Reconstruction with velocities

Reconstruction is becoming a crucial procedure of galaxy clustering analysis for future spectroscopic redshift surveys to obtain subper cent level measurement of the baryon acoustic oscillation scale. Most reconstruction algorithms rely on an estimation of the displacement field from the observed galaxy distribution. However, the displacement reconstruction degrades near the survey boundary due to incomplete data and the boundary effects extend to ∼100 Mpc/h within the interior of the survey volume. We study the possibility of using radial velocities measured from the cosmic microwave background observation through the kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect to improve performance near the boundary. We find that the boundary effect can be reduced to ∼30 − 40 Mpc/h with the velocity information from Simons Observatory. This is especially helpful for dense low redshift surveys where the volume is relatively small and a large fraction of total volume is affected by the boundary

Cyclic irrigation of turfgrass using a shallow saline aquifer

Utilization of poor quality waters in the urban landscape has the potential of saving large quantities of good quality water for higher priority uses. Bernudagrass in particular is well suited to be irrigated with poorer quality water. A two-year field study was conducted to determine the long-term effects of applying shallow saline aquifer water to two turfgrass sports fields. The water (0.69-- 3.4 dSm-1) was applied using cyclic irrigation during peak demand months (May--Oct). Treatments consisted of cycling saline water through the existing irrigation systems. Saline substitution of fresh water was set at 1, 2, 3 and 4 times per 7 freshwater irrigation events. Irrigations were applied using an ET feedback system and imposing a leaching fraction of 0.15. Turf color and cover, canopy temperature, bulk soil conductivity, soil moisture, leaf water potential, tissue moisture content and stomatal conductance were monitored on a bimonthly basis during the peak demand months. All plots except for control, were instrumented with tensiometers and salinity sensors. Soil samples (2430 total samples at the University and 1530 total samples at the high school site) were taken yearly from each plot in a 5 x 5 grid fashion and analyzed for soluble salts. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The beneficial effects of exercise in rodents are preserved after detraining: a phenomenon unrelated to GLUT4 expression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although exercise training has well-known cardiorespiratory and metabolic benefits, low compliance with exercise training programs is a fact, and the harmful effects of physical detraining regarding these adaptations usually go unnoticed. We investigated the effects of exercise detraining on blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and GLUT4 expression in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Studied animals were randomized into sedentary, trained (treadmill running/5 days a week, 60 min/day for 10 weeks), 1 week of detraining, and 2 weeks of detraining. Blood pressure (tail-cuff system), insulin sensitivity (kITT), and GLUT4 (Western blot) in heart, gastrocnemius and white fat tissue were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Exercise training reduced blood pressure (19%), improved insulin sensitivity (24%), and increased GLUT4 in the heart (+34%); gastrocnemius (+36%) and fat (+22%) in SHR. In WKY no change in either blood pressure or insulin sensitivity were observed, but there was an increase in GLUT4 in the heart (+25%), gastrocnemius (+45%) and fat (+36%) induced by training. Both periods of detraining did not induce any change in neither blood pressure nor insulin sensitivity in SHR and WKY. One-week detraining reduced GLUT4 in SHR (heart: -28%; fat: -23%) and WKY (heart: -19%; fat: -22%); GLUT4 in the gastrocnemius was reduced after a 2-week detraining (SHR: -35%; WKY: -25%). There was a positive correlation between GLUT4 (gastrocnemius) and the maximal velocity in the exercise test (r = 0.60, p = 0.004).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study findings show that in detraining, despite reversion of the enhanced GLUT4 expression, cardiorespiratory and metabolic beneficial effects of exercise are preserved.</p

Reduced cortical renal GLUT1 expression induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in diabetic spontaneously hypertensive rats

