Captopril in hypertensive black men in southern Africa

A group of 55 black men with mild or moderate hypertension who were being treated with methyldopa, prazosin, and a thiazide diuretic in combination with sotalol, were studied before and after changing their treatment to captopril and a thiazide diuretic. The level of blood pressure control was similar in the 11 men with mild hypertension but the 44 men with moderate hypertension were less well controlled with captopril and a thiazide diuretic. In the men with moderate hypertension the mean increase in the systolic blood pressure after the change in treatment was 4,7 mmHg (not significant) and in the diastolic pressure 6,2 mmHg (P < 0,02). The mean blood pressure was higher during treatment with captopril in 37 men and lower in 18 men (P = 0,01). Thirty-seven men found both regimens acceptable and 33 of these men preferred the captopril regimen; however, 15 men said they did not like the captopril regimen while only 4 men did not like the methyldopa/prazosin regimen (P < 0,01). Side-effects from the captopril regimen were reported by 18 of the men and from the methyldopa/prazosin regimen by 6 men (P < 0,02). It was concluded that the captoprillthiazide regimen was less effective than the methyldopa/prazosin/sotalol/ thiazide regimen for the control of moderate hypertension in this population of black men. Although the men who liked both regimens preferred the captopril regimen, that regimen was associated with significantly more side-effects and was disliked by more of the men than was the methyldopa/prazosin regimen

Discovery of Novel Term Associations in a Document Collection

Non peer reviewe

Subaru Studies of the Cosmic Dawn

An overview on the current status of the census of the early universe population is given. Observational surveys of high redshift objects provide direct opportunities to study the early epoch of the Universe. The target population included are Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAE), Lyman Break Galaxies (LBG), gravitationally lensed galaxies, quasars and gamma-ray bursts (GRB). The basic properties of these objects and the methods used to study them are reviewed. The present paper highlights the fact that the Subaru Telescope group made significant contributions in this field of science to elucidate the epoch of the cosmic dawn and to improve the understanding of how and when infant galaxies evolve into mature ones.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series

Dust Devil Sediment Transport: From Lab to Field to Global Impact

The impact of dust aerosols on the climate and environment of Earth and Mars is complex and forms a major area of research. A difficulty arises in estimating the contribution of small-scale dust devils to the total dust aerosol. This difficulty is due to uncertainties in the amount of dust lifted by individual dust devils, the frequency of dust devil occurrence, and the lack of statistical generality of individual experiments and observations. In this paper, we review results of observational, laboratory, and modeling studies and provide an overview of dust devil dust transport on various spatio-temporal scales as obtained with the different research approaches. Methods used for the investigation of dust devils on Earth and Mars vary. For example, while the use of imagery for the investigation of dust devil occurrence frequency is common practice for Mars, this is less so the case for Earth. Modeling approaches for Earth and Mars are similar in that they are based on the same underlying theory, but they are applied in different ways. Insights into the benefits and limitations of each approach suggest potential future research focuses, which can further reduce the uncertainty associated with dust devil dust entrainment. The potential impacts of dust devils on the climates of Earth and Mars are discussed on the basis of the presented research results

Observations of the High Redshift Universe

(Abridged) In these lectures aimed for non-specialists, I review progress in understanding how galaxies form and evolve. Both the star formation history and assembly of stellar mass can be empirically traced from redshifts z~6 to the present, but how the various distant populations inter-relate and how stellar assembly is regulated by feedback and environmental processes remains unclear. I also discuss how these studies are being extended to locate and characterize the earlier sources beyond z~6. Did early star-forming galaxies contribute significantly to the reionization process and over what period did this occur? Neither theory nor observations are well-developed in this frontier topic but the first results presented here provide important guidance on how we will use more powerful future facilities.Comment: To appear in `First Light in Universe', Saas-Fee Advanced Course 36, Swiss Soc. Astrophys. Astron. in press. 115 pages, 64 figures (see http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~rse/saas-fee.pdf for hi-res figs.) For lecture ppt files see http://obswww.unige.ch/saas-fee/preannouncement/course_pres/overview_f.htm

Orbital Observations of Dust Lofted by Daytime Convective Turbulence

Over the past several decades, orbital observations of lofted dust have revealed the importance of mineral aerosols as a climate forcing mechanism on both Earth and Mars. Increasingly detailed and diverse data sets have provided an ever-improving understanding of dust sources, transport pathways, and sinks on both planets, but the role of dust in modulating atmospheric processes is complex and not always well understood. We present a review of orbital observations of entrained dust on Earth and Mars, particularly that produced by the dust-laden structures produced by daytime convective turbulence called “dust devils”. On Earth, dust devils are thought to contribute only a small fraction of the atmospheric dust budget; accordingly, there are not yet any published accounts of their occurrence from orbit. In contrast, dust devils on Mars are thought to account for several tens of percent of the planet’s atmospheric dust budget; the literature regarding martian dust devils is quite rich. Because terrestrial dust devils may temporarily contribute significantly to local dust loading and lowered air quality, we suggest that martian dust devil studies may inform future studies of convectively-lofted dust on Earth

Factorization of RSA-140 using the Number Field Sieve

Colloque avec actes sans comité de lecture.International audienceOn February 2, 1999, we completed the factorization of the 140--digit number RSA--140 with the help of the Number Field Sieve factoring method (NFS). This is a new general factoring record. The previous record was established on April 10, 1996 by the factorization of the 130--digit number RSA--130, also with the help of NFS. The amount of computing time spent on RSA--140 was roughly twice that needed for RSA--130, about half of what could be expected from a straightforward extrapolation of the computing time spent on factoring RSA--130. The speed-up can be attributed to a new polynomial selection method for NFS which will be sketched in this paper. The implications of the new polynomial selection method for factoring a 512--bit RSA modulus are discussed and it is concluded that 512--bit (= 155--digit) RSA moduli are easily and realistically within reach of factoring efforts similar to the one presented here

Factorization of RSA-140 Using the Number Field Sieve

On February 2, 1999, we completed the factorization of the 140--digit number RSA--140 with the help of the Number Field Sieve factoring method (NFS). This is a new general factoring record. The previous record was established on April 10, 1996 by the factorization of the 130--digit number RSA--130, also with the help of NFS. The amount of computing time spent on RSA--140 was roughly twice that needed for RSA--130, about half of what could be expected from a straightforward extrapolation of the computing time spent on factoring RSA--130. The speed-up can be attributed to a new polynomial selection method for NFS which will be sketched in this paper