Pilot-testing a Cancer 101 Education Curriculum with the Fairbanks Native Association’s Women & Children’s Center for Inner Healing

Cancer is the leading cause of death among Alaska Native people Nevertheless, due to improved detection awareness about cancer prevention, early screening and advances in treatment survival rates are rising

Comparative study of lactation curves and milk quality in Holstein versus Swedish Red and White-Holstein Cross Cows

The objective of this study reported in this research paper was to compare the lactation curves of the production of milk, fat, protein, percentages of fat and protein, and somatic cell score in purebred Holstein (H) cows and Swedish Red and White (SRW) - Holstein (SxH) crossbred cows in the south-central region of the province of Cordoba, Argentina. The data set consisted of 32847 herd-test records from 1244 purebred H cows and 310 SRW x H crossbred cows, from three commercial dairy farms with cows of first to fifth or more lactations. The curves were modeled using the fourth-order Legendre orthogonal polynomials. In this study, the data of production of milk, fat production, protein production, percentage of fat, percentage of protein and somatic cell score (SCS) were analyzed. Purebred H cows had significantly higher milk production, more fat production and higher protein production levels than did SxH crossbred cows. However, SxH crossbred cows produced milk that had a higher percentage of fat and a higher percentage protein than did purebred H cows. In none of the lactations did somatic cell score differ significantly between the two breed groups. The results of our study showed that, SxH crossbred cows had significantly higher percentages of fat and protein; however, purebred H cows were significantly superior to SxH crossbred cows for the production of 305-d milk, fat, and protein. Mammary health, expressed in SCS, did not differ significantly between the two breed groups. Thus, suggest that crossbreeding Holstein purebred cows with SRW bulls can improve the composition of milk solids without affecting mammary health and, in this way, compensate substantially for any potential loss in the production and/or quality of the milk of the crossbred cows compared to H purebred cows.Fil: Pipino, Diego. Agroveterinaria Pipino; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Piccardi, Mónica Belén. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Departamento de Desarrollo Rural. Area de Estadística y Biometría; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lembeye, Felipe. Soprole. Gerencia de Abastecimiento. Departamento Agropecuario; ChileFil: Lopez Villalobos, Nicolas. Massey University; Nueva ZelandaFil: Vazquez, Maria Isabel. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

The ability of four strains of Streptococcus uberis to induce clinical mastitis after intramammary inoculation in lactating cows

AIM: To compare the ability of four strains of Streptococcus uberis at two doses to induce clinical mastitis in lactating dairy cows after intramammary inoculation in order to evaluate their usefulness for future experimental infection models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four field strains of Streptococcus uberis (26LB, S418, and S523 and SR115) were obtained from cows with clinical mastitis in the Wairarapa and Waikato regions of New Zealand. Twenty-four crossbred lactating cows, with no history of mastitis and absence of major pathogens following culture of milk samples, were randomly allocated to four groups (one per strain) of six cows. Each cow was infused (Day 0) in one quarter with approximately 104 cfu and in the contralateral quarter with approximately 106 cfu of the same strain. The other two quarters remained unchallenged. All four quarters were then inspected for signs of clinical mastitis, by palpation and observation of the foremilk, twice daily from Days 0–9, and composite milk samples were collected from Days 0–8 for analysis of somatic cell counts (SCC). Quarters were treated with penicillin when clinical mastitis was observed. Duplicate milk samples were collected and cultured on presentation of each clinical case and on Day 4 from challenged quarters with no clinical signs. RESULTS: Clinical mastitis was diagnosed in 26/48 (54%) challenged quarters. Challenge with strain S418 resulted in more cases of mastitis (12/12 quarters) than strains SR115 (7/12), 26LB (6/12) or S523 (1/12), and the mean interval from challenge to first diagnosis of mastitis was shorter for S418 than the other strains (p<0.001). The proportion of quarters from which S. uberis could be isolated after challenge was less for strain 26LB (1/6) than SR115 (6/7) (p<0.05), and SCC following challenge was lower for strain S523 than the other strains (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences between the strains in the proportion of quarters developing clinical mastitis, the interval to mastitis onset, SCC following challenge and the proportion of clinical cases from which S. uberis could be isolated. These results illustrate the difference in the ability of S. uberis strains to cause mastitis and the severity of the infections caused. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Experimental challenge models can be used to compare infectivity and pathogenicity of different strains of mastitis-causing bacteria, the efficacy of pharmaceutical products and host-responses in a cost-effective manner.S Notcovich, G deNicolo, NB Williamson, A Grinberg, N Lopez-Villalobos, KR Petrovsk

