Microplastic loads in Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) feces-targeting a standardized protocol and first results from an alpine stream, the River Inn.

Microplastics (MP) are omnipresent in a wide range of environments, constituting a potential threat for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Effects in consumers range from physical injuries to pathological reactions. Due to potential bioaccumulation of MP, predators are of particular concern for MP induced health effects.

The salience of nonlinearities in the boreal winter response to ENSO: Arctic stratosphere and Europe.

The Arctic stratospheric response to El Niño (EN) and La Niña (LN) is evaluated in a 41 member ensemble of the period 1980 to 2009 in the Goddard Earth Observing System Chemistry-Climate Model. We consider whether the responses to EN and LN are equal in magnitude and opposite in sign, whether the responses to moderate and extreme events are proportionate, and if the response depends on whether sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTs) peak in the Eastern Pacific (EP) or Central Pacific (CP). There is no indication of any nonlinearities between EN and LN, though in ~ 15% of the ensemble members the stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) frequencies for EN and LN are similar, suggesting that a similar SSW frequency for EN and LN, as has occurred over the past ~ 60 years, can occur by chance.

Growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in colorectal tumor cells by cyclooxygenase inhibitors.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit colorectal carcinogenesis and prevent or revert the growth of premalignant colonic polyps. They inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) but recent data indicate that this is not the only or even the most important mechanism of inhibition in colorectal tumor cells. We have used colonic carcinoma and adenoma cell lines to study the effects of the NSAID sulindac sulfide, its COX-inactive metabolite, sulindac sulfone, and the isoenzyme-specific inhibitors SC58125, SC236 and SC58560 on tumor cell growth in relation to COX-2 expression and prostaglandin production.

Regulation of platelet aggregation and adenosine triphosphate release in vitro by 17beta-estradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate in postmenopausal women.

Clinical studies have suggested that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. Although progestins are commonly added to HRT preparations for uteroprotection, the perceived beneficial cardiovascular effects of HRT are thought to be mediated predominantly by the estrogen component. Platelets play a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease and, hence, it is possible that the cardiovascular effects of estrogens are mediated, at least in part, through inhibition of illicit platelet activation.

Circulating aggregated platelets, number of platelets per aggregate and platelet size in chronic dialysis patients.

The accelerated arteriosclerosis of chronic dialysis patients is multifactorial. Both non-uremic patients with atherosclerosis and uremic patients have functional platelet abnormalities. Our aim was to study platelet function in chronic dialysis patients and to correlate the findings with the presence of cardiovascular morbidity.