Evidence Of Disruption Research Articles

SP5.7 - Identifying patients for safe early discharge following robotic colorectal resection: can C reactive protein levels help?

Abstract Aims Current enhanced recovery protocols are mainly based on outcomes from laparoscopic surgery and do not factor in the reduced stress response seen in robotic surgery. We report our centre’s seven-year experience in managing patients undergoing robotic colorectal resections and aim to define cut-offs for inflammatory markers to allow early and safe discharge of these patients. Methods A retrospective single-centre UK study including patients who underwent robotic colorectal resections with primary anastomosis from 01/02/2015 to 28/02/2022. Serial white cell counts and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels from postoperative day 1 to 5 were used as surrogate markers for assessing inflammatory response. Anastomotic leak was defined as evidence of disruption on imaging or on direct visualisation at return to theatre. Results In total, 200 patients were included based on our inclusion criteria. Overall, 19 patients (9.5%) had anastomotic leaks postoperatively. Postoperatively, a higher day 3, 4, and 5 white cell count and CRP were seen in patients with anastomotic leak. ROC curve analysis revealed a day 3 CRP of < 95.5 mg/L had a sensitivity of 94.4% in predicting no anastomotic leak with an AUC of 0.842. In our study, 94/200 patients met this cut-off and could have been safely discharged from hospital at day 3. Conclusion A day 3 CRP of < 95.5 mg/L was found to be a sensitive marker in ruling out anastomotic leak in patients undergoing robotic colorectal resection which is lower than the threshold described in the literature for open/laparoscopic procedures. Enhanced recovery protocols need to be redesigned to factor in the relative reduction in inflammatory response conferred by robotic surgery.

Crosstalk between Anxiety and Depression and Inflammatory bowel diseases: preliminary data on circulating miRNAs

IntroductionNumerous studies have established a heightened prevalence of anxiety and depression (A&D) in individuals diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) when compared to the general population. Research indicates that patients with active IBD exhibit a higher frequency of anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms compared to those with inactive disease. In patients with IBD, anxiety was linked to reduced medication adherence and an increased likelihood of undergoing surgery. Furthermore, associations were identified between depression and an elevated risk of disease relapse, as well as a poorer response to treatment in IBD patients. In both IBD and depression, there is evidence of disruptions in circulating miRNAs.ObjectivesOne facet of the ongoing project titled “The brain-gut axis linking inflammatory bowel disease with anxiety and depression: the inflammation-microbiome network” (CRP/ROU21-01) involves the exploration of circulating miRNA profiles in various patient groups.MethodsThese groups encompass IBD patients with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression (IBD+A&D+), patients lacking anxiety and depression symptoms (IBD+A&D-), a cohort of individuals without IBD but experiencing depressive and anxiety symptoms (IBD-A&D+), and a control group (IBD-A&D-). Thus far, our investigation has entailed screening a comprehensive panel of 179 miRNAs in the plasma of six IBD patients and 12 non-IBD patients (CTRL) to identify a subset of highly dysregulated miRNAs. MiRNA isolation was achieved using the miRNeasy Serum/Plasma Kit, and miRNA expression levels were assessed via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) utilizing the Human serum/plasma focus, MIRCURY LNA miRNA Focus PCR panel (Qiagen).ResultsOur