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The aging United States population, which includes the large Baby Boomer generation, is leading to an increasing number of middle-aged and older adults who engage in psychoactive substance use. There has been a sharp increase in prevalence of past-month cannabis use among adults aged ≥50; however, little is understood about recent trends in the use of both cannabis and excess alcohol use, such as binge drinking, in this population. The current use of both alcohol and cannabis has important health implications for older adults given higher prevalence of chronic diseases and prescribed medications. This study aimed to 1) estimate national trends among older adults who report both past-month binge drinking and cannabis use, and 2) estimate correlates of reporting both. We examined aggregated data from a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized adults aged ≥50 from the 2015 to 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. During the study period, there was an estimated 2.5% increase (a 64.1% relative increase) in past-month cannabis use (linear trend p0.001), a non-significant decrease in past-month binge drinking, and a 0.5% estimated increase in both past-month cannabis use and binge drinking (a 26.3% relative increase) (p=0.03). The sharpest increase in both past-month cannabis use and binge drinking was among adults aged ≥65 with the estimated prevalence increasing from 0.2% in 2015 to 1.1% in 2019 (a 450% relative increase, p0.001). Those engaging in past-month binge drinking and cannabis use were more likely to be younger, male, non-Hispanic Black, use tobacco, and report past-year mental health treatment. Results suggest that the prevalence of both past-month cannabis use and binge drinking among middle-aged and older adults increased between 2015 and 2019, especially among adults aged ≥65, which indicates an increased need to screen for both excess alcohol and cannabis use to minimize potential harm.

Dolphin teeth contain enamel, dentin, and cementum. In dentin, growth layer groups (GLGs), deposited at incremental rates (e.g., annually), are used for aging. Major, minor, and trace elements are incorporated within teeth; their distribution within teeth varies, reflecting tooth function and temporal changes in an individual’s exposure. This study used a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to determine the distribution of major (e.g., Ca, P), minor (e.g., Cl, Mg, Na), and trace elements (e.g., Cd, Hg, Pb, Zn) in teeth from 12 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The objective was to compare elemental distributions between enamel and dentin and across GLGs. Across all dolphins and point analyses, the following elements were detected in descending weight percentage (wt %; mean ± SE): O (40.8 ± 0.236), Ca (24.3 ± 0.182), C (14.3 ± 0.409), P (14.0 ± 0.095), Al (4.28 ± 0.295), Mg (1.89 ± 0.047), Na (0.666 ± 0.008), Cl (0.083 ± 0.003). Chlorine and Mg differed between enamel and dentin; Mg increased from the enamel towards the dentin while Cl decreased. The wt % of elements did not vary significantly across the approximate location of the GLGs. Except for Al, which may be due to backscatter from the SEM stub, we did not detect trace elements. Other trace elements, if present, are below the detection limit. Technologies with lower detection limits (e.g., laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)) would be required to confirm the presence and distribution of trace elements in bottlenose dolphin teeth.

Collaborative monitoring over broad scales and levels of ecological organization can inform conservation efforts necessary to address the contemporary biodiversity crisis. An important challenge to collaborative monitoring is motivating local engagement with enough buy-in from stakeholders while providing adequate top-down direction for scientific rigor, quality control, and coordination. Collaborative monitoring must reconcile this inherent tension between top-down control and bottom-up engagement. Highly mobile and cryptic taxa, such as bats, present a particularly acute challenge. Given their scale of movement, complex life histories, and rapidly expanding threats, understanding population trends of bats requires coordinated broad-scale collaborative monitoring. The North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) reconciles top-down, bottom-up tension with a hierarchical master sample survey design, integrated data analysis, dynamic data curation, regional monitoring hubs, and knowledge delivery through web-based infrastructure. NABat supports collaborative monitoring across spatial and organizational scales and the full annual lifecycle of bats.

Infections with Cryptosporidium spp. constitute a substantial public health burden and are responsible for widespread production losses in cattle herds. Reducing disease and shedding of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts is an important One Health goal. There are very few therapeutic options available to treat cryptosporidiosis. Interest in plant bioactive compounds to mitigate the spread of anthelmintic resistance in ruminants has led to investigation of these phytocompounds against other parasitic taxa. Condensed tannins (CTs) are plant secondary metabolites that have shown potential against nematodes in vitro and in vivo but their applicability to Cryptosporidium spp. is comparatively under-explored. Cryptosporidium parvum infected human ileocecal colorectal adenocarcinoma (HCT)-8 cell cultures were treated with escalating doses of highly purified and well-characterized CTs from five plant species, big trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus), black currant (Ribes nigrum), sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), white clover (Trifolium repens) and grapeseed (Vitis vinifera) for 44 h. Quantitative-PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that none of the CTs examined demonstrated inhibitory potential against the parasite. Substantial inhibition of C. parvum by paromomycin was observed in positive controls in all assays (76.94-90.72% inhibition), proving the validity of the assay. Despite the lack of inhibition, these results represent an important step towards identifying alternative treatment options against this parasite.

ObjectivesTo examine the effect of short-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory-related hospital admissions and readmissions among patients receiving outpatient haemodialysis.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingInpatient hospitalisation claims identified from the US Renal Data System in 530 US counties.ParticipantsAll patients receiving in-centre haemodialysis between 2008 and 2014.Primary and secondary outcome measuresRisk of all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory-related hospital admissions and 30-day all-cause and cause-specific readmission following an all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory-related discharges. Readmission risk was evaluated for early (1–7 days postdischarge) and late (8–30 days postdischarge) readmission time periods. Relative risk is expressed per 10 μg/m3of PM2.5.ResultsSame-day ambient PM2.5was associated with increased hospital admission risk for cardiovascular causes (0.9%, 95% CI 0.2 to 1.7). Greater PM2.5-related associations were observed with 30-day readmission risk. Early-readmission risk was increased by 1.6%–1.8% following all-cause (1.6%, 95% CI 0.6% to 2.6%), cardiovascular (1.8%, 95% CI 0.4% to 3.2%) and respiratory (1.8%, 95% CI 0.4% to 3.2%) discharges; while late-readmission risk increased by 1.2%–1.3% following all-cause and cardiovascular discharges. PM2.5-related associations with readmission risk were greatest for certain cause-specific readmissions ranging 4.0%–6.5% for dysrhythmia and conduction disorder, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, other non-cardiac chest pain or respiratory syndrome and pneumonia. Following all-cause discharges, the cause-specific early-readmission risk was increased by 6.5% (95% CI 3.5% to 9.6%) for pneumonia, 4.8% (95% CI 2.3% to 7.4%) for dysrhythmia and conduction disorder, 3.7% (95% CI 1.4% to 6.0%) for heart failure and 2.7% (95% CI 1.2% to 4.2%) for other non-cardiac chest pain or respiratory syndrome-related causes.ConclusionsDaily ambient PM2.5was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular admissions and 30-day readmissions following cardiopulmonary-related discharges in a vulnerable end-stage renal disease population. In the first week following discharge, greater PM2.5-related risk of rehospitalisation was identified for some diagnoses.

