Circadian Rhythm and Sleep Disruption: Causes, Metabolic Consequences and Countermeasures.

Circadian (∼ 24 hour) timing systems pervade all kingdoms of life, and temporally optimize behaviour and physiology in humans. Relatively recent changes to our environments, such as the introduction of artificial lighting, can disorganize the circadian system, from the level of the molecular clocks that regulate the timing of cellular activities to the level of synchronization between our daily cycles of behaviour and the solar day. Sleep/wake cycles are intertwined with the circadian system, and global trends indicate that these too are increasingly subject to disruption. A large proportion of the world's population is at increased risk of environmentally-driven circadian rhythm and sleep disruption, and a minority of individuals are also genetically predisposed to circadian misalignment and sleep disorders. The consequences of disruption to the circadian system and sleep are profound and include myriad metabolic ramifications, some of which may be compounded by adverse effects on dietary choices. If not addressed, the deleterious effects of such disruption will continue to cause widespread health problems; therefore, implementation of the numerous behavioural and pharmaceutical interventions that can help restore circadian system alignment and enhance sleep will be important

Environmental Effects on Milk Yield Traits in Brown Swiss Herd Raised at Mus - Alparslan State Farm in Turkey

WOS: 000266282200024Study was conducted to define the effects of some environmental factors on lactation length and milk production in Brown Swiss cattle reared in Mu Alparslan State Farm. For this aim 768 lactation records belonging 282 cattle between the years of 1989 and 2004 were used. Means of milk production, 305 day milk production and lactation length of the cows in the study were defined as 4002.44 +/- 42.41 kg, 3892.59 +/- 37.34 kg ve 300.51 +/- 1.86 day respectively. Year, season and lactation number significantly affected the milk yield and 305 day milk yield (p < 0.05, P < 0.01). Similarly, statistically significant effects of year and lactation number on lactation length were defined (P < 0.01)