Response to oxidative stress as a welfare parameter in swine

In pigs, the genetic selection for lean, large muscle blocks and fast growth has been linked to an increased prevalence of metabolic diseases such as porcine stress syndrome and mulberry heart disease. These diseases are associated with cardiovascular inadequacy, which may lead to oxidative stress. In the present study, reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) and the anti-oxidant power (OXY) in sera of different swine groups were investigated. The following groups were selected (each around 80 kg body weight): wild boars (WB), Cinta Senese (CS), and Landrace x Large White (LxLW), the latter as both specific pathogen-free (SPF) and intensively farmed animals. In addition, a group of LxLW agonic sows (AS) was also investigated; this group is known to be under oxidative stress. Two colorimetric micro-methods were used to measure ROMs and OXY; ROMs were expressed as mM H(2)O(2) and OXY as microM HOCl neutralised. Between groups, average ROM and OXY values were found to be significantly different by one-way ANOVA (P0.001). ROM levels were lower in WB (13.41 +/- 1.85) and CS (19.27 +/- 1.68), and highest in LxLW (42.00 +/- 1.36). OXY values ranged from 260.10 +/- 22.13 (WB) to 396.90 +/- 9.83 (LxLW). Only one swine group (the CS group) showed a significant, positive correlation between ROM and OXY values. The AS group even showed a negative correlation between ROM and OXY values. These results imply satisfactory environmental coping occurred only within the CS group. Results are discussed in the light of animal welfare legislation, food safety and consumers' protection

Living with the h-index? Metric assemblages in the contemporary academy

This paper examines the relationship between metrics, markets and affect in the contemporary UK academy. It argues that the emergence of a particular structure of feeling amongst academics in the last few years has been closely associated with the growth and development of ‘quantified control’. It examines the functioning of a range of metrics: citations; workload models; transparent costing data; research assessments; teaching quality assessments; and commercial university league tables. It argues that these metrics, and others, although still embedded within an audit culture, increasingly function autonomously as a data assemblage able not just to mimic markets but, increasingly, to enact them. It concludes by posing some questions about the possible implications of this for the future of academic practice

Optical effects of exposing intact human lenses to ultraviolet radiation and visible light

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The human lens is continuously exposed to high levels of light. Ultraviolet radiation is believed to play a causative role in the development of cataract. In vivo, however, the lens is mainly exposed to visible light and the ageing lens absorbs a great part of the short wavelength region of incoming visible light. The aim of the present study was to examine the optical effects on human lenses of short wavelength visible light and ultraviolet radiation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Naturally aged human donor lenses were irradiated with UVA (355 nm), violet (400 and 405 nm) and green (532 nm) lasers. The effect of irradiation was evaluated qualitatively by photography and quantitatively by measuring the direct transmission before and after irradiation. Furthermore, the effect of pulsed and continuous laser systems was compared as was the effect of short, intermediate and prolonged exposures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Irradiation with high intensity lasers caused scattering lesions in the human lenses. These effects were more likely to be seen when using pulsed lasers because of the high pulse intensity. Prolonged irradiation with UVA led to photodarkening whereas no detrimental effects were observed after irradiation with visible light.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Irradiation with visible light does not seem to be harmful to the human lens except if the lens is exposed to laser irradiances that are high enough to warrant thermal protein denaturation that is more readily seen using pulsed laser systems.</p

The Short-Term Effect of Weight Loss Surgery on Volumetric Breast Density and Fibroglandular Volume

Purpose: Obesity and breast density are both associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and are potentially modifiable. Weight loss surgery (WLS) causes a significant reduction in the amount of body fat and a decrease in breast cancer risk. The effect of WLS on breast density and its components has not been documented. Here, we analyze the impact of WLS on volumetric breast density (VBD) and on each of its components (fibroglandular volume and breast volume) by using three-dimensional methods. Materials and Methods: Fibroglandular volume, breast volume, and their ratio, the VBD, were calculated from mammograms before and after WLS by using Volpara™ automated software. Results: For the 80 women included, average body mass index decreased from 46.0 ± 7.22 to 33.7 ± 7.06 kg/m2. Mammograms were performed on average 11.6 ± 9.4 months before and 10.1 ± 7 months after WLS. There was a significant reduction in average breast volume (39.4 % decrease) and average fibroglandular volume (15.5 % decrease), and thus, the average VBD increased from 5.15 to 7.87 % (p < 1 × 10−9) after WLS. When stratified by menopausal status and diabetic status, VBD increased significantly in all groups but only perimenopausal and postmenopausal women and non-diabetics experienced a significant reduction in fibroglandular volume. Conclusions: Breast volume and fibroglandular volume decreased, and VBD increased following WLS, with the most significant change observed in postmenopausal women and non-diabetics. Further studies are warranted to determine how physical and biological alterations in breast density components after WLS may impact breast cancer risk.ECU Open Access Publishing Support Fun

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Factors related to disability: Evidence from the \u201cTreviso Longeva (TRELONG) Study\u201d

Prolongation of life is an important public health goal as long as there is an emphasis on the quality of life (QoL) and independent living. Diminishing abilities to ambulate and participate in activities of daily living point to a serious decline in functional health, increasing the risk of institutionalization and death. In our work we found a pattern of factors associated with disability, especially cognitive impairment, as well as stroke, physical activity and performance, reading, and the nutritional biomarkers, blood albumin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The attention to this cluster of markers, suggesting multidimensional prevention, may have unexpected good effects against disability

Transparency of the bovine corneal stroma at physiological hydration and its dependence on concentration of the ambient anion

De-epithelialised and de-endothelialised bovine corneal stromas with a hydration of 3.2 equilibrated at 154 mm NaCl and buffered at pH 7.4 had their optical density (400–750 nm) measured. Stromas equilibrated against 10, 20, 30, 50 or 100 mm NaCl made isotonic to 154 mm NaCl by supplementing with sorbitol were progressively more transparent as NaCl increased. Hypertonic equilibration against 300, 600 or 1000 mm NaCl resulted in a progressive loss of transparency compared with 154 mm NaCl. Light scattering as a function of wavelength fitted a λ(−3) function well for 10, 30, 50, 100 and 154 mm NaCl preparations between 450 and 650 nm, but not at higher wavelengths. However, hypertonic 300, 600 and 1000 mm NaCl preparations showed a λ(−2) dependence in the 450–750 nm range. Experiments with 154 mm NaCl and either 0 or 300 mm sorbitol suggested that the changes in light scattering in hypertonic preparations are unlikely to be caused by osmotic alterations to the stromal keratocytes. Psychophysical studies of the optical transmission function of preparations indicated that corneal stromas dialysed against 154 mm NaCl had usable optical properties, but preparations dialysed against 10 mm NaCl were effectively unable to transmit an image. The results are related to the known increase of fixed negative charge in the corneal matrix when chloride ions are adsorbed onto the matrix. It is suggested that the ordering force between corneal collagen fibrils, generated in part by anion binding, may be crucial to the physiological functioning of the visual system