2,754 research outputs found
Pulmonary arterial dysfunction in insulin resistant obese Zucker rats
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Insulin resistance and obesity are strongly associated with systemic cardiovascular diseases. Recent reports have also suggested a link between insulin resistance with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The aim of this study was to analyze pulmonary vascular function in the insulin resistant obese Zucker rat.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Large and small pulmonary arteries from obese Zucker rat and their lean counterparts were mounted for isometric tension recording. mRNA and protein expression was measured by RT-PCR or Western blot, respectively. K<sub>V </sub>currents were recorded in isolated pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells using the patch clamp technique.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Right ventricular wall thickness was similar in obese and lean Zucker rats. Lung BMPR2, K<sub>V</sub>1.5 and 5-HT<sub>2A </sub>receptor mRNA and protein expression and K<sub>V </sub>current density were also similar in the two rat strains. In conductance and resistance pulmonary arteries, the similar relaxant responses to acetylcholine and nitroprusside and unchanged lung eNOS expression revealed a preserved endothelial function. However, in resistance (but not in conductance) pulmonary arteries from obese rats a reduced response to several vasoconstrictor agents (hypoxia, phenylephrine and 5-HT) was observed. The hyporesponsiveness to vasoconstrictors was reversed by L-NAME and prevented by the iNOS inhibitor 1400W.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In contrast to rat models of type 1 diabetes or other mice models of insulin resistance, the obese Zucker rats did not show any of the characteristic features of pulmonary hypertension but rather a reduced vasoconstrictor response which could be prevented by inhibition of iNOS.</p
Running vacuum in the Universe: phenomenological status in light of the latest observations, and its impact on the and tensions
A substantial body of phenomenological and theoretical work over the last few
years strengthens the possibility that the vacuum energy density (VED) of the
universe is dynamical, and in particular that it adopts the `running vacuum
model' (RVM) form, in which the VED evolves mildly as , where is
the Hubble rate and is a (small) free parameter. This dynamical
scenario is grounded on recent studies of quantum field theory (QFT) in curved
spacetime and also on string theory. It turns out that what we call the
`cosmological constant', , is no longer a rigid parameter but the
nearly sustained value of around (any) given epoch
, where is the gravitational coupling, which can also be very
mildly running (logarithmically). Of particular interest is the possibility
suggested in past works that such a running may help to cure the cosmological
tensions afflicting the CDM. In the current study, we reanalyze it in
full and we find it becomes further buttressed. Using the modern cosmological
data, namely a compilation of the latest H(z)
observations, we probe to which extent the RVM provides a quality fit better
than the concordance CDM model, paying particular emphasis on its
impact on the and tensions. We utilize the Einstein-Boltzmann
system solver and the Monte Carlo sampler for the
statistical analysis, as well as the statistical criterion to compare the
running vacuum against the rigid vacuum (). We show that
with a tiny amount of vacuum dynamics () the global fit
can improve significantly with respect to the CDM and the mentioned
tensions may subside to inconspicuous levels.Comment: LaTeX, 44 pages, 11 Tables and 4 Figure
Renewable heat for the fulfillment of the cooling demand in the fruit and vegetable processing and preserving industries in the intensive agriculture: a case study in Southern Spain
Low dietary diversity and intake of animal source foods among school aged children in Libo Kemkem and Fogera districts, Ethiopia
Background
A low dietary diversity score (DDS) and low consumption of food from animal sources (ASF) are among the factors related to malnutrition in school-aged children living in Libo Kemkem and Fogera (Ethiopia).
Objectives
This study aimed to identify associated determinants for low dietary diversity and lack of consumption of ASF.
Methods
In 2009, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in May, at the end of the lean season. Socio-demographic characteristics and diet habits were collected from 886 school-aged children. Additionally, 516 children from rural sites were followed up in the post-harvest season, in December of the same year. Bivariate and multivariable statistical methods were employed to assess low DDS and ASF intake and their association with different factors.
Results
Up to 80% and 60% of school-aged children living in rural and urban sites, respectively, ate ⤠3 food groups the day before the survey. The percentage of children consuming ASF was significantly higher in urban settings (64% vs 18%). In the rural areas, if the head of the household was male (OR: 1.91; 95%CI: 1.00-3.65) and older than 40 years (OR: 1.56; 95%CI: 1.02-2.38) the child had a lower DDS in the lean season, while differences by socioeconomic indexes were observed in the post-harvest season. Males took more ASF than females in rural settings (OR: 1.73; 95%CI: 1.14-2.62) and differences by socioeconomic indexes were observed in both settings in the lean season, though not in post-harvest survey.
Conclusions
The findings of this study revealed that the diet among school-aged children in Libo Kemkem and Fogera districts lacked diversity, and that the intake of foods from animal sources was low, especially among rural girls. To effectively tackle malnutrition, dietary diversification strategies oriented to the local needs are recommended.JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource
Twelve tips to make successful medical infographics
In the health sciences, professionals must keep up to date to conduct their evidence-based practise.
Hence, there is a growing need to share medical knowledge efficiently among healthcare professionals,
patients, and undergraduate health science students. Infographics (text and image) are a hybrid element that serves to represent information in an attractive and meaningful visual format. Actually, with the use of the Internet and social networks, infographics have become a popular format for sharing medical information around the world.
On the basis of a published literature review, we provide 12 tips in this article to make a successfully health-related infographic with the aim of assisting clinicians, educators, and researchers in their task of communicating and transforming complex information into a visual, attractive, didactic and shareable format.
By following these basic recommendations, it is possible to improve the dissemination of scientific and health-related knowledge to different audiences who can benefit from infographics
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