Escape and Naturalization of Tagetes patula in Western Ethiopia

This study was carried out on an introduced ornamental - Tagetes patula L., which has escaped cultivation and has been naturalized in Benishangul-Gumuz National Regional State (bgnrs), western Ethiopia. Another introduced ornamental - Zinnia elegans Jacq. and the native species - Bidens prestinaria (Sch. Bip.) Cufod. were included in some of the experiments for comparison. Pre-prepared semi-structured interviews were administered, on the arrival, spread and impact of T. patula. The result showed that the escaped T. patula has no negative impact on the daily life of people, except weeding in farmlands. T. patula was found associated with species that prefer shade and moisture in semi-natural vegetation. It produces a large number of relatively small propagules and has a seed bank. These characters might enhance its invasive ability and make it a potential threat to grazing fields and natural landscapes in western Ethiopia. The result of fire simulation experiment, however, revealed that fire had an effect on seed germination, as there was no seed germination at higher temperature treatment (120°C/5 minutes). The annual fire occurring existing in the woodlands of bgnrs might not allow invasion by the species that are not adapted to fire, like T. patula and Z. elegans. In the absence of annual woodland fire, invasion of the woodland vegetation in bgnrs by T. patula and Z. elegans is most likely to occur

Two kinds of procedural semantics for privative modification

In this paper we present two kinds of procedural semantics for privative modification. We do this for three reasons. The first reason is to launch a tough test case to gauge the degree of substantial agreement between a constructivist and a realist interpretation of procedural semantics; the second is to extend Martin-L ̈f’s Constructive Type Theory to privative modification, which is characteristic of natural language; the third reason is to sketch a positive characterization of privation

Cardiac function associated with previous, current and repeated depression and anxiety symptoms in a healthy population: the HUNT study.

Objective: Symptoms of anxiety and depression often co-exist with cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet little is known about the association with left ventricular (LV) subclinical dysfunction. We aimed to study the cross-sectional associations of previous, current and repeated depression or anxiety symptoms, with sensitive indices of LV systolic and diastolic function, based on tissue Doppler (TD) and speckle tracking (ST) imaging methods. Methods: A random selection of 1296 individuals free from known CVD, hypertension and diabetes were examined with echocardiography at baseline of the third Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, (HUNT3, 2006–2008). The primary outcomes were LV diastolic function (e′) and LV systolic function (longitudinal global strain). The primary exposures were self-report on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Associations between outcomes and baseline exposures were available for 1034 (80%), and with previous and repeated exposures for 700 participants who also participated in HUNT2 (1995–1997). Results: Previous and repeated depression symptoms, but not current depression, were linearly associated with a reduction in e′. The average sum of two repeated HADS-D scores 10 years apart had the strongest effect on e′ (−8.3%; 95% CI −13.9% to −2.7%) per 5 units. We observed a sex difference between depression symptoms and longitudinal global strain (p for interaction 0.019), where women had a marginal negative effect. Anxiety symptoms, neither previous, current nor repeated were associated with subclinical LV dysfunction. Conclusions: In a healthy sample, confirmed free of CVD, past and repeated depression symptoms were associated with subclinical LV dysfunction. Thus, depression symptoms might represent a modifiable risk factor for future CVD.This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0

Quantifying energetics and dissipation in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

We perform a suite of two- and three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations with the Athena code of the non-driven Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the subsonic, weak magnetic field limit. Focusing the analysis on the non-linear turbulent regime, we quantify energy transfer on a scale-by-scale basis and identify the physical mechanisms responsible for energy exchange by developing the diagnostic known as spectral energy transfer function analysis. At late times when the fluid is in a state of MHD turbulence, magnetic tension mediates the dominant mode of energy injection into the magnetic reservoir, whereby turbulent fluid motions twist and stretch the magnetic field lines. This generated magnetic energy turbulently cascades to smaller scales, while being exchanged backwards and forwards with the kinetic energy reservoir, until finally being dissipated. Incorporating explicit dissipation pushes the dissipation scale to larger scales than if the dissipation were entirely numerical. For scales larger than the dissipation scale, we show that the physics of energy transfer in decaying MHD turbulence is robust to numerical effects.Comment: 23 pages, 20 figures, 4 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRA

Lipocalin 2 expression is associated with aggressive features of endometrial cancer

Background: Increased expression of lipocalin 2 (LCN2) has been observed in several cancers. The aim of the present study was to investigate LCN2 in endometrial cancer in relation to clinico-pathologic phenotype, angiogenesis, markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and patient survival. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed using a human LCN2 antibody on a population-based series of endometrial cancer patients collected in Hordaland County (Norway) during 1981-1990 (n = 256). Patients were followed from the time of primary surgery until death or last follow-up in 2007. The median follow-up time for survivors was 17 years. Gene expression data from a prospectively collected endometrial cancer series (n = 76) and a publicly available endometrial cancer series (n = 111) was used for gene correlation studies. Results: Expression of LCN2 protein, found in 49% of the cases, was associated with non-endometrioid histologic type (p = 0.001), nuclear grade 3 (p = 0.001), >50% solid tumor growth (p = 0.001), ER and PR negativity (p = 0.028 and 0.006), and positive EZH2 expression (p < 0.001). LCN2 expression was significantly associated with expression of VEGF-A (p = 0.021), although not with other angiogenesis markers examined (vascular proliferation index, glomeruloid microvascular proliferation, VEGF-C, VEGF-D or bFGF2 expression). Further, LCN2 was not associated with several EMT-related markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, P-cadherin, β-catenin), nor with vascular invasion (tumor cells invading lymphatic or blood vessels). Notably, LCN2 was significantly associated with distant tumor recurrences, as well as with the S100A family of metastasis related genes. Patients with tumors showing no LCN2 expression had the best outcome with 81% 5-year survival, compared to 73% for intermediate and 38% for the small subgroup with strong LCN2 staining (p = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, LCN2 expression was an independent prognostic factor in addition to histologic grade and FIGO stage. Conclusion: Increased LCN2 expression is associated with aggressive features and poor prognosis in endometrial cancer

Do direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) cause delayed surgery, longer length of hospital stay, and poorer outcome for hip fracture patients?

Purpose The perioperative consequences of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in hip fracture patients are not sufficiently investigated. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether DOAC-users have delayed surgery compared to non-users. Secondarily, we studied whether length of hospital stay, mortality, reoperations and bleeding complications were influenced by the use of DOAC. Methods The medical records of 314 patients operated for a hip fracture between 2016 and 2017 in a single trauma center were assessed. Patients aged < 60 and patients using other forms of anticoagulation than DOACs were excluded. Patients were followed from admission to 6 months postoperatively. Surgical delay was defined as time from admission to surgery. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay, transfusion rates, perioperative bleeding loss, postoperative wound ooze, mortality and risk of reoperation. The use of general versus neuraxial anaesthesia was registered. Continuous outcomes were analysed using Students t test, while categorical outcomes were expressed by Odds ratios. Results 47 hip fracture patients (15%) were using DOACs. No difference in surgical delay (29 vs 26 h, p = 0.26) or length of hospital stay (6.6 vs 6.1 days, p = 0.34) were found between DOAC-users and non-users. DOAC-users operated with neuraxial anaesthesia had longer surgical delay compared to DOAC-users operated with general anaesthesia (35 h vs 22 h, p < 0.001). Perioperative blood loss, transfusion rate, risk of bleeding complications and mortality were similar between groups. Conclusion Hip fracture patients using DOAC did not have increased surgical delay, length of stay or risk of reported bleeding complications than patients without anticoagulation prior to surgery. The increased surgical delay found for DOAC-users operated with neuraxial anaesthesia should be interpreted with caution.publishedVersio

