116 research outputs found

    What I’ve learned about Python

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    An overview of the trials and tribulations of simultaneously learning and using Python for geoprocessing in ArcGIS

    An assessment of the potential impacts of climate change on the freshwater habitats of Indiana, U.S.A.

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    Recent climate-driven, physico-chemical changes documented in aquatic systems throughout the world are expected to intensify in the future. Specifically, changes in key environmental attributes of aquatic systems, such as water quantity, clarity, temperatures, ice cover, seasonal flow regimes, external loading, and oxygen content, will undoubtedly have a broad set of direct and indirect ecological consequences. Some anticipated impacts may be similar across different aquatic ecosystems, while others may be system-specific. Here, we review the potential effects of climatic changes for different freshwater habitats within the state of Indiana, USA, a Midwestern state with diverse land and water features. Given this heterogeneity and that the state is among the southernmost states of the US Midwest, evaluation of freshwater habitats of Indiana provides a useful perspective on potential impacts of climate change. In our study, we first review expected or anticipated changes to physico-chemical and habitat conditions in wetlands, lotic systems, small glacial lakes and Lake Michigan. We then highlight anticipated responses of select aquatic biota to these changes. We describe how climatic changes may interact with other anthropogenic stressors affecting freshwater habitats and consider the potential for evolutionary adaptation of freshwater aquatic organisms to mediate any responses. Given anticipated changes, we suggest aquatic ecosystem managers take a precautionary approach broadly applicable in temperate regions to (a) conserve a diversity of aquatic habitats, (b) enhance species diversity and both inter- and intra-population genetic variation, and (c) limit stressors which may exacerbate the risk of decline for aquatic biota

    Efficacy of Fluoxetine, Riluzole and Amiloride in treating neuropathic pain associated with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Pre-specified analysis of the MS-SMART double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial

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    BACKGROUND: Evidence-based treatment of pain in people with MS presents a major unmet need. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to establish if use of Fluoxetine, Riluzole or Amiloride improved neuropathic pain outcomes in comparison to placebo, in adults with secondary progressive MS participating in a trial of these putative neuroprotectants. METHODS: In pre-specified secondary analyses of the MS SMART phase-2b double-blind randomised controlled trial (NCT01910259), we analyzed reports of neuropathic pain, overall pain, and pain interference. Multivariate analyses included adjustment for baseline pain severity. Additionally, we explored associations of pain severity with clinical and MRI brain imaging variables. RESULTS: 445 Participants were recruited from 13 UK neuroscience centres. We found no statistically significant benefit of active intervention on any rating of neuropathic pain, or pain overall. Compared to placebo, adjusted mean difference in pain intensity was 0.38 (positive values favouring placebo, 95%CI -0.30 to 1.07, p = 0.27) for Amiloride; 0.52 (-0.17 to 1.22, p = 0.14) for Fluoxetine; and 0.40 (-0.30 to 1.10, p = 0.26) for Riluzole. Pain severity was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (Spearman correlation 0.19, 95%CI 0.10-0.28) and fatigue (Rho 0.30, 95%CI 0.20-0.39). CONCLUSION: Use of Fluoxetine, Riluzole or Amiloride was not associated with improvement in neuropathic pain symptoms, in comparison to placebo

    Aquatic Ecosystems in a Shifting Indiana Climate: A Report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment

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    Indiana is home to many types of aquatic ecosystems, including lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and temporary (ephemeral) pools, which provide habitats for a wide range of plants and animals. These ecosystems will experience changes in water quantity, water temperature, ice cover, water clarity and oxygen content as the state’s temperature and rainfall patterns shift. The plants and animals living in these aquatic ecosystems will undergo changes that will vary based on the species and the specific places they inhabit. It is challenging to know precisely how organisms will respond to changes in climate. Effects on one species create a difficult-to-predict chain reaction that potentially influences other species in the same ecosystem. Some organisms will adapt and evolve to survive, or even thrive, as the climate changes, but they will have to adjust to more than just the changes in climate. They will also respond to changes in a wide variety of other environmental factors that affect them, including invasive species, habitat destruction, contaminants, nutrient runoff, and land management decisions. While these complicated interactions make it challenging to predict the long-term fate of Indiana’s aquatic species, enough is known about climate-related stressors to help managers develop strategies to avoid the most critical outcomes, hopefully avoiding species loss. This report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment (IN CCIA) uses climate projections for the state to explore the potential threats to Indiana’s aquatic ecosystems and describes potential management implications and opportunities

    Board of Regents

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    This report, fifteenth of an annual series, describes 1993 mineral, oil and gas, and geothermal activities and accomplishments in Nevada: production statistics, exploration and development including drilling for petroleum and geothermal resources, discoveries of orebodies, new mines opened, and expansion and other activities of existing mines. Statistics of known gold and silver deposits, and directories of mines and mills are included. For more information contact

    Increased fasting small-bowel water content in untreated coeliac disease and scleroderma as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging

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    Background and aims: The regular overnight migrating motor complex (MMC) ensures that the normal fasting small bowel water content (SBWC) is minimised. We have applied our recently validated non-invasive magnetic resonance technique to assess SBWC in newly diagnosed coeliac disease (CD), scleroderma (SCD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) conditions, possibly associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Methods: 20 CD and 15 SCD patients with gastrointestinal symptoms were compared to 20 healthy volunteers (HV) and 26 IBS with diarrhoea (IBS-D) patients as previously reported. All underwent a fasting, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan on a 1.5 T Philips Achieva MRI scanner to assess fasting SBWC and colonic volumes. Stool and symptom diaries were completed for 1 week. Results: Median (Interquartile range, IQR) Compared to healthy volunteers, all the patients had significantly increased stool frequency and Bristol stool form score. SBWC was significantly increased in CD 109(53-224) vs. 53(31-98) mL in HV, p [less than] 0.01 and 42 (28-67) in IBS-D, p [less than] 0.01. Variable increase in SBWC was also found in SCD, median 77(39-158) but this was not significant, p=0.2. Colonic volumes were similar for all groups being 547 (442-786) for CD, 511 (453-789) for SCD, 612 (445-746) for HV and 521 (428-757) mL for IBS-D. When CD patients were subdivided according to the Marsh classification, the higher grades had larger colonic volumes.Conclusion: Fasting SBWC as assessed by MRI is significantly increased in newly diagnosed CD and SCD but decreased in IBS-D. Future studies should test whether increased resting fluid predisposes to SIBO

    NMR metabolomics of cerebrospinal fluid differentiates inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system

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    BACKGROUND: Myriad infectious and noninfectious causes of encephalomyelitis (EM) have similar clinical manifestations, presenting serious challenges to diagnosis and treatment. Metabolomics of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was explored as a method of differentiating among neurological diseases causing EM using a single CSF sample. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 1H NMR metabolomics was applied to CSF samples from 27 patients with a laboratory-confirmed disease, including Lyme disease or West Nile Virus meningoencephalitis, multiple sclerosis, rabies, or Histoplasma meningitis, and 25 controls. Cluster analyses distinguished samples by infection status and moderately by pathogen, with shared and differentiating metabolite patterns observed among diseases. CART analysis predicted infection status with 100% sensitivity and 93% specificity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These preliminary results suggest the potential utility of CSF metabolomics as a rapid screening test to enhance diagnostic accuracies and improve patient outcomes

    Do aluminium-based phosphate binders continue to have a role in contemporary nephrology practice?

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    Background: Aluminium-containing phosphate binders have long been used for treatment of hyperphosphatemia in dialysis patients. Their safety became controversial in the early 1980's after reports of aluminium related neurological and bone disease began to appear. Available historical evidence however, suggests that neurological toxicity may have primarily been caused by excessive exposure to aluminium in dialysis fluid, rather than aluminium-containing oral phosphate binders. Limited evidence suggests that aluminium bone disease may also be on the decline in the era of aluminium removal from dialysis fluid, even with continued use of aluminium binders

    Cardiac and vascular structure and function parameters do not improve with alternate nightly home hemodialysis: An interventional cohort study

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    Background: Nightly extended hours hemodialysis may improve left ventricular hypertrophy and function and endothelial function but presents problems of sustainability and increased cost. The effect of alternate nightly home hemodialysis (NHD) on cardiovascular structure and function is not known
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