Impact of diversified grazing systems on milk production, nutrient use and enteric methane emissions in dual-purpose cows.

This study evaluated three continuous grazing systems: Brachiaria Brizantha, Clitoria ternatea and naturalized pastures, complemented with commercial concentrate and C. ternatea silage on milk yield, nutrient use and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. Nine multiparous cows of local Zebu breeds, with an average weight of 448 ± 87 kg, were used. The chemical composition of the food was determined. Live weight, milk production, and quality were assessed. Furthermore, serum urea, urea nitrogen, creatinine and glucose in blood were monitored, and nitrogen use efficiency were calculated. Enteric methane (CH4) emissions were estimated using Tier-2 methodology. A 3 × 3 latin square experimental design was applied. The grazing systems of B. brizantha and C. ternatea had the greater live weights of 465.8 and 453.3 kg/cow, although the latter is similar to naturalized pasture. Milk production and quality were not affected by grazing system, with the exception of the non-fat solids, where the C. ternatea system was lower (102.2 g/kg) than the other grazing systems. The crude protein and N intake, and N excretion in feces and urine were lower in naturalized pasture systems (1139.0 g/day). N outputs in milk was high in the C. ternatea system (56.3 g/cow/day). The naturalized pastures systems showed the better feed use efficiency (25.7%) compared to others. Serum urea and blood urea nitrogen were greater in B. brizantha followed by C. ternatea. Enteric CH4 emissions were indifferent among grazing systems when expressed as a percentage of greenhouse gases (7.1%). In conclusion, the grazing C. ternatea supplemented with commercial concentrate and C. ternatea silage maintains milk production and quality, reduced cow/day emissions (by 2.5%) and lowered energy losses as methane.

The limitations of phenotype prediction in metabolism.

Phenotype prediction is at the center of many questions in biology. Prediction is often achieved by determining statistical associations between genetic and phenotypic variation, ignoring the exact processes that cause the phenotype. Here, we present a framework based on genome-scale metabolic reconstructions to reveal the mechanisms behind the associations. We calculated a polygenic score (PGS) that identifies a set of enzymes as predictors of growth, the phenotype. This set arises from the synergy of the functional mode of metabolism in a particular setting and its evolutionary history, and is suitable to infer the phenotype across a variety of conditions. We also find that there is optimal genetic variation for predictability and demonstrate how the linear PGS can still explain phenotypes generated by the underlying nonlinear biochemistry. Therefore, the explicit model interprets the black box statistical associations of the genotype-to-phenotype map and helps to discover what limits the prediction in metabolism.

Estimation of Carcass Tissue Composition from the Neck and Shoulder Composition in Growing Blackbelly Male Lambs.

This study was designed to develop predictive equations estimating carcass tissue composition in growing Blackbelly male lambs using as predictor variables for tissue composition of wholesale cuts of low economic value (i.e., neck and shoulder). For that, 40 lambs with 29.9 ± 3.18 kg of body weight were slaughtered and then the left half carcasses were weighed and divided in wholesale cuts, which were dissected to record weights of fat, muscle, and bone from leg, loin, neck, rib, and shoulder. Total weights of muscle (CM), bone (CB) and fat (CF) in carcass were recorded by adding the weights of each tissue from cuts. The CM, CF and CB positively correlated (p < 0.05; 0.36 ≤ r ≤ 0.86), from moderate to high, with most of the shoulder tissue components, but it was less evident (p ≤ 0.05; 0.32≤ r ≤0.63) with the neck tissue composition. In fact, CM did not correlate with neck fat and bone weights. Final models explained (p < 0.01) 94, 92 and 88% of the variation observed for CM, CF and CB, respectively. Overall, results showed that prediction of carcass composition from shoulder (shoulder) tissue composition is a viable option over the more accurate method of analyzing the whole carcass.

Fatty Acids Profile and Healthy Lipids Indices of Native Mexican Guajolote Meat Treated to Two Heat Treatments.

