Effect of increasing lignin in isoenergetic diets at two soluble fibre levels on digestion, performance and carcass quality of growing rabbits

To assess the effect of increasing dietary lignin in isoenergetic diets at two soluble fibre (SF) levels on digestion, performance and carcass quality of growing rabbits, four diets were formulated according a 2 × 2 factorial design: low SF-low lignin (LSF/LL), low SF-high lignin (LSF/HL), high SF-low lignin (HSF/LL) and high SF-high lignin (HSF/HL). On average, in HSF diets SF was increased by 49 g/kg DM, mainly replacing starch (−53 g/kg DM), and in HL diets lignin was increased by 40 g/kg, mainly reducing starch (-78 g/kg DM), with increasing EE (+31 g/kg DM). Two hundred and sixty crossbred weaned rabbits (35 days old) were assigned to the experimental diets, individually housed and fed ad libitum until 63 days of age. Digestibility (from 49 to 53 days old), growth performance (from 35 to 63 days old), carcass quality (at 63 days old) and caecal environment (at 63 days old) were studied in 12, 65, 45 and 16 rabbits per diet, respectively. High SF diets showed higher CTTAD of fibrous fractions (+0.206±0.011, +0.207±0.015, +0.214±0.011 and +0.167±0.015 for aNDFom, ADFom, hemicelluloses and cellulose, respectively, P < 0.001), OM (+0.042±0.004, P < 0.001) and GE (+0.055±0.005, P < 0.001), resulting in high DE content (10.6 vs. 9.30 MJ/kg DM). In contrast, CTTAD of CP was lower (−0.023±0.009, P = 0.013), as well as the DP content (96.9 vs. 103 g/kg DM). This dietary variation reduced the DM content of caecal digesta (−28±3 g/kg, P < 0.001), besides increasing its VFA concentration (+18.0±4.0 mmol/L, P < 0.001) and reducing its pH (−0.28±0.05, P < 0.001). Feed intake and LW gain decreased, with an improvement of feed to gain ratio (−13.8 %, −4.7 %, −9.4 %, respectively; P < 0.001). The proportion of gastrointestinal tract was increased, with a subsequent reduction in dressing out (+19±2 g/kg LW and −15±2 g chilled carcass weight/kg LW, respectively, P < 0.001). High lignin diets showed lower CTTAD of OM (-0.055±0.004, P < 0.001) and GE (−0.034±0.005, P < 0.001) without affecting DE and DP contents. This dietary variation increased DM content of caecal digesta (+21±3 g/kg, P < 0.001), but did not affect the other caecal digesta traits. Feed intake was higher (+4.9 %, P < 0.001), although differences were dependent on the growth phase and the SF level (maximum difference at 35–49 days with low SF diets, +11.0 %, P < 0.001; minimum difference at 49–63 days with high SF diets, +1.0 %, P = 0.689), but did not affect LW gain and consequently impaired the feed to gain ratio (+5.1 %, P < 0.001). No effect was observed on dressing out, but the dissectible fat proportion increased (+6.7±1.1 g/kg reference carcass weight, P < 0.001).info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Sub-arcsecond radio and optical observations of the likely counterpart to the gamma-ray source 2FGL J2056.7+4939

We have searched and reviewed all multi- wavelength data available for the region towards the gamma-ray source 2FGL J2056.7+4939 in order to con- strain its possible counterpart at lower energies. As a result, only a point-like optical/infrared source with flat-spectrum radio emission is found to be consistent with all X-ray and gamma-ray error circles. Its struc- ture is marginally resolved at radio wavelengths at the sub-arcsecond level. An extragalactic scenario appears to be the most likely interpretation for this object.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Evaluación urodinámica y comparativa de la calidad de vida en pacientes con trastorno de vaciamiento vesical sometidos a terapia InterStim, Medtronic®

