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This study aimed to provide the first description of the presence, quantity, and diversity of microplastics (MPs) in intertidal sediments from the world’s longest natural beach, Cox’s Bazar. MPs were extracted from 24 surficial sediment samples through the density separation method, and identification was carried out using a stereomicroscope. Results showed that the abundance of MPs varied from 200 to 378.8 items kg-1 with the mean abundance of 368.68 ± 10.65 items kg-1. Fibers were the dominant (53%) MPs in this study, followed by films (20%) and fragments (12%). The dominant plastic particle color was purple (18%), followed by pink (14%) and red (7%), with shapes that were mainly filamentous (53%) and irregular (41%). The majority (59%) of the MPs measured were 1-5 mm in size, followed by 0.5-1 mm (27%) and less then 0.5 mm (14%).

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with a hypercoagulable state and high mortality. Increases in the plasma levels of tumor marker carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 are used in diagnosis and follow-up but have also been reported to precede venous thromboembolism (VTE).

We examined the association between CA 19-9 and thrombin generation (TG) in plasma from PDAC patients, as well as their association with coagulation biomarkers prior to pancreatic surgery. In addition, we determined the effect of commercial sources of CA 19-9 on TG.

We collected plasma from 58 treatment-naïve PDAC patients without any signs of VTE. We measured levels of CA 19-9, FVIII, fibrinogen, D-dimer, antithrombin and extracellular vesicle (EV) tissue factor (TF) activity and TG using a Calibrated Automated Thrombogram (CAT). The effect of different commercial sources of CA 19-9 on TG in Standard Human Plasma (SHP) was also studied.

Patient plasma samples were divided into 4 preoperative groups based on the level of CA 19-9 none<2, low=3-200, high=201-1000, and very high>1000U/mL. CA 19-9 levels were associated with several of the TG parameters, including endogenous thrombin potential, peak, and time to peak. CA 19-9 did not associate with any of the coagulation biomarkers. Spiking of SHP with CA 19-9 increased TG but this was decreased by an anti-TF antibody.

CA 19-9 was associated with TG in patients prior to any pancreatic cancer treatments or signs of VTE. AZ20 Some commercial sources of CA 19-9 enhanced TG in SHP seemingly due to contaminating TF.

CA 19-9 was associated with TG in patients prior to any pancreatic cancer treatments or signs of VTE. Some commercial sources of CA 19-9 enhanced TG in SHP seemingly due to contaminating TF.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colon cancer (CC) increases morbidity and mortality. Risk of thrombosis in IBD and CC is well established. Still, it remains unclear how interaction of thrombotic properties in patients with both diseases predict development of VTE.

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was sourced (2005-2014) for data on patients admitted with IBD-CC who developed VTE. The main outcome was predictors of VTE. Secondary outcomes were length of stay and total charge of admission.

7625 adults were admitted from 2005 to 2014 with a co-diagnosis of IBD and CC. 197 (2.6%) were coded to have VTE as a top three diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression showed that black patients (11.9% vs 6.0%; aOR 2.04, 95% CI=1.26-3.31, P<0.004) and patients with metastatic disease (27.9% vs 16.7%; aOR 1.77, 95% CI=1.27-2.47, P=0.001) had higher odds of having VTE. Patients with uncomplicated diabetes (8.1% vs 15.5%; aOR 0.48, 95% CI=0.28-0.84, P=0.010) had lower odds. Obesity and anemia were significantly associated with VTE in univariate logistic regression, but lost significance after multivariate regression. Additionally, VTE was associated with increased length of stay (8.41 vs 6.87days, P=0.006) and admission cost ($64,388 vs $50,874, P=0.010).

Patients with IBD and CC likely have unique procoagulant properties that differ from patients with IBD or CC alone. Knowledge of these predictors can assist efforts to risk stratify IBC-CC patients, and can aid development of an individualized approach to DVT prophylaxis in this population.

