Electrocaloric effect in KH2_2PO4_4 family crystals

The proton ordering model for the KH$_{2}$PO$_{4}$ type ferroelectrics is modified by taking into account the dependence of the effective dipole moments on the proton ordering parameter. Within the four-particle cluster approximation we calculate the crystal polarization and explore the electrocaloric effect. Smearing of the ferroelectric phase transition by a longitudinal electric field is described. A good agreement with experiment is obtained.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures; this article is a shortened version of arXiv:1405.1327 published in Condensed Matter Physic

Mitsui model with diagonal strains: A unified description of external pressure effect and thermal expansion of Rochelle salt NaKC_4H_4O_6\cdot4H_2O

We elaborate a modification of the deformable two-sublattice Mitsui model of [Levitskii R.R. et al., Phys. Rev. B. 2003, 67, 174112] and [Levitskii R.R. et al., Condens. Matter Phys., 2005, 8, 881] that consistently takes into account diagonal components of the strain tensor, arising either due to external pressures or due to thermal expansion. We calculate the related to those strains thermal, piezoelectric, and elastic characteristics of the system. Using the developed fitting procedure, a set of the model parameters is found for the case of Rochelle salt crystals, providing a satisfactory agreement with the available experimental data for the hydrostatic and uniaxial pressure dependences of the Curie temperatures, temperature dependences of spontaneous diagonal strains, linear thermal expansion coefficients, elastic constants c_ij^E and c_i4^E, piezoelectric coefficients d_1i and g_1i (i=1,2,3). The hydrostatic pressure variation of dielectric permittivity is described using a derived expression for the permittivity of a partially clamped crystal. The dipole moments and the asymmetry parameter of Rochelle salt are found to increase with hydrostatic pressure.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figure

Association of candidate gene polymorphisms with chronic kidney disease : Results of a case-control analysis in the NEFRONA cohort

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major risk factor for end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease and premature death. Despite classical clinical risk factors for CKD and some genetic risk factors have been identified, the residual risk observed in prediction models is still high. Therefore, new risk factors need to be identified in order to better predict the risk of CKD in the population. Here, we analyzed the genetic association of 79 SNPs of proteins associated with mineral metabolism disturbances with CKD in a cohort that includes 2,445 CKD cases and 559 controls. Genotyping was performed with matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. We used logistic regression models considering different genetic inheritance models to assess the association of the SNPs with the prevalence of CKD, adjusting for known risk factors. Eight SNPs (rs1126616, rs35068180, rs2238135, rs1800247, rs385564, rs4236, rs2248359, and rs1564858) were associated with CKD even after adjusting by sex, age and race. A model containing five of these SNPs (rs1126616, rs35068180, rs1800247, rs4236, and rs2248359), diabetes and hypertension showed better performance than models considering only clinical risk factors, significantly increasing the area under the curve of the model without polymorphisms. Furthermore, one of the SNPs (the rs2248359) showed an interaction with hypertension, being the risk genotype affecting only hypertensive patients. We conclude that 5 SNPs related to proteins implicated in mineral metabolism disturbances (Osteopontin, osteocalcin, matrix gla protein, matrix metalloprotease 3 and 24 hydroxylase) are associated to an increased risk of suffering CKD

Association of a single nucleotide polymorphism combination pattern of the Klotho gene with non-cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an elevated risk of all-cause mortality, with cardiovascular death being extensively investigated. However, non-cardiovascular mortality represents the biggest percentage, showing an evident increase in recent years. Klotho is a gene highly expressed in the kidney, with a clear influence on lifespan. Low levels of Klotho have been linked to CKD progression and adverse outcomes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the Klotho gene have been associated with several diseases, but studies investigating the association of Klotho SNPs with noncardiovascular death in CKD populations are lacking. The main aim of this study was to assess whether 11 Klotho SNPs were associated with non-cardiovascular death in a subpopulation of the National Observatory of Atherosclerosis in Nephrology (NEFRONA) study (n ¼ 2185 CKD patients). After 48 months of follow-up, 62 cardiovascular deaths and 108 non-cardiovascular deaths were recorded. We identified a high non-cardiovascular death risk combination of SNPs corresponding to individuals carrying the most frequent allele (G) at rs562020, the rare allele (C) at rs2283368 and homozygotes for the rare allele (G) at rs2320762 (rs562020 GG/AG þ rs2283368 CC/CT þ rs2320762 GG). Among the patients with the three SNPs genotyped (n ¼ 1016), 75 (7.4%) showed this combination. Furthermore, 95 (9.3%) patients showed a low-risk combination carrying all the opposite genotypes (rs562020 AA þ rs2283368 TT þ rs2320762 GT/TT). All the other combinations [n ¼ 846 (83.3%)] were considered as normal risk. Using competing risk regression analysis, we confirmed that the proposed combinations are independently associated with a higher fhazard ratio [HR] 3.28 [confidence interval (CI) 1.51-7.12]g and lower [HR 6 × 10- (95% CI 3.3 × 10--1.1 × 10-)] risk of suffering a non-cardiovascular death in the CKD population of the NEFRONA cohort compared with patients with the normal-risk combination. Determination of three SNPs of the Klotho gene could help in the prediction of non-cardiovascular death in CKD