Who uses bottled gas ? evidence from households in developing countries

Household surveys in Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were analyzed using a two-stage Heckman model to examine the factors influencing the decision to use liquefied petroleum gas (stage 1) and, among users, the quantity consumed per person (stage 2). In the first stage, liquefied petroleum gas selection in all six countries increased with household expenditure and the highest level of education attained by female and male household members. Electricity connection increased, and engagement in agriculture and increasing household size decreased, liquefied petroleum gas selection in five countries; urban residence increased selection in four countries; and rising firewood and kerosene prices increased selection in three countries each. In the second stage, the quantity of liquefied petroleum gas consumed increased with rising household expenditure and decreasing price of liquefied petroleum gas in every country. Urban residence increased and engagement in agriculture decreased liquefied petroleum gas consumption. Surveys in Albania, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru, which did not report quantities, were also examined by calculating quantities using national average prices. Although fuel prices faced by individual households could not be tested, the findings largely supported those from the first six countries. Once the education levels of men and women were separately accounted for, the gender of the head of household was not statistically significant in most cases across the ten countries. Where it was significant (five equations), the sign of the coefficient was positive for men, possibly suggesting that female-headed households are burdened with unmeasured economic disadvantages, making less cash available for purchasing liquefied petroleum gas.Energy Production and Transportation,Markets and Market Access,Energy Conservation&Efficiency,Renewable Energy,Energy and Environment

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in mood disorders and antidepressant treatments

Levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are reduced in the brain and serum of depressed patients and at least the reduction in serum levels is reversible upon successful treatment. These data, together with a wealth of reports using different animal models with depression-like behavior or manipulation of expression of BDNF or its receptor TrkB have implicated BDNF in the pathophysiology of depression as well as in the mechanism of action of antidepressant treatments. Recent findings have shown that posttranslational processing of BDNF gene product can yield different molecular entities that differently influence signaling through BNDF receptor TrkB and the pan-neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR). We will here review these data and discuss new insights into the possible pathophysiological roles of those new BDNF subtypes as well as recent findings on the role of BDNF mediated neuronal plasticity in mood disorders and their treatments. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Measuring effective orifice area of bileaflet mechanical valves in patients after aortic valve replacement using phase-contrast cine MR imaging

POSTER PRESENTATION2011 SCMR/Euro CMR Joint Scientific Sessions / Nice, France / 3-6 February 201

Reduction in BDNF from inefficient precursor conversion influences nest building and promotes depressive-like behavior in mice

Kojima, M.; Otabi, H.; Kumanogoh, H.; Toyoda, A.; Ikawa, M.; Okabe, M.; Mizui, T. Reduction in BDNF from Inefficient Precursor Conversion Influences Nest Building and Promotes Depressive-Like Behavior in Mice. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3984. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms2111398

Risk factors for lens opacification in Icelanders 50 years and older. Reykjavík Eye Study

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenObjective: To examine risk factors for cortical and nuclear lens opacification in older citizens of Reykjavík. Material and methods: 1045 persons, 583 females and 462 males age 50 years and older were randomly sampled and underwent detailed eye examination including slit-lamp and Scheimpflug photography of the lens and answered a questionnaire. The photographs were used for the diagnosis of lens opacification. The data was analysed using a logistic regression model. Results: An increased risk was found with ageing for developing both nuclear (OR=1.23: 95% CI 1.19-1.26: p<.001) and severe cortical lens opacification (OR=1.19: 95% CI 1.16-1.22: p<.001). Cigarette-smoking for more than 20 pack-years increased risk for nuclear lens opacification (OR=2.52: 95% CI 1.52-4.13: p<.001) as well as pipe- or cigar-smoking (OR=2.48: 95% CI 1.20-5.12: p<.05). Those who spent more than 4 hours/day outside on weekdays in their 20's - 30's and 40's and 50's were found to have increased risk of severe cortical lens opacification (OR=2.80: 95% CI 1.01-7.80: p<.05 and OR=2.91: 95% CI 1.13-9.62: p<.05, respectively). Systemic corticosteroid use was also found to be a significant risk factor for cortical lens opacification (OR=3.70: 95% CI 1.43-9.56: p<.05). Conclusion: In our study, ageing is the main risk factor for both cortical and nuclear lens opacification. Important modifiable risk factors are smoking for nuclear lens opacification and systemic corticosteroid use and outdoor exposure for cortical lens opacification.Tilgangur: Í rannsókninni voru skoðaðir áhættuþættir fyrir skýmyndun í kjarna og berki augasteins meðal Reykvíkinga 50 ára og eldri. Efniviður og aðferðir: Þátt tóku 583 konur og 462 karlar sem öll voru 50 ára eða eldri og höfðu verið valin með slembiúrtaki úr Þjóðskrá. Þátttakendur svöruðu spurningalista um heilsufar og lífsvenjur. Þeir gengust undir augnskoðun, meðal annars á augasteinum sem voru skoðaðir í raufarsmásjá og myndaðir með Scheimpflug-tækni. Í þessari rannsókn var sérstaklega litið á þá hópa sem höfðu væga byrjandi skýmyndun einskorðaða við börk (stig I), þá sem höfðu svæsnari skýmyndun í berki einvörðungu (stig II-III) og loks alla þá sem höfðu ský í kjarna augasteins. Gögnin voru greind með lógistískri aðhvarfsgreiningu. Niðurstöður: Hærri aldur reyndist vera áhættuþáttur fyrir bæði skýmyndun í kjarna og berki. Reykingar juku hættuna á skýmyndun í kjarna. Þeir sem voru að meðaltali meira en fjórar klukkustundir á dag úti við á virkum dögum var hættara við svæsnari skýmyndun í berki, sem og þeim sem höfðu almennt notað barkstera. Lithimnur af blönduðum lit, fjarsýni, neysla síldar, sardína og rækja auk jurtaolíu, reyndust allt vera verndandi þættir gegn skýmyndun í berki. Ályktanir: Aldur er afgerandi áhættuþáttur fyrir skýmyndun bæði í kjarna og berki. Reykingar auka áhættu á skýmyndun í kjarna en hafa ekki áhrif á skýmyndun í berki. Þessu er öfugt farið með almenna notkun barkstera, mikla útiveru, fjarsýni og neyslu ýmissa fæðutegunda. Ólíkir áhættuþættir hafa áhrif á skýmyndun mismunandi hluta augasteinsins

