Effects of magnesium with or without boron on headshaking behavior in horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking.

BackgroundOral administration of magnesium and boron might have a beneficial effect on headshaking behavior in horses.ObjectiveEvaluate the effects of oral magnesium alone or in combination with boron on headshaking behavior in affected horses.AnimalsTwelve geldings (6 healthy controls and 6 affected).MethodsProspective randomized controlled dietary trial over 42 days in 12 horses (6 horses diagnosed with trigeminal-mediated headshaking and 6 unaffected healthy controls). All horses received a hay diet and were randomized into 3 treatment groups: pelleted feed combination (PF), pelleted feed combination with magnesium (M), and pelleted feed combination with magnesium-boron (MB) with a week washout of hay only between treatments. Headshaking behavior and biochemical blood variables were assessed at baseline (hay only) and then after each week of supplementation.ResultsAll 3 diet interventions increased blood ionized and total magnesium. Groups M and MB further increased Mg2+ when compared to PF. Horses receiving treatments had a significant reduction in headshaking behavior, as measured by incidence rate ratio (IRR), when compared to unsupplemented hay diet (44% for PF, IRR, 0.558; CI, 0.44, 0.72; P < .001; 52% for M, IRR, 0.476; CI, 0.37, 0.62; P < .001; and 64% for MB, IRR, 0.358; CI, 0.27, 0.48; P < .001).Conclusions and clinical importanceMagnesium in combination with boron had the greatest decrease in headshaking. Oral supplementation with magnesium or magnesium in combination with boron should be considered in horses affected with headshaking

Intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate and its effect on horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking.

BackgroundTrigeminal-mediated headshaking results from low-threshold firing of the trigeminal nerve resulting in apparent facial pain. Magnesium may have neuroprotective effects on nerve firing that potentially dampen signs of neuropathic pain. This hypothesis has not been investigated in horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking.ObjectiveTo investigate head-shaking behavior in affected horses after IV magnesium sulfate infusion.AnimalsSix geldings with trigeminal-mediated headshaking.MethodsProspective randomized crossover study. Horses were controlled for diet and infused IV with 5% dextrose solution (DS; control solution at 2 mL/kg body weight [BW]) and MgSO4 50% solution (MSS at 40 mg/kg BW). Head-shaking behavior was recorded at times T0 (baseline, before infusion) and T15, T30, T60, and T120 minutes post-infusion. Venous blood variables such as pH, HCO3 - , standard base excess (SBE), Na+ , Cl- , K+ , Ca2+ , Mg2+ , total magnesium (tMg), glucose, and lactate were measured; strong ion difference (SID) and anion gap (AG) were calculated for each time point.ResultsBlood variables including pH, Na+ , Cl- , K+ , SID, AG, lactate, Ca2+ , tMg, and Mg2+ had significant changes with MSS as compared to DS treatment. Glucose, SBE, and HCO3 - did not have significant changes. A 29% reduction in head-shaking rate occurred after MSS treatment but no change occurred after DS treatment.Conclusions and clinical importanceAdministration of MSS IV increased plasma total and ionized magnesium concentrations and significantly decreased head-shaking behavior in horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking

Luteinizing hormone concentrations in healthy horses and horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking over an 8-hour period.

BackgroundTrigeminal-mediated headshaking results from a low threshold for firing of the trigeminal nerve. A seasonal component has been implicated in onset of clinical signs, which occur during the spring and summer months. Geldings are overrepresented in the affected population and hormonal differences as compared to a healthy control population of geldings might contribute to headshaking.Objective/hypothesisTo assess concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) over an 8-hour period in gelded healthy controls and horses affected with headshaking. Our hypothesis was that geldings with seasonal headshaking would have higher concentrations of LH over an 8-hour period compared to control horses during the summer when affected horses manifested headshaking.AnimalsTwelve geldings (6 controls and 6 affected).MethodsProspective controlled trial. Blood samples were drawn every 15 minutes over an 8-hour time period during summer from all horses to measure circulating LH concentrations by using a radioimmunoassay for equine LH. All affected horses were actively affected by headshaking at the time of sample collection.ResultsNo statistically significant differences in LH concentrations were found throughout the study period in headshakers as compared to control horses. Time had no significant effect, but a slight decrease in LH concentrations was observed for all horses. The main limitation of the study was the low number of horses.Conclusions and clinical importanceHorses affected with headshaking did not have significant differences in circulating LH during the late summer as compared to control horses

