Aas Score Research Articles

Single nucleotide polymorphisms linked to Alzheimer’s disease are associated with distinct neuropathological phenotypes

AbstractBackgroundNeurodegenerative brain diseases (NBDs) ultimately result in neuronal loss and subsequent cognitive decline. In Alzheimer’s disease, tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and amyloid plaques are considered as the hallmark lesions, but there are a number of other distinct features that are not exclusive to AD and do occur to a certain extent in other NBDs.MethodWe extracted DNA from a cohort of 382 post‐mortem brains of NBD patients and controls with detailed neuropathological characterization. Genotyping of 85 genetic loci, previously found to be associated with AD, is ongoing using an in‐house developed oxford nanopore technologies (ONT) multiplex assay, allowing simultaneous sequencing of all variants on an ONT Flongle platform. Base‐ calling, alignment to Hg38 and variant calling were performed followed by QC on the data and regression analysis.ResultAssociation testing has currently been performed for 59 of the total 85 SNPs in the assay using either linear or logistic regression. This revealed significant association for an AD risk variant in the SIGLEC11 locus and Braak NFT staging (p = 0.003) and NIA_AA score (p = 0.002). Significance was also found for a risk variant in the EPHA1 locus and Hirano body score (p = 0.008). Furthermore, we found numerous nominally significant associations between risk loci and TDP43 LATE, granulovacuolar degeneration, phases of amyloid plaque distribution and CAA severity.ConclusionThese results possibly highlight biological pathways involved in generating these additional features. Our ongoing work is currently focusing on increasing our sample size to further validate the associations we discovered and optimizing our ONT assay.

The disease burden and societal costs of hereditary angioedema.

According to the current treatment guidelines, the goals of treatment of patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) are to achieve total control of the disease and to normalize patients' lives. This study aims to establish the entire burden of HAE comprising disease control, treatment satisfaction, reductions in quality of life and societal costs. Adult HAE patients under treatment at the Dutch national centre of reference completed a cross-sectional survey in 2021. The survey consisted of different questionnaires: Angioedema-specific questionnaires (4-week Angioedema Activity Score and Angioedema Control Test); quality of life questionnaires (Angioedema Quality of Life questionnaire and EQ-5D-5L); the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication; and societal costs questionnaires (iMTA Medical Consumption Questionnaire, and iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire). The response rate was 78% (69/88). The entire sample had a mean AAS score of 16.61, and 36% of participants had poorly controlled disease as expressed by the AECT. The mean quality of life in the entire sample was 30.99 as expressed by the AE-QoL and 0.873 as expressed by the EQ-5D-5L utility value. Utilities dropped by 0.320 points during an angioedema attack. TSQM scores ranged from 66.67 to 75.00 across its four domains. On average, total costs per year incurred €22,764, predominantly existing of HAE-medication costs. Total costs showed substantial variation between patients. This study describes the entire burden of HAE among Dutch patients comprising disease control, quality of life, treatment satisfaction and societal costs. These results can inform cost-effectiveness analyses which can aid reimbursement decisions for HAE treatments.

Analysis of risk factors for complicated appendicitis during pregnancy and evaluation of clinical prediction model: A prospective cohort study

