardware of the SAVD. Moreover, first running experience as obtained in a commissioning run with a 150 AGeV/c Pb+Pb collision system will be reported.

Abstract Campylobacter jejuni and coli are collectively regarded as the most prevalent cause of bacterial foodborne illness worldwide. An emerging species, Campylobacter ureolyticus has recently been detected in patients with gastroenteritis, however, the source of this organism has, until now, remained unclear. Herein, we describe the molecular-based detection of this pathogen in bovine faeces (1/20) and unpasteurized milk (6/47) but not in poultry (chicken wings and caeca). This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of the presence of this potential gastrointestinal pathogen in an animal source, possibly suggesting a route for its transmission to humans.

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a forage legume cultivated worldwide. This plant is capable of establishing a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with Rhizobium leguminosarum symbiovar trifolii strains. To date, no comparative analysis of the symbiotic properties and heterogeneity of T. pratense microsymbionts derived from two distinct geographic regions has been performed. In this study, the symbiotic properties of strains originating from the subpolar and temperate climate zones in a wide range of temperatures (10-25 °C) have been characterized. Our results indicate that all the studied T. pratense microsymbionts from two geographic regions were highly efficient in host plant nodulation and nitrogen fixation in a wide range of temperatures. However, some differences between the populations and between the strains within the individual population examined were observed. Based on the nodC and nifH sequences, the symbiotic diversity of the strains was estimated. In general, 13 alleles for nodC and for nifH were identified. Moreover, 21 and 61 polymorphic sites in the nodC and nifH sequences were found, respectively, indicating that the latter gene shows higher heterogeneity than the former one. Among the nodC and nifH alleles, three genotypes (I-III) were the most frequent, whereas the other alleles (IV-XIII) proved to be unique for the individual strains. Based on the nodC and nifH allele types, 20 nodC-nifH genotypes were identified. Among them, the most frequent were three genotypes marked as A (6 strains), B (5 strains), and C (3 strains). Type A was exclusively found in the temperate strains, whereas types B and C were identified in the subpolar strains. The remaining 17 genotypes were found in single strains. In conclusion, our data indicate that R. leguminosarum sv. trifolii strains derived from two climatic zones show a high diversity with respect to the symbiotic efficiency and heterogeneity. However, some of the R. leguminosarum sv. trifolii strains exhibit very good symbiotic potential in the wide range of the temperatures tested; hence, they may be used in the future for improvement of legume crop production., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The first aim of this study was to compare the medial patellofemoral length between contracted and relaxed quadriceps muscle and second to assess the importance of the intermeshed vastus medialis oblique fibers. After a priori power analysis (α = 0.05, power [1-β] = 0.95), 35 healthy males aged 18-30 were prospectively examined with a 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner in 10-15° of knee flexion. Two axial MRI sequences (25 s each) were made with relaxed and contracted quadriceps. Two blinded, independent raters measured twice medial patellofemoral ligament length (curved line) and attachment-to-attachment length (straight line). Mean medial patellofemoral ligament length and attachment-to-attachment length with relaxed quadriceps was: 65.5 mm (SD = 3.7), 59.7 mm (SD = 3.6), and after contraction, it increased to 68.7 mm (SD = 5.3), 61.2 mm (SD = 4.7); p < 0.01 and <0.001, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients for intra- and inter-rater reliabilities ranged from 0.55 (moderate) to 0.97 (excellent). Mean medial patellofemoral ligament length elongation after quadriceps contraction was significantly greater (3.2 mm, SD = 3.9) than mean attachment-to-attachment length elongation (1.6 mm, SD = 2.8); p < 0.001. Contraction of quadriceps muscle causes elongation of the medial patellofemoral ligament to the extent greater than the elongation of distance between its attachments. This confirms that medial patellofemoral ligament elongation after quadriceps contraction results not only from movement of its patellar attachment but also directly from intermeshed vastus medialis oblique fibers pulling medial patellofemoral ligament in a different direction creating a bow-like construct in agreement with the "pull-and-guide mechanism" proposed in the literature., (© 2023 Anatomical Society.)

