Validation of DNA marker-assisted selection for forage biomass productivity under deficit irrigation in alfalfa.

Drought and limited irrigation resources threaten agricultural sustainability in many regions of the world. Application of genomic-based breeding strategies may benefit crop variety development for these environments. Here, we provide a first report on the effect of deploying DNA marker-assisted selection (MAS) for the drought resilience quantitative trait in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The goals of this study were to validate the effect of several quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with alfalfa forage and crown-root (CR) biomass during drought and to determine their potential to improve forage yield of elite germplasm under water-limited conditions. Marker assisted selection was employed to introgress favorable or unfavorable DNA marker alleles affiliated with 10 biomass QTL into three elite backgrounds. Thirty-two populations were developed and evaluated for forage productivity over 3 yr under continuous deficit irrigation management in New Mexico, USA. Significant yield differences (ranging from -13 to 26%) were detected among some MAS-derived populations in all three elite backgrounds. Application of QTL MAS generally resulted in expected phenotypic responses within an elite genetic background that was similar to that in which the QTL were originally identified. However, relative performance of the populations varied substantially across the three genetic backgrounds. These outcomes indicate that QTL MAS can significantly affect forage productivity of elite alfalfa germplasm in drought-stressed environments. However, if biomass QTL are detected in donor germplasm that is genetically dissimilar to targeted elite populations, characterization of donor alleles may be warranted within elite backgrounds of interest to confirm their phenotypic effects prior to implementing MAS-based breeding.

Effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving the patient medication reconciliation in the emergency department.

AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving the patient medication reconciliation process. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted at St. Jude hospital, California (CA), United States. An educational intervention was provided to the healthcare team working in the emergency department (ED) to explore its effectiveness in improving their patient medication reconciliation practices. A survey was administered to explore the healthcare staff's views on where responsibility lay in their team concerning the fulfilment of appropriate medication reconciliation procedures. Additionally, we identified the barriers facing the completion of appropriate medication reconciliation using open-ended question provided to healthcare staff at the hospital. RESULTS: In the pre-intervention phase, the percentage of patients who received medication reconciliation was statistically significantly higher during the day shift (71.0% compared with 51.3%). In the postintervention phase, the percentage of patients who received medication reconciliation was statistically significantly higher during the night shift (96.7% compared with 75.8%). Overall, the percentage of patients who received medication reconciliation was statistically significantly higher in the postintervention group (81.3%) compared with the pre-intervention group (64.7%) (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Educational intervention is an effective tool in improving medication reconciliation practices in inpatient settings. The process of medication reconciliation should be conducted based on shared responsibility between healthcare providers and aimed at reducing medication errors and improving patient safety.

Tracing Subterranean Flow of Sewage-Plant Effluent in Lower Ordovician Dolomite in the Lebanon Area, Missouria.

In an area of faulted, cavernous, carbonate rocks of Ordovician age near Lebanon, Missouri, sewage-treatment-plant effluent was traced from Dry Auglaize Creek, a losing Ozark stream, to Sweet Blue and Hahatonka Springs in an adjacent basin. Rhodamine WT dye (20-percent solution) was used to trace the subsurface movement of the effluent. Activated charcoal packets and grab samples of water were collected at 10 sites where dye might be expected to reappear and at a control site outside the area. The leading edge of the dye reached Sweet Blue Spring, a distance of 22.5 km from the injection point, 25 to 30 days after injection, and Hahatonka Spring, at a distance of 29.0 km, 45 to 50 days after injection. The apparent underground travel rate, based on straight-line distances between injection and resurgence points, was 0.6 to 0.8 km per day.