Greening aviation with sustainable aviation fuels: Insights from decarbonization scenarios.

Recent studies outline markedly different possible decarbonization pathways for civil aviation by 2050. This paper examines how the key assumptions retained in these scenarios (i.e.

Low frequency deep brain stimulation of nucleus accumbens shell neuronal subpopulations attenuates cocaine seeking selectively in male rats.

The present study examined the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the nucleus accumbens shell on cocaine seeking and neuronal plasticity in rats. Electrical DBS of the accumbens shell attenuated cocaine primed reinstatement across a range of frequencies as low as 12 Hz in male rats. Nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons (MSNs) can be differentiated by expression of dopamine D1 receptors (D1DRs) or D2DRs.

Metabolic syndrome and surgical complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 million individuals.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterised by the presence of at least three of the five following components: insulin resistance, obesity, chronic hypertension, elevated serum triglycerides, and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. It is estimated to affect 1 in 3 people around the globe and is reported to affect 46% of surgical patients. For people with MetS who undergo surgery, an emerging body of literature points to significantly poorer postoperative outcomes compared with nonaffected populations.

Low frequency optogenetic deep brain stimulation of nucleus accumbens dopamine D1 or D2 receptor-containing neurons attenuates cocaine seeking selectively in male rats in part by reversing synaptic plasticity deficits.

Background: Clinically, deep brain stimulation (DBS) utilizes relatively high frequencies (>100 Hz). In preclinical models, 160 Hz stimulation of the nucleus accumbens in rodents prevents relapse of drug seeking. However, the ability of varied frequencies of accumbens DBS to attenuate drug seeking, and the neuronal subtype specificity of this effect, is unclear.

High frequency DBS-like optogenetic stimulation of nucleus accumbens dopamine D2 receptor-containing neurons attenuates cocaine reinstatement in male rats.

Previous work indicated that deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus accumbens shell in male rats attenuated reinstatement of cocaine seeking, an animal model of craving. However, the potential differential impact of DBS on specific populations of neurons to drive the suppression of cocaine seeking is unknown. Medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens are differentiated by expression of dopamine D1 receptors (D1DRs) or D2DRs, activation of which promotes or inhibits cocaine-related behaviors, respectively.

Acute Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction.

Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO) is a functional disorder of the large intestine distinguished by colonic dysmotility resulting in colonic distension in the absence of mechanical obstruction. The underlying pathophysiology of ACPO remains unclear despite technological advances in understanding the physiology of colonic motility, such as spatio-temporal mapping and high-resolution manometry. In many ways, the management of ACPO has remained relatively unchanged for 40 years.

Cocaine-Induced Changes in Sperm Methylation Are Associated with Cocaine Resistance in Male Offspring.

Paternal environmental perturbations can influence the physiology and behavior of offspring. For example, our previous work showed reduced cocaine reinforcement in male, but not female, progeny of rat sires that self-administered cocaine. The information transfer from sire to progeny may occur through epigenetic marks in sperm, encompassing alterations in small noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and/or DNA methylation.

Transcatheter versus surgical closure of atrial septal defects: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical outcomes.

Background: Atrial septal defects are a common form of CHD and dependent on the size and nature of atrial septal defects, closure may be warranted. The paper aims to compare outcomes of transcatheter versus surgical repair of atrial septal defects.

Methods: A comprehensive electronic literature search was conducted.

Differential effect of sleep deprivation on place cell representations, sleep architecture, and memory in young and old mice.

Poor sleep quality is associated with age-related cognitive decline, and whether reversal of these alterations is possible is unknown. In this study, we report how sleep deprivation (SD) affects hippocampal representations, sleep patterns, and memory in young and old mice. After training in a hippocampus-dependent object-place recognition (OPR) task, control animals sleep ad libitum, although experimental animals undergo 5 h of SD, followed by recovery sleep.

Auditory Feedback Control of Vocal Pitch in Spasmodic Dysphonia.

Objectives/hypothesis: Hearing plays an important role in the maintenance of vocal control in normal individuals. In patients with spasmodic dysphonia (SD), however, the ability to maintain sustained control of phonation is impaired. The origins of SD are unknown, and it is unclear whether auditory feedback-dependent vocal control is compromised in these patients.

Paternal morphine self-administration produces object recognition memory deficits in female, but not male offspring.

Rationale: Parental drug use around or before conception can have adverse consequences for offspring. Historically, this research has focused on the effects of maternal substance use on future generations but less is known about the influence of the paternal lineage. This study focused on the impact of chronic paternal morphine exposure prior to conception on behavioral outcomes in male and female progeny.

Can normal inflammatory markers rule out acute appendicitis? The reliability of biochemical investigations in diagnosis.

Background: Acute appendicitis is a common general surgical condition where diagnosis is predominantly clinical, with the aid of adjunct investigations. This study reviews the relationship between normal and elevated biochemical inflammatory markers, duration of symptoms and proven appendicitis.