Annotated bibliography 1986-1990

The following compilation represents the third installment of Oral Tradition's ongoing annotated bibliography of scholarship relevant to the field. This addition, covering the years 1986-1990, maintains the goals of the first two installments: 1) to update John Miles Foley's original bibliography, Oral-Formulaic Theory and Research (Garland 1985), which provided an annotated listing of scholarship on the Parry-Lord theory of oral composition up until 1982, and 2) to expand the scope of the bibliography into other fields related to the study of oral traditions. The initial year of this installment also marks the beginning of Oral Tradition itself, and all articles published in the journal from 1986-1990 are herein annotated.Not

Ammonium chloride ingestion attenuates exercise-induced mRNA levels in human muscle

Minimizing the decrease in intracellular pH during high-intensity exercise training promotes greater improvements in mitochondrial respiration. This raises the intriguing hypothesis that pH may affect the exercise-induced transcription of genes that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis. Eight males performed 10x2-min cycle intervals at 80% VO2speak intensity on two occasions separated by ~2 weeks. Participants ingested either ammonium chloride (ACID) or calcium carbonate (PLA) the day before and on the day of the exercise trial in a randomized, counterbalanced order, using a crossover design. Biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis muscle before and after exercise. The mRNA level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor co-activator 1α (PGC-1α), citrate synthase, cytochome c and FOXO1 was elevated at rest following ACID (P<0.05). During the PLA condition, the mRNA content of mitochondrial- and glucose-regulating proteins was elevated immediately following exercise (P<0.05). In the early phase (0-2 h) of post-exercise recovery during ACID, PGC-1α, citrate synthase, cytochome C, FOXO1, GLUT4, and HKII mRNA levels were not different from resting levels (P>0.05); the difference in PGC-1α mRNA content 2 h post-exercise between ACID and PLA was not significant (P = 0.08). Thus, metabolic acidosis abolished the early post-exercise increase of PGC-1α mRNA and the mRNA of downstream mitochondrial and glucose-regulating proteins. These findings indicate that metabolic acidosis may affect mitochondrial biogenesis, with divergent responses in resting and post-exercise skeletal muscle

Cryptic genetic subdivision in the San Benito evening primrose (Camissonia benitensis)

When rare plants are distributed across a range of habitats, ecotypic differentiation may arise requiring customized conservation measures. The rate of local adaptation may be accelerated in complex landscapes with numerous physical barriers to gene flow. In such cases, examining the distribution of genetic diversity is essential in determining conservation management units. We investigated the distribution of genetic diversity in the federally threatened Camissonia benitensis (Onagraceae), which grows in two distinct serpentine habitats across several watersheds in San Benito, Fresno, and Monterey Cos., CA, USA. We compared genetic diversity with that of its two widespread relatives, C. contorta and C. strigulosa, and examined the potential for hybridization with the latter species. Genotyping results using seven heterospecific microsatellite markers indicate that differentiation between habitat types was weak (F ST = 0.0433) and in an AMOVA analysis, there was no significant partitioning of molecular variation between habitats. Watersheds accounted for 11.6 % of the molecular variation (pairwise F ST = 0.1823–0.4275). Three cryptic genetic clusters were identified by InStruct and STRUCTURE that do not correlate with habitat or watershed. C. benitensis exhibits 5–11× higher inbreeding levels and 0.54× lower genetic diversity in comparison to its close relatives. We found no evidence of hybridization between C. benitensis and C. strigulosa. To maximize conservation of the limited amount of genetic diversity in C. benitensis, we recommend mixing seed representing the three cryptic genetic clusters across the species’ geographic range when establishing new populations

Roles of lipids in coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) embryogenesis

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.) is an important crop world-wide but to maintain its status, a method of somatic embryogenesis to produce clonal populations is required. Despite recent improvements in callus production the formation of somatic embryos and plantlet regeneration remain problematic. This thesis identified lauric acid accumulation as a potential marker for coconut seedling development and used it as a nutrient in combination with other culture conditions to promote embryogenesis or germination. It was found that lauric acid content was correlated with seedling development. The fatty acid together with naphthaleneacetic acid, 6-benzylaminopurine and 77Z}'o-inositol in the culture medium increased the growth of the organs (shoots, roots and haustorium) of seedlings mimicking, to some extent, the development of intact nuts. Metabolic studies showed that lauric acid is used as a precursor of other fatty acids and complex lipids and that their contents varied with the organ and the developmental stage of the seedling. In somatic embryogenesis, lauric acid combined with ABA promoted callus differentiation and formation of proembryos. Studies of 2,4-D metabolism revealed that deciding upon the optimum concentration of the auxin to use in coconut somatic embryogenesis is complicated by its rate of metabolism and conditions of culture (sucrose and 2,4-D concentrations). Five classes of metabolites (glucose esters, peptide conjugates, basic metabolites, triacylglycerol analogues containing short-chain elongated forms of 2,4-D and triacylglycerol analogues containing long-chain elongated forms of 2,4-D) were formed in the explants and their proportions varied according to the growth of the cultured tissue. The presence of non-polar metabolites was associated with de-differentiation of cxplants. Finally an improved protocol for somatic embryogenesis is suggested but many details remain to be improved.Open Acces

