Stability of U-500 regular insulin in prefilled syringes

Objective: To evaluate the stability of U-500 regular insulin in prefilled syringes stored under refrigeration for up to 28 days. Methods: U-500 regular insulin was drawn up in 1 mL insulin syringes in a clean, nonsterile environment to emulate conditions of a patient’s home. Samples were assayed using a stability-indicating reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method immediately after preparation (day 0) and after 7, 14, 21, and 28 days under refrigeration. Before evaluation, all samples were diluted to a concentration of 40 units/mL in the starting mobile phase. Stability was determined by evaluating the percentage of the initial concentration remaining at each time point. Results: At least 93.3% of the initial U-500 insulin concentration remained throughout the 28-day study period, with no statistically significant changes in the amount remaining. The percent of initial concentration remained above 97% for the first 21 days of the study. Conclusion: A prefilled syringe with U-500 regular insulin is stable for at least 28 days when stored under refrigeration. These data are similar to those reported for U-100 regular insulin, indicating that prefilling syringes with U-500 insulin is a safe and effective practice for patients who are unable to accurately draw up their own point-of-care doses

Enhancing Language Learning Opportunities in Family Contexts for Young Learners With or At Risk for Communicative Developmental Delay: An Initial Investigation

Though the early years of life are critical for any child, this period may be especially crucial for young children who are at risk for or presently evidencing developmental delays. Bruder (2001) offered several rationales for the provision of early intervention. First, the earlier that children with such issues are identified and provided services, the greater the likelihood that the child will benefit. Early intervention services can reduce or eliminate developmental delays, moving children out of a risk category (e.g., from “Delayed” to “Typically developing”) (Glascoe, 2005). In addition to these immediate effects, early intervention can have a significant impact on the subsequent developmental status of the child (Barnett & Belfield, 2006). Second, families receive invaluable support from these early intervention services (Sandall, Hemmeter, Smith, & McLean, 2005). Indeed, the very conceptual foundation of the Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP), the intervention plan developed and implemented for children up to age six who evidence developmental delays (as opposed to the school-age Individualized Education Program) is that it is the family as much as the young child who is need of support and services. Finally, Bruder (2010) concluded that early intervention programs offer economic advantages to schools and communities. As participants in these programs gain skills and enhance their developmental status, educational and post-school programs benefit from the decreased costs of special education and disability services support that would otherwise be required for school-aged children and adults with disabilities. The primacy of the role of the family in first identifying developmental delays and then providing support for interventions is difficult to overstate (Sandall et al., 2005). Families provide this support through collaboration with early intervention professionals by facilitating the early intervention at home, while providing supplemental opportunities for the child to practice emergent skills at home and in the community

Diesel Exhaust Activates & Primes Microglia: Air Pollution, Neuroinflammation, & Regulation of Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity

BACKGROUND: Air pollution is linked to central nervous system disease, but the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: Here, we sought to address the brain-region-specific effects of diesel exhaust (DE) and key cellular mechanisms underlying DE-induced microglia activation, neuroinflammation, and dopaminergic (DA) neurotoxicity. METHODS: Rats were exposed to DE (2.0, 0.5, and 0 mg/m3) by inhalation over 4 weeks or as a single intratracheal administration of DE particles (DEP; 20 mg/kg). Primary neuron-glia cultures and the HAPI (highly aggressively proliferating immortalized) microglial cell line were used to explore cellular mechanisms. RESULTS: Rats exposed to DE by inhalation demonstrated elevated levels of whole-brain IL-6 (interleukin-6) protein, nitrated proteins, and IBA-1 (ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1) protein (microglial marker), indicating generalized neuroinflammation. Analysis by brain region revealed that DE increased TNFα (tumor necrosis factor-α), IL-1β, IL-6, MIP-1α (macrophage inflammatory protein-1α) RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products), fractalkine, and the IBA-1 microglial marker in most regions tested, with the midbrain showing the greatest DE response. Intratracheal administration of DEP increased microglial IBA-1 staining in the substantia nigra and elevated both serum and whole-brain TNFα at 6 hr posttreatment. Although DEP alone failed to cause the production of cytokines and chemokines, DEP (5 μg/mL) pretreatment followed by lipopolysaccharide (2.5 ng/mL) in vitro synergistically amplified nitric oxide production, TNFα release, and DA neurotoxicity. Pretreatment with fractalkine (50 pg/mL) in vitro ameliorated DEP (50 μg/mL)-induced microglial hydrogen peroxide production and DA neurotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these findings reveal complex, interacting mechanisms responsible for how air pollution may cause neuroinflammation and DA neurotoxicity

Semiconductor Noise

Contains reports on five research projects

Effects of Thinning Intensity on Forest Floor and Soil Biochemical Properties in an Aleppo Pine Plantation after 13 Years: Quantity but Also Quality Matters

