Analyzing consumer-related nitrogen flows: A case study on food and material use in Austria

Nitrogen budgets cover pools and flows of nitrogen (N) contained in human-made goods and compounds, wich may potentially affect the global nitrogen cycle and in consequence the human environment. Acknowledging the importance of food and other agricultural products, this paper additionally investigates frequently neglected flows of N related to consumers and estimates their magnitude, using Austria in 2010 as an example. Specifically, N in non-food industrial products (synthetic & natural polymers, wood & paper products, waste), and N related to pets, gardens, and energy use is considered. Over the last five decades, both food and material consumption have increased distinctly. While food supply accounts for 52% of total directly consumer-related nitrogen inflows covered in this study (66,000t Na^1), also material products account for a considerable share of 28% (36,000t Na^1). N application in gardens (12%) and N in pet food (7%) do also play a role. Quantified outflows are human excretion (54%), food waste (13%), garden waste (16%), material waste (7%) and waste from pets (10%). The detected balance surplus of 34,000t Na^1, corresponding to 27% of total inflows, points to some accumulation of N in the form of durable consumer goods and to potentially missing flows. The analysis focusses on the apparent knowledge gaps. Especially flows involving material products are poorly understood and would require better understanding of nitrogen contents of products and of waste. This indicates that improvements may be possible by providing more complete nitrogen budgets in the future that cover all environmental pools

One-stage versus two-stage lymph node dissection after investigation of sentinel lymph node in cutaneous melanoma: a comparison of complications, costs, hospitalization times, and operation times

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether complication rate, costs, operation times, and hospitalization times differed in two different patient groups: in group 1, frozen section analysis of the sentinel lymph node and lymph node dissection were carried out in the same operation. In group 2, normal investigation of the sentinel lymph node and lymph node dissection were done in a second operation. One hundred thirty-five patients with cutaneous melanoma were included. Hospitalization times, costs, complication rates, and operation times of two-stage and one-stage lymph node dissection of the draining area after detection of metastases in the sentinel lymph node were retrospectively compared. Lymph node metastasis in the sentinel lymph node was found in 23 patients. In 11 patients, removal of the sentinel lymph node and dissection of the lymph node basin was performed in the same operation. In 12 patients, a two-stage procedure was the treatment of choice. Operation times were not different in the two groups (p=0.87) while two-stage operation patients were hospitalized significantly longer (14.2±9.7 vs 23.9±24days; p=0.01) and costs were significantly higher (7,836.90±2,397.95 Swiss francs vs 5,279.40±1,994.90 Swiss francs). In addition, more complications were found in the two-stage grou

Optimizing the parameters for hydro-jet dissection in fatty tissue — A morphological Ex Vivo analysis

Summary: Background: The advantage of water-jet dissection is the preservation of vessels and nerves. Especially in liver surgery, blood loss can be significantly decreased. The use of water-jet dissectors in other fields of surgery is currently under investigation. The preparation of vessels in fatty tissue is of special interest for plastic surgeons. The optimal technical parameters were investigated. Methods: Abdominal fat tissue of fresh cadavers was cut under standardized conditions with different parameters of the water-jet dissector. Results: One single pass at a cutting pressure between 20 and 60 Bar makes an incision of 8 mm. Deeper cuts can be achieved by repeated application on the same cut. Five passes at 40 Bar results in a depth of 1.7 cm without vessel damage. If the applied pressure is 50 or 60 Bar, up to 7% damaged vessels can be found. The water-jet dissection leads to a water uptake of the cut tissue. Conclusions: The optimal pressure for water-jet dissection of fatty tissue lies between 30 and 40 Bar. The effect of the mechanical irritation of the vessels has to be investigatedin vivo before using the water-jet dissector for preparation of blood vessels in humans, e.g. for flap dissectio

Adapting feeding methods for less nitrogen pollution from pig and dairy cattle farming: abatement costs and uncertainties

