A new look at the mosaic theory of hypertension

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Semiclassical Effects and the Onset of Inflation

We present a class of exact solutions to the constraint equations of General Relativity coupled to a Klein - Gordon field, these solutions being isotropic but not homogeneous. We analyze the subsequent evolution of the consistent Cauchy data represented by those solutions, showing that only certain special initial conditions eventually lead to successfull Inflationary cosmologies. We argue, however, that these initial conditions are precisely the likely outcomes of quantum events occurred before the inflationary era.Comment: 22 pages, file written in RevTe

Probing EWSB Naturalness in Unified SUSY Models with Dark Matter

We have studied Electroweak Symmetry Breaking (EWSB) fine-tuning in the context of two unified Supersymmetry scenarios: the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Model (CMSSM) and models with Non-Universal Higgs Masses (NUHM), in light of current and upcoming direct detection dark matter experiments. We consider both those models that satisfy a one-sided bound on the relic density of neutralinos, $\Omega_{\chi} h^2 < 0.12$, and also the subset that satisfy the two-sided bound in which the relic density is within the 2 sigma best fit of WMAP7 + BAO + H0 data. We find that current direct detection searches for dark matter probe the least fine-tuned regions of parameter-space, or equivalently those of lowest Higgs mass parameter $\mu$, and will tend to probe progressively more and more fine-tuned models, though the trend is more pronounced in the CMSSM than in the NUHM. Additionally, we examine several subsets of model points, categorized by common mass hierarchies; M_{\chi_0} \sim M_{\chi^\pm}, M_{\chi_0} \sim M_{\stau}, M_{\chi_0} \sim M_{\stop_1}, the light and heavy Higgs poles, and any additional models classified as "other"; the relevance of these mass hierarchies is their connection to the preferred neutralino annihilation channel that determines the relic abundance. For each of these subsets of models we investigated the degree of fine-tuning and discoverability in current and next generation direct detection experiments.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures. v2: references added. v3: matches published versio

Interpreting large-scale redshift-space distortion measurements

The simplest theory describing large-scale redshift-space distortions (RSD), based on linear theory and distant galaxies, depends on the growth of cosmological structure, suggesting that strong tests of General Relativity can be constructed from galaxy surveys. As data sets become larger and the expected constraints more precise, the extent to which the RSD follow the simple theory needs to be assessed in order that we do not introduce systematic errors into the tests by introducing inaccurate simplifying assumptions. We study the impact of the sample geometry, non-linear processes, and biases induced by our lack of understanding of the radial galaxy distribution on RSD measurements. Using LasDamas simulations of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey II (SDSS-II) Luminous Red Galaxy (LRG) data, these effects are shown to be important at the level of 20 per cent. Including them, we can accurately model the recovered clustering in these mock catalogues on scales 30 -- 200 Mpc/h. Applying this analysis to robustly measure parameters describing the growth history of the Universe from the SDSS-II data, gives $f(z=0.25)\sigma_8(z=0.25)=0.3512\pm0.0583$ and $f(z=0.37)\sigma_8(z=0.37)=0.4602\pm0.0378$ when no prior is imposed on the growth-rate, and the background geometry is assumed to follow a $\Lambda$CDM model with the WMAP + SNIa priors. The standard WMAP constrained $\Lambda$CDM model with General Relativity predicts $f(z=0.25)\sigma_8(z=0.25)=0.4260\pm0.0141$ and $f(z=0.37)\sigma_8(z=0.37)=0.4367\pm0.0136$, which is fully consistent with these measurements.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figures, 1 tabl

Improved Experimental Limits on the Production of Magnetic Monopoles

We present new limits on low mass accelerator-produced point-like Dirac magnetic monopoles trapped and bound in matter surrounding the D\O collision region of the Tevatron at Fermilab (experiment E-882). In the context of a Drell-Yan mechanism, we obtain cross section limits for the production of monopoles with magnetic charge values of 1, 2, 3, and 6 times the minimum Dirac charge of the order of picobarns, some hundred times smaller than found in similar previous Fermilab searches. Mass limits inferred from these cross section limits are presented.Comment: 5 pages, 4 eps figures, REVTe

Hypertension in Canada: Past, Present, and Future

Canada has an extremely successful hypertension detection and treatment program. The aim of this review was to highlight the historic and current infrastructure and initiatives that have led to this success, and the outlook moving forward into the future. We discuss the evolution of hypertension awareness and control in Canada; contributions made by organizations such as the Canadian Hypertension Society, Blood Pressure Canada, and the Canadian Hypertension Education Program; the amalgamation of these organizations into Hypertension Canada; and the impact that Hypertension Canada has had on hypertension care in Canada. The important contribution that public policy and advocacy can have on prevention and control of blood pressure in Canada is described. We also highlight the importance of population-based strategies, health care access and organization, and accurate blood pressure measurement (including ambulatory, home, and automated office modalities) in optimizing hypertension prevention and management. We end by discussing how Hypertension Canada will move forward in the near and longer term to address the unmet residual risk attributable to hypertension and associated cardiovascular risk factors. Hypertension Canada will continue to strive to enhance hypertension prevention and control rates, thereby improving the quality of life and cardiovascular outcomes of Canadians, while at the same time creating a hypertension care model that can be emulated across the world

Limits on Production of Magnetic Monopoles Utilizing Samples from the DO and CDF Detectors at the Tevatron

We present 90% confidence level limits on magnetic monopole production at the Fermilab Tevatron from three sets of samples obtained from the D0 and CDF detectors each exposed to a proton-antiproton luminosity of $\sim175 {pb}^{-1}$ (experiment E-882). Limits are obtained for the production cross-sections and masses for low-mass accelerator-produced pointlike Dirac monopoles trapped and bound in material surrounding the D0 and CDF collision regions. In the absence of a complete quantum field theory of magnetic charge, we estimate these limits on the basis of a Drell-Yan model. These results (for magnetic charge values of 1, 2, 3, and 6 times the minimum Dirac charge) extend and improve previously published bounds.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, REVTeX

Global, regional, and national sex differences in the global burden of tuberculosis by HIV status, 1990–2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Tuberculosis is a major contributor to the global burden of disease, causing more than a million deaths annually. Given an emphasis on equity in access to diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in global health targets, evaluations of differences in tuberculosis burden by sex are crucial. We aimed to assess the levels and trends of the global burden of tuberculosis, with an emphasis on investigating differences in sex by HIV status for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.publishedVersio

Measuring large-scale structure with quasars in narrow-band filter surveys

We show that a large-area imaging survey using narrow-band filters could detect quasars in sufficiently high number densities, and with more than sufficient accuracy in their photometric redshifts, to turn them into suitable tracers of large-scale structure. If a narrow-band optical survey can detect objects as faint as i=23, it could reach volumetric number densities as high as 10^{-4} h^3 Mpc^{-3} (comoving) at z~1.5 . Such a catalog would lead to precision measurements of the power spectrum up to z~3-4. We also show that it is possible to employ quasars to measure baryon acoustic oscillations at high redshifts, where the uncertainties from redshift distortions and nonlinearities are much smaller than at z<1. As a concrete example we study the future impact of J-PAS, which is a narrow-band imaging survey in the optical over 1/5 of the unobscured sky with 42 filters of ~100 A full-width at half-maximum. We show that J-PAS will be able to take advantage of the broad emission lines of quasars to deliver excellent photometric redshifts, \sigma_{z}~0.002(1+z), for millions of objects.Comment: Matches version published in MNRAS (2012