Učinak dodanog ribljeg ulja i vitamina E na reproduktivnu sposobnost i metabolički profil mliječnih krava tijekom prijelaznog razdoblja

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of oral supplementation of dairy cows with a combination of fish oil and vitamin E (Vit E) from approximately 7 days (d) before the expected calving date up to 21 days postpartum, on their reproductive performance and metabolic profile. Eighty Holstein multiparous cows were randomly assigned into one of two ration groups during the transitional period. The treatment group cows (n=40) received a transitional diet (pre-and post-partum based on the NRC 2001) supplemented with fish oil (FO, 100 g/ once per day +Vit E (8000IU/kg/d); and the control cows (n=40) received the same concentrate without FO. Blood samples were collected at 1 week before the expected calving date, and 1, 2 and 3 weeks postpartum. After a voluntary waiting period, all cows received timed artificial insemination (TAI) at 76-81 days in milk (DIM) following the PresynchOvSynch protocol. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed 30-40 days after TAI using a transrectal ultrasonography. Our results showed that the cows fed the FO+Vit E diet had a statistically higher first service pregnancy rate (46.3 % vs. 39.6%, P<0.001) at 30-40 days after TAI than those fed the control diet. Also, cows that consumed the FO+Vit E treatment diet had lower late embryo loss at 40-70 days post insemination than the control. Plasma concentrations of triglycerides (d7, 14, and 21), cholesterol (d7 and 14), glucose (d14), insulin (d-7) progesterone (d14 and 21) in the treatment group were higher (P<0.05) compared to the cows fed control diets. Non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments pre-partum, while β –hydroxybutirate acids (BHBA) levels on day 21 (P<0.05) were higher in the control group. The results indicated that supplementation of the diet with fatty acid and high doses of vitamin E could improve reproductive performance in dairy cattle.Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi učinak peroralnog dodavanja kombinacije ribljeg ulja i vitamina E (VIT E) u obroke mliječnih krava. Dodavanje je započelo približno 7 dana (d) prije očekivanog teljenja i trajalo do 21. dana nakon teljenja, a učinci su procijenjeni s obzirom na reproduktivnu sposobnost i metabolički profil krava. Osamdeset višeteltki pasmine holštajn nasumično je raspoređeno u dvije brojčano ujednačene skupine tijekom prijelaznog razdoblja. Eksperimentalna skupina (n = 40) primila je hranu za prijelazno razdoblje (prije i poslije teljenja na temelju NRC 2001) dopunjenu (FO) ribljim uljem 100 g/jednom dnevno i vitaminom E 8000IU/kg/d. Krave iz kontrolne skupine (n = 40) primile su istu hranu za prijelazno razdoblje bez FO. Uzorci krvi krava prikupljeni su 1 tjedan prije očekivanog datuma teljenja te 1, 2 i 3 tjedna nakon teljenja. Servisno razdoblje svih krava završilo je umjetnim osjemenjivanjem (TAI) koje je prema protokolu Presynch-OvSynch provedeno od 76. do 81. dana laktacije (DIM). Provjera gravidnosti provedena je transrektalnim ultrazvukom 30-40 dana nakon umjetnog osjemenjivanja. Naši rezultati pokazuju da su nakon 1. pripusta 30.-40. dana nakon umjetnog osjemenjivanja krave eksperimentalne skupine (FO + VIT E dodatak) imale statistički višu stopu gravidnosti u odnosu na krave kontrolne skupine (46,3% prema 39,6%, P<0,001). Također, krave koje su primile FO + VIT E dodatak prehrani imale su u odnosu na krave kontrolne skupine manje kasne gubitke embrija 40-70 dana nakon osjemenjivanja. Koncentracije triglicerida (dani 7., 14. i 21.), kolesterola (dani 7. i 14.), glukoze (dan 14.), inzulina (dan 7.) progesterona (dani 14. i 21.) u plazmi krava iz eksperimentalne skupine bile su više (P<0,05) u usporedbi s plazmom krava kontrolne skupine. Prenatalni dodaci prehrani nisu znakovito utjecali na razine neesterificiranih masnih kiselina (NEFA), a razine β hidroksibutirat kiselina (BHBA) 21. dana bile su više (P<0,05) u kontrolnoj skupini. Rezultati su pokazali da bi dopuna prehrane masnim kiselinama i visokim dozama vitamina E mogla poboljšati reproduktivnu sposobnost mliječnih krava

