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Author(s): G. D. Smith [1, 2]; M. J. Gunthorpe [1, 2]; R. E. Kelsell [3]; P. D. Hayes [3]; P. Reilly [1]; P. Facer [4]; J. E. Wright [1]; J. [...]

Study Question: What are couples' decisional conflicts around family-building approaches before and after seeking a specialty consultation for infertility?Summary Answer: Decisional conflict is high among couples before an initial specialty consultation for infertility; on average, women resolved decisional conflict more quickly than men.What Is Known Already: Couples have multiple options for addressing infertility, and decisional conflict may arise due to lack of information, uncertainty about options and potential risks or challenges to personal values.Study Design, Size, Duration: We conducted a total of 385 interviews and 405 surveys for this longitudinal, mixed-methods cohort study of 34 opposite-sex couples who sought a new reproductive specialty consultation (n = 68), who enrolled before the initial consultation and were followed over 12 months.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: The in-depth, semi-structured interviews included questions about information gathering, deliberation and decision-making, and self-administered surveys included the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS), at six time points over 12 months. A DCS total score of 25 is associated with implementing a decision, and higher scores indicate more decisional conflict. A systematic content analysis of interview transcripts identified major themes. Paired t tests identified differences in DCS between women and men within couples. Linear mixed models predicted changes in DCS over time, adjusting for sociodemographic and fertility-related factors.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: The major qualitative themes were communication with partners, feeling supported and/or pressured in decision (s), changing decisions over time and ability to execute a desired decision. Average DCS scores were highest before the initial consultation. Within couples, men had significantly higher decisional conflict than women pre-consultation (48.9 versus 40.2, P = 0.037) and at 2 months (28.9 versus 22.1, P = 0.015), but differences at other time points were not significant. In adjusted models, predicted DCS scores declined over time, with women, on average, reaching the DCS threshold for implementing a decision at 2 months while for men it was not until 4 months.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: This is a convenience sample from a single center, and generalizability may be limited.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Understanding how couples discuss and make decisions regarding family-building could improve the delivery of patient-centered infertility care. Our findings are the first to prospectively explore decisional conflict at multiple time points in both men and women; the observed gender differences underlie the importance of supporting both partners in clinical decision-making for infertility.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This work was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development under Grant [R21HD071332], the Research and Education Program Fund, of the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin endowment at Medical College of Wisconsin, the National Research Service Award under Grant [T32 HP10030] and the use of REDCap for data collection from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health under Grant through [8UL1TR000055]. The authors have no competing interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite benefits to crop rotations and recent increases in value, the United States produces only a third of the canola (Brassica napus L.) it consumes. To encourage production expansion, an experiment in Moscow, ID, evaluated dual-purpose winter canola in a biennial system for forage and seed production. Two winter canola cultivars were sown at three planting densities (4.5, 6.7, and 9.0 kg ha-1) over four planting dates (May through September) in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. Vegetative biomass during the first year was harvested and ensiled to determine silage quality. Cultivars performed similarly over all treatments for forage yield and quality. The two highest planting densities yielded more forage, but no seed yield differences were detected. Total dry matter forage yield (DMFY) was greatest for May plantings (5.2 t DM ha-1), while August seeded canola yielded 2.4 t DM ha-1. Baldur produced higher seed yield than Athena by 352 kg ha-1, while planting dates had significant, but inconsistent effects on seed yield compared to the fall-planted, uncut control, which averaged 2389 kg ha-1. Fiber content of canola silage (canolage) was extremely low while crude protein (CP) remained consistently high. Canolage quality was exceedingly high, however, high silage pH indicated poor ensiling, which likely led to excessive loss of organic material in the silage that increased ash content. Early-planted winter canola withstood multiple forage harvests without having a large impact on seed yield most years and economics indicate this may be a feasible management practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Birmingham cluster genetic algorithm is a package that performs global optimisations for homo- and bimetallic clusters based on either first principles methods or empirical potentials. Here, we present a new parallel implementation of the code which employs a pool strategy in order to eliminate sequential steps and significantly improve performance. The new approach meets all requirements of an evolutionary algorithm and contains the main features of the previous implementation. The performance of the pool genetic algorithm is tested using the Gupta potential for the global optimisation of the Au10Pd10 cluster, which demonstrates the high efficiency of the method. The new implementation is also used for the global optimisation of the Au10 and Au20 clusters directly at the density functional theory level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preliminary very encouraging clinical results of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in Head Neck Cancer (HNC) are available from several large centers. Tumor control rates seem to be kept at least at the level of conventional three-dimensional radiation therapy; the benefit of normal tissue preservation with IMRT is proven for salivary function. There is still only limited experience with IMRT using simultaneously integrated boost (SIB-IMRT) in the head and neck region in terms of normal tissue response. The aim of this work was (1) to establish tumor response in HNC patients treated with SIB-IMRT, and (2) to assess tissue tolerance following different SIB-IMRT schedules. Results: Between 1/2002 and 12/2004, 115 HNC patients have been curatively treated with IMRT. 70% received definitive IMRT (dIMRT), 30% were postoperatively irradiated. In 78% concomitant chemotherapy was given. SIB radiation schedules with 5-6 × 2 Gy/week to 60-70 Gy, 5 × 2.2 Gy/week to 66-68.2 Gy (according to the RTOG protocol H-0022), or 5 × 2.11 Gy/week to 69.6 Gy were used. After mean 18 months (10-44), 77% of patients were alive with no disease. Actuarial 2-year local, nodal, and distant disease free survival was 77%, 87%, and 78%, respectively. 