Gazpacho consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced hypertension in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. Cross-sectional study of the PREDIMED trial

Hypertension is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries, affecting onequarter of the world"s adult population. Our aim was to evaluate whether the consumption of gazpacho, a Mediterranean vegetable-based cold soup rich in phytochemicals, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and/or reduced prevalence of hypertension in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Methods and results: We selected 3995 individuals (58% women, mean age 67 y) at high cardiovascular risk (81% hypertensive) recruited into the PREDIMED study. BP, weight, and dietary and physical activity data were collected. In multivariate linear regression analyses, after adjustment, moderate and high gazpacho consumption categories were associated with reduced mean systolic BP of 1.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4; 0.6] and 2.6 mm Hg (CI: 4.2; 1.0), respectively, and reduced diastolic BP of 1.5 mm Hg (CI: 2.3; 0.6) and 1.9 mm Hg (CI: 2.8; 1.1). By multiple-adjusted logistic regression analysis, gazpacho consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, with OR Z 0.85 (CI: 0.73; 0.99) for each 250 g/week increase and OR Z 0.73 (CI: 0.55; 0.98) for high gazpacho consumption groups compared to the no-consumption group. Conclusions: Gazpacho consumption was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP and prevalence of hypertension in a cross-sectional Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. The association between gazpacho intake and reduction of BP is probably due to synergy among several bioactive compounds present in the vegetable ingredients used to make the recipe.

Gazpacho consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced hypertension in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. Cross-sectional study of the PREDIMED trial

Hypertension is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries, affecting onequarter of the world"s adult population. Our aim was to evaluate whether the consumption of gazpacho, a Mediterranean vegetable-based cold soup rich in phytochemicals, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and/or reduced prevalence of hypertension in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Methods and results: We selected 3995 individuals (58% women, mean age 67 y) at high cardiovascular risk (81% hypertensive) recruited into the PREDIMED study. BP, weight, and dietary and physical activity data were collected. In multivariate linear regression analyses, after adjustment, moderate and high gazpacho consumption categories were associated with reduced mean systolic BP of 1.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4; 0.6] and 2.6 mm Hg (CI: 4.2; 1.0), respectively, and reduced diastolic BP of 1.5 mm Hg (CI: 2.3; 0.6) and 1.9 mm Hg (CI: 2.8; 1.1). By multiple-adjusted logistic regression analysis, gazpacho consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, with OR Z 0.85 (CI: 0.73; 0.99) for each 250 g/week increase and OR Z 0.73 (CI: 0.55; 0.98) for high gazpacho consumption groups compared to the no-consumption group. Conclusions: Gazpacho consumption was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP and prevalence of hypertension in a cross-sectional Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. The association between gazpacho intake and reduction of BP is probably due to synergy among several bioactive compounds present in the vegetable ingredients used to make the recipe.

Gazpacho consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced hypertension in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. Cross-sectional study of the PREDIMED trial

Hypertension is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries, affecting onequarter of the world"s adult population. Our aim was to evaluate whether the consumption of gazpacho, a Mediterranean vegetable-based cold soup rich in phytochemicals, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and/or reduced prevalence of hypertension in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Methods and results: We selected 3995 individuals (58% women, mean age 67 y) at high cardiovascular risk (81% hypertensive) recruited into the PREDIMED study. BP, weight, and dietary and physical activity data were collected. In multivariate linear regression analyses, after adjustment, moderate and high gazpacho consumption categories were associated with reduced mean systolic BP of 1.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4; 0.6] and 2.6 mm Hg (CI: 4.2; 1.0), respectively, and reduced diastolic BP of 1.5 mm Hg (CI: 2.3; 0.6) and 1.9 mm Hg (CI: 2.8; 1.1). By multiple-adjusted logistic regression analysis, gazpacho consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, with OR Z 0.85 (CI: 0.73; 0.99) for each 250 g/week increase and OR Z 0.73 (CI: 0.55; 0.98) for high gazpacho consumption groups compared to the no-consumption group. Conclusions: Gazpacho consumption was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP and prevalence of hypertension in a cross-sectional Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. The association between gazpacho intake and reduction of BP is probably due to synergy among several bioactive compounds present in the vegetable ingredients used to make the recipe.

