Changes In EP Research Articles

Changes in mean evapotranspiration dominate groundwater recharge in semi-arid regions

Abstract. Groundwater is one of the most essential natural resources and is affected by climate variability. However, our understanding of the effects of climate on groundwater recharge (R), particularly in dry regions, is limited. Future climate projections suggest changes in many statistical characteristics of the potential evapotranspiration (Ep) and the rainfall that dictate the R. To better understand the relationship between climate statistics and R, we separately considered changes to the mean, standard deviation, and extreme statistics of the Ep and the precipitation (P). We simulated the R under different climate conditions in multiple semi-arid and arid locations worldwide. Obviously, lower precipitation is expected to result in lower groundwater recharge and vice versa. However, the relationship between R and P is non-linear. Examining the ratio R/P is useful for revealing the underlying relation between R and P; therefore, we focus on this ratio. We find that changes in the average Ep have the most significant impact on R/P. Interestingly, we find that changes in the extreme Ep statistics have much weaker effects on R/P than changes in extreme P statistics. Contradictory results of previous studies and predictions of future groundwater recharge may be explained by the differences in the projected climate statistics.

P039 Genioglossus motor control during mandibular advancement.

Abstract Introduction High genioglossus muscle activity is thought to prevent/resolve upper airway collapse. Overall genioglossal activity results from the simultaneous firing of many motor units (MUs) which typically have one of 5 firing patterns: active only (IP) or at higher frequency (IT) during inspiration; active only (EP) or at higher frequency during expiration (ET); and constantly active without respiratory modulation (TT). To date, most experimental manipulations tested (e.g. hypoxia, hypercapnia, resistive loading) have influenced IP and IT MUs, with minimal changes in ET, EP and TT MUs. We hypothesized that IT/IP MUs respond to respiratory drive, whereas TT/EP/ET MUs will change in response to airway anatomical manipulations. Methods The number and firing frequencies of genioglossal MUs were assessed with intramuscular electrodes in healthy individuals during wakefulness, before and during mandibular advancement (MAD) to 80% of maximum with an myTAP device, to change airway anatomy but minimally alter respiratory drive. Results 201 MUs were identified from 55 trials in 14 participants. Ventilation did not differ between baseline and MAD. At baseline, 175 MUs were active: EP=0.6%, ET=12.6%, IP=14.9%, IT=48%, TT=24%. During MAD, 35 MUs ceased firing, but an additional 26 MUs began firing, with the resulting MUs proportions not differing from baseline: EP=0%, ET=10.2%, IP=21.1%, IT=36.7%, TT=31.9%, χ2(9)=12.0, p=.213. The mean firing frequency of MUs did not change during MAD (baseline=20.9±4.7Hz, MAD=21.9±5.4Hz). Discussion Contrary to the hypothesis, the firing patterns of genioglossal MUs did not differ from baseline during mandibular advancement. What controls the non-respiratory/expiratory MUs of the genioglossus remains unclear.

Performance and mechanism of chromium reduction in denitrification biofilm system with different carbon sources

In the process of biological reduction of Cr(VI), the type of carbon sources affects the rate and effect of Cr(VI) reduction, but its specific performance and influencing mechanism have not yet been explored. In this study, four denitrification biofilm reactors were operated under four common carbon sources (C6H12O6, CH3COONa, CH3OH, CH3COONa:C6H12O6 1:1) to reveal the impact of carbon sources on Cr(VI) reduction. Through preliminary experimental concentration research, 75 mg/L Cr(VI) was selected as the dosing concentration. In long-term operation, the composite carbon sources of CH3COONa and C6H12O6 demonstrated excellent stability and achieved an impressive Cr(VI) removal efficiency of 99.5 %. The following sequence was C6H12O6, CH3COONa, and CH3OH. Among them, CH3OH was less competitive and the system was severely unbalanced with lowest Cr(VI) reduction efficiency. The toxicity reactions, changes in EPS and its functional groups, and electron transfer revealed the reduction and fixation mechanism of chromium on denitrification biofilm. The changes in microbial communities indicated that microbial communities in composite carbon sources can quickly adapt to the high toxic environment. The proportion of Trichococcus reached 43.6 %, which played an important role in denitrification and Cr(VI) reduction. Meanwhile, the prediction of microbial COG function reflected its excellent metabolic ability and defense mechanism.

