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1.
Trop Anim Health Prod ; 55(2): 124, 2023 Mar 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36943532

ABSTRACT

The study evaluated how binders affected the feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio of Small East African goats fed on a variety of native browse-based diets. Twenty-four growing goats with initial body weight approximately 10.5 kg ± 1.3 (mean ± SE) were randomly allocated to the Acacia brevispica and Berchemia discolor with various levels of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and bentonite clay in a factorial completely randomized design. Six treatments (T1-T6) were used with four goats per treatment. The goats were allocated to individual pens with each treatment having 3 replicates. The selected local browse leaf meal was treated with PEG at a level of 25 g/kg and bentonite clay at 20 g/kg. The experiment lasted for 70 days, consisting of a 14-day adaptation period. Average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were computed each week. The composition of the CP, OM, EE, NDF, ADF, TEPH, and CT varied greatly, with significant (P < 0.05) changes seen between the various experimental treatments. Diets treated with binders had higher DM Intake, daily weight gains, and total dry matter intake. Goats on diets treated with bentonite clay (T2) performed much better than the one treated with PEG (T1) although there was no statistically significant difference between the two (P > 0.05). Acacia brevispica-based diets treated with binders performed better than Berchemia discolor-based diets. All nutrients' digestibility coefficients were unaffected by the addition of polyethylene glycol 6000 or bentonite clay. It was concluded that bentonite clay as deactivation material can be adopted due to its low cost compared to PEG and its activity to absorb or bind anti-nutritive factors such as tannins in animal feeds. The addition of PEG and bentonite clay to A. brevispica- and B. discolor-based diet can be used to enhance feed utilization as a result of tannins deactivation.


Subject(s)
Animal Feed , Fabaceae , Goats , Animals , Animal Feed/analysis , Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Bentonite/pharmacology , Clay , Diet/veterinary , Digestion , Goats/physiology , Polyethylene Glycols , Tannins/chemistry , Weight Gain
2.
Eur J Pediatr ; 178(8): 1283-1289, 2019 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31243575

ABSTRACT

We investigated the contribution of group therapy delivered by a medical clown to young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). So far, scientific publications regarding medical clowning focus on general health advantages. The current study is the first controlled research examining the use of medical clowning in the therapy for children with ASD. Twenty-four children aged 2-6 years old with ASD enrolled in our special education intensive program were examined before and after group sessions with clown intervention (CI) and other intervention (OI). We tested stereotypic behaviors, verbal expression, play reciprocity, and social smiles. Data was collected during 12 weeks of intervention, and the trajectory of change was evaluated in addition to the pre-/post-intervention.Conclusion: improvement over time in all measures: Significant increase in word production, play reciprocity, and amount of social smiles during CI as compared with OI. We also found a reduction in frequency of stereotypic behaviors during and following CI as compared with before CI. These preliminary results indicate that medical clowning may be beneficial for young children with ASD, since it promotes communication and social reciprocity in a fun and lively interventional setting. What is Known: • Many therapies are used and proven as efficacious interventions for children with ASD. • So far, medical clowning was not tested as an intervention or therapy for ASD. What is New: • Medical clowning sessions with children with ASD elicited enhanced communication during the interventions as compared with other interventions. • Medical clowning sessions contributed to a decrease in frequency of stereotypic movements over time, in children with ASD.


Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder/therapy , Laughter Therapy/methods , Psychotherapy, Group/methods , Autism Spectrum Disorder/diagnosis , Autism Spectrum Disorder/psychology , Child , Child Behavior , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Social Behavior , Treatment Outcome
3.
Parkinsonism Relat Disord ; 21(6): 644-9, 2015 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25899545

ABSTRACT

Freezing of Gait (FOG) is a common and disabling symptom in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). The relationship between FOG and dopaminergic medication is complex. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of self-reported FOG, its associated clinical features, and its relationship with wearing-off in a wide PD population. This is an observational multicenter study of 634 consecutive non-demented PD patients. Patients were identified either as freezers or non-freezers based on item-3 of the Freezing of Gait-Questionnaire. FOG was then classified as on, off and onoff freezing based on its relationship with wearing-off. Patients were assessed with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Hoehn and Yahr scale, 8-item Parkinson's disease Questionnaire, Mini-Mental State Examination. Data from 593 patients were analyzed, 325 (54.3%) were freezers of whom 200 (61.6%) experienced FOG only during off state (off-freezers), 6 (1.8%) only during on state and 119 (36.6%) either in on and off states or independently of dopaminergic response-related symptoms (onoff-freezers). Overall, freezers vs non-freezers had longer disease duration, more advanced disease and greater disability. Moreover, freezers more frequently reported wearing-off and experienced worse quality of life. Onoff-freezers vs off-freezers were older, more severely disabled, less likely to experience wearing-off, treated with lower levodopa equivalent daily dose and with poorer cognitive performance. Self-reported FOG is mainly recognizable in advanced PD and is associated with more disability and worse quality of life. Onoff-FOG may represent the result of under-treatment or rather interpretable as a distinct clinical entity.


