Oxidative Stress and Vascular Function: Implications for Pharmacologic Treatments

Production of considerable amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) eventually leads to oxidative stress. A key role of oxidative stress is evident in the pathologic mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction and associated cardiovascular diseases. Vascular enzymes such as NADPH oxidases, xanthine oxidase, and uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide synthase are involved in the production of ROS. The question remains whether pharmacologic approaches can effectively combat the excessive ROS production in the vasculature. Interestingly, existing registered cardiovascular drugs can directly or indirectly act as antioxidants, thereby preventing the damaging effects of ROS. Moreover, new compounds targeting NADPH oxidases have been developed. Finally, food-derived compounds appear to be effective inhibitors of oxidative stress and preserve vascular function

Perfect for a gin and tonic: How context drives consumption within a modified bogus taste test

© The Author(s) 2017, Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Aim: To implement a modified bogus taste test (BTT) and to examine the interactive effects of environmental and social contexts on levels of 'alcohol' consumption. Method: University students (Study 1 n = 38, Study 2 n = 80), recruited via opportunity sampling, completed a modified BTT under the pretence of assessing garnish preference for gin and tonic. All participants were tested alone or as part of an existing friendship group. In Study 1 participants were in a laboratory setting but were exposed to different contextual cues (alcohol-related or neutral) by way of posters displayed on the walls. In Study 2, participants assessed the drinks in either a pub or a library setting. Results: In Study 1 participants tested in a group consumed significantly more when exposed to pub-related stimuli in contrast to those who were exposed to library-related stimuli. Participants who were alone and exposed to library-related cues consumed significantly more than those in a group and exposed to these cues. In Study 2, as in Study 1, participants tested in a group condition consumed significantly more of what they believed to be alcohol when in the pub compared to those who were tested in the library. Higher group consumption was also evident in the library condition, although the size of this difference was not as large as in the pub testing condition. Conclusion: In the absence of any pharmacological effects of alcohol, social and environmental context have an interactive impact on shaping consumption

Reading Nearby: Literary Ethnography in a Postsocialist City

© 2019 by the American Anthropological Association. All rights reserved The solitary reader, sitting quietly surrounded by her thoughts, is a powerful image. But reading is also a deeply social practice. From learning to read to deciding what to read next, a significant amount of literate activity takes place within specific social relationships. Drawing from ethnographic research I conducted between 2015 and 2018, this essay shows how the act of co-reading has contributed to the emergence of a new literary community based in Tirana, Albania. The broader intention of the essay is to demonstrate the application of the general approach to literary anthropology I call reading nearby

New national and regional bryophyte records, 32

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