Greater Recovery Research Articles

Parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems interactively predict change in cognitive functioning in midlife adults

The two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) have been individually linked to changes in cognitive functioning: The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) has been associated with healthy cognitive aging, whereas excessive sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity has been linked to heightened cognitive decline. Despite these separate findings and despite the integrative nature of the ANS, little work has examined the two branches simultaneously to better understand their interactive effects on changes in cognitive functioning in midlife adults. We examined cognitive change in two waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study cognitive project and indexed PNS and SNS activity from heart rate variability and epinephrine levels, respectively, from the MIDUS biomarker project (minimum n=843, 57.9% female, mean age at first wave=53.8years). Our findings indicate that greater PNS responsivity (i.e., greater withdrawal and greater recovery) in response to cognitive challenge is associated with attenuated cognitive decline, but only among individuals with low SNS levels; at higher SNS levels, the effects of the PNS on cognitive decline are attenuated. These results suggest that future research targeting the ANS and cognitive aging should consider both ANS branch's effects simultaneously.

Bringing proportional recovery into proportion: Bayesian modelling of post-stroke motor impairment.

Accurate predictions of motor impairment after stroke are of cardinal importance for the patient, clinician, and healthcare system. More than 10 years ago, the proportional recovery rule was introduced by promising that high-fidelity predictions of recovery following stroke were based only on the initially lost motor function, at least for a specific fraction of patients. However, emerging evidence suggests that this recovery rule is subject to various confounds and may apply less universally than previously assumed. Here, we systematically revisited stroke outcome predictions by applying strategies to avoid confounds and fitting hierarchical Bayesian models. We jointly analysed 385 post-stroke trajectories from six separate studies-one of the largest overall datasets of upper limb motor recovery. We addressed confounding ceiling effects by introducing a subset approach and ensured correct model estimation through synthetic data simulations. Subsequently, we used model comparisons to assess the underlying nature of recovery within our empirical recovery data. The first model comparison, relying on the conventional fraction of patients called 'fitters', pointed to a combination of proportional to lost function and constant recovery. 'Proportional to lost' here describes the original notion of proportionality, indicating greater recovery in case of a more severe initial impairment. This combination explained only 32% of the variance in recovery, which is in stark contrast to previous reports of >80%. When instead analysing the complete spectrum of subjects, 'fitters' and 'non-fitters', a combination of proportional to spared function and constant recovery was favoured, implying a more significant improvement in case of more preserved function. Explained variance was at 53%. Therefore, our quantitative findings suggest that motor recovery post-stroke may exhibit some characteristics of proportionality. However, the variance explained was substantially reduced compared to what has previously been reported. This finding motivates future research moving beyond solely behaviour scores to explain stroke recovery and establish robust and discriminating single-subject predictions.

Separation of ions with equivalent and similar molecular weights by nanofiltration: Sodium chloride and sodium acetate as an example

Wastewater containing equivalent and similar molecular weights (similar ions) generated from the production process have great recovery value. But effective separation is tough because of their similarities in chemical and physical properties. This work aims at comparing the potential for the separation of sodium acetate (NaAc) and sodium chloride (NaCl), which typically exists in pigment wastewater, through nanofiltration (NF) or reverse osmosis (RO) process. The effects of operational conditions such as pH, pressure, temperature, and feed concentration on the rejection of solutes for five commercial membranes were investigated. The DL membrane exhibited a higher separation factor than other NF and RO membranes. Under the optimum condition at 10 bar, pH = 10, and 25 °C, the DL membrane showed the best performance with the acetate rejection as high as 87.14% and the chloride rejection at only 0.98%. Other than common steric hindrance and Donnan exclusion, a synergic mechanism involving dehydration phenomenon and the apparent activation energy was proposed to explain the separation behavior of the similar ions. This work may provide new strategies to recycle valuable resources from wastewater or other complex mediums.

