Modeling individual fish habitat selection in highly variable environments such as hydropeaking rivers is required for guiding efficient management decisions. We analyzed fish microhabitat selection ...in the heterogeneous hydraulic and thermal conditions (modeled in two-dimensions) of a reach of the large hydropeaking Rhône River locally warmed by the cooling system of a nuclear power plant. We used modern fixed acoustic telemetry techniques to survey 18 fish individuals (five barbels, six catfishes, seven chubs) signaling their position every 3s over a three-month period. Fish habitat selection depended on combinations of current microhabitat hydraulics (e.g. velocity, depth), past microhabitat hydraulics (e.g. dewatering risk or maximum velocities during the past 15days) and to a lesser extent substrate and temperature. Mixed-effects habitat selection models indicated that individual effects were often stronger than specific effects. In the Rhône, fish individuals appear to memorize spatial and temporal environmental changes and to adopt a “least constraining” habitat selection. Avoiding fast-flowing midstream habitats, fish generally live along the banks in areas where the dewatering risk is high. When discharge decreases, however, they select higher velocities but avoid both dewatering areas and very fast-flowing midstream habitats. Although consistent with the available knowledge on static fish habitat selection, our quantitative results demonstrate temporal variations in habitat selection, depending on individual behavior and environmental history. Their generality could be further tested using comparative experiments in different environmental configurations.
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•Managing hydropeaking in rivers requires understanding dynamic ecological responses.•We continuously tracked 18 individual fish in a large hydropeaking river.•The dynamics of hydraulic and thermal microhabitats was modeled.•Individual habitat selection varied with time and with current and past hydraulics.•Hydropeaking may force individuals to adopt a least-constraining strategy.
Diet is considered the cornerstone of lipid management in hyperlipidemic children but evidence to demonstrate the effects of nutrient benefits on the lipid profile is limited.
The aim of this study ...is to evaluate the impact of the Mediterranean diet on low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and non-high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) decrease in primary hyperlipidemia affected children and in the achievement of therapeutical target levels.
A retrospective cohort study was used, recruiting
= 223 children (10.05 ± 3.26 mean age years) with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) (
= 61, 27%) and polygenic hypercholesterolemia (PH) (
=162, 73%). Secondary hyperlipidemias were excluded. Based on LDL-C and non-HDL-C decrease, participants were divided into two groups, named the Responder Group and Non-Responder Group. Participants and their families underwent dietary education by an expert nutritionist and were asked to fill in a weekly diary to be delivered at visits. Dietary indications were in line with daily caloric requirement, daily food quality and quantity intakes typical of the Mediterranean diet. These include carbohydrates, extra virgin olive oil, yoghurt and milk derivatives, fish and vegetable proteins, fresh seasonal vegetables and fresh fruits. Nuts or almonds were also recommended. The advice to limit intakes of meat, in particular red meat, and caution against junk food and sugar added food and beverages was provided. At medical visits, carried out at baseline (T0) and 6 months later (T1), children underwent anthropometric measurements and blood collection. Standard kits and methods were applied for lipid analysis. Statistical methods were performed by SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Signed informed consent was given by parents according to the Declaration of Helsinki and the study was approved by the Local Committee.
The Responder Group (
= 156/223, 70%) included 45 FH and 111 PH children, while the Non-Responder Group (
= 67/223, 30%) included 16 FH and 51 PH children. The Responder Group showed total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C and non-HDL-C median percentage decreases of 9.45, 13.51 and 10.90, respectively. These statistically significant changes (
≤ 0.0001) were similar in the FH and PH subgroups but just PH subjects reached the LDL-C and non-HDL-C target, which fell below 130 mg/dL and 145 mg/dL, respectively. Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) were the main dietary parameter that distinguished between the Responder Group and the Non-Responder Group (
= 0.014). Positive correlations were found at T1 between dietary total lipids, SFAs and cholesterol with serum LDL-C, non-HDL-C and TC variations. These latter serum parameters had an inverse correlation with dietary carbohydrate at T1. Among macronutrients, SFAs were finally demonstrated to be the predictor of serum lipids variation at T1.
The dietary intervention with a Mediterranean diet in children with primary hyperlipidemia significantly improves the lipid profile both in FH and PH subgroups and allows target levels of LDL-C and non-HDL-C in PH subjects to be reached. Responsiveness benefits should be primarily attributed to the reduction in SFAs, but changes in dietary lipids, cholesterol and carbohydrate intake may also play a role. In contrast, the Non-Responder Group showed a worsening of lipid profile regarding the unchanged diet.
