Effects of feeding rapeseed oil, soybean oil or linseed oil on stearoyl-CoA desturase expression in the mammary gland of dairy cows

Extensive biohydrogenation of dietary fatty acids (FA) occurs in the rumen of dairy cattle, giving rise to a high proportion of saturated FA in milk fat. Saturated FA may contribute to increased risks of cardiovascular disease and the metabolic syndrome (Williams, 2000). Saturated FA, as well as several mono-unsaturated FA, can be desaturated by ¿9-desaturase, also known as stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), present in the mammary gland of dairy cows. It is known that nutrition, especially polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), can affect the expression of SCD in rodents (Ntambi, 1999). Although various FA have been identified which can affect mammary SCD expression in dairy cattle, such knowledge is limited compared with rodents. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary FA supplementation of C18:1 cis-9, C18:2 cis-9,12 or C18:3 cis-9,12,15, by feeding rapeseed oil, soybean oil or linseed oil respectively, or its mixture, on SCD expression in the mammary gland of dairy cows

Computing surface-based photo-consistency on graphics hardware

© Copyright 2005 IEEEThis paper describes a novel approach to the problem of recovering information from an image set by comparing the radiance of hypothesised point correspondences. Our algorithm is applicable to a number of problems in computer vision, but is explained particularly in terms of recovering geometry from an image set. It uses the idea of photo-consistency to measure the confidence that a hypothesised scene description generated the reference images. Photo-consistency has been used in volumetric scene reconstruction where a hypothesised surface is evolved by considering one voxel at a time. Our approach is different: it represents the scene as a parameterised surface so decisions can be made about its photo-consistency simultaneously over the entire surface rather than a series of independent decisions. Our approach is further characterised by its ability to execute on graphics hardware. Experiments demonstrate that our cost function minimises at the solution and is not adversely affected by occlusion

CONSTRAINED GENERALISED PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS

Abstract: Generalised Principal Component Analysis (GPCA) is a recently devised technique for fitting a multicomponent, piecewise-linear structure to data that has found strong utility in computer vision. Unlike other methods which intertwine the processes of estimating structure components and segmenting data points into clusters associated with putative components, GPCA estimates a multi-component structure with no recourse to data clustering. The standard GPCA algorithm searches for an estimate by minimising an appropriate misfit function. The underlying constraints on the model parameters are ignored. Here we promote a variant of GPCA that incorporates the parameter constraints and exploits constrained rather than unconstrained minimisation of the error function. The output of any GPCA algorithm hardly ever perfectly satisfies the parameter constraints. Our new version of GPCA greatly facilitates the final correction of the algorithm output to satisfy perfectly the constraints, making this step less prone to error in the presence of noise. The method is applied to the example problem of fitting a pair of lines to noisy image points, but has potential for use in more general multi-component structure fitting in computer vision.

Goal-Oriented Visual Question Generation via Intermediate Rewards

© 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Despite significant progress in a variety of vision-and-language problems, developing a method capable of asking intelligent, goal-oriented questions about images is proven to be an inscrutable challenge. Towards this end, we propose a Deep Reinforcement Learning framework based on three new intermediate rewards, namely goal-achieved, progressive and informativeness that encourage the generation of succinct questions, which in turn uncover valuable information towards the overall goal. By directly optimizing for questions that work quickly towards fulfilling the overall goal, we avoid the tendency of existing methods to generate long series of inane queries that add little value. We evaluate our model on the GuessWhat?! dataset and show that the resulting questions can help a standard ‘Guesser’ identify a specific object in an image at a much higher success rate

