Identification and characterization of phosphorus-rich sandy soils

AbstractFor the identification of phosphorus-rich and phosphorus-leaky soils, various extraction methods have been proposed as indicators to estimate the risk of phosphorus (P) losses. In this study we compare and discuss the extractability of P from sandy soils, using various modifications of mild extractants (water and CaCl2), FeO-impregnated filter-paper strips (Pi-test), and ammonium oxalate (P-ox).In the soils studied, the amounts of water- and CaCl2-extractable P were (much) smaller than the amounts of P extracted with FeO-strips or with ammonium oxalate. With the water-based extraction method Pw (1:60 v:v soil:solution ratio), end-over-end shaking (Pw-2) compared with reciprocative shaking (Pw-1) resulted in increased amounts of extractable P in all soils. Because in the original Pw procedure reciprocative shaking and end-over-end shaking were implicitly treated as being exchangeable, the shaking method needs further standardization. Exponential relationships were found between P-1:2 (water-extractable P at a 1:2 w:v soil:solution ratio; roughly comparable with P in the soil solution) on the one hand, and Pw-1 (R2 = 0.99; P < 0.001) and Pw-2 (R2 = 0.96; P < 0.001) on the other. The non-linearity of such relationships must be taken into account if Pw is used as an indicator to estimate the risk of P leaching, i.e., at high values of Pw, leaching may be underestimated if a linear instead of a non-linear relationship is used. A similar exponential relationship was observed between P-1:2 and the P saturation degree (PSD) for soils sampled from the same site (R2 = 1.00; P < 0.001). The relationship was not valid for soils from other sites, suggesting that the PSD as such cannot be used as an indicator for the risk of leaching dissolved P. Based on both PSD and P-l:2, a simple alternative scheme is proposed to provide guidance for selecting P-leaky soils and for evaluating the effectiveness of measures to restore such soils

Reproducibility in the absence of selective reporting : An illustration from large-scale brain asymmetry research

Altres ajuts: Max Planck Society (Germany).The problem of poor reproducibility of scientific findings has received much attention over recent years, in a variety of fields including psychology and neuroscience. The problem has been partly attributed to publication bias and unwanted practices such as p-hacking. Low statistical power in individual studies is also understood to be an important factor. In a recent multisite collaborative study, we mapped brain anatomical left-right asymmetries for regional measures of surface area and cortical thickness, in 99 MRI datasets from around the world, for a total of over 17,000 participants. In the present study, we revisited these hemispheric effects from the perspective of reproducibility. Within each dataset, we considered that an effect had been reproduced when it matched the meta-analytic effect from the 98 other datasets, in terms of effect direction and significance threshold. In this sense, the results within each dataset were viewed as coming from separate studies in an "ideal publishing environment," that is, free from selective reporting and p hacking. We found an average reproducibility rate of 63.2% (SD = 22.9%, min = 22.2%, max = 97.0%). As expected, reproducibility was higher for larger effects and in larger datasets. Reproducibility was not obviously related to the age of participants, scanner field strength, FreeSurfer software version, cortical regional measurement reliability, or regional size. These findings constitute an empirical illustration of reproducibility in the absence of publication bias or p hacking, when assessing realistic biological effects in heterogeneous neuroscience data, and given typically-used sample sizes

Selective extraction of labile phosphorus using dialysis membrane tubes filled with hydrous iron hydroxide

Leaching of phosphorus (P) can be a serious problem in P-enriched sandy soils. Techniques that decrease the P content of such soils have been proposed as possible remediation methods. In this study, we determined the effect of P removal from two P-rich sandy soils on extractability of soil P in a laboratory experiment. We created soil samples in increasing stages of P depletion by using a sink method, which consists of a dialysis membrane tube filled with hydrous Fe-(hydr)oxide (DMT-HFO). Total amounts of P removed were relatively small compared with the high initial ammonium-oxalate extractable P contents. However, amounts of water and CaCl2 extractable P in the depleted soil samples decreased by 57 to 80%, on average, for both soils. On the other hand, the ammonium-oxalate-based P saturation index decreased by only 11%. Apparently, labile P forms were readily removed, which means that depletion by the DMT-HFO was selective. Our results suggest that remediation methods that remove a small but selective amount of P from soil may cause a significant decrease of the soil potential to release dissolved P. We also used our results to evaluate the suitability of the DMT-HFO to act as an infinite sink for P. For that, the desorption results were described with a simple kinetic Langmuir equation. Errors of kd (desorption constant) and Q0 (amount of P initially adsorbed) were calculated. Although the model fit was good for both soils (r2=0.98*** and 0.99***), errors in Q0 and kd were large. Therefore, the DMT-HFO method could not be used to determine the desorption constants of our soils. Values of kd and Q0 obtained by this method should not be used in modeling studie

