139,025 research outputs found
Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Systemic Arterial Properties in Post-Menopausal Women
ABSTRACTEFFECTS OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY ON SYSTEMIC ARTERIAL PROPERTIES IN POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMENEric Alps Chen, B.S.University of Pittsburgh, 2002Vascular stiffness properties contribute significantly to the arterial system hydraulic load. There is evidence that vascular stiffness plays a role in cardiovascular remodeling and may be an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Menopause accelerates age-associated increase in arterial stiffness and estrogen administration, which has vasodilating properties, can potentially mitigate this post-menopausal increase in stiffness. The present study examined the effects of chronic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on systemic arterial mechanical properties in 35 post-menopausal women, divided into two groups: those receiving no HRT (Control, n = 25) and those receiving HRT (HRT-all, n = 10). The HRT-all group consisted of two subgroups: estrogen alone (HRT-E, n = 5) and a combination of estrogen and progesterone (HRT-EP, n = 5). Noninvasive data were collected serially at five times: once at the baseline during the first visit and during four subsequent visits after the initiation of the study at 19±1, 108±5, 193±4, and 388±8 days, respectively. Heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), and cardiac output (CO) did not change significantly in the control group throughout the study. This was also true for both HRT groups, except for a small decrease in HR at Visits 3 and 4 for the HRT-E group and an increase in CO at Visit 3 in the HRT-EP group. Mean arterial pressure decreased over time in control and both HRT groups, reaching statistical significance at later times (fifth visit). Systemic vascular resistance did not change significantly in control and both HRT groups. Global arterial compliance (AC) was unchanged for the control group but tended to increase in the HRT-all group, although no statistical significance was reached. In contrast, the subgroup analysis revealed that AC increased for the HRT-E subgroup, reaching statistical significance at the fifth visit. Similarly, significant decrements in pulse wave velocity (PWV), an index of regional vascular stiffness, were observed only for the HRT-E group. In conclusion, AC increased (vascular stiffness decreased) in subjects receiving chronic estrogen therapy only. The inclusion of progesterone seems to counteract the estrogen-mediated decrease in vascular stiffness, indicating that the vascular stiffness-associated cardio-protective effects of HRT, if any, may be limited to estrogen administration alone
Endemic harvestmen and spiders of Austria (Arachnida: Opiliones, Araneae)
A comprehensive overview of plant, fungus and animal species of Austria revealed a total of 748 endemic and subendemic species, including, 11 harvestman and 46 spider species. Altogether two endemic harvestmen (Nemastoma bidentatum relictum, Nemastoma schuelleri) and 8 endemic spiders (Abacoproeces molestus, Collinsia (caliginosa) nemenziana, Mughiphantes severus, Mughiphantes styriacus, Pelecopsis alpica, Scotophaeus nanus, Troglohyphantes novicordis, Troglohyphantes tauriscus), beside 9 subendemic harvestman and 38 subendemic spider species have been recorded from Austria. Hot-spots of endemism in the Eastern Alps are the north-eastern (Ennstaler Alps) and southern Calcareous Alps (Karawanken, Karnische Alps) and the Central Alps (Hohe Tauern, Gurktaler Alps, Ătztaler and Stubaier Alps). Most of the endemic arachnid species occur from the nival down to the montane zone. Important habitats are rocky areas, caves and woodlands. High absolute numbers and percentages of endemics can be found within the harvestman families Cladonychiidae, Ischyropsalididae and Nemastomatidae and in the spider genera Lepthyphantes s. l. and Troglohyphantes. The conservation status of these highly endangered taxa â 85 % of the spider species and 100 % of the harvestman taxa are endangered in Austria â is poor
First sensitivity limits of the ALPS TES detector
The Any Light Particle Search II (ALPS II) requires a sensitive detection of
1064 nm photons. Thus, a low dark count rate (DC) and a high detection
efficiency (DE) is needed. ALPS has set up a transition-edge sensor (TES)
detector system, namely the ALPS TES detector. It is found that thermal photons
from room temperature surfaces are the main contribution of dark counts for
1064 nm photon signals. Furthermore, the current setup of the ALPS TES detector
shows an improvement compared to using the ALPS I detector.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; proceedings of 10th Patras Workshop on Axions,
WIMPs, and WISPs, Geneva, CERN, 29 June to 4 July 201
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As the stereopticon condenses into one instantaneous field : The reader\u27s holographic reality in part IV of Faulkner\u27s The Bear
Non-perturbative over-production of axion-like-particles (ALPs) via derivative interaction
Axion like particles (ALPs) are quite generic in many scenarios for physics
beyond the Standard Model, they are pseudoscalar Nambu-Goldstone bosons, and
appear once any global symmetry is broken spontaneously. The ALPs can
gain mass from various non-perturbative quantum effects, such as anomalies or
instantons. ALPs can couple to the matter sector incluidng a scalar condensate
such as inflaton or moduli field via derivative interactions, which are
suppressed by the axion {\it decay constant}, . Although weakly
interacting, the ALPs can be produced abundantly from the coherent oscillations
of a homogeneous condensate. In this paper we will study such a scenario where
the ALPs can be produced abundantly, and in some cases can even overclose the
Universe via odd and even dimensional operators, as long as , where denotes the initial amplitude of the coherent
oscillations of the scalar condensate, . We will briefly mention how such
dangerous overproduction would affect dark matter and dark radiation abundances
in the Universe.Comment: 17 pages, 18 figure
Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome in pregnancy: a case of favorable mother - fetal outcome in a well-controlled disease
The autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome(ALPS)is a disorder of abnormal lymphocyte survival caused by the dysregulation of theFasapoptotic pathway. The Fas geneis expressed at the maternalâfetal interface and is involved in the regulation of immune response and implantation. Altered Fas expression may result in altered apoptosis and, ultimately, affect both the immune response and implantation; it is in fact associated with recurrent pregnancy loss, preterm premature rupture of membranes and pre-eclampsia. Currently, there are over 500 cases of ALPS reported worldwide from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Up to date, the published work contains no speciïŹc reports on pregnancy outcome in women affected by ALPS. We present a case of full-term uneventful pregnancy in a patient affected by ALPS. A speciïŹc clinical follow-up in a pregnant woman with primary immunologic disease is suggested
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