Mountain biota survived the Quaternary cold stages in peripheral refugia and/or ice-free peaks within ice-sheets (nunataks). While survival in peripheral refugia has been broadly demonstrated, evidence for nunatak refugia is still scarce. We generated RADseq data from three mountain plant species occurring at different elevations in the southeastern European Alps to investigate the role of different glacial refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We tested the following hypotheses. (i) The deep Piave Valley forms the deepest genetic split in the species distributed across it, delimiting two peripheral refugia. (ii) The montane to alpine species Campanula morettiana and Primula tyrolensis survived the LGM in peripheral refugia, while high-alpine to subnival Saxifraga facchinii likely survived in several nunatak refugia. (iii) The lower-elevation species suffered a strong population decline during the LGM. By contrast, the higher-elevation species shows long-term stability of population sizes due to survival on permanently ice-free peaks and small population sizes at present. We found peripheral refugia on both sides of the Piave Valley, which acted as a major genetic barrier. Demographic modeling confirmed nunatak survival not only for S. facchinii, but also for montane to alpine C. morettiana. Altitudinal segregation influenced the species’ demographic fluctuations, with the lower-elevation species showing a significant population increase at the end of the LGM, and the higher-elevation species either showing decrease towards the present or stable population sizes with a short bottleneck. Our results highlight the role of nunatak survival and species ecology in the demographic history of mountain species.

High-capacity nickel-rich layered oxides are promising cathode materials for high-energy-density lithium batteries. However, the poor structural stability and severe side reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface result in unsatisfactory cycle performance. Herein, the thin layer of two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon-nitride (g-C3N4) is uniformly coated on the LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (denoted as NCM811@CN) using a facile chemical vaporization-assisted synthesis method. As an ideal protective layer, the g-C3N4 layer effectively avoids direct contact between the NCM811 cathode and the electrolyte, preventing harmful side reactions and inhibiting secondary crystal cracking. Moreover, the unique nano-pore structure and abundant nitrogen vacancy edges in g-C3N4 facilitate the adsorption and diffusion of lithium ions, which enhances the lithium deintercalation/intercalation kinetics of the NCM811 cathode. As a result, the NCM811@CN-3wt% cathode exhibits 161.3 mAh g-1 and capacity retention of 84.6% at 0.5 C and 55 °C after 400 cycles and 95.7 mAh g-1 at 10 C, which is greatly superior to the uncoated NCM811 (i.e. 129.3 mAh g-1 and capacity retention of 67.4% at 0.5 C and 55 °C after 220 cycles and 28.8 mAh g-1 at 10 C). The improved cycle performance of the NCM811@CN-3wt% cathode is also applicable to solid-liquid-hybrid cells composed of PVDF:LLZTO electrolyte membranes, which show 163.8 mAh g-1 and the capacity retention of 88.1% at 0.1 C and 30 °C after 200 cycles and 95.3 mAh g-1 at 1 C.

Aim: The genus Stasimopus is endemic to South Africa but has never undergone a phylogeographic review. This study aims to unravel the phylogeographic patterns and history of the many Stasimopus species which occur in the greater Karoo region. Location: The Karoo region, South Africa Time period: 2017-2018 Major taxa studied: Cork-lid trapdoor spider, Stasimopus (15 species). Methods: A fossil-calibrated phylogeny was produced based on three gene regions (CO1, 16S and EF-1ɣ) for Stasimopus specimens collected in the Karoo region, to infer dates of origin and diversification. Demographic analyses were performed on species with sufficient sample sizes (>4). Haplotype networks were constructed for each gene region and plotted on a map to infer phylogeographic patterns. Lastly, Mantel tests were performed to test for isolation by distance. Results: It was found that 15 species occur in the Karoo and that the genus radiation in the area is in the early Paleocene. Most diversification occurred between the late Eocene and the Miocene. Several species show signals of demographic expansions. Isolation by distance was detected, but only with a slight correlation. Main conclusions: It is apparent that aridification has played a vital role in the diversification of the genus in the Karoo region. This is a shared biogeographic influence between the mygalomorph fauna of the Karoo and arid region of western Australia. Stasimopus has radiated from the late Eocene and through the Miocene resulting in 15 extant species in the region. The Tankwa Karoo has been identified as a possible Pleistocene glacial cycle refugia for the species S. leipoldti. Many of the species in the Karoo are short range endemics, making them of high conservation concern. This study provided vital information as the Karoo is undergoing further desertification due to factors such as climate change, which may affect the future of short-range endemic spiders.

