256 research outputs found
Selective COX-2 inhibitors and risk of myocardial infarction
Selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase- 2 ( COX- 2, ` coxibs') are highly effective anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs that exert their action by preventing the formation of prostanoids. Recently some coxibs, which were designed to exploit the advantageous effects of non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs while evading their side effects, have been reported to increase the risk of myocardial infarction and atherothrombotic events. This has led to the withdrawal of rofecoxib from global markets, and warnings have been issued by drug authorities about similar events during the use of celecoxib or valdecoxib/ parecoxib, bringing about questions of an inherent atherothrombotic risk of all coxibs and consequences that should be drawn by health care professionals. These questions need to be addressed in light of the known effects of selective inhibition of COX- 2 on the cardiovascular system. Although COX- 2, in contrast to the cyclooxygenase-1 ( COX- 1) isoform, is regarded as an inducible enzyme that only has a role in pathophysiological processes like pain and inflammation, experimental and clinical studies have shown that COX- 2 is constitutively expressed in tissues like the kidney or vascular endothelium, where it executes important physiological functions. COX- 2- dependent formation of prostanoids not only results in the mediation of pain or inflammatory signals but also in the maintenance of vascular integrity. Especially prostacyclin ( PGI(2)), which exerts vasodilatory and antiplatelet properties, is formed to a significant extent by COX- 2, and its levels are reduced to less than half of normal when COX- 2 is inhibited. This review outlines the rationale for the development of selective COX- 2 inhibitors and the pathophysiological consequences of selective inhibition of COX- 2 with special regard to vasoactive prostaglandins. It describes coxibs that are currently available, evaluates the current knowledge on the risk of atherothrombotic events associated with their intake and critically discusses the consequences that should be drawn from these insights. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel
Blindness incidence in Germany - A population-based study from Württemberg-Hohenzollern
Few data on the incidence of blindness in Germany are available. We analysed causes of legal blindness for the region Württemberg-Hohenzollern (population 5.5 million) in order to help fill in this gap. Material and Methods: Population-based investigation on the incidence of legal blindness (visual acuity <1/50) based on materials from the social servies. Age-dependent blindness incidences were modelled via logistic regression models. Results: 647 blind persons were newly registered in 1994 (blindness incidence 11.6/100,000). The blindness incidence is moderate in infants (4.5/100,000) and decreases further during childhood. At the age of 20 years, the incidence again rises to the former level and remains relatively constant. After the age of 60 years, the incidence increases sharply: 5-year odds ratios are 1.76 (CI: 1.68-1.85) in women and 1.72 (CI: 1.60-1.84) in men. The blindness incidence is higher in women, 15.6/100,000, compared to 12.2/100,000 in men. The major causes of blindness are: macular degeneration, 3.92/100,000; diabetic retinopathy, 2.01/100,000; glaucoma, 1.6/100,000; high myopia, 0.77/100,000; optic atrophy, 0.68/100,000; central nervous system-triggered blindness; 0.56/100,000, and tapetoretinal degenerations, 0.52/100,000. Discussion: Due to monetary incentives for the blind persons, social service files offer accurate and complete data. Besides macular degeneration, glaucoma and dia betic retinopathy are major causes of blindness. Thus, this study suggests further blindness prevention activities for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma
Microscopic Evidence of Spin State Order and Spin State Phase Separation in Layered Cobaltites RBaCo2O5.5 with R=Y, Tb, Dy, and Ho
We report muon spin relaxation measurements on the magnetic structures of
RBaCo_2O_5.5 with R=Y, Tb, Dy, and Ho. Three different phases, one
ferrimagnetic and two antiferromagnetic, are identified below 300 K. They
consist of different ordered spin state arrangements of high-, intermediate-,
and low-spin Co^3+ of CoO_6 octahedra. Phase separation into well separated
regions with different spin state order is observed in the antiferromagnetic
phases. The unusual strongly anisotropic magnetoresistance and its onset at the
FM-AFM phase boundary is explained.Comment: 4 pages, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Electronic structure of the molecule based magnet Cu PM(NO3)2 (H2O)2
We present density functional calculations on the molecule based S=1/2
antiferromagnetic chain compound Cu PM(NO3)2 (H2O)2; PM = pyrimidine. The
properties of the ferro- and antiferromagnetic state are investigated at the
level of the local density approximation and with the hybrid functional B3LYP.
