Likelihood Of Restoration Research Articles

The immunosuppressive, growth-hindering, hepatotoxic, and oxidative stress and immune related-gene expressions-altering effects of gibberellic acid in Oreochromis niloticus: A mitigation trial using alpha-lipoic acid

This study aimed to examine the effects of gibberellic acid (GBA) on growth, hemato-biochemical parameters related to liver functions, digestive enzymes, and immunological response in Oreochromis niloticus. Besides, the probable underlying mechanisms were explored by assessing antioxidant, apoptotic, and immune-related gene expression. Furthermore, the likelihood of restoration following alpha-lipoic acid (LIP) dietary supplementation was explored. The fish (average initial weight 30.75 ± 0.46) were equally classified into four groups: the control group, the LIP group (fed on a basal diet plus 600 mg/kg of LIP), the GBA group (exposed to 150 mg GBA/L), and the GBA + LIP group (exposed to 150 mg GBA/L and fed a diet containing LIP and GBA) for 60 days. The study findings showed that LIP supplementation significantly reduced GBA's harmful effects on survival rate, growth, feed intake, digestive enzymes, and antioxidant balance. Moreover, the GBA exposure significantly increased liver enzymes, stress markers, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, all of which were effectively mitigated by the supplementation of LIP. Additionally, LIP addition to fish diets significantly minimized the histopathological alterations in the livers of GBA-treated fish, including fatty change, sharply clear cytoplasm with nuclear displacement to the cell periphery, single-cell necrosis, vascular congestion, and intralobular hemorrhages. The GBA-induced reduction in lysozyme activity, complement C3, and nitric oxide levels, together with the downregulation of antioxidant genes (cat and sod), was significantly restored by dietary LIP. Meanwhile, adding LIP to the GBA-exposed fish diets significantly corrected the aberrant expression of hsp70, caspase- 3, P53, pcna, tnf-a, and il-1β in O. niloticus liver. Conclusively, dietary LIP supplementation could mitigate the harmful effects of GBA exposure on fish growth and performance, physiological conditions, innate immunity, antioxidant capability, inflammatory response, and cell apoptosis.

Intellectual deficits and restoration to competency to stand trial: An examination of IQ cut off scores.

Intellectual functioning impacts defendants' competence to stand trial, though research on this population remains limited. This study replicated and advanced prior work, focusing on defendants' demographic, clinical, cognitive, and criminal justice variables and their association with length of hospitalization and restoration determinations. Participants were 74 male and female criminal defendants in a midwestern state who were adjudicated incompetent to stand trial, had a diagnosis related to intellectual deficits, and completed competency restoration. Most defendants (83.7%) were restored to competency. Demographic factors were unrelated to restoration outcomes; violence of alleged offense predicted shorter hospitalization. Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve analyses determined an IQ score cut-off of 63.5 for which participants were of greater likelihood to be determined restored, providing guidance on the likelihood of restoration for defendants with intellectual disability related diagnoses. Specifically, this score can be used with clinical data to inform competency determinations for defendants with cognitive deficits.

Property size and forest cover were key determinants of forest restoration in Southern Bahia in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil

Forest restoration has gained traction as a solution to mitigate climate change, contribute to biodiversity conservation, and support forest livelihoods. Yet there is limited evidence on the spatial locations where restoration is most likely to occur. In landscapes that primarily contain private properties, assessing the likelihood of restoration can be informed by understanding the enabling and limiting factors that have influenced property-level restoration in the past. In this paper, we tested the relationships between restoration, property size, and forest cover, for 8451 properties between 1985 and 2019 in Southern Bahia, Atlantic Forest, Brazil. We found that spatial property-level variables were strongly associated with restoration. First, we found that property size was positively correlated with the amount of restoration per property. Medium-sized properties (between 40 and 127 ha) accounted for the most restoration in aggregate. Second, we found that properties with less forest cover were associated with higher amounts of restoration. In addition, for properties larger than 20 ha, those with intermediate amounts of forest cover had high amounts of restoration. Third, we found that restoration was a spatial process that occurred in hotspots rather than randomly across the study landscape, indicating that restoration often occurred near to other restored properties. Understanding these relationships may assist restoration planners in making more informed estimates of the conditions that might enable future restoration. Given that restoration is a complex process that may require different approaches in different socio-environmental contexts, decision-makers may consider identifying and prioritizing properties of different sizes and with different amounts of forest cover depending on their specific priorities, landscape-level conditions, and restoration context. Our spatial analysis techniques assist in improving broader understanding of possible ways in which land use policy could prioritize for restoration at the property level and could later be applied to other socio-environmental tropical forest systems.