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors and the value of clinical prediction model for complicated appendicitis (CA) during pregnancy. MethodsProspective analysis of pregnant patients who underwent appendectomy at a single tertiary care center between February 2020 and February 2023 and who ultimately had pathologically confirmed acute appendicitis (AA). According to intraoperative conditions and postoperative pathology, they were divided into the CA group and the uncomplicated appendicitis (UA) group. The two groups of patients were then compared in terms of demographic characteristics, disease features, ancillary tests and predictive models of acute appendicitis. ResultsA total of 90 patients with AA in pregnancy were included, 21 of whom had CA in pregnancy and 69 had UA in pregnancy. Multivariate regression analysis showed that gestational week, neutrophil ratio and C-reactive protein (CRP) were independent risk factors for CA during pregnancy. Relative to the first trimester, the third trimesters had an increased risk of complicated appendicitis (OR = 12.48, 95% CI: 1.56–99.57, P = 0.017). Neutrophil ratio ≥85.30% (OR = 24.54, 95% CI: 2.59–232.72, P = 0.005) and CRP ≥34.26 mg/L (OR = 7.86, 95% CI: 2.18–28.38, P = 0.002) had a significantly increased risk of CA. The AIR and AAS score models were statistically different between the two groups, but with a lower sensitivity of 52.38% and 42.86%, respectively. ConclusionThe third trimesters, neutrophil ratio ≥85.30% and CRP ≥34.26 mg/L may be key predictors of CA in pregnancy. The current scoring model is inadequate to identify complex appendicitis in pregnancy and further research is needed.

Revisiting Protein Quality Assessment to Include Alternative Proteins.

The high demand for novel and existing sustainable protein sources (e.g., legumes, insects, algae, and cultured meat) to replace the animal-based sources is becoming crucial. This change in protein consumption calls for the re-evaluation of the current methods to assess their quality and bioavailability. The two conventional scores for PDCAAS (protein digestibility-corrected AA score) and DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable AA Score) have their limitations and have not been re-evaluated and updated to address plant and novel proteins' quality. We suggest a sensitive physiological preclinical model that can rapidly and confidently address proteins from different sources. Our model is based on the postnatal growth, a major parameter for development and health in children, that influenced by environmental nutritional and lifestyle factors. Our results demonstrate that, with an appropriate amount of protein in the diet, almost all tested proteins performed as well as casein, the animal source. However, upon restriction (10% of calories), all alternative sources did not accomplish normal growth performance. Surprisingly, when compared to PDCAAS and DIAAS parameters obtained from the literature, no correlations were found between growth performance and these parameters, demonstrating their limitations.

The Role of Microorganisms and Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios for Microbial Protein Production from Bioethanol.

With industrial agriculture increasingly challenging our ecological limits, alternative food production routes such as microbial protein (MP) production are receiving renewed interest. Among the multiple substrates so far evaluated for MP production, renewable bioethanol (EtOH) is still underexplored. Therefore, the present study investigated the cultivation of five microorganisms (2 bacteria, 3 yeasts) under carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and dual C-N-limiting conditions (molar C/N ratios of 5, 60, and 20, respectively) to evaluate the production (specific growth rate, protein and biomass yield, production cost) as well as the nutritional characteristics (protein and carbohydrate content, amino acid [AA] profile) of MP production from bioethanol. Under C-limiting conditions, all the selected microorganisms showed a favorable AA profile for human nutrition (average AA score of 1.5 or higher), with a negative correlation between protein content and growth rate. Maximal biomass yields were achieved under conditions where no extracellular acetate was produced. Cyberlindnera saturnus and Wickerhamomyces anomalus displayed remarkably high biomass yields (0.40 to 0.82 g cell dry weight [CDW]/g EtOHconsumed), which was reflected in the lowest estimated biomass production costs when cultivated with a C/N ratio of 20. Finally, when the production cost was evaluated on a protein basis, Corynebacterium glutamicum grown under C-limiting conditions showed the most promising economic outlook. IMPORTANCE The global protein demand is rapidly increasing at rates that cannot be sustained, with projections showing 78% increased global protein needs by 2050 (361 compared to 202 million tonprotein/year in 2017). In the absence of dedicated mitigation strategies, the environmental effects of our current food production system (relying on agriculture) are expected to surpass the planetary boundaries-the safe operating space for humanity-by 2050. Here, we illustrate the potential of bioethanol-renewable ethanol produced from side streams-as a main resource for the production of microbial protein, a radically different food production strategy in comparison to traditional agriculture, with the potential to be more sustainable. This study unravels the kinetic, productive, and nutritional potential for microbial protein production from bioethanol using the bacteria Methylorubrum extorquens and Corynebacterium glutamicum and the yeasts Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Cyberlindnera saturnus, and Metschnikowia pulcherrima, setting the scene for microbial protein production from renewable ethanol.

EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF EMERALD LIBRARY SCIENCE JOURNALS ON THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE

The objective of this research is to identify which Emerald Library Science journals and articles in the field of library and information science have received high altmetric attention scores and citation scores. The study examines all LIS journals indexed by the Dimensions database as of 2022.The findings of this study reveal that the Journal of Documentation is the top-ranked journal, with 24 articles that have the highest dimensions score of 3485, AAS score of 1159, Mendeley score of 3227, and an impact factor of 1.96 over the past five years. Notably, this study found that Mendeley (12150) and Twitter (2313) were the most frequently used altmetric sources. It is also worth mentioning that the highest altmetric attention scores were observed in document journals, with an altmetric score of 1159 indicating the level of attention these articles received. Researcher Subject Categories majority was the members of the public at 1727(17.26%). And highest geographical data access from the United States had the highest number of accesses with 315 (3.15%).

Arthroscopic vs Open Ankle Arthrodesis: A 5-Year Comparison

Category:Ankle; Ankle Arthritis; ArthroscopyIntroduction/Purpose:End-stage ankle arthritis has long been managed surgically with open ankle arthrodesis (OAA). More recently, arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis (AAA) is thought to be associated with improved patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and fewer complications. The objective of this study was to systematically compare these two approaches in long-term PROMs, major complication rates and survivorship of the ankle fusion.Methods:In this retrospective longitudinal cohort study, all patients with an ankle fusion done at our institution and a minimum two-year follow-up were screened for inclusion. Patients demographics at baseline were collected including: age, gender, BMI, smoking status, diabetes status as well as preoperative ankle arthritis COFAS (Canadian Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society) type. The following PROMs were completed preoperatively, at 6-months and annually thereafter to five years: AAS, AOS, SF-36, expectation, satisfaction and swelling scores. PROMs were compared at all timepoints using a mixed-effects regression model adjusted for baseline patients' demographics, COFAS type and PROMs. Major postoperative complications and survival analysis/rate of revision of the ankle fusions were also compared.Results:Of 874 patients screened for inclusion, 351 ankle fusions done between 2003 and 2019 were eligible for the study, 223 AAA and 128 OAA. The two groups were similar at baseline with respect to demographics, but COFAS type was higher in the OAA group and AAS and AOS scores were better in the AAA group. At one-year post-operatively, there was a higher mean AAS score in the AAA group, but there were no other differences in outcomes at any other timepoint. Survivorship of the ankle fusion in the arthroscopic group was lower (ie higher rate of revision) due to a higher rate of amputation or fusion. Deep infection and wound complications were more common with OAA and accounted for most ankle fusion revisions in this group.Conclusion:There were no consistent differences in PROMs of patients who underwent AAA versus OAA patients up to five- years postoperatively. Ankle fusions done arthroscopically had a lower survivorship rate compared to those done with the open approach due to a higher rate of major complications. Previously proposed advantages of AAA over OAA may therefore need to re-assessed and weighed against the technical challenges and associated complications of the arthroscopic technique.

EP.FRI.615 Assessing the reliability of the Adult Appendicitis Score in managing patients with suspected acute appendicitis

Abstract Aims To evaluate the effectiveness of using a clinical prediction tool in the management of suspected acute appendicitis Methods Retrospective data was collected on patients undergoing appendicectomy at a single tertiary centre from November 2019 to June 2020. Inclusion criteria were all patients aged 18 and above undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy for suspected appendicitis. Exclusion criteria were all patients that had a pathological finding other than appendicitis at laparoscopy. The pre operative AAS score at first presentation was calculated and patients grouped into low(0-10), intermediate(11-15), and high(16 and above) risk. These groups were then compared to the histological findings. Results A total of 74 patients were included, 44 male and 30 female. The age range was from 18 to 83, with a median age of 36. Of 10 patients in the low risk group, 4 (40%) had appendicitis on histology. 36 out of 40 (90%) patients in the intermediate risk group had appendicitis and 100% of the 24 patients in the high risk group. Pearson’s coefficient showed a significant correlation between the AAS risk (low, intermediate, and high) and the histological diagnosis of appendicitis (r = 0.48, p = 0.000016). Conclusions Our study did show a positive correlation between the AAS risk stratification and histological diagnosis. Based on our findings we would recommend the adoption of this score in assessing patients with suspected acute appendicitis and minimising the negative appendicectomy rate.

