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In response to increasing calls for better consideration of social dimensions in Forest (and) Landscape Restoration (FLR), this systematic literature review identifies and synthesises relevant themes associated with critical social perspectives in FLR. Critical perspectives are methodologically diverse but generally share an intention to interrogate power and knowledge, challenge the ‘status quo’ and ‘taken-for-granted’ assumptions, alongside promoting social justice. Critical perspectives therefore play a key role in illuminating complex social dimensions in global environmental governance. This review asks: What is the role of critical social perspectives within the academic discourse on FLR, and what key insights about FLR have these perspectives provided over the period 2000–2023? A total of 449 relevant academic papers were published during this period. An initial assessment of the abstracts, title and keywords found social dimensions were addressed in some way, even if only negligibly, in 211 of the 449 papers, and themes associated with critical social perspectives were evident in only 40 papers. These 40 papers were then read in full, and six key topic areas emerged: 1) Assumptions underpinning the links between FLR and human-wellbeing, particularly the tendency to measure human-wellbeing using simple economic indicators, were challenged as naïve and potentially misleading; 2) Tenure issues appear to be frequently under-appreciated, with serious consequences such as displacement of communities; 3) Top-down, technocratic models of governance are problematised for neglecting the socio-political contexts of FLR, which are laden with value and power asymmetries, as well as the implications of historical legacies (e.g., colonialism); 4) While there has been a proliferation of discursive intent to better ‘engage local stakeholders’, doing so remains opaque in principle and practice; 5) The heterogeneity of ‘local stakeholders’ emphasises the need to consider multiple intersections of social identities and diversity, and attend to gendered dimensions of FLR; 6) Accepting epistemological pluralism is considered fundamental to incorporating local and Indigenous Peoples’ knowledges into more people-centred, locally-relevant FLR governance and practice. The review concludes that, if FLR is to genuinely pursue the imperative to enhance human-wellbeing alongside the goal of regaining ecological integrity, a recalibration of research priorities toward interdisciplinary social sciences, and better representation of locally-situated stakeholders, are required. This will involve deliberation between researchers, from both social and natural sciences, as well as practitioners; and making concerted efforts to steer away from simplistic framings of the issues, toward more nuanced understandings of and responses to the systemic complexities embedded in FLR.

Abstract Approved therapies for the treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) mediate pulmonary vascular vasodilatation by targeting distinct biological pathways. International guidelines recommend that patients with an inadequate response to dual therapy with a phosphodiesterase type‐5 inhibitor (PDE5i) and endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), are recommended to either intensify oral therapy by adding a selective prostacyclin receptor (IP) agonist (selexipag), or switching from PDE5i to a soluble guanylate‐cyclase stimulator (sGCS; riociguat). The clinical equipoise between these therapeutic choices provides the opportunity for evaluation of individualized therapeutic effects. Traditionally, invasive/hospital‐based investigations are required to comprehensively assess disease severity and demonstrate treatment benefits. Regulatory‐approved, minimally invasive monitors enable equivalent measurements to be obtained while patients are at home. In this 2 × 2 randomized crossover trial, patients with PAH established on guideline‐recommended dual therapy and implanted with CardioMEMS™ (a wireless pulmonary artery sensor) and ConfirmRx™ (an insertable cardiac rhythm monitor), will receive ERA + sGCS, or PDEi + ERA + IP agonist. The study will evaluate clinical efficacy via established clinical investigations and remote monitoring technologies, with remote data relayed through regulatory‐approved online clinical portals. The primary aim will be the change in right ventricular systolic volume measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from baseline to maximal tolerated dose with each therapy. Using data from MRI and other outcomes, including hemodynamics, physical activity, physiological measurements, quality of life, and side effect reporting, we will determine whether remote technology facilitates early evaluation of clinical efficacy, and investigate intra‐patient efficacy of the two treatment approaches.

