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Full list of authors: Abareshi, B.; Aguilar, J.; Ahlen, S.; Alam, Shadab; Alexander, David M.; Alfarsy, R.; Allen, L.; Allende Prieto, C.; Alves, O.; Ameel, J.; Armengaud, E.; Asorey, J.; Aviles, Alejandro; Bailey, S.; Balaguera-Antolinez, A.; Ballester, O.; Baltay, C.; Bault, A.; Beltran, S. F.; Benavides, B.; BenZvi, S.; Berti, A.; Besuner, R.; Beutler, Florian; Bianchi, D.; Blake, C.; Blanc, P.; Blum, R.; Bolton, A.; Bose, S.; Bramall, D.; Brieden, S.; Brodzeller, A.; Brooks, D.; Brownewell, C.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Cahn, R. N.; Cai, Z.; Canning, R.; Capasso, R.; Carnero Rosell, A.; Carton, P.; Casas, R.; Castander, F. J.; Cervantes-Cota, J. L.; Chabanier, S.; Chaussidon, E.; Chuang, C.; Circosta, C.; Cole, S.; Cooper, A. P.; da Costa, L.; Cousinou, M-C; Cuceu, A.; Davis, T. M.; Dawson, K.; De la Cruz-Noriega, R.; de la Macorra, A.; de Mattia, A.; Della Costa, J.; Demmer, P.; Derwent, M.; Dey, A.; Dey, B.; Dhungana, G.; Ding, Z.; Dobson, C.; Doel, P.; Donald-McCann, J.; Donaldson, J.; Douglass, K.; Duan, Y.; Dunlop, P.; Edelstein, J.; Eftekharzadeh, S.; Eisenstein, D. J.; Enriquez-Vargas, M.; Escoffier, S.; Evatt, M.; Fagrelius, P.; Fan, X.; Fanning, K.; Fawcett, V. A.; Ferraro, S.; Ereza, J.; Flaugher, B.; Font-Ribera, A.; Forero-Romero, J. E.; Frenk, C. S.; Fromenteau, S.; Gansicke, B. T.; Garcia-Quintero, C.; Garrison, L.; Gaztanaga, E.; Gerardi, F.; Gil-Marin, H.; Gontcho, S. Gontcho A.; Gonzalez-Morales, Alma X.; Gonzalez-de-Rivera, G.; Gonzalez-Perez, V; Gordon, C.; Graur, O.; Green, D.; Grove, C.; Gruen, D.; Gutierrez, G.; Guy, J.; Hahn, C.; Harris, S.; Herrera, D.; Herrera-Alcantar, Hiram K.; Honscheid, K.; Howlett, C.; Huterer, D.; Irsic, V; Ishak, M.; Jelinsky, P.; Jiang, L.; Jimenez, J.; Jing, Y. P.; Joyce, R.; Jullo, E.; Juneau, S.; Karacayli, N. G.; Karamanis, M.; Karcher, A.; Karim, T.; Kehoe, R.; Kent, S.; Kirkby, D.; Kisner, T.; Kitaura, F.; Koposov, S. E.; Kovacs, A.; Kremin, A.; Krolewski, Alex; L'Huillier, B.; Lahav, O.; Lambert, A.; Lamman, C.; Lan, Ting-Wen; Landriau, M.; Lane, S.; Lang, D.; Lange, J. U.; Lasker, J.; Le Guillou, L.; Leauthaud, A.; Suu, A. Le Van; Levi, Michael E.; Li, T. S.; Magneville, C.; Manera, M.; Manser, Christopher J.; Marshall, B.; Martini, Paul; McCollam, W.; McDonald, P.; Meisner, Aaron M.; Mena-Fernandez, J.; Meneses-Rizo, J.; Mezcua, M.; Miller, T.; Miquel, R.; Montero-Camacho, P.; Moon, J.; Moustakas, J.; Mueller, E.; Munoz-Gutierrez, Andrea; Myers, Adam D.; Nadathur, S.; Najita, J.; Napolitano, L.; Neilsen, E.; Newman, Jeffrey A.; Nie, J. D.; Ning, Y.; Niz, G.; Norberg, P.; Noriega, Hernan E.; O'Brien, T.; Obuljen, A.; Palanque-Delabrouille, N.; Palmese, A.; Zhiwei, P.; Pappalardo, D.; Peng, X.; Percival, W. J.; Perruchot, S.; Pogge, R.; Poppett, C.; Porredon, A.; Prada, F.; Prochaska, J.; Pucha, R.; Perez-Fernandez, A.; Perez-Rafols, I; Rabinowitz, D.; Raichoor, A.; Ramirez-Solano, S.; Ramirez-Perez, Cesar; Ravoux, C.; Reil, K.; Rezaie, M.; Rocher, A.; Rockosi, C.; Roe, N. A.; Roodman, A.; Ross, A. J.; Rossi, G.; Ruggeri, R.; Ruhlmann-Kleider, V; Sabiu, C. G.; Safonova, S.; Said, K.; Saintonge, A.; Catonga, Javier Salas; Samushia, L.; Sanchez, E.; Saulder, C.; Schaan, E.; Schlafly, E.; Schlegel, D.; Schmoll, J.; Scholte, D.; Schubnell, M.; Secroun, A.; Seo, H.; Serrano, S.; Sharples, Ray M.; Sholl, Michael J.; Silber, Joseph Harry; Silva, D. R.; Sirk, M.; Siudek, M.; Smith, A.; Sprayberry, D.; Staten, R.; Stupak, B.; Tan, T.; Tarle, Gregory; Tie, Suk Sien; Tojeiro, R.; Urena-Lopez, L. A.; Valdes, F.; Valenzuela, O.; Valluri, M.; Vargas-Magana, M.; Verde, L.; Walther, M.; Wang, B.; Wang, M. S.; Weaver, B. A.; Weaverdyck, C.; Wechsler, R.; Wilson, Michael J.; Yang, J.; Yu, Y.; Yuan, S.; Yeche, Christophe; Zhang, H.; Zhang, K.; Zhao, Cheng; Zhou, Rongpu; Zhou, Zhimin; Zou, H.; Zou, J.; Zou, S.; Zu, Y.; DESI Collaboration.