Minimal Change Disease Is Associated With Endothelial Glycocalyx Degradation and Endothelial Activation

Minimal change disease (MCD) is considered a podocyte disorder triggered by unknown circulating factors. Here, we hypothesized that the endothelial cell (EC) is also involved in MCD

Testing for value stability with a meta-analysis of choice experiments: River health in Australia

While meta-analysis is typically used to identify value estimates for benefit transfer, applications also provide insights into the potential influence of design, study and methodological factors on results of non-market valuation experiments. In this paper, a metaanalysis of sixteen separate choice modelling studies in Australia with 130 individual value estimates relating to river health are reported. The studies involved different measures and scales of river health, so consistency was generated by transforming implicit prices from each study into a common standard of WTP per kilometer of river in good health. Tobit models have been used to identify the relationships between the dependent variable (WTP/km) and a number of variables. The results demonstrate that values are sensitive to marginal effects, with lower WTP/km for larger catchments, and higher WTP/km when river health is in decline. Values are also lower when river health has been defined by a subset of benefit types, such as recreation uses, vegetation health, fish health or bird populations. While there is evidence that the framing of the choice sets and descriptions of attributes have systematic impacts on values, there is very little evidence that choice dimensions, collection methods, sample sizes, response rates, statistical methods or publication status have influenced value estimates. Tests of apparent author effects show that these become insignificant when other explanatory variables are included in the models.non-market valuation, choice modelling, meta analysis, river health, Environmental Economics and Policy,

Renal fibrosis in feline chronic kidney disease: known mediators and mechanisms of injury

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common medical condition of ageing cats. In most cases the underlying aetiology is unknown, but the most frequently reported pathological diagnosis is renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Renal fibrosis, characterised by extensive accumulation of extra-cellular matrix within the interstitium, is thought to be the final common pathway for all kidney diseases and is the pathological lesion best correlated with function in both humans and cats. As a convergent pathway, renal fibrosis provides an ideal target for the treatment of CKD and knowledge of the underlying fibrotic process is essential for the future development of novel therapies. There are many mediators and mechanisms of renal fibrosis reported in the literature, of which only a few have been investigated in the cat. This article reviews the process of renal fibrosis and discusses the most commonly cited mediators and mechanisms of progressive renal injury, with particular focus on the potential significance to feline CKD

Cyclosporin A inhibits PGE2 release from vascular smooth muscle cells

The influence of the fungoid undecapeptide cyclosporin A (CyA) on PGE2 release from cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells was investigated in this study. We found that CyA time and concentration dependently (ED50:500 ng/ml) inhibited PGE2 release from the cells. CyA attenuated both basal and PGE2 release evoked by angiotensin II (10(-10)-10(-6) M), arginine vasopressin (10(-10)-10(-6) M) and ionomycin (10(-9)-10(-6) M). CyA (1 microgram/ml) did not affect the conversion of exogenous arachidonic acid (1 microM) into PGE2. The inhibitory effect of CyA was neutralized by high concentrations of the calcium ionophore ionomycin (greater than 3 X 10(-6) M). Taken together our results indicate that CyA inhibits both basal and vasoconstrictor evoked PGE2 release from vascular smooth muscle by impairing the availability of free arachidonic acid rather than by inhibiting the conversion of arachidonic acid into PGE2

Hydrogen/oxygen auxiliary propulsion technology

A survey is provided of hydrogen/oxygen (H/O) auxiliary propulsion system (APS) concepts and low thrust H/O rocket technology. A review of H/O APS studies performed for the Space Shuttle, Space Tug, Space Station Freedom, and Advanced Manned Launch System programs is given. The survey also includes a review of low thrust H/O rocket technology programs, covering liquid H/O and gaseous H/O thrusters, ranging from 6600 N (1500 lbf) to 440 mN (0.1 lbf) thrust. Ignition concepts for H/O thrusters and high temperature, oxidation resistant chamber materials are also reviewed

J=0, J=J_{max} and quadrupole pairing

We consider 2 neutrons and 2 protons in the g_{9/2} shell.Wave functions and energy levels are obtained for various interactions. The wave functions for states with total angular momentum I greater or equal to 10 are not affected by what the pairing interacton (J=0 T=1) is.Other parts of the interaction are therefore of increased importance

The Protection and Management of the Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a fundamentally important part of the world's ocean, located within the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre with its boundaries defined by the surrounding currents. It is the only sea without land boundaries with water depths ranging from the surface coral reefs of Bermuda to abyssal plains at 4500 m. The Sargasso Sea's importance derives from the interdependent mix of its physical structure and properties, its ecosystems, its role in global scale ocean and earth system processes, its socio-economic and cultural values, and its role in global scientific research. Despite this, the Sargasso Sea is threatened by a range of human activities that either directly adversely impact it or have the potential to do so. Being Open Ocean, the Sargasso Sea is part of the High Seas, the area of ocean that covers nearly 50%of the earth's surface but which is beyond the jurisdiction and responsibility of any national government, and as such it enjoys little protection. To promote the importance of the Sargasso Sea, the Sargasso Sea Alliance was created under the leadership of the Government of Bermudian 2010. This report provides a summary of the scientific and other supporting evidence for the importance of the Sargasso Sea and is intended to develop international recognition of this; to start the process of establishing appropriate management and precautionary regimes within existing agreements; and to stimulate a wider debate on appropriate management and protection for the High Seas. Nine reasons why the Sargasso Sea is important are described and discussed. It is a place of legend with a rich history of great importance to Bermuda; it has an iconic ecosystem based upon floating Sargassum, the world's only holopelagic seaweed, hosting a rich and diverse community including ten endemic species; it provides essential habitat for nurturing a wide diversity of species many of which are endangered or threatened; it is the only breeding location for the threatened European and American eels; it lies within a large ocean gyre which concentrates pollutants and which has a variety of oceanographic processes that impact its productivity and species diversity; it plays a disproportionately large role in global ocean processes of carbon sequestration; it is of major importance for global scientific research and monitoring and is home to the world's longest ocean time series of measurements; it has significant values to local and world-wide economies; and it is threatened by activities including over-fishing, pollution, shipping, and Sargassum harvesting. Apart from over-fishing many of the threats are potential, with few direct causal relationships between specific activities and adverse impacts. But there is accumulative evidence that the Sargasso Sea is being adversely impacted by human activities, and with the possibility of new uses for Sargassum in the future, the lack of direct scientific evidence does not preclude international action through the established precautionary approach. The opportunity to recognize the importance of the Sargasso Sea and to develop and implement procedures to protect this iconic region and the wider High Seas should be taken before it is too late