Abstract
Background
Ascending aortic (AA) dilatation is a silent disease that requires frequent follow-up measurements of the AA diameter. Unfortunately, the AA diameter is an insufficient predictor ...of future growth and complications. Hemodynamic and circulating biomarkers represent promising ways of improving the risk stratification in AA dilatation. Most patients with AA dilatation have tricuspid aortic valves (TAV). However, previous studies have mainly focused on AA dilation in individuals with bicuspid aortic valves (BAV) using either hemodynamic or circulating biomarkers separately.
Purpose
To assess the relationship between hemodynamics in the AA and circulating biomarkers in individuals with mild-to-moderate AA dilatation and age-and-sex matched controls with TAV.
Methods
The study cohort of individuals with mild-to-moderate AA dilatation were identified based on AA diameter on coronary CT angiography in the population-based Swedish CardioPulmonary BioImage Study (SCAPIS) in Linköping. 54 cases with AA diameter >= 40 mm and 50 controls with AA diameter <40 mm (mean age 59, 19% female) underwent 4D Flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). The 4D Flow CMR images were processed to compute mean and maximum velocities, wall shear stress (WSS), flow displacement (FD) at peak systole, and oscillatory shear index (OSI) in the AA. Markers of collagen synthesis and degradation; type I collagen α1 chain (COL1α1), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1,-2,-3,-9,-12) and their inhibitors (TIMP-1,-2,-3,-4), were quantified in plasma (n=104). High sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin(IL)-6 were used to assess systemic inflammation.
Results
FD at the location of maximum dilatation, mean FD and mean OSI were higher in cases compared to controls. Mean velocity, mean WSS and maximum WSS were lower in cases compared to controls. None of the circulating biomarkers differed significantly between cases and controls. Interestingly, several circulating biomarkers correlated with hemodynamics markers in the whole cohort. COL1α1, MMP-2 and TIMP-2 correlated inversely with max OSI (r=-0.342, p=0.001; r=-0.277, p=0.006; r=-0.238, p=0.018, respectively) while MMP-3 correlated positively with mean velocity (r=0.274, p=0.006), mean WSS (r=0.270, p=0.007), max WSS (r=0.220, p=0.029), and inversely with FD at the location of maximum dilatation (r=-0.218, p=0.031). TIMP-4 correlated with mean OSI (r=-0.284, p=0.005).
Conclusions
Several hemodynamic markers obtained with 4D Flow CMR were altered in mild-to-moderate AA dilatation with TAV, while circulating biomarkers did not differ from controls. However, significant correlations were identified between several biomarkers and hemodynamic markers. We therefore speculate that the levels of circulating biomarkers may be altered as the disease progresses. Future studies should examine the implications of these novel findings along the trajectory of AA dilation and its association with complication risk.Methods figureHemodynamics markers table
To describe the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in a community-dwelling population aged 80 years and older. Also to compare sleep patterns, cognitive function and prevalence of other ...psychiatric conditions between healthy controls and GAD subjects.
DSM-IV criteria were used to diagnose GAD. A representative random sample of 77 community-dwelling subjects (35%), aged 80 years or more from the rural southern county of Veranopolis, Brazil, was selected. Sleep patterns were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a 2-week sleep/wake diary. Five neuropsychological tests (Buschke-Fuld Selective Reminding Test, CERAD word list, verbal fluency test and two sub-tests of the Wechsler memory scale) were used for cognitive evaluation.
The estimated GAD prevalence was 10.6 percent. GAD was associated with major depression, with a significant greater number of depressive symptoms as measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale and with a significant more frequent occurrence of minor depression. Sleeping patterns and cognition function among GAD subjects were not compromised. The severity of physical diseases was similar in both GAD subjects and healthy controls. GAD was associated with a significantly lower health-related quality of life.
In comparison with previous studies, the prevalence of GAD is higher in the studied population. This disorder is frequently associated with both depressive symptoms and a lower health-related quality of life.
