Effect of Year, Season and Parity on Milk Production Traits in Murrah Buffaloes

Effects of year, season and parity on total lactation milk yield (TLMY), 305 day milk yield (305d MY) and average fat percentage for Murrah buffaloes maintained at dairy farm under GADVASU, Ludhiana, Punjab, during 2004-2008 were evaluated. Averaged TLMY, 305d MY and Fat percentage were 2191.8± 93.7 kg, 2091.1±87.06 kg and 7.12±0.11%. TLMY was found to be significantly affected by season (P<0.05) but not by year and parity. The highest milk yield was obtained in animals calving in winter followed by rainy and summer. Milk yield of buffaloes in winter was significantly higher than that of animals in summer (P<0.05). The TLMY increased over the years with highest milk yield in the year 2006 (2345.1±99.32kg). There was no consistent increase or decrease with the advance in years there on which may be due to the environmental variation in different years. TLMY was found lower in first parity and highest in fifth parity thereof decreasing (P<0.05). Similar results were obtained for 305d MY, where only the season was found significant (P<0.05). The average fat percentage was significantly affected by year and season (p<0.05). Milk fat percentage of buffaloes calved in winter was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of the animals calved in summer. Similarly the fat percentage varied significantly among the parities with no consistent increase over the advancement of the parities

Effect of Heat Stress on Milk Production and Composition in Murrah Buffaloes

Temperature humidity index (THI) is widely used to assess the effect of temperature and relative humidity on performance in animals. In summer the THI was between 74 - 89 with average value of 81.18. in winter months THI ranged between 49 -70 with the average of 60. The results showed a significant effect of heat stress on daily milk yield and milk composition. In the present study the daily milk yield decreases from 4.46 to 3.65kg, heat stress reduced milk yield by 18.2%. There was a significant effect of heat stress on milk composition. Heat stress significantly reduced milk fat content from 8.3% during the winter to 7.19% during the summer. Milk protein percentage significantly decreased as a result of summer heat stress (3.08 vs.2.9 %, respectively for the winter and summer). In the present study the SNF decreases from 9.08 to 9.05 %, heat stress reduced SNF % as the THI value went from > 74 to  83 in summer. Results showed that milk production is a function of THI. The negative slope of regression line indicates that milk production fat%, protein% and SNF% decreases as THI increases. This regression indicates that in general for each point increase in THI value. There was decrease in milk yield of 0.028kg per buffalo per day. Heat stress environments have been associated with depression in milk fat%, protein% and SNF%. There was decrease in milk fat of 0.046% per buffalo per day. There was also decrease in milk protein of 0.00014 % per buffalo per day. The decrease in milk SNF of 0.0047 % per buffalo per day

Cardiac magnetic resonance stress perfusion imaging for evaluation of patients with chest pain

Background: Stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has demonstrated excellent diagnostic and prognostic value in single-center studies. Objectives: This study sought to investigate the prognostic value of stress CMR and downstream costs from subsequent cardiac testing in a retrospective multicenter study in the United States. Methods: In this retrospective study, consecutive patients from 13 centers across 11 states who presented with a chest pain syndrome and were referred for stress CMR were followed for a target period of 4 years. The authors associated CMR findings with a primary outcome of cardiovascular death or nonfatal myocardial infarction using competing risk-adjusted regression models and downstream costs of ischemia testing using published Medicare national payment rates. Results: In this study, 2,349 patients (63 ± 11 years of age, 47% female) were followed for a median of 5.4 years. Patients with no ischemia or late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by CMR, observed in 1,583 patients (67%), experienced low annualized rates of primary outcome (4-fold higher annual primary outcome rate and a >10-fold higher rate of coronary revascularization during the first year after CMR. Patients with ischemia and LGE both negative had low average annual cost spent on ischemia testing across all years of follow-up, and this pattern was similar across the 4 practice environments of the participating centers. Conclusions: In a multicenter U.S. cohort with stable chest pain syndromes, stress CMR performed at experienced centers offers effective cardiac prognostication. Patients without CMR ischemia or LGE experienced a low incidence of cardiac events, little need for coronary revascularization, and low spending on subsequent ischemia testing. (Stress CMR Perfusion Imaging in the United States [SPINS]: A Society for Cardiovascular Resonance Registry Study; NCT03192891)

Parallel Querying with Non-Dedicated Computers

We present DITN, a new method of parallel querying based on dynamic outsourcing of join processing tasks to non-dedicated, heterogeneous computers. In DITN, partitioning is not the means of parallelism. Data layout decisions are taken outside the scope of the DBMS, and handled within the storage software; query processors see a "Data In The Network" image. Thi

Load and Network Aware Query Routing for Information Integration

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Thyroid function and bone mineral density among Indian subjects

Background: Thyroid hormones affect bone remodeling in patients with thyroid disease by acting directly or indirectly on bone cells. In view of limited information on correlation of thyroid function with Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in euthyroid subjects, we undertook this study to evaluate the correlation between thyroid function with BMD in subjects with normal thyroid function and subclinical hypothyroidism. Material and Methods: A total of 1290 subjects included in this cross sectional study, were divided in Group-1 with normal thyroid function and Group-2 with subclinical hypothyroidism. Fasting blood samples were drawn for the estimation of serum 25(OH)D, intact parathyroid hormone, total and ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase. BMD at lumbar spine, femur and forearm was measured. Results: BMD at all sites (radius, femur and spine) were comparable in both groups. There was no difference in BMD when subjects were divided in tertiles of TSH in either group. In group-1, FT4 and TSH were positively associated with BMD at 33% radius whereas FT3 was negatively associated with BMD at femoral neck in multiple regression analysis after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, 25(OH)D and PTH levels. In group-2, there was no association observed between TSH and BMD at any site. Amongst all study subjects FT4 and FT3 were positively correlated with BMD at lumbar spine and radius respectively among all subjects. Conclusion: TSH does not affect BMD in euthyroid subjects and subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormones appear to have more pronounced positive effect on cortical than trabecular bone in euthyroid subjects

Normative data of body fat mass and its distribution as assessed by DXA in Indian adult population

Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) assessment of body fat mass is precise and highly correlated with under water weighing. In view of ethnic differences, we undertook this study to prepare normative data for body fat mass in apparently healthy adult Indians and correlate it with Body Mass Index (BMI). This cross-sectional population-based study included 2347 subjects (male: 924; female: 1423) aged > 20 yr who participated in a general health examination. They were evaluated for anthropometry and body fat mass by DXA. All subjects were categorized as overweight and obese based on standard BMI criteria. Mean age and BMI were 49.1 ± 18.2 yr and 25.0 ± 4.7 kg/m2, respectively. Mean percent total and regional fat (trunk, arm and leg) reached maximum in the age group of 30–40 yr in males and 50–60 yr in females. Females had significantly higher total and regional fat mass compared with males. Fat mass was positively correlated with age (r = 0.224; p < 0.00001) and BMI (r = 0.668; p < 0.00001). Prevalence of overweight and obesity was seen in 2119 (46.1%) and 536 (13.8%), respectively, according to World Health Organization definition and 64.0% and 31.1%, respectively, as per Indian guidelines. Percent Total Body Fat Mass (PTBFM) of 25% in males and 30% in females corresponds to BMI of 22.0 kg/m2 with sensitivity of > 80% and specificity of > 70% in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Body fat mass in Indians is higher than that in Western populations for a given age and BMI. PTBFM of 25% in males and 30% in females corresponds to BMI of 22 kg/m2 in Indians