Such loss of control may range from the comparatively minor incid

Such loss of control may range from the comparatively minor incidents Crenolanib in vitro within a workplace to major events where people well beyond the workplace may be exposed. Biological monitoring can serve several purposes in the aftermath of a chemical incident. For instance, it can confirm the presence or absence of internal exposure in subjects

potentially exposed; it can help relate clinical symptoms to an exposure or can support medical care (Scheepers et al., 2011). The important need to consider the use of biological monitoring in the response phase of an incident was recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO, 1997 and WHO, 2009). Depending on the type and scale of the incident it may be necessary to assess the exposure of the workers, first responders

or the public. Critical to the utility of biological monitoring is the availability of quality assured analytical methods from accredited laboratories and guidance values to put the results in perspective. There are no biological monitoring guidance values specifically for chemical incident scenarios. The two major sources of biological monitoring guidance values relate to either occupational or environmental exposure. Examples of workplace guidance values are those produced by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH, 2013) the German Science foundation (DFG, 2012), the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE), the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES, 2013) and the European selleck Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure limits (SCOEL, 2014). Biological monitoring guidance values for occupational exposure are usually derived from peer-reviewed ethically-approved volunteer and workplace studies that enable a relationship to be derived between

a biomarker and an absence of ill-health, airborne occupational exposure limit and/or acceptable level of exposure. Guidance on environmental exposures comes from studies of biomarkers in the general population like the US national Health and Nutrition Survey (CDC, 2013) and the German Human Biomonitoring Commission (Umwelt Bundesamt, 2014). These are often expressed as 95th percentile reference ranges or, increasingly, based on the “Biomonitoring Equivalents” concept (Hays et not al., 2007) where “acceptable exposures” are identified from, for example, tolerable daily intake doses. Biological monitoring guidance values for both environmental and occupational exposures are derived for specific purposes and have limitations when applied outside these. One of the major limitations is the relatively small number of them in comparison to the number of substances to which people may be exposed. This is in part due to the costs of population studies and the availability of studies in the peer-reviewed literature linking biomarkers to health or exposure.

Furthermore the complete blockade of the responses induced by BK

Furthermore the complete blockade of the responses induced by BK by its antagonist HOE-140 showed that only B2R activation was responsible for the enhanced responses induced by

BK in overexpressing endothelial aorta isolated from TGR(Tie2B1). It was also found that HOE-140 had no effect on DBK-induced relaxation, confirming what was reported by [17] that the increased response induced by DBK in TGR(Tie2B1) was inhibited specifically by the antagonist of B1R. These authors reported that the responses to DBK were completely blocked by L-NAME in the isolated aorta from TGR(Tie2B1) rats which is in agreement with our study wherein a complete inhibition of BK induced effect by L-NAME was found, indicating that relaxant responses PLX4032 mw induced by the kinins in the rat aorta are highly dependent on NO generation. It was reported that mice overexpressing B1R in multiple tissues induced hypertensive response to B1R agonist, exacerbated paw and edema induced by carrageenan and high susceptibility to endotoxic shock induced by lipopolysaccharide [19]. The present study showed that B2R was surprisingly overexpressed in the endothelium of thoracic aorta from TGR(Tie2B1) rat. This finding was unexpected since a downregulation should occur as a counter regulatory mechanism for overexpression of B1R. It has been reported that the lack of one kinin receptor

is compensated mTOR inhibitor by the up-regulation of the other subtype, as shown in the case of deletion of B2R [10], [12] and [36] and of

B1R [16] and [28]. In another study [28], lipopolysaccharide treatment caused enhanced B2R mRNA which was further increased in B1KO mice with increased mortality. Although some studies have been reported about overexpression of B1R [17] and [19] or B2R [33] assessing the importance of the overexpressed receptor, the expression of the other remaining receptor subtype has not been determined. The enhanced B2R mRNA expression in TGR(Tie2B1) rat was correlated with the increased responsiveness of rat aorta to its agonist BK. The finding that the ability of ACE to convert Roflumilast AngI to AngII was not reduced neither the ACE mRNA was altered, provided evidence that the increase in the BK reactivity was not modulated by ACE activity due to the high expression of the B2R. This conclusion could not confirm an effect of ACE/kinin B2R interaction modulating ACE activity as previously described [20] and [27]. It is noteworthy that was found no evidence for increased activation of AT1R since the vascular reactivity to AngII was maintained in the aorta isolated from (TGR(Tie2B1)) rats. Therefore the hypothesis that a spontaneous heterodimerization of AngII and BK receptors could trigger the AT1R activation was not confirmed in contrast to that previously reported [1]. In conclusion, transgenic rats overexpressing kinin B1R exclusively in the endothelium of TGR(Tie2B1) rats were shown to overexpress the kinin B2R and to cause increased responsiveness to BK.

