Publications by authors named "R L Ashley"

Beetroot powder, a popular athletic supplement high in nitrates, purportedly enhances exercise performance. However, recent incidents during breath-hold swims in Air Force Special Warfare training, associated with beetroot powder use, raise safety concerns. Two cases of hypoxic events prompt discussion on interactions between beetroot supplementation and cardiovascular responses to breath-hold diving, suggesting a risk for blackout.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how air pollution, specifically ozone exposure during pregnancy, affects maternal health by examining its impact on blood pressure and body temperature in a rat model.
  • Researchers observed that rats exposed to ozone experienced lower heart rates and body temperatures compared to those not exposed, alongside a slight increase in arterial blood pressure that continued until delivery.
  • The findings support the use of animal models to better understand cardiovascular issues related to air pollution during pregnancy, highlighting an area of concern for maternal and fetal health.
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The contribution of air pollution induced cardio-pulmonary damage on the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and other adverse outcomes of pregnancy has gained increased attention as epidemiological data continues to highlight spatiotemporal pregnancy trends related to air pollution exposure. However clinical mechanistic data surrounding gestational complications remains sparse, necessitating the need for the use of animal models to study these types of complications of pregnancy. The current study seeks to examine the real-time effects of mid-gestational ozone exposure on maternal blood pressure and body temperature through the use of radiotelemetry in a rat model.

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During implantation, trophoblast cell invasion and differentiation is predominantly important to achieving proper placental formation and embryonic development. The chemokine, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) working through its receptor C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is implicated in implantation and placentation but precise roles of this axis are unclear. Suppressing CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling at the fetal-maternal interface in sheep reduces trophoblast invasion, disrupts uterine remodeling, and diminishes placental vascularization.

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Bioretention systems for urban drainage are one type of blue-green infrastructure that have gained more attention in recent decades. There are numerous design options for these systems, including various construction components, filter material mixtures, and plants. However, the research focus on the impacts of these many design options has mainly been technical, i.

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