Effects of dietary Capsicum oleoresin on productivity and immune responses in lactating dairy cows

This study investigated the effect of Capsicum oleoresin in granular form (CAP) on nutrient digestibility, immune responses, oxidative stress markers, blood chemistry, rumen fermentation, rumen bacterial populations, and productivity of lactating dairy cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows, including 3 ruminally cannulated, were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design experiment. Experimental periods were 25 d in duration, including a 14-d adaptation and an 11-d data collection and sampling period. Treatments included control (no CAP) and daily supplementation of 250, 500, or 1,000 mg of CAP/cow. Dry matter intake was not affected by CAP (average 27.0±0.64 kg/d), but milk yield tended to quadratically increase with CAP supplementation (50.3 to 51.9±0.86 kg/d). Capsicum oleoresin quadratically increased energy-corrected milk yield, but had no effect on milk fat concentration. Rumen fermentation variables, apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients, and N excretion in feces and urine were not affected by CAP. Blood serum β-hydroxybutyrate was quadratically increased by CAP, whereas the concentration of nonesterified fatty acids was similar among treatments. Rumen populations of Bacteroidales, Prevotella, and Roseburia decreased and Butyrivibrio increased quadratically with CAP supplementation. T cell phenotypes were not affected by treatment. Mean fluorescence intensity for phagocytic activity of neutrophils tended to be quadratically increased by CAP. Numbers of neutrophils and eosinophils and the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes in peripheral blood linearly increased with increasing CAP. Oxidative stress markers were not affected by CAP. Overall, in the conditions of this experiment, CAP did not affect feed intake, rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, T cell phenotypes, and oxidative stress markers. However, energy-corrected milk yield was quadratically increased by CAP, possibly as a result of enhanced mobilization of body fat reserves. In addition, CAP increased neutrophil activity and immune cells related to acute phase immune response.

Evaluation of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging (ARFI) for the Determination of Liver Stiffness Using Transient Elastography as a Reference in Children

PURPOSE

Transient elastography (Fibroscan(©); (FS)) and acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) represent noninvasive, user-friendly and quick methods providing an objective and reproducible measure of liver stiffness. The aim of the study was to evaluate cut-off values and performance of ARFI measurements in children using transient elastography as a reference.

METHODS/PATIENTS

A total of 198 children were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent liver stiffness measurements with FS (FS-LS) as well as ARFI (with shear wave velocity quantification; ARFI-SWV) and the performance of ARFI in comparison to FS was studied.

RESULTS

Significantly higher rates of successful measurements were found for ARFI compared to FS (198/198 (100%) vs. 160/198 (80.8%); p<0.001). ARFI-SWV correlated significantly with FS-LS (r=0.751, p=0.001). ARFI-SWV increased significantly with the stage of fibrosis (1.19+0.15 m/s for patients with FS-LS<7.6 kPa); 1.34+0.22 m/s for patients with 7.613.0 kPa). ARFI-SWV cut-off values were identified for no significant fibrosis (1.31 m/s; sensitivity 61.8% and specificity 79.5%) and for liver cirrhosis (1.63 m/s; sensitivity 70.0% and specificity 97.4%). The median values of liver stiffness measured by FS were age-dependent in 90 children without liver diseases with 4.8, 5.6, and 5.7 kPa in children 0-5, 6-11, and 12-18 years, respectively.

Mutual relationship between anxiety and pain in the intensive care unit and its effect on medications

PURPOSE

Little is known about the relationship between anxiety and pain in intensive care unit (ICU) patients despite its importance. The aims of the present study are to examine the correlation between pain and anxiety during ICU care and to investigate its effects on the dose of opioids and anxiolytics administered.

METHODS

The study subjects were awake critically ill patients admitted to an ICU over a 2-month period. Trained psychiatrists evaluated the nondelirious, noncomatose patients daily for anxiety and pain using the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain (NRS-Pain), Faces Anxiety Scale (FAS), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale.

RESULTS

Daily alterations of anxiety and pain were significantly correlated with one another among 123 patients. Both the FAS and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale were positively correlated with the NRS-Pain (P < .001 for both). The NRS-Pain score (P = .016) and the FAS score (P = .007) both significantly correlated with the dose of anxiolytics. The dose of opioids was unaffected by the severity of pain or anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Pain and anxiety among critically ill patients in the ICU were closely correlated. Pain and anxiety influenced the dose of anxiolytics administered. Therefore, a precise evaluation and comprehensive approach to the management of pain and anxiety are important for treating ICU patients.

