A novel controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) has been developed for Fibroscan® to assess liver steatosis, simultaneously with liver stiffness measurement (LSM). We assessed CAP diagnostic accuracy ...in a large cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) virus. A total of 615 patients with CHC, who underwent both Fibroscan® and liver biopsy, were analysed. Fibrosis was graded using METAVIR score. Steatosis was categorized by visual assessment as S0: steatosis in <10% of hepatocytes, S1: 11–33%, S2: 34–66% and S3: 67–100%. Performances of CAP and liver stiffness were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and cross‐validated using the bootstrap method. The Obuchowski measure was used to assess overall accuracy of CAP and to differentiate between steatosis grades. In multivariate analysis, CAP was related to steatosis (P < 10−15) independently of fibrosis stage (which was related to LSM). The areas under ROC curves using CAP to detect steatosis were 0.80 (95% CI, 0.75–0.84) for S ≥ S1, 0.86 (0.81–0.92) for S ≥ S2 and 0.88 (0.73–1) S = S3. CAP exhibited a good ability to differentiate steatosis grades (Obuchowski measure = 0.92). Performance of LSM for fibrosis assessment confirmed results from previous studies. CAP is a novel tool to assess the degree of steatosis and both fibrosis and steatosis can be evaluated noninvasively during the same procedure using Fibroscan®, in patients with CHC.
Developing novel and efficient electrocatalysts is vital to overcome most of the technical and economic issues associated with the hydrogen production via water electrolysis. Herein, Pd-based alloy ...nanoparticles, namely AuPd and FePd, assembled on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are investigated as cathode electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline water electrolysis. TEM, HR-TEM, XRD and ICP-MS are used to carry out the structural and morphological characterisation of the as-prepared rGO-AuPd and rGO-FePd nanocomposites and their electrocatalytic activity and stability is studied by voltammetry and chronoamperometry measurements. rGO-AuPd and rGO-FePd show HER onset overpotentials of 80 and 140 mV, respectively. A Tafel slope of 149 mV dec−1 is evaluated for rGO-AuPd at 25 °C, while rGO-FePd has worse performance. It is shown that rGO-AuPd nanocomposites are good candidates for application as novel electrocatalysts for the HER in alkaline media.
•rGO-MPd (M: Au, Fe) composite electrocatalysts were synthesised and tested for HER.•The prepared NPs and composites were characterised by TEM, HR-TEM, XRD, and ICP-MS.•Electrocatalytic activity and stability was studied by voltammetry and chronoamperometry.•rGO-Au48Pd52 nanocomposite shows higher electrocatalytic activity for HER in alkaline media.
Organic electrosynthesis has received great attention as a powerful green tool for synthesis, affording less waste production, less chemicals spent, and often fewer reaction steps than conventional ...methods. Functional group interconversion and C–C bond generation by imposition of a proper electrode potential is what lies behind organic electrosynthesis processes. Paired electrochemical reactions, indirect electrosynthesis, electrochemical microreactors, and the use of ionic liquids are some of the highlighted means that contribute to optimization of the overall process. Necessity to use specific organic solvents combined with supporting electrolytes is one of the main limitations to be overcome to make the electrochemical process more economically feasible when compared to nonelectrochemical processes. Numerous examples from the bench scale to industrial routes such as adiponitrile, substituted benzaldehydes, anthraquinone, fluorinated products, and succinic acid production are well described throughout this review.
•A methodology to assess and value water ecosystem services is proposed.•The approach links pressures, ecological status and delivery of ecosystem services.•Biophysical indicators and economic ...methods per type of service are provided.•The approach can be used to assess the benefits of restoration of aquatic ecosystems.•The results are relevant for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
Ecosystem service concepts can offer a valuable approach for linking human and nature, and arguments for the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems. Despite an increasing interest in the topic, the application of these concepts for water resource management has been hampered by the lack of practical definitions and methodologies. In this study we review and analyse the current literature and propose an approach for assessing and valuing ecosystem services in the context of water management. In particular, to study the link between multiple pressures, ecological status and delivery of ecosystem services in aquatic ecosystems under different scenarios of measures or future changes. This is of interest for the development of River Basin Management Plans under the EU Water Framework Directive. We provide a list of proxies/indicators of natural capacity, actual flow and social benefit for the biophysical assessment of the ecosystem services. We advocate the use of indicators of sustainability, combining information on capacity and flow of services. We also suggest methods for economic valuation of aquatic ecosystem for each service and spatial scale of application. We argue that biophysical assessment and economic valuation should be conducted jointly to account for the different values of ecosystem services (ecologic, social and economic) and to strengthen the recognition of human dependency on nature. The proposed approach can be used for assessing the benefits of conservation and restoration of aquatic ecosystems in the implementation of the EU water policy.
We quantify main ecosystem services (i.e. the contribution of ecosystems to human well-being) provided by rivers, lakes, coastal waters and connected ecosystems (riparian areas and floodplains) in ...Europe, including water provisioning, water purification, erosion prevention, flood protection, coastal protection, and recreation. We show European maps of ecosystem service capacity, flow (actual use), sustainability and efficiency. Then we explore the relationship between the services and the ecosystem condition at the European scale, considering the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems, reported under the EU Water Framework Directive, as a measure of the ecosystem integrity and biodiversity.
Our results indicate that a higher delivery of the regulating and cultural ecosystem services analysed is mostly correlated with better conditions of aquatic ecosystems. Conversely, the use of provisioning services can result in pressures on the ecosystem. This suggests the importance of maintaining good ecological condition of aquatic ecosystems to ensure the delivery of ecosystem services in the future. These results at the continental scale, although limited to the ecosystem services under analysis, might be relevant to consider when investing in the protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems called for by the current EU water policy and Biodiversity Strategy and by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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•We quantify main ecosystem services of rivers, lakes, coastal waters in Europe.•We show European maps of water ecosystem service capacity, flow and sustainability.•We explore the link between ecosystem services and conditions (ecological status).•Higher ecosystem service delivery is mostly correlated to better ecological status.•The results show the relevance of protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems.
