Energy utilization and milk fat responses to rapeseed oil when fed to lactating dairy cows receiving different dietary forage to concentrate ratio

We evaluated energy and N utilization, performance, and milk fatty acid (FA) profile using grass silage-based diets when rapeseed oil (RO) was included in high- or low-forage diets. Four multiparous Nordic Red cows averaging 101 ± 16 days in milk at the beginning of the study were randomly assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Each 21-d period consisted of a 14-d diet adaptation period and 7-d collection period. Cows were fed the following diets comprised total mixed rations based on grass silage with forage to concentrate (FC) ratio of 35:65 and 65:35 containing 0 or 50 g/kg of RO. Significant FC × RO interactions were observed for milk yield, milk protein and lactose yields, milk fat concentration, and milk proportions of trans-11 18:1, trans-10 18:1, trans-10, cis-12 18:2, and saturated FA. Feeding low-forage diet was effective in increasing milk yield compared with the high-forage diet, and the RO supplementation increased it further (P ≤ 0.01). A similar pattern was observed for the yields of milk protein and lactose. Supplementing the low-forage diet with RO reduced milk fat concentration by 19% relative to other diets without affecting milk fat yield. The proportion of N intake lost as urine decreased (P ≤ 0.05) with the RO supplementation of low-forage diet without affecting energy and N balances. Nutrient intakes were greater (P ≤ 0.01) in cows fed low-forage diet, whereas RO decreased (P < 0.05) protein, starch, and fiber intakes. Methane production, expressed as a proportion of energy intake, decreased with low-forage compared with high-forage diets and this variable declined similarly by RO supplementation of both diets (P < 0.01). The milk proportions of trans-10 18:1 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA increased (P ≤ 0.01) by RO supplementation of the low-forage but not high-forage diet. However, RO supplementation of both high- and low-forage diets increased (P < 0.01) total trans FA and decreased saturated FA proportions, even though the changes were more profound in low-forage diet (P ≤ 0.01). In addition, RO increased (P < 0.01) cis monounsaturated FA in milk for both high- and low-forage diets. Overall, the low-forage diets had lower methane emissions and RO increased partitioning of N towards milk secretion (P ≤ 0.01) without influencing energy or N balances. According to the results, RO supplementation did not compromise intake of nutrients with low-forage diets containing 150 g/kg starch, and oil could be preferentially used to improve milk production and milk fat quality accompanied by a reduction in methane energy loss

Integrating research evidence and physical activity policy making-REPOPA project

Evidence shows that regular physical activity is enhanced by supporting environment. Studies are needed to integrate research evidence into health enhancing, cross-sector physical activity (HEPA) policy making. This article presents the rationale, study design, measurement procedures and the initial results of the first phase of six European countries in a five-year research project (2011–2016), REsearch into POlicy to enhance Physical Activity (REPOPA). REPOPA is programmatic research; it consists of linked studies; the first phase studied the use of evidence in 21 policies in implementation to learn more in depth from the policy making process and carried out 86 qualitative stakeholder interviews. The second, ongoing phase builds on the central findings of the first phase in each country; it consists of two sets of interventions: game simulations to study cross-sector collaboration and organizational change processes in the use of evidence and locally tailored interventions to increase knowledge integration. The results of the first two study phases will be tested and validated among policy makers and other stakeholders in the third phase using a Delphi process. Initial results from the first project phase showed the lack of explicit evidence use in HEPA policy making. Facilitators and barriers of the evidence use were the availability of institutional resources and support but also networking between researchers and policy makers. REPOPA will increase understanding use of research evidence in different contexts; develop guidance and tools and establish sustainable structures such as networks and platforms between academics and policy makers across relevant sectors

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362