Human Capital, Demographics, and Growth across the US States 1920-1990

This paper finds robust evidence that age structure matters for subsequent growth in per capita income across the US states 1920-1990. The age groups 25-65 year are positively related to subsequent per capita income growth. Another conclusion is that the average years of schooling affects subsequent per capita income growth positively when age structure is controlled for. Moreover, the estimated speed of convergence (see e.g. Barro and Sala-i-Martin, 1992) increases substantially when schooling and age structure are held constant in the income growth regressions.Demographics; Human capital; Regions; Growth; Convergence

Lithostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental development recorded in the coastal cliffs of SE Usedom, Germany

Die glazialen Sedimente der Küstenkliffe von Usedom, NE-Deutschland, sind unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Rekonstruktion der Entwicklung des Paläomiljeus untersucht worden. Im unteren Teil des Anschnittes ist der stark gescherte Langerberg-Till aufgeschlossen. Dieser ist wahrscheinlich Teil eines marginalen Stauchmoränenkomplexes, der während eines Eisvorstoßes, vermutlich aus dem NW, abgelagert worden ist. Der Vorstoß hinterließ einen weitflächigen marginalen Eiszerfallskomplex, auf den der Ückeritz-Sand, zum Teil in wassergefüllten Becken aufgeschüttet wurde. Supraglazialer Schutt wurde sowohl in Form von Diamiktit-Lagen im Sand, als auch als sporadische Diamiktdecke auf dem Sand abgesetzt. Die untersuchte Sequenz entspricht der letzten weichselzeitlichen Deglaziation in diesem Gebiet. Die Einheiten können mit den jüngsten glazialen Ablagerungen im Westteil von Wolin, NW-Polen, korreliert werden.researc

The nutritional needs of the geriatric cat : what health benefits can be achieved by nutritional management?

Katten är ett omtyckt husdjur och finns i många hushåll runt om i Sverige. En bättre hälsostatus till följd av bättre kunskap och förbättringar inom djurhälsovård, nutrition och skötsel av katter har medfört att många katter idag lever längre och uppnår allt högre ålder. Ett ökat intresse för hälsa och nutrition ses bland djurägare och djurhälsopersonal och det är därför inte särskilt överraskande att allt fler anser att det är viktigt med en anpassad kost till sina husdjur. En kost som tillgodoser kattens näringsbehov och som har ett så optimalt näringsinnehåll som möjligt kan användas för att ge en bättre grundhälsa och främja välmående såväl som förebygga och minska risken för sjukdom. I takt med att katten åldras sker förändringar i kroppen som påverkar katten både fysiologiskt och mentalt, däribland kattens ämnesomsättning och kognitiva förmåga. Det är inte heller ovanligt att katten drabbas av åldersrelaterade sjukdomar. Om kattens skulle drabbas av sjukdom kan man i dagsläget understödja och ibland även behandla sjukdomen med hjälp av en anpassad diet. Denna litteraturstudie har som syfte att redogöra hur den friske geriatriske kattens näringsbehov förändras med åldern samt några av de vanligaste sjukdomar som den äldre katten kan drabbas av och hur dessa hanteras med hjälp av dieten. Detta för att kunna ge den äldre katten så bra förutsättningar till god hälsa som möjligt. Den friska geriatriske kattens näringsbehov är väl beskrivet i litteraturen och sammantaget finns det god evidens för att de nedbrytande processer som kroppen genomgår till följd av åldrandet kan bromsas med hjälp av en anpassad diet. Fördelarna är att katterna kan leva ett längre och mer hälsosamt liv. Åtgärder som visat sig ha god effekt för bättre hälsa är en ökad proteinmängd, tillsättande av antioxidanter och av essentiella fettsyror. De flesta av sjukdomarna som den äldre katten drabbas av kräver ofta någon form av farmakologisk behandling för att bromsa och/eller mildra symtomen som sjukdomen ger. Dieten är i de flesta av dessa utvalda sjukdomsfall ett sätt att understödja den farmakologiska behandlingen som är primär. Behandling med hjälp av nutrition kan göras på olika sätt såsom att öka mängden näringsämnen som har positiva effekter eller genom att reducera näringsämnen i foder som påverkar sjukdomen negativt. Komplexiteten i ämnet är dock något som gör att det är svårt för djurägare att hitta aktuell information. I takt med att mer forskning görs inom området så bör målet vara att skapa lättillgängliga riktlinjer och rekommendationer som gör det lätt för djurägare att hitta korrekt information.The cat is a beloved pet and many households in Sweden have cats. Many cats have a better health status in general and live longer lives due to increased knowledge and improvements in veterinary medicine, nutrition and management. An increased interest for health and nutrition can be observed in both pet owners and veterinary care professionals, thus it is not surprising that more and more people believe that nutritional management is important. A diet that satisfies the nutritional needs of the cat and contains an optimal nutritional composition as possible can give a better health in general and prevent and reduce risk of disease. As cats grow older their bodies go through various changes that affects them both physiologically and mentally. Changes in their metabolism and decreases in their cognitive abilities can be observed. It is not uncommon for cats to be affected by age related diseases. Today the possibility to treat and assist in treatment of diseases exists through nutritional management. This literary study’s purpose is to account for the needs of the healthy geriatric cat and how these needs change with age. The purpose is also to present how nutritional management can assist in treatment of various age-related diseases. The nutritional needs of the healthy geriatric cat are explained well in the existing literature and good evidence exists that the catabolic processes the body goes through with aging can be partially slowed down via nutritional management. The benefits are that cats can live longer and healthier lives. An increased amount of protein, addition of antioxidants and essential fatty acids have been proven to have a good effect on the general health of the geriatric cat. Most of the diseases that geriatric cats suffer from need some sort of pharmacological treatment. Diet is in many cases a good way to support the pharmacological treatment, which still remains the primary treatment for many diseases. Treatment with the help of nutrition can be done in many ways by either increasing or removing certain nutrients from the diet. However, the complexity of this subject does make it hard for pet owners to find good and reliable information. The goal should be to create simple and easily accessible guidelines for pet owners as more and more research is done in this area

