Subtidal macrozoobenthos communities from northern Chile during and post El Niño 1997–1998

Despite a large amount of climatic and oceanographic information dealing with the recurring climate phenomenon El Niño (EN) and its well known impact on diversity of marine benthic communities, most published data are rather descriptive and consequently our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and processes that drive community structure during EN are still very scarce. In this study, we address two questions on the effects of EN on macrozoobenthic communities: (1) how does EN affect species diversity of the communities in northern Chile? and (2) is EN a phenomenon that restarts community assembling processes by affecting species interactions in northern Chile? To answer these questions, we compared species diversity and co-occurrence patterns of soft-bottoms macrozoobenthos communities from the continental shelf off northern Chile during (March 1998) and after (September 1998) the strong EN event 1997–1998. The methods used varied from species diversity and species co-occurrence analyses to multivariate ordination methods. Our results indicate that EN positively affects diversity of macrozoobenthos communities in the study area, increasing the species richness and diversity and decreasing the species dominance. EN represents a strong disturbance that affects species interactions that rule the species assembling processes in shallow-water, sea-bottom environments

Relative risks of chronic kidney disease for mortality and end-stage renal disease across races are similar

Some suggest race-specific cutpoints for kidney measures to define and stage chronic kidney disease (CKD), but evidence for race-specific clinical impact is limited. To address this issue, we compared hazard ratios of estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) and albuminuria across races using meta-regression in 1.1 million adults (75% Asians, 21% Whites, and 4% Blacks) from 45 cohorts. Results came mainly from 25 general population cohorts comprising 0.9 million individuals. The associations of lower eGFR and higher albuminuria with mortality and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were largely similar across races. For example, in Asians, Whites, and Blacks, the adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for eGFR 45-59 versus 90-104 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) were 1.3 (1.2-1.3), 1.1 (1.0-1.2), and 1.3 (1.1-1.7) for all-cause mortality, 1.6 (1.5-1.7), 1.4 (1.2-1.7), and 1.4 (0.7-2.9) for cardiovascular mortality, and 27.6 (11.1-68.7), 11.2 (6.0-20.9), and 4.1 (2.2-7.5) for ESRD, respectively. The corresponding hazard ratios for urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio 30-299 mg/g or dipstick 1+ versus an albumin-to-creatinine ratio under 10 or dipstick negative were 1.6 (1.4-1.8), 1.7 (1.5-1.9), and 1.8 (1.7-2.1) for all-cause mortality, 1.7 (1.4-2.0), 1.8 (1.5-2.1), and 2.8 (2.2-3.6) for cardiovascular mortality, and 7.4 (2.0-27.6), 4.0 (2.8-5.9), and 5.6 (3.4-9.2) for ESRD, respectively. Thus, the relative mortality or ESRD risks of lower eGFR and higher albuminuria were largely similar among three major races, supporting similar clinical approach to CKD definition and staging, across races

Sublittoral soft bottom communities and diversity of Mejillones Bay in northern Chile (Humboldt Current upwelling system)

The macrozoobenthos of Mejillones Bay (23°S; Humboldt Current) was quantitatively investigated over a 7-year period from austral summer 1995/1996 to winter 2002. About 78 van Veen grab samples taken at six stations (5, 10, 20 m depth) provided the basis for the analysis of the distribution of 60 species and 28 families of benthic invertebrates, as well as of their abundance and biomass. Mean abundance (2,119 individuals m-2) was in the same order compared to a previous investigation; mean biomass (966 g formalin wet mass m-2), however, exceeded prior estimations mainly due to the dominance of the bivalve Aulacomya ater. About 43% of the taxa inhabited the complete depth range. Mean taxonomic Shannon diversity (H', Log e) was 1.54 ± 0.58 with a maximum at 20 m (1.95 ± 0.33); evenness increased with depth. The fauna was numerically dominated by carnivorous gastropods, polychaetes and crustaceans (48%). About 15% of the species were suspensivorous, 13% sedimentivorous, 11% detritivorous, 7% omnivorous and 6% herbivorous. Cluster analyses showed a significant difference between the shallow and the deeper stations. Gammarid amphipods and the polychaete family Nephtyidae characterized the 5-mzone, the molluscs Aulacomya ater, Mitrella unifasciata and gammarids the intermediate zone, while the gastropod Nassarius gayi and the polychaete family Nereidae were most prominent at the deeper stations. The communities of the three depth zones did not appear to be limited by hypoxia during non-El Niño conditions. Therefore, no typical change in community structure occurred during El Niño 1997–1998, in contrast to what was observed for deeper faunal assemblages and hypoxic bays elsewhere in the coastal Humboldt Current system

Incorporation of calcium in glasses: a key to understand the vitrification of sewage sludge