Mountain meadows are ecologically important, but often degraded, groundwater dependent ecosystems that retain and store water in upland forested landscapes. They tend to occur in low-gradient, broad valleys where water naturally slows and sediment accumulates, making them efficient locations for restoration. Over a century and a half of land use has degraded many meadows in the Sierra Nevada, reducing their hydrological and ecological functionality. Process-based restoration is a potentially economical and scalable restoration approach for numerous, small, remote, degraded mountain meadows. The approach uses onsite materials and leverages fluvial processes to achieve restoration objectives including increases in wetted area, groundwater elevations, sediment capture, and development of multithreaded channels. These changes in hydrological functionality can lead to improved ecological function over time. This study compares pre- and post-restoration surface and groundwater conditions in a degraded riparian meadow in the Sierra Nevada, California U.S.A. to understand changes in meadow hydrogeomorphic function following process-based restoration. Restoration included the installation of 35 postless beaver dam analog structures in ~1 km of incised meadow channel. Stage-discharge data at the inlet and outlet of the project area were paired with groundwater data collected from 15 wells distributed across the meadow in a power law model to estimate increased water storage of 3700 m 3 (~3 acre-ft) due to restoration. After the wet winter of 2023, we estimated that pools behind structures filled to over half their volume with fine sediment. We also applied hydrodynamic modeling to evaluate fluvial changes at high flows and found that restoration increased flow complexity and wetted surface area. These short-term responses highlight the potential speed and effectiveness of low-tech, process-based restoration in achieving desired restoration outcomes.

Changes in evapotranspiration and its response to control variables are crucial for understanding water balance and climate change in high-altitude areas. Environmental changes will inevitably disturb regional water cycles and water balance, especially in the high-altitude alpine regions of the Qilian Mountains. To better understand the variation of evapotranspiration at different altitudes in the high-altitude region of the Qilian Mountains and the applicability of the model and its response to environmental factors, we measured the variation of actual evapotranspiration at three altitude gradients using meteorological stations and automatic observation of continuous data with a weighing-type micro-lysimeter at three altitude gradients of 3797 m, 4250 m, and 4303 m in the Shaliu River basin of the Qilian Mountains during the growing season from June 2020 to October 2022 in our research. Using ten models to calculate the variation of reference evapotranspiration, and fitting them to the actual evapotranspiration, we selected the most suitable model. The results showed that the cumulative total evapotranspiration during the growing season in our study period was 1974.556 mm, 2203.066 mm, and 2201.393 mm, respectively, with intra-annual fluctuations consistent across the three elevation gradients. The value of evapotranspiration in August showed the highest at the monthly scale of 4.809 mm·day -1 and a bimodal variation at the daily scale with peaks at 10:00 and 15:00. The model of Dalton simulations showed the best results with the lowest analysis of residuals (RA), root mean square error (RMSE), and percentage error (PE), which had values of 3.291 mm·day -1, 3.994 mm·day -1, and 0.692%, and the values of R 2 between simulated and measured values of 0.622, 0.609, and 0.420. Water balance results showed that a portion of evapotranspiration in the study area originated from deep soil moisture. Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) analysis and enhanced regression tree model results indicated that precipitation was the most important variable, with Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) scores of 2.079 and a relative contribution to evapotranspiration of 52.6%. Overall, moisture conditions and precipitation were important factors limiting evapotranspiration variation in our research area. Our findings have implications for future climate change conditions. This conclusion is important for future water budget details in alpine mountains under climate change.

A document by Luca Rapparini. Click on the document to view its contents.