Meat is a complex food with a structured nutritional composition that makes it an essential component of the human diet. In particular, the meat of native guajolote that is traditionally raised in natural conditions is an important dietary source of proteins of high biological value for the rural population of Mexico. The study aimed to evaluate fatty acids (FAs) profile and nutritional indices of breast and leg meat of native guajolote subjected to two heat treatments. For the study, a total of sixty muscle samples (30 breast meat and 30 leg meat) from adult male native guajolotes were used. The FA profile and nutritional indices were evaluated in raw meat (control) and meat subjected to two heat treatments (boiled and baked). The heat treatments, independently of the type of muscle, increased (p ≤ 0.05) the concentration of saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated FA (MUFA); in contrast, polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) decreased. Likewise, the dietary FA index, which has a negative hypercholesterolemic effect, and the atherogenic index increased in guajolote meat from the effect of the heat treatments, while the essential and undesirable hypercholesterolemic FA indices decreased. In conclusion, heat treatments increase the content of SFA and MUFAs in breast and leg meat of native guajolote. Boiling or baking the meat deteriorates PUFAs but increases the nutritional indices. The present investigation would provide valuable information for the guajolote meat product processing.

In vitro anthelmintic activity of Pimienta dioica and Origanum vulgare essential oils on gastrointestinal nematodes from sheep and cattle.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the in vitro nematicide activity of the allspice (Pimienta dioica) and oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oils (EOs) on eggs and larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) from ruminant. The EOs were obtained by hydro-distillation of previously dehydrated plant material. In the in vitro evaluation, the egg hatching and larval mobility of Haemonchus contortus and Cooperia spp. of sheep and cattle, respectively, were determined. EOs at concentrations of 20.2-252.3 µg µL-1 with serial dilutions were used, also a negative control (distilled water + Tween 20) and Thiabendazol (77 µg µL-1) and Levamisole (120 µg µL-1) as a positive control to eggs and larvae, respectively, were placed on microplates. The results were analyzed with the PROBIT procedure. PPEO showed ovicidal effect in vitro test, with lethal doses 99 (LD99) of 0.56-4.19 µg µL-1, while oregano essential oil (OREO) was shown to be a larvicidal activity with doses of LD99 of 0.15-6.60  L-1. The results confirm that P. dioica and O. vulgare EOs have ovicidal and larvicidal capacity against GIN in vitro test.

COPD & COVID-19 / EPOC y COVID-19

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COPD & COVID-19 / EPOC y COVID-19

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Global Initiative for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. The 2020 GOLD Science Committee Report on COVID-19 and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has raised many questions about the management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and whether modifications of their therapy are required. It has raised questions about recognizing and differentiating coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from COPD given the similarity of the symptoms. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Science Committee used established methods for literature review to present an overview of the management of patients with COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear whether patients with COPD are at increased risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2. During periods of high community prevalence of COVID-19, spirometry should only be used when it is essential for COPD diagnosis and/or to assess lung function status for interventional procedures or surgery. Patients with COPD should follow basic infection control measures, including social distancing, hand washing, and wearing a mask or face covering. Patients should remain up to date with appropriate vaccinations, particularly annual influenza vaccination. Although data are limited, inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting bronchodilators, roflumilast, or chronic macrolides should continue to be used as indicated for stable COPD management. Systemic steroids and antibiotics should be used in COPD exacerbations according to the usual indications. Differentiating symptoms of COVID-19 infection from chronic underlying symptoms or those of an acute COPD exacerbation may be challenging. If there is suspicion for COVID-19, testing for SARS-CoV-2 should be considered. Patients who developed moderate-to-severe COVID-19, including hospitalization and pneumonia, should be treated with evolving pharmacotherapeutic approaches as appropriate, including remdesivir, dexamethasone, and anticoagulation. Managing acute respiratory failure should include appropriate oxygen supplementation, prone positioning, noninvasive ventilation, and protective lung strategy in patients with COPD and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Patients who developed asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 should be followed with the usual COPD protocols. Patients who developed moderate or worse COVID-19 should be monitored more frequently and accurately than the usual patients with COPD, with particular attention to the need for oxygen therapy.

