Cold front induced changes on the Florida panhandle shelf during October 2008

A significant step transition between seasonally stratified and destratified hydrographic conditions occurred during an October 2008 cruise to the Florida Panhandle Shelf along a cross-shelf transect that was sampled before and after a cold front passed through the area. Meteorological measurements from nearby ocean and land-based stations characterized the event. Cross-shelf continuous Acrobat profiles and discrete CTD stations characterized water column hydrographic patterns, while mid-shelf multi- corer and box corer samples characterized sediment texture and nutrients.Water samples collected from selected depths biased toward the sediment interface were analyzed for nutrient content and phytoplankton community composition. Pre-front, the cross-shelf water column exhibited vertical stratification with complex temperature and salinity patterns. A prominent near-bottom chlorophyll a maximum of ~1.5 μg L⁻¹ between the 25–35 m isobaths occurred with the 1% light level at ~18 m depth and a near-bottom nitrate+ nitrite (NO₃ + NO₂⁻) maximum > 3 μM between the 30–40 m isobaths. HPLC-determined phytoplankton community composition in the near-bottom chlorophyll a maximum consisted of gyroxanthin-containing dinoflagellates (Kareniabrevis) and less abundant diatoms, both verified by FlowCAM analysis, mixed with detectable cryptophytes and chlorophytes. Sediment trends based on limited core replicates suggested the sediments were a potential source of nutrients to near-bottom populations of K. brevis and that shell hash could provide abundant pore space for K. brevis incursions. Between the 40–50 m isobaths, diatoms, cryptophytes and chlorophytes dominated near-bottom,gyroxanthin-containing dinoflagellates and prasinophytes occurred throughout the water column, and cyanophytes dominated near-surface. Post-front, the cross-shelf water column exhibited destratification with temperature and salinity increasing offshore. Achlorophyll a maximum of ~0.75 μg Chl a L⁻¹ left the sediment between 25–35 m isobaths and extended offshore especially in the lower water column with the 1% light level at ~15 m depth and NO₃ + NO₂⁻ concentrations ~2 μM to the 60 m isobath. HPLC-determined phytoplankton community composition of the offshore plume retained the signature of gyroxanthin-containing dinoflagellates and chloro- phytes. Between the 30–50 m isobaths, prasinophytes increased in the lower water column, while cyanophytes increased at all depths across the shelf. The observed step transition from stratification to destratification on the Florida Panhandle Shelf contributed to altered phytoplankton community patterns in response to predominant downwelling favorable winds. Pre-front, K. brevis cells were broadly distributed cross-shelf, but concentrated near-bottom between the 25–35 m isobaths and staged for prolific bloom seeding in response to the upwelling favorable west winds more typical of spring-summer. Post-front, K. brevis cells were mixed throughout the mid-shelf water column and were staged for diffuse bloom seeding in response to either the downwelling or upwelling favorable winds occurring fall-winter. Cyanophytes located predominantly near-surface offshore pre-front, were ubiquitous cross-shelf and more closely associated with K. brevis post-front

Nanotechnology in Head and Neck Cancer: The Race Is On

Rapid advances in the ability to produce nanoparticles of uniform size, shape, and composition have started a revolution in the sciences. Nano-sized structures herald innovative technology with a wide range of potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications. More than 1000 nanostructures have been reported, many with potential medical applications, such as metallic-, dielectric-, magnetic-, liposomal-, and carbon-based structures. Of these, noble metallic nanoparticles are generating significant interest because of their multifunctional capacity for novel methods of laboratory-based diagnostics, in vivo clinical diagnostic imaging, and therapeutic treatments. This review focuses on recent advances in the applications of nanotechnology in head and neck cancer, with special emphasis on the particularly promising plasmonic gold nanotechnology

Nanotechnology intervention of the microbiome for cancer therapy

The microbiome is emerging as a key player and driver of cancer. Traditional modalities to manipulate the microbiome (for example, antibiotics, probiotics and microbiota transplants) have been shown to improve efficacy of cancer therapies in some cases, but issues such as collateral damage to the commensal microbiota and consistency of these approaches motivates efforts towards developing new technologies specifically designed for the microbiome–cancer interface. Considering the success of nanotechnology in transforming cancer diagnostics and treatment, nanotechnologies capable of manipulating interactions that occur across microscopic and molecular length scales in the microbiome and the tumour microenvironment have the potential to provide innovative strategies for cancer treatment. As such, opportunities at the intersection of nanotechnology, the microbiome and cancer are massive. In this Review, we highlight key opportunistic areas for applying nanotechnologies towards manipulating the microbiome for the treatment of cancer, give an overview of seminal work and discuss future challenges and our perspective on this emerging area

Consumer Law: Cases and Materials (3rd ed.)

The Third Edition has been completely updated to include current and emerging issues in Consumer Law. The text covers a range of topics, including advertising and marketing, consumer credit regulation, consumer privacy, payment systems, warranty law, debt collection, remedies and predatory lending (a capstone chapter). This text contains a balance of cases, problems (updated to reflect modern situations) and notes (discussion questions and references to the latest consumer protection scholarship), allowing the professor the maximum flexibility in choice of topics, and pedagogical methods.https://scholarship.law.edu/fac_books/1084/thumbnail.jp

Consumer Law: Cases and Materials (3rd ed.)

