Comparison of Gap-Enhanced Raman Tags and Nanoparticle Aggregates with Polarization Dependent Super-Resolution Spectral SERS Imaging.

Strongly confined electric fields resulting from nanogaps within nanoparticle aggregates give rise to significant enhancement of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Nanometer differences in gap sizes lead to drastically different confined field strengths; so much attention has been focused on the development and understanding of nanostructures with controlled gap sizes. In this work, we report a novel petal gap-enhanced Raman tag (GERT) consisting of a bipyramid core and a nitrothiophenol (NTP) spacer to support the growth of hundreds of small petals and compare its SERS emission and localization to a traditional bipyramid aggregate. To do this, we use super resolution spectral SERS imaging that simultaneously captures the SERS images and spectra while varying the incident laser polarization. Intensity fluctuations inherent of SERS enabled super resolution algorithms to be applied, which revealed subdiffraction limited differences in the localization with respect to polarization direction for both particles. Interestingly, however, only the traditional bipyramid aggregates experienced a strong polarization dependence in their SERS intensity and in the plasmon-induced conversion of NTP to dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB), which was localized with nanometer precision to regions of intense electromagnetic fields. The lack of polarization dependence (validated through electromagnetic simulations) and surface reactions from the bipyramid-GERTs suggests that the emissions arising from the bipyramid-GERTs are less influenced by confined fields.

Serum S100ß Levels Are Linked with Cognitive Decline and Peripheral Inflammation in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2.

Experimental and clinical studies have indicated a potential role of the protein S100ß in the pathogenesis and phenotype of neurodegenerative diseases. However, its impact on spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) remains to be elucidated. The objective of the study is to determine the serum levels of S100ß in SCA2 and its relationship with molecular, clinical, cognitive, and peripheral inflammatory markers of the disease. Serum concentrations of S100ß were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 39 SCA2 subjects and 36 age- and gender-matched controls. Clinical scores of ataxia, non-ataxia symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, and some blood cell count-derived inflammatory indices were assessed. The SCA2 individuals manifested S100ß levels similar to the control group, at low nanomolar concentrations. However, the S100ß levels were directly associated with a better performance of cognitive evaluation within the SCA2 cohort. Moreover, the S100ß levels were inversely correlated with most peripheral inflammatory indices. Indeed, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio significantly mediated the effect of serum S100ß on cognitive performance, even after controlling for the ataxia severity in the causal mediation analysis. Our findings suggested that, within physiologic concentrations, the protein S100ß exerts a neuroprotective role against cognitive dysfunction in SCA2, likely via the suppression of pro-inflammatory mechanisms.

Deflamin Attenuated Lung Tissue Damage in an Ozone-Induced COPD Murine Model by Regulating MMP-9 Catalytic Activity.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is comprised of histopathological alterations such as pulmonary emphysema and peribronchial fibrosis. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is one of the key enzymes involved in both types of tissue remodeling during the development of lung damage. In recent studies, it was demonstrated that deflamin, a protein component extracted from Lupinus albus, markedly inhibits the catalytic activity of MMP-9 in experimental models of colon adenocarcinoma and ulcerative colitis. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated for the first time the biological effect of deflamin in a murine COPD model induced by chronic exposure to ozone. Ozone exposure was carried out in C57BL/6 mice twice a week for six weeks for 3 h each time, and the treated group was orally administered deflamin (20 mg/kg body weight) after each ozone exposure. The histological results showed that deflamin attenuated pulmonary emphysema and peribronchial fibrosis, as evidenced by H&E and Masson's trichrome staining. Furthermore, deflamin administration significantly decreased MMP-9 activity, as assessed by fluorogenic substrate assay and gelatin zymography. Interestingly, bioinformatic analysis reveals a plausible interaction between deflamin and MMP-9. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of deflamin in a COPD murine model, and suggest that the attenuation of the development of lung tissue damage occurs by deflamin-regulated MMP-9 catalytic activity.

Sustainability of phytoremediation: Post-harvest stratagems and economic opportunities for the produced metals contaminated biomass.

