Enabling older people to stay at home: The costs of substituting and supplementing care with assistive technology

A wide-ranging multiprofessional research project explored issues relating to the introduction of assistive technology into the existing homes of older people in order to provide them with the opportunity to remain at home. The financial relationship between assistive technology and packages of formal care was also explored. The costs of residential care and those of a number of packages containing differing quantities of assistive technology, formal care and informal care were compared. The analyses provide a strong financial case for substituting and/or supplementing formal care with assistive technology, even for individuals with quite disabling conditions. Although needs and hence the cost of provision rise with an increasing level of disability, the savings in care costs accrue quickly. The consideration of a variety of users with different needs and informal care provision, and occupying a very wide range of housing, leads to the conclusion that in comparison with traditional care packages, at worst, incorporating significant amounts of assistive technology into care packages is cost neutral, but that with careful specification of assistive technology major savings are feasible.

Chestnut and mimosa tannin silages: Effects in sheep differ for apparent digestibility, nitrogen utilisation and losses

This paper reports effects of chestnut and mimosa tannins on N utilisation in sheep. Tannins were added to grass either at ensilage or incorporated into grass silage at feeding. The study used an 8 × 5 incomplete Latin Square design with eight mature wether sheep and five 21-day periods. Tannin additions reduced in vivo apparent digestibilities of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) compared with the untreated control silage (P<0.001). Reductions ranged from 7.6% for DM to 8.5% for aNDFom. Chestnut compared to mimosa tannin silages produced higher values for DM intake (734 g/day versus 625 g/day) and in vivo digestibility for DM, OM and aNDFom (0.66, 0.68 and 0.69 versus 0.61, 0.63 and 0.62; P<0.001). A substantial shift occurred in the pattern of N excretion in sheep fed the tannin versus control silages. As a proportion of daily N intake, urinary N losses were lower (56.4 g/100 g N versus 65.1 g/100 g N intake) and faecal N losses were higher (40.2 g/100 g N versus 29.8 g/100 g N intake) for sheep fed the tannin silages compared with those fed the control grass silage (P<0.001). Nitrogen intake was higher in sheep fed the chestnut compared to mimosa tannin silages (16.2 g/day versus 13.4 g/day; P<0.001), reflecting the lower DM intake of sheep fed the mimosa silages. However, faecal N loss was lower for chestnut compared to mimosa tannin silage fed sheep (38.2 g/100 g N versus 42.1 g/100 g N intake; P<0.01), resulting in higher N retentions with the chestnut compared to the mimosa silage fed sheep (5.49 g/100 g N versus 1.38 g/100 g N intake). Faecal N losses were also higher when tannins were added during ensiling rather than at feeding (P<0.05). Although there was no overall effect of tannins on N retention in mature wether sheep, it is likely that productive ruminants with higher protein requirements would retain more N from silages containing chestnut tannins. Tannins added externally to grass silages may generate some benefits on N utilisation and environmental N excretions in sheep fed the silages.

Vox Populi, Vox Dei? A closer look at the ‘public opinion’ argument for retention

The Japanese government’s justification for retaining the death penalty is that abolition would erode the legitimacy of and public trust in the criminal justice system, leading to victims’ families taking justice into their own hands. This justification is based on the results of a regularly administered public opinion survey, which is said to show strong public support for the death penalty. However, a close analysis of the results of the 2014 survey fails to validate this claim. Just over a third of respondents were committed to retaining the death penalty at all costs, while the rest accepted the possibility of future abolition, with some of them seeing this as contingent on the introduction of life imprisonment without parole as an alternative sentence. These findings hardly describe a society that expects the strict application of the death penalty and whose trust in justice depends on the government’s commitment to retaining it. My reading of the 2014 survey is that the Japanese public is ready to embrace abolition. Japan, after all, is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which calls on states not to delay or prevent abolition, so this should be welcome news for the Japanese government!

Evaluation of Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis in Mice Treated with FTY720

PURPOSE. FTY720 (fingolimod) is an immunomodulatory drug capable of preventing T-cell migration to inflammatory sites by binding to and subsequently downregulating the expression of sphingosine-1 phosphate receptor 1 (S1P(1)) leading in turn to T-cell retention in lymphoid organs. Additional effects of FTY720 by increasing functional activity of regulatory T cells have recently been demonstrated, raising the conversion of conventional T cells into regulatory T cells and affecting the sequestration of regulatory T cells in normal mice. In this study, the action of FTY720 in the ocular autoimmune model in mice was investigated. METHODS. Mice were immunized with 161-180 peptide and pertussis toxin and were treated with 1 mg/kg/d FTY720 by gavage (7-21 days postimmunization [dpi]) or left untreated. Spleen cells, harvested 21 dpi, were cultured and assayed for cytokine production. Draining lymph node, spleen, and eye cells 21 dpi were assayed for quantification of T-cell populations. Disease severity was evaluated by histologic examination of the enucleated eyes at 21 and 49 dpi. In addition, anti-IRBP antibodies were analyzed by ELISA. RESULTS. FTY720 was effective in suppressing the experimental autoimmune uveitis score. Although there was a reduction in the number of eye-infiltrating cells, FTY did not prevent Treg accumulation at this site. FTY720 leads to a significant increase of CD4(+)IFN-gamma(+) and CD4(+)Foxp3(+) cell percentages in lymph nodes, suggesting that this site could be the source of Treg cells found in the eye. CONCLUSIONS. The data showed that treatment in vivo with FTY720 was able to suppress EAU in mice. These results are indicative of the possible therapeutic use of FTY720 in ocular autoimmune processes. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2010;51:2568-2574) DOI:10.1167/iovs.09-4769

