Estimation of the Ultraviolet-C Doses from Mercury Lamps and Light-Emitting Diodes Required to Disinfect Surfaces.

Disinfection of surfaces by ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation is gaining importance in diverse applications. However, there is generally no accepted computational procedure to determine the minimum irradiation times and UV-C doses required for reliable and secure disinfection of surfaces. UV-C dose distributions must be comparable for devices presently on the market and future ones, as well as for the diverse surfaces of objects to be disinfected.

Left Ventricular Structure in Patients With Mild-to-Moderate CKD-a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Introduction: The high burden of left ventricular (LV) abnormalities in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is well established. However, less is known about the prevalence, patterns, and determinants of LV abnormalities in patients with early CKD.

Methods: We examined LV structure in 290 patients with a median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 51 ml/min per 1.

Blood Pressure Pattern and Target Organ Damage in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease.

In patients with chronic kidney disease, data on blood pressure (BP) pattern and its association with target organ damage, which indicates elevated cardiovascular risk, are sparse. In 305 treated hypertensive chronic kidney disease patients, we assessed BP pattern, left ventricular mass (magnetic resonance imaging), intima-media thickness (ultrasound), 24-hour-pulse wave velocity and 24-hour-central augmentation index (Mobil-O-Graph). Controlled hypertension (normal office and ambulatory BP) was found in 41% and sustained uncontrolled hypertension (elevated office and ambulatory BP) in 30% of patients.

Retinal capillary and arteriolar changes in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Rationale: Premature cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In animal models CKD has been shown to cause renal and extrarenal vascular remodeling and capillary rarefaction, but data in humans with CKD are sparse. Retinal arteriolar wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) is an established marker of early end-organ damage and there is evidence that arteriolar and capillary changes in the retinal circulation mirror those in the general and in particular the cerebrovascular microcirculation.

Low dose-eplerenone treatment decreases aortic stiffness in patients with resistant hypertension.

Vascular damage is aggravated in animal models of hypertension with mineralocorticoid (MR) excess and in hypertensive patients with primary hyperaldosteronism. MR antagonism has shown to provide effective blood pressure (BP)-control in patients with treatment resistant hypertension (TRH), but the concurrent effects on the vasculature have not been examined. In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled parallel-group study, 51 patients with TRH received either eplerenone 50 mg or placebo for 6 months together with additional antihypertensives titrated to achieve a BP target of <140/90 mm Hg.