Normalization was performed using Fragments per Kilobase per Mill

Normalization was performed using Fragments per Kilobase per Million, and

isoform expression values were generated using Cufflinks with Ensembl version 69 as the reference transcriptome [37]. Cufflinks calculates isoform expression levels using a statistical model in which the probability of observing a given fragment is a linear function of the transcript abundance. Gene level Alectinib mw expression is the sum of transcript level expression, as each read is assigned to a single transcript. Tophat was chosen because it is the standard sequence aligner used by Cufflinks [38]. Correlation coefficients were generated using Spearman’s correlation. Hierarchical clustering was performed on the covariance matrices to generate heat maps. Expression levels of the isoforms and at the gene level were compared across clinical and pathologic groups such as cancer versus normal, tumor stage, histology, hormone receptor status, and PAM50 cluster [39]. Means Nutlin-3a price between groups were compared using analysis of variance. Expression was divided into high versus low expression using the median expression value. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for the high and low expression groups and compared using the log-rank test for metastasis-free survival (MFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival

(OS). Hazard ratios (HRs) were generated using univariate Cox regression. Multi-gene analysis was performed using Cox regression with expression of each gene/isoform as a covariate. Comparison of expression between metastatic versus non-metastatic cell lines was performed using Student’s t-test. Statistics

and plots were generated using the R statistical computing software and GraphPad Prism. Studies of isoforms of CXCL12 in cancer and other diseases have been limited by the lack of isoform-specific probes on microarrays and antibodies for IHC. As a result, studies have focused predominantly on only the α and β isoforms of CXCL12. To overcome limitations of microarrays and antibodies, we investigated expression levels Casein kinase 1 of all isoforms of CXCL12 and receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7 in breast cancer using the TCGA RNA sequencing data set. The clinical and pathologic characteristics of the tumor samples and patients in this data set are shown in Table 1. The Cufflinks analysis program assigns each read to individual isoforms such that the sum of expression levels for a specific isoform is equal to the gene level of expression. On the basis of this analysis, we determined that the most common isoform of CXCL12 in breast cancer is α (65%), followed by β (27%) > γ (5%) > δ (2%). We detected only very low levels of expression for CXCL12-ε (0.1%) and -φ (0.2%) and therefore refrained from statistical inference using these isoforms.

, 2003) Although the underlying mechanisms of long-lasting hyper

, 2003). Although the underlying mechanisms of long-lasting hyperalgesia after chronic stress are still elusive, some studies have advanced understanding of this topic. Human studies have shown that a reduction in pain threshold after long-term psychoemotional stress probably occurs due to a reduction

in the activity of the brain’s opioid system (Ashkinazi and Vershinina, 1999). Previous data from our group also suggest involvement of the opioid system in the hyperalgesic response induced by prolonged restraint stress (Torres et al., 2001b, Torres et al., 2003 and Dantas et al., 2005) Furthermore, activation of stress-related circuitry in the hypothalamus activates pain-facilitating neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla to produce buy Venetoclax hyperalgesia (for review, see Martenson et al., 2009), suggesting possible changes in brain activity. Another possibility is increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), in brain tissue and blood due to stress conditions. These cytokines are closely related to painful and inflammatory diseases, and their release is increased under stressful conditions (for review, see Goshen and Yirmiya, 2009). In view of the neuroplastic effects of chronic stress on pain-related neural circuitry, deactivation of the stress-induced pain-related neural changes would be best achieved with techniques to induce neuroplasticity (Brunoni et

