Modelling mammalian energetics: the heterothermy problem

Global climate change is expected to have strong effects on the world’s flora and fauna. As a result, there has been a recent increase in the number of meta-analyses and mechanistic models that attempt to predict potential responses of mammals to changing climates. Many models that seek to explain the effects of environmental temperatures on mammalian energetics and survival assume a constant body temperature. However, despite generally being regarded as strict homeotherms, mammals demonstrate a large degree of daily variability in body temperature, as well as the ability to reduce metabolic costs either by entering torpor, or by increasing body temperatures at high ambient temperatures. Often, changes in body temperature variability are unpredictable, and happen in response to immediate changes in resource abundance or temperature. In this review we provide an overview of variability and unpredictability found in body temperatures of extant mammals, identify potential blind spots in the current literature, and discuss options for incorporating variability into predictive mechanistic models

Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression: current concepts and treatment

Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) is a medical emergency complicating the course of 5–10% of patients with cancer [1]. When diagnosis and treatment is early with the patient ambulatory prognosis for continued ambulation is good [2]. If the patient is nonambulatory or paraplegic, prognosis for meaningful recovery of motor and bladder function is markedly decreased. In the last decade, significant advances in the understanding, management and treatment of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression have occurred.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45378/1/11060_2005_Article_BF01051052.pd

Examining empathy deficits across familial forms of frontotemporal dementia within the GENFI cohort

Open practices: The study in this article earned an Open Materials badge for transparent practices. Study data has not been deposited due to ethics committee restrictions, but data is available to researchers on reasonable request to [email protected]. We report how we determined our sample size, all data exclusions, all inclusion/exclusion criteria, whether inclusion/exclusion criteria were established prior to data analysis, all manipulations, and all measures in the study. The conditions of our ethics approval do not permit public archiving of anonymised study data. Readers seeking access to the data should contact the lead author Professor Jonathan Rohrer at UCL ([email protected]). Access will be granted to named individuals in accordance with ethical procedures governing the reuse of sensitive data. Specifically, requestors must complete a formal data sharing agreement. Statistical analysis code is available here: https://osf.io/u9bdm/. No part of the study procedures or analyses were pre-registered prior to the research being conducted.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Background: Reduced empathy is a common symptom in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Although empathy deficits have been extensively researched in sporadic cases, few studies have explored the differences in familial forms of FTD. Methods: Empathy was examined using a modified version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (mIRI) in 676 participants from the Genetic FTD Initiative: 216 mutation-negative controls, 192 C9orf72 expansion carriers, 193 GRN mutation carriers and 75 MAPT mutation carriers. Using global scores from the CDR® plus NACC FTLD, mutation carriers were divided into three groups, asymptomatic (0), very mildly symptomatic/prodromal (.5), or fully symptomatic (1 or more). The mIRI Total score, as well as the subscores of Empathic Concern (EC) and Perspective Taking (PT) were assessed. Linear regression models with bootstrapping were used to assess empathy ratings across genetic groups, as well as across phenotypes in the symptomatic carriers. Neural correlates of empathy deficits were examined using a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis. Results: All fully symptomatic groups scored lower on the mIRI Total, EC, and PT when compared to controls and their asymptomatic or prodromal counterparts (all p < .001). Prodromal C9orf72 expansion carriers also scored significantly lower than controls on the mIRI Total score (p = .046). In the phenotype analysis, all groups (behavioural variant FTD, primary progressive aphasia and FTD with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) scored significantly lower than controls (all p < .007). VBM revealed an overlapping neural correlate of the mIRI Total score across genetic groups in the orbitofrontal lobe but with additional involvement in the temporal lobe, insula and basal ganglia in both the GRN and MAPT groups, and uniquely more posterior regions such as the parietal lobe and thalamus in the GRN group, and medial temporal structures in the MAPT group. Conclusions: Significant empathy deficits present in genetic FTD, particularly in symptomatic individuals and those with a bvFTD phenotype, while prodromal deficits are only seen using the mIRI in C9orf72 expansion carriers.The Dementia Research Centre is supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer's Society, Brain Research UK, and The Wolfson Foundation. This work was supported by the NIHR UCL/H Biomedical Research Centre, the Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre (LWENC) Clinical Research Facility, and the UK Dementia Research Institute, which receives its funding from UK DRI Ltd, funded by the UK Medical Research Council, Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Research UK. JDR is supported by an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship (MR/M008525/1) and has received funding from the NIHR Rare Disease Translational Research Collaboration (BRC149/NS/MH). This work was also supported by the MRC UK GENFI grant (MR/M023664/1), the Bluefield Project and the JPND GENFI-PROX grant (2019-02248). Several authors of this publication are members of the European Reference Network for Rare Neurological Diseases - Project ID No 739510. RC/CG are supported by a Frontotemporal Dementia Research Studentships in Memory of David Blechner funded through The National Brain Appeal (RCN 290173). MB is supported by a Fellowship award from the Alzheimer's Society, UK (AS-JF-19a-004-517). MB's work is also supported by the UK Dementia Research Institute which receives its funding from DRI Ltd, funded by the UK Medical Research Council, Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Research UK. JCVS was supported by the Dioraphte Foundation grant 09-02-03-00, the Association for Frontotemporal Dementias Research Grant 2009, The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research grant HCMI 056-13-018, ZonMw Memorabel (Deltaplan Dementie, project number 733 051 042), Alzheimer Nederland and the Bluefield project. FM received funding from the Tau Consortium and the Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Disease (CIBERNED). RS-V is supported by an Alzheimer’s Research UK Clinical Research Training Fellowship (ARUK-CRF2017B-2), and has received funding from Fundació Marató de TV3, Spain (grant no. 20143810). CG received funding from JPND-Prefrontals VR Dnr 529-2014-7504, VR 2015-02926 and 2018-02754, the Swedish FTD Inititative-Schörling Foundation, Alzheimer Foundation, Brain Foundation and Stockholm County Council ALF. MM has received funding from a Canadian Institute of Health Research operating grant and the Weston Brain Institute and Ontario Brain Institute. JBR has received funding from the Wellcome Trust (103838) and is supported by the Cambridge University Centre for Frontotemporal Dementia, the Medical Research Council (SUAG/051 G101400) and the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC-1215-20014). EF has received funding from a CIHR grant #327387. DG received support from the EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research and the Italian Ministry of Health (PreFrontALS) grant 733051042. RV has received funding from the Mady Browaeys Fund for Research into Frontotemporal Dementia. MO has received funding from BMBF (FTLDc)

