Production of yeast growth stimulants by molds on various media

It has been shown that the molds Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus clavatus, Trichoderma ligorum, Rhizopus nigricans, and Penicillium roqueforti are capable of producing a substance or substances stimulating yeast growth;It has been shown that this material of a Bios nature is produced from both glycerine and sucrose substrates;The Bios producing properties of Aspergillus niger have been studied with respect to time, the composition of the media, production of acids, and of mycelium;A study of the nature of the stimulant has been made;It has been shown that the Bios produced by mold is apparently not the same as Miller\u27s Bios fractions;A synthetic medium has been devised which gives high yields of acid and mycelium with Aspergillus niger

Transitions in frailty state after kidney transplantation

Purpose: Frailty is the body’s failure to return to homeostasis after every day or acute stressful events, causing adverse outcomes. To study its dynamics in kidney transplant recipients (KTR), we determined whether the degree of frailty and its domains are affected by kidney transplantation (KT). Methods: Between 2015 and 2017, 176 KTR were included. Frailty scores were measured using the Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI), assessed preoperatively and during follow-up. Transitions in frailty state and changes in the individual domains were determined. Results: Mean age (±SD) was 51.8 (± 14.1) years, and 63.1% of KTR were male. Thirty patients were considered frail (GFI ≥ 4) at baseline. After a mean follow-up of 22.8 ± 8.3 months, 34 non-frail patients (19.3%) became frail, 125 patients (71.0%) remained the same, and 17 frail patients (9.7%) became non-frail (GFI < 4). In the domain psychosocial functioning, 28.4% of the patients had an increase in GFI score after follow-up. Patients who scored a point in the domain cognition at baseline had a greater chance of becoming frail (OR 4.38, 95% CI 0.59–32.24). Conclusion: In conclusion, almost one-fifth of non-frail KTR transitioned to a frail state after their transplantation. These results could be used to predict the impact of KT on frailty course and help with implementing prehabilitation for patients at risk

Supplemental Information 2: Supplemental material.

Acropora cervicornis is the most widely used coral species for reef restoration in the greater Caribbean. However, outplanting methodologies (e.g., colony density, size, host genotype, and attachment technique) vary greatly, and to date have not been evaluated for optimality across multiple sites. Two experiments were completed during this study, the first evaluated the effects of attachment technique, colony size, and genotype by outplanting 405 A. cervicornis colonies, from ten genotypes, four size classes, and three attachment techniques (epoxy, nail and cable tie, or puck) across three sites. Colony survival, health condition, tissue productivity, and growth were assessed across one year for this experiment. The second experiment assessed the effect of colony density by outplanting colonies in plots of one, four, or 25 corals per 4 m2 across four separate sites. Plot survival and condition were evaluated across two years for this experiment in order to better capture the effect of increasing cover. Colonies attached with a nail and cable tie resulted in the highest survival regardless of colony size. Small corals had the lowest survival, but the greatest productivity. The majority of colony loss was attributed to missing colonies and was highest for pucks and small epoxied colonies. Disease and predation were observed at all sites, but did not affect all genotypes, however due to the overall low prevalence of either condition there were no significant differences found in any comparison. Low density plots had significantly higher survival and significantly lower prevalence of disease, predation, and missing colonies than high density plots. These results indicate that to increase initial outplant success, colonies of many genotypes should be outplanted to multiple sites using a nail and cable tie, in low densities, and with colonies over 15 cm total linear extension

Frailty has a significant influence on postoperative complications after kidney transplantation:A prospective study on short-term outcomes

Currently, there are no tools to predict postsurgery outcome after kidney transplantation. This study assesses whether frailty influence 30-day postoperative complications after kidney transplantation. One-hundred and fifty kidney transplantations were prospectively included. Frailty was assessed using a frailty indicator, consisting of 15 questions, covering most domains of functioning. Postoperative complications were measured by the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI). Using a linear regression model, 30-day postoperative complications and frailty correlation were adjusted for confounders, including sex, age, ASA Score, Charlson Comorbidity Index, hypertension, BMI, smoking, dialysis, duration of dialysis, type of transplantation, and retransplantation. The mean frailty score was 2.07(+/- 1.6) and 23 patients were classified as frail (GFI >= 4). The mean CCI-score was 18(+/- 15.6), the mean CCI-score for "frail" patients 30.1(+/- 17.2) compared to 15.5 (+/- 14.2) for "non-frail" patients (N = 116). In a regression analysis, a significant relationship between CCI-score and frailty (beta = 13.3; 95% CI 5.7-20.9; P = 0.0007) and transplantation type (beta = 4.9; 95% CI: 0.72-9.16; P = 0.02) was found, independent of confounders. In conclusion, frailty and type of transplantation are independent factors associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications

Genomic patterns in Acropora cervicornis show extensive population structure and variable genetic diversity

Threatened Caribbean coral communities can benefit from high-resolution genetic data used to inform management and conservation action. We use Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS) to investigate genetic patterns in the threatened coral, Acropora cervicornis, across the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) and the western Caribbean. Results show extensive population structure at regional scales and resolve previously unknown structure within the FRT. Different regions also exhibit up to threefold differences in genetic diversity (He), suggesting targeted management based on the goals and resources of each population is needed

