Impact of in-crop and soil residual herbicides on effective nitrogen fixation in field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Non-Peer ReviewedA three-year project was initiated in 2004 to examine the effects of residual herbicides and registered “in-crop” herbicides, both soil and foliar applied, on N fixation and consequent yield of field peas and chickpeas. Inoculation strategies were examined to determine if inoculant formulation (i.e., peat powder versus granular inoculant) influences the degree to which herbicides can affect N fixation. This research is ongoing and thus all results are considered preliminary. Preliminary results in field pea, suggest that where herbicides had a negative effect on N fixation, the effects occurred at relatively early growth stages (i.e., soon after herbicide application) and were typically overcome at later growth stages. In addition, granular inoculants were associated with increased N fixation as compared to peat powder inoculants, and may have mitigated any negative herbicide effects. Chickpea incurred damage from the herbicides and all treatments had significantly less N fixation than the control. In general, results suggest that N fixation may be compromised if herbicides cause significant plant damage; however, improved weed control associated with herbicide application may counter the negative impact on early N fixation

Does the process map influence the outcome of quality improvement work? A comparison of a sequential flow diagram and a hierarchical task analysis diagram

Background: Many quality and safety improvement methods in healthcare rely on a complete and accurate map of the process. Process mapping in healthcare is often achieved using a sequential flow diagram, but there is little guidance available in the literature about the most effective type of process map to use. Moreover there is evidence that the organisation of information in an external representation affects reasoning and decision making. This exploratory study examined whether the type of process map - sequential or hierarchical - affects healthcare practitioners' judgments.Methods: A sequential and a hierarchical process map of a community-based anti coagulation clinic were produced based on data obtained from interviews, talk-throughs, attendance at a training session and examination of protocols and policies. Clinic practitioners were asked to specify the parts of the process that they judged to contain quality and safety concerns. The process maps were then shown to them in counter-balanced order and they were asked to circle on the diagrams the parts of the process where they had the greatest quality and safety concerns. A structured interview was then conducted, in which they were asked about various aspects of the diagrams.Results: Quality and safety concerns cited by practitioners differed depending on whether they were or were not looking at a process map, and whether they were looking at a sequential diagram or a hierarchical diagram. More concerns were identified using the hierarchical diagram compared with the sequential diagram and more concerns were identified in relation to clinical work than administrative work. Participants' preference for the sequential or hierarchical diagram depended on the context in which they would be using it. The difficulties of determining the boundaries for the analysis and the granularity required were highlighted.Conclusions: The results indicated that the layout of a process map does influence perceptions of quality and safety problems in a process. In quality improvement work it is important to carefully consider the type of process map to be used and to consider using more than one map to ensure that different aspects of the process are captured

Premenopausal endocrine-responsive early breast cancer: who receives chemotherapy?

Background: The role of chemotherapy in addition to combined endocrine therapy for premenopausal women with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer remains an open question, yet trials designed to answer it have repeatedly failed to adequately accrue. The International Breast Cancer Study Group initiated two concurrent trials in this population: in Premenopausal Endocrine Responsive Chemotherapy (PERCHE), chemotherapy use is determined by randomization and in Tamoxifen and Exemestane Trial (TEXT) by physician choice. PERCHE closed with inadequate accrual; TEXT accrued rapidly. Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 1317 patients (890 with baseline data) were randomly assigned to receive ovarian function suppression (OFS) plus tamoxifen or OFS plus exemestane for 5 years in TEXT. We explore patient-related factors according to whether or not chemotherapy was given using descriptive statistics and classification and regression trees. Results: Adjuvant chemotherapy was chosen for 64% of patients. Lymph node status was the predominant determinant of chemotherapy use (88% of node positive treated versus 46% of node negative). Geography, patient age, tumor size and grade were also determinants, but degree of receptor positivity and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status were not. Conclusions: The perceived estimation of increased risk of relapse is the primary determinant for using chemotherapy despite uncertainties regarding the degree of benefit it offers when added to combined endocrine therapy in this populatio

Human T-Lymphotropic Virus type 1c subtype proviral loads, chronic lung disease and survival in a prospective cohort of Indigenous Australians

