Confirmatory factor analysis of the effect of daily-living on the happiness of community-dwelling older adults in Chile.

This study examined the effect of the human-functioning dimension on happiness among community-dwelling older adults (OAs) in Chile. Questionnaires were used for data collection from a sample of 785 OAs of both sexes attending healthcare institutions. Exploratory factor analysis was performed using parallel analysis and oblique rotation. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted using the maximum likelihood and unweighted least squares methods. Goodness-of-fit analyses were performed by considering absolute and respective incremental fit indices. The relationships between the functioning and happiness factors were all significant at the 1% level, indicating that functioning impacts happiness. The ratios of the variances between both constructs were identical to those of the covariances, indicating consistency between the models, with similarities and equalities in the estimation of their parameters. The modeling confirms a direct relationship between activities of daily living functioning and happiness. Given that a lack of functioning significantly affects OAs' happiness and quality of life, this relationship is consistent with the available theory. These findings may contribute to the formulation of social and health policies regarding OAs in Chile and other Latin American countries.

Papiloflebitis como manifestación de poliarteritis nodosa / Papillophlebitis as manifestation of polyarteritis nodosa

Varón de 35 años de edad diagnosticado de poliarteritis nodosa que desarrolló una papiloflebitis de su ojo izquierdo. Presentó en su evolución edema macular que fue tratado con inyecciones intravítreas de aflibercept con buena evolución posterior y recuperación completa de la agudeza visual. En el curso de su enfermedad presentó también epiescleritis del ojo adelfo. La papiloflebitis consiste en una oclusión de la vena central de la retina no isquémica de origen inflamatorio. La poliarteritis nodosa es una vasculitis necrotizante sistémica caracterizada por la afectación de arterias musculares de pequeño y mediano calibre. La afectación ocular se produce en el 10-20% de los casos y típicamente afecta a las arterias coroideas. La afectación venosa es extremadamente rara y si se produce suele ser por extensión de la inflamación adyacente

A 35 year-old-man diagnosed with polyarteritis nodosa developed papillophlebitis on his left eye. Throughout the evolution of the disease, he had a macular oedema treated with intravitreal injections of aflibercept, with adequate recovery of visual acuity. He also had episcleritis on the other eye. Papillophlebitis is a non-ischaemic central retinal vein occlusion of inflammatory cause. Polyarteritis nodosa is a systemic necrotising vasculitis characterised by lesions of small and medium sized arteries. Ocular involvement occurs in 10-20% of patients, and typically affects the choroidal arteries. Only arteries are usually affected, but in very rare cases adjacent veins may be involved due to the adjacent inflammation

Papillophlebitis as manifestation of polyarteritis nodosa. / Papiloflebitis como manifestación de poliarteritis nodosa.

A 35 year-old-man diagnosed with polyarteritis nodosa developed papillophlebitis on his left eye. Throughout the evolution of the disease, he had a macular oedema treated with intravitreal injections of aflibercept, with adequate recovery of visual acuity. He also had episcleritis on the other eye. Papillophlebitis is a non-ischaemic central retinal vein occlusion of inflammatory cause. Polyarteritis nodosa is a systemic necrotising vasculitis characterised by lesions of small and medium sized arteries. Ocular involvement occurs in 10-20% of patients, and typically affects the choroidal arteries. Only arteries are usually affected, but in very rare cases adjacent veins may be involved due to the adjacent inflammation.

p.(Asp47Asn) and p.(Thr62Met): non deleterious LDL receptor missense variants functionally characterized in vitro.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common genetic disorder caused most often by mutations in the Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor gene (LDLr) leading to high blood cholesterol levels, and ultimately to development of premature coronary heart disease. Genetic analysis and subsequent cascade screening in relatives allow diagnosis of FH at early stage, especially relevant to diagnose children. So far, more than 2300 LDLr variants have been described but only a minority of them have been functionally analysed to evaluate their pathogenicity in FH. Thus, identifying pathogenic mutations in LDLr is a long-standing challenge in the field. In this study, we investigated in vitro the activity p.(Asp47Asn) and p.(Thr62Met) LDLr variants, both in the LR1 region. We used CHO-ldlA7 transfected cells with plasmids carrying p.(Asp47Asn) or p.(Thr62Met) LDLr variants to analyse LDLr expression by FACS and immunoblotting, LDL binding and uptake was determined by FACS and analysis of mutation effects was assessed in silico. The in vitro activity assessment of p.(Asp47Asn) and p.(Thr62Met) LDLr variants shows a fully functional LDL binding and uptake activities. Therefore indicating that the three of them are non-pathogenic LDLr variants. These findings also emphasize the importance of in vitro functional LDLr activity studies to optimize the genetic diagnosis of FH avoiding the report of non-pathogenic variants and possible misdiagnose in relatives if cascade screening is carried out.