Evidence for immunity to SARS-CoV-2 from epidemiological data series

The duration of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is uncertain. Delineating immune memory typically requires longitudinal serological studies that track antibody prevalence in the same cohort for an extended time. However, this information is needed in faster timescales. Notably, the dynamics of an epidemic where recovered patients become immune for any period should differ significantly from those of one where the recovered promptly become susceptible. Here, we exploit this difference to provide a reliable protocol that can estimate immunity early in an epidemic. We verify this protocol with synthetic data, discuss its limitations, and then apply it to evaluate human immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in mortality data series from New York City. Our results indicate that New Yorks mortality figures are incompatible with immunity lasting anything below 105 or above 211 days (90% CI.), and set an example on how to assess immune memory in emerging pandemics before serological studies can be deployed.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Spain and the different aspects of its social impact: a multidisciplinary opinion document.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most prevalent diseases in the World, and one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity. In adults 40 years and older, it affects more than 10% of the population and has enormous personal, family and social burden. Tobacco smoking is its main cause, but not the only one, and there is probably a genetic predisposition that increases the risk in some patients. The paradigm of this disease is changing in Spain, with an increase of women that has occurred in recent years. Many of the physio pathological mechanisms of this condition are well known, but the psychological alterations to which it leads, the impact of COPD on relatives and caregivers, the limitation of daily life observed in these patients, and the economic and societal burden that they represent for the health system, are not so well-known. A major problem is the high under-diagnosis, mainly due to difficulties for obtaining, in a systematic way, spirometries in hospitals and health-care centers. For this reason, the Fundación de Ciencias de la Salud and the Spanish National Network Center for Research in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES) have brought together experts in COPD, patients and their organizations, clinical psychologists, experts in health economics, nurses and journalists to obtain their opinion about COPD in Spain. They also discussed the scientific bibliometrics on COPD that is being carried out from the CIBERES and speculated on the future of this condition. The format of the meeting consisted in the discussion of a series of questions that were addressed by different speakers and discussed until a consensus conclusion was reached.

Heart Rate Variability Classification using Support Vector Machine and Genetic Algorithm.

BACKGROUND: Electrocardiogram (ECG) is defined as an electrical signal, which represents cardiac activity. Heart rate variability (HRV) as the variation of interval between two consecutive heartbeats represents the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficiency of discrete wavelet transform (DWT) based features extracted from HRV which were further selected by genetic algorithm (GA), and were deployed by support vector machine to HRV classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this paper, 53 ECGs including 3 different beat types (ventricular fibrillation (VF), atrial fibrillation (AF) and also normal sinus rhythm (NSR)), were selected from the MIT/BIH arrhythmia database. The approach contains 4 stages including HRV signal extraction from each ECG signal, feature extraction using DWT (entropy, mean, variance, kurtosis and spectral component ß), best features selection by GA and classification of normal and abnormal ECGs using the selected features by support vector machine (SVM). RESULTS: The performance of the classification procedure employing the combination of selected features were evaluated using several measures including accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and precision which resulted in 97.14%, 97.54%, 96.9% and 97.64%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A comparative analysis with the related existing methods illustrates the proposed method has a higher potential in the classification of AF and VF. The attempt to classify the ECG signal has been successfully achieved. The proposed method has shown a promising sensitivity of 97.54% which indicates that this technique is an excellent model for computer-aided diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias.

An official American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society statement: research questions in COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality and resource use worldwide. The goal of this official American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) Research Statement is to describe evidence related to diagnosis, assessment, and management; identify gaps in knowledge; and make recommendations for future research. It is not intended to provide clinical practice recommendations on COPD diagnosis and management. Clinicians, researchers and patient advocates with expertise in COPD were invited to participate. A literature search of Medline was performed, and studies deemed relevant were selected. The search was not a systematic review of the evidence. Existing evidence was appraised and summarised, and then salient knowledge gaps were identified. Recommendations for research that addresses important gaps in the evidence in all areas of COPD were formulated via discussion and consensus. Great strides have been made in the diagnosis, assessment and management of COPD, as well as understanding its pathogenesis. Despite this, many important questions remain unanswered. This ATS/ERS research statement highlights the types of research that leading clinicians, researchers and patient advocates believe will have the greatest impact on patient-centred outcomes.

