Neuroathletic training in stroke rehabilitation? A single-blind randomized controlled pilot study on the potential of neuroathletic training for balance ability in stroke outpatient rehabilitation.

Recently, neuroathletic training has been increasingly applied in competitive sports, in therapy, and in prevention. Scientific evidence on the effectiveness of this approach, however, has been poorly developed. Potentials of neuropathologic perceptual exercises to potentially improve balance control in the context of movement therapy in stroke rehabilitation appear promising.

The impact of host genetics on porcine gut microbiota composition excluding maternal and postnatal environmental influences.

The gut microbiota of the pig is being increasingly studied due to its implications for host homeostasis and the importance of the pig as a meat source and biomedical model of human diseases. However, most studies comparing the microbiome between different breeds do not consider the influence of maternal environment during the colonization of the microbiota. The aim of the present study was to compare the gut microbiota during postnatal growth between two pig genotypes (purebred Iberian vs.

Use of Precision Feeding during Lactation Improves the Productive Yields of Sows and Their Piglets under Commercial Farm Conditions.

Adequate nutritional management in maternities is one of the most challenging aspects of swine production. This study reports the results of two studies aiming to determine, under commercial farm conditions, the effects of precision feeding (electronic sow feeders, ESFs) on the production and economic yields of lactating sows and possible nutritional and metabolic differences when compared to a control group fed with traditional feeders. The first trial showed that sows fed with ESFs weaned heavier piglets than sows fed with traditional feeders.

A 7-Month Multidisciplinary Healthy Lifestyle Intervention Effectively Improved Cardiometabolic Risk Profile of Firefighters.

Objective: We investigated the effect of a 7-month healthy lifestyle intervention on cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) among male career military firefighters (FFs).

Methods: Forty-nine FFs participated in a 7-month workplace multiddisciplinary healthy lifestyle intervention designed to reduce CMRF through exercise, diet, and improved sleep. Medical assessments, accelerometry, and surveys at the beginning and end determined program effectiveness.

Influence of Phosphoric, Glycolic, and Ferulic Acids on Dentin Enzymatic Degradation, Ultimate Tensile Strength, and Permeability.

This study evaluated dentin enzymatic degradation based on the total matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity of demineralized dentin matrices before and after exposure to phosphoric acid (PA), glycolic acid (GA), and ferulic acid (FA). The release of hydroxyproline (HP), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and dentin permeability (DP) were also evaluated. Dentin collagen matrices were assessed according to total MMP activity before and after treatment with the tested acids (n=10) for 15 seconds and compared with the control (GM6001 inhibitor).

Towards halving food waste: A comparative study using orange juice by-product in dairy desserts.

By-products upcycling to produce ingredients has increased in the last years. However, the perception of foods with these ingredients must be studied to find the proper way to inform the consumer. The aim of this work was to study the purchase intention and healthiness and environmental friendliness perceptions of a flan dessert, enriched with orange juice by-product fibre.

Structural and functional abnormalities in thalamic neurons following neocortical focal status epilepticus.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening emergency that can result in de novo development or worsening of epilepsy. We tested the hypothesis that the aberrant cortical output during neocortical focal status epilepticus (FSE) would induce structural and functional changes in the thalamus that might contribute to hyperexcitability in the thalamocortical circuit. We induced neocortical FSE by unilateral epidural application of convulsant drugs to the somatosensory cortex of anesthetized mice of both sexes.

Early pregnancy triglycerides and not fructosamine are associated with birth weight (with foetal sexual dimorphism).

Background: We evaluated whether maternal triglycerides (TGs) or fructosamine (measured in early pregnancy) predominantly contribute to birth weight (BW), in a foetal sexual dimorphism.

Methods: Analysis of data from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development cohort study (total n = 3514). Maternal nonfasting TGs and fructosamine were determined in early gestation (median 13 weeks).

Maternal Supplementation with Polyphenols and Omega-3 Fatty Acids during Pregnancy: Prenatal Effects on Fetal Fatty Acid Composition in the Iberian Pig.

Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) is a major problem in pig production and different strategies, mainly maternal supplementation with different agents, are currently being studied. The combination of hydroxytyrosol and n3-PUFA seems to be a promising treatment to counteract IUGR, since the combination may help improve n3-PUFA composition and lower the inflammatory status of IUGR piglets. The aim of the present study is to determine the effects of a maternal supplementation, from day 35 to day 100 of pregnancy, with linseed oil and hydroxytyrosol on the fetal FA composition.

Emergence of a mutation in the nucleocapsid gene of SARS-CoV-2 interferes with PCR detection in Canada.

The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was met with rapid development of robust molecular-based detection assays. Many SARS-CoV-2 molecular tests target multiple genetic regions of the virus to maximize detection and protect against diagnostic escape. Despite the relatively moderate mutational rate of SARS-CoV-2, numerous mutations with known negative impact on diagnostic assays have been identified.

Influence of wastewater effluents on the bioaccumulation of volatile methylsiloxanes in the St. Lawrence River.

The bioaccumulation of cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes (D3 to D6) as well as linear siloxanes (L3 to L5) was studied in a food web in the St. Lawrence River downstream of the effluent of the municipal wastewater treatment plant in Montreal, Canada. For most species, differences in δN in fish and prey showed a clear separation of individual fish feeding in food webs influenced by the wastewater plume from those feeding outside the plume.

Maternal Supplementation with Polyphenols and Omega-3 Fatty Acids during Pregnancy: Prenatal Effects on Growth and Metabolism.

Maternal supplementation with antioxidants and n-3 PUFAs may be a promising strategy to reduce the risk of intrauterine growth restriction and preterm delivery, which may diminish the appearance of low-birth-neonates. A previous studies showed beneficial outcomes of the combination of hydroxytyrosol and linoleic acid, but there is no data of its prenatal effects. The present study aimed to determine the possible prenatal implications of such maternal supplementation at prenatal stages in swine, a model of IUGR pregnancies.

Effects of L-Glutamine Supplementation during the Gestation of Gilts and Sows on the Offspring Development in a Traditional Swine Breed.

The use of amino acids during pregnancy, such as glutamine (Gln), seems to be a promising strategy in selected swine breeds to improve the offspring prenatal development. The main goal of the current study was to assess the development of the offspring from parity 1-3 sows of a traditional breed, which were supplemented with 1% glutamine after Day 35 of gestation, under farm conditions. A total of 486 (288 treated) piglets from 78 (46 treated) Iberian sows were used.

Phylogeography of a gypsum endemic plant across its entire distribution range in the western Mediterranean.

Premise: Gypsum soils in the Mediterranean Basin house large numbers of edaphic specialists that are adapted to stressful environments. The evolutionary history and standing genetic variation of these taxa have been influenced by the geological and paleoclimatic complexity of this area and the long-standing effect of human activities. However, little is known about the origin of Mediterranean gypsophiles and the factors affecting their genetic diversity and population structure.

The Role of Offspring Genotype-By-Sex Interactions, Independently of Environmental Cues, on the Phenotype Traits of an Obese Swine Model.

The present study aimed to assess the importance of offspring genotype on postnatal development, independently of confounding factors related to prenatal environment and postnatal lifestyle, using a translational model of obesity and metabolic syndrome (the Iberian pig). Hence, we compared two genotypes (purebred Iberian and crossbreds Iberian × Large White), produced in one single maternal environment (pure Iberian mothers) through artificial insemination of Iberian sows with Iberian and Large White heterospermic semen and maintained in the same conditions during postnatal development. The results indicate that, under same pre- and postnatal environments, the interaction genotype-by-sex has a determinant role on offspring phenotype (i.

Maternal Supplementation with Polyphenols and Omega-3 Fatty Acids during Pregnancy: Effects on Growth, Metabolism, and Body Composition of the Offspring.

Maternal supplementation with antioxidants and n3 PUFAs may be a promising strategy to reduce the risk of intrauterine growth restriction and preterm delivery, which may diminish the appearance of low-birth-weight neonates. The present study aimed to determine benefits and risks of a dietary supplementation combining hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol from olive leaves and fruits, and n3 PUFAs, from linseed oil, on developmental patterns and metabolic traits of offspring in swine, a model of IUGR pregnancies. The results obtained indicate that maternal supplementation with hydroxytyrosol and n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy has no deleterious effects on the reproductive traits of the sows (prolificacy, homogeneity of the litter, and percentage of stillborns and low-birth-weight, LBW, piglets) and the postnatal features of the piglets (growth patterns, adiposity, and metabolic traits).