Replacement of cysteine at position 46 in the first cysteine-rich repeat of the LDL receptor impairs apolipoprotein recognition.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Pathogenic mutations in the Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor gene (LDLR) cause Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH), one of the most common genetic disorders with a prevalence as high as 1 in 200 in some populations. FH is an autosomal dominant disorder of lipoprotein metabolism characterized by high blood cholesterol levels, deposits of cholesterol in peripheral tissues such as tendon xanthomas and accelerated atherosclerosis. To date, 2500 LDLR variants have been identified in the LDLR gene; however, only a minority of them have been experimentally characterized and proven to be pathogenic. Here we investigated the role of Cys46 located in the first repeat of the LDL receptor binding domain in recognition of apolipoproteins. METHODS: Activity of the p.(Cys46Gly) LDLR variant was assessed by immunoblotting and flow cytometry in CHO-ldlA7 expressing the receptor variant. Affinity of p.(Cys46Gly) for LDL and VLDL was determined by solid-phase immunoassays and in silico analysis was used to predict mutation effects. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Functional characterization of p.(Cys46Gly) LDLR variant showed impaired LDL and VLDL binding and uptake activity. Consistent with this, solid-phase immunoassays showed the p.(Cys46Gly) LDLR variant has decreased binding affinity for apolipoproteins. These results indicate the important role of Cys46 in LDL receptor activity and highlight the role of LR1 in LDLr activity modulation. This study reinforces the significance of in vitro functional characterization of LDL receptor activity in developing an accurate approach to FH genetic diagnosis. This is of particular importance because it enables clinicians to tailor personalized treatments for patients' mutation profile.

Diet selection and performance of horses grazing on different heathland types.

The number of horses in northern Spanish mountains has increased in recent decades, but little is known about their grazing behaviour, performance and potential for foal meat production. This research aimed to study the diet selection, liveweight (LW) changes and parasitic status of dry and lactating mares, and foals' LW gains, grazing on heathlands with different botanical composition. The experimental design consisted of three vegetation types: dominated by heather (Ericaceae) species (H), dominated by gorse (Ulex gallii; G) and co-dominated by gorse and heath-grasses (G-G), with four replicates per treatment (12 paddocks of 1.2 ha). The study lasted three grazing seasons (2010-12). Each year, 24 crossbred mature mares (310±52 kg LW) were used, managing one lactating mare with her foal plus one non-lactating mare per paddock from May to late summer or early autumn. In the case of H paddocks, animals had to be removed before (late August to early September) because of apparent loss of body condition. Animals were periodically weighed. Mares' diet composition was estimated using alkane markers, analysing the discrepancies in alkane concentrations between dietary plant components and faeces. Faecal samples were also analysed for gastrointestinal nematodes ova. Chemical composition of the main plant components (i.e. heather, gorse and grasses) revealed a low nutritive value, averaging 79, 115 and 113 g CP/kg dry matter (DM), respectively, that could restrict livestock performance. Mares initially selected gorse and grasses (0.47 and 0.40, respectively, in 2010), increasing heather consumption over time (from 0.13 in 2010 to 0.29 in 2012) as gorse availability decreased. The performance of both mares and foals was lower in H compared with G and G-G paddocks (-216 v. 347 g/day for mares, P<0.01; 278 v. 576 g/day for foals, P<0.05), whereas LW changes were more favourable in dry mares than in lactating ones (241 v. 78 g/day; P<0.05). Small strongyle (Cyathostominae) egg counts in mares' faeces increased across the grazing season with no differences between treatments. These results indicate that grazing by horses on gorse- and grass-gorse-dominated shrublands could be sustainable at least during part of the year (4 to 6 months). However, heather-dominated heathlands are not able to meet the nutritional needs of horses even for a short time (2 to 4 months). Nevertheless, the low nutritive quality of these vegetation communities, especially in autumn, requires animal access to other pastures with a higher nutritive value, or supplementary feeding, to enhance foals' growth and maintain sustainable grazing systems with productive herds.

