The contributions of rainfall and fog to leaf water of tree and epiphyte communities in a tropical cloud forest.

Introduction: Tropical cloud forest ecosystems are expected to face reduced water inputs due to climatic changes.

Methods: Here, we study the ecophysiological responses of trees and epiphytes within in an Asian cloud forest to investigate the contributions of rainfall, fog, and soil to leaf water in 60 tree and 30 vascular epiphyte species. We measured multiple functional traits, and δH, and δO isotope ratios for leaf water, soil water, rainfall, and fog in the wettest (July) and driest (February) months.

Towards enhanced functionality of vagus neuroprostheses through in silico optimized stimulation.

Bioelectronic therapies modulating the vagus nerve are promising for cardiovascular, inflammatory, and mental disorders. Clinical applications are however limited by side-effects such as breathing obstruction and headache caused by non-specific stimulation. To design selective and functional stimulation, we engineered VaStim, a realistic and efficient in-silico model.

Investigation of the input-output relationship of engineered neural networks using high-density microelectrode arrays.

Bottom-up neuroscience utilizes small, engineered biological neural networks to study neuronal activity in systems of reduced complexity. We present a platform that establishes up to six independent networks formed by primary rat neurons on planar complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) microelectrode arrays (MEAs). We introduce an approach that allows repetitive stimulation and recording of network activity at any of the over 700 electrodes underlying a network.

Understanding barriers and facilitators to clinic attendance and medication adherence among adults with hypertensive urgency in Tanzania.

Hypertensive urgency is a major risk factor for cardiovascular events and premature deaths. Lack of medication adherence is associated with poor health outcomes among patients with hypertensive urgency in resource-limited settings. To inform the development of tailored interventions to improve health outcomes in this population, this study aimed at understanding facilitators and barriers to clinic attendance and medication adherence among Tanzanian adults with hypertensive urgency.

A study on offshore wind farm siting criteria using a novel interval-valued fuzzy-rough based Delphi method.

This study investigates the degree of importance of criteria affecting the optimal site selection of offshore wind farms. Firstly, forty two different influential criteria have been selected by reviewing the scientific literature on offshore wind farm site selection. Secondly, a survey has been conducted receiving a response from thirty four internationally renowned experts across seventeen countries.

Successful angioembolization for blunt adrenal gland trauma.

Blunt adrenal gland trauma is an uncommon injury owing to the location of the adrenal gland in the retroperitoneum surrounded by major viscera and bony structures. We present a case of a 23-year-old male, who had sustained multiple injuries following a road traffic accident. Computed tomography scan revealed a large retroperitoneal hematoma, and active contrast extravasation was noted in the retroperitoneum adjacent to the bare area of the liver and right adrenal gland.

Endovascular biopsy in Takayasu arteritis.

Takayasu arteritis is a chronic inflammatory arteriopathy of the large vessels, mainly the aortic arch and its branches. The disease progression varies, ranging from a rapid progression to quiescence reached within 2 years. The activity of the disease is evaluated by biochemical markers, but at times, there is a discrepancy between the clinical picture and biochemical markers.

Shifts in functional trait-species abundance relationships over secondary subalpine meadow succession in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Although trait-based processes of community assembly during secondary succession invokes multiple factors that ultimately determine the presence or absence of a species, little is known regarding the impacts of functional traits on species abundance in successional plant communities. Here in species-rich subalpine secondary successional meadows of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, we measured photosynthesis rate and leaf proline content that are related to plant growth and abiotic stress resistance, respectively, and seed germination rate that is closely correlated with plant germination strategy to test their influence on species abundance during succession. We used a linear mixed effects model framework to examine the shifts in trait-abundance relationships and the correlations among these three traits in successional communities.

Short-term preoperative exercise therapy does not improve long-term outcome after lung cancer surgery: a randomized controlled study.

Objectives: Poor aerobic fitness is a potential modifiable risk factor for long-term survival and quality of life in patients with lung cancer. This randomized trial evaluates the impact of adding rehabilitation (Rehab) with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) before lung cancer surgery to enhance cardiorespiratory fitness and improve long-term postoperative outcome.

Methods: Patients with operable lung cancer were randomly assigned to usual care (UC, n  = 77) or to intervention group (Rehab, n  = 74) that entailed HIIT that was implemented only preoperatively.

A Social Marketing Approach to 1% Milk Use: Resonance Is the Key.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend low-fat milk consumption, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) programs follow these guidelines to develop health education programs for SNAP recipients.

Habitat filtering and exclusion of weak competitors jointly explain fern species assemblage along a light and water gradient.