Background There are a variety of criteria for defining successful treatment after two-stage exchange arthroplasty for prosthetic joint infection (PJI). To accurately assess current practices and improve techniques, it is important to first establish reliable, clinically relevant, reproducible criteria for defining persistent infection and "successful" outcomes. Question/purpose Is the proportion of patients considered to have successful management of PJI after two-stage resection arthroplasty smaller using 2019 Musculoskeletal Infection Society Outcome Reporting Tool (MSIS ORT) criteria than when using a Delphi-based criterion? Methods Patients were retrospectively identified by Current Procedural Technology codes for resection arthroplasty with placement of an antibiotic spacer for infected THA or TKA between April 1, 2011 and January 1, 2018 at a tertiary academic institution. The initial review identified 180 procedures during this time period. Nine patients had documented transition of care outside the system, 16 did not meet the MSIS criteria for chronic PJI, and 34 patients were excluded for lack of documented 2-year follow-up. The mean follow-up duration of the final cohort of 121 procedures in 120 patients was approximately 3.7 ± 1.7 years. Forty percent (49 of 121) of the procedures were performed on the hip and 60% (72 of 121) were performed on the knee. The mean time from primary THA or TKA to explantation was 4.6 years. The mean age of the patients at the time of explantation was 66 years. The mean time from spacer placement to replantation was 119 days. The final 121 patient records were reviewed by a single reviewer and outcomes were subsequently assigned to "successful" and "unsuccessful" outcomes based on the MSIS ORT and Delphi-based consensus criterion, two previously published and validated multidimensional definition schemes. Chi-squared and t-test analyses were performed to identify differences between "successful" and "unsuccessful" outcomes with respect to patient baseline characteristics using each outcome-reporting criterion. Results Overall, the MSIS ORT classified a smaller proportion of patients as having a "successful" treatment outcome after two-stage exchange arthroplasty for PJI than the Delphi-based consensus method did (MSIS: 55% [63 of 114], Delphi: 70% [71 of 102]; relative risk 0.79 [0.65-0.98]; p = 0.03). However, there were no differences when stratified by hips (MSIS: 55% [26 of 47], Delphi: 74% [29 of 39]; relative risk 0.74 [0.54-1.02]; p = 0.07) and knees (MSIS: 55% [37 of 67], Delphi: 67% [42 of 63]; relative risk 0.83 [0.63-1.09]; p = 0.19). Notably, the disease of 16% of the patients (19 of 121) was not classifiable per the Delphi method because these patients never underwent reimplantation. Conclusion The present study demonstrated that the MSIS criteria detect fewer instances of "successful" infection management after two-stage resection arthroplasty for PJI than the Delphi method in this cohort. Based on these findings, researchers and surgeons should aim for standardized reporting after intervention for PJI to allow for a better comparison of outcomes across different studies and ultimately allow for improved techniques and approaches to the treatment of PJI. Level of evidence Level III, diagnostic study.

Plastics are extensively used in our daily life. However, a significant amount of plastic waste is discharged to the environment directly or via improper reuse or recycling. Degradation of plastic waste generates micro- or nano-sized plastic particles that are defined as micro- or nanoplastics (MNPs). Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles with a diameter less than 5 mm, while nanoplastics (NPs) range in diameter from 1 to 100 or 1000 nm. In the current review, we first briefly summarized the environmental contamination of MNPs and then discussed their health impacts based on existing MNP research. Our review indicates that MNPs can be detected in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide and be ingested and accumulated by animals along the food chain. Evidence has suggested the harmful health impacts of MNPs on marine and freshwater animals. Recent studies found MPs in human stool samples, suggesting that humans are exposed to MPs through food and/or drinking water. However, the effect of MNPs on human health is scarcely researched. In addition to the MNPs themselves, these tiny plastic particles can release plastic additives and/or adsorb other environmental chemicals, many of which have been shown to exhibit endocrine disrupting and other toxic effects. In summary, we conclude that more studies are necessary to provide a comprehensive understanding of MNP pollution hazards and also provide a basis for the subsequent pollution management and control.

Accidental bromine spills are common and its large industrial stores risk potential terrorist attacks. The mechanisms of bromine toxicity and effective therapeutic strategies are unknown. Our studies demonstrate that inhaled bromine causes deleterious cardiac manifestations. In this manuscript we describe mechanisms of delayed cardiac effects in the survivors of a single bromine exposure. Rats were exposed to bromine (600 ppm for 45 minutes) and the survivors were sacrificed at 14 or 28 days. Echocardiography, hemodynamic analysis, histology, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and biochemical analysis of cardiac tissue were performed to assess functional, structural and molecular effects. Increases in right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure and LV end-diastolic wall stress with increased LV fibrosis were observed. TEM images demonstrated myofibrillar loss, cytoskeletal breakdown and mitochondrial damage at both time points. Increases in cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) reflected myofibrillar damage and increased LV wall stress. LV shortening decreased as a function of increasing LV end-systolic wall stress and was accompanied by increased sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) inactivation and a striking dephosphorylation of phospholamban. NADPH oxidase-2 and protein phosphatase 1 were also increased. Increased circulating eosinophils and myocardial 4-hydroxynonenal content suggested increased oxidative stress as a key contributing factor to these effects. Thus, a continuous oxidative stress-induced chronic myocardial damage along with phospholamban dephosphorylation are critical for bromine-induced chronic cardiac dysfunction. These findings in our preclinical model will educate clinicians and public health personnel and provide important endpoints to evaluate therapies.

Preventing the adverse health impacts of wildfire smoke involves helping people understand if they are at risk, and the actions they can take to limit exposure. Cooperation between land managers, public health officials, and the health care system could alert the public to take actions that reduce wildfire smoke-related health risks.

