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Liberal Opinion Week
Has there been a more troubling time for free expression worldwide than right now?
I can't remember one. Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, has the numbers to back that up. The number of journalists, worldwide, in prison or killed while doing their jobs is at its highest since his organization began keeping records in 1992.
"This is the worst moment for journalists in recent history - and perhaps ever," Simon told me this weekend. The most dangerous places are conflict zones, like Syria, and countries with repressive regimes, like Turkey.
When journalists are endangered, you can be sure that free expression is under siege.
The attempted coup in Turkey put a bright light on the perils: One Turkish photojournalist was killed. Other media people were forced, at gunpoint, to read a statement over the air.
And then there's what's happening in the United States, which sees itself as a stronghold of free expression.
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On Bastille Day 2015, my family and I walked over to the banks of the Saône river in Lyon to watch the fireworks with thousands of the city's residents. I only briefly noticed the metal barricades blocking the street set up next to the French fry stands.
France was still recovering from the Charlie Hebdo and Hyper Cacher massacres. The Lyon region had just been the site of a decapitation and a truck-based attack on a gas factory. In previous years, there had been attacks in cities such as Toulouse, Tours, Dijon, and Nantes. But most were aimed at Jews or members of the police or military. Most people in France still felt safe from direct violence.
The events in Nice are a horrific reminder that, in reality, everyone in France is a target. While it is not the only country in the region to have experienced terrorist acts in recent years, France has suffered more frequently than neighbors like Britain, Germany, Italy, or Spain. Why has France been the focus of so much jihadist violence within Europe?
The failed coup d'etat against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was avidly watched in Russia -- not just because Erdogan and his authoritarian twin, President Vladimir Putin, have recently restored relations after the downing of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey in November, but because many wondered if Putin himself could become the target of a coup attempt and if he could survive it.
"Watch how it can be, with Erdogan as an example," Ksenia Sobchak, a Russian TV personality and one-time anti-Putin opposition figure, tweeted in the early hours of Saturday as the Turkish coup unfolded.
The projection of the Turkish events onto Russia is only natural. Like Erdogan, Putin has appealed to Russians' conservative, non-European values. Like Erdogan, he has consolidated personal power over a long rule unconstrained by constitutional term limits. Like Erdogan, he has moved to suppress the freedoms of speech and assembly and initiated tough "anti-terrorism" laws that make it hard to oppose him. And like Erdogan, he has struck at nonprofit organizations as "foreign agents" working against his regime.
Will Mike Pence help Donald Trump win over Christian conservatives?
White evangelical voters who are put off by Trump's misogyny, racism or astonishing business ethics won't be swayed by the addition to the ticket of a conservative Midwesterner fleeing from his own political problems.
And the millions of Christian conservatives who aren't put off? Trump has already won their devotion: He had them at "Hell, no."
As the Pew Research Center reported last week, white evangelicals are "even more strongly supportive of Trump than they were of Mitt Romney at a similar point in the 2012 campaign." More than three quarters -- 78 percent -- of white evangelical voters say they would vote for Trump, and about one third back his campaign "strongly."
As a model of Christian virtue, Trump is less than ideal. But most Christian conservatives aren't looking for a virtuous lamb. They want a street fighter -- the more aggressive the better.
Last week, another deranged young man went on a rampage, killing 84 people in the French city of Nice. A French lawyer who had earlier defended Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel in an assault case described his wife-beating, French-Tunisian client as "a classic delinquent." Intelligence officials say that if Bouhlel was radicalized by Islamist propaganda, the process took place only very recently and very rapidly.
Nevertheless, the leader of the far-right National Front, Marine Le Pen, quickly called for a war against Islamic fundamentalism. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy asserted that "nothing can be as it was" in the war against "Islamist terrorism." French President Francois Hollande, who has already declared a "pitiless war," declared that France would "reinforce our action in Syria and Iraq." French Prime Minister Manuel Valls claimed that the killer was "a terrorist probably linked to radical Islam one way or another."
In recent years, all too many psychotic delinquents around the world have been linked to radical Islam "one way or another." But should such tenuous connections determine something as grave and unpredictable as war?
One of the interesting debates over Pokemon Go, the addictive smartphone game that 9.5 million Americans play -- and probably a lot more than that now -- is whether it's truly augmented reality (AR), an up-and-coming companion technology to virtual reality (VR).
The question may seem largely philosophical, but the philosophy of how we use electronic devices is important: The post-smartphone era is just beginning.
Though many publications, both technical and general interest, have labeled Pokemon Go an AR game, it's probably incorrect in the strictly technical sense. A 1997 Massachusetts Institute of Technology review of AR (yes, it existed back then) described it as a technology "in which 3D virtual objects are integrated into a 3D real environment in real time." Here's an example from that 19-year-old paper -- a real desk with a virtual lamp and two virtual chairs:
Ahead of the Republican national convention in Cleveland this week, Donald Trump is doubling down on a phrase burdened by the country's history of racial strife.
"We have to bring law and order back to this country," the presumptive nominee said on Fox & Friends Monday morning.
The words "law and order" recall the racially charged politics of the tumultuous civil-rights era. The phrase was frequently used by politicians in the 1960s who opposed the civil rights demonstrations, and seemed to imply that African Americans were inherently unruly and dangerous.
Some law-and-order policies, such as the the crime legislation President Clinton signed in 1994, have had support from black voters who hoped that policing and strict punishments for criminals would control violent crime in their neighborhoods.
Yet Trump's resurrection of the phrase, with all its connotations, could prove especially divisive at a time when crime rates are historically low and when many in both parties are calling for a less punitive criminal justice system.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's admittedly "ill-advised" remarks about Donald Trump weren't only bad for the justice and her reputation. They were bad for the Supreme Court and, consequently, for the country.
Ginsburg was correct in her scathing assessment of Trump -- and correct to express her "regret" for voicing it publicly. But the damage to the court's image and reputation is already done.
The good news for the justices is that their institution is held in higher regard, for what that's worth, than the other two branches of government.
The bad news is that this support is at an all-time low. According to polling last September by the Pew Research Center, 42 percent of Americans held an unfavorable view of the court, while 50 percent viewed it favorably. By contrast, in January 1988, just 13 percent had an unfavorable view of the court, and 79 percent saw it favorably.
