Maternal and direct dietary polyphenol supplementation affect growth, carcass and meat quality of sheep and goats.

The beneficial effects of polyphenol intake such as improved nitrogen retention make them interesting feed supplements for ruminants. In contrast, dietary polyphenols may have adverse effects on the bioavailability of nutrients and palatability of the feed which might impair growth performance. The beneficial and adverse effects might differ between different ruminant species as well as between direct intake and intake of polyphenol metabolites via suckling when supplemented to lactating dams. This study investigated the effects of maternal and direct polyphenol supplementation via grape seed extract in sheep and goats on growth, slaughter performance, meat quality and fatty acid profile. The diet of lactating East Friesian Dairy sheep (n = 11) and Saanen goats (n = 9) and of their lambs (n = 16) and kids (n = 13), respectively, was supplemented either with grape seed extract (dams: 7.4% and offspring: 5.6%, P) or without (C). This resulted in four groups per species, namely maternalC/offspringC, maternalC/offspringP, maternalP/offspringC, and maternalP/offspringP. In lambs but not in goats, maternalP increased average daily gain and improved slaughter performance whereas offspringP had no effect. Maternal and offspring diet did not affect physicochemical meat quality in lambs, but direct intake of grape seed extract increased rancid aroma of burger patties. In goat kids, both maternal and offspring diets slightly affected meat colour. While groups of meat fatty acids (FAs) were not affected by diet in both species, maternalP in lambs as well as maternalP and offspringP in goat kids increased the meat n-6 to n-3 FA ratio compared to the respective control groups. In goat kid but not in lamb meat, direct intake of polyphenols affected the proportions of several rumen biohydrogenation intermediates. In conclusion, grape seed extract can be applied in both the maternal and offspring diets in sheep and goats while maintaining or even improving offspring growth performance and carcass quality. Only few species-specific effects of grape seed extract supplementation were observed, and additive effects were scarce. Larger studies are required to confirm the observed species-specific growth response to maternalP during lactation. The underlying reasons for this differential response need to be further evaluated.

Transfer of total phenols from a grapeseed-supplemented diet to dairy sheep and goat milk, and effects on performance and milk quality.

Polyphenols are known to affect digestion of ruminants, whereas there is little information about their metabolic effects. In a 2 × 2-factorial experiment the effects of supplementing a phenolic grapeseed extract were compared in 11 East Friesian dairy sheep and 9 Saanen goats. The concentrate supplemented with 7.4 g/100 g DM grapeseed extract had contents of 3.5 g additional phenols/100 g DM and was compared with a low phenolic control concentrate. Performance, total phenols in blood, milk, urine and feces, antioxidant capacity of the blood, and saliva properties were examined. The experiment lasted for 11 wk from parturition to late lactation, with an initial adaptation phase of 1 wk. Milk yield was measured daily after weaning at about 7 wk after parturition. Blood, milk, saliva, feces and urine were sampled 4, 3, 2, 2 and 2 times per animal, respectively. The phenolic diet increased phenol concentrations in blood (+10% and 17% in wk 5 and wk 11, respectively) and in milk (+32% in wk 5) on some of the sampling weeks. There were no clear species differences in phenol concentrations in blood plasma, milk, urine and feces. However, at the end of the experiment the supplemented goats had a higher (48%) urinary phenol concentrations than the non-supplemented goats. A weak relationship (P < 0.05) was found between phenol intake and phenol excretion with milk for sheep but not goats. The phenolic diet did not influence blood antioxidant capacity and tannin binding capacity of the saliva. The saliva of the goats had a higher tannin binding capacity than sheep saliva. The effects of the extract on milk yield were inconsistent between sheep and goats. In general, goats had higher feed and nutrient intakes, were heavier, and yielded more milk. Additionally, milk protein and lactose contents were lower and milk urea content was higher in goats than sheep. In conclusion, supplementing grapeseed extract to sheep and goats elevated phenol concentrations in milk and blood to a certain extent, but most of the phenols were lost via urine. The study gave another indication that goats seem to have developed coping mechanisms like a higher salivary tannin binding capacity, mechanisms which are less pronounced in sheep.