Fabrication of polycaprolactone electrospun fibres with retinyl acetate for antioxidant delivery in a ROS-mimicking environment.

Background: Increased cancer rates denote that one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Over 60% of cancer patients receive radiotherapy, either as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery. Whilst radiotherapy is effective in destroying cancer cells, it also causes subsequent damage to healthy cells and surrounding tissue due to alterations in the tumor microenvironment and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). This can cause extensive damage that impairs tissue function, and the likelihood of tissue regeneration and restoration of function is significantly reduced as new healthy cells cannot survive in the damaged environment. In the treatment of head and neck cancers, radiotherapy can cause salivary gland dysfunction. This significantly impairs the patient's quality of life and there is currently no cure, only palliative treatment options. Tissue engineering approaches are used to mimic the microenvironment of the tissue and can mediate the damaged microenvironment via bioactive compounds, to support the delivery, survival, and proliferation of new, healthy cells into the damaged environment. Methods: In this study, retinyl acetate, a derivative of vitamin A, was successfully incorporated into electrospun polycaprolactone fibres. Results: SEM images and characterization analyses showed that all scaffolds produced had similar characteristics, including fiber morphology and scaffold wettability. The vitamin scaffolds were shown to exert an antioxidant effect through scavenging activity of both DPPH and hydroxyl radicals in vitro. Critically, the antioxidant scaffolds supported the growth of human submandibular gland cells and significantly upregulated the expression of GPx1, an antioxidant enzyme, when cultured under both normal conditions and under a simulated oxidative stress environment. Discussion: These results suggest that incorporation of retinyl acetate into electrospun fibres has may mediate the damaged microenvironment post cancer radiation therapy.

Responsive Regulation and Tax Investigations: The Tax Investigation Diamond Model Assumptions

This is an exploratory study to analyse whether the Tax Investigation Diamond (TID) model is a necessary and useful tool for tax investigations. The TID meant to have a special role within tax compliance as an alternative strategy mechanism to maximise the likelihood of restoration by the offender. Through an analysis of interviews of Portuguese Tax Inspectors, we show that in tax investigations it is not always desirable to fulfil all steps of escalation. This study provides data that indicates that TID can be an innovative strategy for adapting responsive regulation strategies to tax investigations, based on the tax inspector’s perception of the taxpayer’s motivational posture and the way in which power actions are used according to these motivational postures.

Comparing the potential reproductive phenology between restored areas and native tropical forest fragments in Southeastern Brazil

Plant phenology is rarely considered when selecting species used in restoration actions. However, considering the potential flowering and fruiting phenologies of species is a key point to: (1) evaluate the capacity of restoration actions in reestablishing ecological interactions (pollination and seed dispersal) and ecosystem functions (early germination and plant establishment to reduce soil erosion); (2) determine which species are most suitable to the target site, and (3) identify when and where locally adapted seeds can be harvested and purchased. Here, we evaluate the potential reproductive phenology of species occurring in restored and forest fragments in Southeastern Brazil. We asked whether flowering and fruiting phenological patterns differed among type areas. For such, we compared 14 restored areas and 18 nearby forest fragments and compiled phenological data from the literature for 267 species (84% of species sampled). Despite their low floristic similarity, restored and forest fragments showed close similarity of general potential flowering and fruiting periods year‐round, peaking in the dry‐to‐rainy season. There were only slight differences in seasonality of two out of the eight parameters evaluated. Nonzoochorous species' fruiting was seasonal, while zoochorous species fruiting onset occurred year‐round but was slightly seasonal in forest fragments. Comparing potential phenological patterns between restored and forest fragments using a compilation from secondary sources are unprecedented in Brazil at this scale. Our results highlight that applying phenological information, even from literature, is essential to improve the science and practice of future restoration actions, enhancing the likelihood of successful restoration of ecosystem functions and species interactions.

