Search

Describe the 5-year outcomes of the first successful pediatric bilateral hand transplantation.The child underwent quadrimembral amputation at age two and received bilateral hand allografts at age eight. Rehabilitation included biomechanical, neurorehabilitation, and occupational approaches in acute and outpatient settings. Therapist observed outcomes, patient-reported measures, and parent-reported measures were repeated over a 5-year period.Observation assessments revealed functional dexterity skills and modified independence to full independence with self-care activities. The parent reported the child had moderate difficulty with upper extremity functioning 25-, 41-, and 48-months post-transplantation, and mild difficulty at 60-months; the child reported no difficulties in this domain at 41 months. Five years post-transplantation the child reported enjoying many age-appropriate activities, and high-quality peer relations were endorsed by both parent and child.The child developed hand movements for daily activities and was completing daily activities with improved efficiency. Health-related quality of life outcomes were favorable.

Children with hemiplegia often demonstrate gait deviations including increased variability and asymmetry. Step-to-step gait variability decreases over childhood and increases in the presence of neurologic dysfunction. Gait variability in children with hemiplegia should therefore be interpreted in reference to age-related norms RESEARCH QUESTION: Does conversion of the enhanced gait variability index (eGVI) to age-normalized z-scores improve interpretation of gait variability in children with hemiplegia?Ten children (11.2 +/- 4.1 years) with hemiparetic gait due to stroke were recruited for a small prospective pilot intervention study. Participants walked at self-selected speed over an instrumented walkway while barefeet and while wearing shoes. eGVI values from baseline sessions were calculated and converted to age-normalized z-scores (eGVIThere were no differences in raw eGVI or eGVIWe suggest that eGVI values in children be converted to z-scores or otherwise age-normalized so as not to inflate the degree of variability reported in clinical pediatric populations. Future work with larger samples will offer greater insight into gait variability in various clinical pediatric populations.

Models of host-pathogen interactions help to explain infection dynamics in wildlife populations and to predict and mitigate the risk of zoonotic spillover. Insights from models inherently depend on the way contacts between hosts are modelled, and crucially, how transmission scales with animal density. Bats are important reservoirs of zoonotic disease and are among the most gregarious of all mammals. Their population structures can be highly heterogenous, underpinned by ecological processes across different scales, complicating assumptions regarding the nature of contacts and transmission. Although models commonly parameterise transmission using metrics of total abundance, whether this is an ecologically representative approximation of host-pathogen interactions is not routinely evaluated. We collected a 13-month dataset of tree-roosting Pteropus spp. from 2,522 spatially referenced trees across eight roosts to empirically evaluate the relationship between total roost abundance and tree-level measures of abundance and density - the scale most likely to be relevant for virus transmission. We also evaluate whether roost features at different scales (roost-level, subplot-level, tree-level) are predictive of these local density dynamics. Roost-level features were not representative of tree-level abundance (bats per tree) or tree-level density (bats per m2 or m3 ), with roost-level models explaining minimal variation in tree-level measures. Total roost abundance itself was either not a significant predictor (tree-level 3-D density) or only weakly predictive (tree-level abundance). This indicates that basic measures, such as total abundance of bats in a roost, may not provide adequate approximations for population dynamics at scales relevant for transmission, and that alternative measures are needed to compare transmission potential between roosts. From the best candidate models, the strongest predictor of local population structure was tree density within roosts, where roosts with low tree density had a higher abundance but lower density of bats (more spacing between bats) per tree. Together, these data highlight unpredictable and counterintuitive relationships between total abundance and local density. More nuanced modelling of transmission, spread and spillover from bats likely requires alternative approaches to integrating contact structure in host-pathogen models, rather than simply modifying the transmission function.

The demand for new renewable energy sources, improved energy storage and exhaust-free transportation requires the use of large quantities of rare earth (REE) and late transition (LTM, group 8–12) elements. In order to achieve sustainability in their use, an efficient green recycling technology is required. Here, an approach, a synthetic route and an evaluation of the designed bio-based material are reported. Cotton-derived nano cellulose particles were functionalized with a polyamino ligand, tris(2-aminoethyl) amine (TAEA), achieving ligand content of up to ca. 0.8 mmol g−1. The morphology and structure of the produced adsorbent were revealed by PXRD, SEM-EDS, AFM and FTIR techniques. The adsorption capacity and kinetics of REE and LTM were investigated by conductometric photometric titrations, revealing quick uptake, high adsorption capacity and pronounced selectivity for LTM compared to REE. Molecular insights into the mode of action of the adsorbent were obtained via the investigation of the molecular structure of the Ni(II)–TAEA complex by an X-ray single crystal study. The bio-based adsorbent nanomaterial demonstrated in this work opens up a perspective for tailoring specific adsorbents in the sequestration of REE and LTM for their sustainable recycling.