Background Air pollution-induced changes in cardiac electrophysiological properties could be a pathway linking air pollution and cardiovascular events. The evidence of air pollution effects on the cardiac conduction system is incomplete yet. We investigated short-term effects of particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) on cardiac electrical impulse propagation and repolarization as recorded in surface electrocardiograms (ECG). Methods We analyzed repeated 12-lead ECG measurements performed on 5,332 patients between 2001 and 2012. The participants came from the Duke CATHGEN Study who underwent cardiac catheterization and resided in North Carolina, United States (NC, U.S.). Daily concentrations of PM2.5 and O3 at each participant’s home address were predicted with a hybrid air quality exposure model. We used generalized additive mixed models to investigate the associations of PM2.5 and O3 with the PR interval, QRS interval, heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc), and heart rate (HR). The temporal lag structures of the associations were examined using distributed-lag models. Results Elevated PM2.5 and O3 were associated with four-day lagged lengthening of the PR and QRS intervals, and with one-day lagged increases in HR. We observed immediate effects on the lengthening of the QTc interval for both PM2.5 and O3, as well as delayed effects for PM2.5 (lagged by 3 – 4 days). The associations of PM2.5 and O3 with the PR interval and the association of O3 with the QRS interval persisted until up to seven days after exposure. Conclusions In patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, short-term exposure to air pollution was associated with increased HR and delays in atrioventricular conduction, ventricular depolarization and repolarization. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12989-018-0275-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This paper describes the development and protocol for feasibility and efficacy testing of a risk reduction intervention designed to improve behavioral health outcomes among drug offenders on probation under community supervision or in residential substance abuse treatment centers. StaySafe is a self-administered tablet-based intervention for teaching better decision-making skills regarding health risk behaviors, especially those involving HIV risks. We are using pre/post, experimental/control group randomized clinical trial (RCT) in both community and residential probation settings with goals to 1) assess the feasibility and acceptance of StaySafe by examining participation rates and satisfaction measures, and 2) examine the impact of StaySafe on decision-making skills, confidence and motivation to avoid sex and drug risks, willingness to discuss health risks and concerns with helpful others, and engagement in health risk behaviors.StaySafe consists of 12 brief sessions and utilizes an evidence-based decision-making schema, called WORKIT, which guides participants through steps for identifying the problem and options, evaluating the options and making a decision about which option to carry out. Multiple sessions of StaySafe provide a practice effect so that the WORKIT steps become easily accessible to participants when making decisions. Three of the sessions provide participants a choice of activities designed to provide additional information about HIV and reinforce lessons learned during the WORKIT sessions. Preliminary data demonstrate feasibility and high levels of satisfaction with StaySafe. Keywords: Clinical trial, HIV, Probation, Tablet-based intervention, Decision-making

Migratory species provide important benefits to society, but their cross-border conservation poses serious challenges. By quantifying the economic value of ecosystem services (ESs) provided across a species’ range and ecological data on a species’ habitat dependence, we estimate spatial subsidies—how different regions support ESs provided by a species across its range. We illustrate this method for migratory northern pintail ducks in North America. Pintails support over $101 million USD annually in recreational hunting and viewing and subsistence hunting in the U.S. and Canada. Pintail breeding regions provide nearly $30 million in subsidies to wintering regions, with the “Prairie Pothole” region supplying over $24 million in annual benefits to other regions. This information can be used to inform conservation funding allocation among migratory regions and nations on which the pintail depends. We thus illustrate a transferrable method to quantify migratory species-derived ESs and provide information to aid in their transboundary conservation. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-018-1049-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

As a class of plant polyphenolic compounds contained in some forages [i.e., sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.), big trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus Cav.), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.)], condensed tannins (CTs) exhibit a variety of biological effects on ruminants. The potential positive impact of CTs on the agricultural industry stems from their ability to modulate proteolysis during forage conservation and ruminal digestion, to prevent bloat, to reduce intestinal parasite burdens, and to abate methane and ammonia emissions from ruminants. How CTs exert these effects on ruminants focuses on the interaction of CTs with proteins. The structure-activity relationship in CT–protein interaction is not well understood but is known to be dependent on the structure and properties of both the CT and the protein. The objectives of this presentation are fivefold. First, examples of the structural diversity of CTs will be provided to enable the audience members to appreciate that not all CTs are the same. Second, examples of how CTs structural diversity affects their interaction with the protein, which in turn, dictates the biological response from the animal will be discussed. Third, the presentation will outline hurdles in obtaining highly pure and well-characterized CTs from natural sources for use in CT structural analysis and in vitro experiments. This will be followed by brief descriptions of improved and emerging techniques for CT analysis and, finally, the presentation concludes with questions to address in future investigations and a list of recommendations for CT researchers to follow.

Tetropium fuscum (F.), native to Europe and established in Nova Scotia, Canada, since at least 1990, is considered a low-to-moderate threat to spruce (Picea spp.) forests in North America and regulated as a quarantine pest by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. We tested broadcast applications of the aggregation pheromone racemic (5E)-6,10-dimethyl-5,9-undecadien-2-ol (fuscumol), formulated at 10% concentration in Hercon Bio-Flakes (Hercon International, Emigsville, PA), for efficacy in disrupting T. fuscum mating and suppressing populations. Two applications of 2.5-2.75 kg Bio-Flakes (250-275 g a.i.) per ha per season significantly reduced trap catches and mating success (2009, 2010, 2012): about 30% of females trapped in treated plots had mated compared with 60% of females trapped in untreated plots. Similar reductions in mating success were observed in 2011 with one or two 4.5 kg/ha applications of Bio-Flakes. Mean densities of T. fuscum colonizing sentinel bait logs or girdled trees were 36% lower in pheromone-treated plots than in untreated plots, but the difference was not statistically significant. Lack of population suppression may have been because mated females immigrated into treated plots or because populations were so high that despite a 50% reduction in mating success, absolute numbers of mated females were sufficient to infest our bait logs or trees. This is the first demonstration of insect mating disruption via broadcast application of an aggregation pheromone. Pheromone-mediated mating disruption has potential to slow the spread of invasive cerambycids by targeting low-density outlier populations near or beyond the leading edge of an infestation.

Background Utilization of total knee and hip arthroplasty has greatly increased in the past decade in the United States; these are among the most expensive procedures in patients with Medicare. Advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and care pathways decrease hospital length of stay. We examined how trends in hospital cost were altered by decreases in length of stay. Methods Procedure, demographic, and economic data were collected on 6.4 million admissions for total knee arthroplasty and 2.8 million admissions for total hip arthroplasty from 2002 to 2013 using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, a component of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Trends in mean hospital costs and their association with length of stay were estimated using inflation-adjusted, survey-weighted generalized linear regression models, controlling for patient demographic characteristics and comorbidity. Results From 2002 to 2013, the length of stay decreased from a mean time of 4.06 to 2.97 days for total knee arthroplasty and from 4.06 to 2.75 days for total hip arthroplasty. During the same time period, the mean hospital cost for total knee arthroplasty increased from $14,988 (95% confidence interval [CI], $14,927 to $15,049) in 2002 to $22,837 (95% CI, $22,765 to $22,910) in 2013 (an overall increase of $7,849 or 52.4%). The mean hospital cost for total hip arthroplasty increased from $15,792 (95% CI, $15,706 to $15,878) in 2002 to $23,650 (95% CI, $23,544 to $23,755) in 2013 (an increase of $7,858 or 49.8%). If length of stay were set at the 2002 mean, the growth in cost for total knee arthroplasty would have been 70.8% instead of 52.4% as observed, and the growth in cost for total hip arthroplasty would have been 67.4% instead of 49.8% as observed. Conclusions Hospital costs for joint replacement increased from 2002 to 2013, but were attenuated by reducing inpatient length of stay. With demographic characteristics showing an upward trend in the utilization of joint arthroplasty, including a shift toward younger population groups, reduction in length of stay remains an important target for procedure-level cost containment under emerging payment models.