Inoculum origin and soil legacy can shape plant–soil feedback outcomes for tropical grassland restoration

Restoration techniques tailored to grasslands are needed to improve the effectiveness of restoration in tropical landscapes. In this study, we investigated the joint effects of plant–soil legacies and soil inocula in native and invaded Cerrado grasslands to evaluate whether different microbial origins affect plant–soil feedbacks and the likelihood of restoration. Using two grass species, we measured aboveground biomass, and several plant traits over two growth cycles. Species responded differently to inocula and legacies. The legacy of the invasive Urochloa eminii and invaded soil inocula positively affected mycorrhizal colonization. The legacy of Diectomis fastigiata, a commonly used species in Cerrado restoration, resulted in a negative self‐feedback potentially limiting its effectiveness for restoration. The success of the invasive species was in part due to its broad ecological niche and its ability to cope with a broad range of soil conditions. Our research suggests soil inocula and legacies could be used to aid restoration efforts in the tropics, allowing restoration practitioners to stimulate the growth of species targeting functional traits for a given ecosystem.

Resilience of a native soil seed bank in a floodplain lake subjected to cropping, grazing and extended drought

Ephemeral floodplain lakes are an integral component of inland wetland ecosystems and experience highly variable hydrology and prolonged dry periods. Although wetland soil seed banks are highly resilient to drought and floods, anthropogenic land use may add an additional stress. Understanding the recovery potential of wetland soil seed banks to different historical land uses helps manage and prioritise environmental water. In this study we explored the resilience of the wetland plant community in an ephemeral floodplain lake (Ita Lake, NSW, Australia). We collected soil samples during an extended dry phase (10 years) from two distinct zones within the lake, one of which was subjected to historical grazing and the other to lakebed ploughing and cropping. The samples were inundated under multiple inundation regimes to assess soil seed bank response. We found that the soil seed bank was viable, indicating a level of resilience not previously recorded for some plant species, namely Ricciocarpus natans, Chara spp., Nitella spp., Alternanthera denticulata and Eleocharis acuta. Although the results highlight the resilience of ephemeral wetland plant communities, intensive land uses such as ploughing and cropping will limit the availability of seeds to germinate, and the inundation regime will influence species composition and the subsequent likelihood of restoration.

Evaluation of ecological, stressor and social factors for the prioritization and restoration of Trinity River Basin watershed

Public interest in the restoration of impaired water bodies is growing, and as such, it is critical to understand the causes of impairment and the likelihood of successful restoration. Restoration efforts often focus on a specific factor (stressors) of the impaired water body without including equally important but often overlooked societal and ecological factors. In this study, segment-specific indicators such as stressor exposure, ecological capacity, and societal traits were used to perform a screening analysis to evaluate the restoration potential of fifteen impaired segments in the Trinity River Basin. Data obtained for each impaired segment were normalized and compared using simple ranking, three-dimensional bubble plots, and mapping. Results indicate that when individual indices were rank-ordered, water segments that ranked low on the stressor index and high on the ecological and social indices had the best chance of restoration. While the three-dimensional bubble plot analysis of interrelated ecological, stressor, and social indices suggests that watershed segments with high ecological and low stressor indices may not necessarily be prime candidates for restoration. Their ranking on the social index score determines their priority for restoration. The results of the screening analysis show the utility of the recovery potential screening tool in prioritizing the restoration of impaired water bodies.

