Nutritive Value Assessment of Four Crop Residues by Proximate Composition and In Vitro Rumen Fermentation Techniques

This study estimated the proximate composition and in vitro gas production parameters of rice husk, bean waste, citrus pulp and maize stover, in a rumen incubation system. The incubation was for 24 h with measurement of gas production volume over incubation periods of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 hours. The crude protein ranged 1.92 to 11.75% and the crude fibre ranged between 9.68 and 45.09%. The potential gas production (a+b) was rated highest in both citrus pulp and maize stover (48.33 ml), next was bean waste (42.00 ml) and lowest was rice husk (25 ml). The ranges of values of metabolizable energy (ME), organic matter digestibility (OMD) and short chain fatty acids(SCFA) were 6.33 to 9.24 MJ/kg DM, 52.70 to 64.69 % and 0.94 to 1.09 μmol respectively. The values of ME, OMD and SCFA ranked as, citrus pulp > maize stover> bean waste > rice husk. The higher values obtained for the potential gas production (a+b), ME, OMD and SCFA in citrus pulp and maize stover could imply higher nutrient availability for the rumen micro-organisms. The results revealed that citrus pulp and maize stover could be of higher nutritional value in ruminants feed than bean waste, while rice husk was lowest

Role of coronary microvascular dysfunction in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is one of the greatest unmet needs in modern medicine. The lack of an appropriate therapy may reflect the lack of an accurate comprehension of its pathophysiology. Coronary microvascular rarefaction in HFpEF was first hypothesized in an autopsy study that showed how HFpEF patients had lower microvascular density and more myocardial fibrosis than control subjects. This was later confirmed in vivo when it was noted that HFpEF is associated with reduced myocardial flow reserve (MFR) at single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and that coronary microvascular dysfunction may play a role in HFpEF disease processes. HFpEF patients were found to have lower coronary flow reserve (CFR) and a higher index of microvascular resistance (IMR). What is the cause of microvascular dysfunction? In 2013, a new paradigm for the pathogenesis of HFpEF has been proposed. It has been postulated that the presence of a proinflammatory state leads to coronary microvascular endothelial inflammation and reduced nitric oxide bioavailability, which ultimately results in heart failure. Recently, it has also been noted that inflammation is the main driver of HFpEF, but via an increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) resulting in a decrease in unfolded protein response. This review summarizes the current evidence on the etiology of coronary microvascular dysfunction in HFpEF, focusing on the role of inflammation and its possible prevention and therapy

An Architecture for Observational Learning

In this thesis I present an architecture that learns new skills through observation and adapts to the environment through situated experience in the world. Such an architectural growth is bootstrapped from a minimal initial knowledge and the architecture itself is built around the biologically-inspired notion of internal models. The key idea, supported by findings in cognitive neuroscience, is that the same internal models used in overt goal-directed action execution can be covertly re-enacted in simulation to observe and understand the actions of others. The system applies these concepts to learning higher order cognitive functions like learning problem solving skills and social interaction skills. Rather than rea- soning over abstract symbols, the system relies on biologically plausible processes firmly grounded in the actual sensori-motor experience of the agent. The system continuously learns new models and revises existing ones through the observation of other intentional agents in the world and through direct indivi- dual experience. The learning process accumulates knowledge about causal rela- tions between observed events, and acquires complex skills observing and abstract- ing the goals of a demonstrator. To reach its goals, the system exploits the acquired knowledge and uses its internal models to reason about future consequences of its actions. The architec- ture anticipates future needs and perils and through its internal models used in simulation it reasons about the future in a way detached from the current situation. This thesis presents also two case studies used to test the ideas constituting the architecture. The first is a classical AI problem-solving domain: the Sokoban puzzle; the second is the domain of social interaction

Assessment of cerebral microbleeds by susceptibility-weighted imaging in Alzheimer's disease patients: A neuroimaging biomarker of the disease

