Glare at Night-Time Driving: Effect of Correlated Color Temperature of Led Lamps.

Objective: This study aims to analyze the effect of correlated color temperature from LED glare sources on driving performance. The evaluation includes assessing the effect of disability glare on visual reaction time and rating discomfort glare using a standardized scale.

Background: LED technology is widely incorporated into various lighting systems; however, the impact of glare from oncoming car headlamps on driving performance at night-time is crucial for road safety.

Identification of epigenetic silencing of the SFRP2 gene in colorectal cancer as a clinical biomarker and molecular significance.

Background: Several studies have suggested secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2) gene as a potential clinical biomarker in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, its diagnostic role remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the significance of SFRP2 methylation levels in a large cohort of biological specimens (including blood, adipose and colonic tissues) from patients with CRC, thereby potentially identifying new biomarker utility.

Enantioselective Catalysis with Pyrrolidinyl Gold(I) Complexes: DFT and NEST Analysis of the Chiral Binding Pocket.

A new generation of chiral gold(I) catalysts based on variations of complexes with JohnPhos-type ligands with a remote -symmetric 2,5-diarylpyrrolidine have been synthesized with different substitutions at the top and bottom aryl rings: from replacing the phosphine by a -heterocyclic carbene (NHC) to increasing the steric hindrance with bis- or tris-biphenylphosphine scaffolds, or by directly attaching the -chiral pyrrolidine in the ortho-position of the dialkylphenyl phosphine. The new chiral gold(I) catalysts have been tested in the intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition of arylalkynes with alkenes and in the atroposelective synthesis of 2-arylindoles. Interestingly, simpler catalysts with the -chiral pyrrolidine in the ortho-position of the dialkylphenyl phosphine led to the formation of opposite enantiomers.

Human pressures modulate climate-warming-induced changes in size spectra of stream fish communities.

Climate warming can negatively affect the body size of ectothermic organisms and, based on known temperature-size rules, tends to benefit small-bodied organisms. Our understanding of the interactive effects of climate warming and other environmental factors on the temporal changes of body size structure is limited. We quantified the annual trends in size spectra of 583 stream fish communities sampled for more than 20 years across France.

Maximum entropy models reveal spatial variation of metabolic scaling in stream fish communities.

Metabolic scaling provides valuable information about the physiological and ecological functions of organisms, although few studies have quantified the metabolic scaling exponent (b) of communities under natural conditions. Maximum entropy theory of ecology (METE) is a constraint-based unified theory with the potential to empirically assess the spatial variation of the metabolic scaling. Our main goal is to develop a novel method of estimating b within a community by integrating metabolic scaling and METE.

Automatic Image Processing to Determine the Community Size Structure of Riverine Macroinvertebrates.

Body size is an important functional trait that can be used as a bioindicator to assess the impacts of perturbations in natural communities. Community size structure responds to biotic and abiotic gradients, including anthropogenic perturbations across taxa and ecosystems. However, the manual measurement of small-bodied organisms such as benthic macroinvertebrates (e.

Promoting lab culture to enhance academic resilience during crises.

The COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted academics' professional and personal lives, forcing many research groups (labs) to shift from an academic system primarily based on in-person work to an almost full-time remote workforce during lockdowns. Labs are generally characterized by a strong lab culture that underpins all research and social activities of its members. Lab culture traditionally builds on the pillars of in-person communication, knowledge sharing, and all social and professional activities that promote collaboration, team building, scientific productivity, and well-being.

Species compositions mediate biomass conservation: The case of lake fish communities.

Environmental and geographical factors are known to influence the number, distribution, and combination of species that coexist within ecological communities. This, in turn, should influence ecosystem functions such as biomass conservation, or the ability of a community to sustain biomass from small to large organisms. We tested this hypothesis by assessing the role of environmental factors in determining how biomass is conserved in over 600 limnetic fish communities spread across a broad geographic gradient in Canada.

Fish size spectra are affected by nutrient concentration and relative abundance of non-native species across streams of the NE Iberian Peninsula.

Aquatic ecosystems are strongly body-size structured with a decline of numerical abundance with increasing body size (hereafter, the size spectrum). Marine and lake fish studies have reported consistent variations of size spectra in relation to environmental conditions and biotic composition, but little is known about stream fishes. Accordingly, in this study we test several hypotheses about the effects of local water conditions, biotic introductions and cumulative pressures (measured as the IMPRESS index) on the fish size-spectrum slope (that is, the linear rate of decline of fish abundance as body size increase in a log-log scale) and the size-spectrum intercept (commonly used as proxy for carrying capacity) among 118 local fish assemblages in streams of the NE Iberian Peninsula.

Artificial Intelligence DENTOMO: Opportunities and Prospects for Interpretation of Cone Beam CT in Dentistry.

The model of artificial intelligence DENTOMO, which allows automated deciphering the CT in maxillofacial area, was developed and implemented in practical dentistry. The presented model is based on two convolutional neural networks, includes a database and knowledge base, harmonized with SNOMED Clinical Terms is a systematically organized computer processable collection of medical terms providing codes, terms, synonyms and definitions used in clinical documentation and reporting. The developed model automatically decodes cone beam CT images, identifies and classifies the anatomical structures of the human dental system, and reveals the pathological processes and their dynamics in dentistry system.

Thoracic thrust joint manipulation: An international survey of current practice and knowledge in IFOMPT member countries.