Teaching language components to deaf/hard-of-hearing and cochlear implant users: a literature review

ABSTRACT Cochlear implants are one of the possible ways for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) individuals to detect sounds and as a mean of insertion in the social, academic and work environments. Nevertheless, in many cases, the cochlear implant alone is not sufficient, demanding hearing and expressive language skills rehabilitation to optimize the device used. This study aimed at reviewing scientific articles that described empirical research with interventions and/or teaching methods of various language repertoires to deaf and hard-of-hearing cochlear implant users. The review was carried out in five scientific databases considering all periods. On the first phase, 156 articles were identified and from these, 24 publications were selected. After being read, these articles were categorized and analyzed as to the participants, teaching targets and procedures adopted. On the last stage of the research, 10 experimental studies were selected and analyzed regarding procedures and results, indicating important factors in teaching this population. The results point to the necessity of an increase of scientific production in the construction and evaluation of effective verbal repertoires teaching programs for cochlear implant users.RESUMO O indivíduo com deficiência auditiva encontra no implante coclear um dispositivo de reabilitação da capacidade de detectar sons e de inserção no meio social, acadêmico e do trabalho. No entanto, em muitos casos, apenas o implante não é suficiente, sendo necessário investimento na reabilitação de habilidades auditivas e da linguagem expressiva para otimizar o uso do dispositivo. O presente estudo teve como objetivo revisar artigos científicos que apresentem estudos empíricos da aplicação de intervenções e/ou métodos de ensino de repertórios de linguagem diversos a população com deficiência auditiva e usuária de implante coclear. O levantamento foi realizado em cinco bases de dados em qualquer período. Na primeira etapa foram levantadas 156 publicações, e destes, 24 artigos foram selecionados. A partir da leitura, os artigos foram categorizados e analisados quanto aos participantes, alvos de ensino e procedimentos empregados. Na última etapa da pesquisa, 10 estudos experimentais foram selecionados e analisados quanto aos procedimentos e resultados, indicando alguns fatores importantes no ensino com esta população. Os resultados sugerem a necessidade de uma maior e mais sistemática produção científica na construção e avaliação de programas de ensino de repertórios verbais efetivos para a população usuária de implante coclear

The impacts and implications of an intensifying fire regime on Alaskan boreal forest composition and albedo

Climate warming and drying are modifying the fire dynamics of many boreal forests, moving them towards a regime with a higher frequency of extreme fire years characterized by large burns of high severity. Plot-scale studies indicate that increased burn severity favors the recruitment of deciduous trees in the initial years following fire. Consequently, a set of biophysical effects of burn severity on postfire boreal successional trajectories at decadal timescales have been hypothesized. Prominent among these are a greater cover of deciduous tree species in intermediately aged stands after more severe burning, with associated implications for carbon and energy balances. Here we investigate whether the current vegetation composition of interior Alaska supports this hypothesis. A chronosequence of six decades of vegetation regrowth following fire was created using a database of burn scars, an existing forest biomass map, and maps of albedo and the deciduous fraction of vegetation that we derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery. The deciduous fraction map depicted the proportion of aboveground biomass in deciduous vegetation, derived using a RandomForest algorithm trained with field data sets (n=69, 71% variance explained). Analysis of the difference Normalized Burn Ratio, a remotely sensed index commonly used as an indicator of burn severity, indicated that burn size and ignition date can provide a proxy of burn severity for historical fires. LIDAR remote sensing and a bioclimatic model of evergreen forest distribution were used to further refine the stratification of the current landscape by burn severity. Our results show that since the 1950s, more severely burned areas in interior Alaska have produced a vegetation cohort that is characterized by greater deciduous biomass. We discuss the importance of this shift in vegetation composition due to climate-induced changes in fire severity for carbon sequestration in forest biomass and surface reflectance (albedo), among other feedbacks to climate. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Correlation of the SD-OCT staging system for glaucoma severity with intraocular and systemic endothelin-1 concentration and ocular blood flow impairment measured by OCT-angiography

