The 2010 Field Demonstration of the Solar Carbothermal Reduction of Regolith to Produce Oxygen

The Moon and other space exploration destinations are comprised of a variety of oxygen-bearing minerals, providing a virtually unlimited quantity of raw material which can be processed to produce oxygen. One attractive method to extract oxygen from the regolith is the carbothermal reduction process, which is not sensitive to variations in the mineral composition of the regolith. It also creates other valuable resources within the processed regolith, such as iron and silicon metals. Using funding from NASA, ORBITEC recently built and tested the Carbothermal Regolith Reduction Module to process lunar regolith simulants using concentrated solar energy. This paper summarizes the experimental test results obtained during a demonstration of the system at a lunar analog test site on the Mauna Kea volcano on Hawaii in February 2010

Statewide retrospective study of low acuity emergency presentations in New South Wales, Australia: who, what, where and why?

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/Abstract Objective The present study aims to use a statewide population-based registry to assess the prevalence of low acuity emergency department (ED) presentations, describe the trend in presentation rates and to determine whether they were associated with various presentation characteristics such as the type of hospital as well as clinical and demographic variables. Design and setting This was a retrospective analysis of a population-based registry of ED presentations in New South Wales (NSW). Generalised estimating equations with log links were used to determine factors associated with low acuity presentations to account for repeat presentations and the possibility of clustering of outcomes. Participants Patients were included in this analysis if they presented to an ED between January 2010 and December 2014. The outcomes of interest were low acuity presentation, defined as those who self-presented (were not transported by ambulance), were assigned a triage category of 4 or 5 (semiurgent or non-urgent) and discharged back to usual residence from ED. Results There were 10.7 million ED presentations analysed. Of these, 45% were classified as a low acuity presentation. There was no discernible increase in the rate of low acuity presentations across NSW between 2010 and 2014. The strongest predictors of low acuity ED presentation were age <40 years of age (OR 1.77); injury or musculoskeletal administrative and non-urgent procedures (OR 2.96); ear, nose and throat, eye or oral (OR 5.53); skin or allergy-type presenting problems (OR 2.84). Conclusions Low acuity ED presentations comprise almost half of all ED presentations. Alternative emergency models of care may help meet the needs of these patients

Phytochemical analysis and antisenescence activity of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz and Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb fruits

In Italy, many spontaneous plants are used as food in folk traditions and are now being re-evaluated as healthy products with high nutritional value. In the ethnobotanical field, we selected a fruit tree that modern gastronomy has forgotten: the "Ciavardello" (Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz). The Italian phyto-alimentary tradition (1) uses its fruits to make jams, jellies, syrups, fresh snacks and, less often, alcoholic beverages. The "Ciavardello" is a species of Sorbus native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor and it is a member of the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree or shrub which grows 1-7 m tall (sometimes reaching 20 m) and it is a slow-growing and long-lived species found in forests of broadleaf trees. The trunk is straight and the crown is expanded, globose and dense, while the bark is smooth and greyish. The leaves are alternate, simple, glabrous, petiole, ovate (4–10 cm long and 2–8 cm wide), with five to nine acute lobes, serrate and dark green colored on both sides. The flowers are hermaphrodite, 5-merous, with white petals and they are produced in corymbs. It blooms in spring (April-May) and bears fruit in autumn (September-October). The fruit is a globose to ovoid pome 10–15 mm in diameter and it is greenish to russet or brown and patterned with small and pale lenticel spots when ripe, with a pleasantly acidulous taste (2). Another interesting plant is ‘Albero dei coralli’ (Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb.), an allochthonous species belonging to the Elaeagnaceae family. It is cultivated in Italy for ornamental purposes, while the fruits are eaten fresh, a custom that was imported from tropical and temperate Asia, its native region. The "Albero dei coralli" is a deciduous shrub or tree, more or less spiny, which grows 3-5 m tall. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate (4-10 cm x 2-4 cm), with wavy margins, green colored above and covered with silvery scales below. The flowers are hermaphrodite, fragrant, whitish, tubular and 4-lobed and they are found in the leaf axils in clusters of 1-7 elements. The fruits are small roundish drupes (3-9 mm diameter), reddish to pink, dotted with scales and they are pulpy, juicy and sweet. It blooms in the spring and its fruits ripen in the fall (2). Both fresh fruits, collected in the Tuscany region (Italy), were extracted at room temperature with EtOH-H2O 80% (three times, every 24 h) and obtained residues were partitioned between n-BuOH and H2O. The n-butanolic extracts were finally analyzed by HPLC-PDA/UV-ESI-MS/MS techniques. The chemical profile of S. torminalis revealed the presence of phenolic acids and flavonol glycosides (3), while E. umbellata extract was rich especially in quercetin and kaempferol derivatives. In the scenario of regenerative medicine, the gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) have arisen as a promising tool to repair damaged tissues. Herein, the GMSCs were used to investigate the beneficial effects of n-butanolic extract of investigated fruits. Both extracts were able to increase the GMSC proliferation and decrease the intracellular accumulation of ROS. Furthermore, the extracts were able to counteract the senescence phenomena in GMSC with different extent. In particular, they contrast the ROS production mediated by hydroxyurea and hydrogen peroxide and reduced the age-related phenotypic changes (SA-β-gal staining). In conclusion, these results highlight S. torminalis and E. umbellata fruit extracts as novel sources of antioxidant phytocomplexes able to decrease the senescence process in mesenchymal cells. The ability of both extracts per se to ameliorate the GMSC well-being and decrease cellular senescence shed light on their possible use in regenerative medicine and in particular in all the GMSC in vitro application

