Fresh cow mastitis monitoring on day 3 postpartum and its relationship to subsequent milk production

The purpose was to determine the association of milk California Mastitis Test (CMT), somatic cell concentration (SCC), and milk differential cell count results on day 3 postcalving with subsequent lactation production and health events. On d 3 postcalving, the CMT was performed and quarter milk samples were collected from 130 dairy cows. Quarter SCC and milk differential cell counts were determined. Microbiology on duplicate quarter milk samples was used to determine the presence of intramammary infection by major or minor pathogens. Production measures obtained using Dairy Herd Improvement Association testing were 150-d standardized and summit milks. Milk culture results on a cow basis included 82 (63.1%) samples with no growth, 31 (23.9%) with major pathogens, and 17 (13.1%) with minor pathogens. Milk culture results comparing cows with no growth to those with any growth (major or minor pathogens) were not associated with statistically significant differences in milk production. Milk culture results comparing cows with major pathogens to those with no growth and minor pathogens combined were associated with statistically significant differences in 150 d milk. Milk production did not differ for cows with CMT results above and below a cut-off of trace, and for SCC results above and below cut-offs of 200,000, 300,000, and 400,000/mL, respectively. Statistically significant differences in milk production were found for cows above and below cut-offs for percentage neutrophils in milk and for absolute neutrophil counts. Associations were found for milk production and number of quarters (0, 1, 2, or 3 and 4 combined) above respective cut-offs for SCC, percentage neutrophils in milk, and absolute numbers of neutrophils in milk, but not for CMT. Milk production differed for cows experiencing any health event versus those with no health event. The most commonly recorded health event was clinical mastitis. Statistically significant associations were detected between health events and milk culture results, SCC, neutrophil percentage, and neutrophil absolute counts. Results of the present investigation indicate that milk monitoring on d 3 of lactation using milk neutrophil percentage or neutrophil absolute counts may be useful as an indication of subsequent milk production.     

Effects of slaughter weight on carcass composition and meat quality in pigs of two different growth rates

Three hundred and forty (340) Duroc×(Landrace×Yorkshire) crossbred piglets were allotted to a 2×2×3 factorial design experiment. The independent variables were the growth rate (fast: around -10 days at 100kg and slow: around +2 days at 100kg), based on two different EBV's (estimated breeding value) of the sire-line for age, the sex (barrows and gilts) and the live weight at slaughter (107, 115 and 125kg). A sub-population of 119 pigs (10 carcasses per treatment) was selected for the carcass and meat quality evaluation trials. As live weight increased there were significant increases in hot carcass weight and dressing percentage (P<0.05). Lean, fat and bone proportions were not affected by weight. Gilts had higher lean proportion (P<0.05) than barrows. Furthermore, carcasses of fast growing pigs were fatter (P<0.05) than those of slower growing ones. Loin muscle pH, drip loss and reflectance values did not vary significantly with any of the treatments. Intramuscular fat was higher in barrows (P<0.05) than in gilts and soluble collagen content decreased with increasing weight (P<0.05). Muscle protein (%) increased (P<0.05) from 107 to 115kg and gilts had a higher (P<0.05) content than castrates. No evidence was found that increasing slaughter weight detracts from carcass characteristics or meat quality.     

Disruption and phenotypic analysis of six open reading frames from the left arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome VII

Six open reading frames (ORFs) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome VII were deleted using the kanMX4 module and the long-flanking homology-PCR replacement strategy in at least two different backgrounds. Among these ORFs, two of them (YGL100w and YGL094c) are now known genes which encode well-characterized proteins (Seh1p, a nuclear pore protein, and Pan2p, a component of Pab1p-stimulated poly(A) ribonuclease, respectively). The other four ORFs (YGL101w, YGL099w, YGL098w and YGL096w) code for proteins of unknown function, although the protein encoded by YGL101w has a strong similarity to the hypothetical protein Ybr242p. Gene disruptions were performed in diploid cells using the KanMX4 cassette, and the geneticin (G418)-resistant transformants were checked by PCR. Tetrad analysis of heterozygous deletant strains revealed that YGL098w is an essential gene for vegetative growth in three backgrounds, whereas the other five genes are non-essential, although we have found some phenotypes in one of them. YGL099wDelta strain did not grow at all at 15 degrees C and showed a highly impaired sporulation and a significantly lower mating efficiency. The other three deletants did not reveal any significant differences with respect to their parental strains in our basic phenotypic tests.     

