The Effect of Marinating on Fatty Acid Composition of Sous-Vide Semimembranosus Muscle from Holstein-Friesian Bulls

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of two commercial oil marinades on marinated bovine semimembranosus muscles’ (n = 12) fatty acid composition. Fatty acids were determined in unmarinated raw and sous-vide beef and marinated muscles with two different marinades. The application of marinating changed the fatty acid composition in sous-vide beef. The sum of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and n-6/n-3 ratio decreased. However, the sum of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including n-6 and n-3, increased in marinated sous-vide beef, while a proportion of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and arachidonic acid (AA) de-creased. The concentration (mg/100 g) of the sum of SFA and CLA in sous-vide beef was unaffected by marinating; however, the treatment significantly increased the sum of MUFA, PUFA, n-6 fatty and n-3 fatty acid concentrations. Using marinades containing canola oil and spices prior to the sous-vide treatment of beef was effective in improving its fatty acid composition

Comparison of Phellinus weirdi root rot damage in a 60-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stand with the damage in the preceding old-growth stand

Laminated root rot of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) caused by the fungus Phellinus weirii (Murr.)Gilbertson was studied in two successive stands in the Oregon Coast Range. Damage due to the disease in a 60-year-old second-growth stand was compared with incidence in the preceding 300-year-old stand on the same site. Information for the comparison was gathered by mapping all current stand trees (living and dead) and the remains of previous stand trees on four one hectare plots. Damage in each stand generation was assessed in terms of the reduction in stand density and basal area by P. weirii caused mortality, the extent of infection among living trees, and the plot area covered by the disease. Current stand damage estimates were based on the amounts and distribution of healthy, infected and dead trees. Live infected trees were diagnosed by the presence of either surface mycelium or internal decay as evidenced by root collar excavation and increment boring of all trees around disease centers. Previous stand damage estimates were based on the number and distribution of infected stumps, snags, and old down trees. Setal hyphae were used as positive evidence of P. weirii decay in old growth residuals. The comparisons of damage revealed that laminated root rot was more destructive in the previous stand at the time of its harvest than in the current second-growth stand. The reduction in stand density by P. weirii caused mortality was greater in the previous stand (75.5%) than in the current stand (41.7%). In the previous stand 60.9% of the trees living at harvest were infected while 35.1% of the living trees were infected in the current stand. The reduction of Expected Basal Area (of a healthy stand on the site) by P. weirii caused mortality was also greater in the previous stand (56.6%) than in the current stand (22.5%). The proportion of the Actual Basal Area infected was also higher in the previous stand (61..8 %) than in the current stand (41.1%). Phellinus weirii was present on 82.5% of the previous stand plot area compared to 51.2% of the current stand plot area. The difference is largely attributable to the larger Area of Concentrated Mortality in the previous stand (68.4% vs. 36.3%). Differences between plots in the Total Area of Infection in the current stand were best related to differences in the type of inoculum from the previous stand and area affected by these inoculum sources (Area of Potential Inoculum). Sixty-five percent of the currently diseased area lay beyond the Area of Potential Inoculum from the previous stand, indicating significant tree to tree spread in the current stand. Although damage levels were higher in the previous stand (at its harvest) than those currently found, the average annual rate of damage increase was much higher in the current stand than the previous stand. Projections of current damage rates to a comparable age predict much higher losses due to the disease in the current stand than were found in the previous stand

Automated analysis of free-text comments and dashboard representations in patient experience surveys: a multimethod co-design study

