Control of perennial broadleaf weeds in Missouri field crops (1993)

Perennials are the most difficult weeds to control in field crops. Perennial plants survive, by definition, for more than two years and usually live for many years. Most perennial plants reproduce by seeds and by structures such as runners, underground structures that are difficult to eliminate. Satisfactory control of perennials usually requires a combination of cultural practices, herbicides and patience. This publication discusses the control of perennial broadleaf weeds

Using reduced herbicide rates

"8/94/2M""The objective of this publication is to outline the options available for weed control in soybean production, define their advantages and limitations, and discuss the techniques and risks involved in using below-label herbicide rates."--Last paragraphMichael DeFelice (MU Department of Agronomy), Andy Kendig (University of Missouri Delta Center

Cotton weed control (1994)

Cotton is a slow-growing plant, and only a limited selection of herbicides can be used for cotton weed control. These two factors sometimes make weed control difficult

Integrability and level crossing manifolds in a quantum Hamiltonian system

We consider a two-spin model, represented classically by a nonlinear autonomous Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom and a nontrivial integrability condition, and quantum mechanically by a real symmetric Hamiltonian matrix with blocks of dimensionalities K=l(l+1)/2, l=1,2,... In the six-dimensional (6D) parameter space of this model, classical integrability is satisfied on a 5D hypersurface, and level crossings occur on 4D manifolds that are completely embedded in the integrability hypersurface except for some lower-D sub-manifolds. Under mild assumptions, the classical integrability condition can be reconstructed from a purely quantum mechanical study of level degeneracies in finite-dimensional invariant blocks of the Hamiltonian matrix. Our conclusions are based on rigorous results for K=3 and on numerical results for K=6,10.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Phorbol 12,13-Dibutyrate-Induced, Protein Kinase C-Mediated Contraction of Rabbit Bladder Smooth Muscle

Contraction of bladder smooth muscle is predominantly initiated by M3 muscarinic receptor-mediated activation of the Gq/11-phospholipase C β-protein kinase C (PKC) and the G12/13-RhoGEF-Rho kinase (ROCK) pathways. However, these pathways and their downstream effectors are not well understood in bladder smooth muscle. We used phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), and 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DOG), activators of PKC, in this investigation. We were interested in dissecting the role(s) of PKC and to clarify the signaling pathways in bladder smooth muscle contraction, especially the potential cross-talk with ROCK and their downstream effectors in regulating myosin light chain phosphatase activity and force. To achieve this goal, the study was performed in the presence or absence of the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide-1 (Bis) or the ROCK inhibitor H-1152. Phosphorylation levels of Thr38-CPI-17 and Thr696/Thr850 myosin phosphatase target subunit (MYPT1) were measured during PDBu or DOG stimulation using site specific antibodies. PDBu-induced contraction in bladder smooth muscle involved both activation of PKC and PKC-dependent activation of ROCK. CPI-17 as a major downstream effector, is phosphorylated by PKC and ROCK during PDBu and DOG stimulation. Our results suggest that Thr696 and Thr850-MYPT1 phosphorylation are not involved in the regulation of a PDBu-induced contraction. The results also demonstrate that bladder smooth muscle contains a constitutively active isoform of ROCK that may play an important role in the regulation of bladder smooth muscle basal tone. Together with the results from our previous study, we developed a working model to describe the complex signaling pathways that regulate contraction of bladder smooth muscle