IntroductionAn obstructive lesion of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) has typically been described on the electrocardiogram (ECG) as a generalised ST segment depression (SST) (maximum in V4-V6) associated with inverted T waves in the same leads and elevation. of the SST in aVR1. Likewise, elevated SST in aVR is associated with multivessel coronary artery disease 1. The presence of these findings, together with an adequate clinical correlation, should alert medical personnel to promptly rule out these conditions and prevent possible adverse outcomes.However, these electrocardiographic changes are not 100% specific for an obstructive lesion of the LMCA, since elevated SST in AVR could be observed in multivessel coronary disease (three or more vessels), occlusion of the proximal segment of the anterior descending artery, and diffuse subendocardial ischemia 2.Regarding the pathophysiology of hypokalemia, at the level of the cardiomyocytes, an increase in the resting membrane potential is generated, and the duration of the action potential and the refractory period increase. Changes that are potentially arrhythmogenic, such as ST segment depression, T wave flattening, and prominent U waves, which have been described as a “hallmark” of hypokalemia 3.However, an elevation of the SST in AVR simulating an LMCA lesion is a rare finding within the electrocardiographic alterations described in hypokalemia, which include: premature atrial and ventricular complexes, sinus bradycardia, prolonged QTc, junctional tachycardia, AV block, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, as well as SST depression, with a decrease in the amplitude and inversion of the T wave and an increase in the amplitude of the U wave, usually from V4 to V6 4. Below, we describe a clinical case of severe hypokalemia simulating on an ECG an obstructive lesion pattern of the LMCA.

Background: Hydroxyurea remains underutilized in the pediatric sickle cell population despite its well-known efficacy in decreasing sickle cell complications and hospitalizations. Access to refills and liquid formulation remains a critical barrier to adherence to hydroxyurea regimens. This study was undertaken to determine the clinical impact of home-delivering compounded liquid hydroxyurea (LHU) to pediatric patients with sickle cell disease. Procedure/Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using electronic health records and pharmacy databases. Pediatric patients younger than 21 years of hydroxyurea initiation from March 2016 to July 2020 who received compounded LHU from Boston Medical Center Pharmacy were included. The primary outcomes of the study were drug adherence (assessed by evaluating the proportion of days covered), rates of acute care utilization, laboratory values, and growth metrics before and after enrolling in the LHU delivery program. Results: The final cohort included 41 patients. Significant increases in hemoglobin 0.34 g/dl (95% CI: 0.04-0.63, p=0.02) and mean corpuscular volume 3.2 FI (95% CI: 0.92-5.4, p=0.007) occurred. Hospitalizations decreased by 51.3% (p=0.01), and acute chest syndrome episodes decreased by 86.4% (p=0.02) post-initiation of the LHU delivery program. Drug adherence had a median value of 0.95 one-year post-initiation of LHU. Conclusions: Home delivery of compounded LHU improved drug adherence, decreased hospitalizations, and improved laboratory outcomes in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease by overcoming barriers to access. Nationwide implementation of similar home delivery programs can significantly improve outcomes among pediatric patients with sickle cell disease.

Livestock grazing can strongly determine how grasslands function and their role in carbon cycle. However, how ecosystem carbon exchange responds to grazing and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We measured ecosystem carbon fluxes to explore the changes in carbon exchange and their driving mechanisms in a 16-year long term experiment with different grazing intensities in a desert steppe grassland. We found that grazing intensity influenced above- and belowground biomass during the peak growing season, primarily by decreasing shrubs and semi-shrubs and perennial forbs. Furthermore, alter patterns of net ecosystem exchange primarily via their negative influence on the biomass of shrub and semi-shrub. In addition, grazing-induced reduction belowground biomass, as well as in total plant nitrogen and soil ammonium nitrogen, can strongly influence ecosystem carbon exchange and soil respiration. When nitrogen is lost from the soil due to grazing, plants reallocate resources belowground to maintain growth and development, thus promoting photosynthesis and respiration. Our study indicates that soil available nitrogen and shrubs and semi-shrubs are important factors in regulating ecosystem carbon exchange under grazing disturbance in the desert steppe, which provide a basis for grazing management.

