Facebook Support Groups for Rare Pediatric Diseases: Quantitative Analysis and Cross-Sectional Study to Investigate Opportunities, Limitations, and Privacy Concerns

Background: With affected individuals being widely geographically dispersed, finding an in-person support group can be a challenge. Families therefore turn to social networking platforms such as Facebook for online support groups. Objective: We aim to provide a comprehensive quantitative analysis of the extent of Facebook usage as a tool for rare pediatric disease support groups and to put into perspective the opportunities Facebook offers by investigating its use, advantages, and limitations including privacy concerns. Methods: Rare pediatric diseases listed on Orphanet were searched on Facebook. Disease- and group-describing parameters were analyzed using standard descriptive statistical methods. Members of 12 Facebook groups were invited to a cross-sectional online survey. Results: 6398 Facebook support groups, representing 826 diseases (19.5% of all searched diseases), were found. Group type, size, activity, new memberships, language, and privacy setting varied largely between groups. Of 231 respondents 91.3% were parents (183 mothers, 27 fathers). 59.7% reported a self-initiated search, 24.2% received recommendations from their health professionals, and 12.6% from someone else affected by the disease. On average, members visited and passively participated several times a week, and participated actively once a month. Group members expressed more concern about privacy issues on Facebook in general than in their respective Facebook support groups. Conclusions: Facebook is widely used for support groups for rare pediatric diseases and enhances support group accessibility. Members perceive a reduction and elimination of distance, and the groups create an environment of perceived privacy which results in sharing personal information and pictures. It is important to discuss and protect children's privacy rights in this context. Health professionals can use these results to inform affected persons about Facebook as a tool for support groups in their counseling

Supplementing growing Holstein steers fed a corn-urea diet with a mixture of essential amino acids increases performance

Six ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (550 lb) implanted with Revalor-S were infused abomasally with water or a mixture of six amino acids in a crossover experiment (two 14-day periods) to evaluate effects on nitrogen balance. The mixture was comprised of amino acids that potentially may be limiting in lightweight steers, namely (g/day): lysine (5.3), methionine (3.3), threonine (3.2), tryptophan (1 .0), histidine (2.1), and arginine (5.5). Steers were fed at levels just below ad libitum intake. The diet contained 86% rolled corn, 10% prairie hay, 3% mineral and vitamin premixes, and 1% urea (as-fed). Amino acid infusion increased nitrogen retention by 17.9% over the control, from 27.9 g N/day to 32.9 g N/day. This indicates that implanted steers fed a high concentrate diet are able to respond to amino acid supplementation, suggesting that at least one of the infused amino acids was limiting in the basal corn-urea diet

Performance of lactating cows fed procressed grain sorghum and expeller soybean meal

Forty-four Holstein cows were used to measure milk production responses to dryrolled vs processed grain sorghum and expeller vs solvent soybean meal (SBM) in a 2×2 factorial arrangement of four treatments. Processing of grain sorghum decreased feed intake 5%, but increased milk by 3%, protein by 4%, and efficiency by 7%, with fat being unaffected. Replacement of solvent SBM with expeller SBM had little effect on intake, but increased milk by 3%, fat by 5%, and efficiency by 4%, with protein being unaffected. The processing of grain sorghum seems to be a valuable method to improve its nutritive value for lactating cows. Total milk and fat yield, but not protein yield, were increased in response to feeding expeller SBM in the place of solvent SBM

Effect of nitrogen supplementation and Zilpaterol-HCl on urea recycling in steers consuming corn-based diets

Cattle have the innate ability to recycle nitrogen absorbed post-ruminally back to the rumen as endogenously synthesized urea. Urea returning to the rumen provides an additional opportunity for ruminal microbes to benefit from nitrogen absorbed postruminally. Urea recycling may provide a significant benefit to cattle when protein requirements of ruminal microbes are high or when large amounts of the dietary protein escape ruminal degradation

Dietary molasses enhances ruminal biohydrogenation and partially alleviates diet- induced milk fat depression

Dairy Research, 2008 is known as Dairy Day, 2008Milk fat depression remains a problem on dairy farms, and in recent years, incorporation of distillers grains (typically with solubles added and often dried) has contributed to this problem on some farms. In this study, we evaluated whether molasses could prevent milk fat depression in cows fed a high-risk diet. Replacing up to 5% of dietary corn with cane molasses linearly increased the yield of short- and medium-chain fatty acids in milk, indicating a positive effect on de novo fatty acid synthesis in a milk fat depression environment. Molasses, however, tended to linearly decrease milk yield and linearly decreased milk protein yield, resulting in no net effect on energy- or solids-corrected milk yield. These results indicate that the potential exists for sources of dietary sugar to prevent milk fat depression, but further research is needed to determine when sugar sources might be most effective

Who is more eager to use Gamification in Economic Disciplines? Comparison of Students and Educators