BackgroundAccurate prediction of seizures can help direct resource-intense continuous EEG (CEEG) monitoring to high-risk neonates. We aimed to use data extracted from standardized EEG reports to generate seizure prediction models for vulnerable neonates.MethodsIn 2018, we implemented a novel CEEG reporting system in the electronic medical record (EMR) that incorporated standardized terminology. We developed seizure prediction models using logistic regression, decision tree, and random forest models for neonates and specifically, neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), using EEG features on day 1 to predict future seizures.FindingsWe evaluated 1117 neonates, including 150 neonates with HIE, with CEEG data reported using standardized templates. Implementation of a consistent EEG reporting system, which documents discrete and standardized EEG variables, resulted in >95% reporting of key EEG features. Several EEG features were highly correlated, and patients could be clustered based on specific features. However, no simple combination of features adequately predicted seizure risk. We therefore applied computational models to complement clinical identification of high-risk neonates. Random forest models incorporating background features performed with classification accuracies of up to 90% for all neonates and 97% for neonates with HIE, and recall (sensitivity) of up to 97% for all neonates and >99% for neonates with HIE.InterpretationUsing data extracted from the standardized EEG report on the first day of CEEG, we predict the presence or absence of neonatal seizures on subsequent days with classification performances of >90%. This information, incorporated into routine care, can guide decisions about the necessity of continuing CEEG beyond the first day and thereby improve the allocation of limited CEEG resources. Additionally, this analysis illustrates the benefits of standardized clinical data collection which can drive learning health system approaches to personalized CEEG utilization.FundingChildren’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The Hartwell Foundation, NINDS, Wolfson FoundationResearch in contextEvidence before this studyWe searched the literature on EEG-based seizure prediction among neonates in PubMed from January 1, 1946, to June 1, 2022, using combinations of the keywords “seizure,” “prediction,” “EEG,” “neonatal,” and “hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.” We used no language restrictions. Prior studies relied on manual review of EEG reports to forecast seizures in neonates using regression models. These studies were limited in sample size as they required manual review of reports and manual data entry. No studies were identified using automated collection of EEG data from routine care, and none used machine learning-based modeling techniques.Added value of this studyWe built seizure prediction models based on standardized EEG features reported in the EMR which could predict seizures in neonates, and particularly those with HIE, with greater than 90% accuracy. Furthermore, these models could be tuned to not miss seizures, performing with recall (sensitivity) of up to 97% in the overall neonatal cohort and >99% among neonates with HIE, while still maintaining precision (positive predictive value) of up to 92% and 97%, respectively. Previous studies have built seizure-prediction models using EEG data, but most have used features derived from manual scoring of EEG tracings or computational analysis of the raw EEG recordings. While these studies are informative, they are not easily scalable for incorporation into routine clinical practice. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting a seizure-prediction model based on standardized reports already documented in the EMR that can be used for clinical decision support to improve care for critically ill neonates. Prediction models developed in our study are available at http://neopredict.helbiglab.io.Implications of all the available evidenceContinuous EEG monitoring is currently the standard of care for critically ill children at increased risk of seizures. While effective for seizure detection, long-term monitoring is resource-intensive and can have physical and psychosocial consequences, such as skin breakdown and reduced bonding. Accurately predicting which neonates are likely to seize after an initial shorter period of monitoring would help allocate resources towards neonates at highest risk of seizures and avoid unnecessary use of limited EEG monitoring resources in neonates at low risk of seizures. Furthermore, the ability to directly extract these predictors from the EMR will allow for automated predictions and dashboard development for use at scale and in real-time in clinical care.

In the past two decades, three coronaviruses with ancestral origins in bats have emerged and caused widespread outbreaks in humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the first SARS epidemic in 2002–2003, the appreciation of bats as key hosts of zoonotic coronaviruses has advanced rapidly. More than 4,000 coronavirus sequences from 14 bat families have been identified, yet the true diversity of bat coronaviruses is probably much greater. Given that bats are the likely evolutionary source for several human coronaviruses, including strains that cause mild upper respiratory tract disease, their role in historic and future pandemics requires ongoing investigation. We review and integrate information on bat–coronavirus interactions at the molecular, tissue, host and population levels. We identify critical gaps in knowledge of bat coronaviruses, which relate to spillover and pandemic risk, including the pathways to zoonotic spillover, the infection dynamics within bat reservoir hosts, the role of prior adaptation in intermediate hosts for zoonotic transmission and the viral genotypes or traits that predict zoonotic capacity and pandemic potential. Filling these knowledge gaps may help prevent the next pandemic., Bats harbour a multitude of coronaviruses and owing to their diversity and wide distribution are prime reservoir hosts of emerging viruses. Ruiz-Aravena, McKee and colleagues analyse the currently available information on bat coronaviruses and discuss their role in recent and potential future spillovers.

