Effects of feeding a fumonsin (FB₁) naturally contaminated corn at various levels, with and without 2 adsorbents on the growth performance, blood, and liver chemistry of nursery pigs

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on January 19, 2010)M.S. University of Missouri--Columbia 2009.Thesis advisor: Dr. Marcia ShannonThe entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Includes bibliographical references.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Animal sciencesThree studies were conducted to determine the effects of diets containing various concentrations of fumonisin FB1 supplied by naturally contaminated corn with and without 2 adsorbents on nursery pig performance. Use of naturally contaminated corn instead of fumonisin culture material more approximates what would occur under industry conditions. Three 21 d studies were conducted using 30 to 32 two wk old post-weaned individually penned barrows with an average initial weight of 6.54 kg that were randomly allotted to dietary treatments in each experiment. (6 replications) containing different concentrations of FB1. Exp. 1 treatments were a Phase 2 nursery diet supplemented with 1) 0 ppm FB1 (control), 2) 20 ppm FB1, 3) 30 ppm FB1, 4) 40 ppm FB1, and 5) 50 ppm FB1. In conclusion, results indicate feeding a diet up to 50 ppm FB1 did not adversely affect growth performance of nursery pigs fed for 21 d however, a liver sphinganine to sphingosine significant increase did occur. Exp. 2 dietary treatments using 0.5 % carbonized-clay adsorbent (CC) were 1) 0 ppm FB1 corn, 2) 0 ppm FB1 corn + CC, 3) 20 ppm FB1 4) 20 ppm FB1 + CC, 5) 50 ppm FB1, and 6) 50 FB1 + CC. In conclusion, the results of this study reveal that a carbonized-clay adsorbent did not improve nursery pig performance and did not prevent or reduce changes in SA: SO ratios caused by FB1. Exp 3. had dietary treatments 1) control (0 ppm FB1 corn), 2) 0 ppm FB1 + 0.5 % activated carbon (AC), 3) 50 ppm FB1, and 4) 50 ppm FB1 + 0.5 % AC. In conclusion, the clay-based activated carbon at 0.5% did not reduce the adverse affects of 50 ppm FB1 on performance, serum chemistry, and liver SA: SO ratio of nursery pigs fed diets for 21 days

Urine Sodium Concentrations are Predictive of Hypoadrenocorticism in Hyponatremic Dogs: A Retrospective Pilot Study

Abstract OBJECTIVES: To determine if a urine sodium concentration could be used to rule out hypoadrenocorticism in hyponatraemic dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for hyponatraemic dogs (serum sodium/L) that had recorded urine sodium concentrations. Twenty hyponatraemic dogs were included: 11 diagnosed with classical hypoadrenocorticism and nine with non-adrenal causes of hyponatraemia. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare results between groups. RESULTS: No dog with hypoadrenocorticism had a urine sodium concentration less than 30 mmol/L. Urine sodium concentration in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism was significantly higher (median 103 mmol/L, range: 41 to 225) than in dogs with non-adrenal illness (median 10 mmol/L, range: 2 to 86) (P CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that urine sodium concentrations can be used to prioritise a differential diagnosis of hypoadrenocorticism in hyponatraemic dogs. A urine sodium concentration less than 30 mmol/L in a hyponatraemic dog makes classical hypoadrenocorticism an unlikely cause of the hyponatraemia. Nevertheless, because of the small sample size our results should be interpreted with caution and a larger follow-up study would be valuable

Owner Sex and Human–Canine Interactions at the Park

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate if and what types of differences exist between men and women when interacting with their dogs in a “natural” setting. In the case of this study, we defined “natural” as visiting a public park with their dog. To do this, we completed a series of 10-minute focal follows (n = 177) on human–canine dyads at local leashed and off-leash dog parks from December 2018 to March 2019. Data collection included counting incidences of 14 specific interactions (i.e., “baby talks to dog” or “scolds/speaks harshly to dog”), observable demographics (sex of owner, age cohort, sex of dog), and additional notes (i.e., extended play sessions, talking to other park visitors, cell phone use). Women were more likely to baby talk to their dog and speak gently/whisper to their dog, while young adults were more likely to use collar correction/jerk the leash. The results also suggest young adults may be more likely to throw toys/play with their dog, though more data are needed to confirm this. Given the increase in invested pet dog ownership, we suggest that sex differences in interactions with pet dogs mirror the literature on sex differences in human parenting. This is particularly relevant as decreasing birth rates and climbing pet ownership give rise to the practice of applying parenting strategies to pets, suggesting the need to better understand potential welfare concerns that may mirror those in the parenting literature