Kristen Thompson,1 Aaron Gibbings,1,2 James Shaw,1 Laura Ray,1 Gilles Hébert,1 Joseph De Koninck,1,3 Stuart Fogel1– 3 1School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; 2Sleep Unit, University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health at the Royal, Ottawa, ON, Canada; 3University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CanadaCorrespondence: Stuart FogelSchool of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CanadaEmail sfogel@uottawa.caIntroduction: Second-language learning (SLL) depends on distinct functional-neuroanatomical systems including procedural and declarative long-term memory. Characteristic features of rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep such as rapid eye movements and sleep spindles are electrophysiological markers of cognitively complex procedural and declarative memory consolidation, respectively. In adults, grammatical learning depends at first on declarative memory (“early SLL”) then shifts to procedural memory with experience (“late SLL”). However, it is unknown if the shift from declarative to procedural memory in early vs late SLL is supported by sleep. Here, we hypothesized that increases in sleep spindle characteristics would be associated with early SLL, whereas increases in REM activity (eg, density and EEG theta-band activity time-locked to rapid eye movements) would be associated with late SLL.Methods: Eight Anglophone (English first language) participants completed four polysomnographic recordings throughout an intensive 6-week French immersion course. Sleep spindle data and electroencephalographic spectral power time-locked to rapid eye movements were extracted from parietal temporal electrodes.Results: As predicted, improvements in French proficiency were associated with changes in spindles during early SLL. Furthermore, we observed increased event-related theta power time-locked to rapid eye movements during late SLL compared with early SLL. The increases in theta power were significantly correlated with improvements in French proficiency.Discussion: This supports the notion that sleep spindles are involved in early SLL when grammar depends on declarative memory, whereas cortical theta activity time-locked to rapid eye movements is involved in late SLL when grammar depends on procedural memory.Keywords: memory consolidation, procedural memory, declarative memory, learning, theta, language

This paper contributes to scholarship on adaptive water governance (AWG), following policy reforms in South Africa, through a focus on systemic feedbacks for learning and adaptation as critical aspects of AWG. We draw insights from three innovative and evolving water governance experiments. In 1998 South Africa adopted integrated water resources management (IWRM) as a transformative approach for achieving an equitable, sustainable, and decentralized stakeholder-centered water resources governance: all hallmarks of an enabling environment for a two-decade history of AWG, although not named as such. Progress in AWG is explored by using a longitudinal, evaluative exploration of three cases in two transboundary basins in South Africa, with a focus on the unfolding enabling environment for achieving sustainability and equity. Building on previous work, we present and discuss a range of enablers that are shown to function systemically to support feedbacks and build adaptive capacity and resilience in complex and uncertain river systems. In the Crocodile Basin, meta-governance arrangements that created an enabling space for collaborative experimentation and learning proved critical as feedbacks were progressively strengthened and embedded through evolving social and institutional arrangements. The enabling environment also supported a networked, blended system of stakeholder- and state-led platforms that have co-evolved through experimentation and learning. Despite progress, long-term persistence of action-learning feedbacks appears less certain in the Olifants Basin cases. We suggest that enabling meta-governance arrangements that offer an institutional home within which to embed learning is critical. The need to explore alternative networked governance arrangements and to explicitly manage for feedbacks that enhance learning at multiple scales is emphasized. We conclude with recommendations for future work on AWG, including reconciling differences between AWG and IWRM that originally framed South African reforms.

A zero-valent iron/rectorite nanocomposite (NZVI/rectorite) was developed as a heterogeneous H2O2 catalyst for P-chlorophenol degradation. The physicochemical properties of NZVI/rectorite were characterized by various techniques including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. Results showed that NZVI sphere nanoparticles were successfully loaded on the rectorite surface with less aggregation and good dispersion. Moreover, compared with acid-leached rectorite (30.91 m2/g), the NZVI/rectorite appeared to have larger surface area (50.75 m2/g). In addition, the effects of pH, reaction time, initial P-chlorophenol concentration, catalyst amount, and H2O2 dosage on the P-chlorophenol degradation were systematically investigated. Results showed that NZVI/rectorite presents better properties for the degradation and mineralization of P-chlorophenol compared with pristine NZVI due to the large surface area, low aggregation, and good dispersion of the former. The degradation mechanisms of P-chlorophenol by NZVI/rectorite were adsorption and reduction coupled with a Fenton-like reaction. Four successive runs of the stability and regeneration study also showed that the NZVI/rectorite were unchanged even after 100% of P-chlorophenol degradation ratio. This study has extended the application of NZVI/rectorite as environment function material for the removal of P-chlorophenol from the environment. Keywords: Nano zero-valent iron, Rectorite, Heterogeneous Fenton oxidation, P-chlorophenol degradation

0.29Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-0.45Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.26PbTiO3 single crystals have been studied using triple-axis based elastic and inelastic neutron scattering. Elastic diffuse scattering reveals the presence of polar nano-regions (PNR's) in this system, which emerge at the Burns temperature (TB ∼630 K) and then grow continuously in population and correlation size down to 100 K. At 300 K, characteristic “butterfly” and ellipsoid shaped diffuse scattering patterns are observed in the HK0 scattering plane. Electrical poling along the [110] direction produces a marked asymmetry in the diffuse scattering patterns, with the parallel-to-the-field components enhanced while the perpendicular-to-the-field components suppressed. Several low-energy phonon branches along the [100] and [110] directions have been measured. Most significantly, the PNR-acoustic phonon coupling is confirmed for the [110] transverse acoustic (TA) phonons polarized along the [1-10] real space direction and the [100] TA phonons. This coupling appears to be anisotropic and correlated with the PNRs' distribution, and also affected by the relative length scales of the PNRs and phonon wave vectors. The well-known “waterfall” phenomenon is observed on the [100] and [110] transverse optical (TO) branches, near the zone center. The optical phonons exhibit a lowest-energy, zone center soft TO mode, whose squared energy increases linearly with decreasing temperature below TB.

