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The term transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) was coined in 1985 to describe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after transfusion, when another ARDS risk factor was absent; TRALI cases were mostly associated with donor leukocyte antibody. In 2001, plasma from multiparous donors was implicated in TRALI in a randomized controlled trial in Sweden. In 2003 and in many years thereafter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that TRALI was the leading cause of death from transfusion in the United States. In 2003, the United Kingdom was the first among many countries to successfully reduce TRALI using male-predominant plasma. These successes are to be celebrated. Nevertheless, questions remain about the mechanisms of non-antibody TRALI, the role of blood products in the development of ARDS in patients receiving massive transfusion, the causes of unusual TRALI cases, and how to reduce inaccurate diagnoses of TRALI in clinical practice. Regarding the latter, a study in 2013-2015 at 169 U.S. hospitals found that many TRALI diagnoses did not meet clinical definitions. In 2019, a consensus panel established a more precise terminology for clinical diagnosis: TRALI type I and TRALI type II are cases where transfusion is the likely cause, and ARDS are cases where transfusion is not the likely cause. For accurate diagnosis using these clinical definitions, critical care or pulmonary expertise is needed to distinguish between permeability versus hydrostatic pulmonary edema, to determine whether an ARDS risk factor is present, and, if so, to determine whether respiratory function was stable within the 12 hours before transfusion.

This study evaluated effects of milk replacer (MR) feeding rate and fat concentration in MR on total-tract digestion (TTD) and growth performance in Jersey calves. Jersey heifer calves (n = 100, 2 blocks of 50; initially 30 ± 3.0 kg of body weight; 4-11 d of age) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of MR feeding rate [454 g for 42 d, and 227 g for 7 d (MOD); or 454 g for 7 d, 681 g for 35 d, and 341 g for 7 d (HI), as-fed basis] and MR fat content (17 or 24% fat as-fed basis). Milk replacers (24% crude protein as-fed basis) were reconstituted to 14% solids and fed in 2 equal feedings for 42 d, and then mornings only for 7 d. Textured calf starter (21% crude protein, 40% starch, dry matter basis) and water were offered for ad libitum consumption. From d 57 to 112, calf starter was mixed with 5% chopped grass hay. Calves were housed individually to d 56 and housed in groups (4-5 calves/pen) from d 57 to 112. Estimates of TTD were measured in 5 calves/treatment (block 1) at wk 3 of the study using acid-insoluble ash as an indigestible marker. From 0 to 56 d, calf starter intake (CSI) was greater for MOD vs. HI and 17 versus 24% fat; average daily gain was greater for HI versus MOD; and hip width change was greater for 17 versus 24% fat. Estimates of organic matter TTD were greater for HI versus MOD, but neutral detergent fiber TTD was greater for MOD versus HI and for 17 versus 24% fat. From 57 to 112 d, hip height change was greater for MOD versus HI, and hip width change was greater for 17 versus 24% fat. In this study, feeding Jersey calves more MR improved preweaning average daily gain, but had a negative effect on CSI and likely rumen development, as neutral detergent fiber TTD was reduced at 3 wk and frame growth was reduced from d 57 to 112. This resulted in similar final calf body weights between MR feeding rates at the end of the study. No benefits were observed for feeding more fat in MR as CSI or for NDF digestibility, and frame growth was reduced., (Copyright © 2021 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Voluntary daily dry feed intake (DFI) in Holstein calves was predicted using 60,761 individual daily observations collected from 1,235 Holstein calves in 30 experiments from 4 research stations in the United States and Europe. Consumption of dry feed (calf starter and hay, kg/d or percent of body weight) was measured from 3 to 114 d of age. Linear models and 2- and 3-parameter nonlinear models were evaluated to predict DFI using age of calf, intake of milk replacer, ambient temperature, percent forage, and neutral detergent fiber concentration in ration dry matter (DM) as independent variables. The initial data set was randomly divided within study location into development (80% of all observations) and validation data sets, and initial screening was conducted using the development data set. Five nonlinear models and 3 linear models (candidate models) were identified and used in further model evaluation. Cross-validation studies (n = 20) with the validation data set were conducted by linear regression of DFI with predicted DFI as independent variable. Candidate models were subsequently evaluated with data from 12 published studies in 2 analyses. The exponential model that best predicted daily DFI in Holstein calves in original and external data sets was DFI (kg/d) = 1.3207 × e [(-5.3892 + 0.6376 × MEgap) × EXP(-0.0392 × Age)] - 0.0013 × Temp + 0.0032 × NDFDM + 0.0026 × Age × MEgap - 0.3646 × PctForage [coefficient of determination (R 2 ) = 0.92, concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) = 0.96, and mean square error of prediction (MSEP) = 0.10 kg]; where MEgap (Mcal/d) = difference of daily metabolizable energy (ME) requirement and ME intake from milk replacer; Age = age of calf (d) from 3 to 114, Temp = mean daily ambient temperature (°C), NDFDM = ration neutral detergent fiber (% DM); PctForage = percent forage in ration DM. The linear model that best predicted DFI was DFI (kg/d = -0.1349 + 0.0106 × Age + 0.1808 × MEgap + 0.0013 × Age × MEgap + 0.0001 × Temp + 0.00002 × Age × Temp (R 2 = 0.93, CCC = 0.96, and MSEP = 0.10 kg). When Temp and ration characteristics were not included, optimal models were 1.4362 × e [(-4.6646 + 0.5234 × MEgap) × EXP(-0.0361 × Age)] + 0.0025 × Age × MEgap (R 2 = 0.92, CCC = 0.96, and MSEP = 0.11 kg) and -0.1344 + 0.0102 × Age + 0.1810 × MEgap + 0.0013 × Age × MEgap [R 2 = 0.93, CCC = 0.96, and MSEP = 0.10 kg]. Models of daily DFI may improve prediction of nutrient supply to young Holstein calves to approximately 4 mo of age, thereby increasing prediction of growth performance., (Copyright © 2021 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study