Comparison of health-related quality of life after transarterial chemoembolization and transarterial radioembolization in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare quality of life (QoL) after two different transarterial therapies [transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and transarterial radioembolization (TARE)] for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to assess tumor therapy in palliative situation additional to traditional aims like survival or image response. MATERIAL AND METHODS: QoL was evaluated with two validated questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-30 and EORTC HCC18) before and 14d after treatment in 94 initial therapies (TACE n = 67; TARE n = 27). QoL changes after treatment were analyzed. Tumor response was evaluated using RECIST/WHO/mRECIST/EASL criteria. A multivariate linear regression was undertaken to identify potential influence factors on change of QoL. RESULTS: Mean return rate of questionnaires was 71.3% allowing analysis of 67 therapies (TACE n = 46; TARE n = 21). Initial global health status/QoL was significantly higher in TACE (62.5%) compared to TARE with 50.8%. Absolute global health decrease was higher in TACE (- 10.5%) compared to TARE (- 4.8%, p = 0.396). Also relative global health decrease was higher in TACE (- 16.82%) compared to TARE (- 9.37%). Findings for other items were corresponding, as less impairment was found for TARE compared to TACE for physical/social functioning, fatigue and pain. Objective mRECIST response rate was 22.8% in TACE and 21.1% in TARE. CONCLUSION: Neither TACE nor TARE showed a major decrease in QoL after first treatment. TACE showed a slightly but not significantly higher decrease, so this study is not clearly in favor for one treatment. But with the addition that TARE showed less decrease even in patients with higher tumor burden and lower baseline.

Quality of life in patients undergoing repetitive TACE for the treatment of intermediate stage HCC.

PURPOSE: With a limited overall survival (OS) of 20 months in patients diagnosed with intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the preservation of quality of life (QoL) during transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) procedures remains a primary goal. The aim of our study was to evaluate the change in QoL amongst patients undergoing repetitive TACE and to identify specific risk factors that may predict change in QoL. METHODS: QoL was assessed in 82 patients undergoing at least two TACE, before and 14 days after TACE, using validated EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC HCC18 questionnaires. Tumour response was assessed using established response criteria. Laboratory and clinical parameters were analysed. RESULTS: Functional scores decreased due to first TACE treatment (p < 0.01), conversely symptom scores increased significantly (p < 0.01). During repetitive TACE no statistically significant changes were observed. Higher Global Health- and Physical Functioning scores at baseline were identified as independent prognostic factors for greater decrease in QoL. Tumour response did not alter QoL at all. Furthermore higher symptom scales including pain (p = 0.00), nausea and vomiting (p = 0.00) and fever (p < 0.01 for repetitive TACE) at baseline were predictive of a significantly lesser increase of symptom severity, and a greater reduction in pain during a course of TACE. Higher C-reactive protein (CRP) at baseline and female gender were associated with a greater decrease of functional scales and increase of symptom scales. CONCLUSION: QoL amongst patients receiving repetitive TACE showed neither significant nor clinically relevant changes over time. Pre-treatment assessment of QoL-scores, clinical and laboratory parameters can improve patient selection for TACE whilst optimizing QoL.

Comparison of Technical and Clinical Outcome of Transjugular Portosystemic Shunt Placement Between a Bare Metal Stent and a PTFE-Stentgraft Device.

PURPOSE: To analyse technical and clinical success of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in patients with portal hypertension and compare a stent and a stentgraft with regard to clinical and technical outcome and associated costs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 170 patients (56 ± 12 years, 32.9% females) treated with TIPS due to portal hypertension were reviewed. 80 patients received a stent (group 1) and 83 a stentgraft (group 2), and seven interventions were unsuccessful. Technical data, periprocedural imaging, follow-up ultrasound and clinical data were analysed with focus on technical success, patency, clinical outcome and group differences. Cost analysis was performed. RESULTS: Portal hypertension was mainly caused by ethyltoxic liver cirrhosis with ascites as dominant symptom (80%). Technical success was 93.5% with mean portosystemic gradient decrease from 16.1 ± 4.8 to 5.1 ± 2.1 mmHg. No significant differences in technical success and portosystemic gradient decrease between the groups were observed. Kaplan-Meier analysis yielded significant differences in primary patency after 14 days, 6 months and 2 years in favour of the stentgraft. Both groups showed good clinical results without significant difference in 1-year survival and hepatic encephalopathy rate. Costs to establish TIPS and to manage 2-year follow-up with constant patency and clinical success were 8876 € (group 1) and 9394 € (group 2). CONCLUSION: TIPS is a safe and effective procedure to manage portal hypertension. Stent and stentgraft enabled good technical and clinical results with a low complication rate. Primary patency rates are clearly in favour of the stentgraft, whereas the stent was more cost effective with similar clinical results in both groups.

Influence of experience on intake and feeding behavior of dairy sheep when offered forages from woody plants in a multiple-choice situation.

