Effectiveness of Air Filters and Air Cleaners in Allergic Respiratory Diseases: A Review of the Recent Literature

Air filtration is frequently recommended as a component of environmental control measures for patients with allergic respiratory disease. Residential air filtration can be provided by whole house filtration via the home’s heating, ventilation, or air conditioning system, by portable room air cleaners, or a combination of the two. Appliances to filter the sleep breathing zone also have been developed. High-efficiency whole house filtration, high-efficiency particulate air sleep zone air filtration, and high-efficiency particulate air room air cleaners all appear to provide various degrees of benefit. Recent studies of various types of filtration, used alone or as part of more comprehensive environmental control measures, are reviewed

Neuron to Astrocyte Communication via Cannabinoid Receptors Is Necessary for Sustained Epileptiform Activity in Rat Hippocampus

Astrocytes are integral functional components of synapses, regulating transmission and plasticity. They have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, although their precise roles have not been comprehensively characterized. Astrocytes integrate activity from neighboring synapses by responding to neuronally released neurotransmitters such as glutamate and ATP. Strong activation of astrocytes mediated by these neurotransmitters can promote seizure-like activity by initiating a positive feedback loop that induces excessive neuronal discharge. Recent work has demonstrated that astrocytes express cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors, which are sensitive to endocannabinoids released by nearby pyramidal cells. In this study, we tested whether this mechanism also contributes to epileptiform activity. In a model of 4-aminopyridine induced epileptic-like activity in hippocampal slice cultures, we show that pharmacological blockade of astrocyte CB1 receptors did not modify the initiation, but significantly reduced the maintenance of epileptiform discharge. When communication in astrocytic networks was disrupted by chelating astrocytic calcium, this CB1 receptor-mediated modulation of epileptiform activity was no longer observed. Thus, endocannabinoid signaling from neurons to astrocytes represents an additional significant factor in the maintenance of epileptiform activity in the hippocampus

Association analysis in over 329,000 individuals identifies 116 independent variants influencing neuroticism

Neuroticism is a relatively stable personality trait characterized by negative emotionality (for example, worry and guilt)1; heritability estimated from twin studies ranges from 30 to 50%2, and SNP-based heritability ranges from 6 to 15%3,4,5,6. Increased neuroticism is associated with poorer mental and physical health7,8, translating to high economic burden9. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of neuroticism have identified up to 11 associated genetic loci3,4. Here we report 116 significant independent loci from a GWAS of neuroticism in 329,821 UK Biobank participants; 15 of these loci replicated at P < 0.00045 in an unrelated cohort (N = 122,867). Genetic signals were enriched in neuronal genesis and differentiation pathways, and substantial genetic correlations were found between neuroticism and depressive symptoms (rg = 0.82, standard error (s.e.) = 0.03), major depressive disorder (MDD; rg = 0.69, s.e. = 0.07) and subjective well-being (rg = –0.68, s.e. = 0.03) alongside other mental health traits. These discoveries significantly advance understanding of neuroticism and its association with MDD

MAGE-C2/CT10 Protein Expression Is an Independent Predictor of Recurrence in Prostate Cancer

The cancer-testis (CT) family of antigens is expressed in a variety of malignant neoplasms. In most cases, no CT antigen is found in normal tissues, except in testis, making them ideal targets for cancer immunotherapy. A comprehensive analysis of CT antigen expression has not yet been reported in prostate cancer. MAGE-C2/CT-10 is a novel CT antigen. The objective of this study was to analyze extent and prognostic significance of MAGE-C2/CT10 protein expression in prostate cancer. 348 prostate carcinomas from consecutive radical prostatectomies, 29 castration-refractory prostate cancer, 46 metastases, and 45 benign hyperplasias were immunohistochemically analyzed for MAGE-C2/CT10 expression using tissue microarrays. Nuclear MAGE-C2/CT10 expression was identified in only 3.3% primary prostate carcinomas. MAGE-C2/CT10 protein expression was significantly more frequent in metastatic (16.3% positivity) and castration-resistant prostate cancer (17% positivity; p<0.001). Nuclear MAGE-C2/CT10 expression was identified as predictor of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy (p = 0.015), which was independent of preoperative PSA, Gleason score, tumor stage, and surgical margin status in multivariate analysis (p<0.05). MAGE-C2/CT10 expression in prostate cancer correlates with the degree of malignancy and indicates a higher risk for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Further, the results suggest MAGE-C2/CT10 as a potential target for adjuvant and palliative immunotherapy in patients with prostate cancer

Visitor presence and a changing soundscape, alongside environmental parameters, can predict enclosure usage in captive flamingos

