Molecular phylogenetics of soricid shrews (Mammalia) based on mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences: with special reference to the Soricinae

Molecular phylogeny of soricid shrews (Soricidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) based on 1140 bp mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cytb) sequences was inferred by the maximum likelihood (ML) method. All 13 genera of extant Soricinae and two genera of Crocidurinae were included in the analyses. Anourosorex was phylogenetically distant from the main groupings within Soricinae and Crocidurinae in the ML tree. Thus, it could not be determined to which subfamily Anourosorex should be assigned: Soricinae, Crocidurinae or a new subfamily. Soricinae (excluding Anourosorex) should be divided into four tribes: Neomyini, Notiosoricini, Soricini and Blarinini. However, monophyly of Blarinini was not robust in the present data set. Also, branching orders among tribes of Soricinae and those among genera of Neomyini could not be determined because of insufficient phylogenetic information of the cytb sequences. For water shrews of Neomyini (Chimarrogale, Nectogale and Neomys), monophyly of Neomys and the Chimarrogale-Nectogale group could not be verified, which implies the possibility of multiple origins for the semi-aquatic mode of living among taxa within Neomyini. Episoriculus may contain several separate genera. Blarinella was included in Blarinini not Soricini, based on the cytb sequences, but the confidence level was rather low; hence more phylogenetic information is needed to determine its phylogenetic position. Furthermore, some specific problems of taxonomy of soricid shrews were clarified, for example phylogeny of local populations of Notiosorex crawfordi, Chimarrogale himalayica and Crocidura attenuata.

Responses of yield and N use of spring sown crops to N fertilization, with special reference to the use of plant growth regulators

Selostus: Typpilannoituksen ja kasvunsääteiden vaikutukset kevätviljojen ja rypsin satoon sekä typen käyttöön

Effects of fructose and glucose overfeeding on hepatic insulin sensitivity and intrahepatic lipids in healthy humans.

OBJECTIVE: To assess how intrahepatic fat and insulin resistance relate to daily fructose and energy intake during short-term overfeeding in healthy subjects. DESIGN AND METHODS: The analysis of the data collected in several studies in which fasting hepatic glucose production (HGP), hepatic insulin sensitivity index (HISI), and intrahepatocellular lipids (IHCL) had been measured after both 6-7 days on a weight-maintenance diet (control, C; n = 55) and 6-7 days of overfeeding with 1.5 (F1.5, n = 7), 3 (F3, n = 17), or 4 g fructose/kg/day (F4, n = 10), with 3 g glucose/kg/day (G3, n = 11), or with 30% excess energy as saturated fat (fat30%, n = 10). RESULTS: F3, F4, G3, and fat30% all significantly increased IHCL, respectively by 113 ± 86, 102 ± 115, 59 ± 92, and 90 ± 74% as compared to C (all P < 0.05). F4 and G3 increased HGP by 16 ± 10 and 8 ± 11% (both P < 0.05), and F3 and F4 significantly decreased HISI by 20 ± 22 and 19 ± 14% (both P < 0.01). In contrast, there was no significant effect of fat30% on HGP or HISI. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term overfeeding with fructose or glucose decreases hepatic insulin sensitivity and increases hepatic fat content. This indicates short-term regulation of hepatic glucose metabolism by simple carbohydrates.

Ruling out coronary heart disease in primary care: external validation of a clinical prediction rule.

BACKGROUND: The Marburg Heart Score (MHS) aims to assist GPs in safely ruling out coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients presenting with chest pain, and to guide management decisions. AIM: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the MHS in an independent sample and to evaluate the generalisability to new patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional diagnostic study with delayed-type reference standard in general practice in Hesse, Germany. METHOD: Fifty-six German GPs recruited 844 males and females aged ≥ 35 years, presenting between July 2009 and February 2010 with chest pain. Baseline data included the items of the MHS. Data on the subsequent course of chest pain, investigations, hospitalisations, and medication were collected over 6 months and were reviewed by an independent expert panel. CHD was the reference condition. Measures of diagnostic accuracy included the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and predictive values. RESULTS: The AUC was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.80 to 0.88). For a cut-off value of 3, the MHS showed a sensitivity of 89.1% (95% CI = 81.1% to 94.0%), a specificity of 63.5% (95% CI = 60.0% to 66.9%), a positive predictive value of 23.3% (95% CI = 19.2% to 28.0%), and a negative predictive value of 97.9% (95% CI = 96.2% to 98.9%). CONCLUSION: Considering the diagnostic accuracy of the MHS, its generalisability, and ease of application, its use in clinical practice is recommended.