Making sense of the infodemic – A bibliometric analysis of publications on COVID-19 in trauma and orthopedics

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted an explosion of publications to report, understand, further research, and manage this condition. While publications are analyzing the bibliometrics on this condition, there are none available specifically for the impact of COVID-19 on trauma and orthopedics. The aim of this study, therefore, was to perform a bibliometric analysis on COVID-19 and trauma and orthopedics to assess its impact on the specialty. A search for articles on COVID-19 concerning trauma and orthopedics, with the keywords: “COVID-19, New coronavirus, SARS-Cov-2, Orthopedic*, trauma, bone, and joint” were performed on the June 19, 2020, using SCOPUS and PUBMED and this resulted in 272 and 887 articles, respectively. Later, on the same day, we searched for orthopedic journals exclusively and extracted 258 articles from 58 journals. Furthermore, we analyzed the Altmetric data through the dimensions website to find the most popular articles on social media on this topic. After analyzing the data, we found that review articles were the most commonly published articles. The leading journal publishing this content were; The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) American (35), followed by the Journal of Arthroplasty (22). There were 6936 authors involved in publishing 887 articles in 2020. Most articles were published by Vaishya (5) followed by Liang (5), and Iyengar (5). Analysis of Altmetric data showed a total number of citations of 5000 with a mean of 1.98. MedRxiv with 781 publications and 1616 citations was the preprint server with the most publications on dimensions. We studied details of the article with maximum AAS score of 25226 is with 840 citations. We have listed useful protocols from the search and top five cited articles from each search strategy. Publications on COVID-19 commenced from the 9th week of this year and have increased exponentially. Review articles (PubMed) and articles (Scopus) were the most published. The JBJS (Am) and J Arthroplasty have published the maximum number of articles on COVID-19. We found that for a fast evolving condition and for the short term, altmetrics may be better indicators than citations to follow directions of research. Publications with a low number of citations could have immense social media attention. This study should help in quantifying the value of research and publications related to orthopedics and trauma aspects of COVID-19 and therefore help the readers, researchers, and health-care providers to use this information effectively.

Nutrient and AA digestibility of black soldier fly larvae differing in age using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay1.

Edible insects such as black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are alternative protein sources for animal feeds due to their high-protein content and potential low environmental footprint. However, protein quality and AA content may vary across insect species and age. Our objective was to determine the effects of age on nutrient and AA digestibility of BSFL intended for use in pet foods using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay. All animal procedures were approved by the University of Illinois Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee prior to experimentation. Twenty-four cecectomized roosters (four roosters per substrate) were randomly assigned to test substrates [BSFL0 = day 0 (day of hatch); BSFL11 = day 11; BSFL14 = day 14; BSFL18 = day 18; BSFL23 = day 23; BSFL29 = day 29]. After 24 h of feed withdrawal, roosters were tube-fed 20 g of test substrates. Following crop intubation, excreta were collected for 48 h. Endogenous corrections for AA were made using five additional cecectomized roosters. All data were analyzed using a completely randomized design and the GLM procedure of SAS 9.4. DM and OM digestibilities were not different among substrates, but acid-hydrolyzed fat digestibility tended to be greater (P < 0.10) for BSFL23 and BSFL29 than BSFL14 and BSFL18. Although all substrates had a high digestibility, BSFL0 and BSFL11 had the lowest (P < 0.05) digestibilities for most indispensable and dispensable AA. Digestible indispensable AA score (DIAAS)-like values were calculated to determine protein quality according to AAFCO nutrient profiles and NRC recommended allowances for dogs and cats. In general, BSFL18 had the highest, and BSFL11 had the lowest DIAAS-like values for most indispensable AA. Threonine, methionine, and tryptophan were often the first-limiting AA. Our results suggest that BSFL are a high-quality protein and AA source, but that age can affect the AA digestibility and protein quality of this alternative protein source.