Chemical Imaging of Pharmaceuticals in Biofilms for Wastewater Treatment Using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment is a global water quality challenge for several reasons, such as deleterious effects on ecological and human health, antibiotic resistance development, and endocrine-disrupting effects on aquatic organisms. To optimize their removal from the water cycle, understanding the processes during biological wastewater treatment is crucial. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging was successfully applied to investigate and analyze the distribution of pharmaceuticals as well as endogenous molecules in the complex biological matrix of biofilms for wastewater treatment. Several compounds and their localization were identified in the biofilm section, including citalopram, ketoconazole, ketoconazole transformation products, and sertraline. The images revealed the pharmaceuticals gathered in distinct sites of the biofilm matrix. While citalopram penetrated the biofilm deeply, sertraline remained confined in its outer layer. Both pharmaceuticals seemed to mainly colocalize with phosphocholine lipids. Ketoconazole concentrated in small areas with high signal intensity. The approach outlined here presents a powerful strategy for visualizing the chemical composition of biofilms for wastewater treatment and demonstrates its promising utility for elucidating the mechanisms behind pharmaceutical and antimicrobial removal in biological wastewater treatment

Exploiting Mass Spectrometry to Unlock the Mechanism of Nanoparticle-Induced Inflammasome Activation

Nanoparticles (NPs) elicit sterile inflammation, but the underlying signaling pathways are poorly understood. Here, we report that human monocytes are particularly vulnerable to amorphous silica NPs, as evidenced by single-cell-based analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells using cytometry by time-of-flight (CyToF), while silane modification of the NPs mitigated their toxicity. Using human THP-1 cells as a model, we observed cellular internalization of silica NPs by nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS) and this was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Lipid droplet accumulation was also noted in the exposed cells. Furthermore, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) revealed specific changes in plasma membrane lipids, including phosphatidylcholine (PC) in silica NP-exposed cells, and subsequent studies suggested that lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) acts as a cell autonomous signal for inflammasome activation in the absence of priming with a microbial ligand. Moreover, we found that silica NPs elicited NLRP3 inflammasome activation in monocytes, whereas cell death transpired through a non-apoptotic, lipid peroxidation-dependent mechanism. Together, these data further our understanding of the mechanism of sterile inflammation

Neuron–astrocyte signaling network in spinal cord dorsal horn mediates painful neuropathy of type 2 diabetes

Activation of the neuronal–glial network in the spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH) mediates various chronic painful conditions. We studied spinal neuronal–astrocyte signaling interactions involved in the maintenance of painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) in type 2 diabetes. We used the db/db mouse, an animal model for PDN of type 2 diabetes, which develops mechanical allodynia from 6 to 12 wk of age. In this study, enhanced substance P expression was detected in the presynaptic sensory fibers innervating lamina I–III in the lumbar SCDH (LSCDH) of the db/db mouse at 10 wk of age. This phenomenon is associated with enhanced spinal ERK1/2 phosphorylation in projection sensory neurons and regional astrocyte activation. In addition, peak phosphorylation of the NR1 subunit of N ‐methyl‐ D ‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR), along with upregulation of neuronal and inducible nitric oxide synthase (nNOS and iNOS) expression were detected in diabetic mice. Expression of nNOS and iNOS was detected in both interneurons and astrocytes in lamina I–III of the LSCDH. Treatment with MK801, an NMDAR inhibitor, inhibited mechanical allodynia, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and nNOS and iNOS upregulation in diabetic mice. MK801 also reduced astrocytosis and glial acidic fibrillary protein upregulation in db/db mice. In addition, N(G)‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME), a nonspecific NOS inhibitor, had similar effects on NMDAR signaling and NOS expression. These results suggest that nitric oxide from surrounding interneurons and astrocytes interacts with NMDAR‐dependent signaling in the projection neurons of the SCDH during the maintenance of PDN. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92403/1/22349_ftp.pd