Heavy metals (HMs) are indestructible and non-biodegradable. Phytoremediation presents an opportunity to transfer HMs from environmental matrices into plants, making it easy to translocate from one place to another. The ornate features of HMs' phytoremediation are biophilia and carbon neutrality, compared to the physical and chemical remediation methods. Some recent studies related to LCA also support that phytoremediation is technically more sustainable than competing technologies. However, one major post-application challenge associated with HMs phytoremediation is properly managing HMs contaminated biomass generated. Such a yield presents the problem of reintroducing HMs into the environment due to natural decomposition and release of plant sap from the harvested biomass. The transportation of high yields can also make phytoremediation economically inviable. This review presents the design of a sustainable phytoremediation strategy using an ever-evolving life cycle assessment tool. This review also discusses possible post-phytoremediation biomass management strategies for the HMs contaminated biomass management. These strategies include composting, leachate compaction, gasification, pyrolysis, torrefaction, and metal recovery. Further, the commercial outlook for properly utilizing HMs contaminated biomass was presented.

Quo vadis, foot & ankle research? A review.

Over the last two decades, there has been a growing emphasis on the publication quality in Foot & Ankle research. A level-of-evidence rating system for clinical scientific papers has been proposed by the Centre for Evidence-based medicine in Oxford, United Kingdom. As opposed to other subspecialities, foot & ankle surgery deals with a wide variety of clinical problems and surgical solutions, which in turn leads to a generally low number of patients available for study groups. However, level III and IV studies still have a valuable place in orthopaedic research, given the challenges in running high-level studies.The measurement of outcomes in medicine from the patients' perspective (PROMS:(patient reported outcome measures) has grown almost exponentially in all surgical specialties including foot & ankle surgery. There are many PROMs available to foot & ankle surgeons, but there is little consensus on which assessment is most appropriate for a given procedure or diagnosis. Their use in research and clinical practice offers many advantages in clinical practice and research, however, besides the advantages there are also some downsides.

Curcumin Modifies the Activity of Plasmatic Antioxidant Enzymes and the Hippocampal Oxidative Profile in Rats upon Acute and Chronic Exposure to Ozone.

Ozone (O3) is an oxidating tropospheric pollutant. When O3 interacts with biological substrates, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are formed. Severe oxidative damage exhausts the endogenous antioxidant system, which leads to the decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Curcumin (CUR) is a natural polyphenol with well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of curcumin on CAT, GPx, and SOD activity and the inhibition of oxidative damage after the acute and chronic exposure to O3. Fifty male Wistar rats were divided into five experimental groups: the intact control, CUR-fed control, exposed-to-O3 control, CUR-fed (preventive), and CUR-fed (therapeutic) groups. These two last groups received a CUR-supplemented diet while exposed to O3. These experiments were performed during acute- and chronic-exposure phases. In the preventive and therapeutic groups, the activity of plasma CAT, GPx, and SOD was increased during both exposure phases, with slight differences; concomitantly, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation were inhibited. For this reason, we propose that CUR could be used to enhance the activity of the antioxidant system and to diminish the oxidative damage caused by exposure to O3.

Memory experts' beliefs about repressed memory.

ABSTRACTWhat we believe about how memory works affects the decisions we make in many aspects of life. In Patihis, Ho et al. [Patihis, L., Ho, L. Y., Tingen, I. W., Lilienfeld, S. O., & Loftus, E. F. (2014). Are the "memory wars" over? A scientist-practitioner gap in beliefs about repressed memory. Psychological Science, 25, 519-530.], we documented several group's beliefs on repressed memories and other aspects of how memory works. Here, we present previously unreported data on the beliefs of perhaps the most credible minority in our dataset: memory experts. We provide the statistics and written responses of the beliefs for 17 memory experts. Although memory experts held similarly sceptical beliefs about repressed memory as other research-focused groups, they were significantly more sceptical about repressed memory compared to practitioners, students and the public. Although a minority of memory experts wrote that they maintained an open mind about repressed memories - citing research such as retrieval inhibition - all of the memory experts emphasised the dangers of memory distortion.