Gazpacho consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced hypertension in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. Cross-sectional study of the PREDIMED trial

Hypertension is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries, affecting onequarter of the world"s adult population. Our aim was to evaluate whether the consumption of gazpacho, a Mediterranean vegetable-based cold soup rich in phytochemicals, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and/or reduced prevalence of hypertension in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Methods and results: We selected 3995 individuals (58% women, mean age 67 y) at high cardiovascular risk (81% hypertensive) recruited into the PREDIMED study. BP, weight, and dietary and physical activity data were collected. In multivariate linear regression analyses, after adjustment, moderate and high gazpacho consumption categories were associated with reduced mean systolic BP of 1.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4; 0.6] and 2.6 mm Hg (CI: 4.2; 1.0), respectively, and reduced diastolic BP of 1.5 mm Hg (CI: 2.3; 0.6) and 1.9 mm Hg (CI: 2.8; 1.1). By multiple-adjusted logistic regression analysis, gazpacho consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, with OR Z 0.85 (CI: 0.73; 0.99) for each 250 g/week increase and OR Z 0.73 (CI: 0.55; 0.98) for high gazpacho consumption groups compared to the no-consumption group. Conclusions: Gazpacho consumption was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP and prevalence of hypertension in a cross-sectional Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. The association between gazpacho intake and reduction of BP is probably due to synergy among several bioactive compounds present in the vegetable ingredients used to make the recipe.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hot1p regulated gene YHR087W (HGI1) has a role in translation upon high glucose concentration stress.

Background While growing in natural environments yeasts can be affected by osmotic stress provoked by high glucose concentrations. The response to this adverse condition requires the HOG pathway and involves transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms initiated by the phosphorylation of this protein, its translocation to the nucleus and activation of transcription factors. One of the genes induced to respond to this injury is YHR087W. It encodes for a protein structurally similar to the N-terminal region of human SBDS whose expression is also induced under other forms of stress and whose deletion determines growth defects at high glucose concentrations. Results In this work we show that YHR087W expression is regulated by several transcription factors depending on the particular stress condition, and Hot1p is particularly relevant for the induction at high glucose concentrations. In this situation, Hot1p, together to Sko1p, binds to YHR087W promoter in a Hog1p-dependent manner. Several evidences obtained indicate Yhr087wp"s role in translation. Firstly, and according to TAP purification experiments, it interacts with proteins involved in translation initiation. Besides, its deletion mutant shows growth defects in the presence of translation inhibitors and displays a slightly slower translation recovery after applying high glucose stress than the wild type strain. Analyses of the association of mRNAs to polysome fractions reveals a lower translation in the mutant strain of the mRNAs corresponding to genes GPD1, HSP78 and HSP104. Conclusions The data demonstrates that expression of Yhr087wp under high glucose concentration is controlled by Hot1p and Sko1p transcription factors, which bind to its promoter. Yhr087wp has a role in translation, maybe in the control of the synthesis of several stress response proteins, which could explain the lower levels of some of these proteins found in previous proteomic analyses and the growth defects of the deletion strain. Keywords: Saccharomyces cerevisiae; High glucose osmotic stress; Gene YHR087W; Gene expression; Translation; Hot1p; Hog1p; Polysomes

Highly textured Sr, Nb, co-doped BiFeO3 thin films grown on SrRuO3/Si substrates by rf-sputtering