--This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) embarked on an ambitious 5 yr survey in 2021 May to explore the nature of dark energy with spectroscopic measurements of 40 million galaxies and quasars. DESI will determine precise redshifts and employ the baryon acoustic oscillation method to measure distances from the nearby universe to beyond redshift z > 3.5, and employ redshift space distortions to measure the growth of structure and probe potential modifications to general relativity. We describe the significant instrumentation we developed to conduct the DESI survey. This includes: a wide-field, 3fdg2 diameter prime-focus corrector; a focal plane system with 5020 fiber positioners on the 0.812 m diameter, aspheric focal surface; 10 continuous, high-efficiency fiber cable bundles that connect the focal plane to the spectrographs; and 10 identical spectrographs. Each spectrograph employs a pair of dichroics to split the light into three channels that together record the light from 360–980 nm with a spectral resolution that ranges from 2000–5000. We describe the science requirements, their connection to the technical requirements, the management of the project, and interfaces between subsystems. DESI was installed at the 4 m Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory and has achieved all of its performance goals. Some performance highlights include an rms positioner accuracy of better than 0farcs1 and a median signal-to-noise ratio of 7 of the [O ii] doublet at 8 × 10−17 erg s−1 cm−2 in 1000 s for galaxies at z = 1.4–1.6. We conclude with additional highlights from the on-sky validation and commissioning, key successes, and lessons learned. © 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society., This research is supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of High Energy Physics of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231, and by the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science User Facility under the same contract. Additional support for DESI is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Division of Astronomical Sciences under contract No. AST-0950945 to the NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory; the Science and Technologies Facilities Council of the United Kingdom; the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; the Heising–Simons Foundation; the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA); the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT); the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain, and by the DESI Member Institutions: Aix-Marseille University; Argonne National Laboratory; Barcelona-Madrid Regional Participation Group; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Boston University; Brazil Regional Participation Group; Carnegie Mellon University; CEA-IRFU, Saclay; China Participation Group; Cornell University; Durham University; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zürich; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Granada-Madrid-Tenerife Regional Participation Group; Harvard University; Kansas State University; Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute; Korea Institute for Advanced Study; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies; Ludwig Maximilians University; Max Planck Institute; Mexico Regional Participation Group; New York University; NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory; Ohio University; Perimeter Institute; Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Siena College; SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; Southern Methodist University; Swinburne University; The Ohio State University; Universidad de los Andes; University of Arizona; University of Barcelona; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Santa Cruz; University College London; University of Florida; University of Michigan at Ann Arbor; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pittsburgh; University of Portsmouth; University of Queensland; University of Rochester; University of Toronto; University of Utah; University of Waterloo; University of Wyoming; University of Zurich; UK Regional Participation Group; and Yale University. This work has made use of data from the European Space Agency (ESA) mission Gaia (https://www.cosmos.esa.int/gaia), processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC; https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dpac/consortium). Funding for the DPAC has been provided by national institutions, in particular the institutions participating in the Gaia Multilateral Agreement., With funding from the Spanish government through the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation SEV-2017-0709.