compared the receptive field (RF) properties and firing rates of neurons in the cutaneous hand representation of primary somatosensory cortex (areas 3b, 1, and 2) of 9 awake, adult macaques that were intensively trained in a texture discrimination task using active touch (fingertips scanned over the surfaces using a single voluntary movement), passive touch (surfaces displaced under the immobile fingertips), or both active and passive touch. Two control monkeys received passive exposure to the same textures in the context of a visual discrimination task. Training and recording extended over 1-2 yr per animal. All neurons had a cutaneous receptive field (RF) that included the tips of the stimulated digits (D3 and/or D4). In area 3b, RFs were largest in monkeys trained with active touch, smallest in those trained with passive touch, and intermediate in those trained with both; i.e., the mode of touch differentially modified the cortical representation of the stimulated fingers. The same trends were seen in areas 1 and 2, but the changes were not significant, possibly because a second experience-driven influence was seen in areas 1 and 2, but not in area 3b: smaller RFs with passive exposure to irrelevant tactile inputs compared with recordings from one naive hemisphere. We suggest that added feedback during active touch and higher cortical firing rates were responsible for the larger RFs with behavioral training; this influence was tempered by periods of more restricted sensory feedback during passive touch training in the active + passive monkeys. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We studied experience-dependent sensory cortical plasticity in relation to tactile discrimination of texture using active and/or passive touch. We showed that neuronal receptive fields in primary somatosensory cortex, especially area 3b, are largest in monkeys trained with active touch, smallest in those trained with passive touch, and intermediate in those trained using both modes of touch. Prolonged, irrelevant tactile input had the opposite influence in areas 1 and 2, favoring smaller receptive fields.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cinnamaldehyde, on feed intake, rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, milk yield, and components in lactating dairy cows. Six lactating Holstein dairy cows (3 ruminally cannulated and 3 noncannulated) averaging 263 ± 41 d in milk (DIM) and 754 ± 45 kg of BW at the beginning of the study were used. Cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 19 d periods (14 d for diet adaptation and 5 d for sample collection). Treatments were 0, 2, or 4 mg/kg of BW of cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde was mixed with 40 g of corn meal and top-dressed onto the total mixed ration (TMR). Diet was fed as a TMR and contained 37% corn silage, 18.5% mixed-mostly grass silage, 24.5% energy supplement, 16.5% protein supplement, and 3.5% vitamin and mineral mix on a DM basis. The dietary nutrient composition averaged 15.1% CP, 37.8% NDF, and 24.7% ADF. Cows were fed and milked twice daily. No differences were observed for DMI (mean = 24.6 kg/d), milk yield (mean = 28.4 kg/d), 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM; mean = 30.6 kg/d), and 3.5% energy-corrected milk (ECM; mean = 30.7 kg/d). The dose of cinnamaldehyde did not have any effect on milk components, rumen fermentation, or pH. There were no differences in nutrient digestibility, but there was a trend for a quadratic effect for DM digestibility (P = 0.09): 74.4%, 76.3%, and 73.7% for treatments 0, 2, and 4 mg/kg of BW of cinnamaldehyde, respectively. A linear effect (P = 0.02) and a quadratic effect (P < 0.02) observed for urinary urea N and a quadratic effect (P = 0.03) for allantoin and total purine derivatives with the 2 mg/kg treatment being the lesser value. These data suggest that cinnamaldehyde at these dosages may have an antimicrobial effect in the rumen as suggested by a lesser concentration of urinary total purine derivatives. Overall, supplementing lactating dairy cows with cinnamaldehyde had no effect on feed intake, milk yield, or milk components. However, it appears that cinnamaldehyde has a negative effect on rumen microbial protein synthesis as suggested by the reduced concentration of urinary purine derivatives., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Caudal primary motor cortex (M1, area 4) is sensitive to cutaneous inputs, but the extent to which the physical details of complex stimuli are encoded is not known. We investigated the sensitivity of M1 neurons (4 Macaca mulatta monkeys) to textured stimuli (smooth/rough or rough/rougher) during the performance of a texture discrimination task and, for some cells, during a no-task condition (same surfaces; no response). The recordings were made from the hemisphere contralateral to the stimulated digits; the motor response (sensory decision) was made with the nonstimulated arm. Most M1 cells were modulated during surface scanning in the task (88%), but few of these were texture-related (24%). In contrast, 44% of M1 neurons were texture related in the no-task condition. Recordings from the neighboring primary somatosensory cortex (S1), the potential source of texture-related signals to M1, showed that S1 neurons were significantly more likely to be texture related during the task (57 vs 24%) than M1. No difference was observed in the no-task condition (52 vs. 44%). In these recordings, the details about surface texture were relevant for S1 but not for M1. We suggest that tactile inputs to M1 were selectively suppressed when the animals were engaged in the task. S1 was spared these controls, as the same inputs were task-relevant. Taken together, we suggest that the suppressive effects are most likely exerted directly at the level of M1, possibly through the activation of a top-down gating mechanism specific to motor set/intention. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Sensory feedback is important for motor control, but we have little knowledge of the contribution of sensory inputs to M1 discharge during behavior. We showed that M1 neurons signal changes in tactile texture, but mainly outside the context of a texture discrimination task. Tactile inputs to M1 were selectively suppressed during the task because this input was not relevant for the recorded hemisphere, which played no role in generating the discrimination response.

