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I. INTRODUCTION Like all living languages, the English language is an evolving work in progress. (1) One aspect of the evolutionary process is that new words are coined and added [...]

It is shown that water-in-oil microemulsions (m/e or μE) can produce BaCeO3 (BCO) and LaCoO3 (LCO) precursors. The nanoparticles (NPs) adsorb on AlOOH sols, in much the same way as Turkevich previously immobilised platinum group metal sols. BCO is active in CO and propane oxidation and NO removal under stoichiometric exhaust conditions, but LCO is a better oxidation catalyst. Activity was also seen when Ba,Ce and La,Co are inserted into/segregate at the surface of AlOOH/Al2O3. However, there is only formation of low levels of BCO, CAIO3 (CAO), LCO and LaAIO3 (LAO) perovskites, along with aluminates and separate oxides. The complexing of cations by AlOOH surface-held oxalate ions, albeit with different efficiencies, has also been explored. All three routes yield active catalysts with micro-domains of crystallinity; microemulsions produce the best defined perovskite NPs, but even those from surface segregation have higher turnover numbers than traditional Pt catalysts. Perovskite NPs may open up green chemistry for air pollution control that is consistent with a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surfactant alterations are described in horses after exercise, anesthesia, and prolonged transport, in horses with recurrent airway obstruction, and in neonatal foals. The effect of horse age or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) sample characteristics on surfactant is unknown. Objectives: To evaluate surfactant phospholipid composition and function in healthy horses, and to investigate the influence of age and BALF sample characteristics on surfactant. Animals: Seventeen healthy horses 6–25 years of age maintained on pasture year-round. Methods: BALF was collected by standard procedures and was assessed for recovery volume, nucleated cell count (NCC), and cytology. Cell-free BALF was separated into crude surfactant pellet (CSP) and surfactant supernatant (Supe) by ultracentrifugation. Phospholipid and protein content were determined from both fractions. CSP phospholipid composition was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with an evaporative light scatter detector. Surface tension of CSP was evaluated with a pulsating bubble surfactometer. Regression analysis was used to evaluate associations between age, BALF sample characteristics, and surfactant variables. Results: Results and conclusions were derived from 15 horses. Increasing age was associated with decreased phospholipid content in CSP but not Supe. Age did not affect protein content of CSP or Supe, or surfactant phospholipid composition or function. Age-related surfactant changes were unaffected by BALF recovery percentage, NCC, and cytological profile. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Older horses have decreased surfactant phospholipid content, which might be because of age-related pulmonary changes. Surfactant composition is unaffected by BALF sample characteristics at a BALF recovery percentage of at least 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consuming diets enriched with either (n-6) or (n-3) fatty acids (FA) will subsequently influence the proportion of cell membrane–associated lipids, arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Recent investigations suggest that the mechanism underlying the effectiveness of (n-3) FA supplementation involves the reduction of inflammatory mediators (Vaughn et al. 1994). In addition to reducing levels of inflammatory mediators, (n-3) FA have been associated with altered platelet function. Activation of platelets with high concentrations of (n-6) or (n-3) FA in the cell membrane results in the release of increased amounts of proaggregatory thromboxane A2 (TXA2) or antiaggregatory thromboxane A3 (TXA3) metabolites (Hall 1996), respectively. Studies regarding the possible detrimental effects that may occur from intake of dietary (n-3) FA have yielded conflicting results regarding platelet function (Casali et al. 1986, Kristensen et al. 1989, Landhmore et al. 1986). Currently, pet foods are being formulated to maximize the anti-inflammatory effect of (n-3) FA. Although the benefits of increasing dietary (n-3) FA have been studied, potential adverse effects of feeding diets enriched in (n-3) FA on a long-term basis have not been evaluated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of altering dietary (n-6) to (n-3) FA ratios on platelet aggregation, platelet activation, blood coagulation indices and bleeding time in cats. Materials