Creating and controlling visual environments using BonVision.

Real-time rendering of closed-loop visual environments is important for next-generation understanding of brain function and behaviour, but is often prohibitively difficult for non-experts to implement and is limited to few laboratories worldwide. We developed BonVision as an easy-to-use open-source software for the display of virtual or augmented reality, as well as standard visual stimuli. BonVision has been tested on humans and mice, and is capable of supporting new experimental designs in other animal models of vision. As the architecture is based on the open-source Bonsai graphical programming language, BonVision benefits from native integration with experimental hardware. BonVision therefore enables easy implementation of closed-loop experiments, including real-time interaction with deep neural networks, and communication with behavioural and physiological measurement and manipulation devices

Dynamic and volumetric variables reliably predict fluid responsiveness in a porcine model with pleural effusion

Background: The ability of stroke volume variation (SVV), pulse pressure variation (PPV) and global end-diastolic volume (GEDV) for prediction of fluid responsiveness in presence of pleural effusion is unknown. The aim of the present study was to challenge the ability of SVV, PPV and GEDV to predict fluid responsiveness in a porcine model with pleural effusions. Methods: Pigs were studied at baseline and after fluid loading with 8 ml kg−1 6% hydroxyethyl starch. After withdrawal of 8 ml kg−1 blood and induction of pleural effusion up to 50 ml kg−1 on either side, measurements at baseline and after fluid loading were repeated. Cardiac output, stroke volume, central venous pressure (CVP) and pulmonary occlusion pressure (PAOP) were obtained by pulmonary thermodilution, whereas GEDV was determined by transpulmonary thermodilution. SVV and PPV were monitored continuously by pulse contour analysis. Results: Pleural effusion was associated with significant changes in lung compliance, peak airway pressure and stroke volume in both responders and non-responders. At baseline, SVV, PPV and GEDV reliably predicted fluid responsiveness (area under the curve 0.85 (p<0.001), 0.88 (p<0.001), 0.77 (p = 0.007). After induction of pleural effusion the ability of SVV, PPV and GEDV to predict fluid responsiveness was well preserved and also PAOP was predictive. Threshold values for SVV and PPV increased in presence of pleural effusion. Conclusions: In this porcine model, bilateral pleural effusion did not affect the ability of SVV, PPV and GEDV to predict fluid responsiveness

Association between recurrence of acute kidney injury and mortality in intensive care unit patients with severe sepsis

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in more than half critically ill patients admitted in intensive care units (ICU) and increases the mortality risk. The main cause of AKI in ICU is sepsis. AKI severity and other related variables such as recurrence of AKI episodes may influence mortality risk. While AKI recurrence after hospital discharge has been recently related to an increased risk of mortality, little is known about the rate and consequences of AKI recurrence during the ICU stay. Our hypothesis is that AKI recurrence during ICU stay in septic patients may be associated to a higher mortality risk. Methods: We prospectively enrolled all (405) adult patients admitted to the ICU of our hospital with the diagnosis of severe sepsis/septic shock for a period of 30 months. Serum creatinine was measured daily. ?In-ICU AKI recurrence? was defined as a new spontaneous rise of ?0.3 mg/dl within 48 h from the lowest serum creatinine after the previous AKI episode. Results: Excluding 5 patients who suffered the AKI after the initial admission to ICU, 331 patients out of the 400 patients (82.8%) developed at least one AKI while they remained in the ICU. Among them, 79 (19.8%) developed ?2 AKI episodes. Excluding 69 patients without AKI, in-hospital (adjusted HR = 2.48, 95% CI 1.47?4.19), 90-day (adjusted HR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.55?4.16) and end of follow-up (adjusted HR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.36?2.84) mortality rates were significantly higher in patients with recurrent AKI, independently of sex, age, mechanical ventilation necessity, APACHE score, baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate, complete recovery and KDIGO stage. Conclusions: AKI recurred in about 20% of ICU patients after a first episode of sepsis-related AKI. This recurrence increases the mortality rate independently of sepsis severity and of the KDIGO stage of the initial AKI episode. ICU physicians must be aware of the risks related to AKI recurrence while multiple episodes of AKI should be highlighted in electronic medical records and included in the variables of clinical risk scores

Stringy effects in black hole decay

We compute the low energy decay rates of near-extremal three(four) charge black holes in five(four) dimensional N=4 string theory to sub-leading order in the large charge approximation. This involves studying stringy corrections to scattering amplitudes of a scalar field off a black hole. We adapt and use recently developed techniques to compute such amplitudes as near-horizon quantities. We then compare this with the corresponding calculation in the microscopic configuration carrying the same charges as the black hole. We find perfect agreement between the microscopic and macroscopic calculations; in the cases we study, the zero energy limit of the scattering cross section is equal to four times the Wald entropy of the black hole.Comment: 32 page