al., 2011). One simple but powerful technique learn more is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). This technique produces modulation of neural activity via small electrical currents that, when applied as a direct current (DC) component, polarize neural tissue, inducing significant changes in the resting membrane threshold (Zaghi, 2010) and subsequent changes in synaptic plasticity, as recently shown in an elegant animal model in mice brain slices DC stimulation (Fristch et al., 2010). In addition, it carries little risk

and produces little discomfort, and, with repeated sessions, may produce enduring effects (Poreisz et al., 2007). Previous studies have shown that excitability-enhancing anodal tDCS is effective in reducing pain in patients with fibromyalgia (Fregni et al., this website 2006a) and spinal cord injury (Fregni et al., 2006b). In addition, anodal and cathodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex have been associated with significant changes in experimental pain in healthy subjects (Reidler et al., 2012 and Grundmann et al., 2011) Finally, the neuromodulatory effects of tDCS have also been consistently demonstrated in animals, such as in rat models of focal epilepsy (Liebetanz et al., 2006), memory (Dockery et al., 2011), Parkinson’s disease (Li et al., 2011), and acute stroke (Wachter et al., 2011) Given the importance of chronic pain and the variability in its pathophysiology, investigation of techniques that can modulate neural mechanisms is relevant to the development of more rational therapies.


“Fish are in intimate contact with their microbial rich en


“Fish are in intimate contact with their microbial rich environment and have a unique physical barrier composed of skin and skin mucus which act as a first line of defense against attachment and penetration by potentially harmful agents. Fish skin mucus, comprising a number of immune components constitutively expressed such as lysozyme, immunoglobulin, complement, carbonic anhydrase, lectins, crinotoxins, calmodulin, C-reactive

protein, proteolytic enzymes and peptides, which have bactericidal activities (Alexander and Ingram, 1992; Whyte, 2007). The epithelial skin mucus layers are therefore considered find more a key component of fish innate defense mechanisms (Ellis, 1981). The mucosal immunity is especially important for the host defense response to invasive pathogens, moreover several fish species possess venomous apparatuses that provide protection against predators during feeding or when fish are stressed or provoked. Catfish present long and robust saw-toothed stings in the dorsal (one) and pectoral (two, one in each fin) fins. These venomous apparatuses are made of a very rigid bone structure, surrounded by a tegumentary sheath (Halstead, 1970; Figueiredo and Menezes, 1978). Sting venoms show a great variety of toxins that are responsible for several symptoms observed following envenomation of human victims. The integumentary sheath overlying the spine ruptures, and venom is released into the wound-along with skin mucus. Apart

from the involvement with defense against pathogens, the possible contribution of skin mucus components to the development of injuries caused by venomous fish species has not Doxorubicin chemical structure Dynein been investigated. The fish Cathorops spixii, belonging to the Ariidae family, is probably the most common catfish on the Brazilian coast ( Eiras-Stofella & Fank-de-Carvalho, 2002). There are records of its occurrence along the Western Atlantic

litoral, from the Central American seacoast to the south of Brazil ( Figueiredo and Menezes, 1978; Batista and Rêgo, 1996; Chaves and Corrêa, 1998; Isaac and Moura, 1998; Tijaro et al., 1998; Azevedo et al., 1999), and it is found throughout the year on the seashores of Parana State, southern Brazil. The accidents provoked by C. spixii on fishermen and swimmers are characterized by persistent cutaneous oedema, erythema at the wound site, pain, and radiation of pain to the root of the member. Systemic symptoms may also be present, including, cold sweats, malaise, fever, nausea, vomiting, psychomotor agitation, and secondary infection may be sequelae ( Haddad and Martins, 2006). In our previous study (Junqueira et al., 2007) we demonstrated that both types of defense components (skin mucus or sting venom) in C. spixii posses a different capacity of eliciting inflammatory reactions in mice: skin mucus induced the recruitment of neutrophils immediately after injection followed later by macrophage infiltration. In contrast, the cellular infiltration elicited by sting venom was rapidly resolved.