Adrenaline is a powerful stimulus of glucagon secretion. It acts by activation of β-adrenergic receptors, but the downstream mechanisms have only been partially elucidated. Here, we have examined the effects of adrenaline in mouse and human α-cells by a combination of electrophysiology, imaging of Ca 2+ and PKA activity, and hormone release measurements. We found that stimulation of glucagon secretion correlated with a PKA- and EPAC2-dependent (inhibited by PKI and ESI-05, respectively) elevation of [Ca 2+ ] i in α-cells, which occurred without stimulation of electrical activity and persisted in the absence of extracellular Ca 2+ but was sensitive to ryanodine, bafilomycin, and thapsigargin. Adrenaline also increased [Ca 2+ ] i in α-cells in human islets. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of the Tpc2 channel (that mediates Ca 2+ release from acidic intracellular stores) abolished the stimulatory effect of adrenaline on glucagon secretion and reduced the elevation of [Ca 2+ ] i Furthermore, in Tpc2-deficient islets, ryanodine exerted no additive inhibitory effect. These data suggest that β-adrenergic stimulation of glucagon secretion is controlled by a hierarchy of [Ca 2+ ] i signaling in the α-cell that is initiated by cAMP-induced Tpc2-dependent Ca 2+ release from the acidic stores and further amplified by Ca 2+ -induced Ca 2+ release from the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum., (© 2018 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Thirty-six cows were blocked by calving date and randomly assigned to one of three treatments. Cows were on treatments 3 weeks prepartum through 8 weeks post-partum. Treatments were as follows: (i) no direct-fed microbial (DFM) or cellulase and amylase enzymes (C), (ii) 45.4 g/day of DFM (D) or (iii) 45.4 g/day of DFM and 18.2 g/day of enzyme (DE). Total mixed ration fed and refused were measured daily to determine dry matter intake (DMI). Blood samples were taken three times weekly and analysed for β-hydroxybutyrate, glucose and non-esterified fatty acids. Body weight (BW) was measured weekly. Colostrum was weighed and analysed for IgA and IgG concentration. Calves were fed 4 L of colostrum within 2 hr of birth. Calf blood samples were taken at 0 and 24 hr for analysis of IgA and IgG concentrations and apparent efficiency of absorption. Milk yield was measured daily and samples collected weekly. Initial BW was different among treatments with D being lesser than C or DE treatments. Body weight, weight gain, efficiency of gain, DMI and blood parameters were unaffected. Treatment did not affect colostrum yield. Ash percentage of colostrum tended to increase with D and DE, while IgA and total solids yield decreased with D. Colostrum fat yield was decreased in D and DE. Treatments did not impact BW, serum IgA and IgG concentrations or apparent efficiency of absorption of calves. Post-partum BW, DMI, blood parameters, milk production and composition were unaffected by treatment. However, cows on D gained more BW and tended to have greater efficiency of gain compared to those on DE, but were similar to C. Somatic cell scores were greatest for D. Results indicate that DFM and enzyme supplementation did not improve health and performance of dairy cattle during the pre- and post-partum periods under conditions of this study., (© 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Deuterium oxide (D 2 O) dilution methods have been used to assess body composition in live animals. Estimated body water content can be used to predict body fat and protein, and thus, the amount of energy reserves. It is an alternative method to direct chemical analysis and considered a noninvasive technique that is economical and repeatable. Deuterium oxide use is considered easy, safe, and accurate; however, the traditional methods of analyzing D 2 O are expensive, tedious, and time consuming. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential for using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to determine body composition in Holstein dairy heifers. Nuclear magnetic resonance is less expensive and requires minutes to calculate the percentage of D 2 O in the blood. This study used 24 newborn dairy heifer calves blocked by birth and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: (1) 446 g dry matter (DM) of a conventional milk replacer (MR) [CON; 20% crude protein (CP), 20% fat], (2) 669 g DM of a moderately high protein MR (MOD; 26% CP, 18% fat), or (3) 892 g DM of a moderately high protein MR (aggressive, AGG; 26% CP, 18% fat). All calves had free-choice access to starter and water. Both MR and starter were medicated with decoquinate. During weaning (d 43 to 49), the morning MR feeding ceased. On d 50, all MR feedings ended but starter and water intakes were continuously recorded until d 56. When calves were 50 d of age, a baseline blood sample was taken followed by injection of 300 mg of D 2 O/kg of body weight in sterile physiological saline (0.9%). The syringes containing the D 2 O in physiological saline were weighed before and after administration to record the actual dose of D 2 O injected gravimetrically. After injection, the D 2 O was allowed to equilibrate with body water for 1 h. Six blood samples were taken over 6 d (1/d) at 1630 h to estimate the dilution of the tracer. The plasma was aspirated and stored at -20°C until further D 2 O analysis. This new method was validated using 4 calf plasma samples that were sent to an outside laboratory for measurement using an independent validation method. We detected no differences in total body water, protein, fat, or mineral content in calves fed CON, MOD, or AGG; however, results demonstrated that the D 2 O dilution technique and analysis by NMR is an appropriate and easy method to estimate water, protein, ash, and fat in young heifers., (Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this 70-d study was to determine the effects of the essential oil cinnamaldehyde compared with the ionophore monensin on performance of weaned Holstein dairy heifers. Eighty-four Holstein dairy heifers (91 ± 3.33 d of age; 109 ± 7.55 kg) were housed in a naturally ventilated curtain sidewall, straw-bedded barn in 12 pens with 7 heifers/pen (3.98 m 2 /head). Heifers were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a completely randomized design: (1) control (CON; carrier, 908 g of ground corn), (2) monensin sodium [MON; 1 mg/kg of body weight (BW) + carrier], (3) cinnamaldehyde (CIN1; 1 mg/kg of BW + carrier), or (4) cinnamaldehyde (CIN2; 2 mg/kg of BW + carrier). The treatments were hand-mixed into a 20% crude protein (CP) whole shelled corn and protein pellet mix fed at 2.21 kg/heifer daily. Heifers had access to free-choice hay and water daily. Initial BW and hip heights were taken at the start of the study and every other week thereafter until calves reached 23 wk of age. Blood samples were also taken on each weigh day to determine plasma urea nitrogen, glucose, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations. Fecal samples were taken from the same 3 heifers/pen initially and then at d 28, 56, and 70 of the study for coccidia counts. Cinnamaldehyde had no performance effects on growth, hay intake, hip height, or blood metabolites compared with MON or CON. Average daily gains were 0.98, 0.99, 1.01, and 1.03 kg/d, and average hay intakes per pen were 17.08, 16.34, 18.11, and 17.60 kg/d for CON, MON, CIN1, and CIN2, respectively. Fecal samples by pens indicated the presence of viable coccidia, but the counts were low and not consistent across heifers within each pen. No benefits were associated with supplementing cinnamaldehyde or monensin into grain mixes for weaned heifers., (Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Studies have shown that calves fed milk replacers (MR) with crude protein (CP) concentrations greater than 20%, as typically found in conventional MR, have higher dry matter intakes (DMI) and greater average daily gains (ADG) but consume less starter, which can lead to stress during weaning and reduced rumen development. The greater amount of CP being fed to preweaned calves may alter their nitrogen (N) balance, and excess N may be excreted in the urine. The objective of this study was to determine N utilization in preweaned calves fed diets varying in the amount of CP and MR fed. This study used 24 newborn dairy heifer calves blocked by birth and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: (1) 446g dry matter (DM) of a conventional MR (CON; 20% CP, 20% fat), (2) 669g DM of a moderately high protein MR (moderate; MOD; 26% CP, 18% fat), or (3) 892g DM of a moderately high protein MR (aggressive; AGG; 26% CP, 18% fat). All calves had ad libitum access to starter and water. Both MR and starter were medicated with decoquinate. During weaning (d 43-49), the morning MR feeding ceased. On d 50, all MR feedings ended; however, starter and water intakes were continuously recorded until d 56. At 5wk of age, urine was collected using urinary catheters for 3d and chromium oxide was administered by bolus at 2g/d for 7d to estimate N efficiency. Calves fed MOD and AGG had similar starter intakes, feed efficiencies, and ADG, with the combined treatments having reduced starter intakes (258 vs. 537g/d), greater ADG (674 vs. 422g/d), and improved feed efficiency (0.57 vs. 0.45 gain:feed) compared with CON calves preweaning. However, DMI and water intake were similar across all treatments. Results from the N utilization phase showed that MOD and AGG treatments had similar but lower N efficiency compared with CON calves (45.5 vs. 52.7%). This could be due to MOD- and AGG-fed calves having greater urine volume and thereby, greater combined urine N output compared with CON calves (17.6 vs. 12.1 g/d). In summary, feeding >0.66kg (DM) from a 26% CP MR increased ADG and improved feed efficiency during the preweaning period but reduced starter intake and lowered N efficiency., (Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In a previous behavioral study, it was shown that early blind individuals were superior to sighted ones in discriminating two-dimensional (2D) tactile angle stimuli. The present study was designed to assess the neural substrate associated with a haptic 2D angle discrimination task in both sighted and blind individuals. Subjects performed tactile angle size discriminations in order to investigate whether the pattern of crossmodal occipital recruitment was lateralized as a function of the stimulated hand. Task-elicited activations were also compared across different difficulty levels to ascertain the potential modulatory role of task difficulty on crossmodal processing within occipital areas. We show that blind subjects had more widespread activation within the right lateral and superior occipital gyri when performing the haptic discrimination task. In contrast, the sighted activated the left cuneus and lingual gyrus more so than the blind when performing the task. Furthermore, activity within visual areas was shown to be predictive of tactile discrimination thresholds in the blind, but not in the sighted. Activity within parietal and occipital areas was modulated by task difficulty, where the easier angle comparison elicited more focal occipital activity along with bilateral posterior parietal activity, whereas the more difficult comparison produced more widespread occipital activity combined with reduced parietal activation. Finally, we show that crossmodal reorganization within the occipital cortex of blind individuals was primarily right lateralized, regardless of the stimulated hand, supporting previous evidence for a right-sided hemispheric specialization of the occipital cortex of blind individuals for the processing of tactile and haptic inputs.

