Greater Size Research Articles

267. Therapeutic Management of Bacterial Brain Abscess: An Overview of Diagnosis and Outcomes

BackgroundWe describe and compare the clinical, diagnostic evaluation and outcomes of patients who underwent therapeutic management for pyogenic brain abscess.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed adults who presented with pyogenic brain abscess from January 1, 2009 through June 30, 2020.Results231 patients were identified during the study period. Sixty-one (26.4%) patients received antibiotic therapy alone, and 170 (73.6%) had a combination of antibiotic therapy and surgical intervention. The median age for the medical and combined therapy group was 59 years and 58 years, respectively. Patients who received medical treatment had a higher prevalence of infective endocarditis than those who received combined therapy (6.6% vs. 0.6%; P=0.005). The medical therapy group was more likely to have brain MRI and cranial CT than the patients with combined therapy (75.4% vs. 63.5%; P=0.041). Midline shift (11.5% vs. 31.2%; P=0.002), a single (21% vs. 83%; P=0.001) and greater size (1.4 cm vs. 2.5 cm; P=0.007) brain abscess was significant when comparing medical vs. surgically managed abscess. Stereotactic surgical technique was the preferred diagnostic approach for the medical group (65.6% vs. 46.5%; P=0.010), and excision/craniotomy for the combined group (31.1% vs. 53.5%; P=0.002). Streptococcus viridans group was the predominant organism (32.8% and 25.9%; P=0.30). Compared to those who received combined therapy, patients with medical therapy alone were most likely to receive cephalosporin (72.1% vs. 41.2%; P=< 0.0001), vancomycin (23% vs. 12.4%; P=0.047) and metronidazole (27.9% vs. 14.7%; P=0.022). In both groups, median duration of antimicrobial therapy was 42 days (P=0.12). Patients with medical therapy alone had a higher mortality rate (18% vs. 7.1%; p=0.014) but less neurologic sequelae (21.3% vs. 30.6%; P=0.16) compared with combined therapy. Medical Management. Organism isolated in the medical management group Combined Management. Organism isolated in the combined management group Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Brain Abscess who Underwent Therapeutic Management ConclusionMost patients with pyogenic brain abscess had no identified risk factors, and brain MRI and cranial CT were the diagnostic imaging modalities of choice. Compared to those who received medical therapy alone, patients with combined treatment had a single and greater size fluid collection with the presence of midline shift. A prompt combined surgical and medical approach with prolonged antimicrobial therapy can cure the infection.Outcomes of Patients with Bacterial Brain Abscess Radiologic and Surgical Diagnosis of Patient with Brain Abscess who Underwent Therapeutic Management Disclosures John C. O’Horo, Sr., MD, MPH, Bates College and Elsevier Inc (Consultant) M. Rizwan Sohail, MD, Medtronic Inc., Philips, and Aziyo Biologics, Inc (Consultant) M. Rizwan Sohail, MD, Aziyo Biologics (Individual(s) Involved: Self): Consultant; Philips (Individual(s) Involved: Self): Consultant

Seeding as a restoration technique for a rare prairie plant: an 11‐year field experiment with Asclepias meadii

Prairie restorations typically differ from remnant prairies in forb composition; long‐lived, late‐successional plants are often missing. To study establishment of such species, we set up a field experiment where seeds of the threatened, long‐lived Asclepias meadii were sown individually into the field with initial fire and soil disturbance treatments. We returned each year for 11 years to record the presence/absence, size, and reproduction of each plant. Individual plants were sometimes observed 1 year, not observed a subsequent year, and then observed again. We therefore analyzed survival data with mark‐recapture models and found that the probability of a seed germinating and the resulting plant surviving for 11 years was 0.057 (5.7%). Probability of detection was approximately 0.80, suggesting that we did not observe all living plants. Vegetative dormancy, herbivory on above‐ground parts, and observer error could all be responsible. We found no relationship between plant survival and the initial burn/disturbance treatment or previous year precipitation. Plants that were observed in the last study year were individuals that had, on average, greater size in earlier years. Three plants produced flowers and two produced fruit; we believe such reproductive success has not been previously documented for seed of A. meadii sowed into a restoration site. Our restoration study dovetails with the more typical plant community restoration research. In such studies, seeds of many species are sown, but often the late successional species do not establish. We show the value of detailed multiyear monitoring to determine the fate of such plant introductions.