Large Population of ALMA Galaxies at z>6 with Very High [OIII]88um to [CII]158um Flux Ratios: Evidence of Extremely High Ionization Parameter or PDR Deficit?

We present our new ALMA observations targeting [OIII]88um, [CII]158um, [NII]122um, and dust continuum emission for three Lyman break galaxies at z=6.0293-6.2037 identified in the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam survey. We clearly detect [OIII] and [CII] lines from all of the galaxies at 4.3-11.8sigma levels, and identify multi-band dust continuum emission in two of the three galaxies, allowing us to estimate infrared luminosities and dust temperatures simultaneously. In conjunction with previous ALMA observations for six galaxies at z>6, we confirm that all the nine z=6-9 galaxies have high [OIII]/[CII] ratios of L[OIII]/L[CII]~3-20, ~10 times higher than z~0 galaxies. We also find a positive correlation between the [OIII]/[CII] ratio and the Lya equivalent width (EW) at the ~90% confidence level. We carefully investigate physical origins of the high [OIII]/[CII] ratios at z=6-9 using Cloudy, and find that high density of the interstellar medium, low C/O abundance ratio, and the cosmic microwave background attenuation are responsible to only a part of the z=6-9 galaxies. Instead, the observed high [OIII]/[CII] ratios are explained by 10-100 times higher ionization parameters or low photodissociation region (PDR) covering fractions of 0-10%, both of which are consistent with our [NII] observations. The latter scenario can be reproduced with a density bounded nebula with PDR deficit, which would enhance the Lya, Lyman continuum, and C+ ionizing photons escape from galaxies, consistent with the [OIII]/[CII]-Lya EW correlation we find.Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap

Multiple functions of precursor BDNF to CNS neurons: negative regulation of neurite growth, spine formation and cell survival

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Proneurotrophins and mature neurotrophins elicit opposite effects via the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75^NTR) and Trk tyrosine kinase receptors, respectively; however the molecular roles of proneurotrophins in the CNS are not fully understood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Based on two rare single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the <it>human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) </it>gene, we generated R125M-, R127L- and R125M/R127L-BDNF, which have amino acid substitution(s) near the cleavage site between the pro- and mature-domain of BDNF. Western blot analyses demonstrated that these BDNF variants are poorly cleaved and result in the predominant secretion of proBDNF. Using these cleavage-resistant proBDNF (CR-proBDNF) variants, the molecular and cellular roles of proBDNF on the CNS neurons were examined. First, CR-proBDNF showed normal intracellular distribution and secretion in cultured hippocampal neurons, suggesting that inhibition of proBDNF cleavage does not affect intracellular transportation and secretion of BDNF. Second, we purified recombinant CR-proBDNF and tested its biological effects using cultured CNS neurons. Treatment with CR-proBDNF elicited apoptosis of cultured cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs), while treatment with mature BDNF (matBDNF) promoted cell survival. Third, we examined the effects of CR-proBDNF on neuronal morphology using more than 2-week cultures of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) and hippocampal neurons. Interestingly, in marked contrast to the action of matBDNF, which increased the number of cholinergic fibers and hippocampal dendritic spines, CR-proBDNF dramatically reduced the number of cholinergic fibers and hippocampal dendritic spines, without affecting the survival of these neurons.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that proBDNF has distinct functions in different populations of CNS neurons and might be responsible for specific physiological cellular processes in the brain.</p