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordData availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Raw data from this project are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.The sound environment of a zoo animal is a complex milieu of animal and human‐generated sounds; coming from the species itself, other species, visitors, keepers and other zoo‐users. Research determining how different components of the sound environment affect animal behaviour is surprisingly lacking but could have real‐world impacts for animal welfare and zoo enclosure design. The current study investigated the effects of the sound environment on two flocks of flamingos housed in open‐air enclosures at British zoos. Measures of how each flock used its enclosure (as a response variable) and environmental variables (Inband Power and Peak Frequency were recorded as characteristics of the sound environment, as well as temperature, humidity and cloud cover, and finally visitor presence—all as potential predictor variables) were made over a 2‐month period. Assessment of space use by zoo animals is often used as a measure of the appropriateness of an exhibit and to understand welfare. Given that flamingo activity is influenced by weather and that the sound environment of the zoo is likely to be influenced by the number and the presence of visitors, it was assumed that these predictor variables would influence where the flamingos were located at different times of the day. As expected, there was a complicated relationship between enclosure use and Inband Power (average spectral density, a measure of sound energy) in both flocks; visitors generated salient sound but other visitor characteristics such as their physical presence may have impacted the movement of the birds around their enclosures. Results show a complex picture where environmental conditions influence flamingo enclosure usage as well as visitor presence and sounds around/in the enclosure. Findings are not consistent between the two flocks, with one flock demonstrating distinct temporal change to enclosure zone occupancy and the other responsive to humidity and cloud cover variation. We believe enclosure use can provide a valuable indication of how birds react to their soundscape; however, our findings suggest more work is needed to unpick the components of captive sound environments, and their relative effects on how animals use their space.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC

Linking ecosystem services provisioning with demand for animal-sourced food: an integrated modeling study for Tanzania

Standard tools that can quantitatively track the impacts of higher global demand for animal-sourced food to their local environmental effects in developing countries are largely missing. This paper presents a novel integrated assessment framework that links a model of the global agricultural and food system, a landscape-level environmental impact assessment model, and an ecosystem services simulation model. For Tanzania, this integrated assessment showed that a projected increase in the demand and production of foods of livestock origin with optimistic economic growth between 2010 and 2030 leads to an improvement in food security. However, resulting transitions in land use impact negatively on the future provisioning of ecosystem services, increasing phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment in runoff and reducing water quality in areas downstream of the agricultural expansion. Losses in ecosystem services are lowest when diversified farming practices are adopted in areas of agricultural land expansion. The role of land management in the environmental impacts of expanded livestock production is highlighted, as is the need for a new generation of analytical tools to inform policy recommendations

CT perfusion of renal cell carcinoma: Impact of volume coverage on quantitative analysis

PURPOSE:: To assess the feasibility, image quality, and radiation dose of computed tomography (CT) renal perfusion imaging in the adaptive 4-dimensional (4D)-spiral mode in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and to compare quantitative measurements between 2-dimensional regions-of-interest (2D-ROI) and 3-dimensional volumes-of-interest (3D-VOI). MATERIALS AND METHODS:: Twenty-one patients (13 male; age, 67.4 ± 9.5 years) with 24 histologically proven RCCs underwent CT perfusion imaging (100 kV, 100 mAs/rotation, scan range 10 cm, examination time 40.17 seconds) in a 4D-spiral mode with dual-source 128-slice CT. The ability to suspend respiration during CT perfusion imaging was visually monitored. Two independent readers assessed motion artifacts of CT perfusion imaging data sets on a 4-point scale before and after automated motion correction. Qualitative (enhancement pattern) and quantitative perfusion analysis (blood flow [BF], blood volume [BV], flow extraction product [K]) were performed in the tumor and in healthy ipsi- and contralateral renal cortex applying the maximum-slope and a modified Patlak approach for quantitative analysis in 2D-ROI and 3D-VOI, the latter including the entire RCCs. RESULTS:: Of the 21 patients, 8 (38%) could suspend respiration throughout the perfusion scan. Of 21 RCCs, 18 (86%) were completely included in the scan range. Motion artifacts were significantly reduced after automated motion correction (P < 0.001). All 24 RCCs could be included in the qualitative perfusion analysis, and 22 of 24 (92%) were eligible for quantitative perfusion analysis. Enhancement was homogenous in 4 (17%), peripheral in 4 (17%), and heterogeneous in 16 (66%) tumors (good interobserver agreement, κ = 0.74). A high correlation was found between the 2 readers regarding quantitative perfusion parameters (r = 0.93-0.94, P < 0.01). Quantitative measurements in 3D-VOIs revealed significantly lower BV, BF, and K in RCCs than in normal renal cortex (P < 0.001). In solid tumor periphery, BV was similar to the renal cortex (P = 0.299), while BF and K were significantly lower (P < 0.01 and <0.001) in tumor tissue. Comparison of tumor measurements in 3D-VOIs with those obtained from 2D-ROIs revealed considerable differences in perfusion parameters beyond the 95% confidence limits in 46% to 68% of the tumors. K was significantly higher in the contralateral than in healthy ipsilateral renal cortex (P < 0.01). Estimated effective radiation dose of the CT perfusion protocol was 16.3 mSv. CONCLUSION:: CT perfusion imaging using an adaptive 4D-spiral mode is feasible and enables, after use of automated motion correction, the reliable analysis of renal perfusion in patients with RCCs. Considerable tumor heterogeneity was found, with differences in perfusion parameters between 2D-ROI and 3D-VOI analysis, reinforcing the use of volumetric techniques for perfusion imaging and analysis. Differences between ipsi- and contralateral healthy renal cortex K suggest a compensatory increase in glomerular filtration rate in the healthy contralateral kidney