Effects of heat stress and diet on milk production and feed and energy intake of Sarda ewes

Ten Sarda dairy ewes (5th-6th month of lactation; 1995 ± 353 g/d of milk yield) were divided into two isoproductive groups and fed two different diets (high and low fiber) from May 20th to June 18th 2003, to evaluate diet effects on milk yield and intake. In addition, the relationships between meteorological conditions, measured during that unusually hot period, and milk yield and quality, dry matter intake, NDF or NDL were determined, to study animal responses to heat stress. Diet did not have any significant effect on the evaluated parameters. Milk yield was reduced by 20% (0.39 kg/d per head) as minimum temperatures changed from 9-12 °C to 18-21 °C. Similar milk yield reduction was observed as mean temperature-humidity index (THI) went from 60-65 to 72- 75. As wind speed increased from 1.5-2.5 m/s to 2.5-4 m/s, milk yield increased by 10%. Milk composition was not affected by heat stress throughout the experiment except for milk somatic cell count, which was increased by high temperatures. Dry matter, fibre and net energy intake varied significantly during the trial, with consistent and marked decreases as heat load increased

Crack growth by vanishing viscosity in planar elasticity

We show the existence of quasistatic evolutions in a fracture model for brittle materials by a vanishing viscosity approach, in the setting of planar linearized elasticity. The crack is not prescribed a priori and is selected in a class of (unions of) regular curves. To prove the result, it is crucial to analyze the properties of the energy release rate

Surface structure and properties of poly-(ethylene terephthalate) hydrolyzed by alkali and cutinase

This study was aimed at comparatively investigating the hydrolysis of crystalline and amorphous poly-(ethylene terephthalate) films by alkali and cutinase. Changes of surface properties were investigated by FTIR spectroscopy (ATR mode). The A1341/A1410 and I1120/I1100 absorbance ratios, and the full width at half maximum of the carbonyl stretching band (FWHM1715) were used to evaluate the polymer crystallinity and its changes upon hydrolysis. The effect of different treatments on chain orientation was evaluated by calculating R ratios of appropriate bands. The spectroscopic indexes showed that both alkali and enzyme treatments induced structural and conformational rearrangements with a consequent increase in crystallinity in both amorphous and crystalline films. The crystalline PET film was modified more strongly by alkali than by cutinase, while the opposite occurred for the amorphous one. The trend of the water contact angle (WCA) clearly indicates that alkali is more effective than cutinase in enhancing hydrophilicity of PET films and that the effect is stronger on amorphous than on crystalline films. The values of WCA correlate well with the FTIR indexes calculated from the spectra of hydrolyzed crystalline PET films. The mechanism of the surface hydrolysis of PET by alkali and cutinase is discussed

One-class support vector machines identify the language and default mode regions as common patterns of structural alterations in young children with autism spectrum disorders

The identification of reliable brain endophenotypes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been hampered to date by the heterogeneity in the neuroanatomical abnormalities detected in this condition. To handle the complexity of neuroimaging data and to convert brain images in informative biomarkers of pathology, multivariate analysis techniques based on Support Vector Machines (SVM) have been widely used in several disease conditions. They are usually trained to distinguish patients from healthy control subjects by making a binary classification. Here, we propose the use of the One-Class Classification (OCC) or Data Description method that, in contrast to two-class classification, is based on a description of one class of objects only. This approach, by defining a multivariate normative rule on one class of subjects, allows recognizing examples from a different category as outliers. We applied the OCC to 314 regional features extracted from brain structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans of young children with ASD (21 males and 20 females) and control subjects (20 males and 20 females), matched on age [range: 22-72 months of age; mean = 49 months] and non-verbal intelligence quotient (NVIQ) [range: 31-123; mean = 73]. We demonstrated that a common pattern of features characterize the ASD population. The OCC SVM trained on the group of ASD subjects showed the following performances in the ASD vs. controls separation: the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.74 for the male and 0.68 for the female population, respectively. Notably, the ASD vs. controls discrimination results were maximized when evaluated on the subsamples of subjects with NVIQ = 70, leading to AUC = 0.81 for the male and AUC = 0.72 for the female populations, respectively. Language regions and regions from the default mode network-posterior cingulate cortex, pars opercularis and pars triangularis of the inferior frontal gyrus, and transverse temporal gyrus-contributed most to distinguishing individuals with ASD from controls, arguing for the crucial role of these areas in the ASD pathophysiology. The observed brain patterns associate preschoolers with ASD independently of their age, gender and NVIQ and therefore they are expected to constitute part of the ASD brain endophenotype

