Design Concepts for Greenway Park, New Prague, Minnesota.

Produced by the students of Landscape Architecture-5117, Spring 1990. Department of Landscape Architecture, Center for Community Studies, College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Minnesota

Intussusception of the appendix secondary to endometriosis: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Intussusception of the appendix is an extremely rare condition that ranges from partial invagination of the appendix to involvement of the entire colon. Endometriosis is an exceptionally rare cause of appendiceal intussusception and only very few cases have been reported in the literature to date.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 40 year-old woman presented to clinic with a long history of lower abdominal pain, loose motions and painful, heavy periods. Subsequent colonoscopy revealed submucosal endometriotic nodules in the sigmoid as well as a polyp thought to be arising from the appendix, which had inverted itself. She was referred to a colorectal surgeon because the polyp could not be removed endoscopically despite several attempts. At laparotomy, the appendix had intussuscepted but it was possible to reduce it and therefore a simple appendicectomy was carried out. On histology, there were widespread endometrial deposits within the wall of the appendix and this was thought to be the basis for the intussusception.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Histological evidence of the lead point is of crucial importance in cases of appendiceal intussusception, in order to exclude an underlying neoplastic process. Consequently, surgical resection is necessary either through an open or a laparoscopic approach. Gastrointestinal endometriosis should be considered as a cause of appendiceal intussusception in post-menarchal women with episodic symptoms and proven disease.</p

Biochar production from waste rubber-wood-sawdust and its potential use in C sequestration: chemical and physical characterization

Biochars have received increasing attention because of their potential environmental applications such as soil amending and atmospheric C sequestration. In this study, biochar was produced from waste rubber-wood-sawdust. The produced biochars were characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) gas porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Pyrolysis temperature was shown to have a strong influence on both thermal and chemical characteristic of biochar samples. The experimental data shows that the biochar samples can absorb around 5% water by mass (hydrophilic) at lower temperatures (650 °C), biochar samples were thermally stable and became hydrophobic due to the presence of aromatic compounds. Carbon content (over 85%) increased with increasing temperature, and showed an inverse effect to the elemental ratios of H/C and O/C. The very low H/C and O/C ratios obtained for the biochar indicated that carbon in this material is predominantly unsaturated. BET results showed that the sawdust derived biochars have surface areas between 10 and 200 m2 g−1 and FTIR indicated an aromatic functional group about 866 cm−1 in most of the samples. The rate of CO2 adsorption on sawdust derived biochar generally increased with increasing temperature from 450 to 650 °C but then decreased with increase in the production temperature. Derived biochar represents a potential alternative adsorbent for C sequestration

Researching the comparability of paper-based and computer-based delivery in a high-stakes writing test

International language testing bodies are now moving rapidly towards using computers for many areas of English language assessment, despite the fact that research on comparability with paper-based assessment is still relatively limited in key areas. This study contributes to the debate by researching the comparability of a highstakes EAP writing test (IELTS) in two delivery modes, paper-based (PB) and computer-based (CB). The study investigated 153 test takers' performances and their cognitive processes on IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 in the two modes, and the possible effect of computer familiarity on their test scores. Many-Facet Rasch Measurement (MFRM) was used to examine the difference in test takers' scores between the two modes, in relation to their overall and analytic scores. By means of questionnaires and interviews, we investigated the cognitive processes students employed under the two conditions of the test. A major contribution of our study is its use - for the first time in the computer-based writing assessment literature - of data from research into cognitive processes within realworld academic settings as a comparison with cognitive processing during academic writing under test conditions. In summary, this study offers important new insights into academic writing assessment in computer mode