The Third Edition has been completely updated to include current and emerging issues in Consumer Law. The text covers a range of topics, including advertising and marketing, consumer credit regulation, consumer privacy, payment systems, warranty law, debt collection, remedies and predatory lending (a capstone chapter). This text contains a balance of cases, problems (updated to reflect modern situations) and notes (discussion questions and references to the latest consumer protection scholarship), allowing the professor the maximum flexibility in choice of topics, and pedagogical methods.https://scholarship.law.edu/fac_books/1084/thumbnail.jp

Epithelial restitution defect in neonatal jejunum is rescued by juvenile mucosal homogenate in a pig model of intestinal ischemic injury and repair.

Intestinal ischemic injury results sloughing of the mucosal epithelium leading to host sepsis and death unless the mucosal barrier is rapidly restored. Volvulus and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in infants have been associated with intestinal ischemia, sepsis and high mortality rates. We have characterized intestinal ischemia/repair using a highly translatable porcine model in which juvenile (6-8-week-old) pigs completely and efficiently restore barrier function by way of rapid epithelial restitution and tight junction re-assembly. In contrast, separate studies showed that younger neonatal (2-week-old) pigs exhibited less robust recovery of barrier function, which may model an important cause of high mortality rates in human infants with ischemic intestinal disease. Therefore, we aimed to further refine our repair model and characterize defects in neonatal barrier repair. Here we examine the defect in neonatal mucosal repair that we hypothesize is associated with hypomaturity of the epithelial and subepithelial compartments. Following jejunal ischemia in neonatal and juvenile pigs, injured mucosa was stripped from seromuscular layers and recovered ex vivo while monitoring transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and 3H-mannitol flux as measures of barrier function. While ischemia-injured juvenile mucosa restored TEER above control levels, reduced flux over the recovery period and showed 93±4.7% wound closure, neonates exhibited no change in TEER, increased flux, and a 11±23.3% increase in epithelial wound size. Scanning electron microscopy revealed enterocytes at the wound margins of neonates failed to assume the restituting phenotype seen in restituting enterocytes of juveniles. To attempt rescue of injured neonatal mucosa, neonatal experiments were repeated with the addition of exogenous prostaglandins during ex vivo recovery, ex vivo recovery with full thickness intestine, in vivo recovery and direct application of injured mucosal homogenate from neonates or juveniles. Neither exogenous prostaglandins, intact seromuscular intestinal layers, nor in vivo recovery enhanced TEER or restitution in ischemia-injured neonatal mucosa. However, ex vivo exogenous application of injured juvenile mucosal homogenate produced a significant increase in TEER and enhanced histological restitution to 80±4.4% epithelial coverage in injured neonatal mucosa. Thus, neonatal mucosal repair can be rescued through direct contact with the cellular and non-cellular milieu of ischemia-injured mucosa from juvenile pigs. These findings support the hypothesis that a defect in mucosal repair in neonates is due to immature repair mechanisms within the mucosal compartment. Future studies to identify and rescue specific defects in neonatal intestinal repair mechanisms will drive development of novel clinical interventions to reduce mortality in infants affected by intestinal ischemic injury

Using the Personalized Advantage Index to determine which veterans may benefit from more vs. less comprehensive intensive PTSD treatment programs

Background: Intensive PTSD treatment programs (ITPs) are highly effective but tend to differ greatly in length and the number of adjunctive services that are provided in conjunction with evidence-based PTSD treatments. Individuals’ treatment response to more or less comprehensive ITPs is poorly understood. Objective: To apply a machine learning-based decision-making model (the Personalized Advantage Index (PAI)), using clinical and demographic factors to predict response to more or less comprehensive ITPs. Methods: The PAI was developed and tested on a sample of 747 veterans with PTSD who completed a 3-week (more comprehensive; n = 360) or 2-week (less comprehensive; n = 387) ITP. Results: Approximately 12.32% of the sample had a PAI value that suggests that individuals would have experienced greater PTSD symptom change (5 points) on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 in either a more- or less comprehensive ITP. For individuals with the highest 25% of PAI values, effect sizes for the amount of PTSD symptom change between those in their optimal vs. non-optimal programs was d = 0.35. Conclusions: Although a minority was predicted to have benefited more from a program, there generally was not a substantial difference in predicted outcomes. Less comprehensive and thus more financially sustainable ITPs appear to work well for most individuals with PTSD. A Personalized Advantage Index (PAI) was developed for a 3-week (more comprehensive) and a 2-week (less comprehensive) intensive PTSD treatment program to predict treatment responses.Using the PAI, approximately 12% of the sample was predicted to have experienced meaningfully greater in another program than the one in which they participated.Findings suggest a less comprehensive and more financially sustainable 2-week intensive PTSD treatment program would work well for most veterans in the present study. A Personalized Advantage Index (PAI) was developed for a 3-week (more comprehensive) and a 2-week (less comprehensive) intensive PTSD treatment program to predict treatment responses. Using the PAI, approximately 12% of the sample was predicted to have experienced meaningfully greater in another program than the one in which they participated. Findings suggest a less comprehensive and more financially sustainable 2-week intensive PTSD treatment program would work well for most veterans in the present study.</p