Comparison of feed intake, digestion and rumen function among domestic ruminant species grazing in upland vegetation communities.

This study aimed to compare feed intake, digestion, rumen fermentation parameters and bacterial community of 5 beef cows, 12 crossed ewes and 12 goats grazing together in spring-early summer on heather-gorse vegetation communities with an adjacent area of improved pasture. Organic matter intake (OMI) and digestibility (OMD) were estimated using alkane markers. Ruminal fluid samples were collected for measuring fermentation parameters, and studying the bacterial community using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Spot samples of urine were taken to determine purine derivative (PD) and creatinine concentrations to estimate microbial protein synthesis in the rumen. Herbaceous species were the main dietary component in all animal species. Cattle had higher (p < 0.05) daily OMI (g/kg LW0.75 ) and OMD, whereas sheep and goats showed similar values. The highest ammonia concentration was observed in sheep. Total VFA, acetate and butyrate concentrations were not influenced by animal species, while propionate concentrations in goats were 1.8 times lower (p < 0.05) than in sheep. Acetate:propionate ratio was greater (p < 0.05) in goats, whereas cattle excreted more allantoin (p < 0.05). Estimated supply of microbial N was higher in cows (p < 0.01), whereas the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis was lower (p < 0.01) in this animal species. Hierarchical clustering analysis indicated a clear effect of animal species on rumen bacterial structure. Differences among animal species were also observed in the relative frequency of several T-RFs. Certain T-RFs compatible with Lachnospiraceae, Proteobacteria and Clostridiales species were not found in goats, while these animals showed high relative frequencies of some fragments compatible with the Ruminococcaceae family that were not detected in sheep and cattle. Results suggest a close relationship between animals' grazing behaviour and rumen bacterial structure and its function. Goats seem to show a greater specialization of their microbial populations to deal with the greater fibrous and tannin content of their diet.

Productive responses of breeding Cashmere goats and their kids to different stocking rates on improved upland pastures.

Although goat meat production could be an option for diversification in improved upland pastures in northern Spain, precise information on the optimal grazing management to enhance goat performance and maximize production per unit land area is lacking. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of 3 stocking rates, high stocking rate (HSR; 20 goats/ha), medium stocking rate (MSR; 15 goats/ha), and low stocking rate (LSR; 10 goats/ha), on gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections and productive responses of Cashmere goats grazing such pastures. Treatments were replicated twice on 6 paddocks sown with and and with a high presence of the native grass . The experiment lasted 3 grazing seasons (from spring to autumn). Pastures were sampled for sward height and botanical and proximate composition. Body weight and BCS changes of goats were monitored and GI nematode infections were assessed by fecal egg counts (FEC). The established treatments resulted in lower mean sward height in the HSR than in the MSR and LSR (9.6, 11.5, and 14.4 cm, respectively; < 0.001). Pasture botanical composition and nutritive quality did not differ between treatments. The mean FEC of does across the 3 grazing seasons were greater ( < 0.05) in the HSR than in the LSR. spp., , and were the most prevalent nematode species identified in coprocultures. Does showed more favorable ( < 0.001) BW and BCS changes in the LSR than in the MSR and HSR (-14, -30, and -52 g/d and -0.1, -0.3, and -0.7 BCS units [scale 1 to 5], respectively). Greater ( < 0.001) kids' BW gains were observed in the LSR and MSR (average 94 g/d) compared with the HSR (70 g/d). Inversely, kid output per unit land area was greater in the HSR than in the MSR and LSR (320, 258, and 192 kg∙ha∙yr, respectively; < 0.001), whereas daily kids' BW gains per hectare were greater ( < 0.001) in the HSR and MSR (average 1.37 kg∙d∙ha) compared with the LSR (0.98 kg∙d∙ha). A medium stocking rate of 15 goats/ha could represent the best compromise between animal health, performance, and productivity per unit land area in this type of upland pastures, but stricter controls of parasite levels during the grazing season would be necessary to avoid production losses, unless alternative nutraceuticals are provided.

