BASIS VARIABILITY ON THE FEEDER CATTLE CONTRACT VERSUS THE FAILED STOCKER CONTRACT

Basis variability is compared across markets, over time, between stocker and feeder cattle and the impact of market volume is determined. Variability was significantly greater with the Stocker contract. Volume varied seasonally by market. Increased market volume significantly reduced basis variability. Increased variability in market volume significantly increased basis variability.Livestock Production/Industries,

Regulation of inflammatory responses to Bordetella pertussis by N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine in mice intranasally infected.

To investigate effect of MMLA, an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) production, on regulation of inflammatory responses to Bordetella pertussis infection, mice were infected intranasally, and treated with various concentrations of MMLA. Ten days after infection, mice treated with MMLA at dosage of 100 mg/kg, given intraperitoneally in a single dose or for 5 consecutive days, showed at histopathologic examination, a significant decrease of intensity of inflammation (scores, 0.6 +/- 0.2 and 0.9 +/- 0.5 respectively). A decrease of cellular accumulation of neutrophils and lymphocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was observed in infected mice treated with MMLA, especially at dosage of 10 mg/kg, given in a single dose intraperitoneally. In addition, BP-infected mice treated with MMLA (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) for 5 consecutive days showed higher mortality rate than untreated mice infected with B. pertussis, and the number of B. pertussis in lungs of mice treated with MMLA was significantly increased. However, MMLA treatment of infected mice had some effect on levels of IFN-gamma and nitrite/nitrate (end-stable products of NO) in the BAL fluid. This study indicates that NO may play a role either as microbiocidal agent or as a modulator of immune regulation, inasmuch as it may upregulate tissue inflammatory response to B. pertussis

The broad-spectrum activity of perampanel: state of the art and future perspective of AMPA antagonism beyond epilepsy

Glutamate is the brain’s main excitatory neurotransmitter. Glutamatergic neurons primarily compose basic neuronal networks, especially in the cortex. An imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory activities may result in epilepsy or other neurological and psychiatric conditions. Among glutamate receptors, AMPA receptors are the predominant mediator of glutamate-induced excitatory neurotransmission and dictate synaptic efficiency and plasticity by their numbers and/or properties. Therefore, they appear to be a major drug target for modulating several brain functions. Perampanel (PER) is a highly selective, noncompetitive AMPA antagonist approved in several countries worldwide for treating different types of seizures in various epileptic conditions. However, recent data show that PER can potentially address many other conditions within epilepsy and beyond. From this perspective, this review aims to examine the new preclinical and clinical studies—especially those produced from 2017 onwards—on AMPA antagonism and PER in conditions such as mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, idiopathic and genetic generalized epilepsy, brain tumor-related epilepsy, status epilepticus, rare epileptic syndromes, stroke, sleep, epilepsy-related migraine, cognitive impairment, autism, dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as provide suggestions on future research agenda aimed at probing the possibility of treating these conditions with PER and/or other AMPA receptor antagonists

Kinetic models for optimal control of wealth inequalities

We introduce and discuss optimal control strategies for kinetic models for wealth distribution in a simple market economy, acting to minimize the variance of the wealth density among the population. Our analysis is based on a finite time horizon approximation, or model predictive control, of the corresponding control problem for the microscopic agents' dynamic and results in an alternative theoretical approach to the taxation and redistribution policy at a global level. It is shown that in general the control is able to modify the Pareto index of the stationary solution of the corresponding Boltzmann kinetic equation, and that this modification can be exactly quantified. Connections between previous Fokker-Planck based models and taxation-redistribution policies and the present approach are also discussed

Effect of Post-Cooking Holding Time on Consumer Taste Panel Ratings of Enhanced Pork Loins

Sensory evaluation of food products is a valuable means of learning about their characteristics. Consumer taste panels are regularly used to evaluate properties of meat products such as pork loins. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of post-cooking holding time on the taste panel ratings of enhanced pork. The loins used in this project were enhanced with varying percentages (close to 10%) of solutions containing water, salt, phosphates and natural juices or flavors. The loins came from 10 different suppliers and were served in randomly allotted groups of seven, throughout twenty, one-hour taste panel sessions. The meat was cooked, diced and kept in double boilers in order to maintain a steady temperature of approximately 122° F throughout the duration of the one-hour taste panel. Eight-point hedonic scales were used for juiciness, tenderness, flavor and overall acceptability. The order in which the panelists attended the taste panel throughout the hour was recorded. Significant first-degree interactions between time and tenderness, juiciness, flavor and overall acceptability were found. As expected, the ratings given by the panelists to the meat decreased as post-cooking holding time in the double boilers increased. Empirically, holding time should be minimized and samples should be replaced after no more than 30 minutes. Results showed that current American Meat Science Association (AMSA) guidelines for meat evaluation should be revised whereby samples are cooked while the taste panel is conducted. As such, it is important that proper facilities be used and positive air flow in the panel booths be maintained to minimize any carry-over effects from the aroma of cooking meat

Pre-rigor Water Injection and Post-rigor Sodium Citrate Treatment on Beef Tenderness

Thoracic limbs from 20 beef steers were used as post-rigor controls, prerigor controls (removed pre-rigor), or treated with combinations of sodium citrate and/or water to evaluate the effect of citrate on meat tenderness. Shear force values on steaks from the infraspinatus, supraspinatus and triceps brachii muscles revealed citratetreated muscles were more tender than water and post-rigor control treatments. It appears sodium citrate can tenderize meat independent of water injection

BASIS VARIABILITY ON THE FEEDER CATTLE CONTRACT VERSUS THE FAILED STOCKER CONTRACT

Basis variability is compared across markets, over time, between stocker and feeder cattle and the impact of market volume is determined. Variability was significantly greater with the Stocker contract. Volume varied seasonally by market. Increased market volume significantly reduced basis variability. Increased variability in market volume significantly increased basis variability

Wolf predation on livestock in an area of northern Italy and rediction of damage risk

Mortality due to illegal killing is still today one of the main threats to wolf conservation, and an effective management of the conflict between wolf presence and husbandry is a key element for species conservation. The research was aimed at identifying the farm characteristics and the environmental factors that influence predation, and at formulating predictive models of predation risk. We collected and analysed the data on official predation events that occurred during the period 2005–2012 in an area of the northern Apennines, and on the characteristics of livestock farms recorded at the veterinary services. Furthermore, we mapped the grazing areas used by livestock farms and measured 23 variables of the pastures. Our results showed that the majority of predation events were upon cattle, and that grazing management significantly influences the number of predation events. In particular, the pastures that suffered predation were those in which births occur directly on the pasture, those that had at least one period of free grazing during the year, and cattle farms that were lacking in any preventive methods. The number of killed animals per event was higher for sheep than for cattle and goats and increased progressively during the study period. Predation risk increases if the farms practice free grazing at least for a period during the year, if they are not protected by any preventive method and if the degree of surveillance is regular or constant. The risk of predation also increases with the increasing complexity of pasture shape, the decrease in the percentage of coniferous forest and if the pasture is exposed to the north. The model of predation risk showed that 56.6% of the pastures in the study area are potentially exposed to wolf predation, and it allowed us to identify the grazing areas where it is worthwhile intervening with preventive methods