Five different subunits of the human serotonin 3 (5-hydroxytrptamine 3; 5-HT3) receptor exist and these are present in both central and peripheral systems. Different subunits alter the efficacy of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists used to treat diarrhoea predominant-irritable bowel syndrome, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting and depression. Cell surface arrangement of 5-HT3 receptor complexes and the contribution of C, D and E subunits to receptor function is poorly understood. Here, we examine interactions of A and C subunits using 5-HT3 receptor subunits containing fluorescent protein inserts between the 3rd and 4th transmembrane spanning region. HEK293T cells that do not normally express 5-HT3 receptor subunits, were transiently transfected with A or C or both subunits. Patch clamp experiments show that cells transfected with either fluorescent protein tagged A or A and C subunits generate whole cell currents in response to 5-HT. These findings correlate with the apparent distribution of fluorescent protein tagged A and C subunits at or near cell surfaces detected using TIRF microscopy. In co-transfected cells, the A and C subunits are associated forming AC heteromer complexes at or near the cell surface and a proportion can also form A or C homomers. In conclusion, it is likely that both A homomers and AC heteromers contribute to whole cell currents in response to 5-HT with minimal contribution from C homomers.

Background: Coronavirus (COVID19) appears to be an inflection point that is forcing a disruption in medical education. Objective: The study aims to explore how medical schools in Egypt responded to COVID-19 pandemic regarding teaching and learning/assessment for undergraduate students. Design: A mixed method exploratory 2-phase study was conducted. Data was collected through a questionnaire and focus groups. Results: The responses of the participants were categorized according to main themes; University preparedness, Role of faculty in the transition, Role of ME units/Departments/National/Regional bodies in the transition, Role of Egyptian Knowledge Bank, New teaching methods/strategies, New assessment methods/strategies and Projection into the future. The staff level of preparedness for that unexpected shift was evaluated as optimum to high and a good leadership support was reported by 70% of them. They reported conflicting views about the proper role of medical education units but reinforced the idea of Egyptian Knowledge Bank’s crucial role in this transition. Additionally, 64.1% of the participants identified a clinical skills teaching challenge and 76.3% of them reported absence of alternative methods for summative assessment. Finally, there is a communication problem with the students that leads to their detachment. Conclusions: Individuals moved faster than bodies and relied on support existing outside the universities when catastrophe happened. Many recommendations emerged including the need to integrate online learning into the curriculum at favorable percentages.

A retrospective study of admission data of 401 West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) presented to the David A. Straz Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center at ZooTampa at Lowry Park (ZooTampa) for rehabilitation from August 1991 through October 2017. Causes of admittance, location of rescue, gender, and age class were all recorded for each manatee admitted. Admittance categories as defined by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) included watercraft collisions, natural causes, entanglement, entrapment, orphaned calves, captive born, mothers of rescued calves, calves of rescued mothers, human, and other. The admitted population was primarily from the southwest and northwest coasts and related waterways of Florida. The gender difference was relatively equivocal (54% female) while the adults comprised 79% of the admissions. The overall total admissions increased steadily over the study period as did the admissions for each individual categories of admission. Watercraft collisions and natural causes combined were 71% of all admissions for the entire study period and are the dominant causes of admission. Watercraft collisions are more likely to occur during May through October, whereas natural causes of admittance are more likely to occur between December and March. Rehabilitated manatees may reduce overall manatee mortality and can provide insight into population-based health concerns if evaluated appropriately. Future efforts can incorporate physical examination findings, hematology, biochemistry profiles, and ancillary diagnostic testing to continue to improve the individual welfare of this marine mammal in its natural range. Admissions data could also potentially serve the wider conservation and recovery efforts if it is proven that the data obtained is at least as informative as that obtained by the carcass salvage program. Limited conservation resources could then be re-directed as new challenges arise with the expanding population and potentially expanding range of this species.

