The Effect of Neutralising Formic Acid on Fermentation of Fresh and Wilted Grass Silage

Rapid drop in pH is essential for minimising proteolysis and successful ensiling. Use of acid additives typically reduces protein degradation and restricts fermentation. The effects of acid additive depend on application rate and type of herbage. Corrosiveness and risks in handling formic acid (FA) can be reduced by using salts of FA like ammonium formate (AF). Increasing proportions of AF replacing FA were applied into grass at two dry matter (DM) contents to evaluate the effects of neutralised FA on silage pH and fermentation

Ensiled High Moisture Barley or Dry Barley in the Grass Silage-Based Diet of Dairy Cows

Ensiling high moisture grain is based on a procedure similar to ensiling grass. Soluble carbohydrates of grain are partly fermented into acids and some protein is degraded. Thus the nutritional quality is modified by the preservation method. Two trials were conducted to compare the effects of dry barley (DB) and ensiled barley (EB) in a total mixed ration (TMR) on feed intake and milk production of dairy cows

Predictors of normal and abnormal outcome in clinical brain dopamine transporter imaging

Brain dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging with [123I]FP-CIT SPECT can be used to evaluate the integrity of the mesostriatal dopaminergic system in patients with clinically uncertain parkinsonism. To evaluate whether scanning a patient is clinically necessary, it is vital to understand possible factors that affect the scanning result. Therefore, we investigated an unselected sample of 538 consecutively scanned patients from a 6-year period, and the demographic data and indications for DAT SPECT were recorded. After scanning, the patients were divided into groups according to the scanning outcome. Multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate whether the pre-imaging variables had independent associations with the outcome of the scan. Three hundred and three (56.3 %) patients had abnormal scans showing a dopaminergic deficit. The independent factors associated with abnormal scans were older age (p = 0.002), asymmetry of motor symptoms (p = 0.005) and shorter symptom duration (p p = 0.004), whereas the possibility of medication-induced parkinsonism was associated with a higher probability of a normal scan (35.4 %, p = 0.036). The probability of an abnormal outcome in clinical brain DAT imaging increases with known risk factors of neurodegenerative parkinsonism. However, a long duration of uncertain motor symptoms and suspicion of medication-induced parkinsonism are associated with a higher probability of a normal outcome. The findings reflect epidemiological factors in parkinsonism together with referral biases that may be used to improve the clinical use of DAT imaging.</p

How Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke, Outdoor Air Pollutants, and Increased Pollen Burdens Influences the Incidence of Asthma

Asthma is a multifactorial airway disease that arises from a relatively common genetic background interphased with exposures to allergens and airborne irritants. The rapid rise in asthma over the past three decades in Western societies has been attributed to numerous diverse factors, including increased awareness of the disease, altered lifestyle and activity patterns, and ill-defined changes in environmental exposures. It is well accepted that persons with asthma are more sensitive than persons without asthma to air pollutants such as cigarette smoke, traffic emissions, and photochemical smog components. It has also been demonstrated that exposure to a mix of allergens and irritants can at times promote the development phase (induction) of the disease. Experimental evidence suggests that complex organic molecules from diesel exhaust may act as allergic adjuvants through the production of oxidative stress in airway cells. It also seems that climate change is increasing the abundance of aeroallergens such as pollen, which may result in greater incidence or severity of allergic diseases. In this review we illustrate how environmental tobacco smoke, outdoor air pollution, and climate change may act as environmental risk factors for the development of asthma and provide mechanistic explanations for how some of these effects can occur

