Notes

Modification: Dynamic linkages in between renewable energy, co2 pollution levels along with economic expansion through nonlinear ARDL approach: Data from Iran.
In addition, some essential regulatory genes underwent significant positive selection in cetacean-specific lineages, whereas no selection signal was detected in the counterpart terrestrial mammals. The extensive occurrence of positive selection in triacylglycerol metabolism-related genes is suggestive of their essential role in secondary adaptation to an aquatic life, and further implying that 'obesity' might be an indicator of good health for cetaceans.The preferential degeneration of Substantia nigra dopamine midbrain neurons (SN DA) causes the motor-symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Voltage-gated L-type calcium channels (LTCCs), especially the Cav1.3-subtype, generate an activity-related oscillatory Ca(2+) burden in SN DA neurons, contributing to their degeneration and PD. While LTCC-blockers are already in clinical trials as PD-therapy, age-dependent functional roles of Cav1.3 LTCCs in SN DA neurons remain unclear. Thus, we analysed juvenile and adult Cav1.3-deficient mice with electrophysiological and molecular techniques. To unmask compensatory effects, we compared Cav1.3 KO mice with pharmacological LTCC-inhibition. LTCC-function was not necessary for SN DA pacemaker-activity at either age, but rather contributed to their pacemaker-precision. Moreover, juvenile Cav1.3 KO but not WT mice displayed adult wildtype-like, sensitised inhibitory dopamine-D2-autoreceptor (D2-AR) responses that depended upon both, interaction of the neuronal calcium sensor NCS-1 with D2-ARs, and on voltage-gated T-type calcium channel (TTCC) activity. This functional KO-phenotype was accompanied by cell-specific up-regulation of NCS-1 and Cav3.1-TTCC mRNA. Furthermore, in wildtype we identified an age-dependent switch of TTCC-function from contributing to SN DA pacemaker-precision in juveniles to pacemaker-frequency in adults. This novel interplay of Cav1.3 L-type and Cav3.1 T-type channels, and their modulation of SN DA activity-pattern and D2-AR-sensitisation, provide new insights into flexible age- and calcium-dependent activity-control of SN DA neurons and its pharmacological modulation.
Many students in the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (CHM) are non-traditional with unique needs and experiences. To meet these needs, in 1988 CHM developed a structured Extended Curriculum Program (ECP), which allows students to take longer than 2 years to complete the preclinical curriculum. This work examined the reasons why students extended their programs, their perceptions of that experience, and the outcome with respect to satisfaction and success in their careers after graduation.

The analysis used data from the college database, follow-up surveys of residency directors and graduates, surveys of graduates who extended, and the AMA Physician Masterfile.

Graduates who responded to the survey were evenly split between those who extended for academic reasons and those who extended for other reasons. Although feelings about extending were mixed at the time of extension, nearly all respondents agreed that extending was the right decision in the long run. Extended students continued to face academic challenges having lower basic science averages, lower USMLE Step 1 and 2 first attempt pass rates, and more instances of repeated clerkships compared to those who did not extend, however, most were able to secure a residency in the specialty they desired and had comparable career satisfaction ratings.