Light microscopic and heterogeneity analysis of astrocytes in the common marmoset brain.

Astrocytes are abundant cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and are involved in processes including synapse formation/function, ion homeostasis, neurotransmitter uptake, and neurovascular coupling. Recent evidence indicates that astrocytes show diverse molecular, structural, and physiological properties within the CNS. This heterogeneity is reflected in differences in astrocyte structure, gene expression, functional properties, and responsiveness to injury/pathological conditions. Deeper investigation of astrocytic heterogeneity is needed to understand how astrocytes are configured to enable diverse roles in the CNS. While much has been learned about astrocytic heterogeneity in rodents, much less is known about astrocytic heterogeneity in the primate brain where astrocytes have greater size and complexity. The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a promising non‐human primate model because of similarities between marmosets and humans with respect to genetics, brain anatomy, and cognition/behavior. Here, we investigated the molecular and structural heterogeneity of marmoset astrocytes using an array of astrocytic markers, multi‐label confocal microscopy, and quantitative analysis. We used male and female marmosets and found that marmoset astrocytes show differences in expression of astrocytic markers in cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. These differences were accompanied by intra‐regional variation in expression of markers for glutamate/GABA transporters, and potassium and water channels. Differences in astrocyte structure were also found, along with complex interactions with blood vessels, microglia, and neurons. This study contributes to our knowledge of the cellular and molecular features of marmoset astrocytes and is useful for understanding the complex properties of astrocytes in the primate CNS.

Engineering Knowledge Graph From Patent Database

AbstractWe propose a large, scalable engineering knowledge graph, comprising sets of real-world engineering “facts” as &amp;lt; entity, relationship, entity &amp;gt; triples that are found in the patent database. We apply a set of rules based on the syntactic and lexical properties of claims in a patent document to extract facts. We aggregate these facts within each patent document and integrate the aggregated sets of facts across the patent database to obtain an engineering knowledge graph. Such a knowledge graph is expected to support inference, reasoning, and recalling in various engineering tasks. The knowledge graph has a greater size and coverage in comparison with the previously used knowledge graphs and semantic networks in the engineering literature.

Morphological and biochemical characteristics in fruits of Mangifera indica L. var. Ataulfo with and without conventional management

Objective: To identify the morphometric and biochemical variation in mango fruits var. Ataulfo (Mangifera indica L.) in two contrasting environments with and without conventional management. Design/methodology/approximation: Morphological and biochemical variables were studied in mango fruits var. Ataulfo in two environments, one of them (La Norteña) with Leptosol soil and Aw climate with conventional agrochemical-based management and the other (Santa Cecilia) on Acrisol soil and Am climate with agroecological management. There were 30 fruits used, all from five trees (n=150) per study garden in a state of commercial maturity. Each fruit was considered as an experimental unit, and morphological and biochemical variables were evaluated for each fruit. Results: Increase in fruit weight, higher pH and increase in total soluble solids, but decrease in pulp weight on site with conventional handling. Increase in pulp content and firmness in fruits from the site without handling. Study Limitations/implications: Changes in the amount and distribution of rainfall in both environments each year. Findings / conclusions: Morphological and biochemical modifications are presented. Greater size and weight, pH and TSS content in the conventional production system, but increased pulp and greater firmness, as well as higher citric acid content in the agroecological system. The results suggest differential effects in mango fruits according to the management and environment where they develop.

The Histopathology of Carcinoma Breast with Special Reference to p53 Marker

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the world. The high incidence of breast carcinoma in women has inspired a thorough investigation of potentially modifiable risk variables (clinical parameters, morphological type, and biochemical indicators) for prognosis, preventative tactics, and treatment options. One of the most important prognostic indicators for breast cancer is p53.&#x0D; Aims and Objectives: The goal of this study was to use immunohistochemistry to assess the prevalence of p53 mutant protein in breast cancer, correlate the results with clinical and histological parameters, and establish its impact on axillary node metastasis.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A clinicopathological study of 50 cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast was performed using immunohistochemistry to examine for p53 mutant protein expression.&#x0D; Results: Percentage of p53 immunohistochemical positivity in this study was 22%, which is similar to other studies' reported statistics. In both the positive and negative cases of lymph node metastases, immunohistochemical data revealed an equivocal p53 status. In compared to p53 negative cases, the carcinomas with p53 positivity showed aggressive characteristics, such as greater size and higher grade. Patients with significant lymphocytic reactions to tumours, patients under 35 years of age, and those with tumours on the left side had a higher chance of receiving a positive p53 status. This study clearly shows that breast cancers with high p53 expression are generally aggressive tumours with a poor prognosis and a poor response to endocrine treatment and chemotherapy.

