Simulations of one-flavor QCD at finite temperature by RHMC

We simulate one-flavor QCD with standard Wilson fermions at finite temperature by the rational hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm. In the heavy quark region when we decrease the quark mass there is an endpoint which terminates the first order phase transition. We try to locate it by calculating the Binder cumulant of the Polyakov loop norm. We estimate the end-point to be kappa_c \sim 0.07-0.08.Comment: 7 pages, Presented at the XXV International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, July 30 - August 4 2007, Regensburg, German

Equation of State at Finite Density from Imaginary Chemical Potential

We perform two flavor QCD simulations with an imaginary chemical potential and measure derivatives of the pressure up to 4th order as a function of the imaginary chemical potential and the temperature $T \in [0.83 T_c, 2 T_c]$. For temperatures $T \geq T_c$, these derivatives are fitted by a Taylor series in $\mu/T$ about $\mu=0$. A fit limited to 4th order describes the data poorly at all temperatures, showing that we are sensitive to 6th order contributions. Similarly, a 6th order fit fails for temperatures $T_c \leq T \leq 1.05 T_c$, showing the need for 8th order terms. Thus, our method may offer a computational advantage over the direct measurement of Taylor coefficients at $\mu=0$. At temperatures $T \leq T_c$, we fit our data with a hadron resonance gas ansatz. The fit starts to fail at $T \gtrsim 0.95 T_c$. Using our fits, we also reconstruct the equation of state as a function of real quark and isospin chemical potentials.Comment: 8 pages, Lattice 2009 (non-zero temperature and density

High Plasma Docosahexaenoic Acid Associated to Better Prognoses of Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

The clinical relevance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in heart failure remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PUFA levels and the prognosis of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This retrospective study included 140 hospitalized patients with acute decompensated HFpEF (median age 84.0 years, 42.9% men). The patients' nutritional status was assessed, using the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), and their plasma levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (AA), and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) were measured before discharge. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. During a median follow-up of 23.3 months, the primary outcome occurred in 37 patients (26.4%). A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that lower DHA and DGLA levels, but not EPA or AA levels, were significantly associated with an increase in all-cause death (log-rank; p < 0.001 and p = 0.040, respectively). A multivariate Cox regression analysis also revealed that DHA levels were significantly associated with the incidence of all-cause death (HR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.06-0.44, p = 0.001), independent of the GNRI. Our results suggest that low plasma DHA levels may be a useful predictor of all-cause mortality and potential therapeutic target in patients with acute decompensated HFpEF

Properties of hadron screening masses at small baryonic density

The properties of hadron screening masses around the deconfinement phase transition at finite baryonic density can be studied by evaluating the Taylor coefficients with respect to the iso-scalar and iso-vector chemical potentials. We simulate 2-flavour lattice QCD with staggered fermions on a 12*12*24*6 lattice with ma = 0.05 and 0.10 and report investigations of nucleon, pseudo-scalar and vector mesons. We present new, strong evidence that in the confining phase, the screening masses at vanishing chemical potential have significant temperature dependence, but the effect of the iso-scalar chemical potential is very small. Above the critical temperature, the second derivative terms of mesons rapidly increase as contrasted to the case of baryon. We also study the responses of the screening masses to an iso-vector chemical potential and discuss some of the issues related to the properties of hadron masses at finite density.Comment: 7 pages with 5 figures; added two new references, the title of article and the section 'Concluding Remarks' are slightly change

Effect of Luseogliflozin on Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus

Background Effects of sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on reducing hospitalization for heart failure have been reported in randomized controlled trials, but their effects on patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the drug efficacy of luseogliflozin, a sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and HFpEF. Methods and Results We performed a multicenter, open‐label, randomized, controlled trial for comparing luseogliflozin 2.5 mg once daily with voglibose 0.2 mg 3 times daily in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus suffering from HFpEF (left ventricular ejection fraction >45% and BNP [B‐type natriuretic peptide] concentrations ≥35 pg/mL) in a 1:1 randomization fashion. The primary outcome was the difference from baseline in BNP levels after 12 weeks of treatment between the 2 drugs. A total of 173 patients with diabetes mellitus and HFpEF were included. Of these, 83 patients were assigned to receive luseogliflozin and 82 to receive voglibose. There was no significant difference in the reduction in BNP concentrations after 12 weeks from baseline between the 2 groups. The ratio of the mean BNP value at week 12 to the baseline value was 0.79 in the luseogliflozin group and 0.87 in the voglibose group (percent change, −9.0% versus −1.9%; ratio of change with luseogliflozin versus voglibose, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.78–1.10; P=0.26). Conclusion In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and HFpEF, there is no significant difference in the degree of reduction in BNP concentrations after 12 weeks between luseogliflozin and voglibose