This surgical approach is similar, but more risky, than well-esta

This surgical approach is similar, but more risky, than well-established mechanical thrombus retrieval procedure commonly applied in peripheral arteries embolism [12]. We describe two cases of uncommon carotid bifurcation saddle thrombosis of cardiac origin and a case of local thrombosis on a complicated carotid plaque. All these features could be detected easily with ultrasound, leading to the following implicated therapeutical decisions. DR, male, 84 years old, hypertensive, affected by chronic atrial fibrillation, presented acute left hemiplegia. Cerebral CT scan showed an extensive ischemic damage in the right middle cerebral

artery (MCA) territory, with CT hyperdense MCA sign, indicative of intracranial vessel M1 occlusion (Fig. 1A). Carotid duplex (Siemens S2000; 9, 14, 18 MHz linear AZD6244 chemical structure probes) showed a saddle thrombus at the right carotid bifurcation: the head of the clot was floating in the internal carotid artery and only partially reducing the lumen, and the tail was mobile in the external carotid artery (Fig. 1 C and D, Clip 1). Flow in the distal internal carotid

artery was preserved, with only slight increased resistive indices (Fig. 1D, Clip 2). Even though the mobile clot seemed to be very harmful for the possibility of further distal embolism, considering the MCA occlusion and the extensive ischemic cerebral damage, surgery was however considered not indicated and the patient underwent

only medical treatment. FR, male, 47 years old, asymptomatic for relevant cardiovascular learn more history, presented acute mental confusion and bilateral strength deficit at the lower limbs. Cerebral MRI scan showed an ischemic damage in both the anterior cerebral arteries (ACA) territory. Both ACA were scarcely visible at magnetic resonance angiography while MCAs were patent and the related brain parenchyma spared from ischemic damage (Fig. 2A). Carotid duplex (Siemens S2000; 9, 14, 18 MHz linear probes) showed a clot in the left carotid bulb, adherent to the anterior vessel wall (Fig. 2 B–D, Clip 3). Considering the patency of both the MCAs and that the cerebral tissue was still normal in the left MCA territory, the patient was successfully operated in emergency, Phospholipase D1 to prevent further embolism. A second MRA revealed that both ACAs were originating from the left side, thus explaining why embolism affected the ACA bilaterally from the left bifurcation. Further cardiovascular screening revealed multiple thromboses, at the pulmonary artery and at the saphenofemoral right junction and the patient was also positioned a caval filter. Blood coagulation tests revealed altered AT III, Prot C and Prot S levels. Patient was then treated with anticoagulants. MD, 63 years old, slight hypercholesterolemic, presented acute transient mild left hemiparesis, with rapid spontaneous recovery.

The importance of social support for effective disease self-manag

The importance of social support for effective disease self-management has long been recognized in mental health [4] and physical health [5], and often naturally occurs within families and communities. Chronic disease management is a complex process, requiring multilayered input involving the individual, the health and other sectors, and broader society [6], [7] and [8]. Self-management, an essential element, has been defined as “the individual’s ability

to manage the symptoms, treatment, physical and psychosocial consequences and lifestyle changes Selleckchem FDA approved Drug Library inherent in living with a chronic condition” [9]. The Chronic Care Model is perhaps the best known framework for the comprehensive management of this process [10] and [11]. However, until recently, few programs existed to support patients in their self-management roles. Examples are Lorig’s Arthritis Self-Management program in the US [12], and the Expert Patient Program [13] and DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) and DESMOND KRX-0401 cost (Diabetes Education and Self Management for

Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed) [14] and [15] in the UK. These are group-based programs, offering economies of scale and potential for peer support interventions. It is likely that self management, including peer support, will play an increasingly important role for the growing numbers of people with chronic diseases. In this paper, peer support is considered a unique type of social support provided by those who share characteristics with the person being supported and is intentionally fostered within formal interventions. Dennis defined peer support as “the provision of emotional, appraisal, and informational assistance by a created social network member who possesses experiential knowledge of a specific behavior or stressor and similar characteristics as the target population, to address ASK1 a health-related issue of a potentially or actually stressed focal person” [16]. All three

types of assistance are based on experiential knowledge rather than formal training. Dennis distinguished peer supporters who participate in formal interventions from “natural lay helpers” (those to whom people turn naturally within their own communities, but who do not usually have the same diseases as those they help), and from “paraprofessionals” (those who have been trained in their peer support role to such a degree that they identify more with the professional role than with the person being supported) [11]. Although peer support and mentoring are not synonymous [17], this paper uses the terms “mentor” and “mentee” to refer to peer supporters and those being supported, respectively. Peer support interventions are highly variable in format (e.g., small groups, one-to-one in-person or by telephone, web-based chat rooms), amount of mentor training, and group composition (e.g., homogenous or mixed, disease type).

