Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with multiple-organ failure: Can molecular adsorbent recirculating system therapy improve survival?

BACKGROUND: Liver dialysis, molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) particularly, has been used in liver failure to bridge to transplantation. We expanded the indication for MARS to patients with acute shock liver failure and cardiopulmonary failure on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), aiming to improve survival to wean from ECMO. METHODS: Retrospective chart analysis of patients on ECMO between 2010 and 2015 found 28 patients who met the criteria for acute liver failure, diagnosed by hyperbilirubinemia (total bilirubin ≥10 mg/dl) or by elevated transaminase (alanine transaminase \u3e1,000 IU/liter). Of these patients, 14 underwent MARS treatment (Group M), and 14 were supported with optimal medical treatment without MARS (Group C). Patient characteristics, liver function, and survival were compared between groups. RESULTS: Demographics, clinical risk factors, and pre-ECMO laboratory data were identical between the groups. MARS was used continuously for 8 days ± 9 in Group M. Total bilirubin, alanine transaminase, and international normalized ratio were improved significantly in Group M. There were no MARS-related complications. Survival to wean from ECMO for Group M was 64% (9/14) vs 21% (3/14) for Group C (p = 0.02). Mortality related to worsening liver dysfunction during ECMO was 40% (2/5 deaths) in Group M and 100% (11/11 deaths) in Group C (p = 0.004). The 30-day survival after ECMO was 43% (6/14) in Group M and 14% (2/14) in Group C (p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: MARS therapy in patients on ECMO safely accelerated recovery of liver function and improved survival to wean from ECMO, without increasing complications

Suppression of cell-spreading and phagocytic activity on nano-pillared surface: in vitro experiment using hemocytes of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri.

Nano-scale nipple array on the body surface has been described from various invertebrates including endoparasitic and mesoparasitic copepods, but the functions of the nipple array is not well understood. Using the hydrophilized nanopillar sheets made of polystyrene as a mimetic material of the nipple arrays on the parasites\u2019 body surface, we assayed the cell spreading and phagocytosis of the hemocytes of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. On the pillared surface, the number of spreading amebocytes and the number of phagocytizing hemocytes per unit area were always smaller than those on the flat surface (Mann-Whitney test, p < 0.05 - 0.001), probably because the effective area for the cell attachment on the pillared surface is much smaller than the area on the flat sheet. The present results supports the idea that the nipple array on the parasites' body surface reduces the innate immune reaction from the host hemocytes

Epidemiology of gastroschisis: A population-based study in California from 1995 to 2012.

BackgroundAlthough the incidence of gastroschisis is increasing, risk factors are not clearly identified.MethodsUsing the Linked Birth Database from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development from 1995 to 2012, patients with gastroschisis were identified by ICD-9 diagnosis/procedure code or birth certificate designation. Logistic regressions examined demographics, birth factors, and maternal exposures on risk of gastroschisis.ResultsThe prevalence of gastroschisis was 2.7 cases per 10,000 live births. Patients with gastroschisis had no difference in fetal exposure to alcohol (p = 0.609), narcotics (p = 0.072), hallucinogenics (p = 0.239), or cocaine (p = 0.777), but had higher exposure to unspecified/other noxious substances (OR 3.27, p = 0.040; OR 2.02, p = 0.002). Gastroschisis was associated with low/very low birthweight (OR 5.08-16.21, p &lt; 0.001) and preterm birth (OR 3.26-10.0, p &lt; 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed lower risk in black (OR 0.44, p &lt; 0.001), Asian/Pacific Islander (OR 0.76, p = 0.003), and Hispanic patients (OR 0.72, p &lt; 0.001) compared to white patients. Risk was higher in rural areas (OR 1.24-1.76, p = 0.001). Compared to women age &lt; 20, risk decreased with advancing maternal age (OR 0.49-OR 0.03, p &lt; 0.001). Patients with gastroschisis had increased total charges ($336,270 vs.$9012, p &lt; 0.001) and length of stay (38.1 vs. 2.9 days, p &lt; 0.001). Mortality was 4.6%.ConclusionsThis is the largest population-based study summarizing current epidemiology of gastroschisis in California.Type of studyRetrospective comparative cohort study.Level of evidenceIII

Surface Structure in an Accretion Disk Annulus with Comparable Radiation and Gas Pressure

We have employed a 3-d energy-conserving radiation MHD code to simulate the vertical structure and thermodynamics of a shearing box whose parameters were chosen so that the radiation and gas pressures would be comparable. The upper layers of this disk segment are magnetically-dominated, creating conditions appropriate for both photon bubble and Parker instabilities. We find little evidence for photon bubbles, even though the simulation has enough spatial resolution to see them and their predicted growth rates are high. On the other hand, there is strong evidence for Parker instabilities, and they appear to dominate the evolution of the magnetically supported surface layers. The disk photosphere is complex, with large density inhomogeneities at both the scattering and effective (thermalization) photospheres of the evolving horizontally-averaged structure. Both the dominant magnetic support and the inhomogeneities are likely to have strong effects on the spectrum and polarization of thermal photons emerging from the disk atmosphere. The inhomogeneities are also large enough to affect models of reflection spectra from the atmospheres of accretion disks.Comment: ApJ, in pres

Avaliação do dano causado pelo percevejo marrom Euschistus heros (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) em duas cultivares de soja.