Background: The perceived relative safety of thoracic thrust joint manipulation (TTJM) has contributed to a growth in evidence supporting use in practice. Yet adverse events (AE) have been documented following TTJM. Knowledge of current practice is therefore required to support further research.

Low-density lipoprotein from active SLE patients is more atherogenic to endothelial cells than low-density lipoprotein from the same patients during remission.

Objectives: SLE patients have an enhanced risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. However, the increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease is not fully explained by traditional Framingham cardiovascular risk factors. Specific features of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, other than plasma concentration, may induce accelerated atherosclerosis at early stages in these patients.

Influence of age and spectral power distribution on mesopic visual sensitivity.

The ability of the human visual system to detect stimuli at low illumination levels provides awareness of potential risks. The influence of age and spectral power distribution on mesopic spectral sensitivity is analyzed. Two typical light sources are used, a high-pressure sodium lamp (HPS), with a higher content of long wavelengths, and a metal halide lamp (MH), with a higher content of short wavelengths.

Effect of eccentricity and light level on the timing of light adaptation mechanisms.

We explored the complexity of the light adaptation process, assessing adaptation recovery (Ar) at different eccentricities and light levels. Luminance thresholds were obtained with transient background fields at mesopic and photopic light levels for temporal retinal eccentricities (0°-15°) with test/background stimulus size of 0.5°/1° using a staircase procedure in a two-channel Maxwellian view optical system.

Influence of background size, luminance and eccentricity on different adaptation mechanisms.

Mechanisms of light adaptation have been traditionally explained with reference to psychophysical experimentation. However, the neural substrata involved in those mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Our study analyzed links between psychophysical measurements and retinal physiological evidence with consideration for the phenomena of rod-cone interactions, photon noise, and spatial summation.

Environmental filtering determines metacommunity structure in wetland microcrustaceans.

Metacommunity approaches are becoming popular when analyzing factors driving species distribution at the regional scale. However, until the popularization of the variation partitioning technique it was difficult to assess the main drivers of the observed patterns (spatial or environmental). Here we propose a new framework linking the emergence of different metacommunity structures (e.

Temporal retinal sensitivity in mesopic adaptation.

Purpose: Night driving is a complex visual task with important ramifications for driver and pedestrian safety. It is usually performed under mesopic or scotopic conditions and frequently, in the presence of transient glare sources that can adapt parts of the central retina. The objective of this work was to analyze the time response of adaptation for the central 15° of the retina when part of it is exposed to transient or steady mesopic adapting fields.

Quantitative and functional influence of surround luminance on the letter contrast sensitivity function.

Aim: To determine the influence of surround luminance on the letter contrast sensitivity function.

Method: The binocular contrast sensitivities of 31 young and ocularly healthy individuals were measured with letters of sizes calculated to obtain the targeted fundamental frequencies of 3, 10, 20, and 30 c deg(-1), respectively; with surround luminances from 1 to 1000 cd m(-2), always with a test chart background luminance of 200 cd m(-2).

Results: The letter contrast sensitivity increased with surround luminance up to 100 cd m(-2) and decreased when surround luminance increased from 100 to 1000 cd m(-2).

Conjunctival mucin mRNA expression in contact lens wear.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of the water content in non-ionic hydrogel contact lenses (HCL) on the mRNA levels of human conjunctival mucin genes (MUCs).

Methods: Sixteen healthy subjects with no history of contact lenses wear were selected and randomized into two equal groups. Group 1 subjects wore low water content (38%, Soflens 38) non-ionic HCLs.

Severe sirolimus-related inflammatory state anemia in an HIV+ liver transplant patient with calcineurin inhibitor renal insufficiency: a case report.

Although multifactorial anemia is common following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), the late introduction of sirolimus (SRL) has been associated with high rates of anemia, whose pathogenic mechanisms have not been fully studied. Herein we have described a case of severe anemia in an HIV+ OLT patient who was switched from calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) to SRL due to severe nephrotoxicity. After 22 weeks of SRL, hemoglobin levels dropped 4 g/dL to a nadir of 6.

Liquid chromatographic method for the quantification of zearalenone in baby food and animal feed: interlaboratory study.

An interlaboratory trial for determination of zearalenone (ZON) in baby food and animal feed was conducted. The study involved 39 participants in 16 European Union member states, as well as Turkey, Uruguay, and China, representing a cross-section of industry, and official food control and research institutes. The method is based on immunoaffinity column cleanup followed by high-performance liquid chromatography using fluorimetry (HPLC-FI).

Gender differences in the effect of aspirin on retinal ischemia, prostanoid synthesis and nitric oxide production in experimental type 1-like diabetes.

Background: The protective effect of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) against cardiovascular events is known to be weaker in women than in men. The present study was designed to test whether this effect of aspirin differed between sexes in an experimental model of diabetes with retinal ischemia.

Methods: We compared nondiabetic rats and rats after 1, 2 and 3 months of diabetes that were given 2 mg/kg/day p.

Retinal toxic reactions following photopheresis.

Background: Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP), also known as photopheresis, is a generally well-tolerated therapeutic, immunomodulatory approach successfully used in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and other diseases produced by T-lymphocytes such as graft vs host disease.

Observations: On 2 separate occasions, a 54-year-old white man with Sézary syndrome developed cutaneous phototoxic reactions and chorioretinitis after being treated with ECP. A pharmacokinetic study showed therapeutic blood levels of 8-methoxypsoralen as long as 18 weeks after therapy had been terminated.