Differential expression of cytokines, chemokines and chemokine receptors in patients with coronary artery disease

Monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes have a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis through the production of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. We evaluated mRNA expression and protein production of CCL2, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, IFN-gamma and IL-10 in vitro as well as the expression of the CCR2 and CXCR3 receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and healthy controls in the presence or absence of oxidized LDL (oxLDL). Patients with CAD showed higher constitutive expression of CCL2, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10 and IFN-gamma mRNA and, after stimulation with oxLDL, higher expression of CCL2 and CXCL8 mRNA than the control group. We also detected higher levels of CCL2 and CXCL8 in supernatants of oxLDL-stimulated PBMCs from CAD patients than in corresponding supernatants from controls. Patients with CAD had a higher percentage of constitutive CCR2(+) and CXCR3(+) cells after stimulation with oxLDL. Among CAD patients, the main differences between the stable (SA) and unstable angina (UA) groups were lower IL-10 mRNA production in the latter group. Altogether, our data suggest that PBMCs from CAD patients are able to produce higher concentrations of chemokines and cytokines involved in the regulation of monocyte and lymphocyte migration and retention in atherosclerotic lesions. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water balance in goats subjected to feed restriction

The effect of feed restriction on water balance and nutrient utilization was investigated in individually penned Boer x Saanen kids. Twenty-two male Boer x Saanen kids with an initial average live weight (LW) of 15 kg were used. Seven kids were slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment (reference animals) and the remainders were allocated to one of the three treatments (0, 30 and 60% restriction) and therefore there were five kids per treatment. The feed intake for the 0% restriction treatment animals determined the intake for the animals in the 30 and 60% restriction treatment. When the animals in the 0% restriction treatment group reached 25 kg LW, the animals in the 30 and 60% restriction treatment groups were also slaughtered. There was a negative relationship between DMI and water intake. The digestibility coefficients for DM, OM, carbohydrates, ash, ether extract, energy, NDF, ADF and lignin did not differ between treatments, whereas the digestibility coefficient for CP was different between treatment groups. The highest metabolic water production was in animals in the 0% restriction treatment group. No significant differences were observed in the composition of gastro-intestinal tract contents of the goats in the different treatments. Lower water retention was found in the animals in the 60% restriction treatment group. The study showed that feed restriction affected water intake, CP digestibility and water retention in the body of the kid goats. This experiment demonstrated that DM:water intake ratio changed when severe feed restriction was applied (60% restriction) and water was freely available. It shows a different pattern of behaviour of penned goats, particularly if feed intake is restricted and perhaps caution is needed to extrapolate results from nutritional and physiological trials in pens to goats at pasture. (c) 2005 Elsevier BX All rights reserved.

Magnesium supplementation alleviates premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention

We investigated the effect of a daily supplement of 200 mg of magnesium (as MgO) for two menstrual cycles on the severity of premenstrual symptoms in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. A daily supplement of 200 mg of Mg (as MgO) or placebo was administered for two menstrual cycles to each volunteer, who kept a daily record of her symptoms, using a 4-point scale in a menstrual diary of 22 items. Symptoms were grouped into six categories: PMS-A (anxiety), PMS-C (craving), PMS-D (depression), PMS-H (hydration), PMS-O (other), and PMS-T (total overall symptoms). Urinary Mg output/24 hours was estimated from spot samples using the Mg/creatinine ratio. Analysis of variance for 38 women showed no effect of Mg supplementation compared with placebo in any category in the first month of supplementation. In the second month there was a greater reduction (p = 0.009) of symptoms of PMS-H (weight gain, swelling of extremities, breast tenderness, abdominal bloating) with Mg supplementation compared with placebo. Compliance to supplementation was confirmed by the greater mean estimated 24-hour urinary output of Mg (p = 0.013) during Mg supplementation (100.8 mg) compared with placebo (74.1 mg). A daily supplement of 200 mg of Mg (as MgO) reduced mild premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention in the second cycle of administration.

