Implications of endothelial shear stress on systemic sclerosis vasculopathy and treatment.

There are no Federal Drug Administration approved drugs for the treatment of systemic sclerosis vascular digital ulcers (DU) in the United States, which are thought to be an end-stage result of prolonged ischaemia due to severe, prolonged Raynaud's phenomenon. Most therapeutics for vasodilation used in SSc work different pathways to target the smooth muscle to induce vessel relaxation. Longitudinal studies of vascular function allow insight into the effects of medications used for Raynaud's phenomenon in the SSc patient population.

Collection and characterization of amniotic fluid from scheduled C-section deliveries.

Amniotic fluid (AF) possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and regenerative properties that make it attractive for use in clinical applications. The goals of this study were to assess the feasibility of collecting AF from full-term pregnancies and to evaluate non-cellular and cellular properties of AF for clinical applications. Donor informed consent and medical histories were obtained from pregnant women scheduled for C-sections and infectious disease testing was performed the day of collection.

Integrative assessment of selenium speciation, biogeochemistry, and distribution in a northern coldwater ecosystem.

For the past decade, considerable research has been conducted at a series of small lakes receiving treated liquid effluent containing elevated selenium (Se) from the Key Lake uranium (U) milling operation in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Several studies related to this site, including field collections of water, sediment, and biota (biofilm and/or periphyton, invertebrates, fish, and birds), semicontrolled mesocosm and in situ caging studies, and controlled laboratory experiments have recently been published. The aim of the present investigation was to compile the site-specific information obtained from this multidisciplinary research into an integrative perspective regarding the influence of Se speciation on biogeochemical cycling and food web transfer of Se in coldwater ecosystems.

An in situ assessment of selenium bioaccumulation from water-, sediment-, and dietary-exposure pathways using caged Chironomus dilutus larvae.

An in situ caging study was conducted downstream of a metal mine in northern Canada to determine the significance of surface water versus sediment exposure on selenium (Se) bioaccumulation in the benthic invertebrate Chironomus dilutus. Laboratory-reared C. dilutus larvae were exposed to either site-specific whole-sediment and surface water or surface water only for 10 d at sites with differing sediment and Se characteristics.

Swim performance and energy homeostasis in spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius) collected downstream of a uranium mill.

The Key Lake uranium milling operation (Saskatchewan, Canada) releases complex effluent into the local watershed. The objective of the current study was to investigate whether fish from an effluent-receiving waterbody exhibited differences in swimming performance and energy homeostasis compared to fish from a local reference site. Juvenile spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius) were collected from a lake downstream of the uranium mill, and compared to fish collected from a nearby reference lake.

Evaluating the trophic transfer of selenium in aquatic ecosystems using caged fish, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and stable isotope analysis.

This research evaluated the dominant exposure pathways with regard to the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of selenium (Se) in caged small-bodied fish inhabiting the receiving waters of a uranium-processing mill in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. A 21-day cage study was conducted using wild naïve lake chub (Couesius plumbeus) collected from a reference lake and caged in a reference and an exposure lake downstream of the mill discharge. Caged fish were fed commercially produced Chironomus spp.

Selenium uptake and speciation in wild and caged fish downstream of a metal mining and milling discharge.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the dominance of the feeding pathway with respect to selenium (Se) uptake and speciation in fish inhabiting the receiving waters downstream of a uranium processing mill in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The experimental design included analysis of Se in the predominant fish species located in the study area, a caging validation study using wild, naïve (i.e.

The treatment of nocturnal enuresis in institutionalized retarded adults.

This study employed a procedure for nocturnal enuresis with seven adult female residents of a state institutional ward for the retarded. The procedure included: positive reinforcement for remaining continent for gradually lengthened time periods; nightly awakenings at the beginning of their wetting periods, and a restriction of fluids before bedtime. There was a reduction for all residents in the monthly mean wetting frequency, from a baseline average of 6.