Background The Human T-Lymphotropic Virus type 1c subtype (HTLV-1c) is highly endemic to central Australia where the most frequent complication of HTLV-1 infection in Indigenous Australians is bronchiectasis. We carried out a prospective study to quantify the prognosis of HTLV-1c infection and chronic lung disease and the risk of death according to the HTLV-1c proviral load (pVL). Methodology/Principal findings 840 Indigenous adults (discharge diagnosis of bronchiectasis, 154) were recruited to a hospital-based prospective cohort. Baseline HTLV-1c pVL were determined and the results of chest computed tomography and clinical details reviewed. The odds of an association between HTLV-1 infection and bronchiectasis or bronchitis/bronchiolitis were calculated, and the impact of HTLV-1c pVL on the risk of death was measured. Radiologically defined bronchiectasis and bronchitis/bronchiolitis were significantly more common among HTLV-1-infected subjects (adjusted odds ratio = 2.9; 95% CI, 2.0, 4.3). Median HTLV-1c pVL for subjects with airways inflammation was 16-fold higher than that of asymptomatic subjects. There were 151 deaths during 2,140 person-years of follow-up (maximum follow-up 8.13 years). Mortality rates were higher among subjects with HTLV-1c pVL ≥1000 copies per 105 peripheral blood leukocytes (log-rank χ2 (2df) = 6.63, p = 0.036) compared to those with lower HTLV-1c pVL or uninfected subjects. Excess mortality was largely due to bronchiectasis-related deaths (adjusted HR 4.31; 95% CI, 1.78, 10.42 versus uninfected). Conclusion/Significance Higher HTLV-1c pVL was strongly associated with radiologically defined airways inflammation and with death due to complications of bronchiectasis. An increased risk of death due to an HTLV-1 associated inflammatory disease has not been demonstrated previously. Our findings indicate that mortality associated with HTLV-1c infection may be higher than has been previously appreciated. Further prospective studies are needed to determine whether these results can be generalized to other HTLV-1 endemic areas

Health services research in the public healthcare system in Hong Kong: An analysis of over 1 million antihypertensive prescriptions between 2004-2007 as an example of the potential and pitfalls of using routinely collected electronic patient data

<b>Objectives</b> Increasing use is being made of routinely collected electronic patient data in health services research. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of a comprehensive database used routinely in the public healthcare system in Hong Kong, using antihypertensive drug prescriptions in primary care as an example.<p></p> <b>Methods</b> Data on antihypertensive drug prescriptions were retrieved from the electronic Clinical Management System (e-CMS) of all primary care clinics run by the Health Authority (HA) in the New Territory East (NTE) cluster of Hong Kong between January 2004 and June 2007. Information was also retrieved on patients’ demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, visit type (new or follow-up), and relevant diseases (International Classification of Primary Care, ICPC codes). <p></p> <b>Results</b> 1,096,282 visit episodes were accessed, representing 93,450 patients. Patients’ demographic and socio-economic details were recorded in all cases. Prescription details for anti-hypertensive drugs were missing in only 18 patients (0.02%). However, ICPC-code was missing for 36,409 patients (39%). Significant independent predictors of whether disease codes were applied included patient age > 70 years (OR 2.18), female gender (OR 1.20), district of residence (range of ORs in more rural districts; 0.32-0.41), type of clinic (OR in Family Medicine Specialist Clinics; 1.45) and type of visit (OR follow-up visit; 2.39). <p></p> In the 57,041 patients with an ICPC-code, uncomplicated hypertension (ICPC K86) was recorded in 45,859 patients (82.1%). The characteristics of these patients were very similar to those of the non-coded group, suggesting that most non-coded patients on antihypertensive drugs are likely to have uncomplicated hypertension. <p></p> <b>Conclusion</b> The e-CMS database of the HA in Hong Kong varies in quality in terms of recorded information. Potential future health services research using demographic and prescription information is highly feasible but for disease-specific research dependant on ICPC codes some caution is warranted. In the case of uncomplicated hypertension, future research on pharmaco-epidemiology (such as prescription patterns) and clinical issues (such as side-effects of medications on metabolic parameters) seems feasible given the large size of the data set and the comparability of coded and non-coded patients

Performance of the 2007 WHO Algorithm to diagnose Smear-negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis in a HIV prevalent setting

The 2007 WHO algorithm for diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) culture was evaluated in a HIV prevalent area of Kenya

Particle size effect on strength, failure and shock behavior in Polytetrafluoroethylene-Al-W granular composites