and methods. Animals and facilities. Twelve domestic short-haired cats, six neutered males and six spayed females, (average age 4 y) were used in this experiment. Cats were housed and fed in individual metal cages in a climate-controlled environment at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine for the duration of the study. All cats were fed a nutritionally complete dry diet to maintain an optimal body weight and condition score before the start of the study. The prestudy diet contained a (n-6):(n-3) fatty acid ratio of 12:1. The experimental protocol was reviewed and approved by the Virginia Tech Animal Care and Use Committee according to NIH guidelines (NRC 1985). Experimental protocol. Cats were allotted by gender and weight to dietary treatments as follows: enriched (n-6), [(n-6):(n-3) FA ratio 25:1]; control, (12:1); or enriched (n-3), (1.3:1). Experimental diets were formulated by Hill’s Science and Technology Center, Topeka, KS. Fatty acid ratios were manipulated by incorporating specific FA sources into each of the three treatment diets (corn oil, choice white grease or menhaden oil, respectively). During the 16-wk study period, whole blood was collected via jugular venipuncture on d 0, 56 and 112 for evaluation of platelet function, coagulation parameters and fibrinogen concentration. Toenail bleeding time was recorded on d 0 and 112. Platelet isolation. Whole blood was collected via jugular venipuncture into syringes containing 3.8% trisodium citrate (9 parts blood:1 part anticoagulant), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was harvested according to the procedure described by Welles et al. (1994). Platelet counts were determined by using a Baker System 9000 Hematology Series Cell Counter (Allentown, PA). Samples of PRP were diluted to 300,000 platelets/ µL with autologous platelet-poor plasma (PPP). Platelet aggregation. Platelet aggregation was performed on diluted PRP stimulated with 50 µmol/L ADP (grade I: Sigma Chemical, St. Louis, MO) using a dual-channel aggregometer (Payton Series 300BD-5, Buffalo, NY). The procedure has been previously described (Welles et al. 1994). Platelet activation. Platelet activation was measured using a modified technique previously reported by Welles et al. (1994). Briefly, PRP stimulated with 50 µmol/L ADP was labeled with fluorescein- conjugated goat F[Ab] monoclonal antibody (Cappel-Organon Teknika, Durham, NC). Fluorescence was measured on the platelets bound with fluorescein-labeled antifibrinogen using a Coulter Epics XL-MCL Flow Cytometer. Determination of bleeding time, coagulation indices, and fibrinogen. Cats were sedated with a combination of acepromazine (0.11 mg/kg, intramuscular) and ketamine HCl (22 mg/kg, intramuscular); one nail was trimmed 2 mm into the capillary bed and gently blotted every 10 s until a clot formed. Time to clot formation was recorded. Whole blood was collected via jugular venipuncture for determination of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), one-stage prothrombin time (OSPT) and fibrinogen concentration with the use of a Sysmex Coagulation Analyzer 1000. Statistical analysis. Data were tested for normality and homogeneity of variance. An ANOVA (SAS/STAT Version 5.0, SAS Institute, Cary, NC) was used to determine dietary treatment effects on platelet count, platelet aggregation, platelet activation, bleeding time, fibrinogen concentration, APTT and OSPT. Tukey’s studentized range test (HSD) was used for means comparisons. The General Linear Models procedure for repeated-measures ANOVA was used to determine within-subject effects and compare response changes over time. Data were considered significant at P < 0.05. Results. Diet analyses are presented in Table 1. Cats fed the enriched (n-3) FA diet for 112 d exhibited an increased (P < 0.05) toenail bleeding time compared with cats fed either the enriched (n-6) FA or control diet (6.1 vs. 3.2 and 3.2 min, respectively). Peak aggregation of platelets from cats fed the enriched (n-3) FA diet was lower (P < 0.05) compared with both the enriched (n-6) FA and control diet on d 112 (Fig. 1). Platelet activation (Fig. 2) tended (P = 0.15) to be higher in the enriched (n-6) FA and control diet groups on d 56 and 112 compared with the enriched (n-3) FA diet group. There was no difference between treatment groups for OSPT, APTT and fibrinogen concentration throughout the study period (data not shown). Discussion. Manipulation of dietary (n-6):(n-3) ratios does not appear to affect coagulation indices such as APTT and OSPT or platelet count in human studies, but platelet function does appear to be altered (Kristensen et al. 1989). The effects of FA supplementation for 4 or 6 wk on