An Omentum-inspired 3D PEG Hydrogel for Identifying ECM-drivers of Drug Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is a challenging disease to treat due to poor screening techniques and late diagnosis. There is an urgent need for additional therapy options, as patients recur in 70% of cases. The limited availability of clinical treatment options could be a result of poor predictions in early stage drug screens on standard tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS). TCPS does not capture the mechanical and biochemical cues that cells experience in vivo, which can impact how cells will respond to a drug. Therefore, an in vitro model that captures some of the microenvironment features that the cells experience in vivo could provide better insights into drug responses. In this study, we formed 3D multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) in microwells and encapsulated them in 3D omentum-inspired hydrogels. SKOV-3 MCTS were resistant to Paclitaxel in our 3D hydrogels compared to a monolayer on TCPS. Toward clinical application, we tested cells from patients [ovarian carcinoma ascites spheroids (OCAS)] who had been treated with Paclitaxel, and drug responses predicted by using the 3D omentum-inspired hydrogels demonstrated the lack of the Paclitaxel response of these samples. Additionally, we observed the presence of collagen production around the encapsulated SKOV-3 MCTS, but not significantly on TCPS. Our results demonstrated that our 3D omentum-inspired hydrogel is an improved in vitro drug testing platform to study the OvCa drug response for patient-derived cells and helped us identify collagen 3 as a potential driver of Paclitaxel resistance in 3D

Psikoedukasi Panic Buying untuk Menurunkan Kecenderungan Panic Buying pada Ibu Rumah Tangga

Situasi pandemi Covid19 berdampak pada aspek kesehatan, sosial dan psikologis. Salah satu fenomena dampak pandemi Covid19 adalah kecenderungan perilaku panic buying. Hal ini muncul karena adanya kecemasan yang dihadapi oleh masyarakat saat berada pada situasisituasi yang tidak dapat diprediksi. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengedukasi masyarakat terutama ibu rumah tangga untuk mengurangi kecenderungan Panic Buying. Subjek dalam penelitian ini adalah 25 orang ibu-ibu rumah tangga. Desain penelitian ini menggunakan one group pretest-postest design, yaitu membandingkan perilaku kecederungan panic buying pada 1 kelompok subjek sebelum dan sesudah diberikan psikoedukasi. Pengumpulan data menggunakan skala kecenderungan panic buying. Data yang didapatkan dianalisis menggunakan uji-t untuk mengetahui perbedaan perilaku panic buying sebelum dan sesudah perlakuan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan nilai koefisien Z = -3.149 (p = 0.002; p < 0.05). Dapat disimpulkan ada perubahan perilaku kecenderungan panic buying pada ibu, sebelum dan setelah diberi psikoeduaksi panic buying. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa program psikoedukasi tentang panic buying dapat mempengaruhi sikap dan perilaku ibu-ibu sehingga kecedrungan untuk melakukan pembelian secara panic di situasi pandemi saat ini dapat diminimalisir. Hasil ini diharapkan dapat digunakan sebagai dasar untuk melakukan intervensi pada masyarakat terutama pada saat menghadapi situasi yang mencemaskan seperti adanya pandemi suatu penyakit. Kata kunci: Panic buying, Psikoedukasi, Kecemasa

Internalization and recycling of activated thrombin receptors

Shortly after activation by either thrombin or the tethered ligand domain peptide SFLLRN, thrombin receptors undergo homologous desensitization, temporarily losing their ability to respond to both agonists. We have examined the role of receptor internalization and recycling in this process using receptor-directed antibodies as probes. The results show within 1 min of activation >85% of the approximately 200,000 thrombin receptors on megakaryoblastic human erythroleukemia (HEL) and CHRF-288 cells are sequestered into endosomes via coated pits, after which the majority are transferred to lysosomes. This process does not require proteolysis of the receptor and occurs with sufficient speed to play a major role in the regulation of thrombin receptor function. Although most of the internalized receptors are ultimately degraded, approximately 25% return to the cell surface. These recycled receptors are in a state in which they can respond to SFLLRN but not thrombin; nor do they self-activate despite the apparent continued presence of the tethered ligand. In contrast to other G protein-coupled receptors, which are internalized and then recycled in an activatable state, recovery of the thrombin response occurs only after the expression on the cell surface of adequate numbers of newly synthesized receptors