Diabetes in spontaneously hypertensive rats is associated with cortical renal GLUT1 and GLUT2 overexpression. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of the angiotensin-converting enzyme blockade on cortical renal GLUT1 and GLUT2 expression, urinary albumin and urinary TGF-&#946;1. Streptozotocin, 50 mg/kg, or citrate buffer (N = 16) was administered as a single injection into the tail vein in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (~260 g). Thirty days later, these diabetic spontaneously hypertensive rats received ramipril by gavage: 0.01 mg·kg-1·day-1 (D0.01, N = 14), 1 mg·kg-1·day-1 (D1, N = 9) or water (D, N = 11) for 15 days. Albumin and TGF-&#946;1 (24-h urine), direct arterial pressure, renal tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme activity (fluorometric assay), and GLUT1 and GLUT2 protein levels (Western blot, renal cortex) were determined. Glycemia and glycosuria were higher (P < 0.05) in the diabetic rats compared with controls, but similar between the diabetic groups. Diabetes in spontaneously hypertensive rats lowered renal tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme activity (40%), which was reduced further when higher ramipril doses were used. Diabetes associated with hypertension raised GLUT1 by 28% (P < 0.0001) and GLUT2 by 76% (P = 0.01), and both doses of ramipril equally reduced cortical GLUT1 (D vs D1 and vs D0.01, P &#8804; 0.001). GLUT2 levels were reduced in D0.01 (P < 0.05 vs D). Diabetes increased urinary albumin and TGF-&#946;1 urinary excretion, but the 15-day ramipril treatment (with either dose) did not reduce them. In conclusion, ramipril is effective in lowering renal tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, as well as blocking cortical GLUT1 overexpression, which may be beneficial in arresting the development of diabetic nephropathy

Six-year changes in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and changes in weight and risk of obesity

Objective: The aim of this study was to study the prospective association between N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT- proBNP) and changes in weight and obesity risk in a community-based population. Methods: Data from 9,681 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study were analyzed at two time points 6 years apart. Among people without obesity at baseline, multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between baseline levels of NT-proBNP and incident obesity. A multivariable linear regression model was used to examine the association between changes in NT-proBNP (visit 2 serum and visit 4 plasma samples) and changes in weight. Results: The prevalence of obesity increased from 28% to 35% in the 6-year follow-up period. Compared with individuals in the highest NT-proBNP quartile, those in the lowest were more likely to have obesity at baseline (odds ratio 1.25; 95% CI: 1.08-1.45) and, among people who did not have obesity at baseline, were more likely to develop obesity at follow-up (odds ratio 1.35; 95% CI: 1.07-1.69). Changes in NT-proBNP were inversely associated with weight change. Conclusions: In this prospective study, lower levels of NT-proBNP were associated with higher risk of obesity, and changes in NT-proBNP were inversely associated with changes in weight. This suggests that natriuretic peptides or their pathways may be potential targets in the treatment of obesity

Renal denervation in an animal model of diabetes and hypertension: Impact on the autonomic nervous system and nephropathy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The effects of renal denervation on cardiovascular reflexes and markers of nephropathy in diabetic-hypertensive rats have not yet been explored.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Aim: To evaluate the effects of renal denervation on nephropathy development mechanisms (blood pressure, cardiovascular autonomic changes, renal GLUT2) in diabetic-hypertensive rats. Forty-one male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) ~250 g were injected with STZ or not; 30 days later, surgical renal denervation (RD) or sham procedure was performed; 15 days later, glycemia and albuminuria (ELISA) were evaluated. Catheters were implanted into the femoral artery to evaluate arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate variability (spectral analysis) one day later in conscious animals. Animals were killed, kidneys removed, and cortical renal GLUT2 quantified (Western blotting).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Higher glycemia (p < 0.05) and lower mean AP were observed in diabetics <it>vs. </it>nondiabetics (p < 0.05). Heart rate was higher in renal-denervated hypertensive and lower in diabetic-hypertensive rats (384.8 ± 37, 431.3 ± 36, 316.2 ± 5, 363.8 ± 12 bpm in SHR, RD-SHR, STZ-SHR and RD-STZ-SHR, respectively). Heart rate variability was higher in renal-denervated diabetic-hypertensive rats (55.75 ± 25.21, 73.40 ± 53.30, 148.4 ± 93 in RD-SHR, STZ-SHR- and RD-STZ-SHR, respectively, p < 0.05), as well as the LF component of AP variability (1.62 ± 0.9, 2.12 ± 0.9, 7.38 ± 6.5 in RD-SHR, STZ-SHR and RD-STZ-SHR, respectively, p < 0.05). GLUT2 renal content was higher in all groups <it>vs</it>. SHR.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Renal denervation in diabetic-hypertensive rats improved previously reduced heart rate variability. The GLUT2 equally overexpressed by diabetes and renal denervation may represent a maximal derangement effect of each condition.</p