Methods: A multicentre prospective observational study was performed across 27 centres and included a total of 949 patients with clinical suspicion of appendicitis, who had both white cell count (WCC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) recorded and underwent appendicectomy.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Depression, Anxiety, and Sleep Disorders in US Adults with Food Insecurity.

Introduction: A large number of peer-reviewed studies, with various methodologies and populations, have addressed the effects of food insecurity (FIS) on mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. There are currently, however, no published systematic assessments or meta-analyses of this literature.

Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted in PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Can Surgeons Identify Appendicitis Macroscopically? Results From a Multicentre Prospective Study.

Purpose: The primary outcome was to investigate the accuracy of intraoperative macroscopic diagnosis by the operating surgeon with the results of the subsequent histopathologic examination. The secondary outcome was to identify the predictors of discrepancies between these 2 groups.

Materials And Methods: A multicentre, prospective, observational study was conducted over a period of 2 months with a 30-day follow-up period.

Variation in anti-microbial prescription and complications post emergency appendicectomy in Australia: do we follow recommended guidelines?

Background: This study aims to establish compliance levels to prescription guidelines among Australian surgeons in the use of antibiotics in the surgical management of appendicitis. The secondary outcomes are predictors of post-operative infective complications; surgical site infection (SSI) and intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) at 30 days.

Methods: A multi-centre, prospective, observational study was conducted over a period of 2 months with a 30-day follow-up.

Emergency appendicectomy in Australia: findings from a multicentre, prospective study.

Background: Emergency appendicectomy is the most common emergency surgical procedure performed in Australia. Despite this frequency, there is a relative paucity of contemporary, broad-based, local data that examine how emergency appendicectomies are currently performed and what are the outcomes from these operations.

Methods: A multicentre, prospective, observational study was performed.

Where are the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Providers and Where are They Needed? A Geographic Assessment.

Although it is widely acknowledged that there are not enough clinicians trained in either Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BSM) in general or in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) in specific, what is unclear is whether this problem is more acute in some regions relative to others. Accordingly, a geographic approach was taken to assess this issue. Using national directories as well as e-mail listservs (Behavioral Sleep Medicine group and Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia Roster), the present study evaluated geographic patterning of CBSM and BSM providers by city, state, and country.

HDAC I inhibition in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus differentially modulates predator-odor fear learning and generalization.

Although predator odors are ethologically relevant stimuli for rodents, the molecular pathways and contribution of some brain regions involved in predator odor conditioning remain elusive. Inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in the dorsal hippocampus has been shown to enhance shock-induced contextual fear learning, but it is unknown if HDACs have differential effects along the dorso-ventral hippocampal axis during predator odor fear learning. We injected MS-275, a class I HDAC inhibitor, bilaterally in the dorsal or ventral hippocampus of mice and found that it had no effects on innate anxiety in either region.

Changing stigma through a consumer-based stigma reduction program.

This study assessed the Anti-Stigma Project workshop, a contact/education intervention developed by On Our Own of Maryland, Inc. and the Maryland Mental Hygiene Administration. Two separate randomized controlled trials administered pre- and post-test questionnaire assessments.

The nectarine pit as a cause for small bowel obstruction and perforation: a case report.

Ingestion of a foreign body is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. Ingested foreign bodies will usually pass without clinical sequelae, however on occasion can contribute to significant morbidity. Here we present an unusual case of small bowel obstruction and perforation as a result of accidental ingestion of a nectarine pit.

Life science research and drug discovery at the turn of the 21st century: the experience of SwissBioGrid.

Background: It is often said that the life sciences are transforming into an information science. As laboratory experiments are starting to yield ever increasing amounts of data and the capacity to deal with those data is catching up, an increasing share of scientific activity is seen to be taking place outside the laboratories, sifting through the data and modelling "in silico" the processes observed "in vitro." The transformation of the life sciences and similar developments in other disciplines have inspired a variety of initiatives around the world to create technical infrastructure to support the new scientific practices that are emerging.

Developing a cultural competence assessment tool for people in recovery from racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds: the journey, challenges and lessons learned.

In 1997, Maryland implemented a new managed care mental health system. Consumer satisfaction, evaluation and cultural competency were considered high priorities for the new system. While standardized tools for measuring consumer satisfaction were readily available, no validated, reliable and standardized tool existed to measure the perception of people from minority groups receiving mental health services.

Urologic complications of nonurologic medications.

A physician must be aware of common drug side effects and interactions before prescribing a certain agent. In addition to the drugs that we, as urologists, prescribe, we must also be aware of the urologic side effects of drugs that are commonly prescribed by nonurologists. The mechanisms of the pharmacologic causes for voiding dysfunction, erectile and sexual dysfunction, infertility, and urolithiasis are often mutifactorial and incompletely understood.