P-Glycoprotein and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein in Canine Inflammatory and Noninflammatory Grade III Mammary Carcinomas

P-glycoprotein (P-gp/ABCB1) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) expression are frequently related to multidrug resistance (MDR) in neoplastic cells. Canine inflammatory and grade III noninflammatory mammary carcinomas (IMC and non-IMC) are aggressive tumors that could benefit from chemotherapy. This study describes the immunohistochemical detection of P-gp and BCRP in 20 IMCs and 18 non-IMCs from dogs that had not received chemotherapy. Our aim was to determine if P-gp and BCRP expression was related to the \u201cinflammatory\u201d phenotype, to establish a basis for future studies analyzing the response to chemotherapy in dogs with highly malignant mammary cancer. Immunolabeling was primarily membranous for P-gp with a more intense labeling in emboli, and immunolabeling was membranous and cytoplasmic for BCRP. P-gp was expressed in 17 of 20 (85%) IMCs compared to 7 of 18 (39%) non-IMCs (P = 0.006). BCRP was expressed within emboli in 15 of 19 (79%) emboli in IMC, 12 of 15 (80%) primary IMCs, and 12 of 18 (67%) non-IMCs, without statistically significant differences (P &gt;.05). All IMCs and 67% of non-IMCs expressed at least 1 of the 2 transporters, and 63% (12/19) of IMCs and 39% (7/18) of non-IMCs expressed both P-gp and BCRP. P-gp and BCRP evaluation might help select patients for chemotherapy. P-gp, expressed in a significantly higher percentage of IMCs vs non-IMCs, might play a specific role in the chemoresistance of IMC

A Missense Variant in PLP2 in Holstein Cattle with X-Linked Congenital Mast Cell Tumor.

Congenital tumors occur infrequently in cattle. The aim of this study was to detail the clinicopathological phenotype of a Holstein calf with a congenital mast cell tumor and to identify the genetic cause by a whole-genome sequencing (WGS) trio-approach. An 18-day-old male Holstein calf was clinically examed and revealed multifocal, alopecic, thick and wrinkled skin lesions over the entire body. At 6 months of age, the general condition of the calf was characterized by retarded growth, poor nutritional status, and ulceration of the skin lesions. Histopathological examination revealed a primary cutaneous, poorly differentiated embryonal mast cell tumor with metastases in the lymph nodes and liver. Genetic analysis revealed a private X-linked variant in the PLP2 gene (chrX:87216480C>T; c.50C>T), which was present only in the genomes of the case (hemizygous) and his mother (heterozygous). It was absent in the sire as well as in 5365 control genomes. The identified missense variant exchanges the encoded amino acid of PLP2 at position 17 (p.Thr17Ile), which is classified as deleterious and affects a protein that plays a role in tumor growth and metastasis. Therefore, we suggested that the detected PLPL2 variant could be a plausible cause for this congenital condition in the affected calf

