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Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to produce beneficial effects in addiction disorders; however, due to its configurational complexity, the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. Recent evidence suggests that EE, acting as a metaplastic agent, may affect glutamatergic mechanisms underlying appetitive memory and, in turn, modulate reward‐seeking behaviours: here, we have investigated such a possibility following a brief EE exposure. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to EE for 22 h and the expression of critical elements of the glutamate synapse was measured 2 h after the end of EE in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc) and hippocampus (Hipp) brain areas, which are critical for reward and memory. We focused our investigation on the expression of NMDA and AMPA receptor subunits, their scaffolding proteins SAP102 and SAP97, vesicular and membrane glutamate transporters vGluT1 and GLT‐1, and critical structural components such as proteins involved in morphology and function of glutamatergic synapses, PSD95 and Arc/Arg3.1. Our findings demonstrate that a brief EE exposure induces metaplastic changes in glutamatergic mPFC, NAc and Hipp. Such changes are area‐specific and involve postsynaptic NMDA/AMPA receptor subunit composition, as well as changes in the expression of their main scaffolding proteins, thus influencing the retention of such receptors at synaptic sites. Our data indicate that brief EE exposure is sufficient to dynamically modulate the glutamatergic synapses in mPFC‐NAc‐Hipp circuits, which may modulate rewarding and memory processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about gender differences in stiffness of forearm muscles during voluntary actions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of forearm rotation on flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) stiffness in men and women during submaximal handgrip contractions. During a single session, measurements were made on 20 young participants (9 females). Two positions of the forearm were compared in random order with the elbow flexed 90 degrees: (i) neutral position and (ii) maximal supination. In each position, participants performed two submaximal handgrip contractions at 25% and 50% of maximal voluntary contraction, while compressive stiffness was collected using a hand myometer (MyotonPRO). A mixed repeated measurement ANOVA was applied to assess the interaction between gender, forearm position, and contraction intensity. The FCU stiffness is affected by handgrip contraction intensity (p < 0.001), gender (p < 0.001), BMI (p = 0.009), and forearm rotation (p = 0.007). Only the gender factor was found to have significant interaction with forearm rotation (p = 0.037). Men's FCU was stiffer than women's in both positions and contraction intensities (p < 0.05). Only in men a significant increase in FCU stiffness was observed when comparing contraction intensities at both forearm positions (p < 0.05), as well as when the forearm was rotated from neutral to supine at both intensities (p < 0.05). In conclusion, FCU stiffness during handgrip contraction differed significantly between men and women. Women have fewer stiffness changes in FCU when performing different levels of handgrip contraction. We also observed that only men increased FCU stiffness by changing the forearm position from neutral to supine position for both handgrip intensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our aim was to investigate the association of the NPS trajectories in time measured by MBI‐C for MCI patients with the CSF biomarkers and temporal lobe atrophy detected at baseline. Method: CSF biomarkers at baseline were obtained from 71 patients with MCI belonging to Compostela Aging Study (CompAS) (Spain). Positivity for A (β‐amyloid), T (p‐Tau), and N (t‐Tau) was defined by cut‐off levels. Structural MRI was employed to evaluate cortical thickness and volume. Mild behavioral impairment was assessed using the validated Spanish‐language MBI‐C (Mallo et al., 2018) at baseline, 24 months, and 60 months follow‐up. Spearman correlations were performed to evaluate the relationships between CSF biomarkers at baseline and MBI‐C scores for the three evaluations. Logistic regressions were used to test the predictive value of the MBI‐C scores at each evaluation on the biomarkers' positivity at baseline, and linear regression analyses to test the relationships between cortical thickness and volume at baseline and the three MBI‐C scorings. Results: Spearman correlations showed no significant relations between MBI‐C and β‐amyloid, pTau, tTau and tTau/β‐amyloid ratio at baseline. However, significant positive correlations appeared between MBI‐C at 24‐month follow‐up and pTau (rho =.371), tTau (rho =.282) and tTau/β‐amyloid ratio at baseline but not with β‐amyloid. MBI‐C scores at the 60‐month follow‐up only significantly correlated with tTau/β‐amyloid ratio (rho = ‐.418). MBI‐C at 24 months and at 60 months were respectively predicted by pTau and tTau (Table 1). Linear regression analyses showed that MBI‐C at 24 months was predicted by cortical thickness of entorhinal, fusiform, inferior temporal, inferior parietal, middle and supramarginal gyri. MBI‐C at 24 and 60 months were predicted by Volume of entorhinal, inferior temporal, precuneus and whole hippocampus (Table 2). Conclusion: The markers of atrophy in structures of the medial temporal lobe and the lateral