In March 2019, 45 scientists and software engineers from around the world converged at the University of California, Santa Cruz for the first pangenomics codeathon. The purpose of the meeting was to propose technical specifications and standards for a usable human pangenome as well as to build relevant tools for genome graph infrastructures. During the meeting, the group held several intense and productive discussions covering a diverse set of topics, including advantages of graph genomes over a linear reference representation, design of new methods that can leverage graph-based data structures, and novel visualization and annotation approaches for pangenomes. Additionally, the participants self-organized themselves into teams that worked intensely over a three-day period to build a set of pipelines and tools for specific pangenomic applications. A summary of the questions raised and the tools developed are reported in this manuscript.

A high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Illumina Infinium array, containing 52,157 markers, was developed for the allotetraploid Brassica napus. A stringent selection process employing the short probe sequence for each SNP assay was used to limit the majority of the selected markers to those represented a minimum number of times across the highly replicated genome. As a result approximately 60 % of the SNP assays display genome-specificity, resolving as three clearly separated clusters (AA, AB, and BB) when tested with a diverse range of B. napus material. This genome specificity was supported by the analysis of the diploid ancestors of B. napus, whereby 26,504 and 29,720 markers were scorable in B. oleracea and B. rapa, respectively. Forty-four percent of the assayed loci on the array were genetically mapped in a single doubled-haploid B. napus population allowing alignment of their physical and genetic coordinates. Although strong conservation of the two positions was shown, at least 3 % of the loci were genetically mapped to a homoeologous position compared to their presumed physical position in the respective genome, underlying the importance of genetic corroboration of locus identity. In addition, the alignments identified multiple rearrangements between the diploid and tetraploid Brassica genomes. Although mostly attributed to genome assembly errors, some are likely evidence of rearrangements that occurred since the hybridisation of the progenitor genomes in the B. napus nucleus. Based on estimates for linkage disequilibrium decay, the array is a valuable tool for genetic fine mapping and genome-wide association studies in B. napus and its progenitor genomes., yes

Air pollution is intuitively associated with respiratory effects, but evidence has emerged over the past few decades that the cardiovascular effects of air pollution can be much more adverse and represent a greater public health burden. In this article, we present background on the sources, exposures, and health effects of air pollution and discuss the potential for intervention strategies in the health care system to help reduce individual and population exposure and the attendant risk from the cardiovascular effects of air pollution.

Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2005 novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, approaches the emotional complexities of death and mourning within New York City in wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Set after the death of young Oskar Schell’s father in the World Trade Center, the narrative follows Oskar on a quest for an understanding of loss. Situated in the confines of the city, the novel is an urban exploration for self-identity while faced with the unrecoverable loss of both human life and the iconic image of the city: the Twin Towers. Due to the absence of a physical body, Oskar perceives his father’s gravesite as a meaningless memorial, and he searches the metropolis for an alternative sense of resolution to his mourning. Foer’s narrative proffers an analysis of modern man and the shifting urban territory, where the complexity of place-identity, the individuals interaction with persons and locations, becomes embroiled in the post-9/11 memories and an altered urban fabric. Foer augments the story with photographs, including the iconic ‘falling man’ image that starkly silhouettes an imminent death against the tower. Oskar blends the falling man into a semblance of his father; in doing so, he places his father’s body at a temporal and identifiable place—although now shattered—within the metropolis and moving toward a more conscious engagement with the real, determinedly preserving remembrance of his father. Within this context, I utilize Foer’s novel to argue that our post-9/11 world has altered our cognitive understanding of space in the metropolis, demonstrating the continuing shift in the psychological mindset for coping with both urban life and death.

