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Purpose: Uncertainties remain about the safety and efficacy of therapies for managing intracranial hypertension in acute brain injured (ABI) patients. This study aims to describe the therapeutical approaches used in ABI, with/without intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring, among different pathologies and across different countries, and their association with sixmonths mortality and neurological outcome. Methods: A preplanned subanalysis of the SYNAPSE-ICU study, a multicentre, prospective, international, observational cohort study, describing the ICP treatment, graded according to Therapy Intensity Level (TIL) scale, in patients with ABI during the first week of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Results: 2320 patients were included in the analysis. The median age was 55 (I-III quartiles = 39-69) years, and 800 (34.5%) were female. During the first week from ICU admission, no-basic TIL was used in 382 (16.5%) patients, mild-moderate in 1643 (70.8%), and extreme in 295 cases (eTIL, 12.7%). Patients who received eTIL were younger (median age 49 (I-III quartiles = 35-62) vs 56 (40-69) years, p

Background Sodium-glucose Cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-i) have shown improved cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) that surpass their hypoglycaemic power. However, the inclusion criteria in the pivotal studies were broad in terms of cardiovascular disease, and there are no specific studies on patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Purpose To compare, in patients with T2DM and extensive CAD, the hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause death in patients treated with or without SLGT2-I, adjusted by IPTW and treatment (revascularization) strategy. Secondary: To compare the adjusted HR of cardiovascular (CV) death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or heart failure admission (HF) in patients treated with or without SLGT-I. Methods A single-centre retrospective observational study in patients with T2DM, with the first diagnosis of extensive CAD defined by >50% stenosis in LM or 3-vessels, and alive at discharge. The study was approved by the research ethics committee and recruited consecutive patients from 2015 (year of first SLGT2-I approval) to 2020. Patients with prior revascularization, severe renal failure (filtration rate Results We recruited 420 patients with a mean age of 71.2±11.1 years; 78.6% were male, 82.6% had hypertension, 72% hyperlipemia, 50.2% were smokers or former smokers, 52.9% had a history of previous myocardial infarction and 10.7% of stroke. Mean LVEF (%) was 51.5±1.5, creatinine clearance 73.94±22 ml/min and glycated haemoglobin (%) 7.3±1.2. The presentation was acute coronary syndrome in 44.3% (27% ST elevation/73% non-ST elevation). LM was affected in 29%; 3-vessel CAD was found in 86.7%; 2-vessel in 8.3%; 1-vessel in 3.8%, and 1.2% exclusively in the LM. Treatment strategy was PCI + OMT in 48.3%, CABG + OMT 39.8% and OMT only in 21.9%. T2DM treatment, secondary prevention treatment and metabolic control at follow up are presented in Table 1. A total of 104 patients (24.8%) started treatment with SGLT2-I during a mean of 1.6±1 years. At a mean follow-up of 3±1.6 years, mortality was 16.4%, CV mortality was 9.5%, 6.9% had a MI,3.3% had a stroke, and 11.4% had HF admission. Patients treated with SLGT2-I had a lower risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular death and the composite of CV death or HF (Table 2). After IPTW, the risk of all-cause death was persistently lower in the SLGT-I group Conclusion This real-life study found that in T2DM patients with LM or MVD only 1 out of 4 patients was treated with SGLT2-I as a part of their secondary prevention treatment. Those with SGLT2-I had a reduced risk of all-cause death (HR 0.34 [0.12–0.91], p=0,033) after IPTW and treatment (revascularization) strategy adjustment. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Background Evidence regarding the use of pressure indices for the assessment of coronary stenoses in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is scarce. Methods We assessed the relation between eGFR, FFR and resting Pd/Pa in 1147 consecutive patients (1316 vessels) included in the International Collaboration of Comprehensive Physiologic Assessment Study. We also compared FFR and Pd/Pa against a standardized cut-off of coronary flow reserve (CFR Results FFR increases as renal function worsens (beta −10.5, 95% CI −20.0 to −11.03, p=0.030), a relation that was not seen with resting Pd/Pa (beta −6.14, 95% CI −19.9 to 6.78, p=0.351). Both indices had similar diagnostic accuracies for the detection of a CFR CFR decreased linearly with deteriorating eGFR, and this was mainly driven by higher resting coronary flow in CKD patients (p=0.026), while hyperaemic coronary flow remained similar (p=0.403). IMR did not change significantly with eGFR (beta −0.02, 95% −0.09 to 0.05, p=0.557). The incidence of VOCO was higher in patients with CKD and FFR>0.80 when compared to non-CKD patients and FFR>0.80 (12.7% vs 6.90%, p=0.062). Prognosis was worse for those with CKD, negative FFR and CFR Conclusions The assessment of a given coronary stenosis in patients with CKD with either FFR or resting Pd/Pa is equivalent when compared to underlying coronary flow. In CKD, impaired CFR is caused by a state of increased resting flow. The assessment of CFR on top of standard pressure wire examination significantly improves prognostic stratification in CKD patients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Restoring degraded rivers requires initial assessment of the fluvial landscape to identify stressors and riverine features that can be enhanced. We associated local-scale river habitat data collected using standardized national monitoring tools with modeled regional water temperature and flow data on mid-sized northwest U.S. rivers (30–60 m wide). We grouped these rivers according to quartiles of their modeled mean August water temperature and examined their physical habitat structure and flow. We then used principal components analysis to summarize the variation in several dimensions of physical habitat. We also compared local conditions in the Priest River, a river targeted for restoration of native salmonid habitat in northern Idaho, with those in other rivers of the region to infer potential drivers controlling water temperature. The warmest rivers had physical structure and fluvial characteristics typical of thermally degraded rivers, whereas the coldest rivers had higher mean summer flows and greater channel planform complexity. The Priest River sites had approximately twice as many deep residual pools (>50, >75, and >100 cm) and incision that averaged approximately twice that in the coldest rivers. Percentage fines and natural cover in the Priest were also more typical of the higher-temperature river groups. We found generally low instream cover and low levels of large wood both across the region and within the Priest River. Our approach enabled us to consider the local habitat conditions of a river in the context of other similarly sized rivers in the surrounding region. Understanding this context is important for identifying potential influences on river water temperature within the focal basin and for defining attainable goals for management and restoration of thermal and habitat conditions.