and parietal temporal lobe, and pTau+ or tTau+ in MCI patients at baseline were associated with worsening of neuropsychiatric symptoms at 24 and/or 60 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To properly diagnose and treat injuries to the ankle or foot, the physician must have good anatomical knowledge of the ligaments involved. The bundles can be distinguished and identified by ultrasound examination of the medial aspect, but this may be a challenging task. In the present illustrated study, we discuss how a detailed ultrasound examination can be made of the different ligaments within the medial aspect of the ankle and foot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was designed to assess the performance of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium tenellum in optimal and sub‐optimal dissolved oxygen conditions, considering increasing environmental pressures. Thermal tolerance and thermal metabolic scope (TMS) with related integrated biomarker response (IBR) were measured in prawns exposed to normoxia (80% air saturation), mild (40% air saturation) and severe hypoxia (25% air saturation) at three exposure time points (10, 20 and 30 days). Effects of hypoxia on thermal tolerance were not detectable over time; they were perhaps masked by hyperventilation, or by an increase or diversion of haemolymph processes. After 30 days, TMS was 11% higher in mild hypoxia compared with normoxia, while it was 64% lower in severe hypoxia, indicating the loss of aerobic metabolism capacity during the latter. Mild‐hypoxia prawns maintained a high IBR over time, supported by antioxidant enzyme activities (mainly superoxide dismutase), which helped avoid the serious oxidative damage (proteins and lipids) seen in severe hypoxia animals, as well as lower acetylcholinesterase activity that indicated failure of communication between the nervous and locomotor systems. Our results documented a high tolerance by M. tenellum to mild‐hypoxia events, which should be further tested under seasonal and extreme habitat/tank temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: Obesity-associated hypoandrogenemia is increasing in parallel to the obesity epidemic. The prevalence of hypoandrogenemia in nondiabetic young men with obesity is not known. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of hypoandrogenemia and associated risk factors in this population.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 266 nondiabetic men < 50 years of age with obesity who were referred from primary care. Total testosterone (high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry), sex hormone-binding globulin, free testosterone (FT), luteinizing hormone (LH), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance were determined. Body composition and erectile function were also assessed. Hypoandrogenemia was defined as FT level < 70 pg/mL.Results: Subnormal FT concentrations were found in 25.6% of participants. Hypoandrogenemia prevalence was different along the BMI continuum, being > 75% in individuals with BMI ≥ 50 kg/m2 . A multivariate regression analysis indicated that increasing BMI (P < 0.001), age (P = 0.049), and reduced LH levels (P = 0.003) were independent risk factors for hypoandrogenemia.Conclusions: In a primary care-based cohort of nondiabetic young men with obesity, hypoandrogenemia was a very prevalent finding and was directly associated with adiposity. Obesity, age, and reduced LH levels were independent risk factors associated with hypoandrogenemia. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the long-term consequences of hypoandrogenemia in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hippocampus has been implicated in the processing and storage of aversive memories but the precise mechanisms by which these memories persist in time remain elusive. We have demonstrated that dopaminergic neurotransmission in the dorsal hippocampus regulates the long‐term storage of both appetitive and aversive memories at a critical time point known as "late consolidation" (12 hr after the learning experience). This modulation appears to have opposite effects depending on the valence of the stimuli, with hippocampal dopamine release peaking immediately and 13–17 hr after a rewarding experience. Here, we determined the release pattern of hippocampal dopamine following an aversive experience, in order to better understand this opposite modulation process. We observed significant increases in dopamine levels at several times (6–8, 11–12, and 15 hr) after subjecting rats to a conditioned place aversion (CPA) task with the aversive agent lithium chloride (LiCl). Early pharmacological blockade of hippocampal DA receptors impaired CPA memory consolidation. In addition and consistent with previous findings showing that late post‐training infusions of dopaminergic agents into the hippocampus modulate the long‐term storage of aversive memories, we found that the photostimulation of dopaminergic VTA fibers in the dorsal hippocampus 11–12 hr after CPA training was enough to transform a short‐lasting long‐term memory into a long‐lasting one. The fact that the persistence of an aversive memory can still be affected several hours after the learning experience opens new avenues to develop behavioral and pharmacological strategies for the treatment of a variety of mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crustacean hyperglycemic hormones (CHH) are pleiotropic neuropeptides controlling diverse processes in the life cycle of