Treadmill exercise testing of asymptomatic men and women without evidence of heart disease

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of differences in performance including differences in ST-T wave changes between healthy men and women submitted to an exercise stress test. Two hundred (45.4%) men and 241 (54.6%) women (mean age: 38.7 ± 11.0 years) were submitted to an exercise stress test. Physiologic and electrocardiographic variables were compared by the Student t-test and the chi-square test. To test the hypothesis of differences in ST-segment changes, data were ranked with functional models based on weighted least squares. To evaluate the influence of gender and age on the diagnosis of ST-segment abnormality, a logistic model was adjusted; P < 0.05 was considered to be significant. Rate-pressure product, duration of exercise and estimated functional capacity were higher in men (P < 0.05). Sixteen (6.7%) women and 9 (4.5%) men demonstrated ST-segment upslope &#8805;0.15 mV or downslope &#8805;0.10 mV; the difference was not statistically significant. Age increase of one year added 4% to the chance of upsloping of segment ST &#8805;0.15 mV or downsloping of segment ST &#8805;0.1 mV (P = 0.03; risk ratio = 1.040, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.002-1.080). Heart rate recovery was higher in women (P < 0.05). The chance of women showing an increase of systolic blood pressure &#8804;30 mmHg was 85% higher (P = 0.01; risk ratio = 1.85, 95%CI = 1.1-3.05). No significant difference in the frequency of ST-T wave changes was observed between men and women. Other differences may be related to different physical conditioning

3d2 Configuration In Six-times-ionized Argon, Ar Vii

The transition array 2p63p3d-2p63d2 has been identified in the spectrum of magnesium-like Ar VII produced by electrical discharges in the vacuum-ultraviolet region. Twenty-five new transitions have been identified as combinations of levels of this transition array. From these transitions we have determined the levels of the 3d2 configuration. It was also possible to determine the 2p63p3d1D 2 0 level that was missed in the early research with the Ar VII spectrum. Hartree-Fock calculations with relativistic corrections were used to predict energy levels and transitions. Isoelectronic comparisons along the Mg I sequence are used to support the experimental results. © 2001 Optical Society of America.181117181721Trigueiros, A.G., Mania, A.J., Gallardo, M., Almandos, J.G.R., Atomic transitions for the Ar VII spectrum in the vacuum ultraviolet (1997) J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 14, pp. 2463-2468Zetterberg, P.O., Magnusson, C.E., The spectrum and term system of P IV (1977) Phys. Scr., 15, pp. 189-201Joelsson, I., Zetterberg, P.O., Magnusson, C.E., The spectrum and term system of S v (1981) Phys. Scr., 23, pp. 1087-1095Jupén, C., Fremberg, J., (1983), University of Lund, S-22100 Lund, Sweden (personal communication)Redfors, A., The 3d2 configuration in Ca IX-Zn XIX (1988) Phys. Scr., 38, pp. 702-706Churilov, S.S., Levashov, V.E., Wyart, J.P., Extended analysis of the 3p3d-3d2 transitions in the sequence K VIII-Cu XVII and isoelectronic trends in Mg-like ions through Kr xxv (1989) Phys. Scr., 40, pp. 625-633Froese-Fischer, C., Godefroid, M., Lifetime trends for the n = 3 singlet states in the Mg sequence (1982) Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., 202, pp. 307-322Froese-Fischer, C., Godefroid, M., Short-range interactions involving plunging configurations of the n = 3 complex in the Mg sequence (1982) Phys. Scr., 25, pp. 394-400Reistad, N., Brage, T., Ekberg, J.O., Engström, L., J-dependent 3s4p 3Pj Lifetimes in Mg-like sulphur and chlorine (1984) Phys. Scr., 30, pp. 249-254Baluja, K.L., Hilbbert, A., Energy and oscillator strengths for allowed transitions in S v, Cl VI, and Fe xv (1985) Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B, 9, pp. 477-486Aashamar, K., Luke, T.M., Talman, J.D., Energy levels in the magnesium sequence, Mg I-Mn XIV, calculated in the multiconflguration optimized potential model (1986) Phys. Scr., 34, pp. 386-393Fawcett, B.C., Calculated oscillator strengths and wavelengths for allowed transitions within the third shell for ions in the Mg-like isoelectronic sequence between S V and Ni XVII (1983) At. Data Nucl. Data Tables, 28, pp. 579-596Fawcett, B.C., Calculated oscillator strengths, wavelengths and energy levels for allowed 3-3 and 3-4 transitions for Fe XV with isoelectronic comparisons between Dirac-Fock and Hartree-Fock (1986) Phys. Scr., 84, pp. 331-336Brage, T., Hibbert, A., Plunging configurations and J-dependent lifetimes in Mg-like Ions (1989) J. Phys. B, 22, pp. 713-726Gallardo, M., Bredice, F., Raineri, M., Reyna Almandos, J.G., Light source for obtaining spectra of highly ionized gases (1989) Appl. Opt., 28, pp. 4513-4515Radziemski, L.J., Kaufman, V., Wavelengths, energy levels, and analysis of neutral chlorine (Cl I) (1969) J. Opt. Soc. Am., 59, pp. 424-443Cowan, R.D., (1981) The Theory of Atomic Structure and Spectra, , U. California Press, Berkeley, CalifEdlén, B., Atomic spectra (1964) Encyclopedia of Physics, 27, p. 80. , S. Flügge, ed. (Springer-Verlag, Berlin

Association of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides with mortality in patients with heart failure

It has been demonstrated that there is an association between serum lipoproteins and survival rate in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, as well as in patients with non-ischemic causes of heart failure. We tested the hypothesis of an association between serum lipoprotein levels and prognosis in a cohort of outpatients with heart failure, including Chagas' heart disease. The lipid profile of 833 outpatients with heart failure in functional classes III and IV of the New York Heart Association, with a mean age of 46.9 ± 10.6 years, 655 (78.6%) men and 178 (21.4%) women, was studied from April 1991 to June 2003. The survival rate was estimated by the Kaplan-Meyer's method and the Cox proportional hazards models. Etiology of heart failure was ischemic cardiomyopathy in 171 (21%) patients, Chagas' heart disease in 144 (17%), hypertensive cardiomyopathy in 136 (16%), and other etiologies in 83 (10%). In 299 (36%) patients, heart failure was ascribed to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Variables significantly associated with mortality were age (hazard ratio, HR = 1.02; 95%CI = 1.01-1.03; P = 0.0074), male gender (HR = 1.77; 95%CI = 1.2-2.62; P = 0.004), idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (HR = 1.81; 95%CI = 1.16-2.82; P = 0.0085), serum triglycerides (HR = 0.97; 95%CI = 0.96-0.98; P < 0.0001), and HDL cholesterol (HR = 0.99; 95%CI = 0.99-1.0; P = 0.0280). Therefore, higher serum HDL cholesterol and higher serum triglycerides were associated with lower mortality in this cohort of outpatients with heart failure