Background: In this paper, the focus is on the application of digital and mobile technologies as supporting tools for the implementation of gamification in the field of education of future economists. Objectives: The paper\u27s main objective is to explore whether educators and students are motivated and willing to apply additional technologies as main gamification components in their work and education. Moreover, the paper aims to assess how their more comprehensive application affects the quality of teaching, work flexibility, new learning opportunities, and outcomes. Methods/Approach: The survey method was used to collect answers from educators and students primarily interested in accounting, finance, trade and tourism from higher and secondary education institutions in Croatia, Poland, Serbia and Germany. Afterwards, the responses were compared using statistical methods. Results: Research results confirm that educators and students are willing to use gamification in teaching. Still, they also expressed the need for better administrative support in using particular e-learning tools. Surprisingly, educators are more eager to use gamification in their work than students. Conclusions: The study\u27s general conclusion is that educators and students are both aware of the advantages of using e-learning tools provided through digital and mobile technologies and are eager to implement more gamification in the teaching process. However, continuous education in applying new digital technologies is needed on both sides

D- VS L-methionine utilization by growing steers

Increasing the amino acid supply to the small intestine of growing cattle can increase performance, if specific amino acids are limiting. Although this can be accomplished by feeding rumen undegradable protein, a more economical approach may be supplementing only those amino acids that actually limit performance, but in a form that will bypass the rumen. Methionine (MET) is thought to be a limiting amino acid for growing cattle. DL-MET, a 50 :50 mixture of natural methionine (L-MET) and the unnatural optical isomer (D-MET) is used widely in monogastric rations. Ruminally protected DL-methionine is also available for cattle; however, little information is available about its utilization by growing steers. We studied the efficiency of utilization of D- vs L-MET by growing steers by measuring nitrogen retention of steers postruminally supplemented with graded levels of D- or LMET. Nitrogen retention increased linearly in response to infusion of both L-MET and D-MET, with similar responses for the two isomers. The efficiency of utilization of DMET relative to L-MET was estimated to be 95.5%. In conclusion, D-MET was similar to L-MET in increasing nitrogen retention of growing steers

Bilanzierung der Ausgabe von Gutscheinen

In seinem Urteil vom 19.9.2012 – IV R 45/09 hatte der BFH über die Bilanzierung von Gutscheinen, die einen Anspruch auf eine Preisermäßigung im folgenden Jahr beinhalten, zu entscheiden. Nach der Entscheidung des BFH vom 19.9.2012 – IV R 45/09 sind für Gutscheine, die einen Anspruch auf eine Preisermäßigung im folgenden Jahr beinhalten, im Jahr der Ausgabe keine Rückstellungen zu passivieren. Ebenfalls darf keine Verbindlichkeit bilanziert werden. Auch die Bilanzierung eines passiven Rechnungsabgrenzungspostens ist nicht möglich

Guanidinoacetic Acid as a Precursor of Creatine for Cattle

Creatine serves as an energy-storing molecule in muscle, and in mammals it can be synthesized in the liver from guanidinoacetic acid (GAA). With this study, we evaluated whether GAA supplementation would lead to creatine production in cattle similarly to other species. Because the synthesis of creatine from GAA requires the use of a methyl group, we also evaluated the effect of supplementing methionine, as a methyl group donor, on the synthesis of creatine.Supplemental GAA did increase plasma concentrations of creatine. Also, blood concentrations of arginine, a precursor to GAA, were increased by GAA supplementation, suggesting that arginine use for GAA synthesis was spared by GAA provision. Plasma homocysteine, a marker that is inversely related to methyl group status, was not affected by GAA supplementation when heifers received 12 g/d methionine; however, it was increased by 30 or 40 grams per day of GAA supplementation when methionine was not supplemented. Results suggest that post-ruminal GAA supplementation increases creatine supply to cattle and spares arginine utilization. Moreover, GAA supplementation induced a methyl group deficiency that was resolved with methionine supplementation

Effects of energy level on methionine utilization by growing steers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of energy level on amino acid utilization in growing steers. Six ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (503 lb) were limit-fed (6.2 lb/day dry matter) a diet based on soybean hulls (83%), wheat straw (7.6%), and cane molasses (4.1%). The treatments consisted of the infusion of two methionine levels (0 or 3 g/d) and three energy levels (0, 1.3, or 2.6 Mcal ME/day) in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement. Energy was supplied through ruminal infusion of acetate, propionate, and butyrate and through abomasal infusion of glucose and fat in increasing amounts. No interactions between methionine and energy level were observed. Nitrogen balance was increased by methionine supplementation, indicating that this amino acid limited protein deposition. A linear increase in nitrogen retention was found with the increase in energy. These improvements in protein deposition were related to reductions in urinary nitrogen excretion, reduced plasma-urea concentrations, and greater circulating concentrations of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I. The results of this study suggest that amino acid utilization can be improved by increasing energy. These effects could be partly explained by variations in plasma concentration of key hormones involved in the control of protein deposition