History of psychosis or mania, if uncontrolled, both represent relative contraindications for kidney transplantation. We examined 3,680 US veterans who underwent kidney transplantation. The diagnosis ...of history of psychosis/mania was based on a validated algorithm. Measured confounders were used to create a propensity score-matched cohort (n=442). Associations between pre-transplantation psychosis/mania and death with functioning graft, all-cause death, graft loss and rejection were examined in survival models and logistic regression models. Post-transplant medication non-adherence was assessed using proportion of days covered (PDC) for tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid in both groups. The mean±SD age of the cohort at baseline was 61±11 years, 92% were male, 66% and 27% of patients were white and African-American, respectively. Compared to patients without history of psychosis/mania, patients with a history of psychosis/mania had similar risk of death with functioning graft Sub-Hazard Ratio(SHR)(95%Confidence Interval (CI)): 0.94(0.42–2.09), all-cause deathHazard Ratio(95%CI): 1.04(0.51–2.14), graft loss SHR(95%CI): 1.07(0.45–2.57) and rejection Odds Ratio(95%CI): 1.23(0.60–2.53). Moreover, there was no difference in immunosuppresive drug PDC in patients with and without history of psychosis/mania (PDC: 76±21% vs 78±19%, p=0.529 for tacrolimus; PDC: 78±17% vs 79±18%, p=0.666 for mycophenolic acid). After careful selection, pre-transplantation psychosis/mania are not associated with adverse outcomes in kidney transplant recipients.
Summary for use on social media (Twitter): The clinical benefit of
warfarin therapy for thromboprophylaxis after incident atrial fibrillation (AF)
diagnosis in late-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) ...patients transitioning to
dialysis is unknown. Our study from a national cohort of veteran population
suggest that warfarin use in advanced CKD is associated with higher risk of
ischemic and bleeding events, but lower risk of mortality after dialysis
transition.
The clinical benefit of warfarin therapy for thromboprophylaxis after
incident atrial fibrillation (AF) diagnosis in late-stage chronic kidney disease
(CKD) patients transitioning to dialysis is unknown. The present study from a
national cohort of US veterans evaluates the efficacy and safety of warfarin
initiation following the diagnosis of AF in late-stage CKD patients
transitioning to dialysis. Our results suggest that warfarin use in advanced CKD
is associated with higher risk of ischemic and bleeding events, but lower risk
of mortality after end stage renal transition transition.
Identified charged-particle spectra of {pi}{sup {+-}}, K{sup {+-}}, p, and p at midrapidity (|y|<0.1) measured by the dE/dx method in the STAR (solenoidal tracker at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion ...Collider) time projection chamber are reported for pp and d+Au collisions at {radical}(s{sub NN})=200 GeV and for Au+Au collisions at 62.4, 130, and 200 GeV. Average transverse momenta, total particle production, particle yield ratios, strangeness, and baryon production rates are investigated as a function of the collision system and centrality. The transverse momentum spectra are found to be flatter for heavy particles than for light particles in all collision systems; the effect is more prominent for more central collisions. The extracted average transverse momentum of each particle species follows a trend determined by the total charged-particle multiplicity density. The Bjorken energy density estimate is at least several GeV/fm{sup 3} for a formation time less than 1 fm/c. A significantly larger net-baryon density and a stronger increase of the net-baryon density with centrality are found in Au+Au collisions at 62.4 GeV than at the two higher energies. Antibaryon production relative to total particle multiplicity is found to be constant over centrality, but increases with the collision energy. Strangeness production relative to total particle multiplicity is similar at the three measured RHIC energies. Relative strangeness production increases quickly with centrality in peripheral Au+Au collisions, to a value about 50% above the pp value, and remains rather constant in more central collisions. Bulk freeze-out properties are extracted from thermal equilibrium model and hydrodynamics-motivated blast-wave model fits to the data. Resonance decays are found to have little effect on the extracted kinetic freeze-out parameters because of the transverse momentum range of our measurements. The extracted chemical freeze-out temperature is constant, independent of collision system or centrality; its value is close to the predicted phase-transition temperature, suggesting that chemical freeze-out happens in the vicinity of hadronization and the chemical freeze-out temperature is universal despite the vastly different initial conditions in the collision systems. The extracted kinetic freeze-out temperature, while similar to the chemical freeze-out temperature in pp, d+Au, and peripheral Au+Au collisions, drops significantly with centrality in Au+Au collisions, whereas the extracted transverse radial flow velocity increases rapidly with centrality. There appears to be a prolonged period of particle elastic scatterings from chemical to kinetic freeze-out in central Au+Au collisions. The bulk properties extracted at chemical and kinetic freeze-out are observed to evolve smoothly over the measured energy range, collision systems, and collision centralities.