Complementary, Semi-automated Methods for Creating Multi-dimensional, PEG-based Biomaterials

Tunable biomaterials that mimic selected features of the extracellular matrix (ECM), such as its stiffness, protein composition, and dimensionality, are increasingly popular for studying how cells sense and respond to ECM cues. In the field, there exists a significant trade-off for how complex and how well these biomaterials represent the in vivo microenvironment, versus how easy they are to make and how adaptable they are to automated fabrication techniques. To address this need to integrate more complex biomaterials design with high-throughput screening approaches, we present several methods to fabricate synthetic biomaterials in 96-well plates and demonstrate that they can be adapted to semiautomated liquid handling robotics. These platforms include 1) glass bottom plates with covalently attached ECM proteins, and 2) hydrogels with tunable stiffness and protein composition with either cells seeded on the surface, or 3) laden within the three-dimensional hydrogel matrix. This study includes proof-of-concept results demonstrating control over breast cancer cell line phenotypes via these ECM cues in a semi-automated fashion. We foresee the use of these methods as a mechanism to bridge the gap between high-throughput cell-matrix screening and engineered ECM-mimicking biomaterials

“Teacher Burnout Is One of My Greatest Fears”: Interrupting a Narrative on Fire

Teacher burnout is often positioned as a common result of the complex demands of the teaching profession (García-Carmona et al., 2019). While there is no denying the demanding nature of teaching, in this article we present an alternative perspective on the widespread burnout discussion that distinguishes between burnout and the complexities of teacher attrition, and offer a more hopeful and strengths-based approach to the teaching profession. In a qualitative study that analyzed the anticipatory beliefs that pre-service teachers expressed in a reflective assignment for a course focused on Comprehensive School Health (CSH), we found evidence to suggest that the burnout narrative may threaten teacher candidates’ self-efficacy before entering the teaching profession. We call for a disruption to the overemphasis of burnout narratives in teacher education programs as they may undermine the profession.L’épuisement professionnel des enseignants est souvent perçu comme un résultat commun découlant des exigences complexes de la profession d’enseignant (Garcia-Carmona et al., 2019). Bien que la nature exigeante de l’enseignement soit indéniable, nous présentons dans cet article une perspective alternative sur la discussion générale concernant l’épuisement professionnel qui fait la distinction entre l’épuisement professionnel et les complexités de l’attrition des enseignants, et offre une approche plus optimiste et fondée sur les forces de la profession enseignante. Une étude qualitative a analysé les croyances anticipées exprimées par des enseignants en formation initiale. Dans un travail de réflexion effectué par ceux-ci dans le cadre d’un cours axé sur la santé scolaire globale, nous avons trouvé des preuves qui indiquent que le discours sur l’épuisement professionnel peut menacer l’autoefficacité des candidats avant même leur entrée dans la profession. Nous appelons à une cessation de la trop grande importance accordée aux récits d’épuisement professionnel dans les programmes de formation à l’enseignement puisqu’elle pourrait miner la profession

Physician and Nurse Perspectives of an Interprofessional and Integrated Primary Care-Based Program for Seniors

Background: In Canada, primary care practitioners provide the majority of care for elderly patients. Increasing volume and complexity of care compounded by a shortage of specialized geriatric services has lead to problems of fragmented, inefficient,and often ineffective service for this population. Integrated models that bridge primary and secondary care have emerged as a major theme in health reform to address such challenges for care of the elderly. Although primary care practitioners are important stakeholders necessary for successful uptake and sustainability of such integrated models, this perspective has been largely unexplored. Methods and Findings: We used a qualitative thematic approach to bring forward front-line perspectives of nurses and physicians who referred their patients to a newly developed integrated, multidisciplinary program for seniors that was introduced into their primary care clinic. Referrers experienced improved care processes, improved quality of care, as well as an enhanced experience when managing their elderly patients. Unclear assignment of roles and responsibilities created confusion for referring practitioners and their patients.Conclusions: Understanding benefits, limitations, and changes to front-line practitioner experience provides insight into important factors contributing to buy-in and sustainability of integrated programming for the elderly in this setting