Phenol red as electrochemical indicator for highly sensitive quantification of SARS-CoV-2 by loop-mediated isothermal amplification detection

The current COVID-19 pandemic has made patent the need for rapid and cost-effective diagnostic tests, crucial for future infectious outbreaks. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a promising and decentralized alternative to qPCR. In this work we have developed a sensitive, fast, and simple innovative methodology for quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies, combining reverse-transcription LAMP with electrochemical detection. This is based on the oxidation of phenol red (PR), a visual and electroactive LAMP indicator, which oxidation peak potential (Ep) changes with the progress of the LAMP reaction. Using that Ep shift as analytical signal, a calibration curve was obtained for fragment N1 copies of SARS-CoV2 (which provided better results than N or S fragments), with a potential shift of 16.2 mV per order of magnitude, and a practical limit of detection of 21 copies·μL−1. Moreover, the precision of Ep is excellent (RSD < 2%): 557 ± 5 mV for negative and 602 ± 7 mV for positive (2148 N fragment RNA copies·µL-1·-1) LAMP controls. This methodology has been applied to the analysis of nasopharyngeal swab samples, resulting in total concordance with clinical RT-qPCR results. Advances towards fully decentralization have been achieved by designing and fabricating a small portable heater for isothermal procedures, obtaining comparable results to those from a commercial benchtop thermal cycler.

Age-related changes to cerebral artery stiffness and structure in mice

Introduction: With advancing age, there are changes in the structural and material properties of the arterial wall. While the age-related increase in stiffness is well described for large arteries, less is known about the structural changes to cerebral arteries with age. In response to increased blood pressure, as occurs with aging, arteries typically undergo remodeling that includes smooth muscle cell proliferation and collagen accumulation. This remodeling contributes to increased stiffness and reduces pulse pressure dampening, potentially leading to damage to arterioles and capillaries. We hypothesized that old cerebral arteries would display greater stiffness, wall thickness, collagen content, and smooth muscle content compared with young cerebral arteries. Methods: We studied old male (n=10, 24-27 months) and young male (n=9, 4-7 months) C57BL/6 mice. For measures of stiffness, isolated posterior cerebral arteries were exposed to pulsatile pressure (37.5 to 87.5 mmHg, 400 pulses/min) for 30 minutes. Artery diameters during the pulsation were recorded and used to calculate distension, β-stiffness index, and Peterson modulus of elasticity (EP). In sections of the middle cerebral arteries, total wall thickness and total collagen were measured in Masson’s trichrome-stained arteries. Collagen-1 and α-smooth muscle actin content were measured by immunofluorescence in middle cerebral artery sections. Data were analyzed by a Shapiro-Wilks test for normality, and young and old groups were compared by student’s t-test. Group comparisons for β-stiffness, EP, and percent change in diameter were made using a Mann-Whitney test. A p&lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Data are mean±SD. Results: Cerebral arteries from young mice, compared with old mice, had a higher distensibility during the application of pulsatile pressure, measured by the percent change in diameter (8.0±4.0% vs. 5.1±2.5%, p=0.03) or absolute change in diameter (12.0±5.4 μm vs. 7.8±3.8 μm, p=0.03). Cerebral artery stiffness, calculated by β-stiffness index (13.1±6.5 AU vs. 21.9±13.8 AU, p=0.03) and EP (777±384 kPa 102 vs.1293±816 kPa 102, p=0.03) was lower in young mice compared with old mice. There was no difference in cerebral artery wall thickness between groups (6.9±3.0 μm vs. 9.6±2.3 μm, p=0.08). Cerebral arteries from old mice had greater amounts of α-smooth muscle actin compared to young mice (1.4±0.2 AU vs. 1.0±0.2 AU, p=0.009). Interestingly, cerebral arteries from old mice had lower collagen-1 compared to young mice (0.8±0.1 vs. 1.0±0.1 AU, p=0.01), but the opposite trend was observed for total collagen (26.3±13.6 AU vs. 17.6±9.6, p=0.06). Conclusion: These results demonstrate that advancing age results in increased functional stiffness of cerebral arteries. An age-related increase in smooth muscle is a potential cause of higher cerebral artery stiffness. This project was funded by NIH R01 AG064016 and the Oregon Medical Research Foundation. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