Subject(s)
Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic , Gait Disorders, Neurologic/epidemiology , Gait , Parkinson Disease/physiopathology , Quality of Life/psychology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antiparkinson Agents/administration & dosage , Antiparkinson Agents/therapeutic use , Female , Gait Disorders, Neurologic/classification , Gait Disorders, Neurologic/physiopathology , Humans , Levodopa/administration & dosage , Levodopa/therapeutic use , Male , Middle Aged , Parkinson Disease/drug therapy , Parkinson Disease/psychology , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Self Report , Severity of Illness Index , Surveys and Questionnaires
4.
Mol Psychiatry ; 20(12): 1557-64, 2015 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25666758

ABSTRACT

The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) coagonists glycine, D-serine and L-proline play crucial roles in NMDAR-dependent neurotransmission and are associated with a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. We conducted the first genome-wide association study of concentrations of these coagonists and their enantiomers in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of human subjects from the general population (N=414). Genetic variants at chromosome 22q11.2, located in and near PRODH (proline dehydrogenase), were associated with L-proline in plasma (ß=0.29; P=6.38 × 10(-10)). The missense variant rs17279437 in the proline transporter SLC6A20 was associated with L-proline in CSF (ß=0.28; P=9.68 × 10(-9)). Suggestive evidence of association was found for the D-serine plasma-CSF ratio at the D-amino-acid oxidase (DAO) gene (ß=-0.28; P=9.08 × 10(-8)), whereas a variant in SRR (that encodes serine racemase and is associated with schizophrenia) constituted the most strongly associated locus for the L-serine to D-serine ratio in CSF. All these genes are highly expressed in rodent meninges and choroid plexus, anatomical regions relevant to CSF physiology. The enzymes and transporters they encode may be targeted to further construe the nature of NMDAR coagonist involvement in NMDAR gating. Furthermore, the highlighted genetic variants may be followed up in clinical populations, for example, schizophrenia and 22q11 deletion syndrome. Overall, this targeted metabolomics approach furthers the understanding of NMDAR coagonist concentration variability and sets the stage for non-targeted CSF metabolomics projects.


Subject(s)
Alanine/metabolism , Glycine/metabolism , Proline/metabolism , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/agonists , Serine/metabolism , Adolescent , Adult , Alanine/blood , Alanine/cerebrospinal fluid , Chromatography, Liquid , Female , Genetic Variation , Genome-Wide Association Study , Glycine/blood , Glycine/cerebrospinal fluid , Humans , Male , Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics , Middle Aged , Proline/blood , Proline/cerebrospinal fluid , Proline Oxidase/genetics , Quantitative Trait Loci , Serine/blood , Serine/cerebrospinal fluid , Tandem Mass Spectrometry , Young Adult
7.
J Cell Biochem ; 101(6): 1475-91, 2007 Aug 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17340618

ABSTRACT

Previous work had suggested that recombinant CCN3 was partially inhibiting cell proliferation. Here we show that native CCN3 protein secreted into the conditioned medium of glioma transfected cells indeed induces a reduction in cell proliferation. Large amounts of CCN3 are shown to accumulate both cytoplasmically and extracellularly as cells reach high density, therefore highlighting new aspects on how cell growth may be regulated by CCN proteins. Evidence is presented establishing that the amount of CCN3 secreted into cell culture medium is regulated by post-translational proteolysis. As a consequence, the production of CCN3 varies throughout the cell cycle and CCN3 accumulates at the G2/M transition of the cycle. We also show that CCN3-induced inhibition of cell growth can be partially reversed by specific antibodies raised against a C-terminal peptide of CCN3. The use of several clones expressing various portions of CCN3 established that the CT module of CCN3 is sufficient to induce cell growth inhibition.