The nematodes C. elegans and P. pacificus populate diverse habitats and display distinct patterns of behavior. To understand how their nervous systems have diverged, we undertook a detailed examination of the neuroanatomy of the chemosensory system of P. pacificus. Using independent features such as cell body position, axon projections and lipophilic dye uptake, we have assigned homologies between the amphid neurons, their first-layer interneurons, and several internal receptor neurons of P. pacificus and C. elegans. We found that neuronal number and soma position are highly conserved. However, the morphological elaborations of several amphid cilia are different between them, most notably in the absence of ‘winged’ cilia morphology in P. pacificus. We established a synaptic wiring diagram of amphid sensory neurons and amphid interneurons in P. pacificus and found striking patterns of conservation and divergence in connectivity relative to C. elegans, but very little changes in relative neighborhood of neuronal processes. These findings demonstrate the existence of several constraints in patterning the nervous system and suggest that major substrates for evolutionary novelty lie in the alterations of dendritic structures and synaptic connectivity.

The severe epidemic of Ebola virus disease in Liberia started in March 2014. On May 9, 2015, the World Health Organization declared Liberia free of Ebola, 42 days after safe burial of the last known case-patient. However, another 6 cases occurred during June–July; on September 3, 2015, the country was again declared free of Ebola. Liberia had by then reported 10,672 cases of Ebola and 4,808 deaths, 37.0% and 42.6%, respectively, of the 28,103 cases and 11,290 deaths reported from the 3 countries that were heavily affected at that time. Essential components of the response included government leadership and sense of urgency, coordinated international assistance, sound technical work, flexibility guided by epidemiologic data, transparency and effective communication, and efforts by communities themselves. Priorities after the epidemic include surveillance in case of resurgence, restoration of health services, infection control in healthcare settings, and strengthening of basic public health systems.

Perennial biofuel crops help to reduce both dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions while utilizing nutrients more efficiently compared to annual crops. In addition, perennial crops grown for biofuels have the potential to produce high biomass yields, are capable of increased carbon sequestration, and are beneficial for reducing soil erosion. Various monocultures and mixtures of perennial grasses and forbs can be established to achieve these benefits. The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of feedstock mixture and cutting height on yields. The base feedstock treatments included a monoculture of switchgrass (SG) and a switchgrass:big bluestem 1:1 mixture (SGBBS). Other treatments included mixtures of the base feedstock with ratios of base to native forbs plus legumes of 100:0, 80:20, 60:40, and 20:80. The study was established in 2008. Biomass crops typically require 2 to 3 years to produce a uniform stand. Therefore, harvest data were collected from July 2010 to July 2013. Three harvest times were selected to represent (1) biomass for biofuel (March), (2) forage (July), and (3) forage and biomass (October). Annual mean yields varied between 4.97 Mg ha−1 in 2010 to 5.56 Mg ha−1 in 2011. However, the lowest yield of 2.82 Mg ha−1 in March and the highest yield of 7.18 Mg ha−1 in July were harvested in 2013. The mean yield was 5.21 Mg ha−1 during the 4 year study. The effect of species mixture was not significant on yield. The cutting height was significant (p < 0.001), with greater yield for the 15 cm compared to the 30 cm cutting height. Yield differences were larger between harvest times during the early phase of the study. Yield difference within a harvest time was not significant for 3 of the 10 harvests. Future studies should examine changes in biomass production for mixture composition with time for selection of optimal regional specific species mixtures.

