Phosphorus rates on yield and quality of lettuce seeds.

Because of lack of information about phosphorus fertilization in lettuce from the standpoint of seed production, this study was undertaken. The work was carried out in Botucatu, São Paulo state, Brazil, from September 25, 2003 to February 19, 2004, in order to study the influence of crescents phosphorus rates on yield and quality of lettuce seeds, cultivar Verônica. The experimental design was randomized blocks with five treatments (0; 200; 400; 600 and 800 kg ha-1 of P2O5) and five replications. The following characteristics were evaluated: seed production per plant (g plant-1), number of seeds per plant and quality (percentage of germination and seed vigor). A linear increasing was observed on production and number of seeds per plant of lettuce with phosphorus rates, but these rates did not affect the seed physiological quality evaluated on weight of 1,000 seeds (average = 0.91 g), first count of germination (98%), standard germination test (99%), seed germination speed index (68.5), seedling emergence speed index (97.0) and emerged seedlings (49.3%)

Non-ventilated prone positioning in the COVID-19 population

In the population of confirmed COVID-19 positive patients on a telemetry unit, will proning every 2 hours result in a decreased length of stay for the intervention group (patients that prone) as opposed to the control group (patients that receive standard of care) over a period of 9 months (2021-2022)

A Built-In Mechanism to Mitigate the Spread of Insect-Resistance and Herbicide-Tolerance Transgenes into Weedy Rice Populations

BACKGROUND: The major challenge of cultivating genetically modified (GM) rice (Oryza sativa) at the commercial scale is to prevent the spread of transgenes from GM cultivated rice to its coexisting weedy rice (O. sativa f. spontanea). The strategic development of GM rice with a built-in control mechanism can mitigate transgene spread in weedy rice populations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An RNAi cassette suppressing the expression of the bentazon detoxifying enzyme CYP81A6 was constructed into the T-DNA which contained two tightly linked transgenes expressing the Bt insecticidal protein Cry1Ab and the glyphosate tolerant 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), respectively. GM rice plants developed from this T-DNA were resistant to lepidopteran pests and tolerant to glyphosate, but sensitive to bentazon. The application of bentazon of 2000 mg/L at the rate of 40 mL/m(2), which is approximately the recommended dose for the field application to control common rice weeds, killed all F(2) plants containing the transgenes generated from the Crop-weed hybrids between a GM rice line (CGH-13) and two weedy rice strains (PI-63 and PI-1401). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Weedy rice plants containing transgenes from GM rice through gene flow can be selectively killed by the spray of bentazon when a non-GM rice variety is cultivated alternately in a few-year interval. The built-in control mechanism in combination of cropping management is likely to mitigate the spread of transgenes into weedy rice populations

Guideline adherence for early breast cancer before and after introduction of the sentinel node biopsy

This population-based study aimed to analyse variations in surgical treatment and guideline compliance with respect to the application of radiotherapy and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), for early breast cancer, before and after the sentinel node biopsy (SNB) introduction. The study included 13 532 consecutive surgically treated stage I–IIIA breast cancer patients diagnosed in 1989–2002. Hospitals showed large variation in breast-conserving surgery (BCS) rates, ranging between 27 and 72% for T1 and 14 and 42% for T2 tumours. In multivariate analysis marked inter-hospital and time-dependent variation in the BCS rate remained after correction for case-mix. The guideline adherence was markedly lower for elderly patients. In 25.2% of the patients aged ⩾75 years either ALND or radiotherapy were omitted. The proportion of patients with no ALND after an SNB increased from 1.8% in 1999 to 37.8% in 2002. However, in 2002 also 12.2% of the patients with a positive SNB did not have an ALND. Guideline compliance for BCS, with respect to radiotherapy and ALND, fell since the SNB introduction, from 96.1% before 2000 to 91.4% in 2002 (P<0.001). Noncompliance may however reflect patient-tailored medicine, as for elderly patients with small, radically resected primary tumours. The considerable variation in BCS-rates is more consistent with variations in surgeon preferences than patient's choice

Recent and Projected Increases in Atmospheric CO2 Concentration Can Enhance Gene Flow between Wild and Genetically Altered Rice (Oryza sativa)