When Donald Trump began his run for the White House, many people treated it as a joke. Nothing he has done or said since makes him look better. On the contrary, his policy ignorance has become even more striking, his positions more extreme, the flaws in his character more obvious, and he has repeatedly demonstrated a level of contempt for the truth that is unprecedented in American politics.
Yet while most polls suggest that he's running behind in the general election, the margin isn't overwhelming, and there's still a real chance that he might win. How is that possible? Part of the answer, I'd argue, is that voters don't fully appreciate his awfulness. And the reason is that too much of the news media still can't break with bothsidesism — the almost pathological determination to portray politicians and their programs as being equally good or equally bad, no matter how ludicrous that pretense becomes.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina was still learning the ways of Washington, he says, when he saw a police officer following his car near Capitol Hill.
"I took a left...," he recalled in a speech Wednesday on the Senate floor, "and as soon as I took a left, a police officer pulled in right behind me."
That was his first left turn. His second came at a traffic signal. The patrol car was still following him. Scott took a third left onto the street that led to his apartment complex.
It was his fourth left, turning into his apartment complex, that brought the blue lights on. "The officer approached the car," Scott recalled, "and said that I did not use my turn signal on the fourth turn. Keep in mind, as you might imagine, I was paying very close attention to the law enforcement officer who followed me on four turns. Do you really think that somehow I forget to use my turn signal on that fourth turn? Well, according to him, I did."
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FULL LIST OF Pursuit - page 8 Topics
Man takes TASER from cop during foot pursuit - Not sure the details behind this video, but probably could have gone better. Maybe some learning points here.
Texas police chase Smart Car - From helicopter video, the Smart Car looks more like a wind-up toy as it leads police down a Houston interstate.
Bullets on Vehicles Training - Betsy Brantner Smith visits the Sig Sauer Academy to watch a training session detailing how to successfully shoot bullets into vehicles, debunking myths like tires that pop instantly on first hit.
Suspect caught after jumping in river - A flight from authorities ended with a splash.
NAFA 2011: Dodge Charger Pursuit - Doug Wylie goes to NAFA and reviews the 2011 Dodge Charger.
Reality Training: High Speed Pursuit - In this video, Dave Smith takes a look at dash cam footage from an actual high-speed pursuit. This case highights two important points: 1) the majority of high-speed pursuits involve felons, and 2) a vehicle can be used as a deadly weapon.
NAFA 2011: Dodge Charger Pursuit - Doug Wylie goes to NAFA and reviews the 2011 Dodge Charger.
StarChase Pursuit Management System - How It Works - The StarChase system is a pursuit reduction technology that contains a miniature GPS module encased in a tracking projectile/tag and a launcher mounted on a police vehicle.
Police Pursuit - How should law enforcement conduct vehicle pursuits?
Reality Training: High-Speed Pursuit with Dying Dog - This training video demonstrates how police officers, when thrust into a crisis involving a man and his dying dog, balance officer survival, public safety, and compassion.
Will to Win: Jared Reston - In this remarkable story of survival, Jared Reston of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department describes how a foot pursuit turned into a life or death struggle. Watch as Dave Smith interviews Reston about a harrowing, deadly encounter that exemplifies the importance of "staying in the fight."
Reality Training: Unlikely Pursuit - When an average looking woman in an unsuspecting vehicle becomes the subject of a high-speed chase, officers are reminded that humans are the most unpredictable animals on the planet.
Dave Smith - Reality Training: San Diego Foot Pursuit - Dave Smith discusses some of the trends officers have recently seen in foot pursuits. He gives advice on how to mentally prepare yourself in order to conduct your pursuits in the safest, most effective way. A recent example of a San Diego foot pursuit, shows how the officers handled the chase in a safe and productive way.
Alternative to Police Chases - WTVR CBS 6 News - New technology from StarChase provides an alternative solution to police chases.
StarChase Pursuit Management System - AZDPS Director Vanderpool - Arizona Department of Public Safety Commander Vanderpool explaining the beneficial technology of the StarChase Pursuit Management System.
PoliceOne top 5
2 Video: Chicago cop who feared using gun brutally beaten by suspect
3 Blue lines painted on streets in support of police draw critics

subset: commoncrawl


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A great operator
Chances are, if you've spent much time on Cambodian buses you'll have passed by a bunch of cyclists in bright lycra. Who are these people and why are they cycling across rural Cambodia in the midday heat? It turns out they could well be paying volunteers, taking part in adventure cycle tours run by PEPY Tours. We sat down for an informal chat by email with Daniela Ruby Papi to find out a bit more
1) Can you tell our readers a little about Pepy Ride and Pepy Tours?
PEPY is an educational development organization working to support rural communities in their efforts to improve the quality of education offered in their villages. To raise support and awareness about these school and non-formal education programs, PEPY began offering adventure tours of Cambodia which not only fund these programs but also introduce travellers to development issues. PEPY Tours offers educational adventures and service-learning experiences with a goal to improve the world and to convince others of their power to do the same.
2) Pepy says, "Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself". How do you see that thinking working in a Cambodian context?
We decided on the name P.E.P.Y. when developing our first cycle trip across Cambodia designed to teach about both environmental and health issues. "Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself" is about the relationship between the environment and our health. It is a reminder that things like excess or dangerous pesticide use is harmful to the environment and should be avoided to protect our earth, but also should be avoided to protect US and our health.
In many cases, by protecting the earth we are protecting ourselves as well. Sometimes, in more impoverished areas of Cambodia where short term interests of survival and success are put above long term sustainability issues, environmental protection messages hold less weight than they might elsewhere. However, the impact of non-sustainable farming practices, increased logging, water pollution, etc are even more dire in impoverished areas, as there are fewer safety nets once community/environmental resources are exhausted.
For all of us, protecting our own health and that of our families is always a priority. Because of this, it is often more successful to encourage taking care of the environment by making the direct connection to health outcomes.
Since that first ride, we have learned more about how to improve our approach to changing attitudes and actions around these issues. We realized that it was inappropriate for ourselves, foreigners to Cambodia, to try to "teach", as we knew very little about health and environmental issues in Cambodia and short term visits were not going to be the best way to affect the changes in attitudes and actions around the issues.
