We map the extent, infer the life-cycle length and describe spatial and temporal patterns of flowering of sarmentose bamboos (Guadua spp) in upland forests of the southwest Amazon. We first examine ...the spectra and the spectral separation of forests with different bamboo life stages. False-color composites from orbital sensors going back to 1975 are capable of distinguishing life stages. These woody bamboos flower produce massive quantities of seeds and then die. Life stage is synchronized, forming a single cohort within each population. Bamboo dominates at least 161,500 km(2) of forest, coincident with an area of recent or ongoing tectonic uplift, rapid mechanical erosion and poorly drained soils rich in exchangeable cations. Each bamboo population is confined to a single spatially continuous patch or to a core patch with small outliers. Using spatial congruence between pairs of mature-stage maps from different years, we estimate an average life cycle of 27-28 y. It is now possible to predict exactly where and approximately when new bamboo mortality events will occur. We also map 74 bamboo populations that flowered between 2001 and 2008 over the entire domain of bamboo-dominated forest. Population size averaged 330 km(2). Flowering events of these populations are temporally and/or spatially separated, restricting or preventing gene exchange. Nonetheless, adjacent populations flower closer in time than expected by chance, forming flowering waves. This may be a consequence of allochronic divergence from fewer ancestral populations and suggests a long history of widespread bamboo in the southwest Amazon.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
OSA is a condition characterised by episodes of complete or partial obstruction of the upper airway, associated with blood-gas changes and atypical sleep patterns. Early diagnosis of OSA may reduce ...the occurrence of systemic complications over time, although the diagnosis of OSA is, unfortunately, often late. The aim of the work is to review the current concepts in evaluation of paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), with an updated revision of the literature considering risk factors, clinical manifestations, and basic and advanced assessment in the paediatric population. For this narrative review, PubMed, Embase and Cinahl databases were searched for the last 10 years, according to PRISMA criteria/guidelines. Assessment of paediatric OSA remains challenging and paediatric patients should always be carefully evaluated; polysomnography is the gold standard for diagnosis of paediatric OSA.
•Electrode modification by electrosynthesized PEDOT as sensing layer.•Analysis does not require a pretreatment of the sample.•Standard additions method on real samples prevents interferences of other ...compounds.•Linearity range wider than methods already present in literature.
A novel method using PEDOT (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy) thiophene) modified electrode was developed for the determination of caffeic acid (CA) in wine. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) with the additions standard method was used to quantify the analyte at PEDOT modified electrodes. PEDOT films were electrodeposited on Platinum electrode (Pt) in aqueous medium by galvanostatic method using sodium poly(styrene-4-sulfonate) (PSS) as electrolyte and surfactant. CV allows detecting the analyte over a wide concentration range (10.0nmoll−1–6.5mmoll−1). The electrochemical method proposed showed good statistical and analytical parameters as linearity range, LOD, LOQ and sensitivity.
Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) represents an acute inner ear disorder with an overall incidence of 5-20/100000 individuals per year in western countries. No clear causes for ...this disease have been found so far, but cochlear ischemia has been hypothesized as one of the etiopathological mechanisms. The aim of our study was to assess the role of diabetes and traditional cardiovascular risk factors in the pathogenesis of ISSNHL.
Case-control study of 141 patients (75 males/66 females) matched for age and gender. Cases were affected by ISSNHL, defined as a sudden hearing loss > or =30 dB, within 3 frequencies, developing over 72 h. The control group was composed of 271 sex- and age-matched subjects (142 males/129 females) who agreed to participate in this observational study and provided blood samples for laboratory investigations. Cardiovascular risk factors examined were: diabetes mellitus, smoking history, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension.
On the univariate analysis, diabetes prevalence was higher in the ISSNHL group (15.6%) compared to controls (8.5%) (p = 0.03). Also hypercholesterolemia was significantly more frequent in the ISSNHL group compared to the control population. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 populations concerning other cardiovascular risk factors. The risk of ISSNHL tended to increase as the number of cardiovascular risk factors increased (p for linear trend = 0.018).
Our findings suggest that diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and a high burden of cardiovascular risk factors are associated with the risk of ISSNHL.
Traditionally, drawing products created from 3D surveying activities have been the universal medium of communication used by architects. This has resulted in a vast repository of graphic ...documentation that serves as a testament of the architectural heritage. The embedded information found in elevations, plans and sections holds considerable value, and it can be seamlessly integrated into the intricate graphics produced during large-scale data acquisition processes. The core objective of this research is to investigate how the information coming from the large amount of existing architectural technical drawings can support 3D heritage classification processes and avoid time-consuming annotation of materials and construction techniques of historical building facades. Starting from available sets of drawings, AI-based methodologies are applied for the annotation of orthoimages and point clouds in order to obtain a predictive model that can recognize classes of materials and construction techniques in a large amount of data. The predicted classes also allow the automatic creation of vector drawing representing the facades of new buildings, providing a novel tool to facilitate the processes of analysis and conservation of architectural heritage.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder, characterized by deficits in emotion regulation, interpersonal dysfunctions, dissociation and impulsivity. Brain abnormalities have ...been generally explored; however, the specific contribution of different limbic structures to BPD symptomatology is not described. The aim of this study is to cover this gap, exploring functional and structural alterations of amygdala and insula and to highlight their contribution to neuropsychiatric symptoms. Twenty-eight BPD patients (23.7 ± 3.42 years; 6 M/22F) and twenty-eight matched healthy controls underwent a brain MR protocol (1.5 T, including a 3D T1-weighted sequence and resting-state fMRI) and a complete neuropsychiatric assessment. Volumetry, cortical thickness and functional connectivity of amygdala and insula were evaluated, along with correlations with the neuropsychiatric scales. BPD patients showed a lower cortical thickness of the left insula (
p
= 0.027) that negatively correlated with the Anger Rumination Scale (
p
= 0.019;
r
= − 0.450). A focused analysis on female patients showed a significant reduction of right amygdala volumes in BPD (
p
= 0.037), that correlate with Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (
p
= 0.031;
r
= − 0.415), Beck Depression Inventory (
p
= 0.009;
r
= − 0.50) and Ruminative Response Scale (
p
= 0.045;
r
= − 0.389). Reduced functional connectivity was found in BPD between amygdala and frontal pole, precuneus and temporal pole. This functional connectivity alterations correlated with Anger Rumination Scale (
p
= .009;
r
= − 0.491) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (
p
= 0.020;
r
= − 0.447). Amygdala and insula are altered in BPD patients, and these two limbic structures are implicated in specific neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as difficulty in emotion regulation, depression, anger and depressive rumination.
