Innovating at the food, water, and energy interface.

Food, energy, and water (FEW) systems are inexorably linked. Earth's changing climate and increasing competition for finite land resources are creating and amplifying challenges at the FEW nexus. Managing FEW systems to mitigate these negative impacts and stresses is a pressing policy issue. The FEW interface is often managed as three independent systems, missing disruptive opportunities for streamlined integrated management. We contend that existing technologies can be reframed and emerging technologies can be harnessed for integrated FEW management, changing the way that each resource system operates within the broader system. We discuss solutions to three main challenges to integrating FEW system management: resolving spatiotemporal disconnections over multiple scales; closing resource loops; and creating actionable information. Sustainable resource management is critical for humanity, as well as for functioning trade systems and ecological health. Embracing integrated management in FEW systems would enable policy makers and managers to more efficiently and effectively secure critical resource systems in the face of global change.

Actions of short-term fasting on human skeletal muscle myogenic and atrogenic gene expression.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle mass is governed by multiple IGF-1-sensitive positive regulators of muscle-specific protein synthesis (myogenic regulatory factors which includes myoD, myogenin and Myf5) and negative regulators, including the atrogenic proteins myostatin, atrogin-1 and muscle ring finger 1 (MuRF-1). The coordinated control of these myogenic and atrogenic factors in human skeletal muscle following short-term fasting is currently unknown. METHOD: Healthy adults (n = 6, age 27.6 years) undertook a 40-hour fast. Skeletal muscle biopsy (vastus lateralis) and venous blood samples were taken 3, 15 and 40 h into the fast after an initial standard high-carbohydrate meal. Gene expression of the myogenic regulator factors (myoD, myogenin and Myf5) and the atrogenic factors (myostatin, atrogin-1 and MuRF-1) were determined by real-time PCR analysis. Plasma myostatin and IGF-1 were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: There were no significant alterations in either the positive or negative regulators of muscle mass at either 15 or 40 h, when compared to gene expression measured 3 h after a meal. Similarly, plasma myostatin and IGF-1 were also unaltered at these times. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike previous observations in catabolic and cachexic diseased states, short-term fasting (40 h) fails to elicit marked alteration of the genes regulating both muscle-specific protein synthesis or atrophy. Greater periods of fasting may be required to initiate coordinated inhibition of myogenic and atrogenic gene expression.

Influence of aromatic components from pig manure on odour and flavour of cooked chicken meat.

An experiment with 96 broilers distributed across six treatments was carried out. Each treatment consisted of four cages each with four broilers. The six treatments were: the control (treatment 1), broilers placed in cages with a welded wire bottom hanging over smelling pig manure (treatment 2), or placed on a pig manure mat (treatment 3), combined with two intervals, i.e. 1 week (group a) and 2 weeks (group b) before slaughter. The content of skatole in the abdominal fat was measured, and the odour and flavour impressions after cooking were evaluated by a taste panel. The treatments were compared with two control treatments: broilers produced traditionally in cages either without (treatment 1a) or with (treatment 1b) contact with their own manure for a fortnight. A higher skatole level in abdominal fat of broilers in physical contact with pig manure (treatment 3) was measured, compared with broilers without physical contact with pig manure for at least 1 week (treatments 1 and 2) (p<0.05). The consumer taste panel evaluation was not affected by the fact that the broilers had been lying on pig manure. However, the evaluation of the odour of the cooked meat, when opening the cooking bag, was to some extent negatively affected by the experimental treatments of broilers, which had physical contact with the pig manure (p<0.05). Furthermore, physical contact with the manure, regardless of whether it was broiler or pig manure, proved to affect the odour of the meat (p<0.01). For broilers placed in cages without physical contact with the pig manure (treatments 2a and 2), the smell had no negative influence on either the odour or on the flavour of the meat, and the content of skatole was not different from that of the broilers on the control treatment. A taste panel evaluation performed on four broilers of the treatments 1a, 2b, and 3b showed no flavour differences among treatments. Whether the broilers had been exposed to a given treatment for 1 or 2 weeks made no difference, either to the skatole concentration or to the odour or flavour impression of the newly cooked chicken meat.

Hepatic plasmacytoma and biclonal gammopathy in a cat.