Bilateral Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Analyzed Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Framework: Case report.Ignacio Novoa-Cornejo1 , Vijaya Prakash Krishnan Muthaiah1*, Victor Mercado-Martinez2,Gustavo Ulloa-Alvarado 2,3,Carlos Pino-Urrutia2 , Krishnamoorthy Gunasekaran1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States.2 Instituto de Neurorrehabilitación y Balance, Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Chile.3 Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 7591538, Chile.4Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Dambi Dollo University, Dambi Dollo Ethiopia.* Represents equal first authorship.Abstract A severe case of bilateral superior semicircular dehiscence was presented in Instituto de Neurorrehabilitación y Balance, Chile. The patient reports hearing and vestibular problems in certain situations; a complete analysis is carried out from the clinical history to neurological laboratory studies and imaging to diagnose bilateral semicircular canal dehiscence finally. Health condition management is under the ICF model, which will allow for determining and classifying the problems and possible interventions for this interesting clinical case.Keywords Bilateral semicircular canal dehiscence, ICF framework, vestibular disorder.

Background: Vaccination is one of the effective measures to prevent latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) from developing into active tuberculosis (TB). Applying bioinformatics methods to pre-evaluate the biological characteristics and immunogenicity of vaccines can improve the efficiency of vaccine development. Objectives: To evaluate the immunogenicity of tuberculosis vaccine W541 and explore the application of bioinformatics technology in tuberculosis vaccine research. Methods: This study concatenated the immunodominant sequences of Ag85A, Ag85B, Rv3407, and Rv1733c to construct the W541 DNA vaccine. Then, bioinformatics methods were used to analyze the physicochemical properties, antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, and population coverage of the vaccine, identify its epitopes, and perform molecular docking with MHC alleles and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) of the host. Finally, the immunogenicity of the vaccine was evaluated through animal experiments. Results: the W541 vaccine protein is a soluble cytoplasmic protein with a half-life of 1.1 hours in vivo and an instability index of 45.37. It has good antigenicity and wide population coverage without allergenicity and toxicity. It contains 138 HTL epitopes, 73 CTL epitopes, 8 linear and 14 discontinuous epitopes of B cells, and a strong affinity for TLR4. Immune simulations showed it could effectively stimulate innate and adaptive immune responses. Animal experiments have confirmed that the W541 DNA vaccine could effectively activate the Th1- and Th17-type immune responses, producing high levels of IFN-γ and IL-17A, but could not significantly increase antibody levels. Conclusion: the W541 DNA vaccine can induce strong cellular immune responses. However, further optimization of the vaccine design is needed to make the expressed protein more stable in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis could reveal vaccines’ physicochemical and immunological information, which is critical for guiding vaccine design and development.

Zinc metal anodes are gaining popularity in aqueous electrochemical energy storage systems for their high safety, cost-effectiveness, and high capacity. However, the service life of zinc metal anodes is severely constrained by critical challenges, including dendrites, water-induced hydrogen evolution, and passivation. In this study, a protective two-dimensional metal-organic framework interphase is in situ constructed on the zinc anode surface with a novel gel vapor deposition method. The ultrathin interphase layer (~1 µm) is made of layer-stacking 2D nanosheets with angstrom-level pores of around 2.1 Å, which serves as an ion sieve to reject large solvent-ion pairs while homogenizes the transport of partially desolvated zinc ions, contributing to a uniform and highly reversible zinc deposition. With the shielding of the interphase layer, an ultra-stable zinc plating/stripping is achieved in symmetric cells with cycling over 1000 h at 0.5 mA cm-2 and ~700 h at 1 mA cm-2, far exceeding that of the bare zinc anodes (250 and 70 h). Furthermore, as a proof-of-concept demonstration, the full cell paired with MnO2 cathode demonstrates improved rate performances and stable cycling (1200 cycles at 1 A g-1). This work provides fresh insights into interphase design to promote the performance of zinc metal anodes.