Instead, we switched to a broad focus on quality education based on a belief that basic education, Khmer literacy, life skills, and critical thinking skills are the most essential tools required to understand our rights and take actions within our communities to make the changes we want to see in the world. By supporting educational programs which focus on those skills in rural Cambodia, we hope to help support a generation of students and parents who value education and use those tools to help improve their own lives and the world around them.
The travellers are still of course a key part of PEPY, but instead of administering our education programs, they are learners, critics, and financial supporters. Our tours are designed to put the travellers into situations where they are "learning" before teaching and where they collectively address topics relating to development and tourism in ways, which might impact the way they give, travel, and live in the future.
3) You say on your website that "PEPY Tours aims to catalyse a large-scale, transformational change in tourism." What do you think is the single most important change required in Cambodia?
In Cambodia, there are roughly two million tourists a year who come to Siem Reap. Among tourists in particular, there is a strong tendency and urge to "give". People come to Cambodia, fall in love with the place and the people, and want to "help". With little understanding of how to do that more effectively or who to trust, travellers can sometimes unknowingly support short-term solutions, undermine government projects, encourage more dependency, or contribute to corruption through ill-researched donations. Some might choose to not support a project at all because they don't know the best ways to do so.
In an ideal world, Cambodian tourism would be environmentally sustainable, low-impact, and community-led, generating funding which goes back to local projects. It would lead to better understanding between peoples, a higher standard of living for Cambodians, and a significant learning experience for travellers. It could empower, not foster dependency.
To get closer to this goal, the four main changes we would like to see in tourism in Cambodia today are:
a) No more orphanage tourism. In some cases, donations for "poor" orphanages are keeping kids looking poor and orphanage owners very rich. In addition, unrestricted visits by foreigners to visit and play with children can lead to negative outcomes. This tourism trend will continue to cause harm until travellers are better educated about the rights of children and ways to support them. Child-Safe International is a great resource to learn about some of these issues.
b) More money staying in Cambodia. Most visitors don't realise it, but they are usually staying in foreign-owned hotels, eating in foreign-owned restaurants, buying imported fruit and foods that came over from Thailand, and little of their money is staying in Cambodia. PEPY's Responsible Tourism Statement highlights our efforts to try to increase the positive impact of our tours in Cambodia and might spark ideas and questions for others planning their travel in the area.
c) Tourism that adds to the community. With so many good intentions out there, it's disappointing to see how often "voluntourism" or traveller's philanthropy ends up doing more harm than good. In an effort to improve our own work and to share the lessons we have learned with others, we have conducted research to develop a Voluntourism Self-Check tool full of questions, which should help voluntourism operators and travellers better analyse the impact of volunteer travel offerings.
d) An end to both child, and adult, sex-tourism. Enough said. It's horrific. To this end, we should still work on the first point above as sometimes unrestricted access to children's facilities that have no child protection policies can add to this.
4) How would you differentiate Pepy trips from a more traditional volunteerism project?
We design our tours with learning first, and giving back second. We need to learn before we know what or how to give, and this is a lesson we have learned the hard-way at PEPY. By making these mistakes ourselves, we know that giving things (a house, a school, clothing, supplies, etc) is not a successful way to build capacity in local people or positively change future actions.
We think it is important to build volunteer projects into more long-term goals and programs. Painting a school does indeed make the learning environment brighter (if done well!), but a program that puts all of their funds into paint, giving unskilled foreign tourists a chance to brush some walls, and effects no other positive changes in education, is not what we are looking to offer. Instead, our programs are designed to improve the capacity of local teachers, work with communities to identify the problems they see in education and come up with solutions, and make long-term changes in attitudes and actions towards education.
By giving our travellers the chance to fund those programs through the required fundraising portion of their tour fee, we can help them impact change even long after they leave. Then, if they come paint walls, the funds used for paint are only a small portion of the funds supporting improvements in education including more influential programs like teacher training. Painting the school at all is not the ideal solution, we agree. Instead, for the best matches, we look to place travellers as helpers in whatever the current needs are as far as their skills can support the projects. Rather than creating or holding off projects until they arrive, we aim to integrate the travellers into the needs at that given time, which means we often do not tell guests what their exact project will be until they arrive.
Overall though, most tours are designed not to be "volunteer" trips at all, but rather educational adventures, which introduce travellers to the issues facing Cambodia today. By providing the education portion first, travellers can go out and take actions in the future and continue to be advocates for sustainable change rather than short-term solutions.
5) Critics say that combining volunteering and tourism produces "feel good" trips that are great for the pax but of negligible benefit for the people being "helped". One case that springs to mind is a UK operator who brings out guests to build a house for a village. After the tour leaves, the villagers dismantle the house and sell it all. How does Pepy address these sort of concerns?
Ha... or lets you replant trees, which have already been planted. Or lets you "give food or books to a needy family", and charges you for it! Oh goodness ... there is a lot wrong with this trend, and there is a lot of education on the part of the traveller, which is needed to stop self-serving tour operators from taking advantage of generosity and un-knowing travellers from supporting corrupt acts.
We avoid those concerns by not giving things, but building programs, supporting skill-building for our Cambodian staff and partners, and knowing the communities where we offer our programs. By making initial connections through groups we trust and forming long-term partnerships with people and places we know well, we don't have the issues of trying to evaluate the impact of our programs during semi-annual tour visits. Instead, we are there every day.
We have over 30 local staff who manage and operate our education programs, the majority of whom come from those same villages themselves. We work with them daily and their input and decisions are what drive our programs and determine how and when outside support is welcome.
6) While there are serious issues with the sustainability of tourism to Angkor Wat that many are aware of, what other spots in the country are you concerned by? And could you give us some examples of sustainable tourism?
A lot of the areas I am concerned about are not being damaged by tourism, but by political or local forces: the pollution of the Mekong both outside of and within Cambodia is causing the remaining fresh-water dolphins and other life to die off. Deforestation fuelled by land-grabbing and mineral mining is changing the beautiful north east into a sparse burning plain. Illegal logging and wildlife sales are harming the Cardamom mountains. Those places are actually some of the few areas where I see the potential for tourism as a positive force.