BACKGROUND: Approximately one-half of all US surgical procedures, and one-third of orthopaedic procedures, are performed at teaching hospitals. However, the effect of resident participation and their level of training on patient care for TKA postoperative physical function, operative time, length of stay, and facility discharge are unclear. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Are resident participation, postgraduate year (PGY) training level, and number of residents associated with absolute postoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®-10) global physical function score (PCS), and achieving minimum clinically important difference (MCID) PCS improvement, after TKA? (2) Are resident participation, PGY, and number of residents associated with increased TKA operative time? (3) Are resident participation, PGY, and number of residents associated with increased length of stay after TKA? (4) Are resident participation, PGY, and number of residents associated with higher odds of patients being discharged to another inpatient facility, rather than to their home (facility discharge)? METHODS: We performed a retrospective study using a longitudinally maintained institutional registry of TKAs that included 1626 patients at a single tertiary academic institution from April 2011 through July 2016. All patients who underwent primary, elective unilateral TKA were included with no exclusions. All patients were included in the operative time, length of stay, and facility discharge models. The PCS model required postoperative PCS score (n = 1417; 87%; mean, 46.4; SD, 8.5) and the MCID PCS model required pre- and postoperative PCS (n = 1333; 82%; 55% achieved MCID). Resident participation was defined as named residents being present in the operating room and documented in the operative notes, and resident PGY level was determined by the date of TKA and its duration since the resident entered the program and using the standard resident academic calendar (July – June). Multivariable regression was used to assess PCS scores, operative time, length of stay, and facility discharge in patients whose surgery was performed with and without intraoperative resident participation, accounting for PGY training level and number of residents. We defined the MCID PCS score improvement as 5 points on a 100-point scale. Adjusting variables included surgeon, academic year, age, sex, race–ethnicity, Charlson Comorbidity Index, preoperative PCS, and patient-reported mental function, BMI, tobacco use, alcohol use, and postoperative PCS time for the PCS models. We had postoperative PCS for 1417 (87%) surgeries. RESULTS: Compared with attending-only TKAs (5% of procedures), no postgraduate year or number of residents was associated with either postoperative PCS or MCID PCS improvement (PCS: PGY-1 = -0.98, 95% CI, -6.14 to 4.17, p = 0.708; PGY-2 = -0.26, 95% CI, -2.01to 1.49, p = 0.768; PGY-3 = -0.32, 95% CI, -2.16 to 1.51, p = 0.730; PGY-4 = -0.28, 95% CI, -1.99 to 1.43, p = 0.746; PGY-5 = -0.47, 95% CI, -2.13 to 1.18, p = 0.575; two residents = 0.28, 95% CI, -1.05 to 1.62, p = 0.677) (MCID PCS: PGY-1 = odds ratio [OR], 0.30, 95% CI, 0.07–1.30, p = 0.108; PGY-2 = OR, 0.86, 95% CI, 0.46–1.62, p = 0.641; PGY-3 = OR, 0.97, 95% CI, 0.49–1.89, p = 0.921; PGY-4 = OR, 0.73, 95% CI, 0.39–1.36, p = 0.325; PGY-5 = OR, 0.71, 95% CI, 0.39–1.29, p = 0.259; two residents = OR, 1.23, 95% CI, 0.80–1.89, p = 0.337). Longer operative times were associated with all PGY levels except for PGY-5 (attending surgeon only [reference] = 85.60 minutes, SD, 14.5 minutes; PGY-1 = 100. 13 minutes, SD, 21.22 minutes, +8.44 minutes, p = 0.015; PGY-2 = 103.40 minutes, SD, 23.01 minutes, +11.63 minutes, p < 0.001; PGY-3 = 97.82 minutes, SD, 18.24 minutes, +9.68 minutes, p < 0.001; PGY-4 = 96.39 minutes, SD, 18.94 minutes, +4.19 minutes, p = 0.011; PGY-5 = 88.91 minutes, SD, 19.81 minutes, -0.29 minutes, p = 0.853) or the presence of multiple residents (+4.39 minutes, p = 0.024). There were no associations with length of stay (PGY-1 = +0.04 days, 95% CI, -0.63 to 0.71 days, p = 0.912; PGY-2 = -0.08 days, 95% CI, -0.48 to 0.33 days, p = 0.711; PGY-3 = -0.29 days, 95% CI, -0.66 to 0.09 days, p = 0.131; PGY-4 = -0.30 days, 95% CI, -0.69 to 0.08 days, p = 0.120; PGY-5 = -0.28 days, 95% CI, -0.66 to 0.10 days, p = 0.145; two residents = -0.12 days, 95% CI, -0.29 to 0.06 days, p = 0.196) or facility discharge (PGY-1 = OR, 1.03, 95% CI, 0.26–4.08, p = 0.970; PGY-2 = OR, 0.61, 95% CI, 0.31–1.20, p = 0.154; PGY-3 = OR, 0.98, 95% CI, 0.48–2.02, p = 0.964; PGY-4 = OR, 0.83, 95% CI, 0.43–1.57, p = 0.599; PGY-5 = OR, 0.7, 95% CI, 0.41–1.40, p = 0.372; two residents = OR, 0.93, 95% CI, 0.56–1.54, p = 0.766) for any PGY or number of residents. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings should help assure patients, residents, physicians, insurers, and hospital administrators that resident participation, after adjusting for numerous patient and clinical factors, does not have any association with key medical and financial metrics, including postoperative PCS, MCID PCS, length of stay, and facility discharge. Future research in this field should focus on whether residents affect knee-specific patient-reported outcomes such as the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Score and additional orthopaedic procedures, and determine how resident medical education can be further enhanced without compromising patient care and safety. Level of Evidence Level III, therapeutic study.

In this study, we assessed the mixed exposure of highway maintenance workers to airborne particles, noise, and gaseous co-pollutants. The aim was to provide a better understanding of the workers' exposure to facilitate the evaluation of short-term effects on cardiovascular health endpoints. To quantify the workers' exposure, we monitored 18 subjects during 50 non-consecutive work shifts. Exposure assessment was based on personal and work site measurements and included fine particulate matter (PM2.5), particle number concentration (PNC), noise (Leq), and the gaseous co-pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. Mean work shift PM2.5 concentrations (gravimetric measurements) ranged from 20.3 to 321 μg m(-3) (mean 62 μg m(-3)) and PNC were between 1.6×10(4) and 4.1×10(5) particles cm(-3) (8.9×10(4) particles cm(-3)). Noise levels were generally high with Leq over work shifts from 73.3 to 96.0 dB(A); the averaged Leq over all work shifts was 87.2 dB(A). The highest exposure to fine and ultrafine particles was measured during grass mowing and lumbering when motorized brush cutters and chain saws were used. Highest noise levels, caused by pneumatic hammers, were measured during paving and guardrail repair. We found moderate Spearman correlations between PNC and PM2.5 (r = 0.56); PNC, PM2.5, and CO (r = 0.60 and r = 0.50) as well as PNC and noise (r = 0.50). Variability and correlation of parameters were influenced by work activities that included equipment causing combined air pollutant and noise emissions (e.g. brush cutters and chain saws). We conclude that highway maintenance workers are frequently exposed to elevated airborne particle and noise levels compared with the average population. This elevated exposure is a consequence of the permanent proximity to highway traffic with additional peak exposures caused by emissions of the work-related equipment.

Quantification of the economic value provided by migratory species can aid in targeting management efforts and funding to locations yielding the greatest benefits to society and species conservation. Here we illustrate a key step in this process by estimating hunting and birding values of the northern pintail (Anas acuta) within primary breeding and wintering habitats used during the species' annual migratory cycle in North America. We used published information on user expenditures and net economic values (consumer surplus) for recreational viewing and hunting to determine the economic value of pintail-based recreation in three primary breeding areas and two primary wintering areas. Summed expenditures and consumer surplus for northern pintail viewing were annually valued at $70M, and annual sport hunting totaled $31M (2014 USD). Expenditures for viewing ($42M) were more than twice as high than those for hunting ($18M). Estimates of consumer surplus, defined as the amount consumers are willing to pay above their current expenditures, were $15M greater for viewing ($28M) than for hunting ($13M). We discovered substantial annual consumer surplus ($41M) available for pintail conservation from birders and hunters. We also found spatial differences in economic value among the primary regions used by pintails, with viewing generally valued more in breeding regions than in wintering regions and the reverse being true for hunting. The economic value of pintail-based recreation in the Western wintering region ($26M) exceeded that in any other region by at least a factor of three. Our approach of developing regionally explicit economic values can be extended to other taxonomic groups, and is particularly suitable for migratory game birds because of the availability of large amounts of data. When combined with habitat-linked population models, regionally explicit values could inform development of more effective conservation finance and policy mechanisms to enhance environmental management and societal benefits across the geographically dispersed areas used by migratory species.