In vitro correction of cystic fibrosis epithelial cell lines by small fragment homologous replacement (SFHR) technique

BACKGROUND: SFHR (small fragment homologous replacement)-mediated targeting is a process that has been used to correct specific mutations in mammalian cells. This process involves both chemical and cellular factors that are not yet defined. To evaluate potential of this technique for gene therapy it is necessary to characterize gene transfer efficacy in terms of the transfection vehicle, the genetic target, and the cellular processing of the DNA and DNA-vehicle complex. METHODS: In this study, small fragments of genomic cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) DNA, that comprise the wild-type and ΔF508 sequences, were transfected into immortalized CF and normal airway epithelial cells, respectively. Homologous replacement was evaluated using PCR and sequence-based analyses of cellular DNA and RNA. Individual stages of cationic lipid-facilitated SFHR in cultured cell lines were also examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: We demonstrated that the lipid/DNA (+/-) ratio influences the mode of entry into the cell and therefore affects the efficacy of SFHR-mediated gene targeting. Lipid/DNA complexes with more negative ratios entered the cell via a plasma membrane fusion pathway. Transfer of the DNA that relies on an endocytic pathway appeared more effective at mediating SFHR. In addition, it was also clear that there is a correlation between the specific cell line transfected and the optimal lipid/DNA ratio. CONCLUSIONS: These studies provide new insights into factors that underlie SFHR-mediated gene targeting efficacy and into the parameters that can be modulated for its optimization

Development, economic viability and attributes of lamb carcass from confined animals fed on different amounts of crude glycerin

<p>The current study aims to assess the effect from crude glycerin inclusion (0, 7, 14, and 21% dry matter) in the diet of slaughtered lamb on their development, nutrient consumption, biometrical measures, diet economic viability and carcass features. Thirty two (32) non-castrated male Texel lambs were used in the study, they presented mean initial weight 15.9 ± 4.1 kilos and were distributed in casual outlining. They were fed with four treatments, with 8 repetitions. Animals were slaughtered when they reached approximately 35 kilos. The mean total weight gain was 20.72 kilos and mean daily weight gain was 260 grams. No changes resulted from glycerin use. The carcass performance was similar among treatments (P&gt;0.05) and the cold carcass performance (CCP) was 44.68%. There were no effects (P&gt;0.05) on the loin eye area (LEA) and on fat thickness (FT); they showed averages of 13.66 cm2 and 0.84 mm, respectively. Nutrition cost per animal during the whole confinement period varied between R$82.60 (eighty-two Reais and forty-eight cents) to R$92.48. The smallest nutrition amount consisted of 21% crude glycerin. The gross profit ranged from R$30.75 to R$ 34.01 per animal, for feed without glycerin and 21% glycerin, respectively. Animal development was not impacted by glycerin introduction, even with decrease on dry and organic mass consumption. The result showed that crude glycerin inclusion might be used in lambs’ diet. Whenever there are big amounts of feed involved in the process, the 21% crude glycerin addition may be an interesting cost reduction. Seventy eight percent (78%) glycerol crude glycerin to replace corn-based feed in confined lambs’ diet appeared to be nutritionally and economically viable.</p><p><strong> </strong></p

Targeted massively parallel sequencing panel to diagnose genetic endocrine disorders in a tertiary hospital

