Potential impact of prickly pear cactus flour and Salix babylonica extract on cecal fermentation and methane production in horses

The cecal gas (GP) and methane (CH4) production and cecal fermentation kinetics when corn grain (CG) was replaced with prickly cactus (PC) in a horse’s diet at different levels of Salix babylonica (SB) extract was investigated. Three total mixed rations where CG was replaced with PC at three levels (/kg): 0 g (Control), 75 g (PC75) or 150 g (PC150) were prepared and SB extract added at four levels: 0, 0.6, 1.2 and 1.8 mL/g dry matter (DM) of substrates. No ration type 9 SB extract dose interaction was observed (P [0.05) for GP kinetics and CH4 production. Increasing the level of PC in the ration quadratically increased (P \0.01) the asymptotic GP and decreased (P\0.01) the rate and lag time of GP. Increasing the level of PC in the ration, increased GP values (P\0.05). Increasing the level of SB extract linearly decreased (P = 0.001) the lag time of GP of all diets without affecting the asymptotic GP or the rate of GP. Ration type and SB level had no effect (P [0.05) on CH4 production; however, at 36 h of incubation, SB extract decreased CH4 production. The rations PC75 and PC150 increased cecal pH compared with the control ration. The PC150 ration had the highest (P\0.05) DM degradability, short chain fatty acids production, and gas yield after 24 h of incubation, with no effect (P[0.05) of SB inclusion on all investigated fermentation kinetic parameters. It is concluded that increasing the level of PC in the diet of horse and replacing CG up to 60%, increased GP and improved cecal fermentation kinetics without affecting CH4 production. Inclusion of S. babylonica extract in the tested rations had weak effects on fermentation kinetics although it decreased the lag time of GP

Early and Late Pathogenic Events of Newborn Mice Encephalitis Experimentally Induced by Itacaiunas and Curionópolis Bracorhabdoviruses Infection

In previous reports we proposed a new genus for Rhabdoviridae and described neurotropic preference and gross neuropathology in newborn albino Swiss mice after Curionopolis and Itacaiunas infections. In the present report a time-course study of experimental encephalitis induced by Itacaiunas and Curionopolis virus was conducted both in vivo and in vitro to investigate cellular targets and the sequence of neuroinvasion. We also investigate, after intranasal inoculation, clinical signs, histopathology and apoptosis in correlation with viral immunolabeling at different time points. Curionopolis and Itacaiunas viral antigens were first detected in the parenchyma of olfactory pathways at 2 and 3 days post-inoculation (dpi) and the first clinical signs were observed at 4 and 8 dpi, respectively. After Curionopolis infection, the mortality rate was 100% between 5 and 6 dpi, and 35% between 8 and 15 dpi after Itacaiunas infection. We identified CNS mice cell types both in vivo and in vitro and the temporal sequence of neuroanatomical olfactory areas infected by Itacaiunas and Curionopolis virus. Distinct virulences were reflected in the neuropathological changes including TUNEL immunolabeling and cytopathic effects, more intense and precocious after intracerebral or in vitro inoculations of Curionopolis than after Itacaiunas virus. In vitro studies revealed neuronal but not astrocyte or microglial cytopathic effects at 2 dpi, with monolayer destruction occurring at 5 and 7 dpi with Curionopolis and Itacaiunas virus, respectively. Ultrastructural changes included virus budding associated with interstitial and perivascular edema, endothelial hypertrophy, a reduced and/or collapsed small vessel luminal area, thickening of the capillary basement membrane, and presence of phagocytosed apoptotic bodies. Glial cells with viral budding similar to oligodendrocytes were infected with Itacaiunas virus but not with Curionopolis virus. Thus, Curionopolis and Itacaiunas viruses share many pathological and clinical features present in other rhabdoviruses but distinct virulence and glial targets in newborn albino Swiss mice brain

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants

Background: Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories.Methods: We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30-79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age.Findings: The number of people aged 30-79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306-359) million women and 317 (292-344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584-668) million women and 652 (604-698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55-62) of women and 49% (46-52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43-51) of women and 38% (35-41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20-27) for women and 18% (16-21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran.Interpretation: Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings.Copyright (C) 2021 World Health Organization; licensee Elsevier.</p

Morphometric study of the fibrosis and mast cell count in the circular colon musculature of chronic Chagas patients with and without megacolon Estudo morfométrico da fibrose e do número de mastócitos na muscular circular do cólon de chagásicos crônicos com e sem megacólon

