Exercise-Induced Changes in Pulmonary Artery Stiffness in Pulmonary Hypertension

Background: Pulmonary hypertension causes pulmonary artery (PA) stiffening, which overloads the right ventricle (RV). Since symptoms of pulmonary hypertension (PH) are exacerbated by exercise, exercise-induced PA stiffening is relevant to cardiopulmonary status. Here, we sought to demonstrate the feasibility of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for non-invasive assessment of exercise-induced changes in PA stiffness in patients with PH.Methods: MRI was performed on 7 PH patients and 8 age-matched control subjects at rest and during exercise stress. Main pulmonary artery (MPA) relative area change (RAC) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured from 2D-PC images. Invasive right heart catheterization (RHC) was performed on 5 of the PH patients in conjunction with exercise stress to measure MPA pressures and stiffness index (β).Results: Heart rate and cardiac index (CI) were significantly increased with exercise in both groups. In controls, RAC decreased from 0.27 ± 0.05 at rest to 0.22 ± 0.06 with exercise (P < 0.05); a modest increase in PWV was not significant (P = 0.06). In PH patients, RAC decreased from 0.15 ± 0.02 to 0.11 ± 0.01 (P < 0.05) and PWV and β increased from 3.9 ± 0.54 m/s and 1.86 ± 0.12 at rest to 5.75 ± 0.70 m/s and 3.25 ± 0.26 with exercise (P < 0.05 for both), respectively. These results confirm increased MPA stiffness with exercise stress in both groups and the non-invasive metrics of MPA stiffness correlated well with β. Finally, as assessed by PWV but not RAC, PA stiffness of PH patients increased more than that of controls for comparable levels of moderate exercise.Conclusion: These results demonstrate the feasibility of using MRI for non-invasive assessment of exercise-induced changes in MPA stiffness in a small, heterogeneous group of PH patients in a research context. Similar measurements in a larger cohort are required to investigate differences between PWV and RAC for estimation of MPA stiffness

Análisis general de sistemas productivos claves y sus indicadores a nivel nacional en el contexto de crecimiento verde

El concepto de crecimiento verde fue incluido en el Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2014-2018 “Todos por un Nuevo País” con el objetivo de buscar el desarrollo económico sostenible, la competitividad y la reducción de vulnerabilidades al cambio climático. En este informe se busca dar a conocer el estado actual de los indicadores de crecimiento verde para diferentes sistemas productivos agropecuarios en Colombia e identificar las opciones tecnológicas que permitan mejorar dichos indicadores con el fin de incrementar la productividad de la tierra sin afectar los demás indicadores de crecimiento verde. Para lograr esto se han propuesto en este estudio cinco fases que van desde la fase de preparación, un análisis general a nivel nacional, un análisis detallado a nivel regional, un análisis de barreras para la implementación de medidas y recomendaciones. Este reporte corresponde a la fase dos del estudio sobre análisis general. La línea base de expansión en área proyectada para los cinco sistemas productivos, la construcción y estimación de los indicadores a nivel nacional para cada uno de los sistemas productivos y una lista de opciones tecnológicas que pueden contribuir al crecimiento verde en estos sistemas productivos. Posteriormente se estimará el potencial que tiene cada tecnología sobre los indicadores de crecimiento verde. En este estudio también se incluye la metodología y resultados sobre el proceso de priorización de los sistemas productivos. The concept of green growth was included in the National Development Plan 2014-2018 "All for a New Country" with the objective of seeking sustainable economic development, competitiveness and the reduction of vulnerabilities in climate change. This report seeks to publicize the current status of green growth indicators for different agricultural production systems in Colombia and identify the technological options that allow improving the indicators in order to increase the productivity of the land without affecting the other indicators of green growth To achieve this, five phases have been improved in this study, ranging from the preparation phase, a general analysis at the national level, detailed analysis at the regional level, an analysis of barriers to the implementation of measures and recommendations. This report corresponds to the phase of the study on general analysis. The baseline projected in this area for the five productive systems, the construction and the estimation of the indicators at national level for each one of the productive systems and a list of technological options that can contribute to the green growth in these productive systems. Subsequently, the potential of each technology on green growth indicators will be estimated. This study also includes the methodology and results on the process of prioritization of productive systems.The concept of green growth was included in the National Development Plan 2014-2018 "All for a New Country" with the objective of seeking sustainable economic development, competitiveness and the reduction of vulnerabilities in climate change. This report seeks to publicize the current status of green growth indicators for different agricultural production systems in Colombia and identify the technological options that allow improving the indicators in order to increase the productivity of the land without affecting the other indicators of green growth To achieve this, five phases have been improved in this study, ranging from the preparation phase, a general analysis at the national level, detailed analysis at the regional level, an analysis of barriers to the implementation of measures and recommendations. This report corresponds to the phase of the study on general analysis. The baseline projected in this area for the five productive systems, the construction and the estimation of the indicators at national level for each one of the productive systems and a list of technological options that can contribute to the green growth in these productive systems. Subsequently, the potential of each technology on green growth indicators will be estimated. This study also includes the methodology and results on the process of prioritization of productive systems