statistical analysis revealed significant differential expression in 45 miRNAs (p<0.05). Specifically, we identified 29 miRNAs with elevated expression and seven miRNAs with reduced expression. Among these dysregulated miRNAs, 15 (miR-223-3p, miR-143-3p, let-7f-5p, miR-30b-5p, miR-26a-5p, let-7a-5p, miR-339-5p, let-7d-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-191-5p, let-7g-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-107, miR-26b-5p, miR-320b) were associated with depression and/or anxiety and were previously identified as dysregulated in the plasma of patients in other studies. These miRNAs will soon undergo evaluation in the plasma of IBD-A&D+ and IBD+A&D+ patients.ConclusionsThese initial findings provide us with a panel of circulating miRNAs that warrant further investigation in the aforementioned patient groups. The miRNA profile we obtained may either be unique to IBD or linked to the intricate phenotypes of IBD occurring concurrently with anxiety and depression. A more profound comprehension of these mechanisms will aid in the development of enhanceddiagnostic tools and disease monitoring strategies, as well as the exploration of innovative therapeutic approaches.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The changes in health service utilisation in Malawi during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the restriction policies implemented by the Government of Malawi may have disrupted routine health service utilisation. We aimed to find evidence for such disruptions and quantify any changes by service type and level of health care. We extracted nationwide routine health service usage data for 2015-2021 from the electronic health information management systems in Malawi. Two datasets were prepared: unadjusted and adjusted; for the latter, unreported monthly data entries for a facility were filled in through systematic rules based on reported mean values of that facility or facility type and considering both reporting rates and comparability with published data. Using statistical descriptive methods, we first described the patterns of service utilisation in pre-pandemic years (2015-2019). We then tested for evidence of departures from this routine pattern, i.e., service volume delivered being below recent average by more than two standard deviations was viewed as a substantial reduction, and calculated the cumulative net differences of service volume during the pandemic period (2020-2021), in aggregate and within each specific facility. Evidence of disruptions were found: from April 2020 to December 2021, services delivered of several types were reduced across primary and secondary levels of care-including inpatient care (-20.03% less total interactions in that period compared to the recent average), immunisation (-17.61%), malnutrition treatment (-34.5%), accidents and emergency services (-16.03%), HIV (human immunodeficiency viruses) tests (-27.34%), antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiations for adults (-33.52%), and ART treatment for paediatrics (-41.32%). Reductions of service volume were greatest in the first wave of the pandemic during April-August 2020, and whereas some service types rebounded quickly (e.g., outpatient visits from -17.7% to +3.23%), many others persisted at lower level through 2021 (e.g., under-five malnutrition treatment from -15.24% to -42.23%). The total reduced service volume between April 2020 and December 2021 was 8 066 956 (-10.23%), equating to 444 units per 1000 persons. We have found substantial evidence for reductions in health service delivered in Malawi during the COVID-19 pandemic which may have potential health consequences, the effect of which should inform how decisions are taken in the future to maximise the resilience of healthcare system during similar events.

