Eating disorder pathology in elite adolescent athletes.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate eating disorder pathology in German elite adolescent athletes. Evidence suggests that eating disorder pathology is more common in adult elite sports, especially in female athletes and in sports emphasizing leanness. There is a scarcity of studies in elite adolescent athletes who are in a vulnerable developmental stage and are affected by general as well as sport-specific risk factors. METHOD: Our data was derived from the German Young Olympic Athletes' Lifestyle and Health Management Study (GOAL) which conducted a survey in 1138 elite adolescent athletes. In this sample, we assessed body weight, weight control behavior, body acceptance and screened overall for core symptoms of eating disorders, depression and anxiety. We performed a tree analysis to identify high risk groups for eating disorder pathology. RESULTS: High risk groups comprised (a) athletes competing in weight dependent sports, and among athletes competing in disciplines other than weight dependent sports (b) athletes who are high on negative affectivity, (c) female athletes and (d) male athletes competing in endurance, technical or power sports. Athletes competing in weight dependent disciplines reported wide spread use of compensatory behaviors to influence body weight. Athletes reporting eating disorder pathology showed higher levels of depression and anxiety than athletes without eating disorder pathology. DISCUSSION: Increased psychosocial burden in athletes with eating disorder pathology suggests that eating disorder symptoms should not be accepted as an unproblematic and functional part of elite sports. The prevention and management of eating disorder pathology is especially important in weight dependent sports. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:553-562).

Body dissatisfaction in female adolescents: extent and correlates.

This study aimed to assess the extent, patterns, and predictors of feelings of body dissatisfaction experienced by female German adolescents. Using 3D-avatar software, a sample population of 144 girls between 14 and 17 years of age was asked to estimate their actual body image, their desired body image (individual ideal), and the body image they believed their parents and their best female friend considered to be the ideal body image for them. The participants estimated their actual body mass index (BMI) to be 18.82 ± 3.01. The individual ideal body shape reported was significantly thinner, with a BMI score of 16.84 ± 2.51. Given a girl who stands 1.65 m and weighs 55 kg, this corresponds to a difference in weight of about 5.5 kg. After adjustment for the participant's self-reported BMI, participating in an esthetic sport was correlated with a significantly lower body dissatisfaction. Conversely, low socio-economic status and the amount of time spent watching TV was correlated with a significantly higher body dissatisfaction. Negative body image-related comments made by parents were significantly associated with body dissatisfaction. The girls who participated in this study would like to be an average of 1.97 BMI units thinner. The findings presented here suggest that future intervention measures should focus on the risk groups of physically inactive girls, those who smoke, and those with a lower social status and high rates of TV consumption. Intervention measures would be especially effective in German schools which offer lower education levels and should include the pupils' parents, who should be informed about the negative effects weight- and diet-related comments have on their children's body images.

Soil microbial communities are sensitive to differences in fertilization intensity in organic and conventional farming systems.

Intensive agriculture has increased global food production, but also impaired ecosystem services and soil biodiversity. Organic fertilization, essential to organic and integrated farming, can provide numerous benefits for soil quality but also compromise the environment by polluting soils and producing greenhouse gases through animal husbandry. The need for reduced stocking density is inevitably accompanied by lower FYM inputs, but little research is available on the impact of these effects on the soil microbiome. We collected soil samples from winter wheat plots of a 42-year-old long-term trial comparing different farming systems receiving farmyard manure at two intensities and measured soil quality parameters and microbial community diversity through DNA metabarcoding. High-input fertilization, corresponding to 1.4 livestock units (LU) improved the soil's nutritional status and increased soil microbial biomass and respiration when compared to low-input at 0.7 LU. Bacterial and fungal α-diversity was largely unaffected by fertilization intensity, whereas their community structure changed consistently, accompanied by an increase in the bacterial copiotroph-to-oligotroph ratio in high-input systems and by more copiotrophic indicator OTUs associated with high than low-input. This study shows that reduced nutrient availability under low-input selects oligotrophic microbes efficiently obtaining nutrients from various carbon sources; a potentially beneficial trait considering future agroecosystems.

Elite adolescent athletes' use of dietary supplements: characteristics, opinions, and sources of supply and information.