Identification and characterization of phosphorus-rich sandy soils

For the identification of phosphorus-rich and phosphorus-leaky soils, various extraction methods have been proposed as indicators to estimate the risk of phosphorus (P) losses. In this study we compare and discuss the extractability of P from sandy soils, using various modifications of mild extractants (water and CaCl2), FeO-impregnated filter-paper strips (Pi-test), and ammonium oxalate (P-ox). In the soils studies, the amounts of water- and CaCl2-extractable P were (much) smaller than the amounts of P extracted with FeO-strips or with ammonium oxalate. With the waterbased extraction method Pw (1:60 v:v soil:solution ratio), end-over-end shaking (Pw-2) compared with reciprocative shaking (Pw-1) resulted in increased amounts of extractable P in all soils. Because in the original Pw procedure reciprocative shaking and end-over-end shaking were implicitly treated as being exchangeable, the shaking method needs further standardization. Exponential relationships were found between P-1:2 (water-extractable P at a 1:2 w:v soil:solution ratio; roughly comparable with P in the soil solution) on the one hand, and Pw-1 (R2 = 0.99; P < 0.001) and Pw-2 (R2 = 0.96; P < 0.001) on the other. The non-linearity of such relationships must be taken into account if Pw is used as an indicator to estimate the risk of P leaching, i.e., at high values of Pw, leaching may be underestimated if a linear instead of a non-linear relationship is used. A similar exponential relationship was observed between P-1:2 and the P saturation degree (PSD) for soils sampled from the same site (R2 = 1.00; P < 0.001). The relationship was not valid for soils from other sites, suggesting that the PSD as such cannot be used as an indicator for the risk of leaching dissolved P. Based on both PSD and P-1:2, a simple alternative scheme is proposed to provide guidance for selecting P-leaky soils and for evaluating the effectiveness of measures to restore such soils

Predictive Performance of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Prediction Algorithms in People Living With HIV

Immunogenetics and cellular immunology of bacterial infectious disease

Factors associated with presenting late or with advanced HIV disease in the Netherlands, 1996 2014: Results from a national observational cohort

Objectives: Early testing for HIV and entry into care are crucial to optimise treatment outcomes of HIV-infected patients and to prevent spread of HIV. We examined risk factors for presentation with late or advanced disease in HIV-infected patients in the Netherlands. Methods: HIV-infected patients registered in care between January 1996 and June 2014 were selected from the ATHENA national observational HIV cohort. Risk factors for late presentation and advanced disease were analysed by multivariable logistic regression. Furthermore, geographical differences and time trends were examined. Results: Of 20 965 patients, 53% presented with latestage HIV infection, and 35% had advanced disease. Late presentation decreased from 62% (1996) to 42% (2013), while advanced disease decreased from 46% to 26%. Late presentation only declined significantly among men having sex with men (MSM; p <0.001), but not among heterosexual males (p=0.08) and females (p=0.73). Factors associated with late presentation were: heterosexual male (adjusted OR (aOR), 1.59; 95% CI 1.44 to 1.75 vs MSM), injecting drug use (2.00; CI 1.69 to 2.38), age .50 years (1.46; CI 1.33 to 1.60 vs 30.49 years), region of origin (South-East Asia 2.14; 1.80 to 2.54, sub-Saharan Africa 2.11; 1.88 to 2.36, Surinam 1.59; 1.37 to 1.84, Caribbean 1.31; 1.13 to 1.53, Latin America 1.23; 1.04 to 1.46 vs the Netherlands), and location of HIV diagnosis (hospital 3.27; 2.94 to 3.63, general practitioner 1.66; 1.50 to 1.83, antenatal screening 1.76; 1.38 to 2.34 vs sexually transmitted infection clinic). No association was found for socioeconomic status or level of urbanisation. Compared with Amsterdam, 2 regions had higher adjusted odds and 2 regions had lower odds of late presentation. Results were highly similar for advanced disease. Conclusions: Although the overall rate of late presentation is declining in the Netherlands, targeted programmes to reduce late HIV diagnoses remain needed for all risk groups, but should be prioritised for heterosexual males, migrant populations, people aged ≥50 years and certain regions in the Netherlands

High treatment uptake in human immunodeficiency virus/ hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients after unrestricted access to direct-acting antivirals in the Netherlands

Background The Netherlands has provided unrestricted access to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) since November 2015. We analyzed the nationwide hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment uptake among patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HCV. Methods Data were obtained from the ATHENA HIV observational cohort in which >98% of HIV-infected patients ever registered since 1998 are included. Patients were included if they ever had 1 positive HCV RNA result, did not have spontaneous clearance, and were known to still be in care. Treatment uptake and outcome were assessed. When patients were treated more than once, data were included from only the most recent treatment episode. Data were updated until February 2017. In addition, each treatment center was queried in April 2017 for a data update on DAA treatment and achieved sustained virological response. Results Of 23574 HIV-infected patients ever linked to care, 1471 HCV-coinfected patients (69% men who have sex with men, 15% persons who [formerly] injected drugs, and 15% with another HIV transmission route) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 87% (1284 of 1471) had ever initiated HCV treatment between 2000 and 2017, 76% (1124 of 1471) had their HCV infection cured; DAA treatment results were pending in 6% (92 of 1471). Among men who have sex with men, 83% (844 of 1022) had their HCV infection cured, and DAA treatment results were pending in 6% (66 of 1022). Overall, 187 patients had never initiated treatment, DAAs had failed in 14, and a pegylated interferon-alfa–based regimen had failed in 54. Conclusions Fifteen months after unrestricted DAA availability the majority of HIV/HCV-coinfected patients in the Netherlands have their HCV infection cured (76%) or are awaiting DAA treatment results (6%). This rapid treatment scale-up may contribute to future HCV elimination among these patients

Hypothesis-driven genome-wide association studies provide novel insights into genetics of reading disabilities.