Einleitung: Diese Dissertation hatte zum Ziel, die Korrelation zwischen den Parametern der optischen Kohärenztomographie-Angiographie (OCT-A), insbesondere der Gefäßdichte (VD) im Bereich des Sehnervenkopfs (ONH) und der Fovea bei Glaukom-Patienten zu untersuchen, sowie die Konzentrationen des potenten Vasokonstriktors Endothelin 1 (ET-1) und seines Vorläufers Big ET-1 sowohl im Plasma als auch in der Kammerflüssigkeit (AqH). Darüber hinaus wurde die Kompatibilität der OCT-A-Parameter mit dem Glaukom-Stadiensystem der optischen Kohärenztomographie (OCT-GSS), das bisher nur für OCT-Messungen validiert wurde, erforscht. Material und Methoden: In diese prospektive monozentrische Studie wurden erwachsene Patienten aufgenommen, die sich einer elektiven Katarakt- oder Glaukom-Operation unterzogen. Intraoperativ wurden AqH und Plasma von Glaukom-Patienten und Kontrollpatienten abgenommen. Die Glaukom-Diagnose wurde durch die Anamnese, die Bewertung des Augeninnendrucks, die Fundoskopie und die spectral-domain (SD) OCT-Bildgebung bestätigt oder ausgeschlossen. Die Ausschlusskriterien umfassten Bildgebung von niedriger Qualität, systemische Erkrankungen, Verwendung vasoaktiver Medikamente sowie frühere ophthalmologische Eingriffe, mit Ausnahme der Implantation einer Hinterkammerlinse, Lasertrabekuloplastie oder Laseriridotomie, die vor mehr als sechs Monaten durchgeführt wurden. ET-1- und Big ET-1-Spiegel wurden mittels Enzyme-Linked-Immunosorbent-Assay (ELISA) bzw. Multiplex-Immunassays quantifiziert, während die Proteinspiegel mittels des Bradford-Proteinassays bestimmt wurden. Zur Datenerkundung wurden deskriptive Statistiken angewendet, gefolgt von einer linearen Korrelationsanalyse. Schließlich wurde eine multivariable Regressionsanalyse mit geeigneten Variablen durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: Signifikant erhöhte ET-1-Spiegel sowohl im Plasma als auch in AqH wurden bei Glaukom-Patienten im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe beobachtet. Signifikante Korrelationen wurden zwischen den Plasma-ET-1-Spiegeln und verschiedenen OCT-A-VD-Parametern im ONH- und Fovea-Bereich identifiziert. Keine Korrelationen konnten für die Big ET-1-Spiegel gefunden werden. Das OCT-GSS zeigte signifikante Korrelationen mit verschiedenen OCT-A-VD-Parametern, einschließlich der VD des gesamten ONH und der VD des gesamten oberflächlichen vaskulären Plexus der Makula (SVP). Diskussion: Die festgestellten Zusammenhänge zwischen den Plasma-ET-1-Spiegeln und den OCT-A-Parametern deuten auf ein potenziell neues diagnostisches Kriterium für die Früherkennung und Bewertung glaukomatöser Schäden hin, welches möglicherweise über die Möglichkeiten von SD-OCT hinausgeht. Die Befunde stützen die Hypothese einer systemischen Pathologie beim primären Offenwinkelglaukom (POAG), anstatt der Theorie einer lokalen Erkrankung. Die Korrelation der OCT-A-Parameter mit dem OCT-GSS legt nahe, dass die OCT-A-Analyse möglicherweise in dieses Stadiensystem integriert werden kann, was unter Umständen eine verbesserte Früherkennung und höhere Sensitivität ermöglichen würde.Introduction: This dissertation aimed to investigate the correlation between optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) parameters, specifically vessel density (VD) in the optic nerve head (ONH) and foveal regions of glaucoma patients with the levels of the potent vasoconstrictor endothelin 1 (ET-1) and its precursor big ET-1 in both plasma and aqueous humour (AqH). Furthermore, the compatibility of OCT-A parameters with the optical coherence tomography (OCT) glaucoma staging system (OCT-GSS), previously validated only for OCT measurements, was explored. Materials and Methods: This prospective monocenter study included adult patients undergoing elective cataract or glaucoma surgery. Intraoperatively gathered AqH and plasma were collected from glaucoma patients and control patients. Glaucoma diagnosis was confirmed or excluded through medical history, intraocular pressure assessment, fundoscopy and spectral domain (SD) OCT imaging. Exclusion criteria encompassed low-quality imaging, systemic disease, vasoactive medication usage, as well as previous ophthalmologic surgery, except posterior chamber lens implantation, laser trabeculoplasty or laser iridotomy more than six months ago. ET-1 and big ET-1 levels were quantified using Enzyme-Linked-Immunosorbent-Assay (ELISA) and multiplex immunoassays, respectively. Protein levels were determined using the Bradford protein assay. Descriptive statistics were applied for dataset exploration, followed by linear correlation analysis. A multivariable regression analysis was subsequently conducted with appropriate variables. Results: Significantly elevated levels of ET-1 in both plasma and AqH were observed in glaucoma patients compared to the control group. Significant correlations were identified between plasma ET-1 levels and various OCT-A VD parameters in the ONH and foveal regions. No correlations were found for Big ET-1 levels. The OCT-GSS exhibited significant correlations with several OCT-A VD parameters, including the VD of the entire ONH and the VD of the entire macula superficial vascular plexus (SVP). Discussion: The detected correlations between plasma ET-1 levels and OCT-A parameters suggest a potential novel diagnostic criterion for early detection and assessment of glaucomatous damage, potentially surpassing the capabilities of SD-OCT. The findings support the theory of a systemic pathology in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), rather than the concept of a local disease. The correlation of OCT-A parameters with the OCT-GSS suggests that integrating OCT-A analysis into this staging system could potentially enable enhanced early detection and greater sensitivity