The authors' aim was to examine the prevalence of (daily) dietary-supplement (DS) use among elite adolescent athletes and to differentiate use by different types of DS according to their function. Data were analyzed for associations between users of these DS types, sociodemographic, sport-specific characteristics, and opinion on the need for DS. In addition, sources of supply and information were examined. In the framework of the GOAL Study, 1,138 German elite adolescent athletes (14-18 yr) answered questions about DS. The data were analyzed to identify groups at risk for using DS after a classification by supplemental function. Of the young athletes, 91.1% reported DS use during the previous month. (Daily) DS use was significantly associated with sex, kind of sport, and the weekly duration of sporting activity. Furthermore, some athletes were required to use DS by their sporting organization. DS use was more likely in these athletes than in those whose sporting organizations had no such requirement. Overall, DS with short- and long-term supplemental function were mostly associated with the use of magnesium. However, DS with medium-term muscle-building function played an important role among daily users. The main source of information about DS was coaches; main source of supply was parents. Professional education is urgently needed, as 9 out of 10 athletes used DS, and strong positive opinions toward the use of DS were present, particularly in the DS users.

Sensory, yield and quality differences between organically and conventionally grown winter wheat.

BACKGROUND: Consumers expect organic produce to have higher environmental, health and sensory related qualities than conventional produce. In order to test sensory differences between bio-dynamically, bio-organically and conventionally grown winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Runal), we performed double-blinded triangle tests with two panels on dry wholemeal flour from the harvest years 2006, 2007 and 2009 and from two field replicates of the 'DOK' long-term farming system comparison field trial near Basel, Switzerland. Yield and quality parameters were also assessed. RESULTS: Significant farming system effects were found for yield (up to 42% reduction in the organic system), thousand kernel weight, hectolitre weight and crude protein content across the three years. In the triangle tests one out of 12 pair-wise farming system comparisons (PFSCs) on wholemeal flour made from the different wheat samples showed significant sensory differentiation (between bio-dynamically and conventionally grown wheat). When all data from the three harvest years and two panels were aggregated, a statistically significant effect (P = 0.045) of PFSCs on the number of correct answers became evident. CONCLUSIONS: Although testing of dry wholemeal flour was very challenging for panellists, we were able to show that sensory differences between farming systems can occur.

How Healthy is the Behavior of Young Athletes? A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analyses.

Participation in sports during adolescence is considered a healthy behavior. The extent to which adolescent athletes engage in other healthful (or risky) behaviors is less clear, however. We conducted a systematic literature review following the PRISMA Statement to assess the frequency of risky behaviors among athletes in this age group. We searched the PubMed, PsycINFO and SCA Sociological Abstracts databases for observational studies published in English over the last twenty years on the frequency of selected risk behaviors (alcohol consumption, smoking behavior, use of illicit drugs, unhealthy nutrition, and doping) in adolescent athletes. Two independent reviewers selected articles following the PRISMA Statement. Behavior frequency was assessed as was comparability of study design and methods. When possible, meta- analyses were performed using data from subgroups of studies in which operational indicators were comparable. Seventy-eight articles met eligibility criteria. Although report of risky behaviors varied across studies, we observed overall, that studies tend to report higher alcohol use, less smoking, less recreational drug use, and more smokeless tobacco use in (high-involved) athletes. Considerable heterogeneity was noted in study design, definition of target groups and use of operational indicators (I(2) ranged from 93.2% to 100%). Especially the higher prevalence of using alcohol and smokeless tobacco needs more attention in interventions targeted to this group. Overall, greater consensus on methods used to assess risky behaviors in adolescent athletes. Key pointsThis is the first systematic review focusing on different health related risk behaviors of adolescent athletes aged ≤ 18 years from different countries.Health related risk behaviors such as alcohol consumption are common among recreational and elite adolescent athletes.Athletes were more likely to consume alcohol, smokeless tobacco, and steroids and less likely to smoke and to use marihuana than non-athletes.Studies show high heterogeneity in the operational indicators, statistical methods, and target groups. Therefore, greater consensus around key definitions and study methods is needed to advance knowledge.

Coordination processes in partnerships between German governmental organizations and German sports federations in jointly implemented SDP projects.