An Investigation of the Lower Stratospheric Gravity Wave Activity in Tibetan Plateau Based on Multi-GNSS RO Dry Temperature Observations

To understand the activity of gravity waves (GWs) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is of great significance for improving global climate models. Considering that the lower stratosphere is the main level of GWs activity, this paper first established a 14-year 2° × 2° longitude–latitude monthly mean GWs model in the lower stratosphere (18~20 km) of the TP by combining post-processed dry temperature profiles provided by the multi-Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) missions: The Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) and the Meteorological Operational (METOP) series polar-orbiting meteorological satellites (METOP-A, METOP-B, and METOP-C) from August 2006 to September 2020. Based on this model, this paper analyzed the characteristics of GWs activity around TP and the effects of topography, background wind, and zonal wind on GWs activity and summarized the general process of topographic wave excitation and upward propagation around TP. The spatial distribution of the lower stratospheric GW Ep is highly correlated with the spatial distribution of background wind and the topography of TP during GWs excitation. The GW Ep is obviously filtered by the zero-speed wind. The change in GW Ep is strongly correlated with the change in topography. These phenomena indicate that the GWs of TP are mainly topographic waves. Moreover, the lower stratospheric GW Ep of TP shows that periodic changes are mainly affected by the periodic background wind, and the GW Ep value is larger in February and smaller in August. The large GW Ep in the lower stratosphere of TP is not only related to the GWs strongly generated by the interaction between the strong background wind and the large elevation or large topographic changes but also related to the strong zonal westerly winds that promote the propagation of GWs upward. Multivariable linear regression models were used to reconstruct the lower stratospheric GW Ep over TP based on the background wind and the zonal wind and a goodness of fit of 81.1% was achieved. It indicates that the GW Ep is dominated by the topographic wave over TP in the lower stratosphere and the background wind has a greater influence on the GWs than the zonal wind.

Transcriptome dynamics of rice in natura: Response of above and below ground organs to microclimate.

The long-term dynamics of the transcriptome under natural field conditions remain unclear. We conducted comprehensive gene expression analyses of rice leaves and roots grown under natural field conditions for a long period, from the tillering stage to the ripening stage. In this experiment, changes in the transcriptome were captured in relation to microclimatic parameters, particularly potential evaporation (Ep), which is a multiple meteorological factor and acts as an indicator of transpirational demand. The results indicated that many genes were regulated by changes in temperature and Ep in both leaves and roots. Furthermore, the correlation between gene expression and meteorological factors differed significantly between the vegetative and reproductive stages. Since Ep triggers transpiration, we analyzed aquaporin gene expression, which is responsible for water transport, and found that many aquaporin genes in leaves were positively correlated with Ep throughout the growth period, whereas in roots, two plasma membrane intrinsic aquaporins, PIP2;4 and PIP2;5 were strongly correlated with Ep during reproductive growth. Other genes closely related to productivity, such as those involved in nutrient absorption and photosynthesis, exhibited different responses to meteorological factors at different growth stages. The stage-dependent shift in the microclimate response provides an important perspective on crop physiology in light of climate change.