The octopamine receptor OAα1 influences oogenesis and reproductive performance in Rhodnius prolixus.

The control of reproductive processes in Rhodnius prolixus involves a variety of neuroactive chemicals. Among these, several studies have suggested that the biogenic amine octopamine (OA), might play an active role in these processes. Here, we investigate the molecular profile of the R. prolixus α adrenergic-like OA receptor 1 (RpOAα1-R) and its role in egg production. Comparative molecular analyses confirm that the RpOAα1-R gene codes for a true OAα1 receptor. The RpOAα1-R transcript is highly expressed in tissues associated with egg production, and after a blood meal, which is the stimulus for full egg production in R. prolixus, the RpOAα1-R transcript is upregulated in the ovaries and spermatheca. After RNAi-mediated RpOAα1-R knockdown, an ovarian phenotype characterized by slow egg development is observed. Furthermore, an altered egg phenotype has been characterized with eggs that are deformed. Interestingly, there is no evidence of disruption in vitellogenin (Vg) synthesis by the fat body or uptake by the oocytes. On the other hand, RpOAα1-R downregulation is correlated with defective choriogenesis in the eggs. These results provide critical information concerning the role of OAα1-R in oogenesis in R. prolixus.

Evidence of Disruption in Neural Regeneration in Dry Eye Secondary to Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The purpose of our study was to analyze abnormal neural regeneration activity in the cornea through means of confocal microscopy in rheumatoid arthritis patients with concomitant dry eye disease. We examined 40 rheumatoid arthritis patients with variable severity and 44 volunteer age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects. We found that all examined parameters were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in rheumatoid arthritis patients as opposed to the control samples: namely, the number of fibers, the total length of the nerves, the number of branch points on the main fibers and the total nerve-fiber area. We examined further variables, such as age, sex and the duration of rheumatoid arthritis. Interestingly, we could not find a correlation between the above variables and abnormal neural structural changes in the cornea. We interpreted these findings via implementing our hypotheses. Correspondingly, one neuroimmunological link between dry eye and rheumatoid arthritis could be through the chronic Piezo2 channelopathy-induced K2P-TASK1 signaling axis. This could accelerate neuroimmune-induced sensitization on the spinal level in this autoimmune disease, with Langerhans-cell activation in the cornea and theorized downregulated Piezo1 channels in these cells. Even more importantly, suggested principal primary-damage-associated corneal keratocyte activation could be accompanied by upregulation of Piezo1. Both activation processes on the periphery would skew the plasticity of the Th17/Treg ratio, resulting in Th17/Treg imbalance in dry eye, secondary to rheumatoid arthritis. Hence, chronic somatosensory-terminal Piezo2 channelopathy-induced impaired Piezo2-Piezo1 crosstalk could result in a mixed picture of disrupted functional regeneration but upregulated morphological regeneration activity of these somatosensory axons in the cornea, providing the demonstrated abnormal neural corneal morphology.

An effective disaster recovery model in supply chain management at times of pandemic

An automated model representing communicating states for a given moment in actual time is theorized in an Automated Supply Chain Dual (SC). When handling instability threats in SCs, we look at the circumstances surrounding the architecture and deployment of the digital twins. Combining models with data-driven methods show interrelationships between data risk, modeling disturbances, and performance evaluation. Digital network networking maps are distinctly visually illustrated by the SC blow and modifications amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the after-event recovery method. The findings of this research complement SC risk management’s science and experience by enriching forecasting and corrective findings to exploit the merits of SC modeling, quantitative predictive data, and evidence of disruptions in real-time. The supply chains have been severely impacted by the recent coronavirus pandemic, known as the COVID-19 outbreak. Due to supply failure, demand for certain items has increased significantly, while raw materials supply required to produce those items has decreased; therefore, to address these issues, this paper proposes some strategies for improving service levels for the most sought-after products, such as toilet paper, during a severe pandemic, such as COVID-19.

Tissue distribution of ethanol after intraprostatic injection using a porous needle.

To develop a safe and precise method for intraprostatic injection, and to establish correlation between the volume of ethanol injectate and the volume of subsequent infiltrated prostate tissue. We performed intraprostatic injection of 96% ethanol using a needle which has a segment of its wall made of capillary membrane with hundreds of pores in an acute and chronic canine experiment, in heart-beating cadaveric organ donors, and in a xenograft model of human prostate cancer. Whole mount tissue sections were used for three-dimensional reconstruction of the necrotic lesions and calculation of their volumes. The ethanol injection resulted in oval shaped lesions of well-delineated coagulative necrosis. In both healthy human and canine prostates, the prostatic pseudocapsule and neurovascular bundle remained intact without evidence of disruption. There was a linear correlation between administered volume of ethanol and the volume of necrotic lesion. Regression analysis showed strong correlation in the acute canine experiments and in experiments performed on xenografts of human prostate cancer. A formula was calculated for each experiment to estimate the relationship between the injected volume and the volume of infiltrated prostate tissue area. Intraprostatic injection using a porous needle allows for effective and predictable tissue distribution of the injectate in the prostate. Through varying the volume of the agent injected and use of needles with a different length of the porous segment, the volume of infiltrated tissue could be adjusted allowing for targeted focal treatment.

Political Centralization, Federalism, and Urbanization: Evidence from Australia

AbstractThe dominance of capital cities (urban primacy) is an enduring characteristic of Australian states. There has been limited empirical research examining the drivers of primacy in states despite some being extreme examples of the phenomenon, both in magnitude and scale. In light of institutional theories of settlement patterns, we developed a profile of Australian urbanization using a century of time-series data, descriptive statistics, and an empirical model of city populations. In Australian states high measures of primacy have endured with little evidence of disruption despite the enormous size of these states, their wealth, and population growth – factors associated with declining and low primacy. Statistically, state capital city status has a significant effect on city population size variation, with results suggesting primacy in states is in part a product of Australian federalism. This contrasts with views that suggest Australia’s scarcity of large non-capital cities is due to isolation, low population, and environmental determinism. The findings in this paper have major implications relative to national and/or state strategies that aim to decentralize population away from the primate cities.

