Soil quality decline represents a significant constraint on the productivity and sustainability of agriculture in the tropics. In this study, the influence of biochar, compost and mixtures of the two ...on soil fertility, maize yield and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was investigated in a tropical Ferralsol. The treatments were: 1) control with business as usual fertilizer (F); 2) 10tha−1 biochar (B)+F; 3) 25tha−1 compost (Com)+F; 4) 2.5tha−1 B+25tha−1 Com mixed on site+F; and 5) 25tha−1 co-composted biochar–compost (COMBI)+F. Total aboveground biomass and maize yield were significantly improved relative to the control for all organic amendments, with increases in grain yield between 10 and 29%. Some plant parameters such as leaf chlorophyll were significantly increased by the organic treatments. Significant differences were observed among treatments for the δ15N and δ13C contents of kernels. Soil physicochemical properties including soil water content (SWC), total soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−N), ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-N), exchangeable cations and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were significantly increased by the organic amendments. Maize grain yield was correlated positively with total biomass, leaf chlorophyll, foliar N and P content, SOC and SWC. Emissions of CO2 and N2O were higher from the organic-amended soils than from the fertilizer-only control. However, N2O emissions generally decreased over time for all treatments and emission from the biochar was lower compared to other treatments. Our study concludes that the biochar and biochar–compost-based soil management approaches can improve SOC, soil nutrient status and SWC, and maize yield and may help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in certain systems.
Grain yield, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil water content (SWC) and N2O emission as influenced by fertilizer (F), biochar (B), compost (Com), Com+B and co-composted biochar–compost (COMBI). Display omitted
•Soil was amended with biochar, compost and their mixture at field level.•Maize grain yield was significantly increased by 10–29% by organic amendments.•Organic amendments significantly increased leaf chlorophyll and N and P content.•Organic amendments significantly improved soil water content, OC, N, P and CEC.•N2O emission from biochar was the lowest over time compared to other treatments.
•Soil was amended with biochar, compost and their co-composted mixture at field scale.•Leaf chlorophyll, N, P and K were increased by organic amendments.•Peanut yield was increased by 18–24% and ...nodulation by 9–25% by organic amendments.•Soil OC, N, P, NO3−, NH4+, CEC and soil water content were significantly improved by organic amendments.•Greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by organic amendments.
This study investigated the effects of biochar and compost, applied individually or together, on soil fertility, peanut yield and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a Ferralsol in north Queensland, Australia. The treatments were (1) inorganic fertilizer only (F) as a control; (2) 10tha−1 biochar+F (B+F); (3) 25t compost+F (Com+F)ha−1; (4) 2.5t Bha−1+25t Comha−1 mixed on site+F; and (5) 25tha−1 co-composted biochar-compost+F (COMBI+F). Application of B and COMBI increased seed yield by 23% and 24%, respectively. Biochar, compost and their mixtures significantly improved plant nutrient availability and use, which appeared critical in improving peanut performance. Soil organic carbon (SOC) increased from 0.93% (F only) to 1.25% (B amended), soil water content (SWC) from 18% (F only) to over 23% (B amended) and CEC from 8.9cmol(+)/kg (F only) to over 10.3cmol(+)/kg (organic amended). Peanut yield was significantly positively correlated with leaf chlorophyll content, nodulation number (NN), leaf nutrient concentration, SOC and SWC for the organic amendments. Fluxes of CO2 were highest for the F treatment and lowest for the COMBI treatment, whereas N2O flux was highest for the F treatment and all organic amended plots reduced N2O flux relative to the control. Principal component analysis indicates that 24 out of 30 characters in the first principal component (PRIN1) individually contributed substantial effects to the total variation between the treatments. Our study concludes that applications of B, Com, B+Com or COMBI have strong potential to, over time, improve SOC, SWC, soil nutrient status, peanut yield and abate GHG fluxes on tropical Ferralsols.