Aivopulsaation mallinnus mittausjärjestelmässä

Tiivistelmä. Tämän työn aiheena on esitellä erilaisia ihmisen pään emulointimalleja sekä rakentaa mittausjärjestelmä ihmisen aivonesteen värähtelyn mittaamista varten NIRS:llä (near-infrared spectroscopy, lähi-infrapunaspektroskopia) aivopulsaation vaikutuksesta. Tarkoituksena on selvittää emulointimallien kehityksen nykytila kallo- sekä aivomallien näkökulmasta. Emulointimallien valmistamisessa ja kehittämisessä pitää ottaa huomioon mittausten toistettavuus sekä käytettävien materiaalien sopivuus halutulle mittausmodaliteetille. Mallien kehitys tutkimuksissa on tärkeää uusien laitteiden ja tekniikoiden suunnittelussa. Niiden käytöllä tutkimuksissa myös varmennetaan laitteiden turvallisuus ennen kliinistä testausta, sekä vältytään eettisiltä ongelmilta ja ristiriidoilta. Emulointimallien kehityksen nykytilan lisäksi työn tarkoituksena on selvittää, voidaanko aivonesteen värähtelyä aivopulsaation vaikutuksesta mitata NIRS:llä. Työssä rakennettiin tutkimusasetelma, jolla emuloidaan aivo-selkäydinnesteen muutoksia aivojen ja kallon välissä aivojen pulssin vaihtelun mukaan. Emulointimallin valmistuttua suoritettiin mittaukset NIRS:llä ja tulokset osoittivat, että aivopulsaatio voitiin havaita selkeästi mittauksissa, mutta Monro-Kellie-doktriini toteutumista ei voitu luotettavasti osoittaa.Emulation of cerebral pulsation in a measurement setup. Abstract. The subject of this thesis is introducing different kind of phantoms used to emulate human head functions and build a research setup to measure cerebrospinal fluid changes in the skull due to the brain pulsation with NIRS (near-infrared spectroscopy). The purpose of the thesis is to sort out the state-of-the-art of the development of phantoms from the skull and brain phantom point of view. When manufacturing and developing phantoms, the repeatability of the measurements and suitability of the materials used for the desired measurement modality must be considered. Developing phantoms in studies is important in designing new devices and techniques. They are also used to certify the safety of devices before clinical testing and avoid ethical problems and conflicts. In addition to sort out the state-of-the-art of phantoms the other purpose of the thesis is to find out whether vibration of cerebrospinal fluid can be measured by NIRS according to the brain pulsation. In the technical part of the thesis, a research setup was built to simulate vibration in the cerebrospinal fluid between the brain and the skull according to the variation of the brain pulsation. Measurements were performed with NIRS, and results showed that vibration of cerebrospinal fluid can be seen clearly in measurements, but Monro-Kellie-doctrine could not be shown

Prolyl hydroxylase PHD3 activates oxygen-dependent protein aggregation

The HIF prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs/EGLNs) are central regulators of the molecular responses to oxygen availability. One isoform, PHD3, is expressed in response to hypoxia and causes apoptosis in oxygenated conditions in neural cells. Here we show that PHD3 forms subcellular aggregates in an oxygen-dependent manner. The aggregation of PHD3 was seen under normoxia and was strongly reduced under hypoxia or by the inactivation of the PHD3 hydroxylase activity. The PHD3 aggregates were dependent on microtubular integrity and contained components of the 26S proteasome, chaperones, and ubiquitin, thus demonstrating features that are characteristic for aggresome-like structures. Forced expression of the active PHD3 induced the aggregation of proteasomal components and activated apoptosis under normoxia in HeLa cells. The apoptosis was seen in cells prone to PHD3 aggregation and the PHD3 aggregation preceded apoptosis. The data demonstrates the cellular oxygen sensor PHD3 as a regulator of protein aggregation in response to varying oxygen availability

Phase sensitive absolute amplitude detection of surface vibrations using homodyne interferometry without active stabilization

A detection scheme for obtaining phase and absolute amplitude information of surface vibrations on microacoustic components using homodyne laser interferometry is described. The scheme does not require active stabilization of the optical path length of the interferometer. The detection setup is realized in a homodyneMichelson interferometer configuration, and selected measurements on a 374 MHz surface acoustic wave fan-shaped filter and two different piezoelectrically actuated micromechanical resonators are presented to demonstrate the performance of the instrument. With the current detection electronics, the interferometer is capable of detecting out-of-plane surface vibrations up to 2 GHz with a lateral resolution of better than 1 μm and with a minimum detectable vibration amplitude of ∼1 pm.Peer reviewe

Fresh perspectives on customer experience

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide directions for future research on: broadening the role of customers in customer experience; taking a practice-based approach to customer experience; and recognizing the holistic, dynamic nature of customer experience across all touch points and over time. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is conceptual identifying current gaps in research on customer experience. Findings – The findings include a set of research questions and research agenda for future research on customer experience. Originality/value – This research suggests fresh perspectives for understanding the customer experience which can inspire future research and advance theory and managerial practice

Association of Heart Rate With Troponin Levels Among Patients With Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation

This cohort study investigates heart rate and cardiac troponin levels in patients admitted to the emergency department with symptomatic atrial fibrillation.Non peer reviewe

Ventral striatal dopaminergic defect is associated with hallucinations in Parkinson's disease

ConclusionsLow striatal DAT function may predispose PD patients to VHs, and the regional distribution of the findings suggests a particular role of the ventral striatum. This is in line with non-PD research that has implicated ventral striatal dysfunction in psychosis.</p