Patients with IBD and CC likely have unique procoagulant properties that differ from patients with IBD or CC alone. Knowledge of these predictors can assist efforts to risk stratify IBC-CC patients, and can aid development of an individualized approach to DVT prophylaxis in this population.COVID-19 associated coagulopathy and mortality related to thrombotic complications have been suggested as biological mediators in racial disparities related to COVID-19. We studied the adjusted prevalence of acute ischemic stroke, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, and deep venous thrombosis stratified by race in hospitalized patients in one New York City borough during the local COVID-19 surge. The multi-racial cohort included 4299 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 9% of whom were white, 40% black, 41% Hispanic and 10% Asian or other. We found a 6.1% prevalence of composite thrombotic events. There were no significant race-specific differences in thrombotic events when adjusting for basic demographics, socioeconomic factors, medical comorbidities or biomarkers using a stepwise regression model. We therefore found no evidence that the racial disparities related to COVID-19, and specifically thrombotic complications, are caused by biological differences in race.An induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line was generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of a 41-year-old male patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who carries a G3755A heterozygote mutation in the MYH6 gene. The generated iPSC line expressed pluripotency markers, exhibited a normal karyotype, presented the specific mutation, and demonstrated differentiation potential into three germ layers in vitro.VGLL4 is a new component of the Hippo pathway and bind TEADs to compete with YAP, so as to inhibit tumor progression, but its role in stem cell and organ regeneration remains unclear. Using the PiggyBac transposon system, we generated a VGLL4 doxycycline-inducible expression human embryonic stem cell line (WAe001-A-47). The established hESC line retains its normal morphology and pluripotency markers with in vitro differentiation potential, as well as a normal karyotype.Meandering-river geomorphology, forming abandoned channels/lakes with organic carbon-burial and microbial reductive dissolution, play many crucial roles in controlling arsenic (As) fluxes in sinks such as contaminated aquifers of riverine alluvial plains across the world. Suhiya oxbow-lake in the middle alluvial plain of the River Ganga, was selected as the natural laboratory. A top-down multidisciplinary approach was chosen employing satellite imagery to analyse the annual oxbow-lake surface vegetation dynamics (Eichhornia and Hydrilla). Side-scan sonar profiles across two oxbow lakes along with River Ganga core data and vintage topographical maps, estimated the lake-sedimentation rate of 9.6 cm/yr. Organic carbon [amino acids, aromatics, lingo-phenols and lipids hydrocarbons] infiltration-based on hydrophobicity and molecular-mass was detected at different depths along the water and sedimentary column. Elemental analysis showed lake surface to groundwater the As conc. varied from (0.37 to 185 μg/l). A microbial diversity based study showed that large sized photoautotrophs Nostoc, Anabaena are replaced by Fe-oxido-reducing As-metabolizing bacteria e.g. Acidovorax, Dechloromonas and enteric organisms e.g. Enterobacter, Salmonella at bottom of water column. Based on these inferences, a conceptual organic carbon transport model was constructed to understand the preferential preservation and microbial diagenesis resulting in mobilization of As and other geogenic elements.Local meteorological conditions including wind speed and turbulence significantly influence the dispersion of pollutant plumes, introducing severe difficulties in predicting its trajectory, potential evacuation sites, and ultimately containment efforts. Ongoing developments in estimating rapid contaminant dispersion include the combined use of local meteorological data along with plume-source localization and identification via autonomous data-driven mobile-sensing robotic/vehicular platforms. With a vast number of available environmental-sensing mobile platforms, contaminant dispersion scenarios, and source-finding algorithms, selection of the ideal configuration for autonomous source localization involves a great deal of opportunity alongside uncertainty. This paper aims to review the significant developments of unmanned ground-based mobile sensing network configurations and autonomous data acquisition strategies commonly used for the task of gaseous plume source localization.Characterizing typologies of childhood adversity may inform the development of risk profiles and corresponding interventions aimed at mitigating its lifelong consequences. A neurobiological grounding of these typologies requires systematic comparisons of neural structure and function among individuals with different exposure histories. Using seed-to-whole brain analyses, this study examined associations between childhood adversity and amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fc) in adolescents aged 11-19 years across three independent studies (N = 223; 127 adversity group) in both general and dimensional models of adversity (comparing abuse and neglect). In a general model, adversity was associated with altered amygdala rs-fc with clusters within the left anterior lateral prefrontal cortex. In a dimensional model, abuse was associated with altered amygdala rs-fc within the orbitofrontal cortex, dorsal precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/anterior mid-cingulate cortex, as well as within the dorsal attention, visual, and somatomotor networks. Neglect was associated with altered amygdala rs-fc with the hippocampus, supplementary motor cortex, temporoparietal junction, and regions within the dorsal attention network. Both general and dimensional models revealed unique regions, potentially reflecting pathways by which distinct histories of adversity may influence adolescent behavior, cognition, and psychopathology.Early life adversity impacts on a range of emotional, cognitive, and psychological processes. A recent theoretical model suggests that at least some of these effects are due to accelerated maturation of specific physiological systems and/or neural circuits. For example, maternal separation (MS), a model of early life adversity in rodents, accelerates maturation of memory systems, and here we examined its impact on maturation of perineuronal nets (PNNs) and parvalbumin (PV)-containing inhibitory interneurons. PNNs are specialized extracellular matrix structures suggested to be involved in stabilizing long-term memories and in the closure of a sensitive period in memory development. PV-containing inhibitory interneurons are the type of cell that PNNs preferentially surround, and are also thought to be involved in memory. In Experiment 1, with male rats, there was an increase in PNNs in both the amygdala and prefrontal cortex with age from infancy to juvenility. Contrary to prediction, MS had no impact on either PNN or PV expression.