Salt restriction lowers blood pressure at rest and during exercise without altering peripheral hemodynamics in hypertensive individuals

Dietary salt restriction is a well-established approach to lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular disease risk in hypertensive individuals. However, little is currently known regarding the effects of salt restriction on central and peripheral hemodynamic responses to exercise in those with hypertension. Therefore, this study sought to determine the impact of salt restriction on the central and peripheral hemodynamic responses to static-intermittent handgrip (HG) and dynamic single-leg knee extension (KE) exercise in individuals with hypertension. Twenty-two subjects (14 men and 8 women, 51 ± 10 yr, 173 ± 11 cm, 99 ± 23 kg) forewent their antihypertensive medication use for at least 2 wk before embarking on a 5-day liberal salt (LS: 200 mmol/day) diet followed by a 5-day restricted salt (RS: 10 mmol/day) diet. Subjects were studied at rest and during static intermittent HG exercise at 15, 30, and 45% of maximal voluntary contraction and KE exercise at 40, 60, and 80% of maximum KE work rate. Salt restriction lowered resting systolic blood pressure (supine: −12 ± 12 mmHg, seated: −17 ± 12 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (supine: −3 ± 9 mmHg, seated: −5 ± 7 mmHg, P \u3c 0.05). Despite an ~8 mmHg lower mean arterial blood pressure during both HG and KE exercise following salt restriction, neither central nor peripheral hemodynamics were altered. Therefore, salt restriction can lower blood pressure during exercise in subjects with hypertension, reducing the risk of cardiovascular events, without impacting central and peripheral hemodynamics during either arm or leg exercise

PEG Branched Polymer for Functionalization of Nanomaterials with Ultralong Blood Circulation

Nanomaterials have been actively pursued for biological and medical applications in recent years. Here, we report the synthesis of several new poly(ethylene glycol) grafted branched-polymers for functionalization of various nanomaterials including carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles (NP) and gold nanorods (NRs), affording high aqueous solubility and stability for these materials. We synthesize different surfactant polymers based upon poly-(g-glutamic acid) (gPGA) and poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene) (PMHC18). We use the abundant free carboxylic acid groups of gPGA for attaching lipophilic species such as pyrene or phospholipid, which bind to nanomaterials via robust physisorption. Additionally, the remaining carboxylic acids on gPGA or the amine-reactive anhydrides of PMHC18 are then PEGylated, providing extended hydrophilic groups, affording polymeric amphiphiles. We show that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), Au NPs and NRs functionalized by the polymers exhibit high stability in aqueous solutions at different pHs, at elevated temperatures and in serum. Morever, the polymer-coated SWNTs exhibit remarkably long blood circulation (t1/2 22.1 h) upon intravenous injection into mice, far exceeding the previous record of 5.4 h. The ultra-long blood circulation time suggests greatly delayed clearance of nanomaterials by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) of mice, a highly desired property for in vivo applications of nanomaterials, including imaging and drug delivery

Creative reminiscence as an early intervention for depression: results of a pilot project.

Reminiscence may help in resolving conflicts from the past and making up the balance of one’s life. Life-review may be further enhanced by the creative expression of memories in stories, poems or drawings. In this way people are encouraged to create and discover metaphors, images and stories that symbolically represent the subjective and inner meaning of their lives. In this article, a new intervention, which combines reminiscence and creative expression aimed at early treatment of depression, is described. A pilot project showed that the intervention Searching for the meaning in life may generate small-sized effects in reducing depression. Additionally, it appears to generate effects of medium size in enhancing mastery. Several possible ways to improve the effectiveness of the intervention are described

Search for the disappearance of muon antineutrinos in the NuMI neutrino beam

We report constraints on antineutrino oscillation parameters that were obtained by using the two MINOS detectors to measure the 7% muon antineutrino component of the NuMI neutrino beam. In the Far Detector, we select 130 events in the charged-current muon antineutrino sample, compared to a prediction of 136.4 ± 11.7(stat)^(+10.2)_(-8.9)(syst) events under the assumption │Δm^2│ = 2.32 X 10^(-3) eV^2, sin^2(2θ) = 1.0