Probiotics have been defined as “living microorganisms that create health benefits in the host when taken in sufficient amounts. Recent developments in the understanding of the relationship between the microbiom and its host have shown evidence about the promising potential of probiotics to improve certain health problems. However, today, there are some confusions about traditional and new generation foods containing probiotics, naming and classifications of them in scientific studies and also their marketing. To clarify this confusion, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that it has made a new category definition called "live biotherapeutic products" (LBPs). Accordingly, the FDA has designated LBPs as “a biological product that: i)contains live organisms, such as bacteria; ii)is applicable to the prevention, treatment, or cure of a disease/condition of human beings; and iii) is not a vaccine”. The accumulated literature focused on LBPs to determine effective strains in health and disease, and often focused on obesity, diabetes, and certain diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).However, microbiome also play an important role in the pathogenesis of diseases that age day by day in the modern world via gut-brain axis. Herein, we discuss the novel roles of LBPs in some gut-brain axis related conditions in the light of recent studies. This article may be of interest to a broad readership including those interested in probiotics as LBPs, their health effects and safety, also gut-brain axis.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has embarked on an ambitious five-year survey to explore the nature of dark energy with spectroscopy of 40 million galaxies and quasars. DESI will determine precise redshifts and employ the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation method to measure distances from the nearby universe to z > 3.5, as well as measure the growth of structure and probe potential modifications to general relativity. In this paper we describe the significant instrumentation we developed for the DESI survey. The new instrumentation includes a wide-field, 3.2-deg diameter prime-focus corrector that focuses the light onto 5020 robotic fiber positioners on the 0.812 m diameter, aspheric focal surface. The positioners and their fibers are divided among ten wedge-shaped petals. Each petal is connected to one of ten spectrographs via a contiguous, high-efficiency, nearly 50 m fiber cable bundle. The ten spectrographs each use a pair of dichroics to split the light into three channels that together record the light from 360 - 980 nm with a resolution of 2000 to 5000. We describe the science requirements, technical requirements on the instrumentation, and management of the project. DESI was installed at the 4-m Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak, and we also describe the facility upgrades to prepare for DESI and the installation and functional verification process. DESI has achieved all of its performance goals, and the DESI survey began in May 2021. Some performance highlights include RMS positioner accuracy better than 0.1", SNR per \sqrt{\AA} > 0.5 for a z > 2 quasar with flux 0.28e-17 erg/s/cm^2/A at 380 nm in 4000s, and median SNR = 7 of the [OII] doublet at 8e-17 erg/s/cm^2 in a 1000s exposure for emission line galaxies at z = 1.4 - 1.6. We conclude with highlights from the on-sky validation and commissioning of the instrument, key successes, and lessons learned. (abridged)

