Endothelial dysfunction: A strategic target in the treatment of hypertension?

Endothelial dysfunction is a common feature of hypertension, and it results from the imbalanced release of endothelium-derived relaxing factors (EDRFs; in particular, nitric oxide) and endothelium-derived contracting factors (EDCFs; angiotensin II, endothelins, uridine adenosine tetraphosphate, and cyclooxygenase-derived EDCFs). Thus, drugs that increase EDRFs (using direct nitric oxide releasing compounds, tetrahydrobiopterin, or l-arginine supplementation) or decrease EDCF release or actions (using cyclooxygenase inhibitor or thromboxane A2/prostanoid receptor antagonists) would prevent the dysfunction. Many conventional antihypertensive drugs, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and third-generation β-blockers, possess the ability to reverse endothelial dysfunction. Their use is attractive, as they can address arterial blood pressure and vascular tone simultaneously. The severity of endothelial dysfunction correlates with the development of coronary artery disease and predicts future cardiovascular events. Thus, endothelial dysfunction needs to be considered as a strategic target in the treatment of hypertension. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.postprin

Repressor activator protein 1 induces pro-inflammatory cytokines production in macrophages through NFKB signaling

Abstracts for Oral Presentation: no. OP-5This journal issue including abstracts of 18th Annual Scientific Meeting Institute of Cardiovascular Science and MedicineOBJECTIVES: Repressor activator protein 1 (Rap1), an established telomere-associated protein migrates to the cytoplasm and activates nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) in human carcinoma cell lines. The present study tested the hypothesis that Rap1 induces production of pro-inflammatory cytokines via NFκB signaling in macrophages, a cell type involved in the development and ...postprin

Modeling the effects of p-modulation doping in InAs quantum dot devices

a modeling routine has been developed to quantify the effects of p-modulation doping in the waveguide core region of InAs quantum dot (QD) devices. Utilizing one dimensional approximations, simulated outputs of reverse and forward devices are simulated providing insight into absorption and gain properties

Visible-light driven water splitting over BiFeO₃ photoanodes grown via the LPCVD reaction of [Bi(OtBu)₃] and [Fe(OtBu)₃]₂ and enhanced with a surface nickel oxygen evolution catalyst

Phase-pure BiFeO3 films were grown directly via dual-source low-pressure CVD (LPCVD) from the ligand-matched precursors [Bi(O(t)Bu)3] and [Fe(O(t)Bu)3]2, without the requirement for oxidising gas or post deposition annealing. Photocatalytic testing for water oxidation revealed extremely high activity for PEC water splitting and photocatalytic water oxidation under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm) with a benchmark IPCE for BiFeO3 of 23% at 400 nm. The high activity is ascribed to the ultrafine morphology achieved via the LPCVD process. The performance was enhanced by over four times when the BiFeO3 photoanode is coupled to a Ni-B surface OEC

Who needs nature? The influence of employee speciesism on nature-based need satisfaction and subsequent work behavior

Scholars have long upheld the notion that exposure to nature benefits individuals. Recently, organizational researchers have theorized that these benefits extend to the workplace, leading to calls for organizations to incorporate contact with nature into employees’ jobs. However, it is unclear whether the effects of nature are strong enough to meaningfully impact employee performance, thereby justifying organizations’ investments in it. In this research, we draw on self-determination theory to develop a theoretical model predicting that exposure to nature at work satisfies employees’ psychological needs (i.e., needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence), and positively affects their subsequent task performance and prosocial behavior. In addition, we theorize that the effects of nature on need satisfaction are weaker in employees higher on speciesism (i.e., the belief that humans are superior to other forms of life). We test these predictions with a mixed-method approach comprised of an online experiment in the United States (Study 1), a field experiment in Hong Kong (Study 2), a multi-wave, multi-source field study in Taiwan (Study 3), and a multi-wave, multi-source field study (with objective performance scores) in New Zealand (Study 4). Overall, our findings largely support our theoretical model

Smad3 promotes cancer progression by inhibiting E4BP4-mediated NK cell development

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In situ study of sigma phase formation in Cr-Co-Ni ternary alloys at 800°C using the long duration experiment facility at Diamond Light Source.

The new long duration experiment facility on beamline I11 at Diamond Light Source has been used to study the kinetics of sigma phase formation in three Cr-Co-Ni alloys. Diffraction data acquired during in situ exposure at 800°C for 50 d showed progressive increases in the sigma fraction. This was accompanied by changes in the proportions of the other phases, which differed markedly between the alloys studied. These results demonstrate the capabilities of the long duration facility for the study of metallurgical phenomena over periods of months to years, a capability not previously available at a synchrotron source

QCSE and carrier blocking in P-modulation doped InAs/InGaAs quantum dots

The quantum confined Stark effect in InAs/InGaAs QDs using an undoped and p-modulation doped active region was investigated. Doping potentially offers more than a 3x increase in figure of merit modulator performance up to 100°C

Low-loss III-V photonics and high efficiency grating couplers incorporating low-index AlOx layers

A SGC with 30% coupling efficiency is designed for a QD-GaAs-based optoelectronics integration platform using thin oxidized Al0.98Ga0.02As layers to overcome the otherwise poor refractive index contrast. coupling efficiency increased from 10% for the unoxidized equivalent and is suitable for outcoupling in active-passive integrated platforms

Co-doped 1.3μm InAs Quantum Dot Lasers with high gain and low threshold current

The mechanism by which co-doping reduces threshold current in O-band Quantum dot lasers is examined, with n-type direct doping of the dots reducing threshold current and p-type modulation doping improving the temperature dependence of threshold current density, relative to undoped samples