Purpose The objective of this study was to correlate the presence and distribution of cerebral microbleeds in Alzheimer's disease patients with cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (amyloid-beta and phosphorylated tau 181 protein levels) and cognitive decline by using susceptibility-weighted imaging magnetic resonance sequences at 1.5 T. Material and methods Fifty-four consecutive Alzheimer's disease patients underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 T to assess the presence and distribution of cerebral microbleeds on susceptibility-weighted imaging images. The images were analyzed in consensus by two neuroradiologists, each with at least 10 years' experience. Dementia severity was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination score. A multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the associations between the number and location of cerebral microbleed lesions with the age, sex, duration of the disease, cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-beta and phosphorylated tau 181 protein levels, and cognitive functions. Results A total of 296 microbleeds were observed in 54 patients; 38 patients (70.4%) had lobar distribution, 13 patients (24.1%) had non-lobar distribution, and the remaining three patients (5.6%) had mixed distribution, demonstrating that Alzheimer's disease patients present mainly a lobar distribution of cerebral microbleeds. The age and the duration of the disease were correlated with the number of lobar cerebral microbleeds (P < 0.001). Cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-beta, phosphorylated tau 181 protein levels, and cognitive decline were correlated with the number of lobar cerebral microbleeds in Alzheimer's disease patients (P < 0.001). Conclusion Lobar distribution of cerebral microbleeds is associated with Alzheimer's disease and the number of lobar cerebral microbleeds directly correlates with cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-beta and phosphorylated tau 181 protein levels and with the cognitive decline of Alzheimer's disease patients

Allostimulation of patients' lymphocytes generates both T and NK-like cells cytotoxic for autologous melanoma.

Killing of autologous melanoma (auto-Me) was obtained with pooled allostimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in 34/42 cases and found not to be due to a cross-reactivity between melanoma and allogeneic normal antigens. To see whether generation of tumour cytotoxic PBL by allostimulation was due to release of IL-2, PBL from 34 patients were divided into two aliquots and stimulated either by alloantigens or IL-2. Allostimulated PBL were cytotoxic for auto-Me in 30/34 cases (85%) whereas IL-2 generated tumour cytotoxic cells in 22/34 cases (64%). Lysis of K562, a target for monitoring NK-like activity, was obtained in 95-100% of cases with both stimuli. A similar frequency of OKT3+, OKT4+, OKT8+ and HNK1+ cells was found in PBL activated by allostimulation and IL-2, whereas a higher frequency of OKM1+ cells was evident in IL-2-stimulated PBL. Cold-target competition studies indicated that allostimulation generated at least two different types of effectors, one lytic to auto-Me but not to K562, and the other which lysed both targets. Allostimulated, FACS-separated T3- cells killed both auto-Me and K562 cells whereas T3+ cells lysed only auto-Me. It is concluded that allostimulation generated two subpopulations of auto-Me killer cells, one of the T lineage and the other NK-like, which both can destroy auto-Me targets

Encefalopatia ipertensiva cronica (EIC): sensibilita\u300 delle sequenze GE-T2* a confronto con le SWI nell'identificazione dei micro-sanguinamenti

L'EIC e\u300 caratterizzata dalla presenza di lesioni parenchimali irreversibili, risultato di una lunga esposizione a regimi pressori patologici specie in pazienti che non seguono o non rispondono alle comuni terapie mediche. Si riscontrano quali reperti tipici multipli esiti gliotici, leucoaraiosi e multiple lesioni lacunari con predilezione per le localizzazioni profonde ai nuclei lenticolari, ai talami e al ponte. Piu\u300 raramente possono evidenziarsi minuti foci emorragici parenchimali, piu\u300 frequentemente localizzati nei gangli della base ma anche nel ponte e nel cervelletto, che in alcuni casi possono rappresentare la manifestazione principale della patologia: questi microsanguinamenti, visibili incostantemente in TC, sono classicamente ben individuabili in RM come aree di netta ipointensita\u300 di segnale in GRE (Gradient Recalled Echo) T2* pesate. Scopo del nostro lavoro e\u300 quello di presentare due casi in cui l'EIC si manifesta prevalentemente con un quadro micro-emorragico confrontando la sensibilita\u300 delle convenzionali sequenze GRE T2* pesate con sequenze sensibili al fenomeno della suscettivita\u300 magnetica (Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging, SWI) di piu\u300 recente introduzione nella routine diagnostica

In vitro and in vivo antimalarial and cytotoxic activity of five plants used in Congolese traditional medicine.