Morphological and molecular characterization of separated pelagic eggs from Lophius litulon (Lophiiformes; Lophiidae)

Free-floating eggs of Lophius litulon were collected using plankton nets after their release from a pelagic egg mass. The eggs were identified based on molecular analysis and several morphological characteristics. These rare, separated eggs have not been reported previously and represent the first such finding for Lophiiformes.

Non-invasive detection of intracranial hypertension using a simplified intracranial hemo- and hydro-dynamics model

BACKGROUND

Monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP) is highly important for detecting abnormal brain conditions such as intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral edema, or brain tumor. Until now, the monitoring of ICP requires an invasive method which has many disadvantages including the risk of infections, hemorrhage, or brain herniation. Therefore, many non-invasive methods have been proposed for estimating ICP. However, these methods are still insufficient to estimate sudden increases in ICP.

METHODS

We proposed a simplified intracranial hemo- and hydro-dynamics model that consisted of two simple resistance circuits. From this proposed model, we designed an ICP estimation algorithm to trace ICP changes. First, we performed a simulation based on the original Ursino model with the real arterial blood pressure to investigate our proposed approach. We subsequently applied it to experimental data that were measured during the Valsalva maneuver (VM) and resting state, respectively.

RESULTS

Simulation result revealed a small root mean square error (RMSE) between the estimated ICP by our approach and the reference ICP derived from the original Ursino model. Compared to the pulsatility index (PI) based approach and Kashif's model, our proposed method showed more statistically significant difference between VM and resting state.

CONCLUSION

Our proposed method successfully tracked sudden ICP increases. Therefore, our method may serve as a suitable tool for non-invasive ICP monitoring.

Oxidatively stable nanoporous silicon photocathodes with enhanced onset voltage for photoelectrochemical proton reduction

Stable and high-performance nanoporous "black silicon" photoelectrodes with electrolessly deposited Pt nanoparticle (NP) catalysts are made with two metal-assisted etching steps. Doubly etched samples exhibit an ∼300 mV positive shift in photocurrent onset for photoelectrochemical proton reduction compared to oxide-free planar Si with identical catalysts. We find that the photocurrent onset voltage of black Si photocathodes prepared from single-crystal planar Si wafers by an Ag-assisted etching process increases in oxidative environments (e.g., aqueous electrolyte) owing to a positive flat-band potential shift caused by surface oxidation. However, within 24 h, the surface oxide layer becomes a kinetic barrier to interfacial charge transfer that inhibits proton reduction. To mitigate this issue, we developed a novel second Pt-assisted etch process that buries the Pt NPs deep into the nanoporous Si surface. This second etch shifts the onset voltage positively, from +0.25 V to +0.4 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, and reduces the charge-transfer resistance with no performance decrease seen for at least two months. PEC performance was stable owing to Pt NP catalysts that were buried deeply in the photoelectrode by the second etch, below a thick surface layer comprised primarily of amorphous SiO2 along with some degree of remaining crystalline Si as observed by scanning and transmission electron micrographs. Electrochemical impedance studies reveal that the second etch leads to a considerably smaller interfacial charge-transfer resistance than samples without the additional etch, suggesting that burying the Pt NPs improves the interfacial contact to the crystalline silicon surface.

Suppression of laser nonuniformity imprinting using a thin high-z coating

Imprinting of laser nonuniformity is a limiting factor in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion experiments, particularly when available laser smoothing is limited. A thin (∼400  Å) high-Z metal coating is found to substantially suppress laser imprint for planar targets driven by pulse shapes and intensities relevant to implosions on the National Ignition Facility while retaining low adiabat target acceleration. A hybrid of indirect and direct drive, this configuration results in initial ablation by x rays from the heated high-Z layer, creating a large standoff for perturbation smoothing.