Canine smooth muscle tumors: A clinicopathological study

Canine smooth muscle tumors (SMTs) commonly develop in the alimentary and female genital tracts and less frequently in soft tissue. The definition of histological criteria of malignancy is less detailed for SMTs in dogs than in humans. This study evaluated the clinicopathologic features of canine SMTs and compared the veterinary and human medical criteria of malignancy. A total of 105 canine SMTs were evaluated histologically and classified according to both veterinary and human criteria. The Ki67 labeling index was assessed in all SMTs. Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression was evaluated for soft tissue SMTs. Follow-up data were available in 25 cases. SMTs were diagnosed in the female genital tract (42%), alimentary tract (22%), and soft tissue (20%). Soft tissue SMTs frequently arose in the perigenital area, pelvic cavity, and retroperitoneum. A subset of soft tissue SMTs expressed ER and/or PR, resembling the gynecologic type of soft tissue SMT in humans. SMTs were less frequently malignant when assessed with human criteria than with veterinary criteria, better reflecting their benign behavior, especially in the genital tract where human criteria tolerate a higher mitotic count for leiomyoma. Decreased differentiation was correlated with increased proliferation, necrosis, and reduced desmin expression. Mitotic count, Ki67 labeling index, and necrosis were correlated with metastases and tumor-related death. Further prognostic studies are warranted to confirm the better performance of the human criteria when assessing SMT malignancy, especially genital cases, to confirm their usefulness in ER/PR-expressing soft tissue SMTs, and to better define the most useful prognostic parameters for canine SMTs

Phytochemical profile, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of Adansonia digitata L. (baobab) from Mali, as source of health-promoting compounds

Background: Adansonia digitata L. (Malvaceae), also known as baobab, is a tree attracting recent interest especially due to the high nutritional value of the fruit pulp. However, few studies are reported on the secondary metabolite content, showing high variability due to geographic region. Methods: In this study, the chemical profiles of Malian commercial baobab fruits and leaves, focused on phenolic content, were investigated by HPLC coupled with a photodiode array (PDA)/UV and an electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometer (MS) and gas chromatography (GC)/MS. In addition, the extracts of fruit pulps obtained from three different markets (Fruits 1, 2, and 3) were evaluated for their total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibition. Results: Baobab fruit pulps were found to be rich in procyanidins and flavonol glycosides, with tiliroside as the major constituent. The baobab leaves showed a similar profile respect to the fruits, but with more detected phenolics. All fruit pulp extracts exerted antioxidant activity (highest for Fruit 3) and higher α-glucosidase inhibition than acarbose used as standard. Conclusions: This study confirmed the variability of baobab with different origins and indicated Malian species baobab as promising source of health-promoting substances

Should cities hosting mass gatherings invest in public health surveillance and planning? Reflections from a decade of mass gatherings in Sydney, Australia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mass gatherings have been defined by the World Health Organisation as "events attended by a sufficient number of people to strain the planning and response resources of a community, state or nation". This paper explores the public health response to mass gatherings in Sydney, the factors that influenced the extent of deployment of resources and the utility of planning for mass gatherings as a preparedness exercise for other health emergencies.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Not all mass gatherings of people require enhanced surveillance and additional response. The main drivers of extensive public health planning for mass gatherings reflect geographical spread, number of international visitors, event duration and political and religious considerations. In these instances, the implementation of a formal risk assessment prior to the event with ongoing daily review is important in identifying public health hazards.</p> <p>Developing and utilising event-specific surveillance to provide early-warning systems that address the specific risks identified through the risk assessment process are essential. The extent to which additional resources are required will vary and depend on the current level of surveillance infrastructure.</p> <p>Planning the public health response is the third step in preparing for mass gatherings. If the existing public health workforce has been regularly trained in emergency response procedures then far less effort and resources will be needed to prepare for each mass gathering event. The use of formal emergency management structures and co-location of surveillance and planning operational teams during events facilitates timely communication and action.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>One-off mass gathering events can provide a catalyst for innovation and engagement and result in opportunities for ongoing public health planning, training and surveillance enhancements that outlasted each event.</p