Yes, tourists no matter what bring a whole additional set of problems, but if trips are designed to both preserve and highlight the natural resources available, there might be more incentive to preserve those. Chi Phat in the Cardamom Mountains is being developed for bike tourism, CRDT (a local NGO) is offering tours that support their livelihoods-development programs, and the Mekong Discovery Trail has aimed to connect travellers with ways to support local economies along South East Asia's largest river. These are a few of the projects, which are in their initial stages and aim to support positive tourism development. Their impacts are yet to be seen, but I think more initiatives like these are needed to support and protect the environmentally rich areas of Cambodia.
7) Cycling is an environmentally friendly way to get around, but what other advantages does cycling provide to riders?
Only the BEST way to see a country. :-)
You go at the local pace; see, smell and feel the world around you; and get the satisfaction of getting to your destination on your own power. You also are able to enjoy the "Hello Paparazzi", children who come out from all sides to say hello long before they are even in your sight, making you feel like a visiting celebrity. Getting past the initial ego-boosting and superficial greetings and sitting down with someone over a glass of fresh squeezed sugarcane juice or a shared interest in the water buffalo, which has just decided to cross the road and stop all traffic, are experiences you can't have in a bus. Plus, riding your bike gives your body and your mind a chance to get in sync and a chance to think and reflect both on your own life and the things you are learning on your journey.
8) Can you give our readers an idea of an "average day on the road" for a cyclist on one of your trips?
We head out early (don't worry, you get used to it!), avoiding the heat, and stop for breakfast somewhere near our guesthouse. Once everyone is clear on the destination for the day and any highlights or suggested meal stops are discussed, the pace is yours to determine! We either all meet up for lunch, at a tricky turn, or at our final destination, depending on the day. Some take the pace a bit faster, looking to get their destination by lunch, while others stop along the way at a local pagoda, have lunch at a village restaurant, and make it to the hotel before dusk. We will enjoy a meal together in the evening, discuss our days adventure and perhaps an article from our PEPY library, and get to sleep early, rested from a day of putting our bodies to good use.
On other days we might stop to visit one of PEPY's partners to learn about their programs and how our efforts can support their work. We learn about topics from landmines to agriculture and our guests can help drive our learning based on what they are interested in finding out about on their journey.
9) How fit do you need to be for one of your tours?
Fit enough to ride your bike, at a slow pace, a few hours a day. Typically, those of average fitness have no problem on our tours. The first few days can be more painful, as those whose bodies are not used to being on a bike adjust, but over the course of the ride, people find their pace and their groove.
10) With the fund-raising portion of the fee, I'd imagine you see some pretty innovative ways that cyclists rustle up the money. Would you like to give any examples?
PEPY participants have done everything from cook-offs to clothing sales, Rotary club talks to scavenger hunts, and everything in-between. There was a group in Japan that organised three simultaneous bike rides throughout the country that not only promoted the PEPY values and provided a fantastic weekend adventure to many people, but also raised money for our educational programs.
11) Will PEPY be crossing the border anytime soon? The Mekong Delta has some tremendous cycling...
We tried this once and loved it, but the issue of getting bikes over and back at the border for longer groups was something we hadn't yet worked out. We now have a solution, so look for Laos into Cambodia bike rides from PEPY very soon. Southern Laos is beautiful and Northern Cambodia has a lot of adventures to offer. Join us!
By Stuart McDonald
Last updated on 10th September, 2009.
Planning well is an integral part of getting the most out of your trip. Be it picking the right backpack, the right vaccinations or the right country, the simple decisions are often the most important.


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ne of the ways you'll do that is by attending
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realmagick.com The shrine of knowledge.
A selection of articles related to psyche.
Original articles from our library related to the Psyche. See Table of Contents for further available material (downloadable resources) on Psyche.
- Archetypal Astrology
- Jungian Psychology | Archetypal Astrology | The Myths The Horoscope What is below is like what is above. And what is above is like what is below, so that the miracle of the One may be accomplished. -Tabula Smaragdina This is not an explanation of all the...
Mystic Sciences >> Astrology
- A View on the Wiccan Rede
- I was listening to radio evangelist Bob Larson talk to a witch on his radio show. The witch mentioned the Wiccan Rede "as you harm none, do as you will." He snorted and ridiculed the idea that such a simple idea could be a legitimate basis for...
Paganism & Wicca >> The Wiccan Rede
- Am I Damned?: Part 2
- CAVEAT: It is impossible to answer a "theological" question simply and correctly at the same time. The reason for this is the fact that the theological arena involves reality not only beyond our capacity to adequately express, but even beyond that,...
Religions >> Christianity & Paganism
- Divinity: Thought We are Many, Are We One?
- Dear Questioner, You asked if there was such a thing as Christian Wicca. The simple answer is, of course there is! The tradition of communing with all the lovely fellow spirits in this cosmos goes way back beyond apostolic times. Didn't the Magi (plural for...
Religions >> Christianity & Paganism
- The Symbolic Language of Dreams
- In dreams we are carried away to a wonderland of imagination - pleasures and fears blend themselves into a magical universe. When awake we have forgotten that this wonderland exists in our own souls. A Language According to Jung, dreams as well as daydreaming,...
Mystic Sciences >> Astrology
- Calabrese, Adrian
- Adrian Calabrese, Ph.D. Adrian Calabrese, Ph.D., Msc. D., C.H., holds a doctorate in Psychical Research, another in Metaphysics, and is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. A psychic, channel, medium, holistic practitioner, inspirational speaker and minister,...
Real Interviews >> Authors
- Story of the Soul Tarot Layout
- "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul." Psalm 142, Verse 4 KJV "Three things distinguish living from the soul versus living from the ego only. They are: the...
Divination >> Tarot Cards
Psyche is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Psyche books and related discussion.
Suggested News Resources
- Psyche and Butterfly Wings
- The woman in these items represents the ancient Greek goddess Psyche. Psyche apparently originated in a 2nd century AD in story called "Metamorphosis" that begins: "In a certain city lived a king with three notably beautiful daughters." This work by ...
- How Your Psyche Can F*ck With Your Wedding Plans
- I've been busting some serious ass lately. Like, no bullshit, pushing myself HARD in every facet of my life.
- Shades of the psyche
- #iAm16iCan tells the story of Aarush Kashyap, the 16-year-old unreliable protagonist with genius intellect, who is accused of rape. "On 18th December 2012, I was sipping my morning tea when my husband Mrityunjay told me the news about Nirbhaya Rape ...