Effects of luseogliflozin and voglibose on high-risk lipid profiles and inflammatory markers in diabetes patients with heart failure

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors could reduce cardiovascular events in patients with heart failure irrespective of diabetes status. In this prespecified sub-analysis of randomised-controlled trial, we investigated the efficacy of luseogliflozin (2.5 mg daily), a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, with that of voglibose (0.6 mg daily), an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, on high-risk lipid profile and inflammatory markers in patients with type-2 diabetes and heart failure. Among the 157 patients studied, there were no significant differences in the mean malondialdehyde LDL or small-dense LDL cholesterol levels between the luseogliflozin and voglibose groups (percent change: 0.2% vs. - 0.6%, p = 0.93; - 1.7% vs. - 8.6%, p= 0.21) after 12 weeks in comparison to levels at the baseline. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in the adiponectin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels after 12 weeks compared to the baseline levels (percent change, - 1.6% vs. - 4.0% and 22.5% vs. 10.0%; p = 0.52 and p = 0.55, respectively). In conclusion, in patients with type-2 diabetes and heart failure, compared to voglibose, luseogliflozin did not significantly improve the high-risk lipoprotein profile including malondialdehyde LDL and small-dense LDL cholesterol or the levels of inflammatory markers, including adiponectin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein

Effects of luseogliflozin on estimated plasma volume in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Aims Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors have diuretic effects in both patients with glycosuria and with natriuresis. We sought to assess the effect of luseogliflozin on estimated plasma volume (ePV) in patients with type 2 diabetes and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods and results This study was a post-hoc analysis of the MUSCAT-HF trial (UMIN000018395), a multicentre, prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial that assessed the effect of 12 weeks of luseogliflozin (2.5 mg, once daily, n = 83) as compared with voglibose (0.2 mg, three times daily, n = 82) on the reduction in brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients with type 2 diabetes and HFpEF. The analysis compared the change in ePV calculated by the Straus formula from baseline to Weeks 4, 12, and 24, using a mixed-effects model for repeated measures. We also estimated the association between changes in ePV and changes in other clinical parameters, including BNP levels. Luseogliflozin significantly reduced ePV as compared to voglibose at Week 4 {adjusted mean group-difference -6.43% [95% confidence interval (CI): -9.11 to -3.74]}, at Week 12 [-8.73% (95%CI: -11.40 to -6.05)], and at Week 24 [-11.02% (95%CI: -13.71 to -8.33)]. The effect of luseogliflozin on these parameters was mostly consistent across various patient clinical characteristics. The change in ePV at Week 12 was significantly associated with log-transformed BNP (r = 0.197, P = 0.015) and left atrial volume index (r = 0.283, P = 0.019). Conclusions Luseogliflozin significantly reduced ePV in patients with type 2 diabetes and HFpEF, as compared with voglibose. The reduction of intravascular volume by luseogliflozin may provide clinical benefits to patients with type 2 diabetes and HFpEF

Quenched charmonium spectrum

We study charmonium using the standard relativistic formalism in the quenched approximation, on a set of lattices with isotropic lattice spacings ranging from 0.1 to 0.04 fm. We concentrate on the calculation of the hyperfine splitting between eta_c and J/psi, aiming for a controlled continuum extrapolation of this quantity. The splitting extracted from the non-perturbatively improved clover Dirac operator shows very little dependence on the lattice spacing for $a \leq 0.1$ fm. The dependence is much stronger for Wilson and tree-level improved clover operators, but they still yield consistent extrapolations if sufficiently fine lattices, $a \leq 0.07$ fm ($a M(\eta_c) \leq 1$), are used. Our result for the hyperfine splitting is 77(2)(6) MeV (where Sommer's parameter, r_0, is used to fix the scale). This value remains about 30% below experiment. Dynamical fermions and OZI-forbidden diagrams both contribute to the remainder. Results for the eta_c and J/psi wave functions are also presented.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figure