Targeted Marine Phytoplankton Supplementation Improves Recovery During Intensified Training

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate marine phytoplankton supplementation (Microalgae Tetraselmis chuii, Oceanix™, OCX) that is rich in antioxidant enzymes, essential fatty acids, vitamins, amino acids and minerals on Explosive Strength (ES), and Immune Function during short term intensive training. Methods Trained male and female subjects were randomly divided into a microcrystalline cellulose based placebo (PLA, ) or Oceanix™ (OCX) (25 mg per day) condition for 14 days. Subjects were tested at baseline and then placed on an intensified based resistance training protocol using multiple sets to volitional failure over the course of 5 days and retested 24 and 48 hours following. Explosive strength, measured as rate of force development during an isometric mid thigh pull was assessed. Immune function was determined using salivary immunoglobulin-A (IgA). Repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey post hoc analysis were used to assess differences. Results Explosive Strength was significantly lower at 24 (-62%) and 48 (-78%) hours in the PLA but not OCX compared to pre levels (P < 0.05). Additionally, the absolute mean difference in Explosive Strength from Pre to 48hr-Post was significantly lower in PLA compared to OCX (P < 0.05), indicating greater recovery in OCX. Forty-eight hour post IgA levels decreased compared to Pre (P < 0.05, −178%) in the PLA but not OCX group. Conclusions Targeted marine phytoplankton supplementation (Oceanix™, OCX) improves short term recovery from short term intensive training. Funding Sources Lonza.

Variability in multimodality treatment influences survival in non-metastatic gastric cancer patients.

e16588 Background: While gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in Eastern Europe and Asia, it is less common in the United States. Recommendations regarding optimal treatment of non-metastatic gastric cancer (nmGC) with regard to type and extent of surgery, choice and sequence of chemotherapeutic agents, and use of radiation therapy vary somewhat depending on geographic location. To determine how variability in treatment practices affects patient outcomes, we conducted a retrospective study to evaluate clinical outcomes in nmGC patients treated at four high-volume academic institutions. Methods: California Cancer Registry of demographic and clinical data were collected for nmGC patients who underwent surgery with curative intent from 2010-2018. We conducted chart reviews of the patients’ electronic health records to validate clinical factors and outcomes. We performed multivariable Cox regressions to determine prognostic factors for outcomes. Results: Demographics of study cohort (n = 326): mean age 66 years; 64% male; 44% Caucasian, 35% Asian, 16% Latino. Tumor stage: 48% loco-regional (pT4 or pN1+) versus 52% localized (pT1-3, pN0). Histology: 47% intestinal, 30% diffuse, 8% mixed, 15% unknown. Surgery: number of recovered lymph nodes varied from 0 to 60 in any tumor stage. Chemotherapy: 20% neoadjuvant, 25% adjuvant, 16% perioperative, 39% none. Multimodality therapy: 44% surgery only, 31% chemotherapy, 25% chemotherapy and radiation. With a median follow-up after surgery of 6 years, 24% of patients developed recurrence and 40% had died. Compared to open surgery, laparoscopic surgeries was associated with lower lymph node recovery (median = 15 vs 19, p = .0042), which in turn was associated with a significant decrease in overall 5-year survival after adjusted for tumor stage (hazard ratio HR = 1.9, p = .0012). Timing of chemotherapy and addition of radiation therapy to chemotherapy did not confer further improvements in survival. In contrast, greater lymph node recovery plus chemotherapy were associated with improved survival in patients with loco-regional tumors (HR = 0.3, p = .0020). Conclusions: This study highlights major practice differences in the management of nmGC across providers and institutions. Further efforts should be made to standardize the use of chemotherapy and adequate recovery and assessment of lymph nodes in this patient population.

Financial and fiscal shocks in the great recession and recovery of the Spanish economy

In this paper we develop a new DSGE model for a small open economy in a currency union, estimated with Bayesian methods, which incorporates a banking and a housing supply sector, consumers and entrepreneurs who accumulate debt, a rich structure of fiscal variables and monopolistic competition in products and labor markets. As an example of its capabilities, the model has been estimated for the Spanish economy, which is an interesting example of a booming economy before the Great Recession, and a country that particularly suffered from the negative consequences of the sovereign debt crisis and exhibited a robust recovery until 2019. Our results show the usefulness of DSGE models, conveniently designed and extended to account for the interaction of real and financial variables and other prominent characteristics of modern economies, as part of our toolkit to analyze the empirical evidence.

