Ontwikkeling beweidingsysteem bij mobiel robotmelken = Development of grazing system with mobile milking robot

This report discussed which grazing system fits best to milking in the meadow with a robot. Free strip grazing gave good results. In a number of farm situations in which grazing is difficult, mobile robot milking in combination with grazing can be an economically attractive alternative

Overzomerende ganzen op melkveebedrijven: bedrijfsschade, diergezondheidsrisico's en oplossingsrichtingen = Summer grazing by wild geese on dairy farms: damage costs, risks for animal health and possible solutions

Wild geese grazing on dairy farms during the summer cause economic damage to these farms by eating and polluting grass that is meant for cattle. In this research we investigated the damage costs, risks for animal health and possible solutions for the problems caused by the increase of summer geese in grassland area

Partial hexokinase II knockout results in acute ischemia-reperfusion damage in skeletal muscle of male, but not female, mice

Cellular studies have demonstrated a protective role of mitochondrial hexokinase against oxidative insults. It is unknown whether HK protective effects translate to the in vivo condition. In the present study, we hypothesize that HK affects acute ischemia–reperfusion injury in skeletal muscle of the intact animal. Male and female heterozygote knockout HKII (HK(+/-)), heterozygote overexpressed HKII (HK(tg)), and their wild-type (WT) C57Bl/6 littermates mice were examined. In anesthetized animals, the left gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle was connected to a force transducer and continuously stimulated (1-Hz twitches) during 60 min ischemia and 90 min reperfusion. Cell survival (%LDH) was defined by the amount of cytosolic lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity still present in the reperfused GM relative to the contralateral (non-ischemic) GM. Mitochondrial HK activity was 72.6 ± 7.5, 15.7 ± 1.7, and 8.8 ± 0.9 mU/mg protein in male mice, and 72.7 ± 3.7, 11.2 ± 1.4, and 5.9 ± 1.1 mU/mg in female mice for HK(tg), WT, and HK(+/-), respectively. Tetanic force recovery amounted to 33 ± 7% for male and 17 ± 4% for female mice and was similar for HK(tg), WT, and HK(+/-). However, cell survival was decreased (p = 0.014) in male HK(+/-) (82 ± 4%LDH) as compared with WT (98 ± 5%LDH) and HK(tg) (97 ± 4%LDH). No effects of HKII on cell survival was observed in female mice (92 ± 2% LDH). In conclusion, in this mild model of acute in vivo ischemia–reperfusion injury, a partial knockout of HKII was associated with increased cell death in male mice. The data suggest for the first time that HKII mediates skeletal muscle ischemia–reperfusion injury in the intact male animal

Lipocalin-2 Deficiency Attenuates Insulin Resistance Associated With Aging and Obesity

OBJECTIVE - The proinflammatory cytokines/adipokines produced from adipose tissue act in an autocrine and/or endocrine manner to perpetuate local inflammation and to induce peripheral insulin resistance. The present study investigates whether lipocalin-2 deficiency or replenishment with this adipokine has any impact on systemic insulin sensitivity and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS - Under conditions of aging or dietary-/genetic-induced obesity, lipocalin-2 knockout (Lcn2-KO) mice show significantly decreased fasting glucose and insulin levels and improved insulin sensitivity compared with their wild-type littermates. Despite enlarged fat mass, inflammation and the accumulation of lipid peroxidation products are significantly attenuated in the adipose tissues of Lcn2-KO mice. Adipose fatty acid composition of these mice varies significantly from that in wild-type animals. The amounts of arachidonic acid (C20:4 n6) are elevated by aging and obesity and are paradoxically further increased in adipose tissue, but not skeletal muscle and liver of Lcn2-KO mice. On the other hand, the expression and activity of 12-lipoxygenase, an enzyme responsible for metabolizing arachidonic acid, and the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a critical insulin resistance-inducing factor, are largely inhibited by lipocalin-2 deficiency. Lipocalin-2 stimulates the expression and activity of 12-lipoxygenase and TNF-α production in fat tissues. Cinnamyl-3,4- dihydroxy-α-cyanocinnamate (CDC), an arachidonate lipoxygenase inhibitor, prevents TNF-α expression induced by lipocalin-2. Moreover, treatment with TNF-α neutralization antibody or CDC significantly attenuated the differences of insulin sensitivity between wild-type and Lcn2-KO mice. CONCLUSIONS - Lipocalin-2 deficiency protects mice from developing aging- and obesity-induced insulin resistance largely by modulating 12-lipoxygenase and TNF-α levels in adipose tissue. © 2010 by the American Diabetes Association.link_to_OA_fulltex

The Future Landscape of High-Redshift Galaxy Cluster Science

Large scale structure and cosmolog

Ontwikkeling beweidingsysteem bij mobiel robotmelken = Development of grazing system with mobile milking robot

This report discussed which grazing system fits best to milking in the meadow with a robot. Free strip grazing gave good results. In a number of farm situations in which grazing is difficult, mobile robot milking in combination with grazing can be an economically attractive alternative

Ontwikkeling beweidingsysteem bij mobiel robotmelken = Development of grazing system with mobile milking robot

This report discussed which grazing system fits best to milking in the meadow with a robot. Free strip grazing gave good results. In a number of farm situations in which grazing is difficult, mobile robot milking in combination with grazing can be an economically attractive alternative

Overzomerende ganzen op melkveebedrijven: bedrijfsschade, diergezondheidsrisico's en oplossingsrichtingen = Summer grazing by wild geese on dairy farms: damage costs, risks for animal health and possible solutions

Wild geese grazing on dairy farms during the summer cause economic damage to these farms by eating and polluting grass that is meant for cattle. In this research we investigated the damage costs, risks for animal health and possible solutions for the problems caused by the increase of summer geese in grassland area