Previous studies have shown familial aggregation of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, we aimed to examine whether family history of diabetes mellitus (DM) is ...associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. This was a cross‐sectional analysis in participants of the NAFLD Database study and PIVENS trial who had available data on family history of DM. One thousand and sixty‐nine patients (63% women), with mean age of 49.6 (± 11.8) years and body mass index (BMI) of 34.2 (± 6.4) kg/m2, were included. Thirty percent had DM, and 56% had a family history of DM. Both personal history of DM and family history of DM were significantly associated with NASH, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.93 (95% confidence interval CI: 1.37‐2.73; P <0.001) and 1.48 (95% CI: 1.11‐1.97; P = 0.01) and any fibrosis with an OR of 3.31 (95% CI: 2.26‐4.85; P < 0.001) and 1.66 (95% CI: 1.25‐2.20; P < 0.001), respectively. When the models were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, ethnicity, and metabolic traits, the association between diabetes and family history of DM with NASH showed an increased adjusted OR of 1.76 (95% CI: 1.13‐2.72; P < 0.001) and 1.34 (95% CI: 0.99‐1.81; P = 0.06), respectively, and with any fibrosis with a significant adjusted OR of 2.57 (95% CI: 1.61‐4.11; P < 0.0001) and 1.38 (95% CI: 1.02‐1.87; P = 0.04), respectively. After excluding patients with personal history of diabetes, family history of DM was significantly associated with the presence of NASH and any fibrosis with an adjusted OR of 1.51 (95% CI: 1.01‐2.25; P = 0.04) and 1.49 (95% CI: 1.01‐2.20; P = 0.04), respectively. Conclusions: Diabetes is strongly associated with risk of NASH, fibrosis, and advanced fibrosis. Family history of diabetes, especially among nondiabetics, is associated with NASH and fibrosis in NAFLD. (HEPATOLOGY 2012;56:943–951)
Acetylation is increasingly recognized as an important metabolic regulatory posttranslational protein modification, yet the metabolic consequence of mitochondrial protein hyperacetylation is unknown. ...We find that high-fat diet (HFD) feeding induces hepatic mitochondrial protein hyperacetylation in mice and downregulation of the major mitochondrial protein deacetylase SIRT3. Mice lacking SIRT3 (SIRT3KO) placed on a HFD show accelerated obesity, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and steatohepatitis compared to wild-type (WT) mice. The lipogenic enzyme stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 is highly induced in SIRT3KO mice, and its deletion rescues both WT and SIRT3KO mice from HFD-induced hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance. We further identify a single nucleotide polymorphism in the human
SIRT3 gene that is suggestive of a genetic association with the metabolic syndrome. This polymorphism encodes a point mutation in the SIRT3 protein, which reduces its overall enzymatic efficiency. Our findings show that loss of SIRT3 and dysregulation of mitochondrial protein acetylation contribute to the metabolic syndrome.
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► High-fat diet induces hyperacetylated mitochondrial proteins and reduces SIRT3 ► SIRT3KO mice develop accelerated obesity, insulin resistance, and steatohepatitis ► Elevated SCD1 contributes to metabolic dysfunction in SIRT3KO mice ► Functional human
SIRT3 gene SNP associates with the metabolic syndrome
How do leadership ratings collected from units operating under stable conditions predict subsequent performance of those units operating under high stress and uncertainty? To examine this question, ...the authors calculated the predictive relationships for the transformational and transactional leadership of 72 light infantry rifle platoon leaders for ratings of unit potency, cohesion, and performance for U.S. Army platoons participating in combat simulation exercises. Both transformational and transactional contingent reward leadership ratings of platoon leaders and sergeants positively predicted unit performance. The relationship of platoon leadership to performance was partially mediated through the unit's level of potency and cohesion. Implications, limitations, and future directions for leadership research are discussed.
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is a common liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis. Currently, there is no established treatment for this disease.
