3,818 research outputs found
Effect of Calf Gender on Milk Yield and Fatty Acid Content in Holstein Dairy Cows
The scale of sexed semen use to avoid the birth of unwanted bull calves in the UK dairy industry depends on several economic factors. It has been suggested in other studies that calf gender may affect milk yield in Holsteins- something that would affect the economics of sexed semen use. The present study used a large milk recording data set to evaluate the effect of calf gender (both calf born and calf in utero) on both milk yield and saturated fat content. Linear regression was used to model data for first lactation and second lactation separately. Results showed that giving birth to a heifer calf conferred a 1% milk yield advantage in first lactation heifers, whilst giving birth to a bull calf conferred a 0.5% advantage in second lactation. Heifer calves were also associated with a 0.66kg reduction in saturated fatty acid content of milk in first lactation, but there was no significant difference between the genders in second lactation. No relationship was found between calf gender and milk mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acid content. The observed effects of calf gender on both yield and saturated fatty acid content was considered minor when compared to nutritional and genetic influences
Large-scale proteomic analysis of T. spiralis muscle-stage ESPs identifies a novel upstream motif for in silico prediction of secreted products
The Trichinella genus contains parasitic nematodes capable of infecting a wide range of hosts including mammals, birds and reptiles. Like other helminths, T. spiralis secretes a complex mixture of bioactive molecules capable of modulating its immediate surroundings and creating a hospitable environment for growth, survival and ultimately transmission. The constitution of these excretory-secretory products (ESPs) changes depending on the tissue niche and the specific stage of parasite development. Unique to T. spiralis is a true intracellular stage wherein larvae develop inside striated myotubes. Remarkably, the parasite larvae do not destroy the host cell but rather reprogram it to support their presence and growth. This transformation is largely mediated through stage-specific secretions released into the host cell cytoplasm. In this study, we apply state of the art proteomics and computational approaches to elucidate the composition and functions of muscle-stage T. spiralis ESPs. Moreover, we define a recurring, upstream motif associated with the stichosome, the main secretory organ of this worm, and can be used to predict secreted proteins across experimentally less tractable T. spiralis life cycle stages
Using zeta-potential measurements to quantify peptide partition to lipid membranes
© The Author(s) 2011. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com.Open Access: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.Many cellular phenomena occur on the biomembranes. There are plenty of molecules (natural or xenobiotics) that interact directly or partially with the cell membrane. Biomolecules, such as several peptides (e.g., antimicrobial peptides) and proteins, exert their effects at the cell membrane level. This feature makes necessary investigating their interactions with lipids to clarify their mechanisms of action and side effects necessary. The determination of molecular lipid/water partition constants (Kp) is frequently used to quantify the extension of the interaction. The determination of this parameter has been achieved by using different methodologies, such as UV-Vis absorption spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy and ζ-potential measurements. In this work, we derived and tested a mathematical model to determine the Kp from ζ-potential data. The values obtained with this method were compared with those obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy, which is a regular technique used to quantify the interaction of intrinsically fluorescent peptides with selected biomembrane model systems. Two antimicrobial peptides (BP100 and pepR) were evaluated by this new method. The results obtained by this new methodology show that ζ-potential is a powerful technique to quantify peptide/lipid interactions of a wide variety of charged molecules, overcoming some of the limitations inherent to other techniques, such as the need for fluorescent labeling.This work was partially supported by project PTDC/QUI/ 69937/2006 from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia-Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT-MCTES, Portugal), and by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (Portugal). JMF and MMD also thank FCT-MCTES for grants IMM/BT/37-2010 and SFRH/BD/41750/2007, respectively
Prediction of prostate cancer Gleason score upgrading from biopsy to radical prostatectomy using pre-biopsy multiparametric MRI PIRADS scoring system
Long-term (trophic) purinergic signalling: purinoceptors control cell proliferation, differentiation and death
The purinergic signalling system, which uses purines and pyrimidines as chemical transmitters, and purinoceptors as effectors, is deeply rooted in evolution and development and is a pivotal factor in cell communication. The ATP and its derivatives function as a 'danger signal' in the most primitive forms of life. Purinoceptors are extraordinarily widely distributed in all cell types and tissues and they are involved in the regulation of an even more extraordinary number of biological processes. In addition to fast purinergic signalling in neurotransmission, neuromodulation and secretion, there is long-term (trophic) purinergic signalling involving cell proliferation, differentiation, motility and death in the development and regeneration of most systems of the body. In this article, we focus on the latter in the immune/defence system, in stratified epithelia in visceral organs and skin, embryological development, bone formation and resorption, as well as in cancer. Cell Death and Disease (2010) 1, e9; doi:10.1038/cddis.2009.11; published online 14 January 201
Genome re-annotation: a wiki solution?