South America is a subcontinent with 393 million inhabitants with widely distinct countries and diverse ethnicities, cultures, political and societal organizations. The epidemiological transition that accompanied the technological and demographic evolution is happening in South America and leading to a rise in the incidence of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases that now coexist with the still high burden of infectious diseases. South America is also quite heterogeneous regarding the existence of systems of care for the various neurological emergencies, with some countries having well-organized systems for some diseases, while others have no plan of action for the care of patients with acute neurological symptoms. In this article, we discuss the existing systems of care in different countries of South America for the treatment of neurological emergencies, mainly stroke, status epilepticus, and traumatic brain injury. We also will address existing gaps between the current systems and recommendations from the literature to improve the management of such emergencies, as well as strategies on how to solve these disparities.

Background Delirium is a frequent event in severely ill patients; its incidence and prevalence varies depending on several factors; Covid has been associated to high incidence of delirium leading to speculation of specific mechanisms of neurotoxicity by the SARS-CoV-2. We present the analysis of risk factors for delirium incidence and the impact of delirium in the functional outcomes. Methods We included patients admitted to a referral center in Cali, Colombia between April and August 2020. Patients were evaluated for demographics, severity of disease, comorbidities, clinical outcomes, delirium and survival at discharge. We evaluated the association of patient characteristics and disease factors with delirium incidence by multivariate analysis (Hosmer and Lemeshow) and the associations of delirium with functional outcome at discharge Results Among 333 patients, 58 (17.42%. 95% CI: 13.62–21.77%) presented delirium 16 (IQR: 11 − 20) days after symptom onset. Patients with delirium were older, reported muscular weakness more often, had a higher NEWS2 score at admission, and had more comorbidities (mainly Diabetes Mellitus II). Multivariate analysis of hospitalization events and treatments found mechanical ventilation as the only significant covariate. The association between need for mechanical ventilation and delirium development was estimated at OR = 11.72, (95%CI = 4.16–34.23). Patients who developed delirium had a higher frequency of functional impairment: mRs > 2 (70.7% vs 24.7%, p