Review effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the curative treatment of oral mucositis (OM) in patients receiving cancer therapy. A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed ...using Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases according to PRISMA guidelines, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) on OM in patients during and/or after cancer therapy and in which the therapeutic approach was LLLT, with wavelengths between 632 and 970 nm. We considered grade of OM as a dichotomous variable (such as an improvement or not in severe OM on the seventh day of therapy), with the analysis of subgroups of adult patients or children and adolescents and as a continuous variable with determination of the time for the complete resolution and the subgroup analysis occurred with the strata of the samples by treatment only with chemotherapy or chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This paper’s protocol was registered a priori at
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO
. We found five RCT (total of 315 patients) with adequate methodology. LLLT was effective, presenting a 62% risk reduction of severe mucositis on the seventh day of evaluation (RR = 0.38 95% CI, 0.19–0.75). When we analyzed subgroups, RR was 0.28 (95% CI 0.17–0.46) in the adult studies and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.46–1.78) in the studies with children and adolescents. We demonstrated a mean reduction of 4.21 days in the time of complete resolution of OM (CI − 5.65 to − 2.76) in favor of LLLT. There is moderate evidence that LLLT is effective in resolving OM lesions in adult patients undergoing cancer therapy. LLLT demonstrates potential for decreasing the resolution time of OM lesions by approximately 4.21 days.
Nutritional intervention is worldwide recognized as a first step treatment for subjects with increased cardiovascular risk and it is of utmost importance especially for children and adolescents. ...Currently scientific evidence supports the role of dietary patterns instead of simple single nutrients or foods in cardiovascular risk prevention. Indeed, the American Heart Association dietary guidelines have expanded beyond nutrients to dietary pattern, that comprise not only single food items but also behavioral or cultural habits of specific populations. The aim of our narrative review is to analyze the most frequently adopted dietary patterns in children and adolescents and to evaluate their effect on cardiovascular risk factors and in cardiovascular risk prevention. Literature review showed that children cannot be considered as little adults: nutritional intervention must always grant adequate growth and neurodevelopment before reaching the proposed goals, therefore dietary patterns considered heart-healthy for adult subjects might not be suitable for pediatric patients. Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, Nordic diet and some plant-based diets seem to be the most promising dietary patterns in terms of cardiovascular health in the developmental age, even if further studies are needed to better standardize and analyze their effect on growing up individuals.
In this work both a theoretical study and experimental measurements are shown to describe the ENC (Equivalent Noise Charge) contribution of the parallel √ f noise of a charge-sensitive pre-amplifier ...in a nuclear spectroscopic chain. Previous works have demonstrated that this noise is produced by the distributed capacitive coupling to bulk of the preamplifiers' high-valued feedback resistors, which give rise to a R-C structure known in literature as "diffusive line". The introduced noise is particularly evident when such devices are integrated in a chip using a polysilicon layer that has intrinsically high distributed capacitance to the chip's bulk. Different shaping amplifiers are taken into consideration (analog quasi-Gaussian, digital trapezoidal/triangular, CR-RC n ) and closed-form expressions of noise coefficients are given whenever possible.
Background and aims: Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is characterised by a genetic alteration in the transport and metabolism of cholesterol that leads to elevated levels of total cholesterol ...(CT) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and early onset of atherosclerosis. According to the current guidelines, diet and promotion of healthy habits are first-line treatments. Little is known about the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering diet and healthy lifestyle habits on plasma cholesterol and lipid profile in children and adolescents with FH. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of the nutritional counseling on plasma lipid profile in FH children at the first step of treatment. Methods: 115 FH children (2−17 years) were included in the study; dietary habits were evaluated through a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and blood samples for lipid profile were collected at the enrollment (T0) and six months later (T1). Results: the lipid profile at T0 and T1, expressed as mean ± standard deviation in mg/dL, was, respectively: total cholesterol 285.9 ± 51.1 and 276.6 ± 46.8 (paired test difference p value < 0.01), LDL-cholesterol 214.9 ± 47.7 and 206.4 ± 46.6 (p value < 0.01), HDL-cholesterol 52.9 ± 13 and 54.4 ± 11.5 (p value 0.07), triglycerides 87 ± 46.7 and 82.2 ± 38.4 (p value 0.4), non-HDL cholesterol 233 ± 51.4 and 222.2 ± 47.4 (p < 0.01). In the dietary habits (weekly portions) we observed an improvement (p ≤ 001) for fruit and vegetables, fish, pulses, whole foods, and a reduction (p < 0.01) for meat, sausages, cheese, junk foods consumption. Conclusions: In FH children we have highlighted an improvement of the plasma lipid profile and in healthy dietary habits after nutritional counseling.
•Five refrigeration schemes compared for 4.6 tCH4/day biomethane liquefaction plant.•Best configuration selected with process modelling and optimization: RC-MR.•Rankine with Mixed Refrigerant (RC-MR) ...electric consumption of 3061 kJel/kgCH4.•Rankine with Mixed Refrigerant (RC-MR) biomethane liquefaction cost of 6.3 €/GJLHV.•Sensitivity analysis on CAPEX, Price of Electricity, Plant size, cost of liquid N2.
This work presents a comparative technical and economic analysis of alternative refrigeration technologies for the production of liquefied biomethane (a liquid biofuel also known as bio-LNG). These processes are designed for biogas plants (size: 1–10 tCH4/day), where they can be installed downstream of the biogas upgrading step, to bring biomethane (essentially pure CH4) from the gaseous to the liquid phase, at −152 °C and 2 bar.
Five technologies are considered: liquid nitrogen vaporization (benchmark); reverse Rankine cycle with mixed refrigerant; reverse Brayton cycle; Claude cycle; reverse Stirling cycle.