Using toxicokinetic modeling approach to determine biological reference values (BRVs) and to assess human exposure to pesticides

Exposure to various pesticides has been characterized in workers and the general population, but interpretation and assessment of biomonitoring data from a health risk perspective remains an issue. For workers, a Biological Exposure Index (BEI®) has been proposed for some substances, but most BEIs are based on urinary biomarker concentrations at Threshold Limit Value - Time Weighted Average (TLV-TWA) airborne exposure while occupational exposure can potentially occurs through multiple routes, particularly by skin contact (i.e.captan, chlorpyrifos, malathion). Similarly, several biomonitoring studies have been conducted to assess environmental exposure to pesticides in different populations, but dose estimates or health risks related to these environmental exposures (mainly through the diet), were rarely characterized. Recently, biological reference values (BRVs) in the form of urinary pesticide metabolites have been proposed for both occupationally exposed workers and children. These BRVs were established using toxicokinetic models developed for each substance, and correspond to safe levels of absorption in humans, regardless of the exposure scenario. The purpose of this chapter is to present a review of a toxicokinetic modeling approach used to determine biological reference values. These are then used to facilitate health risk assessments and decision-making on occupational and environmental pesticide exposures. Such models have the ability to link absorbed dose of the parent compound to exposure biomarkers and critical biological effects. To obtain the safest BRVs for the studied population, simulations of exposure scenarios were performed using a conservative reference dose such as a no-observed-effect level (NOEL). The various examples discussed in this chapter show the importance of knowledge on urine collections (i.e. spot samples and complete 8-h, 12-h or 24-h collections), sampling strategies, metabolism, relative proportions of the different metabolites in urine, absorption fraction, route of exposure and background contribution of prior exposures. They also show that relying on urinary measurements of specific metabolites appears more accurate when applying this approach to the case of occupational exposures. Conversely, relying on semi-specific metabolites (metabolites common to a category of pesticides) appears more accurate for the health risk assessment of environmental exposures given that the precise pesticides to which subjects are exposed are often unknown. In conclusion, the modeling approach to define BRVs for the relevant pesticides may be useful for public health authorities for managing issues related to health risks resulting from environmental and occupational exposures to pesticides.

Snowmobile Reference Guide, 2013

This booklet contains rules and regulations most likely needed for motorized recreational use in Iowa. However, it is not a complete list of all regulations or laws, nor is it a legal document. For more information, please reference Iowa Code Chapters 321 and 321G and Iowa Administrative Code, Chapter 571.

Off-Highway Vehicle Reference Guide, 2012

This booklet contains rules and regulations most likely needed for motorized recreational use in Iowa. However, it is not a complete list of all regulations or laws, nor is it a legal document. For more information, please reference Iowa Code Chapters 321 and 321G and Iowa Administrative Code, Chapter 571.

Phosphorus in Finnish soils in the 1900s with particular reference to the acid ammonium acetate soil test

Selostus: Suomen maaperän fosforin tutkiminen 1900-luvulla ja viljavuustutkimuksen kehittäminen

Flood of May 19, 1990, Along Perry Creek in Plymouth and Woodbury Counties, Iowa, HR-140, 1996

A water-surface-elevation profile and peak discharges for the flood of May 19, 1990, along Perry Creek in Plymouth and Woodbury Counties, Iowa, are presented in this report. The peak discharge for the May 19, 1990, flood on Perry Creek at 38th Street, Sioux City (06600000) is the second largest flood-peak discharge recorded at the streamflow-gaging station for the period 1939-95. The peak discharge for May 19, 1990, of 8,670 cubic feet per second, is approximately equal to the 35-year recurrence-interval discharge. The report provides information on flood stages and discharges and floodflow frequencies for streamflow- gaging stations in the Perry Creek Basin using flood information collected during 1939-95. Information on temporary bench marks and reference points established in the Perry Creek Basin during 1990-93 is also included in the report. A flood history describes rainfall conditions for the three largest floods that occurred during 1939-95 (July 1944, September 1949, and May 1990).