Introduction Systemic embolism to coronary arteries is one of the mechanisms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) of non-atherosclerotic cause. However, its clinical profile has not been properly established yet. Purpose To identify clinical predictors and angiographic characteristics of acute coronary syndromes caused by systemic embolism to a principal coronary artery (ACS-E), as well as to describe in-hospital mortality of these patients. Methods 40 patients with ACS-E, admitted between 2003 and 2018 in a tertiary hospital. Epidemiological, clinical and angiographic characteristics of these cases were compared with those from 4989 patients, attended for acute coronary syndrome of atherosclerotic cause (ACS-A) in the same hospital during the same period. Results Patients with ACS-E were younger (28% vs 10% were Conclusions ACS-E and ACS-A have different clinical and angiographic features. Atrial fibrillation, chronic warfarin treatment, previous valvular surgery, presence of any neoplasia and female sex are independent predictors for ACS-E. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Since its original report in January 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has rapidly become one of the deadliest global pandemics. Early reports indicate possible neurological manifestations associated with COVID-19, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe, highly variable prevalence rates, and uncertainty regarding causal or coincidental occurrence of symptoms. As neurological involvement of any systemic disease is frequently associated with adverse effects on morbidity and mortality, obtaining accurate and consistent global data on the extent to which COVID-19 may impact the nervous system is urgently needed. To address this need, investigators from the Neurocritical Care Society launched the Global Consortium Study of Neurological Dysfunction in COVID-19 (GCS-NeuroCOVID). The GCS-NeuroCOVID consortium rapidly implemented a Tier 1, pragmatic study to establish phenotypes and prevalence of neurological manifestations of COVID-19. A key component of this global collaboration is development and application of common data elements (CDEs) and definitions to facilitate rigorous and systematic data collection across resource settings. Integration of these elements is critical to reduce heterogeneity of data and allow for future high-quality meta-analyses. The GCS-NeuroCOVID consortium specifically designed these elements to be feasible for clinician investigators during a global pandemic when healthcare systems are likely overwhelmed and resources for research may be limited. Elements include pediatric components and translated versions to facilitate collaboration and data capture in Latin America, one of the epicenters of this global outbreak. In this manuscript, we share the specific data elements, definitions, and rationale for the adult and pediatric CDEs for Tier 1 of the GCS-NeuroCOVID consortium, as well as the translated versions adapted for use in Latin America. Global efforts are underway to further harmonize CDEs with other large consortia studying neurological and general aspects of COVID-19 infections. Ultimately, the GCS-NeuroCOVID consortium network provides a critical infrastructure to systematically capture data in current and future unanticipated disasters and disease outbreaks.

Literature on diabetes insipidus (DI) after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is scarce. Some studies have reported varying frequencies of DI and have showed its association with increased mortality, suggesting it as a marker of poor outcome. This knowledge gap in the acute care consequences of DI in severe TBI patients led us to conceive this study, aimed at identifying risk factors and quantifying the effect of DI on short-term functional outcomes and mortality. We assembled a historic cohort of adult patients with severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale ≤ 8) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary-care university hospital over a 6-year period. Basic demographic characteristics, clinical information, imaging findings, and laboratory results were collected. We used logistic regression models to assess potential risk factors for the development of DI, and the association of this condition with death and unfavorable functional outcomes [modified Rankin scale (mRS)] at hospital discharge. A total of 317 patients were included in the study. The frequency of DI was 14.82%, and it presented at a median of 2 days (IQR 1–3) after ICU admission. Severity according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score of the head, intracerebral hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, and skull base fracture was suggested as risk factors for DI. Diagnosis of DI was independently associated death (OR 4.34, CI 95% 1.92–10.11, p = 0.0005) and unfavorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale = 4–6) at discharge (OR 7.38; CI 95% 2.15–37.21, p = 0.0047). Diabetes insipidus is a frequent and early complication in patients with severe TBI in the ICU and is strongly associated with increased mortality and poor short-term outcomes. We provide clinically useful risk factors that will help detect DI early to improve prognosis and therapy of patients with severe TBI.

Resumen Introduccion Recientemente se han logrado avances importantes en la integracion del neurointensivismo en Latinoamerica. Sin embargo, no es claro con que recurso humano y tecnologico se cuenta para el manejo de los pacientes neurocriticos, ni las areas de controversia conceptual o disparidad logistica en la region. Materiales y metodos Se envio una encuesta web de 28 preguntas a intensivistas en Colombia y Latinoamerica, indagando acerca de caracteristicas operativas de las unidades de cuidado intensivo (UCI), especialmente en el manejo del paciente con hemorragia subaracnoidea aneurismatica (HSA). Recibimos respuestas durante 2 meses. Registramos el tamano del centro, el recurso humano y tecnologico, el diagnostico, la monitorizacion y el manejo usual de la HSA por hospital. Resultados Recibimos respuestas de 43 personas de 12 paises, el 47,5% colombianas. El 72,5% de los hospitales tenian afiliacion academica. La mediana de camas de UCI por hospital fue 20 (RIC 13,5-29). El 37,5% contaba con UCI neurologica o neuroquirurgica y el 12,5% con enfermeria especializada en neurocritico. La mediana de pacientes anuales atendidos por HSA fue 38 (RIC 20-50). En una minoria de los centros persiste el uso de terapia triple-H profilactica. En el tratamiento del vasoespasmo predomina la induccion de hipertension; el manejo endovascular se practica en la mitad de las instituciones. Conclusiones Hay una importante heterogeneidad en el tamano, el recurso humano y el uso de tecnologias entre las diferentes unidades. Existe interes en la comunidad por unir fuerzas en este ambito. Este estudio se enmarca en un esfuerzo futuro por analizar prospectivamente las caracteristicas del cuidado neurocritico y la HSA en Latinoamerica.