Fern species are an important component of the diversity of forest plant communities, but very little is known about how fern communities assemble in different environments. In this study, we use multiple trait-based tests to examine the relationships between several key eco-physiological traits which are direct indicators of shade and drought tolerance, and the abundance of fern species in pine forest (PF), pine and mixed broad leaf forest (PMBF) and matured broad leaf forest (MBF) in southern China. These forests are characterized by decreasing light but increasing water availability during succession, and the fern communities correspondingly differ in species composition.

1% low-fat milk has perks!: An evaluation of a social marketing intervention.

This study evaluated the effect of a 12-week social marketing intervention conducted in 2012 promoting 1% milk use relying on paid advertising. Weekly milk sales data by type of milk (whole, 2%, 1%, and nonfat milk) were collected from 80 supermarkets in the Oklahoma City media market, the intervention market, and 66 supermarkets in the Tulsa media market (TMM), the comparison market. The effect was measured with a paired -test.

Preoperative Peak Oxygen Uptake in Lung Cancer Subjects With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In non-small-cell lung cancer patients, high peak oxygen uptake (peak V̇O2 ) predicts lower rates of postoperative complications and better long-term survival. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may negatively impact peak V̇O2 .

Methods: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was performed in 34 consecutive stage IIIA/IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer subjects scheduled for elective lung surgery.

[Diagnosis, management and treatment of chylothorax].

Chylothorax is characterized by a milky pleural effusion that results from the injury to the thoracic duct, causing leakage of chyle into the pleural space. Its diagnosis relies primarily, on the determination of triglycerides and/or the identification of chylomicrons in the pleural fluid. The most common causes are traumatic, mainly after surgery.

Role of MIF/CD74 signaling pathway in the development of pleural mesothelioma.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. MIF is overexpressed in various tumors. It displays a number of functions that provide a direct link between the process of inflammation and tumor growth.

Are functional traits a good predictor of global change impacts on tree species abundance dynamics in a subtropical forest?

Significant changes in the composition of tree species have been observed in various forests worldwide. We hypothesised that these changes might result from variable sensitivities of species to global change, and species sensitivities might be quantified, using functional traits. Employing long-term (1978-2010) species abundance data of 48 tree species from a permanent subtropical forest plot, where multiple global change factors have been observed, including soil drying, we examined the relationships between temporal trends in abundance and suits of functional traits.

Prospective association between negative life events and initiation of sexual intercourse: the influence of family structure and family income.

Objectives: We examined the prospective association between negative life events and time to initiation of sexual intercourse and the influence of family structure and family income on this association.

Methods: We followed up a randomly selected sample (n=649) of ethnically diverse parents and their children aged 12 to 17 years over a 5-year period. We conducted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to examine the relation between negative life events and time to initiation of sexual intercourse.

Uncertainty representation of grey numbers and grey sets.

In the literature, there is a presumption that a grey set and an interval-valued fuzzy set are equivalent. This presumption ignores the existence of discrete components in a grey number. In this paper, new measurements of uncertainties of grey numbers and grey sets, consisting of both absolute and relative uncertainties, are defined to give a comprehensive representation of uncertainties in a grey number and a grey set.

Consistent response of vegetation dynamics to recent climate change in tropical mountain regions.

Global climate change has emerged as a major driver of ecosystem change. Here, we present evidence for globally consistent responses in vegetation dynamics to recent climate change in the world's mountain ecosystems located in the pan-tropical belt (30°N-30°S). We analyzed decadal-scale trends and seasonal cycles of vegetation greenness using monthly time series of satellite greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and climate data for the period 1982-2006 for 47 mountain protected areas in five biodiversity hotspots.

A taxonomic comparison of local habitat niches of tropical trees.

The integration of ecology and evolutionary biology requires an understanding of the evolutionary lability in species' ecological niches. For tropical trees, specialization for particular soil resource and topographic conditions is an important part of the habitat niche, influencing the distributions of individual species and overall tree community structure at the local scale. However, little is known about how these habitat niches are related to the evolutionary history of species.

Euglycemic ketoacidosis as a cause of a metabolic acidosis in the Intensive Care Unit.

Euglycaemic ketoacidosis is a rare endocrine emergency, which can have disastrous consequences if left undiagnosed. We present the case of a 57 year old man with type 2 diabetes who developed ketoacidosis (DKA) following a myocardial infarction, despite being normoglycaemic, following discontinuation of his insulin infusion in an intensive care setting. The case highlights the importance of capillary ketone body testing in this scenario as well as the dangers of an over reliance on blood glucose values in the diagnosis of ketoacidosis.