A Morphometric Study on the Dimensions of the Vertebral Canal and Intervertebral Discs from Th1 to S1 in Cats and Their Relevance for Spinal Diseases.

As part of the spine, the vertebral canal represents a central structure protecting the spinal cord running within it. Since alterations to the spinal canal and adjacent structures can have a significant impact on the spinal cord, knowledge of the physiological vertebral canal dimensions is essential. Compression of spinal nerves at the lumbosacral junction is the primary cause of cauda equina syndrome (CES). Although CES is common in dogs, it is rarely documented in cats. Given the lack of information on normal vertebral canal dimensions in cats, it is necessary to collect data and verify currently used measurements, to determine if and to what extent comparisons with dogs are valid. In 50 cats, interpedicular (ID) and midsagittal (SD) diameters were examined from the first thoracic (Th1) to the first sacral vertebra (S1). In 28 of these animals, the intervertebral disc width (IVDW) was measured. All data were gathered through gross anatomical dissection of the cats. Significant lumen reduction was evident in all cats from L6 to S1 with the narrowest point at S1. Narrowings were also found in the thoracic spine. The widest points coincide with the spinal cord enlargements. IVDW shows relatively constant values up to Th10-Th11 and peaks at L7-S1 in 95.65% of cats. While distinct similarities to dogs were observed, differences exist. The findings allow conclusions as to whether relations between the parameters and resulting predispositions to pathological changes can be derived. This could help the understanding of the pathogenesis of feline spinal diseases, particularly compressive myelopathies. Further studies are necessary to investigate the impact of age, sex and breed.

Shoreline classification maps and ground truth data for the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina.

Estuaries provide essential ecosystem services and economic value but are facing widespread degradation due to changing anthropogenic and climatic factors. In North Carolina, coastal structures, like bulkheads and riprap, are widely used by property owners throughout the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary to stop erosion and reclaim lost land following storm events. While coastal development is tightly governed, limited historical and no up-to-date data report on the spatial distribution of coastal structures throughout the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary. Here we describe the development of a dataset that classifies and catalogues 67 km of shoreline type along the Neuse River Estuary (NRE), a large tributary of the Albemarle-Pamlico. We used available LiDAR digital elevation models (DEMs), aerial imagery, and a ground truthing field campaign to determine shoreline type present along the NRE as of 2020. We validated these results using an intensive manual editing procedure that comparatively examines DEMs, LiDAR derived slope, aerial imagery, and ground truth photography of the shoreline. This dataset is available for public download.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 forest biomass estimates from Earth Observation.

Aboveground biomass density (AGBD) estimates from Earth Observation (EO) can be presented with the consistency standards mandated by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This article delivers AGBD estimates, in the format of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 values for natural forests, sourced from National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) and Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-2), and European Space Agency's (ESA's) Climate Change Initiative (CCI). It also provides the underlying classification used by the IPCC as geospatial layers, delineating global forests by ecozones, continents and status (primary, young (≤20 years) and old secondary (>20 years)). The approaches leverage complementary strengths of various EO-derived datasets that are compiled in an open-science framework through the Multi-mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP). This transparency and flexibility enables the adoption of any new incoming datasets in the framework in the future. The EO-based AGBD estimates are expected to be an independent contribution to the IPCC Emission Factors Database in support of UNFCCC processes, and the forest classification expected to support the generation of other policy-relevant datasets while reflecting ongoing shifts in global forests with climate change.

Far-field imaging for direct visualization of light interferences in GaAs nanowires.

The optical and electrical characterization of nanostructures is crucial for all applications in nanophotonics. Particularly important is the knowledge of the optical near-field distribution for the design of future photonic devices. A common method to determine optical near-fields is scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) which is slow and might distort the near-field. Here, we present a technique that permits sensing indirectly the infrared near-field in GaAs nanowires via its second-harmonic generated (SHG) signal utilizing a nonscanning far-field microscope. Using an incident light of 820 nm and the very short mean free path (16 nm) of the SHG signal in GaAs, we demonstrate a fast surface sensitive imaging technique without using a SNOM. We observe periodic intensity patterns in untapered and tapered GaAs nanowires that are attributed to the fundamental mode of a guided wave modulating the Mie-scattered incident light. The periodicity of the interferences permits to accurately determine the nanowires' radii by just using optical microscopy, i.e., without requiring electron microscopy.

