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Sphagnum cultivation on harvested peatlands to meet wetland restoration objectives could be an economically feasible activity since cultivated Sphagnum has potential horticultural applications. We compared the characteristics of cultivated Sphagnum from Shippagan (Canada) with those of non-cultivated Sphagnum products from Chile, New Zealand and Canada, and assessed its potential as a perlite and vermiculite substitute in horticultural peat-based substrates. Shippagan cultivated Sphagnum was shorter than the Chilean and New Zealand products with which it was compared, yet more similar to them than to the Canadian product currently on the market. Laboratory tests on physical properties and greenhouse growth trials indicated that 50-100% of the perlite or vermiculite of a peat-based substrate can be successfully replaced with cultivated Sphagnum. Non-sieved coarsely shredded Sphagnum or the large (> 6.3 mm) fragments of sieved coarsely shredded Sphagnum best replicated the aeration provided by perlite and vermiculite in the substrates that were tested. Decomposition tests and comparisons of changes in physical properties of substrates containing Sphagnum after six weeks of growth trials indicated that Sphagnum degradation leading to reduced substrate performance is not likely to be an issue. Therefore, cultivated Sphagnum has great potential as a substitute for perlite and vermiculite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine two different aerosol remote sensing approaches based on polarized ADEOS-1 POLDER measurements and on multispectral EOS Terra MODIS dark target retrieval. Satellite-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) is assessed from comparisons with AERONET/AEROCAN ground-based sunphotometer AOD measurements over North America. The results show that the POLDER polarization retrieval method for AOD at 865 nm yields large scatter with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.11 for single pixels, and RMSE=0.092 for 3×3 windows and a systematic mean overestimation of +0.036 and +0.031 for single pixels and 3×3 windows, respectively. The correlation statistics can be significantly improved by employing the Size Weighted Aerosol Index (SWAI) defined as the product of the AOD times the Angstrom exponent, showing a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.68 with RMSE=0.072 for single pixels and R=0.75 with RMSE=0.065 for the 3×3 windows. We have checked the reliability of the POLDER inversion scheme by comparing the aerosol polarized radiance (i.e., corrected for ground and molecular contributions) with AOD sunphotometer measurements at 670 nm for five different sites (R=0.36). The MODIS capability for monitoring seasonal and long-term aerosol dynamics is assessed by analyzing the 8-day MODIS AOD product at 550 nm (Level-3 product). The retrieved AOD accuracy is variable depending on sites and observed AOD dynamic range; for the overall database (N=1200 points), R=0.37, RMSE=0.17 and Bias=+0.088. We illustrate how satellite-derived AOD images can be used to monitor spatial and temporal aerosol dynamics at the regional scale (anthropogenic pollution events over the North-Eastern American coast) and at the continental scale (dust storm events and mean seasonal background atmospheric aerosol loading). It appears that aerosol mapping from satellite images is still difficult over North America, particularly at high latitudes where AOD variations are generally relatively small. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Alteration in central serotonin biology has been implicated in migraine, and serotonin (5-HT) agonists havebeen available for more than a decade in the treatment of that condition.Objectives: To test this hypothesis, we studied in vivo using positron-emission tomography (PET) and α-[11C] methyl-L-tryptophan (α-[11C]MTrp) as a surrogate marker of cerebral 5-HT synthetic rate before and after administration ofeletriptan in migraine and control subjects.Methods: Six nonmenopausal female migraine subjects with migraine without aura (MoA) and six nonmenopausal agematchedfemale control subjects were scanned at baseline and after oral administration of 40 mg of eletriptan. Migrainesubjects at the time of PET had to have been headache free for a minimum of three days. Images of (α-[11C]MTrp) braintrapping were colocalized with individual MRI images in three dimensions and analyzed.Results: There was no difference in baseline cerebral global 5-HT synthesis between migraine and control subjects. Afteradministration of eletriptan, there was a striking global reduction in cerebral 5-HT synthesis (K*) in the migraine groupand in 22 regions of interest (ROIs). In control subjects, no significant changes were found in global cerebral 5-HTsynthesis (K*) or in any of the ROIs.Conclusions: These findings suggest in migraine an interictal alteration in the regulation mechanisms of cerebral 5-HTsynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The root-mean-square (rms) differences between the Canadian air quality model GEM-AQ and measurements for intensive and extensive optical variables (aerosol optical depth or AOD and Ångström exponent or ) were investigated using data from the July 2002 Québec smoke event. In order to quantify regional differences between model and measurements we employed a three component analysis of rms differences. The behaviour of the two absolute amplitude rms components of AOD (difference of the means and the difference of the standard deviations) enabled us to infer emission properties which would otherwise have been masked by the larger ‘anti-correlation’ component. We found the inferred emission fluxes to be significantly higher than the original geostationary, satellite-derived FLAMBÉ (fire locating and modelling of burning emissions) emissions flux estimates employed as inputs to the simulations. The model captured the regional decrease of the intensive exponent (increase of particle size with trajectory time), while the agreement with the extensive AOD parameter was marginal but clearly dependent on the nature of the spatio-temporal statistical tools employed to characterize model performance. In establishing the versus trajectory time trend, the modelled AOD data was filtered in the same way as the measured data (very large AODs are eliminated). This processing of modelled results was deemed necessary in order to render the results comparable with the measurements; in the latter case it was difficult, if not impossible, to discriminate between measured trends due to instrumental artifacts (non-linearities at low signal strength) versus trends due to coagulative effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Adult acquired buried penis (AABP) can present with concomitant Lichen Sclerosus (LS), a chronic dermatosis that may affect surgical outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate outcomes of patients undergoing AABP repair with and without LS., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed for AABP repair patients at a single institution from 1/1991 to 12/2017. Patient characteristics and surgical and peri-operative outcomes, including success, erectile function, and complications, were collected., Results: Sixty-seven AABP patients with mean follow-up of 16.1 ± 20.4 months were identified. Overall surgical success was 91%. Overall surgical complication rate was 50.7% (23.9% Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3). Forty-two (62.7%) patients had concomitant LS. A higher proportion of patients with LS required a STSG (90% vs 60%, p = 0.005). There was no difference in surgical success (90.5% vs 92.0%, p = 0.999), overall complication rate (57.1% vs 40.0%, p = 0.212), Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3 complications (23.8% vs 24.0%, p = 0.999) or early complications (35.7% vs 32.0%, p = 0.797) between patients with and without LS, respectively. However, a higher proportion of patients with LS experienced late complications (33.3% vs 8.0%, p = 0.020), which were mainly related to wound healing. Satisfaction with erectile function was higher among patients with LS (59.5% vs 320%, p = 0.043)., Conclusion: AABP patients with LS behave somewhat differently than their non LS counterparts. They are more likely to require skin graft during surgical treatment. Though surgical success and complications are similar, they do experience a higher rate of late complications from impaired wound healing. Work on improving wound healing in this population should be considered.