This paper documents the 16th data release (DR16) from the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys (SDSS), the fourth and penultimate from the fourth phase (SDSS-IV). This is the first release of data from the Southern Hemisphere survey of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 (APOGEE-2); new data from APOGEE-2 North are also included. DR16 is also notable as the final data release for the main cosmological program of the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), and all raw and reduced spectra from that project are released here. DR16 also includes all the data from the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey and new data from the SPectroscopic IDentification of ERosita Survey programs, both of which were co-observed on eBOSS plates. DR16 has no new data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey (or the MaNGA Stellar Library "MaStar"). We also preview future SDSS-V operations (due to start in 2020), and summarize plans for the final SDSS-IV data release (DR17).

We derive cosmological constraints using a galaxy cluster sample selected from the 2500~deg$^2$ SPT-SZ survey. The sample spans the redshift range $0.25< z5$. The sample is supplemented with optical weak gravitational lensing measurements of 32 clusters with $0.29, Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ (v2 is accepted version), the catalog can be found at https://pole.uchicago.edu/public/data/sptsz-clusters/

Objective To evaluate the association between findings of blinded reviews of preoperative drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) examinations using the VOTE Classification and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) surgical outcomes in a large multicenter, international cohort. Methods Retrospective, multi-center cohort study of adults without tonsillar hypertrophy who underwent pharyngeal surgery for OSA. The study included only participants without enlarged tonsils. Four independent reviewers performed blinded review of preoperative DISE videos using the VOTE Classification system and scoring of a primary structure contributing to airway obstruction. DISE findings were examined for an association with surgical outcomes with univariate analyses and multiple regression. Results Two hundred seventy-five study participants were included from 14 centers. Mean age was 51.4 +/- 11.8 years, and body mass index was 30.1 +/- 5.2 kg/m(2). There was moderate interrater reliability (kappa = 0.40-0.60) for DISE findings. Oropharyngeal lateral wall-related obstruction was associated with poorer surgical outcomes (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.51; 95% CI 0.27, 0.93). Complete tongue-related obstruction was associated with a lower odds of surgical response in moderate to severe OSA (AOR 0.52; 95% CI 0.28, 0.98), with findings that were similar but not statistically significant in other analyses. Surgical outcomes were not clearly associated with the degree and configuration of velum-related obstruction or the degree of epiglottis-related obstruction. Surgical response was associated with tonsil size and body mass index (inversely). Conclusion DISE findings concerning the oropharyngeal lateral walls and tongue may be the most important findings of this evaluation tec

We present spectroscopic confirmation of five galaxy clusters at $1.25 < \textit{z} < 1.5$, discovered in the $2500$ deg$^{2}$ South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SPT-SZ) survey. These clusters, taken from a mass-limited sample with a nearly redshift independent selection function, have multi-wavelength follow-up imaging data from the X-ray to near-infrared, and currently form the most homogeneous massive high-redshift cluster sample known. We identify $44$ member galaxies, along with $25$ field galaxies, among the five clusters, and describe the full set of observations and data products from Magellan/LDSS3 multi-object spectroscopy of these cluster fields. We briefly describe the analysis pipeline, and present ensemble analyses of cluster member galaxies that demonstrate the reliability of the measured redshifts. We report $\textit{z} = 1.259, 1.288, 1.316, 1.401$ and $1.474$ for the five clusters from a combination of absorption-line (Ca II H$\&$K doublet - $3968,3934$ ��) and emission-line ([OII] $3727,3729$ ��) spectral features. Moreover, the calculated velocity dispersions yield dynamical cluster masses in good agreement with SZ masses for these clusters. We discuss the velocity and spatial distributions of passive and [OII]-emitting galaxies in these clusters, showing that they are consistent with velocity segregation and biases observed in lower redshift SPT clusters. We identify modest [OII] emission and pronounced CN and H$��$ absorption in a stacked spectrum of $28$ passive galaxies with Ca II H$\&$K-derived redshifts. This work increases the number of spectroscopically-confirmed SZ-selected galaxy clusters at $\textit{z} > 1.25$ from three to eight, further demonstrating the efficacy of SZ selection for the highest redshift massive clusters, and enabling detailed study of these systems., 21 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables, submitted to ApJ