The quantity of sewage sludge generated daily by wastewater treatment plants represents a major environmental problem and a financial burden for plant operators. Valorization strategies focusing on reusing sewage sludge as a raw material are currently developed. Vitrification can help us reduce the volume of waste and binds the components in the structure of chemically stable glasses and glass‐ceramics. In this study, the vitrification of sewage sludge inside a basaltic rock has been simulated by producing glasses and a glass‐ceramic from basalt enriched in calcium that lie between the stability fields of pyroxene and melilite in the system CaO‐MgO‐SiO2‐Al2O3. CaO addition causes the oxidation of the melt at above the liquidus, increases the crystallization temperature, decreases the melting temperature and improves the microhardness of the glasses Glass‐ceramic processes improves the properties of the Ca‐doped basalt glass. The microhardness of the glass (8.2 GPa) and the glass‐ceramic (8.6 GPa) and leaching tests (in the ppb range) place both the glass and the glass‐ceramics at the high end of the mechanical properties and chemical resistance of ceramic tiles for the building industry

Immersive technology and medical visualisation: a user's guide

The immersive technologies of Virtual and Augmented Reality offer a new medium for visualisation. Where previous technologies allowed us only two-dimensional representations, constrained by a surface or a screen, these new immersive technologies will soon allow us to experience three dimensional environments that can occupy our entire field of view. This is a technological breakthrough for any field that requires visualisation, and in this chapter I explore the implications for medical visualisation in the near-to-medium future. First, I introduce Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality respectively, and identify the essential characteristics, and current state-of-the-art, for each. I will then survey some prominent applications already in-use within the medical field, and suggest potential use cases that remain under-explored. Finally, I will offer practical advice for those seeking to exploit these new tools

Risk Factors for Prognosis in Patients With Severely Decreased GFR

Introduction: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 30 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 (corresponding to CKD stage G4+) comprise a minority of the overall CKD population but have the highest risk for adverse outcomes. Many CKD G4+ patients are older with multiple comorbidities, which may distort associations between risk factors and clinical outcomes. Methods: We undertook a meta-analysis of risk factors for kidney failure treated with kidney replacement therapy (KRT), cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and death in participants with CKD G4+ from 28 cohorts (n = 185,024) across the world who were part of the CKD Prognosis Consortium. Results: In the fully adjusted meta-analysis, risk factors associated with KRT were time-varying CVD, male sex, black race, diabetes, lower eGFR, and higher albuminuria and systolic blood pressure. Age was associated with a lower risk of KRT (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.74; 95% confidence interval: 0.69–0.80) overall, and also in the subgroup of individuals younger than 65 years. The risk factors for CVD events included male sex, history of CVD, diabetes, lower eGFR, higher albuminuria, and the onset of KRT. Systolic blood pressure showed a U-shaped association with CVD events. Risk factors for mortality were similar to those for CVD events but also included smoking. Most risk factors had qualitatively consistent associations across cohorts. Conclusion: Traditional CVD risk factors are of prognostic value in individuals with an eGFR < 30 ml/min per 1.73 m 2, although the risk estimates vary for kidney and CVD outcomes. These results should encourage interventional studies on correcting risk factors in this high-risk population

Global kidney health 2017 and beyond: a roadmap for closing gaps in care, research, and policy

The global nephrology community recognises the need for a cohesive plan to address the problem of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In July, 2016, the International Society of Nephrology hosted a CKD summit of more than 85 people with diverse expertise and professional backgrounds from around the globe. The purpose was to identify and prioritise key activities for the next 5-10 years in the domains of clinical care, research, and advocacy and to create an action plan and performance framework based on ten themes: strengthen CKD surveillance; tackle major risk factors for CKD; reduce acute kidney injury-a special risk factor for CKD; enhance understanding of the genetic causes of CKD; establish better diagnostic methods in CKD; improve understanding of the natural course of CKD; assess and implement established treatment options in patients with CKD; improve management of symptoms and complications of CKD; develop novel therapeutic interventions to slow CKD progression and reduce CKD complications; and increase the quantity and quality of clinical trials in CKD. Each group produced a prioritised list of goals, activities, and a set of key deliverable objectives for each of the themes. The intended users of this action plan are clinicians, patients, scientists, industry partners, governments, and advocacy organisations. Implementation of this integrated comprehensive plan will benefit people who are at risk for or affected by CKD worldwide

The nuclear receptors of Biomphalaria glabrata and Lottia gigantea: Implications for developing new model organisms

