Partença primaveral de migració nocturna d'aucells des de Mallorca: recomptes mitjançant infraroig comparats amb dades de captura

Es va estudiar la partença de la migració nocturna d'aucells amb un dispositiu passiu d'infraroigs ubicat a la costa nord-est de Mallorca, durant l'abril de 1995. A la vesprada la direcció mitjana de vol oscil·lava a l'entorn del nord (354° a 35°), cosa que indicava que molts de migrants arribarien a la costa peninsular al nord de Barcelona, després d'una travessada marítima d'uns 250 Km. Unes 6 hores després de la posta de sol, aucells que havien partit la vesprada anterior des de la costa nord-africana, passaven pel lloc d'observació amb direccions més tendents al nord-est (0° a 60°), cosa que els forçaria a volar altres 400 Km per atènyer la costa mediterrània francesa. L'altura mitjana de vol dels migrants era de 1.000 a 1.500 ni sobre el nivell del terreny, mentre que els aucells que volaven en paral·lel a la línia de costa ho feien a nivells més baixos. La taxa de trànsit migratori (TTM) més intensa obse rvada va ser de 1.500 aucells Kmh.Spring departure of nocturnal bird migrado)] from Mallorca: infrared counts compared with capturing clata. The departure of nocturnal bird migration was studied with a passive infrared device at the north-eastem coast of Mallorca, during April 1995. In the evening mean flight directions varied around North (354° to 35°), indicating that many migrants would reach the Spanish coast after a seacrossing of about 250 Km, north of Barcelona. About 6 hours after sunset birds, started in the evening from the North-African coast, passed the observation site with more north-easterly directions (0° to 60°), which would force them to fly another 400 Km to reach the Frena Mediterranean coast. Mean flight altitude of the migrants was between 1.000 and 1.500 m aboye ground level, whereas birds flying parallel to the coastline flew at lower levels. Maximunn migratory traffic rate observed was 1.500 birds/Kmh

Symptoms, toxicities, and analytical results for a patient after smoking herbs containing the novel synthetic cannabinoid MAM-2201

We report a case of intoxication by the synthetic cannabinoid MAM-2201 ([1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indol-3-yl](4-methyl-1-naphthalenyl)-methanone). A 31-year-old man smoked about 300mg of a herbal blend. He experienced an acute transient psychotic state with agitation, aggression, anxiety, and vomiting associated with a sympathomimetic syndrome. MAM-2201 was detected and quantified in a plasma sample using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). The level was 49ng/ml 1h after smoking. The use of other drugs was analytically excluded. The presence of MAM-2201 was confirmed in the herbal blend using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and LC-high resolution MS. This is the first description of an analytically confirmed intoxication and of the determination of MAM-2201 in human blood plasm

Improved inter-subject alignment of the lumbosacral cord for group-level in vivo gray and white matter assessments: A scan-rescan MRI study at 3T

INTRODUCTION: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables the investigation of pathological changes in gray and white matter at the lumbosacral enlargement (LSE) and conus medullaris (CM). However, conducting group-level analyses of MRI metrics in the lumbosacral spinal cord is challenging due to variability in CM length, lack of established image-based landmarks, and unknown scan-rescan reliability. This study aimed to improve inter-subject alignment of the lumbosacral cord to facilitate group-level analyses of MRI metrics. Additionally, we evaluated the scan-rescan reliability of MRI-based cross-sectional area (CSA) measurements and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics. METHODS: Fifteen participants (10 healthy volunteers and 5 patients with spinal cord injury) underwent axial T2*-weighted and diffusion MRI at 3T. We assessed the reliability of spinal cord and gray matter-based landmarks for inter-subject alignment of the lumbosacral cord, the inter-subject variability of MRI metrics before and after adjusting for the CM length, the intra- and inter-rater reliability of CSA measurements, and the scan-rescan reliability of CSA measurements and DTI metrics. RESULTS: The slice with the largest gray matter CSA as an LSE landmark exhibited the highest reliability, both within and across raters. Adjusting for the CM length greatly reduced the inter-subject variability of MRI metrics. The intra-rater, inter-rater, and scan-rescan reliability of MRI metrics were the highest at and around the LSE (scan-rescan coefficient of variation <3% for CSA measurements and <7% for DTI metrics within the white matter) and decreased considerably caudal to it. CONCLUSIONS: To facilitate group-level analyses, we recommend using the slice with the largest gray matter CSA as a reliable LSE landmark, along with an adjustment for the CM length. We also stress the significance of the anatomical location within the lumbosacral cord in relation to the reliability of MRI metrics. The scan-rescan reliability values serve as valuable guides for power and sample size calculations in future longitudinal studies

