Autonomic and muscular responses and recovery to one-hour laboratory mental stress in healthy subjects

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Stress is a risk factor for musculoskeletal pain. We wanted to explore stress related physiology in healthy subjects in order to gain insight into mechanisms of pain development which may relate to the pathophysiology of musculoskeletal pain disorders.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Continuous blood pressure, heart rate, finger skin blood flow, respiration, surface electromyography together with perception of pain, fatigue and tension were recorded on 35 healthy women and 9 healthy men before, during a 60 minute period with task-related low-grade mental stress, and in the following 30 minute rest period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Subjects responded physiologically to the stressful task with an increase in trapezius and frontalis muscle activity, increased blood pressure, respiration frequency and heart rate together with reduced finger skin blood flow. The blood pressure response and the finger skin blood flow response did not recover to baseline values during the 30-minute rest period, whereas respiration frequency, heart rate, and surface electromyography of the trapezius and frontalis muscles recovered to baseline within 10 minutes after the stressful task. Sixty-eight percent responded subjectively with pain development and 64% reported at least 30% increase in pain. Reduced recovery of the blood pressure was weakly correlated to fatigue development during stress, but was not correlated to pain or tension.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Based on a lack of recovery of the blood pressure and the acral finger skin blood flow response to mental stress we conclude that these responses are more protracted than other physiological stress responses.</p

A New Limit on CMB Circular Polarization from SPIDER

We present a new upper limit on cosmic microwave background (CMB) circular polarization from the 2015 flight of Spider, a balloon-borne telescope designed to search for B-mode linear polarization from cosmic inflation. Although the level of circular polarization in the CMB is predicted to be very small, experimental limits provide a valuable test of the underlying models. By exploiting the nonzero circular-to-linear polarization coupling of the half-wave plate polarization modulators, data from Spider's 2015 Antarctic flight provide a constraint on Stokes V at 95 and 150 GHz in the range $33\lt {\ell }\lt 307$. No other limits exist over this full range of angular scales, and Spider improves on the previous limit by several orders of magnitude, providing 95% C.L. constraints on ${\ell }({\ell }+1){C}_{{\ell }}^{{VV}}/(2\pi )$ ranging from 141 to 255 μK2 at 150 GHz for a thermal CMB spectrum. As linear CMB polarization experiments become increasingly sensitive, the techniques described in this paper can be applied to obtain even stronger constraints on circular polarization

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants

Background: Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories.Methods: We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30-79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age.Findings: The number of people aged 30-79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306-359) million women and 317 (292-344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584-668) million women and 652 (604-698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55-62) of women and 49% (46-52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43-51) of women and 38% (35-41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20-27) for women and 18% (16-21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran.Interpretation: Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings.Copyright (C) 2021 World Health Organization; licensee Elsevier.</p

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants

Background Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30–79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age. Findings The number of people aged 30–79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306–359) million women and 317 (292–344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584–668) million women and 652 (604–698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55–62) of women and 49% (46–52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43–51) of women and 38% (35–41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20–27) for women and 18% (16–21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran. Interpretation Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings. Funding WHO

Assessment of the Norwegian part of the Scandinavian wolf population, phase 1 : Workshop summary