© 2015 Kaur et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are creditedNuclear receptors (NRs) are transcription regulators involved in an array of diverse physiological functions including key roles in endocrine and metabolic function. The aim of this study was to identify nuclear receptors in the fully sequenced genome of the gastropod snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni and compare these to known vertebrate NRs, with a view to assessing the snail's potential as a invertebrate model organism for endocrine function, both as a prospective new test organism and to elucidate the fundamental genetic and mechanistic causes of disease. For comparative purposes, the genome of a second gastropod, the owl limpet, Lottia gigantea was also investigated for nuclear receptors. Thirty-nine and thirty-three putative NRs were identified from the B. glabrata and L. gigantea genomes respectively, based on the presence of a conserved DNA-binding domain and/or ligand-binding domain. Nuclear receptor transcript expression was confirmed and sequences were subjected to a comparative phylogenetic analysis, which demonstrated that these molluscs have representatives of all the major NR subfamilies (1-6). Many of the identified NRs are conserved between vertebrates and invertebrates, however differences exist, most notably, the absence of receptors of Group 3C, which includes some of the vertebrate endocrine hormone targets. The mollusc genomes also contain NR homologues that are present in insects and nematodes but not in vertebrates, such as Group 1J (HR48/DAF12/HR96). The identification of many shared receptors between humans and molluscs indicates the potential for molluscs as model organisms; however the absence of several steroid hormone receptors indicates snail endocrine systems are fundamentally different.The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research, Grant Ref:G0900802 to CSJ, LRN, SJ & EJR [www.nc3rs.org.uk]

Upper limb impairments associated with spasticity in neurological disorders

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>While upper-extremity movement in individuals with neurological disorders such as stroke and spinal cord injury (SCI) has been studied for many years, the effects of spasticity on arm movement have been poorly quantified. The present study is designed to characterize the nature of impaired arm movements associated with spasticity in these two clinical populations. By comparing impaired voluntary movements between these two groups, we will gain a greater understanding of the effects of the type of spasticity on these movements and, potentially a better understanding of the underlying impairment mechanisms.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We characterized the kinematics and kinetics of rapid arm movement in SCI and neurologically intact subjects and in both the paretic and non-paretic limbs in stroke subjects. The kinematics of rapid elbow extension over the entire range of motion were quantified by measuring movement trajectory and its derivatives; i.e. movement velocity and acceleration. The kinetics were quantified by measuring maximum isometric voluntary contractions of elbow flexors and extensors. The movement smoothness was estimated using two different computational techniques.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most kinematic and kinetic and movement smoothness parameters changed significantly in paretic as compared to normal arms in stroke subjects (p < 0.003). Surprisingly, there were no significant differences in these parameters between SCI and stroke subjects, except for the movement smoothness (p ≤ 0.02). Extension was significantly less smooth in the paretic compared to the non-paretic arm in the stroke group (p < 0.003), whereas it was within the normal range in the SCI group. There was also no significant difference in these parameters between the non-paretic arm in stroke subjects and the normal arm in healthy subjects.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings suggest that although the cause and location of injury are different in spastic stroke and SCI subjects, the impairments in arm voluntary movement were similar in the two spastic groups. Our results also suggest that the non-paretic arm in stroke subjects was not distinguishable from the normal, and might therefore be used as an appropriate control for studying movement of the paretic arm.</p

Radial shortening following a fracture of the proximal radius: Degree of shortening and short-term outcome in 22 proximal radial fractures

Background and purpose: The Essex-Lopresti lesion is thought to be rare, with a varying degree of disruption to forearm stability probable. We describe the range of radial shortening that occurs following a fracture of the proximal radius, as well as the short-term outcome in these patients. Patients and methods Over an 18-month period, we prospectively assessed all patients with a radiographically confirmed proximal radial fracture. Patients noted to have ipsilateral wrist pain at initial presentation underwent bilateral radiography to determine whether there was disruption of the distal radio-ulnar joint suggestive of an Essex-Lopresti lesion. Outcome was assessed after a mean of 6 (1.5-12) months using clinical and radiographic results, including the Mayo elbow score (MES) and the short musculoskeletal function assessment (SMFA) questionnaire. One patient with a Mason type-I fracture was lost to follow-up after initial presentation. Results 60 patients had ipsilateral wrist pain at the initial assessment of 237 proximal radial fractures. Radial shortening of ≥ 2mm (range: 2-4mm) was seen in 22 patients (mean age 48 (19-79) years, 16 females). The most frequent mechanism of injury was a fall from standing height (10/22). 21 fractures were classified as being Mason type-I or type-II, all of which were managed nonoperatively. One Mason type-III fracture underwent acute radial head replacement. Functional outcome was assessed in 21 patients. We found an excellent or good MES in 18 of the 20 patients with a Mason type-I or type-II injury. Interpretation The incidence of the Essex-Lopresti lesion type is possibly under-reported as there is a spectrum of injuries, and subtle disruptions often go unidentified. A full assessment of all patients with a proximal radial fracture is required in order to identify these injuries, and the index of suspicion is raised as the complexity of the fracture increases.</p