The energetic and economic analyses are carried out, under a consistent methodology (reference production capacity of 4.6 tCH4/day), based on Aspen Plus process modelling and simulation for the calculation of the heat and mass balances, linked with ad-hoc Matlab algorithms for equipment sizing and cost estimation, and adopting the PGS-COM numerical optimizer for the selection of the optimal process conditions.
The Rankine cycle with mixed-refrigerant turns out to be the best option, with an electric consumption of 3061 kJ/kgCH4, and a levelized biomethane liquefaction cost of 6.3 €/GJLHV. However, for liquid nitrogen supply costs lower than 66 €/tN2, liquid nitrogen vaporization, the least capital-intensive option, becomes the favourite solution.
Finally, sensitivity analysis on the key variables is carried out to give a broader perspective to the techno-economic assessment.
Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are among the most hazardous of all volcanic processes in terms of high speeds and unpredictable extent. While concentrated PDCs are usually topographically ...confined, the dilute counterpart (ash cloud) is able to overrun topographic barriers, with unexpected trajectories posing a high risk for human settlements around the volcano. Here, for the first time, the temperature of an ash could, for a PDC originated during the 11 July, 2015 Volcán de Colima eruption, is determined, without pre-installed instruments, based on the degree of charcoaling of trees affected by the ash cloud. Temperature estimations were performed using Reflectance analysis and microtomography images processing of pine wood charred fragments. The combination of these two independent and well-established methods to organic matter charred in a volcanic environment constitutes a pioneering attempt for the indirect temperature estimation of dilute pyroclastic density currents (PDCs). Charcoal fragments were sampled at different heights along tree trunks outstanding from the PDC deposit. Both the temperatures obtained from charcoal analyses (reflectance and microtomography) and observation of damages to the tree trunks allowed to distinguish: (i) a lower Zone A, which extends 150-180 cm above the top of the PDC deposit, where trunks show peeled bark and multiple lithic impacts; temperature values are equal or slightly higher than the underlying deposit for the entire length of the valley; (ii) an upper Zone B, developed above 150-180 cm from the top of the PDC deposit, where trees are only burned without any block impact marks; temperature estimations for Zone B are comparable with the PDC deposit temperature range from proximal to distal areas. The temperature data indicate that the 11 July, 2015 Colima PDC event, the ash cloud was always thermally coupled with the under-running concentrated flow for the entire length of the ravine, explaining the observed strong vertical uplift of the ash cloud and the substantial absence of ash cloud detachments along flow. A corollary of our study is that, should a detachment have occurred, the ash cloud surge would have had initial temperatures as high as the one carried by the high concentration part of the PDC. A major outcome of our study is that the temperature estimation of ash clouds bears important implication in terms of hazard assessment for pyroclastic density currents along narrow valleys that usually cut the steep slopes of stratovolcanoes.
Secretory extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed microparticles that mediate cell to cell communication in proximity to, or distant from, the cell of origin. Cells release a heterogeneous ...spectrum of EVs depending on their physiologic and metabolic state. Extracellular vesicles are generally classified as either exosomes or microvesicles depending on their size and biogenesis. Extracellular vesicles mediate temporal and spatial interaction during many events in sexual reproduction and supporting embryo-maternal dialogue. Although many omic technologies provide detailed understanding of the molecular cargo of EVs, the difficulty in obtaining populations of homogeneous EVs makes difficult to interpret the molecular profile of the molecules derived from a miscellaneous EV population. Notwithstanding, molecular characterization of EVs isolated in physiological and pathological conditions may increase our understanding of reproductive and obstetric diseases and assist the search for potential non-invasive biomarkers. Moreover, a more precise vision of the cocktail of biomolecules inside the EVs mediating communication between the embryo and mother could provide new insights to optimize the therapeutic action and safety of EV use.
Purpose
To evaluate the correlation between the DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) and sperm morphology in patients undergoing ICSI, as a predictive parameter in reproductive outcomes.
Methods
A ...retrospective study was conducted on 125 infertile patients enrolled in a fertility clinic. Seminal characteristics were measured following the WHO guidelines (2010) for the examination of the seminal fluid. After collecting motile sperm population by pellet swim up, DFI was calculated and simultaneously associated with sperm morphology using in situ TUNEL assay and an image analyzer software in at least 250 spermatozoa for each patient.
Results
All subjects were divided into two groups according to a cutoff established, by choice, of the sperm DFI (15%): group A (< 15%) consisting of 65 patients and group B (≥ 15%) of 60 patients. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods. The results demonstrate that there is no statistical difference between the two groups in seminal characteristics. The collective data show a high significant correlation, suggesting that spermatozoa with abnormal morphology are the best candidates to contain DNA damage (
p
< 0.001). Also, when group A is compared with group B, an increased percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa with fragmented DNA was observed in patients, with DFI values ≥ 15% (
p
< 0.001).
Conclusion
These results are aimed at providing an exact value of DFI in morphologically normal spermatozoa, which will be helpful to the embryologist in evaluating the risk of transferring, during the ICSI procedure, a spermatozoon whit normal morphology but fragmented DNA.
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