Soybean hay for fattening lambs

The use of soybeans in the Corn Belt has increased considerably in recent years. The ground seed and oilmeal prepared from it, have been quite extensively used for supplemental feeding. Soybeans have likewise been successfully planted along with corn, either for sheeping-down, hogging-down, or silage production purposes. The field of usefulness for soybeans is enlarging to the economic advantage of Iowa farming enterprises. The practical possibilities of growing soybeans for hay are worthy of attention; it was with the idea of determining the relative value of soybean hay, either whole or ground, as compared to clover hay in the ration of fattening lambs, that the experiment reported herein was planned and conducted

ERCC1 expression and RAD51B activity correlate with cell cycle response to platinum drug treatment not DNA repair

Background: The H69CIS200 and H69OX400 cell lines are novel models of low-level platinum-drug resistance. Resistance was not associated with increased cellular glutathione or decreased accumulation of platinum, rather the resistant cell lines have a cell cycle alteration allowing them to rapidly proliferate post drug treatment. Results: A decrease in ERCC1 protein expression and an increase in RAD51B foci activity was observed in association with the platinum induced cell cycle arrest but these changes did not correlate with resistance or altered DNA repair capacity. The H69 cells and resistant cell lines have a p53 mutation and consequently decrease expression of p21 in response to platinum drug treatment, promoting progression of the cell cycle instead of increasing p21 to maintain the arrest. Conclusion: Decreased ERCC1 protein and increased RAD51B foci may in part be mediating the maintenance of the cell cycle arrest in the sensitive cells. Resistance in the H69CIS200 and H69OX400 cells may therefore involve the regulation of ERCC1 and RAD51B independent of their roles in DNA repair. The novel mechanism of platinum resistance in the H69CIS200 and H69OX400 cells demonstrates the multifactorial nature of platinum resistance which can occur independently of alterations in DNA repair capacity and changes in ERCC1

Merkel cell carcinoma of skin-current controversies and recommendations

The review covers the current recommendations for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), with detailed discussion of many controversies. The 2010 AJCC staging system is more in-line with other skin malignancies although more complicated to use. The changes in staging system over time make comparison of studies difficult. A wide excision with margins of 2.5–3 cm is generally recommended. Even for primary </= 1 cm, there is a significant risk of nodal and distant metastases and hence sentinel node biopsy should be done if possible; otherwise adjuvant radiotherapy to the primary and nodal region should be given. Difficulties of setting up trials owing to the rarity of the disease and the mean age of the patient population result in infrequent reports of adjuvant or concurrent chemotherapy in the literature. The benefit, if any, is not great from published studies so far. However, there may be a subgroup of patients with high-risk features, e.g. node-positive and excellent performance status, for whom adjuvant or concurrent chemotherapy may be considered. Since local recurrence and metastases generally occur within 2 years of the initial diagnosis, patients should be followed more frequently in the first 2 years. However delayed recurrence can still occur in a small proportion of patients and long-term follow-up by a specialist is recommended provided that the general condition of the patient allows it. In summary, physician judgment in individual cases of MCC is advisable, to balance the risk of recurrence versus the complications of treatment

(NHC)Ni(0)-Catalyzed Branched-Selective Alkene Hydrosilylation with Secondary and Tertiary Silanes

Hydrosilylation is a valuable approach for the construction of organosilanes, which are precursors to silicone materials that are widely incorporated in our everyday lives. The industry currently relies primarily on Karstedt’s catalyst, Pt2(dvtms)3 (dvtms = 1,3-divinyltetramethyldisiloxane), a precious metal catalyst that exhibits linear selectivity, with regioselectivity favoring the branched product remaining an outstanding challenge. The use of more Earth-abundant, base-metal catalysts has been a recent focus for hydrosilylation reactions, and most reports focus on the development of linear-selective catalysts and are commonly limited to primary and/or secondary silanes. We demonstrate that (NHC)Ni(0) (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) complexes are active in the branched-selective hydrosilylation of alkenes with secondary or tertiary silanes, including industrially relevant alkoxy- and chlorosilanes. The scope of alkenes and silanes has been expanded beyond what is currently known for Ni-catalyzed hydrosilylation reactions, including both steric and electronic profiles. In-depth mechanistic studies were also carried out, including stoichiometric and catalytic experiments investigating kinetic and thermodynamic reaction parameters. Radical trap experiments suggest against a one-electron pathway. The rate law of the reaction has a normal dependence on the Ni catalyst and silane and has an inverse dependence on the alkene. Deuterium-labeling studies reveal that hydrosilylation proceeds through a Chalk–Harrod-type mechanism, with the alkene reversibly inserting into a Ni–H bond. Hammett analyses show that the rate of reaction is faster with electron-rich alkenes and electron-poor silanes. Additional mechanistic evidence points to the resting state of the catalyst being a (NHC)Ni(alkene)2 complex, and the rate-determining step being migratory insertion and/or reductive elimination

Asthmatic airway smooth muscle CXCL10 production:mitogen-activated protein kinase JNK involvement

CXCL10 (IP10) is involved in mast cell migration to airway smooth muscle (ASM) bundles in asthma. We aimed to investigate the role of cytokine-induced MAPK activation in CXCL10 production by ASM cells from people with and without asthma. Confluent growth-arrested ASM cells were treated with inhibitors of the MAPKs ERK, p38, and JNK and transcription factor NF-κB, or vehicle, and stimulated with IL-1β, TNF-α, or IFN-γ, alone or combined (cytomix). CXCL10 mRNA and protein, JNK, NF-κB p65 phosphorylation, and Iκ-Bα protein degradation were assessed using real-time PCR, ELISA, and immunoblotting, respectively. Cytomix, IL-1β, and TNF-α induced CXCL10 mRNA expression more rapidly in asthmatic than nonasthmatic ASM cells. IL-1β and/or TNF-α combined with IFN-γ synergistically increased asthmatic ASM cell CXCL10 release. Inhibitor effects were similar in asthmatic and nonasthmatic cells, but cytomix-induced release was least affected, with only JNK and NF-κB inhibitors halving it. Notably, JNK phosphorylation was markedly less in asthmatic compared with nonasthmatic cells. However, in both, the JNK inhibitor SP600125 reduced JNK phosphorylation and CXCL10 mRNA levels but did not affect CXCL10 mRNA stability or Iκ-Bα degradation. Together, the JNK and NF-κB inhibitors completely inhibited their CXCL10 release. We concluded that, in asthmatic compared with nonasthmatic ASM cells, JNK activation was reduced and CXCL10 gene expression was more rapid following cytomix stimulation. However, in both, JNK activation did not regulate early events leading to NF-κB activation. Thus JNK and NF-κB provide independent therapeutic targets for limiting CXCL10 production and mast cell migration to the ASM in asthma