We employed a global high-resolution inverse model to optimize the CH4 emission using Greenhouse gas Observing Satellite (GOSAT) and surface observation data for a period from 2011−2017 for the two main source categories of anthropogenic and natural emissions. We used the Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR v4.3.2) for anthropogenic methane emission and scaled them by country to match the national inventories reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Wetland and soil sink prior fluxes were simulated using the Vegetation Integrative Simulator of Trace gases (VISIT) model. Biomass burning prior fluxes were provided by the Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS). We estimated a global total anthropogenic and natural methane emissions of 340.9 Tg CH4 yr−1 and 232.5 Tg CH4 yr−1, respectively. Country-scale analysis of the estimated anthropogenic emissions showed that all the top-emitting countries showed differences with their respective inventories to be within the uncertainty range of the inventories, confirming that the posterior anthropogenic emissions did not deviate from nationally reported values. Large countries, such as China, Russia, and the United States, had the mean estimated emission of 45.7 ± 8.6, 31.9 ± 7.8, and 29.8 ± 7.8 Tg CH4 yr−1, respectively. For natural wetland emissions, we estimated large emissions for Brazil (39.8 ± 12.4 Tg CH4 yr−1), the United States (25.9 ± 8.3 Tg CH4 yr−1), Russia (13.2 ± 9.3 Tg CH4 yr−1), India (12.3 ± 6.4 Tg CH4 yr−1), and Canada (12.2 ± 5.1 Tg CH4 yr−1). In both emission categories, the major emitting countries all had the model corrections to emissions within the uncertainty range of inventories. The advantages of the approach used in this study were: (1) use of high-resolution transport, useful for simulations near emission hotspots, (2) prior anthropogenic emissions adjusted to the UNFCCC reports, (3) combining surface and satellite observations, which improves the estimation of both natural and anthropogenic methane emissions over spatial scale of countries.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important precursors to the formation of ozone and fine particulate matter, the two pollutants of most concern in Sydney, Australia. Despite this importance, there are very few published measurements of ambient VOC concentrations in Australia. In this paper, we present mole fractions of several important VOCs measured during the campaign known as MUMBA (Measurements of Urban, Marine and Biogenic Air) in the Australian city of Wollongong (34°S). We particularly focus on measurements made during periods when clean marine air impacted the measurement site and on VOCs of biogenic origin. Typical unpolluted marine air mole fractions during austral summer 2012-2013 at latitude 34°S were established for CO2 (391.0 ± 0.6 ppm), CH4 (1760.1 ± 0.4 ppb), N2O (325.04 ± 0.08 ppb), CO (52.4 ± 1.7 ppb), O3 (20.5 ± 1.1 ppb), acetaldehyde (190 ± 40 ppt), acetone (260 ± 30 ppt), dimethyl sulphide (50 ± 10 ppt), benzene (20 ± 10 ppt), toluene (30 ± 20 ppt), C8H10 aromatics (23 ± 6 ppt) and C9H12 aromatics (36 ± 7 ppt). The MUMBA site was frequently influenced by VOCs of biogenic origin from a nearby strip of forested parkland to the east due to the dominant north-easterly afternoon sea breeze. VOCs from the more distant densely forested escarpment to the west also impacted the site, especially during two days of extreme heat and strong westerly winds. The relative amounts of different biogenic VOCs observed for these two biomes differed, with much larger increases of isoprene than of monoterpenes or methanol during the hot westerly winds from the escarpment than with cooler winds from the east. However, whether this was due to different vegetation types or was solely the result of the extreme temperatures is not entirely clear. We conclude that the clean marine air and biogenic signatures measured during the MUMBA campaign provide useful information about the typical abundance of several key VOCs and can be used to constrain chemical transport model simulations of the atmosphere in this poorly sampled region of the world.

Purpose: Histological grading is currently one of the best predictors of tumor behavior and outcome in soft tissue sarcoma. However, occasionally there is significant disagreement even among expert pathologists. An alternative method that gives more reliable and non-subjective diagnostic information is needed. The potential use of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in combination with an appropriate statistical classification strategy was tested here in differentiating normal mesenchymal tissue from soft tissue sarcoma.

Nematodes and insects are the two most speciose animal phyla and nematode–insect associations encompass widespread biological interactions. To dissect the chemical signals and the genes mediating this association, we investigated the effect of an oriental beetle sex pheromone on the development and behavior of the nematode Pristionchus pacificus. We found that while the beetle pheromone is attractive to P. pacificus adults, the pheromone arrests embryo development, paralyzes J2 larva, and inhibits exit of dauer larvae. To uncover the mechanism that regulates insect pheromone sensitivity, a newly identified mutant, Ppa-obi-1, is used to reveal the molecular links between altered attraction towards the beetle pheromone, as well as hypersensitivity to its paralyzing effects. Ppa-obi-1 encodes lipid-binding domains and reaches its highest expression in various cell types, including the amphid neuron sheath and excretory cells. Our data suggest that the beetle host pheromone may be a species-specific volatile synomone that co-evolved with necromeny.

A careful, systematic investigation of Ba6−3xLn8+2xTi18O54 (BLnTss) ceramics has been performed in order to understand the relationship between composition, microstructure evolution, and microwave dielectric properties. In this paper, we report the effects of composition, morphology, and sintering time on the phase relations and properties of BLnTss (Ln = Nd, Nd/Sm, Sm) ceramics. The microwave dielectric properties of the materials are reported in addition to phase characterisation and structural analysis via X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. BLnTss, x=0.33, ceramics with high Sm content are found to experience a severe degradation of Qf and changes in τcf trending, associated with the onset of globular and needle-like grain morphology and a Ba-Ti rich phase. x=0.67 ceramics with high Nd content are found to exhibit a secondary phase (Nd2Ti2O7) upon prolonged sintering which resulted in beneficial changes to Qf and τcf without affecting εr. Two BLnTss ceramics compositions with near-zero τcf were successfully synthesised with high Qf and εr values.