Effectiveness of an intervention at construction worksites on work engagement, social support, physical workload, and need for recovery: results from a cluster randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To prolong sustainable healthy working lives of construction workers, a worksite prevention program was developed which aimed to improve the health and work ability of construction workers. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of this program on social support at work, work engagement, physical workload and need for recovery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifteen departments from six construction companies participated in this cluster randomized controlled trial; 8 departments (n=171 workers) were randomized to an intervention group and 7 departments (n=122 workers) to a control group. The intervention consisted of two individual training sessions of a physical therapist to lower the physical workload, a Rest-Break tool to improve the balance between work and recovery, and two empowerment training sessions to increase the influence of the construction workers at the worksite. Data on work engagement, social support at work, physical workload, and need for recovery were collected at baseline, and at three, six and 12 months after the start of the intervention using questionnaires.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No differences between the intervention and control group were found for work engagement, social support at work, and need for recovery. At 6 months follow-up, the control group reported a small but statistically significant reduction of physical workload.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The intervention neither improved social support nor work engagement, nor was it effective in reducing the physical workload and need for recovery among construction workers.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>NTR1278</p

Applicability of somatic monitoring instructions in clinical practice guidelines on antipsychotic drug use

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) recommend the monitoring of somatic parameters in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs in order to detect adverse effects. The objective of this study was to assess, in adult and (frail) elderly populations, the consistency and applicability of the somatic monitoring instructions recommended by established CPGs prior to and during antipsychotic drug use. METHODS: A search for national and international CPGs was performed by querying the electronic database PubMed and Google. Somatic monitoring instructions were assessed for adult and (frail) elderly populations separately. The applicability of somatic monitoring instructions was assessed using the Systematic Information for Monitoring (SIM) score. Somatic monitoring instructions were considered applicable when a minimum SIM score of 3 was reached. RESULTS: In total, 16 CPGs were included, with a total of 231 somatic monitoring instructions (mean: 14; range: 0-47). Of the somatic monitoring instructions, 87% were considered applicable, although critical values and how to respond to aberrant values were only present in 28 and 52% of the available instructions respectively. Only 1 CPG presented an instruction specifically for (frail) elderly populations. CONCLUSIONS: We emphasize the need for a guideline with somatic monitoring instructions based on the SIM definition for both adult and (frail) elderly populations using antipsychotic drugs. In addition, CPGs should state that clear agreements should be made regarding who is responsible for interventions and somatic monitoring prior to and during antipsychotic drug use

Smart shops: a survey of products, claimed effects and medical-toxicological relevance

During the last few years the use of herbal drugs of abuse, so-called 'smart products' and eco-drugs has increased. Many of these products have psychoactive effects. The variety of smart products sold in the so-called smart shops is enormous and this is still a growing market. The increased availability of these products and the continuing appearance of new products on the market, has led to increased awareness of the possible negative health aspects associated with the use of these products. At present, the Dutch Inspectorate for Health Protection, Commodities and Veterinary Public Health is testing the activities of these smart shops and the products for adherence to the regulations. This document, prepared by the National Poisons Control Centre (NVIC) of the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), serves as a practical aid to the Inspectorate in evaluating the various smart products. Four important groups of smart products can be discerned: the energizers, relaxing herbs, aphrodisiacs and products with hallucinogenic properties. For each of these groups the following items are described: the various product appearances, usage, the (desired) effects of the product according to smart shop information brochures, a description of the original plants (most of these products are derived from plants), the active ingredients in the product, and to the best of our knowledge, the pharmacology and medical toxicology of these ingredients and products. Further monitoring of the use of these smart products and the health effects they cause, should make clear to which specific group of smart products most attention should be paid from a medical point of view.Het gebruik van zogenaamde smartproducts en eco-drugs neemt de laatste jaren steeds meer toe. Het aanbod van producten die in de smartshops worden verkocht is zeer divers. Veel van de aangeboden middelen hebben psychoactieve effecten. Bovendien is het een uiterst dynamische markt, waar regelmatig nieuwe producten ontwikkeld en verkocht worden. Door deze groeiende markt wordt ook van overheidswege aandacht besteed aan de gezondheids- en maatschappelijke risico's van het gebruik en de verkoop van deze middelen. In het huidige beleid ten aanzien van deze middelen ligt de nadruk op gezondheidsbescherming met behulp van voorlichting, monitoring en onderzoek. In dit kader toetst in 1999 de Inspectie Gezondheidsbescherming, Waren en Veterinaire Zaken de activiteiten van smartshops en andere verkooppunten, alsmede de verhandelde waar, aan de warenwettelijke kaders. Zonodig wordt nieuwe jurisprudentie opgebouwd. Dit rapport, geschreven op verzoek van en in samenwerking met de Inspectie Gezondheidsbescherming, Waren en Veterinaire Zaken dient de Inspectie tot een praktisch hulpmiddel bij het evalueren van de vele verschillende producten die op de markt aanwezig zijn. Op grond van het belangrijkste beoogde effect dat deze middelen na gebruik zouden verschaffen, zijn de producten ingedeeld in een van de vier te onderscheiden functionele groepen, te weten de "energizers", "relaxing herbs", "afrodisiaca" en "hallucinogene producten". Per product(-groep) worden besproken: de verschillende productvoorkomens en wijze van gebruik, het in de smartshop gepropageerde doel van gebruik, de plantaardige herkomst van het product, en de samenstellende verbindingen met voor zover bekend hun farmacologische werkingsmechanismen en toxiciteit. Daarbij is gebruik gemaakt van de humaan medisch-toxicologische kennis zoals die op dit moment voorhanden is. Verdere monitoring naar de effecten van het gebruik zal inzichtelijk moeten maken naar welke productgroepen vanuit medisch oogpunt in de toekomst de meeste aandacht zal moeten uitgaan

