Quality of life in adolescents with a disability and their parents: the mediating role of social support and resilience

The aim of this study was to test whether the effect of the pile-up of demands associated with a disability on quality of life, was mediated by resilience, quantity and quality of social support for adolescents with a disability and their parents. One hundred and thirty two parents, 90 mothers and 42 fathers and 111 adolescents, aged between 16 and 24 years completed measures of the pile-up of demands, social support, resilience and quality of life. Structural equation modeling with the bootstrap resampling method showed that the impact of the disability of their son/daughter on the quality of life of the parents was fully mediated through the parents' resilience and the quantity of social support and that resilience, however only partly, mediates the effect of adaptive skills on the quality of life of the adolescents with a disability. Limitations of the study and clinical implications are discussed

Changes in back fat thickness during late gestation predict colostrum yield in sows

Directing protein and energy sources towards lactation is crucial to optimise milk production in sows but how this influences colostrum yield (CY) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to identify associations between CY and the sow’s use of nutrient resources. We included 37 sows in the study that were all housed, fed and managed similarly. Parity, back fat change (ΔBF), CY and performance parameters were measured. We obtained sow serum samples 3 to 4 days before farrowing and at D1 of lactation following overnight fasting. These were analysed for non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea, creatinine, (iso) butyrylcarnitine (C4) and immunoglobulins G (IgG) and A (IgA). The colostrum samples collected 3, 6 and 24 h after the birth of the first piglet were analysed for their nutrient and immunoglobulins content. The technical parameters associated with CY were parity group (a; parities 1 to 3 =value 0 v. parities 4 to 7 =value 1) and ΔBF D85-D109 of gestation (mm) (b): CY (g) =4290–842a–113b. ( R2=0.41, P<0.001). The gestation length ( P<0.001) and the ΔBF between D109 and D1 of lactation (P=0.050) were identified as possible underlying factors of the parity group. The metabolic parameters associated with CY were C4 at 3 to 4 days before farrowing (a), and 10logC4 (b) and 10logNEFA (c) at D1 of lactation: CY ( g) =3582–1604a+1007b− 922c ( R2=0.39, P=0.001). The colostrum composition was independent of CY. The negative association between CY and ΔBF D85-D109 of gestation could not be further explained based on our data. Sows that were catabolic 1 week prior to farrowing seemed unable to produce colostrum to their full potential. This was especially the case for sows with parities 4 to 7, although they had a similar feed intake, litter birth weight and colostrum composition compared with parities 1 to 3 sows. In conclusion, this study showed that parity and the use of body fat and protein reserves during late gestation were associated with CY, indicating that proper management of the sow’s body condition during late gestation could optimise the intrinsic capacity of the sow’s CY

Effectiveness of different farrowing induction protocols in sows using alphaprostol on day 114 of gestation

Farrowing induction in sows is frequently applied and different protocols were described. Most studies induce farrowing between day 111 and 113 of gestation, but hardly any later during gestation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different induction protocols when applied on d114 of gestation. We randomly assigned 118 sows to four treatment groups: single injection of prostaglandin (1 Chi PG), prostaglandin combined with oxytocin 24 hours later (PG+OT), half the dosage of prostaglandin twice with six hours interval (2 Chi 1/2PG), and a control group of which farrowing wasn't induced. All injections were administered intramuscularly in the neck on day 114 of gestation. A significantly higher percentage of sows started farrowing between 22 and 32 hours after induction in the PG+OT-group (68 per cent) and the 2 Chi 1/2PG-group (52 per cent) compared to the control group (23 per cent). The 1 Chi PG-group (46 per cent) tended to differ from the control group (P=0.087). More sows from the PG+OT-group were constipated at farrowing (P=0.042). Farrowing duration, birth interval, per cent stillborn piglets, dystocia and other variables were similar between the groups. In the present herd and with continuous farrowing supervision, applying PG+OT or 2 Chi 1/2PG on d114 of gestation was efficient to induce onset of farrowing in most of the sows 22-32 hours after induction without considerable negative effects