BACKGROUND: Patient experience surveys (PESs) often include informative free-text comments, but with no way of systematically, efficiently and usefully analysing and reporting these. The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (CPES), used to model the approach reported here, generates > 70,000 free-text comments annually. MAIN AIM: To improve the use and usefulness of PES free-text comments in driving health service changes that improve the patient experience. SECONDARY AIMS: (1) To structure CPES free-text comments using rule-based information retrieval (IR) (‘text engineering’), drawing on health-care domain-specific gazetteers of terms, with in-built transferability to other surveys and conditions; (2) to display the results usefully for health-care professionals, in a digital toolkit dashboard display that drills down to the original free text; (3) to explore the usefulness of interdisciplinary mixed stakeholder co-design and consensus-forming approaches in technology development, ensuring that outputs have meaning for all; and (4) to explore the usefulness of Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) in structuring outputs for implementation and sustainability. DESIGN: A scoping review, rapid review and surveys with stakeholders in health care (patients, carers, health-care providers, commissioners, policy-makers and charities) explored clinical dashboard design/patient experience themes. The findings informed the rules for the draft rule-based IR [developed using half of the 2013 Wales CPES (WCPES) data set] and prototype toolkit dashboards summarising PES data. These were refined following mixed stakeholder, concept-mapping workshops and interviews, which were structured to enable consensus-forming ‘co-design’ work. IR validation used the second half of the WCPES, with comparison against its manual analysis; transferability was tested using further health-care data sets. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) explored which toolkit features were preferred by health-care professionals, with a simple cost–benefit analysis. Structured walk-throughs with NHS managers in Wessex, London and Leeds explored usability and general implementation into practice. KEY OUTCOMES: A taxonomy of ranked PES themes, a checklist of key features recommended for digital clinical toolkits, rule-based IR validation and transferability scores, usability, and goal-oriented, cost–benefit and marketability results. The secondary outputs were a survey, scoping and rapid review findings, and concordance and discordance between stakeholders and methods. RESULTS: (1) The surveys, rapid review and workshops showed that stakeholders differed in their understandings of the patient experience and priorities for change, but that they reached consensus on a shortlist of 19 themes; six were considered to be core; (2) the scoping review and one survey explored the clinical toolkit design, emphasising that such toolkits should be quick and easy to use, and embedded in workflows; the workshop discussions, the DCE and the walk-throughs confirmed this and foregrounded other features to form the toolkit design checklist; and (3) the rule-based IR, developed using noun and verb phrases and lookup gazetteers, was 86% accurate on the WCPES, but needs modification to improve this and to be accurate with other data sets. The DCE and the walk-through suggest that the toolkit would be well accepted, with a favourable cost–benefit ratio, if implemented into practice with appropriate infrastructure support. LIMITATIONS: Small participant numbers and sampling bias across component studies. The scoping review studies mostly used top-down approaches and focused on professional dashboards. The rapid review of themes had limited scope, with no second reviewer. The IR needs further refinement, especially for transferability. New governance restrictions further limit immediate use. CONCLUSIONS: Using a multidisciplinary, mixed stakeholder, use of co-design, proof of concept was shown for an automated display of patient experience free-text comments in a way that could drive health-care improvements in real time. The approach is easily modified for transferable application. FUTURE WORK: Further exploration is needed of implementation into practice, transferable uses and technology development co-design approaches. FUNDING: The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme

PROBIÓTICOS NA ALIMENTAÇÃO DE LEITÕES DO DESMAME AOS 63 DIAS DE IDADE

O objetivo do experimento foi avaliar o desempenho de leitões recebendo antibiótico ou probiótico, em uso isolado ou associado. O projeto foi conduzido na granja de suínos da UFPR, em Pinhais - Pr. Foram utilizados 112 leitões mestiços Landrace x Large White, distribuídos num delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados com sete repetições por tratamento. O probiótico testado continha 5 x 10 esporos viáveis de Bacillus toyoi por grama. As rações continham 3.350 Kcal/EM/Kg; 21,8 e 20% de proteína bruta e 0,2 e 0,1% de inclusão do probiótico nas rações pré-inicial e inicial, respectivamente. Os tratamentos utilizados foram: T1 - ração à base de soja e milho (basal); T2 - basal + probiótico; T3 - basal + antibiótico e T4 - basal + antibiótico + probiótico. Foram avaliados os pesos ao desmame, 37, 51 e 63 dias; consumo de ração (CR); ganho de peso diário (GPD) e conversão alimentar (CA) nos tratamentos e suas interações fatoriais foram analisados pelo SAEG e as médias comparadas por Newman Keuls, a 5%. Os pesos aos 51 e 63 dias e o GPD foram superiores para T3 e T4. A CA foi superior em T4. A adição ou não de probiótico não apresentou melhora para nenhuma das variáveis. A presença de antibiótico apresentou melhores pesos aos 51 e 63 dias, GPD, CR e CA. O uso de probióticos piorou as características de desempenho dos leitões quando comparado ao antibiótico; o probiótico associado ao antibiótico melhorou a eficiência alimentar. Probiotcs in the pigs food from weaning to 63 days Abstract The main aim of the present experiment was to carry on an evaluation of the performance of pigs using antibiotic or probiotic either isolated or in association. The experiment took place at the UFPR pig farm , Pinhais, Pr. A total of 112 crossbreed Landrace x Large White pigs were used in the experiment. The animals were distributed in casual blocks according to the experimental outline with seven repetitions for each treatment. The tested probiotic contained 5 x10 viable spores of Bacillus toyoi per gram. The rations contained 3,350 Kcal/EM/kg; 21.8, 20% of raw protein and 0.2 and 0.1 % of inclusion of the probiotic in the preinitial and initial rations, respectively.The treatments were as follows: T1 of soy and corn (basal) ; T2 - basal + probiotic; T3 - basal + antibiotic ; T4 - basal + probiotic + antibiotic. At each treatment and its factorial interactions the following parameters were then considered: weight at the weaning and at 37, 51 and 63 days of age; rations consumption (CR); daily wining of weight (GPD); and alimentary conversion (CA). The data obtained were then analyzed by SAEG and the averages compared by Newman Keuls, at 5%. The weights at 51 and 63 days and the GPD were superiors for T3 and T4. Alimentary conversion - CA - showed to be superior for T4. The addition or not of probiotic did not show weight improvement for none of the variables. Pig weights at 51 and 63 days, GPD, CR and CA values were positively influenced by the addition of antibiotic to the ration. Compared to the antibiotic, the use of probiotic worsened the pigs performance characteristics, however, the association of probiotic and antibiotic improved the alimentary efficiency