Recycling of solid biowaste and manure would reduce the dependence of agriculture on synthetic products. Most of the available studies on the effects of exogenous organic matter (EOM) application to soil were focused on nutrients and crop yield, with much less attention to microbiological processes in soil, especially using modern molecular methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various types of manure, sewage sludge and bottom sediment on the biochemical activity and biodiversity of soil and plant yield in a pot experiment. The soil was treated with a range of EOM types: six types of manure (cattle, pig, goat, poultry, rabbit and horse manure; two bottom sediments (from urban and rural systems); and two types of municipal sewage sludge. All EOMs stimulated dehydrogenases activity at a rate of 20 t ha -1 . Alkaline phosphatase was mostly stimulated by poultry manure and one of the sludges. In general, the two-fold greater rate of EOMs did not further accelerate the soil enzymes. The functional diversity of the soil microbiome was stimulated the most by cattle and goat manure. EOMs produce a shift in distribution of the most abundant bacterial phyla and additionally introduce exogenous bacterial genera to soil. Poultry and horse manure introduced the greatest number of new genera that were able to survive the strong competition in soil. EOMs differentiated plant growth in our study, which was correlated to the rate of nitrate release to soil. The detailed impacts of particular amendments were EOM-specific, but in general, no harm for microbial parameters was observed for manure and sludge application, regardless of their type. There was also no proof that the PAH and pesticide contents measured in manure or sludge had any effect on microbial activity and diversity.

Rhizobia are soil-borne bacteria forming symbiotic associations with legumes and fixing atmospheric dinitrogen. The nitrogen-fixation potential depends on the type of host plants and microsymbionts as well as environmental factors that affect the distribution of rhizobia. In this study, we compared genetic diversity of bacteria isolated from root nodules of Trifolium pratense grown in two geographical regions (Tromsø, Norway and Lublin, Poland) located in distinct climatic (subpolar and temperate) zones. To characterize these isolates genetically, three PCR-based techniques (ERIC, BOX, and RFLP of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer), 16S rRNA sequencing, and multi-locus sequence analysis of chromosomal house-keeping genes (atpD, recA, rpoB, gyrB, and glnII) were done. Our results indicate that a great majority of the isolates are T. pratense microsymbionts belonging to Rhizobium leguminosarum sv. trifolii. A high diversity among these strains was detected. However, a lower diversity within the population derived from the subpolar region in comparison to that of the temperate region was found. Multi-locus sequence analysis showed that a majority of the strains formed distinct clusters characteristic for the individual climatic regions. The subpolar strains belonged to two (A and B) and the temperate strains to three R. leguminosarum genospecies (B, E, and K), respectively., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: The 'Atrial fibrillation Better Care' (ABC) pathway has been recently proposed as a holistic approach for the comprehensive management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We performed a systematic review of current evidence for the use of the ABC pathway on clinical outcomes., Methods and Results: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. PubMed and EMBASE were searched for studies reporting the prevalence of ABC-pathway-adherent management in AF patients, and its impact on clinical outcomes (all-cause death, cardiovascular death, stroke, and major bleeding). Meta-analysis of odds ratio (OR) was performed with random-effects models; subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed to account for heterogeneity. Among the eight studies included, we found a pooled prevalence of ABC-adherent management of 21% (95% confidence interval, CI: 13-34%), with a high grade of heterogeneity, explained by the increasing adherence to each ABC criterion. Patients treated according to the ABC pathway showed a lower risk of all-cause death (OR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.31-0.56), cardiovascular