Proposed U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Hydrocarbons Agreement: Background and Issues for Congress

This report discusses the offshore areas of the Gulf of Mexico that provide a setting for domestic and international energy production, U.S. military training and border operations, trade and commerce, fishing, tourist attractions, and recreation

Experiencing transformation: the case of Jordanian nurse immigrating to the UK

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112229/1/jocn12810.pd

Mapping Snap Bean Pod and Color Traits, in a Dry Bean x Snap Bean Recombinant Inbred Population

Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) breeding programs are tasked with developing cultivars that meet the standards of the vegetable processing industry and ultimately that of the consumer, all the while matching or exceeding the field performance of existing cultivars. While traditional breeding methods have had a long history of meeting these requirements, genetic marker technology, combined with the knowledge of important quantitative trait loci (QTL), can accelerate breeding efforts. In contrast to dry bean, snap bean immature pods and seeds are consumed as a vegetable. Several pod traits are important in snap bean including: reduced pod wall fiber, absence of pod suture strings, and thickened, succulent pod walls. In addition, snap bean pods are selected for round pod cross section, and pods tend to be longer with cylindrical seed shape. Seed color is an important trait in snap bean, especially those used for processing, as processors prefer white-seeded cultivars. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic control of traits important to snap bean producers and processors. RR6950, a small seeded brown indeterminate type IIIA dry bean accession, was crossed to the Oregon State University (OSU) breeding line OSU5446, a type I Blue Lake four-sieve breeding line to produce the RR138 F₄:₆ recombinant inbred (RI) mapping population. We evaluated the RR138 RI population for processing and morphological traits, especially those affecting pods. The RR138 population was genotyped with the BARCBean6K_3 Beadchip, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to assemble a linkage map, and identify QTL for pod traits. The linkage map produced from this study contained 1689 SNPs across 1196cM. The map was populated with an average of one SNP per 1.4 cM, spanning 11 linkage groups. Seed and flower color genes B and P were located on Pv02 and Pv07, respectively. A QTL for string:pod length (PL) ratio was found on Pv02 controlling 32% of total genetic variation. QTL for a suite of important processing traits including pod wall fiber, pod height, pod width, and pod wall thickness were found clustering on Pv04 and controlled 21%, 26%, 18%, and 16% of genetic variation for each of these respective traits. A QTL for PL was found on Pv09 controlling 5% of genetic variation.This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is published by American Society for Horticultural Science and can be found at: http://journal.ashspublications.org/Keywords: QTL, quantitative trait locus, common bean, SNP, linkage mapping, single nucleotide polymorphis

Emricasan (IDN-6556) Lowers Portal Pressure in Patients with Compensated Cirrhosis and Severe Portal Hypertension

Caspases play a central role in apoptosis, inflammation and fibrosis. They produce hemodynamically-active, pro-inflammatory microparticles that cause intrahepatic inflammation, vasoconstriction and extrahepatic splanchnic vasodilation. Emricasan is a pan-caspase inhibitor that lowers portal hypertension (PH) and improves survival in murine models of cirrhosis. This exploratory study assessed whether emricasan lowers PH in patients with compensated cirrhosis. This multicenter, open-label study enrolled 23 subjects with compensated cirrhosis and PH (HVPG >5 mmHg). Emricasan 25 mg BID was given for 28 days. HVPG measurements were standardized and performed before and after emricasan. A single expert read all HVPG tracings.Median age was 59 (range 49-80); 70% were male. Cirrhosis etiologies were NASH and HCV. Subjects were Child class A (87%) with median MELD score of 8 (range 6-15). Twelve had severe PH (HVPG?12mmHg). Overall, there was no significant change in HVPG after emricasan (mean [SD] -1.1[4.57] mmHg). HVPG decreased significantly (mean [SD] -3.7[4.05] mmHg; p=0.003) in those with severe PH. 4/12 had a ?20% decrease; 8/12 had a ?10% decrease; and 2/12 HVPG decreased below 12mmHg. There were no significant changes in blood pressure or heart rate. AST/ALT decreased significantly in the entire group and in severe PH. Serum cCK18 and caspase-3/7 decreased significantly. Emricasan was well-tolerated. One subject discontinued for non-serious adverse events.Emricasan administered for 28 days decreased HVPG in patients with compensated cirrhosis and severe PH. An effect upon portal venous inflow is likely and concomitant decreases in AST/ALT suggest an intrahepatic anti-inflammatory effect

