Cardiovascular, endocrine and behavioural responses to suckling and permanent separation in goats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Suckling can be a peaceful or vulnerable event for goats and kids, whereas, separation is suggested as stressful. The aim of this study was to investigate physiology and behaviour in these two different situations in dairy goats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Four studies were performed with seven goats kept with their first-born kid in individual boxes. The goats were videotaped and heart rate and arterial blood pressure were recorded every minute by telemetry from parturition until 24 hours after separation. One to two days after parturition, Study 1 was performed with analyses of heart rate and blood pressure around a suckling. In Study 2, performed 3-5 days after parturition, blood sampling was done before, during and after suckling. Study 3 was performed 4-6 days post partum, with blood sampling before and after a permanent goat and kid separation. In addition, vocalisations were recorded after separation. Blood samples were obtained from a jugular vein catheter and analysed for plasma cortisol, β-endorphin, oxytocin, and vasopressin concentrations. Study 4 was performed during the first (N1) and second nights (N2) after parturition and the nights after Study 2 (N3) and 3 (N4). Heart rate, blood pressure and time spent lying down were recorded.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The kids suckled 2 ± 0.2 times per hour and each suckling bout lasted 43 ± 15 s. In Study 1, heart rate and blood pressure did not change significantly during undisturbed suckling. In Study 2, plasma cortisol (P ≤ 0.05 during suckling and P ≤ 0.01 five minutes after suckling) and β-endorphin (P ≤ 0.05) concentrations increased during suckling, but oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations did not change. In Study 3, the goats and kids vocalised intensively during the first 20 minutes after separation, but the physiological variables were not affected. In Study 4, heart rate and arterial blood pressure declined gradually after parturition and were lowest during N4 (P ≤ 0.05) when the goats spent longer time lying down than during earlier nights (P ≤ 0.01 during N1 and N3 and P ≤ 0.05 during N2).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Suckling elevated plasma cortisol and β-endorphin concentrations in the goats. The intensive vocalisation in the goats after separation, earlier suggested to indicate stress, was not accompanied by cardiovascular or endocrine responses.</p

Adesão de mulheres mastectomizadas ao início precoce de um programa de reabilitação Adhesión de mujeres mastectomizadas al inicio de un programa de rehabilitación temprana Adherence to an early rehabilitation program among women who underwent mastectomy

OBJETIVOS: Verificar a adesão de mulheres mastectomizadas ao início precoce de um programa de reabilitação da amplitude de movimento do ombro homolateral à cirurgia e identificar as dificuldades na realização dos exercícios e das atividades de vida diária. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo desenvolvido no Ambulatório de Oncomastologia do Hospital São Paulo/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, no período de 2003 a 2004. A amostra constitui-se de 28 mulheres mastectomizadas que aceitaram participar do programa de reabilitação, desde a alta hospitalar até o primeiro retorno ambulatorial. RESULTADOS: Aderiram ao programa 64,2% das pacientes e 82,1% referiram dificuldade para execução dos exercícios, principalmente devido à dor. A maioria realizou as atividades de vida diária sem dificuldades. CONCLUSÃO: Faz-se necessário um melhor controle da dor pós-operatória e reforço das orientações para incrementar a adesão das pacientes ao programa de reabilitação.<br>OBJETIVOS: Verificar la adhesión de mujeres mastectomizadas al inicio de un programa de rehabilitación temprana de la amplitud de movimiento del hombro homolateral a la cirugía, e identificar las dificultades en la realización de los ejercicios y de las actividades de vida diaria. MÉTODOS: Estudio prospectivo desarrollado en consulta externa de Oncomastología del Hospital São Paulo/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, en el período 2003 al 2004. La muestra se constituyó de 28 mujeres mastectomizadas que aceptaron participar del programa de rehabilitación, desde el alta hospitalario hasta el primer retorno ambulatorio. RESULTADOS: La adhesion al programa fue del 64,2% de las pacientes y el 82,1% refirieron dificultad para la ejecución de los ejercicios, principalmente debido al dolor. La mayoría realizó las actividades de vida diaria sin dificultades. CONCLUSIÓN: Se hace necesario un mejor control del dolor post operatorio y refuerzo de las orientaciones para incrementar la adhesión de las pacientes al programa de rehabilitación.<br>OBJECTIVES: The main objective was to measure adherence to an early rehabilitation program among women who underwent mastectomy. Other specific objectives included the identification of women's difficulties to comply with the exercise prescription and to perform daily life activities, and whether women's adherence to the rehabilitation program was effective in regaining their shoulder's full range of motion on the side of the surgery. METHODS: A prospective study design was used. A sample of 28 women who underwent mastectomy and agreed to participate in an early rehabilitation program from discharge to the first outpatient clinic follow-up participated in the study. Data were collected from 2003 to 2004 in the oncomastology outpatient clinic of the Hospital São Paulo of the University Federal of São Paulo. RESULTS: The majority of women (63.2%) adhered to the early rehabilitation program. The majority of women (82.1%) also reported having difficulties to perform the prescribed exercise program due to pain but not with daily life activities. CONCLUSION: Pain management and patient education must be addressed to improve adherence to the early rehabilitation program

Medical healthcare use in Parkinson's disease: survey in a cohort of ambulatory patients in Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease which at present has no cure, and it usually results in severe disability. The burden of PD increases as the illness progresses, resulting in the extensive utilisation of both health and community services. Knowledge of healthcare use patterns and of their determinants may greatly contribute to improve patient care, however few studies have examined this issue in PD. The present study was devised to describe the type of and reasons for medical healthcare resource use in persons with PD attending a Centre for PD and Movement Disorders, and to examine drug prescriptions issued on such occasions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was a retrospective, cross-sectional survey in a cohort of ambulatory patients with PD, conducted by means of standard interviews.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the year before the study, 92 (70.8%) of 130 patients used medical healthcare resources: 1/5 of the patients was admitted to hospital, 1/5 to emergency room, 2/5 were visited by a non-neurology specialist, and 1/4 by the GP. Reasons were: nearly 20% programmed hospital admissions and visits, and more than 25% injuries and musculo-skeletal diseases. Other conditions typically occurring in PD (e.g. dementia, diabetes and cardio- and cerebro-vascular disease) were less frequently involved. On such occasions, drugs for PD were occasionally changed, however drug prescriptions for other indications were issued to more than 66% of the patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Several physicians other than the neurologist may take care of PD patients on different occasions, thus emphasising the need for communication between the reference neurologist and other physicians who from time to time may visit the patient.</p

A comparison of analytical methods for the quantificationof a reactive b-cyclodextrin fixed onto cotton yarns

Cotton yarns bobbins were treated in a water bath with different concentrations of a reactive b-cyclodextrin derivative. To quantify the amount of cyclodextrin fixed on the fiber different analytical methods were tested but none of them was reliable enough in the concentration range under investigation. Therefore, a new analytical method, fast and effective, was developed. From the measurement of cyclodextrin bath exhaustion, the amount of cyclodextrin chemically fixed and that physically adsorbed on the textile substrate was estimated. Two washing cycles were carried out to investigate the cyclodextrin washing fastnes