42 research outputs found
Conventional and novel treatments for control of clubroot disease of brassicas
No full textThe aim of this project was to develop treatments that would be able to reduce the
survival of clubroot spores in field soil and protect the roots of young transplants against
infection. The project focused on using combinations of treatments which integrate novel
and existing controls with emphasis placed on the sustainable use of waste materials,
plant materials and bioactives. A wide range of treatments were screened individually
and in combination under glasshouse and field conditions, e.g. fungicides, nutritional
amendments, companion planting, plant saponins and biocontrol agents.
Many of these treatments were able to reduce clubroot severity to varying degrees.
Glasshouse treatments were more successful at controlling disease than those applied in
the field. The most effective treatments - when applied correctly - contained calcium,
e.g. lime as calcium oxide or LimeX (a by-product of the sugarbeet processing industry),
and crushed scallop and whelk shells (a by-product of the fishing industry). Whilst the
effects of calcium and pH on clubroot are not new, growers need to think more in terms
of dose of calcium applied in the field rather than just pH, and also, the time of addition
of lime to soil before planting needs serious consideration as it may be optimal to apply
lime less than two weeks before transplanting.
Experimental results have shown that soil microflora plays a major role in the
development of clubroot disease and that the membrane potential of growing roots may
be one of the most important factors in preventing P. brassicae from entering plant roots
and causing disease due to the effect that calcium and pH have on clubroot control. The
experiments have also shown that there are interactions between treatments such as
fungicides, limes, soil nutritional level and soil microflora at controlling disease and
some treatments may reduce the effectiveness of other treatments at controlling disease.
Another factor that is known to affect the effectiveness of treatments at controlling
clubroot is the initial spore load in the soil. Therefore, an additional aim of the project
was to develop a rapid, quantitative PCR based diagnostic test that could measure the level of clubroot spores directly from soil. Plasmodiophora brassicae DNA was
successfully extracted and amplified from artificially inoculated soils and from naturally
infested field soils using real-time PCR with selected sets of primers and probes. Many
different types of soil DNA extraction methods were tested and standard curves relating
to different levels of spore inoculum were created.
This project has generated useful information as to why there are contradictory results in
clubroot research about the effect of various treatments at controlling clubroot. This
information may also be the basis of practical advice to brassica growers on best practices
to use to achieve optimal clubroot control in the field. Options in relation to new
sustainable control treatments are discussed in the light of the results from both
glasshouse and field experiments. These involve planting brassicas on raised beds and
applying treatments strategically around the root zone. LimeX 70 or powdered calcium
oxide were demonstrated to be the most optimal lime treatments for control, and a split
application of Perlka (granular calcium cyanamide) may prove to be a consistently
effective method for controlling clubroot
Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in rectal cancer operated for cure
No full textBACKGROUND:
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the Western world. Apart from surgery - which remains the mainstay of treatment for resectable primary tumours - postoperative (i.e., adjuvant) chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based regimens is now the standard treatment in Dukes' C (TNM stage III) colon tumours i.e. tumours with metastases in the regional lymph nodes but no distant metastases. In contrast, the evidence for recommendations of adjuvant therapy in rectal cancer is sparse. In Europe it is generally acknowledged that locally advanced rectal tumours receive preoperative (i.e., neoadjuvant) downstaging by radiotherapy (or chemoradiotion), whereas in the US postoperative chemoradiotion is considered the treatment of choice in all Dukes' C rectal cancers. Overall, no universal consensus exists on the adjuvant treatment of surgically resectable rectal carcinoma; moreover, no formal systematic review and meta-analysis has been so far performed on this subject.
OBJECTIVES:
We undertook a systematic review of the scientific literature from 1975 until March 2011 in order to quantitatively summarize the available evidence regarding the impact of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on the survival of patients with surgically resectable rectal cancer. The outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).
SEARCH METHODS:
CCCG standard search strategy in defined databases with the following supplementary search. 1. Rect* or colorect* - 2. Cancer or carcinom* or adenocarc* or neoplasm* or tumour - 3. Adjuv* - 4. Chemother* - 5. Postoper*
SELECTION CRITERIA:
Randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing patients undergoing surgery for rectal cancer who received no adjuvant chemotherapy with those receiving any postoperative chemotherapy regimen.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:
Two authors extracted data and a third author performed an independent search for verification. The main outcome measure was the hazard ratio (HR) between the risk of event between the treatment arm (adjuvant chemotherapy) and the control arm (no adjuvant chemotherapy). The survival data were either entered directly in RevMan or extrapolated from Kaplan-Meier plots and then entered in RevMan. Due to expected clinical heterogeneity a random effects model was used for creating the pooled estimates of treatment efficacy.