The spatial organization of populations determines their pathogen dynamics. This is particularly important for communally roosting species, whose aggregations are often driven by the spatial structure of their environment.We develop a spatially explicit model for virus transmission within roosts of Australian tree‐dwelling bats (Pteropus spp.), parameterized to reflect Hendra virus. The spatial structure of roosts mirrors three study sites, and viral transmission between groups of bats in trees was modelled as a function of distance between roost trees. Using three levels of tree density to reflect anthropogenic changes in bat habitats, we investigate the potential effects of recent ecological shifts in Australia on the dynamics of zoonotic viruses in reservoir hosts.We show that simulated infection dynamics in spatially structured roosts differ from that of mean‐field models for equivalently sized populations, highlighting the importance of spatial structure in disease models of gregarious taxa. Under contrasting scenarios of flying‐fox roosting structures, sparse stand structures (with fewer trees but more bats per tree) generate higher probabilities of successful outbreaks, larger and faster epidemics, and shorter virus extinction times, compared to intermediate and dense stand structures with more trees but fewer bats per tree. These observations are consistent with the greater force of infection generated by structured populations with less numerous but larger infected groups, and may flag an increased risk of pathogen spillover from these increasingly abundant roost types.Outputs from our models contribute insights into the spread of viruses in structured animal populations, like communally roosting species, as well as specific insights into Hendra virus infection dynamics and spillover risk in a situation of changing host ecology. These insights will be relevant for modelling other zoonotic viruses in wildlife reservoir hosts in response to habitat modification and changing populations, including coronaviruses like SARS‐CoV‐2., The authors give compelling evidence that spatial structure and bat aggregation may be a missing piece in understanding infection dynamics and spillover risk from flying‐fox roosts.

Immature dentate granule cells (imGCs) arising from adult hippocampal neurogenesis contribute to plasticity and unique brain functions in rodents(1,2) and they are dysregulated in multiple human neurological disorders(3–5). Little is known about molecular characteristics of adult human hippocampal imGCs and even their existence is under debate(1,6–8). Here we performed single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) aided by a validated machine learning-based analytic approach to identify imGCs and quantify their abundance in the human hippocampus during infant, child, adolescent, adult, and aging stages. We identified common molecular hallmarks of human imGCs across the lifespan and discovered age-dependent transcriptional dynamics unique to human imGCs that suggest changes in cellular functionality, niche interactions, and disease relevance, in contrast to those in mice9. We also found a decreased number of imGCs with altered gene expression in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Finally, we demonstrated the capacity for neurogenesis in the adult human hippocampus with the presence of rare dentate granule cell fate-specific proliferating neural progenitors and with cultured surgical specimens. Together, our findings suggest the presence of a significant number of imGCs in the adult human hippocampus via low frequency de novo generation and protracted maturation, and our study reveals their molecular properties across the lifespan and in AD.

Background The MitraClip is the worldwide established transcatheter edge-to-edge repair system with over 100,000 treated patients. The recently approved PASCAL repair system is well adopted in the field of percutaneous mitral regurgitation (MR) treatment with growing acceptance both in mitral and tricuspid valves. The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to compare the Edwards' PASCAL System with the Abbott MitraClip System in terms of procedural results and short-term outcome. Methods We retrospectively evaluated patient data of three high volume German centers that performed percutaneous edge to edge procedures either with the MitraClip or the PASCAL repair system. Primary endpoint was the amount of MR reduction. Secondary endpoints were residual MR at discharge, technical success, device success and 30-day mortality. Results Between 2018 and 2020 a total of 412 procedures were performed in the three centers. 216 cases were performed with the MitraClip compared to 196 procedures done with the PASCAL repair system. Patients were male in 55.6% of the cases (50.5% in the MitraClip cohort compared to 61.2% in the PASCAL cohort, p=0.028), mean Logistic Euro-Score II was 4.42 (3.58 in the MitraClip and 3.23 in the PASCAL cohort, p=0.038) and reduced LVEF beyond 45% was seen in 42.6% of the cases (49.5% in the MitraClip compared to 35.3% in the PASCAL cohort, p=0.004). Severe MR at baseline was seen in 98.5% in the MitraClip cohort compared to 98.6% in the PASCAL cohort, p=0.909). Mean number of implanted devices was 1.41±0.56 in the MitraClip cohort and 1.37±0.55 in the PASCAL cohort (p=0.401). Procedures were successfully conducted with both edge-to-edge systems (device success rate 93.2% in the MitraClip cohort and 94.0% in the PASCAL cohort, p=0.775), leading to comparably good results (final MR ≤2 in 94.4% with the MitraClip compared to 95.9% with the PASCAL system, p=0.448) and very good results (final MR ≤1 in 72.6% in the MitraClip compared to 79.5% in the PASCAL cohort, p=0.102). After propensity score matching for adjustment of major differences among the two treatment strategies (including age, gender, MR etiology, EROA, Severe MR (III and IV), reduced LVEF and Mitral Valve orifice area) the achieved mean MR reduction remains comparable (2.29±0.82 with the MitraClip compared to 2.46±0.82 with the PASCAL system, p=0.191). In multivariate regression analysis STS Score independently correlates with a very good final result while device choice did not show a significant impact in this cohort. Conclusion In this retrospective multicenter study both the MitraClip and PASCAL system performed excellent with comparable procedural success rates. Achieved final average reduction of MR Grade was 2.29±0.82 with the MitraClip and 2.46±0.82 with the PASCAL system. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

