41,765 research outputs found
Efficacy of tuohy needle in oocytes collection from excised mare ovaries
No full textOocyte aspiration from equine follicles gives a low recovery rate and yields oocytes largely denuded of cumulus cells. Follicle scraping is labour intensive and increases the time required for collection,
extending the holding time of oocytes that delays their maturation.
The aim of this work was to develop an effective method for collecting equine oocytes combining the feature of aspiration (fastness) with that of scraping (high recovery rate of cumulus-intact oocytes). Furthermore, we examined differences in cumulus morphology and maturation rates, comparing this technique to aspiration and scraping, with or without tunica albuginea removal. Collection by vacuum pump aspiration was performed using a 16 g needle while the combination of aspiration and scraping was performed using a Tuohy needle (16 g) that is usually employed for inserting an epidural catheter and its tip shape is similar to a small curette. In unpeeled ovaries, the recovery rates by the Tuohy needle was higher (p < 0.05) than in the 16 g needle aspiration and in the scraped ovaries (57% vs. 36% and 47%) while the rate of cumulus-intact oocytes was higher than aspiration (46.9% vs. 39.36%) but lower than scraping (46.97%) (p < 0.001). In unpeeled ovaries there was no difference in maturation rate of oocytes recovered by Tuohy needle in respect to scraping in peeled ovaries (58.54% vs. 58.24% respectively; p < 0.05). In conclusion, combination of aspiration and scraping by Tuohy needle allows a faster and reliable collection of oocytes suitable for horse IVM
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In vitro evaluation of prebiotic properties derived from rice bran obtained by debranning technology
No full textThe prebiotic ability of several rice bran fractions obtained by debranning (RBD) using human microbiota was studied in anaerobic batch cultures with agitation and pH-controlled. Fraction C (3.8–5% w/w pearling) from RBD increased the number of bifidobacteria and lactobacteria compared with the positive control, raftilose P95. RBD fermentation induced changes in the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile. In addition, Fraction C revealed the highest growth of positive lactobacteria than commercial control. The present work illustrates the prebiotic capacity of RBD to modulate human microbiota and highlights that fraction C could be an economical source for use in human food as well as an interesting alternative to valorise a by-product of cereal industry
Efficacy and Ease of Use of a Newly Designed Pencil-Point Epidural Needle Compared to Conventional Tuohy Epidural Needle: A Randomized Single-Blind Pilot Study
No full textBackground and objective Accidental dural puncture (ADP) and consequent post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) related to epidural needle use have prompted the design of a pencil-point epidural needle. The aim of this prospective, randomized, single-blind pilot study was to assess the efficacy, ease of use, patient satisfaction, and adverse events associated with this newly designed pencil-point epidural needle compared to a Tuohy conventional epidural needle in parturients receiving combined spinal-epidural (CSE) anesthesia for labor. Methods After obtaining the Institutional Research Board approval, 100 parturients were randomized to receive CSE anesthesia with either the new pencil-point epidural needle (Gertie Marx, IMD Inc., Huntsville, UT) (P group) or Tuohy needle (T group). We documented patients’ height, weight, loss of resistance (LOR), number of attempts required, onset time of spinal anesthesia, difficulties with insertion of spinal needle, difficulties with insertion of the epidural needle and catheter, duration of the procedure, overall satisfaction of the provider and patient, ADP, PDPH, paresthesia, and pain. Results There was no difference in body mass index (BMI), LOR, number of attempts, and onset time of spinal anesthetic between the study groups. Success in obtaining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on the first attempt was 50/51 (98%) in the T group vs. 44/49 (89.8%) in the P group (p=0.108). The need for subsequent epidural needle readjustment to obtain CSF was higher in the P group (16/49, 32.7%) vs. the T group (3/51, 5.9%, p<0.001). Success on the first attempt with epidural catheter threading was lower with the pencil-point epidural needle compared to the Tuohy needle (69% vs. 98%, p<0.001). The anesthesiologist switched from the assigned pencil-point epidural needle to the Tuohy needle due to technical difficulties in 8/49 (16.3%) cases. The duration of the procedure was longer in the P group (16.43 ±6.33 minutes) compared to the T group (11.49 ±1.87 minutes) (p<0.001). User satisfaction was lower in the P group compared to the T group (34.7% vs. 90.2%, p<0.001). Patient satisfaction was lower with the pencil-point epidural needle compared to the Tuohy needle (75.5% vs. 92.2%, p=0.03). There was no difference in complication rates from the CSE procedure between groups (pain, paresthesia, ADP, and PDPH). Conclusion In this pilot study, the use of the pencil-point epidural needle for CSE was associated with less successful epidural catheter placement as well as low user and patient satisfaction compared to the Tuohy epidural needle. Modifications in the pencil-point epidural needle design are needed to improve efficacy and enhance user acceptance before a larger study can be conducted to evaluate the rates of ADP and PDPH