MAIN RESULTS:
A total of 21 eligible RCTs were identified and used for meta-analysis purposes. Overall, 16,215 patients with colorectal cancer were enrolled, 9,785 being affected with rectal carcinoma. Considering patients with rectal cancer only, 4,854 cases were randomized to receive potentially curative surgery of the primary tumour plus adjuvant chemotherapy and 4,367 to receive surgery plus observation. The mean number of patients enrolled was 466 (range: 54-1,243 cases). 11 RCTs had been performed in Western countries and 10 in Japan. All trials used fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy (no modern drugs - such as oxaliplatin, irinotecan or biological agents - were tested).Overall survival (OS) data were available in 21 RCTs and the data available for meta-analysis regarded 9,221 patients: of these, 4854 patients were randomized to adjuvant chemotherapy (treatment arm) and 4,367 patients did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (control arm). The meta-analysis of these RCTs showed a significant reduction in the risk of death (17%) among patients undergoing postoperative chemotherapy as compared to those undergoing observation (HR=0.83, CI: 0.76-0.91). Between-study heterogeneity was moderate (I-squared=30%) but significant (P=0.09) at the 10% alpha level.Disease-free survival (DFS) data were reported in 20 RCTs, and the data suitable for meta-analysis included 8,530 patients. Of these, 4,515 patients were randomized to postoperative chemotherapy (treatment arm) and 4,015 patients received no postoperative chemotherapy (control arm). The meta-analysis of these RCTs showed a reduction in the risk of disease recurrence (25%) among patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy as compared to those undergoing observation (HR=0.75, CI: 0.68-0.83). Between-study heterogeneity was moderate (I-squared=41%) but significant (P=0.03).While analyzing both OS and DFS data, sensitivity analyses did not find any difference in treatment effect based on trial sample size or geographical region (Western vs Japanese). Available data were insufficient to investigate on the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy separately in different TNM stages in terms of both OS and DFS. No plausible source of heterogeneity was formally identified, although variability in treatment regimens and TNM stages of enrolled patients might have played a significant role in the difference of reported results.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS:
The results of this meta-analysis support the use of 5-FU based postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for patients undergoing apparently radical surgery for non-metastatic rectal carcinoma. Available data do not allow us to define whether the efficacy of this treatment is highest in one specific TNM stage. The implementation of modern anti-cancer agents in the adjuvant setting is warranted to improve the results shown by this meta-analysis. Randomized trials of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients receiving preoperative neoadjuvant therapy are also needed in order to define the role of postoperative chemotherapy in the multimodal treatment of resectable rectal cancer
HETEROLOGOUS EXPRESSION OF A CHITINASE GENE FROM AEROMONAS CAVIAEIN PSEUDOMONAS FLUORESCENS
No full textA transcriptional fusion for an Aeromonas caviae chitinase gene was constructed under the control of a constitutive promoter of the kanaraycin resistance gene (PKmR). The construct was inserted into a medium copy number broad host range plasmid vector to yield recombinant plasmid pAM340, which harbored transcriptional fusion PKmR- chi. Another transcriptional fusion, Ptac-chi, in a recombinant plasmid pAM630, was conducted as comparison. Triparental mating of E. coli carrying the recombinant plasmids with Pseudomotws fluorescens 5100, a phyllosphere bacterium, was performed. Pseudomonas fluorescens 5100 exconjugants were examined for constitutive expression of chitinase employing a spectrophotometric assay; they showed stronger chitin degradation activity than Escherichia coli transformants. Using a fungal antagonism plate assay, this chitinolytic P. fluorescens, however, could not inhibit selected phytopathogenic fungi. Keywords:   Aeromonas  caviae/ chitinase  gene/transcriptional  fusion/PKm\u27V  Vtac-chilPseudomonas fluorescen
A biography of John Eliot, 1604-1690
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityPLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at [email protected]. Thank you.The objective of this dissertation is to re-create, as thoroughly as possible, the life of John Eliot, 1604-1690. To accomplish this end, the author has used an historical and descriptive method.
The author began by gathering all the available material he could find which had direct bearing on the preacher's life. These materials were then critically evaluated in the light of scholarly knowledge of New England Puritanism. The result is an essay designed to reveal in an original manner the life of the "Apostle to the Indians," and the "Saint of the New England Way," within his historic, political, and social setting.
EARLY LIFE: John Eliot was the son of Bennett Eliot and Lettese Agar. He was baptized on August 24, 1604, in Nazing, England. He grew up in the villages of East Anglia. English Puritanism was vibrant during this period, and Eliot was strongly influenced by Puritan thinking. In 1630, Eliot migrated to Massachusetts.