The measurement of gait is likely influenced by walking speed in children with hemiplegia, but this relationship is not well characterized.What is the influence of walking speed on spatiotemporal and symmetry measures of gait in children with hemiplegia, with consideration of side and footwear condition?Children with hemiparetic gait due to stroke were recruited for a small pilot intervention study. Participants walked at self-selected and fast speeds while barefoot and while wearing shoes. Data from baseline sessions were included in this analysis. The influence of walking speed on five spatiotemporal gait measures was determined using a generalized estimating equation to calculate the proportion of variability in the gait measures that was explained by walking speed. Differences between sides and footwear conditions, and the relationships between walking speed and two symmetry measures, are also reported.A total of 820 steps were analyzed from ten children (11.2 ± 4.1 years). Walking velocity significantly influenced all spatiotemporal measures of gait. As speed increased, step length increased and all temporal measures decreased, on both paretic and nonparetic sides. Wearing shoes increased step length and stance time for both paretic and nonparetic sides, and slowed step time on the nonparetic side. Regardless of footwear, the paretic side demonstrated slower step and swing times, and faster stance and single support times. We did not observe significant relationships between walking speed and gait symmetry.Our observations suggest that walking speed alone influences the spatiotemporal measurement of gait in children with hemiplegia and should be considered in the interpretation of walking function. Yet, controlling for walking speed is often not feasible or not preferred in this population. We offer suggestions for clinicians and researchers who seek to measure gait during overground walking at freely-selected speeds.

The prevalence and intensity of parasites in wild hosts varies across space and is a key determinant of infection risk in humans, domestic animals, and threatened wildlife. Because the immune system serves as the primary barrier to infection, replication, and transmission following exposure, we here consider the environmental drivers of immunity. Spatial variation in parasite pressure, abiotic and biotic conditions, and anthropogenic factors can all shape immunity across spatial scales. Identifying the most important spatial drivers of immunity could help preempt infectious disease risks, especially in the context of how large-scale factors such as urbanization affect defense by changing environmental conditions. We provide a synthesis of how to apply macroecological approaches to the study of ecoimmunology (i.e., macroimmunology). We first review spatial factors that could generate spatial variation in defense, highlighting the need for large-scale studies that can differentiate competing environmental predictors of immunity and detailing contexts where this approach might be favored over small-scale experimental studies. We next conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the frequency of spatial studies and to classify them according to taxa, immune measures, spatial replication and extent, and statistical methods. We review 210 ecoimmunology studies sampling multiple host populations. We show that whereas spatial approaches are relatively common, spatial replication is generally low and unlikely to provide sufficient environmental variation or power to differentiate competing spatial hypotheses. We also highlight statistical biases in macroimmunology, in that few studies characterize and account for spatial dependence statistically, potentially affecting inferences for the relationships between environmental conditions and immune defense. We use these findings to describe tools from geostatistics and spatial modeling that can improve inference about the associations between environmental and immunological variation. In particular, we emphasize exploratory tools that can guide spatial sampling and highlight the need for greater use of mixed-effects models that account for spatial variability while also allowing researchers to account for both individual- and habitat-level covariates. We lastly discuss future research priorities for macroimmunology, including focusing on latitudinal gradients, range expansions, and urbanization as being especially amenable to large-scale spatial approaches. Methodologically, we highlight critical opportunities posed by assessing spatial variation in host tolerance, using metagenomics to quantify spatial variation in parasite pressure, coupling large-scale field studies with small-scale field experiments and longitudinal approaches, and applying statistical tools from macroecology and meta-analysis to identify generalizable spatial patterns. Such work will facilitate scaling ecoimmunology from individual- to habitat-level insights about the drivers of immune defense and help predict where environmental change may most alter infectious disease risk.

SUMMARY The nursery industry pasteurizes soil with steam and quicklime to reduce plant pathogens. The mechanism of action for quicklime is the resulting exothermic reaction that occurs when the chemical interacts with water and its ability to increase pH levels. These treatments may also reduce pathogens in a commercial poultry house. In this study, a steam sterilization cart simulated conditions used by the nursery industry to treat litter inoculated with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. A homogenized sample of litter was exposed to steam for 0, 5, 30, or 120 min. Quicklime was used at concentrations of 0 (control), 2.5, 5.0, or 10.0%. All steam treatments, with or without quicklime, significantly reduced Salmonella Typhimurium colonization by at least 3 orders of magnitude. Significant reductions were also observed in the treatments with quicklime alone. Both the steam and the quicklime treatments often reduced colonization to undetectable levels, even when samples were enriched. Therefore, we demonstrated 2 novel techniques for reducing Salmonella Typhimurium in poultry litter. Soil pasteurization potentially offers an environmentally sound means of reducing the pathogens present in used poultry litter.