The genetic tractability and the species-specific association with beetles make the nematode Pristionchus pacificus an exciting emerging model organism for comparative studies in development and behavior. P. pacificus differs from Caenorhabditis elegans (a bacterial feeder) by its buccal teeth and the lack of pharyngeal grinders, but almost nothing is known about which genes coordinate P. pacificus feeding behaviors, such as pharyngeal pumping rate, locomotion, and fat storage.We analyzed P. pacificus pharyngeal pumping rate and locomotion behavior on and off food, as well as on different species of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Caulobacter crescentus). We found that the cGMP-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) Ppa-EGL-4 in P. pacificus plays an important role in regulating the pumping rate, mouth form dimorphism, the duration of forward locomotion, and the amount of fat stored in intestine. In addition, Ppa-EGL-4 interacts with Ppa-OBI-1, a recently identified protein involved in chemosensation, to influence feeding and locomotion behavior. We also found that C. crescentus NA1000 increased pharyngeal pumping as well as fat storage in P. pacificus.The PKG EGL-4 has conserved functions in regulating feeding behavior in both C. elegans and P. pacificus nematodes. The Ppa-EGL-4 also has been co-opted during evolution to regulate P. pacificus mouth form dimorphism that indirectly affect pharyngeal pumping rate. Specifically, the lack of Ppa-EGL-4 function increases pharyngeal pumping, time spent in forward locomotion, and fat storage, in part as a result of higher food intake. Ppa-OBI-1 functions upstream or parallel to Ppa-EGL-4. The beetle-associated omnivorous P. pacificus respond differently to changes in food state and food quality compared to the exclusively bacteriovorous C. elegans.

Sleep dysfunction is a common nonmotor symptom experienced by patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Symptoms, including excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep fragmentation, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder and others, can significantly affect quality of life and daytime functioning in these patients. Recent studies have evaluated the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) at various targets on sleep in patients with advanced PD. Several of these studies have provided evidence that subthalamic nucleus DBS improves subjective and objective measures of sleep, including sleep efficiency, nocturnal mobility, and wake after sleep onset (minutes spent awake after initial sleep onset). Although fewer studies have investigated the effects of bilateral internal globus pallidus and thalamic ventral intermedius DBS on sleep, pallidal stimulation does appear to improve subjective sleep quality. Stimulation of the pedunculopontine nucleus has recently been proposed for selected patients with advanced PD to treat severe gait and postural dysfunction. Owing to the role of the pedunculopontine nucleus in modulating behavioral state, the impact of stimulation at this target on sleep has also been evaluated in a small number of patients, showing that pedunculopontine nucleus DBS increases REM sleep. In this review, we discuss the effects of stimulation at these various targets on sleep in patients with PD. Studying the effects of DBS on sleep can enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of sleep disorders, provide strategies for optimizing clinical benefit from DBS, and may eventually guide novel therapies for sleep dysfunction.

Bacterial meningitis is an acute disease with high mortality that is reduced by early treatment. Identification of the causative microorganism by culture is sensitive but slow. Large volumes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are required to maximise sensitivity and establish a provisional diagnosis. We have utilised nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to rapidly characterise the biochemical profile of CSF from normal rats and animals with pneumococcal or cryptococcal meningitis. Use of a miniaturised capillary NMR system overcame limitations caused by small CSF volumes and low metabolite concentrations. The analysis of the complex NMR spectroscopic data by a supervised statistical classification strategy included major, minor and unidentified metabolites. Reproducible spectral profiles were generated within less than three minutes, and revealed differences in the relative amounts of glucose, lactate, citrate, amino acid residues, acetate and polyols in the three groups. Contributions from microbial metabolism and inflammatory cells were evident. The computerised statistical classification strategy is based on both major metabolites and minor, partially unidentified metabolites. This data analysis proved highly specific for diagnosis (100% specificity in the final validation set), provided those with visible blood contamination were excluded from analysis; 6-8% of samples were classified as indeterminate. This proof of principle study suggests that a rapid etiologic diagnosis of meningitis is possible without prior culture. The method can be fully automated and avoids delays due to processing and selective identification of specific pathogens that are inherent in DNA-based techniques.

The atmospheric history of molecular hydrogen (H2) from 1852 to 2003 was reconstructed from measurements of firn air collected at Megadunes, Antarctica. The reconstruction shows that H2 levels in the southern hemisphere were roughly constant near 330 parts per billion (ppb; nmol H2 mol-1 air) during the mid to late 1800s. Over the twentieth century, H2 levels rose by about 70% to 550 ppb. The reconstruction shows good agreement with the H2 atmospheric history based on firn air measurements from the South Pole. The broad trends in atmospheric H2 over the twentieth century can be explained by increased methane oxidation and anthropogenic emissions. The H2 rise shows no evidence of deceleration during the last quarter of the twentieth century despite an expected reduction in automotive emissions following more stringent regulations. During the late twentieth century, atmospheric CO levels decreased due to a reduction in automotive emissions. It is surprising that atmospheric H2 did not respond similarly as automotive exhaust is thought to be the dominant source of anthropogenic H2. The monotonic late twentieth century rise in H2 levels is consistent with late twentieth-century flask air measurements from high southern latitudes. An additional unknown source of H2 is needed to explain twentieth-century trends in atmospheric H2 and to resolve the discrepancy between bottom-up and top-down estimates of the anthropogenic source term. The firn air-based atmospheric history of H2 provides a baseline from which to assess human impact on the H2 cycle over the last 150 y and validate models that will be used to project future trends in atmospheric composition as H2 becomes a more common energy source.

