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Background Multiple studies have shown high rates of postoperative morbidity and mortality in individuals with chronic liver disease (CLD). However, analyses from comparisons with individuals without CLD are not available. Such analyses might provide opportunities to improve outcomes. Methods Data from The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) from 2008 to 2011 were analyzed comparing CLD patients undergoing non-liver surgery propensity matched to those without CLD. Patients with CLD were stratified by Model of End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores

Crop coefficient (Kc)-based estimation of crop evapotranspiration is one of the most commonly used methods for irrigation water management. However, uncertainties of the generalized dual crop coefficient (Kc) method of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56 can contribute to crop evapotranspiration estimates that are substantially different from actual crop evapotranspiration. Similarities between the crop coefficient curve and a satellite-derived vegetation index showed potential for modeling a crop coefficient as a function of the vegetation index. Therefore, the possibility of directly estimating the crop coefficient from satellite reflectance of a crop was investigated. The Kc data used in developing the relationship with NDVI were derived from back-calculations of the FAO-56 dual crop coefficients procedure using field data obtained during 2007 from representative US cropping systems in the High Plains from AmeriFlux sites. A simple linear regression model ( ) is developed to establish a general relationship between a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from a moderate resolution satellite data (MODIS) and the crop coefficient (Kc) calculated from the flux data measured for different crops and cropping practices using AmeriFlux towers. There was a strong linear correlation between the NDVI-estimated Kc and the measured Kc with an r2 of 0.91 and 0.90, while the root-mean-square error (RMSE) for Kc in 2006 and 2007 were 0.16 and 0.19, respectively. The procedure for quantifying crop coefficients from NDVI data presented in this paper should be useful in other regions of the globe to understand regional irrigation water consumption.

Three bacterial strains; Pseudomonas sp. TRMK1, Stenotrophomonas sp. TRMK2 and Xanthomonas sp. TRMK3 were isolated from agro-industrial waste by enrichment culture technique that are capable of utilizing phenolic acids as sole source of carbon and energy. These strains were found to utilize p-coumaric, ferulic and caffeic acid. The individual strains utilized 5 mM of mixed phenolic acids within 20 h of incubation. The bacterial consortium composing these strains was prepared and studied the efficient degradation of phenolic compounds. The bacterial consortium showed the enhanced utilization of 30 mM individual and 25 mM mixed phenolic acids within 32 and 40 h of incubation, respectively. The degradation efficiency of these strains in all the above experiments was above 90%. The prepared bacterial consortium serves as a suitable method for the in situ application of sites contaminated with wide range of phenolic compounds.

Total fatty acids processed from whole brain samples removed at autopsy from men and women, 26-87 years of age, were esterified, the methyl esters analyzed by gas chromatography, and the respective profiles deduced. In the study of the effect of age and sex in relation to the fatty acid levels, regression analysis was applied to smoothened data to take care of extraneous effects or variables. Toward this end, five age groupings were formed and the regression relationships explored for each group per sex. Generally, the saturated homologs occurred in higher amounts among males of advancing age but decreased with age among females. This effect stemmed from the even-carbon acids. For the unsaturated fatty acids, the reverse behavior appeared evident. For the prominent acids, 16:0 and 18:0, the differences were moderately significant for cases 50 years and older, for 18:2, significance based on either sex was noted with all age groups.

Liver regeneration was stimulated in partially hepatectomized rats fed diets supplemental with up to 7.0% by weight of ground green and roasted Brazilian or Hawaiian (Kona) coffee in a basal powdered ration but was little influenced by decaffeinated or African Robusta coffee diets over a period of 10 days. The causative agent occurred in the total lipids from the active ground coffee batches and could be concentrated in the unsaponifiable portion as was also noted with the product from Robusta coffee. The lipids were inactive by the sc route. Pressed Brazilian green coffee oil elicited a lower regenerative response and other caffeine sources such as ground kola nuts and Paraquay tea at levels of 7.0% as demonstrated earlier for black tea, were nonstimulatory. Caffeine tended to depress liver regeneration, a level of 0.40% being quite inhibitory. As based on the composition of the unsaponifiable material, the activity might reside in the diterpene alcohol fraction containing cafestol and kahweol and some fractionation of the mixture was attempted currently. The agents which were active in the operated series generally elicited wet and dry liver enlargement in intact rats over the same period.

Lipids were extracted from adult human spleens obtained at surgery or autopsy, 26 with some degree of congestion and 7 displaying congestive splenomegaly. The fatty acids were processed following saponification of the lipids, esterified and the esters as such as well as hydrogenated aliquots analyzed by gas chromatography. The significance of fatty acid differences on the basis of age, sex, pathology and mode of organ acquisition was determined by t-tests. Several acid differences were significant in regard to age groups, between congestion and splenomegaly (surgical, autopsy and overall) and in the comparison of the respective surgical vs autopsy groups. No definite difference could be attributed to sex.

Lipids were extracted from 28 "normal", 3 fatty and 2 cirrhotic adult livers removed at necropsy as well as from 4 newborn and infant organs. The total fatty acids were processed, the methyl esters submitted to gas chromatographic analysis and the acid differences ascertained relative to age, sex and pathology. Among other significant findings, the unsaturated acids ranged higher than the saturated homologs and were even greater in the fatty liver lipids. The latter showed an increase in 18:1 and depressions in 18:0, 22:0 and 24:0 as compared to the "normal" specimens and the same changes in 18:0 and 18:1 as contrasted to the cirrhotic lipids.