Association of immune responses of Zebu and Holstein-Friesian cattle and resistance to mycobacteria in a BCG challenge model

Mycobacterium bovis is the main cause of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) in cattle and can also infect humans. Zebu cattle are considered more resistant to some infectious diseases compared with Holstein‐Friesian (HF) cattle, including BTB. However, epidemiological studies may not take into account usage differences of the two types of cattle. HF cattle may suffer greater metabolic stress due to their more or less exclusive dairy use, whereas Zebu cattle are mainly used for beef production. In experiments conducted so far, the number of animals has been too small to draw statistically robust conclusions on the resistance differences between these cattle breeds. Here, we used a BCG challenge model to compare the ability of naïve and vaccinated Zebu and HF cattle to control/kill mycobacteria. Young cattle of both breeds with similar ages were housed in the same accommodation for the duration of the experiment. After correcting for multiple comparisons, we found no difference between naïve HF and Zebu (ρ = 0.862) cattle. However, there was a trend for vaccinated HF cattle to have lower cfu numbers than non‐vaccinated HF cattle (ρ = 0.057); no such trend was observed between vaccinated and non‐vaccinated Zebu cattle (ρ = 0.560). Evaluation of antigen‐specific IFNγ secretion by PBMC indicated that Zebu and HF cattle differed in their response to mycobacteria. Thus, whilst there may be difference in immune responses, our data indicate that with the number of animals included in the study and under the conditions used in this work, we were unable to measure any differences between Zebu and HF cattle in the overall control of mycobacteria. Whilst determination of different susceptibilities between Zebu and HF cattle using the BCG challenge model will require larger numbers of animals than the number of animals used in this experiment, these data should inform future experiments

Right Paraduodenal Hernia in an Adult Patient: Diagnostic Approach and Surgical Management

Paraduodenal hernia, a rare congenital anomaly which arises from an error of rotation of the midgut, is the most common type of intraabdominal hernia. There are two variants, right and left paraduodenal hernia, the right being less common. We report the case of a 41-year-old patient with a right paraduodenal hernia with a 6-month history of intermittent episodes of intestinal obstruction. Diagnosis was established by CT scan and upper gastrointestinal series with small bowel follow-through. In a planned laparotomy, herniation of the small bowel loops through the fossa of Waldeyer was found. Division of the lateral right attachments of the colon opened the hernia sac widely, replacing the pre- and postarterial segments of the intestine in the positions they would normally occupy at the end of the first stage of rotation during embryonic development. Six months after the surgery, after an uneventful recovery, the patient remains free of symptoms

Construction and demolition waste - a shift toward Lean Construction and Building Information Model

Waste in the construction industry is a devastating dilemma, especially that construction and demolition activities are considered as the highest waste generator globally. Countries have developed regulations: policy-makers and professional associations have provided norms and policies to manage C&D waste. Previous studies, however, have revealed insufficiencies in the current regulations and norms in incentivizing the industry practices toward waste prevention, since its culture is characterized by the gap in technological use, insufficient knowledge, poor planning, and poor information flow. This research provides a literature review on the current research findings and trends in managing C&D waste. Then based on design theory and theory of production, an exploratory research consisting of BIM and Lean construction concepts is provided. Lean can maximize the value of construction by addressing waste within portfolios, projects, and operations; BIM offers an enhanced collaborative platform with improved design practice and information management throughout buildings’ life cycle. The proposed conceptual framework enables economic, environmental, and social benefits to allow practitioners collaborate, analyze, and minimize construction waste throughout buildings’ life cycle.(undefined

New records of ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) from Puerto Morelos Reef National Park (Mexican Caribbean)

We documented the nearshore ray-finned fishes in Puerto Morelos Reef National Park (PMRNP) by sampling 57 localities, including rocky intertidal pools, sandy bottoms, Thalassia beds, coral reefs, artificial reefs, karstic-slab bottoms, demersal-pelagic areas, and sessile-Sargassum patches. We recorded seven species new to Caribbean Mexican waters and one hundred and six species new to the PMRNP, most of which are small cryptobenthic reef fish. The resultant checklist includes 349 species, and specimens of 285 of which (81.7%) have been deposited in an ichthyological museum collection. These include both voucher organisms and with tissue samples for genetic analysis. A comparison with inventories at other localities of the Greater Caribbean indicates that more targeted sampling for cryptobenthic and deep-reef fishes is needed to provide a complete inventory. We also comment on the local use of some species as fishery resources

Kinematic analysis of the daily activity of drinking from a glass in a population with cervical spinal cord injury