Incidence du revêtement d'un réservoir sur la qualité d'une eau de distribution. Intérêt du test d'ancrage cellulaire

Le test d'ancrage cellulaire a été appliqué au suivi de la qualité d'une eau potable au contact d'un revêtement époxyuréthane. La dureté des eaux testées a nécessité la mise au point d'un protocole particulier pour éviter la précipitation du calcium dans le milieu de culture. Deux séries d'essais ont été réalisées : la première sur l'eau de distribution ayant séjourné au contact du revêtement dans le réservoir, la deuxième sur la même eau aorès contact plus ou moins prolongé avec des éprouvettes au laboratoire. Quelques paramètres physicochimiques et organoleptiques ont été déterminés en parallèle

Local magnetism in granular iron/iron oxide nanostructures: a phase- and site- selective X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study

We present a study of the local magnetic properties of iron/iron oxide granular nanostructures by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism XMCD. Metallic iron -Fe nanoparticles, with average sizes ranging from 5 to 13 nm, are embedded in a nanocrystalline oxide matrix composed of both magnetite Fe3O4 and maghemite -Fe2O3. These granular samples were synthesized by cold compacting core-shell nanoparticles, in which a 2\u20133 nm-thick oxide layer surrounds the iron particles, synthesized by inert gas condensation. By exploiting the chemical selectivity and site sensitivity of XMCD, we were able to separate the magnetic contributions of the metallic core and of the two oxide phases present in the matrix and to study their behavior as a function of iron particle size and applied magnetic induction field. We detected the presence of a significant spin canting, predominantly affecting the octahedral sites of Fe in the oxide phase, and studied its dependence on the degree of structural disorder and applied magnetic induction field

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study of iron/iron oxide granular nanostructures

We present a study of the local magnetic properties of an iron/iron oxide nanostructured granular system by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The samples investigated consist of metallic iron (α-Fe) nanoparticles embedded in a nanocrystalline oxide matrix composed by both magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3). Samples were obtained by the inert gas condensation technique. Thanks to the chemical and site selectivity of XMCD, we were able to distinguish the magnetic contributions of the metallic core and of the two oxide phases present in the matrix and independently study their behaviour as a function of iron particle size, applied magnetic field, sample temperature and magnetization history

Influence of the synthesis parameters on the cationic distribution of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles obtained by forced hydrolysis in polyol medium.

Nanocrystals of ZnFe2O4 have been prepared by forced hydrolysis in polyols. Monodisperse, quasi-isotropic, highly crystalline, chemically homogeneous particles have been obtained as single crystals in the nanometer size range or as polycrystals in the submicrometer range depending on the nature of the polyol and the amount of water added. As inferred from EXAFS and XMCD data, the cation distribution in tetrahedral A (Td) and octahedral B (Oh) sites differs from that of bulk material, Fe3+ in A sites being observed in a ratio which depends on the crystallite size