Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate is the most abundant circulating androgen in humans and other catarrhines. It is involved in several biological functions, such as testosterone production, ...glucocorticoid antagonist actions, neurogenesis and neuroplasticty. Although the role of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) in cognition remains elusive, the DHEAS/cortisol ratio has been positively associated with a slower cognitive age-decline and improved mood in humans. Whether this relationship is found in nonhuman primates remains unknown.
We measured DHEAS and cortisol levels in serum of 107 adult chimpanzees to investigate the relationship between DHEAS levels and age. A subset of 21 chimpanzees was used to test the potential associations between DHEAS, cortisol, and DHEAS/cortisol ratio in cognitive function, taking into account age, sex, and their interactions. We tested for cognitive function using the primate cognitive test battery (PCTB) and principal component analyses to categorize cognition into three components:
tasks,
tasks, and
tasks.
DHEAS levels, but not the DHEAS/cortisol ratio, declined with age in chimpanzees. Our analyses for
tasks revealed a significant, positive correlation with the DHEAS/cortisol ratio.
had a negative relationship with age. Our data show that the DHEAS/cortisol ratio, but not DHEAS individually, is a promising predictor of spatial cognition in chimpanzees.
Measuring hormonal profiles is important in monitoring stress, physical fitness, and reproductive status in primates. Noninvasive methods have been used to measure several steroid hormones in ...primates without causing them stress. However, few studies have used feces or urine to measure dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), an important precursor of sex steroids that has been studied as a biomarker of aging, pregnancy, and stress in humans and nonhuman primates. We developed an enzyme immunoassay to detect DHEAS in the feces of Japanese macaques (
Macaca fuscata
). Our subjects included eight singly housed Japanese macaques. To validate the assay, we administrated oral DHEA to one male and one female macaque, collected their feces, and measured DHEAS levels over time. Given that DHEAS is related to gonadal steroids and the stress response, we also measured DHEAS concentrations in response to adrenal (adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH) and gonadal (human chorionic gonadotropin hCG) stimulation. Our assay successfully detected DHEAS in Japanese macaque feces, and levels of DHEAS were associated with the amount of DHEA ingested. Parallelism and accuracy tests revealed that fecal extracts were reliable measures of DHEAS. Neither ACTH nor hCG challenge appeared to affect DHEAS levels. The method we describe is less expensive than that using the commercially available kits and is applicable to investigations involving aging, stress, and reproduction in Japanese macaques.
Post-operative acute kidney injury is a serious complication and identifying modifiable factors could assist in peri-operative management. This study aimed to identify the pre-operative and ...intra-operative factors associated with the incidence of post-operative acute kidney injury and acute deterioration of kidney function after total hip arthroplasty.
This single-center, retrospective, observational study included 203 patients who underwent unilateral primary total hip arthroplasty. Acute kidney injury was determined using biochemical markers according to the risk, injury, failure, loss of kidney function, and end-stage kidney disease (RIFLE) criteria. Acute deterioration of kidney function was defined as the reduction of estimated glomerular filtration rate by ≥10ml/min/1.73m
.
Prior to total hip arthroplasty, 20% of all patients met the chronic renal dysfunction criterion of glomerular filtration rates <60ml/min/1.73m
(glomerular filtration rate categories G3a-G5). Incidence rates of acute kidney injury and acute deterioration of kidney function after total hip arthroplasty were 0.49% and 6.9%, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that diabetes mellitus and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs before total hip arthroplasty were significant risk factors for acute deterioration of kidney function. Advanced age, preoperative renal dysfunction, antihypertensive, diuretics, or statin use, operation time, total blood loss, type of anesthetic, and body mass index were not significant risk factors.
Diabetes mellitus and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were controllable risks, and multidisciplinary approaches are a reasonable means of minimising peri-operative acute kidney injury or acute deterioration of kidney function.
Background
Imaging diagnostic methods are essential for a complete understanding of the liver function and may aid in early detection of hepatic disorders.
Methods
Sixty‐nine owl monkeys were grouped ...in three age groups (AG): AG1 (<2 years old, n = 14), 2 (2–6 years old, n = 21), and 3 (>7 years old, n = 34). The animals were evaluated by ultrasound, liver function tests, and hemogram.
Results
The ultrasound revealed abnormal findings in the parenchyma (“starry sky” and steatosis) and/or in the gallbladder (cholelithiasis, septum, and wall edema) in 17 individuals, with higher incidence in AG3 individuals. Seven hepatic individuals showed alterations in the blood tests.
Conclusion
Our study reported the occurrence of abnormal liver findings by ultrasound in owl monkeys and their associated clinical analyses. We recommend the regular use of ultrasound to evaluate liver condition in owl monkeys, particularly in old individuals.
High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the highly charged muonic atoms/ions isolated in vacuum is an ideal probe to explore quantum electrodynamics under extremely strong electric fields, which is one ...of the major topic in fundamental atomic physics. A feasibility test measurement with a low-density neon gas target was performed by observing X-rays emitted by muonic neon via the
5
→
4
transition,
∼
6.3 keV, using a multi-pixel array of superconducting transition-edge-sensor (TES) microcalorimeters at the J-PARC muon facility. We successfully demonstrated the feasibility of muonic atom X-ray spectroscopy with a gas target at a pressure as low as 0.1 atom using TES array under an intense pulsed muon beam.
A complex structure of the superconducting order parameter in Ln2C3 (Ln=La,Y) is demonstrated by muon spin relaxation measurements in their mixed state. The muon depolarization rate sigma v(T) ...exhibits a characteristic temperature dependence that can be perfectly described by a phenomenological double-gap model for nodeless superconductivity. While the magnitude of two gaps is similar between La2C3 and Y2C3, a significant difference in the interband coupling between those two cases is clearly observed in the behavior of sigma v(T).
The presence of a macroscopic phase separation between the superconducting and magnetic phases in CaFe1-xCoxAsF is demonstrated by muon spin rotation measurements conducted across their phase ...boundaries (x=0.05-0.15). The magnetic phase tends to retain the high transition temperature (Tm>Tc), while Co doping induces strong randomness. The volumetric fraction of the superconducting phase is nearly proportional to the Co content x with a constant superfluid density. These observations suggest the formation of superconducting "islands" (or domains) associated with Co ions in the Fe2As2 layers, indicating a very short coherence length.
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