Within a dairy enterprise, one major cost is raising young calves. Optimizing the feeding programs of dairy calves is imperative for the sustainability and profitability of dairy operations. Essential oils appear to be natural alternatives to antibiotics and function similarly to ionophores. Supplemental antibiotic ionophores have been very successful in improving feed efficiency and rate of gain in calves, as well as decreasing disease incidences; however, calves may be developing resistance to ionophores and the use of antibiotics in animal feeds has been a major concern for consumers. No current research has examined the value or palatability of supplementing essential oils to dairy heifers. The purpose of this sequential elimination experiment was to evaluate the taste preferences of 6 weaned dairy heifers [approximately 3mo old; 95±10.8kg of body weight (BW)] provided with 0 (control), 1, 2, 3, or 4mg/kg of BW of cinnamaldehyde daily. Heifers had 2 d of adaptation to the new feeding regimen before the experiment started and were then offered the 5 experimental diets for 5 d. The most preferred diet was removed and the study continued with the 4 remaining diets. The most preferred diets were again eliminated sequentially, so that only 2 diets remained on d 13 and 14. Each diet was ranked based on the weight of feed refused at the end of each feeding segment. Overall ranking of the 5 treatments were control, 2, 1, 3, and 4mg/kg of BW of cinnamaldehyde. Results indicated that heifers preferred diets without cinnamaldehyde; however, when only cinnamaldehyde diets remained, dry matter intake was not negatively affected regardless of the concentration of cinnamaldehyde provided., (Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nicotinic acid (NA) has been shown to reduce lipolysis, alter milk components and the ruminal environment, and increase blood flow. Increased blood flow to the mammary gland during colostrogenesis might increase nutrients and immunoglobulin concentration of colostrum. Twenty-six multiparous Holstein cows were housed in a tiestall barn. Cows were blocked by expected calving date and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments 4 wk prepartum: (1) 0g/d of NA (control, CON) or (2) 48g/d of NA (NA). Total mixed ration amounts fed and refused were measured daily to determine dry matter intake. Blood samples were collected from dams every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from the coccygeal vein or artery and were analyzed for glucose, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Colostrum was collected and weighed within 90 min of parturition. Colostral immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration was analyzed using radial immunodiffusion assay. Calves were removed from their dams before suckling and weighed within 30 min after birth. Calves received 3 L of a lacteal-based colostrum replacer that provided a total of 225.8g of IgG within 2h of birth. Calf blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture at 0 and 24h of age and analyzed for IgG concentration and determination of apparent efficiency of absorption. Colostrum yield, dry matter intake, IgG yield, and fat and solids percentage of colostrum did not differ between treatments. Serum concentrations of glucose and BHB were not affected by treatment. We detected an effect of week on serum glucose concentrations at calving and on serum BHB concentrations at 1 wk postpartum. There was a treatment by week effect for serum NEFA concentrations at 1 wk postpartum, where cows that received NA prepartum had higher serum NEFA concentration than CON cows, indicating that a NEFA rebound occurred. No differences were observed for calf body weight, 0- or 24-h serum IgG concentration, or apparent efficiency of absorption. Supplementation of NA increased IgG concentration in colostrum from 73.8 to 86.8g/L. Results indicate that 48g/d of supplemental NA during the prepartum period improved colostrum quality., (Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nine New Hampshire Holstein dairies contributed to a study to investigate if colostrum quality could be predicted by cow performance in the previous lactation and by environmental factors during the 21-d prepartum period. The numbers of days below 5°C (D<), days above 23°C (D>), and days between 5 and 23°C (D) were used in the development of the regression equation. Between 2011 and 2014, 111 colostrum samples were obtained and analyzed for IgG. Producers recorded cow identification number, calf date of birth, sex of the calf, colostrum yield, hours from parturition to colostrum harvest, and weeks on pasture during the dry period (if any). Dairy Herd Improvement data from each cow and weather data were compiled for analysis. Information accessed was predicted transmitting abilities for milk, fat (PTAF), protein (PTAP), and dollars; previous lactation: milk yield, fat yield, fat percent, protein percent, protein yield, somatic cell score, days open, days dry, days in milk, and previous parity (PAR). Colostrum yield was negatively correlated with IgG concentration (r=-0.42) and D (r=-0.2). It was positively correlated with D> (r=0.30), predicted transmitting ability for milk (r=0.26), PTAF (r=0.21), and PTAP (r=0.22). Immunoglobulin G concentration (g/L) was positively correlated with days in milk (r=0.21), milk yield (r=0.30), fat yield (r=0.34), protein yield (r=0.26), days open (r=0.21), PAR (r=0.22), and tended to be positively correlated with DD (r=0.17). Immunoglobulin G concentration (g/L) was negatively correlated with D> (r=-0.24) and PTAF (r=-0.21) and tended to be negatively correlated with PTAP (r=-0.18). To determine the best fit, values >0 were transformed to natural logarithm. All nontransformed variables were also used to develop the model. A variance inflation factor analysis was conducted, followed by a backward elimination procedure. The resulting regression model indicated that changes in Ln fat yield (β=2.29), Ln fat percent (β=2.15), Ln protein yield (β=-2.25), and Ln protein percent (β=2.1) had largest effect on LnIgG. This model was validated using 27 colostrum samples from 9 different farms not used in the model. The difference between means for actual and predicted colostrum quality (IgG, g/L) was 13.6g/L. Previous lactation DHI data and weather data can be used to predict the IgG concentration of colostrum., (Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the hypothesis that a simple intensive code, based on mean firing rate, could explain the cortical representation of subjective roughness intensity and its invariance with scanning speed. We examined the sensitivity of neurons in the cutaneous, finger representation of primary somatosensory cortex (S1) to a wide range of textures [1 mm high, raised-dot surfaces; spatial periods (SPs), 1.5-8.5 mm], scanned under the digit tips at different speeds (40-115 mm/s). Since subjective roughness estimates show a monotonic increase over this range and are independent of speed, we predicted that the mean firing rate of a subgroup of S1 neurons would share these properties. Single-unit recordings were made in four alert macaques (areas 3b, 1 and 2). Cells whose discharge rate showed a monotonic increase with SP, independent of speed, were particularly concentrated in area 3b. Area 2 was characterized by a high proportion of cells sensitive to speed, with or without texture sensitivity. Area 1 had intermediate properties. We suggest that area 3b and most likely area 1 play a key role in signaling roughness intensity, and that a mean rate code, signaled by both slowly and rapidly adapting neurons, is present at the level of area 3b. Finally, the substantial proportion of neurons that showed a monotonic change in discharge limited to a small range of SPs (often independent of response saturation) could play a role in discriminating smaller changes in SP., (Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.)