Measuring the social impact of research in Paediatric Dentistry: An Altmetric study.

Traditional metrics have been extensively used to evaluate the scientific performance. Despite being widespread accepted, citation-based metrics are not able to describe the social impact of research. A diverse metric, Altmetric, was proposed to overcome those limitations. This study aims to analyse the social impact of research in the field of paediatric dentistry and to assess if a correlation exists between the JCR citations, the AAS score, and the recently released Dimensions citation count. A bibliometric study was conducted on the four journals related to Paediatric Dentistry listed in the JCR from 2014 to 2017. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the articles and the journals. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship among JCR citations, AAS, and Dimensions. The percentage of articles with an AAS presents a huge variability and was significantly higher in the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry. In our sample, the correlation between the JCR citation count and the AAS was poor in the years 2014, 2015, and 2016 and low in 2017. The correlation between JCR citation and Dimensions citation count was strong. The social impact of research in paediatric dentistry can be increased. Dimensions could be an alternative to the JCR. Both the editors and the researcher should change their vision and facilitate the access to research information to scholar and non-scholar audiences.

Mood disorders in adult asthma phenotypes

ABSTRACTObjective: Studies show high comorbidity of mood disorders in asthma. As asthma is a highly heterogeneous disease with different phenotypes it can be expected that there is a difference in this association with different asthma phenotypes. The aim of our cross-sectional study was to assess the association of specific asthma phenotypes with anxiety and/or depression and their impact on asthma control. Methods: A cross-sectional study in 201 consecutive adult outpatients with asthma (≥18 years of age) was conducted. Each patient underwent physical examination, detailed medical history, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Asthma Control Questionnaire, Asthma Control Test, together with measurements of lung function and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide. Phenotypes were assessed using cluster analysis, and a multivariate analysis was used to identify associations of mood disorders with different phenotypes. Results: Five asthma phenotypes were identified: allergic (AA, 43.8%), aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD, 21.9%), late-onset (LOA, 18.9%), obesity-associated (OAA, 10.0%), and respiratory infections associated asthma (RIAA, 5.5%). A multivariate analysis showed a significant association of anxiety with LOA and comorbid hypertension (LOA, odds ratio (OR) = 2.12; hypertension, OR = 2.37, p = 0.012), and depression with AA, RIAA, hypertension, and ACQ score (AA, OR = 6.07; RIAA, OR = 4.73; hypertension, OR = 5.67; ACQ, OR = 1.87; p < 0.001). Comorbid anxiety/depression was associated with AA, LOA, RIAA, hypertension, and ACQ score (AA, OR = 10.15; LOA, OR = 2.98; RIAA, OR = 6.29; hypertension, OR = 5.15; ACQ, OR = 1.90; p < 0.001. Conclusion: Mood disorders were significantly associated with AA, LOA, and infection-associated asthma, together with comorbid hypertension and the level of asthma control.