A better understanding of the relational antecedents of innovation in family firms is central to explaining their long-term success and survival. Our study proposes an original model that shows that the internal social capital of non-family members does not always foster innovation directly as existing theory suggests, but through their organizational commitment. These results differ across the different dimensions of organizational commitment. Therefore, our study challenges existing thinking on commitment studies by offering theoretical grounding and empirical evidence that neglected dimensions of commitment have a crucial intermediate role in the relationship between internal social capital and innovation in family firms.

The post-liquefaction residual strength of soils often plays a key role in the seismic stability analysis of embankment dams and other earth structures. A commonly held view is that back analyses of field case histories of liquefaction flow failures offer at present the most practical approach for estimating the residual strength of liquefied soils. Thus, it is common in engineering practice to estimate this strength parameter based on empirical correlations. However, the available data for such correlations are very limited and represent only a small range of conditions encountered in practice. Thus, use of the correlations in practice generally involves considerable uncertainty. A case history is presented that illustrates questions that are often encountered in practice and that would benefit from additional research, perhaps by means of centrifuge testing and numerical modeling.

South America is a subcontinent with 393 million inhabitants with widely distinct countries and diverse ethnicities, cultures, political and societal organizations. The epidemiological transition that accompanied the technological and demographic evolution is happening in South America and leading to a rise in the incidence of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases that now coexist with the still high burden of infectious diseases. South America is also quite heterogeneous regarding the existence of systems of care for the various neurological emergencies, with some countries having well-organized systems for some diseases, while others have no plan of action for the care of patients with acute neurological symptoms. In this article, we discuss the existing systems of care in different countries of South America for the treatment of neurological emergencies, mainly stroke, status epilepticus, and traumatic brain injury. We also will address existing gaps between the current systems and recommendations from the literature to improve the management of such emergencies, as well as strategies on how to solve these disparities.

Quantifying the spatial and temporal dynamics of stream metabolism across stream networks is key to understanding carbon cycling and stream food web ecology. To better understand intra-annual temporal patterns of gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) and their variability across space, we continuously measured dissolved oxygen and modeled stream metabolism for an entire year at ten sites across a temperate river network in Washington State, USA. We expected GPP and ER to increase with stream size and peak during summer and autumn months due to warmer temperatures and higher light availability. We found that GPP and ER increased with drainage area and that only four sites adhered to our expectations of summer peaks in GPP and autumn peaks in ER while the rest either peaked in winter, spring or remained relatively constant. Our results suggest the spatial arrangement and temporal patterns of discharge, temperature, light and nutrients within watersheds may result in asynchronies in GPP and ER, despite similar regional climatic conditions. These findings shed light on how temporal dynamics of stream metabolism can shift across a river network, which likely influence the dynamics of carbon cycling and stream food webs at larger scales.

Conventional spectral imaging systems capture spectral and spatial information from a scene to produce a spectral data cube by scanning procedures. Photolithography technology development enables the production of complex filters by combining patterning techniques with optical coatings. These filters can be directly deposited onto detector arrays in order to measure spectral information with a unique snapshot. Nevertheless, recovering the spectral image with traditional methods following a demosaicing approach is impractical. State-of-the-art establishes multispectral demosaicing for recovering images with a specific spatio-spectral resolution depending on the number of pixels in the detector and the filter mosaic. Recently compressive sensing technique has been developed that allows recovering signals with few measurements than the traditional methods by using the sparse representation of the underlying signal. The selection of superpixels in the multi-patterned focal plane array detectors to calculate the spectral response of a single pixel in the reconstructed spectral images could improve the reconstruction, based on exploiting the sparse representation of the spectral images. This paper presents a model for spectral images recovering from superpixels formed with multi-patterned focal plane array detectors measurements using the concept of compressive sensing. This model selects subsets of the superpixels measurements following a downsampling matrix operation, therefore a reconstruction model is formulated by directly reconstruct a spectral image with the spectral resolution given by the number of filters. The superpixel size selection leads to a variable recovered spatial resolution preserving the filters spectral resolution. Multi-patterned focal plane array detectors measurements for real spectral images are simulated in order to verify the effectiveness of the recovery model. An ensemble of random dichroic and band pass filters is used. The superpixel compressive sensing reconstruction approach and the demosaicing scheme reconstruction are compared.