The teaching role of residents: time to come out of the closet? / El papel docente de los residentes: es momento de salir del armario?

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Anthelmintic effect of heather in goats experimentally infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis.

The effects of heather (composed primarily of Calluna vulgaris with a smaller content of Erica umbellata and Erica cinerea) consumption on the establishment of incoming infective larvae (experiment 1, preventive treatment) and an adult worm population (experiment 2, curative treatment) were investigated in Cashmere goats experimentally infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis. In experiment 1, 12 castrated male goats were divided into two groups: heather-supplemented vs. non-supplemented animals. After 2 weeks of adaptation to the diet, all goats were experimentally infected per os with 6,000 T. colubriformis third-stage larvae. Three weeks post-infection, the goats were slaughtered, and worm counts as well as female worm fecundity and development were determined. Heather consumption was associated with a close to significant (P=0.092) reduction (mean 14 %) in larvae establishment. No effect on fecundity was observed, but the length of female worms in supplemented goats was greater (P<0.001). In experiment 2, 15 non-lactating does were experimentally infected with 6,000 T. colubriformis third-stage larvae. At 6 weeks post-infection, three groups were established: control, heather-supplemented and heather-supplemented with polyethylene glycol. Individual faecal nematode egg output was measured twice weekly to assess gastrointestinal nematode egg excretion. The goats were slaughtered 5 weeks after heather administration (11 weeks post-infection), and worm counts as well as female worm fecundity and development were subsequently determined. Heather administration was associated with a significant (P<0.001) decrease (between 47 and 66 % compared with control group) in egg excretion from 45 to 76 days post-infection. Although worm counts and female fecundity were lower in supplemented goats, no significant differences were observed. Overall, the results showed a reduction in T. colubriformis larvae establishment and a decrease in nematode egg excretion when heather was administered in experimentally infected goats. The heather plus polyethylene glycol treatment reduced nematode egg excretion levels at the same proportion as heather, thereby suggesting that the threshold of tannins required for an anthelmintic effect is most likely quite low.

Effect of the consumption of heather on incoming larvae and established population of Teladorsagia circumcincta in experimentally infected Cashmere goats.

This study was performed in Cashmere goats that were experimentally infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta to investigate the effects of heather consumption on the establishment of incoming infective larvae (experiment 1) and on an adult nematode population (experiment 2). In experiment 1, 24 non-lactating goats were divided into 2 groups: heather-supplemented vs. non-supplemented. After 2 weeks of adaptation to the diet, all of the goats were experimentally infected with 6000 infective larvae of T. circumcincta. Twelve animals (6 controls and 6 supplemented with heather) were slaughtered at 6 days and at 3 weeks post-infection (pi). After slaughter, the worms were counted and the female worm fecundity and development were determined. Heather consumption was associated with a significant reduction in larval establishment at 6 days (P=0.033) and at 3 weeks (P=0.041) pi. No differences in worm counts between the slaughter times were found. In the goats slaughtered at 3 weeks pi, the number of eggs in utero and length of the female worms were significantly (P<0.001) lower than those of control group. In experiment 2, 24 non-lactating goats were experimentally infected with 10,000 T. circumcincta infective larvae daily for 5 consecutive days (total infection of 50,000 larvae). After 3 weeks, 2 groups were established: control and heather-supplemented. The faecal egg output of each animal was measured at 2-days interval during the experimental period. The goats were slaughtered after 3 weeks of heather administration for parasitological studies. Heather administration was associated with a significant decrease in egg excretion between 25 and 29 days pi. The worm counts were similar in both groups, but the female length and fecundity were significantly (P<0.001) lower in supplemented goats. These results show that heather consumption reduces the establishment of T. circumcincta larvae in goats and the development and fecundity of female adult parasites.

Diet selection and performance of cattle and horses grazing in heathlands.