Vegetable variety trials 2010

This publication is a compilation of vegetable variety trial notes from field trials conducted in summer 2010. It contains information on a wide variety of vegetables and focuses on quality characteristics and adaptability to western Oregon.Revised April 2011. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogKeywords: vegetable, agriculture, variety trial, gardeningKeywords: vegetable, agriculture, variety trial, gardenin

16th Annual Environmental Law Institute

Materials from the 16th Annual Environmental Law Institute held by UK/CLE in May 2000

American Society of Clinical Oncology/College ofAmerican Pathologists guideline recommendations forimmunohistochemical testing of estrogen andprogesterone receptors in breast cancer

Purpose: To develop a guideline to improve theaccuracy of immunohistochemical (IHC) estrogen receptor(ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) testing in breastcancer and the utility of these receptors as predictivemarkers.Methods: The American Society of Clinical Oncologyand the College of American Pathologists convened aninternational Expert Panel that conducted a systematicreview and evaluation of the literature in partnership withCancer Care Ontario and developed recommendations foroptimal IHC ER/PgR testing performance.Results: Up to 20% of current IHC determinations ofER and PgR testing worldwide may be inaccurate (falsenegative or false positive). Most of the issues with testinghave occurred because of variation in preanalyticvariables, thresholds for positivity, and interpretationcriteria.Recommendations: The Panel recommends that ER andPgR status be determined on all invasive breast cancers andbreast cancer recurrences. A testing algorithm that relieson accurate, reproducible assay performance is proposed.Elements to reliably reduce assay variation are specified. It is recommended that ER and PgR assays be consideredpositive if there are at least 1% positive tumor nuclei in the sample on testing in the presence of expected reactivity of internal (normal epithelial elements) and external controls. The absence of benefit from endocrine therapy for women with ER-negative invasive breast cancers has been confirmed in large overviews of randomized clinical trials.(Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2010;134:907–922

The correlation and level of agreement between end-tidal and blood gas pCO2 in children with respiratory distress: a retrospective analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To investigate the correlation and level of agreement between end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO₂) and blood gas pCO₂in non-intubated children with moderate to severe respiratory distress.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Retrospective study of patients admitted to an intermediate care unit (InCU) at a tertiary care center over a 20-month period with moderate to severe respiratory distress secondary to asthma, bronchiolitis, or pneumonia. Patients with venous pCO₂(vpCO₂) and EtCO₂measurements within 10 minutes of each other were eligible for inclusion. Patients with cardiac disease, chronic pulmonary disease, poor tissue perfusion, or metabolic abnormalities were excluded.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eighty EtCO₂-vpCO₂paired values were available from 62 patients. The mean ± <smcaps>SD</smcaps> for EtCO₂and vpCO₂was 35.7 ± 10.1 mmHg and 39.4 ± 10.9 mmHg respectively. EtCO₂and vpCO₂values were highly correlated (r = 0.90, p < 0.0001). The correlations for asthma, bronchiolitis and pneumonia were 0.74 (p < 0.0001), 0.83 (p = 0.0002) and 0.98 (p < 0.0001) respectively. The mean bias ± <smcaps>SD</smcaps> between EtCO₂and vpCO₂was -3.68 ± 4.70 mmHg. The 95% level of agreement ranged from -12.88 to +5.53 mmHg. EtCO₂was found to be more accurate when vpCO₂was 35 mmHg or lower.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>EtCO₂is correlated highly with vpCO₂in non-intubated pediatric patients with moderate to severe respiratory distress across respiratory illnesses. Although the level of agreement between the two methods precludes the overall replacement of blood gas evaluation, EtCO₂monitoring remains a useful, continuous, non-invasive measure in the management of non-intubated children with moderate to severe respiratory distress.</p