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Marital status has been shown to have protective effects for married patients with various cancers. We sought to determine effects of marital status on perioperative outcomes after robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy (RAPL).

La fibrose pulmonaire idiopathique (FPI) est une maladie évolutive caractérisée par une production et un dépôt excessif de matrice extracellulaire (MEC) entraînant une insuffisance respiratoire chez les patients. Sous l’influence de cytokines pro-fibrotiques telles que le TGF-β1, les cellules pulmonaires vont acquérir un phénotype myofibroblastique caractérisé par l’expression de la Fibroblast Activation Protein(FAP) et une surproduction de MEC. Les options de traitement de la FPI sont limitées et ne peuvent que retarder la progression de la maladie sans l’arrêter. La Gp96 est une protéine chaperonne du réticulum endoplasmique surexprimée au cours de la fibrose et favorisant l’expression membranaire de nombreux récepteurs impliqués dans la fibrogenèse. L’inhibition de Gp96 apparait comme une stratégie thérapeutique intéressante dans la FPI et nous émettons l’hypothèse que l’imagerie in vivodes myofibroblastes via une sonde ciblant FAP pourrait permettre de suivre l’efficacité de ce type de traitement.

The amount of circulating maternal corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) appears to vary during pregnancy. The amounts do not appear to serve as useful predictors of early miscarriage. Researchers periodically measured blood levels of CRH and GnRH in 51 women throughout pregnancy. CRH increased steadily to a peak amount during labor. GnRH increased in early pregnancy, declined in mid-pregnancy, and increased again at the end of pregnancy. Concentrations were similar in 33 women having full-term pregnancies and 10 women experiencing early miscarriage or premature delivery.

Staff costs for cataloging have declined at Iowa State University Library. This is demonstrated by data from a longitudinal time and cost study begun in 1987. We discuss the national [...]

La fibrose pulmonaire idiopathique (FPI) est une maladie rare avec une médiane de survie de cinq ans. Le nintédanib et la pirfénidone sont les seuls traitements disponibles mais ne font que ralentir la progression de la maladie sans la traiter. Il n’existe pour le moment aucun moyen précis pour prédire et suivre l’évolution de la FPI ni l’efficacité des traitements. La FPI est caractérisée par un dépôt de collagène en excès par les myofibroblastes. Ces derniers portent à leur surface des biomarqueurs tel que Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90). L’implication de la forme extracellulaire et membranaire d’HSP90 (eHSP90) dans la FP a été montré par des travaux précédant de l’équipe. Nous émettons l’hypothèse qu’une sonde d’imagerie ciblant eHSP90 pourrait permettre la détection précise des lésions fibreuses in vivo et que l’inhibition d’eHSP90 représente une stratégie thérapeutique innovante pour la FP.

Many people look forward to spring flowers, only to discover that mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) have eaten the sprouting plants and flower buds. One potential method to prevent this problem is to grow unpalatable flowering plants in gardens where deer herbivory is expected, but this requires knowledge about the relative palatability of plant species. We examined spring-flowering plants in gardens located in Cache County, Utah, USA (2010 through 2017), and recorded the proportion of leaves and flower buds browsed by mule deer. Mule deer browsing was greatest on tulips (Tulipaspp.), grape hyacinths (Muscarispp.), and crocuses (Crocusspp.) and lowest on iris (Irisspp.) and daffodils (Narcissusspp.) We hypothesized that the first plants to sprout in the spring experienced greater levels of deer herbivory because of the lack of alternate plants that deer can browse during that time of year. To test this hypothesis, we started plants in greenhouses so that they sprouted at the same time. We then placed these plants in locations throughout Cache Valley where there were deer trails and deer feces. Among these plants, tulip, liatris (Liatrisspp.), and grape hyacinth were browsed heavily, suggesting that deer found these plants palatable. In contrast, crocus were rarely eaten, suggesting that deer damage on this plant results more from its early sprouting rather than its palatability. Planting unpalatable plants may be a viable approach to reducing homeowners’ angst from finding that their spring-flowering plants have been browsed. Wildlife biologists and Cooperative Extension agents should find our results useful when guiding homeowners in selecting which spring-flowering plants to grow in areas where deer herbivory can be expected. © 2018 The Wildlife Society. Homeowners become frustrated when deer damage their spring flowers by eating them. This frustration could be avoided by planting spring flowers that are unpalatable to deer.

Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia previously linked to systemic inflammation, which has been correlated with leukocyte and prealbumin levels. We sought to identify predictors of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) following robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy.

La fibrose pulmonaire idiopathique (FPI) est une maladie progressive dont l’étiologie reste mal comprise. Son pronostic est sombre avec une médiane de survie des patients inférieure à cinq ans. La FPI est caractérisée par une accumulation excessive de matrice extracellulaire, notamment de collagène, au niveau du parenchyme pulmonaire. La Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2), une enzyme surexprimée lors de la fibrogenèse, est responsable de la réticulation accrue des fibres de collagène qui conduit à la rigidification du tissu pulmonaire et à la progression de la fibrose. Seuls deux médicaments, la pirfénidone et le nintédanib, ont été approuvés pour la FPI et permettent de retarder modérément le déclin de la fonction respiratoire. Ces deux thérapies impliquent la mise en place de stratégies, aujourd’hui inexistantes, pour identifier des biomarqueurs prédictifs de progression de la maladie et de réponse aux traitements. Cela serait une première étape nécessaire à la personnalisation de la prise en charge des patients en améliorant considérablement l’efficacité d’un traitement adapté à l’individu.