Long-term risk of mortality after acute kidney injury in patients with sepsis: a contemporary analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased short-term mortality of septic patients; however, the exact influence of AKI on long-term mortality in such patients has not yet been determined.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively evaluated the impact of AKI, defined by the "Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, End-stage kidney disease" (RIFLE) classification based on creatinine criteria, on 2-year mortality in a cohort of 234 hospital surviving septic patients who had been hospitalized at the Infectious Disease Intensive Care Unit of our Hospital.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean-follow-up was 21 ± 6.4 months. During this period, 32 patients (13.7%) died. At 6 months, 1 and 2 years of follow-up, the cumulative probability of death of patients with previous AKI was 8.3, 16.9 and 34.2%, respectively, as compared with 2.2, 6 and 8.9% in patients without previous AKI (log-rank, P < 0.0001). In the univariate analysis, age (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.7, P < 0.0001), as well as pre-existing cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio 3.6, 95% CI 1.4-9.4, P = 0.009), illness severity as evaluated by nonrenal APACHE II (hazard ratio 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6, P = 0.002), and previous AKI (hazard ratio 4.2, 95% CI 2.1-8.5, P < 0.0001) were associated with increased 2-year mortality, while gender, race, pre-existing hypertension, cirrhosis, HIV infection, neoplasm, and baseline glomerular filtration rate did not. In the multivariate analysis, however, only previous AKI (hazard ratio 3.2, 95% CI 1.6-6.5, P = 0.001) and age (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6, P < 0.0001) emerged as independent predictors of 2-year mortality.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Acute kidney injury had a negative impact on long-term mortality of patients with sepsis.</p

A CLINICAL STUDY OF INHALANT ANAESTHESIA IN DOGS

A clinical trial was undertaken using three different inhalant anaesthetic agents and one intravenous anaesthetic agent in dogs undergoing routine desexing surgery. Healthy adult dogs undergoing either ovariohysterectomy or castration were assessed as to their demeanour, with the more excitable dogs being placed in groups receiving premedication with acepromazine and morphine. All dogs were then randomly assigned an anaesthetic agent for induction of general anaesthesia. The agents were the inhalants halothane, isoflurane and sevoflurane, and the intravenous agent propofol. Inhalant inductions were undertaken using a tight fitting mask attached to a standard anaesthetic machine with a rebreathing circuit, with the maximum dose of inhalant available from a standard vaporiser. Propofol inductions were undertaken via intravenous catheter. Dogs induced with propofol were randomly assigned one of the three inhalant agents for maintenance. Those induced by inhalant agent were maintained using the same agent. The surgical procedure was undertaken in standard fashion, as was recovery from anaesthesia. All dogs received the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent meloxicam. Data collection was divided into three stages: induction, maintenance, and recovery from anaesthesia. Variables measured at induction of anaesthesia were time to intubation, number of intubation attempts, tolerance of mask, quality of induction and quality of transfer to the maintenance stage. Standard variables for monitoring of anaesthesia were recorded throughout the maintenance of anaesthesia. Variables measured at recovery were time to righting, time to standing and quality of recovery. The mean time to intubation when using the newer inhalant sevoflurane (196.2 ± 14.8sec, mean ± SE) was not significantly different to that for halothane (221.4 ± 14.0sec) or isoflurane (172.4 ± 15.0sec). Time to intubation with isoflurane was significantly faster than with halothane. Mean time to intubation with propofol (85.4 ± 7.7sec) was significantly faster than that for any of the three inhalants. Choice of inhalant had no effect on quality of induction. The use of premedication significantly improved the quality of induction. The use of propofol for induction likewise significantly improved the quality of induction. Standard cardiorespiratory variables measured during the maintenance phase of anaesthesia remained within normal clinical ranges for all three inhalants, and were therefore not further analysed. Choice of inhalant agent had no significant effect on the time to righting or standing in recovery. The use of propofol for induction had no effect on these variables. Animals placed in groups receiving premedication had significantly longer times to righting and standing. The oesophageal temperature at the end of the procedure had a significant effect on times to righting and standing, with lower temperatures contributing to slower recoveries. Independent of procedure time, male dogs had shorter times to righting than female dogs

Genetic dissection of grain zinc concentration in spring wheat for mainstreaming biofortification in CIMMYT wheat breeding