Causes of cervical lymphadenopathy at Kamuzu Central Hospital

AimDescription of pathologic causes of cervical lymphadenopathy at Kamuzu Central Hospital.IntroductionThe evaluation of cervical lymphadenopathy is a common diagnostic challenge facing clinicians. Previously at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) tuberculosis (TB) was reported to be the most common cause of cervical lymphadenopathy However, no recent study has assessed this common diagnostic challenge in Malawi, particularly since the beginning of the HIV epidemic and the subsequent scale-up of antiretroviral therapy.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of all cervical lymph node specimens from the KCH pathology laboratory between 1 July 2011 and 28 February 2013 and describe patient age, gender, and pathologic diagnoses.ResultsOur search of the KCH pathology database yielded 179 cases. Of these, 143 (77%) were histologic specimens (open biopsy or core needle samples) while 34 (23%) were cytology specimens. The age range was from 0 to 76 years with a mean of 30 (SD: 19). In adults, the most common diagnosis was malignancy (n=41, 35%), while in children 15 cases each of malignancy and benign masses were diagnosed. Only 6 cases (5%) of TB were diagnosed in adults, and 4 cases (6%) of TB were diagnosed in children.ConclusionOur study shows more malignancy and much less TB than a prior study of cervical lymphadenopathy at KCH. With the successful initiaion of the KCH Pathology Laboratory in 2011, we recommend biopsy or FNA early in the workup of cervical lymphadenopathy to prevent long delays in diagnosis and treatment of curable cancers

Mephedrone in adolescent rats: residual memory impairment and acute but not lasting 5-HT depletion

Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone, MMC) is a popular recreational drug, yet its potential harms are yet to be fully established. The current study examined the impact of single or repeated MMC exposure on various neurochemical and behavioral measures in rats. In Experiment 1 male adolescent Wistar rats received single or repeated (once a day for 10 days) injections of MMC (30 mg/kg) or the comparator drug methamphetamine (METH, 2.5 mg/kg). Both MMC and METH caused robust hyperactivity in the 1 h following injection although this effect did not tend to sensitize with repeated treatment. Striatal dopamine (DA) levels were increased 1 h following either METH or MMC while striatal and hippocampal serotonin (5-HT) levels were decreased 1 h following MMC but not METH. MMC caused greater increases in 5-HT metabolism and greater reductions in DA metabolism in rats that had been previously exposed to MMC. Autoradiographic analysis showed no signs of neuroinflammation ([125I]CLINDE ligand used as a marker for translocator protein (TSPO) expression) with repeated exposure to either MMC or METH. In Experiment 2, rats received repeated MMC (7.5, 15 or 30 mg/kg once a day for 10 days) and were examined for residual behavioral effects following treatment. Repeated high (30 mg/kg) dose MMC produced impaired novel object recognition 5 weeks after drug treatment. However, no residual changes in 5-HT or DA tissue levels were observed at 7 weeks post-treatment. Overall these results show that MMC causes acute but not lasting changes in DA and 5-HT tissue concentrations. MMC can also cause long-term memory impairment. Future studies of cognitive function in MMC users are clearly warranted. © 2012 PLoS On

Self-reported medication side effects in an older cohort living independently in the community - the Melbourne Longitudinal Study on Health Ageing (MELSHA) : cross-sectional analysis of prevalence and risk factors

Background Medication side effects are an important cause of morbidity, mortality and costs in older people. The aim of our study was to examine prevalence and risk factors for self-reported medication side effects in an older cohort living independently in the community.Methods The Melbourne Longitudinal Study on Healthy Ageing (MELSHA), collected information on those aged 65 years or older living independently in the community and commenced in 1994. Data on medication side effects was collected from the baseline cohort (n = 1000) in face-to-face baseline interviews in 1994 and analysed as cross-sectional data. Risk factors examined were: socio-demographics, health status and medical conditions; medication use and health service factors. Analysis included univariate logistic regression to estimate unadjusted risk and multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess confounding and estimate adjusted risk.Results Self-reported medication side effects were reported by approximately 6.7% (67/1000) of the entire baseline MELSHA cohort, and by 8.5% (65/761) of those on medication. Identified risk factors were increased education level, co-morbidities and health service factors including recency of visiting the pharmacist, attending younger doctors, and their doctor\u27s awareness of their medications. The greatest increase in risk for medication side effects was associated with liver problems and their doctor\u27s awareness of their medications. Aging and gender were not risk factors.Conclusion Prevalence of self-reported medication side effects was comparable with that reported in adults attending General Practices in a primary care setting in Australia. The prevalence and identified risk factors provide further insight and opportunity to develop strategies to address the problem of medication side effects in older people living independently in the community setting. <br /