Perinatal Morphine Exposure Leads to Sex-Dependent Executive Function Deficits and Microglial Changes in Mice.

Children exposed prenatally to opioids are at an increased risk for behavioral problems and executive function deficits. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala (AMG) regulate executive function and social behavior and are sensitive to opioids prenatally. Opioids can bind to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) to activate microglia, which may be developmentally important for synaptic pruning. Therefore, we tested the effects of perinatal morphine exposure on executive function and social behavior in male and female mouse offspring, along with microglial-related and synaptic-related outcomes. Dams were injected once daily subcutaneously with saline (n = 8) or morphine (MO; 10 mg/kg; n = 12) throughout pregestation, gestation, and lactation until offspring were weaned on postnatal day 21 (P21). Male MO offspring had impairments in attention and accuracy in the five-choice serial reaction time task, while female MO offspring were less affected. Targeted gene expression analysis at P21 in the PFC identified alterations in microglial-related and TLR4-related genes, while immunohistochemical analysis in adult brains indicated decreased microglial Iba1 and phagocytic CD68 proteins in the PFC and AMG in males, but females had an increase. Further, both male and female MO offspring had increased social preference. Overall, these data demonstrate male vulnerability to executive function deficits in response to perinatal opioid exposure and evidence for disruptions in neuron–microglial signaling.

No evidence for disruption of reconsolidation of conditioned threat memories with a cognitively demanding intervention

Simultaneous execution of memory retrieval and cognitively demanding interventions alter the subjective experience of aversive memories. This principle can be used in treatment to target traumatic memories. An often-used interpretation is that cognitive demand interferes with memory reconsolidation. Laboratory models applying this technique often do not meet some important procedural steps thought necessary to trigger reconsolidation. It remains therefore unclear whether cognitively demanding interventions can alter the reconsolidation process of aversive memories. Here, 78 (41 included) healthy participants completed an established 3-day threat conditioning paradigm. Two conditioned stimuli were paired with a shock (CS+ s) and one was not (CS-). The next day, one CS+ (CS+ R), but not the other (CS+), was presented as a reminder. After 10 min, participants performed a 2-back working memory task. On day three, we assessed retention. We found successful acquisition of conditioned threat and retention (CS+ s > CS-). However, SCRs to the CS+ R and the CS+ during retention did not significantly differ. Although threat conditioning was successful, the well-established cognitively demanding intervention did not alter the reconsolidation process of conditioned threat memories. These findings challenge current views on how cognitively demand may enhance psychotherapy-outcome.

Characterisation of PDGF-BB:PDGFR\u03b2 signalling pathways in human brain pericytes: evidence of disruption in Alzheimer\u2019s disease

Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB):PDGF receptor-β (PDGFRβ) signalling in brain pericytes is critical to the development, maintenance and function of a healthy blood-brain barrier (BBB). Furthermore, BBB impairment and pericyte loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is well documented. We found that PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling components were altered in human AD brains, with a marked reduction in vascular PDGFB. We hypothesised that reduced PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling in pericytes may impact on the BBB. We therefore tested the effects of PDGF-BB on primary human brain pericytes in vitro to define pathways related to BBB function. Using pharmacological inhibitors, we dissected distinct aspects of the PDGF-BB response that are controlled by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt pathways. PDGF-BB promotes the proliferation of pericytes and protection from apoptosis through ERK signalling. In contrast, PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling through Akt augments pericyte-derived inflammatory secretions. It may therefore be possible to supplement PDGF-BB signalling to stabilise the cerebrovasculature in AD.

Changes in the Diagnosis of Stroke and Cardiovascular Conditions in Primary Care During the First 2 COVID-19 Waves in the Netherlands.