crustaceans. In the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, CHH‐B1 and CHH‐B2 are generated by alternative splicing of the same gene, and the recombinant versions of these peptides have shown differential effects on glucose metabolism and osmoregulation in this species. In this work, we explored the role of both recombinant variants, expressed in yeast Pichia pastoris, on lipid metabolism. The results showed that rCHH‐B1 and rCHH‐B2 injections into eyestalk‐ablated shrimp significantly increased the phospholipid and triglyceride levels in haemolymph and restored free fatty acid levels, suggesting that these CHH variants mobilize lipid reserves in shrimp. The effects on lipids were concomitant to its hyperglycemic activity, suggesting that both variants, in addition to their hyperglycemic activity, have hyperlipidemic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effect of different environmental temperatures in the physiology of Lutjanus guttatus juveniles by analysing their thermoregulatory behaviour, thermal tolerance, oxygen consumption rates and thermal metabolic scope. Jointly, the effect of acclimation and critical temperatures on heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh‐a) gene expressions were also analysed using acclimation temperatures of 20, 23, 26, 29 and 32°C. The results showed that the final preferred temperature in juvenile snapper was 26°C with a thermal window of 336.5°C2, which was related to an optimal temperature for their physiology determined by the routine metabolic rate and thermal metabolic scope. At temperatures from 20 to 26°C, the routine metabolic rate and Hsp70 and Ldh‐a genes had the lowest values related to a basal expression level. At acclimation temperatures from 29 to 32°C and after critical thermal maximum (CTmax) limit, the relative expression of Hsp70 and Ldh‐a genes increased significantly, but the main response at CTmax was the upregulation of Hsp70 gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), clinically considered an intermediate state between the cognitive changes of normal aging and early dementia (Petersen, 2016), progress frequently to Alzheimer´s clinical syndrome. Alzheimer Disease (AD) biomarkers are used to evaluate the etiology and progression of MCI. In this study, we evaluated whether MCI participants with different profiles of CSF biomarkers (proposed by the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association ‐Jack et al., 2018‐) show differences in cortical thickness measures of the parahippocampal gyrus subregions. Method: Seventy‐eight patients from the Compostela Aging Study diagnosed as MCI according to the Petersen criteria (Petersen, 2004; Albert et al., 2011) underwent neuropsychological assessment, CSF (β‐amyloid, p‐tau and t‐tau), and MRI cortical thickness measures of the parahippocampal gyrus. Subcortical segmentation of T1‐weighted MR images was conducted with FreeSurfer (6.0 version) using the "recon‐all" pipeline to obtain the mean thickness measures of the parahippocampal and the entorhinal cortex of each participant. Participants were classified into four groups according to CSF biomarkers: Group 1: Normal AD with MCI; Group 2: Alzheimer's pathologic change with MCI; Group 3: Alzheimer's disease with MCI (Prodromal AD); and Group 4: non‐Alzheimer's pathologic change with MCI. General lineal models were performed to evaluate Group differences in the cortical thickness measures. Results: The MCI Group 1 showed significantly higher cortical thickness than: a) Group 3 in right and left parahippocampal cortex, and b) Group 2 in right entorhinal cortex (Table 1 and Figure 1). No other significant differences were obtained. Conclusions: The MCI CSF profile groups 3 ("prodromal AD") and 2 ("Alzheimer´s pathologic change") showed significant parahippocampal gyrus atrophy compared with MCI group 1 ("normal AD"). These results support MCI profiles proposed by Jack et al. (2018). Moreover, considering the degeneration of medial temporal lobe in AD, the aforementioned changes might have an AD diagnostic and prognostic value for both MCI groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Euryhaline fish, such as the Bullseye puffer Sphoeroides annulatus (Jenyns 1842), experience sudden salinity changes in their natural environment, which is more common than the exception, so they must adapt to survive and cope with extreme salt conditions. Therefore, Bullseye puffer juveniles were exposed to short‐term stress (39 hr) by fluctuating salinity conditions (41, 35, 29, 23, 17, 11, 5, 11, 17, 23, 29, 35, 41 psu) with a 3‐hr interval between each point at 26 ± 1ºC in a respirometer chamber and acclimation reservoirs. Responses to oxygen consumption rate (OCR: 23–35 mg O2 h–1 kg–1), ammonium excretion rate (AER: 1–1.85 mg NH4+ h−1 kg−1), oxygen‐nitrogen atomic ratio (O:N 17–30), osmoregulatory pattern (blood osmotic pressure from 342.4 to 332.8 mmol/kg) and changes in expression levels of Na+/K+‐ATPase in the gills (higher values at higher salinities) were measured. Although some signs of stress were detected below the iso‐osmotic point (11.4 psu), the puffer fish is a strong euryhaline fish that survives under these conditions. Nonetheless, it could recover when salinity returned to the initial acclimation point because Sphoeroides annulatus is able to live in a wide range of environments with wide natural salinity fluctuations; thus, a common practice in aquaculture has been to expose fish to low salinity for several reasons discussed in