I innstilling 257 L (2016-2017) ba Stortinget den norske regjeringen om å foreta en faglig gjennomgang av den norske delbestanden av ulv, med den begrunnelse at en selvstendig utredning av hva som kan defineres som en levedyktig bestand av ulv i Norge aldri tidligere har vært gjennomført. Klima- og miljødepartementet ga Miljødirektoratet (MD) i oppdrag å følge opp dette arbeidet, med følgende spesifikasjoner: Gjennomgangen må omfatte en levedyktighetsanalyse for ulvebestanden i Norge, utredningen må ta hensyn til at bestanden deles med Sverige, og dermed må vurderingen omfatte både den norske delbestanden og den samlede sør-skandinaviske bestanden. Klima- og miljødepartementet anbefalte å dele arbeidet inn i to faser, der den første skulle gjennomgå tidligere arbeider, samt ulike begreper og faguttrykk som forekommer i forskrifter og lovverk, og dermed legge grunnlaget for en levedyktighetsanalyse i andre fase. Departementet påpekte at arbeidet med dette oppdraget må ha et strengt faglig perspektiv, og ikke være bundet til hensyn av premissene som ligger i dagens politikk. Som første fase av utredningen ga MD Høgskolen i Innlandet oppgaven med å koordinere en workshop med et ekspertpanel, inkludert juridisk ekspertise og ekspertise i levedyktighetsanalyser, for å diskutere parametere som er relevante for gjennomføringen av fase to. Workshopen ble gjennomført 5. til 6. mars 2020, og denne rapporten oppsummerer diskusjonene og konklusjonene fra workshopen. Hovedkonklusjoner: Fra et biologisk perspektiv kan ulvebestanden i Skandinavia ikke deles i delpopulasjoner definert av administrative grenser. Den felles skandinaviske ulvebestanden deles mellom Norge og Sverige, og er knyttet til den større nord-/sentraleuropeiske metapopulasjonen gjennom innvandring. Derfor vil en egen bestandsanalyse for Norge ikke være biologisk meningsfylt. Levedyktighetsanalyser av den skandinaviske ulvebestanden er allerede gjennomført. Fra et juridisk perspektiv, under nasjonal og internasjonal lov, er Norge forpliktet til å opprettholde arter og deres genetiske mangfold på lang sikt og å sikre at arter forekommer i levedyktige bestander i deres naturlige utbredelsesområder. Imidlertid fremstår Norges tolkning av deres forpliktelser overfor Bernkonvensjonen noe uklar, her illustrert med to ytterpunkter som ble diskutert under workshopen: • Hvis Norge kun forplikter seg til å bidra til en felles bestand bør en enkelt yngling kunne være nok, gitt at Sverige opprettholder en levedyktig bestand. • Hvis Norge tar det fulle ansvaret trenger Norge en levedyktig bestand alene, samt å sikre forbindelsen til den større metapopulasjonen. Juridisk sett er det klart at hvert land som er part i konvensjonen har eneansvaret for å utvikle og gjennomføre de tiltak som det har akseptert i henhold til konvensjonen, på nasjonalt territorium. Denne uoverensstemmelsen mellom den biologiske virkeligheten (grenseoverskridende bestander) og den juridiske virkeligheten (de enkeltes lands juridiske forpliktelser) er en utfordring. Hvorvidt en fremtidig grenseoverskridende forvaltningsplan er vellykket, og biologisk og juridisk levedyktig, er imidlertid avhengig av at begge aspekter tas på alvor. Et trinn i retning av en mer koordinert forvaltning vil være å øke samarbeidet og legge grunnlaget for en gjensidig avtale mellom Sverige og Norge om et felles bestandsmål og en fordeling mellom de to landene. Dette vil potensielt også gi større fleksibilitet for å oppfylle forpliktelsene under Bernkonvensjonen, samt økt forutsigbarhet og robusthet i skandinavisk ulveforvaltning. De juridiske vilkårene for en slik grenseoverskridende tilnærming må utforskes nærmere. For koordinert, kunnskapsbasert forvaltning av den felles skandinaviske ulvebestanden, vil en god forståelse av effektene av faktorer som lovlig og ulovlig jakt, og forbindelsen til den større metapopulasjonen, være av stor betydning. Spørsmålet om tilføring av nytt genetisk materiale bør prioriteres høyt, ettersom innvandring fra Russland sannsynligvis vil påvirke den genetiske variasjonen i Finland og Skandinavia. For å utforske hvordan ulike scenarier kan forventes å påvirke bestanden over tid, vil det være nyttig å utvikle en felles bestandsmodell for den skandinaviske ulvebestanden, som kan oppdateres fortløpende med nye data. For et større fennoskandisk perspektiv anbefales også informasjonsdeling med Finland og Russland

280 GHz Focal Plane Unit Design and Characterization for the SPIDER-2 Suborbital Polarimeter

We describe the construction and characterization of the 280 GHz bolometric focal plane units (FPUs) to be deployed on the second flight of the balloon-borne SPIDER instrument. These FPUs are vital to SPIDER's primary science goal of detecting or placing an upper limit on the amplitude of the primordial gravitational wave signature in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) by constraining the B-mode contamination in the CMB from Galactic dust emission. Each 280 GHz focal plane contains a 16 x 16 grid of corrugated silicon feedhorns coupled to an array of aluminum-manganese transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers fabricated on 150 mm diameter substrates. In total, the three 280 GHz FPUs contain 1,530 polarization sensitive bolometers (765 spatial pixels) optimized for the low loading environment in flight and read out by time-division SQUID multiplexing. In this paper we describe the mechanical, thermal, and magnetic shielding architecture of the focal planes and present cryogenic measurements which characterize yield and the uniformity of several bolometer parameters. The assembled FPUs have high yields, with one array as high as 95% including defects from wiring and readout. We demonstrate high uniformity in device parameters, finding the median saturation power for each TES array to be ~3 pW at 300 mK with a less than 6% variation across each array at one standard deviation. These focal planes will be deployed alongside the 95 and 150 GHz telescopes in the SPIDER-2 instrument, slated to fly from McMurdo Station in Antarctica in December 2018