Predictors of impaired cognitive function in men over the age of 80 years: results from the Health in Men Study
No full textLeon Flicker, Osvaldo P. Almeida, John Acres, Max T. Q. Le, Raywin J. Tuohy, Konrad Jamrozik, Graeme Hankey and Paul Norma
Metagenomics of milk before, during and after summer transhumance to highland pasture in relation to human health and cheese making properties
No full textSummer transhumance is a traditional form of pastoralism to highland pasture in the dairy system of alpine regions and it is practiced all over the world. Positive influences can be obtained for the environment, society, tourism, animal health and welfare. The aim of this study was to analyze the evolution of the milk microbiota before, during, and after summer transhumance to highland pasture in relation to possible effects on animal / human health and cheese-making properties. The study involved 12 healthy, multiparous, mid-lactation Brown Swiss cows reared in a farm located in the Trento province (Northern East Italy). The cows were monitored from June to October and divided into two groups: six cows were used as a control group and kept in the lowland permanent farm (PF); the other six cows were moved to a temporary alpine farm (ALP) from July to September. From each milk, samples were collected every four weeks for genomic DNA extraction and microbiota characterization using community 16S rRNA amplicon (V3–V4 region) based Illumina Miseq sequencing and QIIME2 (2018.2 version). The relative abundance was analyzed after a log10 transformation and identified species were classified into two unfavorable categories: Spoilage and Pathogenic species, and two favorable categories: Probiotics and Dairy species. For the statistical analysis, we used a linear mixed model, where the combined Month × Group (MG) effect was used as fixed and the cow effect as random. The results revealed a different behavior in the ALP group compared to the PF group during the 3 months of summer transhumance. The Spoilage bacteria tended to decrease in the alpine pasture (MG effect: p < .001), with significant differences in terms of Pseudomonas, Alicyclobacillus, and Clostridiales (p < .001, p < .001, p < .05 respectively). Pathogenic did not show large differences between the two groups; instead, the Probiotic category, which includes Propionibacterium and Bifidobacterium, showed a gradual increase in the ALP group (p < .001). Dairy species also had a significant increase in the ALP group (p < .001), especially Lactococcus and Lactobacillus (both p < .001). All the microbiological changes disappeared when cows were moved back from alpine pasture to the permanent indoor farm. Summer transhumance to alpine pasture, therefore, has a favorable effect on the milk microbiota, with positive implications for both the cheese-making attitude of milk produced and its possible effect on human health
In vitro faecal fermentation of Tritordeum breads and its effect on the human gut health
No full textSpontaneous fermentation of Tritordeum flour enhances the nutritional potential of this hybrid cereal. However, the effect of consumption of Tritordeum sourdough bread (SDB) on gut health remains to be elucidated. This study investigated the effect of in vitro digestion and faecal fermentation of SDB compared to that of traditional baker's yeast (BYB) Tritordeum bread. After 24-h anaerobic faecal fermentation, both SDB and BYB (1% w/v) induced an increase in the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium, Megasphaera, Mitsuokella, and Phascolarctobacterium genera compared to baseline, while concentrations of acetate and butyrate were significantly higher at 24 h for SDB compared to those for BYB. Integrity of intestinal epithelium, as assessed through in vitro trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) assay, was slightly increased after incubation with SDB fermentation supernatants, but not after incubation with BYB fermentation supernatants. The SDB stimulated in vitro mucosal immune response by inducing early secretion of inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-α, followed by downregulation of the inflammatory trigger through induction of anti-inflammatory IL-10 expression. Overall, our findings suggest that Tritordeum sourdough can modulate gut microbiota fermentation activity and positively impact the gut health
Application of NMR spectroscopy for novel foods benefactory for gut health
No full textImpact of novel foods on human gut health represents a significant scientific and medical interest. Therefore, investigation of their effect on digestion requires additional analytical techniques. Here, we report our two recent case studies applying NMR spectroscopy and microbiological analysis in this field
Production of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): effect of inulin on microbial composition and CLA concentration in a human intestinal model
