Use of sweet lupin (Lupinus albus L.) as alternative protein source in diets for podolian young bulls

AbstractThe Podolian bovine represents an important example of Italian rustic breed, since it is able to live under difficult environmental conditions and it takes advantage of sources that could not be otherwise used, producing meat and secondarily milk. The "Podolica" breed is diffused in the marginal areas of the south of Italy and it is especially reared in Lucania and also Apulia. It could be improved by means of a rearing management set up in agreement with the traditional systems, using the pastures and feeding schemes aimed to increase meat productions.This trial was carried out on sixteen podolian young bulls of about 9 months of age that were transferred from the pasture to the box and after that divided into two homogeneous groups of 8 subjects each. Then the young bulls had been fed ad libitum for about 180 days on straw and a complete feed containing either extruded soybean meal s.e. (group Soybean, S) or sweet lupine (Lupinus albus L., var. Multitalia) (group Lupine, L).The two different pel..

Intravenous methylprednisolone pulses in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Rationale: Pulse glucocorticoid therapy is used in hyperinflammation related to coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of pulse intravenous methylprednisolone in addition to standard treatment in COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: In this multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 304 hospitalised patients with Covid-19 pneumonia were randomised to receive 1 g of methylprednisolone intravenously for 3 consecutive days or placebo in addition to standard dexamethasone. The primary outcome was the duration of the patient hospitalisation, calculated as the time interval between randomisation and hospital discharge without the need of supplementary oxygen. The key secondary outcomes were survival free from invasive ventilation with orotracheal intubation and overall survival. Results: Overall, 112 of 151 (75.4%) patients in the pulse methylprednisolone arm and 111 of 150 (75.2%) in the placebo arm were discharged from hospital without oxygen within 30 days from randomisation. Median time to discharge was similar in both groups [15 days (95% confidence interval (CI), 13.0 to 17.0) and 16 days (95%CI, 13.8 to 18.2); hazard ratio (HR), 0.92; 95% CI 0.71-1.20; p=0.528]. No significant differences between pulse methylprednisolone and placebo arms were observed in terms of admission to Intensive Care Unit with orotracheal intubation or death (20.0% versus 16.1%; HR, 1.26; 95%CI, 0.74-2.16; p=0.176), or overall mortality (10.0% versus 12.2%; HR, 0.83; 95%CI, 0.42-1.64; p=0.584). Serious adverse events occurred with similar frequency in the two groups. Conclusions: Methylprenisolone pulse therapy added to dexamethasone was not of benefit in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Message of the study: Pulse glucocorticoid therapy is used for severe and/or life threatening immuno-inflammatory diseases. The addition of pulse glucocorticoid therapy to the standard low dose of dexamethasone scheme was not of benefit in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia

Feeding of extruded flaxseed (linum usitatissimum L.) and pasture in podolica young bulls: Effects on growth traits, meat quality and fatty acid composition

The present trial aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding extruded flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) in concentrate feed and pasture on Podolica young bulls performance and meat characteristics. Eighteen male bulls were randomly divided in three homogeneous groups and fed for 180 days two isocaloric and isonitrogenous concentrates as: (1) diet containing 350 g/kg DM of extruded flaxseed (EFS); (2) diet containing 350 g/kg DM of extruded flaxseed for the first 90 days, then bulls had also 10 h/days grazing on a natural pasture (EFSP); and (3) a control diet containing 600 g/kg of dry matter (DM) of soybean (SB) seeds. Results from growth trial of bulls showed that none of the parameters studied were influenced by the dietary treatments. In slaughter trial, feeding to extruded flaxseed and pasture had a positive effect on the meat lipid component leading to lower perirenal fat accumulation and to higher conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), arachidonic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and n-3 fatty acids contents. Additionally, in both groups fed extruded flaxseed (EFS and EFSP) the carcass fat, meat L* (lightness) values as well as meat n-3 and n-6/n-3 ratio were similar, resulting however improved compared to SB-control group. Moreover, the higher vitamin E content in extruded flaxseed-diet with pasture reduced meat lipid oxidation during storage. Our findings indicate that extruded flaxseed in concentrate can be advantageously used in grazing Podolica bulls, maintaining the growth performance and improving meat lipid profile

TOCIVID-19 - A multicenter study on the efficacy and tolerability of tocilizumab in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Study protocol

Pneumonia is the most frequent complication of COVID-19, due to an aberrant host immune response that is associated with an acute respiratory distress syndrome, and, in most critical patients, with a "cytokine storm". IL-6 might play a key role in the cytokine storm and might be a potential target to treat severe and critical COVID-19. Tocilizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, directed against IL-6 receptor