As the number of horses is steadily increasing in Cantabrian less-favoured areas, mostly occupied by nutritionally poor heathland communities, the objective of this research was to study and compare diet selection and performance of crossbred horses and beef cattle (Asturiana de los Valles breed) grazing these areas during the summer. A total of 20 cows (seven lactating their calves and thirteen dry) and 20 mares (eight lactating their foals and twelve dry) were managed during 3 years on a heathland area from June to September and October. The proportion of grass (mostly Pseudarrhenatherum longifolium) and heather (Erica umbellata, E. cinerea and Calluna vulgaris) in the diet selected by cows and mares was estimated in two occasions (July and September) each year using the alkane markers. All animals were weighed at the beginning, middle and end of the summer grazing season. Mares selected heath grasses and rejected heather species more than did the cows (P < 0.001), particularly in early summer (0.85 v. 0.65 herbage proportion in July; 0.63 v. 0.55 in September). Lactating state did not affect diet composition. Mares achieved more favourable (P < 0.001) body weight (BW) changes than cows, but there was also an interaction with season (P < 0.001). From June to August, cows lost BW, being the daily changes (in percentage of initial BW) -0.15%/day in lactating and -0.05%/day in dry cows, whereas both lactating and dry mares gained BW (0.16 and 0.12%/day, respectively). From August to October, lactating cows and mares lost more BW (P < 0.01) compared with their non-lactating counterparts (-0.19 v. -0.10%/day in cows, -0.14 v. -0.05%/day in mares). With regard to the offspring, BW gains between June and August were similar in calves and foals (0.83 and 0.90%/day, respectively), but thereafter calves achieved higher (P < 0.05) BW gains than foals (0.37 v. 0.16%/day). It is concluded that the low nutritive quality of these heathlands restricts, both cattle and horse performance, even during short summer grazing season, being more penalized lactating animals, especially the cows. Although calves were able to maintain acceptable growth rates, foals showed reduced ones during the second half of the grazing season. Other plant communities with better nutritive quality should be provided to assure replenishment of body reserves in dams, and enhance offspring gains to maintain sustainable grazing systems with productive herds of cattle and horses in these heathland areas.

Assessment of very long-chain fatty acids as complementary or alternative natural fecal markers to n-alkanes for estimating diet composition of goats feeding on mixed diets.

This study aimed to assess the use of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA) as an alternative or a complement to n-alkane markers for estimation of diet composition of goats fed 7 different diets, composed of different proportions of herbaceous (Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens) and heathland woody species (Erica umbellata, Erica cinerea, Calluna vulgaris, Erica arborea, and Ulex gallii), in a metabolism study. Diet composition was estimated from VLCFA (i.e., C(22) to C(34)) and alkane (i.e., C(25) to C(33)) concentrations in diet and feces, by least squares procedures. For all plant species VLCFA concentrations were greater than their alkane concentrations, especially for the herbaceous species and U. gallii. In general, fecal recovery of both markers was incomplete and increased in a curvilinear (P < 0.001) fashion with carbon-chain length. The plants comprising the diets had a significant effect (P < 0.001) on fecal recovery of VLCFA and alkanes. Diet composition estimates based on VLCFA alone were less accurate (P = 0.013) than those obtained using alkanes alone. Combination of VLCFA and alkane data resulted in the most accurate (P < 0.05) estimates, indicating an increase on the discriminatory power among plant species. Use of uncorrected fecal marker concentrations provided the poorest estimates of diet composition, and use of individual recovery data and mean fecal recovery data of the dietary treatment yielded the most accurate ones. Results obtained in this study show that VLCFA have potential to be used as diet composition markers along with alkanes.

Is the anthelmintic effect of heather supplementation to grazing goats always accompanied by anti-nutritional effects?

