The VISCACHA survey : III. Star clusters counterpart of the Magellanic Bridge and Counter-Bridge in 8D

Context. The interactions between the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC and LMC) created the Magellanic Bridge; a stream of gas and stars pulled out of the SMC towards the LMC about 150 Myr ago. The tidal counterpart of this structure, which should include a trailing arm, has been predicted by models but no compelling observational evidence has confirmed the Counter-Bridge so far. Aims. The main goal of this work is to find the stellar counterpart of the Magellanic Bridge and Counter-Bridge. We use star clusters in the SMC outskirts as they provide a 6D phase-space vector, age, and metallicity which help characterise the outskirts of the SMC. Methods. Distances, ages, and photometric metallicities were derived from fitting isochrones to the colour-magnitude diagrams from the VISCACHA survey. Radial velocities and spectroscopic metallicities were derived from the spectroscopic follow-up using GMOS in the CaII triplet region. Results. Among the seven clusters analysed in this work, five belong to the Magellanic Bridge, one belongs to the Counter-Bridge, and the other belongs to the transition region. Conclusions. The existence of the tidal counterpart of the Magellanic Bridge is evidenced by star clusters. The stellar component of the Magellanic Bridge and Counter-Bridge are confirmed in the SMC outskirts. These results are an important constraint for models that seek to reconstruct the history of the orbit and interactions between the LMC and SMC as well as constrain their future interaction including with the Milky Way

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories. METHODS: We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30-79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age. FINDINGS: The number of people aged 30-79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306-359) million women and 317 (292-344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584-668) million women and 652 (604-698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55-62) of women and 49% (46-52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43-51) of women and 38% (35-41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20-27) for women and 18% (16-21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran. INTERPRETATION: Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings. FUNDING: WHO

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants

Background Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30-79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age. Findings The number of people aged 30-79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306-359) million women and 317 (292-344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584-668) million women and 652 (604-698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55-62) of women and 49% (46-52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43-51) of women and 38% (35-41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20-27) for women and 18% (16-21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran. Interpretation Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings. Copyright (C) 2021 World Health Organization; licensee Elsevier

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants

Background Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30–79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age. Findings The number of people aged 30–79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306–359) million women and 317 (292–344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584–668) million women and 652 (604–698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55–62) of women and 49% (46–52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43–51) of women and 38% (35–41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20–27) for women and 18% (16–21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran. Interpretation Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings

Reddening and age for 11 galactic open clusters from integrated spectra

We study integrated spectra of 11 Galactic open clusters in the visible and near­ infrared. We use continuum distribution and line strengths to infer reddening, age and, in some cases, metallicity. These parameters are derived by using different methods, mainly by employing template integrated spectra of Magellanic Clouds and Galactic star clusters with known properties, as well as a grid relating the equivalent widths of spectral absorption tines to age and metallicity spanning a wide range of values. The results indicate a good agreement with previous work based mainly on colour-magnitude diagrams, when available. Internal reddening is significant for very young clusters like NGC 3603 and 6611. A Wolf-Rayet star in NGC 6231 is also analysed spectroscopically in the cluster context. Wolf-Rayet features appearing in the integrated spectra of NGC 6231 and 3603 are employed as indicators of the cluster evolutionary stage. The oldest cluster in the sample has an age ~~300 Myr. The present sample considerably improves the age resolution around solar metallicity in the cluster spectrallibrary for population synthesis

Reddening and age for 11 galactic open clusters from integrated spectra

We study integrated spectra of 11 Galactic open clusters in the visible and near­ infrared. We use continuum distribution and line strengths to infer reddening, age and, in some cases, metallicity. These parameters are derived by using different methods, mainly by employing template integrated spectra of Magellanic Clouds and Galactic star clusters with known properties, as well as a grid relating the equivalent widths of spectral absorption tines to age and metallicity spanning a wide range of values. The results indicate a good agreement with previous work based mainly on colour-magnitude diagrams, when available. Internal reddening is significant for very young clusters like NGC 3603 and 6611. A Wolf-Rayet star in NGC 6231 is also analysed spectroscopically in the cluster context. Wolf-Rayet features appearing in the integrated spectra of NGC 6231 and 3603 are employed as indicators of the cluster evolutionary stage. The oldest cluster in the sample has an age ~~300 Myr. The present sample considerably improves the age resolution around solar metallicity in the cluster spectrallibrary for population synthesis