Curcumin Decreases Hippocampal Neurodegeneration and Nitro-Oxidative Damage to Plasma Proteins and Lipids Caused by Short-Term Exposure to Ozone.

Neurodegeneration is the consequence of harmful events affecting the nervous system that lead to neuronal death. Toxic substances, including air pollutants, are capable of inducing neurodegeneration. Ozone (O3) is the most oxidative toxic pollutant. O3 reacts with cellular components and forms reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, triggering nitro-oxidative damage during short-term exposure. Curcumin (CUR) is a natural phenolic molecule bearing well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biological activities in diverse experimental models. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of preventive dietary administration of CUR against hippocampal neurodegeneration and nitro-oxidative damage caused by short-term exposure to O3. Eighty Wistar male rats were distributed into four experimental groups, twenty rats each: intact control; CUR dietary supplementation without O3 exposure; exposure to 0.7 ppm of O3; and exposed to O3 with CUR dietary supplementation. Five rats from each group were sacrificed at 1, 2, 4, and 8 h of exposure. The CUR dose was 5.6 mg/kg and adjusted according to food consumption. CUR significantly decreased oxidative damage to plasma lipids and proteins, as well as neurodegeneration in CA1 and CA3 hippocampal regions. Concluding, CUR proved effective protection in decreasing neurodegeneration in the hippocampus and prevented systemic oxidative damage.

The Role of Ultrasound for Detecting Occult Penetrating Cardiac Wounds in Hemodynamically Stable Patients.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence in favor of using the ultrasound as the primary screening tool in looking for an occult cardiac injury. We report on a prospective single-center study to determine the diagnostic accuracy of chest ultrasound for the diagnosis of occult penetrating cardiac wounds in a low-resource hospital from a middle-income country. METHODS: Data were collected prospectively. We included all consecutive patients 14 years and older who presented to the Emergency Trauma Unit with (1) penetrating injuries to the precordial area and (2) a systolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg (hemodynamically stable). The main outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of ultrasound compared with those of the pericardial window, which was the standard test. RESULTS: A total of 141 patients met the inclusion criteria. Our results showed that for diagnosing an occult cardiac injury, the sensitivity of the chest ultrasonography was 79.31%, and the specificity was 92.86%. Of the 110 patients with a normal or negative ultrasound, six had a positive pericardial window. All of these patients had left hemothoraces. None of them required further cardiac surgical interventions. CONCLUSION: We found that ultrasound was 79% sensitive and 92% specific for the diagnosis of occult penetrating cardiac wounds. However, it should be used with caution in patients with injuries to the cardiac zone and simultaneous left hemothorax.

Dietary Curcumin Prevented Astrocytosis, Microgliosis, and Apoptosis Caused by Acute and Chronic Exposure to Ozone.

Ozone is the most oxidant tropospheric pollutant gas, causing damage through the formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Reactive species induce the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation leading to neuroinflammation characterized by astrocytosis, microgliosis, and apoptotic cell death. There is interest in evaluating the pharmacological activity of natural antioxidants to confer neuroprotection against the damage caused by ozone in highly polluted cities. Curcumin has been proven to exert a protective action in the central nervous system (CNS) of diverse experimental models, with no side effects. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of curcumin in a preventive and therapeutic manner against the astrocytosis, microgliosis, and apoptosis induced by ozone in rat hippocampus. Fifty Wistar rats were distributed into five experimental groups: The intact control, curcumin fed control, ozone-exposed group, and the preventive and therapeutic groups receiving the curcumin supplementation while exposed to ozone. Ozone caused astrocytosis and microgliosis, as well as apoptosis in the hippocampus. Meanwhile, curcumin was able to decrease the activation of microglia and astrocytes, and apoptotic cell death in both periods of exposure. Therefore, we propose that curcumin could be used as a molecule capable of counteracting the damage caused by ozone in the CNS.

Facilitation costs and benefits function simultaneously on stress gradients for animals.