Reading Disability (RD) is often characterized by difficulties in the phonology of the language. While the molecular mechanisms underlying it are largely undetermined, loci are being revealed by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In a previous GWAS for word reading (Price, 2020), we observed that top single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were located near to or in genes involved in neuronal migration/axon guidance (NM/AG) or loci implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A prominent theory of RD etiology posits that it involves disturbed neuronal migration, while potential links between RD-ASD have not been extensively investigated. To improve power to identify associated loci, we up-weighted variants involved in NM/AG or ASD, separately, and performed a new Hypothesis-Driven (HD)–GWAS. The approach was applied to a Toronto RD sample and a meta-analysis of the GenLang Consortium. For the Toronto sample (n = 624), no SNPs reached significance; however, by gene-set analysis, the joint contribution of ASD-related genes passed the threshold (p~1.45 × 10–2, threshold = 2.5 × 10–2). For the GenLang Cohort (n = 26,558), SNPs in DOCK7 and CDH4 showed significant association for the NM/AG hypothesis (sFDR q = 1.02 × 10–2). To make the GenLang dataset more similar to Toronto, we repeated the analysis restricting to samples selected for reading/language deficits (n = 4152). In this GenLang selected subset, we found significant association for a locus intergenic between BTG3-C21orf91 for both hypotheses (sFDR q &lt; 9.00 × 10–4). This study contributes candidate loci to the genetics of word reading. Data also suggest that, although different variants may be involved, alleles implicated in ASD risk may be found in the same genes as those implicated in word reading. This finding is limited to the Toronto sample suggesting that ascertainment influences genetic associations

Genome-wide analyses of individual differences in quantitatively assessed reading- and language-related skills in up to 34,000 people.

The use of spoken and written language is a fundamental human capacity. Individual differences in reading- and language-related skills are influenced by genetic variation, with twin-based heritability estimates of 30 to 80% depending on the trait. The genetic architecture is complex, heterogeneous, and multifactorial, but investigations of contributions of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were thus far underpowered. We present a multicohort genome-wide association study (GWAS) of five traits assessed individually using psychometric measures (word reading, nonword reading, spelling, phoneme awareness, and nonword repetition) in samples of 13,633 to 33,959 participants aged 5 to 26 y. We identified genome-wide significant association with word reading (rs11208009, P = 1.098 × 10-8) at a locus that has not been associated with intelligence or educational attainment. All five reading-/language-related traits showed robust SNP heritability, accounting for 13 to 26% of trait variability. Genomic structural equation modeling revealed a shared genetic factor explaining most of the variation in word/nonword reading, spelling, and phoneme awareness, which only partially overlapped with genetic variation contributing to nonword repetition, intelligence, and educational attainment. A multivariate GWAS of word/nonword reading, spelling, and phoneme awareness maximized power for follow-up investigation. Genetic correlation analysis with neuroimaging traits identified an association with the surface area of the banks of the left superior temporal sulcus, a brain region linked to the processing of spoken and written language. Heritability was enriched for genomic elements regulating gene expression in the fetal brain and in chromosomal regions that are depleted of Neanderthal variants. Together, these results provide avenues for deciphering the biological underpinnings of uniquely human traits

Body mass index and complications following major gastrointestinal surgery: A prospective, international cohort study and meta-analysis

Aim Previous studies reported conflicting evidence on the effects of obesity on outcomes after gastrointestinal surgery. The aims of this study were to explore the relationship of obesity with major postoperative complications in an international cohort and to present a metaanalysis of all available prospective data. Methods This prospective, multicentre study included adults undergoing both elective and emergency gastrointestinal resection, reversal of stoma or formation of stoma. The primary end-point was 30-day major complications (Clavien–Dindo Grades III–V). A systematic search was undertaken for studies assessing the relationship between obesity and major complications after gastrointestinal surgery. Individual patient meta-analysis was used to analyse pooled results. Results This study included 2519 patients across 127 centres, of whom 560 (22.2%) were obese. Unadjusted major complication rates were lower in obese vs normal weight patients (13.0% vs 16.2%, respectively), but this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.863) on multivariate analysis for patients having surgery for either malignant or benign conditions. Individual patient meta-analysis demonstrated that obese patients undergoing surgery formalignancy were at increased risk of major complications (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.49–2.96, P < 0.001), whereas obese patients undergoing surgery for benign indications were at decreased risk (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.46–0.75, P < 0.001) compared to normal weight patients. Conclusions In our international data, obesity was not found to be associated with major complications following gastrointestinal surgery. Meta-analysis of available prospective data made a novel finding of obesity being associated with different outcomes depending on whether patients were undergoing surgery for benign or malignant disease