A satisfactory intake of novel low-quality forages by ruminants may require previous experience with this feed. Therefore, this study tested in sheep whether experience with forages from woody plants had an influence on feed intake, feeding behavior, and nutrient supply when offered in a multiple-choice arrangement. Two sheep experiments were conducted, 1 in Syria (Mediterranean region; Exp. 1) and the other in Switzerland (Central Europe; Exp. 2), that investigated 5 and 6 woody test plants, respectively. In Exp. 1, the test plants were Artemisia herba-alba, Atriplex leucoclada, Haloxylon articulatum, Noaea mucronata, and Salsola vermiculata. In Exp. 2, Betula pendula, Castanea sativa, and Juglans regia were used in addition to A. leucoclada, H. articulatum, and S. vermiculata (the plants most consumed in Exp. 1). In each experiment, 12 lactating sheep (Awassi sheep in Exp. 1 and East Friesian Milk sheep in Exp. 2) were allocated to 2 groups ("experienced" and "naïve"). Experienced sheep subsequently were familiarized with each test plant during a learning period of binary choices (1 test plant vs. barley straw) for 4 h in the morning for 7 d each. The naïve group received only straw. During the rest of the day, a basal diet composed of barley straw (ad libitum) and concentrate was offered to both groups. For the 2 wk following the learning period, the sheep were subjected to feeding of the basal diet to avoid carryover effects of the last offered test plant. In the following multiple-choice period, both groups were allowed to select from all test plants during 4 h in the morning for 14 d. Forage intake after 4 and 24 h and feeding behavior during the first 30 min of the test feeding were assessed. Milk yield and composition were measured at the end of the multiple-choice period. Nutrient intake was calculated using feed intake measurements and compositional analyses. Only in Exp. 2, group differences (P < 0.05) were found on d 1 of the multiple-choice period. The experienced sheep consumed more total forage, straw, OM, NDF, ADF, and ADL (nutrients without concentrate). However, across the entire multiple-choice period, there were no differences (P ≥ 0.05) in forage and nutrient intake, feeding behavior, and milk yield and composition between the groups in both experiments. This suggests that sheep can quickly adapt to previously unknown woody feeds of varying origin and quality offered as dried supplements.

Evaluation of the use of a tablet computer with a high-resolution display for interpreting emergency CT scans.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of the potential usability of an iPad 3 with a high-resolution display in CT emergency diagnosis compared to a 3 D PACS workstation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3 readers used a 5-point Likert scale to evaluate 40 CCT scans and 40 CTPA scans to determine the detectability of early signs of infarction in CCT or segmental and subsegmental pulmonary embolisms in CT angiography of the pulmonary arteries (CTPA) on the iPad 3 (Apple Inc., USA) using an application for image viewing (Visage Ease, Visage Imaging GmbH, Berlin) and on a 3 D PACS workstation (Visage 7.1, Visage Imaging, Berlin) using a certified monitor for image viewing. The results were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and a kappa statistic. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the median evaluations for the readings of both the CCT scans and the CTPA scans on the iPad 3 and on the workstation (p > 0.05) for all three readers. The mean Spearman's correlation coefficient for CCT and CTPA was 0.46 (± 0.2) and 0.69 (± 0.16), respectively, for the comparison iPad/PACS, 0.41 (± 0.16) and 0.68 (± 0.06), respectively, for the interobserver agreement on the iPad, and 0.35 (± 0.05) and 0.68 (± 0.10), respectively, for the interobserver agreement on the PACS. Mean kappa values for CCT of 0.52 (± 0.17) for the comparison iPad/PACS and 0.33 (± 0.16) and 0.32 (± 0.16), respectively, for the interobserver agreement on the iPad and the PACS were achieved. For CTPA average kappa values of 0.67 (± 0.19) were calculated for the comparison iPad/PACS and 0.69 (± 0.08) and 0.60 (± 0.14), respectively, for the interobserver concordance on the iPad 3 and the PACS. All differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The variability of the interpretation of typical emergency scans on an iPad 3 with a high-resolution display and on a 3 D PACS workstation does not differ from the interobserver variability.

Navigation in ACL reconstruction - comparison with conventional measurement tools.