Pain Identification in Electroencephalography Signal Using Fuzzy Inference System

Diagnosing pain mechanisms is one of main approaches to improve clinical treatments. Especially, detection of existence and/or level of pain could be vital when oral information is not present for instant for neonates, disabled persons, anesthetized patients and animals. Various researches have been performed to originate and classify the pain; however, consistent results are surprising. The aim of this study is to show a strict relation between electroencephalography (EEG) features and perceptual pain levels and to clarify the relation of classified signal to pain origin. Cortical regions on scalp are assigned based on an evolutional method for optimized alignment of electrodes that improve the clinical monitoring results. The EEG signals are recorded during relax condition and variety of pain conditions. Evolutionary optimization method is used to reduce the features space dimension and computational costs. A hybrid adaptive network fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and support vector machine (SVM) scheme is used for classification of pain levels. ANFIS optimizer is used to fine tune the non-linear alignment of kernels of SVM. The results show that pain levels could be differentiated with high accuracy and robustness even for few recording electrodes. The proposed classification method provides up to 95% accuracy

Povezanost između polimorfizma gena CXCR1 i rizika od endometritisa u krava holštajnske pasmine

Endometritis is one of the reproductive diseases that can cause disturbances of postpartum uterine health in cattle. Therefore, identification of resistant genotypes to endometritis is essential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphism in the interleukin-8 receptor-α (CXCR1) gene and the possibility of endometritis in Holstein dairy cows. For this purpose, blood samples were collected from multiparous dairy cows with a history of clinical endometritis (n = 30), and normal, healthy cows as the control group (n = 10). Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was isolated from a blood sample. To determine genotype, the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique (PCR-RFLP) was used. The results indicated the presence of a different proportion of polymorphisms (G > C) in the CXCR1 gene in cows with clinical endometritis, compared to the control group. Statistical analyses showed that there is a significant correlation between the incidence of the disease and the CXCR1 genotype in nucleotide position 956. The incidence rate of clinical endometritis was associated with the CXCR1.956 genotype; cows with genotype GC had a higher incidence of clinical endometritis compared with cows with the GG genotype. Overall, the results showed that CXCR1 polymorphism could be a useful marker for identification of resistant genotypes to endometritis in Holstein dairy cows.Endometritis je reproduktivna bolest koja može poremetiti poslijeporođajno zdravlje maternice u goveda, stoga je važna identifikacija genotipova otpornih na tu bolest. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je procijeniti povezanost između polimorfizma pojedinačnog nukleotida na genu interleukin-8 receptoru-α (CXCR1) i vjerojatnosti pojave endometritisa u holštajnskih mliječnih krava. U tu su svrhu prikupljeni uzorci krvi mliječnih krava multipara s kliničkim endometritisom u anamnezi (n = 30) i zdravih krava kao kontrolne skupine (n = 10). Iz uzoraka krvi izolirana je DNA. Genotip je određivan metodom lančane reakcije polimeraze – polimorfizmom dužine restrikcijskih fragmenata (PCR-RFLP). Rezultati upućuju na prisutnost različitih omjera polimorfizama (G > C) gena CXCR1 u krava s kliničkim endometritisom u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom. Statistička analiza pokazala je znakovitu korelaciju između incidencije bolesti i genotipa CXCR1 u poziciji nukleotida 956. Incidencija kliničkog endometritisa bila je povezana s genotipom CXCR1.956; krave s genotipom GC imale su veću incidenciju kliničkog endometritisa u usporedbi s kravama s genotipom GG. Općenito, rezultati pokazuju da bi polimorfizam CXCR1 mogao biti koristan biljeg za identifikaciju genotipova otpornih na endometritis u holštajnskih mliječnih krava