Cold markedly influences milk yield of Sardinian dairy sheep farms

The effects of cold stress on milk production have been widely examined in cattle and goats but little studied in dairy sheep. For this reason, the milk production of 10 dairy sheep farms, located throughout the Sardinian island, was analysed in relation to winter and early-spring meteorological conditions. From January 1st to March 31st, in 2003 and 2004, bulk milk production data were collected every 48 hours. From January 15th to April 30th of the same years, bulk milk production was also measured daily in five out of the ten studied farms. During the same periods, meteorological data were collected from stations of the Weather Forecast Service of Sardinia located near the farms. To determine the effects of meteorological conditions on milk yield, analysis of variance using the SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) mixed procedure was performed. The results showed that minimum and mean temperatures, as well as number of hours under a critical threshold temperature (-3 °C, 0 °C and 3 °C), influenced milk yield, with a progressive decrease in milk yield as unfavourable cold conditions increased. In particular, as minimum temperatures decreased from the optimal values of 9-12 °C down to -3 °C, milk yield decreased by 25% (0.30 kg/d per head), with relevant decreases as temperatures went below 0-3 °C. In addition, in the daily dataset decreases up to 30% (0.40 kg/d per head) in milk yield occurred, as mean temperatures went below the optimal values of 15-18 °C. Other factors such as maximum temperature, wind speed, rainfall, relative humidity, Wind Chill Index (WCI) and number of hours under 7 °C and 10 °C did not significantly influence milk yield. The only interaction that significantly influenced milk yield was that between wind speed and number of hours under -3 °C. In fact, in particularly cold days, wind increased animal discomfort, thus negatively influencing milk production. Non significant variations occurred between the two years studied, while production differed significantly among farms, probably due to differences in their managerial techniques. In conclusion, cold stress can markedly decrease milk yield of dairy ewes even in Mediterranean climatic conditions

Effects of heat stress on milk yield in Sardinian dairy sheep farms

The effects of heat stress on milk production of dairy ewes have been very little studied, especially under Mediterranean conditions. For this reason, such effects were studied in ten Sarda dairy sheep farms associated to the Sardinian Breeders Association, located throughout Sardinia. They had whole farm milk yield records registered every 48 hours from April 1st until July 15th, in the years 2003 and 2004. Meteorological data were obtained from data collected by meteorological stations of the Weather Forecast Service of Sardinia located near each farm. To determine the effects of meteorological conditions on milk yield, analysis of variance using the SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) mixed procedure was performed. The results showed that Sarda dairy sheep were highly sensitive to high temperatures, especially when they persisted for long periods. All analysed meteorological factors, except for wind speed, significantly influenced milk yield. Milk yield was more influenced by minimum air temperatures than by any other meteorological parameter. Increases in minimum temperatures from the optimal range of 9-12 °C up to 27-30 °C caused on average a decrease in milk yield of 36% (0.35 kg/d per head). The highest milk yields were observed at maximum air temperatures ranging from 24 to 30 °C and at mean temperatures varying from 15 to 18 °C, with progressive decreases, up to 20% (about 0.22 kg/d per head), at higher temperatures. The effects of duration of temperatures higher than some threshold values on milk yield were also relevant. Optimal air relative humidity for milk production was between 65 and 75%, in accordance with values reported in the literature. Rainfall negatively influenced milk yield, probably because it disturbs grazing, with decreases up to 23% (0.20 kg/d per head) under conditions of 6 mm-cumulative rainfall in two days. Milk production was also influenced by Temperature Humidity Index (THI), with a decrement of 25% (0.23 kg/d per head) as THI increased from 60-65 to 72-75.Wind influenced milk yield only when associated with other meteorological factors; it alleviated the negative effects of heat stress on milk yield at higher speed values. In conclusion, despite of their small body size, which should favour heat exchange and thermoregulation, milk yield of Sarda ewes was markedly reduced by heat stress

Human Keratinocytes and Fibroblasts Co-Cultured on Silk Fibroin Scaffolds Exosomally Overrelease Angiogenic and Growth Factors

