048) in the CLP + PBS group). Of note, PCZ rapidly reduced oxidative stress in the heart of the CLP + PCZ group when compared to those of the CLP + PBS group (13.3 ± 8.2 vs 6.2 ± 2.5 UI, p = 0.005, 120 min after administration, respectively). Our study demonstrates that inhibition of cDPP3 by PCZ restored altered cardiac function during sepsis in rats.Multiword Expressions (MWEs) are idiosyncratic combinations of words which pose important challenges to Natural Language Processing. Some kinds of MWEs, such as verbal ones, are particularly hard to identify in corpora, due to their high degree of morphosyntactic flexibility. This paper describes a linguistically motivated method to gather detailed information about verb+noun MWEs (VNMWEs) from corpora. Although the main focus of this study is Spanish, the method is easily adaptable to other languages. Monolingual and parallel corpora are used as input, and data about the morphosyntactic variability of VNMWEs is extracted. This information is then tested in an identification task, obtaining an F score of 0.52, which is considerably higher than related work.Biochar derived from straw is a potential low-cost adsorbent for metal ions and organic pollutants, but its practical application is still limited by the adsorption capacity. In this study, the correlation between the biochar’s properties and pyrolysis temperature was explored. find more The adsorption mechanism was studied by monitoring the changes of biochar properties before and after adsorption using BET, SEM, XPS and FT-IR spectroscopy. The adsorption mechanism was revealed following the adsorption kinetics and the changes in biochar’s properties before and after adsorption. The methylene blue (MB) and Pb2+ adsorption removal efficiency reached 95% at the initial concentration of 125 and 500 mg/L, respectively. Physisorption, chemisorption, and pore filling mechanisms determined the adsorption process of MB and Pb2+ on biochar. The Pb2+ adsorption process was highly affected by chemical co-precipitation at higher pyrolysis temperatures. The appearance of tar particles increased the adsorption rate of Pb2+. The biochar obtained at the pyrolysis temperature at 500, 800 and 900°C proved to be applicable for Pb2+ removal. Chemisorption and porosity dominated the MB adsorption, and biochars produced at pyrolysis temperatures of 200, 800 and 900°C are potential materials for MB removal. This study provides optimal pyrolysis conditions for transforming maize straw into valuable, low-cost materials for the removal of different pollutants.

Auricular stimulation (AS) is a promising method in the treatment of situational anxiety. Expressive writing (EW) is an established psychological method, which reduces test anxiety and improves exam results. The aim of this crossover trial was to compare AS with EW, and with the no intervention (NI) condition, for treatment of exam anxiety.

Healthy medical students underwent 3 comparable anatomy exams with an interval of one month, either performing EW, receiving AS or NI prior to the exam; the order of interventions was randomized. AS was applied using indwelling fixed needles bilaterally at the areas innervated mostly by the auricular branch of the vagal nerve on the day before the exam. Anxiety level, measured using State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before and after the interventions and immediately before exam, was the primary outcome. Quality of night sleep, blood pressure, heart rate and activity of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) were analyzed across 3 conditions.

All 37 included participants completed the study. Anxiety level (STAI) decreased immediately after AS in comparison with baseline (P = 0.02) and remained lower in comparison with that after EW and NI (P<0.01) on the day of exam. After EW and NI anxiety increased on the day of exam in comparison with baseline (P<0.01). Quality of sleep improved after AS in comparison with both control conditions (P<0.01). The activity of sAA decreased after EW and after AS (P<0.05) but not after NI condition.

Auricular stimulation, but not expressive writing, reduced exam anxiety and improved quality of sleep in medical students. These changes might be due to reduced activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

Auricular stimulation, but not expressive writing, reduced exam anxiety and improved quality of sleep in medical students. These changes might be due to reduced activity of the sympathetic nervous system.This Pearl article recounts the story of a US corporation, Lennar, the nation’s leading homebuilder, an essential function in the US (not allowed to lock down), when faced with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at the end of February 2020. The culture of the company, which allowed it to proceed safely, is one of cohesion, trust, teamwork, and respect for fellow humans. Theirs is a culture in which the safety, wellness, and health of the associates (employees) and the communities they serve is the number one priority. All associates wear a name badge with first name only, and all name badges share the same family name, Lennar. At Lennar, individual success means nothing, and collective success means everything. This is the story of how Lennar took control of the COVID-19 pandemic, metamorphosed itself into an even stronger organization, better suited to deal with COVID-19, and more importantly, optimally suited for the 21st century. The lessons learned not only were instrumental to Lennar but could also apply to any company eager to reopen their business.AMPylation, the post-translational modification with adenosine monophosphate (AMP), is catalyzed by effector proteins from a variety of pathogens. Legionella pneumophila is thus far the only known pathogen that, in addition to encoding an AMPylase (SidM/DrrA), also encodes a deAMPylase, called SidD, that reverses SidM-mediated AMPylation of the vesicle transport GTPase Rab1. DeAMPylation is catalyzed by the N-terminal phosphatase-like domain of SidD. Here, we determined the crystal structure of full length SidD including the uncharacterized C-terminal domain (CTD). A flexible loop rich in aromatic residues within the CTD was required to target SidD to model membranes in vitro and to the Golgi apparatus within mammalian cells. Deletion of the loop (Δloop) or substitution of its aromatic phenylalanine residues rendered SidD cytosolic, showing that the hydrophobic loop is the primary membrane-targeting determinant of SidD. Notably, deletion of the two terminal alpha helices resulted in a CTD variant incapable of discriminating between membranes of different composition.