Managers tasked with controlling invasive species require effective methods that are quick and easy to use without inflicting extensive nontarget damage, while also being compatible with other ...scheduled management responsibilities. Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle) is a non‐native shrub that has invaded eastern and midwestern North American deciduous forests, altering ecosystem function and reducing biodiversity.
This study explores prescribed fire and seasonal basal applications of triclopyr ester as control methods and examines the extent of nontarget damage. We used paired‐split plots to implement basal bark treatments in different seasons within burned and unburned units, and we tracked individual L. maackii to determine mortality and hyperlocal impacts of management.
Basal bark treatments killed 98.4% of L. maackii across seasonal timings. Nontarget plant cover declined similarly for all herbicide application seasons, but there were some signs of recovery within 4 years, and the early‐ and late spring treatments were less affected overall. Species richness showed biologically small but statistically different declines across treatment times. Prescribed fire did not impact L. maackii mortality or interact with herbicide efficacy.
Basal bark applications of triclopyr are an effective means of L. maackii control regardless of application timing, which allows managers to implement it at their convenience to avoid interfering with other management tasks that have time constraints.
Invasive plant management is a critical part of conservation, but land managers often face time constraints to carry out this work. We evaluated the effectiveness of triclopyr herbicide applied at different seasons and found that it caused >98% mortality no matter when applied. Nontarget effects were also limited and did not differ among application seasons.
Objective
Late‐onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is a rare autosomal recessively inherited metabolic myopathy caused by reduced activity of the lysosomal enzyme alpha‐glucosidase. In a previous screening ...study at two large neuromuscular university clinics in Denmark, three patients with LOPD were identified out of 103 patients screened. No systematic screening has been performed at the other neurological departments in the western part of Denmark. Thus, patients with a diagnosis of unspecified myopathy were screened for LOPD.
Materials and methods
At seven neurological departments in the western part of Denmark, medical records were evaluated for all patients registered with myopathy diagnosis codes (ICD 10 codes: G 71.0‐71.9 and G 72.0‐72.9) during the period January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2012. If no specific diagnosis has been reached, patients were invited for screening. Dried blood spot (DBS) test was used to analyze the activity of the enzyme alpha‐glucosidase.
Result
A total of 654 patients were identified. From the medical records, information was obtained concerning symptoms, family history, electromyography, muscle biopsy results and creatine kinase levels. Eighty‐seven patients (13.3%) (males 61%) at a mean age of 53.3 years (SD 16.5) fulfilled the criteria for screening. A DBS test was performed in 47 (54%) patients. In all patients, the enzyme activity was within reference values.
Conclusion
None of the screened patients had a reduced activity of the enzyme alpha‐glucosidase. Although the cohort studied was small, our findings do not suggest that LOPD is underdiagnosed in patients with unspecified myopathy in western Denmark.
Background: The first link in the ‘chain of survival’ is the activation of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). In the major part of Denmark, police officers operate the alarm 1‐1‐2 centre, including ...calls for EMS. Our aim was to study the police 1‐1‐2 operators’ accuracy in identifying calls concerning patients with loss of consciousness as a key symptom of life‐threatening conditions. ‘Unconsciousness’ was defined as patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of < 9, scored by the on‐scene anaesthesiologist from the Mobile Emergency Care Unit (MECU).
Methods: This study was an observational cohort study based on data from the Police 1‐1‐2 Database and the Aarhus County Pre‐hospital Database containing data from MECU cases during 6 months in 2004–05.
Results: Two thousand, three hundred and forty‐three emergency calls with MECU dispatch were identified. In 1655 cases, both 1‐1‐2 data and the GCS score were recorded. Two hundred and ninety‐five patients were found with a GCS score of < 9 at MECU arrival, 243 of whom were reported ‘unconscious’ by 1‐1‐2, giving a sensitivity of 82%. One thousand, three hundred and sixty patients were found with a GCS score of ≥ 9, 972 of whom were reported ‘awake’, giving a specificity of 72%. The positive predictive value (percentage of patients found with a GCS score of < 9 at MECU arrival amongst patients reported as ‘unconscious’) was 39%.
