Motor deficits are produced by removing some cortical transplants grafted into injured sensorimotor cortex of neonatal rats.

Fetal frontal cortex was transplanted into cavities formed in the right motor cortex of neonatal rats. As adults, the animals were trained to press two levers in rapid succession with their left forelimb to receive food rewards. Once they had reached an optimal level of performance, the effect of removing their transplants was assessed. Surgical removal of transplants significantly impaired the performance of 2 of 4 subjects. Placing a cross-strain skin graft to induce the immunological rejection of the transplants produced a behavioral deficit in 1 of 2 subjects with complete transplant removal. Skin grafts produced no behavioral effects in four subjects that had surviving transplants. Since the motor deficits produced by transplant removal resembled those observed following the removal of normal motor cortex, we propose that these three transplants functioned within the host brain. Histology showed that the procedures used to remove cortical grafts did not injure any host brains. Therefore, host brain damage is unlikely to account for the behavioral deterioration that followed transplant removals

Organ donation in Malta : what’s new?

Malta transposed Directive 2010/45/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation (European Parliament and Council, 2010) on 12th October 2012 through Legal Notice 345 of 2012, entitled Organ Transplants (Quality and Safety) Regulations, 2012, Subsidiary Legislation to the Human Blood and Transplants Act (Cap483), enacted in 2006. This long awaited legislation provides a firm legal backing for transplantation services that are structured such as to ensure health and safety to both donor and recipient. The regulations apply to practices and procedures along the entire pathway from donation to transplantation of solid organs, and even beyond, to the collection of post transplant medical data. Malta has a good track record of safe working practices in transplant services. These have been offered since the early 1980’s, initially limited to corneal transplants, but soon followed by the first kidney transplant in 1983. Heart transplants are performed once a year, with the first being in 1996. (Transplant Support Group, Malta, 2013) Patients requiring liver transplants are referred to the UK while recently, in 2011, an agreement was reached with Palermo, Sicily for a lung transplant service. (ACCORD, 2012)peer-reviewe

Cadaveric vs. Live-Donor Kidney Transplants: The Interaction of Institutions and Inequality

In 1991, the World Health Assembly approved a set of Guiding Principles which emphasize voluntary donation, non-commercialization and a preference for cadavers over living donors” (World Health Organization). We investigate whether factors such as inequality, rule of law and religion have any effect on the ratio of cadaveric transplants to all transplants. Using an unbalanced annual dataset from 64 countries over 1993-2004, we show particularly for developing countries that an improvement in equality and rule of law encourage cadaveric kidney transplants. Religion also plays an important role in that relationship.Cadaveric and live-donor kidney transplants, rule of law, religious beliefs, inequality

Perceptions of HIV-positive kidney donations to HIV-positive recipients

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is the preferred standard of care for patients who have both end stage renal disease (ESRD) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The first successful kidney transplant was done in 1954 and the first case of HIV/AIDS occurred in 1981. Until recently, HIV-positive patients who required an organ transplant received an HIV-negative organ because it was illegal to use HIV-positive organs in transplants in the United States. The HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act was signed in 2013 and legalized the use of HIV-positive donor organs in organ transplants. The first of these transplants was completed in March 2016 with good results. LITERATURE REVIEW: Renal transplants have lower mortality than dialysis. HIV damages the kidney in multiple ways, including HIV associated nephropathy and HIV immune complex kidney disease, putting HIV patients at higher risk of ESRD. Studies from before the utilization of anti-retroviral therapy show that transplantation of HIV infected blood or organs do not cause failure of the transplanted organ. However, in 1997 most surgeons would not transplant kidneys to HIV-infected individuals. Success of antiretroviral therapy has allowed HIV patients to live longer, but patients experience complications including end organ damage. Providing transplants to ESRD patients with HIV infection has been preferred treatment since 2010. Due to improvements in both HIV and transplant science, transplant specialists today are likely to accept HIV-positive organs to HIV-positive transplant recipients. PROPOSED PROJECT: The proposed study is a survey of United States transplant professionals to determine their perceptions about these transplants. Researchers will collect data in the form of Likert scales as well as open-ended responses. The survey will also collect demographic information about surveyors. Investigators will then analyze the collected data for professional knowledge of the legal change, perceptions of efficacy and safety, and concerns. Researchers will analyze the data both as a whole and divided by demographic subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: To date, there has been no study that has assessed at the attitudes of the medical community involved in these transplants. This study is unique in that it attempts to obtain the perceptions and concerns the transplant specialists have about HIV-positive donor organs to HIV-positive transplant recipients. SIGNIFICANCE: The data from this study will help to establish what opinions are at this time, to determine if there are any regional discrepancies that may affect patient access to care, and to determine the concerns of transplant specialists at this time

