Ruminal Fill Effect of Forages: Prediction and Relationship with Voluntary Intake

Voluntary dry matter intake (VDMI) and rumen fill were measured on sheep fed with 18 forages ranging from wheat straw to lucerne hay. In vivo fill effect (IVFE i.e. rumen DM pool divided by VDMI), in situ degradability, cell-wall composition, pepsin-cellulase digestibility and in vitro gas production were determined. In situ estimated fill effect (ISFE) was calculated as the retention time of insoluble potential degradable and undegradable fractions using a constant rate of passage. ISFE and IVFE were highly correlated (r2=0.89) but ISFE values were lower than IVFE values because in situ degradability does not integrate comminution time of large particles. NDF content, pepsin-cellulase digestibility and gas production were good predictors of IVFE (r2=0.86, 0.90 and 0.91 respectively) and to a lesser extent of VDMI (r2=0.78, 0.88 and 0.84)

Broad-Bandwidth FPGA-Based Digital Polyphase Spectrometer

With present concern for ecological sustainability ever increasing, it is desirable to model the composition of Earth s upper atmosphere accurately with regards to certain helpful and harmful chemicals, such as greenhouse gases and ozone. The microwave limb sounder (MLS) is an instrument designed to map the global day-to-day concentrations of key atmospheric constituents continuously. One important component in MLS is the spectrometer, which processes the raw data provided by the receivers into frequency-domain information that cannot only be transmitted more efficiently, but also processed directly once received. The present-generation spectrometer is fully analog. The goal is to include a fully digital spectrometer in the next-generation sensor. In a digital spectrometer, incoming analog data must be converted into a digital format, processed through a Fourier transform, and finally accumulated to reduce the impact of input noise. While the final design will be placed on an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the building of these chips is prohibitively expensive. To that end, this design was constructed on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). A family of state-of-the-art digital Fourier transform spectrometers has been developed, with a combination of high bandwidth and fine resolution. Analog signals consisting of radiation emitted by constituents in planetary atmospheres or galactic sources are downconverted and subsequently digitized by a pair of interleaved analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). This 6-Gsps (gigasample per second) digital representation of the analog signal is then processed through an FPGA-based streaming fast Fourier transform (FFT). Digital spectrometers have many advantages over previously used analog spectrometers, especially in terms of accuracy and resolution, both of which are particularly important for the type of scientific questions to be addressed with next-generation radiometers

THE EFFECT OF DIET ON THE PATTERN OF GASTROOESOPHAGEAL REFLUX IN THE RURAL SETTING OF THE EASTERN CAPE

Gastro-oesophageal reflux is the return of stomach contents back up into the oesophagus. Excessive reflux of acid content into the oesophagus can cause oesophageal disorders such as heartburn, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and oesophagitis. The prevalence of oesophageal disorders appears to be high in North America, Europe, japan and China while epidemiology data from Africa, South America and Middle East are unknown. More data is required in Africa because population diversity in reflux symptoms may exist and it is important that standard reference ranges of reflux profiles are established for African countries. The aims of this study was to establish a data base of gastro-oesophageal reflux pattern in the Eastern Cape rural area, to compare our findings with similar western studies and to establish the effect diet, H. pylori infection, gender, weight and age on the observed reflux pattern. The reflux pattern was evaluated in healthy subjects for 24h using the newer technique involving the recording of eosophageal intraluminal impedance and pH simultaneously. The technique gives quantitative data on the frequency, nature, type, and duration, and correlates them to the pH of the reflux. The diet survey was done using the usual pattern diet questionnaire, the body mass index (BMI) was calculated and the quantification of H. pylori antibodies IgG was determined in the serum of each participant using an ELISA kit. In total, 77 participants including 48 females and 29 males were included in the study. The mean age was 35 (range 18 - 60) years for females and 37 (range 18 - 54) for males. The mean BMI was 29 (range 19 - 42) for females and 23 (range 18- ii 30) for males. The total number of refluxes recorded in 24h in this population was presented as median, 25th, 75th and 95th percentile corresponding to 49, 29, 65 and 97, respectively. Of these, 37 % were acidic, 43 % were weakly acidic and 20 % were non-acidic. In term of reflux composition 12 % were liquid, 24 % were gas (belches) and 64 % were mixed (gas and liquid). The oesophageal bolus clearance time was 18 s while the acidity of the reflux was completely neutralised 30 s after a reflux. The oesophageal bolus exposure time was 14 min/day and while acid exposure time was 15 min/day. More refluxes were found in upright position compared to supine position. They were a higher number of refluxes and a predominance of non-acid reflux in the present study compared to western countries. We found that most refluxes were postprandial and some parameters of the pattern of gastro-oesophageal reflux were significantly influenced by the traditional diet. Higher carbohydrate, protein and fat in the meal were associated with a high frequency of refluxes most of which were acidic and weakly acidic while higher fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with fewer refluxes. An increased number of non-acid refluxes were observed in high carbohydrate maize based diet. Nearly all participants of the present study were positive for H. pylori and those with a higher concentration of H. pylori IgG in the serum had less oesophageal acid exposure. Females, older and overweight participants presented with an increased frequency of reflux. This study provides normal references values for the pattern of Gastrooesophageal reflux in the rural population of South Africa. The observed pattern of reflux is positively influenced by the traditional diet which is mainly carbohydrate maize based and also by BMI, weight and gende

