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The southern corn rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, is native to the US where it is a pest of peanut, Arachis hypogaea. The banded cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata LeConte, is native to the neotropics, but its range has expanded and currently includes most of the US peanut production area. The purpose of this study was to: (i) define seasonal variation in adult rootworm populations in peanut fields, and (ii) determine the effect(s) of proximity to a putative early season host (i.e. corn, Zea mays) and the presence of irrigation on rootworm infestation and pod injury in peanut. Seasonal abundance of adult rootworms in commercial peanut fields in Georgia was monitored in 2021 and 2022 using plant volatile lures attached to yellow sticky traps. Traps were located at 45, 90, and 180 m from the field edge in irrigated and nonirrigated peanut fields with and without a corn border. Two peaks in abundance were observed for both species in each year. Though peak abundance for the two species occurred nearly simultaneously, D. balteata was more abundant than D. u. howardi. Beetle abundance was highest in fields bordered by corn, but presence of irrigation was not as important for D. balteata as it was for D. u. howardi. Pod injury was greater in fields bordered by corn in both years, but there was no difference in pod injury between irrigated and nonirrigated fields. The number of beetles captured and incidence of pod injury within a field did not differ with distance from the field border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogen storage capabilities of the metal–organic framework (MOF) CALF-20 are examined experimentally with both cryogenic and near-ambient temperatures. This framework has a pore size that is nearly ideal for cryogenic hydrogen storage. Density functional theory (DFT) studies provide insights into the hydrogen binding sites within CALF-20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Administration of sodium pyruvate (SP; 9.08 μmol/kg, i.p.), ethyl pyruvate (EP; 0.34 μmol/kg, i.p.) or glucose (GLC; 11.1 μmol/kg, i.p.) to rats after unilateral controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury has been reported to reduce neuronal loss and improve cerebral metabolism. In the present study these doses of each fuel or 8% saline (SAL; 5.47 nmoles/kg) were administered immediately and at 1, 3, 6 and 23 h post-CCI. At 24 h all CCI groups and non-treated Sham injury controls were infused with [1,2 13C] glucose for 68 min 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were obtained from cortex + hippocampus tissues from left (injured) and right (contralateral) hemispheres. All three fuels increased lactate labeling to a similar degree in the injured hemisphere. The amount of lactate labeled via the pentose phosphate and pyruvate recycling (PPP + PR) pathway increased in CCI-SAL and was not improved by SP, EP, and GLC treatments. Oxidative metabolism, as assessed by glutamate labeling, was reduced in CCI-SAL animals. The greatest improvement in oxidative metabolism was observed in animals treated with SP and fewer improvements after EP or GLC treatments. Compared to SAL, all three fuels restored glutamate and glutamine labeling via pyruvate carboxylase (PC), suggesting improved astrocyte metabolism following fuel treatment. Only SP treatments restored the amount of [4 13C] glutamate labeled by the PPP + PR pathway to sham levels. Milder injury effects in the contralateral hemisphere appear normalized by either SP or EP treatments, as increases in the total pool of 13C lactate and labeling of lactate in glycolysis, or decreases in the ratio of PC/PDH labeling of glutamine, were found only for CCI-SAL and CCI-GLC groups compared to Sham. The doses of SP, EP and GLC examined in this study all enhanced lactate labeling and restored astrocyte-specific PC activity but differentially affected neuronal metabolism after CCI injury. The restoration of astrocyte metabolism by all three fuel treatments may partially underlie their abilities to improve cerebral glucose utilization and to reduce neuronal loss following CCI injury.

Experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to produce an acute increase in cerebral glucose utilization, followed rapidly by a generalized cerebral metabolic depression. The current studies determined effects of single or multiple treatments with sodium pyruvate (SP; 1000mg/kg, i.p.) or ethyl pyruvate (EP; 40mg/kg, i.p.) on cerebral glucose metabolism and neuronal injury in rats with unilateral controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury. In Experiment 1 a single treatment was given immediately after CCI. SP significantly improved glucose metabolism in 3 of 13 brain regions while EP improved metabolism in 7 regions compared to saline-treated controls at 24h post-injury. Both SP and EP produced equivalent and significant reductions in dead/dying neurons in cortex and hippocampus at 24h post-CCI. In Experiment 2 SP or EP were administered immediately (time 0) and at 1, 3 and 6h post-CCI. Multiple SP treatments also significantly attenuated TBI-induced reductions in cerebral glucose metabolism (in 4 brain regions) 24h post-CCI, as did multiple injections of EP (in 4 regions). The four pyruvate treatments produced significant neuroprotection in cortex and hippocampus 1day after CCI, similar to that found with a single SP or EP treatment. Thus, early administration of pyruvate compounds enhanced cerebral glucose metabolism and neuronal survival, with 40mg/kg of EP being as effective as 1000mg/kg of SP, and multiple treatments within 6h of injury did not improve upon outcomes seen following a single treatment.