No full textConjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) show a number of putative health-promoting activities including anti-carcinogenic, anti-adipogenic, anti-diabetogenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. CLAs are naturally produced by ruminal bacteria and several studies demonstrate that various lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are also able to produce CLAs in vitro from linoleic acid (LA). However, the ability of the human gut microbiota to produce CLA is less extensively studied. Our hypothesis is that the human gut microbiota is able to convert LA to CLA, and that the readily fermentable fiber inulin would positively modulate the growth of CLA-producing bacteria and, consequently increase the CLA content in the intestine. The capability of the faecal microbiota from five healthy donors to produce CLA was tested in anaerobic batch cultures for 48 hours at pH 5.5 and 6.5. Test treatments were linoleic acid (LA; 1 mg/mL) + bovine serum albumin (BSA; 0.2 mg/mL), and LA (1 mg/mL) + BSA (0.2 mg/mL) + inulin (1%, w/v) compared to a control BSA (0.2 mg/mL) fermentation. The microbial composition was analyzed 0, 24 and 48 hours after starting the fermentation by 16S rRNA gene Illumina MiSeq sequencing (V3-V4 region). CLAs were quantified by Ultra performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS) and bi-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC). The inclusion of LA+BSA+inulin at pH 5.5 significantly increased the relative abundance of Collinsella aerofaciens (p<0.05), and tended to increase the relative abundance of bifidobacteria. LA+BSA+inulin at both pH 5.5 and 6.5 reduced the relative abundance of Parabacteroides, Bilophila, Clostridia and Enterobacteriaceae (p<0.05). The concentration of CLA, in particular the isomer cis9,trans11 C18:2, was significantly higher in the LA+BSA+inulin group at pH 5.5 after 24 and 48 hours fermentation. The data show that the treatment LA+BSA+inulin at pH 5.5 induce substantial changes in microbiota composition, including bifidogenesis and CLA production in a human intestinal microbiota model. The changes of relative abundance detected are consistent with changes in gut bacteria previously linked to human health. Collinsella aerofaciens has been reported for reducing bloating, in particular in subjects suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, while Clostridia, Bilophila and Enterobacteriaceae causes human infections. In addition, the increase of bifidobacteria and LAB, which have previously been shown in vitro to produce CLA, may also be involved in CLA production under simulated cecal microbiome. These preclinical observations warrant confirmation in suitably designed animal and human mechanistic studies
Nitrogen transformation processes and gaseous emissions from a humic gley soil at two water filled pore spaces
No full textThe artificial drainage of heavy textured gley soils is prevalent on pasture. Drainage of a soil profile reduces the water filled pore space (WFPS) in the upper soil horizons with consequences for N2 and N2O emissions, the fate of nitrogen (N), transformational processes and microbial and bacterial communities. The present intact soil column study with isotopically enriched fertiliser investigates all these aspects simultaneously under two WFPS treatments (80% (HS) and 55% (LS) saturation). Results showed significant differences in nitrous oxyde (N2O) emissions, in both pattern and amount, with maxima at 11.97 mg N2O-N/m2h for HS and at 1.64 for LS. Isotopic enrichment data showed a significant predominance (74.8–97.2%) of nitrification in LS, with a possible reduction in NH4+ but a higher concentration of nitrate (NO3−) in N losses. Denitrification dominated in HS (72.5–73.4%), possibly leading to high ammonium (NH4+) losses. Enrichment values showed differential apportionment patterns. A high component of N2O emission derived from denitrification in HS (6.0% HS; 0.4% LS) with a significant amount of N2O (62.9%) transformed to N2 (3.7% LS). A higher percentage of 15N was retained in LS soil. HS showed a lower amount of unaccounted N highlighting lower losses. Differences in gene copy concentrations (GCC) were found across most analysed genes (16S, nirS, nirK, nosZ1, nosZ2, amoA and nrfA). Both HS and LS treatments showed similar potentials for N2O production and its reduction to N2, but a reduced potential for nitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in HS. This study explained the effect of drainage and rewetting on gaseous emissions providing an explanation in terms of community switches. On the current soil type, structures to manage watertable heights would push the system towards complete denitrification with only N2 production but may present risks in terms of ammonia (NH3) and NH4+ losses
P Values and Statistical Significance
No full textThis resource, created by author Will G. Hopkins, defines what a p-value is, why .05 is significant, and when to use it. It also covers related topics such as one-tailed/two-tailed tests and hypothesis testing. Overall, this is a wonderful resource for students wanting to learn more about statistics, and more specially, significant testing
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