The effects of salinity changes on anammox performance: The response rule and tolerance mechanism.

Some wastewaters contain high concentrations of ammonia coexisting with large amounts of salt, which might negatively affect the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process. In this study, the performance of the anammox process under different saline conditions was investigated using an upflow anaerobic sludge bed-anammox system. After long-term operating for 275 days, the results indicated that the nitrogen removal efficiency remained high under the 0-40 g NaCl/L, and low salinity (15 g NaCl/L) substantially promoted specific anammox activity. Affected by the saline environment, the appearance, color, and shape of sludge notably changed, and the amount of extracellular polymeric substances gradually increased with increasing salinity, which might be one of the reasons for the strong salt tolerance of the system. Chloroflexi and Planctomycetes were the dominant strains under long-term salinity, and Brocadiaceae_g_ unclassified exhibited halophilic characteristics. The redundancy analysis results showed that the concentration of influent NH4 + -N and salinity were the main environmental factors affecting the microbial community of the system. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Provides data to support the maximum value for salinity wastewater treatment with anammox processes' tolerance of 40 g NaCl/L. EPS changes may be responsible for the response to salinity challenges and provide direction for high salinity wastewater treatment. Brocadiaceae_g_ unclassified exhibited a halophilic quality. And it can be focused on to improve treatment efficiency.

Earning per share sebagai variabel intervening antara rasio keuangan terhadap harga saham pada perusahaan property dan real estate

The Property and Real Estate sector has an important role in the economy. The financial ratio performance obtained is quite good, but not with the share price. The purpose of this study is to find out the effect of profitability and leverage on stock prices with EPS being the intervening variable for Property and Real Estate companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange 2018-2020. The population is Property and Real Estate companies on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2018 to 2020 as many as 273 companies. The sample method is purposive sampling obtained as many as 150 companies in accordance with existing criteria. Analysis of the data used is path analysis. According to the results of research analysis, it is said that profitability and Earning Per Share contribute to changes in stock prices. Leverage does not contribute to changes in stock prices. Profitability contributes to changes in EPS. Leverage does not contribute to changes in Earning Per Share. Then according to the results of path analysis, it is said that Earning Per Share is able to become an intervening variable on profitability and leverage on share prices of companies in the Property and Real Estate sector.

Hydrometeorology for plant omics: Potential evaporation as a key index for transcriptome in rice

Transpiration is a major physiological phenomenon in plants and is induced by atmospheric transpirational demand. However, little is known about quantitative relationships between transpirational demand and multiple meteorological factors, and how plants respond to short-time (day-to-day) changes in transpirational demand at the gene and molecular levels. We used a physical-based model of heat balance and transfer at a saturated surface to quantify the sensitivity of potential evaporation (Ep; a hydrometeorological indicator of transpirational demand) to each meteorological factor under a wide range of climatic conditions. Sensitivity analysis showed that Ep varies dynamically in time and space with meteorological conditions. That is, Ep changes commensurately with solar radiation Sd, somewhat increases with wind speed WS, while somewhat decreases with increasing relative humidity Rh. The sensitivity of Ep to WS and Rh increases with decreasing Sd. The logarithm of Ep decreases approximately linearly with increasing inverse absolute temperature. The validity of use of Ep as the transpirational demand under natural field conditions was confirmed by high correlation between hourly based Ep and hourly evapotranspiration in the flooded rice paddy fields. We also examined the effects of short-term changes in Ep on transpiration (ET) and transcriptomes of rice at the heading stage by altering meteorological conditions on sunny days for four hours. ET changed commensurately with Ep, and the expression levels of numerous genes, including those encoding aquaporins in rice leaves and roots, showed a significant positive or negative correlation with ET, especially in leaves. The present study suggests that rice plants may adjust their physiological condition, such as hydraulic conductivity and mesophyll conductance, through dynamic transcriptome changes in response to transpirational demand under fluctuating meteorological conditions.