72) between the hardness index of beans defined as the average lb

72) between the hardness index of beans defined as the average lb force required for the blade of a Warner Bratzler shear press to shear through

the bean seeds and the optimal cooking http://www.selleckchem.com/products/abt-199.html time. However, this divergence in the results could be due to the difference in the cooking methods applied and also to the definition of CT, which in this study was defined by the MBC and in the work of those authors it was defined as the time at which the opaque whitish core of at least 90% of beans just disappeared. The results obtained by the Mattson Protocol do not seem to be good indicators of the bean hardness, although this method is one of the most reliable one to assess

bean cooking time in developing countries in order to select best lines in breeding programs. The Mattson Protocol differentiates fresh from aged grains based on CT, but it does not take into consideration changes in the texture of the grains, thus not providing a more comprehensive cooking quality of the grains. It only measures how easily the plungers break through the grain, however parenchyma cells may still be in clumps, creating a gritty and uncooked feeling when consumed (Yeung et al., 2009). Furthermore, other drawbacks of MBC are that it requires long INCB024360 ic50 time of analysis and uninterrupted attention of the operator to observe the movement of the plungers as cooking progresses. The operator’s task may be tedious if grains cook slowly owing to unfavorable storage conditions or other factors. Furthermore, it is difficult to accurately record the count when several plungers drop simultaneously at a not automated MBC (Wang & Daun, 2005). Table 2 shows the hardness

values of FG and AG cooked according to different procedures. Hardness of FG was not significantly (p < 0.05) different among the three tests, since the time adopted was similar and not so long. Bean characteristics were also similar, with the grains presenting characteristics of slightly undercooked. Etofibrate In the case of AG the difference of CT influenced the results, especially for Test 2 and Test 4, which are the tests conducted with the beaker covered with watch glass. In boiling processes, such as cooking on a hotplate, bubbles of vapor are generated at the heated surface and rise through the mass of liquid. The vapor accumulates in a vapor space above the liquid level and is withdrawn, losing heat to the environment (Geankoplis, 1993). So, the process of cooking with the uncovered beaker requires the control of the water volume, by adding distilled water to compensate evaporations, but maintaining simmering (Romero Del Castillo, Costell, Plans, Simó, & Casañas, 2012).

S5) CNTNAP2

hybridization signals were observed in layer

S5). CNTNAP2

hybridization signals were observed in layers II–VI in both V1 and V2 at P0 ( Fig. 5). CNTNAP2 hybridization signals in layers II, III, IVc, and VI in V1 were stronger than in other layers ( Fig. 5). In adulthood, CNTNAP2 hybridization signals were observed in layers II–VI in both V1 and V2, although signals in layer VI were higher in V1 than V2 ( Supplementary Fig. S5). CMIP hybridization signals were observed in layers II–VI in both V1 and V2 at P0 ( Fig. 5). CMIP hybridization signals at P0 were particularly strong in layers II, III, IVc, and VI in V1, and layers II, III, and VI in V2 ( Fig. 5). CMIP expression levels were lower in adulthood than P0, but detected in layers II, III, this website and VI in V2, and layers II and VI in V1 ( Supplementary Fig. S5). ROBO1 hybridization signals were observed in layers II, III, and VI in V1, and in layers II, III, V, and VI in V2 at P0 ( Fig. 5). ROBO1 hybridization signals in layers II and III were higher in V2 than in V1 ( Fig. 5). By contrast, ROBO1 hybridization signals were not observed in V1 or V2 in adulthood ( Supplementary Fig. S5). KIAA0319 hybridization signals were observed in layers II,