Flotation behavior and mechanism of a new mixed collector on separation of spodumene from feldspar

New collectors, hexyloxypropylamine (HPA) and N-Dodecyliminodiacetic acid (DIDA) were synthesized in laboratory. The flotation behavior of both collectors on spodumene and feldspar was investigated by micro-flotation tests respectively. A new mixed collector HPA/DIDA was prepared in order to achieve a greater difference of recovery of spodumene and feldspar. Through micro-flotation tests, the flotation behavior of HPA/DIDA on spodumene and feldspar was evaluated. The test results showed that the recovery of spodumene and feldspar was 85.61% and 7.38% respectively under the optimal conditions that the mass ratio of HPA:DIDA was 1:3; HPA/DIDA concentration was at 57.14 mg/L; and the pulp had no pH regulator added. The adsorption mechanism of the collector on spodumene and feldspar surface was established by zeta potential, FT-IR, XPS and surface tension measurements. It was found that HPA was adsorbed on spodumene surface mainly through hydrogen bonds adsorption, then adsorbed on feldspar by electrostatic adsorption. DIDA was adsorbed on spodumene and feldspar surface by chemisorption. While the mixed collector HPA/DIDA was self-assembled to HPA-DIDA complex and got adsorbed on spodumene surface by synergistic effect of chemisorption and hydrogen bonds adsorption, it was adsorbed on feldspar surface only by chemisorption. The difference of Al sites and O sites between spodumene (110) surface and feldspar (010) surface accounted for the selectivity of HPA/DIDA. The coexistence of ―COOH and ―NH2 facilitated the adsorption of HPA/DIDA on spodumene, but it obstructed the adsorption of HPA/DIDA on feldspar, which led to the great recovery disparity of spodumene and feldspar.

Personality and stress influence vision restoration and recovery in glaucoma and optic neuropathy following alternating current stimulation: implications for personalized neuromodulation and rehabilitation

PurposeIdentifying factors that affect recovery or restoration of neurological function is a key goal of rehabilitation in neurology and ophthalmology. One such factor can be prolonged mental stress, which may be not only the consequence of nervous system damage but also a major risk factor, or cause, of neural inactivation. Using the visual system as a model of neural injury, we wished to study how patients’ stress and personality profiles correlate with vision recovery as induced by therapy with alternating current stimulation (ACS) in patients with optic nerve damage.MethodsPersonality and stress questionnaires were sent retrospectively to a clinical convenience sample of patients who suffer low vision due to optic nerve damage, which had previously been treated with ACS. The questionnaires included the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), the Trier Inventory of Chronic Stress (TICS), and the Flammer syndrome (FS) checklist, which probes signs of vascular dysregulation (VD). These scores were then correlated with the extent of ACS-induced vision restoration as recorded 1–3 years earlier by perimetric visual field tests.ResultsTwo NEO-FFI personality factors (lower neuroticism, higher conscientiousness) and the presence of physiological Flammer signs were associated with greater recovery as were individual items of the factors openness and agreeableness. Single NEO-FFI item analysis revealed that recovery relates to greater extraversion (optimistic and happy), openness (less guided by authorities for decisions on moral issues), and agreeableness (argue less, like working with others, thoughtful, considerate) as well as the presence of FS signs (cold hands/feet, hypotension, slim body shapes, tinnitus). This suggests that patients with better recovery were more calm, peaceful and secure, hard-working, and reliable, and with high organizational skills. In contrast, patients with poor recovery had a tendency to be emotionally unstable, anxious, unhappy and prone to negative emotions, impulsive, careless, and unorganized. Chronic stress assessed with TICS did not correlate with recovery.ConclusionVision restoration induced by ACS is greater in patients with less stress-prone personality traits and those who show signs of VD. Prospective studies are now needed to determine if personality has (i) a causal influence, i.e., patients with less stress-prone personalities and greater VD signs recover better, and/or (ii) if personality changes are an effect of the treatment, i.e., successful recovery induces personality changes. Though the cause-effect relationship is still open, we nevertheless propose that psychosocial factors and VD contribute to the highly variable outcome of vision restoration treatments in low vision rehabilitation. This has implications for preventive and personalized vision restoration and is of general value for our understanding of outcome variability in neuromodulation and neurological rehabilitation.