Restoration of rotational and translational stability is a goal of ACL reconstruction. Intraoperative instability measurements of AP translation and rotation are not well established clinically. We compared navigated measurements of tibial AP translation and rotation with mechanical measuring devices: the KT 1000 and a modified goniometer tool. Tests were repeated with intact and dissected ACLs, and measures of translation and rotation statistically compared. There was no significant difference in AP translation between navigation, 3.2 mm (range 1-6 mm) and the KT 1000, 4.8 mm (range, 4-7 mm) in our experimental set up (p>0.05). Tibial rotation revealed no significant difference, 0.12 degrees (range, 0 degrees -1 degrees ) between navigation and goniometer (p>0.05). Total range of rotation was 4.2 degrees (range, 2 degrees -6 degrees ) in intact and 7.05 degrees (range, 4 degrees -9 degrees ) in dissected ACLs (p<0.05). Stability parameters in ACL navigation can be measured precisely under laboratory conditions and results are not significantly different from mechanical testing devices.

Additional targets of the Arabidopsis autonomous pathway members, FCA and FY.

A central player in the Arabidopsis floral transition is the floral repressor FLC, the MADS-box transcriptional regulator that inhibits the activity of genes required to switch the meristem from vegetative to floral development. One of the many pathways that regulate FLC expression is the autonomous promotion pathway composed of FCA, FY, FLD, FPA, FVE, LD, and FLK. Rather than a hierarchical set of activities the autonomous promotion pathway comprises sub-pathways of genes with different biochemical functions that all share FLC as a target. One sub-pathway involves FCA and FY, which interact to regulate RNA processing of FLC. Several of the identified components (FY, FVE, and FLD) are homologous to yeast and mammalian proteins with rather generic roles in gene regulation. So why do mutations in these genes specifically show a late-flowering phenotype in Arabidopsis? One reason, found during the analysis of fy alleles, is that the mutant alleles identified in flowering screens can be hypomorphic, they still have partial function. A broader role for the autonomous promotion pathway is supported by a microarray analysis which has identified genes mis-regulated in fca mutants, and whose expression is also altered in fy mutants.

The absorption spectra of anisole-h8, anisole-d3 and anisole-d8. The assignment of fundamental vibrations in the S0 and the S1 states.

The REMPI spectra of anisole-h8, anisole-d3 and anisole-d8 have been measured. The assignment of the fundamental vibrations of anisole in the S(1) state is supported by quantum chemical model calculations, the isotopic shifts, the comparison with the frequencies of corresponding vibrations in other monosubstituted benzenes, especially phenol, and the overtones, combinations and progressions observed in the spectrum of anisole-h8. The frequencies of the 42 fundamental vibrations of anisole in the S(1) state are evaluated and compared with the frequencies of the corresponding vibrations in the electronic ground state. Some assignments given earlier in the literature have been revised.

Two unique US isolates of Pepino mosaic virus from a limited source of pooled tomato tissue are distinct from a third (European-like) US isolate.

Three strains of Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) found in the US have been cloned and sequenced by RT-PCR using total RNA from infected tissue as template, and degenerate potexvirus- and PepMV species- and isolate-specific primers. Despite limited source material, the complete nucleotide sequences (6413 and 6410 nts, respectively) of two isolates, PepMV-US1 and PepMV-US2, were obtained and analyzed using total RNA from less than 0.2 g of a pooled infected tomato leaf sample from Arizona. Sequence of the 3'-end of the third isolate from infected fresh tomato fruits from Maryland (PepMV-US3) was also determined. The genome organizations of PepMV-US1 and US2 were typical of the genus Potexvirus, with the following reading frame order: ORF 1, encoding a putative replicase; ORFs 2-4, triple gene block proteins (TGBp) 1-3; and ORF 5, coat protein (CP). Gene-for-gene comparison between PepMV-US1 and US2 revealed the following amino acid identities: 91% in replicase, 89% in TGBp1, 92% in TGBp2, 85% in TGBp3, and 93% in the CP; with an overall nucleotide identity of 86%. Nucleotide sequence comparisons between US1 and US2 and the European isolates showed only 79-82% identity, whereas the identity among the European isolates was over 99%. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis indicate that PepMV-US1 and US2 are distinctly different from the European isolates, while the CP of PepMV-US3 is nearly identical to the European isolates. The results presented also suggest that TGBp1 and TGBp3 are more suitable than either the replicase or coat protein gene products for discriminating PepMV isolates.

Eimeria infections of sheep in northwest Germany.

To investigate the incidence of ovine Eimeria spp. and seasonal dynamics in oocyst output, fecal samples of sheep from three different management systems were collected monthly over a 1-year period and examined for oocysts. A total of 10 species of Eimeria were observed. The most frequent species were E. bakuensis, E. ovinoidalis, E. weybridgensis/crandallis, E. parva and E. ahsata whereas E. faurei, E. granulosa, E. intricata and E. pallida were found less often. Lambs passed larger numbers of oocysts in their feces than either ewes or yearlings.