Cyclic softening and strength loss of saturated clays during earthquakes is often an important consideration in engineering problems such as slope stability, dam/levee safety, and foundation bearing capacity. This study proposes a simplified procedure for evaluating cyclic softening (amount of strength loss) that may be expected in saturated clays during earthquakes and illustrates how to implement it in engineering analysis. The procedure has two main steps: (1) estimation of an equivalent cyclic shear strain amplitude and associated number of cycles induced in the soil mass by an earthquake; and (2) estimation of softening and strength loss in the soil mass. A key aspect of the proposed procedure is adoption of a strain-based approach to estimate cyclic softening as opposed to the widely used stress-based approach of liquefaction assessments. A threshold strain concept originating from the strain-based approach is first discussed and the development of a procedure is presented subsequently. The proposed procedure provides reasonable, first-order estimates of cyclic softening consistent with the other developed procedures. In addition, the capability of the procedure is demonstrated with two case histories identified as involving cyclic softening of clays.

Like several other fishes in the pelagic community of the upper San Francisco Estuary, age-0 striped bass Morone saxatilis have shown a major decline based on a midwater trawl sampling program that has been conducted for over 40 years. We hypothesized that the apparent decline in age-0 striped bass might be partially attributable to a behavioral shift away from the channels sampled by the trawls. We found no evidence of an upstream–downstream shift in age-0 distribution. Instead, age-0 striped bass distribution remains closely associated with the low-salinity zone of the estuary. However, the survey data suggest a substantial long-term distribution shift away from channels and toward shoal areas. The hypothesis that young striped bass are undersampled by midwater trawls is supported by modeling of demographic patterns, which showed that the decline in numbers of age-0 fish was not consistent with increasing trends in age-1 fish. We hypothesize that reduced food availability in pelagic habitat is ...

Owing to their phenomenal electrical and mechanical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been an area of intense research since their discovery in 1991. Different applications for these nanoparticles have been proposed, among others, in electronics and optics but also in the medical field. In parallel, emerging studies have suggested potential toxic effects of CNT while others did not, generating some conflicting outcomes. These discrepancies could be, in part, due to different suspension approaches used and to the agglomeration state of CNT in solution. In this study, we described a standardized protocol to obtain stable CNT suspensions, using two biocompatible dispersants (Pluronic F108 and hydroxypropylcellulose) and to estimate the concentration of CNT in solution. CNT appear to be greatly individualized in these two dispersants with no detection of remaining bundles or agglomerates after sonication and centrifugation. Moreover, CNT remained perfectly dispersed when added to culture medium used for in vitro cell experiments. We also showed that Pluronic F108 is a better dispersant than hydroxypropylcellulose. In conclusion, we have developed a standardized protocol using biocompatible surfactants to obtain reproducible and stable multi-walled carbon nanotubes suspensions which can be used for in vitro or in vivo toxicological studies. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

This study was conducted to characterize fishery resources inhabiting salt-evaporation ponds and sloughs in South San Francisco Bay, and to identify key environmental variables that influence distribution of fishes. The ponds, which were originally constructed and operated for commercial production of salt, have undergone preliminary modifications (installation of culverts, gates, and other water-control structures) in preparation for full restoration to mostly tidal wetlands over the next 2 decades. We sampled fish from two salt-pond complexes (Alviso complex and Eden Landing complex), each consisting of several pond systems and their associated sloughs. Cluster analysis of species of fish indicated that at least two species assemblages were present, one characteristic of ponds and the other characteristic of sloughs and slough-like ponds. The slough-like ponds exhibited water-quality conditions (especially salinity) that resembled conditions found in the sloughs. Pond fishes were represented by 12 species, whereas slough fishes were represented by 22 species. Except for bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus), which was unique to ponds, all species present in ponds also were in sloughs and slough-like ponds. These results indicated that species of fish in ponds originated from the sloughs. According to canonical-discriminant analysis, four environmental variables were useful for discriminating between the two species assemblages. Most discriminatory power was contributed by the index of habitat connectivity, a measure of minimum distance that a fish must travel to reach a particular pond from the nearest slough. Apparently, as fish from sloughs enter and move through interconnected salt ponds, environmental stress factors increase in severity until only the more tolerant species remain. The most likely source of stress is salinity, because this variable was second in importance to the index of habitat connectivity in discriminating between the two species assemblages. Water temperature and concentration of dissolved oxygen also seemingly influenced spatial distribution of fishes, although they were less important than salinity.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of different reference transducer positions on intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) measurement. Three reference levels were studied: the symphysis pubis; the phlebostatic axis; and the midaxillary line at the level of the iliac crest. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: The intensive care units of participating hospitals PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: One hundred thirty-two critically ill patients at risk for intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH). INTERVENTIONS: In each patient, three sets of IAP measurements were obtained in the supine position, using the different reference levels. The IAP measurements obtained at the different reference levels were compared using a paired t-test and Bland-Altman statistics were calculated. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: IAP(phlebostatic) (9.9 +/- 4.67 mmHg) and IAP(pubis) (8.4 +/- 4.60 mmHg) were significantly lower that IAP(midax) (12.2 +/- 4.66 mmHg; p < 0.0001 for both comparisons). The bias between the IAP(midax) and IAP(pubis) was 3.8 mmHg (95% CI 3.5-4.1) and 2.3 mmHg (95% CI 1.9-2.6) between the IAP(midax) and the IAP(phlebostatic). The precision was 3.03 and 3.40, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In the supine position, IAP(midax) is higher than both IAP(phlebostatic) and IAP(pubis), differences found to be clinically significant; therefore, the symphysis pubis or phlebostatic axis reference lines are not interchangeable with the midaxillary level.