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) of primary somatosensory cortex (S1) has been shown to enhance tactile spatial acuity, but there is little information as to the underlying neuronal mechanisms. We examined vibrotactile perception on the distal phalanx of the middle finger before, during, and after contralateral S1 tDCS [a-, cathodal (c)-, and sham (s)-tDCS]. The experiments tested our shift-gain hypothesis, which predicted that a-tDCS would decrease vibrotactile detection and discrimination thresholds (leftward shift of the stimulus-response function with increased gain/slope) relative to s-tDCS, whereas c-tDCS would have the opposite effects (relative to s-tDCS). The results showed that weak a-tDCS (1 mA, 20 min) led to a reduction in both vibrotactile detection and discrimination thresholds to 73-76% of baseline during the application of the stimulation in subjects categorized as responders. These effects persisted after the end of a-tDCS but were absent 30 min later. Most, but not all, subjects showed a decrease in threshold (8/12 for detection; 9/12 for discrimination). Intersubject variability was explained by a ceiling effect in the discrimination task. c-tDCS had no significant effect on either detection or discrimination threshold. Taken together, our results supported our shift-gain hypothesis for a-tDCS but not c-tDCS., (Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.)

Calves fed large amounts of milk replacer (MR) gain more body weight preweaning than calves fed less-aggressive programs; however, postweaning growth may be reduced. Limited research suggests that less than optimal digestion of the postweaned diet due to large amounts of MR with reduced dry feed intake preweaning may contribute to growth impairment postweaning. Current research was conducted to compare growth and postweaning digestion in 3-d-old male Holstein calves fed various MR programs. The MR programs were a conventional [CON; 0.44 kg of dry matter (DM) 21% crude protein (CP), 21% fat powder fed for 42d], moderate (MOD; 0.66 kg of DM 27% CP, 17% fat powder fed for 42d), and aggressive program (AGG; up to 0.87 kg of DM 27% CP, 17% fat powder fed for 49d). All calves were fed a 20% CP textured starter and water ad libitum for 56d. The trial used 96 calves (initially 41 ± 1.9 kg of body weight) received 5 wk apart in 2 groups of 48 calves. During d 51 to 56, fecal samples were collected from 5 calves per treatment randomly selected from calves in the first group. Selected nutrients and acid-insoluble ash (used as an internal flow marker) were analyzed in the starter and feces to estimate digestibility. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design with starting time of each group of calves as a block. Repeated measure analysis was performed on overall (0 to 56d) data. Means were separated with a protected least significant difference test. Pen was the experimental unit. Calves fed CON had the least average daily gain [CON=0.35, MOD=0.51, and AGG=0.55 kg/d; standard error of the mean (SEM)=0.018], feed efficiency (CON=0.35, MOD=0.49, and AGG=0.48 gain/feed, SEM=0.016), and change in hip width (CON=3.3, MOD=4.1, and AGG=4.1cm, SEM=0.20) compared with calves fed other programs. Calves fed AGG had the greatest change in BCS and least starter intake compared with calves fed the other programs. Digestibility of organic matter was 79, 78, and 68% and neutral detergent fiber was 54, 51, and 26% for calves fed programs CON, MOD, and AGG, respectively, and were least for calves fed AGG. These results indicate that postweaning digestion is lower than optimal and contributes to lower postweaning growth in calves fed aggressive compared with conventional or moderate MR programs., (Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/objective: The standard medical therapy for haemochromatosis is iron removal by regular phlebotomy. Current guidelines suggest that this blood should be made available through national blood services. Here, we describe a pilot facilitating the process of blood donation amongst uncomplicated haemochromatosis patients., Methods/materials: At a dedicated clinic, patients with uncomplicated haemochromatosis interested in becoming blood donors were offered an information leaflet and self-referral application. Upon receipt, members of the local Blood Service contacted them to confirm eligibility to donate. Data on demographics and clinical characteristics, including HFE (high Fe) genotype, co-morbidities, alcohol consumption and body mass index, were collected., Results: Since establishing the clinic, 140 patients have attended (93 male) with median age 57. Most (n = 125; 89%) had uncomplicated haemochromatosis. Of these, 55 were potentially eligible blood donors. Amongst those eligible, there are now 29 regular blood donors, including 23 new., Conclusion: There is an interest and willingness to donate blood through the Blood Service amongst uncomplicated haemochromatosis patients undergoing therapeutic phlebotomy. Since the introduction of this facilitation process, we have significantly increased the number of regular donors amongst this cohort. If this process was to be replicated more widely across the UK, this could have a significant impact on the blood donor pool., (© 2015 British Blood Transfusion Society.)