Composition of total,neutral and phospholipids in wild and farmed tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) in the Brazilian Amazon area

BACKGROUND: Fishing is a traditional extractive activity in the Amazonian region, representing an important factor in the economy of the area. The wet and dry cycles cause extreme changes in the chemical composition of the water. This study aimed to investigate the fatty acid composition of the total lipid (TL), neutral lipid (NL) and phospholipid (PL) fractions of the dorsal muscle, orbital cavity and abdominal cavity fat of farmed and wild tambaqui in the Amazon area captured in different seasons. RESULTS: Fatty acids were analyzed by high‐resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Sixty‐one fatty6 acids were detected in the TL, 67 in the NL and 58 in the PL. The main fatty acids found in the TL, NL and PL of farmed and wild fish were oleic, palmitic, stearic and linoleic acids. Higher levels of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids were observed in PL compared with NL. No distinctions in the quantity of these fractions between dorsal muscle and orbital cavity were found. CONCLUSION: The season had a significant influence on TL and fatty acid composition. Fish caught in the wild are considered superior for consumption. The seasonal characteristics of the Amazon influenced the composition of fatty acid composition in the species. Fish captured during the dry season showed a higher percentage of long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

The Effects of Probiotics,Prebiotics and Synbiotics in Non-Alcoholic Fat Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH): A Systematic Review

Modifications in the microbiota caused by environmental and genetic reasons can unbalance the intestinal homeostasis, deregulating the host’s metabolism and immune system, intensifying the risk factors for the development and aggravation of non-alcoholic fat liver disease (NAFLD). The use of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics have been considered a potential and promising strategy to regulate the gut microbiota and produce beneficial effects in patients with liver conditions. For this reason, this review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics in patients with NAFLD and NASH. Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were consulted, and PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines were followed. The clinical trials used in this study demonstrated that gut microbiota interventions could improve a wide range of markers of inflammation, glycemia, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, obesity, liver injury (decrease of hepatic enzymes and steatosis and fibrosis). Although microbiota modulators do not play a healing role, they can work as an important adjunct therapy in pathological processes involving NAFLD and its spectrums, either by improving the intestinal barrier or by preventing the formation of toxic metabolites for the liver or by acting on the immune system.     

The Rocky Road from Preclinical Findings to Successful Targeted Therapy in Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a rare and aggressive disease that arises from the mesothelial cells lining the pleural cavity. Approximately 80% of PM patients have a history of asbestos exposure. The long latency period of 20–40 years from the time of asbestos exposure to diagnosis, suggests that multiple somatic genetic alterations are required for the tumorigenesis of PM. The genomic landscape of PM has been characterized by inter- and intratumor heterogeneity associated with the impairment of tumor suppressor genes such as CDKN2A, NF2, and BAP1. Current systemic therapies have shown only limited efficacy, and none is approved for patients with relapsed PM. Advances in understanding of the molecular landscape of PM has facilitated several biomarker-driven clinical trials but so far, no predictive biomarkers for targeted therapies are in clinical use. Recent advances in the PM genetics have provided optimism for successful molecular strategies in the future. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanism underlying PM pathogenesis and review potential therapeutic targets.     

Ruthenium Catalyzed Oxidative Cleavage of High Oleic Sunflower Oil: Considerations Regarding the Synthesis of a Fully Biobased Triacid

Tricarboxylic acids are molecules of interest for the synthesis of highly cross-linked polymers, for instance, for the curing of epoxy resins. Herein, a synthesis route to a novel high oleic sunflower oil based triacid is described by applying a ruthenium catalyzed oxidative cleavage of its double bonds. A statistical concept is devised for the prediction of the yields of mono-, di-, and trifunctional derivatives that can be formed from high oleic sunflower oil, depending on the overall conversion of double bonds into this functional group and the overall oleic acid content of the used oil. This concept proved to be highly useful for the explanation of seemingly moderate triacid yields, which are inherently dependent on the unsaturated fatty acid content of the used oil. All obtained sunflower oil based polyacids are fully analyzed by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), ¹H, ¹³C, and quantitative ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In addition, a more sustainable purification procedure is developed to obtain a polymerizable mixture of polyacids containing more than 2.0 carboxylic acids per molecule in average. Practical applications : Tricarboxylic acids are valuable monomers for the synthesis of cross-linked polymers. The herein reported procedure represents a hitherto unknown synthesis route towards a new triacid and polyacid mixture directly from high oleic sunflower oil.     

A measure of dignified treatment for healthcare workers: design and psychometric properties

Behaviormetrika - Despite the importance of both user and healthcare worker considerations to the achievement of a comprehensive understanding of dignified care in organizations, most studies in...