Determining reasonableness: identification of the non-restorable person adjudicated incompetent to stand trial

ABSTRACTFederal and state courts require forensic examiners to offer opinions concerning the likelihood of restorability of defendants. There is limited empirical guidance for determining restorability of defendants, and legislators have little data to support their decision-making regarding statutory changes to limit the period of attempted restoration for defendants. This study examined whether commonly available demographic and clinical information predicts non-restorability in hospitalized felony criminal defendants who are refractory to early interventions at restoration. Archival data from a quality assurance State Hospital, database such as demographic and clinical variables for 271 cases were analyzed using a logistic regression analysis. Lower likelihood of restoration was significantly associated with the presence of a developmental disorder, traumatic brain injury/neurological disorder, cognitive disorder, older age, and length of restoration effort. Among defendants who can attain competency to stand trial, 96% do so by the 60th treatment month. Findings indicate that restoration efforts are largely unsuccessful afterward, which suggests that readily available clinical and demographic variables can be used to reasonably predict restoration. These findings add empirical support and guidance to determining non-restorability among defendants.

To compare the clinicoradiological outcome of various operative techniques and fixation devices in treatment of subtrochanteric fractures

Background: There are various operative techniques and fixation devices in treatment of subtrochanteric fractures. The objective of treatment is restoration of optimal functions in the shortest possible time by the safest and most dependable method of treatment. Aim: To compare the clinicoradiological outcome of various operative techniques and fixation devices in treatment of subtrochanteric fractures and its variants. To compare the efficacy of various operative techniques in management of subtrochanteric fractures and its variants. To assess efficiency of various fixation devices in different (A-O) types of subtrochanteric fractrues and to compare our results with those available in literature. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in department of orthopedic surgery, in a span of two years. 38 Cases of subtrochanteric fractures and two types of extensions of subtrochanteric fractures admitted in orthopedics wards and treated by various operative methods were included in the study. Results: Malunion was seen in 3 cases and infection in 2 cases. Excellent and good results were seen in most of the cases fixed with intramedullary devices 35% & 39% respectively) and these using closed techniques (38% & 43% respectively). Majority of excellent result (52%) were seen in cases fixed with Proximal Femoral Nail. Most of the cases fixed using Dynamic Condylar Screw and Dynamic Hip Screw had fair to good results. Conclusion: Successful management of a case of subtrochanteric fracture is an exercise in balancing mechanical and biological consideration in maximize the likelihood of rapid healing and full restoration of function with minimal risk of complications at the least cost to the patient and society

Electrotherapy in acute cardiac conditions

Cardiac arrhythmia is one of the main reasons of admission to emergency units. Arrhythmia can be alone symptom, effect of compromise of stable disease or be caused by acute cardiac event. Temporary pacing according to current guidelines should be limited to advanced atrio-venricular block, life-threatening bradycardia related to cardiac procedures (ie. PCI). This method should not be used routinely but only when chronotro­pic drugs are ineffective. Likelihood of restoration of proper atrio-ventricular conduction, when block persists over 2 days is exiguous so decision of permanent system implantation should be taken earlier. Temporary pacing with stiff lead is related to increased risk of perforation and correlates with an increased risk of permanent device infection. Overdrive pacing should be considered in case of refractory to treatment recurrent ventricular arrhythmias. Immediate implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator should be performed in secondary prevention, when arrhythmia seems not to be related to potentially reversible cause. Frequently recurrent or persistent arrhythmias should be treated pharmacologically or with ablation before system implantation. In randomized trials it was not proved that implantation of ICD based on early risk stratification after myocardial infarction give any benefits. Experts point out the group of patients who could benefit from early (within 40 days after MI) implantation of an ICD. Cardiac resynchronization system implantation may be considered as a thera­py option to decrease congestion. Such treatment may allow the withdrawal of inotropic agents. Treatment of acute cardiac conditions with electrotherapy methods could be an effective therapy worth in selected group of patients.

Rotator Cuff Repair: Single Row Repair Versus Double Row Repair and Superior Capsular Reconstruction.