Background The purpose of the present study is to review the international literature, using a systematic review, for studies comparing propofol and dexmedetomidine for drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) or sedation in which there is a description of the effect of the agents on the upper airway and associated variables (e.g., vital signs, sedation scores). Methods This is a systematic review through October 4, 2016. PubMed/MEDLINE and four additional databases were accessed for this study. Results Two hundred twenty studies were screened. 79 were downloaded, and 10 met criteria. The majority of the studies identified dexmedetomidine as the preferred pharmacologic agent for DISE due to an overall safer and more stable profile based upon hemodynamic stability. However, propofol provided greater airway obstruction with oxygen desaturations. With either agent, the degree of obstruction in the upper airway lacks some degree of validity as to whether the obstructions accurately represent natural sleep or are simply a drug induced effect. Conclusion Dexmedetomidine and propofol have their advantages and disadvantages during DISE. Generally, dexmedetomidine was preferred and seemed to provide a more stable profile based upon cardiopulmonary status. However, propofol has a quicker onset, has a shorter half-life, and can demonstrate larger degrees of obstruction, which might more accurately reflect what happens during REM sleep. Additional research is recommended.

Galaxy clusters are the most recent products of hierarchical accretion over cosmological scales. The gas accreted from the cosmic field is thermalized inside the cluster halo. Gas entropy and pressure are expected to have a self-similar behaviour with their radial distribution following a power law and a generalized Navarro-Frenk-White profile, respectively. This has been shown also in many different hydrodynamical simulations. We derive the spatially-resolved thermodynamical properties of 47 X-ray galaxy clusters observed with Chandra in the redshift range 0.4 < z < 1.2, the largest sample investigated so far in this redshift range with X-rays spectroscopy, with a particular care in reconstructing the gas entropy and pressure radial profiles. We search for deviation from the self-similar behaviour and look for possible evolution with redshift. The entropy and pressure profiles lie very close to the baseline prediction from gravitational structure formation. We show that these profiles deviate from the baseline prediction as function of redshift, in particular at z > 0.75, where, in the central regions, we observe higher values of the entropy (by a factor of 2.2) and systematically lower estimates (by a factor of 2.5) of the pressure. The effective polytropic index, which retains informations about the thermal distribution of the gas, shows a slight linear positive evolution with the redshift and the concentration of the dark matter distribution. A prevalence of non-cool-core, disturbed systems, as we observe at higher redshifts, can explain such behaviours., 14 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication by A&A

We estimate total mass ($M_{500}$), intracluster medium (ICM) mass ($M_{\mathrm{ICM}}$) and stellar mass ($M_{\star}$) in a Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE) selected sample of 91 galaxy clusters with masses $M_{500}\gtrsim2.5\times10^{14}M_{\odot}$ and redshift $0.2 < z < 1.25$ from the 2500 deg$^2$ South Pole Telescope SPT-SZ survey. The total masses $M_{500}$ are estimated from the SZE observable, the ICM masses $M_{\mathrm{ICM}}$ are obtained from the analysis of $Chandra$ X-ray observations, and the stellar masses $M_{\star}$ are derived by fitting spectral energy distribution templates to Dark Energy Survey (DES) $griz$ optical photometry and $WISE$ or $Spitzer$ near-infrared photometry. We study trends in the stellar mass, the ICM mass, the total baryonic mass and the cold baryonic fraction with cluster mass and redshift. We find significant departures from self-similarity in the mass scaling for all quantities, while the redshift trends are all statistically consistent with zero, indicating that the baryon content of clusters at fixed mass has changed remarkably little over the past $\approx9$ Gyr. We compare our results to the mean baryon fraction (and the stellar mass fraction) in the field, finding that these values lie above (below) those in cluster virial regions in all but the most massive clusters at low redshift. Using a simple model of the matter assembly of clusters from infalling groups with lower masses and from infalling material from the low density environment or field surrounding the parent halos, we show that the measured mass trends without strong redshift trends in the stellar mass scaling relation could be explained by a mass and redshift dependent fractional contribution from field material. Similar analyses of the ICM and baryon mass scaling relations provide evidence for the so-called "missing baryons" outside cluster virial regions., Accepted by MNRAS with further clarification and discussion of the mass calibration added