Lipocalin 2 is protective against E. coli pneumonia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lipocalin 2 is a bacteriostatic protein that binds the siderophore enterobactin, an iron-chelating molecule produced by <it>Escherichia coli </it>(<it>E. coli</it>) that is required for bacterial growth. Infection of the lungs by <it>E. coli </it>is rare despite a frequent exposure to this commensal bacterium. Lipocalin 2 is an effector molecule of the innate immune system and could therefore play a role in hindering growth of <it>E. coli </it>in the lungs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Lipocalin 2 knock-out and wild type mice were infected with two strains of <it>E. coli</it>. The lungs were removed 48 hours post-infection and examined for lipocalin 2 and MMP9 (a myeloid marker protein) by immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. Bacterial numbers were assessed in the lungs of the mice at 2 and 5 days after infection and mortality of the mice was monitored over a five-day period. The effect of administering ferrichrome (an iron source that cannot be bound by lipocalin 2) along with E.coli was also examined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Intratracheal installation of <it>E. coli </it>in mice resulted in strong induction of lipocalin 2 expression in bronchial epithelium and alveolar type II pneumocytes. Migration of myeloid cells to the site of infection also contributed to an increased lipocalin 2 level in the lungs. Significant higher bacterial numbers were observed in the lungs of lipocalin 2 knock-out mice on days 2 and 5 after infection with <it>E. coli </it>(p < 0.05). In addition, a higher number of <it>E. coli </it>was found in the spleen of surviving lipocalin 2 knock-out mice on day 5 post-infection than in the corresponding wild-type mice (p < 0.05). The protective effect against <it>E. coli </it>infection in wild type mice could be counteracted by the siderophore ferrichrome, indicating that the protective effect of lipocalin 2 depends on its ability to sequester iron.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lipocalin 2 is important for protection of airways against infection by <it>E. coli</it>.</p

Proteomic Analysis of Growth Phase-Dependent Expression of Legionella pneumophila Proteins Which Involves Regulation of Bacterial Virulence Traits

Legionella pneumophila, which is a causative pathogen of Legionnaires' disease, expresses its virulent traits in response to growth conditions. In particular, it is known to become virulent at a post-exponential phase in vitro culture. In this study, we performed a proteomic analysis of differences in expression between the exponential phase and post-exponential phase to identify candidates associated with L. pneumophila virulence using 2-Dimentional Fluorescence Difference Gel Electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) combined with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization–Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Of 68 identified proteins that significantly differed in expression between the two growth phases, 64 were up-regulated at a post-exponential phase. The up-regulated proteins included enzymes related to glycolysis, ketone body biogenesis and poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) biogenesis, suggesting that L. pneumophila may utilize sugars and lipids as energy sources, when amino acids become scarce. Proteins related to motility (flagella components and twitching motility-associated proteins) were also up-regulated, predicting that they enhance infectivity of the bacteria in host cells under certain conditions. Furthermore, 9 up-regulated proteins of unknown function were found. Two of them were identified as novel bacterial factors associated with hemolysis of sheep red blood cells (SRBCs). Another 2 were found to be translocated into macrophages via the Icm/Dot type IV secretion apparatus as effector candidates in a reporter assay with Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase. The study will be helpful for virulent analysis of L. pneumophila from the viewpoint of physiological or metabolic modulation dependent on growth phase

Mucosal Lipocalin 2 Has Pro-Inflammatory and Iron-Sequestering Effects in Response to Bacterial Enterobactin

Nasal colonization by both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens induces expression of the innate immune protein lipocalin 2 (Lcn2). Lcn2 binds and sequesters the iron-scavenging siderophore enterobactin (Ent), preventing bacterial iron acquisition. In addition, Lcn2 bound to Ent induces release of IL-8 from cultured respiratory cells. As a countermeasure, pathogens of the Enterobacteriaceae family such as Klebsiella pneumoniae produce additional siderophores such as yersiniabactin (Ybt) and contain the iroA locus encoding an Ent glycosylase that prevents Lcn2 binding. Whereas the ability of Lcn2 to sequester iron is well described, the ability of Lcn2 to induce inflammation during infection is unknown. To study each potential effect of Lcn2 on colonization, we exploited K. pneumoniae mutants that are predicted to be susceptible to Lcn2-mediated iron sequestration (iroA ybtS mutant) or inflammation (iroA mutant), or to not interact with Lcn2 (entB mutant). During murine nasal colonization, the iroA ybtS double mutant was inhibited in an Lcn2-dependent manner, indicating that the iroA locus protects against Lcn2-mediated growth inhibition. Since the iroA single mutant was not inhibited, production of Ybt circumvents the iron sequestration effect of Lcn2 binding to Ent. However, colonization with the iroA mutant induced an increased influx of neutrophils compared to the entB mutant. This enhanced neutrophil response to Ent-producing K. pneumoniae was Lcn2-dependent. These findings suggest that Lcn2 has both pro-inflammatory and iron-sequestering effects along the respiratory mucosa in response to bacterial Ent. Therefore, Lcn2 may represent a novel mechanism of sensing microbial metabolism to modulate the host response appropriately