Complete Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization: An Elegant Solution to Left Ventricular Dysfunction Caused by Severe Coronary Artery Disease Stefan Milutinovic1, Kamaldeep Singh2, Stevan Oluic3, Juan C. Lopez-Mattei2, Ricardo O. Escárcega1,2,4Florida State University College of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health, Cape Coral, FL, USALee Health Heart Institute, Fort Myers, FL, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato, MN, USAFlorida Heart Associates, Fort Myers, FL, USAEmail addresses: SM – [email protected]; KS – [email protected]; SO – [email protected]; JCLM – [email protected]; ROE – [email protected]:Stefan Milutinovic, MDFlorida State University College of Medicine Lee Health Heart Institute [email protected]+1 (239) 737-02372585 Liberty Park Dr, Apt 8209, Cape Coral, Fl 33909Disclosures: The authors report no relationships that could be construed as a conflict of interestFunding: None.Keywords : High-risk PCI, Chronic Total Occlusion, Mechanical Support , LV dysfunctionWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient to publish this report in accordance with the journal’s patient consent policy

Background: Selective anthelmintic treatment, advocated due to evolving anthelmintic resistance, has been associated with an increase in Strongylus vulgaris prevalence. Reverting to routine interval anthelmintic treatments is not viable and therefore, identifying other management factors correlated with S. vulgaris infection is vital. Objectives: To investigate possible risk factors associated with the presence of S. vulgaris infection in residing horses on Swedish horse establishments. Study design: Internet-based questionnaire survey. Methods: A questionnaire, created using the internet-based survey platform Netigate, was distributed to owners of equine establishments throughout Sweden via established equine platforms and social media channels. The survey was available for response from May 21 until September 1 2022. Questions were closed ended with branching logic paths. Results: Four factors were significantly associated with S. vulgaris infection, with an increased odds of infection seen in livery yards (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.18-2.36, p = 0.004) and premises with more than ten residing horses (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.64-3.56, p < 0.001). A lower odds of infection was seen in establishments using quarantine routines (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50-0.96, p = 0.03) and anthelmintic treatment of new horses prior to arrival at the premise (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.18-0.74, p = 0.005). Main limitation: Due to the presence of S. vulgaris infection in the present study being based on S. vulgaris diagnostics performed at the farm level, any association between faecal diagnostic use and risk of infection could not be investigated. Conclusions: Although the use of diagnostics for S. vulgaris can keep infection rates low, large farms or livery yards with many different horse owners, and those with low use of biosecurity measures as regards to new horses arriving at the premise, are associated with a higher risk of infection.

Pollution from toxic spores has caused us a lot of problems, because spores are extremely resistant and can survive most disinfectants. Therefore, the detection of spore response to disinfectant is of great significance for the development of effective decontamination strategies. In this work, we investigated the effect of 0.5% sodium hypochlorite on the molecular and morphological properties of single spores of Bacillus subtilis using single-cell techniques. Laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy showed that sodium hypochlorite resulted in Ca 2+-dipicolinic acid release and nucleic acid denaturation. Atomic force microscopy showed that the surface of treated spores changed from rough to smooth, protein shells were degraded at 10 min, and the permeability barrier was destroyed at 15 min. The spore volume decreased gradually over time. Live-cell imaging showed that the germination and growth rates decreased with increasing treatment time. These results provide new insight into the response of spores to sodium hypochlorite.

Background: International oral health policy directions led by the World Health Organization call for the inclusion of oral health within universal health coverage. The aim of this study is to perform a budget impact analysis of a policy option for a more cost-efficient oral health workforce skill-mix (dentists and oral health therapists) to provide public oral healthcare in Victoria, Australia. Methods: Two hypothetical standard care pathways were developed. A dynamic population Markov model was generated in TreeAge software, with a time horizon of six years. Two scenarios were modelled to determine: 1) base-case scenario: the threshold the dentist workforce could reduce per year, while achieving the same service delivery outputs, and 2) alternative scenario: the potential cost-savings for utilising an optimally cost-efficient oral health workforce skill-mix. Results: The threshold analysis showed a minimum reduction of 13% of the dentist workforce being replaced with oral health therapists can occur without having any impact on the same service delivery outputs. Under the alternative scenario, the potential cost-savings would be AUD$1,425,037 (SD 58,954). Conclusions: Governments and policy-decision makers should consider strategies in training, attracting, and retaining oral health therapists to achieve an optimally cost-efficient oral health workforce skill-mix when delivering public oral healthcare.

A document by Yanjun Feng. Click on the document to view its contents.

A document by Oliva Henintsoa RAKOTONIRAINY. Click on the document to view its contents.