The variation of metallic particle size and sample porosity significantly alters the dynamic mechanical properties of high density granular composites processed using a cold isostatically pressed mixture of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), aluminum (Al) and tungsten (W) powders. Quasi-static and dynamic experiments are performed with identical constituent mass fractions with variations in the size of the W particles and pressing conditions. The relatively weak polymer matrix allows the strength and fracture modes of this material to be governed by the granular type behavior of agglomerated metal particles. A higher ultimate compressive strength was observed in relatively high porosity samples with small W particles compared to those with coarse W particles in all experiments. Mesoscale granular force chains comprised of the metallic particles explain this unusual phenomenon as observed in a hydrocode simulation of a drop-weight test. Macrocracks forming below the critical failure strain for the matrix and unusual behavior due to a competition between densification and fracture in dynamic tests of porous samples were also observed. Shock loading of this granular composite resulted in higher fraction of total internal energy deposition in the soft PTFE matrix, specifically thermal energy, which can be tailored by the W particle size distribution.Comment: 35 pages, 13 figure

Correlates of Snake Entanglement in Erosion Control Blankets

In road construction projects across the United States, erosion control methods (e.g., erosion control blankets [ECBs]), are mandated to stimulate seedbed regeneration and prevent soil loss. Previous reports have suggested that snakes are vulnerable to entanglement in ECBs. We conducted a literature review, field surveys, and an entanglement experiment to examine what factors increase a snake’s risk of ECB entanglement. Our literature review produced reports of 175 reptiles entangled in mesh products, 89.1% of which were snakes, with 43.6% of snake entanglements occurring in erosion control products. During our field surveys, we found 10 entangled snakes (n = 2 alive; n = 8 dead). From our experiment, we found that ECBs that contain fixed‐intersection, small‐diameter mesh consisting of polypropylene were significantly more likely to entangle snakes compared with ECBs with larger diameter polypropylene mesh or ECBs that have woven mesh made of natural fibers. Snake body size was also associated with entanglement; for every 1‐mm increase in body circumference, the probability of entanglement increased 4%. These results can help construct a predictive framework to determine those species and individuals that are most vulnerable to entanglement

Leveraging hope & experience: Towards an integrated model of transformative learning, community and leadership for sustainability action and change

How can we engage in futures-oriented ‘hope work’ in the face of extraordinary global challenges, and from within the confines of a commodified higher education system? This chapter traces the experience of a group of staff and students at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, who came together to explore this question through an experimental, emergent, and creative process of co-operative inquiry. This shared safe space enabled relations of trust, openness and enjoyment to emerge, which were conducive to learning, community-building, and shared leadership. Thus our shared experience enabled us to shed new and critical light on transformative learning, transformative community and transformative leadership. However, in place of three separate concepts, our findings lead us to a composite, integrated and mutually reinforcing model centred on a set of connecting 2 principles. These in turn are rooted in our subjective experiences of our practical cares and concerns, both individual and shared. Emerging from within an experiential ontology, then, this integrated model offers a reflexive alternative to the top-down approach to sustainability teaching and strategy that currently prevails in many higher education institutions. We share here our experience and the theoretical model it catalysed – along with suggestions for practical actions. In so doing, we hope that we might inspire others to experiment (in their own way) with more organic, less hierarchical, and potentially more enduring approaches to the pedagogy and practice of sustainability

Quantum probabilities as Dempster-Shafer probabilities in the lattice of subspaces.

yesThe orthocomplemented modular lattice of subspaces L[H(d)] , of a quantum system with d-dimensional Hilbert space H(d), is considered. A generalized additivity relation which holds for Kolmogorov probabilities is violated by quantum probabilities in the full lattice L[H(d)] (it is only valid within the Boolean subalgebras of L[H(d)] ). This suggests the use of more general (than Kolmogorov) probability theories, and here the Dempster-Shafer probability theory is adopted. An operator D(H1,H2) , which quantifies deviations from Kolmogorov probability theory is introduced, and it is shown to be intimately related to the commutator of the projectors P(H1),P(H2) , to the subspaces H 1, H 2. As an application, it is shown that the proof of the inequalities of Clauser, Horne, Shimony, and Holt for a system of two spin 1/2 particles is valid for Kolmogorov probabilities, but it is not valid for Dempster-Shafer probabilities. The violation of these inequalities in experiments supports the interpretation of quantum probabilities as Dempster-Shafer probabilities