Causes of cervical lymphadenopathy at Kamuzu Central Hospital

Aim: Description of pathologic causes of cervical lymphadenopathy at Kamuzu Central Hospital. Introduction: The evaluation of cervical lymphadenopathy is a common diagnostic challenge facing clinicians. Previously at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) tuberculosis (TB) was reported to be the most common cause of cervical lymphadenopathy However, no recent study has assessed this common diagnostic challenge in Malawi, particularly since the beginning of the HIV epidemic and the subsequent scale-up of antiretroviral therapy. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of all cervical lymph node specimens from the KCH pathology laboratory between 1 July 2011 and 28 February 2013 and describe patient age, gender, and pathologic diagnoses. Results: Our search of the KCH pathology database yielded 179 cases. Of these, 143 (77%) were histologic specimens (open biopsy or core needle samples) while 34 (23%) were cytology specimens. The age range was from 0 to 76 years with a mean of 30 (SD: 19). In adults, the most common diagnosis was malignancy (n=41, 35%), while in children 15 cases each of malignancy and benign masses were diagnosed. Only 6 cases (5%) of TB were diagnosed in adults, and 4 cases (6%) of TB were diagnosed in children. Conclusion: Our study shows more malignancy and much less TB than a prior study of cervical lymphadenopathy at KCH. With the successful initiaion of the KCH Pathology Laboratory in 2011, we recommend biopsy or FNA early in the workup of cervical lymphadenopathy to prevent long delays in diagnosis and treatment of curable cancers

Childhood sarcoidosis: A rare but fascinating disorder

Childhood sarcoidosis is a rare multisystemic granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology. In the pediatric series reported from the southeastern United States, sarcoidosis had a higher incidence among African Americans. Most reported childhood cases have occurred in patients aged 13–15 years. Macrophages bearing an increased expression of major histocompatibility class (MHC) II molecules most likely initiate the inflammatory response of sarcoidosis by presenting an unidentified antigen to CD4+ Th (helper-inducer) lymphocytes. A persistent, poorly degradable antigen driven cell-mediated immune response leads to a cytokine cascade, to granuloma formation, and eventually to fibrosis. Frequently observed immunologic features include depression of cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity and a heightened helper T cell type 1 (Th1) immune response at sites of disease. Circulating immune complexes, along with signs of B cell hyperactivity, may also be found. The clinical presentation can vary greatly depending upon the organs involved and age of the patient. Two distinct forms of sarcoidosis exist in children. Older children usually present with a multisystem disease similar to the adult manifestations, with frequent hilar lymphadenopathy and pulmonary infiltrations. Early-onset sarcoidosis is a unique form of the disease characterized by the triad of rash, uveitis, and arthritis in children presenting before four years of age. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis is confirmed by demonstrating a typical noncaseating granuloma on a biopsy specimen. Other granulmatous diseases should be reasonably excluded. The current therapy of choice for sarcoidosis in children with multisystem involvement is oral corticosteroids. Methotrexate given orally in low doses has been effective, safe and steroid sparing in some patients. Alternative immunosuppressive agents, such as azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, and cyclosporine, have been tried in adult cases of sarcoidosis with questionable efficacy. The high toxicity profile of these agents, including an increased risk of lymphoproliferative disorders and carcinomas, has limited their use to patients with severe disease refractory to other agents. Successful steroid sparing treatment with mycophenolate mofetil was described in an adolescent with renal-limited sarcoidosis complicated by renal failure. Novel treatment strategies for sarcoidosis have been developed including the use of TNF-alpha inhibitors, such as infliximab. The long-term course and prognosis is not well established in childhood sarcoidosis, but it appears to be poorer in early-onset disease