Background: Night-shift work, exposure to artificial light-at-night (ALAN) and particularly blue light spectrum, and the consequent circadian disruption may increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer. Colorectal cancer risk may also be increased among night-shift workers. We investigated the association between exposure to ALAN according to light spectrum and colorectal cancer among subjects who had never worked at night in a general population case-control study in Spain., Methods: We examined information on 661 incident histologically verified colorectal cancer cases and 1,322 controls from Barcelona and Madrid, 2007-2013. Outdoor ALAN exposure was based on images from the International Space Station (ISS) including data on remotely sensed upward light intensity. We derived adjusted odds ratio (OR) estimates and confidence intervals (CI) for visual light, blue light, and spectral sensitivities of the five human photopigments assigned to participant's geocoded longest residence., Results: Exposure to blue light spectrum was positively associated with colorectal cancer (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.2; highest vs. lowest tertile). ORs were similar (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3-2.3) when further adjusting for area socioeconomic status, diet patterns, smoking, sleep, and family history. We observed no association for outdoor visual light (full spectrum) (OR = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.7-1.2; highest vs. lowest tertile). Analysis of the five photopigments gave similar results with increased risks for shorter wavelengths overlapping with the blue spectrum and no association for longer wavelengths., Conclusions: Outdoor blue light spectrum exposure that is increasingly prevalent in recent years may be associated with colorectal cancer risk. See video abstract: http://links.lww.com/EDE/B708.