The surgical management of rotator cuff (RC) tears has progressed considerably in recent decades. Arthroscopic procedures now represent the mainstay of contemporary treatment approaches. The success of repair is predicated upon the achievement of a secure, durable repair that promotes tendon-to-bone healing. Both single and double row (DR) suture anchor configurations have been described to achieve stable fixation. Although consensus is lacking with regard to the clinical superiority of one configuration over another, trends in the literature suggest that DR repairs may optimize the likelihood of tendon healing and restoration of shoulder strength. In cases of truly irreparable RC tears, superior capsular reconstruction is a promising alternative to open tendon transfer and arthroplasty procedures. The purposes of this concise review are to: (1) explain our preference for a DR repair configuration in almost all circumstances; and (2) advocate superior capsular reconstruction as a viable treatment tactic for truly irreparable RC tears in the absence of significant glenohumeral arthritis.

Adapting management to a changing world: Warm temperatures, dry soil, and interannual variability limit restoration success of a dominant woody shrub in temperate drylands.

Restoration and rehabilitation of native vegetation in dryland ecosystems, which encompass over 40% of terrestrial ecosystems, is a common challenge that continues to grow as wildfire and biological invasions transform dryland plant communities. The difficulty in part stems from low and variable precipitation, combined with limited understanding about how weather conditions influence restoration outcomes, and increasing recognition that one-time seeding approaches can fail if they do not occur during appropriate plant establishment conditions. The sagebrush biome, which once covered over 620,000km2 of western North America, is a prime example of a pressing dryland restoration challenge for which restoration success has been variable. We analyzed field data on Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush) restoration collected at 771 plots in 177 wildfire sites across its western range, and used process-based ecohydrological modeling to identify factors leading to its establishment. Our results indicate big sagebrush occurrence is most strongly associated with relatively cool temperatures and wet soils in the first spring after seeding. In particular, the amount of winter snowpack, but not total precipitation, helped explain the availability of spring soil moisture and restoration success. We also find considerable interannual variability in the probability of sagebrush establishment. Adaptive management strategies that target seeding during cool, wet years or mitigate effects of variability through repeated seeding may improve the likelihood of successful restoration in dryland ecosystems. Given consistent projections of increasing temperatures, declining snowpack, and increasing weather variability throughout midlatitude drylands, weather-centric adaptive management approaches to restoration will be increasingly important for dryland restoration success.

The Short Synacthen (Corticotropin) Test Can Be Used to Predict Recovery of Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function.

The 250-μg short Synacthen (corticotropin) test (SST) is the most commonly used tool to assess hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. There are many potentially reversible causes of adrenal insufficiency (AI), but no data to guide clinicians as to the frequency of repeat testing or likelihood of HPA axis recovery. To use the SST results to predict adrenal recovery. A retrospective analysis of 1912 SSTs data. Seven hundred seventy-six patients with reversible causes of AI were identified who had at least two SSTs performed. A subgroup analysis was performed on individuals previously treated with suppressive doses of glucocorticoids (n = 110). Recovery of HPA axis function. SST 30-minute cortisol levels above or below 350 nmol/L (12.7 μg/dL) best predicted HPA axis recovery [area under the curve (AUC) receiver operating curve (ROC) = 0.85; median recovery time: 334 vs 1368 days, P = 8.5 × 10-13]: 99% of patients with a 30-minute cortisol >350 nmol/L recovered adrenal function within 4 years, compared with 49% in those with cortisol levels <350 nmol/L. In the subgroup analysis, delta cortisol (30-minute-basal) best predicted the recovery (AUC ROC = 0.77; median recovery time: 262 vs 974 days, P = 7.0 × 10-6). No patient with a delta cortisol <100 nmol (3.6 μg/dL) and a subsequent 1-year random cortisol <200 nmol/L (7.3 μg/dL) recovered HPA axis function. Cortisol levels across an SST can be used to predict recovery of AI and may guide the frequency of repeat testing and inform both clinicians and patients as to the likelihood of restoration of HPA axis function.

