The Performance and Metabolism of Dairy Cows Receiving an Ultra-Diluted Complex in the Diet during the Transition Period and Early Lactation.

This study evaluated the effects of feeding an ultra-diluted complex to dairy cows during the transition period and early lactation. Thirty multiparous pregnant dairy cows were blocked and randomly assigned to either a placebo control (CON) group or ultra-diluted complex (UD) group. The CON group received a placebo (basal diet + 40 g/cow/day of expanded silicate), while the UD group received the ultra-diluted complex (basal diet + 40 g/cow/day of PeriParto Transição-RealH, composed of ultra-diluted substances + vehicle: expanded silicate). Cows were evaluated from 30 days before the expected calving date until 60 days in milk (DIM) for sample and data collection. Post-partum dry matter intake (DMI) was not affected by the treatment. Cows fed UD had higher DMI relative to BW. Feeding UD increased milk lactose content and decreased milk protein content. Cows fed UD had lower somatic cell counts in the third and fourth week of lactation. Cows fed UD showed a tendency for higher liver health index. Using UD during the transition period and early lactation may benefit liver and udder health of dairy cows with no detrimental effect on milk performance.

A preliminary approach to embryonic development of Austrolebias wolterstorffi, an endangered neotropical annual fish species.

Annual fish live exclusively in temporary wetlands and are among the shortest-lived vertebrates in the world. These fish persist in these habitats due to drought-resistant eggs, that which, through diapauses are able to detect stimuli from the environment to start the development processes. They are also able to direct their embryonic development in different trajectories with different development times. Our objective in this paper was to describe the different stages of embryonic development of Austrolebias wolterstorffi, a critically endangered annual fish. A total of 27 stages of embryonic development were identified for the two observed developmental pathways (direct and diapause 2). Of these 27 developmental stages observed, 24 were identical between the two types of trajectories and three different. A total of 90% of the embryos that completed their development proceeded normally, without pauses. One embryo had a different development from the others, entering diapause 2, with a pause in development for 48 h. Although the embryonic development of A. wolterstorffi is similar to that of other Neotropical annual fish species, the diapause 2 occurs when the embryo has a large body size and a well-developed brain, indicating that the lack of embryonic information of the genus Austrolebias may hide characteristics still undescribed or even different survival strategies than what has been observed for other annual fish.

IL-1ra polymorphisms and risk of epidural-related maternal fever (EPIFEVER-2): study protocol for a multicentre, observational mechanistic cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory data suggest that insufficient circulating levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) are associated with intrapartum inflammation and epidural-related maternal fever, both of which increase the rate of obstetric interventions and antibiotic use during labour. Genetic polymorphisms strongly influence IL-1ra levels in the general population. We aim to examine the association between IL-1ra polymorphisms and epidural-related maternal fever using Mendelian randomization analysis. METHODS: EPIFEVER-2 is a multicentre UK trial enrolling 637 women receiving epidural analgesia for labour. Blood samples obtained no later than four hours after epidural insertion will provide deoxyribonucleic acid for Taqman single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping for presence/absence of rs6743376, rs1542176 alleles for IL-1ra, to establish the genetic score. The absence of both alleles is associated with the lowest IL-1ra levels. The primary outcome is pyrexia (>38°C) or intrapartum antibiotic administration. Secondary outcomes include mode of delivery, maternal and neonatal healthcare interventions. RESULTS: The EPIFEVER-2 study was prospectively registered (ISRCTN99641204) following ethical approval. Participant recruitment began in May 2021, with 221 women recruited across three centres as of November 21, 2021. CONCLUSIONS: EPIFEVER-2 will generate the largest prospective dataset detailing the incidence and consequences of epidural-related maternal fever. Using Mendelian randomisation analysis, a causative role for lower IL1-ra levels in determining the risk of epidural-related maternal fever and/or antibiotic administration before delivery will be examined.

Welfare indicators for laying Japanese quails caged at different densities.

In the way to reduce costs in the poultry production, high densities of birds are adopted in the production systems. Such high densities can lead to an inappropriate environment, compromising the welfare and decreasing the animal performance. In this work we aimed to evaluate the effects of different densities on the productive yield, egg quality and immunological aspects of Japanese quails. It was used 816 Japanese quails, during egg production phase, in a random design, with four treatments (121.43 cm2/bird; 106.25 cm2/bird; 94.44 cm2/bird and 85.00 cm2/bird) with six repetitions each. Results indicate density did not interfere on egg quality and all treatments can be considered excellent, once the Haugh Unit was 88.03. Therefore, higher densities decline the yield, decreasing the eggs weight (10.35 g), the laying percentage (88%), egg mass (9.16 g) and the week average feed consumption (157.35 g). IgY values were higher at smaller cage density, suggesting birds in this condition presented better immunological condition, related to welfare and stress factors, all linked to immunoglobulins IgY.

