Efficacy and safety of statin treatment for cardiovascular disease: a network meta-analysis of 170 255 patients from 76 randomized trials

Background: Statins represent the largest selling class of cardiovascular drug in the world. Previous randomized trials (RCTs) have demonstrated important clinical benefits with statin therapy. Aim: We combined evidence from all RCTs comparing a statin with placebo or usual care among patients with and without prior coronary heart disease (CHD) to determine clinical outcomes. Design: We searched independently, in duplicate, 12 electronic databases (from inception to August 2010), including full text journal content databases, to identify all statin versus inert control RCTs. We included RCTs of any statin versus any non-drug control in any populations. We abstracted data in duplicate on reported major clinical events and adverse events. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression. We performed a mixed treatment comparison using Bayesian methods. Results: We included a total of 76 RCTs involving 170 255 participants. There were a total of 14 878 deaths. Statin therapy reduced all-cause mortality, Relative Risk (RR) 0.90 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86-0.94, P ≤ 0.0001, I 2 = 17%]; cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.74-0.87, P < 0.0001, I 2 = 27%); fatal myocardial infarction (MI) (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75-0.91, P < 0.0001, I 2 = 21%); non-fatal MI (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.67-0.81, P ≤ 0.001, I 2 = 45%); revascularization (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.70-0.81, P ≤ 0.0001); and a composite of fatal and non-fatal strokes (0.86, 95% CI 0.78-0.95, P = 0.004, I 2 = 41%). Adverse events were generally mild, but 17 RCTs reported on increased risk of development of incident diabetes [Odds Ratio (OR) 1.09; 95% CI 1.02-1.17, P = 0.001, I 2 = 11%]. Studies did not yield important differences across populations. We did not find any differing treatment effects between statins. Discussion: Statin therapies offer clear benefits across broad populations. As generic formulations become more available efforts to expand access should be a priorit

Local Commutativity and Causality in Interacting PP-wave String Field Theory

In this paper, we extend our previous study of causality and local commutativity of string fields in the pp-wave lightcone string field theory to include interaction. Contrary to the flat space case result of Lowe, Polchinski, Susskind, Thorlacius and Uglum, we found that the pp-wave interaction does not affect the local commutativity condition. Our results show that the pp-wave lightcone string field theory is not continuously connected with the flat space one. We also discuss the relation between the condition of local commutativity and causality. While the two notions are closely related in a point particle theory, their relation is less clear in string theory. We suggest that string local commutativity may be relevant for an operational defintion of causality using strings as probes.Comment: Latex, JHEP3.cls, 18 pages, no figures. v2: add comments about the UV-IR mixing effect displayed in our result. version to appear in JHE

Density-functional calculation of ionization energies of current-carrying atomic states

Current-density-functional theory is used to calculate ionization energies of current-carrying atomic states. A perturbative approximation to full current-density-functional theory is implemented for the first time, and found to be numerically feasible. Different parametrizations for the current-dependence of the density functional are critically compared. Orbital currents in open-shell atoms turn out to produce a small shift in the ionization energies. We find that modern density functionals have reached an accuracy at which small current-related terms appearing in open-shell configurations are not negligible anymore compared to the remaining difference to experiment.Comment: 7 pages, 2 tables, accepted by Phys. Rev.

Top Quark Decays into Heavy Quark Mesons

For top quark decays into heavy quark mesons $\Upsilon$ and $\bar{B}_c^*$ , a complete calculation to the leading order both in QCD coupling constant $\alpha_s$ and in $v$, the typical velocity of the heavy quarks inside the mesons, is performed. Relatons between the top quark mass and the decay branching ratios are studied. Comparion with the results which are obtained by using the quark frangmentation functions is also discussed. The branching ratios are consistent (within a factor of $2\sim 3$) with that obtained using fragmentation functions at $m_t\sim 150$ GeV.Comment: 15 pages in LaTex form, 4 figures include

An integrated map of structural variation in 2,504 human genomes

Structural variants are implicated in numerous diseases and make up the majority of varying nucleotides among human genomes. Here we describe an integrated set of eight structural variant classes comprising both balanced and unbalanced variants, which we constructed using short-read DNA sequencing data and statistically phased onto haplotype blocks in 26 human populations. Analysing this set, we identify numerous gene-intersecting structural variants exhibiting population stratification and describe naturally occurring homozygous gene knockouts that suggest the dispensability of a variety of human genes. We demonstrate that structural variants are enriched on haplotypes identified by genome-wide association studies and exhibit enrichment for expression quantitative trait loci. Additionally, we uncover appreciable levels of structural variant complexity at different scales, including genic loci subject to clusters of repeated rearrangement and complex structural variants with multiple breakpoints likely to have formed through individual mutational events. Our catalogue will enhance future studies into structural variant demography, functional impact and disease association. © 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

Development of an international standard set of patient-centred outcome measures for overall paediatric health: a consensus process

Objective: To develop an Overall Pediatric Health Standard Set (OPH-SS) of outcome measures that captures what matters to young people and their families and recognising the biopsychosocial aspects of health for all children and adolescents regardless of health condition. Design: A modified Delphi process. Setting: The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement convened an international Working Group (WG) comprised of 23 international experts from 12 countries in the field of paediatrics, family medicine, psychometrics as well as patient advisors. The WG participated in 11 video-conferences, through a modified Delphi process and 9 surveys between March 2018 and January 2020 consensus was reached on a final recommended health outcome standard set. By a literature review conducted in March 2018, 1136 articles were screened for clinician and patient-reported or proxy-reported outcomes. Further, 4315 clinical trials and 12 paediatric health surveys were scanned. Between November 2019 and January 2020, the final standard set was endorsed by a patient validation (n=270

Density functional theory calculation of 2p spectra of SiH4, PH3, H2S, HCl, and Ar

The method developed recently for prediction of Is electron spectra is now extended to the 2p spectra of Si

Application of biotechnology, nanotechnology and tissue engineering in cosmetic medicine

Kosmetische Medizin265-6212-216KMOE