Subject(s)
Cell Proliferation , Immediate-Early Proteins/metabolism , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism , Protein Processing, Post-Translational , Animals , Cell Cycle/physiology , Cell Line , Connective Tissue Growth Factor , Culture Media/chemistry , Gene Expression Regulation , Humans , Immediate-Early Proteins/chemistry , Immediate-Early Proteins/genetics , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/chemistry , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics , Nephroblastoma Overexpressed Protein , Protein Structure, Tertiary , Recombinant Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism
8.
Physiol Meas ; 23(1): 177-82, 2002 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11876231

ABSTRACT

One of the problems facing anyone attempting the investigation of dielectric properties of living tissue is the presence of skin, which screens all that lies under it from direct measurement. Thus, in non-invasive breast examination using transimpedance measurements, skin parameters heavily influence the results, specifically at low (less than 10 kHz) frequencies. In this paper a method for overcoming this difficulty by using multi-frequency measurements obtained from a surface current distribution over a flat probe is described. By using the variation in the shape of the real and imaginary parts of the surface current density at different frequencies, the original dielectric values of the skin and the underlying tissue can be obtained, based on the assumption of the existence of a two-layer geometry, with the upper (skin) layer much thinner than the lower (tissue) layer. The results obtained can be used in the diagnosis of breast cancer using existing transimpedance measurement devices.


Subject(s)
Breast/physiology , Electric Impedance , Algorithms , Computer Simulation , Female , Humans , Linear Models , Models, Biological , Skin/anatomy & histology
9.
Mol Cell Biol ; 20(3): 834-41, 2000 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10629040

ABSTRACT

A variant polyadenylation signal, which is conserved and employed by mammalian hepadnaviruses, has a sequence resembling that of the TATA box. We report here that this composite box manifests all the promoter characteristics. It binds effectively TATA-binding protein with TFIIB and TFIIA in a synergistic manner. This capacity, however, is lost when the box is converted to a canonical and simple poly(A) signal. Furthermore, we show that it has promoter activity and supports transcription of reporter genes preferentially in liver-derived cells, a characteristic behavior of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) promoters. In addition, we show that the HBV noncanonical poly(A) signal supports transcription initiation from the viral genome, suggesting that it is a genuine promoter, possibly of the polymerase/reverse transcriptase gene. Finally, we found that this deviant poly(A) signal is crucial for HBV replication since a viral mutant with a canonical poly(A) box is impaired in replication. Our data, therefore, raise the interesting and novel possibility that a composite poly(A) box might have a dual function. At the level of DNA it functions as a promoter to initiate transcription, whereas at the level of RNA it serves as a poly(A) signal to process RNA. An interesting outcome of this strategy of gene expression is that it provides a novel mechanism for the synthesis of an approximately genome length transcript.


Subject(s)
Gene Expression Regulation, Viral , Hepatitis B virus/genetics , Poly A/metabolism , TATA Box , Transcription, Genetic , Base Sequence , Binding Sites , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Genes, Reporter , Hepatitis B virus/physiology , Humans , Liver Neoplasms , Molecular Sequence Data , Poly A/chemistry , Poly A/genetics , Promoter Regions, Genetic , RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis , Transcription Factor TFIIA , Transcription Factor TFIIB , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transfection , Tumor Cells, Cultured , Virus Replication
10.
Trop Anim Health Prod ; 30(3): 191-6, 1998 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-9719848

ABSTRACT

In Kenya, protein supplements for use in pig feed manufacturing are usually in short supply. The available supplements are expensive. Blood, a by-product of livestock processing, is readily available and it can be processed into blood meal. Normally, blood from small slaughterhouses is wasted and adds to environmental pollution. Some pig farmers collect blood from these small slaughterhouses and cook it before feeding it to pigs. Fermentation in molasses has also been suggested as an alternative processing method. The objective of this experiment was to compare the value of cooked dried blood meal (CDBM) and fermented dried blood meal (FDBM) as protein supplements for growing pigs. The results indicated that both methods of processing could be applied by small-scale farmers. However, fermentation of blood is superior to cooking because FDBM supported a higher performance than CDBM when they supplied equal N levels especially at higher levels of N supply.


Subject(s)
Animal Feed , Blood/metabolism , Dietary Proteins/metabolism , Swine/growth & development , Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Animals , Body Weight , Cattle , Dietary Proteins/administration & dosage , Fermentation , Food Handling , Kenya , Male , Molasses , Swine/metabolism , Swine/physiology
11.
EMBO J ; 17(2): 544-53, 1998 Jan 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-9430645

ABSTRACT

The transcription program of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome is regulated by an enhancer element that binds multiple ubiquitous and liver-enriched transcription activators. HBV transcription and replication are repressed in the presence of p53. Here we describe a novel molecular mechanism that is responsible for this repression. The p53 protein binds to a defined region within the HBV enhancer in a sequence-specific manner, and this, surprisingly, results in p53-dependent transcriptional repression in the context of the whole HBV enhancer. This unusual behavior of the HBV enhancer can be reconstituted by replacing its p53-binding region with the p53-binding domain of the mdm2 promoter. Remarkably, mutation of the EP element of the enhancer reversed the effect of p53 from repression to transcriptional stimulation. Furthermore, EP-dependent modulation of p53 activity can be demonstrated in the context of the mdm2 promoter, suggesting that EP is not only required but is also sufficient to convert p53 activity from positive to negative. Our results imply that the transcriptional effect of DNA-bound p53 can be dramatically modulated by the DNA context and by adjacent DNA-protein interactions.