Circadian Preference Modulates the Neural Substrate of Conflict Processing across the Day

Human morning and evening chronotypes differ in their preferred timing for sleep and wakefulness, as well as in optimal daytime periods to cope with cognitive challenges. Recent evidence suggests that these preferences are not a simple by-product of socio-professional timing constraints, but can be driven by inter-individual differences in the expression of circadian and homeostatic sleep-wake promoting signals. Chronotypes thus constitute a unique tool to access the interplay between those processes under normally entrained day-night conditions, and to investigate how they impinge onto higher cognitive control processes. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we assessed the influence of chronotype and time-of-day on conflict processing-related cerebral activity throughout a normal waking day. Sixteen morning and 15 evening types were recorded at two individually adapted time points (1.5 versus 10.5 hours spent awake) while performing the Stroop paradigm. Results show that interference-related hemodynamic responses are maintained or even increased in evening types from the subjective morning to the subjective evening in a set of brain areas playing a pivotal role in successful inhibitory functioning, whereas they decreased in morning types under the same conditions. Furthermore, during the evening hours, activity in a posterior hypothalamic region putatively involved in sleep-wake regulation correlated in a chronotype-specific manner with slow wave activity at the beginning of the night, an index of accumulated homeostatic sleep pressure. These results shed light into the cerebral mechanisms underlying inter-individual differences of higher-order cognitive state maintenance under normally entrained day-night conditions

Alaska Review of Social and Economic Conditions Vol. 30, No. 1

Many Americans are worried about children in the U.S. growing up in poverty, in broken homes, and in dangerous neighborhoods. Policymakers and others with responsibilities for children's well-being need reliable information about conditions affecting children. Alaska in 1990 had relatively few babies born with low birth weights (which can mean developmental problems later), with little regional variation. The share of children in poverty statewide in 1990 was 11 percent, but regional shares varied from 6 to 24 percent. More than one in five Alaska families were headed by single parents in 1990, with the regional share as high as one in three. Overall, we hope the indicators compiled and disseminated by Kids Count Alaska will become an important tool that Alaskans in public and private life can use in developing policies and programs to help children and families.Annie E. Casey Foundatio

Functional Analysis of the TCR Binding Domain of Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1 Predicts Further Diversity in MHC Class II/Superantigen/TCR Ternary Complexes

Superantigens (SAGs) aberrantly alter immune system function through simultaneous interaction with lateral surfaces of MHC class II molecules on APCs and with particular variable regions of the TCR beta-chain (Vbeta). To further define the interface between the bacterial SAG toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) and the TCR, we performed alanine scanning mutagenesis within the putative TCR binding region of TSST-1 along the central alpha helix adjacent to the N-terminal alpha helix and the beta7-beta9 loop as well as with two universally conserved SAG residues (Leu(137) and Tyr(144) in TSST-1). Mutants were analyzed for multiple functional activities, and various residues appeared to play minor or insignificant roles in the TCR interaction. The locations of six residues (Gly(16), Trp(116), Glu(132), His(135), Gln(136), and Gln(139)), each individually critical for functional activity as well as direct interaction with the human TCR Vbeta2.1-chain, indicate that the interface occurs in a novel region of the SAG molecule. Based on these data, a model of the MHC/TSST-1/TCR ternary complex predicts similarities seen with other characterized SAGs, although the CDR3 loop of Vbeta2.1 is probably involved in direct SAG-TCR molecular interactions, possibly contributing to the TCR Vbeta specificity of TSST-1.Fil: McCormick, John K.. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Tripp, Timothy J.. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Llera, Andrea Sabina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentina. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Sundberg, Eric J.. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Dinges, Martin M.. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Mariuzza, Roy A.. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Schlievert, Patrick M.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unido