The Effects of Targeted Marine Phytoplankton Supplementation on Long Term Recovery During Intensified Training

Extended periods of intensified physical training results in decrements in physical and perceptual recovery. As a result, nutritional recovery methods are highly sought after.PurposeThis study investigated targeted enriched marine phytoplankton supplementation (Microalgae Tetraselmis chuii, Oceanix™, OCX) on Perceived Recovery (PRS) and Explosive Strength recovery during long term intensive training.MethodsTrained male and female subjects were divided into placebo (PLA) or Oceanix (OCX) (25 mg per day) conditions. The subjects were all placed on a 6‐week resistance‐training program interspersed with purposeful overreaching on Wk2 and Wk5, and low volume recovery training on Wk6. Recovery scale (PRS) changes (0–10) relative to initial maintenance training levels were taken on each successive week from baseline. Explosive Strength, measured as rate of force development, during a countermovement jump was assessed at pre‐test, and at weeks 2, 5 and 6.ResultsThe relative increase in PRS during the recovery Wk6 of training was greater (+16%) for OCX compared to PLA (p<0.05), indicating greater recovery. Explosive Strength was reduced after overreaching at Wk2 and Wk5 for both conditions (p<0.05). However, explosive strength only recovered fully for OCX and not the PLA during the recovery Wk6.ConclusionsTargeted marine phytoplankton supplementation (Oceanix™ supplementation) during extended periods of intensified training improves long‐term recovery in trained male and female subjects.Support or Funding InformationLonza

Therapeutic Development of Apolipoprotein E Mimetics for Acute Brain Injury: Augmenting Endogenous Responses to Reduce Secondary Injury.

Over the last few decades, increasing evidence demonstrates that the neuroinflammatory response is a double-edged sword. Although overly robust inflammatory responses may exacerbate secondary tissue injury, inflammatory processes are ultimately necessary for recovery. Traditional drug discovery often relies on reductionist approaches to isolate and modulate specific intracellular pathways believed to be involved in disease pathology. However, endogenous brain proteins are often pleiotropic in order to regulate neuroinflammation and recovery mechanisms. Thus, a process of "backward translation" aims to harness the adaptive properties of endogenous proteins to promote earlier and greater recovery after acute brain injury. One such endogenous protein is apolipoprotein E (apoE), the primary apolipoprotein produced in the brain. Robust preclinical and clinical evidence demonstrates that endogenous apoE produced within the brain modulates the neuroinflammatory response of the acutely injured brain. Thus, one innovative approach to improve outcomes following acute brain injury is administration of exogenous apoE-mimetic drugs optimized to cross the blood-brain barrier. In particular, one promising apoE mimetic peptide, CN-105, has demonstrated efficacy across a wide variety of preclinical models of brain injury and safety and feasibility in early-phase clinical trials. Preclinical and clinical evidence for apoE's neuroprotective effects and downregulation of neuroinflammatory and the resulting translational therapeutic development strategy for an apoE-based therapeutic are reviewed.

Pyramiding QTLs controlling tolerance against drought, salinity, and submergence in rice through marker assisted breeding.