To test the hypothesis that the beneficial anthelmintic effect of consuming moderate amounts of tannins may not always be accompanied by anti-nutritional effects in goats, two experiments were conducted. In the first, 48 Cashmere goats were randomly assigned to two treatments: supplementation with tannin-containing heather (6.4% total tannins) and non-supplementation. All goats grazed continuously from May to September under farm conditions in a mountainous area of northern Spain. The mean percentage of heather incorporated into the diet of the supplemented animals was 29.1%. Supplementation reduced the mean number of nematode eggs in faeces (P < 0.001) and the goat mortality rate (P < 0.05). The rumen ammonia concentration was markedly reduced in the goats receiving the heather supplement (160 v. 209 mg/l; P < 0.01), while volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations were significantly greater (63.0 v. 53.6 mmol total VFA/l; P < 0.05). The heather-supplemented goats also showed a lower loss of live weight (P < 0.01) and body condition score (P < 0.001). In the second experiment, batch cultures of rumen microorganisms with rumen fluid from nine goats whose diet included 29% heather - or not, were used to incubate three substrates (pasture, pasture + heather and pasture + heather + polyethylene glycol) to investigate in vitro ruminal fermentation. Differences (P < 0.01) among substrates were observed in terms of dry matter disappearance (DMD), in vitro true substrate digestibility (ivTSD), gas production and ammonia concentration, the greatest values always associated with the pasture substrate. Cultures involving rumen inoculum derived from goats receiving the heather-containing diet showed slightly lower DMD (46.9 v. 48.5 g/100 g; P < 0.05), ivTSD (64.6 v. 65.9 g/100 g; P < 0.10) and gas production (105 v. 118 ml/g; P < 0.001) values, but much greater total VFA concentrations (48.5 v. 39.3 mmol/l; P < 0.05), and suggest that the efficiency of ruminal fermentation in these animals was probably improved. Together, the results support the absence of a clear nutritional cost counteracting the beneficial anthelmintic effect of supplementing the diet of grazing goats with tannin-containing heather.

Grazing behaviour and performance of lactating suckler cows, ewes and goats on partially improved heathlands.

The foraging behaviour (grazing time and diet composition), live-weight (LW) changes and parasitic infection (faecal egg counts of gastrointestinal nematodes) of 12 beef cows, 84 ewes and 84 goats suckling their offspring, managed in mixed grazing on heathlands with 24% of improved pasture of perennial ryegrass-white clover, were studied during the years 2003 and 2006. The results showed that goats tended to graze for a longer time, and utilised significantly more heathland vegetation than cattle and sheep, including in their diet in an average of 0.39 herbaceous plants, 0.11 gorse and 0.51 heather over the grazing season, comparing with respective mean values of 0.85, 0.02 and 0.13 in cattle and sheep. Dietary overlap was higher between cattle and sheep (0.76) than between sheep and goats (0.53) or between cattle and goats (0.47). Despite the high performance of autumn-calving cows in spring, sheep had the best LW changes per livestock unit (LU) during the whole grazing season. Goats' performance per LU was lower than in sheep but higher than in spring-calving cows. Regarding offspring production, lambs had higher LW gains per LU than calves and kids. Mean nematode eggs/g fresh faeces (epg) during the grazing season were higher in goats (91 epg) compared with sheep (34 epg) and cattle (14 epg), particularly from September to December. In conclusion, sheep performed best on these heathlands with improved pasture areas if the entire grazing season was considered, despite the good level of production in spring from autumn-calving cows. The results suggested the complementary use of goats in order to increase the effective utilisation of the available vegetation, achieving production levels similar to those from spring-calving cows. Therefore, mixed flocks of sheep and goats would be the most appropriate sustainable systems from the animal production and vegetation use points of view.

Anthelmintic and nutritional effects of heather supplementation on Cashmere goats grazing perennial ryegrass-white clover pastures.

To investigate anthelmintic and nutritional effects of heather supplementation in goats grazing perennial ryegrass-white clover pastures, 40 dry Cashmere goats were randomly assigned to 4 treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement: 2 grazing management treatments (supplementation with heather vs. nonsupplementation) and 2 anthelmintic treatments (treatment vs. nontreatment). Goats grazed continuously from May to September 2004. At the end of the grazing period, the number of dead goats due to gastrointestinal parasitism was 1 in the group supplemented with heather and dosed with anthelmintic, 4 in the group that received neither supplementation nor anthelmintic, and 0 in the other 2 groups. For goats that did not receive anthelmintic treatment, the percentage of heather in the diet was negatively correlated with fecal egg count in August (r = -0.59, P < 0.05) and September (r = -0.49, P < 0.1) and positively correlated (r = 0.54, P < 0.05) with BW changes during the grazing season. Therefore, the correlation coefficient between BW change and fecal egg count was negative (r = -0.62, P < 0.05). Rumen ammonia concentrations were always lower in supplemented goats (P < 0.05). However, VFA concentrations were greater in goats consuming heather (58.9 vs. 50.9 mmol/L), which suggests that ruminal fermentation was not adversely affected by consumption of tannins. Heather availability in the vegetation might represent a valuable opportunity and sustainable method to control gastrointestinal nematode infections in a goat production system based on grazing perennial ryegrass-white clover pastures.