ResumenAntecedentesDesde 1980 la terapia de neuroestimulación sacra ha demostrado ser una terapia válida y alternativa en el manejo de los trastornos miccionales por patología del tracto urinario bajo, siendo sus principales indicaciones la retención urinaria idiopática, la incontinencia de urgencia y la incontinencia fecal. En nuestro país sigue siendo una terapia novedosa y no se cuenta aún con estudios que evalúen esta eficacia en términos de calidad de vida o con parámetros cuantitativos.Objetivo del estudioEstablecer la eficacia de la terapia de neuroestimulación sacra tipo InterStim, Medtronic®, en el manejo de los pacientes con trastornos de vaciamiento vesical, efectuando un análisis urodinámico y de la calidad de vida comparativo previo y posterior al tratamiento, determinando los volúmenes miccionales, los períodos de incontinencia, la satisfacción del paciente y la calidad de vida.Material y métodosDesde enero de 2010 hasta junio de 2013, en el Hospital Central Militar se realizó evaluación urodinámica y comparativa de la calidad de vida mediante el empleo del instrumento SF-36 v2 (versión mexicana) e ICIQSF, en los pacientes que presentaron trastorno de vaciamiento vesical de etiología no obstructiva y que fueron refractarios a tratamiento médico.ResultadosSe incluyeron 10 pacientes en el estudio, bajo los siguientes diagnósticos: disinergia detrusor-esfínter, vejiga hiperactiva y retención urinaria no obstructiva, ubicados por género (2 masculinos y 8 femeninos). En la totalidad de los pacientes se presentó mejoría del 50% o superior durante la fase de prueba de la terapia de neuroestimulación, y se colocó fase definitiva con los siguientes resultados: se obtuvieron resultados equivalentes al 50-65% de mejoría en los parámetros cualitativos de función física, función social y rol emocional, así como en las variables cuantitativas de volumen de vaciamiento, eficacia de vaciamiento y disminución de los períodos de incontinencia.DiscusiónComo se ha establecido a nivel de la literatura mundial, nuestros resultados fueron similares en el efecto benéfico y la eficacia en la calidad de vida e incontinencia urinaria, respectivamente, y se reportan porcentajes de éxito mayores al 50% en el cese total de los episodios de incontinencia.ConclusionesLa neuromodulación mediante la estimulación del nervio sacro es una forma exitosa de tratamiento en los trastornos de vaciamiento vesical de etiología no obstructiva y refractaria al tratamiento médico, es segura, mínimamente invasiva y de fácil aplicación, y mejora la calidad de vida de los pacientes. Sin embargo, es necesario realizar estudios aleatorizados y que consideren parámetros objetivos (urodinámicos), así como las complicaciones posibles a mediano y largo plazo en este tipo de terapia.AbstractBackgroundSince 1980, sacral neuromodulation therapy has been shown to be a valid alternative therapy in the management of urinary disorders due to lower urinary tract pathology, and its primary indications are: idiopathic urinary retention, urge incontinence, and fecal incontinence. It is still considered a novel therapy in Mexico and there are no studies using quantitative parameters that evaluate its efficacy in terms of quality of life.AimsTo establish the efficacy of the Medtronic InterStim® sacral neuromodulation therapy in the management of patients with bladder voiding disorders through urodynamic and quality of life analyses before and after treatment. Urine volume, periods of incontinence, patient satisfaction, and quality of life were determined.MethodsA comparative urodynamic and quality of life evaluation was carried out using the SF-36 v2 (Mexican version) and the ICIQSF instruments on patients presenting with nonobstructive bladder voiding disorders that were refractory to medical treatment.ResultsTen patients with the following diagnoses were included in the study: detrusor sphincter dyssynergia, overactive bladder, and nonobstructive urinary retention. Two of the patients were men and 8 were women. There was a 50% or greater improvement in all 10 patients during the test phase of the neuromodulation therapy and the definitive placement phase produced the following results: a 50-65% improvement in the qualitative parameters of physical function, social function, and emotional role, as well as in the quantitative variables of voiding volume, voiding efficacy, and reduced periods of incontinence.DiscussionOur results were similar to those established in the international literature in relation to the beneficial effect on quality of life and efficacy in urinary incontinence management; the literature reports success percentages in the complete cessation of incontinence episodes at above 50%.ConclusionsNeuromodulation through sacral nerve stimulation is a successful form of treatment of nonobstructive and medical treatment-refractory bladder voiding disorders. It is safe, minimally invasive, and easy to apply and it improves patient quality of life. Nevertheless, further randomized studies on this type of therapy need to be conducted that take into account objective parameters (urodynamics) and possible medium and long-term complications