The visual neurosciences have made enormous progress in recent decades, in part because of the ability to drive visual areas by their sensory inputs, allowing researchers to define visual areas reliably across individuals and across species. Similar strategies for parcellating higher-order cortex have proven elusive. Here, using a novel experimental task and nonlinear population receptive field modeling, we map and characterize the topographic organization of several regions in human frontoparietal cortex. We discover representations of both polar angle and eccentricity that are organized into clusters, similar to visual cortex, where multiple gradients of polar angle of the contralateral visual field share a confluent fovea. This is striking because neural activity in frontoparietal cortex is believed to reflect higher-order cognitive functions rather than external sensory processing. Perhaps the spatial topography in frontoparietal cortex parallels the retinotopic organization of sensory cortex to enable an efficient interface between perception and higher-order cognitive processes. Critically, these visual maps constitute well-defined anatomical units that future studies of frontoparietal cortex can reliably target. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22974.001

Vascular calcification is a risk factor that predicts adverse cardiovascular complications of several diseases including atherosclerosis. Reduced dietary potassium intake has been linked to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and incidental stroke, although the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Using the ApoE-deficient mouse model, we demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge that reduced dietary potassium (0.3%) promoted atherosclerotic vascular calcification and increased aortic stiffness, compared with normal (0.7%) potassium-fed mice. In contrast, increased dietary potassium (2.1%) attenuated vascular calcification and aortic stiffness. Mechanistically, reduction in the potassium concentration to the lower limit of the physiological range increased intracellular calcium, which activated a cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) signal that subsequently enhanced autophagy and promoted vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) calcification. Inhibition of calcium signals and knockdown of either CREB or ATG7, an autophagy regulator, attenuated VSMC calcification induced by low potassium. Consistently, elevated autophagy and CREB signaling were demonstrated in the calcified arteries from low potassium diet-fed mice as well as aortic arteries exposed to low potassium ex vivo. These studies established a potentially novel causative role of dietary potassium intake in regulating atherosclerotic vascular calcification and stiffness, and uncovered mechanisms that offer opportunities to develop therapeutic strategies to control vascular disease.

Given the rapid population decline and recent petition for listing of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) under the Endangered Species Act, an accurate estimate of the Eastern, migratory population size is needed. Because of difficulty in counting individual monarchs, the number of hectares occupied by monarchs in the overwintering area is commonly used as a proxy for population size, which is then multiplied by the density of individuals per hectare to estimate population size. There is, however, considerable variation in published estimates of overwintering density, ranging from 6.9–60.9 million ha-1. We develop a probability distribution for overwinter density of monarch butterflies from six published density estimates. The mean density among the mixture of the six published estimates was ~27.9 million butterflies ha-1 (95% CI: 2.4–80.7 million ha-1); the mixture distribution is approximately log-normal, and as such is better represented by the median (21.1 million butterflies ha-1). Based upon assumptions regarding the number of milkweed needed to support monarchs, the amount of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) lost (0.86 billion stems) in the northern U.S. plus the amount of milkweed remaining (1.34 billion stems), we estimate >1.8 billion stems is needed to return monarchs to an average population size of 6 ha. Considerable uncertainty exists in this required amount of milkweed because of the considerable uncertainty occurring in overwinter density estimates. Nevertheless, the estimate is on the same order as other published estimates. The studies included in our synthesis differ substantially by year, location, method, and measures of precision. A better understanding of the factors influencing overwintering density across space and time would be valuable for increasing the precision of conservation recommendations.

The exposure and effects of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were studied at eight locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin between 2007 and 2011 using tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Concentrations of PFASs were quantified as were reproductive success end points. The sample egg method was used wherein an egg sample is collected, and the hatching success of the remaining eggs in the nest is assessed. The association between PFAS exposure and reproductive success was assessed by site comparisons, logistic regression analysis, and multistate modeling, a technique not previously used in this context. There was a negative association between concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in eggs and hatching success. The concentration at which effects became evident (150-200 ng/g wet weight) was far lower than effect levels found in laboratory feeding trials or egg-injection studies of other avian species. This discrepancy was likely because behavioral effects and other extrinsic factors are not accounted for in these laboratory studies and the possibility that tree swallows are unusually sensitive to PFASs. The results from multistate modeling and simple logistic regression analyses were nearly identical. Multistate modeling provides a better method to examine possible effects of additional covariates and assessment of models using Akaike information criteria analyses. There was a credible association between PFOS concentrations in plasma and eggs, so extrapolation between these two commonly sampled tissues can be performed.

A novel, easy method for the syntheses of richly diversified 2H-indazoles and indazolones, called the Davis-Beirut reaction, and other recent 2H-indazole synthetic routes are briefly reviewed. An update on the biological activity of indazoles is also surveyed.

The primary objective of this study was to determine whether tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) demonstrate similar responses to lake pH and mercury (Hg) contamination in northern Wisconsin as do common loons (Gavia immer). Similar to common loons, Hg concentrations in the blood of tree swallow nestlings were higher, Hg concentrations in eggs tended to be higher, and egg size tended to be smaller at low (

Current models for in vitro studies of tissue function and physiology, including responses to hypoxia or environmental toxins, are limited and rely heavily on standard 2-dimensional (2-D) cultures with immortalized murine or human cell lines. To develop a new more powerful model system, we have pursued methods to establish and expand cultures of primary lung cell types and reconstituted tissues from marine mammals. What little is known about the physiology of the deep-sea diving pygmy sperm whale (PSW), Kogia breviceps, comes primarily from stranding events that occur along the coast of the southeastern United States. Thus, development of a method for preserving live tissues and retrieving live cells from deceased stranded individuals was initiated. This report documents successful cryopreservation of PSW lung tissue. We established in vitro cultures of primary lung cell types from tissue fragments that had been cryopreserved several months earlier at the stranding event. Dissociation of cryopreserved lung tissues readily provides a variety of primary cell types that, to varying degrees, can be expanded and further studied/manipulated in cell culture. In addition, PSW-specific molecular markers have been developed that permitted the monitoring of fibroblast, alveolar type II, and vascular endothelial cell types. Reconstitution of 3-D cultures of lung tissues with these cell types is now underway. This novel system may facilitate the development of rare or disease-specific lung tissue models (e.g., to test causes of PSW stranding events and lead to improved treatments for pulmonary hypertension or reperfusion injury in humans). Also, the establishment of a "living" tissue bank biorepository for rare/endangered species could serve multiple purposes as surrogates for freshly isolated samples.