Soil properties and neighbouring forest cover affect above-ground biomass and functional composition during tropical forest restoration

Questions: We studied the importance of soil properties and neighbouring forest cover in affecting plant community biomass and assembly during the tropical forest restoration process. We also investigated how compositional responses depended on traits expected to influence individual success. Location: Forest restoration sites across anthropogenic grasslands in mixed use agricultural watersheds, eastern Sao Paulo state, Brazil. Methods: We identified and measured all woody individuals (DBH >= 5 cm) in four 200-m(2) plots per site. Then we translated these measurements into above-ground biomass (AGB), and related AGB variability to neighbouring forest cover, soil texture and chemical fertility using mixed effect models. We assessed the effect of these predictors on different species groups, arranged according to variation in wood density, tree height or habitat selectivity, through multivariate abundance models. Results: GB ranged between 0 and 104.7 t/ha (median of 10.4 t/ha), with high variation within, as well as between, watersheds. Sand percentage, forest cover and the interaction between soil nutrient concentrations and sand percentage were good predictors of measured AGB. The most parsimonious model projected a seven growing seasons AGB recovery of 70.90 t/ha, when a site is on fertile soils with 10% sand and surrounded by forest cover of 50%. In contrast, only 5.24 t/ha is predicted on acidic-poor soils with 67% sand and 0% forest cover. Increasing forest cover favoured smaller trees and habitat generalists while increasing sand percentage inhibited taller species and forest specialists. Sand percentage constrained softwoods in fertile soils. Conclusion: Our results confirm that the likelihood of restoration to pre-disturbance conditions is constrained in contexts of higher degradation, such as when agricultural use adversely affects soil properties and/or motivates extreme deforestation. Lower AGB found on sandy soils suggests that forest recovery is sensitive to local drought intensification. Given regional projections for extended dry seasons, restoration approaches could consider targeting alternative reference states, rather than historical/undisturbed ones, under highly altered environments, while aiming to improve soil and microclimate conditions to allow moist tropical forest recovery where feasible.

Staged Revision With Antibiotic Spacers for Shoulder Prosthetic Joint Infections Yields High Infection Control.

The treatment of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the shoulder with two-stage revision arthroplasty using an antibiotic-loaded cement spacer is established strategy, but there is sparse information regarding the likelihood of infection control and restoration of shoulder. (1) What is the likelihood of infection control after two-stage revision using an antibiotic cement spacer for patients with PJI of the shoulder? (2) What are the improvements in Constant and Murley scores at 2 years after these staged revisions? Between 2000 and 2013, we treated 48 patients with PJI of the shoulder using two-stage revision including an antibiotic-containing cement spacer during the first stage. Of those, 38 (79%) were available for review at a minimum of 24 months (mean, 52 ± 34 months). Ten patients (21%) were excluded because they were deceased (n = 3), moved abroad (n = 4), or refused followup (n = 3), leaving 38 for analysis in this retrospective study. During the first stage, removal of the prosthesis, débridement, and implantation of a gentamicin and vancomycin-filled cement spacer were performed by four different surgeons followed by antibiotic therapy (2 weeks intravenous plus 10 weeks oral). For the second stage, we generally tried a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA; n = 26). In case of severe glenoid destruction, hemiarthroplasty (HA; n = 8) was used as a salvage option. In 14 patients the cement spacer was left in place because the patients refused further surgery or were not operable owing to medical reasons. The primary outcome included the proportion of patients achieving infection control 2 years after the second-stage procedure after implantation of the cement spacer. Infection control was determined as the absence of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society PJI criteria. The clinical outcome assessed with the Constant and Murley scores served as the secondary outcome parameter. A subgroup (RTSA; HA, spacer retention) analysis of the Constant and Murley scores was performed. Successful infection control was achieved in 36 of 38 patients (95%). Patients who underwent treatment with a cement spacer had increased Constant and Murley scores at latest followup compared with their pretreatment scores (mean ± SD, 27 ± 19 versus 43 ± 20; mean difference, 17; 95% CI, 10-24; p = 0.001). For patients who underwent staged treatment followed by second-stage RTSA (n = 23), the Constant and Murley scores increased (mean ± SD, 31 ± 20 versus 51 ± 20; mean difference, 20; 95% CI, 11-30; p = 0.001). The Constant and Murley scores did not improve in patients who underwent HA (mean ± SD, 22 ±15 versus 24 ± 90; mean difference, 3; 95% CI, -10 to 16; p = 0.509) or who retained the spacer (mean ± SD, 18 ±12 versus 35 ±10; mean difference, 19; 95% CI, -5 to 44; p = 0.093). Revision arthroplasty using an antibiotic-loaded cement spacer provided successful infection control in patients with periprosthetic shoulder infections in this small, retrospective series. Functional improvement was obtained after reimplantation of a reverse total shoulder prosthesis but was not seen after HA and cement spacer; however, baseline differences among patient groups very likely contributed to these differences, and they should not be attributed to implant selection alone. Level III, therapeutic study.

