Associations between hoof lesions and locomotion score in 1098 unsound dairy cows

To investigate the association between locomotion score and types of hoof lesion, cows from 91 selected dairy herds in southern Chile were studied. The locomotion score was recorded for all of the lactating cows (n = 10,699). The mean prevalence of lame cows, when all locomotion scores >1 were included was 33.2% in large herds and 28.7% in small herds. There were 39.7%, 42%, 17.9% and 0.4% cows with locomotion scores of 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Feet (with locomotion scores representative of all severities of lameness) were examined on 676 cows from 34 large herds and 422 cows from 57 small herds. The prevalence of lesions by type ranged from 65% of cattle with at least one white line lesion to 2% of cattle with an interdigital growth. The lesions linked with increasingly poor locomotion were sole ulcer, double sole and interdigital purulent inflammation. There was correlation between claw skin lesions and also between sole ulcer and double sole within cows. It was concluded that the presence of a lesion does not imply that it is necessarily associated with increasing locomotion score. The lack of association between certain lesions and poor locomotion scores indicates either that these lesions are causing different severities of lameness, or that the case definitions used were not sufficiently precise. Locomotion score may not be sensitive enough to detect all lesions (and possibly discomfort)

Turbulent mixing at a stable density interface : the variation of the buoyancy flux–gradient relation

Experiments conducted on mixing across a stable density interface in a turbulent Taylor–Couette flow show, for the first time, experimental evidence of an increase in mixing efficiency at large Richardson numbers. With increasing buoyancy gradient the buoyancy flux first passes a maximum, then decreases and at large values of the buoyancy gradient the flux increases again. Thus, the curve of buoyancy flux versus buoyancy gradient tends to be N-shaped (rather than simply bell shaped), a behaviour suggested by the model of Balmforth et al. (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 428, 1998, p. 349). The increase in mixing efficiency at large Richardson numbers is attributed to a scale separation of the eddies active in mixing at the interface; when the buoyancy gradient is large mean kinetic energy is injected at scales much smaller than the eddy size fixed by the gap width, thus decreasing the eddy turnover time. Observations show that there is no noticeable change in interface thickness when the mixing efficiency increases; it is the mixing mechanism that changes. The curves of buoyancy flux versus buoyancy gradient also show a large variability for identical experimental conditions. These variations occur at time scales one to two orders of magnitude larger than the eddy turnover time scale

Tactile thresholds are preserved yet complex sensory function is impaired over the lumbar spine of chronic non-specific low back pain patients. A preliminary investigation

Objectives: To investigate impairments in sensory function in chronic non-specific low back pain patients and the relationship between any impairment and the clinical features of the condition. Design: A cross-sectional case-control study. Setting: Laboratory based study. Participants: Nineteen chronic non-specific low back pain patients and nineteen healthy controls. Main Outcome measures: Tactile threshold, two point discrimination distance and accuracy at a task involving recognizing letters drawn over the skin of the lower back (graphaesthesia) were assessed over the lumbar spine in both groups. Pain duration, pain intensity, physical function, anxiety and depression were assessed by questionnaire in the back pain group Results: We found no difference in tactile threshold between the two groups (median difference 0.00 95% CI -0.04 – 0.04). There was a significant difference between controls and back pain patients for two point discrimination (mean difference 17.85 95% CI 5.93 – 29.77) and graphaesthesia accuracy (mean difference 6.13 95% CI 1.27-10.99). Low back pain patients had a larger lumbar two point discrimination distance threshold and a greater letter recognition error rate. In the patient group, we found no relationship between clinical profile and sensory function and no relationship between the sensory tests. Conclusions: These data support existing findings of perceptual abnormalities in chronic non-specific low back pain patients and are suggestive of cortical rather than peripheral sensory dysfunction. Amelioration of these abnormalities may present a target for therapeutic intervention

The effects of graded motor imagery and its components on chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in The Journal of Pain. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2013 The American Pain Society.Graded motor imagery (GMI) is becoming increasingly used in the treatment of chronic pain conditions. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize all evidence concerning the effects of GMI and its constituent components on chronic pain. Systematic searches were conducted in 10 electronic databases. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of GMI, left/right judgment training, motor imagery, and mirror therapy used as a treatment for chronic pain were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Six RCTs met our inclusion criteria, and the methodological quality was generally low. No effect was seen for left/right judgment training, and conflicting results were found for motor imagery used as stand-alone techniques, but positive effects were observed for both mirror therapy and GMI. A meta-analysis of GMI versus usual physiotherapy care favored GMI in reducing pain (2 studies, n = 63; effect size, 1.06 [95% confidence interval, .41, 1.71]; heterogeneity, I2 = 15%). Our results suggest that GMI and mirror therapy alone may be effective, although this conclusion is based on limited evidence. Further rigorous studies are needed to investigate the effects of GMI and its components on a wider chronic pain population.NHMR