Sports and physical activity are increasingly used as instruments of development policy. Within this field of sport for development and peace (SDP), one can observe a large number of partnerships between national governmental organizations and national sport federations. These are particularly important although these organizations pursue different core objectives with their SDP engagement. The aim of this qualitative study is to analyze how German governmental organizations and sports federations coordinate jointly managed SDP projects. Against the backdrop of systems theory, we conducted interviews with participants from relevant organizations. The qualitative content analysis revealed that inter-organizational coordination takes place partly in hierarchical and partly in network-based structures. The results show complex patterns between the participating organizations which gain varying degrees of influence on the SDP projects and seek to get specific resources through the cooperations. These should be taken into consideration when designing SDP projects to build stable cooperations that bring all the participating organizations an added value.

Maize Field Study Reveals Covaried Microbiota and Metabolic Changes in Roots over Plant Growth.

Plant roots are colonized by microorganisms from the surrounding soil that belong to different kingdoms and form a multikingdom microbial community called the root microbiota. Despite their importance for plant growth, the relationship between soil management, the root microbiota, and plant performance remains unknown. Here, we characterize the maize root-associated bacterial, fungal, and oomycetal communities during the vegetative and reproductive growth stages of four maize inbred lines and the pht1;6 phosphate transporter mutant. These plants were grown in two long-term experimental fields under four contrasting soil managements, including phosphate-deficient and -sufficient conditions. We showed that the maize root-associated microbiota is influenced by soil management and changes during host growth stages. We identified stable bacterial and fungal root-associated taxa that persist throughout the host life cycle. These taxa were accompanied by dynamic members that covary with changes in root metabolites. We observed an inverse stable-to-dynamic ratio between root-associated bacterial and fungal communities. We also found a host footprint on the soil biota, characterized by a convergence between soil, rhizosphere, and root bacterial communities during reproductive maize growth. Our study reveals the spatiotemporal dynamics of the maize root-associated microbiota and suggests that the fungal assemblage is less responsive to changes in root metabolites than the bacterial community. IMPORTANCE Plant roots are inhabited by microbial communities called the root microbiota, which supports plant growth and health. We show in a maize field study that the root microbiota consists of stable and dynamic members. The dynamics of the microbial community appear to be driven by changes in the metabolic state of the roots over the life cycle of maize.

Crop genetic diversity uncovers metabolites, elements, and gene networks predicted to be associated with high plant biomass yields in maize.

Rapid population growth and increasing demand for food, feed, and bioenergy in these times of unprecedented climate change require breeding for increased biomass production on the world's croplands. To accelerate breeding programs, knowledge of the relationship between biomass features and underlying gene networks is needed to guide future breeding efforts. To this end, large-scale multiomics datasets were created with genetically diverse maize lines, all grown in long-term organic and conventional cropping systems. Analysis of the datasets, integrated using regression modeling and network analysis revealed key metabolites, elements, gene transcripts, and gene networks, whose contents during vegetative growth substantially influence the build-up of plant biomass in the reproductive phase. We found that S and P content in the source leaf and P content in the root during the vegetative stage contributed the most to predicting plant performance at the reproductive stage. In agreement with the Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, the cis-motifs and identified transcription factors associated with upregulated genes under phosphate deficiency showed great diversity in the molecular response to phosphate deficiency in selected lines. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that genotype-dependent uptake, assimilation, and allocation of essential nutrient elements (especially C and N) during vegetative growth under phosphate starvation plays an important role in determining plant biomass by controlling root traits related to nutrient uptake. These integrative multiomics results revealed key factors underlying maize productivity and open new opportunities for efficient, rapid, and cost-effective plant breeding to increase biomass yield of the cereal crop maize under adverse environmental factors.

The German Young Olympic Athletes' Lifestyle and Health Management Study (GOAL Study): design of a mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: In order to perform at top levels, elite athletes have to both protect and risk their health at the same time. Adolescent elite athletes have the additional challenge of coping with substantial physical, psychological and social transformations. The contradictory phenomenon of protecting and risking the adolescent athletes' health in sports challenges the development of health promotion and protection strategies. The GOAL Study (German Young Olympic Athletes' Lifestyle and Health Management Study) analyzes the individual and organizational management of health in adolescent elite sports. METHODS/DESIGN: We combine quantitative and qualitative approaches in a mixed-method study. This allows us to gather a broad range of representative information on squad athletes from all Olympic disciplines as well as in-depth information on four selected Olympic disciplines (artistic gymnastics, biathlon, handball and wrestling). Within the quantitative section we attempt to identify the young athletes' health and nutrition behavior, their subjective health state and their lay health representations, health-related social networks, and structures of medical attendance. 1138 national team level athletes born between 1992 and 1995 from 51 Olympic disciplines responded to the questionnaire (response rate: 61,75%). The qualitative section investigates the meaning and relevance of health and nutrition within the athletes' sports specific surroundings, the impact of biographic backgrounds on individual health behavior, and sports specific cultures of health, nutrition and risk. We interviewed 24 athletes and 28 coaching and medical experts, and carried out 14 multi-day participant observations at training sessions and competitions. CONCLUSIONS: The studies' results will serve as the basis for developing tailored health promotion strategies to be in cooperation with German elite sports associations.

