A phosphate transporter in VIPergic neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus gates locomotor activity during the light/dark transition in mice.

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) encodes time of day through changes in daily firing; however, the molecular mechanisms by which the SCN times behavior are not fully understood. To identify factors that could encode day/night differences in activity, we combine patch-clamp recordings and single-cell sequencing of individual SCN neurons in mice. We identify PiT2, a phosphate transporter, as being upregulated in a population of VipNms SCN neurons at night.

Building resilience in primate tourism: insights from the COVID-19 pandemic and future directions.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic revealed the vulnerability of the tourism industry, triggering a call for a structural shift. This study focuses on COVID-19 impacts on primate tourism sites using the resilience-based wildlife tourism study of Jones et al. (2023) as an interpretive framework.

Husbandry practices associated with extensification in European pig production and their effects on pork quality.

This review has been developed as part of the mEATquality project with the main objective to examine the types of extensification practices used in European pig husbandry and their effect on intrinsic meat quality. Literature search has resulted in 679 references in total, from which 53 showed a strict compliance with the goals of this review: 1) the use of local European breeds and their crossbreds (22 papers); 2) addition of forage to diet (9 papers); 3) increased space allowance (3 papers); 4) enrichment of environment (19 papers). The evaluation of selected extensification factors showed that not all of them have a clear impact on meat quality, and are often confounded.

Changes in piglet and litter characteristics across parities in two highly prolific sow hybrids in an outdoor organic herd.

High piglet mortality constitutes a welfare challenge in organic pig production. Litter characteristics were investigated from parities 1-5 of two hyper-prolific hybrids with different selection traits in an organic commercial herd (DanBred vs. Topigs Norsvin [TN70]).

Use of drinkers by finisher pigs depend on drinker location, pig age, time of day, stocking density and tail damage.

Water is a vital nutrient for mammals, including the pig. Despite this, the use of drinkers and water have not yet been explicitly quantified across the finisher period. The current study aimed at gaining greater insight into finisher pigs' drinker use and its relation to drinker location, age, time of day, stocking density, enrichment provision and tail damage.

Effects of a new early municipality-based versus a geriatric team-based transitional care intervention on readmission and mortality among frail older patients - a randomised controlled trial.

Purpose Previous studies reported reduced risk of readmission, mortality and shorter length of hospital stay (LOS) among geriatric patients receiving an early (<24h), hospital-based geriatric team intervention after discharge. The objective of this study was to compare a novel, early municipality-based, nurse-led and general practitioner (GP)-supported transitional care intervention (TCI) to an established hospital-based TCI among frail, older, geriatric patients. Material and methods A randomised controlled trial was conducted within a single geriatric department and the adjacent municipality.

A Systematic Review on Validated Precision Livestock Farming Technologies for Pig Production and Its Potential to Assess Animal Welfare.

Several precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies, conceived for optimizing farming processes, are developed to detect the physical and behavioral changes of animals continuously and in real-time. The aim of this review was to explore the capacity of existing PLF technologies to contribute to the assessment of pig welfare. In a web search for commercially available PLF for pigs, 83 technologies were identified.

Detecting flying insects using car nets and DNA metabarcoding.

Monitoring insects across space and time is challenging, due to their vast taxonomic and functional diversity. This study demonstrates how nets mounted on rooftops of cars (car nets) and DNA metabarcoding can be applied to sample flying insect richness and diversity across large spatial scales within a limited time period. During June 2018, 365 car net samples were collected by 151 volunteers during two daily time intervals on 218 routes in Denmark.

Comprehensive treatment of microvascular angina in overweight women - a randomized controlled pilot trial.

Aims: Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) carries a poor cardiovascular prognosis and may explain angina in women without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Currently, no evidence-based treatment for CMD exists. We investigated whether reducing cardiovascular risk factors improves symptoms and microvascular function in women with non-endothelial dependent CMD and no obstructive CAD.

Characteristics of Piglets Born by Two Highly Prolific Sow Hybrids.

High piglet mortality constitutes a welfare challenge in Danish organic pig production with almost one in three piglets dying before weaning. Piglet characteristics such as birth weight, rectal temperature and intrauterine growth restriction () affect piglet survival. Due to differences in breeding goals, these characteristics may be expected to differ between sow hybrids.

Effects of 1 year of exercise training versus combined exercise training and weight loss on body composition, low-grade inflammation and lipids in overweight patients with coronary artery disease: a randomized trial.

Background: Dyslipidaemia and low-grade inflammation are central in atherogenesis and linked to overweight and physical inactivity. Lifestyle changes are important in secondary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD). We compared the effects of combined weight loss and interval training with interval training alone on physical fitness, body composition, dyslipidaemia and low-grade inflammation in overweight, sedentary participants with CAD.

Prediction of Tail Biting Events in Finisher Pigs from Automatically Recorded Sensor Data.

Tail biting in pigs is an animal welfare problem, and tail biting should be prevented from developing into tail damage. One strategy could be to predict events of tail biting so that the farmer can make timely interventions in specific pens. In the current investigation, sensor data on water usage (water flow and activation frequency) and pen temperature (above solid and slatted floor) were included in the development of a prediction algorithm for tail biting.

Liraglutide improves the beta-cell function without increasing insulin secretion during a mixed meal in patients, who exhibit well-controlled type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Background: Hyperinsulinemia aggravates insulin resistance and cardio-vascular disease. How the insulinotropic glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide in a physiologic post-prandial setting may act on pancreatic alpha and beta-cell function in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is less clear.