death (OR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.23-0.58), stroke (OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.37-0.82) and major bleeding (OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.51-0.94), with moderate heterogeneity. Prevalence of comorbidities was moderators of heterogeneity for all-cause and cardiovascular death, while longer follow-up was associated with increased effectiveness for all outcomes., Conclusion: Adherence to the ABC pathway was suboptimal, being adopted in one in every five patients. Adherence to the ABC pathway was associated with a reduction in the risk of major adverse outcomes., Competing Interests: J.M.R.-C.: Recipient of grants from Sociedad Española de Trombosis y Hemostasia (grant for short international training stays 2020) and the First Contact Initiative Grant 2020 from the European Society of Cardiology Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science. G.Y.H.L.: Consultant and speaker for BMS/Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim and Daiichi-Sankyo. No fees were received personally. The other authors declare no significant conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Starch is a natural polysaccharide for which the technological quality depends on the genetic basis of the plant and the environmental conditions of the cultivation. Growing plants under cover without soil has many advantages for controlling the above-mentioned conditions. The present research focuses on determining the effect of under cover hydroponic potato cultivation on the physicochemical properties of accumulated potato starch (PS). The plants were grown in the hydroponic system, with (greenhouse, GH) and without recirculation nutrient solution (foil tunnel, FT). The reference sample was PS isolated from plants grown in a tunnel in containers filled with mineral soil (SO). The influence of the cultivation method on the elemental composition of the starch molecules was noted. The cultivation method also influenced the protein and amylose content of the PS. Considering the chromatic parameters, PS-GH and PS-FT were brighter and whiter, with a tinge of blue, than PS-SO. PS-SO was also characterized by the largest average diameters of granules, while PS-GH had the lowest crystallinity. PS-SO showed a better resistance to the combined action of elevated temperature and shear force. There was a slight variation in the gelatinization temperature values. Additionally, significant differences for enthalpy and the retrogradation ratio were observed. The cultivation method did not influence the glass transition and melting.

Objective: We investigated the impact of multimorbidity and polypharmacy on the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients in clinical practice and assessed factors associated with polypharmacy and oral anticoagulation (OAC) use in AF patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy., Methods: A 14-week prospective study of consecutive non-valvular AF patients was performed in seven Balkan countries., Results: Of 2712 consecutive patients, 2263 patients (83.4%) had multimorbidity (AF + ≥2 concomitant diseases) and 1505 patients (55.5%) had polypharmacy. 1416 (52.2%) patients had both multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Overall, 1164 (82.2%) patients received OAC, 200 (14.1%) patients received antiplatelet drugs alone and 52 (3.7%) patients had no antithrombotic therapy (AT). Non-emergency centre and paroxysmal AF were significantly associated with OAC non-use in patients with multimorbidity, whilst age ≥80 years and non-emergency centre were identified to be independent predictors of OAC non-use in patients with polypharmacy., Conclusions: Multimorbidity and polypharmacy were common among AF patients in our study. AT was suboptimal and approximately 18% of multimorbid patients with polypharmacy were not anticoagulated. Pattern of AF and non-emergency centre were associated with OAC non-use in AF patients with multimorbidity, whilst non-emergency centre and age ≥80 years were associated with OAC non-use in AF patients with polypharmacy. Key Message Multimorbidity and polypharmacy are common among patients with AF. Antithrombotic therapy was suboptimal in AF patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Approximately, 18% of multimorbid patients with polypharmacy were not anticoagulated.