- Green with Facebook envy, red with Twitter rage: This is your psyche on social
- Scientific American Spending a lot of time on Facebook is linked to diminished well-being, according to many studies. Yet questions linger about cause and effect—perhaps people who are already lonely simply spend more time on social media. New studies ...
- Between the Lines: 'Interior Darkness' reveals Peter Straub's psyche
- Whenever the reigning masters of the macabre are tallied, the same three names turn up: Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Peter Straub.
Suggested Web Resources
- Psyche - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Psyche (Psyché in French) is the Greek term for "soul" or "spirit (ψυχή). ... Psyche (mythology), the name of a mortal woman in Greek mythology, who becomes ...
- en.wikipedia.org
- Cupid and Psyche - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Cupid and Psyche is a story originally from Metamorphoses (also called The Golden Ass), written in the 2nd century AD by Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis (or ...
- en.wikipedia.org
- Psyche (psychology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- In psychology, the psyche /ˈsaɪki/ is the totality of the human mind, conscious and unconscious. Psychology is the scientific or objective study of the psyche.
- en.wikipedia.org
- Psyche | Define Psyche at Dictionary.com
- Classical Mythology. a personification of the soul, which in the form of a beautiful girl was loved by Eros. 2.
- dictionary.reference.com
- PSYCHE : Greek Goddess of the Soul | Mythology, Psykhe, w/ pictures
- PSYKHE (or Psyche) was the goddess of the soul, wife of Eros god of love. She was once a mortal princess whose astounding beauty earned the ire of ...
- www.theoi.com
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.
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Have you ever tried to make a part but you became concerned over whether or not your part could actually work within the limits you've set? A thread gage can be a perfect tool that will keep you from worrying about what you're getting out of your setup.
A thread gage is a special material that can measure fasteners of all sorts. You can use it to measure bolts, screws, nuts and other important fasteners. You can ensure that you've got the right mating parts for the job while also using a good functional thread that is easy to follow with.
In short, you can use this gage material to figure out of whatever is being used in your assembly process is actually going to fit. This is needed so you will keep whatever you have secured for as long as possible. You can use this quite well to get whatever you have measured properly without being harder to work with than whatever might be necessary at a given time.
You can easily use a thread gage by placing it into the opening that you want to measure. You can use this by inserting a gage of a proper size into a hole or thread. This will help you figure out how thick a space is in terms of its diameter. This is primarily with the purpose of figuring out the ring gage and is not necessarily made with product threads in mind. You should use this carefully to give yourself a little more help with whatever you are working with at a given point.
A gage is made with a series of truncated threads that are ground down and will move into an opening. This is ideal for cases where you've got a great deal of connecting points in your thread and you need to use it carefully without any problems.
The gage is simply there to get an approximation of how big your space might be. When used right, it should create a better setup that is not too tough to use and will give you the proper review that you know will not be any more complicated to use than needed.
A thread ring can become easily worn out after a while. It can wear out due to something like old materials possibly rusting or bearing with fatigue from whatever you are using. You can get a worn out ring replaced as needed after you use a gage item to test the area. The gage can be used to see if it can fit into a space that it is supposed to get into. You might find if something wrong is going on if the space is not being treated as well as it should.
A thread can be about a quarter of an inch in diameter for the most part. Different diameters and thread totals may be used on different gages. That's why a typical set will come with multiple gages to help you figure out if whatever you are using at a given time will actually fit into your space as required.
As ideal as these materials can be for all of your general measurement needs, you must always make sure whatever you are using is maintained properly. You'll have to store your gages in a secure location where they will not be at risk of getting in touch with items that can cause rusting. Fortunately, typical sets are sold with their own carrying cases so you can ensure that you've got the right materials to use at a given time.
A rust preventative must also be added onto your gages. This can be coated on occasion to protect their bodies and keep them as smooth and controlled as possible without worrying about anything possibly rusting or otherwise being any harder to handle than necessary.
A thread gage can be an important material for your use when finding details on measurements for particular threads you want to work with. You can use the measurements that you get to get a better idea of how well your setups are running so you'll have more control over how you manufacture different parts.


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Bookings 01460 30144
Learning In The Great Outdoors
Living With The Land
A unique venue
A Pathway To Learning
Flexible accommodation in the country
Magdalen's care farming programmes are run by highly experienced teachers with a specialism in special education needs and mental health.
Each care farming session is tailored to meet the needs and circumstances of the individual or group. Flexibility, choice and customisation are key to all our visits whether just for the day or longer.
Care Farming is also referred to as Ecotherapy - and evidence from Mind concludes that "ecotherapy has a role to play in building and supporting our wellbeing and resilience, and keeping us all healthy."
Please see: 'Feel better outside, feel better inside: Ecotherapy for mental wellbeing, resilience and recovery'
Experience has shown us that needs often change so, while we work to a pre-agreed itinerary, nothing is fixed. If you need us to change the schedule we'll happily make alternative suggestions - the ultimate aim is to create a memorable visit.
"M has had a difficult life and never had a childhood or adolescence as such and she was really finding the child in herself yesterday and that Is the first time I have ever heard her say I really really enjoyed that!" Peer Support Member
Calm on the Farm is a programme specially designed for people suffering from mental health problems. It is both preventative and restorative and gives adults an opportunity to gently spend time in nature, with animals and with others.
Calm on the Farm offers a tailor-made day programme that is practical and hands-on. Participants get involved in valuable work in the horticultural gardens and with the animals. There is also plenty of time if people just want to stop, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the moment. Supportive, flexible supervision is provided, along with a fresh home-cooked lunch using produce from the farm and a range of craft activities for a more sedentary afternoon.
Calm on the Farm produces relaxation, social inclusion, an increased sense of wellbeing and a progression route to volunteering.
Calm on the Farm - Sample Day Trip Itinerary
Before you visit, we'll ask you to tell us about the individual or group and their abilities. We'll discuss what they want to achieve and we'll make some suggestions based on what you've told us and your budget.
Even when we've put together a plan we can still change it on the day (and often do).
As we get to know some of our return visitors we are able to chart their progression and make suggestions that would help with their individual learning plans. We've seen many cases of significant improvement. This could combine our activities along with activities of your own. Flexibility is key - it's your stay with us and we'll help you plan to get the best from it.
For more information about our care farming programme for people with mental health problems, please contact us.