The molecular diversity of glia in the human hippocampus and their temporal dynamics over the lifespan remain largely unknown. Here, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing to generate a transcriptome atlas of the human hippocampus across the postnatal lifespan. Detailed analyses of astrocytes, oligodendrocyte lineages, and microglia identified subpopulations with distinct molecular signatures and revealed their association with specific physiological functions, age-dependent changes in abundance, and disease relevance. We further characterized spatiotemporal heterogeneity of GFAP-enriched astrocyte subpopulations in the hippocampal formation using immunohistology. Leveraging glial subpopulation classifications as a reference map, we revealed the diversity of glia differentiated from human pluripotent stem cells and identified dysregulated genes and pathological processes in specific glial subpopulations in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Together, our study significantly extends our understanding of human glial diversity, population dynamics across the postnatal lifespan, and dysregulation in AD and provides a reference atlas for stem-cell-based glial differentiation.

1. Fruit bats (Family: Pteropodidae) are animals of great ecological and economic importance, yet their populations are threatened by ongoing habitat loss and human persecution. A lack of ecological knowledge for the vast majority of Pteropodid bat species presents additional challenges for their conservation and management. 2. In Australia, populations of flying-fox species (Genus: Pteropus) are declining and management approaches are highly contentious. Australian flying-fox roosts are exposed to management regimes involving habitat modification, either through human-wildlife conflict management policies, or vegetation restoration programs. Details on the fine-scale roosting ecology of flying-foxes are not sufficiently known to provide evidence-based guidance for these regimes and the impact on flying-foxes of these habitat modifications is poorly understood. 3. We seek to identify and test commonly held understandings about the roosting ecology of Australian flying-foxes to inform practical recommendations and guide and refine management practices at flying-fox roosts. 4. We identify 31 statements relevant to understanding of flying-fox roosting structure, and synthesise these in the context of existing literature. We then contribute contemporary data on the fine-scale roosting structure of flying-fox species in south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, presenting a 13-month dataset from 2,522 spatially referenced roost trees across eight sites. 5. We show evidence of sympatry and indirect competition between species, including spatial segregation of black and grey-headed flying-foxes within roosts and seasonal displacement of both species by little red flying-foxes. We demonstrate roost-specific annual trends in occupancy and abundance and provide updated demographic information including the spatial and temporal distributions of males and females within roosts. 6. Insights from our systematic and quantitative study will be important to guide evidence-based recommendations on restoration and management and will be crucial for the implementation of priority recovery actions for the preservation of these species into the future.

SARS-CoV-2 spreads quickly in dense populations, with serious implications for universities, workplaces, and other settings where exposure reduction practices are difficult to implement. Rapid screening has been proposed as a tool to slow the spread of the virus; however, many commonly used diagnostic tests (e.g., RT-qPCR) are expensive, difficult to deploy (e.g., require a nasopharyngeal specimen), and have extended turn-around times. We evaluated testing regimes that combined diagnostic testing using qPCR with high-frequency screening using a novel reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP, herein LAMP) assay. We used a compartmental susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) model to simulate screening of a university population. We also developed a Shiny application to allow administrators and public health professionals to develop optimal testing strategies given site-specific assumptions about testing investment, target population, and cost. The frequency of screening, especially when pooling samples, was more important for minimizing epidemic size than test sensitivity, behavioral compliance, contact tracing capacity, and time between testing and results. Our results suggest that when testing budgets are limited, it is safer and more cost-effective to allocate the majority of funds to screening. Rapid, cost-effective, and scalable screening tests, like LAMP, should be viewed as critical components of SARS-CoV-2 testing in high-density populations.

The growing reliance on guidance — a kind of provisional “rule” that invites its own revision or qualification — marks a break in the development of the administrative state on the order of the transition from regulation by case-by-case adjudication to regulation by notice-and-comment rulemaking in the 1960s and 1970s. Where rulemaking aimed to correct social shortsightedness by the application of science in the service of law, guidance enables lawful action in the public interest when both science and law are recognized as themselves in need of continual correction. Guidance is the kind of law of which uncertainty admits. The centrality of guidance to contemporary administration, in turn, calls into question politically progressive defenses of the administrative state. These defenses ground the legality and legitimacy of administrative decisionmaking in the technical authority of professional administrators and the democratic authority of their political superiors, two forms of authority that are harmonized and largely self-disciplined by internally-generated hierarchical norms, which also serve as a shield against intrusive judicial review. Today, such deference to authority and hierarchy seems incautious, even reckless. Even when understood as a strategic bargain, necessary to protect the autonomy of the administrative state from a judiciary suspected — often rightly — of congenital animosity to administration itself, the progressive defense resembles a pact with the devil. The emerging law of guidance, and the reality of uncertainty to which it responds, points toward a different, and more defensible, conception of the administrative state: one that is aware of its own fallibility; that routinely invites challenges to its technical and political authority; and that continually responds to these challenges with reasons that are legible to the courts and to the public at large.