this study. This capacity reveals its high plasticity to saline adaptation from 41 to 5 psu an up from 5 to 41 psu, all in less than 2 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of an acidic tissue environment is a hallmark of a variety of inflammatory processes and solid tumors. However, little attention has been paid so far to analyze the influence exerted by extracellular pH on the immune response. Tissue acidosis (pH 6.0 to 7.0) is usually associated with the course of infectious processes in peripheral tissues. Moreover, it represents a prominent feature of solid tumors. In fact, values of pH ranging from 5.7 to 7.0 are usually found in a number of solid tumors such as breast cancer, brain tumors, sarcomas, malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinomas, and adenocarcinomas. Both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune response appear to be finely regulated by extracellular acidosis in the range of pH values found at inflammatory sites and tumors. Low pH has been shown to delay neutrophil apoptosis, promoting their differentiation into a proangiogenic profile. Acting on monocytes and macrophages, it induces the activation of the inflammasome and the production of IL-1β, while the exposure of conventional dendritic cells to low pH promotes the acquisition of a mature phenotype. Overall, these observations suggest that high concentrations of protons could be recognized by innate immune cells as a danger-associated molecular pattern (DAMP). On the other hand, by acting on T lymphocytes, low pH has been shown to suppress the cytotoxic response mediated by CD8+ T cells as well as the production of IFN-γ by TH1 cells. Interestingly, modulation of tumor microenvironment acidity has been shown to be able not only to reverse anergy in human and mouse tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes but also to improve the antitumor immune response induced by checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we provide an integrated view of the influence exerted by low pH on immune cells and discuss its implications in the immune response against infectious agents and tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture activity has grown remarkably in the last years, crustaceans being the most profitable products because of their high prices. Feeding costs represent a large portion of total operating costs in the aquaculture industry. In this context, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of food restriction on the reproductive performance of redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus. Females at the onset of sexual maturity were stocked with males and were fed daily a formulated diet at 1.5% (control group) and 0.5% (restricted group) of their mean weight. The experimental period lasted 105 days. The percentage of ovigerous females and broods successfully hatched tended to be higher in restricted females compared with control females, but egg volume and weight did not differ between both experimental groups. However, the lipid concentration of rematuring ovaries was lower in restricted females than control females, suggesting that food restriction affects the amount of reserves transferred to the ovaries during vitellogenesis. The nutritional state of females was independent of the amount of food provided, as reflected by similar growth parameters and biochemical composition of the hepatopancreas in control and restricted females. Based on these results, we conclude that it is possible to reduce the feeding rate of C. quadricarinatus females to one-third of its original value without affecting their reproductive performance and somatic growth, at least for a 105-day period. This finding provides a useful tool for commercial producers to decrease production costs and improve water quality in culture systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Preparation of electrodes modified with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) nanowires, PEDOT-nw, was optimized using nanoparticles of dispersed Pt, Pt-np, to be tested for HCOOH electro-oxidation. The PEDOT-nw is electrosynthesized directly on the working electrode, using mesoporous silica as template, by cyclic voltammetry from a 0.01 mol L−1 monomer + 0.1 mol L−1 tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate solution in acetonitrile, on the Pt|PEDOT|mesoporous silica template previously modified electrodes. Using SEM, the presence of PEDOT nanowires with 20 to 25 nm in diameter was verified. In addition, its p-doping response is about 500 times larger than that obtained on the bulk polymer, maintaining full reversibility of the process. The subsequent electrochemical insertion of Pt-np and formation of Pt-np with average diameter of about 20 nm, checked by TEM, demonstrated that the catalytic activity of this nanostructured electrode remarkably enhanced HCOOH electro-oxidation. The obtained current is up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than previously reported in similar studies, using a much smaller amount of Pt and with a potential decrease greater than 100 mV. Thus, we have at our disposal a simple, inexpensive, and highly reproducible way to prepare in situ nanostructured electrodes using just electrochemical techniques, which can be useful on all the applications of these devices. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44723. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The diagnostic entity of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a‐MCI) presents an annual conversion rate to Alzheimer's disease of about 10‐15%. Considering that a‐MCI may correspond to the prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease, understanding the associated functional brain changes becomes relevant in the context of early detection of this type of dementia. Consequently, the aim of this work was to explore the changes in brain functional connectivity associated to a‐MCI, of 3 closely related brain networks (Default Mode Network ‐DMN‐, Salience Network ‐SAL‐, Central Executive Network ‐CEN‐) by means of resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI). Method: The sample was composed of 59 participants, comprising a control group of 30 (13 ♀) participants and an a‐MCI group of 29 (12 ♀) participants. An independent component analysis (ICA) was performed for the 3 proposed networks (DMN, SAL & CEN) using the CONN toolbox. Result: Compared with the control group, the a‐MCI group showed increased functional connectivity: A) within the CEN in the left inferior frontal gyrus, being this increase positively correlated with the cognitive state of the a‐MCI measured through the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE); and B) between the DMN and SAL in frontal regions (orbital anterior and middle frontal gyri), being correlated with worse scores in immediate, short‐term and long‐term free recall measured through a verbal learning test (TAVEC). Conclusion: The present data support that the a‐MCI participants developed not only compensatory processes mediated by the CEN, but also non‐compensatory effects mediated by DMN and SAL functional interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOEε4) is considered the major genetic risk factor of Alzheimer´s Disease (AD). Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies demonstrated that, compared to APOEε4 non‐carriers, APOEε4 carriers display structural changes in lateral and medial temporal lobe (MTL). However, the knowledge about the impact of this genotype on hippocampal subfields is still limited. The present sMRI study aimed to evaluate volumetric and cortical thickness differences between adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) APOEε4 non‐carriers compared with MCI‐APOEε4 carriers. Method: Twelve MCI‐APOEε4 non‐carriers (mean age: 70.33 years, SD: 5.12) and ten MCI‐APOEε4 carriers (mean age: 72.70 years, SD: 6.38), diagnosed as MCI according Petersen criteria (Petersen, 2004; Albert et al., 2011), underwent neuropsychological assessment, cerebrospinal fluid, genetic and MRI examinations. MRI surface‐based morphometry analyses was conducted with the FreeSurfer software to evaluate volumetric and thickness differences in the hippocampal subfields and its surrounding MTL areas. Result: Compared with MCI‐APOEε4 non‐carriers, the MCI‐APOEε4 carriers group showed a significant reduced volume in several areas of the left hemisphere. Specifically, in this hemisphere volumetric changes were found in the entorhinal cortex, the whole hippocampus and in its head, body and tail; the head of presubiculum, the head and body of subiculum, the CA1, CA3, CA4 subfields, the granulate cell of the molecular layer of dentate gyrus and the molecular layer of the hippocampus. This group also displayed a significant reduced volume in the right body of CA3 subfield. Conclusion: These results suggest that, in MCI adults, the presence of the APOEε4 genotype may have an additional neuropathological impact on the structure of brain regions of the MTL with a critical functional role in episodic memory, the most affected neurocognitive system in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Particularly, the left MTL would show higher vulnerability to neurodegenerative changes in the prodromal stage of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation to new environments is an important issue for invasive species as colonization depends on evolvability in their new distribution range. Here, we considered the case of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci MEAM 1 ( Gennadius) ( Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), a pest that has recently invaded Colombia and where thermal adaptation has been proposed to explain its colonizing ability. An experimental evolution study was conducted to assess the evolutionary potential of B. tabaci in relation to its upper thermal limits, to explain its rapid adaptation during post-invasion periods. Selection for hardening capacity was conducted in four whitefly populations. We measured thermal responses in relation to fitness components (survival, fecundity, and viability) for 5-7 generations under a strong selection regime. Heat hardening responded rapidly in both sexes. This was expressed as an increase in survival, but not in fecundity or viability. These results suggest that thermal responses for heat hardening are not correlated and evolve independently. Increased survival after few generations of selection points to high adaptive potential in this insect, which leads to rapid post-invasion adaptation. Our study can help to predict population responses to environmental change and explain the colonizing ability of this pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT [RuCl2( p-cymene)]2 was reacted with silver triflate and thiophene to give the sandwich complex [Ru(η5-C4H4S)(η6- p-cymene)](PF6)2, which was characterized with NMR spectroscopy (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and 31P-NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and