A holistic assessment of the impacts of park management: findings from the evaluation of Regional Nature Parks in Switzerland

In Switzerland, Regional Nature Parks are required to undergo an impact assessment after ten years of operation, in order for the federal government to award the Park of National Importance label for a further ten years and for the government, relevant canton and communes to continue to provide financial support for the park’s operation. To this end, is there a convenient way of identifying and holistically assessing the impacts of park management activities on the goals of the parks and the overarching targets of parks policy in Switzerland? Based on experience gained from the evaluation of three Regional Nature Parks, we have developed a framework model for the holistic evaluation of such parks and present it here for discussion

Abnormal Resting-State Network Presence in Females with Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a global problem reducing the quality of life of patients and increasing the costs of any healthcare system. The etiology of OAB is understudied but likely involves supraspinal network alterations. Here, we characterized supraspinal resting-state functional connectivity in 12 OAB patients and 12 healthy controls (HC) who were younger than 60 years. Independent component analysis showed that OAB patients had a weaker presence of the salience (Cohen's d = 0.9) and default mode network (Cohen's d = 1.1) and weaker directed connectivity between the fronto-parietal network and salience network with a longer lag time compared to HC. A region of interest analysis demonstrated weaker connectivity in OAB compared to HC (Cohen's d > 1.6 or 1.9). The degree of deviation in supraspinal connectivity in OAB patients (relative to HC) appears to be an indicator of the severity of the lower urinary tract symptoms and an indication that such symptoms are directly related to functional supraspinal alterations. Thus, future OAB therapy options should also consider supraspinal targets, while neuroimaging techniques should be given more consideration in the quest for better phenotyping of OAB

Immune phenotypes that are associated with subsequent COVID-19 severity inferred from post-recovery samples

Severe COVID-19 causes profound immune perturbations, but pre-infection immune signatures contributing to severe COVID-19 remain unknown. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified strong associations between severe disease and several chemokine receptors and molecules from the type I interferon pathway. Here, we define immune signatures associated with severe COVID-19 using high-dimensional flow cytometry. We measure the cells of the peripheral immune system from individuals who recovered from mild, moderate, severe or critical COVID-19 and focused only on those immune signatures returning to steady-state. Individuals that suffered from severe COVID-19 show reduced frequencies of T cell, mucosal-associated invariant T cell (MAIT) and dendritic cell (DC) subsets and altered chemokine receptor expression on several subsets, such as reduced levels of CCR1 and CCR2 on monocyte subsets. Furthermore, we find reduced frequencies of type I interferon-producing plasmacytoid DCs and altered IFNAR2 expression on several myeloid cells in individuals recovered from severe COVID-19. Thus, these data identify potential immune mechanisms contributing to severe COVID-19

A 1.8V 12-bit 230-MS/s pipeline ADC in 0.18um CMOS technology

This paper describes the implementation of a 12-bit 230 MS/s pipelined ADC using a conventional 1.8V, 0.18μm digital CMOS process. Two-stage folded cascode OTA topology is used for improved settling performance. Extreme low-skew (less than 3ps peak-to-peak) chip-level clock distribution is ensured by five-level balanced clock tree, implemented in low swing current-mode logic. The ADC block achieves a peak SFDR of 71.3 dB and 9.26 ENOB at 230 MS/s, with an input signal swing of 1.5Vpp. The measured peak SFDR at 200 MS/s is 78 dB, while the peak SNDR at 200 MS/s is 59.5 dB. The SFDR and SNDR performance exhibits very flat characteristics, maintaining higher than 53 dB SNDR at 230 MS/s and higher than 58 dB SNDR at 200 MS/s, from DC through Nyquist rate input frequencies

Urological Management at Discharge from Acute Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: A Descriptive Analysis from a Population-based Prospective Cohort.