Spin density maps illustrate the exchange path via the pyrimidine molecule
which mediates the magnetism in the one-dimensional chain. The computed
exchange coupling is antiferromagnetic and in reasonable agreement with the
experiment. It is suggested that the antiferromagnetic coupling is due to the
possibility of stronger delocalization of the charges on the nitrogen atoms,
compared to the ferromagnetic case. In addition, computed isotropic and
anisotropic hyperfine interaction parameters are compared with recent NMR
experiments
Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya Spin Canting in the LTT Phase of La2-x-yEuySrxCuO4
The Cu spin magnetism in La2-x-yEuySrxCuO4 (x<=0.17; y<=0.2) has been studied
by means of magnetization measurements up to 14 T. Our results clearly show
that in the antiferromagnetic phase Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya (DM)superexchange
causes Cu spin canting not only in the LTO phase but also in the LTLO and LTT
phases. In La1.8Eu0.2CuO4 the canted DM-moment is about 50% larger than in pure
La2CuO4 which we attribute to the larger octahedral tilt angle. We also find
clear evidence that the size of the DM-moment does not change significantly at
the structural transition at T_LT from LTO to LTLO and LTT. The most important
change induced by the transition is a significant reduction of the magnetic
coupling between the CuO2 planes. As a consequence, the spin-flip transition of
the canted Cu spins which is observed in the LTO phase for magnetic field
perpendicular to the CuO2 planes disappears in the LTT phase. The shape of the
magnetization curves changes from the well known spin-flip type to a
weak-ferromagnet type. However, no spontaneous weak ferromagnetism is observed
even at very low temperatures, which seems to indicate that the interlayer
decoupling in our samples is not perfect. Nonetheless, a small fraction (<15%)
of the DM-moments can be remanently magnetized throughout the entire
antiferromagnetically ordered LTT/LTLO phase, i.e. for T<T_LT and x<0.02. It
appears that the remanent DM-moment is perpendicular to the CuO2 planes. For
magnetic field parallel to the CuO2 planes we find that the critical field of
the spin-flop transition decreases in the LTLO phase, which might indicate a
competition between different in-plane anisotropies. To study the Cu spin
magnetism in La2-x-yEuySrxCuO4, a careful analysis of the Van Vleck
paramagnetism of the Eu3+ ions was performed.Comment: 22 pages, 27 figure
High temperature ferromagnetism of Li-doped vanadium oxide nanotubes
The nature of a puzzling high temperature ferromagnetism of doped
mixed-valent vanadium oxide nanotubes reported earlier by Krusin-Elbaum et al.,
Nature 431 (2004) 672, has been addressed by static magnetization, muon spin
relaxation, nuclear magnetic and electron spin resonance spectroscopy
techniques. A precise control of the charge doping was achieved by
electrochemical Li intercalation. We find that it provides excess electrons,
thereby increasing the number of interacting magnetic vanadium sites, and, at a
certain doping level, yields a ferromagnetic-like response persisting up to
room temperature. Thus we confirm the surprising previous results on the
samples prepared by a completely different intercalation method. Moreover our
spectroscopic data provide first ample evidence for the bulk nature of the
effect. In particular, they enable a conclusion that the Li nucleates
superparamagnetic nanosize spin clusters around the intercalation site which
are responsible for the unusual high temperature ferromagnetism of vanadium
oxide nanotubes.Comment: with some amendments published in Europhysics Letters (EPL) 88 (2009)
57002; http://epljournal.edpsciences.or
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