Physiological Respons of Bali and Simbal Cattles on the Thermal Environtment of Lowland and Highland Areas in Lombok Island

The effort to increase productivity of Bali cattle in Lombok Island made use of crossbreeding with exotic breeds, such as Simmental, Limousine, Charolais, Hereford, and Brahman breed, in which Simmental was suggested the best one. However, replacing indigenous with exotic breed might in fact create significant problem, especially low tolerance on harsh environment condition and increased work to feed each animal because of higher growth and greater size at maturity. This study that mean objective to investigate the physiological respons of Bali and Simbal cattle on the thermal environment of lowland and highland areas in Lombok island, was carried out by measure the rectal temperature (BT, oC), respiration rate (RR, resp/min), and heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) of 320 cattles in lowland and 280 cattle in highland, each consisted of pure Bali breed (B), crossbred of B x Simmental (SB), backcross of SB x Simmental (SBS), and backcross of SB x Bali (SBB). Each genotype consist of male and female, and 24-36 months of age. All cattle observed are ordered to be similar condition with BCS 3-5. The thermal condition of lowland and highland are measured from air temperature (oC), relative humidity (%), and temperature humidity index (THI). Data were analysed by using Anova and further test using HSD-test. Results of the study shows, the daily temperature and THI data obtained for the lowland environment are in considered to thermal stress zone for beef cattle, whereas those of found for the highland are within range of safety zone for cattle production. Physiological response shuch as BT, RR, and HTC, were significantly higher for cattle in the lowland than those in highland. The crossbreds cattle with higher proportion of Simmental genetic showed higher BT, RR, and HTC in the lowland, but became decrease in highland environment by higher decreasing index. It could be conclused that environmental condition in lowland with average THI of 80.02 lead to coused thermal stress to genotypes of Simbal cattle based on HTC wich in average of 2.91; however in highland wich average THI of 69.39 each genotype of cattle shows physiological responses in the normal range.ÂÂ

Ammonia decomposition Ru catalysts supported on alumina nanofibers for hydrogen generation

The study of ruthenium catalysts for ammonia decomposition on carbonized and noncarbonized Al2O3 nanofibers (ANF) showed that activity of the catalysts with carbonized supports (ANFC) was twofold higher as compared to noncarbonized ones. Thus, on Ru/ANFC and Ru-Cs/ANFC the release of hydrogen reached 8.7 and 18.3 mmol H2/(min·gcat), respectively, whereas on Ru/ANF and Ru-Cs/ANF, only 4.4 and 9.6 mmol H2/(min·gcat), respectively. According to TEM, Ru particles on ANFC have a greater size than on ANF but are distributed more uniformly. As shown by TEM, XRD and XPS data, ANFC and ANF fibers are strongly different.

Application of Biomass Pellets for Iron Ore Sintering

The use of biomass as fuel might solve several technological and environmental issues and overcome certain challenges of sinter production. In particular, as revealed by comprehensive analyses, biomass can be used as fuel for iron ore sintering. In this study, we investigate the use of some raw and pyrolysis-processed biomass pellet types, namely wood, sunflower husks (SFH), and straw, for iron ore sintering. In the experiments, the pyrolysis temperature was set to 673, 873, 1073, and 1273 K, and the proportion of biomass in the fuel composition was set to 25%. It was established that the addition of biofuels to the sintering blend leads to an increase in the gas permeability of the sintered layer. The analysis of the complex characteristics of the sintering process and the sinter strength showed the high potential of wood and sunflower husk pellets pyrolyzed at 1073 and 873 K, respectively, for iron ore sintering. The analysis of the macrostructure of the sinter samples obtained using biomaterials revealed that with higher pyrolysis temperatures; the materials tend to have greater sizes and higher amounts of pores and cracks. The composition analyses of the resultant sinters revealed that with higher temperature, the FeO content of the sinters tends to increase.

Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence Based Navigation on Top-view Virtual Plane

This paper shows a vision-based obstacle detection approach in an outdoor sidewalk environment. There is a major problem of applying single camera in outdoor navigation mission, that is the differentiation of various types of barriers and clutter pavement. To settle this issue, the property that pavement margins are sub-sampled while barrier margins are oversampled when the original image is mapped to the virtual plane of the top view. Morphology filters are applied to strengthen barrier margins as margin-blobs with greater size, while sparse margins from pavement are screened. On basis of the recognized barriers, secure walking areas are predicted by tracking a polar margin-blob histogram. The test of algorithm is made in various sidewalk scenes with complicated pavements with confirmed potency.

Nickel induced cell impairments are negatively regulated by the Tor1 kinase in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

In our study we investigated the effect of different nickel (NiSO4·6H2O) (Ni) concentrations on cell division, cellular morphology and ionome homeostasis of the eukaryotic model organism Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Target of rapamycin (TOR) protein kinase is one of the key regulators of cell growth under different environmental stresses. We analyzed the effect of Ni on cell strains lacking the Tor1 signaling pathway utilizing light-absorbance spectroscopy, visualization, microscopy and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Interestingly, our findings revealed that Ni mediated cell growth alterations are noticeably lower in Tor1 deficient cells. Greater size of Tor1 depleted cells reached similar quantitative parameters to wild type cells upon incubation with 400μM Ni. Differences of ion levels among the two tested yeast strains were detected even before Ni addition. Addition of high concentration (1mM) of the heavy metal, representing acute contamination, caused considerable changes in the ionome of both strains. Strikingly, Tor1 deficient cells displayed largely reduced Ni content after treatment compared to wild type controls (644.1 ± 49 vs. 2096.8 ± 75μg/g), suggesting its significant role in Ni trafficking. Together our results predict yet undefined role for the Tor1 signaling in metal uptake and/or metabolism.

Cell Population Data and Serum Polyclonal Immunoglobulin Free Light Chains in the Assessment of COVID-19 Severity.

Distinguishing between severe and nonsevere COVID-19 to ensure adequate healthcare quality and efficiency is a challenge for the healthcare system. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of CBC parameters together with analysis of FLC serum concentration in risk stratification of COVID-19. Materials and methods: CBC was analyzed in 735 COVID ICU, COVID non-ICU, and non-COVID ICU cases. FLC concentration was analyzed in 133 of them. Results: COVID ICU had neutrophils and lymphocytes with the greatest size, granularity, and nucleic acid content. Significant differences in concentrations of κ and λ FLCs were shown between COVID ICU and COVID non-ICU. However, no difference was found in the κ/λ ratio between these groups, and the ratio stayed within the reference value, which indicates the presence of polyclonal FLCs. FLC κ measurement has significant power to distinguish between severe COVID-19 and nonsevere COVID-19 (AUC = 0.7669), with a sensitivity of 86.67% and specificity of 93.33%. The κ coefficients’ odds ratio of 3.0401 was estimated. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the results obtained from the measure of free light immunoglobulin concentration in serum are useful in distinguishing between severe and nonsevere COVID-19.

Taxonomic significance of anatomical characters in some species of Caryophyllaceae Family in Iraq

The anatomical characters of the leaves, trichomes and stems of 12 species of Caryophyllaceae family were studied. The results showed that the average of epidermal cells length in the adaxial surface ranged between 95.00 µm in Agrostemma githago and 29.5 µm in Agrostemma gracile, while in the abaxial surface, it ranged between 92.5 µm in A. githago and 35.62 µm in A. gracile. Stomatal complex was circular and elliptic-shaped. All species have four types of stomata: diacytic, anomocytic, paracytic and hemiparacytic. Trichome and their distribution does play significant role in the taxonomic delimitation, A. gracile trichomes have non-glandular hairs, while Arenaria balansae has non-glandular and glandular hairs. Two types of mesophyll appear to be a good diagnostic characteristic isobilateral in the Agrostemma species and dorsiventral (bifacial) in the remaining species as well as several sclerenchyma layers including thick and thin-walled cells that surrounded vascular bundle and also the petiole contains many layers of sclerenchyma cells. Stem shape and size were different between species. The stems had the greatest size (1064.50 µm) in Acanthophyllum bracteatum, while the smallest stem cross section (450.46 µm) in A. balansae. Cells were rich in druses crystals. Sclerenchymatous layers were observed in all species. The number of sclerenchyma was different between the species, so that, 12-23 layers in A. gracile and 4-7 in A. crassifolium. Size of pith was different. The greatest was 280.22 mm in Agrostemma githago, while no pith was found in Polycarpon tetraphyllum and Arenaria balansae.