Usefulness of monitoring platelet function by multiple electrode aggregometry in primary coronary artery bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Antiplatelet therapy commonly is used for the prevention of cardiovascular complications but increases the risk of perioperative bleeding. Multiple-electrode aggregometry (MEA) was investigated for monitoring platelet inhibition by acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and clopidogrel in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with regard to clinical outcome as measured by postoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: A teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fifty patients scheduled for elective CABG surgery were included: without antiplatelet therapy (group A, n = 50), single ASA exposure (group B, n = 50), and combined therapy with ASA and clopidogrel (group C, n = 50). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: MEA was assessed preoperatively using either collagen (COL-MEA) or ADP (ADP-MEA). Postoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements were recorded for 24 hours after surgery. Postoperative blood loss significantly increased only from combined antiplatelet therapy (group A: 572 ± 297 mL, group B: 721 ± 356 mL, group C: 865 ± 346, p < 0.01) and correlated with ADP (r(p) = -0.35, p < 0.01) and COL-MEA (r(p) = -0.23, p > 0.01). COL-MEA and ADP-MEA discriminated between preoperative ASA and clopidogrel intake (ASA: sensitivity = 86.3%, and specificity = 89.3%; clopidogrel: sensitivity = 87.5%, and specificity = 95.1%). The postoperative transfusion risk was increased in patients diagnosed for clopidogrel treatment by ADP-MEA (odds ratio = 2.92; confidence interval: 1.44-5.92; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: MEA is a suitable method for the detection of platelet inhibition by ASA and clopidogrel in patients undergoing CABG surgery. In these patients, preoperative ADP MEA seems to indicate patients at risk for postoperative transfusion requirements.

Tracing the fate of phosphorus fertilizer derived cadmium in soil-fertilizer-wheat systems using enriched stable isotope labeling.

Applying mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizers introduces a considerable input of the toxic heavy metal cadmium (Cd) into arable soils. This study investigates the fate of P fertilizer derived Cd (Cddff) in soil-wheat systems using a novel combination of enriched stable Cd isotope mass balances, sequential extractions, and Bayesian isotope mixing models. We applied an enriched 111Cd labeled mineral P fertilizer to arable soils from two long-term field trials with distinct soil properties (a strongly acidic pH and a neutral pH) and distinct past mineral P fertilizer application rates. We then cultivated wheat in a pot trial on these two soils. In the neutral soil, Cd concentrations in the soil and the wheat increased with increasing past mineral P fertilizer application rates. This was not the case in the strongly acidic soil. Less than 2.3% of freshly applied Cddff was taken up by the whole wheat plant. Most of the Cddff remained in the soil and was predominantly (>95% of freshly applied Cddff) partitioned into the easily mobilizable acetic acid soluble fraction (F1) and the potentially mobile reducible fraction (F2). Soil pH was the determining factor for the partitioning of Cddff into F1, as revealed through a recovery of about 40% of freshly applied Cddff in F1 in the neutral pH soil compared with about 60% in the strongly acidic soil. Isotope mixing models showed that F1 was the predominant source of Cd for wheat on both soils and that it contributed to over 80% of the Cd that was taken up by wheat. By tracing the fate of Cddff in entire soil-plant systems using different isotope source tracing approaches, we show that the majority of Cddff remains mobilizable and is potentially plant available in the subsequent crop cycle.

Enhanced root carbon allocation through organic farming is restricted to topsoils.

