•Sources and particle sizes of biochars influenced biochar mineralization and stability.•Stability of biochar in soil is salient feature to evaluate its use as C sequestration tool.•Biochar processed ...into pellets and dust-sized had significant effect on its mineralization.•Site specific application is an effective use of biochar as a soil amendment.
Biochar produced during pyrolysis has the potential to enhance soil fertility and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The influence of biochar properties (e.g., particle size) on both short- and long-term carbon (C) mineralization of biochar remains unclear. There is minimal information on the potential effects of biochar particle sizes on their breakdowns by soil microorganism, so it is unknown if the particle size of biochar influences C mineralization rate and/or stability in soils. In order to evaluate the effect of different sources (BS) and particle sizes (BF) of biochar on C loss and/or stability in soils, an incubation study on C mineralization of different biochar sources and particle sizes was established using two soils (ST): Norfolk soil (fine loamy, kaolinitic, thermic, typic Kandiudults) and Coxville soil (fine loamy kaolinitic, thermic, Paleaquults). In separate incubation vessels, these soils were amended with one of two manure-based biochars (poultry litters, PL; swine solids, SS) or one of two lignocellulosic-based biochars (switchgrass, SG; pine chips, PC) which were processed into two particle sizes (dust, <0.42mm; pellet, >2mm). The amount of CO2 evolved varied significantly between soils (p⩽0.0001); particle sizes (p⩽0.0001) and the interactions of biochar source (p⩽0.001) and forms of biochars (p⩽0.0001) with soil types. Averaged across soils and sources of biochar, CO2-C evolved from dust-sized biochar (281mgkg−1) was significantly higher than pellet-sized biochar (226mgkg−1). Coxville soils with SS biochar produced the greatest average CO2-C of 428mgkg−1 and Norfolk soils with PC had the lowest CO2-C production (93mgkg−1). Measured rates of carbon mineralization also varied with soils and sources of biochar (Norfolk: PL>SS>SG⩾PC; Coxville: PC>SG>SS>PL). The average net CO2-C evolved from the Coxville soils (385mgkg−1) was about threefold more than the CO2-C evolved from the Norfolk soils (123mgkg−1). Our results suggest different particle sizes and sources of biochar as well as soil type influence biochar stability.
Although an increase in soil fertility is the most frequently reported benefit linked to adding biochar to soils, there is still a need to pursue additional research that will improve our ...understanding on the impact of soil fertility enhancement because the effect could vary greatly between switchgrass (Panicum virgatum, L) residues (USG) and switchgrass biochars (SG). We hypothesized that SG with supplemental nitrogen (N) would deliver more positive effects on carbon (C) and N mineralization than USG. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of USG and SG, with or without supplemental inorganic N fertilizer on C and N mineralization in highly weathered Coastal Plain Ultisols. The application rate for SG and USG based on a corn yield goal of 112 kg ha−1 was 40 Mg ha−1. Inorganic N was added at the rate of 100 kg N ha−1, also based on a corn yield of 7.03 tons ha−1. Experimental treatments were: control (CONT) soil; control with N (CONT + N); switchgrass residues (USG); USG with N (USG + N); switchgrass biochars at 250 °C (250SG); SG at 250 °C with N (250SG + N); SG at 500 °C (500SG); and SG at 500 °C with N (500SG + N). Cumulative and net CO2–C evolution was increased by the additions of SG and USG especially when supplemented with N. Soils treated with 250SG (8.6 mg kg−1) had the least concentration of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) while the greatest amount of TIN was observed from the CONT + N (19.0 mg kg−1). Our results suggest that application of SG in the short term may cause N immobilization resulting in the reduction of TIN.
•Carbon dioxide evolution was increased by the additions of switchgrass biochars and residues.•Application of switchgrass biochar may cause N immobilization.•Biochar application may need supplemental N to avoid crop growth retardation.
