Research Project Industry Summary: Managing accessibility of public spaces

Using a systematic literature review and interviews with a range of stakeholders, Dr Carlo Caponecchia, Dr Vanessa Huron and Dr Beth Mayland examined barriers to and facilitators of improving accessibility of public spaces and reported their recommendations. A summary of their findings is now available to read, with further academic journal articles to be published in coming months

Roles of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Cutaneous Wound Healing

Wound healing is a complex process that consists of hemostasis and inflammation, angiogenesis, re-epithelialization, and tissue remodeling. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play important roles in wound healing, and their dysregulation leads to prolonged inflammation and delayed wound healing. There are 24 MMPs in humans, and each MMP exists in three forms, of which only the active MMPs play a role in the pathology or repair of wounds. The current methodology does not distinguish between the three forms of MMPs, making it challenging to investigate the roles of MMPs in pathology and wound repair. We used a novel MMP-inhibitor-tethered affinity resin that binds only the active form of MMPs, from which we identified and quantified active MMP-8 and active MMP-9 in a murine diabetic model with delayed wound healing. We showed that up-regulation of active MMP-9 plays a detrimental role whereas active MMP-8 is involved in repairing the wound in diabetic mice. These studies identified MMP-9 as a novel target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of chronic wounds. A selective inhibitor of MMP-9 that leaves MMP-8 unaffected would provide the most effective therapy and represents a promising strategy for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers

Role of magnesium in plants

Magnesium is one of 13 mineral elements required by plants and one of at least 17 required by animals. The element was first isolated in chemically pure state by Sir Humphry Davy during the years 1807 to 1812 and its necessity for plant growth was shown by J. von Sachs and W. Knop in the 1860's. Its presence in the chlorophyll molecule was detected by R. Willstitter in 1913. More details on the history of Mg research appear in earlier reviews (1, 8, 11 and 20)

Air-Flow Planimeter for Measuring Detached Leaf Area

An apparatus has been designed and tested for measuring area of detached leaves of all shapes. The apparatus is easy to operate and gives accurate results rapidly. Measurement variability is generally less than 1%

Fertilization of Pasture and Range in the United States

The importance of the forage resource in the United States is apparent from the 225-million ha of humid-region pasture, and 122-million ha of arid rangeland in the Great Plains and Western States. The objective of this report is to briefly summarize the effect of fertilizer on yield and forage quality of pasture and range, particularly their effect on beef production. In the past 25 years, beef cow herds have replaced both dairy cows and sheep on many forage-producing areas. The limited forage and range resources in the semiarid and arid Western States may restrict further expansion of cow-calf operations, except in areas where irrigated pasture can be developed or where forage productivity can be increased by fertilization. Water is less limiting in the Eastern States, assuring more reliable supplies and potentially greater amounts of forage to support the beef industry. Thus, cow-calf numbers in some South-Atlantic and North-Central States have greatly increased. Most of the cow-calf operation in the southern region and in the Midwest resemble ranch operations of old, in which inputs and costs are kept as low as possible. Implementing improved practices (i.e., improved forage varieties, fertilization, grazing management) would greatly increase beef production in these areas

Rangeland Fertilization for Balanced Forage and Cattle Nutrition

An important grazing resource in the United States is the big sagebrush-bunchgrass complex. It occupies nearly 94 million acres in southern Idaho, Utah, western Wyoming, Nevada, southeastern Oregon and south-central Washington. This area is often referred to as the Great Basin because of its precipitation pattern. Annual precipitation is generally less than 14 inches, and most of it falls during the winter and spring. The principal grasses are perennial bunch types, including species of wheatgrass, bromegrass, bluegrass, needlegrass and fescue