An original example of modular crystal engineering involving molecular magnetic {Cu II [W V (CN) 8 ]} - bilayers and adeninium cations (AdeH + ) toward the new layered molecular magnet (AdeH){Cu II [W V (CN) 8 ]}·2H 2 O ( 1 ) is presented. 1 crystallizes within the monoclinic C 2 space group ( a = 41.3174(12), b = 7.0727(3), c = 7.3180(2) Å, β = 93.119(3)°, and V = 2135 Å 3 ). The bilayer topology is based on a stereochemical matching between the square pyramidal shape of Cu II moiety and the bicapped trigonal prismatic shape of [W V (μ-CN) 5 (CN) 3 ], and the separation between bilayers is significantly increased (by ∼50%; from ca. 9.5 to ca. 14.5 Å) compared to several former analogues in this family. This was achieved via a unique combination of (i) a 1D ribbonlike hydrogen bond system {AdeH + ···H 2 O···AdeH + ···} ∞ exploiting planar water-assisted Hoogsteen···Sugar synthons with (ii) parallel 1D π-π stacks {AdeH + ···AdeH + } ∞ . In-plane 2D XY magnetism is characterized by a T c close to 33 K, H c,in-plane = 60 Oe, and H c,out-of-plane = 750 Oe, high values of in-plane γ critical exponents (γ b = 2.34(6) for H || b and γ c = 2.16(5) for H || c ), and a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) topological phase transition, deduced from crystal-orientation-dependent scaling analysis. The obtained values of in-plane ν critical exponents, ν b = 0.48(5) for H || b and ν c = 0.49(3) for H || c , confirm the BKT transition (ν BKT = 0.5). Full-range angle-resolved monocrystalline magnetic measurements supported by dedicated calculations indicated the occurrence of nonlinear susceptibility performance within the easy plane in a magnetically ordered state. We refer the occurrence of this phenomenon to spontaneous resolution in the C 2 space group, a tandem not observed in studies on previous analogues and rarely reported in the field of molecular materials. The above magneto-supramolecular strategy may provide a novel means for the design of 2D molecular magnetic networks and help to uncover the inherent phenomena.

Background: Prescribing patterns for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients evolved with approval of non-Vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) over time., Objectives: To assess changes in anticoagulant prescription patterns in various geographical regions upon first approval of a NOAC and to analyze the evolution of oral anticoagulants (OACs) use over time in relation to CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED risk profiles., Methods: Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation ( GLORIA-AF) Phases II and III reported data on antithrombotic therapy for patients with newly diagnosed AF and ≥1 stroke risk factor. We focused on sites enrolling patients in both phases and reported treatment patterns for the first 4 years after initial NOAC approval., Results: From GLORIA-AF Phases II and III, 27 432 patients were eligible for this analysis. When contrasting the first year with the fourth year of enrolment, the proportion of NOAC prescriptions increased in Asia from 29.2% to 60.8%, in Europe from 53.4% to 75.8%, in North America from 49.0% to 73.9% and in Latin America from 55.7% to 71.1%. The proportion of Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) use decreased across all regions over time, in Asia from 26.0% to 9.8%, in Europe from 35.5% to 16.8%, in North America from 28.9% to 12.1%, and in Latin America from 32.4% to 17.8%. In the multivariable analysis, factors associated with NOAC prescription were as follows: enrolment year, type of site, region, stroke and bleeding risk scores, and type and categorization of AF., Conclusions: During 4 years after the approval of the first NOAC, NOAC use increased, while VKA use decreased, across all regions., Competing Interests: Dr Kozieł and Professor Rothman declare they have no conflict of interest. Dr Bayer, Gurusamy, and Dr Teutsch are employees of Boehringer Ingelheim. Dr Lu was employee of Boehringer Ingelheim at time of manuscript writing. Dr Diener has received honoraria for participation in clinical trials, contribution to advisory boards or oral presentations from: Abbott, Bayer Vital, Bristol‐Myers Squibb (BMS), Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi‐Sankyo, Medtronic, Pfizer, Portola, Sanofi‐Aventis, and WebMD Global. Financial support for research projects was provided by Boehringer Ingelheim. Dr Diener chairs the Treatment Guidelines Committee of the German Society of Neurology and contributed to the EHRA and ESC guidelines for the treatment of AF. Professor Halperin has engaged in consulting activities with Boehringer Ingelheim, for advisory activities involving anticoagulants, and he is a member of the Executive Steering Committee of the GLORIA‐AF Registry. Professor Ma has received honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, Bayer HealthCare, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer. Professor Huisman reports grants from ZonMW Dutch Healthcare Fund, grants and personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer‐BMS, Bayer HealthCare, Aspen, Daiichi‐Sankyo, outside the submitted work. Professor Lip: Consultant and speaker for BMS/Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim and Daiichi‐Sankyo. No fees are received personally., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Arrhythmia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Heart Rhythm Society.)

