The influence of forgiveness and apology on cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress

This study sought to investigate the relation between forgiveness and cardiovascular reactivity and recovery in the laboratory as influenced by apology. Men (n = 29) and women (n = 50) were chosen for participation based on scoring in the top or bottom third of the Forgiving Personality Inventory. Participants were exposed to an interpersonal transgression (i.e., harassment by the experimenter) while performing a serial subtraction task. Cardiovascular activity was measured before, during, and following the task. Also following the task, approximately half of the participants received an apology from the experimenter for his/her scripted rude behavior. No reactivity differences during the serial subtraction task were observed across groups (all ps \u3e .05). During the recovery period, however, persons high in forgiveness displayed more rapid diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure recovery (ps \u3c .05). This effect was most prominent directly following the apology, where women high in forgiveness who received an apology benefitted the most in diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure recovery (ps .05). Regarding the overall effects of the apology, women who received an apology recovered from the transgression more quickly than women who did not receive an apology (ps \u3c .05). Surprisingly, the effect was in the opposite direction for men who displayed higher diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure upon recovery from the transgression if they received an apology (ps \u3c .05).These results indicate that that the potentially healthful benefits associated with forgiveness and apology may be moderated by sex

Complexes of iron and cobalt with new tripodal amido-polyphosphine hybrid ligands

Divalent complexes of iron and cobalt with new, monoanionic tripodal amido-polyphosphine ligands have been thoroughly characterized, and XRD analysis reveals geometries that are distinct for this class of ligand

Prevalence, Determinants, and Clinical Significance of Masked Hypertension in a Population-Based Sample of African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study

Background: The disproportionate rates of cardiovascular disease in African Americans may, in part, be due to suboptimal assessment of blood pressure (BP) with clinic BP measurements alone. To date, however, the prevalence of masked hypertension in African Americans has not been fully delineated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate masked hypertension prevalence in a large population-based sample of African Americans and examine its determinants and association with indices of target organ damage (TOD). Methods: Clinic and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring were conducted in 972 African Americans enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness, left ventricular mass index, and the urinary albumin:creatinine excretion ratio were evaluated as indices of TOD. Results: Masked hypertension prevalence was 25.9% in the overall sample and 34.4% in participants with normal clinic BP. All indices of TOD were significantly higher in masked hypertensives compared to sustained normotensives and were similar between masked hypertensives and sustained hypertensives. Male gender, smoking, diabetes, and antihypertensive medication use were independent determinants of masked hypertension in multivariate analyses. Conclusions: In this population-based cohort of African Americans, approximately one-third of participants with presumably normal clinic BP had masked hypertension when BP was assessed in their daily environment. Masked hypertension was accompanied by a greater degree of TOD in this cohort

Association between Depression and C-Reactive Protein

Objective. Depression has been associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, and a depression-related elevation of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has been proposed as a possible mechanism. The objective of this paper is to examine association between depression and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Methods. Subjects consisted of 508 healthy adults (mean age 48.5 years; 49% women, 88% white) residing in central Massachusetts. Data were collected at baseline and at quarterly intervals over a one-year period per individual. Multivariable linear mixed models were used to assess the association for the entire sample and by gender. Results. The mean Beck Depression Inventory score was 5.8 (standard deviation (SD) 5.4; median 4.3), and average serum hs-CRP was 1.8 mg/L (SD 1.7; median 1.2). Results from the multivariable linear mixed models show that individuals with higher depression scores have higher levels of hs-CRP. Analyses by gender show persistence of an independent association among women, but not among men. Body mass index (BMI = weight(kg)/height(m)2) appears to be a partial mediator of this relationship. Conclusion. Depression score was correlated to hs-CRP levels in women. Further studies are required to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying these associations and their implications

Singlet and Triplet Excitation Management in a Bichromophoric Near-Infrared-Phosphorescent BODIPY-Benzoporphyrin Platinum Complex