OBJETIVOS: Descrever a prevalência de transtorno de ansiedade generalizada (TAG) em uma população de idosos residentes em uma comunidade e com idade acima de 80 anos e comparar os padrões de sono, a ...função cognitiva e a taxa de prevalência de outros diagnósticos psiquiátricos entre controles normais e sujeitos com TAG. MÉTODOS: Para o diagnóstico de TAG, foram utilizados os critérios do "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-IV). Selecionou-se uma amostra randômica e representativa de 77 sujeitos (35%), residentes em uma comunidade, entre todos os idosos com idade acima de 80 anos do município Veranópolis, RS. Os padrões de sono foram aferidos pelo índice de qualidade de sono de Pittsburgh e pelo diário sobre sono/vigília a ser preenchido ao longo de duas semanas. Cinco testes neuropsicológicos foram usados na avaliação cognitiva: teste das lembranças seletivas de Buschke-Fuld; lista de palavras da bateria CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease); teste de fluência verbal e dois subtestes da escala de memória Wechsler. RESULTADOS: A prevalência estimada de TAG foi de 10,6%, cuja presença estava associada a uma maior ocorrência de depressão clinicamente diagnosticável, com um significativo maior número de sintomas depressivos, quando medidos pela escala de depressão geriátrica, e com uma maior ocorrência de depressão menor. Os padrões de sono e o funcionamento cognitivo, entre sujeitos com TAG, não estavam afetados. A gravidade das doenças físicas não variava entre sujeitos com TAG e os controles normais. A presença de TAG estava associada a um significativo pior padrão de qualidade de vida relativa à saúde. CONCLUSÃO: Em comparação com os estudos prévios, a prevalência de TAG é alta entre a população de idosos mais velhos. Esse transtorno ocorre em freqüente associação com a sintomatologia depressiva e também está associado a um pior padrão de qualidade de vida relativa à saúde.
We present a large spectroscopic campaign with Keck/Multi-Object Spectrometer for InfraRed Exploration (MOSFIRE) targeting Ly emission (Ly ) from intrinsically faint Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) ...behind 12 efficient galaxy cluster lenses. Gravitational lensing allows us to probe the more abundant faint galaxy population to sensitive Ly equivalent-width limits. During the campaign, we targeted 70 LBG candidates with the MOSFIRE Y band, selected photometrically to cover Ly over the range 7 < z < 8.2. We detect signal-to-noise ratio > 5 emission lines in two of these galaxies and find that they are likely Ly at z = 7.148 0.001 and z = 7.161 0.001. We present new lens models for four of the galaxy clusters, using our previously published lens models for the remaining clusters to determine the magnification factors for the source galaxies. Using a Bayesian framework that employs large-scale reionization simulations of the intergalactic medium (IGM) as well as realistic properties of the interstellar medium and circumgalactic medium, we infer the volume-averaged neutral hydrogen fraction, , in the IGM during reionization to be at z = 7.6 0.6. Our result is consistent with a late and rapid reionization scenario inferred by Planck.
Abstract
The GLASS-JWST Early Release Science (hereafter GLASS-JWST-ERS) Program will obtain and make publicly available the deepest extragalactic data of the ERS campaign. It is primarily designed ...to address two key science questions, namely, “what sources ionized the universe and when?” and “how do baryons cycle through galaxies?”, while also enabling a broad variety of first look scientific investigations. In primary mode, it will obtain NIRISS and NIRSpec spectroscopy of galaxies lensed by the foreground Hubble Frontier Field cluster, Abell 2744. In parallel, it will use NIRCam to observe two fields that are offset from the cluster center, where lensing magnification is negligible, and which can thus be effectively considered blank fields. In order to prepare the community for access to this unprecedented data, we describe the scientific rationale, the survey design (including target selection and observational setups), and present pre-commissioning estimates of the expected sensitivity. In addition, we describe the planned public releases of high-level data products, for use by the wider astronomical community.
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