Extracts from the leaves of Bougainvillea glabra Choisy are used in traditional medicines, but their actions on the central nervous system have not been studied. In the present study, we investigated ...the potential neuroprotective effects of Bougainvillea glabra Choisy leaf extract (BG extract) against paraquat (PQ)-induced neurotoxicity. Male adult wild-type flies (1- 4days old) were exposed to PQ (3.5mM) and/or BG extract (120μg/mL) through food for 4days. PQ-fed flies had decreased locomotor capacity in negative geotaxis and crossing number assays and had a higher incidence of mortality than the control group. PQ neurotoxicity was also associated with a marked decrease in dopamine levels and increase in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and lipid peroxidation. Co-exposure to BG extract prevented mortality, and dopamine depletion, improved locomotor performance and decreased AChE activity, ROS production and lipid peroxidation. GC–MS and HPLC analyses of BG extract revealed the presence of many antioxidant compounds such as phytol, α,γ-tocopherol, squalene, stigmasterol, geranylgeraniol, quercetin, and caffeic, vanillic, coumaric, ferulic acids. Our results showed neuroprotective effects of BG extract, reflecting the presence of antioxidant compounds. Thus, we suggested that B. glabra leaves could be considered an effective agent in the prevention of neurological disorders, where dopamine depletion and/or oxidative stress are involved, as in Parkinson’s disease (PD).
As part of a comprehensive survey and modelling project involving the Aachen Cathedral, this paper focuses on its oldest part, the Palatine Chapel, a domed octagonal hall supported by eight piers and ...enveloped by a sixteen-sided outer wall. Working on the data collected during an extensive 3D capturing campaign conducted between 2022 and 2023, this paper will focus on the conic vaults covering the ambulacrum of the 1st floor that represent quite a peculiar architectural and structural solution considering the VIII/IX century building know-how. In this framework, the Chapel's 3D point cloud has been analysed to extract the main 2D generative elements of the conic surfaces and then construct the corresponding 3D geometric models. These outputs have been compared against the captured point cloud to assess the differences between the actual vault data and the reconstructed ideal conic shapes. Finally, the method used to unfold the vaults' surfaces and create high-resolution ortho-images has been displayed.
Objective To evaluate four-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound (4D-CEUS) as an alternative imaging method to computed tomography angiography (CTA) during follow up of fenestrated endovascular ...aneurysm repair (FEVAR) for juxta- and para-renal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Methods Between October 2011 and March 2012, all consecutive patients who underwent FEVAR follow up were included in the study and evaluated with both 4D-CEUS and CTA. The interval between the two examinations was always ≤30 days. Endpoints were the comparison of postoperative AAA diameter, AAA volume, presence of endoleaks, revascularized visceral vessel (RVV) visualization, and patency. Comparative analysis was performed using Bland–Altman plots and McNemar's Chi-square test. Results Twenty-two patients (96% male, 4% female; mean age 74 ± 7 years; American Society of Anesthesiologists grade III/IV 82%/18%) were enrolled. Seventy-eight RVV (fenestrations: 60; scallops: 17; branches: 1) were analyzed. The mean AAA diameter evaluated by 4D-CEUS and CTA was 45 ± 10 mm (range 30–69 mm) and 48 ± 9 mm (range 32–70 mm), respectively. The mean difference was 3 ± 3 mm. The mean AAA volume evaluated by 4D-CEUS and CTA was 150 ± 7 cc (range 88–300 cc) and 159 ± 68 cc (range 80–310 cc), respectively. The mean difference was 7 ± 4 cc; a Bland–Altman plot revealed agreement in AAA diameter and volume evaluation ( p < .01) between 4D-CEUS and CTA. The observed agreement for the detection of endoleaks was 95%. McNemar's Chi-square test confirmed that 4D-CEUS and CTA were equivalent ( p > .05) at detecting endoleaks. The first segment of six (8%) RVVs (four renal and two superior mesenteric arteries) was not directly visualized by 4D-CEUS owing to obesity, but the contrast enhancement into the distal part of vessel or into the relative parenchyma gave indirect information about their patency. McNemar's Chi-square test demonstrated the superiority of CTA ( p = .031) in visualizing RVVs. The patency of 77/78 RVVs was confirmed with both techniques. McNemar's Chi-square test confirmed that 4D-CEUS and CTA were equivalent in their ability to detect visceral vessel patency. Conclusions The data suggest that 4D-CEUS is as accurate as CTA in the evaluation of postoperative AAA diameter and volume, endoleak detection, and RVV patency after FEVAR. Four-dimensional CEUS could provide hemodynamic information regarding RVVs, and reduce radiation exposure and renal impairment during follow up. Obesity limits the diagnostic accuracy of 4D-CEUS.
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