Fluctuations and response in a non-equilibrium micron-sized system

The linear response of non-equilibrium systems with Markovian dynamics satisfies a generalized fluctuation-dissipation relation derived from time symmetry and antisymmetry properties of the fluctuations. The relation involves the sum of two correlation functions of the observable of interest: one with the entropy excess and the second with the excess of dynamical activity with respect to the unperturbed process, without recourse to anything but the dynamics of the system. We illustrate this approach in the experimental determination of the linear response of the potential energy of a Brownian particle in a toroidal optical trap. The overdamped particle motion is effectively confined to a circle, undergoing a periodic potential and driven out of equilibrium by a non-conservative force. Independent direct and indirect measurements of the linear response around a non-equilibrium steady state are performed in this simple experimental system. The same ideas are applicable to the measurement of the response of more general non-equilibrium micron-sized systems immersed in Newtonian fluids either in stationary or non-stationary states and possibly including inertial degrees of freedom.Comment: 12 pages, submitted to J. Stat. Mech., revised versio

Induction of parturition in the sow

Inducing parturition in the sow can be used to improve farrowing supervision, which may lead to more weaned piglets. However, if not applied properly, it may lead to premature delivery. Therefore, induction of parturition should be performed not earlier than two days before the average gestation length of the sows of a farm. To induce parturition, different protocols, such as single administration of prostaglandins, double administration of prostaglandin with 6-hour interval (split-dose technique) and a combination of prostaglandins and oxytocin 24 hours later, and different administration routes, such as intramuscular injection in the neck region and injection in the vulvar region, can be used. Other strategies exist but they are less effective and/or less frequently used. A single injection of prostaglandins results in 60% of the sows farrowing within working hours (22-32 hours after injection). Using the split-dose technique or the combination of prostaglandins and oxytocin 24 hours later, the percentage increases with 20%. The use of oxytocin however increases the risk of asphyxia in the piglets, especially in case of inappropriate use. Whether farrowing induction should be applied and which protocol used depend on the herd and the preferences of the farmer

Development of a novel splice array platform and its application in the identification of alternative splice variants in lung cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Microarrays strategies, which allow for the characterization of thousands of alternative splice forms in a single test, can be applied to identify differential alternative splicing events. In this study, a novel splice array approach was developed, including the design of a high-density oligonucleotide array, a labeling procedure, and an algorithm to identify splice events.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The array consisted of exon probes and thermodynamically balanced junction probes. Suboptimal probes were tagged and considered in the final analysis. An unbiased labeling protocol was developed using random primers. The algorithm used to distinguish changes in expression from changes in splicing was calibrated using internal non-spliced control sequences. The performance of this splice array was validated with artificial constructs for <it>CDC6</it>, <it>VEGF</it>, and <it>PCBP4 </it>isoforms. The platform was then applied to the analysis of differential splice forms in lung cancer samples compared to matched normal lung tissue. Overexpression of splice isoforms was identified for genes encoding <it>CEACAM1</it>, <it>FHL-1</it>, <it>MLPH</it>, and <it>SUSD2. </it>None of these splicing isoforms had been previously associated with lung cancer.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This methodology enables the detection of alternative splicing events in complex biological samples, providing a powerful tool to identify novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for cancer and other pathologies.</p

Constitutivism

A brief explanation and overview of constitutivism

The twilight of the Liberal Social Contract? On the Reception of Rawlsian Political Liberalism

This chapter discusses the Rawlsian project of public reason, or public justification-based 'political' liberalism, and its reception. After a brief philosophical rather than philological reconstruction of the project, the chapter revolves around a distinction between idealist and realist responses to it. Focusing on political liberalism’s critical reception illuminates an overarching question: was Rawls’s revival of a contractualist approach to liberal legitimacy a fruitful move for liberalism and/or the social contract tradition? The last section contains a largely negative answer to that question. Nonetheless the chapter's conclusion shows that the research programme of political liberalism provided and continues to provide illuminating insights into the limitations of liberal contractualism, especially under conditions of persistent and radical diversity. The programme is, however, less receptive to challenges to do with the relative decline of the power of modern states