This study assesses abatement costs of three measures aimed at reducing nitrogen (N) emissions from livestock production: two protein-adjusted feeding strategies for pigs, and higher-quality forage for dairy cattle. In a partial cost approach, we quantified the effect of different measures on N losses and production costs. We accounted for emissions of NH3, N2O and NO from animal housing, manure storage, manure application, and from soils. Uncertainties related to volatile prices and assumptions about excretion rates and emission factors were assessed in a Monte Carlo simulation. Covering variability of individual input parameters, this uncertainty assessment addresses a fundamental gap in current decision support on N loss reduction measures. For the scenarios investigated, average N abatement costs at farm level were negative and represented net benefits to farmers: In pig husbandry, adapting feeding practices in most individual situations resulted in net benefits, both for three-phase feeding (min −35, max +5, mean −14 €/kg N abated) and optimised single-phase feeding (min −52, max +4, mean −21 €/kg N abated). In dairy production, N abatement by improved forage quality proved invariably more economic than current practice (min −40, max −11, mean −21 €/kg N abated). As shown in this study, N abatement costs can serve as a framework for comparing the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of N loss reduction measures within and between livestock production systems. This is in turn critical when informing practitioners and providing policy support on workable strategies for reducing the N footprint of animal husbandry

Toll-Like Receptor 4 Is Involved in Inflammatory and Joint Destructive Pathways in Collagen-Induced Arthritis in DBA1J Mice

In rheumatoid arthritis, a significant proportion of cytokine and chemokine synthesis is attributed to innate immune mechanisms. TLR4 is a prominent innate receptor since several endogenous ligands known to activate the innate immune system bind to it and may thereby promote joint inflammation. We generated TLR4 deficient DBA1J mice by backcrossing the TLR4 mutation present in C3H/HeJ strain onto the DBA1J strain and investigated the course of collagen-induced arthritis in TLR4 deficient mice in comparison to wild type littermates. The incidence of collagen- induced arthritis was significantly lower in TLR4 deficient compared to wild type mice (59 percent vs. 100 percent). The severity of arthritis was reduced in the TLR4 deficient mice compared to wild type littermates (mean maximum score 2,54 vs. 6,25). Mice deficient for TLR4 were virtually protected from cartilage destruction, and infiltration of inflammatory cells was reduced compared to wt mice. In parallel to the decreased clinical severity, lower anti-CCP antibody concentrations and lower IL-17 concentrations were found in the TLR4 deficient mice. The study further supports the role of TLR4 in the propagation of joint inflammation and destruction. Moreover, since deficiency in TLR4 led to decreased IL-17 and anti-CCP antibody production, the results indicate a link between TLR4 stimulation and the adaptive autoimmune response. This mechanism might be relevant in human rheumatoid arthritis, possibly in response to activating endogenous ligands in the affected joints

Discovery and Validation of a New Class of Small Molecule Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) Inhibitors

Many inflammatory diseases may be linked to pathologically elevated signaling via the receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). There has thus been great interest in the discovery of TLR4 inhibitors as potential anti-inflammatory agents. Recently, the structure of TLR4 bound to the inhibitor E5564 was solved, raising the possibility that novel TLR4 inhibitors that target the E5564-binding domain could be designed. We utilized a similarity search algorithm in conjunction with a limited screening approach of small molecule libraries to identify compounds that bind to the E5564 site and inhibit TLR4. Our lead compound, C34, is a 2-acetamidopyranoside (MW 389) with the formula C17H27NO9, which inhibited TLR4 in enterocytes and macrophages in vitro, and reduced systemic inflammation in mouse models of endotoxemia and necrotizing enterocolitis. Molecular docking of C34 to the hydrophobic internal pocket of the TLR4 co-receptor MD-2 demonstrated a tight fit, embedding the pyran ring deep inside the pocket. Strikingly, C34 inhibited LPS signaling ex-vivo in human ileum that was resected from infants with necrotizing enterocolitis. These findings identify C34 and the β-anomeric cyclohexyl analog C35 as novel leads for small molecule TLR4 inhibitors that have potential therapeutic benefit for TLR4-mediated inflammatory diseases. © 2013 Neal et al