Introduction Hennekam syndrome (OMIM #235510 and #616006) is an autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by congenital lymphedema and lymphangiectasia, unusual facial morphology, attributed at least in part to intrauterine facial lymphedema, and [...], The atypical cadherin FAT4 has established roles in the regulation of planar cell polarity and Hippo pathway signaling that are cell context dependent. The recent identification of FAT4 mutations in Hennekam syndrome, features of which include lymphedema, lymphangiectasia, and mental retardation, uncovered an important role for FAT4 in the lymphatic vasculature. Hennekam syndrome is also caused by mutations in collagen and calcium binding EGF domains 1 (CCBE1) and ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 3 (ADAMTS3), encoding a matrix protein and protease, respectively, that regulate activity of the key prolymphangiogenic VEGF-C/VEGFR3 signaling axis by facilitating the proteolytic cleavage and activation of VEGF-C. The fact that FAT4, CCBE1, and ADAMTS3 mutations underlie Hennekam syndrome suggested that all 3 genes might function in a common pathway. We identified FAT4 as a target gene of GATA-binding protein 2 (GATA2), a key transcriptional regulator of lymphatic vascular development and, in particular, lymphatic vessel valve development. Here, we demonstrate that FAT4 functions in a lymphatic endothelial cell-autonomous manner to control cell polarity in response to flow and is required for lymphatic vessel morphogenesis throughout development. Our data reveal a crucial role for FAT4 in lymphangiogenesis and shed light on the mechanistic basis by which FAT4 mutations underlie a human lymphedema syndrome.

The impact of hyperglycemia after traumatic brain injury (TBI), and even the administration of glucose-containing solutions to head injured patients, remains controversial. In the current study adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were tested on behavioral tasks and then underwent surgery to induce sham injury or unilateral controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury followed by injections (i.p.) with either a 50% glucose solution (Glc; 2g/kg) or an equivalent volume of either 0.9% or 8% saline (Sal) at 0, 1, 3 and 6h post-injury. The type of saline treatment did not significantly affect any outcome measures, so these data were combined. Rats with CCI had significant deficits in beam-walking traversal time and rating scores (p's < 0.001 versus sham) that recovered over test sessions from 1 to 13 days post-injury (p's < 0.001), but these beam-walking deficits were not affected by Glc versus Sal treatments. Persistent post-CCI deficits in forelimb contraflexion scores and forelimb tactile placing ability were also not differentially affected by Glc or Sal treatments. However, deficits in latency to retract the right hind limb after limb extension were significantly attenuated in the CCI-Glc group (p < 0.05 versus CCI-Sal). Both CCI groups were significantly impaired in a plus maze test of spatial working memory on days 4, 9 and 14 post-surgery (p < 0.001 versus sham), and there was no effect of Glc versus Sal on this cognitive outcome measure. At 15 days post-surgery the loss of cortical tissue volume (p < 0.001 versus sham) was significantly less in the CCI-Glc group (30.0%; p < 0.05) compared to the CCI-Sal group (35.7%). Counts of surviving hippocampal hilar neurons revealed a significant (~40%) loss ipsilateral to CCI (p < 0.001 versus sham), but neuronal loss in the hippocampus was not different in the CCI-Sal and CCI-Glc groups. Taken together, these results indicate that an early elevation of blood glucose may improve some neurological outcomes and, importantly, the induction of hyperglycemia after isolated TBI did not adversely affect any sensorimotor, cognitive or histological outcomes.