Opportunities for Regulatory Changes to Promote Pediatric Device Innovation in the United States: Joint Recommendations From Pediatric Innovator Roundtables.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report is to provide insight from pediatric stakeholders with a shared desire to facilitate a revision of the current United States regulatory pathways for the development of pediatric healthcare devices. METHODS: On August 5, 2020, a group of innovators, engineers, professors and clinicians met to discuss challenges and opportunities for the development of new medical devices for pediatric health and the importance of creating a regulatory environment that encourages and accelerates the research and development of such devices. On January 6, 2021, this group joined regulatory experts at a follow-up meeting. RESULTS: One of the primary issues identified was the need to present decision-makers with opportunities that change the return-on-investment balance between adult and pediatric devices to promote investment in pediatric devices. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Several proposed strategies were discussed, and these strategies can be divided into two broad categories: 1. Removal of real and perceived barriers to pediatric device innovation; 2. Increasing incentives for pediatric device innovation.

Differentiation in the preonset phases of schizophrenia and mood disorders: evidence in support of a bipolar mania prodrome.

OBJECTIVE: The presence and specificity of a bipolar prodrome remains questioned. We aimed to characterize the prodrome prior to a first psychotic and nonpsychotic mania and to examine the phenotypic proximity to the schizophrenia prodrome. METHODS: Using a semi-structured interview, the Bipolar Prodrome Symptom Scale-Retrospective, information regarding the mania prodrome was collected from youth with a research diagnosis of bipolar I disorder and onset before 19 years of age, and/or their caregivers. Only newly emerging, at least moderately severe, symptoms were analyzed. Prodromal characteristics were compared between patients with and without subsequent psychotic mania and with published bipolar and schizophrenia prodrome data. RESULTS: In 52 youth (age at first mania: 13.4 +/- 3.3 years), the prodrome onset was predominantly "insidious" (>1 year, 51.9%) or "subacute" (1-12 months, 44.2%), while "acute" presentations (<1 month, 3.8%) were rare. The prodrome duration was similar in patients with (1.7 +/- 1.8 years, n = 34) and without (1.9 +/- 1.5 years, n = 18) subsequent psychotic mania (P = .70). Attenuated positive symptoms emerging late in the prodrome and increased energy/goal-directed activity were significantly more common in patients with later psychotic mania. Mania and schizophrenia prodrome characteristics overlapped considerably. However, subsyndromal unusual ideas were significantly more likely part of the schizophrenia prodrome, while obsessions/compulsions, suicidality, difficulty thinking/communicating clearly, depressed mood, decreased concentration/memory, tiredness/lack of energy, mood lability, and physical agitation were more likely part of the mania prodrome. CONCLUSIONS: A lengthy and symptomatic prodrome makes clinical high-risk research a feasible goal for bipolar disorder. The phenotypic overlap with the schizophrenia prodrome necessitates the concurrent study of both illness prodromes.

Protein adsorption on nano-scaled, rippled TiO2 and Si surfaces.

We synthesized nano-scaled periodic ripple patterns on silicon and titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) surfaces by xenon ion irradiation, and performed adsorption experiments with human plasma fibrinogen (HPF) on such surfaces as a function of the ripple wavelength. Atomic force microscopy showed the adsorption of HPF in mostly globular conformation on crystalline and amorphous flat Si surfaces as well as on nano-structured Si with long ripple wavelengths. For short ripple wavelengths the proteins seem to adsorb in a stretched formation and align across or along the ripples. In contrast to that, the proteins adsorb in a globular assembly on flat and long-wavelength rippled TiO(2), but no adsorbed proteins could be observed on TiO(2) with short ripple wavelengths due to a decrease of the adsorption energy caused by surface curvature. Consequently, the adsorption behavior of HPF can be tuned on biomedically interesting materials by introducing a nano-sized morphology while not modifying the stoichiometry/chemistry.