Background: Familial pseudohyperkalemia (FP) is a dominantly inherited condition in which red blood cells (RBCs) have an increased cold-induced permeability to monovalent cations. Potassium leaks into the supernatant of all stored blood with time, but FP RBCs leak potassium more rapidly. We investigated two unrelated blood donors whose RBC donations demonstrated unexpectedly high potassium after 5 and 6 days' storage. We matched the observed pattern of RBC cation leak to a previously recognized family with FP (FP-Cardiff) and investigated the likely cause with targeted DNA analysis., Study Design and Methods: Cation leakage from the donor RBCs and from standard donor units was measured. DNA analysis of donors and family members with FP-Cardiff was performed. Allele frequencies were obtained from human variation databases., Results: Both implicated donors were found to have increased cold-induced potassium leak identical in pattern to affected members of the family with FP-Cardiff. We found a heterozygous substitution Arg723Gln in the ATP-binding cassette, Subfamily B, Member 6 protein that segregated with FP in the Cardiff family and was also present in both blood donors. Arg723Gln is listed in human variation databases with an allele frequency of approximately 1:1000., Conclusions: We describe a novel FP mutation that may affect 1:500 European blood donors and causes rapid loss of potassium from stored RBCs. This finding has implications for neonates and infants receiving large-volume RBC transfusions. Genomic screening of donors could be used to identify donors with this mutation and potentially improve the quality and safety of donor units., (© 2014 AABB.)

This study examined the extent to which haptic perception of two-dimensional (2-D) shape is modified by the design of the perceptual task (single-interval categorization vs. two-interval discrimination), the orientation of the angles in space (oblique vs. horizontal), and the exploration strategy (one or two passes over the angle). Subjects (n = 12) explored 2-D angles using the index finger of the outstretched arm. In the categorization task, subjects scanned individual angles, categorizing each as "large" or "small" (2 angles presented in each block of trials; range 80° vs. 100° to 89° vs. 91°; implicit standard 90°). In the discrimination task, a pair of angles was scanned (standard 90°; comparison 91-103°) and subjects identified the larger angle. The threshold for 2-D angle categorization was significantly lower than for 2-D angle discrimination, 4° versus 7.2°. Performance in the categorization task did not vary with either the orientation of the angles (horizontal vs. oblique, 3.9° vs. 4°) or the number of passes over the angle (1 vs. 2 passes, 3.9° vs. 4°). We suggest that the lower threshold with angle categorization likely reflects the reduced cognitive demands of this task. We found no evidence for a haptic oblique effect (higher threshold with oblique angles), likely reflecting the presence of an explicit external frame of reference formed by the intersection of the two bars forming the 2-D angles. Although one-interval haptic categorization is a more sensitive method for assessing 2-D haptic angle perception, perceptual invariances for exploratory strategy and angle orientation were, nevertheless, task-independent.

Eighty Holstein and Holstein cross dairy calves were blocked by birth date and randomly assigned to 1 of 8 treatments within each block to examine the effect of a colostrum replacer (CR) feeding regimen, supplementation of CR with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and provision of a milk replacer (MR) feeding on IgG absorption. Calves were offered a CR containing 184.5g/L of IgG in either 1 feeding at 0h (within 30 min of birth), with or without 30g of NaHCO3, with or without a feeding of MR at 6h of age, or 2 feedings of CR (123g of IgG at 0h with or without 20g of NaHCO3 and 61.5g of IgG at 6h with or without 10g of NaHCO3), with or without a MR feeding at 12h. Therefore, treatments were (1) 1 feeding of CR; (2) 2 feedings of CR; (3) 1 feeding of CR + 30g of NaHCO3; (4) 2 feedings of CR + 30g of NaHCO3; (5) 1 feeding of CR + MR feeding; (6) 2 feedings of CR + MR feeding; (7) 1 feeding of CR + 30g NaHCO3 + MR feeding; and (8) 2 feedings of CR + 30g NaHCO3 + MR feeding. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24h after birth and were analyzed for IgG via radial immunoassay. Results indicated that CR feeding schedule, MR feeding, and the interactions CR × Na, CR × MR, and CR × Na × MR were similar for 24-h serum IgG, apparent efficiency of absorption, or area under the curve. Serum IgG at 24h, apparent efficiency of absorption, and area under the curve were decreased with addition of NaHCO3 compared with calves not supplemented with NaHCO3. These data indicate that supplementation of CR with NaHCO3 is not beneficial to IgG absorption and feeding MR within 6h of CR feeding does not affect IgG absorption., (Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Moving stimuli activate all of the mechanoreceptive afferents involved in discriminative touch, but their signals covary with several parameters, including texture. Despite this, the brain extracts precise information about tactile speed, and humans can scale the tangential speed of moving surfaces as long as they have some surface texture. Speed estimates, however, vary with texture: lower estimates for rougher surfaces (increased spatial period, SP). We hypothesized that the discharge of cortical neurons playing a role in scaling tactile speed should covary with speed and SP in the same manner. Single-cell recordings (n = 119) were made in the hand region of primary somatosensory cortex (S1) of awake monkeys while raised-dot surfaces (longitudinal SPs, 2-8 mm; periodic or nonperiodic) were displaced under their fingertips at speeds of 40-105 mm/s. Speed sensitivity was widely distributed (area 3b, 13/25; area 1, 32/51; area 2, 31/43) and almost invariably combined with texture sensitivity (82% of cells). A subset of cells (27/64 fully tested speed-sensitive cells) showed a graded increase in discharge with increasing speed for testing with both sets of surfaces (periodic, nonperiodic), consistent with a role in tactile speed scaling. These cells were almost entirely confined to caudal S1 (areas 1 and 2). None of the speed-sensitive cells, however, showed a pattern of decreased discharge with increased SP, as found for subjective speed estimates in humans. Thus further processing of tactile motion signals, presumably in higher-order areas, is required to explain human tactile speed scaling.