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For Mary Daly: in memory of courage walking
I did not know Mary Daly personally. I never met her professionally. I never heard even one of her public speeches. My concern for women's issues did not come from Daly. I got that from my mother.
My sense of Daly's impact on history comes from every discussion of women's issues in which I ever participated. The impact Daly's ideas and courage was having on other women was palpable. In those living situations, then, I learned a lot from Daly. Most of all, I learned how to look newly at things I'd looked at for so long that I was no longer really seeing any of them.


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October 07, 2015HPSI Increases to 83.8 - Upward Grind Resumes, Bringing the Housing Indicator Back Near Its Peak Level
WASHINGTON, DC – Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index™ (HPSI) increased to 83.8 in September as consumer confidence in the home buying and selling market bounced back from a recent dip, suggesting continued gradual improvement in housing activity. The HPSI Good Time to Sell component increased 13 points on net in September due likely to a strong home price environment coupled with a slight improvement in consumers' economic outlook. Additionally, the Good Time to Buy component increased 3 points on net as high rental costs may be encouraging more renters to consider homeownership. Although net home price and mortgage rate expectations dipped in September, consumers' confidence in their employment and financial situations climbed 2 and 3 points, respectively, further suggesting a possible firmer footing for housing.
"The HPSI returned near its record high this month, driven primarily by improvement in attitudes about selling a home and strengthening home prices," said Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae. "With consumers' expectations for rental price increases continuing to outpace their expectations for home price growth, many consumers may view homeownership as a more attractive option. This should have positive implications for the housing market, which remains well below historical norms in relation to housing starts. We noted last week that, despite a relatively dismal jobs report, the addition of 8,000 construction jobs, the biggest gain in four months, may be a sign of grudging progress for the supply side of housing. The September HPSI data, combined with the recent increase in construction jobs, are consistent with our expectation for a continued upward grind in housing."
Fannie Mae's September 2015 Home Purchase Sentiment Index™ (HPSI) increased 3 points to 83.8 in September following a two-month drop. Four of the six component questions posted net positive gains, most notably with Good Time to Sell increasing 13 points compared to August. Home Price and Mortgage Rate net expectations continued to fall, dipping 2 and 1 points, respectively. Overall, the HPSI is up 3.6 points since this time last year.
The Home Purchase Sentiment Index™ (HPSI) distills information about consumers' home purchase sentiment from Fannie Mae's National Housing Survey™ (NHS) into a single number. The HPSI reflects current and forward-looking housing market outcomes and complements existing data sources to inform housing related analysis and decision making. The HPSI is constructed from answers to six NHS questions that solicit consumers' evaluations of housing market conditions and address topics that are related to their home purchase decisions. The questions ask consumers whether they think that it is a good or bad time to buy or to sell a house, what direction they expect home prices and mortgage interest rates to move, how concerned they are about losing their jobs, and whether their incomes are higher than they were a year earlier.
The most detailed consumer attitudinal survey of its kind, Fannie Mae's National Housing Survey™ polled 1,003 Americans via live telephone interview to assess their attitudes toward owning and renting a home, home and rental price changes, homeownership distress, the economy, household finances, and overall consumer confidence. Homeowners and renters are asked more than 100 questions used to track attitudinal shifts, six of which are used to construct the HPSI (findings are compared to the same survey conducted monthly beginning June 2010). To reflect the growing share of households with a cell phone but no landline, the National Housing Survey has increased its cell phone dialing rate to 60 percent as of October 2014. For more information, please see the Technical Notes. Fannie Mae conducts this survey and shares monthly and quarterly results so that we may help industry partners and market participants target our collective efforts to stabilize the housing market in the near-term, and provide support in the future. The September 2015 National Housing Survey was conducted between September 1, 2015 and September 25, 2015. Most of the data collection occurred during the first two weeks of this period. Interviews were conducted by Penn Schoen Berland, in coordination with Fannie Mae.
For detailed findings from the September 2015 Home Purchase Sentiment Index and National Housing Survey, as well as a brief HPSI overview and detailed white paper, technical notes on the NHS methodology, and questions asked of respondents associated with each monthly indicator, please visit the Consumer Attitude Measures page on fanniemae.com. Also available on the site are in-depth topic analyses, which provide a detailed assessment of combined data results from three monthly studies of NHS results.
To receive e-mail updates with other housing market research from Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group, please click here.


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Model United Nations preps for match
The Model United Nations will travel to Santa Barbara this weekend for a three-day conference with universities from all across California.
Iota Delta jumps for cystic fibrosis
Iota Delta sorority members jumped their way through 24-hour philanthropy event in Sneaky Park Oct. 28 to Oct. 29. Each woman took at least five 15-minute shifts bouncing in a bounce house in order to raise money and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
LVTV hosts Halloween Spooktacular
Mainiero Square was transformed into a Halloween wonderland decorated with skeletons, spider webs and spooky signs as La Verne Community Television hosted its seventh annual live broadcast, Halloween Spooktacular, from 3-5 p.m. Saturday.
Day of the Dead is not Halloween
Día de los Muertos, known in English as Day of the Dead, is a sacred Mexican holiday to honor ancestors and recently deceased loved ones in a three-day long celebration from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.
Sports Clips gives support to veterans
The La Verne Sports Clips is one of many locations that has partnered with the Veterans of Foreign Wars to help veterans and service members make the transition back into civilian life, through their Help A Hero program.
La Verne splits with Chapman, Occidental
With five injured players, the La Verne men's water polo lost a match against the Chapman Panthers, 17-7, Saturday at the La Verne Aquatics Center.
Swim and dive dip into new season
The La Verne swimming and diving team had three top-five finishes at the Pomona Relays on Saturday at Haldeman Pool at Pomona-Pitzer.
Prospective students need parking, too
A recent parking change in front of the Campus Center has added 10 desperately needed spots for residents but has also created an issue for prospective students and families interested in visiting the University of La Verne.
Leopard Scoreboard
Sports results, schedule and standings for the week of Nov. 6, 2015.
Campus and community arts events for the week of Nov. 6, 2015.


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Most Cited Domestic Animal Endocrinology Articles
The most cited articles published since 2011, extracted from Scopus.