Understanding the variation in species interactions along environmental stress gradients is crucial for making robust ecological predictions about community responses to changing environmental conditions. The facilitation-competition framework has provided a strong basis for predictions (e.g. the stress-gradient hypothesis, SGH), yet the mechanisms behind patterns in animal interactions on stress gradients are poorly explored in particular for mobile animals. Here, we proposed a conceptual framework modelling changes in facilitation costs and benefits along stress gradients and experimentally tested this framework by measuring fitness outcomes of benefactor-beneficiary interactions across resource quality levels. Three arthropod consumer models from a broad array of environmental conditions were used including aquatic detritivores, potato moths and rainforest carrion beetles. We detected a shift to more positive interactions at increasing levels of stress thereby supporting the application of the SGH to mobile animals. While most benefactors paid no significant cost of facilitation, an increase in potato moth beneficiary's growth at high resource stress triggered costs for benefactors. This study is the first to experimentally show that both costs and benefits function simultaneously on stress gradients for animals. The proposed conceptual framework could guide future studies examining species interaction outcomes for both animals and plants in an increasingly stressed world.

Escalating impacts of climate extremes on critical infrastructures in Europe.

Extreme climatic events are likely to become more frequent owing to global warming. This may put additional stress on critical infrastructures with typically long life spans. However, little is known about the risks of multiple climate extremes on critical infrastructures at regional to continental scales. Here we show how single- and multi-hazard damage to energy, transport, industrial, and social critical infrastructures in Europe are likely to develop until the year 2100 under the influence of climate change. We combine a set of high-resolution climate hazard projections, a detailed representation of physical assets in various sectors and their sensitivity to the hazards, and more than 1100 records of losses from climate extremes in a prognostic modelling framework. We find that damages could triple by the 2020s, multiply six-fold by mid-century, and amount to more than 10 times present damage of €3.4 billion per year by the end of the century due only to climate change. Damage from heatwaves, droughts in southern Europe, and coastal floods shows the most dramatic rise, but the risks of inland flooding, windstorms, and forest fires will also increase in Europe, with varying degrees of change across regions. Economic losses are highest for the industry, transport, and energy sectors. Future losses will not be incurred equally across Europe. Southern and south-eastern European countries will be most affected and, as a result, will probably require higher costs of adaptation. The findings of this study could aid in prioritizing regional investments to address the unequal burden of impacts and differences in adaptation capacities across Europe.

Obstacles to integrated pest management adoption in developing countries.

Despite its theoretical prominence and sound principles, integrated pest management (IPM) continues to suffer from anemic adoption rates in developing countries. To shed light on the reasons, we surveyed the opinions of a large and diverse pool of IPM professionals and practitioners from 96 countries by using structured concept mapping. The first phase of this method elicited 413 open-ended responses on perceived obstacles to IPM. Analysis of responses revealed 51 unique statements on obstacles, the most frequent of which was "insufficient training and technical support to farmers." Cluster analyses, based on participant opinions, grouped these unique statements into six themes: research weaknesses, outreach weaknesses, IPM weaknesses, farmer weaknesses, pesticide industry interference, and weak adoption incentives. Subsequently, 163 participants rated the obstacles expressed in the 51 unique statements according to importance and remediation difficulty. Respondents from developing countries and high-income countries rated the obstacles differently. As a group, developing-country respondents rated "IPM requires collective action within a farming community" as their top obstacle to IPM adoption. Respondents from high-income countries prioritized instead the "shortage of well-qualified IPM experts and extensionists." Differential prioritization was also evident among developing-country regions, and when obstacle statements were grouped into themes. Results highlighted the need to improve the participation of stakeholders from developing countries in the IPM adoption debate, and also to situate the debate within specific regional contexts.

Plasmon Response and Electron Dynamics in Charged Metallic Nanoparticles.

