BACKGROUND Numerous studies have found adverse health effects of acute and chronic exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Air pollution epidemiological studies relying on ground measurements provided by monitoring networks are often limited by sparse and unbalanced spatial distribution of the monitors. Studies have found correlations between satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) and PM2.5...

A small synthetic peptide sequence of human growth hormone (hGH), AOD-9401, has lipolytic and antilipogenic activity similar to that of the intact hormone. Here we report its effect on lipid metabolism in rodent models of obesity and in human adipose tissue to assess its potential as a pharmacological agent for the treatment of human obesity. C57BL/6J (ob/ob) mice were orally treated with eithe...

BACKGROUND Enlargement of the proximal aorta is associated with aortic wall tissue remodeling, including fragmentation of the elastin fibers, increased synthesis of collagen, and calcification, all of which are associated with aortic wall stiffening. We hypothesized that the proximal aortic diameter (AoD) is associated with cardiovascular events in a community-based cohort of blacks. METHODS ...

A decadal survey of atmospheric aerosols over Egypt and selected cities and regions is presented using daily aerosol optical depth (AOD) data from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) at 550 nm wavelength onboard the Aqua satellite. We explore the AOD spatio-temporal variations over Egypt during a 12-year record (2003 to 2014) using the MODIS high-resolution (10 km) Leve...

BACKGROUND Aortic root diameter (AoD) increases with aging and is related to body size. AoD is also presumed to increase in hypertension. In prior studies, however, after adjusting for age and body size, AoD did not differ between hypertensive and normotensive (NT) individuals. Hypertension is a heterogeneous condition with various subtypes that differ in pathophysiology and age distribution. W...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the association between aortic root remodeling and incident heart failure (HF). BACKGROUND Age-associated increases in aortic root diameter (AoD) might be associated with arterial stiffening, afterload changes, cardiac remodeling, and the development of HF. METHODS The study sample consisted of participants of the Framingham Heart Study Or...

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides daily global coverage, but the 10 km resolution of its aerosol optical depth (AOD) product is not suitable for studying spatial variability of aerosols in urban areas. Recently, a new Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm was developed for MODIS which provides AOD at 1 km resolution. Using MAIAC ...

Acute aortic dissection (AoD) affects approximately 2000 people per year in the United States.1 The International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD),2 the largest multinational registry of patients with AoD, reports that only 7% of patients with AoD are younger than 40 years of age, a factor that might not prompt a raised index of suspicion among clinicians caring for younger individuals pres...

BACKGROUND There is a widely held expectation that GPs will routinely use opportunities to provide opportunistic screening and brief intervention for alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse, a major cause of preventable death and morbidity. AIM To explore how opportunities arise for AOD discussion in GP consultations and how that advice is delivered. DESIGN Analysis of video-recorded primary car...

BACKGROUND There are several known factors that cause ischemic heart disease. However, the part played by air pollution still remains something of a mystery. Recent attention has focused on the chronic effect of particulate matter on heart disease. Satellite-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) was found to be correlated with PM2.5 in the eastern US. The objective of this study was to examine if...