The hypertoric intersection cohomology ring

We present a functorial computation of the equivariant intersection cohomology of a hypertoric variety, and endow it with a natural ring structure. When the hyperplane arrangement associated with the hypertoric variety is unimodular, we show that this ring structure is induced by a ring structure on the equivariant intersection cohomology sheaf in the equivariant derived category. The computation is given in terms of a localization functor which takes equivariant sheaves on a sufficiently nice stratified space to sheaves on a poset.Comment: Significant revisions in Section 5, with several corrected proof

Studies on the hyperplasia ('regeneration') of the rat liver following partial hepatectomy. Changes in lipid peroxidation and general biochemical aspects

Using the experimental model of partial hepatectomy in the rat, we have examined the relationship between cell division and lipid peroxidation activity. In rats entrained to a regime of 12 h light/12 h dark and with a fixed 8 h feeding period in the dark phase, partial hepatectomy is followed by a rapid regeneration of liver mass with cycles of synchronized cell division at 24 h intervals. The latter phenomenon is indicated in this study by pulses of thymidine kinase activity having maxima at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after partial hepatectomy. Microsomes prepared from regenerating livers show changes in lipid peroxidation activity (induced by NADPH/ADP/iron or by ascorbate/iron), which is significantly decreased relative to that in microsomes from sham-operated controls, again at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after the operation. This phenomenon has been investigated with regard to possible underlying changes in the content of microsomal fatty acids, the microsomal enzymes NADPH:cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome P-450, and the physiological microsomal antioxidant alpha-tocopherol. The cycles of decreased lipid peroxidation activity are apparently due, at least in part, to changes in microsomal alpha-tocopherol content that are closely associated in time with thymidine kinase activity

Perceived non-smoking norms and motivation to stop smoking, quit attempts, and cessation: a cross-sectional study in England

This study examined the prevalence of non-smoking norms in England and their associations with motivation to stop smoking, quit attempts, and cessation. Data were from a representative cross-sectional survey of 1,521 adults (301 combustible tobacco smokers). Descriptive non-smoking norms were endorsed, with just 16% of adults (12% of smokers) believing smoking was uncommon. Injunctive non-smoking norms were more prevalent, with 60–77% of adults (17–48% of smokers) viewing smoking as something of which others disapproved. Personal non-smoking norms were also prevalent among all adults (73% indicated they would prefer to live with a non-smoker) but not smokers (69% had no preference). Smokers who endorsed stronger descriptive non-smoking norms had increased odds of reporting high motivation to stop smoking (ORadj = 1.63, 95%CI 1.06–2.52). Female (but not male) past-year smokers who endorsed stronger injunctive (ORadj = 2.19, 95%CI 1.41–3.42) and personal (ORadj = 1.90, 95%CI 1.29–2.82) non-smoking norms had increased odds of having made a past-year quit attempt. In conclusion, perceived descriptive non-smoking norms are not held by the majority of adults in England. Injunctive and personal non-smoking norms are prevalent among all adults but lower among smokers. There is some evidence that smokers – in particular, women – who endorse stronger non-smoking norms are more likely to be motivated to stop smoking and to make a quit attempt

Exploitation status of infralittoral abalone (Haliotis midae) and alikreukel (Turbo sarmaticus) in the southern section of the Eastern Cape coast, South Africa