Sleep and recovery in physicians on night call: a longitudinal field study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is well known that physicians' night-call duty may cause impaired performance and adverse effects on subjective health, but there is limited knowledge about effects on sleep duration and recovery time. In recent years occupational stress and impaired well-being among anaesthesiologists have been frequently reported for in the scientific literature. Given their main focus on handling patients with life-threatening conditions, when on call, one might expect sleep and recovery to be negatively affected by work, especially in this specialist group. The aim of the present study was to examine whether a 16-hour night-call schedule allowed for sufficient recovery in anaesthesiologists compared with other physician specialists handling less life-threatening conditions, when on call.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sleep, monitored by actigraphy and Karolinska Sleep Diary/Sleepiness Scale on one night after daytime work, one night call, the following first and second nights post-call, and a Saturday night, was compared between 15 anaesthesiologists and 17 paediatricians and ear, nose, and throat surgeons.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Recovery patterns over the days after night call did not differ between groups, but between days. Mean night sleep for all physicians was 3 hours when on call, 7 h both nights post-call and Saturday, and 6 h after daytime work (p < 0.001). Scores for mental fatigue and feeling well rested were poorer post-call, but returned to Sunday morning levels after two nights' sleep.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Despite considerable sleep loss during work on night call, and unexpectedly short sleep after ordinary day work, the physicians' self-reports indicate full recovery after two nights' sleep. We conclude that these 16-hour night duties were compatible with a short-term recovery in both physician groups, but the limited sleep duration in general still implies a long-term health concern. These results may contribute to the establishment of safe working hours for night-call duty in physicians and other health-care workers.</p

Epitaxial growth of perovskite oxide films facilitated by oxygen vacancies

The authors would like to thank P. Yudin for valuable discussions, N. Nepomniashchaia for VASE studies, and S. Cichon for XPS analysis. The authors acknowledge support from the Czech Science Foundation (Grant No. 19-09671S), the European Structural and Investment Funds and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic through Programme ‘‘Research, Development and Education’’ (Project No. SOLID21 CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16-019/0000760), and ERA NET project Sun2Chem (E. K. and L. R.). Calculations have been done on the LASC Cluster in the ISSP UL.Single-crystal epitaxial films of technologically important and scientifically intriguing multifunctional ABO3 perovskite-type metal oxides are essential for advanced applications and understanding of these materials. In such films, a film-substrate misfit strain enables unprecedented crystal phases and unique properties that are not available in their bulk counterparts. However, the prerequisite growth of strained epitaxial films is fundamentally restricted by misfit relaxation. Here we demonstrate that introduction of a small oxygen deficiency concurrently stabilizes epitaxy and increases lattice strain in thin films of archetypal perovskite oxide SrTiO3. By combining experimental and theoretical methods, we found that lattice distortions around oxygen vacancies lead to anisotropic local stresses, which interact with the misfit strain in epitaxial films. Consequently, specific crystallographic alignments of the stresses are energetically favorable and can facilitate epitaxial growth of strained films. Because anisotropic oxygen-vacancy stresses are inherent to perovskite-type and many other oxides, we anticipate that the disclosed phenomenon of epitaxial stabilization by oxygen vacancies is relevant for a very broad range of functional oxides.This work is licensed under CC BY, CC BY-NC licenses.Czech Science Foundation (Grant No. 19-09671S); European Structural and Investment Funds and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic through Programme ‘‘Research, Development and Education’’ (Project No. SOLID21 CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16-019/0000760), and ERA NET project Sun2Chem; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART²

Robust T cell immunity in convalescent individuals with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells will likely prove critical for long-term immune protection against COVID-19. Here, we systematically mapped the functional and phenotypic landscape of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in unexposed individuals, exposed family members, and individuals with acute or convalescent COVID-19. Acute-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells displayed a highly activated cytotoxic phenotype that correlated with various clinical markers of disease severity, whereas convalescent-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were polyfunctional and displayed a stem-like memory phenotype. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were detectable in antibody-seronegative exposed family members and convalescent individuals with a history of asymptomatic and mild COVID-19. Our collective dataset shows that SARS-CoV-2 elicits broadly directed and functionally replete memory T cell responses, suggesting that natural exposure or infection may prevent recurrent episodes of severe COVID-19

Mechanisms and Biomarkers of Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction.

Exercise is a common trigger of bronchoconstriction. In recent years, there has been increased understanding of the pathophysiology of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Although evaporative water loss and thermal changes have been recognized stimuli for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, accumulating evidence points toward a pivotal role for the airway epithelium in orchestrating the inflammatory response linked to exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Overproduction of inflammatory mediators, underproduction of protective lipid mediators, and infiltration of the airways with eosinophils and mast cells are all established contributors to exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Sensory nerve activation and release of neuropeptides maybe important in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, but further research is warranted