A morphometric study of the circular colon musculature was performed, in which the mast cell count was determined and the connective fibrous tissue in this layer was measured. The objective was to gain better understanding of Chagas megacolon morphology and contribute towards the knowledge of fibrosis pathogenesis in Chagas megas. An evaluation was made of 15 distal sigmoid rings from Chagas patients with megacolon (MCC), 15 without megacolon (CSMC) and 15 non-Chagas patients (NC). The rings were fixed in formol, embedded in paraffin, and 7mm thick sections were cut and stained using Azan-Heidenhain and Giemsa. The mast cell count and fibrosis were greater in the MCC group than in the CSMC and NC groups (p < 0.05; Kruskal-Wallis test) and there was no significant difference between the latter two. The fibrosis and increased mast cell count in the colon musculature of the MCC group possibly indicates that there is a relationship between mastocytosis and fibrosis, as has already been demonstrated in other pathologies.<br>Com os objetivos de conhecer melhor a morfologia do megacólon chagásico e contribuir para o conhecimento da patogênese da fibrose dos megas, realizou-se estudo morfométrico na muscular circular do cólon, contando-se o número de mastócitos e medindo o conjuntivo fibroso nessa camada. Foram avaliados anéis do sigmóide distal de 15 chagásicos com megacólon (MCC), 15 sem megacólon (CSMC) e 15 não chagásicos (NC). Os anéis foram fixados em formol, incluídos em parafina, cortados com 7mm de espessura e corados por Azan-Heidenhain e Giemsa. O número de mastócitos e a fibrose foram maiores no grupo com MCC em relação ao CSMC e NC (p < 0,05; teste de Kruskal-Wallis); não houve diferença significante entre os dois últimos grupos. Diante destes achados, é possível, que haja relação entre mastocitose e fibrose no megacólon chagásico, como já se demonstrou em outras doenças

Decomposing a composition: on the multi-layered analysis of expressive music performance

In our engagement with music, not only the physical experience of sound is important. Also the interplay between body movements, musical gestures and the cognitive processes of performers and listeners is part of our experience. Yet, this multimodal aspect is not always fully considered when analyzing music performance. In this paper, we want to establish a framework for a multi-layered analysis of music performance, building on data retrieved from quantitative and qualitative procedures and involving the perspectives of composer, performer and musicologist. The performance of a classical guitarist was analyzed in detail, using both a ‘bottom-up’ approach (audio-analysis and motion-capture) and a ‘top-down’ perspective (annotations from video-footage, perceived phrasing and the composer’s, performer’s and researcher’s perspective). These different analytical layers were compared and evaluated, which pointed out that multiple perspectives can reinforce each other in understanding musical intentions and can help detecting mismatches between qualitative and quantitative data. The analytical framework developed could be an important step in the coupling of performer’s intentions with the expressive enactment of a musical score

Free-Improvised Rehearsal-as-Research for Musical HCI

The formal evaluation of new interfaces for musical expression (NIMEs) in their use by ensembles of musicians is a challenging problem in human-computer interaction (HCI). NIMEs are designed to support creative expressions that are often improvised and unexpected. In the collaborative setting of a musical ensemble, interactions are complex and it can be almost impossible to directly evaluate the impact of interface variations. The evaluation environment also needs to be carefully considered. In the wild, concert pressures and practicalities limit experimental control. In the laboratory, studies may not sufficiently reflect real-world usage to make their conclusions relevant. To address some of these issues, we propose a methodology of rehearsal-as-research to study free improvisation by ensembles of NIME performers. In this methodology, evaluation sessions are structured to mirror established practices for improvisation training and performance development. Such sessions can allow controlled, order-balanced studies with extensive data collection in the style of factorial HCI experiments while preserving the artistic setting of a rehearsal. Experiment design, questionnaires, and objective measures such as session duration will be discussed along with two case studies. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 201

How Effective Are Asian Hotels in Communicating CSR Efforts Through the Property Websites? The Case of Hong Kong

Among the areas in the field of hospitality, web-based CSR communication has been rarely investigated. Prior studies have identified various CSR content provided on hotel websites, but have not evaluated web-based CSR communication performance based on usability factors and interactive elements. Moreover, existing research focused more on Western-based hospitality organizations. Prior studies on Asian hotel industry have been minimal. This study was conducted to evaluate the web-based CSR communication practice in the Hong Kong hotel industry, and proposed a modified ICTR’s website evaluation model to evaluate the Hong Kong hotel industry’s web-based CSR communication performance. Results show that communicating CSR effort through the property website was not a popular practice among Hong Kong hotels and that international and local hotels tend to communicate CSR efforts through social media sites rather than through hotel websites. Most hotels in Hong Kong have poor overall performance in communicating CSR efforts through the property websites, especially the “Communication function” dimension, indicating that hotels in Hong Kong were not effectively communicating CSR efforts through the property websites.School of Hotel and Tourism Managemen