We present measurements of net charge fluctuations in Au+Au collisions at {radical}(s{sub NN})=19.6, 62.4, 130, and 200 GeV, Cu+Cu collisions at {radical}(s{sub NN})=62.4 and 200 GeV, and p+p ...collisions at {radical}(s)=200 GeV using the dynamical net charge fluctuations measure {nu}{sub +-,dyn}. We observe that the dynamical fluctuations are nonzero at all energies and exhibit a modest dependence on beam energy. A weak system size dependence is also observed. We examine the collision centrality dependence of the net charge fluctuations and find that dynamical net charge fluctuations violate 1/N{sub ch} scaling but display approximate 1/N{sub part} scaling. We also study the azimuthal and rapidity dependence of the net charge correlation strength and observe strong dependence on the azimuthal angular range and pseudorapidity widths integrated to measure the correlation.
Investigations of tilt angle, spontaneous polarization and Low frequency (5 Hz - 10 MHz) dielectric relaxations are reported in a chiral hydrogen bonded liquid crystal, HBFLC, viz., 11 bpa. Isotropic ...to chiral nematic (IN*) and chiral nematic to chiral smectic-C (N*SmC*) phase transition temperatures determined by dielectric method agree with reports of TM and DSC. Temperature variation of order parameter (viz., primary order parameter tilt θ (T) and secondary order parameter spontaneous polarization P
S
(T) relevant to SmC* phase) studied through critical exponents β
1
and β
2
agree with Mean-Field predictions. Influence of hydrogen bonding on the growth of relevant order parameters is discussed. Dielectric dispersion revealed a collective motion (i.e., Goldstone mode GM) around ∼ 100 Hz. Other two higher frequency relaxation processes (viz., Type-I and -II) observed in the N* and SmC* phases are explained on the basis of a molecular dipole model. The influence of bias field on G.M. is studied in SmC* phase. The off-centred non-Debye's dispersion is studied through the Cole-Davidson theory. HF relaxations of Type-I and -II are explained as reorientation of dipole distinctly configured on the molecular frame. Soft mode relaxation in SmC* phase follows ferroelectric Curie-Weiss law. Arrhenius shift of relaxation frequency f
R
reveals higher activation energy for Type-II and lower energy for Type-I reorientation. The influence of hydrogen bonding on ferroelectricity in LCs is studied in terms of phase stability, tilt angle and polarization in SmC* phase in the wake of reports in other FE materials.
The synthesis and characterization of five hydrogen-bonded ferroelectric liquid crystal complexes (HBFLCs) prepared from mesogenic p-n-alkoxy benzoic acids and non-mesogenic propionic/butyric acids ...with different chiral centres are reported. Complementary intermolecular hydrogen bonding is confirmed through IR study. HBFLCs are found to exhibit chiral nematic (N*), smectic C* (SmC*) and smectic G* (monotropic) phases in their cooling profiles during polarizing thermal microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Phase coexistence regions are observed above the IN* transition. The chiral nematic to smectic C* transition is found to be of first order. The temperature variation of spontaneous polarization exhibited by these HBFLC complexes in their SmC* phase is presented. The effect of non-covalent interaction imparted by the soft hydrogen bonding in these LC complexes on enhanced or induced thermal stability of tilted LC phases is discussed.
The STAR Photon Multiplicity Detector Aggarwal, M.M.; Badyal, S.K.; Bhaskar, P. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
03/2003, Letnik:
499, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Details concerning the design, fabrication and performance of STAR Photon Multiplicity Detector (PMD) are presented. The PMD will cover the forward region, within the pseudorapidity range 2.3–3.5, ...behind the forward time projection chamber. It will measure the spatial distribution of photons in order to study collective flow, fluctuation and chiral symmetry restoration.
Isotropic to chiral nematic (IN*) and chiral nematic to chiral SmC(N*C*) transitions are studied by LF dielectric method in a hydrogen bonded ferroelectric liquid crystal, viz., 12 bpa. They agree ...with TM and DSC reports. Tilt angle, electro-clinic effect, spontaneous polarization, and dielectric relaxations are investigated and compared with that of an odd homologue 11 bpa. Growth of tilt and spontaneous polarization as order parameters in SmC* phase agree with mean-field prediction. Effect of H-bonding on the growth of tilt and P
S
order parameters is discussed. Observed large EC-effect is explained by the inclined configuration of soft-covalent interaction. Dielectric dispersion revealed a collective response, viz., Goldstone mode at ∼100 Hz in SmC* and an LF-mode in N* phases. The two HF-relaxations, i.e., Types I and II in N* and SmC* phases are explained through a refined dipole model. Shift of GM with field in SmC* is explained. Off-centred dispersion is explained through the Cole-Davidson relation. HF relaxations are related to the individual dipole reorientation. Shift of f
R
with T infers higher activation energy for Type I and lower activation energy for Type II relaxations. Soft mode permittivity follows the Curie-Weiss law in the vicinity of T
N*C*
. Device parameters, viz., thermal stability, tilt angle, and spontaneous polarization in SmC* phase are found to be influenced by H-bonding in FLCs. Results are is discussed and compared with the data reported on 11 bpa and other FE materials.
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