Whole angiosperms Wolffia columbiana disperse by gut passage through wildfowl in South America.

For the first time to our knowledge, we demonstrate that whole angiosperm individuals can survive gut passage through birds, and that this occurs in the field. Floating plants of the genus Wolffia are the smallest of all flowering plants. Fresh droppings of white-faced whistling duck Dendrocygna viduata ( n = 49) and coscoroba swan Coscoroba coscoroba ( n = 22) were collected from Brazilian wetlands. Intact Wolffia columbiana were recovered from 16% of D. viduata and 32% of Coscoroba samples (total = 164 plantlets). The viability of plants was tested, and asexual reproduction was confirmed. Wolffia columbiana is an expanding alien in Europe. Avian endozoochory of asexual angiosperm propagules may be an important, overlooked dispersal means for aquatic plants, and may contribute to the invasive character of alien species.

[HIV-associated plasmablastic lymphoma of the paranasal sinuses : An incidental finding]. / HIV­assoziiertes plasmoblastisches Lymphom der Nasennebenhöhlen : Ein Zufallsbefund.

A 48-year-old female patient presented to the ENT department of the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz with subfebrile temperatures, one-sided nasal obstruction, and left-sided cephalgia. Clinical examination and CT scans showed a mass occupying the left nasal cavity and left paranasal sinuses. Further diagnosis and histopathological examination showed an HIV-associated plasmablastic lymphoma of the left paranasal sinuses. This case report with literature review discusses the diagnosis and treatment of this rare nasal tumor.

Influence of shear stress and size on viability of endothelial cells exposed to gold nanoparticles.

Screening nanoparticle toxicity directly on cell culture can be a fast and cheap technique. Nevertheless, to obtain results in accordance with those observed in live animals, the conditions in which cells are cultivated should resemble the one encountered in live systems. Microfluidic devices offer the possibility to satisfy this requirement, in particular with endothelial cell lines, because they are capable to reproduce the flowing media and shear stress experienced by these cell lines in vivo. In this work, we exploit a microfluidic device to observe how human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) viability changes when subject to a continuous flow of culture medium, in which spherical citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles of different sizes and at varying doses are investigated. For comparison, the same experiments are also run in multiwells where the cells do not experience the shear stress induced by the flowing medium. We discuss the results considering the influence of mode of exposure and nanoparticle size (24 and 13 nm). We observed that gold nanoparticles show a lower toxicity under flow conditions with respect to static and the HUVEC viability decreases as the nanoparticle surface area per unit volume increases, regardless of size.

[An atypical case of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis]. / Un cas atypique d'arthrite juvénile idiopathique systémique.

The systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) is a rare, auto-inflammatory and chronic childhood disease. Arthritis of at least one joint is associated with a daily fever lasting more than two weeks and with one of the following signs: lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, serositis, or skin rash. Systemic symptoms are often initially preponderant, in the absence of arthritis than can occur weeks or months later. The typical rash is maculopapular discrete, fleeting and dew. We present an unusual SJIA case, where the rash, like urticaria, presents itself as persistent, itchy hives. An arthritis of the elbow appeared only one month after the onset of the disease. This case illustrates the difficulty of diagnosis, which can only be made after the exclusion of more common (infectious) and severe (hematooncology) diseases.

L'arthrite juvénile idiopathique systémique (AJIS) est une maladie rare, auto-inflammatoire et chronique de l'enfant. Le tableau associe la présence d'une arthrite touchant au moins une articulation, à une fièvre quotidienne d'une durée minimum de 2 semaines et à l'un des signes suivants : adénopathies, hépatomégalie, sérosite ou éruption cutanée. Les symptômes systémiques sont souvent prépondérants initialement, en l'absence d'arthrite avérée qui peut n'apparaître qu'après plusieurs semaines ou mois. L'éruption typique est maculo-papuleuse rosée discrète et fugace. Nous présentons un cas atypique d'AJIS, dont l'éruption se présente comme une urticaire persistante et prurigineuse. Une arthrite du coude n'est apparue qu'un mois après le début de l'affection. Ce cas illustre la difficulté du diagnostic qui ne peut être posé qu'après l'exclusion de pathologies plus courantes (infectieuses) et plus graves (hémato-oncologiques).