In this study, (011)-highly oriented Sr, Nb co-doped BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films were successfully grown on SrRuO3/Si substrates by rf-magnetron sputtering. The presence of parasite magnetic phases was ruled out based on the high resolution x-ray diffraction data. BFO films exhibited a columnar-like grain growth with rms surface roughness values of 5.3 nm and average grain sizes of 65-70 nm for samples with different thicknesses. Remanent polarization values (2Pr) of 54 lC cm 2 at room temperature were found for the BFO films with a ferroelectric behavior characteristic of an asymmetric device structure. Analysis of the leakage mechanisms for this structure in negative bias suggests Schottky injection and a dominant Poole-Frenkel trap-limited conduction at room temperature. Oxygen vacancies and Fe3þ/Fe2þ trap centers are consistent with the surface chemical bonding states analysis from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data. The (011)-BFO/ SrRuO3/Si film structure exhibits a strong magnetic interaction at the interface between the multiferroic film and the substrate layer where an enhanced ferromagnetic response at 5 K was observed. Zero-field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) magnetization curves of this film system revealed a possible spin glass behavior at spin freezing temperatures below 30 K depending on the BFO film thickness.

Radio Imaging of the Very-High-Energy γ-Ray Emission Region in the Central Engine of a Radio Galaxy

The accretion of matter onto a massive black hole is believed to feed the relativistic plasma jets found in many active galactic nuclei (AGN). Although some AGN accelerate particles to energies exceeding 1012 electron volts and are bright sources of very-high-energy (VHE) γ-ray emission, it is not yet known where the VHE emission originates. Here we report on radio and VHE observations of the radio galaxy Messier 87, revealing a period of extremely strong VHE γ-ray flares accompanied by a strong increase of the radio flux from its nucleus. These results imply that charged particles are accelerated to very high energies in the immediate vicinity of the black hole.

Structural factors impacting carrier transport and electroluminescence from Si nanocluster-sensitized Er ions.

We present an analysis of factors influencing carrier transport and electroluminescence (EL) at 1.5 µm from erbium-doped silicon-rich silica (SiOx) layers. The effects of both the active layer thickness and the Si excess content on the electrical excitation of erbium are studied. We demonstrate that when the thickness is decreased from a few hundred to tens of nanometers the conductivity is greatly enhanced. Carrier transport is well described in all cases by a Poole-Frenkel mechanism, while the thickness-dependent current density suggests an evolution of both density and distribution of trapping states induced by Si nanoinclusions. We ascribe this observation to stress-induced effects prevailing in thin films, which inhibit the agglomeration of Si atoms, resulting in a high density of sub-nm Si inclusions that induce traps much shallower than those generated by Si nanoclusters (Si-ncs) formed in thicker films. There is no direct correlation between high conductivity and optimized EL intensity at 1.5 µm. Our results suggest that the main excitation mechanism governing the EL signal is impact excitation, which gradually becomes more efficient as film thickness increases, thanks to the increased segregation of Si-ncs, which in turn allows more efficient injection of hot electrons into the oxide matrix. Optimization of the EL signal is thus found to be a compromise between conductivity and both number and degree of segregation of Si-ncs, all of which are governed by a combination of excess Si content and sample thickness. This material study has strong implications for many electrically driven devices using Si-ncs or Si-excess mediated EL.

Large Magnetoresistance in Fe/MgO/FeCo(001) Epitaxial Tunnel-Junctions on GaAs(001).

We present tunneling experiments on Fe~001!/MgO~20 Å!/FeCo~001! single-crystal epitaxial junctions of high quality grown by sputtering and laser ablation. Tunnel magnetoresistance measurements give 60% at 30 K, to be compared with 13% obtained recently on ~001!-oriented Fe/amorphous-Al2O3 /FeCo tunnel junctions. This difference demonstrates that the spin polarization of tunneling electrons is not directly related to the density of states of the free metal surface Fe~001! in this case but depends on the actual electronic structure of the entire electrode/barrier system.

