Downwind Air Quality Measurements From Poultry and Livestock Facilities

Air samples were collected at and downwind from poultry, dairy and swine facilities during two summer sampling periods. Samples were analyzed, onsite, by an electronic nose and a Jerome meter for H2S concentration. Collected air samples were analyzed using olfactometry and gas chromatography. Data were analyzed to determine specie and site differences for gaseous concentrations and odor. From collected data, equations for downwind concentrations for gaseous compounds and odor were developed. Prediction equations for odor were developed from analytes quantified by gas chromatography. Correlations between olfactometry measures and both electronic nose and gaseous concentrations were determined. H2S was best correlated to odor. Climatic conditions influenced odor, H2S and gaseous compound concentrations. Management practices are an important factor in determining emissions from animal feeding operations; perhaps of equal or greater importance than the specie itself. Identification of specific compounds that likely contribute to malodor and, in particular, relate to observed differences in odors emanating from production facilities of different species, can be used in conjunction with specie-specific siting tools. Concentrations of particulates and gases generated from this study will be used to further develop such tools

Construction of a Laboratory to Measure Livestock Emissions

A facility at Iowa State University was constructed to evaluate the impact diet modification has on air emissions. The facility was designed and constructed to have the unique ability to investigate emissions from cattle, poultry and swine by incorporating interchangeable penning and watering systems. Excreta and manure volumes can be measured for group-housed animals. Gas emissions are determined by measuring airflow rates through each of the eight animal chambers and multiplying airflow by the change in contaminate concentration between the effluent and influent ventilation air for each chamber. Chambers are monitored sequentially, for 15 min each, with incoming air gas concentrations subtracted from chamber gas concentrations, providing 10-11 observations per chamber each day. Each chamber is independently heated or air conditioned based on a temperature setpoint, with air delivered from a central plenum into chamber-specific variable air volume boxes. Data acquisition is coordinated through software control, including an emergency alarm system should ventilation problems arise. Findings from the first swine study conducted in the facility indicate that this facility can discriminate between emissions from animals fed diets that are modified to reduce nutrient excretions while maintaining animal performance. A brief laying hen study followed to challenge the sensitivity of the system to small dietary changes

Randomized Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Clinical Trial of Cannabis-Based Medicinal Product (Sativex) in Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: Depression is a major confounding factor

Objective: To assess the efficacy of Sativex, a cannabis-based medicinal extract, as adjuvant treatment in painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Research design and methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 30 subjects with painful DPN received daily Sativex or placebo. The primary outcome measure was change in mean daily pain scores, and secondary outcome measures included quality-of-life assessments. Results: There was significant improvement in pain scores in both groups, but mean change between groups was not significant. There were no significant differences in secondary outcome measures. Patients with depression had significantly greater baseline pain scores that improved regardless of intervention. Conclusions: This first-ever trial assessing the efficacy of cannabis has shown it to be no more efficacious than placebo in painful DPN. Depression was a major confounder and may have important implications for future trials on painful DPN

Platelet activity and phosphoinositide turnover increase with advancing age

: Blood platelet activity increases with advancing age. This study was designed to determine if changes in a key signal-transducing mechanism in the platelet, phosphoinositide turnover, are associated with the enhanced platelet activity seen in aging.: Platelets were harvested from a total of 40 healthy, non-obese, 22- to 62-year-old individuals, free of any clinical evidence of atherosclerotic vascular disease, and having normal serum laboratory lipid levels. Studies of platelet activity included measurement of in vitro platelet aggregation and plasma [beta]-thrombeglobulin ([beta]-TBG), a marker of in vivo platelet secretion. Basal and thrombin-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover was measured following [32P]-orthophosphate incorporation into the various phospholipids, isolation of the phosphoinositides and phosphatidic acid by thin-layer chromatography and autoradiography, and quantification by liquid scintillation spectroscopy of these radiolabeled phospholipids.: There was a positive correlation with age for both adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced aggregation (1.25 [mu]M, R = 0.464, p 32P]orthophosphate (32Pi) incorporation into platelet phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP), and isotopic equilibrium was reached by 120 minutes at 37[deg]C. A positive correlation was found between age and basal 32P-PIP2 (r = 0.640, p 32P-PIP (r = 0.676, p 32Pi incorporation into PIP2 correlated positively with in vitro aggregation (1.25 [mu]M ADP, R = 0.795, p 32Pi incorporation into PIP (1.25 [mu]M ADP, R = 0.815, p 32P-PIP2 (r = 0.768, p 32P-PIP (r = 0.505, p 32P-PIP2 hydrolysis (r = 0.694, p : Advancing age is associated with an increase in in vitro platelet aggregation, elevated [beta]-TBG levels, and enhanced phosphoinositide turnover. Because phosphoinositide turnover is associated with stimulus-coupled platelet activation, the increased basal and stimulated phosphoinositide turnover may mediate the increase in platelet activity with aging.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/28905/1/0000742.pd

Empirical analysis of the impact of economic freedom on economic growth in the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic and Singapore