Floods of July 19-25, 1999, in the Wapsipinicon and Cedar River Basins, Northeast Iowa, HR-140

Severe flooding occurred during July 19-25, 1999, in the Wapsipinicon and Cedar River Basins following two thunderstorms over northeast Iowa. During July 18-19, as much as 6 inches ofrainfall was centered over Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Mitchell, and Worth Counties. During July 20-21, a second storm occurred in which an additional rainfall of as much as 8 inches was centered over Chickasaw and Floyd Counties. The cumulative effect of the storms produced floods with new maximum peak discharges at the following streamflow-gaging stations: Wapsipinicon River near Tripoli, 19,400 cubic feet per second; Cedar River at Charles City, 31,200 cubic feet per second (recurrence interval about 90 years); Cedar River at Janesville, 42,200 cubic feet per second (recurrence interval about 80 years); and Flood Creek near Powersville, 19,000 cubic feet per second. Profiles of flood elevations for the July 1999 flood are presented in this report for selected reaches along the Wapsipinicon, Cedar, and Shell Rock Rivers and along Flood Creek. Information about the river basins, rain storms, and flooding are presented along with information on temporary bench marks and reference points in the Wapsipinicon and Cedar River Basins.

Performance of a chromatographic procedure used in the certification of reference material for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sewage sludge

Semi-automatic capillary gas chromatographic method with classical flame ionization detection, which satisfies the conditions for required performance and gave acceptable results within the framework of an interlaboratory certification programme for PAHs in sewage sludge, is described. The interesting feature of the procedure is that it incorporates automatic operations such as sample fractionation by semi-preparative HPLC, fraction collection at signal level recognition and evaporation under nitrogen flow. Multiple injections in the GC capillary column are performed in the on-column mode via an autosampler with temperature-programmable injector. Automatic data acquisition and chromatogram treatment are made via computer software. This partially automatic procedure releases personnel from tedious and time-consuming tasks and its robust character was validated through the certification of reference material for PAHs in sewage sludge, demonstrating its reliable performance.

Determinants of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus native bone and joint infection treatment failure: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) native bone and joint infection (BJI) constitutes the more frequent clinical entity of BJI, prognostic studies mostly focused on methicillin-resistant S. aureus prosthetic joint infection. We aimed to assess the determinants of native MSSA BJI outcomes. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study (2001-2011) of patients admitted in a reference hospital centre for native MSSA BJI. Treatment failure determinants were assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients (42 males [63.6%]; median age 61.2 years; interquartile range [IQR] 45.9-71.9) presented an acute (n = 38; 57.6%) or chronic (n = 28; 42.4%) native MSSA arthritis (n = 15; 22.7%), osteomyelitis (n = 19; 28.8%) or spondylodiscitis (n = 32; 48.5%), considered as "difficult-to-treat" in 61 cases (92.4%). All received a prolonged (27.1 weeks; IQR, 16.9-36.1) combined antimicrobial therapy, after surgical management in 37 cases (56.1%). Sixteen treatment failures (24.2%) were observed during a median follow-up period of 63.3 weeks (IQR, 44.7-103.1), including 13 persisting infections, 1 relapse after treatment disruption, and 2 super-infections. Independent determinants of treatment failure were the existence of a sinus tract (odds ratio [OR], 5.300; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.166-24.103) and a prolonged delay to infectious disease specialist referral (OR, 1.134; 95% CI 1.013-1.271). CONCLUSIONS: The important treatment failure rate pinpointed the difficulty of cure encountered in complicated native MSSA BJI. An early infectious disease specialist referral is essential, especially in debilitated patients or in presence of sinus tract.