After-discharge in the upper airway muscle genioglossus following brief hypoxia.

Genioglossus (GG) after-discharge is thought to protect against pharyngeal collapse by minimizing periods of low upper airway muscle activity. How GG after-discharge occurs and which single motor units (SMUs) are responsible for the phenomenon are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate genioglossal after-discharge. During wakefulness, after-discharge was elicited 8-12 times in healthy individuals with brief isocapnic hypoxia (45-60 s of 10% O2 in N2) terminated by a single breath of 100% O2. GG SMUs were designated as firing solely, or at increased rate, during inspiration (Inspiratory phasic [IP] and inspiratory tonic [IT], respectively); solely, or at increased rate, during expiration (Expiratory phasic [EP] or expiratory tonic [ET], respectively) or firing constantly without respiratory modulation (Tonic). SMUs were quantified at baseline, the end of hypoxia, the hyperoxic breath, and the following eight normoxic breaths. A total of 210 SMUs were identified in 17 participants. GG muscle activity was elevated above baseline for seven breaths after hyperoxia (p < 0.001), indicating a strong after-discharge effect. After-discharge occurred due to persistent firing of IP and IT units that were recruited during hypoxia, with minimal changes in ET, EP, or Tonic SMUs. The firing frequency of units that were already active changed minimally during hypoxia or the afterdischarge period (p > 0.05). That genioglossal after-discharge is almost entirely due to persistent firing of previously silent inspiratory SMUs provides insight into the mechanisms responsible for the phenomenon and supports the hypothesis that the inspiratory and expiratory/tonic motor units within the muscle have idiosyncratic functions.

Закономерности температурных изменений спектров отражения инфракрасного излучения кристалла Bi-=SUB=-0.8-=/SUB=-Sb-=SUB=-1.2-=/SUB=-Te-=SUB=-3-=/SUB=- в области возбуждения плазменнных колебаний свободных носителей заряда и межзонных переходов

The regularities of the temperature behavior of the reflection spectra of the Bi0.8Sb1.2Te3 crystal obtained in the range of the plasma resonance of free charge carriers and the fundamental absorption edge allow us to trace the changes in the plasmon energy Ep and the optical band gap Eg opt. The observed decrease in Eg opt with increasing temperature corresponds to the existing ideas about the redistribution of holes between the nonequivalent extremes of the valence band in (Bi2-xSbx)Te3 (0&lt;x&lt;1) crystals. The dominance of this process in a certain temperature range contributes to the change in plasma frequencies. Keywords: reflection spectra, plasma oscillations, electron-plasmon interaction, dielectric functions.

Emotional experience in patients with clinically isolated syndrome and early multiple sclerosis.

Evidence suggests that there are changes in the processing of emotional information (EP) in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is unclear which functional domains of EP are affected, whether these changes are secondary to other MS-related neuropsychological or psychiatric symptoms and if EP changes are present in early MS. The aim of the study was to investigate EP in patients with early MS (clinically isolated syndrome and early relapsing/remitting MS) and healthy controls (HCs). A total of 29 patients without neuropsychological or psychiatricdeficits and 29 matched HCs were presented with pictures from the International Affective Picture System with negative, positive or neutral content. Participants rated the induced emotion regarding valence and arousal using nine-level Likert scales. A speeded recognition test assessed memory for the emotional stimuli and for the emotional modulation of response time. A subgroup of participants was tested during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session. Patients in the MRI subgroup rated the experience induced by pictures with positive or negative emotional content significantly more weakly than HCs. Further, these patients were significantly less aroused when watching the pictures from the International Affective Picture System. There were no effects in the non-MRI subgroup or effects on emotional memory or response times. Emotional processing changes may be present in early MS in the form of flattened emotional experience on both the valence and arousal dimensions. These changes do not appear to be secondary to neuropsychological or psychiatric deficits. The fact that emotional flattening was only found in the MRI setting suggests that EP changes may be unmasked within stressful environments and points to the potential yet underestimated impact of the MRI setting on behavioral outcomes.