Measurement of the underground atmospheric muon charge ratio using the MINOS Near Detector

The magnetized MINOS Near Detector, at a depth of 225 mwe, is used to measure the atmospheric muon charge ratio. The ratio of observed positive to negative atmospheric muon rates, using 301 days of data, is measured to be 1.266±0.001(stat)_(-0.014)^(+0.015)(syst). This measurement is consistent with previous results from other shallow underground detectors and is 0.108±0.019(stat+syst) lower than the measurement at the functionally identical MINOS Far Detector at a depth of 2070 mwe. This increase in charge ratio as a function of depth is consistent with an increase in the fraction of muons arising from kaon decay for increasing muon surface energie

An improved measurement of muon antineutrino disappearance in MINOS

We report an improved measurement of muon anti-neutrino disappearance over a distance of 735km using the MINOS detectors and the Fermilab Main Injector neutrino beam in a muon anti-neutrino enhanced configuration. From a total exposure of 2.95e20 protons on target, of which 42% have not been previously analyzed, we make the most precise measurement of the anti-neutrino "atmospheric" delta-m squared = 2.62 +0.31/-0.28 (stat.) +/- 0.09 (syst.) and constrain the anti-neutrino atmospheric mixing angle >0.75 (90%CL). These values are in agreement with those measured for muon neutrinos, removing the tension reported previously.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. In submission to Phys.Rev.Let

Active to Sterile Neutrino Mixing Limits from Neutral-Current Interactions in MINOS

Results are reported from a search for active to sterile neutrino oscillations in the MINOS long-baseline experiment, based on the observation of neutral-current neutrino interactions, from an exposure to the NuMI neutrino beam of 7.07×10^(20) protons on target. A total of 802 neutral-current event candidates is observed in the Far Detector, compared to an expected number of 754±28(stat)±37(syst) for oscillations among three active flavors. The fraction f_s of disappearing ν_μ that may transition to ν_s is found to be less than 22% at the 90% C.L

Measurement of the neutrino mass splitting and flavor mixing by MINOS

Measurements of neutrino oscillations using the disappearance of muon neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI neutrino beam as observed by the two MINOS detectors are reported. New analysis methods have been applied to an enlarged data sample from an exposure of $7.25 imes 10^{20}$ protons on target. A fit to neutrino oscillations yields values of $|Delta m^2| = (2.32^{+0.12}_{-0.08}) imes10^{-3}$,eV$^2$ for the atmospheric mass splitting and m sin^2!(2 heta) > 0.90 (90%,C.L.) for the mixing angle. Pure neutrino decay and quantum decoherence hypotheses are excluded at 7 and 9 standard deviations, respectively

Measurement of the Neutrino Mass Splitting and Flavor Mixing by MINOS

Measurements of neutrino oscillations using the disappearance of muon neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI neutrino beam as observed by the two MINOS detectors are reported. New analysis methods have been applied to an enlarged data sample from an exposure of 7.25×10^(20) protons on target. A fit to neutrino oscillations yields values of |Δm^2|=(2.32_(-0.08)^(+0.12))×10^(-3)  eV^2 for the atmospheric mass splitting and sin^2(2θ)>0.90 (90% C.L.) for the mixing angle. Pure neutrino decay and quantum decoherence hypotheses are excluded at 7 and 9 standard deviations, respectively

First Direct Observation of Muon Antineutrino Disappearance

This Letter reports the first direct observation of muon antineutrino disappearance. The MINOS experiment has taken data with an accelerator beam optimized for ν̅ _μ production, accumulating an exposure of 1.71×10^(20) protons on target. In the Far Detector, 97 charged current ν̅ _μ events are observed. The no-oscillation hypothesis predicts 156 events and is excluded at 6.3σ. The best fit to oscillation yields |Δm̅ 2|= [3.36=_(-0.40)^(+0.46)(stat)±0.06(syst)]x10^(-3)eV^2,sin^2(2θ̅)=0.86 _(-0.12)^(+0.11)(stat)±0.01(syst). The MINOS ν̅ _μ and ν̅ _μ measurements are consistent at the 2.0% confidence level, assuming identical underlying oscillation parameters