High‐mobility group box 1 as a surrogate prognostic marker in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Objective – To evaluate various surrogate markers associated with the inflammatory and counter‐inflammatory responses with respect to mortality in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Design – Prospective observational study. Setting – Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Animals – Twenty‐eight dogs with naturally occurring diseases and SIRS from January 2007 to May 2009. Interventions – Upon admission to the veterinary hospital, history and baseline data from the physical examination, including parameters previously defined for meeting SIRS criteria, were documented. Heparinized blood samples were collected and plasma cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐10, and high‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) were measured by sandwich ELISA. Measurements and Main Results – In nonsurvivors, median plasma HMGB1 concentrations (0.718 μg/L, interquartile range [IQR]; 0.300–1.626 μg/L) and the ratio of HMGB1 to IL‐10 (2.236, IQR; 0.972–5.367) were significantly increased as compared with those found in survivors (0.300 μg/L, IQR; 0.300–0.312 μg/L for HMGB1; 1.017, IQR; 0.862–1.126 for the ratio of HMGB1 to IL‐10, P=0.007 and 0.024, respectively). Plasma IL‐6, IL‐10, and the ratio of IL‐6 to IL‐10 were not significantly different between groups. Among the parameters studied, HMGB1 and the ratio of HMGB1 to IL‐10 performed the best in discriminating outcome in dogs with SIRS according to receiver operator characteristic curve analysis. Conclusions – Increases in plasma HMGB1 concentration and the ratio of HMGB1 to IL‐10 may predict poorer outcomes in dogs with SIRS. The approach described may lead to reliable prognostic biomarkers and new therapeutic concepts in the study of SIRS in dogs.     

澜湄合作机制框架下的林业减贫研究

澜湄流域国家和地区是世界上典型的贫困区域之一,澜湄流域拥有相似的气候、植物物种和地理环境,在减贫经验方面具有相互借鉴的基础。文中在分析澜湄国家贫困演变历程和现状以及森林资源状况基础上,总结我国云南省和泰国林业减贫的成功实践,结合对澜湄流域的贫困林区、森林管理机构和农户的实地调研,阐述了澜湄国家面临的挑战以及对社区林业减贫的需求,提出了澜湄流域的林业减贫对策与建议,以期助力澜湄流域减贫事业。     

Stabilization of toxic metals in three contaminated soils by residual impact of lime integrated with biochar and clays

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Mine and smelter soil contaminations with Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn have become serious problems in China, because of anthropogenic activities. Little is known about the...     

Chemical modification of wheat protein-based natural polymers: cross-linking effect on mechanical properties and phase structures

Chemical modification of wheat protein-based natural polymer materials was conducted using glyoxal as cross-linker, and the cross-linking effect was studied on mechanical properties under different humidity conditions, the molecular motions of each component, and the phase structures/components of the whole materials. The cross-linking significantly enhanced the mechanical strength of wheat gluten (WG) materials under RH = 50%. The elongation of materials was also increased, which was in contrast to many cross-linked protein systems. The reaction mainly occurred in proteins and starch components, resulting in the formation of a stable cross-linked network with restricted molecular motions and modified motional dynamics. Although the plasticizer glycerol could also take part in the reaction with glyoxal or other components in WG especially when the glyoxal content was higher, the amount of glycerol involved in such reactions was very little. Glycerol was predominantly hydrogen-bonded with the network. The lipid component did not seem to take part in the cross-linking reaction; its mobility was promoted while its interaction with the protein-starch network was weakened after cross-linking. The formation of the cross-linked network did not enhance the hydrophobicity of the materials; the materials still adsorbed a high level of moisture under high humidity conditions (ca. RH = 85%) with no improvement in mechanical strength. In addition, further increasing the amount of glyoxal did not generate an additional strength improvement even at RH = 50%, possibly because the enhanced mobility of lipid promoted the component to be phase-separated from the WG system. To improve the water-resistant properties, the hydrophobicity of the protein macromolecules requires enhancement by other chemical modifications.     