A 13-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat was evaluated because of weight loss, despite a good appetite. The most remarkable abnormality was a total serum protein concentration of 12.4 g/dl, with a globulin concentration of 9.4 g/dl. Serum protein electrophoresis revealed a biclonal spike in the gamma region. At necropsy, 2 discrete plasmacytomas were found in the liver, without bone marrow involvement or amyloidosis.

Aleutian disease parvovirus infection of mink and ferrets elicits an antibody response to a second nonstructural viral protein.

A second nonstructural protein of the Aleutian disease parvovirus was predicted from nucleotide sequence analysis and a detailed transcription map. Western immunoblotting analysis showed that infected mink and ferrets show an antibody response to this predicted protein.

Monitoring therapy with LMW heparin: a comparison of three chromogenic substrate assays and the Heptest clotting assay.

Three LMW heparins (LMWH), one unfractionated heparin (UH), and international standards of LMWH and UH were compared in three chromogenic substrate (CS) assays and the 'Heptest' clotting assay. With a two-stage CS assay, linear standard curves were obtained in the 0.1-1.0 U/ml range, nearly coinciding for all preparations. With the one-stage CS assays, standard curves were curvilinear and similar for UH and the LMWH groups. In the Heptest assay, standard curves were linear for UH but not for LMWH. Mean recovery of LMWH, added to patients' plasma samples was 70-98% for the four assays. Variation between individual recoveries was much greater with Heptest (coefficient of variation (CV) 35-44%) than with one-stage CS assays (CV 14-21%) or two-stage CS assays (CV 7-8%). For monitoring LMW heparin therapy, CS assays seem preferable to Heptest. The two-stage CS assay had superior accuracy, but the one-stage CS assays were easier to perform.

Pulpal response to irradiation of enamel with continuous wave CO2 laser.

Selected dog's teeth, in vivo, were exposed to carbon dioxide (CO2) laser power densities ranging from 13 to 102 J per cm2. The teeth were extracted 48 h postlasing, fixed with 10% neutral buffered formalin, decalcified with Kristensen's solution, processed, sectioned, stained, and evaluated for pulpal damage. No pulpal damage was observed when compared with nonlased control teeth. It appears that carbon dioxide laser power densities of approximately 13 to 102 J per cm2 could be used to irradiate enamel of teeth without damage to the pulp.

Evaluation of canine mast cell tumors for presence of estrogen receptors.

Ten tumors from 7 dogs were analyzed for estrogen receptors. Of 9 determined to be mast cell tumors, 6 were determined not to have estrogen receptors (less than 3 fmol of estradiol/mg of cytosol protein) and 3 were questionable (3 to 10 fmol of estradiol/mg). One tumor was a mixed mammary tumor and was determined to have estrogen receptors (12 fmol of estradiol/mg). Histologic grading of the mast cell tumors did not suggest a correlation with estrogen receptor values.

Graft versus host disease following transfusion of normal blood products to patients with malignancies.

A patient undergoing treatment with cytotoxic chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease developed graft versus host disease (GVHD) following a transfusion of packed red cells. This is the 28th reported patient with a malignancy who did not have a bone marrow transplant and developed GVHD after transfusion of normal blood or blood products. All patients had received cytotoxic chemotherapy prior to acquiring GVHD. The underlying malignancies included lymphoma, acute leukemia, neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and glioblastoma. Twenty-three of the 28 patients died of GVHD. The incidence of transfusion-related GVHD in this patient population is low but the illness is often fatal as treatment is largely ineffective. Transfusion-related GVHD can be prevented by irradiating all blood products with 1500 rad prior to administration.

Effects of diets containing sodium fluoride on mink.

Mink (Mustela vison) kits still nursing, and adult male mink were fed diets containing various levels of fluorine (as NaF) to determine the effects on health, growth and pelt quality. Different groups were fed diets containing 25.5 (control), 46.0, 111.5 or 287.0 ppm fluorine (on a wet basis) for 7-8 mo. Gross, radiographic and microscopic changes were seen in bones from some animals ingesting the higher levels of fluorine. Chemical analyses for fluorine generally reflected levels ingested. Fluorine caused no detectable differences in pelt quality. After data were evaluated, tolerance levels in the feed of not more than 50 ppm fluorine for breeding stock and 100 ppm fluorine for animals being raised only for pelts are recommended.