We randomly assigned 247 adults with nonalcoholic ...steatohepatitis and without diabetes to receive pioglitazone at a dose of 30 mg daily (80 subjects), vitamin E at a dose of 800 IU daily (84 subjects), or placebo (83 subjects), for 96 weeks. The primary outcome was an improvement in histologic features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, as assessed with the use of a composite of standardized scores for steatosis, lobular inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning, and fibrosis. Given the two planned primary comparisons, P values of less than 0.025 were considered to indicate statistical significance.
Vitamin E therapy, as compared with placebo, was associated with a significantly higher rate of improvement in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (43% vs. 19%, P=0.001), but the difference in the rate of improvement with pioglitazone as compared with placebo was not significant (34% and 19%, respectively; P=0.04). Serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferase levels were reduced with vitamin E and with pioglitazone, as compared with placebo (P<0.001 for both comparisons), and both agents were associated with reductions in hepatic steatosis (P=0.005 for vitamin E and P<0.001 for pioglitazone) and lobular inflammation (P=0.02 for vitamin E and P=0.004 for pioglitazone) but not with improvement in fibrosis scores (P=0.24 for vitamin E and P=0.12 for pioglitazone). Subjects who received pioglitazone gained more weight than did those who received vitamin E or placebo; the rates of other side effects were similar among the three groups.
Vitamin E was superior to placebo for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in adults without diabetes. There was no benefit of pioglitazone over placebo for the primary outcome; however, significant benefits of pioglitazone were observed for some of the secondary outcomes. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00063622.)
Rifaximin treatment in hepatic encephalopathy Bass, Nathan M; Mullen, Kevin D; Sanyal, Arun ...
The New England journal of medicine,
03/2010, Letnik:
362, Številka:
12
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Hepatic encephalopathy is a chronically debilitating complication of hepatic cirrhosis. The efficacy of rifaximin, a minimally absorbed antibiotic, is well documented in the treatment of acute ...hepatic encephalopathy, but its efficacy for prevention of the disease has not been established.
In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we randomly assigned 299 patients who were in remission from recurrent hepatic encephalopathy resulting from chronic liver disease to receive either rifaximin, at a dose of 550 mg twice daily (140 patients), or placebo (159 patients) for 6 months. The primary efficacy end point was the time to the first breakthrough episode of hepatic encephalopathy. The key secondary end point was the time to the first hospitalization involving hepatic encephalopathy.
Rifaximin significantly reduced the risk of an episode of hepatic encephalopathy, as compared with placebo, over a 6-month period (hazard ratio with rifaximin, 0.42; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.28 to 0.64; P<0.001). A breakthrough episode of hepatic encephalopathy occurred in 22.1% of patients in the rifaximin group, as compared with 45.9% of patients in the placebo group. A total of 13.6% of the patients in the rifaximin group had a hospitalization involving hepatic encephalopathy, as compared with 22.6% of patients in the placebo group, for a hazard ratio of 0.50 (95% CI, 0.29 to 0.87; P=0.01). More than 90% of patients received concomitant lactulose therapy. The incidence of adverse events reported during the study was similar in the two groups, as was the incidence of serious adverse events.
Over a 6-month period, treatment with rifaximin maintained remission from hepatic encephalopathy more effectively than did placebo. Rifaximin treatment also significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization involving hepatic encephalopathy. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00298038.)
