Androidal Fat Dominates in Predicting Cardiometabolic Risk in Postmenopausal Women

We hypothesized that soy isoflavones would attenuate the anticipated increase in androidal fat mass in postmenopausal women during the 36-month treatment, and thereby favorably modify the circulating cardiometabolic risk factors: triacylglycerol, LDL-C, HDL-C, glucose, insulin, uric acid, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and homocysteine. We collected data on 224 healthy postmenopausal women at risk for osteoporosis (45.8–65 y, median BMI 24.5) who consumed placebo or soy isoflavones (80 or 120 mg/d) for 36 months and used longitudinal analysis to examine the contribution of isoflavone treatment, androidal fat mass, other biologic factors, and dietary quality to cardiometabolic outcomes. Except for homocysteine, each cardiometabolic outcome model was significant (overall P-values from ≤.0001 to .0028). Androidal fat mass was typically the strongest covariate in each model. Isoflavone treatment did not influence any of the outcomes. Thus, androidal fat mass, but not isoflavonetreatment, is likely to alter the cardiometabolic profile in healthy postmenopausal women

Criticality in one dimension with inverse square-law potentials

It is demonstrated that the scaled order parameter for ferromagnetic Ising and three-state Potts chains with inverse-square interactions exhibits a universal critical jump, in analogy with the superfluid density in helium films. Renormalization-group arguments are combined with numerical simulations of systems containing up to one million lattice sites to accurately determine the critical properties of these models. In strong contrast with earlier work, compelling quantitative evidence for the Kosterlitz--Thouless-like character of the phase transition is provided.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

A study protocol of qualitative data sharing practices in clinical trials in the UK and Ireland: towards the production of good practice guidance [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

BACKGROUND: Data sharing enables researchers to conduct novel research with previously collected data sets, thus maximising scientific findings and cost effectiveness, and reducing research waste. The value of sharing anonymised data from clinical trials is well recognised with a moderated access approach recommended. While substantial challenges to data sharing remain, there are additional challenges for qualitative data. Qualitative data including videos, interviews, and observations are often more readily identifiable than quantitative data. Existing guidance from UK Economic and Social Research Council applies to sharing qualitative data but does not address the additional challenges related to sharing qualitative data collected within trials, including the need to incorporate the necessary information and consent into already complex recruitment processes, with the additional sensitive nature of health-related data. METHODS: Work package 1 will involve separate focus group interviews with members of each stakeholder group: trial managers, clinical trialists, qualitative researchers, members of research funding bodies and trial participants who have been involved in qualitative research. Data will be analysed using thematic analysis and managed within QSR NVivo to enhance transparency. Work package 2 will involve a documentary analysis of current consent procedures for qualitative data collected as part of the conduct of clinical trials. We will include documents such as participant information leaflets and consent forms for the qualitative components in trials. We will extract data such as whether specific clauses for data sharing are included in the consent form. Content analysis will be used to analyse whether and how consent is being obtained for qualitative data sharing. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide insight into the existing practice of sharing of qualitative data in clinical trials and the current issues and opportunities, to help shape future research and development of guidance to encourage maximum learning to be gained from this valuable dat

Analysis of a distinct speech disorder seen in chronic manganese toxicity following Ephedrone abuse

INTRODUCTION: In the last fifteen years a new cause of chronic manganese toxicity has been recognized. It follows recreational intravenous injections of Ephedrone, synthesized from a cold remedies contained pseudoephedrine. Potassium permanganate is used as an oxidant. It presents with severe parkinsonism-dystonia and a characteristic dysarthria. OBJECTIVES: We performed a focus perceptual study of dysarthria in Ephedrone induced parkinsonism and compared the findings with the speech disorders seen in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). METHODS: A digital voice recording, perceptual speech analysis (Darley, 1975) [18], serial neurological assessment and Brain Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging were performed at the Lviv regional Clinical Hospital. The results were analysed at the Institute of Neurology in London. RESULTS: Dysarthria developed after 8.5 ± 3.2 months of daily intravenous Ephedrone abuse and was an initial symptom in a third of cases. It was characterised by a robotic-flat prosody, whispering or continuous phonation, an inability to regulate pitch and volume, frozen lip articulation, a variable degree of dystonic tightness, difficulties in speech initiation and palladia, There was no nasality and swallowing was normal. In some patients speech deteriorated even after the discontinuation of Ephedrone. MR imaging, performed soon after drug cessation showed T1 signal hyperintesity in striatum and pallidum, especially in the Globus Pallidum interna. CONCLUSION: Ephedrone induced chronic manganese toxicity can lead to a mixed hypokinetic-dystonic dysarthria with a distinct dystonic pattern. Perceptual speech analysis can be a helpful ancillary investigation in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism, and may permit the recognition of chronic manganese toxicity