Restricted viral antibody specificity in many ferrets infected with the ferret Aleutian disease parvovirus. Brief report.

The majority of ferrets infected with a ferret strain of Aleutian disease virus (ADV) produce antibody only to a detergent-sensitive common determinant on the two closely related virion proteins. Ferrets with high antibody titers and mink infected with this virus also produce antibody to one or more virion immunogenic determinants unaffected by detergent.

Immunoenzyme Western blotting analysis of antibody specificity in Aleutian disease of mink, a parvovirus infection.

Aleutian disease virus (ADV), an autonomous parvovirus, persistently infects mink and induces very high levels of virus-specific antibody. All strains of ADV infect all mink, but only highly virulent strains cause progressive disease in non-Aleutian mink. The development of antibody to individual ADV proteins was evaluated by Western blotting by using the sera of 22 uninfected mink and 163 naturally or experimentally infected mink. ADV has virion proteins of 86,000 and 78,000 daltons that are closely related. A new, possibly nonvirion protein of 143,000 daltons was observed, as well as a known nonvirion protein of 71,000 daltons. Sera from mink experimentally or naturally infected with ADV of high or low virulence generally reacted about equally with all four proteins. The only exceptions noted were that 8 of 15 sera of mink infected transplacentally preferentially reacted with the two virion proteins and sera from mink with the monoclonal gammopathy of Aleutian disease reacted preferentially with either virion (10 of 12) or nonvirion (2 of 12) proteins.

Immunoglobulin classes of Aleutian disease virus antibody.

Aleutian disease virus (ADV) persistently infects mink and causes marked hypergammaglobulinemia. Immunoglobulin class-specific antisera were used to define the total immunoglobulin of each class by radial immunodiffusion and the immunoglobulin class of ADV-specific antibody by immunofluorescence in experimentally and naturally infected mink. Electrophoretic gamma globulin closely reflects the immunoglobulin G (IgG) level in mink, and the majority of the increased immunoglobulin and ADV antibody in infected mink is IgG. IgM becomes elevated within 6 days after infection, reaches peak levels by 15 to 18 days, and returns to normal by 60 days after infection. The first ADV antibody demonstrable is IgM, and most mink have virus-specific IgM antibody for at least 85 days postinfection. Serum IgA levels in normal mink are not normally distributed, and ADV infection causes a marked elevation of IgA. Low levels of ADV-specific IgA antibody can be shown throughout the course of infection. Failure of large amounts of virus-specific IgG antibody to inhibit the reaction of virus-specific IgM and IgA antibodies suggests that the various classes of antibodies are directed against spatially different antigenic determinants. The IgM and IgA were shown not to be rheumatoid factors.

Much of the increased IgG in Aleutian disease of mink is viral antibody.

Aleutian disease (AD) is caused by a persistent infection of mink with an autonomous parvovirus. Chronically infected mink develop widespread plasmacytosis, a marked elevation of their serum IgG, and immune complex disease. A substantial fraction of the IgG in the serum of mink with Aleutian disease may be specifically absorbed by monolayer cell cultures infected with Aleutian disease virus. The maximum percentage of absorption of IgG found was 81% in a mink with 5.4 g/dl of IgG. Mink with the monoclonal gammopathy of Aleutian disease had a particularly large percentage of the IgG absorbed. The percentage of IgG absorbed from serums of mink with Aleutian disease is directly proportional to the serum IgG level and to the Aleutian disease viral antibody titer. The amount of IgG which can be absorbed by infected cell monolayers increases during the course of experimental infection, and the absorption is immunologically specific. Thus, it appears that much of the hypergammaglobulinemia in mink with Aleutian disease represents virus-specific antibody.

A summary of the results of screening for HLA antibodies for one year.

In one year, 748 serum specimens from obstetric patients were screened for HLA antibodies. Of the 284 showing antibody activity, 179 were nonspecific and 68 were multispecific. Thirty-seven (5%) were found to be monospecific, representing 11 specificities, of which the most common were anti-B7, -B8, -A2, and -B12. Recovery of antisera for reagent use was financially feasible.

Selection of compatible kidney donors for recipients with multiple cytotoxic antibodies.