O percevejo marrom Euschistus heros (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) se destaca como o principal percevejo nas lavouras de soja por todo o país. Adultos e ninfas sugam as vagens, danificando os grãos, sendo seus danos irreversíveis em altas densidades populacionais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os danos causados por E. heros em duas cultivares de soja em diferentes estádios reprodutivos da soja: R3 (início da formação das vagens), R5 (início do enchimento de grãos) e R6 (vagens cheias), com diferentes níveis de infestação (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 percevejos adultos.gaiola-1). O experimento foi conduzido com as cultivares de soja BRS 8160 RR (crescimento determinado) e BRS 8151 RR (crescimento indeterminado) na safra 2012-13, na área experimental da Embrapa Arroz e Feijão. Foram utilizadas gaiolas de contenção de 1 x 1 x 1 m instaladas a campo no final da fase vegetativa. O delineamento experimental foi fatorial, com cinco níveis populacionais em três estádios reprodutivos e quatro repetições. Por ocasião da colheita foi avaliada a produtividade da soja. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância, e as médias ao teste de Tukey (p &#8804; 0,05). Os tratamentos (estádio-infestação) com as respectivas produtividades (kg.ha-1) foram: BRS 8161 RR: R3-0 - 2164,65; R3-1 ? 1818,85; R3-2 ? 1929,00; R3-4 ? 1964,82; R3-8 ? 1946,50; R5-0 ? 2164,65; R5-1 ? 2046,85; R5-2 ? 1741,60; R5-4 ? 2092,77; R5-8 ? 2058,57; R6-0 ? 2164,65; R6-1 ? 1707,87; R6-2 ? 1633,75; R6- 4 ? 1898,90; R6- 8 ? 1985,60 e BRS 8151 RR: R3-0 ? 2024,15; R3-1 ? 2210,32; R3-2 ? 1958,17; R3-4 ? 1971,67; R3-8 ? 2230,62; R5-0 ? 2024,15; R5-1 ? 2419,80; R5-2 ? 1716,22; R5-4 ? 2072,92; R5-8 ? 1742,10; R6-0 ? 2024,15; R6-1 ? 1887,42; R6-2 ? 2137,30; R6-4 ? 2104,90; R6-8 ? 2203,55. Com relação à produtividade não houve diferenças significativas entre os níveis de infestação, nas duas cultivares testadas

Avaliação de cultivares de soja com relação à preferência a Bemisia tabaci Biótipo B (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) com chance de escolha a campo.

A mosca-branca está entre as várias pragas que atacam a cultura da soja. São insetos que sugam a seiva das plantas hospedeiras, tanto na fase jovem como na adulta, podendo causar danos diretos a planta, como seu enfraquecimento e o desenvolvimento de fumagina sobre as folhas, com reflexos na produtividade, e danos indiretos, devido à sua capacidade de transmitir viroses. Entre os vários métodos de controle, o uso de cultivares menos preferidas, pode ser uma ferramenta para o manejo sustentável desta praga. Assim este experimento foi realizado no município de Primavera do Leste, MT, com o objetivo de avaliar diferentes cultivares de soja com relação à preferência a mosca-branca Bemisia tabaci biótipo B em testes com chance de escolha a campo. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. A parcela foi constituída de 12 linhas com 8m de comprimento. As cultivares (crescimento/ grupo de maturação) testadas foram: 1. TMG1188 RR (semideterminado/8.8), 2. NA8015 RR (indeterminado/8.3), 3. TMG1288 RR (determinado/8.8), 4. TMG133 RR (determinado/8.5), 5. TMG1176(determinado/7.6), 6. TMG127 RR (indeterminado/7.2), 7, TMG132 RR (determinado/8.5) e 8. P98Y11 (determinado/8.1). Avaliou-se o número de ninfas em 10 folíolos centrais do terço médio da planta de cada parcela aos, 35, 41, 50 e 62 dias após plantio. As cultivares P98Y11; TMG132 RR e TMG1176 RR foram às menos infestadas com ninfas de mosca-branca no período avaliado, com infestação 71% menor que as cultivares mais infestadas. A maior população de ninfas foi observada aos 41 dias após o plantio com um número médio de 214 ninfas por folíolo. A população de ninfas caiu para 97,3 ninfas/folíolo na 3ª avaliação e reduziu para 0,5 ninfas/folíolo aos 62 dias após o plantio em todas as cultivares avaliadas, quando foram finalizadas as avaliações

Electrocaloric effects in multilayer capacitors for cooling applications

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Morfologia comparada das gônadas de pentatomídeos de importância agrícola.

Os percevejos fitófagos são de grande importância agrícola e afetam a produtividade de algumas culturas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o sistema reprodutor desses percevejos, e fazer uma análise comparativa para constatar se pode haver distinções morfológicas intra e inter-específicas

Cyanobacterial Diversity and a New Acaryochloris-Like Symbiont from Bahamian Sea-Squirts

Symbiotic interactions between ascidians (sea-squirts) and microbes are poorly understood. Here we characterized the cyanobacteria in the tissues of 8 distinct didemnid taxa from shallow-water marine habitats in the Bahamas Islands by sequencing a fragment of the cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene and the entire 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and by examining symbiont morphology with transmission electron (TEM) and confocal microscopy (CM). As described previously for other species, Trididemnum spp. mostly contained symbionts associated with the Prochloron-Synechocystis group. However, sequence analysis of the symbionts in Lissoclinum revealed two unique clades. The first contained a novel cyanobacterial clade, while the second clade was closely associated with Acaryochloris marina. CM revealed the presence of chlorophyll d (chl d) and phycobiliproteins (PBPs) within these symbiont cells, as is characteristic of Acaryochloris species. The presence of symbionts was also observed by TEM inside the tunic of both the adult and larvae of L. fragile, indicating vertical transmission to progeny. Based on molecular phylogenetic and microscopic analyses, Candidatus Acaryochloris bahamiensis nov. sp. is proposed for this symbiotic cyanobacterium. Our results support the hypothesis that photosymbiont communities in ascidians are structured by host phylogeny, but in some cases, also by sampling location