Bradykinin or Acetylcholine as Vasodilators to Test Endothelial Venous Function in Healthy Subjects

INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of endothelial function has been performed in the arterial bed, but recently evaluation within the venous system has also been explored. Endothelial function studies employ different drugs that act as endothelium-dependent vasodilatory response inductors. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to compare the endothelium-dependent venous vasodilator response mediated by either acetylcholine or bradykinin in healthy volunteers. METHODS AND RESULTS: Changes in vein diameter after phenylephrine-induced venoconstriction were measured to compare venodilation induced by acetylcholine or bradykinin (linear variable differential transformer dorsal hand vein technique). We studied 23 healthy volunteers; 31% were male, and the subject had a mean age of 33 ± 8 years and a mean body mass index of 23 ± 2 kg/m2. The maximum endothelium-dependent venodilation was similar for both drugs (p = 0.13), as well as the mean responses for each dose of both drugs (r = 0.96). The maximum responses to acetylcholine and bradykinin also had good agreement. CONCLUSION: There were no differences between acetylcholine and bradykinin as venodilators in this endothelial venous function investigation

Detection of the pairwise kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect with BOSS DR11 and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope

We present a new measurement of the kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect using data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). Using 600 square degrees of overlapping sky area, we evaluate the mean pairwise baryon momentum associated with the positions of 50,000 bright galaxies in the BOSS DR11 Large Scale Structure catalog. A non-zero signal arises from the large-scale motions of halos containing the sample galaxies. The data fits an analytical signal model well, with the optical depth to microwave photon scattering as a free parameter determining the overall signal amplitude. We estimate the covariance matrix of the mean pairwise momentum as a function of galaxy separation, using microwave sky simulations, jackknife evaluation, and bootstrap estimates. The most conservative simulation-based errors give signal-to-noise estimates between 3.6 and 4.1 for varying galaxy luminosity cuts. We discuss how the other error determinations can lead to higher signal-to-noise values, and consider the impact of several possible systematic errors. Estimates of the optical depth from the average thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich signal at the sample galaxy positions are broadly consistent with those obtained from the mean pairwise momentum signal.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, 2 table

Correlation between Very Short and Short-Term Blood Pressure Variability in Diabetic-Hypertensive and Healthy Subjects

Background: Blood pressure (BP) variability can be evaluated by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (24h-ABPM), but its concordance with results from finger BP measurement FBPM) has not been established yet. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare parameters of short-term (24h-ABPM) with very short-term BP variability (FBPM) in healthy (C) and diabetic-hypertensive (DH) subjects. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 51 DH subjects and 12 C subjects who underwent 24h-ABPM [extracting time-rate, standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV)] and short-term beat-to-beat recording at rest and after standing-up maneuvers [FBPM, extracting BP and heart rate (HR) variability parameters in the frequency domain, autoregressive spectral analysis]. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to correlate BP and HR variability parameters obtained from both FBPM and 24h-ABPM (divided into daytime, nighttime, and total). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: There was a circadian variation of BP levels in C and DH groups; systolic BP and time-rate were higher in DH subjects in all periods evaluated. In C subjects, high positive correlations were shown between time-rate index (24h-ABPM) and LF component of short-term variability (FBPM, total, R = 0.591, p = 0.043); standard deviation (24h-ABPM) with LF component BPV (FBPM, total, R = 0.608, p = 0.036), coefficient of variation (24h-ABPM) with total BPV (FBPM, daytime, -0.585, p = 0.046) and alpha index (FBPM, daytime, -0.592, p = 0.043), time rate (24h-ABPM) and delta LF/HF (FBPM, total, R = 0.636, p = 0.026; daytime R = 0,857, p < 0.001). Records obtained from DH showed weak positive correlations. Conclusions: Indices obtained from 24h-ABPM (total, daytime) reflect BP and HR variability evaluated by FBPM in healthy individuals. This does not apply for DH subjects