Choose Wisely: Great Variation among Genotypes of Promising Paludiculture Crop Phragmites australis.

Measures mitigating the climate crisis, such as paludiculture, which is the agriculture on rewetted peatlands, are urgently needed. The cosmopolitan species Phragmites australis has the potential to be used in paludiculture worldwide but is known for its high intraspecific variation. This raises the questions of whether (i) P. australis genotypes differ even at a regional scale, making them differently well suited for paludiculture and (ii) P. australis performance can be predicted by linking the variation in genotypes to strategies in the plant economics spectrum. Five P. australis genotypes from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were cultivated in two 10-month mesocosm experiments along gradients of water level and nutrient addition. We compared growth, morphology (height, growing density), above- and belowground biomass, functional and ecophysiological traits (SLA, LDMC, SRL, RDMC, root porosity, photosynthetic rate) as well as gene expression. Our results demonstrate a high variability of P. australis genotypes even at a regional scale, revealing genotype-specific productivity, morphology, and gene expression and implying that the selection of suitable genotypes will be crucial for the success of a paludiculture. However, trait covariation did not indicate distinct plant economic strategies to predict genotype performance. Instead, large-scale genotype trials are needed to select suitable genotypes for paludiculture.

Microbial Identification in Pharmaceutical Compounding.

Compounding pharmacies and contract testing laboratories can readily utilize critical information that microbial identification methods provide. Rapidly identifying the genus and species of environmental isolates and sample contaminates provides pharmacies and laboratories the opportunity to determine the possible source and implement corrective actions to improve compounding and testing processes. The microbial identification data collected from a compounding environment is critical. It is important to have accurate and specific microbial information to guide environmental collection practices, validation studies, and troubleshooting initiatives. The different technologies available provide varying levels of identification. They range from phenotypic assays to more accurate molecular-based techniques, including macromolecular methods and whole genome sequencing. Selecting the appropriate identification methodology requires evaluating multiple factors including the level of information required (genus only, genus and species, etc.) and the pharmacy's tolerance for unidentified or incorrectly identified isolates.

Improving quality of care in cardiac surgery: evaluating risk factors, processes of care, structures of care, and outcomes.

The 1985 release of hospital report cards by the Health Care Financing Administration awakened the public's awareness of variations in outcomes following patient treatment. In 1972, the Department of Veterans Affairs initiated an oversight process for all VA-based cardiac surgery programs. In response to Public Law 99-166, the Continuous Improvement in Cardiac Surgery Program (CICSP) national database was developed in 1987. This CICSP effort reported variations in outcomes across VA cardiac programs. In 1997, the CICSP expanded (CICSP-X) to identify the interrelationships of risk factors with processes and structures of care, as well as clinical outcomes. Based on VA findings to date, these quality improvement endeavors appear to have positively affected short-term and longer-term cardiac surgical outcomes. To advance a new patient-focused paradigm for continuous improvement in cardiac surgical care quality for all US citizens, an integrated data-driven reporting approach with broad-based participation should be implemented to optimally improve patient care.