10% were alive with disease, 10% died of disease. 20/21 locoregional failures occurred inside the high dose area. Mean tumor volume was significantly larger in locally failed (63 cc) vs controlled tumors (32 cc, p <0.01), and in definitive (43 cc) vs postoperative IMRT (25 cc, p <0.05); the locoregional failure rate was twofold higher in definitively irradiated patients. Acute reactions were mild to moderate and limited to the boost area, the persisting grade 3/4 late toxicity rate was low with 6%. The two grade 4 reactions (dysphagia, laryngeal fibrosis) were observed following the SIB schedule with 2.2 Gy per session. Conclusion: SIB-IMRT in HNC using 2.0, 2.11 or 2.2 Gy per session is highly effective and safe with respect to tumor response and tolerance. SIB with 2.2 Gy is not recommended for large tumors involving laryngeal structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Faecal urgency and incontinence with rectal hypersensitivity is a distressing, unexplained disorder that is inadequately treated. We aimed to determine whether expression of the heat and capsaicin receptor vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1 or VR1) was changed in rectal sensory fibres, and to correlate nerve fibre density with sensory abnormalities.Methods We compared full-thickness rectal biopsy samples from nine patients with physiologically characterised rectal hypersensitivity with tissue samples from 12 controls. Sensory thresholds to rectal balloon distension and heating the rectal mucosa were measured before biopsy. We assessed specimens with immunohistochemistry and image analysis using specific antibodies to TRPV1; nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor tyrosine kinase A; glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF); neuropeptides calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P; the related vanilloid receptor-like protein (VRL) 2; glial markers S-100 and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP); and the nerve structural marker peripherin.Findings In rectal hypersensitivity, nerve fibres immunoreactive to TRPV1 were increased in muscle, submucosal, and mucosal layers: in the mucosal layer, the median% area positive was 0·44 (range 0·30–0·59) in patients who were hypersensitive and 0·11 (0·00–0·21) in controls (p=0·0005). The numbers of peripherin-positive fibres also increased in the mucosal layer (hypersensitive 3·00 [1·80–6·50], controls 1·20 [0·39–2·10]: (p=0·0002). The increase in TRVP1 correlated significantly with the decrease in rectal heat (p=0·03) and the distension (p=0·02) sensory thresholds. The thresholds for heat and distension were also significantly correlated (p=0·0028). Expression of nerve fibres positive for GDNF (p=0·001) and tyrosine kinase A (p=0·002) was also increased, as were cell bodies of the submucosal ganglia immunoreactive to CGRP (p=0·0009).Interpretation Faecal urgency and rectal hypersensitivity could result from increased numbers of polymodal sensory nerve fibres expressing TRPV1. The triggering factor or factors remain uncertain, but drugs that target nerve terminals that express this receptor, such as topical resiniferatoxin, deserve consideration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1) is a heat-gated ion channel that is responsible for the burning sensation elicited by capsaicin. A similar sensation is reported by patients with esophagitis when they consume alcoholic beverages or are administered alcohol by injection as a medical treatment. We report here that ethanol activates primary sensory neurons, resulting in neuropeptide release or plasma extravasation in the esophagus, spinal cord or skin. Sensory neurons from trigeminal or dorsal root ganglia as well as VR1-expressing HEK293 cells responded to ethanol in a concentration-dependent and capsazepine-sensitive fashion. Ethanol potentiated the response of VR1 to capsaicin, protons and heat and lowered the threshold for heat activation of VR1 from ∼42°C to ∼34°C. This provides a likely mechanistic explanation for the ethanol-induced sensory responses that occur at body temperature and for the sensitivity of inflamed tissues to ethanol, such as might be found in esophagitis, neuralgia or wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between atopy and wheeze was examined in children, together with the possible influence on these conditions of parental atopy and family size. Children with a repeated history of wheezing were selected from an urban general practice population. The children, their first degree relatives, and a control group were examined for atopic status, atopy being defined as more than one positive immediate skin prick test response. The prevalence of wheeze in boys was 15.5%, in girls 7.6%, and of atopy in boys 19.7% and in girls 8.1%. Of 110 atopic children 70% had no atopic parent, 27% had one atopic parent, and in 3% both parents were atopic. The presence of parental atopy was associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze in boys but not in girls, 12.0% of boys having a history of wheezing if neither parent was atopic and 27.5% if either or both parents were atopic (p less than 0.05). The presence of parental atopy was associated with an increased prevalence of atopy in girls but not in boys, 6.1% of girls having atopy if neither parent was atopic and 18.9% if either or both parents were atopic (p less than 0.01). There was a strong association between atopy and wheeze for both sexes and no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of atopy or wheeze in children whether they were from two, three, or four child families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes Premier spring rapeseed cultivar, which was developed for use as an edible oil-quality rapeseed cultivar. Premier was released by the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station in December 2002. Reasons for selecting the cultivar included its special oil characteristics and good adaptability to environments throughout the Pacific Northwest Region. Breeder seed of Premier was derived from single plants selected from an F7 population grown in the field in 1998. And the performance of Premier was compared to the commercially available spring canola cultivars Westar, Profit, Hyola.401 and Sunrise.

Focuses on the registration of Athena winter rapeseed, which is developed for use as an edible oilseed cultivar and released by the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station. Description on the development of Athena; Evaluation of Athena in field trials; Limitation of seed increases of Athena by Plant Variety Protection to Foundation and Certified Seed classes.