This article provides a typology of reasons for conducting mixed-methods research in special education. The mixed-methods research process is described along with the role of the rationale and purpose of study. The reasons given in the literature for utilizing mixed-methods research are explicated, and the limitations of these reason frameworks are identified. We build on these frameworks by providing a comprehensive list of reasons for conducting mixed-methods research. The reasons provided in our model are operationalized in the context of special education and, thus, complement the goals of special education researchers. Finally, we present a four-dimensional Rationale and Purpose (RAP) model demonstrating how investigations can be designed according to the rationale for using mixed methods, purpose of mixing, stage of study where mixing occurs, and emphasis of approach derived from the research question(s). (Contains 9 figures, 4 tables and 5 footnotes.)

Hydrogen may play a critical role in our efforts to de‐carbonize by 2050. However, there remain technical challenges in the storage and transport of hydrogen. Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown significant promise for hydrogen storage at cryogenic temperatures. A material that can meet the US department of energy (DOE) ultimate goal of 6.5 wt. % for gravimetric performance and 50 g/L for volumetric storage at near‐ambient temperatures would unlock hydrogen as a future fuel source for on‐board applications. Metal‐organic frameworks typically have low heat of adsorptions (i. e. 4–7 kJ/mol), whereas for storing significant quantities of hydrogen at near‐ambient temperatures, 15–25 kJ/mol is likely required. In this review we explore the current methods used (i. e., open‐metal sites, alkali dopants and hydrogen spillover) for promoting strong adsorption within MOFs. Further we discuss MOF‐based materials with respect to the technical aspects of deliverable capacity, kinetics and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lower income is associated with high incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. CVD is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. However, there is limited research on the association between income, CVD, and mortality in this population. Methods: This study utilized nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional survey evaluating the health and nutritional status of the US population. Our study included NHANES participants aged ≥20 years from 2003–2014, who self-reported a history of cancer. We evaluated the association between income level, prevalence of CVD, and all-cause mortality. All-cause mortality data was obtained through public use mortality files. Income level was assessed by poverty-income ratio (PIR) that was calculated by dividing family (or individual) income by poverty guideline. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models through a backward elimination method to evaluate associations between PIR, CVD, and all-cause mortality in cancer survivors. Results: This cohort included 2,464 cancer survivors with a mean age of 62 (42% male) years. Compared with individuals with a higher PIR tertiles, those in the lowest PIR tertile had a higher rate of pre-existing CVD and post-acquired CVD. In participants with post-acquired CVD, the lowest PIR tertile had over two-fold increased risk mortality (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.27–3.71) when compared to the highest PIR tertile. Additionally, we found that PIR was as strong a predictor of mortality in cancer survivors as CVD. In patients with no CVD, the lowest PIR tertile continued to have almost a two-fold increased risk of mortality (HR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.69–4.35) when compared to a reference of the highest PIR tertile. Conclusions: In this large national study of cancer survivors, low PIR is associated with a higher prevalence of CVD. Low PIR is also associated with an increased risk of mortality in cancer survivors, showing a comparable impact to that of pre-existing and post-acquired CVD. Urgent public health resources are needed to further study and improve screening and access to care in this high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present review highlights critical issues related to cerebral metabolism following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the use of (13)C labeled substrates and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study these changes. First we address some pathophysiologic factors contributing to metabolic dysfunction following TBI. We then examine how (13)C NMR spectroscopy strategies have been used to investigate energy metabolism, neurotransmission, the intracellular redox state, and neuroglial compartmentation following injury. (13)C NMR spectroscopy studies of brain extracts from animal models of TBI have revealed enhanced glycolytic production of lactate, evidence of pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) activation, and alterations in neuronal and astrocyte oxidative metabolism that are dependent on injury severity. Differential incorporation of label into glutamate and glutamine from (13)C labeled glucose or acetate also suggest TBI-induced adaptations to the glutamate-glutamine cycle.

