Resource allocation and the origin of flavour precursors in onion bulbs

The effect of day-length on the synthesis and distribution of flavour precursors in onion (Allium cepa L. cv. Renate F1) was studied by growing onions under different photoperiod conditions: SD (short-days), LD (long-days; obtained by extending the SD treatment with incandescent light), or NC (natural long-day conditions). Plants showed a strong bulbing response to the photoperiod regime. Plants in NC and LD formed bulbs, while those under SD did not form bulbs and continued to produce foliage leaves. It was possible to distinguish between the effects of daylength on bulb initiation and development, and light integral on yield. During plant growth, the pattern of accumulation of S-alk(en)yl-L-cysteine sulphoxide (ACSO) flavour precursors differed depending on the growth conditions. Under NC and LD, an increase in ACSO concentrations in the leaves in early development was followed by a decline in the leaves and a simultaneous increase in the bulbs after plants started bulbing. There was little evidence of inter-conversion between ACSOs during their translocation from leaves to bulbs, suggesting that ACSOs are transported directly. Plants continued to synthesise and accumulate flavour precursors in their leaves in SD, resulting in higher overall levels than in LD. Measurements of dry weight, sulphur and nitrogen contents, showed a redistribution from leaves to bulbs during bulb formation in LD and NC. The results confirmed that the leaf is the major site of precursor synthesis, and strongly support the proposal that the flavour precursors in bulb scales originated in the leaves, and were redistributed in the plant as part of the reallocation of resources that takes place during bulb formation

Business law: the ethical, global, and E-Commerce environment

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Intraoperative transfusion practices in Europe

© 2016 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia.Background: Transfusion of allogeneic blood influences outcome after surgery. Despite widespread availability of transfusion guidelines, transfusion practices might vary among physicians, departments, hospitals and countries. Our aim was to determine the amount of packed red blood cells (pRBC) and blood products transfused intraoperatively, and to describe factors determining transfusion throughout Europe. Methods: We did a prospective observational cohort study enrolling 5803 patients in 126 European centres that received at least one pRBC unit intraoperatively, during a continuous three month period in 2013. Results: The overall intraoperative transfusion rate was 1.8%; 59% of transfusions were at least partially initiated as a result of a physiological transfusion trigger- mostly because of hypotension (55.4%) and/or tachycardia (30.7%). Haemoglobin (Hb)- based transfusion trigger alone initiated only 8.5% of transfusions. The Hb concentration [mean (sd)] just before transfusion was 8.1 (1.7) g dl-1 and increased to 9.8 (1.8) g dl-1 after transfusion. The mean number of intraoperatively transfused pRBC units was 2.5 (2.7) units (median 2). Conclusions: Although European Society of Anaesthesiology transfusion guidelines are moderately implemented in Europe with respect to Hb threshold for transfusion (7-9 g dl-1), there is still an urgent need for further educational efforts that focus on the number of pRBC units to be transfused at this threshold

Intraoperative transfusion practices and perioperative outcome in the European elderly: A secondary analysis of the observational ETPOS study

The demographic development suggests a dramatic growth in the number of elderly patients undergoing surgery in Europe. Most red blood cell transfusions (RBCT) are administered to older people, but little is known about perioperative transfusion practices in this population. In this secondary analysis of the prospective observational multicentre European Transfusion Practice and Outcome Study (ETPOS), we specifically evaluated intraoperative transfusion practices and the related outcomes of 3149 patients aged 65 years and older. Enrolled patients underwent elective surgery in 123 European hospitals, received at least one RBCT intraoperatively and were followed up for 30 days maximum. The mean haemoglobin value at the beginning of surgery was 108 (21) g/l, 84 (15) g/l before transfusion and 101 (16) g/l at the end of surgery. A median of 2 [1–2] units of RBCT were administered. Mostly, more than one transfusion trigger was present, with physiological triggers being preeminent. We revealed a descriptive association between each intraoperatively administered RBCT and mortality and discharge respectively, within the first 10 postoperative days but not thereafter. In our unadjusted model the hazard ratio (HR) for mortality was 1.11 (95% CI: 1.08–1.15) and the HR for discharge was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.74–0.83). After adjustment for several variables, such as age, preoperative haemoglobin and blood loss, the HR for mortality was 1.10 (95% CI: 1.05–1.15) and HR for discharge was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.78–0.87). Preoperative anaemia in European elderly surgical patients is undertreated. Various triggers seem to support the decision for RBCT. A closer monitoring of elderly patients receiving intraoperative RBCT for the first 10 postoperative days might be justifiable. Further research on the causal relationship between RBCT and outcomes and on optimal transfusion strategies in the elderly population is warranted. A thorough analysis of different time periods within the first 30 postoperative days is recommended