THE THEOLOGICAL CLIMATE IN MASSACHUSETTS: The covenant or federalist theology was the dominating force in Puritan Massachusetts. This theology was so forceful that it intimately influenced the whole social, political, and ecclesiastical structure of the Bay Colony. The church polity of the covenant contained the leaven of democracy with its provision for voting and discussion amongst church members. Church and state were mutually supportive, but not in unity.
ELIOT AS TEACHER AND PASTOR: In 1632, John Eliot was ordained a teacher in the First Church, Roxbury, "to teach Doctrine & therein to Administer a word of knowledge." The young Puritants vigorous ascetic tendencies adapted him well to his role. John Eliot helped guide the church during the dangerous times of the balky Roger Williams and the winsome Anne Hutchinson. He was one of the leaders at all of the early synods that helped to farm Congregational polity. At these synods, he was deeply involved in the Half-Way Covenant controversy.
ELIOT'S EFFORTS FOR THE INDIANS: Eliot did his best to convert the Indians by making them conform to English patterns of life. He preached to them in their own tongue. He encouraged Indian publications, Indian towns, and Indian churches. The greatest single monument to Eliotts life was the translation of the Bible into Algonquin. The Bible was dedicated and presented to Charles II in 1664.
Eliot's sacred, dedicated mission was a failure. War, vice, drunkenness, and disease hastened the demise of the Massachusetts Indians. Why did he fail? Probably because he was more concerned for the Indians(1) sinful condition than he was interested in the Indians(1) culture. The integrative nature of his theology forced him to look at the Indian in terms of himself. He tried to offer the Indian a religion, ideal and experience that he believed he had achieved for himself. He was only able to see the savage Indian world in terms of the civilized Puritan Reality.
ELIOTIS OTHER LABORS: Eliot labored in a wide range of early Massachusetts life. For nearly sixty years he served a growing parish. He was their sole clergyman from 1642-1650, and 1674-1689. He served as "overseer" at Harvard College from 1642-1685. He established fourteen Indian towns, the Roxbury Latin School, and the Eliot School, Jamaica Plain. He printed fifteen Indian translations, including two entire editions of the Bible. He was the first to request funds for a college in North America. He was an editor of the first book printed in North America, The Bay Psalm Book.
ELIOT'S LAST YEARS: Eliot's old age was mostly spent alone. He had buried his supportive wife and his five exemplary sons, three of whom were devoted to religious work. Only a daughter survived him. He watched the decline of the churches and the Indian mission. He saw the tyranny of Andros descend upon the colony and then lift again after the victory of William of Orange. A moment before death, at the age of eighty-six, he is recorded to have said, "Welcome joy!" He was not afraid to die. But the Massachusetts Indians had lost a great champion.2999-01-0
Customer feedback systems in tourism : a study of interdependent services of German travel agencies, tour operations and airlines
No full textA high level of service quality is being widely acknowledged among German tourism marketers as the strategy to survive in an increasingly competitive market. In tourism many independent suppliers contribute to the tourist experience. This concept is critical to the industry as poor performance within one sector may result in low tourist satisfaction and subsequently reflect poor on all providers.
Customer feedback systems have the potential to help management identify customers' expectations and causes of (dis)satisfaction in order to then communicate necessary service improvements back to the employees. Little knowledge exists how feedback systems can be applied to tourism systems. This exploratory study focuses on interdependent services of travel agents, tour operators and airlines. It investigates on the current extent of customer feedback systems in each sectors as well as the feedback information exchange between the three organisation types. Furthermore, it aims to identify barriers and improvement potential of such cooperation.
Results indicate that all organisations collect information. However, feedback systems as proposed in the literature exists in only a few companies. Most organisations do not use a combination of different feedback methods. They also lack communication channels/ procedures to implement improvement needs into the service delivery process. The researcher argues that such feedback information systems are not effective tools to increase an organisation's service quality. Findings further suggest that no established cooperation in terms of customer feedback information exists between the organisations.