Maternal obesity in ewes results in reduced fetal pancreatic β-cell numbers in late gestation and decreased circulating insulin concentration at termL. Zhang | N. M. Long | S. M. Hein | Y. Ma | P. W. Nathanielsz | S. P. Ford
Volume 40, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 30-39
About 30% of U.S. women of reproductive age are obese, a condition linked to offspring obesity and diabetes. This study utilized an ovine model of maternal obesity in which ewes are overfed to induce obesity at conception and throughout gestation. At mid-gestation, fetuses from these obese ewes are macrosomic, hyperglycemic, and hyperinsulinemic, and they exhibited markedly increased pancreatic weight and β-cell numbers compared with fetuses of ewes fed to requirements. This study was conducted to establish fetal pancreatic phenotype and function in late gestation and at term in this ovine model. Multiparous ewes were fed a control (C, 100% National Research Council [NRC] recommendations) or obesogenic (OB, 150% NRC) diet from 60 days before conception to necropsy at day 135 of gestation or to lambing. No differences were observed in fetal size or weight on day 135 or in lamb birth weights between C and OB ewes. In contrast to our previously published results at mid-gestation, pancreatic weights (P < 0.01) and β-cell numbers (P < 0.05) of OB fetuses were markedly lower than those from C fetuses, whereas the β-cell apoptotic rate was increased (P < 0.05) in day 135 OB versus C fetuses. At birth, blood insulin concentration was lower (P < 0.05) and glucose level was higher (P < 0.05) in newborn lambs from OB versus C ewes. These data demonstrate differential impacts of maternal obesity on fetal pancreatic growth and β-cell numbers during early and late gestation. During the first half of gestation there was a marked increase in pancreatic growth, β-cell proliferation, and insulin secretion, followed by a reduction in pancreatic growth and β-cell numbers in late gestation, resulting in reduced circulating insulin at term. It is speculated that the failure of the pancreas to return to a normal cellular composition and function postnatally could result in glucose/insulin dysregulation, leading to obesity, glucose intolerance, and diabetes in postnatal life. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Vascular and immune regulation of corpus luteum development, maintenance, and regression in the cowK. Shirasuna | A. Nitta | J. Sineenard | T. Shimizu | H. Bollwein | A. Miyamoto
Volume 43, Issue 2, August 2012, Pages 198-211
The bovine corpus luteum (CL) is a unique, transient organ with well-coordinated mechanisms by which its development, maintenance, and regression are effectively controlled. Angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor A and basic fibroblast growth factor, play an essential role in promoting progesterone secretion, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. These processes are critically regulated, through both angiogenic and immune systems, by the specific immune cells, including macrophages, eosinophils, and neutrophils, that are recruited into the developing CL. The bovine luteolytic cascade appears to be similar to that of general acute inflammation in terms of time-dependent infiltration by immune cells (neutrophils, macrophages, and T lymphocytes) and drastic changes in vascular tonus and blood flow, which are regulated by luteal nitric oxide and the vasoconstrictive factors endothelin-1 and angiotensin II. Over the period of maternal recognition of pregnancy, the maternal immune system should be well controlled to accept the semiallograft fetus. The information on the presence of the developing embryo in the genital tract is suggested to be transmitted to the ovary by both the endocrine system and the circulating immune cells. In the bovine CL, the lymphatic system, but not the blood vascular system, is reconstituted during early pregnancy, and interferon tau from the embryo could trigger this novel phenomenon. Collectively, the angiogenic and vasoactive factors produced by luteal cells and the time-dependently recruited immune cells within the CL and their interactions appear to play critical roles in regulating luteal functions throughout the life span of the CL. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.
The prevalence of endocrinopathic laminitis among horses presented for laminitis at a first-opinion/referral equine hospitalN. P. Karikoski | I. Horn | T. W. McGowan | C. M. McGowan
Volume 41, Issue 3, October 2011, Pages 111-117
Endocrinopathic causes of laminitis may be a common underlying causative pathogenesis in first-opinion or field cases presenting with laminitis, as opposed to laminitis produced in inflammatory research models. This study aimed to determine whether evidence of an underlying endocrinopathy was present in horses presented for laminitis to a first-opinion/referral veterinary teaching hospital. A second aim was to compare the signalment of horses and ponies with laminitis with the equine hospital population during the same period. All horses presenting for laminitis at Helsinki University Equine Teaching Hospital, Finland, over a 16-month period were examined for an underlying endocrinopathy. Horses presenting for laminitis were compared with the hospitalized population over the same period. There were 36 horses presented for laminitis, and evidence of endocrinopathy was present in 89%. Of the horses showing an underlying endocrinopathy, one-third had a diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, and two-thirds showed basal hyperinsulinemia indicative of insulin resistance, without evidence of hirsutism. Phenotypic indicators of obesity were present in 95% of horses with basal hyperinsulinemia without hirsutism. Compared with the hospital population during the same period, horses with laminitis associated with an underlying endocrinopathy were significantly older and more likely to be pony breeds. Our data support that endocrine testing should be performed on all cases of laminitis that do not have a clear inflammatory or gastrointestinal origin. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Effect of luteinizing hormone oscillations on progesterone concentrations based on treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist in heifersO. J. Ginther | M. J. Fuenzalida | G. Pugliesi | M. A. Hannan | M. A. Beg
Volume 40, Issue 2, February 2011, Pages 119-127
Close temporality has been reported between the episodic secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone (P4) during the midluteal phase and preceding the beginning of luteolysis in cattle. In the present studies, the relationship between LH and P4 was examined by blocking LH oscillations with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, acyline. In a titration study, the minimal single acyline dose for blocking LH oscillations in heifers was 3 μg/kg. The main experiment compared LH and P4 concentrations and oscillations between a group treated with acyline on day 15 after ovulation (n = 8) and a control group (n = 4). Concentrations of P4 in blood samples collected every 8 h on days 13 to 18 indicated that acyline treatment did not alter the time that luteolysis began or the length of the luteolytic process. In blood samples collected every hour for 24 h beginning at the hour of treatment, acyline reduced the LH concentrations and blocked LH oscillations. The hourly LH means were 0.06 to 0.08 ng/mL, comparable to the mean concentration at the nadirs of LH oscillations in controls (0.07 ng/mL). During the hourly sampling, the GnRH antagonist produced the following P4 responses: (1) lower P4 concentrations, (2) fewer and reduced prominence of P4 oscillations, and (3) increased length and variability in the interval between the peaks of P4 oscillations. Results indicated that LH oscillations affect both the prominence and the rhythmicity of P4 oscillations during preluteolysis but not the onset and length of luteolysis. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Subclinical, chronic intramammary infection lowers steroid concentrations and gene expression in bovine preovulatory folliclesY. Lavon | G. Leitner | E. Klipper | U. Moallem | R. Meidan | D. Wolfenson