Background The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy of finasteride in preventing prostate cancer in 18882 men aged 55 years ...or older. The PCPT offered an opportunity to prospectively study the effects of finasteride and other covariates on sexual dysfunction. Methods We assessed sexual dysfunction in 17313 PCPT participants during a 7-year period. A battery of questionnaires assessed sexual dysfunction (Sexual Activity Scale score); age; race; SF-36 Mental Health Inventory-5, Physical Function, and Vitality scores; body mass index; smoking status; and the presence of diabetes and hypertension. Assessments began at month 6 after random assignment and included the Sexual Activity Scale score at randomization as a covariate. Two-sided general t tests, with a cutoff of P value less than .05, were used to determine the statistical significance for mixed model effects with correlated random time slopes and intercepts. The changing impact of covariates on sexual dysfunction was also assessed at 6 months, 3.5 years, and 6.5 years after randomization. Results Finasteride increased sexual dysfunction only slightly and its impact diminished over time; the increase in the Sexual Activity Scale score relative to placebo of 3.21 points (95% confidence interval CI = 2.83 to 3.59 points; P<.001) at the first assessment decreased to 2.11 points (95% CI = 1.44 to 2.81 points; P<.001) at the end of study. These Sexual Activity score values were small on a scale of 0–100, the range observed in the study, and in comparison with individual variation. After adjustment for all covariates, mean sexual dysfunction increased in both arms from baseline (6 months after randomization) by 1.26 Sexual Activity points (95% CI = 1.16 to 1.36 points; P<.001) per year, corresponding to a cumulative increase of 8.22 points (95% CI = 7.52 to 8.92 points; P<.001) over the study period. Conclusions The effect of finasteride on sexual functioning is minimal for most men and should not impact the decision to prescribe or take finasteride.
•Irrigation scheduling method provided adequate amount of water to meet crop needs.•The use of Irrigator PRO reduced the concentration of pore water NO3 by about 39%.•Proper scheduling of irrigation ...may be a way to reduce fertilizer N losses.
Agriculture is one of the largest sources of nutrient contamination, mainly inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilization of intensive crops, such as maize (Zea mays L). Proper irrigation management can reduce nutrient leaching while maintaining crop yield, which is critical in enhancing the sustainability of agricultural crops on soils with low water and nutrient holding capacities. A three-year (2012–2014) field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of three irrigation scheduling methods (ISM): Irrigator Pro (IPRO); Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI); and Soil Water Potentials (SWP) and two rates of N applications (NM) on pore water nitrate and phosphate in four soil types (ST) with maize production in Coastal Plain Region, USA. Soil pore water nitrate varied significantly with ISM and NM, but not with ST. The IPRO method had the lowest soil water pore nitrate followed by SWP and NDVI. The low N application rate resulted in lower nitrate concentration (13.4mgL−1) than the high N rate (17.0mgL−1). Soil water pore phosphate was not affected by ISM, NM and ST. The use of IPRO reduced the concentration of pore water nitrate by about 39% and 33% when compared with NDVI and SWP, respectively. Using IPRO method resulted in lower soil water pore nitrate and phosphate concentrations, results indicate scheduling method may be a way to reduce nutrient losses. Results of our study suggest that irrigation management decision may affect nitrogen and phosphorus availability for achieving optimum yield of maize while potentially minimizing nutrient losses via leaching.
Heart disease is a major cause of illness and death in women. To understand better the role of estrogen in the treatment and prevention of heart disease, more information is needed about its effects ...on coronary atherosclerosis and the extent to which concomitant progestin therapy may modify these effects.
We randomly assigned a total of 309 women with angiographically verified coronary disease to receive 0.625 mg of conjugated estrogen per day, 0.625 mg of conjugated estrogen plus 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate per day, or placebo. The women were followed for a mean (+/-SD) of 3.2+/-0.6 years. Base-line and follow-up coronary angiograms were analyzed by quantitative coronary angiography.