cyclic voltammetry. The behavior of this new complex in dimethyl sulfoxide with regard to the amount of absorbed water was investigated by both NMR and cyclic voltammetry; the formation of other species that affected electropolymerization was demonstrated. However, under optimal working conditions (in an anhydrous medium), the complex was successfully immobilized on a platinum electrode via an electro-oxidation pathway through the thiophene ligand. This generated a highly stable, electroactive polymer film. Its response to the doping-undoping (charge-discharge) and redox processes, added to its high stability, promises important applications for this novel material. Moreover, this opens up the possibility of testing other compounds, such as [Ru(η5-thiophene)(η6-arene)], that were previously synthesized and reported for their electropolymerization and use as sensors according to their redox properties. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43559. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents a radio-frequency performance comparison between several H-plane geometry filters based on rectangular waveguide technology. The basic all-metal filter of resonant cavities is compared with filters loaded with circular dielectric resonators, either in propagative or evanescent mode. The use of these resonators is claimed to reduce the length of the filter, increase the rejection band until the first spurious frequency and to improve the voltage magnification factor (VMF), at the cost of increasing the losses. Therefore, in order to properly assess and quantify the possible advantages of these filters, an accurate analysis of six of them has been developed. All the filters have been designed to have the same electrical response, and the length, losses, rejection band, VMF, and fabrication cost for all the filters are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is one of the most important pests causing economic losses in a variety of cropping systems around the world. This species was recently found in a coastal region of Colombia and has now spread inland. To investigate this invasive process, the genetic structure of B. tabaci was examined in 8 sampling locations from 2 infested regions (coastal, inland) using 9 microsatellite markers and the mitochondrial COI gene. The mitochondrial analysis indicated that only the invasive species of the B. tabaci complex Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM 1 known previously as biotype B) was present. The microsatellite data pointed to genetic differences among the regions and no isolation by distance within regions. The coastal region in the Caribbean appears to have been the initial point of invasion, while the inland region in the Southwest showed genetic variation among populations most likely reflecting founder events and ongoing changes associated with climatic and topographical heterogeneity. These findings have implications for tracking and managing B. tabaci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A physiological study was performed to explore the effects in Sphoeroides annulatus ( Jenyns 1842) juveniles of exposure to different salinities 10, 17, 23, 29, 35 and 41‰ on oxygen consumption rate ( OCR), ammonium excretion rate ( AER), the oxygen-nitrogen atomic ratio (O:N), osmoregulation and Na+/K+- ATPase expression. The OCR values ranged from 27.9 to 30.9 mg O2 h−1 kg−1, displaying a Type 1 response pattern Kinne (1977). AER ranged from 0.60 to 0.69 mg [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A famous-face naming task was used to establish the electrophysiological characterization of the tip-of-the-tongue ( TOT) state, successful naming ( K), and nonrecognition ( DK). The differences in the direct event-related potentials ( ERPs) and in the lateralized readiness potential between those categories were studied. The ERP correlates of recognition and access to semantic and lexical information were similar between K and TOT, but showed amplitude differences with respect to DK. A delayed onset of the response selection was obtained in TOT in comparison with K, suggesting an insufficient activation of phonological information from 360 ms onwards. The continuous search for the name and the conflict monitoring in TOT led to differences in ERP amplitudes between TOT and the other categories from 750 ms onwards as well as to a delayed onset of response preparation, indicating a continuous engagement of processing resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In this study we correlated ultrasound findings with histological changes taking place during experimentally induced degeneration-regeneration in rat skeletal muscle. Methods: Gastrocnemius muscles were injected with mepivacaine, and the progress of the muscle injury was monitored by ultrasound from day 1 to day 20. Muscles were extracted on the same days for histological examination. Results: The degenerative phase was characterized by increased echogenicity in the injured area; thereafter, echogenicity gradually diminished during the regenerative phase, attaining normal levels by 20 days postinjection. By this stage, histological examination revealed that regeneration was complete. The heteroechoic texture observed from day 4 to day 10 appeared to reflect the coexistence of degenerative and regenerative processes. Conclusions: The results suggest that the degenerative and regenerative phases of muscle injury may be distinguished sonographically through