Root growth in field-grown winter wheat: Some effects of soil conditions, season and genotype.

This work compared root length distributions of different winter wheat genotypes with soil physical measurements, in attempting to explain the relationship between root length density and soil depth. Field experiments were set up to compare the growth of various wheat lines, including near isogenic lines (Rht-B1a Tall NIL and Rht-B1c Dwarf NIL) and wheat lines grown commercially (cv. Battalion, Hystar Hybrid, Istabraq, and Robigus). Experiments occurred in two successive years under rain fed conditions. Soil water content, temperature and penetrometer resistance profiles were measured, and soil cores taken to estimate vertical profiles of pore distribution, and root number with the core-break method and by root washing. Root length distributions differed substantially between years. Wetter soil in 2014/2015 was associated with shallower roots. Although there was no genotypic effect in 2014/2015, in 2013/2014 the dwarf wheat had the most roots at depth. In the shallower layers, some wheat lines, especially Battalion, seemed better at penetrating non-structured soil. The increase in penetrometer resistance with depth was a putative explanation for the rapid decrease in root length density with depth. Differences between the two years in root profiles were greater than those due to genotype, suggesting that comparisons of different genotypic effects need to take account of different soil conditions and seasonal differences. We also demonstrate that high yields are not necessarily linked to resource acquisition, which did not seem to be limiting in the low yielding dwarf NIL.

American Urological Association (AUA) - 112th Annual Meeting (May 12-16, 2017 - Boston, Massachusetts, USA).

The American Urological Association (AUA) stands at the forefront of technology development and urological education for urologists and urological healthcare professionals worldwide. The 112th annual meeting brought together a wide range of researchers in the field of urology to access knowledge, up-to-date clinical guidelines and advances in research. The meeting consisted of plenary and moderated poster, podium and video sessions highlighting the latest research and advances in urological medicine. This report highlights some of the presentations on therapeutic developments for a range of urological conditions.

Biosimilar Medicines Group - 14th Annual Medicines for Europe Conference (April 28-29, 2016 - London, UK).

Biotechnology has enabled the development of treatments for many diseases benefiting millions of people. Similar biologics or 'biosimilar' versions of originator biologic medicines are a relatively new category of biologics, usually developed when the originator is protected by patent exclusivity and introduced to healthcare systems as a cheaper option to treat disease. Biosimilars provide value and thus access for new groups of patients because they bring cost savings to the healthcare ecosystem. Generics achieved cost savings of EUR 100 billion in 2014, which allows the system to finance more innovative methods of bringing medicines to patients. The Medicines for Europe Biosimilars Medicines Group Conference in London is the main annual biosimilars gathering and attracts the world's experts. A recurring theme throughout this year's conference was the promotion of a multi-stakeholder approach; if stakeholders work together they will collectively give patients more opportunity to benefit from biologic medicines. In discussion were the latest developments in the biosimilars market, including the ongoing challenges against adoption of biosimilars.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy drugs face tough path to approval.

Highly anticipated as new disease-modifying treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), therapeutics by BioMarin Pharmaceutical (Kyndrisa™; drisapersen) and Sarepta Therapeutics (eteplirsen; AVI-4658) both recently received negative FDA reviews and are now facing battles for approval in the U.S. At present, BioMarin is committed to working with the FDA to forge a pathway to approval following the failure of its NDA, while Sarepta awaits the formal decision on its NDA, which is expected by late May 2016. Despite the critical nature of both reviews, analysts consider that there is still a narrow possibility of approval of both drugs. According to Consensus forecasts from Thomson Reuters Cortellis for Competitive Intelligence, Kyndrisa is forecast to achieve sales of USD 533.71 million in 2021.

The safety of diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP as a daycase procedure with a selective admission policy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess if therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as a daycase procedure with a selective admission policy is safe and cost-effective. DESIGN: An audit of case notes of patients who attended as a daycase for either a therapeutic or diagnostic ERCP over a 20-month period. SETTING: Stoke-on-Trent District General Hospital. PATIENTS: Case notes of all patients who had an ERCP as a daycase were audited. INTERVENTIONS: Therapeutic procedures performed as daycases included papillotomy, stent insertion, balloon dilatation or a combination of these procedures. Patients are discharged home 2 h after diagnostic or therapeutic ERCP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Thirty-day morbidity and mortality of daycase patients. RESULTS: During the 20-month period audited, 550 ERCPs were performed, of which 240 attended initially as daycases. There were 97 successful daycase therapeutic ERCPs. Ten patients were admitted immediately after ERCP including one who subsequently died from a myocardial infarction (known severe ischaemic heart disease); 87 patients were discharged 2 h after ERCP; none were admitted between 2 and 48 h after ERCP; 4 were admitted between 48 h and 30 days after ERCP with complications. There were 117 successful daycase diagnostic ERCPs; 4 patients were admitted immediately due to frailty, 4 were admitted between 2 and 48 h and 1 at 28 days after ERCP with complications. There were 24 failed diagnostic and 2 failed therapeutic ERCPs. CONCLUSION: Daycase ERCP with a selective admission policy is safe and cost-effective.