A quality business environment is considered a key factor that affects the competitiveness and growth of the market economy. The article provides an evaluation of the development of the business environment in the Slovak Republic and its comparison with selected countries using the Index of Economic Freedom from the Heritage Foundation. The aim is to verify the influence of individual sub-indexes of the Index of Economic Freedom on the economic growth of the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic and Singapore, measured by the GDP per capita growth (%), through a panel analysis. By choosing these three countries over a period of 20 years, the article brings new knowledge that appropriately complements already conducted empirical studies in the researched area. As a result, two of the twelve sub-indexes of the economic freedom index, namely the labor freedom sub-index and the monetary freedom sub-index, demonstrated an impact on the economic growth of the surveyed countries. In addition to them, the dependent variable is also influenced by the control variables foreign direct investment and gross capital formation. However, economic freedom is a complex indicator, so importance should also be attributed to other sub-indexes of the Index of Economic Freedom as a manifestation of the synergy of all its basic elements in the creation of macroeconomic policy

Noninvasive Evaluation of Neural Impairment in Subjects With Impaired Glucose Tolerance

OBJECTIVE—To evaluate neural dysfunction in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)

Assessment of two hand hygiene regimens for intensive care unit personnel

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55459/1/Larson EL, Assessment of two hand hygiene regimens for ICU personnel, 2001.pd

Methods for specifying the target difference in a randomised controlled trial : the Difference ELicitation in TriAls (DELTA) systematic review

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Vitamin B12 deficiency in metformin-treated type-2 diabetes patients, prevalence and association with peripheral neuropathy

BACKGROUND : The association between long-term metformin use and low vitamin B12 levels has been proven. However, the prevalence estimates of metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency showed considerable variation among the studies. The potential of the deficiency to cause or worsen peripheral neuropathy in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients has been investigated with conflicting results. The aim of the study was to investigate: 1) the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in T2DM patients on metformin; 2) the association between vitamin B12 and peripheral neuropathy; 3) and the risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency in these patients. METHODS : In this cross-sectional study, consecutive metformin-treated T2DM patients attending diabetes clinics of two public hospitals in South Africa were approached for participation. Participation included measuring vitamin B12 levels and assessing peripheral neuropathy using Neuropathy Total Symptom Score-6 (NTSS-6) questionnaire. The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency (defined by concentrations <150 pmol/L) was determined. Those with NTSS-6 scores >6 were considered to have peripheral neuropathy. The relationship between vitamin B12 and peripheral neuropathy was investigated when the two variables were in the binary and continuous forms. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency. RESULTS : Among 121 participants, the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency was 28.1 %. There was no difference in presence of neuropathy between those with normal and deficient vitamin levels (36.8 % vs. 32.3 %, P = 0.209). Vitamin B12 levels and NTSS-6 scores were not correlated (Spearman’s rho =0.056, P = 0.54). HbA1c (mmol/mol) (OR = 0.97, 95 % CI: 0.95 to 0.99, P = 0.003) and black race (OR = 0.34, 95 % CI: 0.13 to 0.92, P = 0.033) were risk factors significantly associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. Metformin daily dose (gram) showed borderline significance (OR = 1.96, 95 % CI: 0.99 to 3.88, P = 0.053). CONCLUSIONS : Close to third of metformin-treated T2DM patients had vitamin B12 deficiency. The deficiency was not associated with peripheral neuropathy. Black race was a protective factor for vitamin B12 deficiency.The Department of Pharmacology, University of Pretoriahttp://bmcpharmacoltoxicol.biomedcentral.comam2017Internal MedicinePharmacolog

Inhibitory activity of Euonymus alatus against alpha-glucosidase in vitro and in vivo

The major goal in the treatment of diabetes mellitus is to achieve near-normal glycemic control. To optimize both fasting blood glucose and postprandial glucose levels is important in keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible. α-Glucosidase is the enzyme that digests dietary carbohydrate, and inhibition of this enzyme could suppress postprandial hyperglycemia. The purpose of this study was to test the inhibitory activity of methanol extract of Euonymus alatus on α-glucosidase in vitro and in vivo to evaluate its possible use as an anti-diabetic agent. Yeast α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of methanol extract of E. alatus were measured at concentrations of 0.50, 0.25, 0.10, and 0.05 mg/ml. The ability of E. alatus to lower postprandial glucose was studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. A starch solution (1 g/kg) with and without E. alatus extract (500 mg/kg) was administered to diabetic rats by gastric intubation after an overnight fast. Plasma glucose levels were measured at 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 min. Plasma glucose levels were expressed in increments from baseline, and incremental areas under the response curve were calculated. Extract of E. alatus,which had an IC50 value of 0.272 mg/ml, inhibited yeast α-glucosidase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. A single oral dose of E. alatus extract significantly inhibited increases in blood glucose levels at 60 and 90 min (p<0.05) and significantly decreased incremental response areas under the glycemic response curve (p<0.05). These results suggest that E. alatus has an antihyperglycemic effect by inhibiting α-glucosidase activity in this animal model of diabetes mellitus