We assessed the impact of predation by smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu and largemouth bass M. salmoides on juveniles of federally listed Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and other anadromous salmonid populations in the Lake Washington system. Bass were collected with boat electrofishing equipment in the south end of Lake Washington (February–June) and the Lake Washington Ship Canal (LWSC; April–July), a narrow waterway that smolts must migrate through to reach the marine environment. Genetic analysis was used to identify ingested salmonids to obtain a more precise species-specific consumption estimate. Overall, we examined the stomachs of 783 smallmouth bass and 310 largemouth bass greater than 100 mm fork length (FL). Rates of predation on salmonids in the south end of Lake Washington were generally low for both black bass species. In the LWSC, juvenile salmonids made up a substantial part of bass diets; consumption of salmonids was lower for largemouth bass than for smallmouth bass....

We analyzed the association of neuropsychological test impairment at baseline with the development of dementia in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. A cohort of nondemented PD patients from northern Manhattan, NY was followed annually with neurological and neuropsychological evaluations. The neuropsychological battery included tests of verbal and nonverbal memory, orientation, visuospatial ability, language, and abstract reasoning. The association of baseline neuropsychological tests scores with incident dementia was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. The analysis controlled for age, gender, education, duration of PD, and the total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score at baseline. Forty-five out of 164 patients (27%) became demented during a mean follow-up of 3.7 +/- 2.3 years. Four neuropsychological test scores were significantly associated with incident dementia in the Cox model: total immediate recall (RR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87-0.97, P = 0.001) and delayed recall (RR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59-0.91, P = 0.005) of the Selective Reminding Test (SRT), letter fluency (RR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77-0.99, P = 0.03), and Identities and Oddities of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.73-0.98, P = 0.03). When the analysis was performed excluding patients with a clinical dementia rating of 0.5 (questionable dementia) at baseline evaluation, total immediate recall and delayed recall were still predictive of dementia in PD. Our results indicate that impairment in verbal memory and executive function are associated with the development of dementia in patients with PD.

Field work is commonly required in movement disorders research. Sending neurologists into the field can be logistically challenging and costly. Alternatively, neurological examinations may be videotaped and reviewed later. There is little knowledge of the validity of the videotaped neurological examination in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). We examined the validity of the videotaped Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor examination in the diagnosis of PD, and sought to determine which factors are associated with incorrect diagnoses. PD patients and controls were enrolled in a familial aggregation study between August of 1998 and June of 2000, and as part of that study each was examined by a physician who performed an in-person UPDRS motor examination. Each also underwent a second, videotaped UPDRS motor examination. Based on the review of this videotape, a neurologist, who was blinded to the previous clinical diagnosis, assigned a diagnosis of PD or normal. A total of 211 of 231 PD patients (sensitivity = 91.3%), and 170 of 172 controls (specificity = 98.8%) were correctly identified based on the videotape. True positives had a higher mean rest tremor score (1.7 vs. 0.3; P < 0.001), action tremor score (0.9 vs. 0.3; P < 0.001), bradykinesia score (11.2 vs. 7.4; P = 0.02), and disease of longer mean duration (8.9 vs. 5.8 years; P = 0.001) than false negatives. False negatives did not differ from true positives in terms of age, total dose of levodopa, Hoehn and Yahr score, or rigidity, gait and posture, or facial masking scores (each assessed during the in-person examination). The videotaped UPDRS motor examination is a useful means of diagnosing PD and provides an alternative approach for the diagnosis of PD in field studies. A limitation is that patients with milder PD of shorter duration may not be recognized as PD.