Forty Holstein heifers entered the 12-wk study at approximately 12 wk of age. At enrollment, heifers were blocked by birth date and assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: (1) carrier (30 g; control); (2) lasalocid + carrier (1 mg/kg of body weight; L); (3) chlortetracycline + carrier (22 mg/kg of body weight; CTC); (4) L + CTC + carrier (CTCL). Heifers on CTC and CTCL were provided treatment Monday through Friday and carrier only on Saturday and Sunday. These heifers were provided their respective treatment during wk 1 to 4, 6, and 10; wk 5, 7 to 9, and 11 to 12 heifers were provided the nonmedicated carrier. Heifers were individually fed a total mixed ration with treatments top-dressed at 1200 h daily. Dry matter intake was monitored for each heifer and feed provided was adjusted according to individual intakes. Skeletal measurements were taken weekly and blood samples were obtained every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Blood samples were analyzed for thyroxine concentration via radial immunoassay. Heifers supplemented with L had lower average daily gain , overall body weight gain, and trends for lower daily body length gain and overall girth gain compared with CTC heifers, but similar to control and CTCL heifers. Heifers fed L had lower hip height gain and overall hip height gain compared with CTCL heifers, but similar to control and CTC heifers. Heifers fed L had lower overall withers height gain compared with control heifers, but similar to CTC and CTCL heifers. No treatment effect on thyroxine concentrations was observed. These data indicate that L did not increase growth. Results from this experiment indicate that supplementing heifers with L was not beneficial and no benefits to supplementing heifers with CTC or the combination of CTC and L were evident compared with control heifers. Heifers in this study experienced minimal health problems and were regarded to be under low stress levels. Supplementing CTC and L may be beneficial to growing heifers under conditions where disease exposure and stressors are greater., (Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

There are conflicting reports as to whether the shape of the psychometric relation between perceived roughness and tactile element spacing [spatial period (SP)] follows an inverted U-shape or a monotonic linear increase. This is a critical issue because the former result has been used to assess neuronal codes for roughness. We tested the hypothesis that the relation's shape is critically dependent on tactile element height (raised dots). Subjects rated the roughness of low (0.36 mm)- and high (1.8 mm)-raised-dot surfaces displaced under their fingertip. Inverted U-shaped curves were obtained as the SP of low-dot surfaces was increased (1.3-6.2 mm, tetragonal arrays); a monotonic increase was observed for high-dot surfaces. We hypothesized that roughness is not a single sensory continuum across the tested SPs of low-dot surfaces, predicting that roughness discrimination would show deviations from the invariant relation between threshold (ΔS) and the value of the standard (S) surface (Weber fraction, ΔS/S) expected for a single continuum. The results showed that Weber fractions were increased for SPs on the descending limb of the inverted U-shaped curve. There was also an increase in the Weber fraction for high-dot surfaces but only at the peak (3 mm), corresponding to the SP at which the slope of the psychometric function showed a modest decline. Together the results indicate that tactile roughness is not a continuum across low-dot SPs of 1.3-6.2 mm. These findings suggest that correlating the inverted U-shaped function with neuronal codes is of questionable validity. A simple intensive code may well contribute to tactile roughness.

Twenty-six Holstein bull calves born from primiparous and multiparous cows without dystocia were assigned in a randomized complete block design to 1 of 2 treatments: pooled maternal colostrum (PMC) or PMC supplemented with 30 g of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO(3)). Calves were fed PMC from 9 different batches containing (mean ± SD) 82.05±8.45 g/L of IgG. Calves were fed 2.68 L of PMC at birth (referred to as 0 h) and 1.32 L of PMC 6h later. The total amount of IgG fed was 329.89±34.56 g. Calves were fed 2L of milk replacer at 24, 36, and 48 h postpartum. The addition of NaHCO(3) had no effect on IgG absorption. Serum IgG concentrations at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h postpartum were not different between calves supplemented with or without 30 g of NaHCO(3) to colostrum. Area under the curve, apparent efficiency of absorption, and hematocrit were not affected by the NaHCO(3) treatment., (Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fifty-two dairy calves were blocked by birth date and, within each block, randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments to investigate the effects of incremental levels of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO(3)) on IgG metabolism. Treatments were (1) colostrum replacer (CR)+0 g of NaHCO(3) (control); (2) CR+15 g of NaHCO(3); (3) CR+30 g of NaHCO(3); or (4) CR+45 g of NaHCO(3). Calves were fed colostrum replacer (>200 g of IgG) in one feeding within 45 min of birth (0 h) and 2 L of milk replacer at 12, 24, 36, and 48 h. Only calves born in calving pens from multiparous cows with no dystocia were used in this study. Blood samples were taken at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h postpartum, and serum was analyzed for IgG using radial immunoassay and bicarbonate using spectrophotometry. Feeding increasing levels of sodium bicarbonate had negative linear effects on IgG concentration, IgG apparent efficiency of absorption, and IgG area under the curve, primarily due to the effect of the highest dose of NaHCO(3) (45 g). Sodium bicarbonate treatments had no effect on serum bicarbonate concentration. However, area under the curve of serum bicarbonate increased linearly with the amount of NaHCO(3) fed., (Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: OmniLog™ phenotype microarrays (PMs) have the capability to measure and compare the growth responses of biological samples upon exposure to hundreds of growth conditions such as different metabolites and antibiotics over a time course of hours to days. In order to manage the large amount of data produced from the OmniLog™ instrument, PheMaDB (Phenotype Microarray DataBase), a web-based relational database, was designed. PheMaDB enables efficient storage, retrieval and rapid analysis of the OmniLog™ PM data., Description: PheMaDB allows the user to quickly identify records of interest for data analysis by filtering with a hierarchical ordering of Project, Strain, Phenotype, Replicate, and Temperature. PheMaDB then provides various statistical analysis options to identify specific growth pattern characteristics of the experimental strains, such as: outlier analysis, negative controls analysis (signal/background calibration), bar plots, pearson's correlation matrix, growth curve profile search, k-means clustering, and a heat map plot. This web-based database management system allows for both easy data sharing among multiple users and robust tools to phenotype organisms of interest., Conclusions: PheMaDB is an open source system standardized for OmniLog™ PM data. PheMaDB could facilitate the banking and sharing of phenotype data. The source code is available for download at http://phemadb.sourceforge.net.

This study addressed the paradoxical observation that movement is essential for tactile exploration, and yet is accompanied by movement-related gating or suppression of tactile detection. Knowing that tactile gating covaries with the speed of movement (faster movements, more gating), we hypothesized that there would be no tactile gating at slower speeds of movement, corresponding to speeds commonly used during tactile exploration (<200 mm/s). Subjects (n = 21) detected the presence or absence of a weak electrical stimulus applied to the skin of the right middle finger during two conditions: rest and active elbow extension. Movement speed was systematically varied from 50 to ~1,000 mm/s. No subject showed evidence of tactile gating at the slowest speed tested, 50 mm/s (rest versus movement), but all subjects showed decreased detection at one or more higher speeds. For each subject, we calculated the critical speed, corresponding to the speed at which detection fell to 0.5 (chance). The mean critical speed was 472 mm/s and >200 mm/s in almost all subjects (19/21). This result is consistent with our hypothesis that subjects optimize the speed of movement during tactile exploration to avoid speeds associated with tactile gating. This strategy thus maximizes the quality of the tactile feedback generated during tactile search and improves perception.