Melamium bromide and melamium iodide were synthesized from dicyandiamide in the presence of ammonium halides in evacuated Duran glass ampoules at temperatures of 450 degrees C. The crystal structures of both compounds were obtained from single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Melamium bromide C6N11H10Br crystallizes in space group P2(1)/n [no. 14, a = 7.0500(5), b = 28.7096(18), c = 10.8783(8) angstrom, = 96.060(2)degrees, Z = 8, wR(2) = 0.2231] and exhibits a layer-like arrangement of melamium ions, wherein both planar as well as twisted molecular structures of the cations occur. Melamium iodide C6N11H10I crystallizes in space group P2(1)/c [no. 14, a = 6.8569(3), b = 11.9949(6), c = 14.0932(6) angstrom, = 97.613(2)degrees, Z = 4, wR(2) = 0.0654], however in a structure completely different from the one of melamium bromide. The melamium iodide structure is comprised of stacks of planar melamium ions that form complex, hydrogen-bonded network layers with iodide ions within the layers. Both compounds were further characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analyses. Melamium bromide and melamium iodide could be obtained as air stable and colorless crystals. Samples are crystallographically phase pure as shown by Rietveld refinement.

On Friday 26 May 2017, Biosecurity Queensland announced that an unvaccinated horse in the Gold Coast hinterland had been euthanased following a positive detection of Hendra virus.1 This was the first Hendra virus case for the year and serves as a reminder to horse owners, veterinarians and allied workers to protect themselves and their animals. Given similarities between current environmental conditions and those that preceded a surge of spillover events in 2011, it may be worthwhile to be especially vigilant this year.

Melam-melem (1:1), an adduct compound that can be obtained from dicyandiamide in autoclave reactions at 450 °C and elevated ammonia pressure, had previously been described based on mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy, but only incompletely characterized. The crystal structure of this compound has now been elucidated by means of synchrotron microfocus diffraction and subsequent quantum-chemical structure optimization applying DFT methods. The structure was refined in triclinic space group P 1‾ based on X-ray data. Cell parameters of a=4.56(2), b=19.34(8), c=21.58(11) A, α=73.34(11)°, β=89.1(2)°, and γ=88.4(2)° were experimentally obtained. The resulting cell volumes agree with the DFT optimized value to within 7 %. Molecular units in the structure form stacks that are interconnected by a vast array of hydrogen bridge interactions. Remarkably large melam dihedral angles of 48.4° were found that allow melam to interact with melem molecules from different stack layers, thus forming a 3D network. π-stacking interactions appear to play no major role in this structure.

Background A diet in which fat is mainly eaten in the morning and carbohydrates mainly in the evening (compared with the reverse order) was recently shown to worsen glycemic control in people with prediabetes. Objective We investigated the effects of these dietary patterns on energy metabolism, and on the daily profiles of circulating lipids, adipokines, and inflammatory markers. Design In a randomized controlled crossover trial, 29 nonobese men (with normal glucose tolerance, n = 18; or impaired fasting glucose/glucose tolerance, n = 11) underwent 2 isocaloric 4-wk diets: 1) carbohydrate-rich meals until 1330 and fat-rich meals between 1630 and 2200 (HC/HF); or 2) the inverse sequence of meals (HF/HC). During a 12-h clinical investigation day after each intervention period, 2 meal tolerance tests were performed, at 0900 and 1540, respectively. Substrate oxidation and concentrations of circulating lipids, adipokines, and cytokines were assessed pre- and postprandially. The postprandial inflammatory response in leukocytes was analyzed ex vivo. Results Fasting carbohydrate oxidation decreased (P = 0.004) and lipid oxidation increased (P = 0.012) after the HC/HF diet. Fasting concentrations of blood markers did not differ between diets. The diets modulated the daily profiles of carbohydrate oxidation, lipid oxidation, and β-hydroxybutyrate, although the average daily values of these parameters showed no difference between the diets, and no interaction between diet and glucose tolerance status. Diurnal patterns of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, leptin, visfatin, and of LPS-induced cytokine secretion in blood leukocytes were also modulated by the diets. Average daily concentrations of leptin (P = 0.017) and visfatin (P = 0.041) were lower on the HF/HC diet than on the HC/HF diet. Conclusions Diurnal distribution of carbohydrates and fat affects the daily profiles of substrate oxidation, circulating lipids, and cytokine secretion, and alters the average daily concentrations of adipokine secretion in nonobese nondiabetic humans. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02487576.

Cognitive functioning, particularly executive functioning, is a strong predictor of functional outcomes in people with schizophrenia. Cognitive remediation has been shown to improve specific cognitive processes, but adjunctive interventions are required for meaningful gains in adaptive functioning, particularly in people with chronic illness. This study examined whether (and how) environmental adaptations, used without training, may circumvent cognitive difficulties and facilitate everyday task performance in individuals with chronic schizophrenia. Forty-two individuals with chronic schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder were administered cognitive measures and two versions of the Naturalistic Action Test (NAT)—a standard version (ST-NAT), and a user-centered version (UC-NAT) that incorporated environmental adaptations designed to facilitate task performance. The NAT conditions were counterbalanced across participants. Analyses compared performance between the NAT versions and examined the cognitive correlates of each NAT condition. Individuals with schizophrenia made fewer errors on the UC-NAT as compared to the ST-NAT; this between-group difference was significant for all error types. Compared to the ST-NAT, the UC-NAT performance was not significantly associated with an executive function measure of planning. Environmental adaptations may be implemented without extensive training to improve everyday action in individuals with chronic schizophrenia. Environmental adaptations that reduce planning demands may be most effective in this population. (JINS, 2015, 21, 319–329)

This chapter first discusses the close connection of heritage and religious tourism in the Sultanate of Oman with particular emphasis on historical and religious accounts. It then presents key religious sites, which, if promoted and developed appropriately, could increase the heritage tourism potential of Oman following the main objectives of the Ministry of Tourism's strategy.