Organizational citizenship behavior toward the environment (OCBE) received a wider attention over the past decade, answering the call for micro-corporate social responsibility (CSR) research. Relyi...

Results of an investigation into the behavior of a fine-grained clayey soil at Moss Landing during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake are presented. A deposit of this soil underlies portions of the Moss Landing Marine Laboratory that experienced up to 1.3 m of lateral spreading deformations during this magnitude 7 earthquake. Silty clay from the deposit erupted to the surface in a "soil boil" characteristic of liquefaction, during and immediately after the earthquake. A sample from the silty clay boil had a liquid limit of 38, a plasticity index of 17, and a u,r approx 80-90%) and significant shear strains during the earthquake and thus likely contributed to the observed lateral deformations. The field and laboratory data show that commonly used criteria for identifying "liquefiable" clayey soils should be applied with caution and should not be indiscriminately viewed as a substitute for detailed laboratory and in situ testing of low plasticity fine-grained soils.Key words: liquefaction, cyclic loading, silt, clay, earthquake, case history.

Purpose – Mentoring is more and more studied by researchers on account of its professional and personal impact on mentees. This contribution has two main objectives. First, to empirically validate the benefits for the mentor and to test links between mentoring activities and benefits through a multidimensional analysis. Second, to incorporate two variables structuring the relationship into the analysis: the formal vs informal nature of the mentoring relationship and the gender composition of the dyad. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 161 French managers have been surveyed. Findings – The results show that mentors value the personal dimension of the relationship more than the professional dimension. Moreover, informal mentoring favours the perception of a rewarding experience by the mentor, whereas formal mentoring is synonymous with improved professional performance. This research calls into question the advantage of same-sex dyads, suggesting that heterogeneity favours improved performance. Originality/value – The originality of the paper was to focus on the homogeneity of the mentor-protégé dyad in terms of gender.

A study of liquefaction at five sites in the Moss Landing area during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake is presented. Results of this case history study include: (1) a large set of cone penetration test (CPT) data for sites where evidence of liquefaction was and was not observed; (2) information regarding the influence of thin soil strata on overall site behavior; (3) inclinometer data on deformations at depth due to lateral spreading of a shoreline; (4) a description of the apparent liquefaction of a marshland clayey silt deposit; (5) seismic shear-wave velocity data at sites where evidence of liquefaction was and was not observed; and (6) an evaluation of how interpretation methods affect the development and use of CPT-based liquefaction correlations.

We used a combination of published literature and field survey data to synthesize the available information about habitat use by delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus, a declining native species in the San Francisco Estuary. Delta smelt habitat ranges from San Pablo and Suisun bays to their freshwater tributaries, including the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. In recent years, substantial numbers of delta smelt have colonized habitat in Liberty Island, a north Delta area that flooded in 1997. The species has a more upstream distribution during spawning as opposed to juvenile rearing periods. Post-larvae and juveniles tend to have a more downstream distribution during wetter years. Delta smelt are most common in low-salinity habitat (<6 psu) with high turbidities (>12 NTU) and moderate temperatures (7 °C to 25 °C). They do not appear to have strong substrate preferences, but sandy shoals are important for spawning in other osmerids. The evidence to date suggests that they generally require at least some tidal flow in their habitats. Delta smelt also occur in a wide range of channel sizes, although they seem to be rarer in small channels (<15 m wide). Nonetheless, there is some evidence that open water adjacent to habitats with long water-residence times (e.g. tidal marsh, shoal, low-order channels) may be favorable. Other desirable features of delta smelt habitat include high calanoid copepod densities and low levels of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and the toxic algae Microcystis. Although enough is known to plan for large-scale pilot habitat projects, these efforts are vulnerable to several factors, most notably climate change, which will change salinity regimes and increase the occurrence of lethal temperatures. We recommend restoration of multiple geographical regions and habitats coupled with extensive monitoring and adaptive management. An overall emphasis on ecosystem processes rather than specific habitat features is also likely to be most effective for recovery of the species.