(Invited) Particulate Photocatalysts with Perovskite-Type Structures and Their Application in Water Splitting

Sunlight-driven water splitting is studied actively for production of renewable solar hydrogen as a storable and transportable energy carrier. Both the efficiency and scalability of water- splitting systems are essential factors for practical application of renewable solar hydrogen because of the low areal density of solar energy [1]. It is desirable to develop particulate photocatalysts and their reaction systems that efficiently split water, because such systems can be spread over wide areas by inexpensive processes potentially. The author’s group has studied various oxide and oxynitride semiconductors as photocatalysts for water splitting. In my talk, recent progress in photocatalytic materials and reactors will be presented with focus on perovskite-type materials.SrTiO3 loaded with proper cocatalysts has been known to be active in overall water splitting under ultraviolet light irradiation since 1980s. Recently, the apparent quantum yield (AQY) of this photocatalyst in overall water splitting has been improved drastically [2]. The author's group has found that doping Al3+ into the titanium site of SrTiO3 boosts the water splitting activity by two orders of magnitude [3]. By refining the preparation conditions of the Al-doped SrTiO3 (SrTiO3:Al) photocatalyst and the loading conditions of cocatalysts working as hydrogen and oxygen evolution sites, the AQY of overall water splitting has reached more than 90% at 365 nm [2], equivalent to an internal quantum efficiency of almost unity. This quantum efficiency is the highest yet reported and indicate that a particulate photocatalyst can drive the greatly endergonic overall water splitting reaction at a quantum efficiency comparable to values obtained from photon-to-chemical or photon-to-current conversion in photosynthesis or photovoltaic systems, respectively.Photocatalyst sheets based on SrTiO3:Al contained in a panel-type reactor split water into hydrogen and oxygen and release gas bubbles at a rate corresponding to a solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency of 10% under intense ultrviolet illumination even when the water depth is merely 1 mm [4]. Moreover, the photocatalyst can maintain 80% of its initial activity during 1300 h of constant simulated sunlight irradiation at ambient pressure with appropriate surface modifications [5]. A prototype 1-m2-sized panel reactor containing SrTiO3:Al photocatalyst sheets splits water under natural sunlight irradiation without a significant loss of the intrinsic activity of the photocatalyst sheets. A solar hydrogen production system with a greater size (100 m2) was recently built, and its performance and system characteristics are under investigation.SrTiO3:Al harvests only the ultraviolet light of the sunlight. It is essential to develop photocatalysts active under visible light irradiation. BaTaO2N is a visible light that can evolve hydrogen and oxygen from aqueous solutions containing sacrificial electron donors and acceptors, respectively. Recently, the AQYs of BaTaO2N in these sacrificial reactions have been improved significantly. Highly-crystalline BaTaO2N can be synthesized by directly nitriding a mixture of BaCO3 in the presence of RbCl flux [6]. The resultant BaTaO2N shows decent hydrogen evolution activity when a platinum cocatalyst is loaded by impregnation. By optimizing the cocatalyst loading conditions, the electron transfer from the BaTaO2N photocatalyst to the platinum cocatalyst, and thus the hydrogen evolution activity, was enhanced. The AQY of the resultant Pt-loaded BaTaO2N reached 6.8% at 420 nm in the sacrificial hydrogen evolution reaction. This is exceptionally high among nitride-type photocatalysts with visible light absorption of up to 650 nm.In conventional synthesis, BaTaO2N is nitrided from a mixture of BaCO3, Ta2O5, Ba- and Ta-containing complex oxides, often in the presence of flux. However, these starting materials have different crystal structures from the product BaTaO2N, and so the crystal structures have to be change during the nitridation. This is thought to induce defects in the product material. Therefore, a perovskite-type oxide with a Ba/Ta molar ratio of unity was designed, namely a complex oxide nominally denoted as Na1/4Ba3/4Zn1/4Ta3/4O3 [7]. This oxide can be nitrided into BaTaO2N because Na and Zn components are volatile at high temperature. The resultant BaTaO2N exhibited an AQY of 11.9% at 420 nm in the sacrificial oxygen evolution reaction after loading of a cobalt oxide cocatalyst. Hisatomi et al. Catal. 2019, 2, 387.Takata et al., Nature 2020, 581, 411.Ham et al., Mater. Chem. A 2016, 4, 3027.Goto et al., Joule 2018, 2, 509.Lyu et al. Sci. 2019, 10, 3196.Luo et al., Growth Des. 2020, 20, 255.Jadhav et al. J. Mater. Chem. A. 2020, 8, 1127.