Intertidal size-frequency distributions and densities for Haliotis midae and Turbo sarmaticus were examined at 10 sites experiencing varying pressure of human exploitation along the southern section of the Eastern Cape coast, South Africa. Target species' densities and maximum sizes were related both to the numbers of collectors on the shore and to indirect indicators of exploitation such as number of households in the vicinity and distance to the nearest beach access point. For both species, there was variation in density (P < 0.05) and size (P < 0.05) among sites, with densities ranging between 0.03-2.23 m^(-2) and 0.07-4.93 m^(-2) for H. midae and T. sarmaticus, respectively. Maximum sizes ranged between 49.4-153.5 mm (H. midae) and 28.3-104.4 mm (T. sarmaticus) shell length. Population parameters such as mean maximum size and total density were significantly negatively related to exploitation indicators for both species. In addition, densities of sexually mature and legal-size individuals of T. sarmaticus were significantly negatively related to the number of households. However, only for H. midae were densities of subadults significantly negatively related to the number of collectors, suggesting that reproduction of abalone may be suppressed at the most exploited sites. Exploitation of T. sarmaticus tends to be localized near population centres, whereas H. midae is collected over a larger range of sites. Overall, T. sarmaticus is less affected by exploitation than H. midae

Using Cluster Analysis to Explore Engagement and e-Attainment as Emergent Behavior in Electronic Mental Health

Background: In most e-mental health (eMH) research to date, adherence is defined according to a trial protocol. However, adherence to a study protocol may not completely capture a key aspect of why participants engage with eMH tools, namely, to achieve personal mental health goals. As a consequence, trial attrition reported as non-adherence or dropout may reflect e-attainment, the discontinuation of eMH engagement after personal goals have been met. Clarifying engagement patterns, such as e-attainment, and how these align with mental health trajectories, may help optimize eMH design and implementation science. Objective: This study aimed to use clustering techniques to identify real-world engagement profiles in a community of eMH users and examine if such engagement profiles are associated with different mental health outcomes. The novelty of this approach was our attempt to identify actual user engagement behaviors, as opposed to employing engagement benchmarks derived from a trial protocol. The potential of this approach is to link naturalistic behaviors to beneficial mental health outcomes, which would be especially informative when designing eMH programs for the general public. Methods: Between May 2013 and June 2018, Australian adults (N=43,631) signed up to myCompass, a self-guided eMH program designed to help alleviate mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Recorded usage data included number of logins, frequency of mood tracking, number of started and completed learning activities, and number of tracking reminders set. A subset of users (n=168) completed optional self-assessment mental health questionnaires (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item, PHQ-9; Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7 item, GAD-7) at registration and at 28 and 56 days after sign-up. Another subset of users (n=861) completed the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 at registration and at 28 days. Results: Two-step cluster analyses revealed 3 distinct usage patterns across both subsamples: moderates, trackers, and super users, signifying differences both in the frequency of use as well as differences in preferences for program functionalities. For both subsamples, repeated measures analysis of variances showed significant decreases over time in PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores. Time-by-cluster interactions, however, did not yield statistical significance in both subsamples, indicating that clusters did not predict symptom reduction over time. Interestingly, users who completed the self-assessment questionnaires twice had slightly but significantly lower depression and anxiety levels at sign-up compared with users who completed the questionnaires a third time at 56 days. Conclusions: Findings suggested that although users engaged with myCompass in different but measurable ways, those different usage patterns evoked equivalent mental health benefits. Furthermore, the randomized controlled trial paradigm may unintentionally limit the scope of eMH engagement research by mislabeling early mental health goal achievers as dropouts. More detailed and naturalistic approaches to study engagement with eMH technologies may improve program design and, ultimately, program effectiveness

Proteomic analyses of Urine Exosomes reveal New Biomarkers of Diabetes in Pregnancy.

