Anaerobic co-digestion of pig manure and food waste; effects on digestate biosafety, dewaterability, and microbial community dynamics.

This study assessed the effect of varying pig manure (PM)/food waste (FW) mixing ratio and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on methane yields, digestate dewaterability, enteric indicator bacteria and microbial communities during anaerobic co-digestion. Three 10 L digesters were operated at 39 °C, each with a PM/FW feedstock composition of 85%/15%, 63%/37% and 40%/60% (volatile solids basis). While the PM/FW ratio was different among reactors, the organic loading rate applied was equal, and increased stepwise with reducing HRT. The effects of three different HRTs were studied: 41, 29, and 21 days. Increasing the proportion of FW in the feedstock significantly increased methane yields, but had no significant effect on counts of enteric indicator bacteria in the digestate or specific resistance to filtration, suggesting that varying the PM/FW feedstock composition at the mixing ratios studied should not have major consequences for digestate disposal. Decreasing HRT significantly increased volumetric methane yields, increased digestate volatile solids concentrations and increased the proportion of particles >500 µm in the digestate, indicating that decreasing HRT to 21 days reduced methane conversion efficiency High throughput 16S rRNA sequencing data revealed that microbial communities were just slightly affected by changes in digester operating conditions. These results would provide information useful when optimizing the start-up and operation of biogas plants treating these substrates.

Characterisation of the Whole Blood mRNA Transcriptome in Holstein-Friesian and Jersey Calves in Response to Gradual Weaning.

Weaning of dairy calves is an early life husbandry management practice which involves the changeover from a liquid to a solid feed based diet. The objectives of the study were to use RNA-seq technology to examine the effect of (i) breed and (ii) gradual weaning, on the whole blood mRNA transcriptome of artificially reared Holstein-Friesian and Jersey calves. The calves were gradually weaned over 14 days (day (d) -13 to d 0) and mRNA transcription was examined one day before gradual weaning was initiated (d -14), one day after weaning (d 1), and 8 days after weaning (d 8). On d -14, 550 genes were differentially expressed between Holstein-Friesian and Jersey calves, while there were 490 differentially expressed genes (DEG) identified on d 1, and 411 DEG detected eight days after weaning (P < 0.05; FDR < 0.1). No genes were differentially expressed within breed, in response to gradual weaning (P > 0.05). The pathways, gene ontology terms, and biological functions consistently over-represented among the DEG between Holstein-Friesian and Jersey were associated with the immune response and immune cell signalling, specifically chemotaxis. Decreased transcription of several cytokines, chemokines, immunoglobulin-like genes, phagocytosis-promoting receptors and g-protein coupled receptors suggests decreased monocyte, natural killer cell, and T lymphocyte, chemotaxis and activation in Jersey compared to Holstein-Friesian calves. Knowledge of breed-specific immune responses could facilitate health management practices better tailored towards specific disease sensitivities of Holstein-Friesian and Jersey calves. Gradual weaning did not compromise the welfare of artificially-reared dairy calves, evidenced by the lack of alterations in the expression of any genes in response to gradual weaning.

Characterisation of haematological profiles and whole blood relative gene expression levels in Holstein-Friesian and Jersey bull calves undergoing gradual weaning.