Prognostic serum markers in patients with high-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma

IntroductionThe role of preoperative serum-based markers in predicting survival outcomes of patients has been reported for several cancer types; however, their association with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) prognosis is unclear. We evaluated the role of systemic serum-based markers in predicting adverse pathological features and survival outcomes in patients surgically treated for high-grade (HG) UTUC. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all patients undergoing surgery for HG UTUC between June 2006 and July 2013 at our institution. Comprehensive clinicopathologic data and preoperative serum-based markers including hemoglobin, white blood cell count, platelet count, serum albumin, calcium, and liver function tests were recorded. Associations of serum markers with pathologic features and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were determined by logistic and Cox regression analyses, respectively. The concordance index for the oncologic outcomes model was determined. ResultsIn total, 101 patients were identified with a median follow-up of 18.5 months (range: 1–74mo). In all, 60% of patients had pT2 or less and 11% had nodal metastases. Preoperative elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (≥116IU/l) was associated with multiple adverse pathologic features including advanced T stage, lymphovascular invasion, and histologic necrosis. On univariate analysis, serum markers independently associated with RFS included hemoglobin≤12.9 (hazards ratio [HR] = 2.51; 95% CI: 1.17–5.36, P = 0.018), albumin≤4g/dl (HR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.04–9.30; P<0.0001), ALP≥116U/l (HR = 13.3; 95% CI: 5.3–33.52, P<0.0001), alanine transaminase≥27 (HR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.11–6.21, P = 0.028), serum aspartate transaminase≥20 (HR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.04–4.69, P = 0.038), and corrected calcium≥9.3 (HR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.01–5.93, P = 0.047). The 2 strongest predictors, albumin and ALP, were combined to form an AA score (range: 0–2), which improved the baseline preoperative clinical model concordance index for prediction of RFS from 0.626 to 0.799. ConclusionIn HG UTUC, elevated preoperative ALP was associated with adverse pathologic features. Additionally, elevated ALP and low albumin were independently associated with worse RFS and overall survival. These serum-based markers are often measured in the preoperative workup of UTUC, and thus they can be included in future prognostic models to risk stratify patients.

Small-airways dysfunction associates with respiratory symptoms and clinical features of asthma: A systematic review

Traditionally, asthma has been considered a disease that predominantly involves the large airways. Today, this concept is being challenged, and increasing evidence has become available showing that abnormalities in the small airways also contribute to the clinical expression of asthma. The small airways can be affected by inflammation, remodeling, and changes in the surrounding tissue, all contributing to small-airways dysfunction. In this article we have performed a systematic review of the literature on the association between small-airways dysfunction and clinical signs and symptoms of asthma. This review shows that small-airways dysfunction associates with worse control of asthma, higher numbers of exacerbations, the presence of nocturnal asthma, more severe bronchial hyperresponsiveness, exercise-induced asthma, and the late-phase allergic response. Importantly, small-airways dysfunction can already be present in patients with mild asthma. Our review provides suggestive evidence that a better response of the small airways to inhaled steroids or montelukast associates with better asthma control. For this reason, an early recognition of small-airways dysfunction is important because it enables the physician to start timely treatment to target the small airways. It is important to develop simpler and more reliable tools (eg, questionnaires or bronchial provocation tests with small-particle stimuli) to assess the presence and extent of small-airways dysfunction in daily clinical practice.

Evaluation of four raw meat diets using domestic cats, captive exotic felids, and cecectomized roosters