Background: The implementation of quality indicators in the atrial fibrillation (AF) care should be considered to improve quality of management and patient outcome., Methods: In the post-hoc analysis of the BALKAN-AF dataset, we assessed concordance with quality indicators for AF management. Available domains for AF management [patient assessment (baseline), anticoagulation, rate control strategy, rhythm control strategy and risk factor management] were identified and assessed at baseline visit., Results: Among 132 patients with a CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score of 0 (men) or 1 (women), 75 (56.8%) were prescribed oral anticoagulation (OAC). Of 2539 patients with a CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score ≥ 1 for men and ≥ 2 for women, 1890 (74.4%) were prescribed OAC. Among 1088 patients with permanent AF, 110 (10.1%) individuals were prescribed antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs). Of 1616 patients with structural heart disease, 37 (2.2%) were prescribed class IC AADs. Of 1624 patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF, 59 (3.6%) were offered catheter ablation. Among 2712 AF patients, 2121 (78.2%) had hypertension, 671 (24.7%) were obese, 53 (2.0%) had obstructive sleep apnoea, 110 (4.0%) had alcohol abuse and 340 (12.5%) were smokers., Conclusions: In the BALKAN-AF cohort, the use of OAC for stroke prevention was poorly associated with patients stroke risk. The use of AADs in patients with permanent AF was low. The prescription of class IC AADs to patients with structural heart disease was infrequent. A large proportion of AF patients had their modifiable risk factors identified., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Symptom-focused management is one of the cornerstones of optimal atrial fibrillation (AF) therapy., Objectives: To evaluate the use of rhythm control and rate control strategy. Second, to identify predictors of the use of amiodarone in patients with rhythm control and of the use of rhythm control strategy in patients with paroxysmal AF in the Balkans., Methods: Prospective enrolment of consecutive patients from seven Balkan countries to the BALKAN-AF survey was performed., Results: Of 2712 enrolled patients, 2522 (93.0%) with complete data were included: 1622 (64.3%) patients were assigned to rate control strategy and 900 (35.7%) to rhythm control. Patients with rhythm control were younger, more often hospitalised for AF and with less comorbidities (all P < .05) than those with rate control. Symptom score [European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA)] was not an independent predictor of a rhythm control strategy [odds ratio (OR) 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90-1.10, P = .945]. The most commonly chosen antiarrhythmic agents were amiodarone (49.7%), followed by propafenone (24.3%)., Conclusion: More than one-third of patients in the BALKAN-AF survey received a rhythm control strategy, and these patients tended to be younger with less comorbidities than those managed with rate control. EHRA symptom score is not significantly associated with rhythm control strategy. The most commonly used antiarrhythmic agents were amiodarone, followed by propafenone., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: People with chronic heart failure (HF) are at risk of thromboembolic events, including stroke, pulmonary embolism, and peripheral arterial embolism; coronary ischaemic events also contribute to the progression of HF. The use of long-term oral anticoagulation is established in certain populations, including people with HF and atrial fibrillation (AF), but there is wide variation in the indications and use of oral anticoagulation in the broader HF population., Objectives: To determine whether long-term oral anticoagulation reduces total deaths and stroke in people with heart failure in sinus rhythm., Search Methods: We updated the searches in CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and Embase in March 2020. We screened reference lists of papers and abstracts from national and international cardiovascular meetings to identify unpublished studies. We contacted relevant authors to obtain further data. We did not apply any language restrictions., Selection Criteria: Randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing oral anticoagulants with placebo or no treatment in adults with HF, with treatment duration of at least one month. We made inclusion decisions in duplicate, and resolved any disagreements between review authors by discussion, or a third party., Data Collection and Analysis: Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion, and assessed the risks and benefits of antithrombotic therapy by calculating odds ratio (OR), accompanied by the 95% confidence intervals (CI)., Main Results: We identified three RCTs (5498 participants). One RCT compared warfarin, aspirin, and no antithrombotic therapy, the second compared warfarin with placebo in participants with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, and the third compared rivaroxaban with placebo in participants with HF and coronary artery disease. We pooled data from the studies that compared warfarin with a placebo or no treatment. We are uncertain if there is an effect on all-cause death (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.18; 2 studies, 324 participants; low-certainty evidence); warfarin may increase the risk of major bleeding events (OR 5.98, 95% CI 1.71 to 20.93, NNTH 17). 