differences in echogenicity and echotexture and, using Doppler ultrasound, differences in the degree of vascularization. Muscle Nerve, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological responses of pink abalone Haliotis corrugata were determined under different temperature and salinity conditions. Oxygen consumption rate was not affected by temperature and salinity. Ammonium excretion of pink abalone was inversely related to salinity. The O:N ratio indicated that abalone maintained in lower salinities had an interval of 4.9–7.7, which is indicative of a protein-dominated metabolism, whereas the O:N in 35‰ was 28.8–35.5 for both temperatures, suggesting that carbohydrates were used as energy substrate. Haemolymph osmolality of abalone exposed to 20 and 24 °C was slightly hyperiso-osmoconformic in salinity ranges of 20–35‰. The results of this study suggested that for optimized culture, pink abalone should be cultivated at 24 °C at a salinity of 35‰. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavioural and metabolic responses of the largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacépède) to temperature were determined to define optimal thermal conditions. The final preferendum of largemouth bass juveniles determined with acute and gravitation methods was independent of the method (29.0–28.1 °C). The displacement velocity in the horizontal thermal gradient of bass juveniles was 22.4 cm h−1 in the light phase and 22.6 cm h−1 in the dark phase. Oxygen consumption rates in the largemouth bass increased significantly ( P<0.05) from 48.8 to 69.4 mg O2 Kg−1 h−1 with an increase in the acclimation temperature from 20 to 33 °C. The temperature quotient ( Q10) in the juveniles was 1.37–2.00 in the range of acclimation temperatures of 26–29 and 29–32 °C. The optimum temperature range for growth calculated using Jobling's equation was 28.1–28.6 °C and for Q10 values 26–29 °C. The results are discussed in relation to the use of this information in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of dietary astaxanthin supplemented at 0, 40, 80 or 150 mg astaxanthin kg−1 on growth, survival, moult frequency, osmoregulatory capacity (OC) and selected metabolic and haematological variables in Litopenaeus vannamei acclimated to low-salinity water (3 g L−1) were evaluated. Supplemented astaxanthin at 80 mg kg−1 improved growth, survival and moult frequency in shrimp. The lowest OC was also exhibited in shrimp fed with dietary astaxanthin at 80 mg kg−1. Shrimp haemolymph concentrations of glucose, lactate, haemocyanin and total haemocyte count were all significantly enhanced by feeding the diet supplemented with 80 mg astaxanthin kg−1 compared with shrimp fed with the other diets. On the basis of these results, dietary astaxanthin supplementation of 80 mg kg−1 is recommended for juvenile L. vannamei cultured in low-salinity water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain plasticity following spinal cord injury (SCI) has been studied by a wide range of neurofunctional techniques, which tend to have low temporal resolution or overlook cognitive preparatory processes. This study tried to overcome both limitations by recording the movement-related brain potentials using an experimental task somewhat similar to the contingent negative variation paradigm. The aim was to look for amplitude or topographic distribution changes at an early stage of the SCI. Hence, the brain electrical activity of patients who had a clinical history of less than 6 months of paraplegia was recorded and compared with that of two groups of healthy volunteers. None of the patients was able to move their toes, but they were asked to prepare to carry out this movement and to try to execute it in the same way as one of the control groups. The other control group was instructed to prepare to conduct the same movement but not to execute it. Results did not show significant differences in the readiness potential between patients with paraplegia and both controls. However, the readiness potential topography observed in patients was more similar to that of healthy participants who conducted the movement, whereas a greater similarity was found in the motor potential between patients and healthy participants who did not carry out the movement. These findings suggest that neurofunctional changes that take place in the brain after a SCI may be shown earlier by the motor potential than by the readiness potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of identifying event-related potential (ERP) correlates of the tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) state, we employed a task involving identification and naming of the faces of famous people with three response categories: KNOW (correct naming), DON'T KNOW (name not known), and TOT. Before 450 ms, no differences are observed between TOT and KNOW conditions in ERPs related to face processing and recognition. The smaller mean amplitude in TOT than in KNOW responses over the 550–750-ms interval and the N-TOT difference wave are correlates of the onset of the TOT state, probably reflecting a division of processing resources and low activation of the lexical–phonological route. The smaller amplitude of a late negative wave (between 1350 and 1550 ms) in TOT than in DON'T KNOW responses, and the P-TOT difference wave, seem to indicate that an important amount of processing resources is engaged in resolving the TOT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been reported that in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes, hyperglycaemia leads to progressive insulin resistance of the peripheral tissues. In this study, we tried to elucidate the effects of hyperglycaemia on insulin sensitivity and insulin signalling in ovariectomized (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In addition, we attempted to demonstrate the role of 17β-oestradiol and progesterone on insulin sensitivity, focusing on their effects on key proteins of skeletal muscle, insulin receptor (IR) and glucose transporter-4 (Glut-4). Our results show that hyperglycaemia could modulate insulin signalling, at the IR and Glut-4 level, in different ways depending on exposure time. 17β-Oestradiol and progesterone have different effects on insulin signalling. 