A longitudinal study of household water, sanitation, and hygiene characteristics and environmental enteropathy markers in children less than 24 months in Iquitos, Peru

Funding Information: Financial support: The MAL-ED is carried out as a collaborative project supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institutes of Health, Fogarty International Center. While conducting this work, Natalie Exum was supported by The NSF IGERT Grant 1069213, The Osprey Foundation of Maryland Grant 1602030014, the Johns Hopkins Water Institute, Johns Hopkins Fisher Center Discovery Program Grant 010 KOS2015, The Kazuyoshi Kawata fund in Sanitary Engineering and Science, and the Dr. C. W. Kruse Memorial Fund Scholarship. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Diffusion in supersonic, turbulent, compressible flows

We investigate diffusion in supersonic, turbulent, compressible flows. Supersonic turbulence can be characterized as network of interacting shocks. We consider flows with different rms Mach numbers and where energy necessary to maintain dynamical equilibrium is inserted at different spatial scales. We find that turbulent transport exhibits super-diffusive behavior due to induced bulk motions. In a comoving reference frame, however, diffusion behaves normal and can be described by mixing length theory extended into the supersonic regime.Comment: 11 pages, incl. 5 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review E (a high-resolution version is available at http://www.aip.de./~ralf/Publications/p21.abstract.html

Mixtures of Bosonic and Fermionic Atoms in Optical Lattices

We discuss the theory of mixtures of Bosonic and Fermionic atoms in periodic potentials at zero temperature. We derive a general Bose--Fermi Hubbard Hamiltonian in a one--dimensional optical lattice with a superimposed harmonic trapping potential. We study the conditions for linear stability of the mixture and derive a mean field criterion for the onset of a Bosonic superfluid transition. We investigate the ground state properties of the mixture in the Gutzwiller formulation of mean field theory, and present numerical studies of finite systems. The Bosonic and Fermionic density distributions and the onset of quantum phase transitions to demixing and to a Bosonic Mott--insulator are studied as a function of the lattice potential strength. The existence is predicted of a disordered phase for mixtures loaded in very deep lattices. Such a disordered phase possessing many degenerate or quasi--degenerate ground states is related to a breaking of the mirror symmetry in the lattice.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures; added discussions; conclusions and references expande

Different resource allocation strategies result from selection for litter size at weaning in rabbit does

