Feasibility Exploration: Perfectly Integrated Crop-Livestock Production

In this research report, the following question is examined. Can individual integrated crop and cow-calf operations be simultaneously balanced from the standpoints of (1) amounts of manure produced matching (plus or minus 10%) the soil fertility needs of producers\u27 cropland and rangeland and (2) amounts of feedgrains and roughages produced matching (plus or minus 10%) the nutrient needs of producers\u27 livestock? Answers to the question were sought through examination of livestock manure production and utilization and livestock feedstuff production and consumption on eight South Dakota integrated crop-livestock case farms

South Dakota Farmer-Based Reduced Till Crop Budgets

The use of reduced tillage practices in the U.S. has expanded a great deal over the past 15 years (USDA, 1986) . In 1985, roughly a quarter of South Dakota\u27s corn acreage was reported to be under reduced tillage (S25medra and Delvo, 1986) . A 1985 survey by South Dakota State University (SDSU) showed 69% of the farmer respondents to be using some type of reduced tillage on at least part of their acreage (Allen, 1987). Primary motivations for farmers adopting reduced tillage practices are to reduce machine costs, conserve moisture, and control soil erosion losses. Problems of weed control are usually accentuated under reduced tillage. Greater expenditures for chemical weed control are almost inevitable with reduced tillage. Some studies show interconnections between reduced tillage and fertilizer nutrient requirements

Habitat and Weather Effects on Northern Bobwhite Brood Movements

We observed radio-marked northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) broods (adults with chicks :S21 days old; n = 12) in Kansas during 1991-94 to test effects of weather (temperature and precipitation) and macrohabitat (composition, relative diversity, and mean distance to grassland) variables on brood home range size and daily movements at large (28.5 km2), intermediate (3.14 km2), and small (about 0.14 km2) spatial scales surrounding habitats available for broods. Principal component analyses followed by stepwise multiple linear regression indicated neither weather nor habitat influenced (P 2: 0.1) home range size at the large and intermediate scales. However, the principal component representing mean distance to grassland and percent cropland within the home range (i.e., at a small scale) was positively related to home range size. Neither temperature nor habitat influenced daily distance of movements. We concluded that brood mobility was independent of landscape-scale features, but that habitat management at smaller spatial scales could influence movements. To create optimal habitat for bobwhite, managers should consider relationships among habitat attributes and the movement of individuals, including the spatial scales at which these relationships are most important

In Memoriam: Daniel J. Meltzer

Sedan år 2006 har den syntetiskt framställda drogen spice existerat i Sverige, men först år 2008 blev drogen populär och tidningar började rikta uppmärksamhet mot den. Genom att drogen kan byta skepnad i uppbyggnaden kan den förbli laglig, därför kan egentligen namnet “spice” inte betraktas som ett enhetligt begrepp. Vårt syfte med denna studie blev att granska hur drogen spice beskrivs i tidningar och forskning. Även hur drogen betraktas gällande psykosociala och medicinska avseenden. Detta i förhållande till socialkonstruktivistiskt perspektiv. Den metod som vi valde att använda oss av i studien var kvantitativ innehållsanalys. Genom analys av 80 stycken svenska tidningsartiklar hämtade ur databasen mediearkivet, samt vetenskapliga artiklar och litteratur har vi besvarat våra frågeställningar. De resultat vi fick från analyser visade på att tidningar kan vara av betydande roll för ungdomars attityder. Tidningar kan utföra bland annat skrämselpropaganda för att upplysa och förhindra brukandet av spice, dessvärre visar resultatet en motsatt effekt. Forskning visar att bruk av spice kan påverka relationer och arbete negativt. Dessutom är några bieffekter av spice bröstsmärtor, vanföreställningar, självmordstankar och hjärtstopp

Characterization of a molecular switch system that regulates gene expression in mammalian cells through a small molecule

Abstract Background Molecular switch systems that activate gene expression by a small molecule are effective technologies that are widely used in applied biological research. Nuclear receptors are valuable candidates for these regulation systems due to their functional role as ligand activated transcription factors. Previously, our group engineered a variant of the retinoid × receptor to be responsive to the synthetic compound, LG335, but not responsive to its natural ligand, 9-cis-retinoic acid. Results This work focuses on characterizing a molecular switch system that quantitatively controls transgene expression. This system is composed of an orthogonal ligand/nuclear receptor pair, LG335 and GRQCIMFI, along with an artificial promoter controlling expression of a target transgene. GRQCIMFI is composed of the fusion of the DNA binding domain of the yeast transcription factor, Gal4, and a retinoid × receptor variant. The variant consists of the following mutations: Q275C, I310M, and F313I in the ligand binding domain. When introduced into mammalian cell culture, the switch shows luciferase activity at concentrations as low as 100 nM of LG335 with a 6.3 ± 1.7-fold induction ratio. The developed one-component system activates transgene expression when introduced transiently or virally. Conclusions We have successfully shown that this system can induce tightly controlled transgene expression and can be used for transient transfections or retroviral transductions in mammalian cell culture. Further characterization is needed for gene therapy applications.</p

Adherence to

(MWM) for palliative care has prioritized data collection efforts for evaluating quality in clinical practice. How these measures can be implemented across diverse clinical settings using point-of-care data collection on quality is unknown.To evaluate the implementation of MWM measures by exploring documentation of quality measure adherence across six diverse clinical settings inherent to palliative care practice.We deployed a point-of-care quality data collection system, the Quality Data Collection Tool, across five organizations within the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group. Quality measures were recorded by clinicians or assistants near care delivery.During the study period, 1989 first visits were included for analysis. Our population was mostly white, female, and with moderate performance status. About half of consultations were seen on hospital general floors. We observed a wide range of adherence. The lowest adherence involved comprehensive assessments during the first visit in hospitalized patients in the intensive care unit (2.71%); the highest adherence across all settings, with an implementation of >95%, involved documentation of management of moderate/severe pain. We observed differences in adherence across clinical settings especially with MWM Measure #2 (Screening for Physical Symptoms, range 45.7%–81.8%); MWM Measure #5 (Discussion of Emotional Needs, range 46.1%–96.1%); and MWM Measure #6 (Documentation of Spiritual/Religious Concerns, range 0–69.6%).Variations in clinician documentation of adherence to MWM quality measures are seen across clinical settings. Additional studies are needed to better understand benchmarks and acceptable ranges for adherence tailored to various clinical settings

Hospice Use Among Patients with Heart Failure

Despite its many benefits, hospice care is underused for patients with heart failure. This paper discusses the factors contributing to this underuse and offers recommendations to optimise use for patients with heart failure and proposes metrics to optimise quality of hospice care for this patient group

Fertilizing lawns

1 online resource (PDF, 4 pages)This archival publication may not reflect current scientific knowledge or recommendations. Current information available from the University of Minnesota Extension: https://www.extension.umn.edu