Accurate knowledge of the charge and Zemach radii of the proton is essential, not only for understanding its structure but also as input for tests of bound-state quantum electrodynamics and its ...predictions for the energy levels of hydrogen. These radii may be extracted from the laser spectroscopy of muonic hydrogen (μp, that is, a proton orbited by a muon). We measured the $2{\mathrm{S}}_{1/2}^{\mathrm{F}=0}-2{\mathrm{P}}_{3/2}^{\mathrm{F}=1}$ transition frequency in μp to be 54611.16(1.05) gigahertz (numbers in parentheses indicate one standard deviation of uncertainty) and reevaluated the $2{\mathrm{S}}_{1/2}^{\mathrm{F}=1}-2{\mathrm{P}}_{3/2}^{\mathrm{F}=1}$ transition frequency, yielding 49881.35(65) gigahertz. From the measurements, we determined the Zemach radius, r Z = 1.082(37) femtometers, and the magnetic radius, r M = 0.87(6) femtometer, of the proton. We also extracted the charge radius, r E = 0.84087(39) femtometer, with an order of magnitude more precision than the 2010-CODATA value and at 7σ variance with respect to it, thus reinforcing the proton radius puzzle.
Social insects are notable for having two female castes that exhibit extreme differences in their reproductive capacity. The molecular basis of these differences is largely unknown. Vitellogenin (Vg) ...is a powerful antioxidant and insulin‐signalling regulator used in oocyte development. Here we investigate how Royal Jelly (the major food of honeybee queens) and queen mandibular pheromone (a major regulator of worker fertility), affect the longevity and reproductive status of honey bee workers, the expression of Vg, its receptor VgR and associated regulatory proteins. We find that Vg is expressed in the ovaries of workers and that workers fed a queen diet of Royal Jelly have increased Vg expression in the ovaries. Surprisingly, we find that expression of Vg is not associated with ovary activation in workers, suggesting that this gene has potentially acquired non‐reproductive functions. Therefore, Vg expression in the ovaries of honeybee workers provides further support for the Ovarian Ground Plan Hypothesis, which argues that genes implicated in the regulation of reproduction have been co‐opted to regulate behavioural differences between queens and workers.
Royal Jelly promotes ovary activation in adult honeybee workers regardless of exposure to queen mandibular pheromone.
The Vitellogenin gene is expressed in the ovaries of adult honeybee workers.
Expression of Vitellogenin in the ovary of workers is modulated by diet and social context but is not associated with ovary activation.
Essential Biodiversity Variables Pereira, H. M.; Ferrier, S.; Walters, M. ...
Science,
01/2013, Letnik:
339, Številka:
6117
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Reducing the rate of biodiversity loss and averting dangerous biodiversity change are international goals, reasserted by the Aichi Targets for 2020 by Parties to the United Nations (UN) Convention on ...Biological Diversity (CBD) after failure to meet the 2010 target (1, 2). However, there is no global, harmonized observation system for delivering regular, timely data on biodiversity change (3). With the first plenary meeting of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) soon under way, partners from the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) (4) are developing-and seeking consensus around-Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) that could form the basis of monitoring programs worldwide.
Esophageal manometry is the clinically available method to estimate pleural pressure, thus enabling calculation of transpulmonary pressure (Pl). However, many concerns make it uncertain in which lung ...region esophageal manometry reflects local Pl.
To determine the accuracy of esophageal pressure (Pes) and in which regions esophageal manometry reflects pleural pressure (Ppl) and Pl; to assess whether lung stress in nondependent regions can be estimated at end-inspiration from Pl.
In lung-injured pigs (n = 6) and human cadavers (n = 3), Pes was measured across a range of positive end-expiratory pressure, together with directly measured Ppl in nondependent and dependent pleural regions. All measurements were obtained with minimal nonstressed volumes in the pleural sensors and esophageal balloons. Expiratory and inspiratory Pl was calculated by subtracting local Ppl or Pes from airway pressure; inspiratory Pl was also estimated by subtracting Ppl (calculated from chest wall and respiratory system elastance) from the airway plateau pressure.
In pigs and human cadavers, expiratory and inspiratory Pl using Pes closely reflected values in dependent to middle lung (adjacent to the esophagus). Inspiratory Pl estimated from elastance ratio reflected the directly measured nondependent values.
These data support the use of esophageal manometry in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Assuming correct calibration, expiratory Pl derived from Pes reflects Pl in dependent to middle lung, where atelectasis usually predominates; inspiratory Pl estimated from elastance ratio may indicate the highest level of lung stress in nondependent "baby" lung, where it is vulnerable to ventilator-induced lung injury.
Being naturally enriched in key nutrients and in various health-promoting compounds, seaweeds represent promising candidates for the design of functional foods. Soluble dietary fibers, peptides, ...phlorotannins, lipids and minerals are macroalgae's major compounds that can hold potential in high-value food products derived from macroalgae, including those directed to the cardiovascular-health promotion. This manuscript revises available reported data focusing the role of diet supplementation of macroalgae, or extracts enriched in bioactive compounds from macroalgae origin, in targeting modifiable markers of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), like dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, vascular inflammation, hypertension, hypercoagulability and activation of the sympathetic and renin-angiotensin systems, among others. At last, the review also describes several products that have been formulated with the use of whole macroalgae or extracts, along with their claimed cardiovascular-associated benefits.
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