Commentary: Esophageal carcinoma confined to the wall--the need for immediate definitive therapy

Twenty-six Holstein calves with clinical and pathological effects suggesting a toxic plant intoxication were studied. A view of the plants in the region and blood examination (hemogram, albumin, total protein, calcium and phosphorus) and determination of bone calcium were done. Five calves were slaughtered and pathological examinations were performed. Observed metabolic, pathological and clinical alterations were compatible with intoxication from Cestrum diurnum.     

The control of VTEC in the animal reservoir.

A great diversity of VTECs exist but only in the case of Escherichia coli O157:H7, a common human foodborne pathogen, has sufficient research been done to allow generalizations about the ecology. The key features are as follows: lack of host specificity such that indistinguishable isolates can be found in a variety of species; near-ubiquitous distribution in cattle (and perhaps other ruminant) farms; transient residence in the gastrointestinal flora of individual animals that is not associated with clinical disease; temporal clustering at the population level such that most fecal shedding is confined to sharp bursts in a high percentage of animals separated by much longer periods of very low prevalence; a higher prevalence in young animals in comparison to older ones: a higher prevalence in animals with floral disturbance such as that caused by transit, feed changes or antimicrobial dosing; and a markedly higher prevalence during warm months. Molecular epidemiological studies of E. coli O157:H7 have demonstrated that subtypes of the organism can persist on cattle farms for years, thus supporting a conclusion that cattle farms represent a reservoir. Yet on such farms, common subtypes are often found in environmental niches and in other species of animals; thus, it is not completely clear that cattle themselves are the reservoir. New subtypes are periodically observed on particular farms, and indistinguishable subtypes can be found on farms that are separated by hundreds of kilometers even in the absence of any obvious animal movements between them. The number of subtypes found on a farm does not appear to be qualitatively correlated with cattle movements (e.g., purchases) into the farm. Commercial feeds are sometimes contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, and it seems likely that feeds represent an important route of dissemination for this agent and other VTEC. Mixed feeds collected from feeding troughs are commonly positive for E. coli O157:H7, as are cattle watering troughs, and feed and water likely represent the most common means of infection. Environmental replication in feeds and in sediments of watering troughs occurs and may account for the higher level of fecal shedding in the warm months. Since E. coli O157:H7 has been found to persist and remain infective for at least 6 months in water trough sediments, this may be an important environmental niche where the organism survives during periods when it cannot be detected in cattle, especially during cold months. Traditional means of controlling infectious agents, such as eradication or test and removal of carrier animals, do not appear to be feasible for VTECs. Nevertheless, certain farm management practices-especially those related to maintenance and multiplication of the agent in feed and water-may provide practical means to substantially reduce the prevalence of these agents in cattle on farms and in those arriving at slaughter plants.     

The PhytO3 Tech Crop Protection Technology – Trial Results in a 2,700 ha (6,500 acre) Soy Farm in Brazil

Extended field trial testing of the PhytO3 technology (applying sequentially and rapidly electrolyzed water, ozone in water, and UV-C radiation to control insects and replace chemical sprays) was conducted in Brazil on growing soy bean crops during December 2006 to March 2007. Despite the very poor growing conditions because of excessive rainfalls, the test crops all reached harvest and provided significant economic benefits to the farmer. Details of the testing program are described. In addition to eliminating the need for pesticides and insecticides, crops treated by the PhytO3 technology qualify as organic-grown crops, and therefore command about double prices on world markets.     

The search for quality: The case of planned obsolescence

Planned obsolescence involves a design plan that is intended to hasten existing products to become undesirable (not necessarily below that of competitive offerings) either functionally or psychologically and consequently to be replaced by new products. Many manufacturing companies since the last decade have adopted the policy of planned obsolescence in their products. Their main objective is to cut costs, increase profits and secure continuous consumption and production. When this policy is abused, however, so that customers are not getting products which can perform adequately and safely for a reasonable amount of time, the end result may prove to be more detrimental than beneficial, not only to producers and consumers but to the nation as a whole. In this age of scarce resources, energy shortages and new challenges, this paper re-examines planned obsolescence and searches for quality in todays products.     

On grid refinement at point singularities for h-p methods

The h-p method for solving partial differential equations uses discretizations where the grid size h and the polynomial degree p are varied to obtain the most efficiency in the computing of approximate solutions. It has been known for many years that increasing p can dramatically improve efficiency and that the current common practice of keeping p = 1 is a particularly poor choice. For problems with singularities, good efficiency requires that the grid be refined near the points with singularities so the h-p method also requires a grid refinement scheme. We compare two such schemes here which we call E-Refinement (proposed by Babuska and colleagues recently) and Q-Refinement (proposed by Rice in the 1960's). Both of these schemes have been shown to have asymptotically optimal order of convergence. The actual behaviours of these two schemes are quite different in practice and the mechanisms for choosing good values of h, p and the grid refinement parameters are also quite different. This paper presents the results of a systematic experimental study of these two methods and discusses the difficulty of choosing highly efficient h, p and grid refinement parameters. Our study confirms that these two refinements are of approximately equal efficiency given such good choices. The data suggest that the Q-Refinement is more efficient but the advantage is not dramatic given the uncertainties inherent in choosing numerical methods for practical applications. We conclude that it is substantially simpler to make good choices for the Q-Refinement than for the E-Refinement.     

Mouse lung epithelial cell lines--tools for the study of differentiation and the neoplastic phenotype

Several dozen lung epithelial cell lines have been established in culture over the past 20 years from normal lung explants and their spontaneous transformants, and from lung tumors that arose spontaneously or were induced with chemicals, viruses, or oncogenic transgenes. To provide information from which to choose appropriate lines for investigating problems in lung cell biology and pulmonary neoplasia, this review describes the origins of these lines and some of their characteristics. These include growth, morphology, tumorigenicity, ability to metastasize, xenobiotic metabolism, mutational status, signal transducing activities, cytogenetics, ability to form domes, and electric conductance. In addition to collecting this information in a single place for the first time, we describe previously unpublished apoptosis features of some of these lines. An increasing number of investigations are beginning to use these lines and this review contains references into 1997.     

Helium discharge detector for quantitation of volatile organohalogen compounds

A helium discharge has been evaluated as an element-selective, gas chromatographic detector for volatile organohalogen compounds. Absolute limits of detection ranged from 3 pg for chloroform to 29 pg for p-dibromobenzene with a linear response of 10(3)-10(4). The relative response of the detector was determined to be based solely on the mass of the halogen species present. This feature allowed for relatively simple quantitation of chlorinated and brominated haloform species in water samples by the addition of a single internal standard for calibration of the halogen response.     

Overview of the regional collaboratives

Responding to demands that nursing leaders conduct business in creative, proactive ways, the authors of this department share the work of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's national program. Colleagues in Caring: Regional Collaboratives for Nursing Work Force Development. The purpose of this initiative is to enhance regional and state collaborative planning and implement actions and policies to address the rapid changes occurring in the United States nursing labor market. This department presents the ongoing work of the program, highlighting the work of the 20 individual collaboratives. Regional approaches to the expected program outcomes and specific challenges and opportunities that are unique to each region's environment are included. The Colleagues in Caring program is administered by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Current information on the initiative can be found at http:/(/)www.aacn.nche.edu under Special Projects. The staff at the National Program Office can be reached at 202/496-1095 (fax: 202/496-1093).