La fibrose pulmonaire idiopathique (FPI) est une maladie évolutive caractérisée par une production et un dépôt excessif de matrice extracellulaire (MEC) dans les poumons entraînant une insuffisance respiratoire chez le patient. Sous l’influence de cytokines pro-fibrotiques telles que le TGF-β1, les cellules pulmonaires vont acquérir un phénotype myofibroblastique qui exprime la Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) et joue un rôle important dans le dépôt de MEC. Les options de traitement de la FPI sont limitées et ne peuvent que retarder la progression de la maladie sans l’arrêter. Gp96 est une protéine chaperonne nécessaire à l’expression membranaire de nombreux récepteurs et surexprimée au cours de la fibrose. L’inhibition de Gp96 peut être intéressante dans l’IPF et nous émettons l’hypothèse que l’imagerie in vivo de myofibroblastes via FAP pourrait permettre de suivre l’efficacité de cette thérapie.

When prepared on a silicon wafer and annealed above the glass transition temperature Tg, symmetric, diblock copolyumers of poly(styrene-b-butylmethacrylate), P(S-b-BMA), exhibit a multilayer structure parallel to the substrate and islands (or holes) are formed on the free surface of the films. In situinterference microscopy has been used to follow the kinetics of growth of these islands or holes. It is shown that the kinetics of growth depends on the initial density of islands (or holes) : at 140 ○C, for intermediate annealing times, there is no time-evolution of the free surface for dilute systems while for more concentrated ones, the size distribution function of islands or holes verifies a scaling law versustime. For longer annealing times at 170 ○C, the ultimate behavior of the copolymer film is to eliminate islands or holes by allowing the permeation of the copolymer molecules into the inner layers of the film.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease characterized by an excessive collagen deposition leading to functional decline. Therapeutic options for IPF are limited with only nintedanib and pirfenidone which are able to reduce fibrosis progression without stopping the disease. Findings new therapeutic targets and associated biomarkers are major clinical concerns. CD206-expressing M2 macrophages have been shown to be involved in fibrosis progression through secretion of pro-fibrotic cytokines, mainly TGF-β1. The kinetic and relevance of CD206+macrophages recruitment during IPF remain unclear. Whether CD206+macrophages may be relevant therapeutic targets or biomarkers remain an open question.

Navicular bones from the four limbs of 95 horses, classified in 9 categories, were studied. The effects of age on navicular bone morphometry and histomorphometry were estimated, after adjustment of the data to even out the effects of front and rear limbs, morphometrical type, sex, weight, and size. All the external measurements of the navicular bone decreased significantly with increasing age. From the histomorphometrical data, cortical bone volume decreased with age in most horses, whereas cancellous bone volume and, in particular, the marrow spaces increased. The increase in the cancellous bone volume could have resulted from tunnelling of the internal part of the cortex, which converted it progressively into a porous trabecular-like structure. Trabecular bone volume also decreased with age and the trabecular lattice changed dramatically to become disconnected in aged horses. These observations corresponded closely to those reported for ageing of the skeletal system in humans. However, in sporting horses, the navicular cortical bone volume increased with age and the cancellous bone volume decreased. Exercise appeared to have decreased bone resorption and increased bone formation at the endocortical junction. The cancellous bone architecture was also improved, in that the trabecular lattice and trabecular bone volume remained unchanged in aged sporting horses. Our findings confirmed that exercise may be good practice to prevent age-related bone loss.

A case is presented wherein a severely malformed permanent central incisor was reshaped utilizing a visible light cured composite resin restorative material and retained for two years pending the commencement of active orthodontic therapy. The orthodontic implications of this case are discussed as are the histological and restorative dentistry aspects. The need for a combined, interdisciplinary approach to such problems is emphasized.

Concern about sustained availability of fresh groundwater for agricultural use in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) mounts as groundwater levels decline. We evaluate the elasticities of demand for groundwater and other agricultural inputs, as well as the overall and output-specific economies of scale for four major irrigated commodities (rice, corn, soybeans, and cotton) in the MAP region. Additionally, we investigate the impacts of two groundwater management policy scenarios, including increasing pumping cost and groundwater use restrictions, on irrigation behavior. The results show price elasticity of demand for groundwater to be −0.13, indicating that it is inelastic, and an increased cost of pumping will not significantly decrease the relative demand for groundwater in the region. Even with policy scenarios that either increase the costs of pumping significantly or restrict groundwater use in the region, groundwater demand still appears to be inelastic. We also document significant overall economies of scale in the region. Our findings have implications for potential policy options aimed at reducing groundwater use. Efficient management practices are important to increase aquifer recharge, and considering human behavior via economic analysis will improve projections of groundwater availability in the MAP region.

Presents several letters to the editor. Discussion of the upcoming court decision to allow same-gender marriage in Big Island, Hawaii; Appraisal of the articles by the author Keith Haugen; Request by a reader for people who can dance with her in the Universal Show Queen Pageant to be held in April 1997; Comment on the article "Do Tell," published in the December 1996 issue of the journal "Everyman."