Optical characteristics of a-Si: H layers deposited by PACVD at various temperatures

Amorphous a-Si:H layers fabricated by plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition are studied. The layers were grown on monocrystalline silicon at various temperatures, ranging from the room temperature to 400 °C. Structure and chemical composition (hydrogen content) of the layers were characterized by use of fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A main attention in the studies was focused on optical properties of the layers. The respective measurements were made by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry within 170–1900 nm spectral range, at room temperature and during post-annealing the sample up to 400 °C. The Kramers–Krönig optical model was matched to the ellipsometric angle spectra, Ψ(λ) and Δ(λ), and hence the layers’ thicknesses and optical indices were calculated. The band gap of the studied materials was calculated from the Tauc expression for the extinction index near the band edge. The results show that the layers deposited at 150 °C have similar properties. Their growth rate is higher than 0.1 nm/s and hydrogen content does not exceed 10 at.%. All they have relatively high refractive index within visible light range. The highest refractive index is for the layer deposited at 400 °C and reaches almost 4.0 at 460 nm. The band gap of all layers deposited at 150 °C and above exceeds 2 eV but is not higher than 2.4 eV. The band gap of the layers deposited below 150 °C is less than 2 eV. Post-annealing of the layers for 40 min at 400 °C does not change their optical indices but clearly reduces the depolarization

TNF-α protects from exacerbated myocarditis and cardiac death by suppressing expansion of activated heart-reactive CD4+ T cells

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) represents a classical proinflammatory cytokine and its increased levels positively correlate with the severity of many cardiovascular diseases. Surprisingly, some heart failure patients receiving high doses of anti- TNF-α antibodies showed serious health worsening. This work aimed to examine the role of TNF-α signalling on the development and progression of myocarditis and heart-specific autoimmunity. METHODS AND RESULTS Mice with genetic deletion of TNF-α (Tnf+/- and Tnf-/-) and littermate controls (Tnf+/+) were used to study myocarditis in the inducible and the transgenic T cell receptor (TCR-M) models. Tnf+/- and Tnf-/- mice immunized with α-myosin heavy chain peptide (αMyHC) showed reduced myocarditis incidence but the susceptible animals developed extensive inflammation in the heart. In the TCR-M model, defective TNF-α production was associated with increased mortality at a young age due to cardiomyopathy and cardiac fibrosis. We could confirm that TNF-α as well as the secretome of antigen-activated heart-reactive effector CD4+ T (Teff) cells effectively activated the adhesive properties of cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (cMVECs). Our data suggested that TNF-α produced by endothelial in addition to Teff cells promoted leucocyte adhesion to activated cMVECs. Analysis of CD4+ T lymphocytes from both models of myocarditis showed a strongly increased fraction of Teff cells in hearts, spleens, and in the blood of Tnf+/- and Tnf-/- mice. Indeed, antigen-activated Tnf-/- Teff cells showed prolonged long-term survival and TNF-α cytokine-induced cell death of heart-reactive Teff. CONCLUSIONS TNF-α signalling promotes myocarditis development by activating cardiac endothelial cells. However, in the case of established disease, TNF-α protects from exacerbating cardiac inflammation by inducing activation-induced cell death of heart-reactive Teff. These data might explain the lack of success of standard anti-TNF-α therapy in heart failure patients and open perspectives for T cell-targeted approaches