Kids Count Alaska 1996

Between 1990 and 1995 the total population of Alaska increased about 12 percent, growing from 550,043 to 615,900. However, the number of children (18 and under) only grew about 9 percent, from 179,939 to 196,037. So the share of children in the population dropped slightly in the first half of the 1990s, from 32.7 percent to 31.8 percent. It was slower growth in the number of White children that caused the decline; numbers of children in other ethnic groups increased faster than the general population between 1990 and 1995.Annie E. Casey Foundatio

Psychological and behavioral changes during confinement in a 520-day simulated interplanetary mission to mars.

Behavioral health risks are among the most serious and difficult to mitigate risks of confinement in space craft during long-duration space exploration missions. We report on behavioral and psychological reactions of a multinational crew of 6 healthy males confined in a 550 m(3) chamber for 520 days during the first Earth-based, high-fidelity simulated mission to Mars. Rest-activity of crewmembers was objectively measured throughout the mission with wrist-worn actigraphs. Once weekly throughout the mission crewmembers completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Profile of Moods State short form (POMS), conflict questionnaire, the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT-B), and series of visual analogue scales on stress and fatigue. We observed substantial inter-individual differences in the behavioral responses of crewmembers to the prolonged mission confinement and isolation. The crewmember with the highest average POMS total mood disturbance score throughout the mission also reported symptoms of depression in 93% of mission weeks, which reached mild-to-moderate levels in >10% of mission weeks. Conflicts with mission control were reported five times more often than conflicts among crewmembers. Two crewmembers who had the highest ratings of stress and physical exhaustion accounted for 85% of the perceived conflicts. One of them developed a persistent sleep onset insomnia with ratings of poor sleep quality, which resulted in chronic partial sleep deprivation, elevated ratings of daytime tiredness, and frequent deficits in behavioral alertness. Sleep-wake timing was altered in two other crewmembers, beginning in the first few months of the mission and persisting throughout. Two crewmembers showed neither behavioral disturbances nor reports of psychological distress during the 17-month period of mission confinement. These results highlight the importance of identifying behavioral, psychological, and biological markers of characteristics that predispose prospective crewmembers to both effective and ineffective behavioral reactions during the confinement of prolonged spaceflight, to inform crew selection, training, and individualized countermeasures

Effects of-12 degrees head-down tilt with and without elevated levels of CO2 on cognitive performance: the SPACECOT study

Microgravity and elevated levels of CO2 are two common environmental stressors in spaceflight that may affect cognitive performance of astronauts. In this randomized, double-blind, crossover trial (SPACECOT), 6 healthy males (mean +/- SD age: 41 +/- 5 yr) were exposed to 0.04% (ambient air) and 0.5% CO2 concentrations during 26.5-h periods of -12 degrees head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest with a 1-wk washout period between exposures. Subjects performed the 10 tests of the Cognition Test Battery before and on average 0.1, 5.2, and 21.0 h after the initiation of HDT bed rest. HDT in ambient air induced a change in response strategy, with increased response speed (+0.19 SD; P = 0.0254) at the expense of accuracy (-0.19 SD; P = 0.2867), resulting in comparable cognitive efficiency. The observed effects were small and statistically significant for cognitive speed only. However, even small declines in accuracy can potentially cause errors during missioncritical tasks in spaceflight. Unexpectedly, exposure to 0.5% CO2 reversed the response strategy changes observed under HDT in ambient air. This was possibly related to hypercapnia-induced cerebrovascular reactivity that favors cortical regions in general and the frontal cortex in particular, or to the CNS arousing properties of mildly to moderately increased CO2 levels. There were no statistically significant time-in-CO2 effects for any cognitive outcome. The small sample size and the small effect sizes are major limitations of this study and its findings. The results should not be generalized beyond the group of investigated subjects until they are confirmed by adequately powered follow-up studies. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Simulating microgravity with exposure to 21 h of -12 degrees head-down tilt bed rest caused a change in response strategy on a range of cognitive tests, with a statistically significant increase in response speed at the expense of accuracy. Cognitive efficiency was not affected. The observed speed-accuracy tradeoff was small but may nevertheless be important for mission-critical task