Plasma CRP, HP and SAA concentrations were increased in dogs with OSA compared with healthy dogs (P = .001, .010 and .027, respectively). No differences were noted in dogs with T-cell and MCT. Negative correlations were observed between plasma 25(OH)D concentrations and AAG concentrations in dogs with T-cell (Rs = -0.817, P = .007); GM-CSF concentrations (Rs = -0.569, P = .007) in dogs with OSA; and IL-7 concentrations (Rs = -0.548, P = .010) in dogs with OSA. Decreased 25(OH)D concentrations and increased concentrations of multiple inflammatory markers were observed in B-cell patients, supporting an association between 25(OH)D and inflammation. The cross-sectional study design meant the timing of changes could not be determined. Prospective cohort studies are warranted.
  Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a rapidly expanding field within neuromodulation; however, there is limited data on therapeutic efficacy. This study describes the indications and clinical outcomes for patients undergoing PNS for chronic pain states.
 
  This is a retrospective case series of adults undergoing PNS implantation from 2004 to 2017 at an academic medical center.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/congo-red.html  The primary outcomes were changes in numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores, opioid utilization in oral morphine milligram equivalent (MME), and self-reported patient functioning at 6months postoperatively. Infectious and device-related complications were also assessed.
 
  A total of 72 patients underwent PNS implantation, including 59 patients that received a preceding PNS trial (59/78; 76% progression rate) and 13 that did not receive a PNS trial. The most common indication for stimulation was occipital neuralgia (47%) followed by lower-extremity neuropathies (17%). PNS implantation was associated with 6-month reductions in pain scores (7 [6, 8] baseline vs. 4 [2, 5] 6 months; P<0.001) and opioid utilization (eg, median 60 [31, 104] vs. 18 [0, 52] MME among those with baseline opioid use; P<0.001). Median functional improvement was 73% (50%, 88%). Seven patients (10%) suffered a postoperative surgical site infection at a median of 50 (30, 124) days, of which five devices were removed.
 
  Peripheral nerve stimulation was associated with reduced pain scores, lower opioid utilization, and improved patient function at 6 months. These data support PNS as a potentially effective nonopioid analgesic modality in chronic pain, though prospective multicenter evaluation is warranted to evaluate longer-term outcomes.
 Peripheral nerve stimulation was associated with reduced pain scores, lower opioid utilization, and improved patient function at 6 months. These data support PNS as a potentially effective nonopioid analgesic modality in chronic pain, though prospective multicenter evaluation is warranted to evaluate longer-term outcomes.
  The aim of this study was to obtain cold-adapted denitrifying fungi that could be used for bioaugmentation in woodchip bioreactors to remove nitrate from agricultural subsurface drainage water.
 
  We isolated a total of 91 nitrate-reducing fungal strains belonging to Ascomycota and Mucoromycota from agricultural soil and a woodchip bioreactor under relatively cold conditions (5 and 15°C). When these strains were incubated with 
  N-labelled nitrate, 
  N
  was frequently produced, suggesting the occurrence of co-denitrification (microbially mediated nitrosation). Two strains also produced 
  N
  , indicating their ability to reduce N
  O. Of the 91 nitrate-reducing fungal strains, fungal nitrite reductase gene (nirK) and cytochrome P450 nitric oxide reductase gene (p450nor) were detected by PCR in 34 (37%) and 11 (12%) strains, respectively. Eight strains possessed both nirK and p450nor, further verifying their denitrification capability. In addition, most strains degraded cellulose under denitrification condition.
 
  Diverse nitrate-reducing fungi were isolated from soil and a woodchip bioreactor. These fungi reduced nitrate to gaseous N forms at relatively low temperatures. These cold-adapted, cellulose-degrading and nitrate-reducing fungi could support themselves and other denitrifiers in woodchip bioreactors.
 
  The cold-adapted, cellulose-degrading and nitrate-reducing fungi isolated in this study could be useful to enhance nitrate removal in woodchip bioreactors under low-temperature conditions.
 The cold-adapted, cellulose-degrading and nitrate-reducing fungi isolated in this study could be useful to enhance nitrate removal in woodchip bioreactors under low-temperature conditions.
  Studies in the past 15years have highlighted the role of the gut microbiota in modulation of host metabolism. The observation that germ-free (GF) mice are leaner than conventionally raised (CONV) mice and their apparent resistance to diet-induced obesity (DIO), sparked the interest in dissecting the possible causative role of the gut microbiota in obesity and metabolic diseases. However, discordant results among studies leave such relationship elusive. In this study, we compared the effects of chronic Western diet (WD) intake on body weight and metabolic function of GF and CONV mice.
 
  We fed GF and CONV mice a WD for 16weeks and monitored body weight weekly. At the end of the dietary challenge, the metabolic phenotype of the animals was assessed. Muscle carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1) and liver AMPK activation were investigated.
 
  Both GF and CONV mice gained weight and developed glucose intolerance when fed a WD. Moreover, WD feeding was associated with increased adipose tissue inflammation, repressed hepatic AMPK activity, fatty liver and elevated hepatic triglycerides in both groups of mice. Enhanced fatty acid oxidation in the GF mouse is one of the proposed mechanisms for their resistance to DIO. The GF mice in this study showed higher CPT1 activity as compared to their CONV counterparts, despite not being protected from obesity.
 
  We provide evidence that the microbiota is not an indispensable factor in the onset of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, suggesting that the relationship between gut bacteria and metabolic diseases needs further exploration.
 We provide evidence that the microbiota is not an indispensable factor in the onset of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, suggesting that the relationship between gut bacteria and metabolic diseases needs further exploration.