Increases in rice productivity are significantly hampered because of the increase in the occurrence of abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, and submergence. Developing a rice variety with inherent tolerance against these major abiotic stresses will help achieve a sustained increase in rice production under unfavorable conditions. The present study was conducted to develop abiotic stress-tolerant rice genotypes in the genetic background of the popular rice variety Improved White Ponni (IWP) by introgressing major effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) conferring tolerance against drought (qDTY1.1, qDTY2.1), salinity (Saltol), and submergence (Sub1) through a marker assisted backcross breeding approach. Genotyping of early generation backcrossed inbred lines (BILs) resulted in the identification of three progenies, 3-11-9-2, 3-11-11-1, and 3-11-11-2, possessing all four target QTLs and maximum recovery of the recurrent parent genome (88.46%). BILs exhibited consistent agronomic and grain quality characters compared to those of IWP and enhanced performance against dehydration, salinity, and submergence stress compared with the recurrent parent IWP. BILs exhibited enhanced tolerance against salinity during germination and increased shoot length, root length, and vigor index compared to those of IWP. All three BILs exhibited reduced symptoms of injury because of salinity (NaCl) and dehydration (PEG) than did IWP. At 12 days of submergence stress, BILs exhibited enhanced survival and greater recovery, whereas IWP failed completely. BILs were found to exhibit on par grain and cooking quality characteristics with their parents. Results of this study clearly demonstrated the effects of the target QTLs in reducing damage caused by drought, salinity, and submergence and lead to the development of a triple stress tolerant version of IWP.

Effects of Light on Saccharide Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery by Proteiniphilum acetatigenes PSB-W

Photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) wastewater treatment is a new method with great resource recovery potential. In order to improve the biomass and valuable resources of bacteria in the wastewater treatment of photosynthetic bacteria, the effects of different light conditions on the efficiency of Proteiniphilum acetatigenes PSB-W in the treatment of sugar wastewater and the production of bacteria and carotenoids in the wastewater were analyzed from three aspects of light source, light intensity and light period. Under the principle of priority of pollutant removal efficiency, the red LED light was selected with the light intensity of 4000 Lux, 16L (light):8D (dark) for light cycle, and the best efficiency of wastewater removal and bacterial yield were obtained when the culture time was 3d, Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate was 80.9%, bacterial OD600 was 0.907 ± 0.023, carotenoid yield was 7.83 ± 0.27 mg/L, respectively. These results show that PSB-W strains can provide more biomass and valuable substances in suitable environment. It provides a theoretical basis for the realization of wastewater recycling.

Determination of sulfonylurea pesticide residues in edible seeds used as nutraceuticals by QuEChERS in combination with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

This work proposes a novel Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) method in combination with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of sulfonylurea residues in edible seeds. The chromatographic separation of nine sulfonylureas was accomplished in less than 5.5 min, using a Luna Omega C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.6 µm). Mobile phase was supplied at 0.55 mL min-1 and consisted of 0.01% (v/v) aqueous acetic acid as eluent A and a mixture methanol/acetonitrile (80/20, v/v) as eluent B. Column temperature was established at 25 °C. A QuEChERS procedure was investigated as sample treatment for sulfonylureas extraction and sample clean-up. Different clean-up agents (i.e. PSA, Z-Sep+, EMR-Lipid and C18) were evaluated, selecting Z-Sep+ (25 mg) as the best option. The proposed method provided an extraction efficiency greater than 86.2%, while absolute matrix effect was lower than 50.1%. Matrix-matched calibration curves were required for analyte quantification. The analytical method was characterized according to SANTE/11813/2017 guideline, and including limits of detection and quantification, precision, and trueness. Linear dynamic ranges were established from 5 to 150 µg kg-1 for all analytes. Linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9974) and precision in terms of repeatability and intermediate precision (relative standard deviation ≤ 14.7%) are reported. The reporting limit was established at 5 µg kg−1, which is above the limits of quantification of the proposed method (≤ 1.64 µg kg−1) and below the maximum residue levels currently established by European legislation. In general, trueness is within the range of 70–120%. Despite greater recoveries were obtained at the reporting limit (i.e. 120–138%), relative standard deviations lower than 20% were obtained at this concentration level, so fulfilling the requirements of SANTE/11813/2017 guideline. This work represents the first analytical method intended for the analysis of sulfonylureas in sunflower, pumpkin and chia seeds, which are complex matrices due to their high content of fat as well as of growing interest due to their current commercialization as nutraceuticals.

Solid-phase extraction of neonicotinoids residue from water: comparison between extraction cartridges

The Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/840 established the watch list of substances for Union-wide monitoring in the field of water policy pursuant to Directive 2008/105/EC and Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/495. This Decision establishes additional substances and their maximum acceptable method detection limits including neonicotinoids (9-500 ng/L). During the pesticides extraction from water, the solid-phase extraction (SPE) column was used. Bakerbond spe™ SDB-1 SPE and Bond Elut Plexa were evaluated for the SPE of neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, thiacloprid and clothianidin) from water. The comparation of the results of these two types of columns, was performed by spiking water samples at two levels (0.05 and 0.1 μg/L) in three replicates. The Bakerbond™ column quantitatively adsorbed these pesticides, with the obtained recoveries: 36.9 % for imidacloprid, 43.2 % for thiacloprid, 119.3 % for clothianidin, 64.6 % for acetamiprid and 53.6 % for thiamethoxam. Using Bond Elut Plexa the obtained recoveries were 66.9 % for imidacloprid, 72.9% for thiacloprid, 103.4 % for clothianidin, 67.4 % for acetamiprid and 45.2% for thiamethoxam. Both colums have low recovery values for thiametoxam, while the highest values were obtained by Bond Elut Plexa for thiacloprid, imidacloprid and acetamiprid. Great recoveries were achieved for clothianidin using both SPE columns.

A comparative study of how social workers’ voice and silence strategies relate to organisational resources, attitudes and well-being at work

Summary This study sets out to investigate the potential differences between social workers using voice- or silence strategies in their experience of organisational resources, attitudes and health, and whether social workers moving between strategies (voice or silence) over time have a different experience of the same outcomes than those who stay with the same strategy group. The participating social workers (n = 1356) responded to two web-based questionnaires over a one-year period. Findings The results show that voice strategies are related to the experience of more positive organisational resources, more positive attitudes (greater job satisfaction and organisational commitment, but lower intention to exit) and more positive health (greater recovery, but less emotional exhaustion and stress symptoms) than those using silence strategies. The results also show that moving from silence to voice is related to the experience of increased organisational resources, more positive attitudes and more positive health at T2, while those moving from voice to silence reported the opposite. Applications The longitudinal approach applied in this study adds empirical evidence of the relationship between voice/silence and work-related attitudes, as well as health and well-being. The close relationship between organisational resources, employee voice behaviour and related individual outcomes regarding attitudes and health imply that Human Resources (HR) management has a lot to gain by developing and securing a voice-friendly and considerate climate in their organisations.

Catheter Directed Thrombolytic Therapy for Pediatric Cerebral Sinus Vein Thrombosis