αT-catenin in restricted brain cell types and its potential connection to autism

BACKGROUND: Recent genetic association studies have linked the cadherin-based adherens junction protein alpha-T-catenin (αT-cat, CTNNA3) with the development of autism. Where αT-cat is expressed in the brain, and how its loss could contribute to this disorder, are entirely unknown. METHODS: We used the αT-cat knockout mouse to examine the localization of αT-cat in the brain, and we used histology and immunofluorescence analysis to examine the neurobiological consequences of its loss. RESULTS: We found that αT-cat comprises the ependymal cell junctions of the ventricles of the brain, and its loss led to compensatory upregulation of αE-cat expression. Notably, αT-cat was not detected within the choroid plexus, which relies on cell junction components common to typical epithelial cells. While αT-cat was not detected in neurons of the cerebral cortex, it was abundantly detected within neuronal structures of the molecular layer of the cerebellum. Although αT-cat loss led to no overt differences in cerebral or cerebellar structure, RNA-sequencing analysis from wild type versus knockout cerebella identified a number of disease-relevant signaling pathways associated with αT-cat loss, such as GABA-A receptor activation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings raise the possibility that the genetic associations between αT-cat and autism may be due to ependymal and cerebellar defects, and highlight the potential importance of a seemingly redundant adherens junction component to a neurological disorder

Influence of changing working conditions on exit from paid employment among workers with a chronic disease

Objectives To investigate the relation between changes in working conditions and exit from paid employment among workers with a chronic disease. Methods Six waves from the longitudinal Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (2010–2016), enriched with tax-based employment information from Statistics Netherlands (2011–2017), were available for 4820 chronically ill workers aged 45–63 years (mean 55.3 years, SD 5.1). A change in working conditions (physical workload, psychological job demands, job autonomy, emotional job demands and social support) was defined as an increase or decrease between two consecutive waves of at least one SD. Discrete-time survival models with repeated measurements were used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of a change in working conditions on exiting paid employment in the following year compared with no change and consecutive favourable working conditions. Results A favourable change in physical workload lowered the risk to exit paid employment (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.94). An adverse change in psychosocial working conditions, especially a decrease in social support (RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.52 to 2.81), increased the likelihood to exit paid employment. In contrast, a favourable change in psychological job demands increased the risk to exit paid employment (RR 1.57, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.24). Multiple adverse changes increased the risk to exit paid employment up to six times (RR 6.06, 95% CI 2.83 to 12.98). Conclusions Changes in working conditions among workers with chronic diseases influence exit from paid employment. Ensuring that working conditions can be adapted to the needs of workers with a chronic disease may help to extend working life