Background Three-dimensional kinematic analysis equipment is a valuable instrument for studying the execution of movement during functional activities of the upper limbs. The aim of this study was to analyze the kinematic differences in the execution of a daily activity such as drinking from a glass between two groups of patients with tetraplegia and a control group. Methods A total of 24 people were separated into three groups for analysis: 8 subjects with metameric level C6 tetraplegia, 8 subjects with metameric level C7 tetraplegia and 8 control subjects (CG). A set of active markers that emit infrared light were positioned on the upper limb. Two scanning units were used to record the sessions. The activity of drinking from a glass was broken down into a series of clearly identifiable phases to facilitate analysis. Movement times, velocities, and the joint angles of the shoulder, elbow and wrist in the three spatial planes were the variables analyzed. Results The most relevant differences between the three groups were in the wrist. Wrist palmar flexion during the back transport phase was greater in the patients with C6 and C7 tetraplegia than in the CG, whereas the highest wrist dorsal flexion values were in forward transport in the subjects with C6 or C7 tetraplegia, who required complete activation of the tenodesis effect to complete grasping. Conclusions A detailed description was made of the three-dimensional kinematic analysis of the task of drinking from a glass in healthy subjects and in two groups of patients with tetraplegia. This was a useful application of kinematic analysis of upper limb movement in a clinical setting. Better knowledge of the execution of this movement in each of these groups allows therapeutic recommendations to be specifically adapted to the functional deficit present. This information can be useful in designing wearable robots to compensate the performance of AVD, such as drinking, in people with cervical SCI

Nitric Oxide Not Apoptosis Mediates Differential Killing of Mycobacterium bovis in Bovine Macrophages

To identify the resistance phenotype against Mycobacterium bovis in cattle, we used a bactericidal assay that has been considered a marker of this trait. Three of 24 cows (12.5%) were phenotyped as resistant and 21 as susceptible. Resistance of bovine macrophages (MΦ) to BCG challenge was evaluated for its association with SLC11A1 GT microsatellite polymorphisms within 3′UTR region. Twenty-three cows (95.8%) had a GT(13) genotype, reported as resistant, consequently the SLC11A1polymorphism was not in agreement with our bactericidal assay results. MΦ of cows with resistant or susceptible phenotype were challenged in vitro with virulent M. bovis field strain or BCG, and nitric oxide production, bacterial killing and apoptosis induction were measured in resting and LPS-primed states. M. bovis field strain induced more apoptosis than BCG, although the difference was not significant. Resistant MΦ controlled better the replication of M. bovis (P<0.01), produced more nitric oxide (P<0.05) and were slightly more prone to undergo apoptosis than susceptible cells. LPS pretreatment of MΦ enhanced all the functional parameters analyzed. Inhibition of nitric oxide production with n (G)-monomethyl-L-arginine monoacetate enhanced replication of M. bovis but did not modify apoptosis rates in both resistant and susceptible MΦ. We conclude that nitric oxide production not apoptosis is a major determinant of macrophage resistance to M. bovis infection in cattle and that the influence of SLC11A1 gene 3′UTR polymorphism is not associated with this event

Economic and environmental viability of building recovery in Seville (Spain). Phase 1: database in Arcgis

The main objective of this work is the design of a model for the technical, economic and environmental evaluation in the rehabilitation and renovation of buildings versus their demolition. A first analysis is performed on the rehabilitation and renovation of buildings versus their demolition in the historical centre of Seville, Spain. Considering that many European cities have a historical centre that in many cases also represents the most authentic part of the city, this project can be adopted as an assessment tool for many similar case studies. In a first stage, a database for Seville, Spain, has been created using ArcGIS, which identifies those buildings needing restoration. The house of tomorrow maybe the one we already inhabit by transforming it with the renovations necessary in order to make it more safe, secure, energy efficient and comfortable, finally transforming it into a contemporary dwelling, even if they are part of a historical city centre

Vertical Greenery Systems as sustainable solutions for building retrofitting: a case study

In this paper, an environmental impact assessment has been developed for evaluating advantages and disadvantages of installing a Vertical Greenery System (hereafter VGS) on two south-oriented facades of a building, together with movable wooden slats on its windows. Initial investment has been compared to annual maintenance costs and energy savings in terms of equivalent solar energy, based on the eMergy method. An existing building in Siena (Italy) was taken as a case study. Thermal performances were simulated based on reliable parameters. These were hypothesized for modelling the envelope and windows as well the effects of the VGS and slats on indoor climate conditions. Results showed that installing the VGS and wooden slats over the south-west and south-east facades (around 800m2) would decrease the cooling energy demand during warm months of around 50% and highlighted the environmental profitability of the proposed solution for a 130,000m3 building. Compared to previously published results (98m2 VGS of a 1000m3 detached house) which report a quota of 15% cooling energy saving, this model demonstrates that potential benefits of VGS can significantly increase due to the scale-factor (i.e. dimension of facades and building volumes) and the combination with wooden slats. © 2014 WIT Press