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The efficacy of two topical treatments for painful ulcerative stage (M2) of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) lesions was compared in a clinical trial conducted on five dairy farms in 2009 to 2010. The first treatment was a water-based gel with active components copper and zinc (Intra Hoof-fit gel [IHF]) and the second treatment was a topical chlortetracycline spray (CTC spray). The experimental unit for this study was the hindleg with the presence of a BDD lesion. Cure was defined as the transition of an M2 lesion into a healed (M0) or a non-painful chronic stage (M4) of BDD at D28. On day 0, cows with M2 BDD lesions were photographed and were treated with either IHF or CTC. Subsequently, feet were photographed and scored on D28. The cure rate of M2 BDD lesions treated with IHF at D28 was 0.92 (CI 0.84 to 0.96) and was significantly better than for M2 BDD lesions treated with CTC, which was 0.58 (CI 0.47 to 0.68). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incubation of trans-3-hexadecenoic acid with cells of Chlorella vulgaris, and with lettuce leaf slices, resulted in reduction of the substrate to palmitic acid. Before this reduction was complete, the trans-acid entered all the acyl lipid classes present in the cell. Consequently, the specific location of trans-3-hexadecenoic in the phosphatidyl glycerol fraction of photosynthetic tissues cannot be explained on the basis that lyso-phosphatidyl glycerol is the only lipid capable of ‘accepting’ this acid. It is more likely that phosphatidyl glycerol or lyso-phosphatidyl glycerol is a required substrate or cofactor for the synthesis of trans-e-hexadecenoic acid from palmitic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CHARMM (Chemistry at HARvard Molecular Mechanics) is a highly versatile and widely used molecular simulation program. It has been developed over the last three decades with a primary focus on molecules of biological interest, including proteins, peptides, lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and small molecule ligands, as they occur in solution, crystals, and membrane environments. For the study of such systems, the program provides a large suite of computational tools that include numerous conformational and path sampling methods, free energy estimators, molecular minimization, dynamics, and analysis techniques, and model-building capabilities. The CHARMM program is applicable to problems involving a much broader class of many-particle systems. Calculations with CHARMM can be performed using a number of different energy functions and models, from mixed quantum mechanical-molecular mechanical force fields, to all-atom classical potential energy functions with explicit solvent and various boundary conditions, to implicit solvent and membrane models. The program has been ported to numerous platforms in both serial and parallel architectures. This article provides an overview of the program as it exists today with an emphasis on developments since the publication of the original CHARMM article in 1983. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.J Comput Chem, 2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2000 the MRISC study evaluates the psychological consequences of regular breast cancer surveillance for women at increased risk for hereditary breast cancer. Coping style may influence these psychological consequences. In a cohort of 357 women at increased risk for hereditary breast cancer, the impact of coping styles on the course, divided into level and trend of psychological distress (general and breast cancer specific) was examined, around two consecutive surveillance appointments. With structural equation modelling we found passive coping to be associated with higher levels of both general and breast cancer specific distress. Seeking social support, expression of emotions and thinking comforting thoughts were associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Coping style was not associated with the trend of psychological distress around the two surveillance appointments. It is recommendable to take coping styles into account when counselling these high-risk women. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study using an ELISA and a real-time PCR assay based on the detection of the repetitive transposon-like gene of revealed that infection with the bacterium was widespread among Dutch dairy herds, with antibodies detected in bulk tank milk (BTM) from 268 of 341 herds (78.6 per cent) and bacterial DNA detected in 193 of 341 herds (56.6 per cent). The BTM samples were taken in November and December 2007. Serological and molecular studies in young and adult cattle selected from 100 herds showed that antibodies were present in the blood of 470 of 2936 (16.0 per cent) lactating cows but only in 19 of 1831 (1.0 per cent) young animals. Bacterial DNA was detected in the milk of 254 of 2925 (8.7 per cent) lactating cows; bacterial DNA was not detected in any of the faecal samples obtained from youngstock. The blood and milk samples were taken from the cattle in the period January to April 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]