An integrated program using TAKTIC to control mange in swine

An integrated treatment program for sarcoptic mange control using TAKTIC@ (omitral.) 12.5% EC was evaluated at eight., privately owned, farrow to finish swine facilities in a four-state area. At all locations the treatment program consisted of an initial whole-herd treatment. phase followed by scheduled treatments applied in conjunction with routine ffionagement practices. Evaluations of mite scrapings taken at scheduled pretreatment and posttreatment intervals showed a 50· 100% reduction in sacroptic mange infestation levels following implementation of the TAKTIC@ treatment program which consisted of an initial treatment and a maintenllnce schedule. Comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment production records showed 10· 15 d earlier maturity in finishing pig market weight, increases of 0.1 -2.1 weaned pigs/Jitter, and decreases in piglet processing and nursing mortality following implementation of the TAKTIC@ treatment program. A theoretical example of the potential for increase return to profit based on these findings is presented

Effect of winter cover cropping practices on maize yield and nutrient cycling

The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy has set Phase 1 reduction milestones for nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus of 15 percent and 25 percent, respectively, to the Mississippi River by the year 2025 with the ultimate goal of a 45 percent reduction for both nutrients when compared to average annual riverine loading for years 1980-1996. With estimated levels of 80 percent and 48 percent of nitrate-N and total-P nutrient loads coming from agriculture, the reduction strategy stresses the importance of farmers’ voluntary implementation of best management strategies in order to reach these goals. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in nutrient cycling of nitrogen and phosphorus from an annual rye winter cover-cropped treatment to a conventional tillage control (fall chisel and spring field cultivation) by measuring preseason fertility, nutrient flux in subsurface tile lines, end of season soil fertility, and crop yields for each treatment. Best management practices consisted of a no-till cover crop scenario with side-dressed nitrogen application at vegetative growth stage 4 (V4). Soil fertility and crop nutrient uptake was measured prior to cover crop termination and again at crop maturity. Throughout the growing season, tile water was collected and analyzed for nitrate and phosphate concentrations. Cumulative losses from April-July 2015 of nitrate nitrogen were calculated at 10.61 and 11.69 kg ha-1 NO3-N for the annual rye treatment and conventional treatment, respectively. Weighted mean nitrate-nitrite nitrogen concentrations in subsurface drainage tile were 4.41 and 6.10 ppm for annual rye and conventional treatments for the same time period. Soil fertility measures of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus did not have a conclusive impact on the final yields of each representative treatment, however, seven out of the top ten yielding annual rye treatments were on the soil with a higher Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT). Nitrogen fertilizer rates and timing had a significant impact on final yields with the highest yield being 16.9 Mg ha-1 (271 bu ac-1) at a nitrogen fertilizer rate of 177 kg ha-1 (158 lb ac-1) for the conventional tillage treatment and 16.4 Mg ha-1 (261 bu ac-1) for the no-till annual rye winter cover treatment at a fertilizer rate of 206 kg ha-1 (184 lb ac-1). These results indicate a higher nitrogen rate is necessary for equal yields when a no till winter cover is compared to a conventional tillage plot if water is not a yield limiting factor

Mass spectrometry-based ligand binding assays on adenosine A(1) and A(2A) receptors

Conventional methods to measure ligand-receptor binding parameters typically require radiolabeled ligands as probes. Despite the robustness of radioligand binding assays, they carry inherent disadvantages in terms of safety precautions, expensive synthesis, special lab requirements, and waste disposal. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a method that can selectively detect ligands without the need of a label. The sensitivity of MS equipment increases progressively, and currently, it is possible to detect low ligand quantities that are usually found in ligand binding assays. We developed a label-free MS ligand binding (MS binding) assay on the adenosine A(1) and A(2A) receptors (A(1)AR and A(2A)AR), which are well-characterized members of the class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. Radioligand binding assays for both receptors are well established, and ample data is available to compare and evaluate the performance of an MS binding assay. 1,3-Dipropyl-8-cyclopentyl-xanthine (DPCPX) and 4-(2-((7-amino-2-(furan-2-yl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]-[1,3,5]triazin-5-yl)amino)ethyl)phenol (ZM-241,385) are high-affinity ligands selective for the A(1)AR and A(2A)AR, respectively. To proof the feasibility of MS binding on the A(1)AR and A(2A)AR, we first developed an MS detection method for unlabeled DPCPX and ZM-241,385. To serve as internal standards, both compounds were also deuterium-labeled. Subsequently, we investigated whether the two unlabeled compounds could substitute for their radiolabeled counterparts as marker ligands in binding experiments, including saturation, displacement, dissociation, and competition association assays. Furthermore, we investigated the accuracy of these assays if the use of internal standards was excluded. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the MS binding assay, even in the absence of a deuterium-labeled internal standard, and provide great promise for the further development of label-free assays based on MS for other GPCRs. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11302-015-9477-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Entropy and a Sub-Group of Geometric Measures of Paths Predict the Navigability of an Environment

