Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Y-Substitution effects in the crystal field of the trigonal YxRE1−xNi3Ga9 (RE = Tb, Dy, and Ho)

Multipolar ordering arising from the interplay between crystalline electric field (CEF) effects and magnetic interactions has been gaining more attention in 4f systems. In this work, we explore this possibility in the chiral magnets RENi3Ga9 (RE = Tb, Dy and Ho; x = 0.15 and 0.30) through Y-dilution. We present temperature-dependence of the M∕H curves, isothermal magnetization and heat-capacity experiments. Single crystalline samples grown by Ga self flux allow us to measure the magnetic properties for different crystallographic directions. X-ray diffraction patterns analyzed by Rietveld method indicate that all samples crystallize in a trigonal ErNi3Al9-type structure with space group R32. Our results are consistent with an antiferromagnetic order with transition temperatures TN< 20 K for all the studied samples, which decrease gradually with Y-substitution. By using a mean field model including anisotropic near- and next-near-neighbors magnetic interactions and the trigonal CEF Hamiltonian, we are able to study in detail the evolution of the crystal-field scheme and magnetic couplings for these compounds. We show that the spatial charge distribution between the compounds are in agreement, increasing the confidence of the obtained CEF schemes. Finally, we compare our fittings with disorder simulations assuming that CEF effects should not evolve as a function of Y-substitution. Our results show that only disorder effects do not fully describe the experimental data, which may indicate that quadrupolar degrees of freedom indeed have a role in the magnetic properties of this family.Fil: Mendonça, E. C.. No especifíca;Fil: Jesus, C. B. R.. No especifíca;Fil: Duque, J. G .S.. No especifíca;Fil: Garcia, Daniel Julio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Bittar, E. M.. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; BrasilFil: Souza, J. C.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Pagliuso, P. G.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasi

Crystal field effects in the intermetallic RNi3Ga9 (R=Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er) compounds

In this paper, we report temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and heat-capacity experiments in the family of intermetallic compounds RNi3Ga9 (R = Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er). Single-crystalline samples were grown using Ga self-flux method. These materials crystallize in a trigonal ErNi3Al9-type structure with space group R32. They all order antiferromagnetically with TN<20K. The anisotropic magnetic susceptibility presents large values of the ratio χeasy/χhard indicating strong crystalline electric-field (CEF) effects. The evolution of the crystal-field scheme for each R was analyzed in detail by using a spin model including anisotropic nearest-neighbor Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction and the trigonal CEF Hamiltonian. Our analysis allows one to understand the distinct direction of the ordered moments along the series - the Tb-, Dy-, and Ho-based compounds have the ordered magnetic moments in the easy ab plane and the Er sample magnetization easy axis is along the ĉ direction.Fil: Silva, L.S.. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Mercena, S.G.. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Garcia, Daniel Julio. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bittar, E. M.. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; BrasilFil: Jesus, C. B. R.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Pagliuso, P. G.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Lora Serrano, R.. Universidade Federal de Uberlandia; BrasilFil: Meneses, C.T.. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Duque, J.G.S.. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; Brasil. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasi

Antiferromagnetic exchange weakening in the TbRhIn 5 intermetallic system with Y-substitution

We report measurements of the temperature dependent specific heat and magnetic susceptibility in single crystals of the series of intermetallic compounds Tb 1−x Y x RhIn 5 (nominal concentrations x = 0.0, 0.15, 0.3, 0.4,0.5, 0.7). A mean field approximation to simulate the macroscopic properties along the series has been used.Neutron diffraction data in powdered samples of Tb 0.6 Y 0.4 RhIn 5 and Tb 0.6 La 0.4 RhIn 5 reveal antiferromagnetic(AFM) propagation vector k = ⎡ 2 0 2 ⎤ with the magnetic moments oriented along the tetragonal c axis or canted from this axis, respectively for Y and La-substitutions. Considering both the simulations of the magnetic exchange and neutron diffraction data, we discuss the role of combined effects of crystalline electric field (CEF) perturbations and dilution in the evolution of magnetic properties with Y and La contents. In particular, we found negligible variations of the Bnm parameters along the Y series. The decrease of T N with x is fully dominated by magnetic dilution effects.Fil: Amaral, R.P.. Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; BrasilFil: Lora Serrano, R.. Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; BrasilFil: Garcia, Daniel Julio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Iwamoto, W.A.. Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; BrasilFil: Betancourth Giraldo, Diana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Cadogan, J.M.. No especifíca;Fil: Muñoz Pérez, S.. No especifíca;Fil: Avdeev, M.. No especifíca;Fil: Cobas Acosta, R.. No especifíca;Fil: Bittar, E.M.. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; BrasilFil: Duque, J.G.S.. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Pagliuso, P.G.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasi

Efeito da reabilitação vestibular sobre a qualidade de vida de idosos labirintopatas Vestibular rehabilitation's effect over the quality of life of geriatric patients with labyrinth disease

A tontura é um sintoma que acomete a população mundial, sendo observado maior prevalência em idosos devido ao processo de deterioração funcional dos sistemas auditivo e vestibular com o envelhecimento. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar prospectivamente o efeito da Reabilitação Vestibular (RV) como tratamento das labirintopatias de origem vascular e metabólica sobre a qualidade de vida de idosos. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: O estudo foi delineado como um ensaio clínico prospectivo, longitudinal, com a participação de 40 idosos de ambos os gêneros, divididos em 2 grupos, tontura de origem vascular ou metabólica. Os pacientes passaram por avaliações, orientações e a RV, que se baseou no protocolo de Cawthorne e Cooksey. A análise estatística dos dados foi feita através do teste t-Student e dos coeficientes de Pearson e Spearman. RESULTADOS: Pelas escalas de qualidade de vida utilizadas podemos observar que os aspectos avaliados melhoraram após a Reabilitação Vestibular. CONCLUSÃO: Conclui-se que a RV baseada nos protocolos de Cawthorne e Cooksey pode ser utilizada de modo benéfico nesta população.<br>Dizziness is a symptom that affects the population world over, being more prevalent in the elderly due to the process of functional deterioration of the hearing and vestibular systems with aging. AIM: The objective of this study was to evaluate prospectively the effect of Vestibular Rehabilitation (VR) as treatment for labyrinth disease of vascular and metabolic origin in the quality of life of geriatric patients. METHODS: The study was outlined as clinical-prospective, longitudinal, and observed, with the participation of 40 elder citizens of both genders, divided in 2 groups, dizziness of vascular or metabolic origin. The patients were evaluated and underwent VR - based on Cawthorne and Cooksey's protocol. The statistical analysis from the data was done through the t-Student test, the coefficients of Pearson and Spearman. RESULTS: based on quality of life scales showed that the individuals treated and assessed improved after Vestibular Rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: we concluded that VR, based on the protocols of Cawthorne and Cooksey, could be beneficial to this populatio

Financiamiento de la educación superior en América Latina Funding higher education in Latin America

El trabajo parte de un panorama general de la situación de la educación superior en América Latina, tanto de su crecimiento cuantitativo como de las políticas públicas más relevantes. En la segunda parte es analizada una de esas políticas, la de financiamiento de las universidades públicas. Para ese trabajo fueran utilizados los datos basados en los estudios de lesalc/UNESCO. Por fin, el texto discute un plan de acción para el establecimiento de una agenda de financiamiento en la educación superior.<br>This work is based on an overview of the situation of higher education in Latin America, both of its quantitative growth and its more relevant public policies. The second part examines one of those policies: that of funding public universities. The work used data based on studies by IESALC/UNESCO. Finally, an action plan is discussed for the establishment of an agenda to fund higher education