Changes in the power-duration relationship following prolonged exercise: estimation using conventional and all-out protocols and relationship with muscle glycogen.

It is not clear how the parameters of the power-duration relationship [critical power (CP) and W'] are influenced by the performance of prolonged endurance exercise. We used severe-intensity prediction trials (conventional protocol) and the 3-min all-out test (3MT) to measure CP and W' following 2 h of heavy-intensity cycling exercise and took muscle biopsies to investigate possible relationships to changes in muscle glycogen concentration ([glycogen]). Fourteen participants completed a rested 3MT to establish end-test power (Control-EP) and work done above EP (Control-WEP). Subsequently, on separate days, immediately following 2 h of heavy-intensity exercise, participants completed a 3MT to establish Fatigued-EP and Fatigued-WEP and three severe-intensity prediction trials to the limit of tolerance (Tlim) to establish Fatigued-CP and Fatigued-W'. A muscle biopsy was collected immediately before and after one of the 2-h exercise bouts. Fatigued-CP (256 ± 41 W) and Fatigued-EP (256 ± 52 W), and Fatigued-W' (15.3 ± 5.0 kJ) and Fatigued-WEP (14.6 ± 5.3 kJ), were not different (P > 0.05) but were ~11% and ~20% lower than Control-EP (287 ± 46 W) and Control-WEP (18.7 ± 4.7 kJ), respectively (P < 0.05). The change in muscle [glycogen] was not significantly correlated with the changes in either EP (r = 0.19) or WEP (r = 0.07). The power-duration relationship is adversely impacted by prolonged endurance exercise. The 3MT provides valid estimates of CP and W' following 2 h of heavy-intensity exercise, but the changes in these parameters are not primarily determined by changes in muscle [glycogen].

Influence of mid-stress on the dynamic fatigue of a light weight EPS bead foam

AbstractExpandable Polystyrene (EPS) is one of the most commonly used material, when it comes to protect thermal sensitive goods, since the thermal conductivity of EPS is very low. The mechanical properties in terms of long-term compression or quasi-static compression are also quite well known. But when the material is loaded with higher amplitudes over a long period of time, not much is known yet about long-term mechanical behavior. For example, as a packaging material, EPS exhibits complex loading situation ranging from small to high amplitudes over a long period of time, when e.g. it is transported in a truck, a ship or in a car. In order to characterize the mechanical behavior under such large amplitude loading, the dynamic fatigue needs to be recorded and evaluated. In this paper, the principles of the hysteresis measurements evaluation are applied on EPS for the first time to unveil long-term mechanical properties in compression. Results show, that after increasing the dynamic load level to a critical level of over 100 kPa, the mechanical behavior, in terms of compression rate, of EPS changes from a linear to a kind of exponential mode.

F107. Sensory and motor evoked potentials in a multicenter setting: Estimation of detectable group differences at varying sample sizes