Background: Cerebral sinus vein thrombosis (CSVT) involves the thrombosis of the dural sinus and/or cerebral veins and it is considered a form of stroke. The estimated incidence of CSVT in children is 0.6 per 100,000 children per year. Poor outcomes, including death, happen in 9 to 29% of patients affected by CSVT. In addition, neurologic deficits, affecting primarily cognition and behavior, are seen in 50% of affected children. No randomized clinical trials have been conducted on pediatric CSVT so current guidelines for treatment have been extrapolated primarily from adult studies. Published guidelines by the American College of Chest Physicians, American Heart Association and American Society of Hematology, support the use of anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin (UFH) or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). These same guidelines also suggest that catheter directed thrombolysis (CDT) with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) could be used when there has been clinical deterioration or no improvement (clot progression) despite anticoagulation. In all cases, these are based on uncontrolled case series and expert opinion. There is very little data on the safety and efficacy of CDT and/or MT for pediatric CSVT. Method: Pediatric patients with CSVT seen at Cook Children's Medical Center from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2018 were identified by searching EMR using ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. From this group, patients treated with MT and CDT in addition to anticoagulation were selected and reviewed. Results: Five children (4 to 14 y/o) were treated with MT and CDT after failing anticoagulation with UFH or LMWH. Diagnosis was made by MRI/MRV and all had CSVT of multiple sinuses. Four patients had more than one underlying disorders/factors that increased their risk for thrombosis including: Ulcerative Colitis in 2, severe anemia in 2, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in 1, use of oral contraceptives together with obesity and bacterial sepsis in 1. Two patients did have a thrombophilia: Protein S deficiency in 1 and Protein S and C deficiency in another. One patient with SLE had a positive hexagonal phase neutralization test but rest of evaluation was negative. Three patients had systemic bleeding prior initiation of UFH and MT/CDT. All children were treated with UFH, and due to clinical neurologic deterioration and/or worsening of imaging findings (4 comatose and 1 with persistent increased ICP), all underwent thromboaspiration and catheter directed infusion of tPA for 17 to 48 hours at a dose of 1 to 2 mg/hr. All patients continued anticoagulation with UFH during catheter directed tPA infusion and after the catheter was removed. All cases had partial resolution of the sinus vein thrombosis, although 1 had quick reocclusion. Post procedure bleeding happened in 1 patient who had also had an external ventricular drainage placed and developed parenchymal and intraventricular hemorrhage that led to discontinuation of tPA infusion, and 2 patients developed petechial brain hemorrhages. Four patients had great neurologic recovery and minimal deficits, but 1 had significant neurologic deficits. One patient died from lupus complications. (Table) Conclusion: Endovascular therapy including MT and CDT with tPA in conjunction with systemic UFH, may have a role in pediatric patients with CSVT who have deterioration despite initial anticoagulation. In our series, after procedures, all patients had partial resolution of their CSVT (but 1 had quick reocclusion) and 4 out of 5 patients had good neurologic outcomes despite bad predictor signs (coma, extensive CSVT). Further studies are needed to identify which patients would benefit from early endovascular treatment. Table Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Detroit River phosphorus loads: Anatomy of a binational watershed

As a result of increased harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in Lake Erie, the US and Canada revised their phosphorus loading targets under the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The focus of this paper is the Detroit River and its watershed, a source of 25% of the total phosphorus (TP) load to Lake Erie. Its load declined 37% since 1998, due chiefly to improvements at the regional Great Lakes Water Authority Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) in Detroit and phosphorus sequestered by zebra and quagga mussels in Lake Huron. In addition to the 54% of the load from Lake Huron, nonpoint sources contribute 57% of the TP load and 50% of the dissolved reactive phosphorus load, with the remaining balance from point sources. After Lake Huron, the largest source is the WRRF, which has already reduced its load by over 40%. Currently, loads from Lake Huron and further reductions from the WRRF are not part of the reduction strategy, therefore remaining watershed sources will need to decline by 72% to meet the Water Quality Agreement target - a daunting challenge. Because other urban sources are very small, most of the reduction would have to come from agriculturally-dominated lands. The most effective way to reduce those loads is to apply combinations of practices like cover crops, buffer strips, wetlands, and applying fertilizer below the soil surface on the lands with the highest phosphorus losses. However, our simulations suggest even extensive conservation on those lands may not be enough.

Potential for post‐fire recovery of Greater Sage‐grouse habitat

AbstractIn the western United States, fire has become a significant concern in the management of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) ecosystems. This is due to large‐scale increases in cover of the fire‐prone invasive annual cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) and, concurrently, concerns about declining quantity and quality of habitat for Greater Sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). The prevailing paradigm is that fire results in a loss of sage‐grouse habitat on timescales relevant to conservation planning (i.e., 1–20 yr), since sagebrush cover can take many more years to recover post‐fire. However, fire can have effects that improve sage‐grouse habitat, including stimulating perennial grass and forb production. The conditions under which fire results in the permanent loss or enhancement of sage‐grouse habitat are not well understood. We used long‐term data from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Range Trend Project to assess short‐term (1–4 yr post‐treatment) and long‐term (6–10 yr post‐treatment) effects of fire on vegetation cover at 16 sites relative to sage‐grouse habitat vegetation guidelines. Sagebrush cover remained low post‐fire at sites considered historically unsuitable for sage‐grouse (<10% initial sagebrush cover). In contrast, at sites that had higher (>10%) pre‐fire sagebrush cover, sagebrush cover decreased to <10% in the short‐term post‐fire, but by 6–10 yr after fire, most of these sites exhibited a recovering trajectory and two sites had recovered to >10% cover. Post‐fire sagebrush cover was positively related to elevation. Across all sites, perennial grasses and forbs increased in cover to approximately meet the habitat vegetation guidelines for sage‐grouse. Cheatgrass cover did not change in response to fire, and increased perennial grass cover appears to have played an important role in suppressing cheatgrass. Our results indicate that, while fire poses a potential risk for sage‐grouse habitat loss and degradation, burned sites do not necessarily need to be considered permanently altered, especially if they are located at higher elevation, have high sagebrush cover pre‐fire, and are reseeded with perennial grasses and forbs post‐fire. However, our results confirm that fire at more degraded sites, for example, those with <10% sagebrush cover, can result in cheatgrass‐dominated landscapes and sagebrush loss at these sites should be avoided.

