BP Reduction, Kidney Function Decline, and Cardiovascular Events in Patients without CKD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), intensive systolic BP treatment (target <120 mm Hg) was associated with fewer cardiovascular events and higher incidence of kidney function decline compared with standard treatment (target <140 mm Hg). We evaluated the association between mean arterial pressure reduction, kidney function decline, and cardiovascular events in patients without CKD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: We categorized patients in the intensive treatment group of the SPRINT according to mean arterial pressure reduction throughout follow-up: <20, 20 to <40, and ≥40 mm Hg. We defined the primary outcome as kidney function decline (≥30% reduction in eGFR to <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 on two consecutive determinations at 3-month intervals), and we defined the secondary outcome as cardiovascular events. In a propensity score analysis, patients in each mean arterial pressure reduction category from the intensive treatment group were matched with patients from the standard treatment group to calculate the number needed to treat regarding cardiovascular events and the number needed to harm regarding kidney function decline. RESULTS: In the intensive treatment group, 1138 (34%) patients attained mean arterial pressure reduction <20 mm Hg, 1857 (56%) attained 20 to <40 mm Hg, and 309 (9%) attained ≥40 mm Hg. Adjusted hazard ratios for kidney function decline were 2.10 (95% confidence interval, 1.22 to 3.59) for mean arterial pressure reduction between 20 and 40 mm Hg and 6.22 (95% confidence interval, 2.75 to 14.08) for mean arterial pressure reduction ≥40 mm Hg. In propensity score analysis, mean arterial pressure reduction <20 mm Hg presented a number needed to treat of 44 and a number needed to harm of 65, reduction between 20 and <40 mm Hg presented a number needed to treat of 42 and a number needed to harm of 35, and reduction ≥40 mm Hg presented a number needed to treat of 95 and a number needed to harm of 16. CONCLUSIONS: In the intensive treatment group of SPRINT, larger declines in mean arterial pressure were associated with higher incidence of kidney function decline. Intensive treatment seemed to be less favorable when a larger reduction in mean arterial pressure was needed to attain the BP target.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A 3-form Gauge Potential in 5D in connection with a Possible Dark Sector of 4D-Electrodynamics

We here propose a 5-dimensional {\bf Abelian gauge} model based on the mixing between a $U(1)$ potential and an Abelian 3-form field by means of a topological mass term. An extended covariant derivative is introduced to minimally couple a Dirac field to the $U(1)$ potential, while this same covariant derivative non-minimally couples the 3-form field to the charged fermion. A number of properties are discussed in 5D; in particular, the appearance of a topological fermionic current. A 4-dimensional reduced version of the model is investigated and, { \bf in addition to the $U(1)$ electric- and magnetic-sort of fields,} there emerges an extra set of electric- and magnetic-like fields which contribute a negative pressure and may be identified as a possible fraction of dark energy. The role of the topological fermionic current is also contemplated upon dimensional reduction from 5D to 4D. Other issues we present in 4 space-time dimensions are the emergence {\bf of a pseudo-scalar massive particle,} an extra massive neutral gauge boson,{\bf which we interpret as a kind of paraphoton}, and the calculation of spin- and velocity-dependent interparticle potentials associated to the exchange of the intermediate bosonic fields of the model.Comment: -- 30 pages -- L. P. R. Ospedal appears as a new co-author; modifications by inclusion of the gravitational sector and the attainment of a spin- and velocity-dependent potential as an application have been worked out in this Revised Versio

Comment on Bress et al. Effect of Intensive Versus Standard Blood Pressure Treatment According to Baseline Prediabetes Status: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Trial. Diabetes Care 2017;40:1401-1408.

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

X-ray method to study temperature-dependent stripe domains in MnAs/GaAs(001)

MnAs films grown on GaAs (001) exhibit a progressive transition between hexagonal (ferromagnetic) and orthorhombic (paramagnetic) phases at wide temperature range instead of abrupt transition during the first-order phase transition. The coexistence of two phases is favored by the anisotropic strain arising from the constraint on the MnAs films imposed by the substrate. This phase coexistence occurs in ordered arrangement alternating periodic terrace steps. We present here a method to study the surface morphology throughout this transition by means of specular and diffuse scattering of soft x-rays, tuning the photon energy at the Mn 2p resonance. The results show the long-range arrangement of the periodic stripe-like structure during the phase coexistence and its period remains constant, in agreement with previous results using other techniques.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Applied Physics Letter

Diversity of parasites in wild Astronotus ocellatus (Perciformes, Cichlidae), an ornamental and food fish in Brazil.