In the past decade, research in the field of artificial photosynthesis has shifted from simple, inorganic semiconductors to more abundant, polymeric materials. For example, polymeric carbon nitrides have emerged as promising materials for metal-free semiconductors and metal-free photocatalysts. Polymeric carbon nitride (melon) and related carbon nitride materials are desirable alternatives to industrially used catalysts because they are easily synthesized from abundant and inexpensive starting materials. Furthermore, these materials are chemically benign because they do not contain heavy metal ions, thereby facilitating handling and disposal. In this Review, we discuss the building blocks of carbon nitride materials and examine how strategies in synthesis, templating and post-processing translate from the molecular level to macroscopic properties, such as optical and electronic bandgap. Applications of carbon nitride materials in bulk heterojunctions, laser-patterned memory devices and energy storage devices indicate that photocatalytic overall water splitting on an industrial scale may be realized in the near future and reveal a new avenue of ‘post-silicon electronics’. Carbon nitrides are potentially cheap and metal-free alternatives for catalysts, semiconductors, battery materials and memory devices. In this Review, we discuss the synthesis, design and morphology of these materials, and reflect on the ability of methods such as templating, etching, dye sensitization, heteroatom doping and co-polymerization, as well as the assembly of various heterojunctions, to improve device performance.

We report the successful substitution of cobalt, nickel, and copper for iron in the 1038 phase parent compound Ca$_{10}$(FeAs)$_{10}$(Pt$_3$As$_8$) yielding Ca$_{10}$(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$As)$_{10}$(Pt$_3$As$_8$), Ca$_{10}$(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$As)$_{10}$(Pt$_3$As$_8$), and Ca$_{10}$(Fe$_{1-x}$Cu$_x$As)$_{10}$(Pt$_3$As$_8$), respectively. Superconductivity is induced in Co and Ni doped compounds reaching critical temperatures up to 15 K, similar to known Pt substituted Ca$_{10}$(Fe$_{1-x}$Pt$_x$As)$_{10}$(Pt$_3$As$_8$), whereas no superconductivity was detected in Ca$_{10}$(Fe$_{1-x}$Cu$_x$As)$_{10}$(Pt$_3$As$_8$). The obtained Tc(x) phase diagrams are very similar to those of other iron arsenide superconductors indicating rather universal behavior despite the more complex structures of the 1038-type compounds, where the physics is primarily determined by the FeAs layer., Comment: 7 pages, 6 Figures

Eine 75-Jahrige Patientin leidet seit zwei Jahren an einer Psoriasis vulgaris mit Beginn im Bereich des Kapillitiums und spaterer Ausbreitung auf das gesamte Integument. Funf Tage vor stationarer Aufnahme entwickelte sie plotzlich, beginnend am Rumpf, spater mit generalisierter Ausbreitung, stecknadelkopfgrose Pusteln auf Erythemen bzw. im Randbereich erythematose Plaques. Nach Ausschluss von Differenzialdiagnosen wurde die Diagnose einer Psoriasis pustulosa generalisata vom Typ Zumbusch gestellt. Die ambulant begonnene Therapie mit Kortikosteroiden wurde ausgeschlichen und eine hochdosierte Therapie mit Cyclosporin A (3 mg/kg Korpergewicht) begonnen. Darunter konnte fur ca. 6 Wochen eine deutliche Besserung des Befundes erreicht werden. Im Rahmen eines ausgedehnten Rezidivs wurde die Indikation zu einer Therapie mit Infliximab gestellt und mit einer Dosis von 5 mg/kg Korpergewicht entsprechend einer Einzeldosis von 400 mg begonnen. Darunter kam es zu einem prompten Ansprechen bei der Patientin und nach einer Dauer von 16 Wochen zur vollstandigen Erscheinungsfreiheit. Die Therapie wird bei guter Vertraglichkeit in achtwochigem Abstand weitergefuhrt und ist seit gegenwartig 18 Monaten wirksam.

Planning of everyday tasks was examined in 48 inpatients with schizophrenia and 26 healthy controls. Participants were administered the Naturalistic Action Test, which requires completion of three everyday tasks (e.g., make toast and coffee). Planning variables, including planning behaviours (e.g., gathering items before engaging in a subtask) and planning time (e.g., period between task instructions and first action) were coded to evaluate forward thinking in these tasks. Results showed that planning variables were reliably coded. Controls demonstrated more planning behaviours than participants with schizophrenia; however, this difference was accounted for by education. People with schizophrenia spent significantly less time planning when planning time was analysed as a proportion of the total time on tasks. Planning variables were related to the ability to accomplish everyday task steps and to perform everyday task steps accurately. Together these findings suggest that rehabilitation strategies that emphasise both planning time and planning behaviours may facilitate everyday functioning in people with schizophrenia.