Despite extensive research on navigation, it remains unclear which features of an environment predict how difficult it will be to navigate. We analysed 478,170 trajectories from 10,626 participants who navigated 45 virtual environments in the research app-based game Sea Hero Quest. Virtual environments were designed to vary in a range of properties such as their layout, number of goals, visibility (varying fog) and map condition. We calculated 58 spatial measures grouped into four families: task-specific metrics, space syntax configurational metrics, space syntax geometric metrics, and general geometric metrics. We used Lasso, a variable selection method, to select the most predictive measures of navigation difficulty. Geometric features such as entropy, area of navigable space, number of rings and closeness centrality of path networks were among the most significant factors determining the navigational difficulty. By contrast a range of other measures did not predict difficulty, including measures of intelligibility. Unsurprisingly, other task-specific features (e.g. number of destinations) and fog also predicted navigation difficulty. These findings have implications for the study of spatial behaviour in ecological settings, as well as predicting human movements in different settings, such as complex buildings and transport networks and may aid the design of more navigable environments

No link between handedness and spatial navigation: evidence from over 400 000 participants in 41 countries

There is an active debate concerning the association of handedness and spatial ability. Past studies used small sample sizes. Determining the effect of handedness on spatial ability requires a large, cross-cultural sample of participants and a navigation task with real-world validity. Here, we overcome these challenges via the mobile app Sea Hero Quest. We analysed the navigation performance from 422 772 participants from 41 countries and found no reliable evidence for any difference in spatial ability between leftand right-handers across all countries. A small but growing gap in performance appears for participants over 64 years old, with left-handers outperforming right-handers. Further analysis, however, suggests that this gap is most likely due to selection bias. Overall, our study clarifies the factors associated with spatial ability and shows that left-handedness is not associated with either a benefit or a deficit in spatial ability

Retinal Morphometric Markers of Crystallized and Fluid Intelligence Among Adults With Overweight and Obesity

Objective: To investigate the relationship between retinal morphometric measures and intellectual abilities among adults with overweight and obesity.Methods: Adults between 25 and 45 years (N = 55, 38 females) with overweight or obesity (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2) underwent an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan to assess retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) volume, ganglion cell layer (GCL) volume, macular volume, and central foveal thickness. Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess whole-body adiposity (% Fat). The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test-2 was used to assess general intelligence (IQ), fluid, and crystallized intelligence. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to examine relationships between adiposity and intelligence measures following adjustment of relevant demographic characteristics and degree of adiposity (i.e., % Fat).Results: Although initial bivariate correlations indicated that % Fat was inversely related to fluid intelligence, this relationship was mitigated by inclusion of other demographic factors, including age, sex, and education level. Regression analyses for primary outcomes revealed that RNFL was positively related to IQ and fluid intelligence. However, only GCL was positively related to crystallized intelligence.Conclusion: This work provides novel data linking specific retinal morphometric measures – assessed using OCT – to intellectual abilities among adults with overweight and obesity.Clinical Trial Registration:www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT02740439

Glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonists as neuroprotective agents for ischemic stroke: a systematic scoping review

Stroke mortality and morbidity is expected to rise. Despite considerable recent advances within acute ischemic stroke treatment, scope remains for development of widely applicable neuroprotective agents. Glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), originally licensed for the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, have demonstrated pre-clinical neuroprotective efficacy in a range of neurodegenerative conditions. This systematic scoping review reports the pre-clinical basis of GLP-1RAs as neuroprotective agents in acute ischemic stroke and their translation into clinical trials. We included 35 pre-clinical studies, 11 retrospective database studies, 7 cardiovascular outcome trials and 4 prospective clinical studies. Pre-clinical neuroprotection was demonstrated in normoglycemic models when administration was delayed by up to 24-hours following stroke induction. Outcomes included reduced infarct volume, apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation alongside increased neurogenesis, angiogenesis and cerebral blood flow. Improved neurological function and a trend towards increased survival were also reported. Cardiovascular outcomes trials reported a significant reduction in stroke incidence with semaglutide and dulaglutide. Retrospective database studies show a trend towards neuroprotection. Prospective interventional clinical trials are on-going, but initial indicators of safety and tolerability are favourable. Ultimately, we propose that repurposing GLP-1RAs is potentially advantageous but appropriately designed trials are needed to determine clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness