Low plasma concentrations of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunits as a possible biomarker for psychosis.

BACKGROUND: N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) has been largely implicated in the neurobiology of schizophrenia and other psychosis. Aiming to evaluate their potential as peripheral biomarkers for psychosis, we quantified the plasma concentrations of NR1 and NR2 NMDAR subunits of first-episode psychosis patients in their first contact with mental health services due to psychotic symptoms, compared with siblings and matched community-based controls. METHODS: The quantifications of NR1 and NR2 plasma concentrations were performed by ELISA. Data were analysed by nonparametric tests and Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: We included 166 first-episode psychosis patients (mean age = 30.3 ±â€¯12.2 years; 64% men), with the diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum (n = 84), bipolar disorder (n = 51) and psychotic depression (n = 31), 76 siblings (mean age = 31.5 ±â€¯11.0 years; 30.3% men) and 166 healthy community-based controls (mean age = 31.4 ±â€¯12.0 years; 63.9% men). NMDAR subunits were significantly lower in patients compared with siblings and controls (p < 0.001), except by NR1 plasma concentrations of bipolar patients compared with siblings and controls. NR1 plasma concentrations lower than 17.65 pg/ml (AUC = 0.621) showed sensitivity of 42.8%, specificity of 84.3%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 73.2% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 59.6%. Individuals with NR2 plasma concentrations lower than 2.92 ng/ml (AUC = 0.801) presented a 10.61-fold increased risk of psychosis, with a sensibility of 71.9%, specificity of 80.6%, PPV of 79.0% and NPV of 73.9%. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study reporting the measurement and the reduction of NR1 and NR2 NMDAR subunits plasma concentrations in psychiatric disorders. In particular, the NR2 subunit may be a possible plasma biomarker for psychosis.

Rendimentos de carcaça, composição tecidual e musculosidade da perna de cordeiros alimentados com silagem de milho ou cana-de-açúcar em dois níveis de concentrado / Carcass yield, tissue composition, and leg muscularity of lambs fed corn silage or sugar cane in two levels of concentrate

Avaliou-se o efeito da relação volumoso:concentrado e do tipo de volumoso nos rendimentos de carcaça e dos cortes comerciais, e sobre a composição dos tecidos e musculosidade da perna de 32 cordeiros Ile de France, terminados em confinamento, alimentados com silagem de milho ou cana-de-açúcar, em duas relações volumoso:concentrado: de 60:40 ou 40:60. Os cordeiros foram abatidos aos 32kg de peso corporal; calcularam-se o peso e o rendimento da carcaça quente (PCQ e RCQ). Após 24 horas de refrigeração, obtiveram-se o peso e o rendimento da carcaça fria (PCF e RCF), o rendimento verdadeiro e as perdas por resfriamento. As carcaças foram divididas em cinco cortes comerciais, paleta, lombo, perna, costelas e pescoço, e a perna foi dissecada em músculo, osso e gordura, calculando-se as relações músculo:osso e músculo:gordura, além do índice de musculosidade da perna. Os cordeiros alimentados com silagem de milho apresentaram maiores PCQ (16,05kg), PCF (15,61kg), RCQ (50,4 por cento) e RCF (49,0 por cento). O rendimento de lombo foi menor nos cordeiros alimentados com cana-de-açúcar (9,1 por cento). A cana-de-açúcar e a silagem de milho nas duas relações volumoso:concentrado estudadas não afetaram as proporções de osso, músculo e gordura e musculosidade da perna, e podem constituir a dieta desses animais sem diminuir as proporções desses tecidos, responsáveis pela qualidade da carne.

The effects of roughage:concentrate ratio and type of roughage were evaluated on the carcass yield and commercial cuts, and tissue composition and leg muscularity of 32 Ile de France lambs finished in feedlot and fed corn silage or sugar cane in two roughage:concentrate ratios: 60:40 or 40:60. The lambs were slaughtered with 32kg of body weight and the weight and yield of hot carcass (WHC and YHC) were determined. After refrigerated for 24h in cold camera, the weight and yield of cold carcass (WCC and YCC), real yield, and weight loss for cooling were obtained. The carcass was divided in five commercial cuts (shoulder, loin, leg, ribs, and neck), and the leg was dissected on muscle, bone, and fat, and the relations muscle:bone and muscle:fat and also the leg muscularity index were calculated. The lambs fed corn silage showed higher WHC (16.05kg), WCC (15.61kg), YHC (50.42 percent), and YCC (49.03 percent). The loin yield was lower in lambs fed sugar cane (9.11 percent). The sugar cane and corn silage in this two roughage:concentrate ratios did not affect the proportions of muscle, bone, and fat, and leg muscularity. Therefore, they can be used in diets for animals without reducing the proportions of these tissues, that are related to meat quality.

Sensible and latent heat loss from the body surface of Holstein cows in a tropical environment.

The general principles of the mechanisms of heat transfer are well known, but knowledge of the transition between evaporative and non-evaporative heat loss by Holstein cows in field conditions must be improved, especially for low-latitude environments. With this aim 15 Holstein cows managed in open pasture were observed in a tropical region. The latent heat loss from the body surface of the animals was measured by means of a ventilated capsule, while convective heat transfer was estimated by the theory of convection from a horizontal cylinder and by the long-wave radiation exchange based on the Stefan-Boltzmann law. When the air temperature was between 10 and 36 degrees C the sensible heat transfer varied from 160 to -30 W m(-2), while the latent heat loss by cutaneous evaporation increased from 30 to 350 W m(-2). Heat loss by cutaneous evaporation accounted for 20-30% of the total heat loss when air temperatures ranged from 10 to 20 degrees C. At air temperatures >30 degrees C cutaneous evaporation becomes the main avenue of heat loss, accounting for approximately 85% of the total heat loss, while the rest is lost by respiratory evaporation.