Graded supplemental choline chloride fed throughout the grow and finish periods elicited minimal influence on growth performance and carcass characteristics of pigs in a commercial setting.

Choline is vital in a variety of physiological processes that influence brain development, growth, and carcass characteristics in birds and mammals. In this study, we investigated the influence of graded supplemental choline chloride on growth performance, carcass quality, and liver characteristics in grow-finish pigs. Pigs (672 barrows and 588 gilts) were obtained from a commercial nursery facility at 8 weeks of age and assigned to treatment based on body weight and sex, with 21 same-sex pigs comprising a replicate pen.

Consuming hurricane-related media: The protective role of perceived trust.

Objective: We examined whether perceived trust in media was associated with post-Hurricane Harvey traumatic stress symptoms and tested whether it buffered the association between hurricane-related media exposure and post-Hurricane Harvey traumatic stress symptoms.

Method: A probability-based, representative sample of Texas residents, drawn from the GfK KnowledgePanel, were surveyed online three times: 2 weeks ( = 1,137), 6 weeks ( = 1,023), and 14 months ( = 748) after Hurricane Harvey (a Category 4 storm) made landfall in 2017. Measures included traumatic stress symptoms, Hurricane Harvey-related media exposure, perceived trust in that media, Hurricane Harvey exposures, and demographics.

Non-surgical resolution of pneumocephalus following a sneeze.

Pneumocephalus is defined as the abnormal presence of air in the intracranial cavity. Pneumocephalus is most commonly caused by trauma, but there are rare reports of pneumocephalus secondary to allergy-induced sinusitis. In this report, we present a woman in her 60s who presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of headache after experiencing a 'popping' sensation in her ears while sneezing.

Development of an Elastin-like Polypeptide-Based Nucleic Acid Delivery System Targeted to EGFR+ Bladder Cancer Cells Using a Layer-by-Layer Approach.

Nucleic acid (NA)-based therapies are revolutionizing biomedical research through their ability to control cellular functions at the genetic level. This work demonstrates a versatile elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) carrier system using a layer-by-layer (LbL) formulation approach that delivers NA cargos ranging in size from siRNA to plasmids. The components of the system can be reconfigured to modulate the biochemical and biophysical characteristics of the carrier for engaging the unique features of the biological target.

Unravelling the Mechanism of Elastin-like Polypeptide-Enzyme Fusion Stabilization in Organic Solvents.

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) are a class of materials that are widely used as purification tags and in potential therapeutic applications. We have used the hydrophobic nature of ELP to extract them into organic solvents and precipitate them to obtain highly pure materials. Although many different types of ELP have been rapidly purified in this manner, the underlying mechanism for this process and its ability to retain functional proteins within organic phase-rich media has been unclear.

Effects of dietary rumen-protected choline supplementation to periparturient dairy cattle on inflammation and metabolism in mammary and liver tissue during an intramammary lipopolysaccharide challenge.

The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of supplementation and dose of rumen-protected choline (RPC) on markers of inflammation and metabolism in liver and mammary tissue during an intramammary lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Parous Holstein cows were blocked by calving month and randomly assigned within block to receive 45 g/d of RPC (20.4 g/d of choline ions; CHOL45), 30 g/d of RPC (13.

A rite of passage: The White Coat Ceremony for advanced practice registered nursing students.

Since 1993, when the Gold Foundation held its first White Coat Ceremony (WCC) to highlight humanism in medicine, many health professions have launched these ceremonies. In 2021, the University of Colorado College of Nursing hosted its first WCC. Postevent, a seven-question survey was sent to all faculty, staff, and student participants.

Effects of dietary rumen-protected choline supplementation to periparturient dairy cattle on inflammation, metabolism, and performance during an intramammary lipopolysaccharide challenge.

Recent studies have suggested that dietary rumen-protected choline (RPC) supplementation can modulate immune function, attenuate inflammation, and improve performance in periparturient dairy cattle; however, this has yet to be evaluated during a mastitis challenge. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of supplementation and dose of RPC on metabolism, inflammation, and performance during an intramammary lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Parous Holstein cows (parity, mean ± SD, 1.

Evaluation of Increasing Concentrations of Supplemental Choline Chloride on Modern Broiler Chicken Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics.

Choline has been demonstrated to partially substitute methionine in broiler chicken diets due to their interconnected biosynthesis pathways. Yet, research on the impacts of dietary choline supplementation on modern strains of high-yielding broilers is limited. The objective was to evaluate the effect of increasing additions of choline chloride on the performance and carcass characteristics of broilers fed reduced methionine diets and reared under summer environmental conditions.

Effects of dietary rumen-protected choline supplementation on colostrum yields, quality, and choline metabolites from dairy cattle.

Colostrum is a critical nutrient source that provides passive immunity to dairy calves. Choline is a trimethylated molecule that is frequently supplemented in the diet to periparturient dairy cows to support postpartum health and performance. Whereas choline and its metabolites have been characterized in milk, the effects of dietary rumen-protected choline (RPC) supplementation on choline metabolites in colostrum from dairy cattle have yet to be explored.

Contrasting presentations of the same disease: A comparison of two cases of amyloidosis presenting with eyelid involvement.

Purpose: Localized amyloidosis can affect numerous tissues throughout the body and can also affect a variety of peri-ocular tissues including the conjunctiva, extra-ocular muscles, peri-orbital soft tissue, and lacrimal gland. We report two cases of amyloidosis presenting with eyelid involvement.