Our objective was to evaluate raw meat diets for captive exotic and domestic carnivores containing traditional and alternative raw meat sources, specifically, beef trimmings, bison trimmings, elk muscle meat, and horse trimmings. We aimed to examine diet composition and protein quality; apparent total tract energy and macronutrient digestibility in domestic cats, African wildcats, jaguars, and Malayan tigers; and ME and fecal fermentative end-products in domestic cats. Because of variation in the meat sources, dietary proximate, AA, and long-chain fatty acid composition were variable. Our analyses indicated that all diets had essential fatty acid deficiencies, and the elk diet (i.e., trimmed muscle meat) was deficient in total fat. Standardized AA digestibilities measured using the cecectomized rooster assay were high (>87%). Using the NRC minimum requirements for the growth of kittens, the first limiting AA of all diets was the combined requirement of Met and Cys (AA score: 81 to 95; protein digestibility corrected AA score: 75 to 90). All diets were highly digestible (88 to 89% OM digestibility). There was no effect of diet or felid species on DM (85 to 87%), OM, and GE (90 to 91%) digestibilities. Apparent CP digestibility was greater (P≤0.05) in cats fed elk (97%) compared with those fed bison (96%), and greater (P≤0.05) in wildcats (97%) and domestic cats (97%) compared with tigers (95%). The diet and species interaction (P≤0.05) was observed for apparent fat digestibility. In domestic cats, the fresh fecal pH and proportions of acetate and butyrate were altered (P≤0.05) due to diet. Diet also affected (P≤0.05) fresh fecal concentrations of total branched-chain fatty acids, valerate, and Lactobacillus genus. In conclusion, although the raw meat diets were highly digestible, because of variation in raw meat sources the nutrient composition of the diets was variable. Thus, compositional analysis of raw meat sources is necessary for proper diet formulation. The types of meat commonly used in raw meat diets may be deficient in total fat (trimmed muscle meat) and essential fatty acids (trimmings and muscle meats). Additionally, differences in raw meat source nutrient composition and digestibility affect the beneficial and putrefactive fermentative end-products found in feces.

Determination of the ileal amino acid and energy digestibilities of corn distillers dried grains with solubles using grower-finisher pigs1,2,3

An experiment evaluated the ileal apparent and standardized AA and apparent energy digestibilities in grower-finisher pigs of 5 sources of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from corn. The 5 DDGS sources were analyzed for AA, GE, NDF, ADF, and color score. Diets were formulated to contain 15% CP from the test DDGS sources (approximately 60% of the diet). A low-protein (5% casein) diet was used to estimate basal endogenous AA losses. The experiment was conducted in 2 replicates of a 6 x 6 Latin Square design, with 6 treatments and six 1-wk periods. The experiment used 12 crossbred barrows [(Yorkshire x Landrace) x Duroc], averaging 28 kg of BW and 60 d of age, and surgically fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum. After a 10-d recovery period, treatment diets were fed in meal form, initially at 0.09 kg . BW(0.75). Feed intake was equalized between pigs within each period and increased for each subsequent period. Periods included 5 d of diet acclimation followed by two 12-h ileal digesta collections, one on d 6 and one on d 7. Apparent and standardized digestibility of AA was calculated using chromic oxide (0.4%) as an indigestible marker. The results demonstrated that apparent and standardized lysine digestibilities ranged from 24.6 to 52.3% and 38.2 to 61.5%, respectively. Average apparent essential AA digestibility was lower (P < 0.05) in sources 1 and 5, the 2 sources that were darkest in color. Apparent and standardized digestibility of the averaged nonessential AA were lower (P < 0.05) in source 5 than in all other sources. Source 5, the darkest colored DDGS, had a 10% lower (P < 0.05) average apparent and standardized essential AA digestibility and was more than 15% lower (P < 0.05) in lysine digestibility than the 3 lightest colored sources. Apparent ileal energy digestibility did not differ among the 5 sources. Lysine content and digestibility seemed to be reduced to a greater extent by the darker colored DDGS than the other essential AA, suggesting that the Maillard reaction reduced total lysine content and lowered its digestibility. These results, therefore, imply that darker colored DDGS sources may have lower (P < 0.05) analyzed lysine contents, as well as lower (P < 0.05) lysine and essential AA digestibilities, than lighter colored DDGS sources.

Usefulness of the Human Activity Profile, a Functional Performance Measure, in People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