Alcohol Consumption Among Older Adults in Primary Care

BACKGROUND: Alcohol misuse is a growing public health concern for older adults, particularly among primary care patients. OBJECTIVES: To determine alcohol consumption patterns and the characteristics associated with at-risk drinking in a large sample of elderly primary care patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of multisite screening data from 6 VA Medical Centers, 2 hospital-based health care networks, and 3 Community Health Centers. PARTICIPANTS: Patients, 43,606, aged 65 to 103 years, with scheduled primary care appointments were approached for screening; 27,714 (63.6%) consented to be screened. The final sample of persons with completed screens comprised 24,863 patients. MEASUREMENTS: Quantity and frequency of alcohol use, demographics, social support measures, and measures of depression/anxiety. RESULTS: Of the 24,863 older adults screened, 70.0% reported no consumption of alcohol in the past year, 21.5% were moderate drinkers (1–7 drinks/week), 4.1% were at-risk drinkers (8–14 drinks/week), and 4.5% were heavy (>14 drinks/week) or binge drinkers. Heavy drinking showed significant positive association with depressive/anxiety symptoms [Odds ratio (OR) (95% CI): 1.79 (1.30, 2.45)] and less social support [OR (95% CI): 2.01 (1.14, 2.56)]. Heavy drinking combined with binging was similarly positively associated with depressive/anxiety symptoms [OR (95%): 1.70 (1.33, 2.17)] and perceived poor health [OR (95% CI): 1.27 (1.03, 1.57)], while at-risk drinking was not associated with any of these variables. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of participants were nondrinkers; among alcohol users, at-risk drinkers did not differ significantly from moderate drinkers in their characteristics or for the 3 health parameters evaluated. In contrast, heavy drinking was associated with depression and anxiety and less social support, and heavy drinking combined with binge drinking was associated with depressive/anxiety symptoms and perceived poor health

Normative modeling of brain morphometry in Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis

Importance: The lack of robust neuroanatomical markers of psychosis risk has been traditionally attributed to heterogeneity. A complementary hypothesis is that variation in neuroanatomical measures in the majority of individuals at psychosis risk may be nested within the range observed in healthy individuals. Objective: To quantify deviations from the normative range of neuroanatomical variation in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) and evaluate their overlap with healthy variation and their association with positive symptoms, cognition, and conversion to a psychotic disorder. Design setting and participants: Clinical, IQ and FreeSurfer-derived regional measures of cortical thickness (CT), cortical surface area (SA), and subcortical volume (SV) from 1,340 CHR-P individuals [47.09% female; mean age: 20.75 (4.74) years] and 1,237 healthy individuals [44.70% female; mean age: 22.32 (4.95) years] from 29 international sites participating in the ENIGMA Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Working Group. Main outcomes and measures: For each regional morphometric measure, z-scores were computed that index the degree of deviation from the normative means of that measure in a healthy reference population (N=37,407). Average deviation scores (ADS) for CT, SA, SV, and globally across all measures (G) were generated by averaging the respective regional z-scores. Regression analyses were used to quantify the association of deviation scores with clinical severity and cognition and two-proportion z-tests to identify case-control differences in the proportion of individuals with infranormal (z1.96) scores. Results: CHR-P and healthy individuals overlapped in the distributions of the observed values, regional z-scores, and all ADS vales. The proportion of CHR-P individuals with infranormal or supranormal values in any metric was low (<12%) and similar to that of healthy individuals. CHR-P individuals who converted to psychosis compared to those who did not convert had a higher percentage of infranormal values in temporal regions (5-7% vs 0.9-1.4%). In the CHR-P group, only the ADS SA showed significant but weak associations (|β|<0.09; P FDR <0.05) with positive symptoms and IQ. Conclusions and relevance: The study findings challenge the usefulness of macroscale neuromorphometric measures as diagnostic biomarkers of psychosis risk and suggest that such measures do not provide an adequate explanation for psychosis risk. Key points: Question: Is the risk of psychosis associated with brain morphometric changes that deviate significantly from healthy variation?Findings: In this study of 1340 individuals high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) and 1237 healthy participants, individual-level variation in macroscale neuromorphometric measures of the CHR-P group was largely nested within healthy variation and was not associated with the severity of positive psychotic symptoms or conversion to a psychotic disorder.Meaning: The findings suggest the macroscale neuromorphometric measures have limited utility as diagnostic biomarkers of psychosis risk