The community composition of parasites was characterized in Astronotus ocellatus from a tributary of the Amazon River, northern Brazil. The prevalence was 87.9%, and a total of 526,052 parasites were collected, with a mean of 15,941 parasites per host. Nine taxa of ecto- and endo-parasites were identified, but Ichthyophthirius multifiliis was the dominant species, while Piscinoodinium pillulare, Clinostomum marginatum and Argulus multicolor were the least prevalent parasites. The parasite community was characterized by a low species richness, low diversity and low evenness. Host body size was not found to influence the composition of the parasite community, and there was no significant correlation between abundance of any parasite species and host body size. Papers published concerning the presence of parasites in this host in different hydrographic basins within Brazil indicate that 22 species of parasites are known to infect A. ocellatus, including species of ectoparasites and endoparasites. In Brazil, ectoparasites species, particularly crustaceans, have been found to parasitize A. ocellatus in relatively high numbers. This predominance of ectoparasites is typical of fish of lentic ecosystems. Finally, the presence of different endoparasites taxa suggest that A. ocellatus acts as an intermediate or definitive host

Modified Gravity on the Brane and Dark Energy

We analyze the dynamics of an AdS5 braneworld with matter fields when gravity is allowed to deviate from the Einstein form on the brane. We consider exact 5-dimensional warped solutions which are associated with conformal bulk fields of weight -4 and describe on the brane the following three dynamics: those of inhomogeneous dust, of generalized dark radiation, and of homogeneous polytropic dark energy. We show that, with modified gravity on the brane, the existence of such dynamical geometries requires the presence of non-conformal matter fields confined to the brane.Comment: Revised version published in Gen. Rel. Grav. Typos corrected, updated reference and some remarks added for clarity. 11 pages, latex, no figure

Conformal Bulk Fields, Dark Energy and Brane Dynamics

In the Randall-Sundrum scenario we analyze the dynamics of a spherically symmetric 3-brane when the bulk is filled with matter fields. Considering a global conformal transformation whose factor is the $Z_2$ symmetric warp we find a new set of exact dynamical solutions for which gravity is bound to the brane. The set corresponds to a certain class of conformal bulk fields. We discuss the geometries which describe the dynamics on the brane of polytropic dark energy.Comment: 12 pages, latex, 2 figures. Talk given by Rui Neves at the Fourth International Conference on Physics Beyond the Standard Model, Beyond the Desert 03, Fundamental Experimental and Theoretical Developments in Particle Physics, Accelerator, Non-Accelerator and Space Approaches, Max Planck Institut f. Kernphysik/MPI Heidelberg, Castle Ringberg, Tegernsee, Germany, 9-14 June 2003. To be published in the Conference Proceedings, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, German

Analytical results for a Bessel function times Legendre polynomials class integrals

When treating problems of vector diffraction in electromagnetic theory, the evaluation of the integral involving Bessel and associated Legendre functions is necessary. Here we present the analytical result for this integral that will make unnecessary numerical quadrature techniques or localized approximations. The solution is presented using the properties of the Bessel and associated Legendre functions.Comment: 4 page

Magnetic reconfiguration of MnAs/GaAs(001) observed by Magnetic Force Microscopy and Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering

We investigated the thermal evolution of the magnetic properties of MnAs epitaxial films grown on GaAs(001) during the coexistence of hexagonal/orthorhombic phases using polarized resonant (magnetic) soft X-ray scattering and magnetic force microscopy. The results of the diffuse satellite X-ray peaks were compared to those obtained by magnetic force microscopy and suggest a reorientation of ferromagnetic terraces as temperature rises. By measuring hysteresis loops at these peaks we show that this reorientation is common to all ferromagnetic terraces. The reorientation is explained by a simple model based on the shape anisotropy energy. Demagnetizing factors were calculated for different configurations suggested by the magnetic images. We noted that the magnetic moments flip from an in-plane mono-domain orientation at lower temperatures to a three-domain out-of-plane configuration at higher temperatures. The transition was observed when the ferromagnetic stripe width L is equal to 2.9 times the film thickness d. This is in good agreement with the expected theoretical value of L = 2.6d.Comment: 16 pages in PD