Subject(s)
Enhancer Elements, Genetic , Hepatitis B/genetics , Nuclear Proteins , Repressor Proteins/metabolism , Transcription, Genetic , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism , Base Sequence , Cell Line , Cisplatin/pharmacology , DNA Damage , DNA, Viral/drug effects , Gene Expression Regulation, Viral , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Protein Binding/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 , Proto-Oncogenes , Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid , Repressor Proteins/genetics , Repressor Proteins/physiology , Transcriptional Activation , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/physiology
12.
Phys Rev D Part Fields ; 54(8): 4858-4861, 1996 Oct 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10021175
13.
Phys Rev D Part Fields ; 54(4): 2746-2752, 1996 Aug 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10020950
15.
Phys Rev D Part Fields ; 53(4): R1754-R1758, 1996 Feb 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10020225
16.
Phys Rev Lett ; 75(13): 2455-2459, 1995 Sep 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10059316
17.
Virology ; 207(1): 98-106, 1995 Feb 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-7871756

ABSTRACT

The enhancer of hepatitis B (HBV) virus displays a liver-specific activity that determines the postreceptor virus-host tropism. Despite the detailed study of this enhancer our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying this behavior is very limited. Here we report that the hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 (HNF3) is at least in part responsible for the liver-specific activity of the enhancer. We demonstrate that recombinant HNF3 alpha binds the enhancer at two sites with different affinity. Transfection studies have demonstrated that the enhancer is active only in liver cells and that integrity of the HNF3 binding sites is important for its full activity. In vitro transcription assays revealed that the enhancer is active only in liver extracts but not in extracts prepared from HeLa cells. Furthermore, the latter extract cannot be activated by addition of recombinant HNF3 alpha. A similar behavior is manifested in transfected cells and, here again, the inactive enhancer is not activated by cotransfected HNF3 beta and alpha. Collectively, our study shows that HNF3 activators are required but not sufficient for full activation of the HBV enhancer and there is a need for additional liver-specific activators or coactivators.


Subject(s)
DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Enhancer Elements, Genetic/genetics , Hepatitis B virus/genetics , Nuclear Proteins/metabolism , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Base Sequence , Binding Sites , Cell Line , DNA, Viral/metabolism , DNA-Binding Proteins/physiology , Gene Expression Regulation, Viral/genetics , HeLa Cells/metabolism , Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha , Humans , Liver/metabolism , Models, Genetic , Molecular Sequence Data , Nuclear Proteins/physiology , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/biosynthesis , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism , Transcription Factors/physiology
18.
Phys Rev Lett ; 74(7): 1064-1066, 1995 Feb 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10058925
19.
Phys Rev D Part Fields ; 50(12): 7744, 1994 Dec 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10017761
20.
Virology ; 204(2): 600-8, 1994 Nov 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-7941327

ABSTRACT

The hepatitis B virus enhancer plays an important role in transcription regulation of the viral genes in a liver-specific manner. In animal models a homologous element seems to be involved in activation of cellular oncogenes and tumorigenesis. Previously, the enhancer was divided into several functional domains, whereby each one seemed to be required for optimal transcription activity. To gain more information on the mode of action of these elements and their role in viral genome, we mutagenized the individual enhancer elements and analyzed their functions in three different experimental systems. All show that the NF1b motif of the enhancer plays a central role, with the most dramatic results obtained from the cell-free in vitro transcription assay. Furthermore, an intact viral genome mutated at the NF1b site is a poor template for the synthesis of the 3.5-kb pregenomic RNA. These data are rather unexpected, given the ubiquitous appearance of this factor. On the other hand, our findings are in agreement with a large number of recently reported cases in which NF1 seems to determine tissue-specific expression of a wide range of cellular and viral promoters.


Subject(s)
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins , DNA-Binding Proteins/physiology , Enhancer Elements, Genetic , Hepatitis B virus/genetics , Transcription Factors/physiology , Animals , Base Sequence , Cells, Cultured , DNA-Binding Proteins/analysis , Gene Expression Regulation, Viral , Molecular Sequence Data , NFI Transcription Factors , Nuclear Proteins , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Rats , Y-Box-Binding Protein 1
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