2 studies, 324 participants; low-certainty evidence). None of the studies reported stroke as an individual outcome. Rivaroxaban makes little to no difference to all-cause death compared with placebo (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.13; 1 study, 5022 participants; high-certainty evidence). Rivaroxaban probably reduces the risk of stroke compared to placebo (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.95; NNTB 101; 1 study, 5022 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and probably increases the risk of major bleeding events (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.33; NNTH 79; 1 study, 5008 participants; moderate-certainty evidence)., Authors' Conclusions: Based on the three RCTs, there is no evidence that oral anticoagulant therapy modifies mortality in people with HF in sinus rhythm. The evidence is uncertain if warfarin has any effect on all-cause death compared to placebo or no treatment, but it may increase the risk of major bleeding events. There is no evidence of a difference in the effect of rivaroxaban on all-cause death compared to placebo. It probably reduces the risk of stroke, but probably increases the risk of major bleedings. The available evidence does not support the routine use of anticoagulation in people with HF who remain in sinus rhythm., (Copyright © 2021 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Patients with AF often have multimorbidity (the presence of ≥2 concomitant chronic conditions)., Objective: To describe baseline characteristics, patterns of antithrombotic therapy, and factors associated with oral anticoagulant (OAC) prescription in patients with AF and ≥2 concomitant, chronic, comorbid conditions., Methods: Phase III of the GLORIA-AF Registry enrolled consecutive patients from January 2014 through December 2016 with recently diagnosed AF and CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥1 to assess the safety and effectiveness of antithrombotic treatment., Results: Of 21,241 eligible patients, 15,119 (71.2%) had ≥2 concomitant, chronic, comorbid conditions. The proportions of patients with multimorbidity receiving non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and vitamin K antagonists (VKA) were 60.2% and 23.6%, respectively. The proportion with paroxysmal AF was 57.0% in the NOAC group and 45.4% in the VKA group. Multivariable log-binomial regression analysis found the following factors were associated with no OAC prescription: pattern of AF (paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent), coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, prior bleeding, smoking status, and region (Asia, North America, or Europe). Factors associated with OAC prescriptions were age, body mass index, renal function, hypertension, history of cerebral ischemic symptoms, and AF ablation., Conclusion: Multimorbid AF patients prescribed NOACs have fewer comorbidities than those prescribed VKAs. Age, AF pattern, comorbidities, and renal function are associated with OAC prescription., Competing Interests: The authors have read the journal’s policy and have the following competing interests: Dr. Teutsch, Sabrina Marler, and Venkatesh K. Gurusamy are paid employees of Boehringer Ingelheim. Dr. Lu was a paid employee of Boehringer Ingelheim at the time that the manuscript was written. Professor Halperin has engaged in consulting activities for Boehringer Ingelheim and advisory activities involving anticoagulants, and he is a member of the Executive Steering Committee of the GLORIA-AF Registry. Over the past 3 years, Professor Diener received honoraria for participation in clinical trials, contribution to advisory boards, or oral presentations from: Abbott, Bayer Vital, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Medtronic, Pfizer, Portola, Sanofi-Aventis, and WebMD Global. Financial support for research projects was provided by Boehringer Ingelheim. He received research grants from the German Research Council (DFG), German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), European Union, NIH, Bertelsmann Foundation, and Heinz-Nixdorf Foundation. Professor Ma received honoraria from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, and AstraZeneca for giving lectures. Professor Huisman reports grants from ZonMW Dutch Healthcare Fund, grants and personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer/Bristol-Myers Squibb, Bayer Health Care, Aspen, Daiichi Sankyo, outside the submitted work. Professor Lip has been a consultant for Bayer/Janssen, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer, Medtronic, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Verseon, and Daiichi Sankyo. He has been a speaker for Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer, Medtronic, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Daiichi Sankyo. No fees directly received personally. These competing interests do not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products associated with this research to declare. Dr Kozieł and Professor Rothman declare no competing interests.