ObjectiveTo evaluate 24 hour urine exosome protein content changes among pregnant US subjects with diabetes and obesity during early pregnancy.MethodsThe exosome proteome content from 24 hour urine samples of pregnant subjects with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM, N=8) and pre-gestational Type 2 diabetes (PGD, N = 10) were compared with control samples (CTRL, N = 10) obtained at week 20 of pregnancy. Differences in exosome protein load between groups was identified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, analyzed by linear regression in negative binomial distribution, visualized in MetaboAnalyst (version 3.0), and validated by western immunoblotting.ResultsAt the 20th week of pregnancy, we identified 646, 734 and 856 proteins in exosomes from 24 hour urine samples of patients from the CTRL, GDM and PGD groups, respectively. S100 calcium binding protein A9, damage associated molecular pattern (DAMP) signal, was found to be significantly increased in both GDM and PGD subjects. In GDM subjects the peptide counts for S100A9 protein independently correlated with maternal obesity and macrosomia of the newborn infants. Early to late pregnancy developmental changes in the GDM group were shown to utilize pathways and protein expression levels differently from those in PGD or CTRL groups.ConclusionsUrinary exosome proteomic analysis non-invasively provides insights into maternal changes during diabetic pregnancy. Exosome biomarkers early in pregnancy can be potentially used to better understand pathophysiologic mechanisms of diabetes at a cellular level, and to distinguish between gestational and pre-gestational diabetes at the pathway level. This information can aid intervention efforts to improve pregnancy outcomes in women with diabetes

In vivo evaluation of pathogenicity and transmissibility of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 hemagglutinin receptor binding domain 222 intrahost variants isolated from a single immunocompromised patient

AbstractThe influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus has circulated worldwide and continued to cause complicated infections and deaths. Reports have identified an increased prevalence of the hemagglutinin receptor binding domain D222G mutation in viruses isolated from individuals who have suffered such severe infections, but this association is still unclear. Virus isolated from a nasopharyngeal wash of a severely ill immunocompromised patient at the time of diagnosis contained the D222, but isolates collected later in his course from a bronchoalveolar lavage contained primarily the G222 mutation and was mixed with a minor population of D222. These clinical isolates were compared to a G222 plaque purified virus in the ferret model. The G222 predominant clinical isolate was the most pathogenic in ferrets and developed the most diversity at the 222 amino acid position during infection, suggesting that increased diversity and not a specific polymorphism at HA 222 may be important in predicting pathogenic potential

Effects of acute lying and sleep deprivation on metabolic and inflammatory responses of lactating dairy cows

Dairy cows that are restricted from lying down have a reduced ability to sleep. In other species, sleep loss is a key risk factor for disease, mediated by changes in metabolic and inflammatory responses. The cumulative effect of lying and sleep deprivation on cow health is unknown. The objective was to determine the effects of lying and sleep deprivation on metabolic and inflammatory responses of dairy cows. Data were collected from 8 multiparous and 4 primiparous lactating cows (199 +/- 44 d in milk, 77 +/- 30 d pregnant; mean +/- standard deviation) enrolled in a study using a crossover design. Each cow was exposed to 2 treatments meant to induce sleep loss: (1) human disturbance (imposed by researchers making noise or physical contact when the cow's posture suggested sleep) and (2) lying deprivation (imposed by a wooden grid placed on the pen floor). Cows experienced a 24-h baseline period (d - 1) followed by a 24-h treatment period (d 0), with a 12-d washout period between treatments. Baseline and treatment periods were imposed from 2100 to 2059 h. Cows were housed in individual pens during the acclimation period (d - 3 and - 2), d - 1, and d 0. Nonesterified fatty acid and glucose concentrations were measured at 0300, 0900, 1500, and 2059 h on d - 1 and 0. Proinflammatory cytokine mRNA [tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1B (IL1B), and interleukin-6 (IL6)] abundance in whole-blood leukocytes, both nonstimulated and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, were assessed at 2059 h on d -1 (end of baseline) and d 0 (end of treatment). Nonesterified fatty acids and glucose varied by time of day but were not affected by treatment or day. The abundances of TNF and IL1B from both stimulated and nonstimulated cells were higher following 24 h of lying deprivation (d 0) compared with baseline (d -1). Abundance of IL6 was increased in nonstimulated cells after lying deprivation compared with baseline. In contrast, human disturbance for 24 h did not alter TNF, IL1B, or IL6 abundance relative to baseline levels. These results suggest that a short period of lying deprivation generally increases inflammatory responses but not metabolic responses.Peer reviewe

Engaging participants in a complex intervention trial in Australian General Practice

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