Introduction Sensory and motor evoked potentials (SEP; MEP) can be used to measure quantitatively the extent of delayed signal conduction in multiple sclerosis (MS). They may be useful to monitor disease course and even serve as biomarkers in clinical trials (Hardmeier et al., 2017). Here we estimate the detectable differences in group means and in longitudinal group changes for different sample sizes accounting for physiological and rater-related variability. Methods 15 healthy subjects were evaluated twice within 30 days with median and tibial SEP and upper (UL) and lower limb (LL) MEP in three centers 1-3 according to a common standardized protocol in keeping with IFCN recommendations. Four neurophysiologists (FJ, MH, PA, PF) independently marked all curves blinded to their previous ratings using a web-based tool (EPMark; HB, MH, PF). N20, P40, shortest and mean cortico-muscular-latencies (CML) were analyzed; central (motor) conduction times were omitted due to lower test-retest-reliability. In addition, the sum of the z-transformed results from each test was divided by number of tests to yield a quantitative EP-score (qEPS). Mixed effect models using results of time-points 1 and 2 as combined outcomes were employed to calculate the standard error (SE) of a group mean of cross-sectional measurements or longitudinal changes. The respective SE formulas were used to calculate the difference d detectable with a power of 90% [d = (1.96 + 1.28) ∗ sqrt( SE 1 2 + SE 2 2 ) -2CoV] as a function of group size assuming a central reading center. Covariance between group means by common influence of raters on both groups was ignored for a more conservative estimate. Results For a sample size of n = 60, cross-sectional group mean difference (d1) is estimated to range from 0.6 to 2.1 ms (N20: 0.6, P40: 1.5; CML-UL [shortest/ mean]: 1.4/1.2; CML-LL: 1.7/2.1), and longitudinal mean group difference (d2) from 0.4 to 2.7 ms (N20: 0.4, P40: 1.0; CML-UL: 1.1/0.8; CML-LL: 1.6/2.7). For a sample size of n = 100, d1 ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 ms (N20: 0.5, P40: 1.2; CML-UL: 1.1/1.0; CML-LL: 1.4/2.0), and d2 from 0.4 to 2.6 ms (N20: 0.4, P40: 0.8; CML-UL: 0.9/0.7; CML-LL: 1.5/2.6). For qEPS [including shortest or mean CML], d1 was 0.5/0.4 ms for n = 60, and 0.4/0.3 ms for n = 100; d2 was 0.3/0.2 ms for n = 60 and 0.2/0.2 for n = 100. Conclusion Quantitative evaluation of combined SEP and MEP is possible in a multicenter setting with an independent reading center and allows reliable detection of significant differences in small groups of subjects. When evaluating an intervention, significant changes of EP results at an individual level help to identify responders, while significant changes at a group level may help to determine the biological effectiveness of an intervention. However, variability may be higher in patients and thus, consecutively, estimates of sample size. Supported by an unconditional research grant from Biogen Inc. MA, USA, which had no influence in planning the study or data analysis.

Characteristics of Biofilm During the Transition Process of Complete Nitrification and Partial Nitrification

The objective of the study was to investigate the change of biofilm characteristics when implementing the procedure of partial nitrification. A ratio control strategy (DO/NH4+-N) was taken to achieve partial nitrification, and biofilm samples were obtained at 10.27%, 52.12%, and 93.54% of the nitrite accumulation rate. The amount and spatial distribution of total bacteria, ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and nitrite oxidative bacteria (NOB) were observed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) through a three-dimensional excitation emission matrix (EEM) to observe the secretion and composition changes of extracellular polymer substances. Ratio control successfully enriched AOB and achieved partial nitrification under conditions when NOB was not completely washed. Heterotrophic bacteria and nitrifying bacteria coexist in the biofilm. The heterotrophic bacteria were in the outer layer, but nitrifying bacteria were distributed in the biofilm surface at 6-25 μm. During the process of short-range nitrification, the AOB/NOB value gradually increased, and the stable operation period was as high as 15.56. During the operation of the reactor, EPS and microbial flora changes are closely related. When microbial activity decreased, EPS secretion decreased. During the stable operation period of partial nitrification, NOB and other bacteria that are non-resistant to high nitrite nitrous acid declined, and the fluorescence intensity of aromatic protein-like bacteria decreased. However, the three-dimensional fluorescence spectra showed that the chemical composition of EPS was not obvious during the process of partial nitrification.

Excessive Activation of TGFβ by Spinal Instability Causes Vertebral Endplate Sclerosis.