Clinical studies have indicated an association between acute hyperglycemia and poor outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), although optimal blood glucose levels needed to maximize outcomes for these patients' remain under investigation. Previous results from experimental animal models suggest that post-TBI hyperglycemia may be harmful, neutral, or beneficial. The current studies determined the effects of single or multiple episodes of acute hyperglycemia on cerebral glucose metabolism and neuronal injury in a rodent model of unilateral controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury. In Experiment 1, a single episode of hyperglycemia (50% glucose at 2 g/kg, i.p.) initiated immediately after CCI was found to significantly attenuate a TBI-induced depression of glucose metabolism in cerebral cortex (4 of 6 regions) and subcortical regions (2 of 7) as well as to significantly reduce the number of dead/dying neurons in cortex and hippocampus at 24 h post-CCI. Experiment 2 examined effects of more prolonged and intermittent hyperglycemia induced by glucose administrations (2 g/kg, i.p.) at 0, 1, 3 and 6h post-CCI. The latter study also found significantly improved cerebral metabolism (in 3 of 6 cortical and 3 of 7 subcortical regions) and significant neuroprotection in cortex and hippocampus 1 day after CCI and glucose administration. These results indicate that acute episodes of post-TBI hyperglycemia can be beneficial and are consistent with other recent studies showing benefits of providing exogenous energy substrates during periods of increased cerebral metabolic demand.

Prior work indicates that cerebral glycolysis is impaired following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and that pyruvate treatment acutely after TBI can improve cerebral metabolism and is neuroprotective. Since extracellular levels of glucose decrease during periods of increased cognitive demand and exogenous glucose improves cognitive performance, we hypothesized that pyruvate treatment prior to testing could ameliorate cognitive deficits in rats with TBI. Based on pre-surgical spatial alternation performance in a 4-arm plus-maze, adult male rats were randomized to receive either sham injury or unilateral (left) cortical contusion injury (CCI). On days 4, 9 and 14 after surgery animals received an intraperitoneal injection of either vehicle (Sham-Veh, n=6; CCI-Veh, n=7) or 1000 mg/kg of sodium pyruvate (CCI-SP, n=7). One hour after each injection rats were retested for spatial alternation performance. Animals in the CCI-SP group showed no significant working memory deficits in the spatial alternation task compared to Sham-Veh controls. The percent four/five alternation scores for CCI-Veh rats were significantly decreased from Sham-Veh scores on days 4 and 9 (p

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a risk factor for experiencing left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) declines during receipt of potentially cardiotoxic breast cancer (BC) treatment. We sought to determine whether the hypertension stage is associated with LVEF decline during BC treatment. METHODS: Across 24 centers, cardiac magnetic resonance measures of LVEF and brachial arterial blood pressure (BP) measurements were performed in women with stages I to III BC before and 3 months after initiating potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy. Using multivariable analysis, we assessed in a blinded fashion the association between 3-month ΔLVEF and precancer treatment American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology stages of hypertension. RESULTS: Among 204 women, age averaged 56±1 years with 75% being White and 20% of Black race. Participants received anthracycline (45.6%), trastuzumab (22.5%), cyclophosphamide (52.9%), or paclitaxel (50%). After accounting for pretreatment LVEF, diabetes status, tobacco use, age, the number of antihypertensive medications, and body mass index, those with stage II hypertension experienced an LVEF decline of −2.89% ([95% CI, −0.69% to −5.19%]; P =0.01) relative to individuals with normal BP. Other stages saw nonsignificant declines relative to normal BP to elevated BP (−1.63% [95% CI, −0.62% to 3.88%]; P =0.16) and stage I hypertension (−0.94% [95% CI, −0.90% to 2.78%]; P =0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with women receiving treatment for BC with normal BP, there is a stronger association of decline in LVEF in women with stage II hypertension relative to women with other hypertension stages. This raises the possibility that stage along with hypertension presence may be associated with an increased risk for the LVEF decline among women receiving potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy for BC. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02791581 and NCT01719562. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of skateboarders who owned and who wore a helmet and which constructs from the Health Belief Model predicted helmet ownership and helmet use among undergraduate skateboarders. Methods: From March 2013 through March 2014, 83 skateboarders completed a helmet attitude and use survey. Results: Among participants, 47% owned a helmet while 18% wore a helmet on their most recent ride. Skateboarders who did not own a helmet were compared to skateboarders who owned a helmet but did not wear it and to skateboarders who wore a helmet. Positive trends for emotional benefits, friends and family cues to action and parental rules cues to action were observed. A negative trend for vanity and discomfort barriers was observed. Friends and family cues to action, parental rules cues to action and lower perceived danger were associated with helmet ownership. Friends and family cues to action were associated with helmet use. Conclusion: The findings are consistent with the thrill seeking culture of skateboarding. Implications for interventions to increase helmet use among undergraduate skateboarders are discussed.