Objectives: To analyze the efficiency of a multigenic targeted massively parallel sequencing panel related to endocrine disorders for molecular diagnosis of patients assisted in a tertiary hospital involved in the training of medical faculty. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinical diagnosis and genotype obtained from&nbsp;272&nbsp;patients in the Endocrine unit of a tertiary hospital was performed using a custom panel designed with&nbsp;653&nbsp;genes, most of them already associated with the phenotype (OMIM) and some candidate genes that englobes developmental, metabolic and adrenal diseases. The enriched DNA libraries were sequenced in NextSeq&nbsp;500. Variants found were then classified according to ACMG/AMP criteria, with Varsome and InterVar. Results: Three runs were performed; the mean coverage depth of the targeted regions in panel sequencing data was&nbsp;249×, with at least&nbsp;96.3% of the sequenced bases being covered more than&nbsp;20-fold. The authors identified&nbsp;66&nbsp;LP/P variants&nbsp;(24%) and 27&nbsp;VUS&nbsp;(10%). Considering the solved cases, 49&nbsp;have developmental diseases, 12&nbsp;have metabolic and 5&nbsp;have adrenal diseases. Conclusion: The application of a multigenic panel aids the training of medical faculty in an academic hospital by showing the picture of the molecular pathways behind each disorder. This may be particularly helpful in developmental disease cases. A precise genetic etiology provides an improvement in understanding the disease, guides decisions about prevention or treatment, and allows genetic counseling

Immunogenicity of a Prime-Boost Vaccine Containing the Circumsporozoite Proteins of Plasmodium vivax in Rodents

Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread and the second most prevalent malaria-causing species in the world. Current measures used to control the transmission of this disease would benefit from the development of an efficacious vaccine. in the case of the deadly parasite P. falciparum, the recombinant RTS,S vaccine containing the circumsporozoite antigen (CSP) consistently protects 30 to 50% of human volunteers against infection and is undergoing phase III clinical trials in Africa with similar efficacy. These findings encouraged us to develop a P. vivax vaccine containing the three circulating allelic forms of P. vivax CSP. Toward this goal, we generated three recombinant bacterial proteins representing the CSP alleles, as well as a hybrid polypeptide called PvCSP-All-CSP-epitopes. This hybrid contains the conserved N and C termini of P. vivax CSP and the three variant repeat domains in tandem. We also generated simian and human recombinant replication-defective adenovirus vectors expressing PvCSP-All-CSP-epitopes. Mice immunized with the mixture of recombinant proteins in a formulation containing the adjuvant poly(I.C) developed high and long-lasting serum IgG titers comparable to those elicited by proteins emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant. Antibody titers were similar in mice immunized with homologous (protein-protein) and heterologous (adenovirus- protein) vaccine regimens. the antibodies recognized the three allelic forms of CSP, reacted to the repeated and nonrepeated regions of CSP, and recognized sporozoites expressing the alleles VK210 and VK247. the vaccine formulations described in this work should be useful for the further development of an anti-P. vivax vaccine.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)PNPDCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Ctr Terapia Celular & Mol CTCMol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilWistar Inst Anat & Biol, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USAMalaria Vaccine & Drug Dev Ctr, Cali, ColombiaUniv Fed Santa Catarina, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Florianopolis, SC, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Ciencias Farmaceut, Dept Anal Clin & Toxicol, São Paulo, BrazilNYU, Sch Med, Dept Pathol, Michael Heidelberger Div, New York, NY USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Ctr Terapia Celular & Mol CTCMol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2009/15432-4FAPESP: 2012/13032-5CNPq: 471087/2013-0Web of Scienc

Measurement of the J/ψ pair production cross-section in pp collisions at s=13 \sqrt{s}=13 TeV

The production cross-section of J/ψ pairs is measured using a data sample of pp collisions collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 279 ±11 pb$^{−1}$. The measurement is performed for J/ψ mesons with a transverse momentum of less than 10 GeV/c in the rapidity range 2.0 < y < 4.5. The production cross-section is measured to be 15.2 ± 1.0 ± 0.9 nb. The first uncertainty is statistical, and the second is systematic. The differential cross-sections as functions of several kinematic variables of the J/ψ pair are measured and compared to theoretical predictions.The production cross-section of $J/\psi$ pairs is measured using a data sample of $pp$ collisions collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13 \,{\mathrm{TeV}}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $279 \pm 11 \,{\mathrm{pb^{-1}}}$. The measurement is performed for $J/\psi$ mesons with a transverse momentum of less than $10 \,{\mathrm{GeV}}/c$ in the rapidity range $2.0<y<4.5$. The production cross-section is measured to be $15.2 \pm 1.0 \pm 0.9 \,{\mathrm{nb}}$. The first uncertainty is statistical, and the second is systematic. The differential cross-sections as functions of several kinematic variables of the $J/\psi$ pair are measured and compared to theoretical predictions