It was recently reported that the plant polyphenol resveratrol, found, e.g., in grape berry skins, extended lifespan in the fruit fly
Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode worm
Caenorhabditis ...elegans. This lifespan extension was dependent on an NAD
+-dependent histone deacetylase,
Sir2 in
Drosophila and SIR-2.1 in
C. elegans. The extension of lifespan appeared to occur through a mechanism related to dietary restriction (DR), the reduction of available nutrients without causing malnutrition, an intervention that extends lifespan in diverse organisms from yeast to mammals. In
Drosophila, lifespan extension by DR is associated with a reduction in fecundity. However, a slight increase in fecundity was reported upon treatment with resveratrol, suggesting a mode of action at least partially distinct from that of DR. To probe this mechanism further, we initiated a new study of the effects of resveratrol on
Drosophila. We saw no significant effects on lifespan in seven independent trials. We analysed our resveratrol and found that its structure was normal, with no oxidative modifications. We therefore re-tested the effects of resveratrol in
C. elegans, in both wild-type and
sir-2.1 mutant worms. The results were variable, with resveratrol treatment resulting in slight increases in lifespan in some trials but not others, in both wild type and
sir-2.1 mutant animals. We postulate that the effect of resveratrol upon lifespan in
C. elegans could reflect induction of phase 2 drug detoxification or activation of AMP kinase.
Rifaximin is a gut-selective, oral antimicrobial agent shown to reduce the recurrence of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and HE-related hospitalizations in a 6-month, randomized, controlled trial ...(RCT). We performed a phase 3, open-label maintenance study to assess the safety and rate of hospitalization with long-term rifaximin use.
We conducted a 24-month, open-label maintenance study of rifaximin (550 mg, twice daily) in patients with HE who participated in the previous RCT of rifaximin or new patients enrolled from March 2007 to December 2010. Safety was assessed (adverse events, clinical laboratory parameters) for the integrated population of all patients, who were given rifaximin 550 mg twice daily (all-rifaximin population, N = 392). Safety and hospitalization data were compared between the group given placebo in the original RCT (n = 159) and those given rifaximin (n = 140).
In the all-rifaximin population, the median exposure to rifaximin was 427.0 days (range, 2-1427 d), with 510.5 person-years of exposure. The profile and rate of adverse events with long-term rifaximin treatment were similar to those of the original RCT. There was no increase in the rate of infections, including with Clostridium difficile, or development of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Rates of hospitalizations with long-term rifaximin administration remained low: the HE-related hospitalization rate, normalized for exposure (0.21; all-rifaximin population), was similar to that of the rifaximin group in the original RCT (0.30), and lower than that for the placebo group (0.72).
Long-term treatment (≥24 mo) with rifaximin (550 mg, twice daily) appears to provide a continued reduction in the rate of HE-related and all-cause hospitalization, without an increased rate of adverse events. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00686920.
We previously suggested that in patients with heptocellular carcinoma (HCC), the conventional Milan criteria (T1/T2) for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) could be modestly expanded based on ...pathology (UCSF criteria). The present study was undertaken to prospectively validate the UCSF criteria based on pretransplant imaging. Over a 5‐year period, the UCSF criteria were used as selection guidelines for OLT in 168 patients, including 38 patients exceeding Milan but meeting UCSF criteria (T3A). The 1‐ and 5‐year recurrence‐free probabilities were 95.9% and 90.9%, and the respective survivals without recurrence were 92.1% and 80.7%. Patients with preoperative T1/T2 HCC had 1‐ and 5‐year recurrence‐free probabilities of 95.7% and 90.1%, respectively, versus 96.9% and 93.6%, respectively, for preoperative T3A stage (p = 0.58). Under‐staging was observed in 20% of T2 and 29% of T3A HCC (p = 0.26). When explant tumor exceeded UCSF criteria (15%), the 1‐ and 5‐year recurrence‐free probabilities were 80.4% and 59.5%, versus 98.6% and 96.7%, respectively, for those within UCSF criteria (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, our results validated the ability of the UCSF criteria to discriminate prognosis after OLT and to serve as selection criteria for OLT, with a similar risk of tumor recurrence and under‐staging when compared to the Milan criteria.
The UCSF criteria for hepatocellular carcinoma applied as selection criteria for liver transplantation based on pre‐operative imaging are associated with excellent post‐transplant survival, without a higher risk of tumor recurrence or under‐staging than the Milan criteria.
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