Trace Metal Contamination During Grinding of Plant Samples

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopic (ICP-MS) analysis of leaves from 22 cabbage crops in the Sa P? and B?c Hà districts of Láo Cai Province, North-Western Vi?t Nam, revealed unexpectedly high concentrations of chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni). The concentrations were strongly linearly related (r² = 0.94), indicating sample contamination during grinding through a stainless-steel hammer mill. We tested this hypothesis in two ways. First, brown rice ground through the same mill was contaminated not only by Cr and Ni, but also cobalt (Co), iron (Fe) and molybdenum (Mo). Second, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive analysis of x-rays (SEM/EDS) of the ground samples revealed small fragments with co-located Fe, Cr and Ni, consistent with stainless steel wear fragments. Other grinders may perform differently and we suggest that quality assurance protocols for trace metal analysis of plants should include testing for grinder wear metals. Lastly, brown rice appears to be convenient for investigating contamination of plant tissues during grinding.     

Simultaneous Use of Trace Metals, 210Pb and 137Cs in Floodplain Sediments of a Lowland River as Indicators of Anthropogenic Impacts

This study focuses on the distribution of selected trace metals, ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb, in floodplain deposits of the lowland Warta River (southern Poland) downstream of Cz?stochowa, a large city with an iron smelter. The depth profiles of trace metal (Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cd and Mn), ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs contents in floodplain sediments were used to derive deposition rates on the floodplain for the twentieth century. The applicability of particular chronometric tools is considered within the context of their mutual relationships and confirmed by the consistency of the results. Deposition rate estimates for the past 50 years based on the vertical patterns of trace metal concentrations, which were correlated with particular events in the development of the smelter, range from 0.4 cm·year^?1 in profiles situated in backswamps far from the channel to over 1.1 cm·year^?1 in profiles of the natural levee adjacent to the river. Deposition rates based on ²¹⁰Pb inventories in the profiles range from 0.08 to 0.66 g·cm^?2·year^?1, which corresponds to linear sedimentation rates of 0.10 to 0.91 cm·year^?1, respectively. Dating of characteristic levels associated with peak fallout of ¹³⁷Cs gives sediment accretion rates resembling those obtained from trace metals and ²¹⁰Pb. The period of the highest sediment accumulation rate could be related to the highest loads of effluent from the iron smelter and city of Cz?stochowa, which were substantially reduced after the construction of effluent treatment plant.     

Use of canine small intestinal submucosa allograft for treating perineal hernias in two dogs

Here, we describe two dogs in which canine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) was implanted as a biomaterial scaffold during perineal herniorrhaphy. Both dogs had developed severe muscle weakness, unilaterally herniated rectal protrusions, and heart problems with potential anesthetic risks. Areas affected by the perineal hernia (PH) located between the internal obturator and external anal sphincter muscles were reconstructed with naïve canine SIS sheets. In 12 months, post-operative complications such as wound infections, sciatic paralysis, rectal prolapse, or recurrence of the hernia were not observed. Symptoms of defecatory tenesmus also improved. Neither case showed any signs of rejection or specific immune responses as determined by complete and differential cell counts. Our findings demonstrate that canine SIS can be used as a biomaterial scaffold for PH repair in dogs.     

Arsenic and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Agricultural Soils Around Tin and Tungsten Mines in the Dai Tu district, N. Vietnam

This study assessed the arsenic and heavy metal contaminations of agricultural soils around the tin and tungsten mining areas in Dai Tu district in northern Vietnam. Among the examined elements, high total contents of As and Cu were found in the agricultural fields at both tin and tungsten mining sites. Although the major part of the accumulated As and Cu were bound by various soil constituents such as Fe and Mn oxides, organic matter, and clay minerals, increases in water soluble As and Cu were observed, especially for the paddy fields. The results suggest that, in the studied area, As and Cu dispersion from their pollution sources into farmlands is mainly via fluvial transportation of mine waste through streams that cross the paddy fields around the tin mining area, and soil erosion at the tea fields located at lower positions of the slope in the tungsten mining area.