Intracranial implantation of polymer-encapsulated PC-12 cells has been shown to improve motor behavioral performance in animal models of Parkinson's disease. The purpose of this blinded study was to examine whether such improvement is associated with the active uptake and metabolism of dopamine precursors by intracerebrally implanted polymer-encapsulated PC-12 cells. In an in vitro experiment we demonstrate that 3 H-dopamine uptake by PC-12 cells was 10 8 fmol/min × 10 6 cells, and that this uptake can be specifically blocked 88% by the addition of 10 nM of nomifensine. In the in vivo experiments, polymer-encapsulated PC-12 cells were implanted in four MPTP-treated monkeys into the left deep parietal white matter (R1) or left striatum (R2-4). A fifth MPTP-treated monkey (R5) served as a control and received left striatal implants of empty capsules. 18 F-Dopa Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging was performed on each monkey before and after implantation surgery by blinded investigators. PET images obtained 5-13 wk after implantation demonstrated well delineated focal areas of high 18 F-dopa uptake in R1, R2, and R4. The focal area of high 18 F-dopa uptake in R1 precisely coregistered on a brain magnetic resonance image to the site of implantation. R3 (in whom the polymer-encapsulated PC-12 cells demonstrated poor cell survival upon explantation) and R5 (empty capsules) failed to demonstrate any area of increased 18 F-dopa uptake in their PET images. Histological examination of the host brain revealed no sprouting of dopaminergic nerve terminals around the implantation sites of the polymer-encapsulated PC-12 cells. These results indicate that the previously noted behavioral improvement after intrastriatal implantation of polymer encapsulated PC-12 cells is at least in part due to their highly specific uptake and metabolism of dopamine precursors. Furthermore, these data suggest that polymer-encapsulated PC-12 cells can store, reuptake, and functionally replenish dopamine and therefore, may be an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease.

Developmental and behavioral plasticity allow animals to prioritize alternative genetic programs during fluctuating environments. Behavioral remodeling may be acute in animals that interact with host organisms, since reproductive adults and the developmentally arrested larvae often have different ethological needs for chemical stimuli. To understand the genes that coordinate the development and host-seeking behavior, we used the entomophilic nematode Pristionchus pacificus to characterize dauer-constitutive mutants (Daf-c) that inappropriately enter developmental diapause to become dauer larvae. We found two Daf-c loci with dauer-constitutive and cuticle exsheathment phenotypes that can be rescued by the feeding of Δ7-dafachronic acid, and that are dependent on the conserved canonical steroid hormone receptor Ppa-DAF-12. Specifically at one locus, deletions in the sole hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) in P. pacificus resulted in Daf-c phenotypes. Ppa-hsd-2 is expressed in the canal-associated neurons (CANs) and excretory cells whose homologous cells in Caenorhabditis elegans are not known to be involved in the dauer decision. While in wildtype only dauer larvae are attracted to host odors, hsd-2 mutant adults show enhanced attraction to the host beetle pheromone, along with ectopic activation of a marker for putative olfactory neurons, Ppa-odr-3. Surprisingly, this enhanced odor attraction acts independently of the Δ7-DA/DAF-12 module, suggesting that Ppa-HSD-2 may be responsible for several steroid hormone products involved in coordinating the dauer decision and host-seeking behavior in P. pacificus.

Right ventricular dysfunction is a hallmark of advanced pulmonary vascular, lung parenchymal, and left heart disease, yet the underlying mechanisms that govern (mal)adaptation remain incompletely characterized. Owing to the knowledge gaps in our understanding of the right ventricle (RV) in health and disease, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) commissioned a working group to identify current challenges in the field. These included a need to define and standardize normal RV structure and function in populations; access to RV tissue for research purposes and the development of complex experimental platforms that recapitulate the in vivo environment; and the advancement of imaging and invasive methodologies to study the RV within basic, translational, and clinical research programs. Specific recommendations were provided, including a call to incorporate precision medicine and innovations in prognosis, diagnosis, and novel RV therapeutics for patients with pulmonary vascular disease.