Methods: Insulin resistant patients with established CAD and newly diagnosed well-controlled T2DM were recruited to a placebo-controlled, cross-over trial with two treatment periods of 12 weeks and a 2 weeks wash-out period before and in-between.

Pen Fouling in Finisher Pigs: Changes in the Lying Pattern and Pen Temperature Prior to Fouling.

Pen fouling, where the pigs choose to rest in their designated excretion area (the slatted floors) and excrete in their designated resting area (the solid floors), is an undesired behaviour and should be prevented when possible. One strategy to prevent fouling is early detection by means of either animal or environmental measures changing prior to fouling. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the lying pattern of pigs and the temperature in the pen changed the last 5 days prior to an event of fouling and whether this differed from pens without an event of fouling (controls).

Effect of liraglutide on estimates of lipolysis and lipid oxidation in obese patients with stable coronary artery disease and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: A randomized trial.

Elevated levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) play a role in insulin resistance, impaired beta-cell function and they are a denominator of the abnormal atherogenic lipid profile that characterizes obese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We hypothesized that the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide, in combination with metformin, would reduce lipolysis. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial, 41 T2DM patients with coronary artery disease were randomized and treated with liraglutide-metformin vs placebo-metformin during 12- + 12-week periods with a wash-out period of at least 2 weeks before and between the intervention periods.

Avoidable readmissions seem to be reduced by early follow-up visits for geriatric patients discharged from hospital.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to look specifically at patients readmitted in our previously published study. We wanted to assess the percentage of avoidable readmissions among patients receiving an early geriatric follow-up visit compared to a control group receiving usual care.

Method: The original population was geriatric patients primarily admitted to hospital with one of nine medical diagnoses and included in a quasi randomized controlled trial.

Early geriatric follow-up visits to nursing home residents reduce the number of readmissions: a quasi-randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Nursing home residents have a high risk of being readmitted after hospitalisation. The objective of this study is to test whether an early geriatric follow-up visit can reduce readmissions among nursing home residents without increasing mortality. The main components of the intervention will also be quantified.

Mice Knocked Out for the Primary Brain Calcification-Associated Gene Slc20a2 Show Unimpaired Prenatal Survival but Retarded Growth and Nodules in the Brain that Grow and Calcify Over Time.

Brain calcification of especially the basal ganglia characterizes primary familial brain calcification (PFBC). PFBC is a rare neurodegenerative disorder with neuropsychiatric and motor symptoms, and only symptomatic treatment is available. Four PFBC-associated genes are known; approximately 40% of patients carry mutations in the gene SLC20A2, which encodes the type III sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate transporter PiT2.

Causes of preweaning mortality in organic outdoor sow herds.

The aims of the current study were to identify the causes of preweaning piglet mortality and investigate the effect of season and parity on the proportions of mortality causes. The study was conducted in nine herds over a one-year period, and dead piglets were collected for necropsy once during each of the four seasons. In total, 2672 piglets were necropsied of which 60% were live-born but died post-partum (pp), 32% were stillborn and 8% were euthanised.

The dose-response relationship between the amount of straw provided on the floor and gastric ulceration of pars oesophagea in growing pigs.

The aim of the present study was (1) to determine the dose-response relationship between the amount of straw provided on the floor and oesophageal ulceration in pigs kept under typical Danish production conditions (18 pigs/pen, 0.7m/pig, partly slatted floor, ad libitum access to feed), (2) to reveal whether straw ingestion explains the effect of straw provision on the stomach health and (3) to elucidate the effect of straw ingestion on the stomach conditions. Data were collected at slaughter (approximately 100kg body weight) on pigs provided with straw amounts in the range 10g to 500g wheat straw/pig/day from 30kg body weight and fed a wheat-based pelleted feed added 15% non-heated and non-pelleted rolled barley.

Liraglutide effects on beta-cell, insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness in patients with stable coronary artery disease and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Aims: The aims of the study were to investigate the effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide as add-on to metformin on insulin sensitivity (Si) and glucose effectiveness (Sg) in addition to its positive effects on beta-cell function in overweight/obese patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: The design of the study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial in patients with stable CAD and newly diagnosed well-controlled T2DM. Patients were treated with liraglutide/metformin vs placebo/metformin for a 12 + 12-week period with ≥2-week wash-out.

Primary Brain Calcification Causal PiT2 Transport-Knockout Variants can Exert Dominant Negative Effects on Wild-Type PiT2 Transport Function in Mammalian Cells.

Primary brain calcification (PBC) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by calcium-phosphate deposits in the basal ganglia and often also other areas of the brain. The prevalent clinical manifestations are cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and movement disorders. In recent years, monoallelic variants in SLC20A2, which encodes the type III sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate (P) transporter 2 (PiT2), have been linked to the familial form of PBC in 40-50% of the families reported worldwide as well as to sporadic cases of PBC.

Coronary flow velocity reserve by echocardiography: feasibility, reproducibility and agreement with PET in overweight and obese patients with stable and revascularized coronary artery disease.

Background: Coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) measured by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography of the LAD is used to assess microvascular function but validation studies in clinical settings are lacking. We aimed to assess feasibility, reproducibility and agreement with myocardial flow reserve (MFR) measured by PET in overweight and obese patients.

Methods: Participants with revascularized coronary artery disease were examined by CFVR.

Risk Factors for Myocardial Infarction in Women and Men: A Review of the Current Literature.

Background: Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death in both sexes in developed countries for decades. In general, men and women share the same cardiovascular risk factors. However, in recent trials including both men and women sexspecific analyses have raised awareness of sex differences in cardiovascular risk factors due to both biological and cultural differences.