Nanoporous tin oxide layers obtained via anodic oxidation of metallic tin at the potential of 4 V in the alkaline electrolyte (1 M NaOH) were soaked in distilled water for various durations (from 2 h to 120 h) to verify the influence of water-enabled crystallization on the morphology, composition, and related optical and photoelectrochemical properties of such kind of anodic SnO x . Although water soaking generally contributes to more stoichiometric and crystalline tin oxide, it was confirmed that at the initial stages of the water-induced dissolution-redeposition process, material exhibits enhanced photoelectrochemical performance under simulated sunlight irradiation. However, long-time exposure to water results in a gradual widening of the material's band gap, shifting of the photoelectrochemical spectra towards higher energies, and almost complete deterioration of the photoelectrochemical activity under sunlight irradiation.

Bistable and stimuli-responsive molecule-based materials are promising candidates for the development of molecular switches and sensors for future technologies. The CN-bridged {NH 4 [Ni(cyclam)][Fe(CN) 6 ]⋅5 H 2 O} n chain exists in two valence states: Ni II -Fe III (1 HT ) and Ni III -Fe II (1 LT ) and shows unique multiresponsivity under ambient conditions to various stimuli, including temperature, pressure, light, and humidity, which generate measurable response in the form of significant changes in magnetic susceptibility and color. The electron-transfer phase transition 1 LT ↔1 HT shows room-temperature thermal hysteresis, can be induced by irradiation, and shows high sensitivity to small applied pressure, which shifts it to higher temperatures. Additionally, it can be reversibly turned off by dehydration to the {NH 4 [Ni II (cyclam)][Fe III (CN) 6 ]} n (1 d) phase, which features the Ni II -Fe III valence state over the whole temperature range, but responds to pressure by yielding Ni III -Fe II above 1.06 GPa., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

An eco-friendly, efficient, and controlled synthesis of gold nanoparticles with application of the aqueous extract of Rosa damascena (Au@RD NPs) without using any other reducing agents was studied. Au@RD NPs of narrow size distribution were characterized by UV-vis and FT-IR spectroscopies, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, particle size analysis, and zeta potential measurements. In vitro stability experiments revealed that the Au@RD NPs were stable for over a year (pH ~ 3.5), proving a significant stabilizing potential of the aqueous RD extract. The high total content of polyphenols, flavonoids, and reducing sugars along with the powerful antioxidant activity of the RD extract was determined by spectroscopic and analytical methods. Colloids prepared from the purified and lyophilized Au@RD NPs (electrokinetic potential of ca. -33 mV) were stable for at least 24 h under terms similar to physiological conditions (pH = 7.4, PBS). The in vitro cytotoxicity of Au@RD NPs was investigated against peripheral blood mononuclear lymphocytes (PBML), acute promyelocytic leukemia (HL60), and human lung adenocarcinoma (A549). Selective cytotoxicity of Au@RD NPs towards cancer cells (HL60, A549) over normal cells (PBML) in vitro was explicitly demonstrated by viability assays. Comet assay revealed a higher level of DNA damages in cancer cells when compared with normal ones. Apoptotic death in cancer cells was proved by measuring caspases activity. Thus, the developed Au@RD NPs, obtained by the plant-mediated green synthesis, are attractive hybrid materials for the medical applications combining two active components - metal nanoparticles platform and plant-derived metabolites., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

It is well-known that the structure and composition of the material plays an important role in the processes occurring at the surface. In this paper, a surface morphology of nanostructured oxide layers electrochemically grown on Ti15Mo, tuned by applying different anodization parameters, was investigated in detail. The one-step anodization of Ti15Mo alloy was performed at room temperature in an ethylene glycol-based electrolyte containing 0.11 M NH 4 F and 1.11 M H 2 O. Different anodization times (ranging from 5 to 60 min) and applied potentials (40-100 V) were tested, and the surface morphology, elemental content, and crystalline structure were monitored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), and X-ray diffractometry (XRD), respectively. The results showed that contrary to the multistep anodization of titanium foil, the surface morphology of anodic oxide obtained via the one-step process contains the nanoporous outer layer covering the nanotubular structure. What is more, the pore diameter (D p ) and interpore distance (D int ) of such layers exhibit different trends than those observed for anodization of pure titanium. In particular, at a certain potential range, a decrease in both D p and D int with increasing potential was observed. However, independently on the used anodization conditions, the elemental content of oxide layers remained similar, showing the amount of molybdenum at c.a. 15 wt.%. Finally, the amorphous nature of as-anodized layers was confirmed, and their optical band-gap was determined from the diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectra. It was found that E g is tunable to some extent by changing the anodizing potential. However, further thermal treatment in air at 400 °C resulted in the anatase phase formation that was accompanied by a significant E g reduction. Therefore, we believe that the presented results will greatly contribute to the understanding of anodic formation of nanostructured functional oxide layers with tunable properties that can be applied in various fields.