The annotation of most genomes becomes outdated over time, owing in part to our ever-improving knowledge of genomes and in part to improvements in bioinformatics software. Unfortunately, annotation is rarely if ever updated and resources to support routine reannotation are scarce. Wiki software, which would allow many scientists to edit each genome's annotation, offers one possible solution
Pelagic calcium carbonate production and shallow dissolution in the North Pacific Ocean
Planktonic calcifying organisms play a key role in regulating ocean carbonate
chemistry and atmospheric CO 2 . Surprisingly, references to the absolute and
relative contribution of these organisms to calcium carbonate production are
lacking. Here we report quantification of pelagic calcium carbonate produc-
tion in the North Pacific, providing new insights on the contribution of the
three main planktonic calcifying groups. Our results show that coccolitho-
phores dominate the living calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) standing stock, with
coccolithophore calcite comprising ~90% of total CaCO 3 production, and
pteropods and foraminifera playing a secondary role. We show that pelagic
CaCO 3 production is higher than the sinking flux of CaCO 3 at 150 and 200 m at
ocean stations ALOHA and PAPA, implying that a large portion of pelagic
calcium carbonate is remineralised within the photic zone; this extensive
shallow dissolution explains the apparent discrepancy between previous
estimates of CaCO 3 production derived from satellite observations/biogeo-
chemical modeling versus estimates from shallow sediment traps. We suggest
future changes in the CaCO 3 cycle and its impact on atmospheric CO 2 will
largely depend on how the poorly-understood processes that determine
whether CaCO 3 is remineralised in the photic zone or exported to depth
respond to anthropogenic warming and acidification
Central Asia and the globalisation of the contemporary legal consciousness
What is the logic which governs the processes of legal globalization? How does the transnational proliferation of legal forms operate in the contemporary geo-juridical space? What are the main defining characteristics of the currently dominant mode of transnational legal consciousness and how can the concept of legal consciousness help us understand better the historical ebb and flow of the Western-led projects of good governance promotion in regions like Central Asia after the fall of the Soviet Union? Using Duncan Kennedy’s seminal essay Three Globalizations of Law and Legal Thought as its starting platform, this essay seeks to explore these and a series of other related questions, while also drawing on the work of the Greek Marxist lawyer-philosopher Nicos Poulantzas to help elucidate some latent analytical stress-points in Kennedy’s broader theoretical framework. Reacting against the neo-Orientalist tone adopted across much of the contemporary field of Central Asian studies, it develops an alternative account of the internal history of the legal-globalizational encounter between the Western-based reform entrepreneurs and the national legal-political elites in Central Asia in the post-1991 period, complementing it with a detailed description of the general institutional and discursive structures within which this encounter took place
Evaluation of the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Green Social Prescribing Funding Programme
A growing body of evidence shows health, wellbeing and ecosystem benefits of investment in Green Social Prescribing. West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership funded nine Green Social Prescribing pilot projects, with the aim of supporting and improving mental health and wellbeing among vulnerable local population groups. The results showed that target groups were reached through the projects and evidence of improved health and wellbeing outcomes among users and a postive impact on the local environment. The projects successfully delivered person centred care, strong leadership and high likelihood of continuation of the projects. Barriers included bureacratic challenges and difficulties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Future funding could targed a wider user group and offer practical, insitutional and narrative support. The projects demonstrated the importance of codesign in evaluation design
Cascaded two-photon nonlinearity in a one-dimensional waveguide with multiple two-level emitters
We propose and theoretically investigate a model to realize cascaded optical
nonlinearity with few atoms and photons in one-dimension (1D). The optical
nonlinearity in our system is mediated by resonant interactions of photons with
two-level emitters, such as atoms or quantum dots in a 1D photonic waveguide.
Multi-photon transmission in the waveguide is nonreciprocal when the emitters
have different transition energies. Our theory provides a clear physical
understanding of the origin of nonreciprocity in the presence of cascaded
nonlinearity. We show how various two-photon nonlinear effects including
spatial attraction and repulsion between photons, background fluorescence can
be tuned by changing the number of emitters and the coupling between emitters
(controlled by the separation).Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
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