To assess preoperative diagnosis of intra-abdominal acute diseases manifesting as a RAAA and determine treatment options.Retrospective review, with a mean follow-up period of 4 years.Vascular Department, Medical School, University "Federico II" of Naples, Italy.In 12 patients (8.7%) with clinical suggestion of RAAA were found other intra-abdominal acute lesions, associated with asymptomatic aortic aneurysm in 10 of them and absence in one; the remainder had an intact common iliac artery aneurysm. Sonography was performed in the operating room in 5 patients (41.6%) in shock, 4 hemodynamically stable patients (33.3%) had CT scanning or MRI investigations, while 3 (25%) underwent surgery directly.Three patients were not operated; one half of patients were submitted to emergency laparotomy and in the remaining 3 patients a preoperative preparation was made. Simultaneous aneurysm repair and nonvascular procedures were performed in 4 patients; nonvascular operations alone were carried out in 5 patients. 4 patients underwent a successful later treatment of their aneurysms: two aneurysmectomy and two endoluminal stenting were done within 4 months.Weight loss and fever were found at 58.3% and 50% of patients with concomitant intra-abdominal acute diseases; both were present in 41.6%. Noninvasive imaging techniques detected associate lesions in 6 of 8 patients (75%) and absence of aneurysm in one having a bleeding adrenal mass. There were three in-hospital deaths: one patient died of metastatic disease without operation and two after surgery (22.2%). Two late deaths from cancer cachexia occurred at 11 months and 3.6 years.Atypical findings, such as weight loss and fever may be suggestive of coincident lesions in patients with suspected RAAA. Noninvasive assessment may identify associated diseases simulating aneurysmal rupture, without a delay in the treatment. A selective policy of medical or operative therapy may be effective to minimize risk of complications and mortality rate.

Three α-elicitin isoforms, named Hα1, Hα2 and Hα3, were isolated by reverse phase-low pressure liquid chromatography (RP-LPLC) steps from culture filtrates of Phytophthora hybernalis, the causal agent of citrus lemon brown rot. Hα1, that we also named hybernalin for the first time, proved to be identical to syringicin, an α-elicitin, previously isolated from culture filtrates of Phytophthora syringae. Hα2 and Hα3, shared the same primary structure as Hα1, but showed to be oxidized at Met50 as sulphoxide and sulphone derivatives, respectively. By SDS-PAGE, the three proteins showed the same electrophoretic mobility corresponding to ca 10 kDa. Exact Mr values were obtained by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (10,194.82 for Hα1, 10,209.33 for Hα2 and 10,223.80 for Hα3), while ESI-MS gave a Mr value of 10,194.90 for Hα1 and no results for Hα2 and Hα3, due to extensive polymerization in the instrument capillary. In addition, the three isoforms showed a high propensity to self-association, as dimeric and trimeric forms were present in aq buffer and even higher oligomers after exposure to acetonitrile. The three elicitins could also be distinguished on the basis of their biological activities. Hα1 showed to be active both in the hypersensitivity response (HR) and electrolytes leakage assay (ELA); Hα2 was only weakly active in the HR and inactive in the ELA, while Hα3 proved to be inactive in both tests. Correspondingly, the different activity of the three elicitin isoforms was very likely attributed to both the oxidation at Met50 and the formation of oligomers.

Ultrasound examination of the testis is the imaging modality of choice for the evaluation of intratesticular focal lesions. In spite of its high sensibility, eco-Doppler-elastography is lacking of specificity in discrimination between benign and malign lesions, not always allowing us to make a definitive diagnosis of malignancy. When a diagnostic doubt persists, for such lesions that are indeterminate at clinical and radiological evaluation, it is possible to recur to ultrasound-guided testicular needle biopsy. This paper describes the main application scenarios of testicular fine-needle aspiration under ultrasound guidance and the experience in our institute.