Estrogen and estrogen plus medroxyprogesterone acetate produced significant reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (9.4 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively) and significant increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (18.8 percent and 14.2 percent, respectively); however, neither treatment altered the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. After adjustment for measurements at base line, the mean (+/-SE) minimal coronary-artery diameters at follow-up were 1.87+/-0.02 mm, 1.84+/-0.02 mm, and 1.87+/-0.02 mm in women assigned to estrogen, estrogen plus medroxyprogesterone acetate, and placebo, respectively. The differences between the values for the two active-treatment groups and the value for the placebo group were not significant. Analyses of several secondary angiographic outcomes and subgroups of women produced similar results. The rates of clinical cardiovascular events were also similar among the treatment groups.
Neither estrogen alone nor estrogen plus medroxyprogesterone acetate affected the progression of coronary atherosclerosis in women with established disease. These results suggest that such women should not use estrogen replacement with an expectation of cardiovascular benefit.
Nuclear lamins were initially identified as the major components of the nuclear lamina, a proteinaceous layer found at the interface between chromatin and the inner nuclear membrane. Due to their ...position at the periphery of the nucleus, lamins were originally proposed to support the nuclear envelope and provide anchorage sites for chromatin. Recently, the nuclear lamins have also been found in the nucleoplasm. In addition, experimental and genetic evidence suggest that nuclear lamins are involved in a number of other functions including nuclear envelope assembly, DNA synthesis, transcription, and apoptosis. Interestingly, mutations in nuclear lamins have been linked to human diseases. In this review, we describe what is known of the structure and function of lamins and their associated proteins. Further, we speculate about possible mechanisms through which mutations in nuclear lamins give rise to disease. Immunological and structural data originally suggested that the lamins were related to cytoplasmic intermediate filaments (IF). The cloning and sequencing of lamin cDNAs confirmed that lamins have the typical domain structure of IF including an alpha -helical coiled-coil domain flanked by nonhelical domains. Interestingly, analyses of lamin and cytoplasmic IF genomic sequences indicate that nuclear lamins are the progenitors of all IF, with cytoplasmic IF arising through gene duplication.
Most cognitive functions decline with age. Prior studies suggest that testosterone treatment may improve these functions.
To determine if testosterone treatment compared with placebo is associated ...with improved verbal memory and other cognitive functions in older men with low testosterone and age-associated memory impairment (AAMI).
The Testosterone Trials (TTrials) were 7 trials to assess the efficacy of testosterone treatment in older men with low testosterone levels. The Cognitive Function Trial evaluated cognitive function in all TTrials participants. In 12 US academic medical centers, 788 men who were 65 years or older with a serum testosterone level less than 275 ng/mL and impaired sexual function, physical function, or vitality were allocated to testosterone treatment (n = 394) or placebo (n = 394). A subgroup of 493 men met criteria for AAMI based on baseline subjective memory complaints and objective memory performance. Enrollment in the TTrials began June 24, 2010; the final participant completed treatment and assessment in June 2014.
Testosterone gel (adjusted to maintain the testosterone level within the normal range for young men) or placebo gel for 1 year.
The primary outcome was the mean change from baseline to 6 months and 12 months for delayed paragraph recall (score range, 0 to 50) among men with AAMI. Secondary outcomes were mean changes in visual memory (Benton Visual Retention Test; score range, 0 to -26), executive function (Trail-Making Test B minus A; range, -290 to 290), and spatial ability (Card Rotation Test; score range, -80 to 80) among men with AAMI. Tests were administered at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.
Among the 493 men with AAMI (mean age, 72.3 years SD, 5.8; mean baseline testosterone, 234 ng/dL SD, 65.1), 247 were assigned to receive testosterone and 246 to receive placebo. Of these groups, 247 men in the testosterone group and 245 men in the placebo completed the memory study. There was no significant mean change from baseline to 6 and 12 months in delayed paragraph recall score among men with AAMI in the testosterone and placebo groups (adjusted estimated difference, -0.07 95% CI, -0.92 to 0.79; P = .88). Mean scores for delayed paragraph recall were 14.0 at baseline, 16.0 at 6 months, and 16.2 at 12 months in the testosterone group and 14.4 at baseline, 16.0 at 6 months, and 16.5 at 12 months in the placebo group. Testosterone was also not associated with significant differences in visual memory (-0.28 95% CI, -0.76 to 0.19; P = .24), executive function (-5.51 95% CI, -12.91 to 1.88; P = .14), or spatial ability (-0.12 95% CI, -1.89 to 1.65; P = .89).