Alternative, non-animal based nutrient sources, for organic plant raising OF0308

Organic plant raising has been investigated under two previous government funded projects (OF0109 & OF0144) (1, 2) and it was shown in this research that organic ‘transplants’ could be produced for a range of crop species (3, 4, 6, 7). However, some species were easier to produce than others and one of the limiting factors was the availability of suitable nutrient sources, especially for supplementary feeding. The use of animal based nutrient sources in organic plant raising has always been considered far from ideal and there are now moves within the EU to ban all animal bi-products in organic plant raising. This work aimed to identify suitable non-animal based nutrient sources to be used as base nutrients for growing media and as supplementary feeds. The objectives of the project are; 1. To identify suitable alternative, non-animal based nutrient sources for organic plant raising. 2. To assess these non-animal based nutrient sources under UK organic plant raising conditions. To identify suitable alternative, non-animal based nutrient sources for organic plant raising. A UK, European and international search (literature, web, phone/personal contacts) was undertaken in early 2002 to establish what suitable, non-animal based, nutrient sources were available. Information on the products was sourced from the producer, supplier or manufacture and collated. Products that were obviously not suitable for organic production were excluded. This search identified a wide range of different types of non-animal based nutrient sources. A range of these products were used in the assessments in objective 2. To assess these non-animal based nutrient sources under UK organic plant raising conditions. Media trials Three commercially available growing media which utilise a non-animal based nutrient source were identified; Sinclair, Vapogro and Melcourt and a fourth was made for the purposes of these trials in consultation with the manufacturer; Vapogro with double the added base nutrients. Two species with contrasting requirements (leek and cabbage) were used to assess the efficacy of these media. Cabbage • The Sinclair, Vapogro and Melcourt media all produced cabbage transplants considered to be of an acceptable quality, when supplied with supplementary feed. • The Vapogro media with double the normal strength of base feed was able to produce cabbage transplants of acceptable quality without the need for supplementary nutrients. • The Vapogro media with double the normal strength of base feed was able to produce cabbage transplants that were as large as those produced in the Sinclair and Melcourt growing media with supplementary feed. Though they were at an earlier growth stage. • When supplied with supplementary feed, the Vapogro medium with double the normal strength of base feed produced significantly larger cabbage transplants than the other three media, though they were not more advanced in terms of growth stage. • The Sinclair, Vapogro and Melcourt media, when supplied with supplementary feed, produced cabbage transplants that were not significantly different from one another in most respects. • Adding supplementary feed to all the media resulted in more severe aphid infestation. Leek • All of the growing media used were only able to produce leek transplants of acceptable quality when supplementary nutrients were added. • The largest most vigorous leek transplants were produced in the Melcourt media, this is particularly significant as this is a peat free medium. • The Vapogro media with double the added base nutrients was able to produce acceptable leek transplants, but they were severely attacked by sciarid fly, which caused large numbers to die. Supplementary feed trials Four commercially available non-animal derived, organic supplementary feeds were identified (AmegA BIOFEED 5.0-0-2.5; Westland Organic Tomato and Vegetable liquid feed (WTV); Bioplasma NATURAL GROW and Gem Fruit ‘n’ Veg Fertilizer). These were tested against a standard animal derived organic feed and conventional mineral fertiliser feed. Two species with contrasting requirements (leek and cabbage) were used to assess the efficacy of these feeds in a single growing media (Vapogro). • Two of the feeds, WTV and AmegaA (with added phosphorus) produced cabbage and leek transplants of acceptable quality, broadly equivalent to those fed Nu-Gro, the standard organic supplementary feed. • AmegaA without added phosphorus produced lower quality transplants. • Bioplasma NATURAL GROW and Gem Fruit ‘n’ Veg Fertilizer produced poor quality transplants, not significantly different from zero feed in most respects. • The exception to this was the degree of rooting, which was lower in the feeds with largest shoots, AmegaA with added phosphorus, and WTV and highest with the Bioplasma NATURAL GROW feed. • Leeks grown with AmegaA with added phosphorus suffered severe sciarid fly attack • The use of AmegaA and WTV merit further investigation, particularly regards their field performance. Conclusion. This study has shown that there area range of non-animal based organic base and supplementary feeds available to the UK organic plant raiser. Although only a limited range of feeds were trialled on a limited number of species (cabbage and leeks) it is likely that the products available will produce suitable quality organic transplants

CADAVERIC VS. LIVE-DONOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS: THE INTERACTION OF INSTITUTIONS AND INEQUALITY

“In 1991, the World Health Assembly approved a set of Guiding Principles which emphasize voluntary donation, non-commercialization and a preference for cadavers over living donors” (World Health Organization). We investigate whether factors such as inequality, rule of law and religion have any effect on the ratio of cadaveric transplants to all transplants. Using an unbalanced annual dataset from 64 countries over 1993-2004, we show particularly for developing countries that an improvement in equality and rule of law encourage cadaveric kidney transplants. Religion also plays an important role in that relationship.

ESTIMATING THE ECONOMIC GAINS FROM LARGER TOMATO TRANSPLANT CELL SIZES

This paper examines the costs and economic benefits of utilizing larger seedling transplant in commercial vegetable production. Larger transplants have been shown to mature earlier and yield more premium graded fruit. Offsetting these benefits is the increased cost of producing larger transplants, primarily from reducing the capacity of a transplant house.Crop Production/Industries,