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No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a life-altering disease with a prevalence of 10% in men and 9% in women (1). In some groups (severe obesity, BMI > 40 kg/m2) the prevalence may be as high as 40% (2). One of the most controversial areas in the field of sleep medicine for many years has been the definition of the syndrome. Investigators who first identified OSA created the apnea index (AI), the number of apnea events per hour. An apnea was defined as a complete cessation of airflow for at least 10 seconds. When continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for OSA was first introduced, a definition that third-party payors, such as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), could use to determine which patients qualified for treatment was needed. The definition at that time was 30 apnea events during a 6-hour recording, which corresponded to an AI of 5 …

Five tall fescue [Lolium anmdinaceum (Schreb.)] pastures [wild-type 'Kentucky-31' with 78.0% of plants infected with ergot alkaloid-producing endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum (KY31 E+), 'Jesup' AR542 endophyte-infected contaminated with 30.3%) tall fescue containing ergot alkaloid producing-endophyte (Jesup AR542 E+); 'GA-186' AR584 endo-phyte-infected contaminated with 11.8% tall fescue con-taining ergot alkaloid producing-endophyte (AGRFA 140); 'PDF' AR584 endophyte-infected contaminated with 5.5% tall fescue containing ergot alkaloid produc-ing-endophyte (AGRFA 144); and 'KYFA9301'AR584 endophyte-infected contaminated with 10.0% tall fescue containing ergot alkaloid producing-endophyte (AGRFA 150)] were compared for steer growth performance, toxicity, feedlot performance, and carcass traits. Steers (mean initial BW = 322 kg) grazed pastures for 84 d in spring and 56 d in autumn for 2 yr. Steers were shipped after grazing in Prairie, MS, to Macedonia, LA, for fin-ishing. Mean herbage mass was not different (P = 0.15) among pastures. Posttreatment (d 28+) serum prolactin concentrations were depressed (P = 0.013) on KY31 E+. Steers grazing KY31 E+ had greater (P < 0.01) post- treatment rectal temperatures during spring. Spring hair coat scores were greatest (P <0.01) on KY31 E+ at d 56 and 84. Steer ADG was least (P < 0.01) on KY31 E+ in spring and depressed (P = 0.014) on KY31 E+ and Jesup AR542 E+ in autumn. Spring grazing ADG was greater (P = 0.049) on AGRFA 150 than Jesup AR542 E+ and AGRFA 140. No BW differences (P = 0.09) among pastures were seen at reimplant during feedlot finishing. Pasture had no effect on ADG after reimplant CP = 0.68), days on feed (P = 0.56), or final BW (P = 0.55). Exposure to fescue toxicosis did not affect (P > 0.19) carcass traits. Hair coat price discounts applied for spring-grazed steers on KY-31 E+ affected (P < 0.01) initial steer monetary values. There were no pasture dif-ferences for finishing costs (P > 0.61) or final carcass value (P = 0.59). Elite tall fescue cultivar and novel en-dophyte combinations improve growth performance of grazing calves over KY31 E+. Producers whose calves graze KY-31 E+ tall fescue should consider retaining ownership of these cattle through feedlot finishing to avoid market discounts and capture value from compen-satory BW gains during finishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Nilvadipine may lower rates of conversion from mild-cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease (AD), in hypertensive patients. However, it remains to be determined whether treatment with nilvadipine is safe in AD patients, given the higher incidence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in this population, who may be more likely to suffer from symptoms associated with the further exaggeration of a drop in BP. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and tolerability of nilvadipine in AD patients. Methods AD patients in the intervention group (n = 56) received nilvadipine 8 mg daily over 6-weeks, compared to the control group (n = 30) who received no intervention. Differences in systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, before and after intervention, was assessed using automated sphygmomanometer readings and ambulatory BP monitors (ABP), and change in OH using a finometer. Reporting of adverse events was monitored throughout the study. Results There was a significant reduction in the SBP of treated patients compared to non-treated patients but no significant change in DBP. Individuals with higher initial blood pressure (BP) had greater reduction in BP but individuals with normal BP did not experience much change in their BP. While OH was present in 84% of the patients, there was no further drop in BP recorded on active stand studies. There were no significant differences in adverse event reporting between groups. Conclusion Nilvadipine was well tolerated by patients with AD. This study supports further investigation of its efficacy as a potential treatment for AD. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonergot alkaloid -producing endophyte, AR542, has been shown to improve the persistence and yield of tall fescue pastures without causing the animal disorders commonly associated with tall fescue toxicosis. A 3-yr grazing study was conducted to compare effects of AR542-infected tall fescue pastures with wild type endophyte infected (E+) tall fescue pastures on cow-calf performance Replicated 7.3-ha pastures of each treatment were grazed by cow-calf pairs (16 pairs per pasture replication) each year from March to weaning in September. The cows were exposed to breeding on their respective pasture treatments from April 1 through June 15. The treatment groups were compared for reproductive performance, ADG, BCS, calf growth rate, and weaning weight. Blood samples were also collected for serum prolactin (PRL) analysis. There were no significant differences in calving rate (P = 0.98) or calving interval (P = 0.62) between pasture treatments. Cows that grazed the AR542 pastures subsequently gave birth to calves that were heavier (P < 0.05) than calves from Cows that had grazed the E+ pastures. Cows grazing the AR542 pastures had higher (P < 0.05) BCS at the end of the grazing period, and had higher ADG during the grazing period. Calves raised on the AR542 pasture had higher (P c 0.05) ADG and weaning weights than calves of the same sex raised on the E+ pastures. Serum PRL concentrations were decreased (P < 0.05) in both cows and Calves on the E+ pastures compared with serum PRL Concentrations in cows and Calves grazing the AR542 pastures. The results indicate that grazing tall fescue pastures infected with the AR542 endophyte may give significant advantages in cow-calf growth rates and BCS Over grazing E+ pastures. However, there did not seem to be any benefit in reproductive performance in this trial. There was a small, but significant increase in birth weight in cows grazing AR542 pasture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joyce K Lee-Iannotti,1 James M Parish2 1Division of Neurology, Sleep Disorders Center, Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA; 2Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Center for Sleep Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA Abstract: Suvorexant a novel, orexin receptor antagonist was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia in August 2014. Multiple animal and human studies support the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of suvorexant for patients of various profiles. Current recommendations advocate for a starting dose of 10 mg and a maximum dose of 20 mg, with cautious use in women, obese patients, and patients taking other CYP3A4 inhibitors. More head-to-head studies comparing suvorexant to other sedative-hypnotic therapies are needed to further delineate which patients will benefit the most from this medication over others. Keywords: insomnia, orexin-receptor antagonist, CYP3A4, benzodiazepan receptor antagonist, MK-4305

Two-dimensional, hydrodynamic turbulence, and the transport of enstrophy by this turbulence from large spatial scales to small spatial scales, is considered. This fluid is taken as slightly ionized, with a small number of ions in equilibrium with it. These ions produce a fluctuating magnetic field that induces a fluctuating electric field, either or both of which alter the distribution function of the electrons present. Considering a cold-electron plasma, it is found that turbulence can heat the electrons, increase their Langmuir frequency and decrease the Landau damping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several mutants and other variants of Myxococcus xanthus HP100 were obtained with differences in their sensitivity to carbenicillin and other penicillin derivatives. The specific activities of β-lactamase in different resistant organisms varied from strain to strain but were consistently higher than in HP100. The relative molecular mass ( M) of the enzyme in M. xanthus HP100 was found to be 22,300. In certain carbenicillin resistant strains a second fraction of β-lactamase activity of molecular weight 186,000 presumed to be an octamer of the other form was present. The enzyme was found in cell free extracts and also in culture supernatants of all carbenicillin resistant mutants but not in culture supernatants of strain HP100. In all the carbenicillin resistant mutants a part of the intracellular enzyme activity was released by osmotic shock and this activity may be periplasmic. The forms of the enzyme present in the culture supernatants and released by osmotic shock were monomeric. Carbenicillin resistance was not transferable between strains by conjugation. One resistance allele inhibited the transfer of the R factor Sa between myxococci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The naturally occurring flavonoid, quercetin, in the presence of Cu(II) and molecular oxygen caused breakage of calf thymus DNA, supercolled pBR322 plasmid DNA and single-stranded M13 phage DNA. In the case of the plasmid, the product(s) were relaxed circles or a mixture of these and linear molecules depending upon the conditions. For the breakage reaction, Cu(II) could be replaced by Fe(III) but not by other ions tested [Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Mn(II) and Ca(II)]. Structurally related flavonoids, rutin, galangin, apigenin and fisetin, were ineffective or less effective than quercetin in causing DNA breakage. In the case of the quercetln-Cu(II) reaction, Cu(I) was shown to be an essential intermediate by using the Cu(I)-sequestering reagents, neocuproine and batho cuproine. By using Job plots we established that, in the absence of DNA, five Cu(II) ions can be reduced by one quercetin molecule; in contrast, two ions were reduced per quercetin molecule in the DNA breakage reaction. Equally neocuproine inhibited the DNA breakage reaction. The involvement of active oxygen in the reaction was established by the inhibition of DNA breakage by superoxide dismutase, iodide, mannitol, formate and catalase (the inhibition was complete in the last case). From these data we propose a mechanism for the DNA strand scisslon reaction of quercetin and related fiavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The literature of the outbreaks of 'epidemic neuromyasthenia' (ENM) from 1934 to 1955 has been selected to show that the disease affects other people besides young adult females in hospitals and nursing homes. There have been district epidemics, in which the male: female ratio was almost even and several male outbreaks affecting soldiers in barracks. Some outbreaks appear to have been triggered off by an epidemic of poliomyelitis, and the epidemiology of outbreaks in Iceland in 1948 and 1955 suggests that the normal cytopathological effects of poliomyelitis infection have been suppressed by the new disease. In the Durban epidemic (1955) a toxic metabolite was discovered in the urine of many patients and a markedly increased urinary excretion of creatine was noted in two New York State outbreaks. The results of the transmission of an agent from patients with ENM to monkeys suggest that the neurological disorder might be in the form of mild disseminated lesions scattered throughout the nervous system from the brain to peripheral nerves and associated with perivascular round cell infiltration without significant cellular damage. ENM infection was widespread in the North of England in 1955 and associated with lymphocyte abnormalities, which have persisted in some cases for several years. This suggests a continuous organic process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]