The main focus of this work was to establish a correlation between surface topography and chemistry and surface colonization by lactic acid bacteria. For this reason, we chose gold substrates with different surface architectures (i.e., smooth and nanorough) that were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), electron scanning microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Moreover, to enhance biocompatibility, we modified gold substrates with polymeric monolayers, namely cationic dextran derivatives with different molar masses. The presence of those layers was confirmed by AFM, infrared spectroscopy (IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In order to determine the adhesion abilities of non-modified and modified gold surfaces, we tested three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains (i.e., Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus plantarum 299v). We have shown that surface roughness influences the surface colonization of bacteria, and the most significant impact on the growth was observed for the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain. What is more, covering the gold surface with a molecular polymeric film by using the layer-by-layer (LbL) method allows additional changes in the bacterial growth, independently on the used strain. The well-being of the bacteria cells on tested surfaces was confirmed by using selective staining and fluorescence microscopy. Finally, we have determined the bacterial metabolic activity by measuring the amount of produced lactic acid regarding the growth conditions. The obtained results proved that the adhesion of bacteria to the metallic surface depends on the chemistry and topography of the surface, as well as the specific bacteria strain.

Background: The impact of cardiac rehabilitation on the number of alerts in patients with remote monitoring (RM) of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is unknown. We compared alerts in RM and outcomes in patients with CIEDs undergoing hybrid comprehensive telerehabilitation (HCTR) versus usual care (UC)., Methods: Patients with heart failure (HF) after a hospitalization due to worsening HF within the last 6 months (New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I-III and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤40%) were enrolled in the TELEREH-HF study and randomised 1:1 to HCTR or UC. Patients with HCTR and CIEDs received RM (HCTR-RM). Patients with UC and CIEDs were offered RM optionally (UC-RM). Data from the initial 9 weeks of the study were analysed., Results: Of 850 enrolled patients, 208 were in the HCTR-RM group and 62 in the UC-RM group. The HCTR-RM group was less likely to have alerts of intrathoracic impedance (TI) decrease ( p < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (AF) occurrence ( p = 0.031) and lower mean number of alerts per patient associated with TI decrease ( p < 0.0001) and AF ( p = 0.019) than the UC-RM group. HCTR significantly decreased the occurrence of alerts in RM of CIEDs, 0.360 (95%CI, 0.189-0.686; p = 0.002), in multivariable regression analysis. There were two deaths in the HCTR-RM group (0.96%) and no deaths in the UC-RM group ( p = 1.0). There were no differences in the number of hospitalised patients between the HCTR-RM and UC-RM group ( p = 1.0)., Conclusions: HCTR significantly reduced the number of patients with RM alerts of CIEDs related to TI decrease and AF occurrence. There were no differences in mortality or hospitalisation rates between HCTR-RM and UC-RM groups.