To further evaluate the usefulness of the Human Activity Profile (HAP) as a functional performance measure for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Phase 1. The sample consisted of 53 outpatients (51 male) with stable COPD (forced expiratory volume in 1 second% predicted (FEV1% pred) = 38 +/- 14 (mean +/- standard deviation) at a university-affiliated veterans affairs medical center. Variables were functional performance (HAP Maximal Activity Score [MAS], HAP Adjusted Activity Score [AAS]), dyspnea (modified Borg category-ratio scale and Shortness of Breath Questionnaire [SOBQ]), and exercise capacity (6-minute walk distance [6MWD]). Phase 2. The HAP was administered pre-post pulmonary rehabilitation in 48 (14 male) outpatients with stable COPD (FEV1% pred = 35 +/- 15) at an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program at a large private hospital. Phase 1. Scores for MAS and AAS were, respectively, 62 +/- 12 and 44 +/- 15. The 6MWD, modified Borg, and SOBQ were, respectively, 1055 +/- 372 ft, 4.1 +/- 1, and 64.4 +/- 22 ft. Correlations of the 6MWD and dyspnea scores with the AAS were strong and explained 40% of the AAS variation. Phase 2. The baseline MAS and AAS scores were 55 +/- 14 and 42 +/- 15, respectively, with 29/48 (60%) classified as "low fitness" on the basis of the AAS. Post-rehabilitation, there was significant improvement in the AAS score (48 +/- 13) and significant reduction for those classified as "low fitness." The utility of the HAP as a measure of functional performance improvement in COPD is supported by its relationship with both 6MWD and dyspnea and its responsiveness to pulmonary rehabilitation.

Reduced eosinophil apoptosis in induced sputum correlates with asthma severity.

This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between induced sputum eosinophil apoptosis and clinical severity score, airway obstruction and symptom scores in patients with chronic stable asthma. Altogether, 41 chronic stable asthmatic subjects of varying severity defined by Aas score and 17 control subjects underwent spirometry, symptom questionnaire and successful sputum induction. Sputum was processed and cytospins prepared for light microscopy to determine normal and apoptotic eosinophils. Mild asthmatic subjects had a significantly lower percentage sputum eosinophils and a significantly higher eosinophil apoptotic ratio (AR) than moderate or chronic severe asthmatics. Severe asthmatic subjects had a significantly greater age, duration of asthma and sputum eosinophil count x mL(-1) than mild asthmatic subjects. Asthmatic subjects' symptom scores, severity scores and age inversely correlated with AR and the percentage of sputum eosinophils. Baseline forced expiratory volume in one second inversely correlated with percentage sputum eosinophils and positively correlated with AR. The study demonstrates a relationship between reduced sputum eosinophil apoptosis and increased clinical severity of chronic stable asthma, providing additional evidence that eosinophil apoptosis may be important in the resolution of eosinophilic airway inflammation in asthma.

Allergy: a global problem. Quality of life.

Allergy: a global problem. Quality of life.

Evaluation of long-term efficacy of an asthma education programme in an out-patient clinic

The aim of the present study was to evaluate long-term efficacy of a patient education programme in an asthma out-patient clinic. The study included two groups. Educational group consisted of 25 patients who were given special education for one year. Usual care group included 27 patients who were not given special education. All patients were evaluated after 3 years follow-up period. Mean per cent asthma knowledge score (KS%), mean per cent demonstration score (DS%), daytime and nighttime symptom scores, Aas score, and pulmonary function tests were measured. The asthma-quality-of-life assessment was performed. The rate of application to emergency room and admission to hospital for last 1 year had been calculated. KS% was higher in educational group than in usual care group (P<0.001). Daytime score was 0.3±0.6 in educational group and was 0.8±1.2 in usual care group (P=0.08). Nighttime symptom score was found to be 0.5±0.9 and 0.9±1.3, respectively (P=0.07). Usual care group had higher Aas score compared to educational group (P=0.048). The total score of quality of life was 197.1±17.8 in educational group and was 176.7±33.7 in usual care group (P=0.009). While none of the patients had emergency room application and hospital admission in educational group, seven patients had 21 emergency room application (P=0.01) and four patients had four hospital admissions in usual care group. Additional short-acting inhaled beta-2 agonist usage was found lower in the educational group (P=0.068). In conclusion, proper drug use and usual care of patients are not sufficient for asthma treatment. Patient education is an important component of therapy in asthma patients. For a life with optimum standards, in addition to these factors, patient education must be accepted first by doctors and then by patients.