III, V, and VI in both V1 and V2 at P0 ( Fig. 5). KIAA0319 hybridization signals in layers II and III were higher in V2 than V1 ( Fig. 5). By contrast, KIAA0319 hybridization signals were not detected in adulthood ( Supplementary Fig. S5). DCDC2 hybridization signal C59 solubility dmso was not detected in V1 or V2 KU-55933 purchase at P0 or adulthood ( Fig. 5 and Supplementary Fig. S5). FoxP2 hybridization signals were observed in layers V and VI in the primary auditory cortex at P0 (Fig. 5), but signals were very weak in adulthood (Supplementary Fig. S5). FoxP1 was expressed in layers III–VI at P0 and adulthood (Fig. 5 and Supplementary Fig. S5). CNTNAP2 hybridization signals were observed

in all layers at P0 and adulthood (Fig. 5 and Supplementary Fig. S5). CNTNAP2 expression levels were higher in layers II and IV than the other layers at P0 (Fig. 5), and CNTNAP2 was broadly expressed throughout all layers in adulthood (Supplementary Fig. S5). CMIP hybridization signals were observed in all layers at P0, although the signal in layers II and IV were higher than other layers (Fig. 5). CMIP hybridization signals were observed in layers II–VI in adulthood, with higher signal in layer II than other layers (Supplementary Fig. S5). ROBO1 was expressed in layers II–VI at P0 (Fig. 5), with reduced expression levels in adulthood (Supplementary Fig. S5). ROBO1 was more highly expressed in layer II than the other layers at P0 (Fig. 5). KIAA0319 hybridization signals were observed in layers II–VI at P0 (Fig. 5), but not in adulthood (Supplementary Fig. S5). DCDC2 hybridization signal was not observed in the primary auditory cortex at P0 or adulthood (Fig. 5 and Supplementary Fig. S5).

The size and morphology

The size and morphology selleck inhibitor of synthesized GNPs were recorded using transmission electron microscope, TEM (JEM-100CX.TEM JEOL, Japan). TEM studies were carried by drop coating GNPs onto carbon-coated TEM grids. The film on the TEM grids were allowed to dry, the extra solution was removed using blotting paper. The effects of temperature (40°–100° with 10 °C increments), radiation (2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5 and 6 kGy) and different concentrations of tetrachloroauric acid (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 ml of 10 mg/ml solution) were assessed to study their effect on the formation of GNPs. Blank sample was done in case of radiation before mixing with HAuCl4. After screening of the seven fungal strains,

Pleurotus ostreatus was chosen due to its relatively high laccase activity (4610 U/gfs), (where gfs is defined as the number of units of enzyme produced from 5 g fermented substrate), compared to other fungi and

consequently, Pleurotus ostreatus was used to optimize laccase production throughout the whole study. The screening of the four agricultural wastes showed that wheat bran which is an abundant byproduct formed during wheat flour preparation was the highest in laccase activity 4610 (U/gfs) compared to other sources (Table 1). When screening different nitrogen sources, malt extract gave the highest laccase activity (8460 U/gfs) compared to yeast extract (7205 U/gfs) and tryptone (6500 U/gfs) (Table 2). Wheat bran and malt extract were both used to support growth of Pleurotus ostreatus. After carrying out 32 experiments, reflecting different combinations of the variables (Table shown in supplementary MDV3100 data), the results revealed that run number 28 gave the highest enzyme activity of (32,450 U/gfs) with all of the variables in their higher level except for tannic acid

that is in its lower level. Main effects Methamphetamine plotting showed the positive effect of nitrogen source, Tween-80, CuSO4 and methionine. In case of nitrogen source effect, a major difference between means was noticed. However, tannic acid had negative effect in its higher level as shown in Fig. 1. The significance of the effect of the six variables was assessed using one way (ANOVA). Both the T-value and P-value statistical parameters were used to confirm the significance of factors studied as shown in Table 3. The results shown proved that nitrogen source, Tween-80 and tannic acid all had a significant effect with (P = <0.05). The model determination coefficient (R = 0.81) suggested that the fitted model could explain 81% of the total variation which implies a satisfactory representation of the process by the model. The coeffecient of determination (R-value) always lies between 0 and 1. As the closer the value of R is to 1.0, the stronger the model and the better it predicts the response. The analysis of variance for the selected factorial model showed that the model was significant with a model F-value of 17.75 (P = <0.