On behavioural as well as physiological levels our daily life is regulated by the circadian clock - endogenous oscillators present in the hypothalamus and in peripheral tissues - which is believed to have evolved as an adaptation to Earth rotation around the Sun and its consequent 24 h dark-light cycle. Accumulative evidence suggests that the circadian clock plays a pivotal role for energy metabolism and energy homeostasis: many hormones, enzymes and transport systems involved in the regulation of energy metabolism have been shown to display circadian rhythms in their expression, secretion and/or activity patterns. The energy metabolism, in turn, can impact on the circadian clock - a process that is called entrainment. Thus, the circadian clock and energy metabolism are intimately intertwined. So far this interplay and its implications for health have not been understood very well. For health maintenance, however, it seems to be crucial to avoid any desynchronisation between the circadian clock and energy metabolism. Form a clinical point of view this might be important for the treatment of obesity and associated disorders and may lead to new life-style approaches.

The hydromorphological analysis (HMA) is a method to quantify the potentials of mire revitalisation. In this study, the HMA is combined with the new peatland-tool of the water balance model AKWA-M®. This peatland-tool includes as well depth functions of the hydraulic conductivity and drainable porosity for several mire-ecotope-types as specific equations for mire evapotranspiration. The calculations were applied in several peatlands and mires of the German-Czech Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge/Krušné hory). The simulation results show that the chosen depth functions are valuable for the water balance calculation of mire ecotopes with a fully developed akrotelm like ombro- and mesotrophic peatlands. For degenerated peat soil or regenerating mires it is necessary to improve the model and the parameter calibration, especially the depth functions, with additional measured data in different peatlands.

UGT enzymes catalyze the formation of glucuronic acid conjugates. Specifically selected representative stable isotope (C(13), N(15)) labeled peptide internal standards of each enzyme were employed to quantify UGTs 1A1 and 1A6 by LC-MS/MS using isotope dilution techniques. Inter day variability (n=5) for human liver microsomes wasor= 8.0 % for UGT1A1 andor= 19 % for UGT1A6. Comparison within a human liver microsomal library showed a strong correlation with Western blot for UGT1A1 concentrations (r=0.988). The data presented indicates that an accurate and reproducible method for UGT absolute quantification can be established using LC-MS/MS analysis of characteristic peptides within the protein.

The disciplines of economics and political science have a good deal to offer each other in the study of migration policy, but economists have until recently mostly ignored the ways in which politics constrain migration markets, and political scientists—although giving considerable credence to economic aspects of migration—have not always pursued these matters systematically. We consider economic ideas drawn from theories of labour markets, international trade and public finance and link them to political analyses stressing the role of states, institutions and interest groups. A review of literature incorporating these perspectives suggests the promise of a political economy of migration, but also indicates the considerable work that remains.

Relative to our understanding of the memory and language deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), little is known about problems with everyday action performance (i.e., meal preparation, grooming). The resource theory proposes that everyday action problems are best explained by a unitary deficit in general cognitive resources. However, recent research suggests that omission and commission errors may reflect dissociable aspects of action impairment, with only omissions associated with resource limitations. This study examined everyday action performance in 70 participants with AD who also underwent a neuropsychological evaluation. First, correlation and principal component analyses were performed to examine the construct(s) that might explain everyday action impairment. Second, relations between everyday task component(s) and neuropsychological tests were examined by using correlation and regression analyses. Third, differences in everyday action error patterns were examined among participants of comparable overall impairment levels. Results showed omission and commission errors were uncorrelated and distinct components of everyday action performance, predicted by different neuropsychological tests, and differentially distributed even among participants with comparable overall impairment.

The purpose was to identify the prevalence of naked amoebae in tap water in south Florida to ascertain the risk of amoebal infections of the cornea in contact lens wearers. Over the course of a 2-year period, water samples were collected from sites throughout Broward, Palm Beach, and Dade counties, Florida. The presence of amoebae in samples was based on an enrichment cultivation method appropriate for Acanthamoeba. Amoebae were identified using diagnostic features discernable by light microscopy. A total of 283 water samples were processed and amoebae were noted in 80 of these. Acanthamoeba were found on 8 occasions (2.8%). The genera Hartmannella and Vahlkampfia, rarely involved in keratitis cases, were found in 3.5% and 2.8% of samples, respectively. A total of 19 different naked amoebae were recorded and amoebae (regardless of genus) were present in 19.4% of all samples. Previous surveys in England and Korea have shown that acanthamoebae are found in 15 to 30% of tap water samples in the home and have been associated with corneal infection in contact lens wearers. The incidence of acanthamoebae infection in the USA (2.8%) has been found to be lower than that in the UK and it has been postulated that this is related to the lack of a storage water tank in the roof loft space. However, the level of treatment of municipal water is clearly not effective at killing amoebal cysts (or trophozoites) as evidenced by the high occurrence of amoebae (19.4%) in this study.