Efecto de la aplicación de la hormona de crecimiento recombinante (rbST) sobre la respuesta superovulatoria y la viabilidad embrionaria en ovejas de pelo / Effect of recombinant growth hormone (rsST) application on supervolatory response and embyro viability in hair ewes

Se estudió el efecto del uso de una proteína de alto valor nutricional y su interacción con la hormona de crecimiento recombinante (rbST) sobre la respuesta superovulatoria y la viabilidad embrionaria en ovejas de pelo. Se utilizaron doce ovejas adultas de raza Pelibuey, distribuidas completamente al azar en dos tratamientos. TA : Control. TB : 100 mg de Somatotropina Bovina recombinante (rbST). La sincronización del estro en ambos grupos duró 14 días, utilizando esponjas vaginales impregnadas con 40 mg de FGA, con cambio a los 7 días. La superovulación se realizó con FSH ovina (oFSH) a intervalos de 12 h en dosis decrecientes, iniciando 72 h antes de la retirada de las esponjas. En la primera aplicación se les administró adicionalmente 2 mL de prostaglandina PGF2a las ovejas. La inyección de rbST en el TB se hizo junto con la octava aplicación de oFSH. Todas las ovejas se inseminaron vía intrauterina a las 56 ±1 h de la retirada de las esponjas, con semen refrigerado (10 a la 8 espermatozoides/pajuela). Los embriones se colectaron 5 días después de la inseminación y la viabilidad embrionaria se midió utilizando criterios morfológicos. Se observó un incremento en todas las variables de respuesta evaluadas por efecto de la aplicación de rbST: cuerpos lúteos (89 vs 119), cuerpos lúteos considerados (77 vs 117), embriones recuperados (64 vs 78), embriones viables (35 vs 64) y embriones viables por oveja (5,8 vs 10,6) siendo significativa la tasa de ovulación (86,52 por ciento vs 96,64 por ciento) y la tasa de viabilidad embrionaria (54,69 por ciento vs 82,05 por ciento) (P<0,01), esto probablemente se atribuye a que la rbST altera los componentes del sistema de factores de crecimiento insulínico estimulando la esteroidogénesis folicular. La hormona de crecimiento aplicada antes de la ovulación estimula la maduración de mayor cantidad de folículos e incrementa la cantidad recuperada de embriones y la viabilidadembrionaria.

The objective of this study was measure the effect of using nutritional high quality protein and its interaction with recombinant growth hormone over the ovulatory response and embryo viability in hair ewes. Twelve adult multiparous Pelibuey ewes were used and randomly submitted to two different treatments. In treatment A (TA, Control group), the ewes received a superovulation treatment without the application of recombinant growth hormone (rbST) in treatment B (TB), the ewes received the same superovulation treatment with the addition of 100 mg of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST). The induction and synchronization of the estrous cycle was realized by the insertion of vaginal sponges impregnated with 40 mg of FGA during 14 days, with sponge change at the seventh day. To induce the superovulation follicle stimulating ovine hormone (oFSH) was used in decreasing doses levels (every 12 h) starting 72 h before the sponges withdrawal. In the first application 2 mL of prostaglandin PGF2a were additionally applied. The application of 100 mg of rbST was done during the eighth administration of oFSH. The ewes were inseminated 56 ± 1 h after the sponge withdrawal with refrigerated semen (108 sperm/ straw). The embryos were collected 5 days after the insemination and the embryo viability was measured by morphological evaluation. An increase was observed in all the variables evaluated in the rbST group: corporea lutea (89 vs 119), corporea lutea considered (77 vs 117), embryos recovered (64 vs 78), viable embryos (35 vs 64), and viable embryos by ewe (5.8 vs 10.6), with statistical significance, considered ovulation rate (86.52% vs 96.64%) and embryo viability rate (54.69% vs 82.05%) (P<0.01), this is probably due to the effect of rbST over the growing insuline factors that control the follicular esteroidogenesis. The rbST application before the ovulation influence the maturation of higher amount of follicles and increase the quantity and viability of the embryos obtained.