Among older men with low testosterone and age-associated memory impairment, treatment with testosterone for 1 year compared with placebo was not associated with improved memory or other cognitive functions.
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00799617.
SUNDIALS is a suite of advanced computational codes for solving large-scale problems that can be modeled as a system of nonlinear algebraic equations, or as initial-value problems in ordinary ...differential or differential-algebraic equations. The basic versions of these codes are called KINSOL, CVODE, and IDA, respectively. The codes are written in ANSI standard C and are suitable for either serial or parallel machine environments. Common and notable features of these codes include inexact Newton-Krylov methods for solving large-scale nonlinear systems; linear multistep methods for time-dependent problems; a highly modular structure to allow incorporation of different preconditioning and/or linear solver methods; and clear interfaces allowing for users to provide their own data structures underneath the solvers. We describe the current capabilities of the codes, along with some of the algorithms and heuristics used to achieve efficiency and robustness. We also describe how the codes stem from previous and widely used Fortran 77 solvers, and how the codes have been augmented with forward and adjoint methods for carrying out first-order sensitivity analysis with respect to model parameters or initial conditions.
Background
Most Prostate Imaging–Reporting and Data System (PI‐RADS) 3 lesions do not contain clinically significant prostate cancer (CSPCa; grade group ≥2). This study was aimed at identifying ...clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–derived risk fac‐ tors that predict CSPCa in men with PI‐RADS 3 lesions.
Methods
This study analyzed the detection of CSPCa in men who underwent MRI‐targeted biopsy for PI‐RADS 3 lesions. Multivariable logistic regression models with goodness‐of‐fit testing were used to identify variables associated with CSPCa. Receiver operating curves and decision curve analyses were used to estimate the clinical utility of a predictive model.
Results
Of the 1784 men reviewed, 1537 were included in the training cohort, and 247 were included in the validation cohort. The 309 men with CSPCa (17.3%) were older, had a higher prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) density, and had a greater likelihood of an anteriorly located lesion than men without CSPCa (p < .01). Multivariable analysis revealed that PSA density (odds ratio OR, 1.36; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.05–1.85; p < .01), age (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.07; p < .01), and a biopsy‐naive status (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.38–2.44) were independently associated with CSPCa. A prior negative biopsy was negatively associated (OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.24–0.50; p < .01). The application of the model to the validation cohort resulted in an area under the curve of 0.78. A predicted risk threshold of 12% could have prevented 25% of biopsies while detecting almost 95% of CSPCas with a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 34%.
Conclusions
For PI‐RADS 3 lesions, an elevated PSA density, older age, and a biopsy‐naive status were associated with CSPCa, whereas a prior negative biopsy was negatively associated. A predictive model could prevent PI‐RADS 3 biopsies while missing few CSPCas.
Lay summary
Among men with an equivocal lesion (Prostate Imaging–Reporting and Data System 3) on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI), those who are older, those who have a higher prostate‐specific antigen density, and those who have never had a biopsy before are at higher risk for having clinically significant prostate cancer (CSPCa) on subsequent biopsy.
However, men with at least one negative biopsy have a lower risk of CSPCa.
A new predictive model can greatly reduce the need to biopsy equivocal lesions noted on mpMRI while missing only a few cases of CSPCa.
In men with a Prostate Imaging–Reporting and Data System (PI‐RADS) 3 index lesion, an elevated prostate‐specific antigen density, older age, an anteriorly located lesion, and a biopsy‐naive status were associated with the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer on subsequent biopsy, whereas a history of a prior negative biopsy was negatively associated. A novel predictive model could prevent PI‐RADS 3 biopsies while missing few cases of clinically significant prostate cancer.
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