Conclusions: The accuracy was moderate with room for improvement. The positive predictive value was low, indicating over‐triage of MECU.
The Baltic Sea is a unique environment as the largest body of brackish water in the world. Acidification of the surface oceans due to absorption of anthropogenic CO2 emissions is an additional ...stressor facing the pelagic community of the already challenging Baltic Sea. To investigate its impact on trace gas biogeochemistry, a large-scale mesocosm experiment was performed off Tvärminne Research Station, Finland, in summer 2012. During the second half of the experiment, dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations in the highest-fCO2 mesocosms (1075–1333 µatm) were 34 % lower than at ambient CO2 (350 µatm). However, the net production (as measured by concentration change) of seven halocarbons analysed was not significantly affected by even the highest CO2 levels after 5 weeks' exposure. Methyl iodide (CH3I) and diiodomethane (CH2I2) showed 15 and 57 % increases in mean mesocosm concentration (3.8 ± 0.6 increasing to 4.3 ± 0.4 pmol L-1 and 87.4 ± 14.9 increasing to 134.4 ± 24.1 pmol L-1 respectively) during Phase II of the experiment, which were unrelated to CO2 and corresponded to 30 % lower Chl a concentrations compared to Phase I. No other iodocarbons increased or showed a peak, with mean chloroiodomethane (CH2ClI) concentrations measured at 5.3 (±0.9) pmol L-1 and iodoethane (C2H5I) at 0.5 (±0.1) pmol L-1. Of the concentrations of bromoform (CHBr3; mean 88.1 ± 13.2 pmol L-1), dibromomethane (CH2Br2; mean 5.3 ± 0.8 pmol L-1), and dibromochloromethane (CHBr2Cl, mean 3.0 ± 0.5 pmol L-1), only CH2Br2 showed a decrease of 17 % between Phases I and II, with CHBr3 and CHBr2Cl showing similar mean concentrations in both phases. Outside the mesocosms, an upwelling event was responsible for bringing colder, high-CO2, low-pH water to the surface starting on dayt16 of the experiment; this variable CO2 system with frequent upwelling events implies that the community of the Baltic Sea is acclimated to regular significant declines in pH caused by up to 800 µatmfCO2. After this upwelling, DMS concentrations declined, but halocarbon concentrations remained similar or increased compared to measurements prior to the change in conditions. Based on our findings, with future acidification of Baltic Sea waters, biogenic halocarbon emissions are likely to remain at similar values to today; however, emissions of biogenic sulfur could significantly decrease in this region.
Biogenic amines in fermented foods SPANO, G; RUSSO, P; RATTRAY, F ...
European journal of clinical nutrition,
11/2010, Letnik:
64, Številka:
S3
Journal Article, Conference Proceeding
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Food-fermenting lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are generally considered to be non-toxic and non-pathogenic. Some species of LAB, however, can produce biogenic amines (BAs). BAs are organic, basic, ...nitrogenous compounds, mainly formed through decarboxylation of amino acids. BAs are present in a wide range of foods, including dairy products, and can occasionally accumulate in high concentrations. The consumption of food containing large amounts of these amines can have toxicological consequences. Although there is no specific legislation regarding BA content in many fermented products, it is generally assumed that they should not be allowed to accumulate. The ability of microorganisms to decarboxylate amino acids is highly variable, often being strain specific, and therefore the detection of bacteria possessing amino acid decarboxylase activity is important to estimate the likelihood that foods contain BA and to prevent their accumulation in food products. Moreover, improved knowledge of the factors involved in the synthesis and accumulation of BA should lead to a reduction in their incidence in foods.