bleeding time in dogs have been contradictory (Casali et al. 1986, Landhmore et al. 1986). In this study, bleeding time was significantly increased in cats fed an enriched (n-3) FA diet for 16 wk. Indices of the intrinsic, extrinsic and common coagulation pathways (APTT and OSPT) were not different among cats in the dietary treatment groups throughout the study. Therefore, it is unlikely that alterations in bleeding time were a function of abnormalities in the coagulation cascade. Alterations in bleeding time due to increased dietary (n-3) FA levels may occur in less time than 16 wk; however, that information could not be determined from our study design. The ability of activated platelets to aggregate appeared to be influenced by the ratio of (n-6) to (n-3) FA in the diet as shown in Figure 1. As the level of dietary (n-6) FA decreased, there would be proportionately less AA incorporated into platelet membranes and, therefore, less AA available for conversion to the proaggregatory TXA2. As the concentrations of TXA2 decreased, the ability of platelets to aggregate would diminish. Kristensen et al. (1989) showed a similar effect on human platelet aggregation when fish-based diets were fed. Aggregation of platelets is dependent on or enhanced by fibrinogen binding to platelets. Alteration of platelet membrane glycoprotein complexes, which form a functional receptor for fibrinogen, is an activation- dependent platelet surface change (Welles et al. 1994). The method of measuring platelet activation in this study used an antifibrinogen antibody, which requires the presence of adequate fibrinogen to first bind to the exposed fibrinogen receptors of activated platelets. Our results indicated that platelets derived from cats fed the enriched (n-3) FA diet tended to exhibit decreased activation compared with platelets from cats fed the enriched (n-6) or control diet; fibrinogen concentration did not differ among treatment groups during the study, and values were within the normal range for cats (Duncan and Prasse 1986). This suggested that a decrease in platelet activation resulted in a decrease in aggregatory ability and that this sequence of events was not limited by fibrinogen concentration. Saynor and Gillott (1992) reported that intake by human subjects of diets containing high concentrations of fish oil for over a 7-y period significantly reduced fibrinogen. Possible longer-term effects on fibrinogen concentration of felines fed (n-3) FA-enriched diets may warrant further study with a larger sample size. The results from this study suggest that prolonged (112 d) intake of enriched (n-3) FA diets in cats alters platelet aggregation and bleeding time, such that there were detrimental effects on platelet function. Specific medical conditions in which an enriched (n-3) FA diet or FA supplementation may be indicated would require long-term feeding to confirm the viability of a desired effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Tocopherols have biphasic, proangiogenic and antiangiogenic therapeutic effects. The objective of this clinical trial was to clarify tocopherol's placental angiogenic potential in late pregnant ewes following oral supplementation. Methods Eighteen pregnant ewes during late gestation were selected for this study. Ewes were given oral supplementation of 500 mg of alpha-tocopherol (aT; N = 6) or 1000 mg of gamma-tocopherol (gT; N = 7) or placebo (CON; N = 5) once daily from 107 to 137 days post breeding. Serum was obtained at weekly intervals and tissue samples were obtained at the end of supplementation to: 1) evaluate tocopherol concentrations in serum, uterus and placentome; 2) evaluate relative mRNA expressions of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Placental Growth Factor (PlGF), endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) and Hypoxia Inducible Factors (HIF) in uterus, caruncle and cotyledon; 3) analyze the morphometry of the placental vascular network. Results Supplementation of aT or gT resulted in increased concentrations in serum, placentome and uterus compared to control (P < 0.05). In aT group, mRNA expressions of PlGF, eNOS and HIF-1α in cotyledon were greater than the CON group. In gT group, mRNA expressions of VEGF, eNOS, HIF-1 alpha and HIF-2 alpha in caruncle and uterus, and HIF-1α in cotyledon, were greater than the CON group. Morphometry analysis revealed increased angiogenesis in the supplemented groups. Conclusion Daily oral supplementation of aT or gT increased angiogenesis in the placental vascular network in pregnant ewes during late gestation. Increase in placental angiogenesis may provide nutrients required for the development and growth of fetus during late pregnancy.

