Effect of a high forage: Concentrate ratio on milk yield, blood parameters and oxidative status in lactating cows

A feeding strategy that requires a forage: concentrate ratio equal to 70: 30, with at least five different herbs in the forage and the use of silages prohibited, has recently been introduced in Italy. Despite the benefits in terms of human health (lower ω6: ω3 ratio, higher conjugated linoleic acid level) of the obtained milk, little information regarding the possible effects on cows' health is available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of such a feeding strategy in dairy cows (90 days in milk at the beginning of the trial) on milk yield and composition, and blood metabolic profile, including the evaluation of oxidative stress. The proposed feeding strategy, compared with a semi-intensive strategy, resulted in an improvement of animal oxidative status (lower levels of reactive oxygen metabolites, higher levels of antioxidant potential and anti-reactive oxygen metabolites) and a significant increase of milk urea only in the first part of the trial. No differences in milk yield and composition were detected throughout the trial

Comparative Analysis of Sliding Resistance of Different Lingual Systems

Objective: To analyse and compare the frictional properties of 4 lingual systems combined with two types of stainless steel archwire (0.016x0.022, 0.018x0.025) and a 0.018x0.025 TMA archwire by simulating different misalignment situations in vitro. Material and Methods: Five randomly chosen brackets from each system (e-Brace, Harmony, Incognito, and STb) were used for the measurements and to simulate an upper first premolar extraction case. The friction tests were performed using a material testing machine in combination with a specialized test rig. Results: The lowest absolute friction values were found with the 0.016x0.022 SS wire in a passive configuration. STb provided the lowest mean friction, while Harmony brackets displayed the highest friction. The TMA Beta Titanium wire showed the highest friction values, but maintained proportions similar to those of the other wires as tip and torsion increased. Conclusion: The type of bracket has a significant impact on friction, and there is a positive correlation between mesiodistal bracket width and resistance to sliding. The archwire sections and materials and the vertical displacement, also significantly affect the friction generated by the system

Assessment of chest high-field magnetic resonance imaging in children and young adults with noncystic fibrosis chronic lung disease: comparison to high-resolution computed tomography and correlation with pulmonary function.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed as a radiation-free alternative to high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for the assessment and follow-up of chest disorders. Thus far, no study has compared the efficacy of high-field MRI and HRCT in children and adults with noncystic fibrosis (CF) chronic lung disease. The aims of our study were: (1) to assess whether chest high-field MRI is as effective as chest HRCT in identifying pulmonary abnormalities; and (2) to investigate the relationships between the severity and extent of lung disease, and functional data in patients with non-CF chronic lung disease. Forty-one subjects (median age, 13.8 years; range, 5.9-29.3 years; 30 children/11 adults) with primary ciliary dyskinesia (n = 14), primary immunodeficiency (n = 14), or recurrent pneumonia (n = 13) underwent pulmonary function tests, chest HRCT (120 kV, dose-modulated mAs) and high-field 3.0-T MRI (HASTE; transversal orientation; repetition time/echo time/flip angle/acquisition time, infinite/92 milliseconds/150 degrees/approximately 90 seconds). HRCT and MRI images were scored in consensus by 2 raters using a modified version of the Helbich scoring system. The maximal score was 25. HRCT and high-field MRI total scores were 11 (range: 1-20) and 11 (range: 1-17), respectively. There was good agreement between the 2 techniques for all scores (r > 0.8). HRCT and MRI total scores, and extent of bronchiectasis scores were significantly related to pulmonary function tests (r = -0.4, P < 0.05). The MRI mucous plugging score was significantly related to pulmonary function tests (r = -0.4, P < 0.05). Chest high-field 3.0-T MRI appears to be as effective as HRCT in assessing the extent and severity of lung abnormalities in non-CF chronic lung diseases, and might be a reliable radiation-free option to HRCT

Measuring the health impact of human rights violations related to Australian asylum policies and practices: A mixed methods study

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund - Copyright @ 2009 Johnston et al.BACKGROUND: Human rights violations have adverse consequences for health. However, to date, there remains little empirical evidence documenting this association, beyond the obvious physical and psychological effects of torture. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether Australian asylum policies and practices, which arguably violate human rights, are associated with adverse health outcomes. METHODS: We designed a mixed methods study to address the study aim. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 71 Iraqi Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) refugees and 60 Iraqi Permanent Humanitarian Visa (PHV) refugees, residing in Melbourne, Australia. Prior to a recent policy amendment, TPV refugees were only given temporary residency status and had restricted access to a range of government funded benefits and services that permanent refugees are automatically entitled to. The quantitative results were triangulated with semi-structured interviews with TPV refugees and service providers. The main outcome measures were self-reported physical and psychological health. Standardised self-report instruments, validated in an Arabic population, were used to measure health and wellbeing outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of TPV refugees compared with 25% of PHV refugees reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of clinical depression (p = 0.003). After controlling for the effects of age, gender and marital status, TPV status made a statistically significant contribution to psychological distress (B = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.71, p </= 0.001) amongst Iraqi refugees. Qualitative data revealed that TPV refugees generally felt socially isolated and lacking in control over their life circumstances, because of their experiences in detention and on a temporary visa. This sense of powerlessness and, for some, an implicit awareness they were being denied basic human rights, culminated in a strong sense of injustice. CONCLUSION: Government asylum policies and practices violating human rights norms are associated with demonstrable psychological health impacts. This link between policy, rights violations and health outcomes offers a framework for addressing the impact of socio-political structures on health.This research was supported by an Australian National and Medical Research Council PhD Scholarship (N. 251782) and a Victorian Health Promotion Foundation research grant (No. 2002-0280)

