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

Crustal and uppermost mantle shear wave velocity structure beneath the Middle East from surface wave tomography

SUMMARY We have constructed a 3-D shear wave velocity (Vs) model for the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the Middle East using Rayleigh wave records obtained from ambient-noise cross-correlations and regional earthquakes. We combined one decade of data collected from 852 permanent and temporary broad-band stations in the region to calculate group-velocity dispersion curves. A compilation of &amp;gt;54 000 ray paths provides reliable group-velocity measurements for periods between 2 and 150 s. Path-averaged group velocities calculated at different periods were inverted for 2-D group-velocity maps. To overcome the problem of heterogeneous ray coverage, we used an adaptive grid parametrization for the group-velocity tomographic inversion. We then sample the period-dependent group-velocity field at each cell of a predefined grid to generate 1-D group-velocity dispersion curves, which are subsequently inverted for 1-D Vs models beneath each cell and combined to approximate the 3-D Vs structure of the area. The Vs model shows low velocities at shallow depths (5–10 km) beneath the Mesopotamian foredeep, South Caspian Basin, eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea, in coincidence with deep sedimentary basins. Shallow high-velocity anomalies are observed in regions such as the Arabian Shield, Anatolian Plateau and Central Iran, which are dominated by widespread magmatic exposures. In the 10–20 km depth range, we find evidence for a band of high velocities (&amp;gt;4.0 km s–1) along the southern Red Sea and Arabian Shield, indicating the presence of upper mantle rocks. Our 3-D velocity model exhibits high velocities in the depth range of 30–50 km beneath western Arabia, eastern Mediterranean, Central Iranian Block, South Caspian Basin and the Black Sea, possibly indicating a relatively thin crust. In contrast, the Zagros mountain range, the Sanandaj-Sirjan metamorphic zone in western central Iran, the easternmost Anatolian plateau and Lesser Caucasus are characterized by low velocities at these depths. Some of these anomalies may be related to thick crustal roots that support the high topography of these regions. In the upper mantle depth range, high-velocity anomalies are obtained beneath the Arabian Platform, southern Zagros, Persian Gulf and the eastern Mediterranean, in contrast to low velocities beneath the Red Sea, Arabian Shield, Afar depression, eastern Turkey and Lut Block in eastern Iran. Our Vs model may be used as a new reference crustal model for the Middle East in a broad range of future studies.</jats:p

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