This study examined the effect of long-term selection of a maternal rabbit line, solely for a reproductive criterion, on the ability of female rabbits to deal with constrained environmental conditions. Female rabbits from generations 16 and 36 (n = 72 and 79, respectively) of a line founded and selected to increase litter size at weaning were compared simultaneously. Female rabbits were subjected to normal (NC), nutritional (NF) or heat (HC) challenging conditions from 1st to 3rd parturition. Animals in NC and NF were housed at normal room temperatures (18°C to 25°C) and respectively fed with control (11.6 MJ digestible energy (DE)/kg dry matter (DM), 126 g digestible protein (DP)/kg DM, and 168 g of ADF/kg DM) or low-energy fibrous diets (9.1 MJ DE/kg DM, 104 g DP/kg DM and 266 g ADF/kg DM), whereas those housed in HC were subjected to high room temperatures (25°C to 35°C) and the control diet. The litter size was lower for female rabbits housed in both NF and HC environments, but the extent and timing where this reduction took place differed between generations. In challenging conditions (NF and HC), the average reduction in the reproductive performance of female rabbits from generation 16, compared with NC, was &#8722;2.26 (P<0.05) and &#8722;0.51 kits born alive at 2nd and 3rd parturition, respectively. However, under these challenging conditions, the reproductive performance of female rabbits from generation 36 was less affected at 2nd parturition (&#8722;1.25 kits born alive), but showed a greater reduction at the 3rd parturition (&#8722;3.53 kits born alive; P<0.05) compared with NC. The results also showed differences between generations in digestible energy intake, milk yield and accretion, and use of body reserves throughout lactation in NC, HC and NF, which together indicate that there were different resource allocation strategies in the animals from the different generations. Selection to increase litter size at weaning led to increased reproductive robustness at the onset of an environmental constraint, but failure to sustain the reproductive liability when the challenge was maintained in the long term. This response could be directly related to the shortterm environmental fluctuations (less severe) that frequently occur in the environment where this line has been selected.The authors thank Professor Enrique Blas Ferrer for his valuable comments on the initial version of this document, Juan Carlos Moreno for his help in conducting the trial at the experimental farm, and the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project: AGL2011-30170-C02-01) for economic support.Savietto, D.; Cervera Fras, MC.; Ródenas Martínez, L.; Martínez Paredes, EM.; Baselga Izquierdo, M.; García Diego, FJ.; Larsen, T.... (2014). Different resource allocation strategies result from selection for litter size at weaning in rabbit does. Animal. 8(4):618-628. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731113002437S61862884García-Diego, F.-J., Pascual, J. J., & Marco, F. (2011). Technical Note: Design of a large variable temperature chamber for heat stress studies in rabbits. World Rabbit Science, 19(4). doi:10.4995/wrs.2011.938Ragab, M., & Baselga, M. (2011). A comparison of reproductive traits of four maternal lines of rabbits selected for litter size at weaning and founded on different criteria. Livestock Science, 136(2-3), 201-206. doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2010.09.009Friggens, N. C. (2003). Body lipid reserves and the reproductive cycle: towards a better understanding. Livestock Production Science, 83(2-3), 219-236. doi:10.1016/s0301-6226(03)00111-8Littell, R. C., Henry, P. R., & Ammerman, C. B. (1998). Statistical analysis of repeated measures data using SAS procedures. Journal of Animal Science, 76(4), 1216. doi:10.2527/1998.7641216xEstany, J., Baselga, M., Blasco, A., & Camacho, J. (1989). Mixed model methodology for the estimation of genetic response to selection in litter size of rabbits. Livestock Production Science, 21(1), 67-75. doi:10.1016/0301-6226(89)90021-3Fernández-Carmona, J., Alqedra, I., Cervera, C., Moya, J., & Pascual, J. J. (2003). Effect of lucerne-based diets on performance of reproductive rabbit does at two temperatures. Animal Science, 76(2), 283-295. doi:10.1017/s1357729800053534Fernández-Carmona, J., Cervera, C., Sabater, C., & Blas, E. (1995). Effect of diet composition on the production of rabbit breeding does housed in a traditional building and at 30°C. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 52(3-4), 289-297. doi:10.1016/0377-8401(94)00715-lHarano, Y., Ohtsuki, M., Ida, M., Kojima, H., Harada, M., Okanishi, T., … Shigeta, Y. (1985). Direct automated assay method for serum or urine levels of ketone bodies. Clinica Chimica Acta, 151(2), 177-183. doi:10.1016/0009-8981(85)90321-3Dauncey, M. J. (1990). Thyroid hormones and thermogenesis. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 49(2), 203-215. doi:10.1079/pns19900024Savietto, D., Blas, E., Cervera, C., Baselga, M., Friggens, N. C., Larsen, T., & Pascual, J. J. (2012). Digestive efficiency in rabbit does according to environment and genetic type. World Rabbit Science, 20(3). doi:10.4995/wrs.2012.1152Falconer, D. S. (1990). Selection in different environments: effects on environmental sensitivity (reaction norm) and on mean performance. Genetical Research, 56(1), 57-70. doi:10.1017/s0016672300028883Vicente, J., & García-Ximénez, F. (1993). Effects of strain and embryo transfer model (embryos from one versus two donor does/recipient) on results of cryopreservation in rabbit. Reproduction Nutrition Development, 33(1), 5-13. doi:10.1051/rnd:19930101Quiniou, N., Renaudeau, D., Dubois, S., & Noblet, J. (2000). Influence of high ambient temperatures on food intake and feeding behaviour of multiparous lactating sows. Animal Science, 70(3), 471-479. doi:10.1017/s1357729800051821Theilgaard, P., Sánchez, J. P., Pascual, J. J., Friggens, N. C., & Baselga, M. (2006). Effect of body fatness and selection for prolificacy on survival of rabbit does assessed using a cryopreserved control population. Livestock Science, 103(1-2), 65-73. doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2006.01.007Brecchia, G., Bonanno, A., Galeati, G., Federici, C., Maranesi, M., Gobbetti, A., … Boiti, C. (2006). Hormonal and metabolic adaptation to fasting: Effects on the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis and reproductive performance of rabbit does. Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 31(2), 105-122. doi:10.1016/j.domaniend.2005.09.006Piles, M., Garreau, H., Rafel, O., Larzul, C., Ramon, J., & Ducrocq, V. (2006). Survival analysis in two lines of rabbits selected for reproductive traits1. Journal of Animal Science, 84(7), 1658-1665. doi:10.2527/jas.2005-678Sanchez, J. P., Baselga, M., & Ducrocq, V. (2006). Genetic and environmental correlations between longevity and litter size in rabbits. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 123(3), 180-185. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0388.2006.00590.xQuevedo, F., Cervera, C., Blas, E., Baselga, M., & Pascual, J. J. (2006). Long-term effect of selection for litter size and feeding programme on the performance of reproductive rabbit does 2. Lactation and growing period. Animal Science, 82(5), 751-762. doi:10.1079/asc200688Vicente, J. S., & García-Ximénez, F. (1996). Direct transfer of vitrified rabbit embryos. Theriogenology, 45(4), 811-815. doi:10.1016/0093-691x(96)00010-6Coureaud, G., Fortun-Lamothe, L., Langlois, D., & Schaal, B. (2007). The reactivity of neonatal rabbits to the mammary pheromone as a probe for viability. animal, 1(7), 1026-1032. doi:10.1017/s1751731107000389Rommers, J. M., Boiti, C., Brecchia, G., Meijerhof, R., Noordhuizen, J. P. T. M., Decuypere, E., & Kemp, B. (2004). Metabolic adaptation and hormonal regulation in young rabbit does during long-term caloric restriction and subsequent compensatory growth. Animal Science, 79(2), 255-264. doi:10.1017/s1357729800090111Piles, M., García, M. L., Rafel, O., Ramon, J., & Baselga, M. (2006). Genetics of litter size in three maternal lines of rabbits: Repeatability versus multiple-trait models. Journal of Animal Science, 84(9), 2309-2315. doi:10.2527/jas.2005-622Garcı́a, M. L., & Baselga, M. (2002). Estimation of genetic response to selection in litter size of rabbits using a cryopreserved control population. Livestock Production Science, 74(1), 45-53. doi:10.1016/s0301-6226(01)00280-9Cervera, C., & Carmona, J. F. (s. f.). Nutrition and the climatic environment. Nutrition of the rabbit, 267-284. doi:10.1079/9781845936693.0267Nicodemus, N., Redondo, R., Pérez-Alba, L., Carabaño, R., De Blas, J. C., & García, J. (2010). Effect of level of fibre and type of grinding on the performance of rabbit does and their litters during the first three lactations. Livestock Science, 129(1-3), 186-193. doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2010.01.023Theilgaard, P., Sánchez, J., Pascual, J., Berg, P., Friggens, N. C., & Baselga, M. (2007). Late reproductive senescence in a rabbit line hyper selected for reproductive longevity, and its association with body reserves. Genetics Selection Evolution, 39(2), 207. doi:10.1186/1297-9686-39-2-207Martínez-Paredes, E., Ródenas, L., Martínez-Vallespín, B., Cervera, C., Blas, E., Brecchia, G., … Pascual, J. J. (2012). Effects of feeding programme on the performance and energy balance of nulliparous rabbit does. animal, 6(7), 1086-1095. doi:10.1017/s1751731111002643Baselga M 2004. Genetic improvement of meat rabbits. Programmes and diffusion. In Proceedings of 8th World Rabbit Science Congress, 5–7 September 2004, Puebla, Mexico, pp. 1–13