Pore Type, Pore Structure, and Controlling Factors in the Late Triassic Lacustrine Yanchang Shale, Ordos Basin, China

Organic-rich lacustrine shales in the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation with thermal maturity mainly in the oil window are the main shale oil and shale gas system in the lacustrine strata of the Ordos Basin, China. Pore systems are important for the storage and transfer of shale oil and gas. The main objectives of this study are to identify the pore types and pore structures and investigate the controlling factors for pore types, pore structures, and total porosities of the lacustrine Yanchang Shale. In this study, organic-rich mudstones, mudstones with siltstone interlayers, siltstone, and sandstones were selected from 15 wells in the southern Ordos Basin. X-ray diffraction, pyrolysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), low-pressure nitrogen adsorption analysis, and helium porosimetry were conducted to investigate the mineral compositions, pore types, pore structures, porosities, and controlling factors. Siltstone and sandstone interlayers heterogeneously developed in the Yanchang Shale. The petrology, mineral composition, geochemistry, pore type, pore structure, and porosity of siltstone interlayers are different from those of mudstones. The siltstone and sandstone interlayers usually have more quartz and feldspars, greater detrital grain sizes, and relatively better grain sorting but are lower in clay minerals, total organic carbon (TOC), amount of free liquid hydrocarbons values (S1), and total residual hydrocarbons values (S2), compared to mudstones. Interparticle (interP), intraparticle (intraP) pores, and organic pores (OPs) were developed in both siltstones and mudstones. OPs were observed in samples with lower thermal maturity (e.g., 0.5–0.85%). The inorganic pore size is greater than that of OPs. Additionally, the inorganic pore diameters in siltstone interlayers are also greater than those in mudstones. Organic-rich mudstones generally have higher pore volumes (PVs) of pores with sizes less than 10 nm, pore volumes of pores with sizes between 10 and 50 nm (PV, 10–50 nm), and specific surface area (SSA), but they have lower PVs of pores with sizes greater than 50 nm, total PV, and porosity when compared to siltstone and sandstone interlayers. The dominant pore type in mudstones is OPs and TOC (first order), sources and OM types (second order), and thermal maturity (third order), while the abundances of rigid grains with greater sizes and grain sorting are the main controlling factors of pore structures, SSA and PV. Both inorganic pores and organic pores are abundant in the siltstone interlayers. The pore size distribution (PSD), PV, and porosity of siltstone interlayers are related to the abundance of rigid grains (first order), grain sorting (second order), grain size (third order), and carbonate cement content. The total PV and porosity of Yanchang Shale reservoirs may have increased with the increased abundance of siltstone and sandstone interlayers.

POS0749 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN IMMUNE-SEROLOGICAL PROFILE AND PULMONARY MANIFESTATIONS IN COLOMBIAN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (LES)

