Automatic and frequency-programmable systems for feeding TMR: state of the art and available technologies

La tecnica di razionamento TMR (Total Mixed Ration) per bovine da latte si \ue8 molto diffusa grazie ai vantaggi offerti. La meccanizzazione si basa su carri miscelatori azionati da operatore. Alcuni limiti sono associabili alla bassa frequenza di distribuzione (1-2 volte/giorno). La recente diffusione di sistemi automatici per la preparazioone e distribuzione di TMR consente di introdurre inedite possibilit\ue0 di gestione dell'alimentazione. Circa 15 costruttori operanti su diversi concetti progettuali sono stati individuati. Tra le principali innovazioni vi \ue8 la possibilit\ue0 di variare la frequenza di distribuzione, modulare la razione, controllare gli orari di distribuzione, stimolare l'attivit\ue0 delle bovine, gestire l'ingestione di sostanza secca. Il lavoro presenta una panoramica sullo stato dell'arte della tecnologia e propone una classificazione dei robot per TMR

Body composition using bio-impedance analysis in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Corcordance with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and comparison with healthy controls

Introduction: Growth is a central process in paediatrics. Weight and height evaluation are therefore routine exams for every child but in some situation, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a wider evaluation of nutritional status needs to be performed. Objectives: To assess the accuracy of bio-impedance analysis (BIA) compared to the gold standard dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in estimating percentage body fat (fat mass; FM) and lean body mass (fat free mass; FFM) in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To compare FM and FFM levels between patients with IBD and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-nine healthy controls (12 females; mean age: 12.7 ± 1.9 years) and 21 patients (11 females; 14.3 ± 1.3 years) were recruited from August 2011 to October 2012 at our institution. BIA was performed in all children and DEXA in patients only. Concordance between BIA and DEXA was assessed using Lin's concordance correlation and the Bland-Altman method. Between-group comparisons were made using analysis of variance adjusting for age. Results: BIA-derived FM% showed a good concordance with DEXA-derived values, while BIA-derived FFM% tended to be slightly higher than DEXA-derived values (table). No differences were found between patients and controls regarding body mass index (mean ± SD: 19.3 ± 3.3 vs. 20.1 ± 2.8 kg/m2, respectively; age-adjusted P = 0.08) and FM% (boys: 25.3 ± 10.2 vs. 22.6 ± 7.1%, for patients and controls, respectively; P = 0.20; girls: 28.2 ± 5.7 vs. 26.4 ± 7.7%; P = 0.91). Also, no differences were found regarding FFM% in boys (74.9 ± 10.2 vs. 77.4 ± 7.1%; P = 0.22) and girls (71.8 ± 5.6 vs. 73.5 ± 7.7%; P = 0.85). Conclusion: BIA adequately assesses body composition (FM%) in children with IBD and could advantageously replace DEXA, which is more expensive and less available. No differences in body composition were found between children with IBD and healthy controls

Intramyocardial current flow in acute coronary occlusion in the canine heart

Data from numerous experimental infarction studies indicate that rapid myocardial cell depolarization following ischemia causes the flow of injury currents. These currents were measured in the canine myocardium by monitoring voltage gradients across infarct boundaries using silver chloride plunge electrodes, followed by placement of a 100 Ω resistor between the electrodes and again measuring the voltage gradients. Current flow was calculated from these measurements with the following results: 1) TQ currents developed within 15 seconds after occlusion and persisted for 120 to 150 minutes, often attaining a magnitude of 1μA. 2) ST currents also developed within 15 seconds and attained 2 to 3 μA within 15 to 30 minutes, then usually subsided to some degree. 3) T currents were biphasic and attained 2 to 5 μA. Initially, current flowed from normal to ischemic myocardium but usually reversed within 30 minutes after occlusion. 4) The current flow was often disproportionate to the voltage gradient between 120 and 180 minutes after occlusion, possibly indicating electrical uncoupling of the infarcting cells from normal cells.These data indicate that intramyocardial current flow develops early after acute coronary occlusion. These currents may be sufficient to induce reexcitation

Autoimmune Gastritis in the Pediatric Age: An Underestimated Condition Report of Two Cases and Review.

<b>Background:</b> Diagnosis of pediatric autoimmune gastritis (AIG) in children is important due to poor outcome and risk of malignancy. This condition is often underestimated in the clinico-pathologic diagnostic work-up, leading to delayed time-to-diagnosis. To increase the awareness of this condition in the pediatric population, we present two cases encountered at our institution, discuss their clinical, biological, and histological presentations in relation with evidence from the literature, and propose an algorithm for diagnosis and follow-up of AIG in children. <b>Case presentation:</b> Two patients (12 and 17 years old) presented with iron deficiency anemia and negative family history for autoimmune disorders. In both cases, the final diagnosis of autoimmune gastritis was delayed until pathological examination of endoscopic gastric biopsies showed atrophy of oxyntic glands. <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> search was negative. Follow up biopsies revealed persistent disease. Literature review on this condition shows unclear etiology and poor long term outcome in some patients because of increased risk of malignancy. <b>Conclusions:</b> AIG should be considered in the differential diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia in the pediatric population.Standardized clinico-pathologic work-up is mandatory. Endoscopic follow-up should be performed due to the risk of malignancy

Effects of PDE-5 Inhibition on the Cardiopulmonary System After 2 or 4 Weeks of Chronic Hypoxia.