Elasticity of Ingestive Behaviour and Intake in Sheep Associated with Food Diversity on Plurispecific Swards

Animals on heterogeneous swards generally opt for a varied diet. This may stimulate their intake, unless searching constraints limit intake rate (Champion et al., 1998). However the management of plurispecific swards presents a risk of overgrazing the preferred species and undergrazing the less-preferred species. This study aimed to test the effect of type of diversity and type of management on the elasticity of ingestive behaviour and intake in sheep

Prenatal exposure to alcohol does not affect radial maze learning and hippocampal mossy fiber sizes in three inbred strains of mouse

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on radial-maze learning and hippocampal neuroanatomy, particularly the sizes of the intra- and infrapyramidal mossy fiber (IIPMF) terminal fields, in three inbred strains of mice (C57BL/6J, BALB/cJ, and DBA/2J). RESULTS: Although we anticipated a modification of both learning and IIPMF sizes, no such effects were detected. Prenatal alcohol exposure did, however, interfere with reproduction in C57BL/6J animals and decrease body and brain weight (in interaction with the genotype) at adult age. CONCLUSION: Prenatal alcohol exposure influenced neither radial maze performance nor the sizes of the IIPMF terminal fields. We believe that future research should be pointed either at different targets when using mouse models for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (e.g. more complicated behavioral paradigms, different hippocampal substructures, or other brain structures) or involve different animal models

Merajah Tubuh: Ekspresi Seni Atau Antitesis Imamat 19:28

Penggunaan rajah tubuh atau tato di kalangan orang Kristen di Kota Kinabalu telah menjadi polemik. Ada yang menganggap tato sebagai tindakan ekspresi seni, bahkan untuk menunjukkan identitas diri sebagai orang Kristen, dengan menggunakan simbol kasih, salib, merpati, gambar Yesus dan ayat Alkitab. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan eksplorasi untuk mendapatkan gambaran yang jelas apakah ada titik paralel dari sudut etika antara merajah tubuh dan firman Tuhan dengan menggunakan Imamat 19:28 sebagai dasar pembahasan. Metode yang yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah kualitatif deskriptif dalam memahami tato sebagai ekspresi seni atau antitesis firman Tuhan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada titik paralel antara penggunaan tato dengan Imamat 19:28 yang melarang dengan tegas perbuatan merajah tubuh. Nasihat rasul Paulus dan rasul Petrus dalam Perjanjian Baru juga tidak memihak kepada pemakai tato yang dikatakan dapat merusakkan tubuh yang merupakan bait suci Roh Kudus. Apa yang dibutuhkan adalah bimbingan yang ramah dari gereja terhadap mereka yang memakai tato dan bukan penghakiman. Larangan penggunaan tato perlu digunakan melalui khutbah, seminar dan KKR agar dapat dipahami dengan tuntas oleh umat Kristen. Sesungguhnya, perhiasan yang sejati bukanlah perhiasan secara lahiriah, tetapi perhiasan batiniah yang tersembunyi iaitu sikap, karakter dan perilaku yang penuh kesopanan dan kesederhanaan

Expression and function of aquaporins in human skin: Is aquaporin-3 just a glycerol transporter?