Diet selection and live-weight changes of two breeds of goats grazing on heathlands.

Diet selection, live-weight changes and productivity per hectare of two breeds of goats (Cashmere and local Celtiberic) managed in natural vegetation dominated by heather, and the effect of stocking rate (high or low) in the Cashmere breed, were studied during four grazing seasons. Breed had a significant (P < 0.01) effect on the available biomass and its components over the experimental period as a consequence of the differences in dietary components selected by the animals. Local goats produced a greater reduction in short and tall heather and in the percentage of leaves in the tall heather. Live-weight changes were significantly (P < 0.001) different between breeds. Over all experimental years Cashmere goats maintained weight under both low and high stocking rate (4 and - 1 g/day respectively), while local Celtiberic goats lost 30 g/day.Across all grazing seasons and experimental years stocking rate did not significantly affect individual live-weight changes of Cashmere goats. Productivity per hectare did not differ significantly (P>0.05) between high ( - 0.6 kg/ha) and low stocking rate treatments (4.1 kg/ha). However it was significantly (P < 0.001) worse for the local breed treatment ( - 51 kg/ha).As a consequence, in these vegetation communities with low abundance and poor quality of herbaceous plants it will be impossible to develop sustainable systems from the animal production point of view, and their management would need to be integrated during the grazing season by alternating with vegetation communities with better quality.

Nivel sensitivo calculado vs. observado en anestesia peridural con bupivacaína.Estudio de concordancia / Sensitive level calculated versus. observed in peridural anesthesia with bupivacaína. Study of agreement

Objetivos: Este estudio fue diseñado para evaluar la concordancia entre nivel sensitivo esperado y observado, después de anestesia peridural con bupivacaína 0.5 por ciento y validar la ecuación que se usa rutinariamente para calcular la dosis (volumen) a administrar. Métodos: Estudio prospectivo de concordancia - conformidad. Participantes: 77 pacientes de ambos sexos, mayores de 17 años, programados para cirugía abdominal y de miembros inferiores, en el Hospital Universitario de San Ignacio, bajo anestesia peridural con bupivacaína 0.5 por ciento. El volumen total de dosis para obtener un nivel sensitivo determinado, se calculó con la fórmula (7.8 menos (edad Multiplicando por 0.03) Multiplicando por No. metámeras) Dividido entre 5 y después de 30 minutos de administrada esta dosis se verificó el nivel sensitivo obtenido en el paciente. Resultados: Los límites de concordancia del 95 por ciento fueron evaluados, encontrando una diferencia promedio de 2.23 metámeras con límites de (Negativo)2.39 y 6.84. 50 por ciento El de los pacientes tuvieron una desviación de al menos 2 metámeras por encima del nivel esperado y algunos pacientes tuvieron una desviación de hasta 9 metámeras. Conclusión: La concordancia entre nivel esperado y nivel observado es muy pobre cuando se calcula el volumen de dosis de bupivacaína 0.5 por ciento...

Treatment of a low concentration industrial chemicals mixture in an UASB reactor.

A wastewater containing a mixture of methanol, isopropyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, acetic anhydride, methyl, ethyl and isopropyl acetate, acrylic acid, butyl and methyl acrylate, o, m and p-xylene and styrene was fed to an UASB reactor. Isopropanol addition diminished the removal efficiency to 60% and required a long adaptation time for its total mineralization. When acrylic acid was added to the mixture, the removal dropped to 83% and recovered after 40 days. As for the rest of the substrates, p-m-o-xylene addition had no effect on reactor performance, although in batch assays it showed low mineralization. Also the effect of volumetric organic load on removal efficiency was followed up. After diminishing the HRT to 4 and 3 h yielding 4.8 and 6.5 gCOD L(-1) d(-1), removal efficiencies decreased to 79 and 74% respectively.