Observations: The first case represented a more subtle presentation of skin thickening with a pre-septal cellulitis, while the second case had a dramatic presentation of edema evolving into tissue dehiscence and spontaneous hemorrhage with ongoing angioedema and systemic coagulopathy.

Effects of prenatal dietary rumen-protected choline supplementation during late gestation on calf growth, metabolism, and vaccine response.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of prenatal supplementation and dose of rumen-protected choline (RPC) on neonatal calf growth, metabolism, and vaccine response. Parous Holstein cows were blocked by calving month and randomly assigned within block to receive 45 g/d of RPC [20.4 g/d of choline ions (CHOL45), n = 19], 30 g/d of RPC [13.

An evaluation of the validity of an in vitro and an in situ/in vitro procedure for assessing protein digestibility of blood meal, feather meal and a rumen-protected lysine prototype.

In vitro procedures are commonly used to estimate rumen protein degradability and protein digestibility of feed ingredients. However, it is unclear how well these assays correlate to in vivo data. The objectives of this work were to compare postruminal protein availability estimates from one in vitro procedure and one in situ/in vitro procedure with in vivo observations for blood meal (BM), feather meal (FM), and a rumen-protected lysine prototype (RP-Lys).

Adaptation of in vitro methodologies to estimate the intestinal digestion of lipids in ruminants.

The objective of this study was to adapt existing in vitro methodologies to determine the extent of intestinal digestion of corn oil (CO), canola oil (CA), and beef tallow (BT) via manipulation of incubation length and concentrations of lipase, bile, and calcium within a buffer solution. Unless otherwise stated, 0.5 g of each lipid source were incubated separately and in triplicate, with triplicate batch culture runs for each treatment in 40 mL of 0.

Increasing Faculty Involvement in the Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Learning Experience.

More and more, we see that advances in life sciences are made because of Interdisciplinary collaborations. These collaborations are the future-they are necessary to solve the world's most pressing problems and grand challenges. But are we preparing the next generation of scientists and the community for this future? At the University level, a number of initiatives and studies have suggested the need to reintegrate biology education and have made arguments that for students to build core competencies in biology, their education needs to be interdisciplinary.

Effects of unprotected choline chloride on microbial fermentation in a dual-flow continuous culture depend on dietary neutral detergent fiber concentration.

Choline is usually supplemented as ruminally protected choline chloride to prevent its degradation in the rumen, but the effects of unprotected choline on ruminal fermentation are unclear. Some research indicates a possible role of dietary fiber on microbial degradation of choline; therefore we aimed to evaluate the effects of unprotected choline chloride on ruminal fermentation and to investigate whether those effects depend on dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration. Our hypothesis was that dietary NDF concentration would influence choline chloride effects on microbial ruminal fermentation.

Transformation from a traditional model to a virtual model of care in orthopaedic surgery: COVID-19 experience and beyond.

Virtual encounters have experienced an exponential rise amid the current COVID-19 crisis. This abrupt change, seen in response to unprecedented medical and environmental challenges, has been forced upon the orthopaedic community. However, such changes to adopting virtual care and technology were already in the evolution forecast, albeit in an unpredictable timetable impeded by regulatory and financial barriers.

Effects of corrective strabismus surgery on social anxiety and self-consciousness in adults.

Purpose: To report the results of a questionnaire-based interventional study to evaluate the effects of strabismus surgery on private self-consciousness, public self-consciousness, and social anxiety using a validated self-consciousness survey instrument.

Methods: Patients who underwent strabismus surgery completed a demographics and a self-consciousness scale form both pre- and postoperatively. The total and subscale (private self-consciousness, public self-consciousness, and social anxiety) summative scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with statistically significant relationships defined as P < 0.

Preparing for the aftermath of COVID-19: Shifting risk and downstream health consequences.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public is currently living through a collective continuous traumatic stressor. Objective risk levels shift with each new piece of data regarding the coronavirus. These data points are communicated through public health officials and the media, easily accessible through modern advanced technology including online news and push notifications.

Implementation of a new cardiology hospital service leveraging nurse practitioners to improve patient access and outcomes.

Background: Delays in patient access due to excessive wait times for clinic consult appointments impair timely diagnosis and treatment, resulting in worse outcomes.

Local Problem: Average days wait (ADW) for clinic consult appointments for the cardiology group of a regional managed care organization was too long. A quality improvement project (QIP) was undertaken to improve efficiency/efficacy of patient coverage and reduce ADW by implementing a new cardiology hospital service with expanded roles for nurse practitioners (NPs).

Assessing availability of amino acids from various feedstuffs in dairy cattle using a stable isotope-based approach.

Nitrogen efficiency in dairy cows can be improved by more precisely supplying essential amino acids (EAA) relative to animal needs, which requires accurate estimates of the availability of individual EAA from feedstuffs. The objective of this study was to determine EAA availability for 7 feed ingredients. Seven heifers (258 ± 28 kg BW) were randomly chosen and assigned to 8 treatment sequences in a 7 × 8 incomplete Latin square design.

Assessing bioavailability of ruminally protected methionine and lysine prototypes.

Met and Lys are essential AA that can limit lactational performance in dairy cattle fed protein-sufficient diets. Thus, there is industry demand for ruminally protected (RP) sources of Met and Lys. One method of providing ruminal protection for Met and Lys is lipid encapsulation.