To examine the effects of autologous sural nerve and adrenal medullary tissue intrastriatal cografts upon voluntary motor performance in parkinsonism, a non-human primate 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) model was employed to quantitatively assess skilled hand movements. Motor performance was studied in normal, MPTP-induced parkinsonian, and then cografted states. Reaction and movement times were prolonged and variability increased in experimental and control animals in the parkinsonian state. Animals undergoing autologous cografts demonstrated improved motor performance whereas the control animal continued in a chronic, stable parkinsonian state. Intrastriatal cografts of autologous adrenal medullary tissue and sural nerve resulted in good to excellent chromaffin cell survival. The mechanism of the restoration of function in the cografted monkeys remains to be determined.

Global and regional atmospheric measurements and modeling can play key roles in discovering and quantifying unexpected nascent emissions of environmentally important substances. We focus here on three hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) that are restricted by the Montreal Protocol because of their roles in stratospheric ozone depletion. Based on measurements of archived air samples and on in situ measurements at stations of the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) network, we report global abundances, trends, and regional enhancements for HCFC-132b ([Formula: see text]), which is newly discovered in the atmosphere, and updated results for HCFC-133a ([Formula: see text]) and HCFC-31 ([Formula: see text]ClF). No purposeful end-use is known for any of these compounds. We find that HCFC-132b appeared in the atmosphere 20 y ago and that its global emissions increased to 1.1 Gg⋅y-1 by 2019. Regional top-down emission estimates for East Asia, based on high-frequency measurements for 2016-2019, account for ∼95% of the global HCFC-132b emissions and for ∼80% of the global HCFC-133a emissions of 2.3 Gg⋅y-1 during this period. Global emissions of HCFC-31 for the same period are 0.71 Gg⋅y-1 Small European emissions of HCFC-132b and HCFC-133a, found in southeastern France, ceased in early 2017 when a fluorocarbon production facility in that area closed. Although unreported emissive end-uses cannot be ruled out, all three compounds are most likely emitted as intermediate by-products in chemical production pathways. Identification of harmful emissions to the atmosphere at an early stage can guide the effective development of global and regional environmental policy.

Jovian magnetospheric plasma is coupled to the ionosphere through Alfvén waves. Alfvén waves enable the transport of angular momentum and energy between the planet and magnetospheric plasma, a process that ultimately generates Jupiter's bright auroral emissions. However, past the Alfvén radius, the location where the radial velocity is greater than the Alfvén velocity, magnetospheric plasma is decoupled from the planet. Alfvén waves launched by magnetospheric plasma do not reach the ionosphere, angular momentum cannot be transported from the planet, and auroral emissions should diminish. Knowledge of Jupiter's Alfvén radius location is critical for interpreting drivers of auroral emissions, in situ data, and applications of numerical models. Previous studies that determined the location of the Alfvén radius assumed an azimuthally symmetric magnetosphere and local‐time independent magnetic field. Here, we employ a statistical description of the magnetic field that includes local time effects. We find a minimum Alfvén radius of 30 RJ ${\mathrm{R}}_{J}$ (Jupiter radii) at 6 LT, with plasma decoupled from the planet in the post‐dusk through dawn sector. Furthermore, no Alfvén radius exists within 60 RJ ${\mathrm{R}}_{J}$ between 8 and 20 LT. At distances greater than 50 RJ ${\mathrm{R}}_{J}$, the Alfvén travel time is such that magnetospheric plasma moves substantially in the magnetosphere before angular momentum can be efficiently transferred from the atmosphere. Therefore, the angular momentum supplied may no longer be sufficient for the local conditions. Our results highlight the importance of local time considerations and offer new interpretations for local time dependent auroral features, such as the polar collar. Plain Language Summary: Jupiter's aurora is the visible signature of the coupling between the planetary atmosphere and the surrounding plasma environment. However, a planet's atmosphere is not always coupled to the surrounding plasma environment. As plasma moves through a magnetosphere, there are locations where Alfvén waves, which are launched along the planetary magnetic field and convey information between the plasma and planet, cannot travel as quickly as the plasma moves outwards. At these locations, the plasma can be considered decoupled from the planet and its behavior will be independent of any atmospheric influence. We identify the statistical location of this Alfvén radius within Jupiter's magnetosphere. We find that on the nightside of the magnetosphere, plasma decouples at distances of 30–35 Jovian radii which can explain the sharp boundary observed in UV images of Jupiter's aurora. On the dayside of the planet, plasma is always coupled to the atmosphere consistent with extended diffuse aurora poleward of the main emission. However, the efficiency of this coupling decreases with increasing distance from the planet. Our study shows that the azimuthal structure of the Alfvén radius should be considered in interpretations of auroral observations, in situ measurements, and development of future models. Key Points: Jupiter's asymmetric Alfvén radius exists inside 60 Jovian radii from 21 LT–9 LTThe Alfvén radius location informs interpretations of auroral observationsOutside 50 RJ ${\mathrm{R}}_{J}$, plasma in noon through dusk is weakly coupled due to long Alfvén travel times [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]