AbstractThe aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of transmembrane proteins forming water channels. In mammals, water transport through AQPs is important in kidney and other tissues involved in water transport. Some AQPs (aquaglyceroporins) also exhibit glycerol and urea permeability. Skin is the limiting tissue of the body and within skin, the stratum corneum (SC) of the epidermis is the limiting barrier to water loss by evaporation. The aquaglyceroporin AQP3 is abundantly expressed in keratinocytes of mammalian skin epidermis. Mice lacking AQP3 have dry skin and reduced SC hydration. Interestingly, however, results suggested that impaired glycerol, rather than water transport was responsible for this phenotype. In the present work, we examined the overall expression of AQPs in cells from human skin and we reviewed data on the functional role of AQPs in skin, particularly in the epidermis. By RT-PCR on primary cell cultures, we found that up to 6 different AQPs (AQP1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10) may be selectively expressed in various cells from human skin. AQP1, 5 are strictly water channels. But in keratinocytes, the major cell type of the epidermis, only the aquaglyceroporins AQP3, 10 were found. To understand the role of aquaglyceroporins in skin, we examined the relevance to human skin of the conclusion, from studies on mice, that skin AQP3 is only important for glycerol transport. In particular, we find a correlation between the absence of AQP3 and intercellular edema in the epidermis in two different experimental models: eczema and hyperplastic epidermis. In conclusion, we suggest that in addition to glycerol, AQP3 may be important for water transport and hydration in human skin epidermis

Recombinant virus-like particles of a norovirus (genogroup II strain) administered intranasally and orally with mucosal adjuvants LT and LT(R192G) in BALB/c mice induce specific humoral and cellular Th1/Th2-like immune responses. Vaccine 22:1079–1086

Abstract We investigated the immune response induced by mucosal immunization of BALB/c mice with virus-like particles (VLPs) of a genogroup II norovirus, Dijon171/96 virus, produced in the baculovirus system. VLPs administered alone by the intranasal route induced a high serum antibody response as well as fecal IgA, which were enhanced when the heat-labile Escherichia coli toxin or its non toxic mutant LT(R192G) was coadministered. In these conditions, the oral route was also efficient. Cytokine production by cells from different lymphoid tissues was then assessed after in vitro restimulation. A Th1/Th2-like response was observed in cervical lymph node and Peyer's patch (PP) cell cultures from mice intranasally or orally immunized with either adjuvant indicating that, on the assumption that T cells are the primary cells producing the cytokines after in vitro restimulation, specific T lymphocytes are present in the intestine after intranasal immunization

Regenerating islet-derived protein 3α : A promising therapy for diabetes. Preliminary data in rodents and in humans

Publisher Copyright: © 2022The aim of our study was to test the hypothesis that administration of Regenerating islet-derived protein 3α (Reg3α), a protein described as having protective effects against oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory activity, could participate in the control of glucose homeostasis and potentially be a new target of interest in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. To that end the recombinant human Reg3α protein was administered for one month in insulin-resistant mice fed high fat diet. We performed glucose and insulin tolerance tests, assayed circulating chemokines in plasma and measured glucose uptake in insulin sensitive tissues. We evidenced an increase in insulin sensitivity during an oral glucose tolerance test in ALF-5755 treated mice vs controls and decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokine C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 5 (CXCL5). We also demonstrated an increase in glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. Finally, correlation studies using human and mouse muscle biopsies showed negative correlation between intramuscular Reg3α mRNA expression (or its murine isoform Reg3γ) and insulin resistance. Thus, we have established the proof of concept that Reg3α could be a novel molecule of interest in the treatment of T2D by increasing insulin sensitivity via a skeletal muscle effect.Peer reviewe