Bifacial Si heterojunction-perovskite organic-inorganic tandem to produce highly efficient (η T * ~ 33%) solar cell

As single junction photovoltaic (PV) technologies both Si heterojunction (HIT) and perovskite based solar cells promise high efficiencies at low cost. Intuitively a traditional tandem cell design with these cells connected in series is expected to improve the efficiency further. Using a self-consistent numerical modeling of optical and transport characteristics however we find that a traditional series connected tandem design suffers from low JSC due to band-gap mismatch and current matching constraints. Specifically a traditional tandem cell with state-of-the-art HIT ( η=24% ) and perovskite ( η=20% ) sub-cells provides only a modest tandem efficiency of ηT~ 25%. Instead we demonstrate that a bifacial HIT/perovskite tandem design decouples the optoelectronic constraints and provides an innovative path for extraordinary efficiencies. In the bifacial configuration the same state-of-the-art sub-cells achieve a normalized output of η∗T  = 33% exceeding the bifacial HIT performance at practical albedo reflections. Unlike the traditional design this bifacial design is relatively insensitive to perovskite thickness variations which may translate to simpler manufacture and higher yield

Exercise Behavior and Self-Efficacy of Medical Students Based on Stages of Change Model

Introduction: Despite the benefits of exercisemany people in different countries specially students, have not enough physical activity. The aim of this research is to study exercise behavior of medical students in Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences based on stages of change model and assess itsrelationship with students’ self-efficacy.Method: All of the 309 students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences participated in this cross-sectional study. The data collection methodwas a questionnaire which consistedof four parts: demographic characteristics, the pattern of weekly physical activity, the level of exercise behavior which was based on stages of change model and finally the questions which assess exercises self-efficacy. Results: Atotalof 309students(46.6% male and 53.4% female) participated in this study. The mean (SD) of their age was 21.57 (2.20). Based on the stages of change model 117 (37.9%) students were on the pre-contemplation stage. 78 (25.2%), 45 (14.6%), 27 (8.7%) and 42 (13.6%) students were on the contemplation, readiness, action and maintenance stage, respectively. The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between students’ exercise self-efficacyand their stages of change (p&lt; 0.001).Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, exercise self-efficacy had an important role in students’ exercise behavior. Therefore, it seems to be important for related institutions such as Physical Education Organization tofocus a part of their activities on improving thelevel of exercise self-efficacy in students. Declaration of Interest: Non

Malachite Green, the hazardous materials that can bind to Apo-transferrin and change the iron transfer

Different groups of synthetic dyes might lead to environmental pollution. The binding affinity among hazardous materials with biomolecules necessitates a detailed understanding of their binding properties. Malachite Green might induce a change in the iron transfer by Apo-transferrin. Spectroscopic studies showed malachite green oxalate (MGO) could form the apo-transferrin-MGO complex and change the Accessible Surface Area (ASA) of the key amino acids for iron transfer. According to the ASA results the accessible surface area of Tyrosine, Aspartate, and Histidine of apo-transferrin significantly were changed, which can be considered as a convincing reason for changing the iron transfer. Moreover, based on the fluorescence data MGO could quench the fluorescence intensity of apo-transferrin in a static quenching mechanism. The experimental and Molecular Dynamic simulation results represented that the binding process led to micro environmental changes, around tryptophan residues and altered the tertiary structure of apo-transferrin. The Circular Dichroism (CD) spectra result represented a decrease in the amount of the α-Helix, as well as, increase in the β-sheet volumes of the apo-transferrin structure. Moreover, FTIR spectroscopy results showed a hypochromic shift in the peaks of amide I and II. Molecular docking and MD simulation confirmed all the computational findings