17β-Oestradiol treatment improves insulin sensitivity, but its action is dependent on the exposure time and its plasma level. During the early period of treatment (days 6–11), this hormone counteracts the effects of hyperglycaemia downstream of the IR, whereas during the later period of treatment (days 11–16), it may counteract the effects of hyperglycaemia by modulating IR relative tyrosine phosphorylation. By contrast, progesterone only improves insulin sensitivity during the early period of treatment (days 6–11), and this effect is not associated with changes in IR and Glut-4 content. Both hormones have a protective role in skeletal muscle against the effects of glucose toxicity, but their effects begin at different stages of treatment. These new findings improve our understanding of insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes mellitus and of the risk/benefit ratio when 17β-oestradiol and progesterone are used in oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy taken by menopausal women with controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermoregulatory behaviour of green abalone Haliotis fulgens and pink abalone H. corrugata was investigated. Haliotis fulgens juveniles ranging in wet weight from 3.0 to 3.3 g and from 28.7 to 30.5 mm shell length and of H. corrugata 2.0 g and 25.7 mm in shell length were exposed to 19°C for 30 days in a flow-through water system. Temperature preference was determined in a horizontal thermal gradient and was found to be 25.4°C for green abalone and 25.0°C for pink abalone. Displacement velocity was 4.3 cm h−1 for H. fulgens and 12.8 cm h−1 for H. corrugata. The optimum temperature for growth calculated for both abalone species was 24.6 and 24.5°C respectively. The critical thermal maxima (CTMax) of H. fulgens and H. corrugata were determined as a measure of thermal tolerance. Abalones were subjected to increasing water temperatures at a rate of 1°C on 30 min until they detached from the substrate. The CTMax at 50% were 33.6 and 32.0°C for green and pink abalone respectively. The results are discussed in relation to site selection and commercial rearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Girón-González JA, Martínez-Sierra C, Rodriguez-Ramos C, Macías MA, Rendón P, Díaz F, Fernández-Gutiérrez C, Martín-Herrera L. Implication of inflammation-related cytokines in the natural history of liver cirrhosis.Liver International 2004: 24: 437–445.© Blackwell Munksgaard 2004Increased serum concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been detected in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, their role in the natural history of cirrhosis and portal hypertension, in the absence of infection, and the prognostic significance of inflammation-related cytokines have not been reported. Our objective was the analysis of the prognostic value of inflammation-related cytokines in cirrhotic patients.Serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and its soluble receptors I and II and interleukin 6 (IL-6), as well as mean blood pressure, plasma renin activity, aldosterone, vasopressin and norepinephrine concentrations were determined in 72 cirrhotic patients (Child–Pugh score: A 50%, B 33.3%, C 16.7%), without any evidence of infection, and in 25 healthy controls. Patients were followed up for a median of 35.9 (range 6–60) months.Increased concentrations of soluble TNF receptors were detected in cirrhotic patients when compared with healthy controls. TNF receptors and IL-6 concentrations were both significantly more elevated in advanced phases of cirrhosis (Child–Pugh score C vs B and vs A). Sixteen patients died as a related consequence of liver cirrhosis. Multivariant analysis demonstrated that Child–Pugh score, mean blood pressure and serum levels of TNF receptor I were associated with mortality.In addition to the classic factors implicated in mortality (Child–Pugh score and hemodynamic parameters), alterations in inflammation-related components are of prognostic significance in cirrhotic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the title racemic hemihydrated solvatomorph of carvedilol (carv), C(24)H(26)N(2)O(4)·0.5H(2)O, the asymmetric unit contains two independent organic moieties and one water molecule. Within this 2(carv)·H(2)O unit, the molecular components are strongly linked by hydrogen bonds and the unit acts as the basic building block for the crystal structure. Interactions parallel to (10 ̅1) generate hydrogen-bonded layers which are further linked by much weaker C-H···N/O interactions. The conformations of the organic molecules, as well as the hydrogen-bonding interactions connecting them, are compared with other related structures in the literature., (© 2011 International Union of Crystallography)