Blue magellanic clusters : near-infrared spectral evolution

We present new integrated spectra in the range 5600-10000 Å for 28 LMC and 3 SMC young star clusters. We measure the equivalent widths (W) of prominent features and the continuum distribution. The analysis, supplemented by 8 additional LMC clusters from our previous studies, indicates that the red supergiant phase is indeed very time-peaked, occuring from 7 to 12 Myr. In addition to the previous case of NGC 2004, we find that NGC 1805, NGC 1994, NGC 2002, NGC 2098 and NGC 2100 as well as NGC 2011 to a lesser extent, are undergoing this phase. The red supergiant phase is clearly denoted by strong TiO bands and Ca II triplet as well as a flat continuum or in extreme cases a continuum with positive slope for λ> 6000 Å. In the SMC clusters, the molecular bands are weak, owing to metal deficiency, but we can show nevertheless that NGC 299 clearly belongs to the red supergiant phase as demonstrated by its spectral slope and enhanced Ca II. We also find new evidence of another red phase at t ≈ 100 Myr, possibly produced by AGB stars, in which the clusters NGC 2031 and NGC 2134 exhibit strong molecular bands like NGC 1866, a previously known case. Clusters between 10 and 50 Myr have strong Hα emission arising from Be stars, a phenomenon which occurs also in Galactic open clusters. From the LMC data set, it has been possible to identify 8 stages in the cluster spectral evolution from 5 to 500 Myr. We derive the corresponding average spectra which shall be useful for population synthesis of galaxies in which recent bursts of star formation have occurred

Discovery of an open cluster with a possible physical association with a planetary nebula

We report the discovery of a new open cluster (OC) in the Galaxy at l = 167◦ 0 and b = −1◦ 0. Its field includes the planetary nebula (PN) PK 167−0.1. We study the possible associations of the PN/OC pairs NGC2818/2818A, NGC2438/M 46 (NGC 2437), PK 6+2.5/NGC 6469, as well as of the PN PK 167−0.1 with NewCluster 1. The analyses are based on near-infrared colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) and stellar radial density profiles. NGC6469 is located in a heavily contaminated bulge field. The CMD morphology, especially for the latter two cases, is defined with a field-star decontamination algorithm applied to the 2MASS J, H and Ks photometry. Field decontamination for the OCs NGC2818A and M46 produced better defined CMDs and more accurate cluster parameters than in the literature. Those pieces of evidence point to M46 as physically associated with the PN NGC2438. The same occurs for the OC NGC2818A and the PN NGC2818; however, previous radial velocity arguments indicate that they are not associated. The OC NGC6469 does not appear to be associated with the PN PK 6+2.5, which probably belongs to the bulge. Finally, the distance of the OC NewCluster 1 is consistent with a physical association with the PN PK 167−0.1

Mass functions and structure of the young open cluster NGC 6611

We use J, H and KS 2MASS photometry to study colour–magnitude (CMDs) and colour–colour diagrams, structure and mass distribution in the ionizing open cluster NGC 6611. Reddening variation throughout the cluster region is taken into account followed by field-star decontamination of the CMDs. Decontamination is also applied to derive the density profile and luminosity functions in the core, halo and overall (whole cluster) regions. The field-star decontamination showed that the lower limit of the main sequence (MS) occurs at ≈5 Mʘ. Based on the fraction of KS excess stars in the colour–colour diagram we estimate an age of 1.3 ± 0.3 Myr which is consistent with the presence of a large number of premain sequence (PMS) stars. The distance from the Sun was estimated from known O V stars in the cluster area and the turn-on stars connecting the PMS and MS, resulting in dʘ = 1.8 ± 0.5 kpc. The radial density distribution including MS and PMS stars is fitted by a King profile with a core radius Rcore = 0.70 ± 0.08 pc. The cluster density profile merges into the background at a limiting radius Rlim = 6.5 ± 0.5 pc. From the field-star subtracted luminosity functions we derive the mass functions (MFs) in the form ø(m) ∝ m−(1+χ). In the halo and through the whole cluster the MFs have slopes χ = 1.52 ± 0.13 and χ = 1.45 ± 0.12, respectively, thus slightly steeper than Salpeter’s IMF. In the core the MF is flat, χ = 0.62 ± 0.16, indicating some degree of mass segregation since the cluster age is a factor ~2 larger than the relaxation time. Because of the very young age of NGC6611, part of this effect appears to be related to the molecular cloud-fragmentation process itself. We detect 362 ± 120 PMS stars. The total observed mass including detected MS (in the range 5−85 Mʘ) and PMS stars amounts to ~1600 Mʘ, thus more massive than the Trapezium cluster. Compared to older open clusters of different masses, the overall NGC 6611 fits in the relations involving structural and dynamical parameters. However, the core is atypical in the sense that it looks like an old/dynamically evolved core. Again, part of this effect must be linked to formation processes