A powerful combination of quadruple isotope dilution strategy with dispersive magnetic solid phase extraction for the accurate and precise multi-analyte determination of tadalafil, sildenafil, avanafil and vardenafil in human plasma and urine samples using LC-ESI-Tandem MS

Trace organic analysis in biological matrices plays a critical role in clinical studies. To achieve a reliable evaluation of clinical practice, many analytical improvements have been introduced to overcome the difficulties/errors in the steps of the analysis procedure. In this study, quadrupole isotope dilution mass spectrometry was combined with dispersive magnetic solid phase extraction to achieve inherent accuracy and precision at trace levels. The lower limits of detection and quantification values of analytes ranged between 0.42–0.84 ng/g and 1.39–2.80 ng/g, respectively with percent relative standard deviations (%RSDs) of 0.65–1.24%. The combined method was applied for simultaneous determination of selected erectile drugs including sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil and avanafil in human urine and plasma samples by using commercially available isotopic analogues of these compounds. Great percent recovery values between 97.50–99.57% and 98.26–100.92% with%RSDs of 1.19–1.96% and 0.49–1.95% respectively for plasma and urine samples were obtained. The proposed method is simple, environmentally friendly, requires less laborious sampling and provides superior accuracy and precision at low levels of analytes. Furthermore, the proposed method also provides economical advantages. The synthesis procedure of magnetic sorbent is easy, low cost and does not require high consumption of toxic chemicals. Additionally, the isotopically enriched standards of target compounds are accessible, do not have high costs and the method requires only small amounts of these chemicals.

Desander mini-hydrocyclones applied to the separation of microspheres and sand in non-Newtonian fluid: Efficiencies and drag analysis

In an oil well drilling operation, the control of the pressure exerted by the fluid occupying the annular region is essential for the success and reliability of this expensive operation. If the pressure exerted by the fluid is less than the pore pressure of the formation, the undesirable invasion of fluids trapped in these pores into the well will occur. If, in contrast, the pressure exerted by the fluid is very high, the fracture of the rock formation can occur, which in extreme cases can lead to the collapse of the well. In deepwater and ultra- deepwater drilling, the difficulty in controlling the pressure of the fluid is even greater since the operating window is narrower. To adjust the pressure of the fluid in the annular space, there is often a need to reduce the density of the drilling fluid. One way of achieving this goal is to add thin and low-density particles to the fluid, like hollow glass microspheres. A great recovery of these microspheres, for later reuse, is essential to ensure the economic and sustainable viability of this procedure. Mini-hydrocyclones are equipment with good potential to be applied in the recovery of this kind of solid. Thus, assays were conducted in a modular hydrocyclone to select the most appropriate geometric configuration for hollow glass microspheres separation. The results showed high microspheres (close to 80% in the overflow) and sand (94% in the underflow) total separation efficiencies. Regarding the possible drag of microspheres in the sand, the study showed that for sand feed volumetric concentrations equal to 9%, the total sand separation efficiency decreases to 68% in determined conditions. However, this did not promote significant changes in the microsphere total separation efficiency, demonstrating that sand is not responsible for the drag of hollow glass microspheres to the underflow stream.