Haematological profiles indicate the health status of an animal and can be used to identify sub-clinical stress responses. The objectives of the study were to examine (i) the effect of breed and plane of nutrition, on haematological profiles of artificially reared Holstein-Friesian and Jersey bull calves in response to gradual weaning, and (ii) the effect of breed on immune response genes in bovine whole blood using real-time quantitative PCR. Holstein-Friesian and Jersey bull calves were group housed indoors and individually fed using an automatic feeder. They were allocated to a high, medium or low plane of nutrition, based on milk replacer (MR) and concentrate. The nutrition treatments were calculated using National Research Council guidelines in order to achieve a high, medium or low growth rate for each respective breed. During the weaning phase MR was gradually reduced over a 14-day (d) period (d -13 to d 0). Calves were blood sampled on d -14, -6, -3, 0, 1, 3, 8 and 14 relative to weaning (d 0) for subsequent haematological analysis. On d -14, 1 and 8, a subset of eight Holstein-Friesian calves randomly selected from the medium nutrition treatment and eight Jersey calves randomly selected from the high nutrition treatment, were blood sampled for gene expression profiling, targeting biomarkers of weaning stress. These two treatment groups were chosen to examine the effect of breed on expression of the genes of interest, as energy intake and animal performance were similar. There was no effect of breed×plane of nutrition interaction nor effect of plane of nutrition on any variable measured (P>0.05). Gradual weaning produced differential biological responses in the two breeds evidenced by breed×time interactions for lymphocyte, monocyte and red blood cell number, plasma haemoglobin and haptoglobin concentrations (P<0.05). The typical stress response consisting of neutrophilia and lymphopaenia was not observed for any treatment. An immune response to gradual weaning was observed as the relative gene expression level of the pro-apoptotic gene, Fas, increased on d 1 relative to d -14 (P<0.05). Relative gene expression levels were greater in Jersey calves compared with Holstein-Friesian for the pro-inflammatory cytokine CXCL8 (P=0.05) and the glucocorticoid receptor, GRα (P<0.05). The increased levels of these transcripts suggest that Jersey calves may have a more sensitive immune system compared with Holstein-Friesian.

Associations between newly discovered polymorphisms in the Bos taurus growth hormone receptor gene and performance traits in Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle.

Variations in the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene sequence are associated with performance traits in cattle. For example, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) F279Y in transmembrane exon 8 has a strong association with milk yield. In this study, 32 previously unreported, putative novel SNPs (31 in the 5' non-coding region) were identified by resequencing ∼19 kb of the GHR gene in genomic DNA from 22 cattle of multiple breeds. A population of 848 Holstein-Friesian AI sires was subsequently genotyped for the 32 putative novel SNPs and seven published SNPs (including F279Y, one in exon 1A promoter and five in exon 10). Associations between each segregating SNP and genetic merit for performance were quantified in the 848 Holstein-Friesians using weighted animal linear mixed models. Six of the published SNPs and seven of the novel SNPs were associated with at least one of the traits--milk yield, fat yield, protein yield, fat percentage, protein percentage, somatic cell score, calving interval, survival and growth and size traits. Even when the allelic substitution effect (P < 0.001) of F279Y was accounted for, the allelic substitution effect of one of the novel SNPs (GHR4.2) in the 5' non-coding region of GHR was associated with a lactation milk yield of 37.46 kg (P < 0.001). GHR4.2 and F279Y were not in linkage disequilibrium (r(2) = 0.00, D' = 0.04) in the 848 Holstein-Friesians, indicating that their association with milk yield was independent.

Effects of P(SAG12)-IPT gene expression on development and senescence in transgenic lettuce.

An ipt gene under control of the senescence-specific SAG12 promoter from Arabidopsis (P(SAG12)-IPT) significantly delayed developmental and postharvest leaf senescence in mature heads of transgenic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv Evola) homozygous for the transgene. Apart from retardation of leaf senescence, mature, 60-d-old plants exhibited normal morphology with no significant differences in head diameter or fresh weight of leaves and roots. Induction of senescence by nitrogen starvation rapidly reduced total nitrogen, nitrate, and growth of transgenic and azygous (control) plants, but chlorophyll was retained in the lower (outer) leaves of transgenic plants. Harvested P(SAG12)-IPT heads also retained chlorophyll in their lower leaves. During later development (bolting and preflowering) of transgenic plants, the decrease in chlorophyll, total protein, and Rubisco content in leaves was abolished, resulting in a uniform distribution of these components throughout the plants. Homozygous P(SAG12)-IPT lettuce plants showed a slight delay in bolting (4-6 d), a severe delay in flowering (4-8 weeks), and premature senescence of their upper leaves. These changes correlated with significantly elevated concentrations of cytokinin and hexoses in the upper leaves of transgenic plants during later stages of development, implicating a relationship between cytokinin and hexose concentrations in senescence.

The ethical foundation of informed consent in clinical research.

