Cryoprecipitate reversal of opsonic alpha2-surface binding glycoprotein deficiency in septic surgical and trauma patients

Human opsonic alpha2-surface binding glyoprotein (alphs2SB-glycoprotein), a molecule having immunologic identity with an amino acid composition similar to cold-insoluble globulin, is concentrated in a cryoprecipitate of plasma. Septic surgical and trauma patients manifesting opsonic alpha2SB-glycoprotein deficiency and associated reticuloendothelial system dysfunction were treated by intravenous infusion of cryoprecipitate. This therapy restored circulating bioreactive and immunoreactive opsonin and improved their septicemia, pulmonary insufficiency, and duration of recovery. Cryoprecipitate infusion may offer a new approach to the treatment of septic injured patients in preventing multiple organ failure; measurement of immuno-reactive serum opsonic alpha2SB-glycoprotein may provide a noninvasive index of reticuloendothelial system function and patient status during servere sepsis that follows trauma.     

Application of Wastewater Irrigation on Growth and Yield of Chilli Under Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilization

In the present study a pot experiment was carried out in 2009 where different nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) combinations with soil (N₀P₀, N₂₀P₃₀, N₂₀P₆₀, N₄₀P₃₀, and N₄₀P₆₀) were taken into pots. Nutritional growth and yield such as length, fresh and dry weight, leaf area, leaf number, pedicle length, fruit length, fruit number, and seed content were significant at P?≤?0.05. Evaluation of data reveals that plant growth parameters and yield of chilli significantly increased in wastewater treatment with 20 kg ha^?1 N and 30 kg ha^?1 P in comparison to groundwater treatments. It was also found that higher dose of fertilizers with wastewater decreases plant growth and development of Capsicum annuum L. Thus it was concluded that wastewater reuse as a source of nutrient may not only solves the problems of the more use of chemical fertilizers but also decreases the fresh water scarcity in agriculture land.     

Assessment of urea coated with pomegranate fruit powder as N slow-release fertilizer in maize

It has been hypothesized that plant polyphenol plus lignin, cellulose, and hemicelluloses can immobilize/remineralize inorganic fertilizers, such as urea, better than polyphenol alone. To test this hypothesis, urea was coated with pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit powder (containing polyphenol+lignin+cellulose) at rates of 0%, 30%, 70%, and 100% (w/w) of fertilizer urea. Fertilizer nitrogen was applied at 100 and 200 mg kg^?1 soil in a clay loam soil. This natural coating material, particularly at the rate of 100% (w/w), improved the distribution of mineral nitrogen (N) and available phosphorus (P) in soil during both early and advanced growth stages of maize and significantly increased total crop N and P uptake at both rates of fertilizer nitrogen compared to urea alone. The results suggest that urea coated with the powder of pomegranate fruit could potentially be an N slow-release fertilizer for use in better synchronizing crop N demand with soil N supply.     

Consumers’ beliefs about whole and refined grain products in the UK, Italy and Finland

The objective of this study was to increase our understanding of consumers’ product related expectations that may influence their willingness to use whole grain (WG) foods. Consumers’ beliefs about WG and refined grain (RG) product categories were measured, compared and consumers were segmented based on these beliefs. Data were collected with self-completion questionnaires in the UK (N=552), Italy (N=504), and Finland (N=513).On average, consumers in Finland, Italy and the UK were aware that WG products are healthier than RG products as the WG product category was rated as more nutritionally balanced, healthier, more natural, more filling, releasing energy more slowly and slightly more digestible than the RG product category. However, certain consumer segments did not perceive much difference between whole and RG products in their health-related characteristics suggesting a lack of motivation for increasing WG consumption. This sets a challenge for promoting WG products especially in Italy and the UK, where the respondents were less likely to differentiate between the healthiness of WG and RG products than the Finnish respondents. Differences between the consumer segments and ways of promoting WG consumption are discussed.     

Kopulationsfrequenz,Giftempfindlichkeit und Heterogenität von Weibchen und Männchen beiTetranychus urticae Koch

Zusammenfassung 10 Tage alte, jungfräuliche Weibchen vonTetranychus urticae Koch können noch begattet und ihre Eier befruchtet werden; einzelne Männchen konnten bis zu 7 Weibchen im Verlauf von 8 Tagen begatten. Weibchen erwiesen sich als 20mal so giftwiderstandsfähig wie Männchen; beide Geschlechter besaßen gleiche Heterogenität in der Population.

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Summary 10 days old unfertilized females ofTetranychus urticae Koch may become fertilized and deposite fertile eggs; within 8 days single males were able to fertilise up to 7 females; females were found to be 20 times more resistent to poison than males; within the population both sexes were of the same heterogenity.

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Résumé Des femelles virginales de 10 jours deTetranychus urticae Koch peuvent encore être accouplées et ses oeufs peuvent être fécondés. Quelques mâles pouvaint s'accoupler avec jusqu'à sept femelles au cours de huit jours. Les femelles se montraient vingt fois plus résistentes à poison que les mâles; dans la population les deux sexes avaient la même hétérogénéité.

     

Vorratsschädliche Insekten in Marokko

Stored product insect pests of Morocco Over a period of 3 years stored product insects pests were collected from markets, storage places, houses etc., identified, and their economic importance estimated. 48 Lepidoptera and Coleoptera species were detected, 17 of which play an important econmic role. No mites were encountered, probably due to prolonged high temperature in summer.

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1 Beitrag im Rahmen der technisch-wissenschaftlichen Kooperation zwischen Marokko und der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.     

Light scattering to determine the relative phase of two Bose-Einstein condensates

We demonstrated an experimental technique based on stimulated light scattering to continuously sample the relative phase of two spatially separated Bose-Einstein condensates of atoms. The phase measurement process created a relative phase between two condensates with no initial phase relation, read out the phase, and monitored the phase evolution. This technique was used to realize interferometry between two trapped Bose-Einstein condensates without need for splitting or recombining the atom cloud.     

Prevalence of proteinuria in a canine oncology population

Objective

To evaluate the point prevalence of proteinuria in dogs presenting to the University of Georgia Oncology Service for the first time.

Materials and Methods

In this prospective study, 60 client‐owned dogs with a confirmed cancer diagnosis were included but those with lower urinary tract neoplasia were excluded. Each dog's signalment, cancer diagnosis, previous cancer treatments, current medications and travel history were recorded. Renal values, electrolytes, packed cell volume, total solids, systolic blood pressure, urinalysis, urine protein:urine creatinine and retinal examinations were recorded. Non‐proteinuric, borderline proteinuria and overt proteinuria were defined as urine protein:urine creatinine <0·2, ≥0·2 but <0·5, and ≥0·5, respectively. Urine culture was performed in dogs with active urine sediments or overt proteinuria.

Results

Twenty‐nine dogs were non‐proteinuric (48·3%), 22 (36·7%) borderline proteinuric and nine (15%) overtly proteinuric. None were azotaemic. Hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg) was detected in 18 (30%) dogs. Of these, six were non‐proteinuric, nine borderline proteinuric, and three overtly proteinuric. Proteinuria was detected in 51% of dogs presented to our oncology service, the majority of which were classified as borderline.

Clinical Significance

The high proportion of proteinuria in dogs in this study suggests that screening for proteinuria in dogs with cancer may be prudent. Larger studies are required to correlate specific cancer types and the impact of treatment with the development, magnitude and persistence of proteinuria.