Soils store significant amounts of carbon (C) and thus can play a critical role for mitigating climate change. Crop roots represent the main C source in agricultural soils and are particularly important for long-term C storage in agroecosystems. To evaluate the potential of different farming systems to contribute to soil C sequestration and thus climate change mitigation, it is of great importance to gain a better understanding of the factors influencing root C allocation and distribution. So far, it is still unclear how root C allocation varies among farming systems and whether the choice of management practices can help to enhance root C inputs. In this study, we compared root C allocation in three main arable farming systems, namely organic, no-till, and conventional farming. We assessed root biomass, vertical root distribution to 0.75 m soil depth, and root-shoot ratios in 24 winter wheat fields. We further evaluated the relative importance of the farming system compared to site conditions and quantified the contribution of individual management practices and pedoclimatic drivers. Farming system explained one third of the variation in topsoil root biomass and root-shoot ratios, both being strongly positively related to weed biomass and soil organic C content and negatively to mineral nitrogen fertilization intensity. Root C allocation was significantly higher in organic farming as illustrated by an increase in root biomass (+40%) and root-shoot ratios (+60%) compared to conventional farming. By contrast, the overall impact of no-till was low. The importance of pedoclimatic conditions increased substantially with soil depth and deep root biomass was largely controlled by precipitation and soil texture, while the impact of management was close to zero. Our findings highlight the potential of organic farming in promoting root C inputs to topsoils and thereby contributing to soil organic matter build-up and improved soil quality in agroecosystems.

Goal-directed intraoperative therapy based on autocalibrated arterial pressure waveform analysis reduces hospital stay in high-risk surgical patients: a randomized, controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have shown that goal-directed hemodynamic and fluid optimization may result in improved outcome. However, the methods used were either invasive or had other limitations. The aim of this study was to perform intraoperative goal-directed therapy with a minimally invasive, easy to use device (FloTrac/Vigileo), and to evaluate possible improvements in patient outcome determined by the duration of hospital stay and the incidence of complications compared to a standard management protocol. METHODS: In this randomized, controlled trial 60 high-risk patients scheduled for major abdominal surgery were included. Patients were allocated into either an enhanced hemodynamic monitoring group using a cardiac index based intraoperative optimization protocol (FloTrac/Vigileo device, GDT-group, n = 30) or a standard management group (Control-group, n = 30), based on standard monitoring data. RESULTS: The median duration of hospital stay was significantly reduced in the GDT-group with 15 (12 - 17.75) days versus 19 (14 - 23.5) days (P = 0.006) and fewer patients developed complications than in the Control-group [6 patients (20%) versus 15 patients (50%), P = 0.03]. The total number of complications was reduced in the GDT-group (17 versus 49 complications, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In high-risk patients undergoing major abdominal surgery, implementation of an intraoperative goal-directed hemodynamic optimization protocol using the FloTrac/Vigileo device was associated with a reduced length of hospital stay and a lower incidence of complications compared to a standard management protocol. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Unique identifier: NCT00549419.

Volume replacement with a balanced hydroxyethyl starch (HES) preparation in cardiac surgery patients.

OBJECTIVE: Balanced fluids appear to be have advantages over unbalanced fluids for correcting hypovolemia. The effects of a new balanced hydroxyethyl starch (HES) were studied in cardiac surgery patients. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, unblinded study. SETTING: Clinical study in a single cardiac surgery institution. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTION: Patients received either a balanced 6% HES 130/0.4 plus a balanced crystalloid (n = 30) or an unbalanced HES-in-saline plus saline (n = 30) to keep cardiac index >2.5 L/min/m(2). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Base excess (BE), kidney function, inflammatory response (interleukins-6, -10), endothelial activation (intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM]), and coagulation (thromboelastometry, whole blood aggregation) were measured after induction of anesthesia, after surgery and 5 hours later, and at the 1st and 2nd postoperative days; 2,950 +/- 530 mL of balanced and 3,050 +/- 560 mL of unbalanced HES were given. BE was reduced significantly in the unbalanced group (from 1.11 +/- 0.71 mmol/L to -5.11 +/- 0.48 mmol/L after surgery) and remained unchanged in the balanced group. Balanced volume replacement resulted in significantly lower IL-6, IL-10, and ICAM plasma concentrations and lower urine concentrations of kidney-specific proteins than in the unbalanced group. After surgery, thromboelastometry data and platelet function were changed significantly in both groups; 5 hours thereafter they were significantly changed only in the unbalanced group. CONCLUSION: A plasma-adapted HES preparation in addition to a balanced crystalloid resulted in significantly less decline in BE, less increase in concentrations of kidney-specific proteins, less inflammatory response and endothelial damage, and fewer changes in hemostasis compared with an unbalanced fluid strategy.