In pulmonary hypertension (PH), hypoxia represents both an outcome and a cause of exacerbation. We addressed the question whether hypoxia adaptation might affect the mechanisms underlying PH alleviation through phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibition. Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups depending on treatment (placebo or sildenafil, a drug inhibiting PDE5) and were exposed to hypoxia (10% O <sub>2</sub> ) for 0 (t0, n = 9/10), 2 (t2, n = 5/5) or 4 (t4, n = 5/5) weeks. The rats were treated (0.3 mL i.p.) with either saline or sildenafil (1.4 mg/Kg per day). Two-week hypoxia changed the body weight (- 31% vs. - 27%, respectively, P = NS), blood hemoglobin (+ 25% vs. + 27%, P = NS) and nitrates+nitrites (+ 175% vs. + 261%, P = 0.007), right ventricle fibrosis (+ 814% vs. + 317%, P < 0.0001), right ventricle hypertrophy (+ 84% vs. + 49%, P = 0.007) and systolic pressure (+ 108% vs. + 41%, P = 0.001), pulmonary vessel density (+ 61% vs. + 46%, P = NS), and the frequency of small (< 50 µm wall thickness) vessels (+ 35% vs. + 13%, P = 0.0001). Most of these changes were maintained for 4-week hypoxia, except blood hemoglobin and right ventricle hypertrophy that continued increasing (+ 52% vs. + 42%, P = NS; and + 104% vs. + 83%, P = 0.04). To further assess these observations, small vessel frequency was found to be linearly related with the right ventricle-developed pressure independent of hypoxia duration. Thus, although hypoxia adaptation is not yet accomplished after 4 weeks, PH alleviation by PDE5 inhibition might nevertheless provide an efficient strategy for the management of this disease

Effect of multidimensional lifestyle intervention on fitness and adiposity in predominantly migrant preschool children (Ballabeina): cluster randomised controlled trial

Objective To test the effect of a multidimensional lifestyle intervention on aerobic fitness and adiposity in predominantly migrant preschool children

Prevalence of extraintestinal manifestations in paediatric patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease : results from the Swiss IBD Cohort Study

Background: There is a paucity of data from large cohort studies on the prevalence and type of extraintestinal manifestations in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). We aimed to assess the prevalence and type of EIM in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: Data from patients enrolled in the Pediatric Swiss IBD Cohort Study (P-SIBDCS) were analyzed. Since 2008 the P-SIBDCS collects data on patients aged 2-17 from hospitals and private practices across Switzerland. Results of continuous data are reported as median and interquartile range

Impact of Overweight and Obesity on Disease Outcome in the Pediatric Swiss Inflammatory Bowel Disease Cohort.

Given the paucity of data, we aimed to assess the impact of obesity on disease activity, complications, and quality of life (QoL) in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Prospective analysis of pediatric IBD patients. Patients were categorized into 4 groups according to the World Health Organization (WHO) child growth standards: obese, overweight, normal weight, and underweight. Three hundred twenty-seven pediatric patients were included (146 with Crohn's disease [CD], 181 with ulcerative colitis of whom 13 [4%] were underweight, 272 [83.2%] had normal weight, 22 [6.7%] were overweight, and 20 [6.1%] were obese). Compared with normal weight patients, obese ulcerative colitis had a significantly higher clinical but not biological disease activity nor severity. Compared with normal weight patients, overweight/obese CD patients did not have higher clinical or biological disease activity nor severity. Perianal abscesses and surgery for this purpose were more frequently observed in overweight/obese CD patients compared with normal weight controls. Overweight/obese IBD patients were similarly hospitalized in the last 12 months compared with normal weight controls. Prevalence of overweight/obesity was 12.8% in pediatric IBD patients. Obesity was not associated with a decrease in disease remission rates nor an increase in the risk of complicated disease progression in IBD pediatric patients, except for the occurrence of perianal abscesses and related surgery in CD patients

A prototype liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber for the study of UV laser multi-photonic ionization

This paper describes the design, realization and operation of a prototype liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LAr TPC) detector dedicated to the development of a novel online monitoring and calibration system exploiting UV laser beams. In particular, the system is intended to measure the lifetime of the primary ionization in LAr, in turn related to the LAr purity level. This technique could be exploited by present and next generation large mass LAr TPCs for which monitoring of the performance and calibration plays an important role. Results from the first measurements are presented together with some considerations and outlook.Comment: 26 pages, 27 figure

Higher-Order Oligomerization Targets Plasma Membrane Proteins and HIV Gag to Exosomes

Exosomes are secreted organelles that have the same topology as the cell and bud outward (outward is defined as away from the cytoplasm) from endosome membranes or endosome-like domains of plasma membrane. Here we describe an exosomal protein-sorting pathway in Jurkat T cells that selects cargo proteins on the basis of both higher-order oligomerization (the oligomerization of oligomers) and plasma membrane association, acts on proteins seemingly without regard to their function, sequence, topology, or mechanism of membrane association, and appears to operate independently of class E vacuolar protein-sorting (VPS) function. We also show that higher-order oligomerization is sufficient to target plasma membrane proteins to HIV virus–like particles, that diverse Gag proteins possess exosomal-sorting information, and that higher-order oligomerization is a primary determinant of HIV Gag budding/exosomal sorting. In addition, we provide evidence that both the HIV late domain and class E VPS function promote HIV budding by unexpectedly complex, seemingly indirect mechanisms. These results support the hypothesis that HIV and other retroviruses are generated by a normal, nonviral pathway of exosome biogenesis