Coal deposition in carbonate rich shallow Lacustrine systems: The Calaf and Mequinenza sequences (Oligocene, eastern Ebro Basin, NE Spain)

Two main coal-bearing sequences developed during the Oligocene in the Tertiary Ebro Basin, the Calaf (early Oligocene) and Mequinenza (late Oligocene) coal basins. Coal deposition took place in shallow marsh-swamp-lake complexes which sometimes became closed and evolved under warm climatic conditions with fluctuating humidity. These shallow lacustrine systems are closely interrelated with the terminal parts of the distributive fluvial systems which spread from the tectonically active Ebro basin margins. Laterally extensive lignite-bearing sequences, including rather thin, lenticular autochthonous and/or hypautochthonous coal seams with high ash and sulphur contents, characterized coal deposition in the shallow lacustrine systems. Coal seam geometry, which makes them nearly subeconomic, resulted from the tectonic instability during basin margin evolution and the sometimes closed, arid conditions under which the lacustrine systems evolved. High ash and sulphur contents resulted from the inadequate isolation of peat forming environments from clastic influx and from the very low acidity and sometimes high sulphate contents of the lacustrine waters. Coal exploration in shallow lacustrine sequences similar to those described here must take into account that the spread of coal-forming environments and maxima of coal deposition are usually coincident with lake expansions and retraction or shifting of the terminal fluvial zones interrelated with the lacustrine areas.

Correlation between charge transport and electroluminescence properties of Si-rich oxide/nitride/oxide-based light emitting capacitors.

The electrical and electroluminescence (EL) properties at room and high temperatures of oxide/ nitride/oxide (ONO)-based light emitting capacitors are studied. The ONO multidielectric layer is enriched with silicon by means of ion implantation. The exceeding silicon distribution follows a Gaussian profile with a maximum of 19%, centered close to the lower oxide/nitride interface. The electrical measurements performed at room and high temperatures allowed to unambiguously identify variable range hopping (VRH) as the dominant electrical conduction mechanism at low voltages, whereas at moderate and high voltages, a hybrid conduction formed by means of variable range hopping and space charge-limited current enhanced by Poole-Frenkel effect predominates. The EL spectra at different temperatures are also recorded, and the correlation between charge transport mechanisms and EL properties is discussed.

Localized prostate cancer in Norway, the United States, and Spain: between-country differences of variables before treatment among patients eligible for curative treatment

Between-country differences in medical and sociodemographic variables, and patient-related outcomes (PROs) before treatment might explain published variations of side effects after radical prostatecomy (RP) or radiotherapy (RAD) for prostate cancer (PCa). This hypothesis was tested among 1908 patients from the United States, Spain, and Norway. Significant between-country differences were observed for most factors investigated before treatment. The observations should be considered in comparison of the frequency and severity of internationally published studies. Background: In men with PCa, large variations of PROs after RP or high-dose RAD might be related to betweencountry differences of medical and sociodemographic variables, and differences in PROs before treatment in the sexual and urinary domains. Patients and Methods: In 1908 patients with localized PCa from Norway, the United States, or Spain, the relation between medical (prostate-specific antigen, Gleason score, cT-category) and sociodemographic variables (age, education, marital status) before treatment was investigated. Using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite questionnaire, PROs before treatment within the sexual and urinary domains were also considered. Results: Compared with the European patients, American patients were younger, fewer had comorbid conditions, and more had a high education level. Fifty-three percent of the US men eligible for RP had low-risk tumors compared with 42% and 31% among the Norwegian and the Spanish patients, respectively. Among the Spanish RAD patients, 54% had had low-risk tumors compared with 34% of the American and 21% of the Norwegian men planned for RAD, respectively. Compared with the European patients, significantly fewer US patients reported moderate or severe sexual dysfunction and related problems. In most subgroups, the number of patients with sexual or urinary dysfunction exceeded that of patients with bother related to the reported dysfunction. Conclusion: Statistically significant between-country differences were observed in medical and sociodemographic variables, and in PROs before treatment within the sexual and urinary domains. Large differences between reported dysfunction and related problems within the sexual and urinary domains indicate that dysfunction and bother should be reported separately in addition to calculation of summary scores. The documented differences, not at least regarding PROs, might in part explain the large variation of side effects after treatment evident in the medical literature