Intensive treatment for adults with anorexia nervosa: The cost of weight restoration.

Weight restoration in anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with lower relapse risk; however rate of weight gain and percent of patients achieving weight restoration (BMI ≥ 19 at discharge) vary among treatment programs. We compared both cost/pound of weight gained and cost of weight restoration in a hospital-based inpatient (IP)-partial hospitalization (PH) eating disorders program to estimates of these costs for residential treatment. All adult first admissions to the IP-PH program with AN (N = 314) from 2003 to 2015 were included. Cost of care was based on hospital charges, rates of weight gain, and weight restoration data. Results were compared with residential treatment costs extracted from a national insurance claims database and published weight gain data. Average charge/day in the IP-PH program was $2295 for IP and $1567 for PH, yielding an average cost/pound gained of $4089 and $7050, respectively, with 70% of patients achieving weight restoration. Based on published mean weight gain data and conservative cost/day estimates, residential treatment is associated with higher cost/pound, and both higher cost and lower likelihood of weight restoration for most patients. The key metrics used in this study are recommended for comparing the cost-effectiveness of intensive treatment programs for patients with AN.

Cardioprotection by Targeting the Pool of Resident and Extracardiac Progenitors.

The adult heart has the capacity to generate new myocytes that are markedly enhanced in acute and chronic heart failure of ischemic and non-ischemic origin. In addition, a pool of blood trafficking progenitor cells able to sense myocardial damage may home to the sites of injury participating to cardiac repair. This new view of myocardial biology leads to an expanding long-term research and therapeutic goals for cardioprotection. A fundamental concept to be analyzed is whether cardiac diseases are influenced by changes in the properties of tissue specific and circulating progenitors. Loss of self-renewal capacity, impaired growth or increased susceptibility to death may lead to a reduction of progenitors and leave myocardial damage unrepaired. Cardiac progenitors generate all myocardial cell lineages, thus impairment in their growth is expected to be critically involved in the structural and functional modifications of the heart. The fact that, in addition to well known effects of anthracyclines, also new drugs that target molecular pathways implicated in cell death and growth can be cardiotoxic further supports our hypothesis. Understanding the role of resident and extracardiac progenitors in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies of different etiology will provide not only a better comprehension of cardiac homeostasis but will also open new avenues for therapeutic interventions. The progress toward effective myocardial regeneration based on exploiting the self-renewal potential of the myocardium and the systemic pool of cardiogenic cells should advance the likelihood of efficient cardioprotection and restoration of cardiac function.

Structural and functional responses of floodplain vegetation to stream ecosystem restoration

Most river restoration projects have applied relatively small-scale measures focused on improving specific instream conditions, with only limited outcomes for biodiversity in rivers and their adjacent riparian habitats. Here, we investigate the effects of both small- and large-scale restoration projects on floodplain vegetation across 20 European catchments. We focused on the roles of different restoration parameters (i.e., the number, spatial extent and type of restoration measure applied and restoration age) and specific environmental characteristics in regulating changes in plant diversity and trait composition following restoration. Among restoration characteristics, restoration type was the only significant determinant of plant community responses, with stream channel widening having the strongest effects, particularly on the diversity and composition of species traits favoured by increases in physical disturbance (e.g. flooding) and open habitat patch availability (e.g. plant growth form, life strategy and life span). Of the environmental variables, altitude and discharge were positively and most strongly related to responses of both species and trait diversity. Our results emphasise the value of (i) choosing relevant restoration measures that affect environmental conditions of importance for the target organism group and (ii) conducting restoration projects in environmental settings where the likelihood of restoration “success” is maximised.