The ECP allows some students to complete medical school who otherwise may not have been able to do so. This analysis has provided valuable information that was used to improve the program, allowing CHM to continue its mission of training a diverse set of students to be exemplary physicians.
The ECP allows some students to complete medical school who otherwise may not have been able to do so. This analysis has provided valuable information that was used to improve the program, allowing CHM to continue its mission of training a diverse set of students to be exemplary physicians.House dust has been recognized as an important contributor to Pb exposure of children. Here we conducted a comprehensive study to investigate geographical variation of Pb in Chinese villager house dust. selleck kinase inhibitor The influences of outdoor soil Pb concentrations, dates of construction, house decoration materials, heating types, and site specific pollution on Pb concentrations in house dust were evaluated. The concentrations of Pb in 477 house dust samples collected from twenty eight areas throughout China varied from 12 to 2510 mg/kg, with a median concentration of 42 mg/kg. The median Pb concentrations in different geographical areas ranged from 16 (Zhangjiakou, Hebei) to 195 mg/kg (Loudi, Hunan). No correlations were found between the house dust Pb concentrations and the age of houses, as well as house decoration materials. Whereas outdoor soil, coal combustion, and site specific pollution may be potential Pb sources. Principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed that elemental compositions of the house dust were controlled by both anthropogenic and geogenic sources. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the Pb bearing particles in the house dust were also studied.Precise regulation of the Notch signaling pathway is crucial, as increases or deficiencies in signaling are associated with diseases, including a wide range of cancers. link2 Recent studies have demonstrated that monoclonal antibodies that bind and stabilize the structure of the negative regulatory region (NRR) in the extracellular domain of the Notch receptor can inhibit Notch signaling. link3 In this work, we posed the question whether bicyclic peptides, being around 100-fold smaller than antibodies, can also stabilize the NRR and inhibit Notch signaling. Bicyclic peptides that bind the NRR of human Notch1 were isolated from combinatorial libraries by phage display. Affinity maturation yielded ligands with dissociation constant (Kd ) values as low as 150 nM. The bicyclic peptides increased the melting temperature of the NRR by up to 8 °C, thus substantially stabilizing the protein structure, but they did not inhibit Notch signaling in cellular assays. Although Notch signaling could not be inhibited, this work demonstrates that phage-selected bicyclic peptides can stabilize proteins; this capacity of bicyclic peptides may be exploited for modulating the conformation of other disease targets.Young age, adverse environmental conditions and infectious agents are established risk factors of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), whereas pneumococcal conjugate vaccines may be protective. To explore their relative role as predictors of hospitalizations under the continental climate prevailing in the province of Quebec, Canada, an ecological study was performed. Records with a main diagnosis of LRTI in children born during 2007-2010 and observed up to their second-year anniversary were extracted from the provincial hospital administrative database. Respiratory virus surveillance data and statistics on ambient air temperature were obtained. Vaccine use in different birth cohorts was derived from the Quebec City Immunization Registry. Additive and multiplicative Poisson regression models were applied to estimate attributable fractions. Age, month of birth, ambient temperature, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and influenza-positive test proportions were significant predictors of LRTI hospitalizations. No substantial differences were observed in cohorts exposed to the 7-valent or 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. In the additive model, the fraction of hospitalizations explained by temperature variation was 37%, whereas RSV circulation explained 28%, hMPV 4% and influenza 1%. Complex interplay between biological, environmental and social mechanisms may explain the important role of ambient air temperature in predicting LRTI hospitalization risk in young children.Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and nano-graphite (NG) are graphene-based nanomaterials which share exceptional physicochemical properties, but whose health impacts are unfortunately still not well understood. On the other hand, carbon black (CB) is a conventional and widely studied material. The comparison of these three carbon-based nanomaterials is thus of great interest to improve our understanding of their toxicity. An acid functionalization was carried out on CNT, NG and CB so that, after a thorough characterization, their impacts on RAW 264.7 macrophages could be compared for a similar surface chemistry (15 to 120 μg·mL(-1) nanomaterials, 90-min to 24-h contact). Functionalized nanomaterials triggered a weak cytotoxicity similar to the pristine nanomaterials. Acid functionalization increased the pro-inflammatory response except for CB which did not trigger any TNF-α production before or after functionalization, and seemed to strongly decrease the oxidative stress. The toxicological impact of acid functionalization appeared thus to follow a similar trend whatever the carbon-based nanomaterial. At equivalent dose expressed in surface and equivalent surface chemistry, the toxicological responses from murine macrophages to NG were higher than for CNT and CB. It seemed to correspond to the hypothesis of a platelet and fiber paradigm.N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 205) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 226) are crucial for the prevention of lung cancer. PUFAs may act through alteration of membrane fluidity and cell surface receptor functions; modulation of cyclooxygenase activity; and increased cellular oxidative stress, which may induce apoptosis and autophagy. Therefore the aim of the study was to investigate whether EPA and DHA (25-100 μM) are able to reduce human lung cancer cell growth through oxidative stress influence on autophagy and apoptosis. It was found that both EPA and DHA in the concentration-dependent manner suppressed the cell viability, enhanced cell death, induced activation of caspase-3/7 and potentiated intracellular oxidative DNA and protein damage. In response to PUFAs intracellular autophagic vacuolization occurred and the observed effect was reverted when the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) was applied. The inhibition of the autophagic process enhanced the cell viability, suppressed cell death, and decreased activation of caspase-3/7 indicating that EPA and DHA-induced autophagy amplified A549 apoptotic cell death.
This study was designed to determine the impact of aerobic exercise on vocal warm-up.

This is a cohort experimental study.

Sixteen graduate and six undergraduate students in an academic vocal performance program participated. They completed a 30-minute treadmill workout in their target aerobic heart range. Aerodynamic data during singing were acquired before and after the treadmill workout. In full voice, participants sang the first seven notes of the Star Spangled Banner on "pah," repeating the seventh note seven times, at 1.5 syllables/s after an inhalation. The key was determined by voice type, with the target note within the range of passaggio for men, and in head voice for women.

Paired t tests were performed on the data from 17 singers who maintained or increased sound pressure level (SPL) after exercise. Significant pre- to post-exercise increases were found for mean SPL and mean airflow during voicing, although increased estimated subglottal pressure approached significance. These measures were essentially unchanged in individuals who decreased SPL after exercise.
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