Associations and community health workers: analysis and time trends over ten years of training-action

Objective To analyse the profile of the persons and associations that participated in the course, quantify peer education activities and analyse their evolution. Method A quantitative study using an analysis of the course records from 2009 to 2018 was designed for this purpose inside mihsalud program designed to promote health amongst persons in vulnerable situations in the city of Valencia (Spain). It offers a yearly training-action course of community health workers (CHW) that is attended by persons who have been proposed by associations. The associations were defined according to their population (immigrant, local or intercultural) and the CHWs according to gender, country of birth, year of course, association and continuity after training. Means and confidence intervals were calculated at 95% and a bivariate analysis was conducted in order to compare the activities that took place in 2009 to 2013 with those of 2014 to 2018. The time trends were analysed by applying linear regression models that included the different years studied as the dependent variable. Results 201 CHW of 31 nationalities were trained, 81.6% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 75.5-86.7] were women. Eighty-two associations participated, 51.2% (95% CI: 39.9-62.4] worked with culturally diverse populations. Participation by associations (p = .017) and CHWs (p = .377) increased in a statistically significant manner over the years. After the course, 35.3% (95% CI: 28.7-42.4] of the CHWs continued to collaborate voluntarily in the associations. Conclusions The results of the CHW training-action course improve over time given that a significant increase in participation by associations and women can be seen, along with a greater number of activities completed during the training. One effect of this is that CHWs are contracted or carry out voluntary activities in the associations

Simple model of adsorption on external surface of carbon nanotubes: a new analytical approach basing on molecular simulation data

Nitrogen adsorption on carbon nanotubes is wide- ly studied because nitrogen adsorption isotherm measurement is a standard method applied for porosity characterization. A further reason is that carbon nanotubes are potential adsorbents for separation of nitrogen from oxygen in air. The study presented here describes the results of GCMC simulations of nitrogen (three site model) adsorption on single and multi walled closed nanotubes. The results obtained are described by a new adsorption isotherm model proposed in this study. The model can be treated as the tube analogue of the GAB isotherm taking into account the lateral adsorbate-adsorbate interactions. We show that the model describes the simulated data satisfactorily. Next this new approach is applied for a description of experimental data measured on different commercially available (and characterized using HRTEM) carbon nanotubes. We show that generally a quite good fit is observed and therefore it is suggested that the observed mechanism of adsorption in the studied materials is mainly determined by adsorption on tubes separated at large distances, so the tubes behave almost independently

Interstellar MHD Turbulence and Star Formation

This chapter reviews the nature of turbulence in the Galactic interstellar medium (ISM) and its connections to the star formation (SF) process. The ISM is turbulent, magnetized, self-gravitating, and is subject to heating and cooling processes that control its thermodynamic behavior. The turbulence in the warm and hot ionized components of the ISM appears to be trans- or subsonic, and thus to behave nearly incompressibly. However, the neutral warm and cold components are highly compressible, as a consequence of both thermal instability in the atomic gas and of moderately-to-strongly supersonic motions in the roughly isothermal cold atomic and molecular components. Within this context, we discuss: i) the production and statistical distribution of turbulent density fluctuations in both isothermal and polytropic media; ii) the nature of the clumps produced by thermal instability, noting that, contrary to classical ideas, they in general accrete mass from their environment; iii) the density-magnetic field correlation (or lack thereof) in turbulent density fluctuations, as a consequence of the superposition of the different wave modes in the turbulent flow; iv) the evolution of the mass-to-magnetic flux ratio (MFR) in density fluctuations as they are built up by dynamic compressions; v) the formation of cold, dense clouds aided by thermal instability; vi) the expectation that star-forming molecular clouds are likely to be undergoing global gravitational contraction, rather than being near equilibrium, and vii) the regulation of the star formation rate (SFR) in such gravitationally contracting clouds by stellar feedback which, rather than keeping the clouds from collapsing, evaporates and diperses them while they collapse.Comment: 43 pages. Invited chapter for the book "Magnetic Fields in Diffuse Media", edited by Elisabete de Gouveia dal Pino and Alex Lazarian. Revised as per referee's recommendation