Background and ObjectivesAlthough there is evidence of disruption in acute cerebrovascular and cardiovascular care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, its downstream effect in primary care is less clear. We investigated how the pandemic affected utilization of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular care in general practices (GPs) and determined changes in GP-recorded diagnoses of selected cerebrovascular and cardiovascular outcomes.MethodsFrom electronic health records of 166,929 primary care patients aged 30 or over within the Rotterdam region, the Netherlands, we extracted the number of consultations related to cerebrovascular and cardiovascular care, and first diagnoses of selected cerebrovascular and cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, lipid disorders), conditions, and events (angina, atrial fibrillation, TIA, myocardial infarction, stroke). We quantified changes in those outcomes during the first COVID-19 wave (March–May 2020) and thereafter (June–December 2020) by comparing them to the same period in 2016–2019. We also estimated the number of potentially missed diagnoses for each outcome.ResultsThe number of GP consultations related to cerebrovascular and cardiovascular care declined by 38% (0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.56–0.68) during the first wave, as compared to expected counts based on prepandemic levels. Substantial declines in the number of new diagnoses were observed for cerebrovascular events: 37% for TIA (0.63, 0.41–0.96) and 29% for stroke (0.71, 0.59–0.84), while no significant changes were observed for cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction [0.91, 0.74–1.14], angina [0.77, 0.48–1.25]). The counts across individual diagnoses recovered following June 2020, but the number of GP consultations related to cerebrovascular and cardiovascular care remained lower than expected throughout the June to December period (0.93, 0.88–0.98).DiscussionWhile new diagnoses of acute cardiovascular events remained stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, diagnoses of cerebrovascular events declined substantially compared to prepandemic levels, possibly due to incorrect perception of risk by patients. These findings emphasize the need to improve symptom recognition of cerebrovascular events among the general public and to encourage urgent presentation despite any physical distancing measures.

Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on routine immunisation services: evidence of disruption and recovery from 170 countries and territories

SummaryBackgroundThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has revealed the vulnerability of immunisation systems worldwide, although the scale of these disruptions has not been described at a global level. This study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on routine immunisation using triangulated data from global, country-based, and individual-reported sources obtained during the pandemic period.MethodsThis report synthesised data from 170 countries and territories. Data sources included administered vaccine-dose data from January to December, 2019, and January to December, 2020, WHO regional office reports, and a WHO-led pulse survey administered in April, 2020, and June, 2020. Results were expressed as frequencies and proportions of respondents or reporting countries. Data on vaccine doses administered were weighted by the population of surviving infants per country.FindingsA decline in the number of administered doses of diphtheria–pertussis–tetanus-containing vaccine (DTP3) and first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) in the first half of 2020 was noted. The lowest number of vaccine doses administered was observed in April, 2020, when 33% fewer DTP3 doses were administered globally, ranging from 9% in the WHO African region to 57% in the South-East Asia region. Recovery of vaccinations began by June, 2020, and continued into late 2020. WHO regional offices reported substantial disruption to routine vaccination sessions in April, 2020, related to interrupted vaccination demand and supply, including reduced availability of the health workforce. Pulse survey analysis revealed that 45 (69%) of 65 countries showed disruption in outreach services compared with 27 (44%) of 62 countries with disrupted fixed-post immunisation services.InterpretationThe marked magnitude and global scale of immunisation disruption evokes the dangers of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks in the future. Trends indicating partial resumption of services highlight the urgent need for ongoing assessment of recovery, catch-up vaccination strategy implementation for vulnerable populations, and ensuring vaccine coverage equity and health system resilience.FundingUS Agency for International Development.

Distraction by auditory novelty during reading: Evidence for disruption in saccade planning, but not saccade execution.

Novel or unexpected sounds that deviate from an otherwise repetitive sequence of the same sound cause behavioural distraction. Recent work has suggested that distraction also occurs during reading as fixation durations increased when a deviant sound was presented at the fixation onset of words. The present study tested the hypothesis that this increase in fixation durations occurs due to saccadic inhibition. This was done by manipulating the temporal onset of sounds relative to the fixation onset of words in the text. If novel sounds cause saccadic inhibition, they should be more distracting when presented during the second half of fixations when saccade programming usually takes place. Participants read single sentences and heard a 120 ms sound when they fixated five target words in the sentence. On most occasions (p = .9), the same sine wave tone was presented (“standard”), while on the remaining occasions (p = .1) a new sound was presented (“novel”). Critically, sounds were played, on average, either during the first half of the fixation (0 ms delay) or during the second half of the fixation (120 ms delay). Consistent with the saccadic inhibition hypothesis (SIH), novel sounds led to longer fixation durations in the 120 ms compared to the 0 ms delay condition. However, novel sounds did not generally influence the execution of the subsequent saccade. These results suggest that unexpected sounds have a rapid influence on saccade planning, but not saccade execution.

Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Routine Immunization Services: Evidence of Disruption and Recovery From 169 Countries and Territories

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has revealed the vulnerability of immunization systems worldwide, although the scale of these disruptions has not been described at a global level. Methods: This report synthesized data representing 169 countries and territories. Data sources included administered vaccine dose data from January-December 2019 and 2020, WHO Regional office reports, and the WHO-led pulse survey administered in April and June 2020. Results were expressed as frequencies and proportions of respondents or reporting countries. Vaccine doses administered data were weighted by the population of surviving infants per country. Findings: A decline in the number of DTP3 and MCV1 doses administered in the first half of 2020 was noted. The nadir was observed in April 2020, when 35% fewer DTP3 doses were administered globally, ranging from 10% in Africa to 58% in South East Asia. Recovery of vaccinations began by June 2020 and continued into late 2020. WHO regional offices reported significant disruption to routine vaccination sessions in April 2020, related to interrupted vaccination demand, and supply, including reduced availability of the health workforce. Pulse survey analysis revealed that 69% of countries experienced disruption in outreach services compared to 44% countries with disrupted fixed-post immunization services. Interpretation: The marked magnitude and global scale of immunization disruption evokes the dangers of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks in the future. Trends indicating partial resumption of services highlight the urgent need for ongoing assessment of recovery, catch-up vaccination strategy implementation for vulnerable populations, and ensuring vaccine coverage equity and health system resilience. Funding: World Health Organization and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Conflict of Interest: We declare no competing interests.

Evidence of disruption of Si-rich microstructure in engineering-lightweight Al\u201312.2at.%Si alloy melt above liquidus temperature

The exploration of microstructures in high temperature alloy melts is important for manufacturing of metallic components but extremely challenging. Here, we report experimental evidence of the disruption of Si-rich microstructure in engineering-lightweight Al–12.2at.%Si alloy melt at 1100 °C, via melt-spinning (MS) of Al1−xSix (x = 0.03,0.07,0.122,0.2) alloy melts from different initial melt temperatures, 800 °C and 1100 °C, under the super-high cooling rate of ~ 106 °C/s, in cooperation with the small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurement. Si particles in 1100 °C MS alloys are abnormally smaller and increased in number at Al–12.2at.%Si, compared with 800 °C MS alloys, which demonstrates the disruption of Si-rich microstructure in Al–12.2at.%Si alloy melt at 1100 °C. SANS experiment verifies that large quantities of small (0–10 nm) Si-rich microstructures and small quantities of large (10–240 nm) Si-rich microstructures exist in Al–12.2at.%Si alloy melt, and the large Si-rich microstructures disrupt into small Si-rich microstructures with increasing of melt temperature from 800 to 1100 °C. Microstructure analysis of the MS alloys indicates that the large Si-rich microstructures in Al–12.2at.%Si alloy melt are probably aggregates comprising multiple small Si-rich microstructures. This work also provides a pathway for the exploration of microstructures in other high temperature alloy melts.

Glacial ripping: geomorphological evidence from Sweden for a new process of glacial erosion