Background:Pulmonary involvement is common in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients with varying degrees of parenchymal, vascular, and pleural compromise. In GLADEL, pulmonary involvement was reported in 28.4% of the cohort, but its occurrence ranges between 30-90% due to diversity in populations and the methods used to define it.Objectives:To describe the immune-serological profile of a Colombian cohort of SLE patients and to establish its association with pulmonary manifestations.Methods:Retrospective analysis of observational data from the follow-up of a cohort of adult patients with SLE. We included 559 patients that fulfilled the SLICC 2012 classification criteria with at least 6 months of disease history and being treated in a rheumatology specialized medical center between 2015 and 2018. The immuno-serological profile was characterized, and pulmonary involvement was monitored for 1 year. Diagnosis of pulmonary involvement was performed with the rheumatologist report in the clinical chart. Prevalence of pulmonary manifestations and immune-serological profile was determined, and logistic regression was performed afterward adjusted by age, sex, and level of education to establish the association between pulmonary manifestations and a positive auto-antibodies profile.Results:The median age of the cohort was 45 years, 96.5% were female. Pulmonary involvement was documented in 113 patients (20.5%) at the beginning of the study. Their frequency was: pleuritis (14.3%), lupus pneumonitis (3.6%), pulmonary hypertension (3.2%), interstitial lung disease (ILD) (2.3%), pulmonary embolism (2.3%), lung fibrosis (2.14%), alveolar hemorrhage (1.4%), shrinking lung (0.2%). At 1 year of follow up. there were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of pulmonary manifestations. As for the immune-serological profile, there were positive ANA in 92%, anti-dsDNA in 53.1%, anti-B2GP IgM 15.2%, anti- B2GP IgG in 17.2%, and ENA in 97.2%; as for the ENA 41.7% had positive anti-RNP, 40.2% anti-Ro, 36.4% anti-SM and 16.5% anti-La. Low complement levels was characterized as follows: C3 53.1% and C4 29.2%. In the logistic regression adjusted by age, sex and level of education, there was an association between anti-SM and pulmonary manifestations with an adjusted OR of 1.85; 95% CI 1.13-3.01.Conclusion:An association between anti-SM positivity and pleuro-pulmonary manifestations was found. In other cohorts with a greater size, anti-La and anti-RNP have been associated with pulmonary involvement (OR 2.51; 95% CI 1.39-4.57 and OR 1.32; 95% CI 1-1.75 respectively). Anti-RNP positivity has been associated in particular with ILD, pulmonary hypertension and shrinking lung. Although these manifestations prevalence was similar in our cohort, an association with this antibody was not found (OR 1.01, 95% CI: 0.2-4.9). This could be explained by the smaller sample size. As for anti-La positivity, its prevalence in our cohort was less than what was found in the GLADEL cohort (16.5% vs 24.3% respectively). It is possible that this could explain the poor association between anti-La positivity with the presence of pulmonary manifestations in our study compared with those of the GLADEL cohort. There are data that indicates that anti-SM and anti-RNP simultaneous positivity is related mainly to pleuritis OR 1.98 (95% CI: 1.31-3); and this kind of involvement was found to be more frequent in our study. Our results suggest an association between positive anti-SM and pulmonary manifestations in Colombian patients with SLE, pleuritis in particular.

The Effect of Hybridization between Natural and Cultivated Peruvian Scallop Argopecten purpuratus populations on Growth and Tolerance to Abiotic Stress

Intraspecific hybridization has been a strategy used frequently in mollusc aquaculture to improve the performance of traits for productive interest. In this study, the effect of hybridization between a natural population (Arica = A) and a cultivated population (Coquimbo = C; without genetic management for more than 30 y) of the Peruvian scallop Argopecten purpuratus was evaluated to assess the effect of this strategy on the performance of the cultivated population in terms of growth, survival, and stress tolerance due to hypoxia and increased temperature. To this end, progenies from intrapopulation (C × C and A × A) and reciprocal hybrid (C × A and A × C) crosses were produced and were evaluated after 6 mo under sea cultivation and in a controlled environment. Stress responses were evaluated via metabolic rates and the transcriptional level of stress-associated genes [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and HSP70]. The results showed that CC and the reciprocal hybrids CA and AC had greater size and survival rates than AA; on the other hand, AA presented the highest metabolic rates when exposed to stress; and, in parallel, AA and both hybrids (CA and AC) presented greater antioxidant capacity (SOD) when exposed to hyperthermia. Therefore, growth and survival showed positive heterosis because the hybrids performed better in these traits than the parental mean. In addition, hybridization with the Arica population would allow the Coquimbo stock under cultivation to improve its resilience to temperature increases associated to oceanographic oscillations or to climate change.

