The Early Royal Society and Visual Culture

Recent studies have fruitfully examined the intersection between early modern science and visual culture by elucidating the functions of images in shaping and disseminating scientific knowledge. Given its rich archival sources, it is possible to extend this line of research in the case of the Royal Society to an examination of attitudes towards images as artefacts –manufactured objects worth commissioning, collecting and studying. Drawing on existing scholarship and material from the Royal Society Archives, I discuss Fellows’ interests in prints, drawings, varnishes, colorants, images made out of unusual materials, and methods of identifying the painter from a painting. Knowledge of production processes of images was important to members of the Royal Society, not only as connoisseurs and collectors, but also as those interested in a Baconian mastery of material processes, including a “history of trades”. Their antiquarian interests led to discussion of painters’ styles, and they gradually developed a visual memorial to an institution through portraits and other visual records.AH/M001938/1 (AHRC

Delayed systolic blood pressure recovery after graded exercise: an independent correlate of angiographic coronary

AbstractOBJECTIVEThis study was performed to determine whether a delayed decline in systolic blood pressure (SBP) after graded exercise is an independent correlate of angiographic coronary disease.BACKGROUNDThe predictive importance of the rate of SBP decline after exercise relative to blood pressure changes during exercise has not been well explored.METHODSAmong adults who underwent symptom-limited exercise treadmill testing and who underwent coronary angiography within 90 days, a delayed decline in SBP during recovery was defined as a ratio of SBPs at 3 min of recovery to SBP at 1 min of recovery >1.0. Severe angiographic coronary artery disease was defined as left main disease, three-vessel disease or two-vessel disease with involvement of the proximal left anterior descending artery.RESULTSThere were 493 subjects eligible for analyses (age 59 ± 11 years, 78% male). Severe angiographic coronary disease was noted in 102 (21%). There were associations noted between a delayed decline in SBP during recovery and severe angiographic coronary disease (34% vs. 17%, odds ratio [OR] 2.59, confidence interval [CI] 1.58 to 4.25, p = 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusting for SBP changes during exercise and other potential confounders, a delayed decline in SBP during recovery remained predictive of severe angiographic coronary disease (adjusted OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.27 to 3.87, p = 0.005).CONCLUSIONSA delayed decline in SBP during recovery is associated with a greater likelihood of severe angiographic coronary disease even after accounting for the change in SBP during exercise

Association of masked hypertension and left ventricular remodeling with the hypertensive response to exercise

BackgroundA hypertensive response to exercise (HRE; defined as normal clinic blood pressure (BP) and exercise systolic BP (SBP) 210mmHg in men or 190mmHg in women, or diastolic BP (DBP) 105mmHg) independently predicts mortality. The mechanisms remain unclear but may be related to masked hypertension. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of masked hypertension and its association with cardiovascular risk factors, including left ventricular (LV) mass, in patients with a HRE.MethodsComprehensive clinical and echocardiographic evaluation (including central BP, aortic pulse wave velocity by tonometry) and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) were performed in 72 untreated patients with HRE (aged 54 9 years; 60% male; free from coronary artery disease confirmed by exercise stress echocardiography). Masked hypertension was defined according to guidelines as daytime ABPM 135/85mmHg and clinic BP 140/90mmHg.ResultsMasked hypertension was present in 42 patients (58%). These patients had higher LV mass index (41.5± 8.7g/m vs. 35.9±8.5g/m ; P = 0.01), LV relative wall thickness (RWT; 0.42 ±0.09 vs. 0.37 0.06; P = 0.004) and exercise SBP (222 17mmHg vs. 21214mmHg; P = 0.01), but no significant difference in aortic pulse wave velocity or central pulse pressure (P> 0.05 for both). The strongest independent determinant of LV mass index was the presence of masked hypertension (unstandardized Β = 5.6; P = 0.007), which was also independently related to LV RWT (unstandardized Β = 0.04; P = 0.03).ConclusionsMasked hypertension is highly prevalent in HRE patients with a normal resting office BP and is associated with increased LV mass index and RWT. Clinicians should consider measuring ABPM or home BP in HRE patients