40 research outputs found
Static quark-antiquark pair free energy and screening masses: continuum results at the QCD physical point
We study the correlators of Polyakov loops, and the corresponding gauge
invariant free energy of a static quark-antiquark pair in 2+1 flavor QCD at
finite temperature. Our simulations were carried out on = 6, 8, 10, 12,
16 lattices using a Symanzik improved gauge action and a stout improved
staggered action with physical quark masses. The free energies calculated from
the Polyakov loop correlators are extrapolated to the continuum limit. For the
free energies we use a two step renormalization procedure that only uses data
at finite temperature. We also measure correlators with definite Euclidean time
reversal and charge conjugation symmetry to extract two different screening
masses, one in the magnetic, and one in the electric sector, to distinguish two
different correlation lengths in the full Polyakov loop correlator. This
conference contribution is based on the paper: JHEP 1504 (2015) 138Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Talk presented at the 33rd International
Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2015), 14-18 July 2015, Kobe
International Conference Center, Kobe, Japa
Charmonium spectral functions from 2+1 flavour lattice QCD
Finite temperature charmonium spectral functions in the pseudoscalar and
vector channels are studied in lattice QCD with 2+1 flavours of dynamical
Wilson quarks, on fine isotropic lattices (with a lattice spacing of 0.057 fm),
with a non-physical pion mass of 545 MeV. The highest
temperature studied is approximately . Up to this temperature no
significant variation of the spectral function is seen in the pseudoscalar
channel. The vector channel shows some temperature dependence, which seems to
be consistent with a temperature dependent low frequency peak related to heavy
quark transport, plus a temperature independent term at \omega>0. These results
are in accord with previous calculations using the quenched approximation.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, 2 table
Pulmonary Hypertension in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease: Real-World Data from the International COMPERA-CHD Registry
Introduction: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication in patients with
congenital heart disease (CHD), aggravating the natural, post-operative, or post-interventional course
of the underlying anomaly. The various CHDs differ substantially in characteristics, functionality, and
clinical outcomes among each other and compared with other diseases with pulmonary hypertension.
Objective: To describe current management strategies and outcomes for adults with PH in relation to
different types of CHD based on real-world data. Methods and results: COMPERA (Comparative,
Prospective Registry of Newly Initiated Therapies for Pulmonary Hypertension) is a prospective,
international PH registry comprising, at the time of data analysis, >8200 patients with various forms of
PH. Here, we analyzed a subgroup of 680 patients with PH due to CHD, who were included between
2007 and 2018 in 49 specialized centers for PH and/or CHD located in 11 European countries. At
enrollment, the patientsâ median age was 44 years (67% female), and patients had either pre-tricuspid
shunts, post-tricuspid shunts, complex CHD, congenital left heart or aortic disease, or miscellaneous
other types of CHD. Upon inclusion, targeted therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) included endothelin receptor antagonists, PDE-5 inhibitors, prostacyclin analogues, and soluble
guanylate cyclase stimulators. Eighty patients with Eisenmenger syndrome were treatment-naĂŻve.
While at inclusion the primary PAH treatment for the cohort was monotherapy (70% of patients),
with 30% of the patients on combination therapy, after a median observation time of 45.3 months,
the number of patients on combination therapy had increased significantly, to 50%. The use of oral
anticoagulants or antiplatelets was dependent on the underlying diagnosis or comorbidities. In the
entire COMPERA-CHD cohort, after follow-up and receiving targeted PAH therapy (n = 511), 91
patients died over the course of a 5-year follow up. The 5-year KaplanâMeier survival estimate for
CHD associated PH was significantly better than that for idiopathic PAH (76% vs. 54%; p < 0.001).
Within the CHD associated PH group, survival estimates differed particularly depending on the
underlying diagnosis and treatment status. Conclusions: In COMPERA-CHD, the overall survival of
patients with CHD associated PH was dependent on the underlying diagnosis and treatment status,
but was significantly better as than that for idiopathic PAH. Nevertheless, overall survival of patients
with PAH due to CHD was still markedly reduced compared with survival of patients with other
types of CHD, despite an increasing number of patients on PAH-targeted combination therapy
Effect of aliskiren on post-discharge outcomes among diabetic and non-diabetic patients hospitalized for heart failure: insights from the ASTRONAUT trial
Aims The objective of the Aliskiren Trial on Acute Heart Failure Outcomes (ASTRONAUT) was to determine whether aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor, would improve post-discharge outcomes in patients with hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) with reduced ejection fraction. Pre-specified subgroup analyses suggested potential heterogeneity in post-discharge outcomes with aliskiren in patients with and without baseline diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods and results ASTRONAUT included 953 patients without DM (aliskiren 489; placebo 464) and 662 patients with DM (aliskiren 319; placebo 343) (as reported by study investigators). Study endpoints included the first occurrence of cardiovascular death or HHF within 6 and 12 months, all-cause death within 6 and 12 months, and change from baseline in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) at 1, 6, and 12 months. Data regarding risk of hyperkalaemia, renal impairment, and hypotension, and changes in additional serum biomarkers were collected. The effect of aliskiren on cardiovascular death or HHF within 6 months (primary endpoint) did not significantly differ by baseline DM status (P = 0.08 for interaction), but reached statistical significance at 12 months (non-DM: HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.64-0.99; DM: HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.91-1.47; P = 0.03 for interaction). Risk of 12-month all-cause death with aliskiren significantly differed by the presence of baseline DM (non-DM: HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.94; DM: HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.15-2.33; P < 0.01 for interaction). Among non-diabetics, aliskiren significantly reduced NT-proBNP through 6 months and plasma troponin I and aldosterone through 12 months, as compared to placebo. Among diabetic patients, aliskiren reduced plasma troponin I and aldosterone relative to placebo through 1 month only. There was a trend towards differing risk of post-baseline potassium â„6 mmol/L with aliskiren by underlying DM status (non-DM: HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.71-1.93; DM: HR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.30-4.42; P = 0.07 for interaction). Conclusion This pre-specified subgroup analysis from the ASTRONAUT trial generates the hypothesis that the addition of aliskiren to standard HHF therapy in non-diabetic patients is generally well-tolerated and improves post-discharge outcomes and biomarker profiles. In contrast, diabetic patients receiving aliskiren appear to have worse post-discharge outcomes. Future prospective investigations are needed to confirm potential benefits of renin inhibition in a large cohort of HHF patients without D
Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTICâHF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials
Aims:
The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTICâHF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTICâHF and how these compare with other contemporary trials.
Methods and Results:
Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA)ââ„âII, EF â€35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokineticâguided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50âmg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), nonâwhite (22%), mean age 65âyears] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NTâproBNP 1971âpg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTICâHF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressureâ<â100âmmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate <â30âmL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitrilâvalsartan at baseline (n = 1594).
Conclusions:
GALACTICâHF enrolled a wellâtreated, highârisk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation
A Hybrid Thinning Algorithm for 3D Medical Images
Thinning is a frequently used method for extracting skeletons in discrete spaces. This paper presents an efficient parallel algorithm for thinning elongated 3D binary objects (e.g., bony structures, vessel trees, or airway trees). The proposed algorithm directly extracts medial lines as shape features from 3D binary objects by applying a brand- new class of thinning strategy called hybrid method. Our topology preserving algorithm makes easy implementation possible and gives satisfactory results for synthetic data tests and for MR angiography brain studies