Dairy product production and lactose demand in New Zealand and Ireland under different simulated milk product-processing portfolios

peer-reviewedMaximising dairy industry profitability involves maximising product returns for a specific set of costs or minimising costs for a certain level of output. A strategy currently utilised by the New Zealand dairy industry to optimise the value of exports is to incorporate imported lactose along with local milk to maximise the production of whole milk powder (WMP) while complying with the Codex Alimentarius (Codex) standards, in addition to increasing the exported product for every litre of milk. This study investigated the impact of different product portfolio strategies on lactose requirements for the Irish and New Zealand dairy industries for current and predicted 2020 milk output projections. A mass balance processing sector model that accounts for all inputs, outputs and losses involved in dairy processing was used to simulate the processing of milk into WMP, skim milk powder (SMP), cheese, butter and fluid milk of different proportions. All scenarios investigated projected an increase in production and revenue from 2012 to 2020. Higher cheese production reduced industry lactose demand through whey processing, while scenarios reliant on an increase in the proportion of WMP were associated with increased lactose deficits.Livestock Improvement Corporation Pat Shannon Scholarshi

Resultados a medio y largo plazo de la utilización de videotoracoscopia en la cirugía de resección de las metástasis pulmonares

The surgical resection of pulmonary metastases is a method of treatment accepted as habitual in thoracic surgery. However, it continues to be a source of controversy if this resection must be realised by thoracotomy or by modern video-assisted techniques. With the aim of finding a response to this controversy in our work milieu, a review was made of the surgical interventions carried out in order to resect pulmonary metastases. Between January 1997 and December 2001, 56 patients were found whose pulmonary metastases had been resected by videothorascopy out of a total of 252 metastasectomies (22.2%). The primary tumours were classified in 4 groups: sarcoma (n=11); colorectal (n=25); renal (n=5); and others (n=15). Videothoroscopy was carried out on the right hemithorax (n=28), left hemithorax (n=22) or on both at once (n=6). Operational mortality was nil and the only morbidity attributable to the technique was a defect of re-expansion following the removal of the thoracic drainage in one patient. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, the probability of survival in this series of patients was 60.4% after 5 years, with an average survival time of 48 months. All of this data supports the use of videothorascopy in our milieu on patients with pulmonary metastases. However, in the light of the results, it is important in using this technique to place special emphasis on obtaining good margins of resection, due to the real risk of local recurrence on these margins in the medium term

In vitro gas production of foliage from three browse tree species treated with different dose levels of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different dose levels of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) on in vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics and energy utilization of foliages from three browse trees (Pithecellobium dulce, Heliocarpus velutinus and Guazuma ulmifolia). Mixture of EFE product was added to the leaves of the three browse tree species at three dose levels: 0 (control), 3.5 and 7.0 mg/g of DM. Chemical composition of the foliages, including plant secondary metabolites such as total phenolics (TP), saponins (SAP) and aqueous fraction (AF), was determined. In addition, in vitro assaying of ruminal gas production kinetics was determined for the three browse three foliages treated with EFE. P. dulce had the highest crude protein content (p < 0.05), whereas G. ulmifolia had the highest content of neutral detergent fibre and SAP (p < 0.05) and H. velutinus had the lowest content of TP (p < 0.05). The interaction between tree species and dose level of EFE was significant (p < 0.05) for gas production (GP) at 24 h of incubation, parameters b and c of the accumulated GP curve, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and metabolizable energy (ME). The lowest (p < 0.01) extent of accumulated GP as well as the b and c values occurred in G. ulmifolia at 0 mg EFE/g DM. P. dulce had the highest (p < 0.05) values for ME and SCFA at the highest dose of EFE. Tree species and dose level had significant (p < 0.05) effects on all parameters describing in vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics and energy utilization. Addition of EFE improved the fermentation kinetics of the browse species considered in this study.UAE