Cytoxic antibodies developed in 33 (14.6%) of 226 renal transplant candidates while awaiting transplantation. Antibody formation was not associated with primary kidney disease, nor was the frequency of antibody formation increased following deliberate transfusion. Analysis of the HLA types of panel cells against which cytotoxic sera failed to react predicted donor kidney antigens which would be acceptable to the recipient. Crossmatching with all stored, reactive serum samples as well as a current sample, is imperative.

Identification of T lymphocytes by a histochemical stain for alpha naphthyl acetate esterase activity.

Lymphocyte suspensions and peripheral blood smears from 20 normal individuals were examined for nonspecific esterase activity, using alpha naphthyl acetate as substrate and hexazotized pararosanilin stain. Lymphocytes show intense, focal, red "dot-like" activity; monocytes show diffuse reddish granulation. B lymphocytes do not react. Critical variables of the procedure include: use of proper anticoagulant; fixation for 30-180 seconds; incubation with substrate 3-5 hours; and pH 5.8. Comparison of results with conventional E rosette methodology showed 53-63% rosettes; 50-58% esterase-positive lymphocytes in cytocentrifuge preparations and 47-59% esterase-positive lymphocytes on peripheral blood films. Technical advantages of the procedure favor it as an alternative method for assessing T lymphocytes.

Aleutian disease in ferrets.

When 32 antibody-free ferrets were inoculated with the highly mink-virulent Utah-1 strain of Aleutian disease virus (ADV), most developed ADV antibody starting 15 days after infection, but the antibody titers were much lower than those seen in mink. Relatively small amounts of ADV were demonstrated in CRFK cell culture, using ferret spleen and lymph node homogenates only 4 to 10 days after experimental infection, but low-level viral persistence for 180 days was shown by mink inoculation. The ferrets inoculated with the Utah-1 strain of ADV did not develop elevated gamma globulin levels, but did have mild tissue lesions. Forty-two percent of a group of 214, approximately 1-year-old, recently pregnant, female ferrets were found to have antibody to ADV. An analysis of the serum proteins of the ferrets with ADV antibody showed that they had a significant, but mild, elevation of their serum gamma globulin. Serial ferret-to-ferret transmission of a ferret strain of ADV by inoculation of spleen homogenates was demonstrated, and some of these ferrets developed liver lesions. Mink inoculated with ferret ADV made antibody, but did not develop hypergammaglobulinemia or tissue lesions. Although both ferret and mink strains of ADV replicate and persist in the ferret, they fail to cause severe disease of the type usually seen in the closely related mink. Mink and ferret ADV strains appear to be biologically distinct.

HbA1 determination by agar gel electrophoresis after elimination of labile HbA1: a comparison with ion-exchange chromatography.

A rapid and simple method, Agar gel electrophoresis (GlytracTM, Corning Medical), for HbA1 analysis was evaluated and compared with an ion-exchange chromatography method capable of estimating HbA1 (a+b) and HbA1c separately. Preincubated samples from diabetics and normals were analysed by both methods and showed good correlation (r=0.97, n=89). The following data were obtained with agar gel electrophoresis. Incubation of erythrocytes at a glucose concentration of 30 mmol/l for 6 h at 37 degrees C gave an increase of 1.39% HbA1. This increase was almost reversed by reincubation in low glucose medium. By preincubation of erythrocytes in saline HbA1 decreased 0.90 +/- 0.39% HbA1 (mean +/- SD) in diabetics and 0.38 +/- 0.26% HbA1 in normal controls. This preincubation step is necessary to eliminate the labile HbA1 fraction when HbA1 is to be used as an index of long term glucose control in diabetes. The HbA1 ranged from 5.1 to 7.4% (n=68), mean 5.8% (SD 0.5). HbA1 in patients with juvenile diabetes ranged from 6.1 to 19.3%. Within-run precision (CV) was 2.3 and 2.5% in normal and diabetic samples, respectively. Between-run precision was 5.7%. Variation in temperature between 18.5 and 31.5 degrees C did not affect the HbA1 values significantly. Within-run and between-run precision for chromatography was 3.4 and 4.7% respectively. Agar gel electrophoresis is a simple and rapid method for HbA1 determination, with acceptable precision and accuracy.