Using the time-dependent density functional theory, we perform quantum calculations of the electron dynamics in small charged metallic nanoparticles (clusters) of spherical geometry. We show that the excess charge is accumulated at the surface of the nanoparticle within a narrow layer given by the typical screening distance of the electronic system. As a consequence, for nanoparticles in vacuum, the dipolar plasmon mode displays only a small frequency shift upon charging. We obtain a blue shift for positively charged clusters and a red shift for negatively charged clusters, consistent with the change of the electron spill-out from the nanoparticle boundaries. For negatively charged clusters, the Fermi level is eventually promoted above the vacuum level leading to the decay of the excess charge via resonant electron transfer into the continuum. We show that, depending on the charge, the process of electron loss can be very fast, on the femtosecond time scale. Our results are of great relevance to correctly interpret the optical response of the nanoparticles obtained in electrochemistry, and demonstrate that the measured shift of the plasmon resonances upon charging of nanoparticles cannot be explained without account for the surface chemistry and the dielectric environment.

Revision Subtalar Joint Fusion With a Porous Metal Spacer and an Intramedullary Nail: A Case Report.

Nonunion of hindfoot arthrodesis can be difficult to successfully treat and will often require bone graft techniques. Large amounts of autogenous bone graft can be difficult to procure and will be associated with donor site morbidity. The use of porous metal implants has been shown to satisfactorily bridge segmental bone defects and to work in conjunction with allogeneic bone graft material, without the risks associated with autogenous bone graft donor site morbidity. The purpose of the present report is to describe the use of a perforated, porous metal implant combined with an intramedullary nail for revision surgery of failed subtalar joint fusion in an adult female patient.

The principal conductance in Giardia lamblia trophozoites possesses functional properties similar to the mammalian ClC-2 current.

The human intestinal pathogen Giardia lamblia is a flagellated unicellular protozoan with pronounced medical and biological relevance. However, the basic physiology of Giardia trophozoites has been sparsely studied, especially the electrical and ionic properties of their cellular membrane which are virtually unknown. In this study, we were able to record and characterize the macroscopic ionic currents of Giardia trophozoite membrane by electrophysiological methods of the patch clamp technique. Giardia trophozoites showed a high current density (∼600 pA/pF at -140 mV) that was activated upon hyperpolarization. This current was carried by a chloride-selective channel (I Cl-G) and it was the most important determinant of the membrane potential in Giardia trophozoites. Moreover, this conductance was able to carry other halide anions and the sequence of permeability was Br(-) > Cl(-) ≈ I(-) ≫ F(-). Besides the voltage-dependent inward-rectifying nature of I Cl-G, its activation and deactivation kinetics were comparable to those observed in ClC-2 channels. Extracellular pH modified the voltage-dependent properties of I Cl-G, shifting the activation curve from a V 1/2 = -79 ± 1 mV (pH 7.4) to -93 ± 2 mV (pH 8.4) and -112 ± 2 mV (pH 5.4). Furthermore, the maximal amplitude of I Cl-G measured at -100 mV showed dependence to external pH in a bell-shaped fashion reported only for ClC-2 channels. Therefore, our results suggest that I Cl-G possesses several functional properties similar to the mammalian ClC-2 channels.

Ankle salvage surgery with autologous circular pillar fibula augmentation and intramedullary hindfoot nail.

Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis with an intramedullary hindfoot nail is an established procedure for fusion of the ankle and subtalar joints. In cases involving ankle bone loss, such as in failed total ankle replacement, it can be difficult to salvage with sufficient bone restoration stability and a physiologic leg length and avoiding below the knee amputation. In addition to the alternatives of using a structural allograft or metal bone substitution, we describe the use of autologous ipsilateral circular pillar fibula augmentation in tibiotalocalcaneal retrograde nail arthrodesis combined with a ventral (anterior) plate in a prospective series of 6 consecutive cases with a mean follow-up duration of 26 ± 9.95 (range 12 to 34) months. The 6 patients (3 female and 3 male), with a mean age of 55 ± 13.89 (range 38 to 73) years were treated with revision surgery of the ankle (1 after talectomy, 5 [83.33%] after failed ankle replacement). The visual analog scale for pain and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hindfoot score were used to assess functional outcome, and radiographs and computed tomography scans were used to determine the presence of fusion. All patients improved clinically from pre- to postoperatively in regard to the mean pain visual analog scale score (from 7.5 to 2.0) and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hindfoot score (from 29 to 65 points, of an 86-point maximum for fused joints). Radiologically, no loss in the reduction or misalignment of the hindfoot was detected, and all cases fused solid. One patient (16.67%) required hardware removal. The fixation construct provided good clinical and radiologic outcomes, and we recommend it as an alternative to structural allografts or metallic bone grafts for revision ankle surgery with severe bone loss.

Nitrooxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation Caused by Air Pollutants Are Associated with the Biological Markers of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Millions of people around the world are exposed to air pollutants, such as particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and ozone (O3). Such exposure usually does not exclude these two types of pollutants and their harmful effects could be additive or synergistic. O3 is a highly oxidizing gas that reacts with the cellular environment just as PM2.5, triggering nitrooxidative damage. Once nitrooxidative stress overcomes the endogenous antioxidant system, an acute neuroinflammatory process is generated, and once it becomes chronic, it favors the formation of neurodegenerative disease markers. The presence of these markers becomes potentially dangerous in people who have a genetic predisposition and are at a higher risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Our experimental approach for nitrooxidative damage and neuroinflammation caused by air pollutants has focused on the exposure of rats to O3 in an isolated chamber. The hippocampus is the most studied brain structure because of its neuronal connectivity network with the olfactory epithelium, its weak antioxidant defense, and its fundamental roll in cognitive processes. However, other brain structures may exhibit a different degree of damage upon exposure to O3 and PM2.5, making their involvement an important factor in developing other CNS diseases. The age spectrum for augmented sensibility to air pollutants seems to mostly affect the pre-postnatal (autism spectrum) period and the elderly (neurodegenerative). Thus, a new approach could be the estimation of the damage caused by PM2.5 and O3 through a controlled exposure paradigm to determine the extent of damage caused by both pollutants.

Experimental support of the stress-gradient hypothesis in herbivore-herbivore interactions.

The stress-gradient hypothesis (SGH) postulates an increase in the frequency of positive species interactions at increasing amounts of stress. While the SGH has been extensively tested in plant-plant interactions along abiotic stresses, it remains unclear whether this hypothesis could apply to higher trophic levels, such as herbivores, along biotic stress gradients. To address this issue, we investigated how the interaction between two potato herbivores may change along a stress gradient created by an assortment of potato varieties with different tuber palatability. We used a tuber resistance trait as a measure for biotic stress and one herbivore as the facilitator to gain access to the tuber of the other herbivore. Our experiment revealed a switch from neutral to positive interactions with increasing stress, confirming for the first time the predictions of the SGH for herbivores. Moreover, the intensity of facilitation decreased at high stress levels, suggesting that benefits by the facilitating species were dampened in the most stressful environment. In view of the ubiquitous role played by positive interactions among herbivores, broadening our search image for facilitative effects among other plant enemies will allow a better awareness of the importance of the SGH in structuring plant communities.

Molecular-Induced Chirality Transfer to Plasmonic Lattice Modes.

Molecular chirality plays fundamental roles in biology. The chiral response of a molecule occurs at a specific spectral position, determined by its molecular structure. This fingerprint can be transferred to other spectral regions via the interaction with localized surface plasmon resonances of gold nanoparticles. Here, we demonstrate that molecular chirality transfer occurs also for plasmonic lattice modes, providing a very effective and tunable means to control chirality. We use colloidal self-assembly to fabricate non-close packed, periodic arrays of achiral gold nanoparticles, which are embedded in a polymer film containing chiral molecules. In the presence of the chiral molecules, the surface lattice resonances (SLRs) become optically active, i.e., showing handedness-dependent excitation. Numerical simulations with varying lattice parameters show circular dichroism peaks shifting along with the spectral positions of the lattice modes, corroborating the chirality transfer to these collective modes. A semi-analytical model based on the coupling of single-molecular and plasmonic resonances rationalizes this chirality transfer.