Although recent and projected increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide can alter plant phenological development, these changes have not been quantified in terms of floral outcrossing rates or gene transfer. Could differential phenological development in response to rising CO2 between genetically modified crops and wild, weedy relatives increase the spread of novel genes, potentially altering evolutionary fitness? Here we show that increasing CO2 from an early 20th century concentration (300 µmol mol−1) to current (400 µmol mol−1) and projected, mid-21st century (600 µmol mol−1) values, enhanced the flow of genes from wild, weedy rice to the genetically altered, herbicide resistant, cultivated population, with outcrossing increasing from 0.22% to 0.71% from 300 to 600 µmol mol−1. The increase in outcrossing and gene transfer was associated with differential increases in plant height, as well as greater tiller and panicle production in the wild, relative to the cultivated population. In addition, increasing CO2 also resulted in a greater synchronicity in flowering times between the two populations. The observed changes reported here resulted in a subsequent increase in rice dedomestication and a greater number of weedy, herbicide-resistant hybrid progeny. Overall, these data suggest that differential phenological responses to rising atmospheric CO2 could result in enhanced flow of novel genes and greater success of feral plant species in agroecosystems

Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for nonmetastatic breast cancer in Canada, and their associated costs

In an era of fiscal restraint, it is important to evaluate the resources required to diagnose and treat serious illnesses. As breast cancer is the major malignancy affecting Canadian women, Statistics Canada has analysed the resources required to manage this disease in Canada, and the associated costs. Here we report the cost of initial diagnosis and treatment of nonmetastatic breast cancer, including adjuvant therapies. Treatment algorithms for Stages I, II, and III of the disease were derived by age group (< 50 or ≥ 50 years old), principally from Canadian cancer registry data, supplemented, where necessary, by the results of surveys of Canadian oncologists. Data were obtained on breast cancer incidence by age, diagnostic work-up, stage at diagnosis, initial treatment, follow-up practice, duration of hospitalization and direct care costs. The direct health care costs associated with ‘standard’ diagnostic and therapeutic approaches were calculated for a cohort of 17 700 Canadian women diagnosed in 1995. Early stage (Stages I and II) breast cancer represented 87% of all incident cases, with 77% of cases occurring in women ≥ 50 years. Variations were noted in the rate of partial vs total mastectomy, according to stage and age group. Direct costs for diagnosis and initial treatment ranged from $8014 for Stage II women ≥ 50 years old, to$10 897 for Stage III women < 50 years old. Except for Stage III women < 50 years old, the largest expenditure was for hospitalization for surgery, followed by radiotherapy costs. Chemotherapy was the largest cost component for Stage III women < 50 years old. This report describes the cost of diagnosis and initial treatment of nonmetastatic breast cancer in Canada, assuming current practice patterns. A second report will describe the lifetime costs of treating all stages of breast cancer. These data will then be incorporated into Statistics Canada's Population Health Model (POHEM) to perform cost-effectiveness studies of new therapeutic interventions for breast cancer, such as the cost-effectiveness of day surgery, or of radiotherapy to all breast cancer patients undergoing breast surgery. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Influencia de doses de potássio nos teores de macronutrientes em plantas e sementes de alface

Avaliou-se a influência de doses de potássio aplicadas em cobertura nos teores de nutrientes em plantas de alface cultivada para produção de sementes. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi blocos casualizados, com cinco tratamentos (0,0; 1,0; 1,5; 2,0 e 2,5 g planta-1 de K2O) e seis repetições. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e à análise de regressão. Somente os teores de potássio e magnésio determinados na matéria seca da parte aérea das plantas foram influenciados significativamente pelas doses de potássio testadas, em que para o teor de potássio ocorreu aumento linear e para o de magnésio houve redução também linear. Conclui-se que os tratamentos testados não interferiram de forma significativa nos teores de macronutrientes das sementes, apesar de ter modificado os teores de potássio e de magnésio na matéria seca da parte aérea das plantas de alface, cultivar Verônica.The influence of potassium rates applied in side dressing was evaluated on the nutrient content of lettuce plants cultivated for seed production. The experiment was carried out in randomized complete blocks, with five treatments (0.0; 1.0; 1.5; 2.0 and 2.5 g plant-1 of K2O) and six replications. Only the potassium and the magnesium content in the dry matter of the plant aboveground part was affected by the treatments. The potassium content increased and the magnesium content decreased, both linearly, as an effect of the application of increasing potassium rates. Also, despite of the effect on the plant potassium content, the treatments did not affect the seed macronutrient content