Relative bioavailability of zinc in supplemental inorganic and organic sources for Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings

A 90-day feeding experiment was conducted with sex reversed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings fed purified or practical diets supplemented with different zinc sources to evaluate fish growth performance and zinc and iron retention in fish bones, fillets, liver, skin and eyes. The relative bioavailability value (RBV) of zinc in the supplemental sources tested was also calculated. Fish were fed with isonitrogenous and isoenergetic purified or practical diets supplemented with 150 mg Zn kg -1, as zinc sulphate monohydrate (ZnSO 4), zinc oxide (ZnO) or zinc amino acid complex (Zn-AA). The feeding trial was conducted in 30, 50 L aquaria where four 0.66 ± 0.01 g (mean ± SD) fingerlings were initially stocked. No significant differences were observed for any growth performance variables (P > 0.05). In practical diets, only ZnSO 4 and ZnO presented bone zinc retention similar to that for the standard zinc source. Zinc concentration in the bone of fish fed practical diet supplemented with Zn-AA (171 ± 3.62 μg g -1) was significantly lower than that verified for the practical diets supplemented with the standard zinc source (200 ± 17.7 μg g -1) or with ZnSO 4 (204 ± 19.9 μg g -1). Assuming the concentration of zinc in bones as the response criterion, the supplemental zinc RBV from ZnSO 4 (105%) was higher than the RBV for Zn-AA (95.1%) or ZnO (94.9%). Iron concentration in the bones of animals fed the non-zinc-supplemented purified diet was significantly higher than that observed for purified diet supplemented with Zn-AA (P < 0,05). The results of the present work allowed us to conclude that ZnSO 4 in relation to ZnO or Zn-AA was the supplemental zinc source with higher zinc bioavailability to Nile tilapia. © 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Gender, pensions and social citizenship in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Avaliação da atividade antiproliferativa in vitro, liberação, permeação e retenção cutânea in vitro e estabilidade de emulsões contendo (-)- Terpinen-4-OL

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Desenvolvimento e caracterização de sistemas líquido-cristalinos para aplicação tópica de metotrexato: estudos de liberação, retenção e permeação in vitro

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Inorganic and organic trace mineral supplementation in weanling pig diets

A study was conducted to evaluate the s of dietary inorganic and organic trace minerals in two levels of supplementation regarding performance, diarrhea occurrence, hematological parameters, fecal mineral excretion and mineral retention in metacarpals and liver of weanling pigs. Seventy piglets weaned at 21 days of age with an average initial body weight of 6.70 ± 0.38 kg were allotted in five treatments: control diet (no added trace mineral premix); 50% ITMP (control diet with inorganic trace mineral premix supplying only 50% of trace mineral requirements); 50% OTMP (control diet with organic trace mineral premix supplying only 50% of trace mineral requirements); 100% ITMP (control diet with inorganic trace mineral premix supplying 100% of trace mineral requirements); and 100% OTMP (control diet with organic trace mineral premix supplying 100% of trace mineral requirements). Feed intake and daily weight gain were not affected by treatments, however, piglets supplemented by trace minerals presented better gain:feed ratio. No differences were observed at calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium and sulfur excreted in feces per kilogram of feed intake. Treatments did not affect calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur and iron content in metacarpals. Trace mineral supplementation, regardless of level and source, improved the performance of piglets.

Mineral metabolism in singleton and twin-pregnant dairy goats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Synthesis of Structured Lipids by Enzymatic Interesterification of Milkfat and Soybean Oil in a Basket-Type Stirred Tank Reactor

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Development and in vitro skin delivery of dexamethasone acetate-loaded surfactant-based systems

Topical corticosteroids, e.g., dexamethasone acetate (DMA), are extensively used to treat cutaneous inflammatory disorders even though their use is correlated with potential local and systemic side effects. The objective of this study was to develop and test the topical delivery of DMA-loaded surfactant based systems in vitro; these studies could guarantee a suitable delivery and therapeutic efficacy, as well as minimize DMA's side effects. A phase diagram was constructed using polyoxypropylene (5) polyoxyethylene (20) cetyl alcohol as the surfactant (S), isopropyl myristate as the oil phase (O) and water (W). The systems were characterized using polarization light microscopy (PLM), as well as rheological and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements. Depending on the concentration of the constituents, it was possible to obtain microemulsions (MEs) and liquid crystalline mesophases (lamellar and hexagonal). These types of arrangement were verified using PLM measurements. The SAXS results revealed that increasing the W/S ratio led to ME, as well as lamellar (LAM) and hexagonal (HEX) arrangements. The MEs displayed typical Newtonian behavior while the LAM and HEX phases exhibited pseudoplasticity and plasticity, respectively. The MEs displayed excellent drug solubilization that was approximately 10-fold higher than was observed with the individual components. The in vitro cutaneous permeation studies using pig ear skin and analysis of the mechanical parameters (hardness, compressibility, cohesiveness and adhesiveness) were carried out with a HEX phase and O/W emulsion. The HEX phase achieved better drug permeation and retention in the skin while its mechanical properties were suitable for skin administration. PPG-5-CETETH-20-based systems may be a promising platform delivering DMA and other topical corticosteroids through the skin.