First study of \eta_c, \eta(1760) and X(1835) production via \eta'\pi^+\pi^- final states in two-photon collisions

The invariant mass spectrum of the \eta' \pi^+ \pi^- final state produced in two-photon collisions is obtained using a 673 fb^{-1} data sample collected in the vicinity of the \Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider. We observe a clear signal of the \eta_c and measure its mass and width to be M(\eta_c)=(2982.7 +- 1.8(stat) +- 2.2(syst) +- 0.3(model)) MeV/c^2 and \Gamma(\eta_c) = (37.8^{+5.8}_{-5.3}(stat) +- 2.8(syst) +- 1.4(model)) MeV/c^2. The third error is an uncertainty due to possible interference between the \eta_c and a non-resonant component. We also report the first evidence for \eta(1760) decay to \eta' \pi^+ \pi^-; we find two solutions for its parameters, depending on the inclusion or not of the X(1835), whose existence is of marginal significance in our data. From a fit to the mass spectrum using coherent X(1835) and \eta(1760) resonant amplitudes, we set a 90% confidence level upper limit on the product \Gamma_{\gamma\gamma} \BR (\eta' \pi^+ \pi^-) for the X(1835).Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, submitted to PR

Energy scan of the e+e−→hb(nP)π+π−e^+e^- \to h_b(nP)\pi^+\pi^- (n=1,2)(n=1,2) cross sections and evidence for Υ(11020)\Upsilon(11020) decays into charged bottomonium-like states

Using data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider, we measure the energy dependence of the $e^+e^- \to h_b(nP)\pi^+\pi^-$ $(n=1,2)$ cross sections from thresholds up to $11.02\,$GeV. We find clear $\Upsilon(10860)$ and $\Upsilon(11020)$ peaks with little or no continuum contribution. We study the resonant substructure of the $\Upsilon(11020) \to h_b(nP)\pi^+\pi^-$ transitions and find evidence that they proceed entirely via the intermediate isovector states $Z_b(10610)$ and $Z_b(10650)$. The relative fraction of these states is loosely constrained by the current data: the hypothesis that only $Z_b(10610)$ is produced is excluded at the level of 3.3 standard deviations, while the hypothesis that only $Z_b(10650)$ is produced is not excluded at a significant level.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter

The research of the maximum wind speed in Tomsk and calculations of dynamic load on antenna systems

The work is concerned with calculations and analysis of the maximum wind speed in Tomsk city. The data for analysis were taken from the TOR-station located in the north-eastern part of the city. The TOR-station sensors to measure a speed and a direction of wind are installed on the 10-meter meteorological mast. Wind is measured by M-63, which uses the standard approach and the program with one-minute averaging for wind gusts recording as well. According to the measured results in the research performed, the estimation of the dynamic and wind load on different types of antenna systems was performed. The work shows the calculations of wind load on ten types of antenna systems, distinguished by their different constructions and antenna areas. For implementation of calculations, we used methods developed in the Central Research and Development Institute of Building Constructions named after V.A. Kucherenko. The research results could be used for design engineering of the static antenna systems and mobile tracking systems for the distant objects

Search for B+ -> l+ nu gamma decays with hadronic tagging using the full Belle data sample

We search for the decay B+ -> l+ nu gamma with l+ = e+ or mu+ using the full Belle data set of 772 x 10^6 BBbar pairs, collected at the Y(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We reconstruct one B meson in a hadronic decay mode and search for the B+ -> l+ nu gamma decay in the remainder of the event. We observe no significant signal within the phase space of E_gamma^sig > 1 GeV and obtain upper limits of BR(B+ -> e+ nu gamma) mu+ nu gamma) l+ nu gamma) < 3.5 x 10^-6 at 90 % credibility level.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.