OBJECTIVES: To provide a foundation for understanding the ethical concept of informed consent with particular emphasis on the characteristics and principles that make it a moral imperative. DATA SOURCES: Government reports, published articles, and book chapters from the ethics literature. CONCLUSIONS: Informed consent is central to the conduct of cancer clinical trials and good patient care. It is a thoughtful, collaborative process whereby an individual gives autonomous authorization and the decision of the individual is respected by the health professionals. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Understanding the theory and practice of informed consent is an essential aspect of the nurses role. There are many challenges to this process in the oncology setting because of the severity of the diseases and the complexity of the research, and nurses must be prepared to assure that informed decision-making takes place.

Increased stable inheritance of herbicide resistance in transgenic lettuce carrying a petE promoter-bar gene compared with a CaMV 35S-bar gene.

Inheritance of resistance to herbicide (300 mg/l glufosinate ammonium) up to the third (T3) seed generation was compared in two populations of transgenic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv 'Evola') harbouring a T-DNA containing the bar gene, linked to either the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMV) 35S promoter, or a -784-bp plastocyanin promoter from pea (petE). Only 2.5% (4/163) of CaMV 35S-bar plants, selected by their kanamycin resistance(T0 generation), transmitted herbicide resistance at high frequency to their T3 seed generation compared with 97% (29/30) for kanamycin resistant petE-bar plants. In the case of 35S-bar transformants, only 16% (341/2,150) of the first seed generation (T1) plants, 22% (426/1,935) T2 plants and 11% (1,235/10,949) T3 plants were herbicide-resistant. In contrast, 63% (190/300) T1 plants, 83% (2,370/2,845) T2 plants and 99% (122/123) T3 petE-bar transformed plants were resistant to glufosinate ammonium. The T-DNAs carrying the petE-bar and CaMV 35S-bar genes also contained a CaMV 35S-neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) gene. ELISA showed that NPTII protein was absent in 29% (45/156) of the herbicide-resistant T2 plants from 8/19 herbicide-resistant petE-bar lines. This indicated specific inactivation of the CaMV 35S promoter on the same T-DNA locus as an active petE promoter. The choice of promoter and T-DNA construct are crucial for long-term expression of transgenes in lettuce.

Detection of single-copy genes in DNA from transgenic plants by nonradioactive Southern blot analysis.

Improvements to the sensitivity, speed, and reproducibility of digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled probes and chemiluminescent substrates makes these compounds increasingly popular to detect nucleic acids. High sensitivity and low background are essential in Southern blot analysis, particularly with plant DNA. This article describes a nonradioactive system to detect single-copy genes in transgenic plants. Labeling using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to produce highly sensitive and reusable DIG-labeled probes. The background was reduced by immobilizing the DNA onto nylon filters by alkaline transfer and by minimized gel handling; the signal-to-noise ratio was improved by modification of the detection procedure.

The National Cancer Institute audit of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Protocol B-06.

BACKGROUND: The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Protocol B-06, a clinical trial sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), has provided evidence of the value of lumpectomy and breast irradiation for treating women with breast cancer in an early stage. Publicity generated by the discovery that the study included fraudulent data on patients enrolled by St. Luc Hospital in Montreal aroused concern about the overall accuracy of the data and conclusions. To address this concern, the NCI conducted an audit of other participating institutions. METHODS: In 1994, data on 1554 of the 1809 randomized patients (85.9 percent) enrolled by centers other than St. Luc Hospital were audited at 37 clinical sites in North America. The audit included data on eligibility, survival, disease-free survival, the length of time to a recurrence of cancer in the ipsilateral breast, and documentation of signed informed consent. RESULTS: End points were assessed for all 1554 patients, and eligibility was assessed for 1507 patients; 47 patients were excluded because their forms were not complete or not returned. A total of 1429 patients had their eligibility status verified. Of a total of 7770 data points examined with respect to the number of positive nodes at base line, treatment characteristics, first events (excluding death), recurrence of cancer in the ipsilateral breast, and survival, 7577 (97.5 percent) were verified, 123 (1.6 percent) could not be verified, and 70 (0.9 percent) were discrepant with the NSABP file. Of the 1554 patients, 1340 (86.2 percent) had all audited items (including eligibility) verified, 69 (4.4 percent) had at least one discrepant item, and 113 (7.3 percent) had at least one unverified item (as a result of missing or incomplete data); 32 (2.1 percent) were not assessed for eligibility but had no other discrepant or unverifiable items. Written informed consent was documented for 1098 patients before surgery and 210 after surgery; no date appeared on the signed form for 137. The informed-consent status was not verified for 71 patients and could not be determined for 38. The rates of verification of end-point data and documentation of written informed consent were similar among the total-mastectomy group, the lumpectomy group, and the group treated by lumpectomy and breast irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: The audit confirms the adequacy of the data on which the reanalysis of Protocol B-06 and the results after 12 years of follow-up are based.