Background There is limited epidemiological evidence describing contemporary neuro-urological management of persons with acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Objective To describe neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) management at discharge from SCI rehabilitation. Design setting and participants The population-based Swiss Spinal Cord Injury (SwiSCI) cohort study prospectively collected data from 602 adults undergoing specialized postacute SCI rehabilitation from 2013 to 2020. The management strategy was based on the European Association of Urology (EAU) Guidelines on Neuro-Urology. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Data were collected at discharge using the International SCI Lower Urinary Tract Function Basic Data Set. Multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographics, SCI characteristics, and center, with inverse probability weighting accounting for sampling bias, was used to produce prevalence estimates and identify predictors of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and NLUTD management outcomes. Results and limitations At discharge (median time after SCI: 5.0 mo [Q1-Q3: 3.0-7.2]), the prevalence of LUTS or managed NLUTD was 82% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 79-85%). SCI completeness was the main predictor of LUTS and managed NLUTD. The risk of urinary incontinence was elevated in females (odds ratio 1.98 [95% CI: 1.18-3.32]) and with complete lesions (odds ratio 4.71 [95% CI: 2.52-8.81]). Voiding dysfunction was most commonly managed with intermittent catheterization (prevalence 39% [95% CI: 35-42%]), followed by indwelling catheterization (prevalence 22% [95% CI: 18-25%]). The prevalence of antimuscarinic or mirabegron use was 29% (95% CI: 26-33%). Urodynamic and renal function data were not collected. Conclusions Our population-based description of urological management in Swiss SCI centers utilizing the EAU Guidelines on Neuro-Urology may be used as a reference for evaluation in other settings. Data further indicate a need for sex-specific neuro-urological management research. Patient summary At discharge from spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation, a majority of patients have lower urinary tract problems, especially those with complete SCI. Women have a higher risk of urinary incontinence

Lower urinary tract electrical sensory assessment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE To summarize the current literature on lower urinary tract electrical sensory assessment (LUTESA), with regard to current perception thresholds (CPTs) and sensory evoked potentials (SEPs). The applied methods will be discussed in terms of technical aspects, confounding factors, and potential for lower urinary tract (LUT) diagnostics. METHODS The review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Medline (PubMed), Embase and Scopus were searched upon October 13, 2020. Meta-analyses were performed and methodological qualities of the included studies were defined by assessing risk-of-bias (RoB) as well as confounding. RESULTS After screening 9925 articles, 80 studies (5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 75 non-RCTs) were included, comprising a total of 3732 patients and 692 healthy subjects. 61 studies investigated exclusively CPTs and 19 studies reported on SEPs, with or without corresponding CPTs. The recording of LUTCPTs and -SEPs was shown to represent a safe and reliable assessment of LUT afferent nerve function in healthy subjects and patients. LUTESA demonstrated significant differences in LUT sensitivity between healthy subjects and neurological patients as well as after interventions such as pelvic surgery or drug treatments. Pooled analyses revealed that several stimulation parameters (e.g. stimulation frequency, location) as well as patient characteristics might affect the main outcome measures of LUTESA (CPTs, SEP latencies, peak-to-peak amplitudes, responder rate). RoB and confounding was high in most studies. CONCLUSIONS Preliminary data show that CPT and SEP recordings are valuable tools to more objectively assess LUT afferent nerve function. LUTESA complement already established diagnostics such as urodynamics, allowing for a more comprehensive patient workup. The high RoB and confounding rate was rather related to inconsistency and inaccuracy in reporting than the technique itself. LUTESA standardization and well-designed RCTs are crucial to implement LUTESA as a clinical assessment tool