Global wave loads on a damaged ship

A computational tool was applied based on a two dimensional linear method to predict the hydrodynamic loads for damaged ships. Experimental tests on a ship model have also been carried out to predict the hydrodynamic loads in various design conditions. The results of the theoretical method and experimental tests are compared to validate the theoretical method. The extreme wave induced loads have been calculated by short term prediction. For the loads in intact condition, the prediction with duration of 20 years at sea state 5 is used, while for loads in damaged conditions the prediction in 96 hours exposure time at sea 3 is used. The maximum values of the most probable extreme amplitudes of dynamic wave induced loads in damaged conditions are much less than those in intact condition because of the reduced time. An opening could change the distribution of not only stillwater bending moment but also wave-induced bending moment. It is observed that although some cross sections are not structurally damaged, the total loads acting on these cross sections after damage may be increased dramatically compared to the original design load in intact condition

High-intensity interval training in polycystic ovary syndrome : A two-center, three-armed randomized

Purpose Exercise training is recommended to improve cardiometabolic health and fertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), yet there are few randomized controlled trials on the effects of different exercise protocols on clinical reproductive outcomes. Our aim was to determine the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIT) on menstrual frequency, as a proxy of reproductive function, in women with PCOS. Methods The IMPROV-IT study was a two-center randomized controlled trial undertaken in Norway and Australia. Women with PCOS were eligible for inclusion. After stratification for body mass index <27 or ≥27 kg·m−2 and study center, participants were randomly allocated (1:1:1) to high-volume HIT (HV-HIT), low-volume HIT (LV-HIT), or a control group. Measurements were assessed at baseline, after the 16-wk exercise intervention, and at 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome was menstrual frequency after 12 months. Secondary outcomes included markers of cardiometabolic and reproductive health, quality of life, and adherence to and enjoyment of HIT. Results We randomly allocated 64 participants to the HV-HIT (n = 20), LV-HIT (n = 21), or control group (n = 23). There were no differences in menstrual frequency at 12 months between the LV-HIT and control groups (frequency ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–1.42), the HV-HIT and control groups (frequency ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.67–1.29), or the LV-HIT and HV-HIT groups (frequency ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.77–1.56). Menstrual frequency increased in all groups from baseline to 12 months. More participants became pregnant in the LV-HIT group (n = 5) than in the control group (n = 0, P = 0.02). Conclusions A semisupervised HIT intervention did not increase menstrual frequency in women with PCOS. Clinical Trial Registration Number:ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02419482)

High BMI is significantly associated with positive progesterone receptor status and clinico-pathological markers for non-aggressive disease in endometrial cancer

Background: Endometrial cancer incidence is increasing in industrialised countries. High body mass index (BMI, kg m−2) is associated with higher risk for disease. We wanted to investigate if BMI is related to clinico-pathological characteristics, hormone receptor status in primary tumour, and disease outcome in endometrial cancer. Patients and methods: In total, 1129 women primarily treated for endometrial carcinoma at Haukeland University Hospital during 1981–2009 were studied. Body mass index was available for 949 patients and related to comprehensive clinical and histopathological data, hormone receptor status in tumour, treatment, and follow-up. Results: High BMI was significantly associated with low International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, endometrioid histology, low/intermediate grade, and high level of progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA by qPCR (n=150; P=0.02) and protein expression by immunohistochemistry (n=433; P=0.003). In contrast, oestrogen receptor (ERα) status was not associated with BMI. Overweight/obese women had significantly better disease-specific survival (DSS) than normal/underweight women in univariate analysis (P=0.035). In multivariate analysis of DSS adjusting for age, FIGO stage, histological subtype, and grade, BMI showed no independent prognostic impact. Conclusion: High BMI was significantly associated with markers of non-aggressive disease and positive PR status in a large population-based study of endometrial carcinoma. Women with high BMI had significantly better prognosis in univariate analysis of DSS, an effect that disappeared in multivariate analysis adjusting for established prognostic markers. The role of PR in endometrial carcinogenesis needs to be further studied