Multichromophoric arrays provide one strategy for assembling molecules with intense absorptions across the visible spectrum but are generally focused on systems that efficiently produce and manipulate singlet excitations and therefore are burdened by the restrictions of (a) unidirectional energy transfer and (b) limited tunability of the lowest molecular excited state. In contrast, we present here a multichromophoric array based on four boron dipyrrins (BODIPY) bound to a platinum benzoporphyrin scaffold that exhibits intense panchromatic absorption and efficiently generates triplets. The spectral complementarity of the BODIPY and porphryin units allows the direct observation of fast bidirectional singlet and triplet energy transfer processes (k_(ST)(^1BDP→^1Por) = 7.8 × 10^(11) s^(−1), k_(TT)(^3Por→^3BDP) = 1.0 × 10^(10) s^(−1), k_(TT)(^3BDP→^3Por) = 1.6 × 10^(10) s^(−1)), leading to a long-lived equilibrated [^3BDP][Por]⇔[BDP][^3Por] state. This equilibrated state contains approximately isoenergetic porphyrin and BODIPY triplets and exhibits efficient near-infrared phosphorescence (λ_(em) = 772 nm, Φ = 0.26). Taken together, these studies show that appropriately designed triplet-utilizing arrays may overcome fundamental limitations typically associated with core−shell chromophores by tunable redistribution of energy from the core back onto the antennae

Twitter-Delivered Behavioral Weight-Loss Interventions: A Pilot Series

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle interventions are efficacious at reducing risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease but have not had a significant public health impact given high cost and patient and provider burden. OBJECTIVE: Online social networks may reduce the burden of lifestyle interventions to the extent that they displace in-person visits and may enhance opportunities for social support for weight loss. METHODS: We conducted an iterative series of pilot studies to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of using online social networks to deliver a lifestyle intervention. RESULTS: In Study 1 (n=10), obese participants with depression received lifestyle counseling via 12 weekly group visits and a private group formed using the online social network, Twitter. Mean weight loss was 2.3 pounds (SD 7.7; range -19.2 to 8.2) or 1.2% (SD 3.6) of baseline weight. A total of 67% (6/9) of participants completing exit interviews found the support of the Twitter group at least somewhat useful. In Study 2 (n=11), participants were not depressed and were required to be regular users of social media. Participants lost, on average, 5.6 pounds (SD 6.3; range -15 to 0) or 3.0% (SD 3.4) of baseline weight, and 100% (9/9) completing exit interviews found the support of the Twitter group at least somewhat useful. To explore the feasibility of eliminating in-person visits, in Study 3 (n=12), we delivered a 12-week lifestyle intervention almost entirely via Twitter by limiting the number of group visits to one, while using the same inclusion criteria as that used in Study 2. Participants lost, on average, 5.4 pounds (SD 6.4; range -14.2 to 3.9) or 3.0% (SD 3.1) of baseline weight, and 90% (9/10) completing exit interviews found the support of the Twitter group at least somewhat useful. Findings revealed that a private Twitter weight-loss group was both feasible and acceptable for many patients, particularly among regular users of social media. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of online social network-delivered lifestyle interventions relative to traditional modalities

Evidence that dopamine acts via Kisspeptin to Hold GnRH pulse frequency in check in Anestrous Ewes

Recent work has implicated stimulatory kisspeptin neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) as important for seasonal changes in reproductive function in sheep, but earlier studies support a role for inhibitory A15 dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the suppression of GnRH (and LH) pulse frequency in the nonbreeding (anestrous) season. Because A15 neurons project to the ARC, we performed three experiments to test the hypothesis that A15 neurons act via ARC kisspeptin neurons to inhibit LH in anestrus: 1) we used dual immunocytochemistry to determine whether these ARC neurons contain D2 dopamine receptor (D2-R), the receptor responsible for inhibition of LH in anestrus; 2) wetested the ability of local administration of sulpiride, a D2-R antagonist, into theARCto increase LH secretion in anestrus; and 3) we determined whether an antagonist to the kisspeptin receptor could block the increase in LH secretion induced by sulpiride in anestrus. In experiment 1, 40% of this ARC neuronal subpopulation contained D2-R in breeding season ewes, but this increased to approximately 80% in anestrus. In experiment 2, local microinjection of the two highest doses (10 and 50 nmol) of sulpiride into the ARC significantly increased LH pulse frequency to levels 3 times that seen with vehicle injections. Finally, intracerebroventricular infusion of a kisspeptin receptor antagonist completely blocked the increase in LH pulse frequency induced by systemic administration of sulpiride to anestrous ewes. These results support the hypothesis that DA acts to inhibit GnRH (and LH) secretion in anestrus by suppressing the activity of ARC kisspeptin neurons.We thank Heather Bungard and Jennifer Lydon (West Virginia University Food Animal Research Facility) for the care of animals and Paul Harton for his technical assistance in sectioning tissue. We also thank Dr. Al Parlow and the National Hormone and Peptide Program (Torrance, CA) for the reagents used to measure LH and prolactin.http://endo.endojournals.org/am201