Objectives: The optimal healing of skin wounds, deep burns, and chronic ulcers is an important clinical problem. Attempts to solve it have been driving the search for skin equivalents based on synthetic or natural polymers. Methods: Consistent with this endeavor, we used regen- erated silk fibroin (SF) from Bombyx mori to produce a novel compound scaffold by welding a 3D carded/hydroentangled SF-microfiber-based nonwoven layer (C/H-3D-SFnw; to support dermis engineering) to an electrospun 2D SF nanofiber layer (ESFN; a basal lamina surrogate). Next, we assessed—via scanning electron microscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, mono- and co-cultures of HaCaT keratinocytes and adult human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), dsDNA assays, exosome isolation, double-antibody arrays, and angiogenesis assays—whether the C/H-3D-SFnws/ESFNs would allow the reconstitution of a functional human skin analog in vitro. Results: Physical analyses proved that the C/H-3D- SFnws/ESFNs met the requirements for human soft-tissue-like implants. dsDNA assays revealed that co-cultures of HaCaTs (on the 2D ESFN surface) and HDFs (inside the 3D C/H-3D-SFnws) grew more intensely than did the respective monocultures. Double-antibody arrays showed that the CD9+/CD81+ exosomes isolated from the 14-day pooled growth media of HDF and/or HaCaT mono- or co-cultures conveyed 35 distinct angiogenic/growth factors (AGFs). However, versus monocultures’ exosomes, HaCaT/HDF co-cultures’ exosomes (i) transported larger amounts of 15 AGFs, i.e., PIGF, ANGPT-1, bFGF, Tie-2, Angiogenin, VEGF-A, VEGF-D, TIMP-1/-2, GRO-alpha/beta/gamma, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, MMP-9, and MCP-1, and (ii) significantly more strongly stimulated human dermal microvascular endothelial cells to migrate and assemble tubes/nodes in vitro. Conclusions: Our results showed that both cell–cell and cell–SF interactions boosted the exosomal release of AGFs from HaCaTs/HDFs co-cultured on C/H-3D-SFnws/ESFNs. Hence, such exosomes are an asset for prospective clinical applications as they advance cell growth and neoangiogenesis and consequently graft take and skin healing. Moreover, this new integument analog could be instrumental in preclinical and translational studies on human skin pathophysiology and regeneration

ARB-based combination therapy for the clinical management of hypertension and hypertension-related comorbidities: a spotlight on their use in COVID-19 patients

Essential hypertension is the most common cardiovascular (CV) risk factor, being primarily involved in the pathogenesis of CV disease and mortality worldwide. Given the high prevalence and growing incidence of this clinical condition in the general population in both high and low-income countries, antihypertensive drug therapies are frequently prescribed in different hypertension-related CV diseases and comorbidities. Among these conditions, evidence are available demonstrating the clinical benefits of lowering blood pressure (BP) levels, particularly in those hypertensive patients at high or very high CV risk profile. Preliminary studies, performed during the Sars-COVID-19 epidemic, raised some concerns on the potential implication of hypertension and antihypertensive medications in the susceptibility of having severe pneumonia, particularly with regard to the use of drugs inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). These hypotheses were not confirmed by subsequent studies, which independently and systematically demonstrated no clinical harm of these drugs also in patients with Sars-COVID-19 infection. The aim of this narrative review is to critically discuss the available evidence supporting the use of antihypertensive therapies based RAS blocking agents in hypertensive patients with different CV risk profile and with additional clinical conditions or comorbidities, including Sars-COVID-19 infection, with a particular focus on single-pill combination therapies based on olmesartan medoxomil

Blood Pressure Target Achievement Under Monotheraphy. A Real-Life Appraisal

Introduction: Despite hypertension guidelines suggest that the most effective treatment strategy to improve blood pressure (BP) target achievement is to implement the use of combination treatment, monotherapy is still widely used in the clinical practice of hypertension. Aim: To investigate BP control under monotherapy in the setting of real-life. Methods: We extracted data from a medical database of adult outpatients who were referred to the Hypertension Unit, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome (IT), including anthropometric data, CV risk factors and comorbidities, presence or absence of antihypertensive therapy and concomitant medications. Among treated hypertensive patients, we identified only those under single antihypertensive agent (monotherapy). Office BP treatment targets were defined according to 2018 ESC/ESH guidelines as: (a) < 130/80 mmHg in individuals aged 18-65 years; (b) < 140/80 mmHg in those aged > 65 years. Results: From an overall sample of 7797 records we selected 1578 (20.2%) hypertensive outpatients (47.3% female, age 59.5 ± 13.6 years, BMI 26.6 ± 4.4 kg/m2) treated with monotherapies, among whom 30.5% received ACE inhibitors, 37.7% ARBs, 15.8% beta-blockers, 10.6% CCBs, 3.0% diuretics, and 2.0% alpha-blockers. 36.6% of these patients reached the conventional clinic BP goal of < 140/90 mmHg, whilst the 2018 European guidelines BP treatment targets were fulfilled only in 14.0%. In particular, 10.2% patients aged 18-65 years and 20.4% of those aged > 65 years achieved the recommended BP goals. All these proportions results significantly lower than those achieved with dual (18.2%) or triple (22.2%) combination therapy, though higher than those obtained with life-style changes (10.8%). Proportions of patients on monotherapies with normal home and 24-h BP levels were 22.0% and 30.2%, respectively, though only 5.2% and 7.3% of these patients achieved sustained BP control, respectively. Ageing and dyslipidaemia showed significant and independent positive predictive value for the achievement of the recommended BP treatment targets, whereas European SCORE resulted a negative and independent predictor in outpatients treated with monotherapies. Conclusions: Our data showed a persistent use of monotherapy in the clinical practice, though with unsatisfactory BP control, especially in light of the BP treatment targets suggested by the last hypertension guidelines