Far- and near-field properties of gold nanoshells studied by photoacoustic and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopies.

Gold nanoshells, with a silica core and different core and shell dimensions, have been extensively investigated. Optical far-field properties, namely extinction and absorption, have been separately determined by means of spectrophotometry and photoacoustic spectroscopy, respectively, in the 440-900 nm range. The enhancement factor for surface-enhanced Raman scattering, which is related to near-field effects, has been measured from 568 to 920 nm. The absorption contribution to extinction decreases as the overall diameter increases. Moreover, absorption and scattering display different spectral distributions, the latter being red shifted. The Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering enhancement profile, measured using thiobenzoic acid as a Raman probe, is further shifted to the red. The latter result suggests that the enhancement is dominated by the presence of hot spots, which are possibly related to the surface roughness of gold nanoshell particles.

Chemically modified poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogel for the adsorption of heparin.

Various clinical procedures, such as cardiovascular surgery or extracorporeal blood purification, involve systemic anticoagulation using heparin. High concentrations of circulating heparin require neutralization due to possible serious bleeding complications. The intravenous administration of the heparin antagonist protamine sulfate is routinely clinically performed, but is frequently associated with adverse reactions. Therefore, there is a need for a valid and safe alternative to achieve extracorporeal heparin removal from blood or plasma, such as a filter, a matrix, or an adsorbent. Here, we describe the development of a macroporous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-based monolithic cryogel functionalized with l-lysine (pHEMA-lys) and the characterization of its selective heparin adsorption. The maximum binding capacity was quantified in vitro using aqueous and serum solutions under static and dynamic conditions, and fresh human plasma under static conditions. The pHEMA-lys bound 40,500 IU and 32,500 IU heparin/g cryogel at the equilibrium in aqueous solution and 50% serum, respectively. In human plasma spiked with 100 IU/mL of heparin, the binding was still highly efficient (4330 IU/g cryogel after 30 min, i.e., 87% of the initial concentration). The cryogels showed good blood compatibility, as indicated by negligible adsorption of albumin, antithrombin III, and total protein, and may thus be suitable for extracorporeal heparin removal.

Green synthesis and electrophoretic deposition of Ag nanoparticles on SiO2/Si(100).

Plasmonic substrates were prepared by electrophoretic deposition of Ag nanoparticles on SiO2/Si(100). The Ag nanoparticles were obtained using [Ag(NH3)2](+) as the Ag precursor and d-glucose as the reducing agent. Under optimized conditions, this simple and green synthesis method furnished a suspension of Ag nanoparticles with a narrow dimensional dispersion (centered around 27 nm) and a negative z-potential, suitable for electrophoretic deposition. Samples were chemically, optically and morphologically characterized by photoemission and UV-vis spectroscopy and electron microscopy, and tested as substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Despite being a very simple procedure, good enhancement factors were measured thanks to the formation of hot spots, formed by sandwiching the analyte (benzenethiol) between sequentially deposited Ag nanoparticles.

The anterior ventriculo-cisternostomy: the pioneers' work revisited.

BACKGROUND: There is no satisfactory medical treatment for hydrocephalus and most often surgical treatment is necessary, including shunting or endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), both with their well-known advantages and drawbacks. The objective of this study is to describe a contemporary series of anterior ventriculocisternostomy. PATIENTS: Twenty-two patients with hydrocephalus treated at two institutions between 2005 and 2009 were presented. The authors employed a technique called anterior ventriculocisternostomy to treat selected cases. This technique includes supraciliary incision, small craniotomy, and fenestration of the lamina terminalis and Liliquist membrane. Hydrocephalus was secondary to hemorrhage from arteriovenous malformation (3 cases), spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (2 cases), posterior fossa tumors (4 cases), head injury (1 case), basilar aneurysm (1 case), and posterior fossa hemorrhage (1 case). Eight patients had a normal-pressure hydrocephalus syndrome and one patient a slit ventricle syndrome. Aqueduct obstruction was noticed in one patient. Patients were followed up for 20.2 months (range: 10 to 46 months). RESULTS: No hemorrhagic complications or parenchymal injury were observed. One cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred. No infection, mortality, and neurological morbidity were reported. Improvements were noticed in 18 cases. Eighty-two percent of the patients remained independent of shunt. CONCLUSION: Anterior ventriculocisternostomy integrates old views of open ventriculocisternostomy with contemporary concepts of minimally invasive neurosurgery. It provides the most straightforward anatomical and physiological alternative to treat many types of hydrocephalus with no significant morbidity. Compared with conventional procedures, it has several advantages. This procedure is an important option to manage hydrocephalus and constitutes a safe, effective, and relatively inexpensive alternative to ETV and shunts.

Aromatic borozene.

Based on our comprehensive theoretical investigation and known experimental results for small boron clusters, we predict the existence of a novel aromatic inorganic molecule, B12H6. This molecule, which we refer to as borozene, has remarkably similar properties to the well-known benzene. Borozene is planar, possesses a large first excitation energy, D3hsymmetry, and more importantly is aromatic. Furthermore, the calculated anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility of borozene is three times larger in absolute value than for benzene. Finally, we show that borozene molecules may be fused together to give larger aromatic compounds with even larger anisotropic susceptibilities.

[Organization model for postoperative pain management in a basic-care hospital]. / Organisationsmodell der postoperativen Schmerztherapie am Beispiel eines Krankenhauses der Regelversorgung.

Small hospitals often lack the financial and personnel resources to realize innovative postoperative pain management concepts. This is not-as shown here-an absolute contradiction. The regular measurement of pain and its documentation by ward nurses as well as the appropriate prescription of analgesics play a key role in our concept. The joint establishment of guidelines, information sessions and the on-going dialog between the various professional groups guarantees the necessary consensus of all specialists involved in postoperative pain control. If an anesthetist is available 24 h a day, a nurse-based acute pain service (APS) becomes available for managing patients with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) systems. The use of PCA and the performance of pain visits at regular intervals increase patient comfort and satisfaction. In addition, it can contribute to reduced hospitalization time in the context of fast-track rehabilitation programs. In our opinion, embedding the measures in a quality management program has a valuable catalytic effect, although implementation takes at least 1-2 years.

Factors influencing Leishmania major infection in IL-4-deficient BALB/c mice.

The outcome of Leishmania major infection in IL-4-deficient BALB/c mice has been a controversial subject. We have shown that IL-4-deficient BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania major developed progressive lesions and could not contain the replication of the parasites, whereas other studies have reported that IL-4-deficient mice were able to resist infection. Therefore, we examined different factors that can influence the course of Leishmania major infection. We tested different lines of IL-4-deficient BALB/c mice and show that the reported differences in the outcome of infection were not due to the different genetic origin of the embryonic stem cells used to disrupt the IL-4 gene. In addition, we infected IL-4-deficient mice with different isolates of L. major parasites and show that none of the parasite strains tested were cleared, although some of them caused milder pathology. Interestingly, this milder pathology was paralleled by a reduced arginase activity of the parasites. We also tested the influence of age on the course of Leishmania major infection in IL-4-deficient BALB/c mice and show that older mice express a transient resistance. Thus, we conclude that differences in the age of the mice and in the arginase activity of the different isolates of parasites are factors that can influence the non-healing phenotype of IL-4-/- BALB/c mice.

Rapid self-hypnosis: a new self-hypnosis method and its comparison with the Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP).

Despite its clinical importance, there are few systematic studies on the application of self-hypnosis. Rapid Self-Hypnosis (RSH) was created to provide a new procedure that is easy, comfortable, fosters alertness, and can be done covertly in everyday life. We present it as an alternative to the self-hypnosis version of the Hypnosis Induction Profile (HIP). Using a crossover design, we found in an experimental session that the RSH and the HIP produced comparable objective and subjective scores in the Barber Suggestibility Scale (BSS). However, as compared with the HIP, participants rated RSH as significantly more coherent, pleasant, faster and easier to learn, more likely to be used in everyday life and go unnoticed by others, less bothersome to use, and more likely to be used in private. Additional research should clarify whether these differences are reliable and have clinical significance. Our results suggest that RSH will be a valuable addition to the clinician's arsenal.

Development of affinity microparticles for extracorporeal blood purification based on crystalline bacterial cell surface proteins.

In this article, the development of specific adsorbents for extracorporeal blood purification are described. Affinity microparticles were prepared by linking Protein A to crystalline cell surface layers (S-layers) from Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus 1111-69. S-layers were used in the form of cell wall fragments obtained by breaking whole cells by ultrasonification, resulting in cup-shaped structures (average size 0.5 x 1 microm) completely covered with S-layer protein. Protein A was covalently bound to carboxylic acid groups of the S-layer protein after activation with 1-ethyl-3,3'(dimethylamino)propylcarbodiimide. In batch adsorption experiments with fresh frozen human plasma, the resulting S-layer based affinity microparticles showed a high adsorption capacity for IgG (40 mg IgG were bound per g wet pellet of S-layer based affinity microparticles). Fractions eluted from the microparticles were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. They contained only IgG demonstrating that adsorption was specific. In biocompatibility tests, preparations of the S-layer microparticles showed no low-density lipoprotein-reactivity, no cytotoxicity, and no cytokine inducing activity.

Synthesis and in vitro studies of pyrone derivatives as scavengers of active oxygen species.

The antioxidant properties of eleven alpha-pyrones and four gamma-pyrones were evaluated by means of three different tests: reduction of the stable free radical, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion scavenging assay and lipid peroxidation assay. In the DPPH test, 6-aryl-5,6-dihydro-4-hydroxypyran-2-ones (3) and 4-hydroxypyran-2-one (5f) were the most active derivatives with IC50 values ranging from 36.7 to 394 mumol/l. Potent superoxide anion scavenging properties appeared in derivatives possessing phenol moieties. Thus phenolic pyrones 5e and 5f exhibited a noteworthy activity (IC50 = 0.180 and 0.488 mmol/l, respectively) when reference compound, ascorbic acid, demonstrated only 24% inhibition at a concentration of 1 mg/ml. In addition derivative 5f significantly inhibited the Fe2+/ADP/ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation of rat liver microsomes with an IC50 value of 0.069 mmol/l. Due to its multiple mechanism of protective action, compound 5f may be useful for the treatment of oxidative tissue injury in human disease.

Effecting and leading change in health care organizations.

BACKGROUND: Understanding change is crucial to implementing quality improvement (QI) initiatives. Widespread change will be required to correct what many consider to be outmoded and deficient systems of care. This article summarizes the current literature--within both health care and the fields of business and management--regarding how change occurs at the individual and organizational levels. Part 1 focuses on changing clinician behavior, which is instrumental to any effort directed in the health care setting. Part 2 examines the culture of change. Part 3 addresses issues of leadership, along with the necessary steps to guide change in an organization. Part 4 summarizes key elements of change. Finally, Part 5 provides three case examples of QI initiatives reported in the recent literature to illustrate how the application of the knowledge of change management can assist in the successful implementation of QI programs. KEY ELEMENTS OF CHANGE: The knowledge base regarding successful change in health care organizations can be summarized in eight crucial strategies or principles: (1) develop a vision for change, (2) focus on the change process, (3) analyze which individuals in the organization must respond to the proposed change and what barriers exist, (4) build partnerships between physicians and the administration, (5) create a culture of continuous commitment to change, (6) ensure that change begins with leadership, (7) ensure that change is well communicated, and (8) build in accountability for change. CONCLUSION: A knowledge of change management can help leaders of QI programs in health care organizations successfully apply these concepts to bring about much-needed transformations in health care.

Antioxidant properties of novel lipophilic ascorbic acid analogues.

Structural modifications of ascorbic acid by the introduction of lipophilic moieties has led to derivatives with increased stability against thermal and oxidative degradation. Two series of new lipophilic ascorbic analogues were synthesized to obtain antioxidants devoid of autooxidant properties: 4-benzoyl-3-hydroxyfuran-2(5H)-ones (3a-j) and 4-acetyl-5-aryl-3,4-dihydrofuran-2(5H)ones (5a-f). These compounds were submitted to three different tests: reduction of the stable free radical, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); superoxide-anion scavenging assay; and lipid-peroxidation assay. Most compounds interacted with DPPH: at a concentration of 5 x 10(-3) M, the reducing activity of 4-benzoyl derivatives, 3c and 3h, was more than 50%; under the same conditions, the rate of inhibition for 4-acetylbutanolides, 5a and 5f, reached 60.6% and 87.3%, respectively; 93.3% inhibition was observed with ascorbic acid. In the superoxide-anion scavenging assay, at a concentration of 1 mg mL(-1), 4-benzoyl derivatives, 3g and 3i, exhibited a good activity, with IC50 (dose resulting in 50% inhibition) values of 1.45 and 1.35 x 10(-3) M, respectively. 4-Acetylbutanolide, 5f, significantly inhibited the Fe2+/ADP/ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation of rat liver microsomes with an IC50 of 4.9 x 10(-4) M. This study demonstrates that enol functions in the structure of ascorbic acid analogues are not absolutely essential to bring about antioxidant effects.