Return-To-Play Decision Making in Team Sports Athletes. A Quasi-Naturalistic Scenario Study.

Competitive athletes act within cultures of risk in sports and often decide to return to sport despite having acute health problems. The outcomes of such risky return-to-play decisions can not only negatively affect their future health, but may also limit their sports performance or even upset their career paths. Following risk-management-decision theory with its focus on active risk defusing, we developed a model for understanding the process of return-to-play decision making from an athlete's perspective. Based on the method of active information search, a quasi-naturalistic return-to-play decision scenario was created in order to assess amateur team sport athletes' decision-making strategies. The main goals were to identify different information acquisition patterns and to analyze the influence of varying sporting consequences on decision making. A total of 72 competitive team sport athletes (36 females, 36 males, m = 25.7 years of age, 3rd to 6th league level) from three disciplines (volleyball, basketball, and handball) participated in the experimental study. Facing the same medical scenario (a partial tear of the supraspinatus tendon), athletes show different approaches to return-to-play decision making. The main focus is on the potential sporting consequences of withdrawal from competition due to injury, with only a few players favoring well-informed decisions based on thorough risk analysis. The athletes who chose the medically risky alternative to play hurt mostly employed strategies of active risk defusing, which got activated when severe sporting consequences were perceived. Those who chose to withdraw from competition primarily referred to maximin heuristic, particularly when social pressure to play was reduced. The findings can be used to improve rehabilitation-related communication and shared return-to-play decision making in sports.

Long-term modelling of crop yield, nitrogen losses and GHG balance in organic cropping systems.

Although organic cropping systems are promoted for their environmental benefits, little is known about their long-term impact on nitrogen (N) fate in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. In this paper, we analyze two long-term experiments: DOK in Switzerland (39-yr) and Foulum organic in Denmark (19-yr). Four treatments were considered in each experiment: two conventional treatments with (CONFYM) or without manure (CONMIN), organic with manure (BIOORG) and unfertilized treatment (NOFERT) at DOK; conventional (CGL-CC+IF) and three organic treatments, one with cover crops only (OGL+CC-M) and two including cover crops and grass-clover with (OGC+CC+M) or without manure (OGC+CC-M), at Foulum. STICS model was used to simulate crop production, N surplus, nitrate leaching, gaseous N losses and changes in soil organic N. It was calibrated in the conventional treatments and tested in organic systems. The crop production, N surplus and soil organic N stocks were satisfactorily predicted. The mean N surplus greatly differed between treatments at DOK, from -58 (NOFERT) to +21 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (CONFYM), but only from -9 (OGL+CC-M) to +21 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (OGC+CC+M) in Foulum. Soil N pools declined continuously in both sites and treatments at a rate varying from -18 to -78 kg N ha-1 yr-1, depending on fertilization and crop rotation. The decline was consistent with the observed N surpluses. Although not all simulations could be tested against field observations and despite of prediction uncertainties, simulations confirm the hypothesis that environmental performances resulting from C and N cycles depend more on specificities of individual than nominal treatments. Significant correlations appeared between long-term N surplus and soil N storage and between total N fertilization and total N gaseous losses. Results showed in both experiments that arable organic systems do not systematically have lower N surplus and N losses than conventional ones, providing opportunity for increasing N use efficiency of these systems.

Renal integrity in sevoflurane sedation in the intensive care unit with the anesthetic-conserving device: a comparison with intravenous propofol sedation.

