12 research outputs found
Spring protection in Southern KwaZulu Natal
Spring protection in Southern KwaZulu Nata
Beyond ruminants: discussing opportunities for alternative pasture uses in New Zealand
peer-reviewedThe New Zealand government has set ambitious goals
for primary sector growth and of zero net carbon
emissions by 2050. This presents an opportunity and
obligation to develop new ideas for grassland production
systems to increase export value and generate new job
opportunities, while reducing environmental impacts.
The aim of this paper is to draw on recent research
in Europe to investigate some of the alternative and
complementary uses for pasture as a feedstock for a
green biorefinery. A biorefinery is a facility, or a series
of processes, that convert biomass into a spectrum
of value-added products. For example, protein can
be extracted mechanically from green biomass once
harvested. The residual fibre fraction could be used
as a low-nitrogen feed for ruminants to reduce urinary
nitrogen, while the liquid protein fraction could be
processed to make it suitable for mono-gastric or human
consumption. Enzymes can promote protein extraction
and controlled conversion of insoluble plant fibres
and oligosaccharides to foster gut-health promoting
prebiotic food ingredients. Anaerobic digestion of
residues can then be used to create energy and soilimproving
products. Research and demonstration of
these approaches in practice, along with the results of
feasibility studies, will be required to see which of these
opportunities is a good fit for New Zealand pasture
systems
Cattle manure and the spread of bovine tuberculosis
Department of Agriculture, Food and the MarineTeagascDeposited by bulk impor
Inosine to Increase Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid Urate in Parkinson Disease
Convergent biological, epidemiological, and clinical data identified urate elevation as a candidate strategy for slowing disability progression in Parkinson disease (PD).
To determine the safety, tolerability, and urate-elevating capability of the urate precursor inosine in early PD and to assess its suitability and potential design features for a disease-modification trial.
The Safety of Urate Elevation in PD (SURE-PD) study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trial of inosine, enrolled participants from 2009 to 2011 and followed them for up to 25 months at outpatient visits to 17 credentialed clinical study sites of the Parkinson Study Group across the United States. Seventy-five consenting adults (mean age, 62 years; 55% women) with early PD not yet requiring symptomatic treatment and a serum urate concentration less than 6 mg/dL (the approximate population median) were enrolled.
Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms: placebo or inosine titrated to produce mild (6.1-7.0 mg/dL) or moderate (7.1-8.0 mg/dL) serum urate elevation using 500-mg capsules taken orally up to 2 capsules 3 times per day. They were followed for up to 24 months (median, 18 months) while receiving the study drug plus 1 washout month.
The prespecified primary outcomes were absence of unacceptable serious adverse events (safety), continued treatment without adverse event requiring dose reduction (tolerability), and elevation of urate assessed serially in serum and once (at 3 months) in cerebrospinal fluid. RESULTS Serious adverse events (17), including infrequent cardiovascular events, occurred at the same or lower rates in the inosine groups relative to placebo. No participant developed gout and 3 receiving inosine developed symptomatic urolithiasis. Treatment was tolerated by 95% of participants at 6 months, and no participant withdrew because of an adverse event. Serum urate rose by 2.3 and 3.0 mg/dL in the 2 inosine groups (P < .001 for each) vs placebo, and cerebrospinal fluid urate level was greater in both inosine groups (P = .006 and <.001, respectively). Secondary analyses demonstrated nonfutility of inosine treatment for slowing disability.
Inosine was generally safe, tolerable, and effective in raising serum and cerebrospinal fluid urate levels in early PD. The findings support advancing to more definitive development of inosine as a potential disease-modifying therapy for PD.
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00833690