Role of carbides on hot deformation behavior and dynamic recrystallization of hard-deformed superalloy U720Li

Cracks are easy to occur during cogging of U720Li ingots due to the high deformation resistance and poor hot ductility. In this paper, the low-carbon alloy (0.014 wt% C) and high-carbon alloy (0.071 wt% C) ingots were fully homogenized. The effect of carbides on hot deformation behavior and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) of as-homogenized U720Li alloy was investigated with aim of providing some guidance for improving hot working performance of such hard-deformed superalloys. It has been found that the blocky MC carbide is the major form of carbon in both alloys. Compared with low-carbon alloy, the size, number density and area fraction of MC carbides in high-carbon alloy are much greater, but those of γ′ are similar. The existence of more MC carbides leads to finer initial grains in the high-carbon alloy. During compression deformation of both alloys at 1060 °C, intergranular cracking occurred preferentially along initial grain boundaries (GBs), but cracking of the high-carbon alloy occurred at larger strains than that of low-carbon alloy. Before the occurrence of cracking, the yield and flow stress of high-carbon alloy were obviously lower than those of low-carbon alloy. An interesting phenomenon was discovered that the DRX always occurred preferentially around the MC carbides. Based on this phenomenon and electron backscatter diffraction analysis, the MC carbides were assumed to act as nucleation sites during initiation of DRX by a particle stimulated dynamic recrystallization mechanism. In addition, initial GBs are also preferential sites for DRX initiation. The greater size and number density of MC carbides and finer initial grains significantly increased the stored energy and nucleation sites, which distinctly promoted DRX in the high-carbon alloy. The faster DRX is the major contributor in reducing deformation resistance and cracking of the high-carbon alloy.

Ultrasonographic Examination and Measurements of Testes, Epididymis and Accessory Glands at Different Growth Stages of Chios Rams

Background: Testes, epididymis and accessory glands measurements should be mandatory as an imminent for male selection. This study aimed at defining the ultrasonographic characteristics and measurements of testes, epididymis and accessory glands at different growth stages in Chios rams. Methods: Sixteen rams were assigned by age class into: group A (pre-pubertal, n=3), group B (pubertal, n=5) and group C (mature, n=8). Scrotal circumference (SC) was measured using a tape. Scrotal contents were examined using a B-mode ultrasound. Testicular breadth (TB), thicknesses of tunica albuginea (TA) and mediastinum (MS) and the largest dimension of epididymal tail (EpT) were estimated. Trans-rectal ultrasound was carried out to estimate the echogenicity and diameter of bulbourethral gland (BUG), height of pars dessiminata of prostate (PDP) and maximum breadth of seminal gland (SG). Result: SC increased curvilinear with age. Testicular echogenicity increased with age. Thickness of TA did not differ with age. MS could not detect in pre-pubertal rams, reached maximum thickness with puberty and became relatively thinner by maturity. EpT evidently enlarged with puberty. BUG, PDP and SG exhibited moderate echogenicity. They reached their greatest size with sexual maturity. SC estimated by tape and TB estimated by US correlated with most of the ultrasonographic measurements of the epididymis and accessory glands.

Applying Agronomic Principles of Rhizobial Inoculation to the Conservation of a Keystone Legume Species in a High Mountain Ecosystem on an Oceanic Island

The Teide broom, Spartocytisus supranubius, is an endemism of the Canary Islands (Spain) and the dominant legume of the Tenerife high-mountain ecosystem in Teide National Park (N.P.). Biotic and abiotic stresses are causing a progressive deterioration and decline of the population of this keystone legume. Since its symbiosis with rhizobia is the main nitrogen (N) input into these soils, diminishing the biological nitrogen fixation could compromise the maintenance of this alpine ecosystem. Symbiotically efficient nitrogen-fixing rhizobia have been widely and successfully used as inoculants for agronomic purposes. However, only rarely has rhizobial inoculation been used for legume species conservation in natural ecosystems. In this study, we assessed three Bradyrhizobium sp. strains as inoculants for S. supranubius on seedlings grown in a greenhouse experiment and on juvenile individuals (2-years-old) transplanted on a field trial in the N.P. Plant growth as well as symbiotic and plant physiological parameters were measured to evaluate the effect of rhizobia inoculation. Our results show that broom plants responded positively to the inoculation both in the greenhouse and field trials. The SSUT18 inoculated plants had significantly higher number and weight of nodules, greater sizes (biovolume) and biomass and also showed the highest N which, being not significant in our experimental conditions, it still contributed to more N per planted hectare than control plants, which could be important for the ecosystem maintenance in these N-poor soils. Positive effects of inoculation were also detected on the plant survival rate and water content. The bradyrhizobial inoculation, by accelerating the plant growth can shorten the greenhouse period and by producing more robust juvenile plants, they could help them to cope better with stresses in its natural habitat. Therefore, inoculation with selected rhizobia is a successful strategy to be integrated into conservation campaigns for this threatened legume species.