Development of a bioavailability-based acute effects assessment method for nickel.

This study aimed to develop a bioavailability-based effects assessment method for nickel (Ni) to derive acute freshwater environmental thresholds in Europe. The authors established a reliable acute freshwater Ni ecotoxicity database covering 63 different freshwater species, and the existing acute Ni bioavailability models for invertebrates were revised. A single average invertebrate bioavailability model was proposed, in which the protective effects of Ca2+ and Mg2+ on Ni2+ toxicity were integrated as a single-site competition effect at the Ni biotic ligand.

Manubriosternal Morphology of Anthropoid Primates.

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to examine the proportions of the manubrium and sternebrae across anthropoid primates to explore variation hypothesized to be related to thoracic shape and locomotor specialization, and to determine whether the sternoclavicular joint orientation in hominoids reflects hypothesized differences in shoulder joint positioning relative to the thorax.

Materials And Methods: Metric data and sternoclavicular joint orientation data were collected from calibrated photographs of manubria and sternebrae from a large sample (n = 244) of extant anthropoid primates, as well as a small sample of fossil taxa. Manubriosternal and rib cage metric data were also collected from CT scans of an additional 52 extant anthropoid torsos.

Heritability in the Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) Vertebral Column.

The vertebral column plays a central role in primate locomotion and positional behavior. Understanding its evolution, therefore, has the potential to clarify evolutionary processes that have occurred in the primate lineage as well as the specific behaviors of extinct primates. However, to understand primate vertebral anatomy, it is important to determine how much of this anatomy is heritable and how much develops as a response to environmental factors during life.

The role of platelets and megakaryocytes in sepsis and ARDS.

Since the global COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a renewed focus on lung injury during infection. Systemic inflammatory responses such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for both adults and children. Improvements in clinical care have improved outcomes but mortality remains ∼40% and significant morbidity persists for those patients with severe disease.