The Molecular Basis of Sanfilippo Syndrome Type B Zhao, Hong G.; Li, Hong Hua; Bach, Gideon ...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS,
06/1996, Letnik:
93, Številka:
12
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The Sanfilippo syndrome type B is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of α -N-acetylglucosaminidase; it is characterized by profound mental deterioration in childhood and death in the ...second decade. For understanding the molecular genetics of the disease and for future development of DNA-based therapy, we have cloned the cDNA and gene encoding α -N-acetylglucosaminidase. Cloning started with purification of the bovine enzyme and use of a conserved oligonucleotide sequence to probe a human cDNA library. The cDNA sequence was found to encode a protein of 743 amino acids, with a 20- to 23-aa signal peptide immediately preceding the amino terminus of the tissue enzyme and with six potential N-glycosylation sites. The 8.5-kb gene (NAGLU), interrupted by 5 introns, was localized to the 5′-flanking sequence of a known gene, EDH17B, on chromosome 17q21. Five mutations were identified in cells of patients with Sanfilippo syndrome type B:503del10, R297X, R626X, R643H, and R674H. The occurrence of a frameshift and a nonsense mutation in homozygous form confirms the identity of the NAGLU gene.
OBJECTIVES: To study the influence of different job related and socioeconomic factors for development of myocardial infarction (MI). METHOD: The study was a case-control study of 76 male wage earners ...who had been admitted to hospital with MI. As a control group 176 male wage earners not admitted to hospital who were residents of the same county were used. Both groups were interviewed with an extensive questionnaire on job related conditions. Several indices on job related psychosocial factors were established in accordance with Karasek's job strain model as well as the extension of the model, the isostrain model. RESULTS: The most significant findings were consistent with Karasek's job strain model in that mean with a high degree of demand combined with a low degree of control at work had a significantly increased odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of 2.1 (1.2 to 3.8) for MI after adjustment for age compared with men with a low degree of demand and a high degree of control at work. Further adjustment for smoking, socioeconomic status, employment sector, job category, and social network did not affect the OR substantially (OR 2.3 (1.2 to 4.4)). Other factors significantly associated to MI were job category (blue collar workers v white collar workers, OR 2.8 (1.6 to 5.8)), and employment sector (private v public, OR 3.1 (1.8 to 6.1)). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the study confirmed the job strain model as well as the well known association between socioeconomic status and risk of MI, whereas the finding of an increased risk among employees in the private sector has not previously been described.
At the 10
at% limit of C and N interstitial solubility in γ-Fe the atomic volume crosses the critical volume separating the low-spin and high-spin states. This suggests that the lower energy state of ...the FCC solid solutions should be low-spin. This is confirmed by the temperature dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient of γ-Fe–C in the temperature range of stability of the FCC phase. γ-Fe–C exhibits anti-Invar behavior, which is an indication for the presence of moment–volume instabilities with the low-spin state of lower energy. Above the solubility limit the compounds have FM ground states. They show Invar behavior provided that their valence electron concentration, reduced to the metallic element concentration, lies in the range 8.6⩽(
e/
a)
m ⩽9.2, as in Fe
3C. The high solubility of C and N interstitials, particularly in FCC Fe, is discussed in relation to the magnetic properties.
This study examined the ability of four measures of suboptimal performance to correctly classify four groups of subjects (normal controls, uncoached malingering, coached malingering, and head ...injured). Only the Portland Digit Recognition Test-Computerized (PDRT-C) identified simulating malingerers with greater than chance accuracy while minimizing false positives. Coached subjects were better able than their uncoached counterparts to avoid detection on all measures. In an additional analysis, a discriminant function using the response latency and total correct scores from the PDRT-C identified 70% of the coached malingerers on cross validation. The three other tests (Nonverbal Forced Choice Test, 21-Item Test, and Dot Counting Test) failed to obtain a satisfactory classification rate for the malingering groups as a whole and coached malingerers in particular.
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