The significance of metal concentrations in marine mammals is not well understood and relating concentrations between stranded and free-ranging populations has been difficult. In order to predict liver concentrations in free-ranging dolphins, we examined concentrations of trace elements (Al, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, total Hg (THg), V, Zn) in skin and liver of stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the South Carolina (SC) coast and the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (FL) during 2000–2008. Significantly higher concentrations of Zn, Fe, Se, Al, Cu and THg were found in skin while liver exhibited significantly higher Cu, Fe, Mn and THg concentrations for both study sites. Mean skin concentrations of Cu and Mn were significantly higher in SC dolphins while higher concentrations of THg and V were found in FL dolphins. In addition, liver tissues in SC dolphins exhibited significantly higher As concentrations while higher Fe, Pb, Se, THg, and V levels were found in FL dolphins. Two elements (Cu and THg) showed significant age-related correlations with skin concentration while five elements (Cu, Se, THg, Zn and V) showed age-related correlations with liver concentrations. Geographic location influenced age-related accumulation of several trace elements and age-related accumulation of THg in hepatic tissue was observed for both sites to have the highest correlations (r2 = 0.90SC; r2 = 0.69FL). Mean THg concentration in liver was about 10 times higher in FL dolphins (330 μg g−1 dw) than those samples from SC dolphins (34.3 μg g−1 dw). The mean molar ratio of Hg to Se was 0.93 ± 0.32 and 1.08 ± 0.38 for SC and FL dolphins, respectively. However, the Hg:Se ratio varied with age as much lower ratios (0.2–0.4) were found in younger animals. Of the 18 measured elements, only THg was significantly correlated in skin and liver of stranded dolphins and skin of free-ranging dolphins from both sites suggesting that skin may be useful in predicting Hg concentrations in liver tissue of free-ranging dolphins. Results indicate that 33% of the stranded and 15% of the free-ranging dolphins from FL exceed the minimum 100 μg g−1 wet weight (ww) (∼400 dw) Hg threshold for hepatic damage while none from SC reached this level. Hepatic concentrations of As in SC dolphins and V in FL dolphins were also highly correlated with skin concentrations which may have some regional specificity predictive value. The present study provides the first application of trace element concentrations derived from stranded bottlenose dolphins to predict liver concentrations in free-ranging populations.

The architecture of the Brassica napus genome is marked by its evolutionary origins. The genome of B. napus was formed from the hybridization of two closely related diploid Brassica species, both of which evolved from an hexaploid ancestor. The extensive whole genome duplication events in its near and distant past result in the allotetraploid genome of B. napus maintaining multiple copies of most genes, which predicts a highly complex and redundant transcriptome that can confound any expression analyses. A stringent assembly of 142 399 B. napus expressed sequence tags allowed the development of a well-differentiated set of reference transcripts, which were used as a foundation to assess the efficacy of available tools for identifying and distinguishing transcripts in B. napus ; including microarray hybridization and 3′ anchored sequence tag capture. Microarray platforms cannot distinguish transcripts derived from the two progenitors or close homologues, although observed differential expression appeared to be biased towards unique transcripts. The use of 3′ capture enhanced the ability to unambiguously identify homologues within the B. napus transcriptome but was limited by tag length. The ability to comprehensively catalogue gene expression in polyploid species could be transformed by the application of cost-efficient next generation sequencing technologies that will capture millions of long sequence tags.

Technology enables individuals, crowds, and organizations to collaborate in ways rarely possible before. Employees can now easily draw on others and share knowledge. Loose collectives can form open...

Creating systems of cooperation in the face of strong self-interest is a subject of longstanding inquiry in the social sciences. Much of this work has focused on understanding the antecedents and o...

Rebaudioside A is a natural sweetener from Stevia rebaudiana in which four β- d -glucopyranose units are attached to the aglycone steviol. Its 1H and 13C NMR spectra in pyridine-d5 were assigned using 1D and 2D methods. Constrained molecular dynamics of solvated rebaudioside using NMR constraints derived from ROESY cross peaks yielded the orientation of the β- d -glucopyranose units. Hydrogen bonding was examined using the temperature coefficients of the hydroxyl chemical shifts, ROESY and long-range COSY spectra, and proton–proton coupling constants.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of peak cardiac troponin (cTn) in different types of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) under the universal clinical classification is unknown. HYPOTHESIS: We tested the hypothesis that the prognostic value of cTn varies with its peak level and type of AMI. METHODS: We studied 345 consecutive patients with AMI with mean follow‐up of 30.6 months according to quartiles of peak cTn level (QPTL) and the type of AMI. The study outcomes were the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; composite of all causes of mortality and recurrent AMI) and the individual components of MACE. RESULTS: The study included patients with AMI Type 1 (n = 276), type 2 (n = 54), ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI; n = 159), and non‐ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI; n = 186). Overall, peak cTn level was an independent predictor of MACE (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.001, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.000–1.003, P = 0.01) and death (HR: 1.002, 95% CI: 1.001–1.004, P = 0.003), but not of recurrent AMI. The highest risk of MACE and death was in the highest QPTL (61.6%, P = .016 and 66.3%, P = 0.021, respectively) while the highest risk of recurrent AMI was in the lowest QPTL (83.7%, P = 0.04). Quartiles of peak cTn level were significantly associated with increased risk of MACE and death in patients with Type 1 (all P = 0.01) and STEMI (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively), but no association existed in type 2 or NSTEMI patients. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, peak cTn predicts the risk of MACE and death but not the risk of AMI. While in Type 1 and STEMI patients, QPTL are associated with risk of MACE and death, no association exists in type 2 or NSTEMI patients. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Identification of tumor-derived proteins in the circulation may allow for early detection of cancer and evaluation of therapeutic responses. To identify circulating tumor-derived proteins, mice were immunized with concentrated culture medium conditioned by human breast cancer cells. Antibodies generated by hybridomas were screened against conditioned media from both normal epithelial cells and tumor cells. Antibody selectively reacting with tumor cell-conditioned media was further characterized. This led to the development of a monoclonal antibody (Alper-p280) that reacts with a newly identified 280-kDa secreted variant of human filamin-A. Circulating filamin-A was detected in patient plasma samples using Alper-p280 in an ELISA assay. Human plasma samples from 134 patients with brain, breast, or ovarian cancer, 15 patients with active arthritis, and 76 healthy controls were analyzed. Filamin-A protein levels in human cell lines and tissues were analyzed by western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and electron and confocal microscopy. Circulating filamin-A was detected in the plasma of 109 of 143 patients with breast cancer and primary brain tumors. Plasma levels of filamin-A showed 89.5% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67% to 0.99%) and 97.8% specificity (95% CI = 0.88% to 0.99%) for glioblastoma at a cut-off of 21.0 ng/mL. Plasma levels of filamin-A (>36.0 ng/mL) had 96.7% sensitivity (95% CI = 0.80% to 0.99%) and 67.8% specificity (95% CI = 0.54% to 0.79%) for metastatic breast cancer. Filamin-A levels were increased in malignant breast or brain tissues, but not in normal control tissues. Filamin-A localized to lysosomes in MDA.MB.231 breast cancer cells, but not in normal human mammary epithelial cells, suggesting that filamin-A may undergo cancer-specific processing. Plasma filamin-A appears to be a specific and sensitive marker for patients with high-grade astrocytoma or metastatic breast cancer. Additional novel cancer biomarkers have been identified and are being developed alongside Alper-p280 for use in diagnosis of breast carcinoma and high-grade astrocytoma, and for use in the evaluation of therapeutic responses.