Influencia de la suplementación en la dieta con levaduras y minerales sobre la producción de ovocitos de ovejas púberes estimuladas ováricamente / The influence of diet supplementation with yeasts and organic minerals over oocyte production of ovarian stimulated ewes

Para producir ovocitos cultivados “in vivo” se estudió la respuesta superovulatoria de ovejas púberes suplementadas con un alimento proteico que contiene levaduras o minerales orgánicos. Dieciocho hembras (7 meses de edad) fueron distribuidas en 3 grupos: TA:1 kg alimento 15% PC+Yea Sacc®, (levadura Saccharomyces cerevisiae cepa 1026). Dosis: 5 gr/animal/día+heno ad libitum. TB:1 kg alimento 15% PC+Bioplex Plus®, (cultivo de levaduras vivas y minerales orgánicos). Dosis: 4 gr/animal/día+heno ad libitum. TT:Testigo. 1 kg alimento 15% de PC+heno ad libitum. El estro se sincronizó con esponjas vaginales (40 mg FGA) durante 12d. A los 10d de la inserción de las esponjas se aplicó 225 mg de prostaglandina/oveja. La superovulación se realizó 36h antes de la retirada de las esponjas mediante 100 mg-NIH FSHp y 500 UI eCG en una sola dosis/oveja. 24h de la retirada de las esponjas se aplicaron 100 µg GnRH/oveja. La tasa de ovulación se midió por endoscopia. Los ovocitos se recuperaron del oviducto 48h de la retirada de las esponjas. La TO resultó superior (P<0,05) en los TA y TB (16,6±6,84 y 15,5±4,18), respecto al TT (9,16±3,81). La tasa de recuperación (TR) muestra diferencias (P<0,05) entre el TA (93,9%) respecto a los TB (56,9%) y TT (61,8%). La proporción (P<0,05) de ovocitos de calidad 1 en el TA respecto a los TB y TT fue mayor. En conclusión, la adición de levaduras en la dieta favorece la respuesta a un tratamiento de estímulo superovulatorio en ovejas púberes incrementando la tasa de ovulación y calidad de los ovocitos.

The superovulatory response of pre-pubertal or pubertal ewes fed with protein suplement that contained yeast or organic minerals was evaluated in order to obtain “in vivo” maturated oocytes. Eighteen females (7 months of age) were allocated to one of the following treatment and fed as follow: Treatment A (TA): 1 kg food with 15% PC+Yea sacc® (yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae stump 1026), dose: 5 gr/animal/day and hay ad libitum. Treatment B (TB): 1 kg food with 15% PC+Bioplex Plus® (Cultivation of live yeasts and organic minerals), dose: 4 gr/animal/day and hay ad libitum. Treatment C (TT: Control): 1 kg food with 15% PC and hay ad libitum. The estrous cycle was synchronized through the insertion of vaginal sponges with 40 mg of fluorogestone acetate (FGA) during 12 days. At day 10th of the sponges insertion 225 mg of prostaglandin F2á was administered per ewe. To induce supra-ovulation 100 mg-NIH FSHp and 500 UI eCG in a single dose were applied 36 h before the withdrawal of the sponges, and 24 h from the last application 100 µg of GnRH was also injected. The ovulation rate was measured by endoscopy and ovulated oocytes collected by flushing. The total of ovulation (TO) was greater in the TA and TB (16.6±6.84 and 15.5±4.18) treatment, than on the control TT (9.16±3.81) (P<0.05). The oocyte recovery (TR) after flashing was significantly higher in the TA (93.9%) treatment compared to TB (56.9%) and TT (61.8%). Finally, the proportion (P<0.05) of grade I oocytes in the diet supplementation in TA was in higher than the quality of oocytes in the TB and TT treatment. In conclusion, the addition of with yeasts, to supra-ovulated pre-pubertal ewes promotes ovulation rate and oocytes quality.