High mass microquasars and low latitude gamma-ray sources

Population studies of unidentified EGRET sources suggest that there exist at least three different populations of galactic gamma-ray sources. One of these populations is formed by young objects distributed along the galactic plane with a strong concentration toward the inner spiral arms of the Galaxy. Variability, spectral and correlation analysis indicate that this population is not homogeneous. In particular, there is a subgroup of sources that display clear variability in their gamma-ray fluxes on timescales from days to months. Following the proposal by Kaufman Bernad\'o et al. (2002), we suggest that this group of sources might be high-mass microquasars, i.e. accreting black holes or neutron stars with relativistic jets and early-type stellar companions. We present detailed inhomogeneous models for the gamma-ray emission of these systems that include both external and synchrotron self-Compton interactions. We have included effects of interactions between the jet and all external photon fields to which it is exposed: companion star, accretion disk, and hot corona. We make broadband calculations to predict the spectral energy distribution of these objects from radio up to GeV energies. The results and predictions can be tested by present and future gamma-ray instruments like INTEGRAL, AGILE, and GLAST.

Adsorption energy and spin state of first-row transition metals adsorbed on MgO(100)

Slab and cluster model spin-polarized calculations have been carried out to study various properties of isolated first-row transition metal atoms adsorbed on the anionic sites of the regular MgO(100) surface. The calculated adsorption energies follow the trend of the metal cohesive energies, indicating that the changes in the metal-support and metal-metal interactions along the series are dominated by atomic properties. In all cases, except for Ni at the generalized gradient approximation level, the number of unpaired electron is maintained as in the isolated metal atom. The energy required to change the atomic state from high to low spin has been computed using the PW91 and B3LYP density-functional-theory-based methods. PW91 fails to predict the proper ground state of V and Ni, but the results for the isolated and adsorbed atom are consistent within the method. B3LYP properly predicts the ground state of all first-row transition atom the high- to low-spin transition considered is comparable to experiment. In all cases, the interaction with the surface results in a reduced high- to low-spin transition energy.

Alternatively spliced proline-rich cassettes link WNK1 to aldosterone action.

The thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter (NCC) is important for renal salt handling and blood-pressure homeostasis. The canonical NCC-activating pathway consists of With-No-Lysine (WNK) kinases and their downstream effector kinases SPAK and OSR1, which phosphorylate NCC directly. The upstream mechanisms that connect physiological stimuli to this system remain obscure. Here, we have shown that aldosterone activates SPAK/OSR1 via WNK1. We identified 2 alternatively spliced exons embedded within a proline-rich region of WNK1 that contain PY motifs, which bind the E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4-2. PY motif-containing WNK1 isoforms were expressed in human kidney, and these isoforms were efficiently degraded by the ubiquitin proteasome system, an effect reversed by the aldosterone-induced kinase SGK1. In gene-edited cells, WNK1 deficiency negated regulatory effects of NEDD4-2 and SGK1 on NCC, suggesting that WNK1 mediates aldosterone-dependent activity of the WNK/SPAK/OSR1 pathway. Aldosterone infusion increased proline-rich WNK1 isoform abundance in WT mice but did not alter WNK1 abundance in hypertensive Nedd4-2 KO mice, which exhibit high baseline WNK1 and SPAK/OSR1 activity toward NCC. Conversely, hypotensive Sgk1 KO mice exhibited low WNK1 expression and activity. Together, our findings indicate that the proline-rich exons are modular cassettes that convert WNK1 into a NEDD4-2 substrate, thereby linking aldosterone and other NEDD4-2-suppressing antinatriuretic hormones to NCC phosphorylation status.