This article examines how writing can increase the self-awareness of a socially isolated and often stigmatized population: those bereaved by addiction. Writing about a traumatic event has been shown to increase self-awareness which can improve health and regulate negative behaviors. Using narrative analysis on the writing of individuals bereaved by addiction, this study found that participants were able to increase their self-awareness through writing to the dead, the living and themselves. Participants' writing also demonstrated their attempts to make sense and make meaning out of their loss which are both strong predictors of positive health outcomes. All participants in this study demonstrated increased self-awareness as well as sense-making and/or meaning-making which can lead to improvements in behavior regulation, psychological health and physical heath. This suggests that writing may be a uniquely beneficial therapeutic intervention for those experiencing disenfranchised grief as a result of bereavement by addiction.

Globally, coral reefs are under pressure from climate change, with concerning declines in coral abundance observed due to increasing cumulative impacts. Active intervention measures that mitigate the declines are increasingly being applied to buy time for coral reefs as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy. One such mitigation strategy is coral restoration based on large-scale coral aquaculture to provide stock for reseeding reefs, with the added potential of selecting corals that better tolerate environmental stress. Application of probiotics during production and deployment, to modulate the naturally occurring bacteria associated with corals, may confer health benefits such as disease resistance, increased environmental tolerance or improved coral nutrition. Here, we briefly describe coral associated bacteria and their role in the coral holobiont, identify probiotics traits potentially beneficial to coral, and discuss current research directions required to develop, test and verify the feasibility for probiotics to improve coral aquaculture at industrial scales., (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Perioperative management of children with haemophilia undergoing surgery is a complex and understudied topic. Circumcision is the most common procedure performed in the neonatal period, and guidelines to prevent bleeding complications from circumcision are lacking. Treatment protocols vary widely, and many centres treat patients with factor products for up to two weeks after circumcision. There is an unmet need for studies evaluating optimal factor replacement therapy around the time of circumcision in neonates with severe haemophilia., Aim: To determine the efficacy of a single dose of factor replacement before circumcision to prevent bleeding complications in neonates with severe haemophilia., Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of male infants born between January 2000 and June 2019. Male neonates with severe haemophilia diagnosed at the Iowa Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center (n = 22) and healthy newborn controls who underwent circumcision at the University of Iowa Hospitals were included. Data were collected from the electronic medical record. Neonates with severe haemophilia were separated into two groups-those pretreated with one dose of factor replacement before circumcision and those without pretreatment., Results: We observed that neonates with severe haemophilia pretreated with a single dose of factor VIII or factor IX replacement had significantly reduced bleeding complications, shorter hospital stay and required less therapeutic intervention compared with untreated patients. Importantly, pretreated patients had outcomes similar to healthy controls., Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that a single dose of factor replacement before circumcision is effective to prevent bleeding in neonates with severe haemophilia., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Peer assessment is an integral component of team-based learning (TBL) and provides a method to foster accountability and team performance. Traditionally, peer assessment in TBL contributes to the final course grade. We assessed the impact of replacing course grading with student's faculty coach review. As a result of this intervention, student self-reported evaluation truthfulness improved from 44 to 76% of the population surveyed. In addition, student self-reported incorporation of peer feedback increased from 18 to 38%. The data suggest that the combination of student coaching and longitudinal review of peer feedback may improve overall effectiveness of the process., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© International Association of Medical Science Educators 2019.)

It is shown that water-in-oil microemulsions (m/e or μE) can produce BaCeO3 (BCO) and LaCoO3 (LCO) precursors. The nanoparticles (NPs) adsorb on AlOOH sols, in much the same way as Turkevich previously immobilised platinum group metal sols. BCO is active in CO and propane oxidation and NO removal under stoichiometric exhaust conditions, but LCO is a better oxidation catalyst. Activity was also seen when Ba,Ce and La,Co are inserted into/segregate at the surface of AlOOH/Al2O3. However, there is only formation of low levels of BCO, CAIO3 (CAO), LCO and LaAIO3 (LAO) perovskites, along with aluminates and separate oxides. The complexing of cations by AlOOH surface-held oxalate ions, albeit with different efficiencies, has also been explored. All three routes yield active catalysts with micro-domains of crystallinity; microemulsions produce the best defined perovskite NPs, but even those from surface segregation have higher turnover numbers than traditional Pt catalysts. Perovskite NPs may open up green chemistry for air pollution control that is consistent with a circular economy.