Recent studies in prostate cancer have identified PACE4, a proprotein convertase enzyme, as an emerging therapeutic target. Inhibition of PACE4-altCT, an oncogenic isoform of PACE4, using molecular or pharmacological approaches results in decreased cell proliferation and tumor progression in xenograft models. Although several validations have confirmed PACE4-altCT as a novel therapeutic target, the transcriptional regulation of PACE4 isoforms and mechanism of action remain a challenge. Previously, it has been reported that the human PACE4 promoter possesses potential binding sites for the E2F family of transcription factors, all of which are involved in cell cycle regulation and synthesis of DNA in mammalian cells. Therefore, we attempted to conduct in-depth evaluation of E2Fs on PACE4 and PACE4 isoform expression in prostate cancer. We conducted in vitro molecular silencing studies in various prostate cancer cell lines and determined the change in PACE4 expression levels. The results clearly show that the E2Fs alone do not alter PACE4 expression.

Objective: To determine predictors for surgical complications and assess patient satisfaction after surgical treatment of Adult-Acquired Buried Penis (AABP)., Methods: A retrospective review was performed on all patients diagnosed with AABP who underwent surgical treatment at a single institution from January 2013-December 2017. Patient demographics and peri-operative data were extracted. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify predictors for surgical complications. Patients' post-operative satisfaction was likewise assessed for factors such as successful outcome, post-operative erection quality, and complications related to the surgery., Result: Twenty-four patients of median age 61.5 years (IQR 54-67) with median follow-up of 12 months (IQR 3.25-29) were included. Overall success was 87.5% (21/24). Complications occurred in 15 (62.5%) patients with 7 (29%) Clavien-Dindo category ≥ 3. Based on regression analyses, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 (HR 25; 95% CI 1.45-431.81) and tobacco smoking (HR 14.6; 95% CI 1.15-199.98) were identified as independent predictors of overall complications. Concomitant performance of abdominal panniculectomy was associated with Clavien-Dindo category ≥ 3 (HR 28; 95% CI 2.4-326.74) complications. Patient satisfaction was associated with surgical success (p < 0.0001), post-operative erection (p < 0.027), and absence of surgical morbidity that needed further surgical intervention (p = 0.032)., Conclusion: Surgical management of AABP following an individualized algorithm results in a high success rate but also in relatively high procedure-related morbidity. Peri-operative BMI ≥ 40 and tobacco smoking have higher odds for overall complication occurrence, while concomitant abdominal panniculectomy results in more occurrence of Clavien-Dindo category ≥ 3 morbidities. Patient's eventual satisfaction correlates well with surgical success, post-procedural erection condition, and lack of Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3 morbidity.

Purpose: We report our experience with long-term outcomes of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate during a period of 18 years., Materials and Methods: We reviewed a prospectively collected database from March 1998 through June 2016 for patients who underwent holmium laser enucleation of the prostate for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia as performed or supervised by a single expert surgeon. Demographic and perioperative data were collected, including scores on the I-PSS (International Prostate Symptom Score), quality of life, peak flow rate, post-void residual urine and prostate specific antigen. Perioperative and late adverse events were also assessed., Results: At a median followup of 9.1 years 1,476 patients with a mean age of 70.7 years were included in study. Mean catheter time and hospital stay were 1.2 and 1.3 days, respectively. Mean ± SD I-PSS and quality of life scores (15.9 ± 6.5 vs 6.8 ± 5.6 and 3.1 ± 1.4 vs 1.5 ± 1.4, respectively, each p <0.001) were significantly improved after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate compared to preoperative values. Likewise the mean peak flow rate and post-void residual urine were significantly improved (mean 7.2 ± 4.0 vs 17.7 ± 10.4 ml per second and 204 ± 258 vs 43 ± 73 ml, respectively, each p <0.001) in the 132 patients who could be followed more than 10 years. Perioperative blood transfusion was required in 0.8% of patients. Prostate specific antigen was significantly reduced by 66.7% at the most recent followup (p <0.001). Postoperative complications included urethral stricture and bladder neck contracture in 21 (1.4%) and 30 patients (2.1%), respectively. Repeat holmium laser enucleation of the prostate was required in 21 patients (1.4%)., Conclusions: Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate is a safe, effective and durable procedure to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia during long-term followup.