[EN] In order to quantify the impacts of silvicultural treatments in semiarid forests, it is necessary to know how they affect key aboveground processes and also properties characterizing the forest floor and mineral soil compartments. The general objective of this work is to study the mid-term effects of thinning intensity on forest floor and soil properties after 13 years following the intervention. The experimental design consisted of a randomized block design with four thinning treatments (3 thinning intensity plots plus a control or unmanaged plot) and three blocks or replicates. Several determinations, such as total organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, or basal respiration, were performed for characterizing forest floor and mineral soil by considering three random sampling points per experimental plot. Thirteen years after thinning, total organic content, the different organic carbon fractions studied, and basal respiration were higher in the forest floor of the unmanaged plot. These results, however, were contrasted to those obtained for the mineral soil, where significant differences between the treatments were only observed in basal respiration and C/N ratio, while the different organic carbon fractions were not affected by thinning intensity. Our results suggest better soil quality where biological activity is enhanced as a consequence of improved environmental conditions and also litterfall input. The latter is especially important in forests with tree leaves of low biodegradability, where new understorey species promoted by thinning can provide higher nutrient availability for the remaining trees and, therefore, better forest resilience.A.J. Molina is the beneficiary of an "APOSTD' fellowship (APOSTD/2019/111) funded by the Generalitat Valenciana. The authors received national and international funding through the following projects: SILVADAPT.NET (RED2018-102719-T funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), CEHYRFO-MED (CGL2017-86839-C3-2-R funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER a way to make Europe), and RESILIENTFORESTS (LIFE17 CCA/ES/000063)Molina, AJ.; Bautista, I.; Lull, C.; Campo García, ADD.; González Sanchis, MDC.; Lidón, A. (2022). Effects of Thinning Intensity on Forest Floor and Soil Biochemical Properties in an Aleppo Pine Plantation after 13 Years: Quantity but Also Quality Matters. Forests. 13(2):1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/f1302025511413

Environmental Toxins Linked to Neurodegeneration and Autism Activate the Brain’s Immune System

Microglia are the primary immune cells of the central nervous system and become activated in response to noxious stimuli, leading to a cycle of inflammation and cell death that has been implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease and autism. This study examines the effects of environmental toxins, at levels commonly found in humans, on microglial cell survival and activation. The toxins used in this study include polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants, the food additive propionic acid (PPA), and the organochlorine pesticide dieldrin. These chemicals have been linked to neuronal damage, although their effects on microglial cells have not been fully studied. Our results indicate that microglial cell survival could be decreased by as much as 50% due to exposure to these toxins, without the production of certain cytokines produced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation. These effects are significant as further understanding of the role of microglia in neuronal damage could provide a pharmacologic target for future drug development as well as elucidate the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases

The impact of adaptive forest management on water fluxes and growth dynamics in a water-limited low-biomass oak coppice

[EN] Marginal semi-arid forests in areas currently affected by climate change are a challenge to forest management, which has to focus on key functional traits that can effectively contribute to resistance under extreme drought. We studied the effects of thinning in a marginal forest by quantifying functional responses relating to growth, carbon and water fluxes. Two experimental plots were established, one thinned in 2012 and the other one left as a control. The environmental conditions varied substantially during the 4-year study period, although dry years predominated. There were signs of dieback in the control with a decreasing inter-annual trend in LAI, as opposed to the treated plots, where LAI by the end of the study almost reached pre-thinning levels. Sap flow and transpiration were greatly enhanced by the treatment, with thinned trees transpiring 22.41 tree(-1) day(-1) in the growing season, about twice the control figures. The seasonal patterns of transpiration and soil moisture were uncoupled, indicating a contribution of deep groundwater to the former flux. In the control, limitations to water and carbon dynamics (canopy conductance) occurred at soil moisture values below 16%, whereas in the thinned trees these limitations appeared when soil moisture dropped below 10%. Overall, oaks' transpiration was enhanced with thinning to the point that stand-water use surpassed that of the control by the second half of the study period, averaging 24% of gross rainfall in both plots. Soil evaporation increased from 12 to 20% of gross rainfall after treatment in the overall period. The treatment had a profound watering effect in this marginal forest, led by fewer trees using the same amount of water as those in the untreated overstocked plot. This research may provide guidelines for ecohydrology-oriented silviculture in stands experiencing tree encroachment and transformation into shrublands that are more prone to global change-induced disturbances.This study is a component of the research projects HYDROSIL (CGL2011-28776-C02-02), SILWAMED (CGL2014-58127-C3-2) and CEHYRFO-MED (CGL2017-86839-C3-2-R), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the FEDER fund of the EU. The authors are grateful to the Valencia Regional Government (CMAAUV, Generalitat Valenciana) and ACCIONA for their support in allowing the use of the experimental forest La Hunde and for their assistance in the fieldwork.Campo García, ADD.; González Sanchís, MDC.; Garcia-Prats, A.; Ceacero Ruiz, CJ.; Lull, C. (2019). The impact of adaptive forest management on water fluxes and growth dynamics in a water-limited low-biomass oak coppice. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 264:266-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2018.10.016S26628226