Effects of calcium salt of linseed oil fatty acid with different oil adsorbents on in vitro gas production and ruminal fermentation characteristics.

We investigated the effects of supplementary calcium salt of fatty acid (CSFA) from linseed oil with different oil adsorbents on in vitro gas production and rumen fermentation characteristics in barley substrate condition. A non-supplementation treatment (CONT) and treatments of six products, CSFA without oil adsorbent (2.1 fatty acid/Ca molar ratio) and CSFAs with silica gel, zeolite, bentonite, diatomite, and vermiculite (2.8 fatty acid/Ca molar ratio), were prepared. The supplementary 2% and 4% CSFA with silica gel (+S) in the substrate reduced CH4 production 56% and 79%, respectively, compared with that in CONT (p < 0.01). The products, except for +S, did not decrease CH4 production. The dry matter (DM) disappearance in CSFAs with oil adsorbents was lower than that in the CSFA without oil adsorbent (74.8%-77.3% vs. 79.3%, p < 0.01), and crude protein (CP) disappearance in +S supplementation was lower than that of the other products (53.5% vs. 57.2%-59.1%, p < 0.01). The +S supplementation decreased acetate proportion and increased propionate proportion (p < 0.01). Our study indicated that although the disappearance of DM and CP might decrease, using silica gel as an oil adsorbent of linseed oil calcium salt with high fatty acid/Ca molar ratio has the potential to mitigate CH4 emissions from ruminants.

In vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics of gum arabic under concentrate and forage substrate conditions.

Gum arabic (GA) has potential rumen modifier functions. This is the first study to investigate the in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics of GA. Rumen fluid was collected from ruminal fistulated wethers; rolled barley and ryegrass straw were used as substrates for concentrate and forage conditions, respectively. Besides incubating with the substrates alone (control), GA or potato starch (PS) was added at 0.2%, 1.0%, and 2.0% along with substrates. Under the concentrate substrate condition, GA treatments showed higher total gas production in 24-h incubation, but lower methane production in 24- and 48-h incubation compared with PS treatments (p < 0.05). The 1.0% and 2.0% GA and 0.2% and 1.0% PS treatments showed higher dry matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility and lower NH3 -N, and higher short chain fatty acid concentrations compared with the control at 24-h incubation (p < 0.05). The GA treatments also showed a lower acetate/propionate ratio than PS treatments at 48-h incubation (p < 0.01). Under the forage substrate condition, the treatment effects were not significant, except for a higher proportion of propionate with GA than with PS at 24 and 48 h of incubations. We thus concluded that GA supplement may exert potential rumen modifier effects particularly under concentrate feeding condition.

Survey of satisfaction regarding palliative care provided to patients who died at home or in a hospital.

BACKGROUND: Improvement in quality of life (QoL) of patients is one of the most important goals of palliative care, but evaluation of QoL of patients is difficult. AIM: To evaluate QoL of patients who died at home or in a hospital. METHODS: We administered the Good Death Inventory (10 core and 8 optional domains) to the bereaved families of patients who died at home or in a hospital. A total of 107 bereaved families undertook a survey. FINDINGS: If a bereaved family chose 'somewhat agree', 'agree' or 'absolutely agree', the answer was regarded as a 'satisfactory answer'. Regarding the 10 core domains, of patients who died in a hospital, <50% respondents gave a 'satisfactory answer' to three questions, whereas of patients who died at home, >60% of respondents gave a 'satisfactory answer' to seven questions. Regarding the eight optional domains, of patients who died in a hospital, <50% respondents gave a 'satisfactory answer' to five questions, whereas of patients who died at home, >60% of respondents gave a 'satisfactory answer' to four questions. CONCLUSIONS: QoL of patients who died at home appeared higher than that of those who died in a hospital. Patients prefer to remain at home rather than in a hospital, probably because at home they are surrounded by familiar things and can live according to their usual habits.

Tetracopper Assembly Complexes Comprised of One Dimetallic Core and Two Monometallic Auxiliaries: Intramolecular Electron-Transfer Relevant to Multicopper Oxidases.

Two tetracopper assembly complexes, comprised of one dimetallic di(3-iminomethylsalicylato)dicopper(II) core and two monometallic copper(II) auxiliaries attached to the imino nitrogens of the dinuclear core through an alkane chain, have been prepared. [Cu(4)(L(1))](PF(6))(4).2CH(3)CN.3H(2)O (1) has di(2-pyridylmethyl)aminecopper(II) as the monometallic auxiliary, and [Cu(4)(L(2))](ClO(4))(4).CH(3)OH (2) has 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecanecopper(II) as the auxiliary. Assembly 1 in acetonitrile shows a two-electron reduction at -0.08 V (vs SCE) followed by a one-electron reduction at -0.42 V. Together with EPR studies for electrolyzed solutions, it is shown that the two monometallic auxiliaries are reduced at -0.08 V, followed by an intramolecular electron transfer from one of the reduced auxiliaries to the dimetallic core and by the second reduction at the resulting monometallic Cu(II) center at -0.42 V: {Cu(II)-Cu(2)(II,II)-Cu(II)}/{Cu(I)-Cu(2)(II,II)-Cu(I)} --> {Cu(I)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(II)}/{Cu(I)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(I)}. The CV of 2 in DMSO shows two couples at -0.68 and -0.99 V attributable to the stepwise reductions: {Cu(II)-Cu(2)(II,II)-Cu(II)}/{Cu(II)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(II)}/{Cu(I)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(II)}. Assembly 1 is reduced with ascorbic acid to the {Cu(I)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(I)} species, whereas 2 is not reduced with ascorbic acid. The relevance of the intramolecular electron transfer observed for 1 to multicopper oxidases is discussed.