Night-time lights interact with human physiology through different pathways starting at the retinal layers of the eye; from the signals provided by the rods; the S-, L- and M-cones; and the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC). These individual photic channels combine in complex ways to modulate important physiological processes, among them the daily entrainment of the neural master oscillator that regulates circadian rhythms. Evaluating the relative excitation of each type of photoreceptor generally requires full knowledge of the spectral power distribution of the incoming light, information that is not easily available in many practical applications. One such instance is wide area sensing of public outdoor lighting; present-day radiometers onboard Earth-orbiting platforms with sufficient nighttime sensitivity are generally panchromatic and lack the required spectral discrimination capacity. In this paper, we show that RGB imagery acquired with off-the-shelf digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLR) can be a useful tool to evaluate, with reasonable accuracy and high angular resolution, the photoreceptoral inputs associated with a wide range of lamp technologies. The method is based on linear regressions of these inputs against optimum combinations of the associated R, G, and B signals, built for a large set of artificial light sources by means of synthetic photometry. Given the widespread use of RGB imaging devices, this approach is expected to facilitate the monitoring of the physiological effects of light pollution, from ground and space alike, using standard imaging technology.

Introduction: Due to U.S Food and Drud Administration warnings and class-action lawsuits, the use of transvaginal mesh for pelvic organ prolapse surgery is controversial. We report data from two Canadian centres, focusing on recurrence and reoperation rates, complication rates, and patient satisfaction., Methods: A retrospective medical chart review was performed. Patients were also invited to a long-term followup clinic for a complete questionnaire and gynecological exam. Patients unable to present to clinic for followup had the option to answer the questionnaire via telephone., Results: A total of 334 patients were operated between 2000 and 2013. Median followup was 38 months for questionnaire and 36 months for physical exam. Thirty-seven patients (11.1%) required repeat operation, including 17 for recurrent prolapse and 10 for mesh exposure; 98.8% of patients reported feeling subjectively improved by their prolapse surgery., Conclusions: Midterm results are satisfactory and patient subjective satisfaction is high following transvaginal mesh repair of pelvic organ prolapse.

Background: Night shift work, exposure to light at night (ALAN) and circadian disruption may increase the risk of hormone-dependent cancers., Objectives: We evaluated the association of exposure to ALAN during sleeping time with breast and prostate cancer in a population based multicase-control study (MCC-Spain), among subjects who had never worked at night. We evaluated chronotype, a characteristic that may relate to adaptation to light at night., Methods: We enrolled 1,219 breast cancer cases, 1,385 female controls, 623 prostate cancer cases, and 879 male controls from 11 Spanish regions in 2008-2013. Indoor ALAN information was obtained through questionnaires. Outdoor ALAN was analyzed using images from the International Space Station (ISS) available for Barcelona and Madrid for 2012-2013, including data of remotely sensed upward light intensity and blue light spectrum information for each geocoded longest residence of each MCC-Spain subject., Results: Among Barcelona and Madrid participants with information on both indoor and outdoor ALAN, exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue light spectrum was associated with breast cancer [adjusted odds ratio (OR) for highest vs. lowest tertile, OR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.17] and prostate cancer (OR=2.05; 95% CI: 1.38, 3.03). In contrast, those exposed to the highest versus lowest intensity of outdoor ALAN were more likely to be controls than cases, particularly for prostate cancer. Compared with those who reported sleeping in total darkness, men who slept in "quite illuminated" bedrooms had a higher risk of prostate cancer (OR=2.79; 95% CI: 1.55, 5.04), whereas women had a slightly lower risk of breast cancer (OR=0.77; 95% CI: 0.39, 1.51)., Conclusion: Both prostate and breast cancer were associated with high estimated exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue-enriched light spectrum. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1837.

Pelvic organ prolapse is a prevalent disorder with a high lifetime incidence of surgical repair. Pelvic organ prolapse surgery has greatly evolved over the past years, and pelvic floor reconstructive surgeons are faced with a vast array of treatment options for their patients. Our review article illustrates the current trends and future perspectives for the surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse.