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Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often experience mild cognitive impairment and other neurocognitive disorders. Studies have shown that erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor have neuroprotective effects in cell and animal models of nervous system disorders. Recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO), commonly used to treat anemia in CKD patients, could be a neuroprotective agent. In this systematic review, we aimed to assess the published studies investigating the cognitive benefits of rHuEPO treatment in individuals with reduced kidney function. We comprehensively searched Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from 1990 to 2023. After selection, 24 studies were analyzed, considering study design, sample size, participant characteristics, intervention, and main findings. The collective results of these studies in CKD patients indicated that rHuEPO enhances brain function, improves performance on neuropsychological tests, and positively affects electroencephalography measurements. These findings suggest that rHuEPO could be a promising neuroprotective agent for managing CKD-related cognitive impairment.

The Australian study investigated the effect of cued speech on the speech reception abilities of 18 profoundly hearing impaired children under seven conditions of presentation: audition; lipreading; audition and lipreading; cues; audition and cues; lipreading and cues; and audition, lipreading, and cues. (Author)

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects approximately 850 million people globally and is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment. The prevalence of cognitive impairment among CKD patients ranges from 30 to 60%, and the link between CKD and cognitive impairment is partially understood. Methodological challenges and biases in studying cognitive function in CKD patients need to be addressed to improve diagnosis, treatment, and management of cognitive impairment in this population. Here, we review the methodological challenges and study design issues, including observational studies’ limitations, internal validity, and different types of bias that can impact the validity of research findings. Understanding the unique challenges and biases associated with studying cognitive function in CKD patients can help to identify potential sources of error and improve the quality of future research, leading to more accurate diagnoses and better treatment plans for CKD patients.

Griffith Buck (Iowa State University) bred roses (Rosa sp.) to survive long, cold winters and hot, humid summers yet still retain their foliage without fungicides. Unfortunately, there is little known about the performance of Buck roses in the southern United States. Thirty-eight Buck rose cultivars were evaluated for flowering, disease resistance, drought tolerance, and overall landscape performance in alkaline soils with no fertilizer, no pesticides, and only limited irrigation. Flowering occurred on a bimodal basis, with the highest per plant mean bloom number (16.3 blooms) and bloom coverage (9.7%) in April, and a second flowering in the fall, with 13.7 blooms per plant and 6.9% bloom coverage in October. Drought stress symptoms were most evident in October, with a wide range of symptom severity across cultivars. Black spot (Diplocarpon rosae) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera pannosa) incidence were rare across all roses and years. Landscape performance scores, rated using a 0 to 10 scale with 10 representing a perfect plant and 0 a dead plant, were highest in April (6.5) and lowest in June (4.6) and July (4.6). Landscape performance was not correlated with bloom number or coverage. While unable to recommend many of the Buck roses for north-central Texas, the cultivars April Moon and Freckles, and possibly a few other roses, can join Carefree Beauty™ (BUCbi) as recommended roses for the area.

usage, decreasing fertilizer use, and eliminating or significantly reducing pesticide usage. Roses (Rosa sp.), although seen as challenging plants, remain the most popular flowering shrub in the United States. The identification of new cultivars that combine beauty, pest and disease resistance, and drought tolerance are important to Texas landscapes. Sixty roses were assessed over a 3-year period to determine flowering, drought tolerance, disease resistance, and overall landscape performance in minimal-input gardens in north central Texas. Atypical weather during the study had a significant impact on performance. A 2-year drought (2010–11) was accompanied by the hottest summer on record (2011), which included a record number of days of at least 100 °F or higher. As a result, supplemental irrigation was provided three times both summers. Roses generally fared well under these conditions and survived the drought. Flowering was most abundant during the spring and fall, and it was least abundant in the summer. Powdery mildew [PM (Sphaerotheca pannosa var. rosae)] was a minor problem. Nine of 60 cultivars developed no visible symptoms of PM during the study. Most PM occurred in Spring 2010, with very little found after June; none was found in 2011. Black spot [BS (Diplocarpon rosae)] was serious for some cultivars, but most were BS-free; RADrazz (Knock Out®) and Lady Banks White had no observed BS during the study. BS occurred mostly in May, June, and November. Overall landscape performance ratings were high, with 23 cultivars having a mean landscape performance rating equal to or better than the Belinda’s Dream standard. The best-performing cultivars were RADrazz (Knock Out), RADcon (Pink Knock Out®), RADyod (Blushing Knock Out®), WEKcisbaco (Home Run®), and Alister Stella Gray. This study was able to identify many other highly performing roses in north central Texas.

The interfacial tension of the CaO–Al2O3–SiO2–MgO–FeO slags with liquid iron at 1550°C was investigated using a synchrotron X-ray beam source. The interfacial tensions of molten slag with liquid iron increased continuously with increasing CaO/SiO2 ratio for both CaO–SiO2–MgO and CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–MgO slag systems. However, the contents of MgO and Al2O3 exceeded the saturation limit and the apparent interfacial tension decreased markedly. This decrease was attributed to formation of a solid phase at or near the interface: MgO particles for MgO saturation and MgAl2O4 particles for Al2O3 saturation. It was found to be oxygen in iron that exerts a dominating influence on the interfacial tension. Its influence was so dominant that all other compositional effects were insignificant. The effect of oxygen was quantitatively determined by employing the Gibbs adsorption and Langmuir isotherms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]