The researcher recommends that, prior to investing in data collection methods, management should focus on the implementation of communication systems throughout the whole organisation using improvement procedures and employee research. The author suggests how the three organisation types can collect feedback information more effectively. Cooperative feedback systems should be established in a step-by-step approach. It is recommended to start with information exchange about current feedback systems and cooperative research on inter-organisational processes
Academic Perspectives on Agribusiness: An International Survey
No full textThe IFAMR is published by (IFAMA) the International Food and Agribusiness Management Review. www.ifama.orgpromotion and tenure, agribusiness, teaching, grantsmanship, research, Agribusiness, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Productivity Analysis, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, Q130,
Modulation of elastin by monocytes and their secretions
No full textPLEASE NOTE: This work is protected by copyright. Downloading is restricted to the BU community: please log in with a valid BU account to access and click Download. If you are the author of this work and would like to make it publicly available, please contact [email protected] (M.Sc.D.)--Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry, 1994.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-45)Monocytes are functionally diverse cells that have the capacity to secrete several biologically active molecules that modulate the metabolism of other cell types. To determine the influence of monocyte secreted proteins or live monocytes on the metabolism of cultured smooth muscle cells, a sequence of experiments was designed. Monocyte conditioned medium (MCM) or freshly isolated monocytes were added to smooth muscle cell cultures of various ages. The focus of these studies was the extracellular matrix. Treatment of smooth muscle cell culture with MCM drastically decreased the elastin accumulation in the extracellular matrix. The decrease did not appear until the second or third week after the initial exposure of the cultures when compared to untreated smooth muscle cell cultures, was both dose and time dependent. Live monocytes, when freshly plated onto the smooth muscle cells were active in the solubilization of the existing matrix. Conditioned medium reduced the elastin to a greater extent than live cells under several experimental conditions, suggesting labile inhibitors might be closely associated with the phagocytes. These results show that exposure of the smooth muscle cells to monocyte products reduces the amount of elastin accumulation in the matrix. The mechanism responsible for this novel observation is unknown
Addressing negative attitudes, developing knowledge: the design and evaluation of a bespoke substance misuse module.
No full textRecent calls for the inclusion of substance misuse into social work curricula appear to have been met with a piecemeal and rather sporadic approach from many Higher Education establishments. The research described in this article set out to determine if a bespoke module, delivered to a group of social work students (n=57), might influence their attitudes and values towards substance misuse and working with substance misusers. A mixed methods approach was used, employing an attitudinal Likert scale and a series of semi-structured interviews (n=10). Analysis of the quantitative data indicated that there was no significant change in the students’ established attitudes over the course of the module, but there was a substantial increase in the number of students (35%) who agreed with the Likert statement ‘working with drug users is a rewarding role’. The qualitative element of the research suggested that students felt more prepared for working with substance misusers and had increased their level of substance misuse knowledge since starting training. Whilst it is prudent to remain cautious when reporting the findings of a small scale research study, the results of the study support the effectiveness of the bespoke module in preparing the students to work with substance users/misusers.Recent calls for the inclusion of substance misuse into social work curricula appear to have been met with a piecemeal and rather sporadic approach from many Higher Education establishments.
The research described in this article set out to determine if a bespoke module, delivered to a group of social work students (n=57), might influence their attitudes and values towards substance misuse and working with substance misusers. A mixed methods approach was used, employing an attitudinal Likert scale and a series of semi-structured interviews (n=10). Analysis of the quantitative data indicated that there was no significant change in the students’ established attitudes over the course of the module, but there was a substantial increase in the number of students (35%) who agreed with the Likert statement ‘working with drug users is a rewarding role’. The qualitative element of the research suggested that students felt more prepared for working with substance misusers and had increased their level of substance misuse knowledge since starting training.
Whilst it is prudent to remain cautious when reporting the findings of a small scale research study, the results of the study support the effectiveness of the bespoke module in preparing the students to work with substance users/misusers
Survival and Epiphytic Fitness of a Nonpathogenic Mutant of <i>Xanthomonas campestris</i> pv. Glycines
No full textABSTRACT
Xanthomonas campestris
pv. glycines is the causal agent of bacterial pustule disease of soybeans. The objective of this work was to construct a nonpathogenic mutant derived from the pathogenic wild-type strain YR32 and to evaluate its effectiveness in preventing growth of its parent on the soybean phyllosphere. A mini-Tn
5
-derived transposon was used to generate nonpathogenic mutants. Southern hybridization and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis confirmed the presence of a single transposon in each of the nonpathogenic mutants. One of the nonpathogenic mutants, M715, failed to induce a hypersensitive response in tomato leaves. An ice nucleation gene (
inaZ
) carried in pJL1703 was introduced into strain YR32 as a reporter gene to demonstrate that the presence of M715 could reduce colonization of the soybean phyllosphere by YR32. de Wit serial replacement analysis showed that M715 competed equally with its wild-type parental strain, YR32. Epiphytic fitness analysis of YR32 in the greenhouse indicated that the population dynamics of strains YR32, YR32(pJL1703), and M715 were similar, although the density of the mutant was slightly less than that of its parent. The M715 mutant was able to survive for 16 days after inoculation on soybean leaves and maintained population densities of approximately 10
4
to 10
5
cells g (fresh weight) of leaf
−1
. Therefore, M715 shows promise as an effective biocontrol agent for bacterial pustule disease in soybeans.
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Clinical deterioration during antituberculosis treatment in a high HIV-1 prevalence setting
No full text