The recorded strong motions at Cogswell Dam during the 1987 Whittier Narrows and 1991 Sierra Madre earthquakes provide a valuable opportunity to evaluate the applicability of established engineering procedures for evaluating the dynamic response of dams with highly three-dimensional geometries. In addition, these records provide an opportunity to back-calculate the dynamic properties of rockfill materials, which cannot be easily measured in the laboratory or in situ. Peak transverse crest accelerations of 0.15 g and 0.42 g were recorded during the Whittier Narrows and Sierra Madre earthquakes, respectively. Combined with analyses of the trailing portions of these strong motion records, the field data cover a wide range of induced shear strains. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional dynamic response analyses were performed using established engineering procedures, and their results are compared with the recorded responses. Dam–canyon interaction and topographic effects appear to have influenced the seismic response of the dam significantly. Estimates of the in situ dynamic rockfill properties, including the modulus degradation relationship, are presented. Key words : rockfill, dynamic properties, embankment dams, earthquake response.

Summary A substantial proportion of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) manifested a decreased capacity to express membrane interferon-γ receptors (IFN-γR) when co-cultured with Trypanosoma cruzi. Among the lymphocytes, B cells accounted for the bulk of this effect, evidenced by a marked drop in the proportion of CD19+ or CD20+ cells expressing IFN-γR. Decreased IFN-γR expression by B lymphocytes was seen as early as 3 h after co-culture with T. cruzi and persisted for at least 24 h. The parasite had no detectable effect on CD19, CD20 or DR antigen expression by B lymphocytes. Neither the proportion ofB cells expressing these markers nor the membrane density of these molecules varied significantly in the presence of T. cruzi. In PBMC cultures stimulated with Staphlyococcus aureus Cowan I (SACI), T. cruzi decreased the percentages of both IFN-γR+ and IFN-R +bnght (cells expressing above-normal levels of surface IFN-γR) B lymphocytes. Cell-free filtrates of T. cruzi suspensions reproduced the suppressive effects of living parasites on IFN-γR expression by B cells. When T. cruzi was present, the intracellular levels of IFN-γR molecules in resting or SACI-activated B lymphocytes, represented by fluorescence intensity, were well below control values, suggesting that decreased surface expression resulted from suppressed IFN-γR synthesis. Among T (CD3+) cells, 10–8% to 39–6% (7 donors) expressed surface IFN-γR and did so at a very low level. These percentages were also reduced by T. cruzi. If occurring in the host, downregulated expression of IFN-γR could curtail the utilization of IFN-γ, known to play a critical role in host defence against T. cruzi infection.

Summary Mitogen-activated lymphocytes co-cultured with either purified Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes or the filtrate of trypomastigote suspensions in culture medium manifest a significant decrease in their capacities to express p55 interleukin-2 receptor molecules (p55IL-2R) on their membrane and proliferate. In this study we found that the cytoplasmic levels of p55IL-2R are also markedly reduced under these conditions. This inhibition appeared to result from altered gene transcription since the levels of p55IL-2R mRNA in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) dropped substantially in the presence of parasite suspension filtrate. The rates of decay for p55IL-2R mRNA determined in cultures lacking and containing the parasite filtrate after addition of actinomycin D to inhibit further RNA synthesis were comparable. These results indicated that decreased p55IL-2R mRNA was not due to decreased stability of this mRNA under our conditions and pointed to a transcriptional or pre-transcriptional modification as the likely mechanism by which T. cruzi affects activated lymphocytes. The parasite filtrate did not appear to affect transcription of c-fos or c-myc (known to occur in the very early stages of lymphocyte activation) or that of CD69 (which is concomitant with p55IL-2R transcription). Thus, decreased p55IL-2R gene transcription appears to be a somewhat selective effect of a T. cruzi-derived molecule(s) rather than the consequence of an overall shutdown of gene transcription.

Colombian patients with New World cutaneous leishmaniasis were treated with a combination of a topical formulation (15% paromomycin sulfate/5% methylbenzethonium chloride, twice a day) and parenteral meglumine antimonate (20 mg of antimony [Sb]/kg.d]). Cohort 1 received topical therapy for 10 days and Sb for 7 days; 18 (90%) of the 20 patients were cured (follow-up, 12 months). Other clinical data suggested that neither the topical formulation alone nor the 7-day regimen of Sb alone would have cured many patients. In a subsequent cohort, which received topical therapy for 10 days and Sb for 3 days, the cure rate was 42% (eight of 19 patients). In Colombian cohorts (historical controls) treated with Sb alone for 10-15 days, the cure rate was 31%-36%. Side effects in cohort 1 patients consisted of local reactions to the topical formulation: burning and pruritus in 25% of patients and vesicle formation in 15% of patients. This is the first report that a regimen partially composed of topical antimicrobial agents can be highly effective for treatment of New World cutaneous leishmaniasis.