Effects of slow-release urea and rumen-protected methionine and histidine on performance of dairy cows

This experiment was conducted with the objective to investigate the effects of slow-release urea and rumen-protected (RP) Met and His supplementation of a metabolizable protein (MP)-deficient diet (according to NRC, 2001) on lactation performance of dairy cows. Sixty lactating Holstein cows were used in a 10-wk randomized complete block-design trial. Cows were fed a covariate diet for 2 wk and then assigned to one of the following treatments for an 8-wk experimental period: (1) MP-adequate diet [AMP; 107% of MP requirements, based on the National Research Council (NRC, 2001)]; (2) MP-deficient diet (DMP; 95% of MP requirements); (3) DMP supplemented with slow-release urea (DMPU); (4) DMPU supplemented with RPMet (DMPUM); and (5) DMPUM supplemented with RPHis (DMPUMH). Total-tract apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and crude protein, and urinary N and urea-N excretions were decreased by DMP, compared with AMP. Addition of slow-release urea to the DMP diet increased urinary urea-N excretion. Dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yield (on average 44.0±0.9kg/d) were not affected by treatments, except DMPUMH increased DMI and numerically increased milk yield, compared with DMPUM. Milk true protein concentration and yield were increased and milk fat concentration tended to be decreased by DMPUMH, compared with DMPUM. Cows gained less body weight on the DMP diet, compared with AMP. Plasma concentrations of His and Lys were not affected by treatments, whereas supplementation of RPMet increased plasma Met concentration. Plasma concentration of 3-methylhistidine was or tended to be higher for DMP compared with AMP and DMPU, respectively. Addition of RPHis to the DMPUM diet tended to increase plasma glucose and creatinine. In conclusion, feeding a 5% MP-deficient diet (according to NRC, 2001) did not decrease DMI and yields of milk and milk components, despite a reduction in nutrient digestibility. Supplementation of RPHis increased DMI and milk protein concentration and yield. These results are in line with our previous data and suggest that His may have a positive effect on voluntary feed intake and milk production and composition in high-yielding dairy cows fed MP-deficient diets.

Intraocular pharmacokinetics of intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor-Trap in a rabbit model

PURPOSE

To determine intraocular pharmacokinetic properties of intravitreally injected vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-Trap in a rabbit model.

METHODS

VEGF-Trap was intravitreally injected in 18 rabbit eyes. Eyes were enucleated 1 h and 1, 2, 5, 14, and 30 days after injections and immediately frozen at -80 °C. Concentration of VEGF-Trap in vitreous, aqueous humor, and retina/choroid was determined using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed to obtain pharmacokinetic properties.

RESULTS

Maximum concentration of VEGF-Trap was achieved at 1 h in all three tissues. A one-compartment model of distribution was selected as the final model for all tissues studied. Estimated half-life of VEGF-Trap in vitreous, aqueous humor, and retinal/choroid was 87.1, 36.8, and 35.0 h, respectively, and estimated mean residence time was 125.7, 53.1, and 50.5 h, respectively. Area under the curve from time 0 to the end point was 10009.8, 3945.1, and 1189.3, respectively. Total exposure of the aqueous humor and retina/choroid to VEGF-Trap was 39.4% and 11.9% of vitreous exposure, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The vitreous half-life of VEGF-Trap is 3.63 days. This is shorter than that of bevacizumab (6.99 days) and longer than that of ranibizumab (2.51 days), as shown in studies using the same experimental settings. The concentration of VEGF-Trap peaked at 1 h after injections in all eye tissues studied.

Retinal sensitivity assessed by microperimetry and corresponding retinal structure and thickness in resolved central serous chorioretinopathy

PURPOSE

To investigate the relationship between retinal sensitivity (RS) assessed by microperimetry (MP) and retinal structural changes in patients with resolved central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

METHODS

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination and MP tests were performed in patients with resolved CSC. Point-to-point correlation was performed between RS and corresponding retinal structural changes using Pearson's correlation analysis. In addition, in a 1-mm zone in the central fovea, a correlation was calculated between the mean RS and the mean central retinal thickness (CRT).

RESULTS

Eighty-four eyes were analyzed. The total number of MP test points was 1092 (84 eyes × 13 points). The mean RS and retinal point thickness (RPT) of all test points were 13.53±3.84 dB and 208.6±48.0 μm, respectively. The RS and RPT were significantly decreased in the test points with loss of the ellipsoid portion of the inner segments (EPIS) (P<0.0001). Within the 1-mm foveal center zone, there was a significant correlation between mean RS and mean CRT (r=0.432, P<0.0001) and between RS and the corresponding RPT (r=0.339, P<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

RS was dependent on the status of the EPIS in patients with resolved CSC. The correlation between mean RS and mean CRT was compatible with the point-to-point correlation between RS and the corresponding RPT.