1. We have studied the effect of cannabinoid agonists (CP 55,940 and cannabinol) on intestinal motility in a model of intestinal inflammation (induced by oral croton oil in mice) and measured cannabinoid receptor expression, endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol) and anandamide amidohydrolase activity both in physiological and pathophysiological states. 2. CP 55,940 (0.03 - 10 nmol mouse(-1)) and cannabinol (10 - 3000 nmol mouse(-1)) were more active in delaying intestinal motility in croton oil-treated mice than in control mice. These inhibitory effects were counteracted by the selective cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist SR141716A (16 nmol mouse(-1)). SR141716A (1 - 300 nmol mouse(-1)), administered alone, increased intestinal motility to the same extent in both control and croton oil-treated mice. 3. Croton oil-induced intestinal inflammation was associated with an increased expression of CB(1) receptor, an unprecedented example of up-regulation of cannabinoid receptors during inflammation. 4. High levels of anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol were detected in the small intestine, although no differences were observed between control and croton oil-treated mice; by contrast anandamide amidohydrolase activity increased 2 fold in the inflamed small intestine. 5. It is concluded that inflammation of the gut increases the potency of cannabinoid agonists possibly by 'up-regulating' CB(1) receptor expression; in addition, endocannabinoids, whose turnover is increased in inflamed gut, might tonically inhibit intestinal motility.

A 2D hybrid Photonic Crystal (PC) which consists of air rods in a nanocomposite prepared by incorporating CdSe/CdS core/shell nanorods (NR) in a polymer is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Since the styrene methyl acrilate based polymer (ZEP) is transparent in the visible spectral range and it is an electron-sensitive material, it was chosen as the embedding matrix for NRs. Scanning electron microscopy and luminance measurements are used to characterize the experimental structure. The vertical extraction of the light, by the coupling of the modes guided by the PC slab to the free radiation via Bragg scattering, consists of a narrow orange emission band at 596 nm with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 10 nm. The original characteristics of hybrid materials based on polymers and colloidal NRs, able to combine the unique optical properties of the inorganic moiety with the processability of the host matrix, are extremely appealing in view of their technological impact on the development of new high performing optical devices such as organic light-emitting diodes, ultra-low threshold lasers and non-linear devices.

Salvinorin A, the active component of the hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum, inhibits intestinal motility through activation of kappa-opioid receptors (KORs). However, this compound may have target(s) other than the KORs in the inflamed gut. Because intestinal inflammation upregulates cannabinoid receptors and endogenous cannabinoids, in the present study we investigated the possible involvement of the endogenous cannabinoid system in salvinorin A-induced delay in motility in the inflamed gut.Motility in vivo was measured by evaluating the distribution of a fluorescent marker along the small intestine; intestinal inflammation was induced by the irritant croton oil; direct or indirect activity at cannabinoid receptors was evaluated by means of binding, enzymic and cellular uptake assays.Salvinorin A as well as the KOR agonist U-50488 reduced motility in croton oil treated mice. The inhibitory effect of both salvinorin A and U-50488 was counteracted by the KOR antagonist nor-binaltorphimine and by the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist rimonabant. Rimonabant, however, did not counteract the inhibitory effect of salvinorin A on motility in control mice. Binding experiments showed very weak affinity of salvinorin A for cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2) and no inhibitory effect on 2-arachidonoylglycerol and anandamide hydrolysis and cellular uptake.The inhibitory effect of salvinorin A on motility reveals a functional interaction between cannabinoid CB(1) receptors and KORs in the inflamed--but not in the normal--gut in vivo.

Endocannabinoids (via cannabinoid CB(1) receptor activation) are physiological regulators of intestinal motility and food intake. However, their role in the regulation of gastric emptying is largely unexplored. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of gastric emptying in mice fed either a standard diet (STD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 14 weeks. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Gastric emptying was evaluated by measuring the amount of phenol red recovered in the stomach after oral challenge; CB(1) expression was analysed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR; endocannabinoid (anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol) levels were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. KEY RESULTS: Gastric emptying was reduced by anandamide, an effect counteracted by the CB(1) receptor antagonist rimonabant, but not by the CB(2) receptor antagonist SR144528 or by the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) antagonist 5'-iodoresiniferatoxin. The fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor N-arachidonoyl-5-hydroxytryptamine (but not the anandamide uptake inhibitor OMDM-2) reduced gastric emptying in a way partly reduced by rimonabant. Compared to STD mice, HFD mice exhibited significantly higher body weight and fasting glucose levels, delayed gastric emptying and lower anandamide and CB(1) mRNA levels. N-arachidonoylserotonin (but not rimonabant) affected gastric emptying more efficaciously in HFD than STD mice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Gastric emptying is physiologically regulated by the endocannabinoid system, which is downregulated following a HFD leading to overweight.