Women's health advocacy: its growth and development in oncology.

Women's health has become a topic of national importance. Advocacy initiatives by consumers, scientists, government officials, health care professionals, industry, and the media have played a role in helping to set this agenda. Much of the current interest in women's health is the result of the women's movement and its interaction with science, medicine, and health care. Emerging consumerism and increasing public knowledge of medical and scientific topics has led to the emergence of patients as individuals seeking to actively make decisions regarding health care options. Nurses should embrace the advocacy movement and, whenever possible, work with patients and their advocates toward their many shared goals.

Efforts to recruit the economically disadvantaged to national clinical trials.

Clinical trials are vital for the development of state-of-the-art cancer prevention and treatment. A goal for trial recruitment should be to have a representative sample of the total population by gender, race, culture, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status as appropriate. Increased sensitivity to the unique barriers and access to care issues required to achieve a representative sample are necessary. Knowledge and understanding of recruitment problems and strategies to resolve them are developing; however, much more is needed before we can fully address and resolve all of the relevant issues. Nurses have a key role in identification, education, and recruitment of special populations including the SED to clinical trials.

The ethical context of healthcare reform.

The purpose of this article is to provide a summary discussion of healthcare reform, frame it in an ethical context, and present the necessity for oncology nurses to consider the important ethical considerations that accompany any decisions for change. The resulting implications for oncology nursing are presented with recommendations that the issues of healthcare reform be incorporated into oncology nursing research, clinical practice, administration, and education. All components of the profession have a contribution to make as proposals for change move from public debate to the enactment of national initiatives.

Nursing management of the patient receiving Taxol therapy.

Taxol is an important new antitumor agent with demonstrated efficacy in ovarian and breast cancer. Toxicities identified, including cardiac, hypersensitivity reactions, and neurologic, require careful nursing assessment for management, Additional toxicities may be identified as Taxol is combined with other chemotherapeutic agents. Studies to determine the most effective dose and schedule are ongoing. The current evaluation of this new drug presents an important opportunity for nurses to contribute to its development through both clinical and research endeavors. Such contributions will facilitate the optimal nursing care of patients treated with Taxol.

Reimbursement of biotherapy: present status, future directions--perspectives of the hospital-based oncology nurse.

Cancer is a set of diseases that affects one in four Americans and which is too often fatal. For many types of cancer, there is no fully satisfactory treatment. Therefore, investigational therapy provided in a formal, peer-reviewed clinical trial can present the best available treatment for patients with life-threatening malignancies. At a time when clinical cancer research is at a particularly promising point and multiple new biologics are on the horizon, the traditional partnership of the federal government, the pharmaceutical industry, private institutions, and insurers is threatened. The issue of increasing concern is the impact of changes in third-party reimbursement policy on cancer clinical investigation. Although its incidence, magnitude, and geographic distribution have not been specifically defined, this issue is generating serious concern and intense national debate. The growing denials of patient-care costs related to clinical trials serve to threaten patient access to potentially efficacious therapy. The implications of this reimbursement issue are tremendous for both clinical investigation and patient care. The refusal to pay for patient-care costs related to investigational therapy may adversely influence clinical trial design and will certainly affect the speed with which new therapies are developed. When insurers refuse to cover these clinical costs, only affluent individuals have access to the most promising treatments. Nursing actions can positively affect the reimbursement debate. Nurses must develop cost-efficient plans of care and the means to evaluate their effectiveness. Educating patients about and assisting them with reimbursement issues maximizes their prospects for receiving appropriate investigational therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)