be? The process inevitably involves a series of compromises between telling a good story, consciously and explicitly evaluating the evidence, presenting the full evidentiary base, and that killer of prose historiographical positioning. Picking up Tycoon's War, one is immediately struck by the blend of compromises it represents. It has the frame of the usual scholarly apparatus: notes, bibliography, and index. But the notes are scanty unto vanishing, and they reflect the serious use of only a fraction of the sources shown in the bibliography. Furthermore, fifteen minutes of research in a library catalog immediately turns up several works that Dando-Collins has ignored, not to mention his almost complete failure to consult Spanish language sources. So what do we get for this compromise on the scholarly end of the scale? Tycoon's War, despite the titular emphasis on Cornelius Vanderbilt, is actually about William Walker's (in)famous filibustering expedition to Nicaragua in the 1850s. Indeed, much of the book is a biography of Walker, presented somewhat in parallel with a biography of Vanderbilt. There is little doubt about the compelling interest of Vanderbilt' s personality, and Walker's story can be made into a rollicking good adventure story, which is Dando-Collins's intent. Dando-Collins is a historian born in, and now resident in, Australia, who has written a number of other works with the similar intent of telling a good story and drawing his audience into the narrative. Indeed, in the last few years he has produced a veritable flood of dramatic retellings of famous moments in the history of ancient Rome; works he preceded with another on the Ponca Indian Standing Bear.1 In addition to its prima facie appeal and a generally entertaining prose style, Tycoon's War has the advantage of appearing at a time of great economic

Background: Chronic pain conditions, whether inflammatory or neuropathic in origin remain a significant unmet medical need. Existing treatments exhibit insufficient efficacy and also produce dose-limiting side effects. As such, research is focused on identifying new drugs with novel mechanisms of action to better serve patient needs. Objectives: This review focuses on the most recent chemical scaffolds that are being investigated towards advancing selective small molecule cannabinoid agonists (CB2), ion channel modulators (sodium channels, calcium channels, potassium channels, transient receptor potential channels, acid-sensing ion channels and purinergic receptors) as well as modulators of the norepinephrine system into the clinic. Methods: We systematically searched, analyzed and summarized the publication and patent literature for small molecule inhibitors of the topic areas within the period January 2007 – February 2008. Information on clinical candidates, when available, was garnered from company web...

A method is described for automating the regulation of cold jet flow of a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatograph (GCxGC) configured with flame ionization detection. This new capability enables the routine automated separation, identification, and quantitation of hydrocarbon types in petroleum fractions extending into the vacuum gas oil (VGO) range (IBP-540 degrees C). Chromatographic data acquisition software is programmed to precisely change the rate of flow from the cold jet of a nitrogen cooled loop modulator of a GCxGC instrument during sample analysis. This provides for the proper modulation of sample compounds across a wider boiling range. The boiling point distribution of the GCxGC separation is shown to be consistent with high temperature simulated distillation results indicating recovery of higher boiling semi-volatile VGO sample components. GCxGC configured with time-of-flight mass spectrometry is used to determine the molecular identity of individual sample components and boundaries of different molecular types.

Cell transplantation is an innovative technology that involves the implantation of a variety of myogenic and angiogenic cell types. The transplanted cells proliferate and augment left ventricular performance and therein ameliorate the heart failure symptoms. The concept of cell transplantation has followed the footsteps of angiogenesis starting as bench side research. The latter half of the decade saw the transformation of this potential mechanism to a promising therapy for ischemic heart failure. More than 150 patients have been treated with cellular transplantation worldwide. This novel application has the potential to revolultionalize alternative therapeutic approaches to management of heart failure.

The health of tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, on the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) was assessed in 2010 and 2011 using biomarkers at six sites downriver of Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN metropolitan area, a tributary into the UMR, and a nearby lake. Chromosomal damage was evaluated in nestling blood by measuring the coefficient of variation of DNA content (DNA CV) using flow cytometry. Cytochrome P450 1A activity in nestling liver was measured using the ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (EROD) assay, and oxidative stress was estimated in nestling livers via determination of thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), the ratio GSSG/GSH, total sulfhydryl, and protein bound sulfhydryl (PBSH). A multilevel regression model (DNA CV) and simple regressions (EROD and oxidative stress) were used to evaluate biomarker responses for each location. Chromosomal damage was significantly elevated at two sites on the UMR (Pigs Eye and Pool 2) relative to the Green Mountain Lake reference site, while the induction of EROD activity was only observed at Pigs Eye. No measures of oxidative stress differed among sites. Multivariate analysis confirmed an increased DNA CV at Pigs Eye and Pool 2, and elevated EROD activity at Pigs Eye. These results suggest that the health of tree swallows has been altered at the DNA level at Pigs Eye and Pool 2 sites, and at the physiological level at Pigs Eye site only.

Agricultural by-products, such as peanut shells, contribute large quantities of lignocellulosic waste to the environment each growing season; but few, if any, value-added uses exist for their disposal. The objective of this study was to convert peanut shells to activated carbons for use in adsorption of select metal ions, namely, cadmium (Cd2+), copper (Cu2+), lead (Pb2+), nickel (Ni2+) and zinc (Zn2+). Milled peanut shells were pyrolyzed in an inert atmosphere of nitrogen gas, and then activated with steam at different activation times. Following pyrolysis and activation, the carbons underwent air oxidation. The prepared carbons were evaluated either for adsorption efficiency or adsorption capacity; and these parameters were compared to the same parameters obtained from three commercial carbons, namely, DARCO 12 × 20, NORIT C GRAN and MINOTAUR. One of the peanut shell-based carbons had metal ion adsorption efficiencies greater than two of the three commercial carbons but somewhat less than but close to Minotaur. This study demonstrates that peanut shells can serve as a source for activated carbons with metal ion-removing potential and may serve as a replacement for coal-based commercial carbons in applications that warrant their use.

PURPOSE To report the experience of treating a woman who presented with a subfoveal neovascular membrane during the fifth month of her second pregnancy. METHODS Case report. RESULTS The visual acuity of the eye 1 month after 1 intravitreal injection of bevacizumab was 20/30 after the birth of her daughter. CONCLUSION A woman presented with a subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane during the fifth month of her second pregnancy. The decision was made to withhold anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy until after delivery.