BACKGROUND: Increased inorganic fluoride levels after methoxyflurane exposure in the 1970s and prolonged intraoperative sevoflurane use have been suggested to be potentially nephrotoxic. In the intensive care unit we evaluated the effect on renal integrity of short-term inhaled postoperative sedation with sevoflurane using the Anesthetic Conserving Device (ACD) compared with propofol. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, single-blinded study, after major abdominal, vascular or thoracic surgery 125 patients were allocated to receive either sevoflurane (n = 64) via the ACD (end-tidal 0.5-1 vol%) or i.v. propofol (n = 61) for postoperative sedation up to 24 h. Urinary alpha-glutathione-s-transferase as primary outcome variable, urinary N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, serum creatinine, and inorganic fluoride concentrations, urine output and fluid management were measured preoperatively, at the end of surgery, and at 24 and 48 h postoperatively. RESULTS: The sedation time in the intensive care unit was comparable between the sevoflurane (9.2 +/- 4.3 h) and the propofol (9.3 +/- 4.7 h) group. Alpha-glutathione-s-transferase levels were significantly increased at 24 and 48 h postoperatively compared with preoperative values in both groups, without significant differences between the groups. N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and serum creatinine remained unchanged in both study groups, and urine output and creatinine clearance were comparable between the groups throughout the study period. Inorganic fluoride levels increased significantly (P < 0.001) at 24 h after sevoflurane exposure (39 +/- 25 micromol/L) compared with propofol (3 +/- 6 micromol/L) and remained elevated 48 h later (33 +/- 26 vs 3 +/- 5 micromol/L). One patient in each group suffered from renal insufficiency, requiring intensive diuretic therapy, but not dialysis, during hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term sedation with either sevoflurane using ACD or propofol did not negatively affect renal function postoperatively. Although inorganic fluoride levels were elevated after sevoflurane exposure, glomerular and tubular renal integrity were preserved throughout the hospital stay.

Cardiac output derived from arterial pressure waveform.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cardiac output (CO) and other flow-based hemodynamic variables have become increasingly important to guide treatment of patients undergoing major surgery with expected fluid shifts in the operating room as well as critically ill ICU patients. Established techniques such as pulmonary artery thermodilution, however, might not be justified in all of these patients. As arterial access is commonly available, less-invasive arterial pressure waveform-based CO devices are becoming more and more popular. RECENT FINDINGS: Many studies dealing with arterial pressure waveform-based CO have emerged in recent years providing additional information with regard to accuracy of the different commercially available devices. Furthermore, methods of comparative CO studies have been recently brought into question. SUMMARY: Although there are differences in invasiveness and the need for external calibration, all available devices provide parameters for enhanced hemodynamic monitoring. Initial validation studies of the more established techniques such as the pulse contour cardiac output (PiCCO) or LiDCO were recently met with less enthusiasm, whereas the initially disappointing validation studies of the FloTrac/Vigileo device had encouraging results after software updates. The pressure recording analytical method (PRAM) technique has not so far been sufficiently evaluated to be able to come to a conclusion. Further investigation is required with regard to the ability of the arterial pressure waveform-based methods to guide goal-directed therapy.

Long-term organic matter application reduces cadmium but not zinc concentrations in wheat.

Wheat is a staple food crop and a major source of both the essential micronutrient zinc (Zn) and the toxic heavy metal cadmium (Cd) for humans. Since Zn and Cd are chemically similar, increasing Zn concentrations in wheat grains (biofortification), while preventing Cd accumulation, is an agronomic challenge. We used two Swiss agricultural long-term field trials, the "Dynamic-Organic-Conventional System Comparison Trial" (DOK) and the "Zurich Organic Fertilization Experiment" (ZOFE), to investigate the impact of long-term organic, mineral and combined fertilizer inputs on total and phytoavailable concentrations of soil Zn and Cd and their accumulation in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). "Diffusive gradients in thin films" (DGT) and diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA) extraction were used as proxies for plant available soil metals. Compared to unfertilized controls, long-term organic fertilization with composted manure or green waste compost led to higher soil organic carbon, cation exchange capacity and pH, while DGT-available Zn and Cd concentrations were reduced. The DGT method was a strong predictor of shoot and grain Cd, but not Zn concentrations. Shoot and grain Zn concentrations correlated with DTPA-extractable and total soil Zn concentrations in the ZOFE, but not the DOK trial. Long-term compost fertilization led to lower accumulation of Cd in wheat grains, but did not affect grain Zn. Therefore, Zn/Cd ratios in the grains increased. High Zn and Cd inputs with organic fertilizers and high Cd inputs with phosphate fertilizers led to positive Zn and Cd mass balances when taking into account atmospheric deposition and fertilizer inputs. On the other hand, mineral fertilization led to the depletion of soil Zn due to higher yields and thus higher Zn exports than under organic management. The study supports the use of organic fertilizers for reducing Cd concentrations of wheat grains in the long-term, given that the quality of the fertilizers is guaranteed.