Free-range system and supplementation of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol increases the performance and serum vitamin levels in mixed-parity sows.

Improvements in sow productivity have raised questions regarding dietary vitamin D recommendations. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the housing system with access to sunlight exposure and supplementation of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol on performance and serum levels of 25(OH)D3 in sows during gestation and lactation. Sows were distributed in an experimental design with two housing systems: gestation crates or gestation free-range system with external area for sunlight exposure; and two diets: 0 or 50 µg of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol kg-1 . The use of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol tended (P = 0.052) to improve total born and influenced (P = 0.046) on number of born alive. Litter weight at birth was also increased (P = 0.01) by 25-hydroxicholecalciferol supplementation; 25-hydroxicholecalciferol supplementation and housing system (free-range with sunlight exposure) tended to increase weaning weight (P = 0.07) and litter daily gain (P = 0.051) during lactation. Exposure to sunlight and 25-hydroxicholecalciferol supplementation increased 25(OH)D3 serum levels when compared with control treatment during gestation (136.95 vs. 113.92 ng mL-1 ; P = 0.035) and lactation (120.29 vs. 88.93 ng mL-1 ; P = 0.026). In conclusion, the association of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol supplementation with exposure to sunlight during gestation improved significantly 25(OH)D3 serum levels and consequently performance traits in gestation and lactation.

HLA-A*8001 is a member of a newly discovered ancient family of HLA-A alleles.

A member of a new HLA-A locus family, HLA-A*8001, has been characterized from 3 African-American individuals expressing a unique HLA-A serologic specificity. The HLA-A*8001 sequence is most closely related to alleles of the HLA-A1/3/11 family, although it also contains residues characteristic of the HLA-A2/28, -A9, -A10, and -A19 families. More importantly, the HLA-A*8001 sequence contains four unique nonsynonymous (amino acid replacing) nucleotide substitutions absent from all other primate A locus alleles. In addition, five other nucleotide substitutions, four nonsynonymous and one synonymous (silent), observed only in non-human primate A locus alleles were found. Neighbor-joining tree analysis of HLA-A*8001 supports the notion that the HLA-A*8001 allele is a member of a new HLA-A locus family which was derived from the ancestral A3 lineage but diverged early in the evolution of the HLA-A locus.

The effect of the articulator settings on the cusp inclines as measured by a coordinate measuring machine.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to learn the effect of changes in the articulator settings on the cusp angles during working, nonworking, and protrusive movements; the purpose was also to determine the ability of the coordinate measuring machine to measure the movements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The condylar angles and the anterior guide angles on a Hanau 96H2 articulator (Teledyne Hanau Corp, Buffalo, NY) were varied; 432 working, nonworking, and protrusive cusp angles were measured at the first molar by a coordinate measuring machine. RESULTS: The data from the coordinate measuring machine was used to produce formulas. The formulas were used to calculate the working, nonworking, and protrusive cusp angles that will occur as a result of 72 different articulator settings. CONCLUSIONS: The coordinate measuring machine is useful for making measurements of articulator movements. Additional research may measure the movements of other articulators or compare articulators (such as the arcon and nonarcon).

Obturator hernia.

A case of an obturator hernia preoperatively diagnosed by computed tomography is reported and the literature reviewed. The diagnosis is based on demonstration of bowel located between the pectineus muscle and the external obturator muscle. Proximal bowel obstruction may also be present.