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The gut microbiome is impacted by certain types of dietary fibre. However, the type, duration and dose needed to elicit gut microbial changes and whether these changes also influence microbial metabolites remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of supplementing healthy participants with two types of non-digestible carbohydrates (resistant starch (RS) and polydextrose (PD)) on the stool microbiota and microbial metabolite concentrations in plasma, stool and urine, as secondary outcomes in the Dietary Intervention Stem Cells and Colorectal Cancer (DISC) Study. The DISC study was a double-blind, randomised controlled trial that supplemented healthy participants with RS and/or PD or placebo for 50 d in a 2 × 2 factorial design. DNA was extracted from stool samples collected pre- and post-intervention, and V4 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to profile the gut microbiota. Metabolite concentrations were measured in stool, plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography. A total of fifty-eight participants with paired samples available were included. After 50 d, no effects of RS or PD were detected on composition of the gut microbiota diversity (alpha- and beta-diversity), on genus relative abundance or on metabolite concentrations. However, Drichlet’s multinomial mixture clustering-based approach suggests that some participants changed microbial enterotype post-intervention. The gut microbiota and fecal, plasma and urinary microbial metabolites were stable in response to a 50-d fibre intervention in middle-aged adults. Larger and longer studies, including those which explore the effects of specific fibre sub-types, may be required to determine the relationships between fibre intake, the gut microbiome and host health.
The American Heart Association (AHA; Dallas, Texas USA) and European Resuscitation Council (Niel, Belgium) cardiac arrest (CA) guidelines recommend the intraosseous (IO) route when intravenous (IV) access cannot be obtained. Vasopressin has been used as an alternative to epinephrine to treat ventricular fibrillation (VF).
Limited data exist on the pharmacokinetics and resuscitative effects of vasopressin administered by the humeral IO (HIO) route for treatment of VF. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of HIO and IV vasopressin, on the occurrence, odds, and time of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and pharmacokinetic measures in a swine model of VF.
Twenty-seven Yorkshire-cross swine (60 to 80 kg) were assigned randomly to three groups: HIO (n=9), IV (n=9), and a control group (n=9). Ventricular fibrillation was induced and untreated for two minutes. Chest compressions began at two minutes post-arrest and vasopressin (40 U) administered at four minutes post-arrest. Serial blood specimens were collected for four minutes, then the swine were resuscitated until ROSC or 29 post-arrest minutes elapsed.
Fisher’s Exact test determined ROSC was significantly higher in the HIO 5/7 (71.5%) and IV 8/11 (72.7%) groups compared to the control 0/9 (0.0%; P=.001). Odds ratios of ROSC indicated no significant difference between the treatment groups (P=.68) but significant differences between the HIO and control, and the IV and control groups (P=.03 and .01, respectively). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated the mean time to ROSC for HIO and IV was 621.20 seconds (SD=204.21 seconds) and 554.50 seconds (SD=213.96 seconds), respectively, with no significant difference between the groups (U=11; P=.22). Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and time to maximum concentration (Tmax) of vasopressin in the HIO and IV groups was 71753.9 pg/mL (SD=26744.58 pg/mL) and 61853.7 pg/mL (SD=22745.04 pg/mL); 111.42 seconds (SD=51.3 seconds) and 114.55 seconds (SD=55.02 seconds), respectively. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated no significant difference in plasma vasopressin concentrations between the treatment groups over four minutes (P=.48).
The HIO route delivered vasopressin effectively in a swine model of VF. Occurrence, time, and odds of ROSC, as well as pharmacokinetic measurements of HIO vasopressin, were comparable to IV.
Kochia poses a challenge to vegetation management in both agricultural and noncrop areas. This species has developed widespread resistance to several herbicides with differing modes of action, including acetolactate synthase inhibitors and photosynthesis inhibitors. Resistance is also beginning to appear against the synthetic auxins and glycines. Therefore, alternative PRE and POST herbicides are needed for effective kochia management, especially in roadside bare-ground zones. Both PRE and POST herbicides were screened on rights-of-way in Pennsylvania. Mixtures containing diuron, flumioxazin, sulfentrazone, pendimethalin, prodiamine, and bromacil were evaluated for PRE activity in combination with glyphosate. POST kochia control was assessed for 15 noncrop herbicides. Results from all trials varied with kochia size and vigor at time of treatment. Although diuron is the current industry standard for PRE control in tank mixes, sulfentrazone appeared to have the most POST activity against vigorously growing kochia. All PRE herbicides evaluated performed better than the standard, sulfometuron plus chlorsulfuron alone. Dicamba, dicamba plus diflufenzopyr, fluroxypyr, and glyphosate performed best against kochia when applied POST. The recently available chemistries saflufenacil and aminocyclopyrachlor require further evaluation of application timing and use rates, respectively, for POST activity on kochia.
Obtaining intravenous (IV) access in patients in hemorrhagic shock is often difficult and prolonged. Failed IV attempts delay life-saving treatment. Intraosseous (IO) access may often be obtained faster than IV access. Albumin (5%) is an option for prehospital volume expansion because of the absence of interference with coagulation and platelet function.
There are limited data comparing the performance of IO and IV administered 5% albumin. The aims of this study were to compare the effects of tibial IO (TIO) and IV administration of 500 mL of 5% albumin on infusion time and hemodynamic measurements of heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), and stroke volume (SV) in a swine model of hemorrhagic shock.
Sixteen male swine were divided into two groups: TIO and IV. All subjects were anesthetized and a Class III hemorrhage was achieved by exsanguination of 31% of estimated blood volume (EBV) from a femoral artery catheter. Following exsanguination, 500 mL of 5% albumin was administered under pressurized infusion (300 mmHg) by the TIO or IV route and infusion time was recorded. Hemodynamic measurements of HR, MAP, CO, and SV were collected before and after exsanguination and every 20 seconds for 180 seconds during 5% albumin infusion.
An independent t-test determined that IV 5% albumin infusion was significantly faster compared to IO (P=.01). Mean infusion time for TIO was seven minutes 35 seconds (SD=two minutes 44 seconds) compared to four minutes 32 seconds (SD=one minute 08 seconds) in the IV group. Multivariate Analysis of Variance was performed on hemodynamic data collected during the 5% albumin infusion. Analyses indicated there were no significant differences between the TIO and IV groups relative to MAP, CO, HR, or SV (P>.05).
While significantly longer to infuse 5% albumin by the TIO route, the longer TIO infusion time may be negated as IO devices can be placed more quickly compared to repeated IV attempts. The lack of significant difference between the TIO and IV routes relative to hemodynamic measures indicate the TIO route is a viable route for the infusion of 5% albumin in a swine model of Class III hemorrhage.
Three-dimensional (3D) battery architectures have emerged as a new direction for powering microelectromechanical systems and other small autonomous devices. Although there are few examples to date of fully functioning 3D batteries, these power sources have the potential to achieve high power density and high energy density in a small footprint. This overview highlights the various architectures proposed for 3D batteries, the advances made in the fabrication of components designed for these devices, and the remaining technical challenges. Efforts directed at establishing design rules for 3D architectures and modeling are providing insight concerning the energy density and current uniformity achievable with these architectures. The significant progress made on the fabrication of electrodes and electrolytes designed for 3D batteries is an indication that a number of these battery architectures will be successfully demonstrated within the next few years.