Explore the vast range of titles available.

A recently developed preparation of C1 inhibitor concentrate was evaluated in patients with hereditary angioedema in two trials. In the acute-attack treatment trial, the time to relief of an acute attack of angioedema was significantly shorter with the C1 inhibitor than with placebo. In the prophylaxis trial, the attack rate over a 12-week period was significantly lower with the C1 inhibitor than with placebo. Hereditary angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of angioedema that typically involve the extremities, abdomen, external genitalia, face, or oropharynx. 1 Abdominal attacks of angioedema, which are caused by local mucosal swelling, are often associated with severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Such attacks frequently lead to hospitalization and occasionally to unnecessary exploratory surgery. 2 Laryngeal attacks are associated with a substantial risk of death. 2 Two forms of hereditary angioedema have been defined: type I (accounting for 85% of cases) is characterized by low antigenic and functional levels of C1 inhibitor, whereas type . . .

In pilot work for this dissertation, 6 out of 20 frequent lucid dreamers demonstrated empirically validated lucid dreams (LDs) during unambiguous REM sleep within one or two nights in the sleep laboratory. This dissertation was then designed to compare Waking Instructions (WI) (= Control group) and WI plus Posthypnotic Suggestion (PHS) (= PHS group) for LD induction during one laboratory night per S with non-lucid dreamers. Subjects were females claiming recall of at least one dream per month and no prior experience of LDs (N = 15 per group, matched for level of hypnotic susceptibility). LDs were validated via ocular signaling during both NREM sleep and unambiguous REM sleep. Most successful Ss (PHS = 14, Control = 7) reported more than one LD. PHS Ss were consistently successful, while Control Ss suddenly began succeeding half way through the study; this shift was attributed to an inadvertent shift in WI which had remained unnoticed until analysis of final results. It was found that, based on this shift, three independent LD induction techniques had been developed: (A) PHS; (B) Revised Waking Instructions (RWI); and (C) PHS + RWI. Each of these techniques achieved independent statistical significance when compared to the Original Waking Instructions, even when ignoring NREMLDs; but there was no statistically significant difference between techniques A, B or C based on pairwise comparisons with each other. However, five additional measures (including duration and level of lucidity and post-experiment LD frequency) showed PHS to be qualitatively more effective than WI. PHS + RWI tended to restrict the occurrence of LDs to NREM sleep. Results also demonstrated highly effective clinical (e.g., control of nightmares) and personal growth applications for LD induction, particularly via PHS in conjuction with personal symbols.

The World Health Organization classifies leptospirosis as a significant public health concern, predominantly affecting impoverished and unsanitary regions. By using the Pensacola Bay System as a case study, this study examines the underappreciated susceptibility of developed subtropical coastal ecosystems such as the Pensacola Bay System to neglected zoonotic pathogens such as Leptospira. We analyzed 132 water samples collected over 12 months from 44 distinct locations with high levels of Escherichia coli (>410 most probable number/100 mL). Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations were assessed using IDEXX Colilert-18 and Enterolert-18, and an analysis of water physiochemical characteristics and rainfall intensity was conducted. The LipL32 gene was used as a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) indicator to identify the distribution of Leptospira interrogans. The results revealed 12 instances of the presence of L. interrogans at sites with high FIB over various land cover and aquatic ecosystem types. Independent of specific rainfall events, a seasonal relationship between precipitation and elevated rates of fecal bacteria and leptospirosis was found. These findings highlight qPCR's utility in identifying pathogens in aquatic environments and the widespread conditions where it can be found in natural and developed areas.

The invalid combination Omphalina rosella is validated. A new variety O. rosella var. vinacea is described from western North America. It is illustrated and compared to O. rosella var. rosella from Europe and North Africa, and an unnamed variety from Baja California, Mexico. Omphalina rosella is an anomalous species intermediate between Omphalina and Rickenella.