A novel technique for the pre-concentration and extraction of inositol hexakisphosphate from soil extracts with determination by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance

Inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6 ) is often the dominant form of soil organic phosphorus (P), but is rarely investigated because of the analytical difficulties encountered in its extraction, separation, and detection in environmental samples. In particular, recent advances in the study of soil organic P with 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have been of limited use for the study of IP6 , because the technique does not discriminate between IP6 and other forms of P. This was addressed by developing a novel analytical procedure using the retentive properties of gel-filtration gels for IP6, which allows the combined selective extraction and pre-concentration of IP 6 from soil extracts with determination by 31 P NMR. While the technique is still in the developmental stage, the results demonstrate that the gel does not interfere with 31 13 NMR analysis and retains IP6 to concentrations well above those required to give clear spectral signals. The technique has considerable potential for application to the study of IP6 in soil extracts and water samples and, with development, could help to answer fundamental questions regarding the dynamics of organic P in the environment

Simple Flow Injection Analysis System for the Spectrophotometric Determination of Trace Amounts of Nitrite in Water Samples

Abstract A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric flow injection analysis system has been developed for the determination of trace amounts of nitrite. The method is based on the reaction of nitrite with sulfanilamide in acidic medium to form a diazonium salt which then couples with thenoyltrifluoroacetone in alkaline medium to give an azo dye. Beer's law is obeyed at 470 nm over a nitrite concentration range of 1-1200 µg L -1 , and a detection limit for nitrite is 0.3 µg L -1 is achieved with a relative standard deviation of 1.4% at 50 µg L -1 (n=8). An injection rate of about 40 h -1 is possible using this method, which was successfully applied to the determination of nitrite in rain water, tap water, pond water, and river water samples

Potential contribution of lysed bacterial cells to phosphorus solubilisation in two rewetted Australian pasture soils

Soil drying renders considerable amounts of phosphorus soluble upon rewetting, which may be partly derived from lysed microbial cells. Using direct bacterial cell counting in water and tetra-sodium pyrophosphate extracts of two Australian pasture soils, we found that almost all extractable cells were lysed following the rewetting of dry soils. The amounts of phosphorus in the lysed cells corresponded closely to the increases in water-extractable phosphorus following soil drying, suggesting that bacterial cell lysis is a major source of the released phosphorus

Understanding organizational context and heart failure management in long term care homes in Ontario, Canada

This study examined the prevalence of Control Intervention (CI) use in adult in-patient psychiatric units/hospitals in Ontario and developed a profile of those patients who had CI use during their admission between April 2006 and March 2010. Control intervention types included mechanical/physical, chair prevents rising, acute control medications, and seclusion. The profiles of patients with control intervention use included an examination of sociodemographic, mental health service use, and mental health clinical characteristics.Supported by an unrestricted grant-in-aid from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontari

Special Issue I

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess current heart failure (HF) care processes and organizational context in long-term care (LTC) homes as a prelude to adapting the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) HF guidelines for use in these settings. Methods: This research reports on the results of thirteen focus groups (N = 83 participants; average of 60 minutes duration) conducted in three Ontario LTC homes to better understand how HF was managed and how organizational context impacted care. Participants included physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, and personal support workers. Results: Focus group findings revealed that the complexity of the LTC environment presents challenges for managing HF. Most residents have multiple advanced chronic conditions that must be managed simultaneously. Culturally, LTC is first and foremost a resident's home where residents may choose not to comply with care recommendations. Staff routines, scopes of practice, professional hierarchies, available resources and government regulations limit flexibility in providing care. Staff lacked knowledge, skills and resources for managing HF. Nevertheless, all staff viewed LTC as the preferred place for managing HF, avoiding residents' hospitalizations wherever possible. These data suggest that strategies for improving LTC staff communication and education, strengthening existing relationships between staff, family, residents and community resources, and acquiring additional resources in LTC homes have the potential to improve HF management in this setting. Conclusion: LTC is a complex and dynamic environment that presents many challenges for providing care for residents. This research provides the foundation for subsequent work to develop and test implementation strategies to manage HF in LTC, which are consistent with the CCS HF guidelines and are feasible within LTC staff's work routines, capacities and resources

Dissolved organic phosphorus uptake by marine phytoplankton is enhanced by the presence of dissolved organic nitrogen

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Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

A novel technique for the pre-concentration and extraction of inositol hexakisphosphate from soil extracts with determination by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance

Inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6 ) is often the dominant form of soil organic phosphorus (P), but is rarely investigated because of the analytical difficulties encountered in its extraction, separation, and detection in environmental samples. In particular, recent advances in the study of soil organic P with 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have been of limited use for the study of IP6 , because the technique does not discriminate between IP6 and other forms of P. This was addressed by developing a novel analytical procedure using the retentive properties of gel-filtration gels for IP6, which allows the combined selective extraction and pre-concentration of IP 6 from soil extracts with determination by 31 P NMR. While the technique is still in the developmental stage, the results demonstrate that the gel does not interfere with 31 13 NMR analysis and retains IP6 to concentrations well above those required to give clear spectral signals. The technique has considerable potential for application to the study of IP6 in soil extracts and water samples and, with development, could help to answer fundamental questions regarding the dynamics of organic P in the environment