peer reviewedAIM OF THE STUDY: The in vitro antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity of methanolic and dichloromethane extracts from five Congolese plants were evaluated. The plants were selected following an ethnobotanical survey conducted in D.R. Congo and focusing on plants used traditionally to treat malaria. The in vivo antimalarial activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts active in vitro was also determined in mice infected by Plasmodium berghei berghei. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The growth inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum strains was evaluated using the measurement of lactate dehydrogenase activity. The extracts (aqueous, CH(3)OH, EtOH and CH(2)Cl(2)) were prepared by maceration and tested in vitro against the 3D7 (chloroquine sensitive) and W2 (chloroquine resistant) strains of Plasmodium falciparum and against the human normal fetal lung fibroblasts WI-38 to determine the selectivity index. Some extracts were also used at the dose of 300mg/kg to evaluate their activity in mice infected since 4 days by Plasmodium berghei. RESULTS: Two plants presented a very high activity (IC(50)10, Anisopappus chinensis). Anisopappus chinensis and Physalis angulata were also active in vivo

Four cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in iatrogenic immunocompromised patients

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by John Cunningham Virus (JCV). We report four PML cases in immunocompromised patients, respectively treated with (1) Natalizumab, (2) Rituximab, (3) autologous stem-cell transplantation, and (4) Tacrolimus. All patients underwent neurological examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), JCV-DNA research on biological samples, and lymphocytes subpopulation study. All cases presented with motor, behavioural, and cognitive disorders. Visual, sensitive, and cerebellar deficits developed in three cases. MRI revealed widespread progressive demyelinating areas with active borders; three patients presented contrast enhancement. One patient developed inflammatory reconstitution syndrome (IRIS). At MRS, all cases presented decreased N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and three cases showed increased choline (Cho). In one patient, plasma and urine tested positive for JCV-DNA, while cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis confirmed JCV in two patients. The fourth patient had a low JCV-DNA blood titer and brain biopsy showed subacute necrosis. Two patients had abnormal lymphocyte subpopulations. Three patients underwent therapy with Mirtazapine, one of whom received Mefloquine in add-on. No clinical response was registered. Clinical onset, MRI and MRS were highly suggestive of PML in all patients, despite three cases presented contrast enhancement. In three cases JCV-DNA detection in biological samples confirmed the diagnosis. The fourth patient fulfilled diagnosis of “presumptive PML”. Our data confirm the importance to complete the diagnostic workup despite the presence of findings not completely consistent with classical PML. We hypothesize that atypical characteristics could due to the clinical conditions leading to PML

Malignancy course of pituitary adenoma in MEN1 syndrome: Clinical-Neuroradiological signs

Pituitary carcinomas (PCa) are extremely rare, indistinguishable from pituitary adenomas on histopathological grounds and have a poor prognosis. Most PCa start as PRL or ACTH secreting tumors in males, with relapsing invasive behaviour, refractoriness to medical and radiotherapy and increasing hormonal levels. The presence of distant metastases is still required for the diagnosis of PCa. The association with genetic endocrine diseases must be taken into account, since it adds further risk of evolution towards malignancy. Intradural spinal metastases have also been reported, so a complete craniospinal MR evaluation is recommended, when clinically indicated. We report a case of PCa, associated with MEN1 syndrome, with evidence of meningeal spread to the tentorium cerebelli, clival dura and spinal drop metastases mimicking spinal nerves schwannomas

primary cutaneous cd30 anaplastic large cell lymphoma in a heart transplant patient case report and literature review

Solid organ transplant recipients are at risk of develop ing a wide range of viral-associated malignancies, in cluding skin tumours and lymphoproliferative disorders. The risk of a post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder is 28–49 times the risk of a lymphoproliferative disorder in the normal population. Most cases are of B-cell phenotype and are associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection. Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders presenting clinically in the skin are rare and usually of B-cell phenotype. Only rare cases of cutaneous T-cell post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder have been reported previously, mostly mycosis fungoides type. We describe here a rare primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma CD30+ arising in a heart transplant patient who had a nodule on the right leg, several years after heart transplantation. The morphology and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with a CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma with a T-cell phenotype. Excisional biopsy and radiotherapy of the affected area were performed. In this patient, the presence of a solitary lesion and th