Observation of hand movements has been repeatedly demonstrated to increase the excitability of the motor cortical representation of the hand. Little attention, however, has been devoted to its effect on somatosensory processing. Movement execution is well known to decrease somatosensory cortical excitability, a phenomenon termed 'gating'. As executed and observed actions share common cortical representations, we hypothesized that action observation (hand movements) should also modulate the cortical response to sensory stimulation of the hand. Seventeen healthy subjects participated in these experiments in which electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings of the somatosensory steady-state response (SSSR) were obtained. The SSSR provides a continuous measure of somatosensory processing. Recordings were made during a baseline condition and five observation conditions in which videos showed either a: (1) hand action; (2) passive stimulation of a hand; (3) static hand; (4) foot action; or (5) static object. The method employed consisted of applying a continuous 25 Hz vibratory stimulation to the index finger during the six conditions and measuring potential gating effects in the SSSR within the 25 Hz band (corresponding to the stimulation frequency). A significant effect of condition was found over the contralateral parietal cortex. Observation of hand actions resulted in a significant gating effect when compared to baseline (average gating of 22%). Observation of passive touch of the hand also gated the response (17% decrease). In conclusion, the results show that viewing a hand performing an action or being touched interferes with the processing of somatosensory information arising from the hand.

In vision, the discovery of the phenomenon of saccadic suppression of displacement has made important contributions to the understanding of the stable world problem. Here, we report a similar phenomenon in the tactile modality. When scanning a single Braille dot with two fingers of the same hand, participants were asked to decide whether the dot was stationary or whether it was displaced from one location to another. The stimulus was produced by refreshable Braille devices that have dots that can be swiftly raised and recessed. In some conditions, the dot was stationary. In others, a displacement was created by monitoring the participant's finger position and by switching the dot activation when it was not touched by either finger. The dot displacement was of either 2.5 mm or 5 mm. We found that in certain cases, displaced dots were felt to be stationary. If the displacement was orthogonal to the finger movements, tactile suppression occurred effectively when it was of 2.5 mm, but when the displacement was of 5 mm, the participants easily detected it. If the displacement was medial-lateral, the suppression effect occurred as well, but less often when the apparent movement of the dot opposed the movement of the finger. In such cases, the stimulus appeared sooner than when the brain could predict it from finger movement, supporting a predictive rather than a postdictive differential processing hypothesis.

Background and Objectives: This systematic review was aimed at finding evidence for the safety of blood donation by individuals with treated hypertension or type 2 diabetes. It was undertaken as part of a wider project to re-evaluate exclusion criteria for UK blood donors with a view to increasing eligibility., Materials and Methods: Searches were undertaken in the Cochrane Library to 2008, MEDLINE (1950 onwards), EMBASE (1974 onwards), CINAHL (1982 onwards), BNID (1994 onwards), the NHSBT SRI Handsearching Database and the Web of Science (all years) to February 2008. Planned analysis was largely descriptive., Results: We identified only 16 relevant papers. None of the identified studies directly addressed the review questions and methodological appraisal highlighted a number of deficiencies. However all included papers provided contributory data and the findings were consistent. No study found any evidence of increased risk to homologous (allogeneic) or autologous blood donors with treated hypertension or with raised baseline systolic blood pressure up to 200 mmHg. We found very few data relating to blood donation by diabetic subjects., Conclusions: No identified study indicated that raised baseline blood pressure level, treated hypertension or diabetes was predictive of increased adverse reactions in blood donors but the level of overall evidence was limited. This is the first attempt to systematically review a donor area as part of an approach to change longstanding practice recommendations, and may have implications for other recommendations for changes in donor acceptance criteria.

Although hypertension is a major risk factor for cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and is highly prevalent in African Americans, little is known about how blood pressure (BP) affects brain-behavior relationships in this population. In predominantly Caucasian populations, high BP is associated with alterations in frontal-subcortical white matter and in executive functioning aspects of cognition. We investigated associations among BP, brain structure, and neuropsychological functioning in 52 middle-older-age African Americans without diagnosed history of CVD. All participants underwent diffusion tensor imaging for examination of white matter integrity, indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA). Three regions of interest were derived in the anterior (genu) and posterior (splenium) corpus callosum and across the whole brain. A brief neuropsychological battery was administered from which composite scores of executive function and memory were derived. Blood pressure was characterized by mean arterial blood pressure (MABP). When controlling for age, higher MABP was associated with lower FA in the genu, and there was a trend for this same relationship with regard to whole-brain FA. When the sample was broken into groups on the basis of treatment for BP regulation (medicated vs. nonmedicated), MABP was related to genu and whole-brain FA only in the nonmedicated group. Neither MABP nor FA was significantly related to either neuropsychological composite score regardless of medication use. These data provide important evidence that variation in BP may contribute to significant alterations in specific neural regions of white matter in nonmedicated individuals without symptoms of overt CVD., (Copyright 2010 APA, all rights reserved)

This study reexamined the perceptual equivalence of active and passive touch using a computer-controlled force-feedback device. Nine subjects explored a 6 x 10-cm workspace, with the index finger resting on a mobile flat plate, and experienced simulated Gaussian ridges and troughs (width, 15 mm; amplitude, 0.5 to 4.5 mm). The device simulated shapes by modulating either lateral resistance with no vertical movement or by vertical movement with no lateral forces, as a function of the digit position in the horizontal workspace. The force profiles and displacements recorded during active touch were played back to the stationary finger in the passive condition, ensuring that stimulation conditions were identical. For the passive condition, shapes simulated by vertical displacements of the finger had lower categorization thresholds and higher magnitude estimates compared with those of active touch. In contrast, the results with the lateral force fields showed that with passive touch, subjects recognized that a stimulus was present but were unable to correctly categorize its shape as convex or concave. This result suggests that feedback from the motor command can play an important role in processing sensory inputs during tactile exploration. Finally, subjects were administered a ring-block anesthesia of the digital nerves of the index finger and subsequently retested. Removing skin sensation significantly increased the categorization threshold for the perception of shapes generated by lateral force fields, but not for those generated by displacement fields.