ABSTRACT In low relief Precambrian gneiss terrain in eastern Sweden, abraded bedrock surfaces were ripped apart by the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet. The resultant boulder spreads are covers of large, angular boulders, many with glacial transport distances of 1–100 m. Boulder spreads occur alongside partly disintegrated roches moutonnées and associated fracture caves, and are associated with disrupted bedrock, which shows extensive fracture dilation in the near surface. These features are distributed in ice-flow parallel belts up to 10 km wide and extend over distances of >500 km. Our hypothesis is that the assemblage results from (1) hydraulic jacking and bedrock disruption, (2) subglacial ripping and (3) displacement, transport and final deposition of boulders. Soft sediment fills indicate jacking and dilation of pre-existing bedrock fractures by groundwater overpressure below the ice sheet. Overpressure reduces frictional resistance along fractures. Where ice traction overcomes this resistance, the rock mass strength is exceeded, resulting in disintegration of rock surfaces and ripping apart into separate blocks. Further movement and deposition create boulder spreads and moraines. Short boulder transport distances and high angularity indicate that glacial ripping operated late in the last deglaciation. The depths of rock mobilized in boulder spreads are estimated as 1–4 m. This compares with 0.6–1.6 m depths of erosion during the last glaciation derived from cosmogenic nuclide inventories of samples from bedrock surfaces without evidence of disruption. Glacially disrupted and ripped bedrock is also made ready for removal by future ice sheets. Hence glacial ripping is a highly effective process of glacial erosion.

Abstract # 2071 A rodent model of anxiety: The effect of perinatal immune challenges on gastrointestinal inflammation and integrity

Background Anxiety disorders affect close to 10% of the world’s population, accounting for 30% of the global non-fatal disease burden, and costing the global economy US$1 trillion each year. Although their aetiology remains unknown, it has been suggested that anxiety disorders occur in response to altered gastrointestinal (GI) functioning, as the presence of a GI disorder will most often precede the diagnosis of an anxiety disorder. The current study aimed to determine whether the well-characterized animal model of neuropsychopathology, the maternal immune activation (MIA) model, produced GI inflammation and integrity disruptions, in association with anxiety-like behaviour. Method Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to the viral mimetic PolyI:C on gestational days (GD) 10 and 19. Evidence of GI inflammation and barrier integrity was assessed in the small and large intestine in both neonatal and adult offspring. Results Neonatal offspring exposed to MIA exhibited an increased intestinal inflammatory profile with evidence of disruptions to GI tight junction protein mRNA. In addition, adult offspring exhibited altered tight junction protein mRNA expression and an increase in anxiety-like behaviours. Conclusion These results indicate that the rat MIA model, which is well documented to produce behavioural, neurochemical and neuroanatomical abnormalities, also produces GI inflammation and integrity disruptions. We suggest that this model may be a useful tool to elucidate biological pathways associated with anxiety disorders.

Human amniotic membrane intra-articular injection prevents cartilage damage in an osteoarthritis model.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that affects the soft tissues and bones of involved articulations as a result of deregulation between synthesis and extracellular matrix degradation in articular cartilage. The present study evaluated the effect of intra-articular injection of human amniotic membrane (AM) as a treatment in an OA animal model in the knee. Chemical OA was developed in the knees of New Zealand rabbits. Once OA was established, the right knees only were treated with an intra-articular injection of human AM, with the left knees considered as a negative control group. The evaluation was performed at 3 and 6 weeks post-treatment. At 3 weeks post-injection, the cartilage exhibited fibrillation, erosion, cracks and cell clusters in the negative control group, but not in the treated group (P=0.028). At 6 weeks post-injection, the left knees exhibited hypertrophy, cracks, cell clusters, decreased matrix staining and structure loss. However, the right knees exhibited cell clusters without evidence of disruption in cartilage integrity (P=0.015). These results suggested that the intra-articular injection of human AM delays histological changes of cartilage in OA.

The fertility of male immigrants: a comparative study on six Western European countries

ABSTRACTMigration has a huge demographic impact on European societies, especially when migrant populations have different levels and patterns of fertility, union formation and mortality, contributing to population size and composition. Nevertheless, comparative studies focusing on the association between migration and fertility, and how it evolves during the migration process, are still scarce. This work analyses the fertility of male migrants in six European countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and United Kingdom. Using data from the EU-LFS (2005–2015), results show that migrants are more likely to have at least one child and larger family size than natives, except those coming from Eastern Europe and Central America. Nevertheless, time since migration is a crucial element to explain their fertility: migrants from any country of origin have lower propensities of parenthood immediately after migration, whereas their fertility increases over time spent in the host society. We then find evidence of disruption in the short-run and of socialization once migrants settle in the new society, especially in Southern European countries.