In order to evaluate the incidence, the diagnostic modalities and significance of blisters of the abdominal aortic aneurysm wall, in a retrospective review, 14 patients (2.6%) having these lesions were identified between 1983 and 1995. At preoperative examination, aortography had less accuracy (1 case = 20%) than CT scan (3 cases = 27.2%) or MRI angiography (6 cases = 85.7%) to detect blisters; others were discovered intraoperatively in the remaining four patients. Most blisters were located on the anterior or antero-lateral wall of aneurysms; its area ranged from 0.8 to 2.6 cm2. One patient with a suspected blister diagnosed at aortography, during chest physiotherapy for his COPD, presented sudden abdominal pain: at urgent laparotomy, an acute contained rupture of a large blister, without extraluminal blood loss, was found. All patients underwent aneurysm repair, with no postoperative deaths. Occurrence of rupture in one patient clearly indicates the natural course of aortic blisters. MRI angiography may accurately detect these lesions; surgical treatment is necessary for preventing imminent rupture.

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is frequently associated with increased plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy), an amino acid that can be considered a new uremic toxin according to recent evidence. Studies on Hcy described first homocystinuria, an inherited disease characterized by high plasma Hcy levels and premature cardiovascular disease, resulting in high mortal-ity rates. Hyperhomocysteinemia was then shown to be associated with cardiovascular events both in the general population and in CRF patients. Hcy is a sulfur amino acid derived from dietary methionine, an essential amino acid. Methionine is condensed with ATP to form S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), the universal methyl donor in transmethylation reactions. The AdoMet demethylated product is S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy), which is the direct precursor of Hcy in vivo. Hcy is toxic for the endothelium, it enhances vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, increases platelet aggregation, and acts on the coagulation cascade and fibrinolysis. Several mechanisms have been discussed to explain Hcy toxicity. Hcy levels increase as renal function declines and progresses to ESRD; the causes of hyperhomocysteinemia are still unclear. Studies in humans show that renal metabolic extraction depends on renal plasma flow; in addition, an alteration of the extrarenal metabolic clearance, depending on uremic toxins, may occur. Among the consequences of hyperhomocysteinemia in renal failure are: impaired protein methylation, with altered protein repair processes; DNA hypomethylation, with an alteration in the allelic expression of genes regulated through methylation; and protein homocysteinylation. Further, this review is dealing with the 'reverse epidemiology' issue, outlining also the main Hcy-lowering strategies.

1 We have evaluated the effect of cannabinoid drugs, administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) or intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) on upper gastrointestinal transit in control and in croton oil-treated mice. 2 The cannabinoid agonists, WIN 55,212-2 (2-239 nmol mouse(-1)) and cannabinol (24-4027 nmol mouse(-1)), decreased while the CB1 antagonist SR141716A (2-539 nmol mouse(-1)) increased transit in control mice. WIN 55,212-2, cannabinol and SR141716A had lower ED50 values when administered i.c.v., than when administered i.p. The CB2 antagonist SR144528 (52 nmol mouse(-1), i.p.) was without effect. 3 During croton oil (0.01 ml mouse(-1), p.o.)-induced diarrhoea, the ED50 values of i.p.-injected WIN 55,212-2 and cannabinol (but not SR141716A) were significantly decreased (compared to control mice). However, the ED50 values of WIN 55,212-2 were similar after i.p. or i.c.v. administration. 4 The inhibitory effects of WIN 55.212-2 and cannabinol were counteracted by SR141716A (16 nmol mouse(-1), i.p.) but not by SR144528 (52 nmol mouse(-1) i.p.) both in control and croton-oil treated mice. 5 Ganglionic blockade with hexamethonium (69 nmol mouse(-1), i.p.) did not modify the inhibitory effect of i.p.-injected cannabinoid agonists either in control or in croton-oil treated mice. 6 The lower ED50 values of cannabinoid drugs after i.c.v. administration suggest a central (CB1) of action. However, a peripheral site of action is suggested by the lack of effect of 6 site hexamethonium. In addition, croton oil-induced diarrhoea enhances the effect of cannabinoid agonists by a peripheral mechanism.