Wheat is an important staple that acts as a primary source of dietary energy, protein, and essential micronutrients such as iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) for the world’s population. Approximately two billion people suffer from micronutrient deficiency, thus breeders have crossed high Zn progenitors such as synthetic hexaploid wheat, T. dicoccum, T. spelta, and landraces to generate wheat varieties with competitive yield and enhanced grain Zn that are being adopted by farmers in South Asia. Here we report a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the wheat Illumina iSelect 90 K Infinitum SNP array to characterize grain Zn concentrations in 330 bread wheat lines. Grain Zn phenotype of this HarvestPlus Association Mapping (HPAM) panel was evaluated across a range of environments in India and Mexico. GWAS analysis revealed 39 marker-trait associations for grain Zn. Two larger effect QTL regions were found on chromosomes 2 and 7. Candidate genes (among them zinc finger motif of transcription-factors and metal-ion binding genes) were associated with the QTL. The linked markers and associated candidate genes identified in this study are being validated in new biparental mapping populations for marker-assisted breeding

Karyotypic description of the stingless bee Oxytrigona cf. flaveola (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponina) of a colony from Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

The aim was to broaden knowledge on the cytogenetics of the subtribe Meliponina, by furnishing cytogenetic data as a contribution to the characterization of bees from the genus Oxytrigona. Individuals of the species Oxytrigona cf. flaveola, members of a colony from Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, were studied. The chromosome number was 2n = 34, distributed among four chromosomal morphologies, with the karyotype formula 8m+8sm+16st+2t. Size heteromorphism in the first metacentric pair, subsequently confirmed by sequential staining with fluorochrome (DA/DAPI/CMA3 ), was apparent in all the examined individuals The nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) are possibly located in this metacentric chromosome pair. These data will contribute towards a better understanding of the genus Oxytrigona. Given that species in this group are threatened, the importance of their preservation and conservation can be shown in a sensible, concise fashion through studies such as this

The turn of the valve: representing with material models

Many scientific models are representations. Building on Goodman and Elgin’s notion of representation-as we analyse what this claim involves by providing a general definition of what makes something a scientific model, and formulating a novel account of how they represent. We call the result the DEKI account of representation, which offers a complex kind of representation involving an interplay of, denotation, exemplification, keying up of properties, and imputation. Throughout we focus on material models, and we illustrate our claims with the Phillips-Newlyn machine. In the conclusion we suggest that, mutatis mutandis, the DEKI account can be carried over to other kinds of models, notably fictional and mathematical models

Dietary inflammatory index and inflammatory biomarkers in adolescents from LabMed physical activity study

Background/objectives The dietary inflammatory index (DII) is a tool to measure the diet’s inflammatory potential and has been used with adults to predict low-grade inflammation. The present study aims to assess whether this dietary score predicts low-grade inflammation in adolescents. Subjects/methods The sample comprises 329 adolescents (55.9% girls), aged 12–18 years, from LabMed Physical Activity Study. DII score was calculated based on a food-frequency questionnaire and categorized into tertiles. We collected blood samples to determine the follow inflammatory biomarkers: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), complement component 3 (C3), and 4 (C4). In addition we calculated an overall inflammatory biomarker score. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were computed from binary logistic regression models. Results DII score, comparing first with third tertile, was positively associated with IL-6 in crude model (OR = 1.88, 95% CI:1.09–3.24, ptrend = 0.011) and in fully adjusted (for biological and lifestyle variables) (OR = 3.38, 95%CI:1.24–9.20, ptrend = 0.023). Also, DII score was positively associated with C4, when fully adjusted (OR = 3.12, 95%CI:1.21–8.10, ptrend = 0.016). DII score was negatively associated with C3 in crude model, comparing first with second but not with third tertile, and no significant associations in fully adjusted model were observed, although a trend was found (OR = 1.71, 95% CI:0.63–4.66, ptrend = 0.044). No significant associations were observed between DII score and CRP. However, DII score was positively associated with the overall inflammatory biomarker score, when fully adjusted (OR = 5.61, 95% CI:2.00–15.78, ptrend = 0.002). Conclusions DII score can be useful to assess the diet’s inflammatory potential and its association with low-grade inflammation in adolescents.The authors gratefully acknowledged the participation of all adolescents and their parents, teachers and schools of the LabMed and Physical Activity Study, the cooperation of volunteer’s, the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology (University of Porto) for the conversion food frequency questionnaire data into nutrients, and the Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (University of Porto) for the sponsoring the LabMed and Physical Activity Study.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio