Chronic convection-enhanced delivery of topotecan for patients with recurrent glioblastoma: a first-in-patient, single-centre, single-arm, phase 1b trial.

Background: Topotecan is cytotoxic to glioma cells but is clinically ineffective because of drug delivery limitations. Systemic delivery is limited by toxicity and insufficient brain penetrance, and, to date, convection-enhanced delivery (CED) has been restricted to a single treatment of restricted duration. To address this problem, we engineered a subcutaneously implanted catheter-pump system capable of repeated, chronic (prolonged, pulsatile) CED of topotecan into the brain and tested its safety and biological effects in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

Interventions to prevent spontaneous preterm birth in women with singleton pregnancy who are at high risk: systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of bed rest, cervical cerclage (McDonald, Shirodkar, or unspecified type of cerclage), cervical pessary, fish oils or omega fatty acids, nutritional supplements (zinc), progesterone (intramuscular, oral, or vaginal), prophylactic antibiotics, prophylactic tocolytics, combinations of interventions, placebo or no treatment (control) to prevent spontaneous preterm birth in women with a singleton pregnancy and a history of spontaneous preterm birth or short cervical length.

Design: Systematic review with bayesian network meta-analysis.

Data Sources: The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Database of Trials, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, relevant journals, conference proceedings, and registries of ongoing trials.

Seasonal Variation in Sediment and Phosphorus Yields in Four Wisconsin Agricultural Watersheds.

Agricultural water quality projects in two distinct topographic regions in Wisconsin collected 5 to 10 yr of continuous stream discharge, suspended sediment (SS), total P (TP), and total dissolved P (TDP) in four watersheds (2100-5000 ha) from 2006 to 2016. Previous agricultural nonpoint SS and TP reduction efforts in two of these watersheds documented cold versus warm season differences in water quality response. The goal of this study was to identify seasonal partitioning of SS, TP, and TDP in storm event loads to inform stream water quality protection efforts.

Dynamics of Measured and Simulated Dissolved Phosphorus in Runoff from Winter-Applied Dairy Manure.

Agricultural P loss from fields is an issue due to water quality degradation. Better information is needed on the P loss in runoff from dairy manure applied in winter and the ability to reliably simulate P loss by computer models. We monitored P in runoff during two winters from chisel-tilled and no-till field plots that had liquid dairy manure applied in December or January.

Fall Tillage Reduced Nutrient Loads from Liquid Manure Application during the Freezing Season.

Reducing agricultural runoff is important year round, particularly on landscapes that receive wintertime applications of manure. No-tillage systems are typically associated with reduced runoff loads during the growing season, but surface roughness from fall tillage may aid infiltration on frozen soils by providing surface depressional storage. The timing of winter manure applications may also affect runoff, depending on snow and soil frost conditions.

Temperature and Manure Placement in a Snowpack Affect Nutrient Release from Dairy Manure during Snowmelt.

Agricultural nutrient management is an issue due to N and P losses from fields and water quality degradation. Better information is needed on the risk of nutrient loss in runoff from dairy manure applied in winter. We investigated the effect of temperature on nutrient release from liquid and semisolid manure to water, and of manure quantity and placement within a snowpack on nutrient release to melting snow.

Quantifying the Impact of Seasonal and Short-term Manure Application Decisions on Phosphorus Loss in Surface Runoff.

Agricultural phosphorus (P) management is a research and policy issue due to P loss from fields and water quality degradation. Better information is needed on the risk of P loss from dairy manure applied in winter or when runoff is imminent. We used the SurPhos computer model and 108 site-years of weather and runoff data to assess the impact of these two practices on dissolved P loss.

Spatially explicit methodology for coordinated manure management in shared watersheds.

Increased clustering and consolidation of livestock production systems has been linked to adverse impacts on water quality. This study presents a methodology to optimize manure management within a hydrologic region to minimize agricultural phosphorus (P) loss associated with winter manure application. Spatial and non-spatial data representing livestock, crop, soil, terrain and hydrography were compiled to determine manure P production rates, crop P uptake, existing manure storage capabilities, and transportation distances.

OUTCOME OF IMPLEMENTATION OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM APPROACH TO THE CARE OF PATIENTS AFTER TRANSSPHENOIDAL SURGERY.

Objective: Transsphenoidal surgery (TS) for sellar lesions is an established and safe procedure, but complications can occur, particularly involving the neuroendocrine system. We hypothesized that postoperative care of TS patients would be optimized when performed by a coordinated team including a pituitary neurosurgeon, endocrinologists, and a specialty nurse.

Methods: We implemented a formalized, multidisciplinary team approach and standardized postoperative protocols for the care of adult patients undergoing TS by a single surgeon (J.

Testing the Wisconsin Phosphorus Index with year-round, field-scale runoff monitoring.

The Wisconsin Phosphorus Index (WPI) is one of several P indices in the United States that use equations to describe actual P loss processes. Although for nutrient management planning the WPI is reported as a dimensionless whole number, it is calculated as average annual dissolved P (DP) and particulate P (PP) mass delivered per unit area. The WPI calculations use soil P concentration, applied manure and fertilizer P, and estimates of average annual erosion and average annual runoff.

Phosphorus indices: why we need to take stock of how we are doing.

Many states have invested significant resources to identify components of their Phosphorus (P) Index that reliably estimate the relative risk of P loss and incentivize conservation management. However, differences in management recommendations and manure application guidelines for similar field conditions among state P Indices, coupled with minimal reductions in the extent of P-impaired surface waters and soil test P (STP) levels, led the U.S.

Growing leaders in a professional membership organization.

Aims: This study describes the background, development and delivery of an innovative approach to prepare elected state association leaders for their new leadership roles in their respective state organizations.

Background: State-based professional associations face unprecedented threats to scope of practice in the current volatile healthcare environment. In 2009 the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) began offering a Leadership Development 'Boot Camp' for all nurse anesthetist state association presidents-elect designed with the intent of providing the participants with information, resources and tools they need in their new role.

A population-based study of parkinsonism in an Amish community.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with unknown cause. Genetic mutations account for a minority of cases but the role of environmental factors is unclear.

Methods: We performed a population-based screening for PD in subjects in an Amish community over age 60.

Validity and reliability of an occupational exposure questionnaire for parkinsonism in welders.

This study assessed the validity and test-retest reliability of a medical and occupational history questionnaire for workers performing welding in the shipyard industry. This self-report questionnaire was developed for an epidemiologic study of the risk of parkinsonism in welders. Validity participants recruited from three similar shipyards were asked to give consent for access to personnel files and complete the questionnaire.

The acute-phase protein serum amyloid A3 is expressed in the bovine mammary gland and plays a role in host defence.

The serum amyloid A protein is one of the major reactants in the acute-phase response. Using representational difference analysis comparing RNA from normal and involuting quarters of a dairy cow mammary gland, we found an mRNA encoding the SAA3 protein (M-SAA3). The M-SAA3 mRNA was localized to restricted populations of bovine mammary epithelial cells (MECs).

Characterization of directly transformed weedy Brassica rapa and introgressed B. rapa with Bt cry1Ac and gfp genes.

Crop to weed transgene flow, which could result in more competitive weed populations, is an agricultural biosafety concern. Crop Brassica napus to weedy Brassica rapa hybridization has been extensively characterized to better understand the transgene flow and its consequences. In this study, weedy accessions of B.

Transformation and segregation of GFP fluorescence and glyphosate resistance in horseweed (Conyza canadensis) hybrids.

The goal of this research was to generate a breeding population of horseweed segregating for glyphosate resistance. In order to generate a marker to select between hybrids of glyphosate resistant (GR) and glyphosate susceptible (GS) horseweed, a GR horseweed accession from western Tennessee was transformed with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene. The GFP marker allowed for the simple and accurate determination of GR hybrid plants by visual observation.

[18F]FDOPA PET as an endophenotype for Parkinson's Disease linkage studies.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a late onset disorder with age-dependent penetrance that may confound genetic studies, since affected individuals may not demonstrate clinical manifestations at the time of evaluation. The use of endophenotypes, biologic surrogates for clinical disease diagnoses, may permit more accurate classification of at-risk subjects. Positron emission tomography (PET) measurements of 6-[18F]fluorodopa ([18F]FDOPA) uptake indicate nigrostriatal neuronal integrity and may provide a useful endophenotype for PD linkage studies.

A rapid method for mass screening for parkinsonism.

Epidemiology studies of parkinsonism employ a variety of techniques for unbiased sampling of populations. No current method permits mass screening of all subjects in a population for parkinsonism by movement disorders specialists. We developed and piloted a new approach to facilitate accurate and efficient screening of large populations for diagnosis of parkinsonism and provide data on sensitivity and specificity.

Expression of a beta-defensin mRNA, lingual antimicrobial peptide, in bovine mammary epithelial tissue is induced by mastitis.

The expression of a beta-defensin, the lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP), in response to mastitis was investigated by real-time PCR of RNA from mastitic and control udder quarters. There was a positive relationship between somatic cell count in milk and LAP expression. In situ hybridization showed that LAP mRNA was expressed in epithelial cells of mastitic tissue.

Botulinum toxin B reduces sialorrhea in parkinsonism.

We report on our open-label experience with botulinum toxin B for the treatment of severe sialorrhea associated with parkinsonism. Nine adult patients with parkinsonism and medically intractable sialorrhea were treated with botulinum toxin B (1,000 units into each parotid gland using superficial landmarks). After treatment, patients experienced a 61% mean subjective improvement and a 42% mean reduction of quantitative saliva production.

Biogenic phosphate minerals in manure: implications for phosphorus loss to surface waters.

Phosphorus (P) is present in waterways throughout the United States at concentrations that impair water quality. Agriculture, particularly livestock production, has been identified as a major cause of this impairment Excess manure P applied to croplands has increased P losses in runoff, leading to surface water eutrophication. We conducted a long-term (36-week) incubation with poultry and dairy manures applied to a silt loam soil to elucidate mechanisms controlling manure P loss to water.