Narrowed intervertebral disc (IVD) space is a characteristic of IVD degeneration. EP sclerosis is associated with IVD, however the pathogenesis of EP hypertrophy is poorly understood. Here, we employed two spine instability mouse models to investigate temporal and spatial EP changes associated with IVD volume, considering them as a functional unit. We found that aberrant mechanical loading leads to accelerated ossification and hypertrophy of EP, decreased IVD volume and increased activation of TGFβ. Overexpression of active TGFβ in CED mice showed a similar phenotype of spine instability model. Administration of TGFβ Receptor I inhibitor attenuates pathologic changes of EP and prevents IVD narrowing. The aberrant activation of TGFβ resulting in EPs hypertrophy-induced IVD space narrowing provides a pharmacologic target that could have therapeutic potential to delay DDD.

46. Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in scoliosis surgery at University Hospital Brno

The aim of our study was the evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) in scoliosis and developmental spinal deformities Sumery in our hospital after 10 years of practice. we evaluated retrospectively all intraoperative monitoring of motor (MEP) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) during surgery of scoliosis and spinal deformities at Orthopedic clinic of University Hospital Brno between January 2003 and September 2013. Altogether 529 IONM using MEP and SEP were performed in 431 female and 98 male patients (mean age 15.1, range 2–48). No evoked responses were recorded during four surgeries due to technical reasons. Retrospectively, with respect to postoperative neurological status we identified 510 true negative monitoring, one false negative monitoring, 12 true positive monitoring (significant EP changes which disappeared during surgery after targeted intervention were observed or these changes remained and correlated with postoperative neurological deficit), and two false positive monitoring. Significant permanent deficit was observed in two patients (0.38%). Combined MEP and SEP IONM showed sensitivity 92.3% and specificity 99.6% in prediction of postoperative neurological status. Permanent neurological deficit was observed in 0.38% of surgeries. These findings correspond to those referred by other authors.

S100B, intraoperative neuromonitoring findings and their relation to clinical outcome in surgically treated intradural spinal lesions

Neurophysiological monitoring (IOM) consisting of somatosensory (SEPs), muscle (MEPs) and spinal motor evoked (D-wave; spinal MEPs) potentials is used to indicate injury related to surgical treatment of intradural and intramedullary lesions. Combining spinal and muscle MEPs reliably predicts long-term motor deficit. If spinal MEPs recording is not possible, additional markers-e.g. S100B, a serum marker for glial injury-may be a helpful adjunct. Thus, serial serum S100B measurements were related to both the intraoperative IOM recordings and the long-term neurological outcome in patients surgically treated for cervical and thoracic intradural lesions. In 33 patients (9 men, 24 women, 54 ± 17 years) during intramedullary (8) or intradural (25) cervical or thoracic spinal surgeries significant intraoperative SEP-amplitude decrement >50 % or MEP loss and serial S100B serum concentration (perioperative days 0, 1-3, 5) were related to outcome (>1 year after discharge, grouped into improved and unchanged/altered neurological symptoms). Differences in S100B levels between patients with improved and unchanged/altered neurological outcome were significantly on postoperative days 2 (0.085 ± 0.08 μg/l vs 0.206 ± 0.07 μg/l, p = 0.005) and 3 (0.076 ± 0.03 μg/l vs 0.12 ± 0.05 μg/l, p = 0.007). All patients with permanent altered neurological symptoms developed S100B levels >0.08 μg/l (0.09-0.35 μg/l). Eighty-one percent of patients with improved neurological symptoms presented with S100B levels ≤0.08 μg/l (0.02-0.08 μg/l). Nine out of ten patients (90 %) without changes in EP and S100B had an improved long-term outcome, whereas 9/13 patients (69 %) with changes in EP and S100B had altered neurological symptoms in long-term outcome. Intraoperative stable EPs and S100B ≤0.08 μg/l may be used as a marker to predict long-term neurological improvement, whereas EP-changes and elevated S100B levels on the 3rd postoperative day may be useful as a marker to predict long-term neurological alteration. In summary, the combined use of S100B and EPs might be helpful in the prediction of the severity of adverse spinal cord affection following surgery and guidance of patients.