L-Carnitine counteracts in vitro fructose-induced hepatic steatosis through targeting oxidative stress markers

Purpose: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined by excessive lipid accumulation in the liver and involves an ample spectrum of liver diseases, ranging from simple uncomplicated steatosis to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that high fructose intake enhances NAFLD development and progression promoting inhibition of mitochondrial \u3b2-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids and oxidative damages. l-Carnitine (LC), involved in \u3b2-oxidation, has been used to reduce obesity caused by high-fat diet, which is beneficial to ameliorating fatty liver diseases. Moreover, in the recent years, various studies have established LC anti-oxidative proprieties. The objective of this study was to elucidate primarily the underlying anti-oxidative mechanisms of LC in an in vitro model of fructose-induced liver steatosis. Methods: Human hepatoma HepG2 cells were maintained in medium supplemented with LC (5&nbsp;mM LC) with or without 5&nbsp;mM fructose (F) for 48&nbsp;h and 72&nbsp;h. In control cells, LC or F was not added to medium. Fat deposition, anti-oxidative, and mitochondrial homeostasis were investigated. Results: LC supplementation decreased the intracellular lipid deposition enhancing AMPK activation. However, compound C (AMPK inhibitor-10&nbsp;\u3bcM), significantly abolished LC benefits in F condition. Moreover, LC, increasing PGC1 \u3b1 expression, ameliorates mitochondrial damage-F induced. Above all, LC reduced ROS production and simultaneously increased protein content of antioxidant factors, SOD2 and Nrf2. Conclusion: Our data seemed to show that LC attenuate fructose-mediated lipid accumulation through AMPK activation. Moreover, LC counteracts mitochondrial damages and reactive oxygen species production restoring antioxidant cellular machine. These findings provide new insights into LC role as an AMPK activator and anti-oxidative molecule in NAFLD

TLS Polymerases are involved in processing of EXO1-dependent lesions after UV-induced damage

UV light mainly damages DNA by generating CPDs and 6-4PP photoproducts, which are responsible for the pathological effects of sunlight. In a healthy organism, such DNA helix distorting lesions are removed by Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER), a multistep process. Mutations in NER genes cause the onset of severe pathologies. The principal symptom common to all diseases is the strong sensitivity to UV. A high predisposition to tumors development arises in xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients, while neurological dysfunctions have been observed in both XP and Cockayne syndrome patients. Upon DNA damage sensing, checkpoints are activated allowing a block or delay of cell cycle progression to ensure repair of the DNA lesions. Intriguingly, while in normal cells UV irradiation activates DNA damage checkpoints in all phases of the cell cycle NER yeast mutant strains and human fibroblasts derived from XP patients fail activate the checkpoint in G1 and G2. Recently, we demonstrated that the checkpoint response to UV light in cells that are not actively replicating their genome requires prior processing of the UV lesions. This involves NER factors but also the Exo1 nuclease. In particular, acting on NER intermediates, Exo1 generates structures containing long tracts of ssDNA in response to UV irradiation. This role of Exo1 is only observed at a subset of problematic lesions that cannot properly repaired by canonic NER. It is these Exo1-induced structures that provide the signal for checkpoint activation both in yeast and human non-replicating cells. The essential role of Exo1 in UV-induced checkpoint activation in vivo has been recently supported by in vitro reconstitution of the activation pathway. What are the problematic lesions that require EXO1 activity is still unknown. We hypothesized that Closely Opposing UV Lesions (COLs) on the two DNA strands could exist and may be a likely candidate. This scenario would require TLS polymerases bypass during repair synthesis step. Therefore, we are investigating Y-family polymerase recruitment at EXO1-positive local UV damage sites (LUDs). We found that Pol h is recruited at both EXO1-positive and EXO1-negative LUDs, while Pol \u3b9 and\uf020Pol \u3ba always co-localize with the nuclease\uf02e Using the CRISPR-Cas9 system, we generated EXO1 knock out cell lines that demonstrated a requirement for EXO1 in Pol \u3b9 and\uf020Pol \u3ba recruitment, consistently with our working model\uf02e Finally, when we silenced TLS polymerases we observed a hyper-activation of UV-induced DNA damage checkpoint, suggesting that EXO1 continues to process UV damaged DNA enlarging the gap and eventually producing DSBs. TLS polymerases, thus are crucial to prevent dangerous situations in non-replicating UV irradiated cells

The association of aloe and β-carotene supplementation improves oxidative stress and Inflammatory state in pregnant buffalo cows

The complex polysaccharides of Aloe have been reported to improve immunity and oxidative status either in vitro or in vivo studies. Further, β-carotene has been shown to influence immune function and health in the cow. In this study, the effects of VigoorsanTM, a commercial supplement containing Aloe arborescence and β-carotene, on biochemical profile and oxidative/inflammatory status, were evaluatedin pregnant buffalo cows. VigoorsanTM was supplied (50 g/day/head) to pluriparae buffalo cows for 30 days before delivery. A significant increase of BAP and OXY and a decrease of d-ROMs (P<0.01) were detected in blood from cows supplemented with VigoorsanTM. Further, a decrease of TNF-α, IL1-βand MCP-1 and an increase of IL-10 were showed (P<0.01). Blood chemistry profiles showed no adverse effects on health status. Results showed that VigoorsanTM supplementation improves oxidative and inflammatory status with no negative effects on metabolism in water buffalo cow