Obesity generates metabolic alterations in the myocardium leading to changes in mitochondrial membrane permeability

Digitalitzat per Artypla

Os sublimes duelos amorosos

Apresento aqui algumas reflexões a respeito da comédia e da tragédia que sublimam o discurso amoroso. Parto, essencialmente, dos seguintes textos: Werther, de J. W. Goethe; das evocações de R. Barthes, em Fragmentos de um discurso amoroso e do curta-metragem, Carlota Amorosidade, de A. Ruiz

Impact of Acute Dietary Manipulations on Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Estimates of Visceral Adipose Tissue

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is viewed as a superior method of body composition assessment, but whole-body DXA scans are impacted by variation in pre-assessment activities, such as eating and drinking. DXA software now allows for estimation of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), which has been implicated in a number of diseases. It is unknown to what extent food and fluid intake affect VAT estimates. PURPOSE: determine the effects of acute high-carbohydrate (HC) and very low-carbohydrate (VLC) diets on DXA estimates of VAT. METHODS: Male and female adults completed two one-day dietary conditions in random order: a VLC diet (1 – 1.5 g CHO/kg) and a HC diet (9 g CHO/kg). The diets were isocaloric to each other, and all food items were provided to participants. DXA scans were conducted in the morning after an overnight fast and in the afternoon soon after the third standardized meal. VAT volume, mass, and area were obtained, and paired samples t-tests were performed to compare the changes in VAT measures between diets. RESULTS: Fifteen males (age 22 ± 3, BF% 21 ± 5%) and eighteen females (age 21 ± 2, BF% 31 ± 5%) were included in the analysis. The change in VAT volume between the fasted and fed visits was different between diets (HC: +1.6%; VLC: -9.2%, p= 0.047). There were also trends for differences in VAT mass (p= 0.089) and area (p= 0.096) changes between diets. CONCLUSIONS: Within a single day, VAT estimates are differentially affected by isocaloric HC and VLC diets, with VLC consumption leading to reductions in VAT estimates. The content of the diet on the day of a DXA scan can affect estimates of VAT, which could spuriously influence the categorization of an individual’s health risk by DXA VAT estimates. Standardization of food intake prior to scans, preferably in the form of an overnight fast, should be employed to eliminate this important source of error

Functionality of strategies for self and interpersonal emotion regulation of anger and sadness

En este trabajo se analiza si el uso de estrategias adaptativas para la regulación de la experiencia emocional de la ira (enojo) y de la tristeza se asocia congruentemente con la percepción de haber tenido éxito en el manejo de estas emociones en uno mismo (autorregulación) y en otras personas (regulación interpersonal). Para ello 296 estudiantes recordaron episodios de ira y de tristeza y contestaron un Cuestionario de Regulación Emocional Interpersonal (CIRE-43) y una escala de evaluación de las metas de regulación emocional. Los resultados del estudio confirman que a) se usan más estrategias de regulación emocional adaptativas que desadaptativas, b) se usan más estrategias para regular las emociones propias que para regular las emociones de otras personas, c) se tiende a usar las mismas estrategias para la autorregulación que para la regulación interpersonal de estas emociones y d) existe un conjunto de estrategias de regulación emocional que son adaptativas para la regulación de las emociones de uno mismo y de los otros, ya que en ambos casos su uso en episodios emocionales de ira y tristeza generan, al finalizar el episodio, una percepción de haber regulado eficazmente (funcionalidad) las emociones propias y las de los demás.The present study analyzes whether the use of adaptive strategies for the regulation of anger and sadness is congruently associated with the perception that one has successfully improved the emotional experience of oneself (emotional self-regulation) and of others (interpersonal regulation). 296 students recalled episodes of anger and sadness and replied to the Interpersonal Emotion regulation Questionnaire (CIRE-43) and to a scale for the assessment of achieved regulation emotional goals. Results confirm that a) participants use more adaptive than maladaptive strategies, b) participants use more strategies to regulate their own emotions than those of other people, c) participants tend to use the same strategies for self-regulation as for interpersonal regulation and d) there is a core set of emotion regulation strategies that are adaptive both for self regulation and for interpersonal regulation, because their use was followed by the perception of improvement in the achievement of personal and interpersonal goals (functionality)