Midwives' experiences of the factors that facilitate normal birth among low risk women in public hospitals in Catalonia (Spain).

Background: Normal birth has major benefits for women and infants. Nevertheless, during the last few decades, the advancement in technology and an increasing domination of obstetrician-led childbirths have resulted in the medicalization of childbirth. Midwives are interested in amending this trend and aim to support women to achieve the best possible birth experience for them.

Differential Effects of Litter Size and Within-Litter Birthweight on Postnatal Traits of Fatty Pigs.

Fatty pigs are characterized by a thrifty genotype, adapted to harsh environments based on changes in metabolism and energy saving. Thus, we hypothesized that feto-maternal energy partitioning in large litters might have postnatal effects that might be independent of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) processes. Hence, the current work reported the influence of two effects on postnatal performance and carcass and meat quality of purebred Iberian pigs: (a) the effects of the number of piglets in the litter (high vs.

Polyphenols and IUGR Pregnancies: Effects of Maternal Hydroxytyrosol Supplementation on Postnatal Growth, Metabolism and Body Composition of the Offspring.

Maternal supplementation with the polyphenol hydroxytyrosol in a swine model of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) improves the fetal oxidative status, decreases the appearance of low birth-weight neonates and favors growth during early postnatal stages (lactation). The current study aimed to determine whether hydroxytyrosol supplementation can also improve developmental patterns, metabolic traits, and body composition of the offspring during later postnatal stages (from weaning to adulthood). A total of 21 piglets born from control untreated sows and 20 piglets born from sows treated with hydroxytyrosol during the last two-thirds of pregnancy were selected on the basis of similar body weights at weaning, for avoiding any interfering effects occurred during lactation.

Polyphenols and IUGR Pregnancies: Effects of Maternal Hydroxytyrosol Supplementation on Hepatic Fat Accretion and Energy and Fatty Acids Profile of Fetal Tissues.

Maternal supplementation with hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol present in olive leaves and fruits, is a highly promising strategy to improve the oxidative and metabolic status of fetuses at risk of intrauterine growth restriction, which may diminish the appearance of low-birth-weight neonates. The present study aimed to determine whether hydroxytyrosol, by preventing lipid peroxidation, may influence the fat accretion and energy homeostasis in the liver, as well as the fatty acid composition in the liver and muscle. The results indicate that hydroxytyrosol treatment significantly decreased the energy content of the fetal liver, without affecting fat accretion, and caused significant changes in the availability of fatty acids.

ntEdit: scalable genome sequence polishing.

Motivation: In the modern genomics era, genome sequence assemblies are routine practice. However, depending on the methodology, resulting drafts may contain considerable base errors. Although utilities exist for genome base polishing, they work best with high read coverage and do not scale well.

Vegetable Oils Rich in Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Supplementation of Dairy Cows' Diets: Effects on Productive and Reproductive Performance.

The aim of this study was to determine how polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) supplementation can affect the productive and reproductive performance in dairy cows subjected to a fixed-time artificial insemination (TAI) protocol under farm conditions. One hundred and ninety-eight Holstein non-pregnant cows were used. Treatments consisted of a control diet (CON), without added oil, and two diets supplemented with either 2.

Polyphenols and IUGR Pregnancies: Effects of Maternal Hydroxytyrosol Supplementation on Placental Gene Expression and Fetal Antioxidant Status, DNA-Methylation and Phenotype.

The use of polyphenols is a promising strategy for preventing or alleviating intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) because polyphenol supplementation increases plasma antioxidant capacity and improves oxidative stress at the feto-placental unit; which are recognized as main issues in IUGR. However, there is a scarcity of experimental data on both realistic benefits and potential hazards of polyphenol supplementation during gestation. Hence, we aimed to use a swine model of IUGR pregnancy to determine possible effects of maternal supplementation with polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol) on placental expression of genes involved in antioxidant homeostasis, vascularization and fetal growth and thus on antioxidant status, DNA-methylation and phenotypic traits (morphology and homeostasis) of the fetus.