Volume 40, Issue 2, February 2011, Pages 98-109
Chronic, subclinical intramammary infection depresses fertility. We previously found that 30% of subclinical mastitic cows exhibit delayed ovulation, low circulating estradiol levels, and delayed luteinizing hormone surge. We examined the function of preovulatory follicles of cows experiencing subclinical mastitis or a past event of acute clinical mastitis. Cows were diagnosed for mastitis by somatic cell count and bacteriological examination. All clinical infections were caused by Escherichia coli, and most subclinical infections were caused by Streptococcus dysgalactiae and coagulase-negative staphylococci. On day 6 of the cycle, cows received PGF2α; 42 h later, follicular fluids and granulosa cells or theca cells were aspirated from preovulatory follicles in vivo or following slaughter, respectively. Overall, follicular estradiol and androstenedione concentrations in the subclinical group (n = 28) were 40% lower (P < 0.05) than those in uninfected cows (n = 24) and lower than in past clinical mastitic cows (n = 9). Distribution analysis revealed a clear divergence among subclinical cows: one-third (9/28) exhibited low follicular estradiol; the other two-thirds had normal levels similar to all uninfected (P < 0.01) and most clinical cows (P < 0.08) that had normal follicular estradiol levels. Subclinical normal-estradiol cows had twofold higher (P < 0.05) circulating estradiol concentrations and sevenfold and fourfold higher (P < 0.05) follicular androstenedione levels and estradiol-to-progesterone ratio, respectively, than subclinical low-estradiol cows. Follicular progesterone level was not affected. Reduced expression (P < 0.05) of LHCGR in theca and granulosa cells, CYP11A1 (mRNA and protein) and CYP17A1 in theca cells, and CYP19A1 in granulosa cells may have contributed to the lower follicular steroid production in the subclinical low-estradiol subgroup. StAR and HSD3B1 in theca cells and FSHR in granulosa cells were not affected. Mastitis did not alter follicular growth dynamics, and no carryover effect of past clinical mastitis on follicular function was detected. These data indicate that a considerable proportion (one-third) of subclinical mastitic cows have abnormal follicular steroidogenesis, which can explain the reproductive failure associated with this disease. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Concomitance of luteinizing hormone and progesterone oscillations during the transition from preluteolysis to luteolysis in cattleO. J. Ginther | M. J. Fuenzalida | H. K. Shrestha | M. A. Beg
Volume 40, Issue 2, February 2011, Pages 77-86
The temporal relationships of episodes of luteinizing hormone (LH) oscillations, 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2α (PGFM) pulses, and progesterone (P4) fluctuations during the latter portion of preluteolysis and the early portion of luteolysis were characterized. In Experiment 1, the detection of LH episodes in blood samples collected every 15 min for 8 h was compared with detection in the samples collected every hour in 4 heifers. The number of independently detected episodes/heifer (total = 7) was the same for the 15-min and hourly collection intervals. In Experiment 2, blood samples were collected every hour (n = 7 heifers) and retrospectively assigned to 15 h before and 15 h after the transitional hour between preluteolysis and luteolysis. During preluteolysis, compared with luteolysis, the amplitude of LH oscillations was greater (0.28 ± 0.03 vs 0.18 ± 0.03 ng/mL; P < 0.02) and the interval between peaks of LH oscillations was shorter (3.3 ± 0.3 h vs 4.3 ± 0.6 h; P < 0.04). The LH peaks occurred at the same hour as the peak of a P4 fluctuation in 77% and 29% of LH oscillations (P < 0.0009) during preluteolysis and luteolysis, respectively. In preluteolysis, synchrony between LH and P4 episodes occurred consistently during the P4 rebound after the peak of a PGFM pulse. In luteolysis, the LH peak preceded the peak of the P4 rebound. On a temporal basis, the hypothesis was supported that episodic LH accounts, at least in part, for the reported P4 rebound that occurs after the P4 suppression at the peak of a PGFM pulse. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Compensation for obesity-induced insulin resistance in dogs: Assessment of the effects of leptin, adiponectin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 using path analysisK. R. Verkest | L. M. Fleeman | J. M. Morton | K. Ishioka | J. S. Rand
Volume 41, Issue 1, July 2011, Pages 24-34
The hormonal mediators of obesity-induced insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia in dogs have not been identified. Plasma samples were obtained after a 24-h fast from 104 client-owned lean, overweight, and obese dogs. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were used to calculate insulin sensitivity and β-cell function with the use of the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA insulin sensitivity and HOMA β-cell function, respectively). Path analysis with multivariable linear regression was used to identify whether fasting plasma leptin, adiponectin, or glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations were associated with adiposity, insulin sensitivity, and basal insulin secretion. None of the dogs were hyperglycemic. In the final path model, adiposity was positively associated with leptin (P < 0.01) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (P = 0.04) concentrations. No significant total effect of adiposity on adiponectin in dogs (P = 0.24) was observed. If there is a direct effect of leptin on adiponectin, then our results indicate that this is a positive relationship, which at least partly counters a negative direct relationship between adiposity and adiponectin. Fasting plasma leptin concentration was directly negatively associated with fasting insulin sensitivity (P = 0.01) and positively associated with β-cell function (P < 0.01), but no direct association was observed between adiponectin concentration and either insulin sensitivity or β-cell function (P = 0.42 and 0.11, respectively). We conclude that dogs compensate effectively for obesity-induced insulin resistance. Fasting plasma leptin concentrations appear to be associated with obesity-associated changes in insulin sensitivity and compensatory hyperinsulinemia in naturally occurring obese dogs. Adiponectin does not appear to be involved in the pathophysiology of obesity-associated changes in insulin sensitivity. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Serotonin as a homeostatic regulator of lactationR. J. Collier | L. L. Hernandez | N. D. Horseman
Volume 43, Issue 2, August 2012, Pages 161-170
Serotonin (5-HT), a neurotransmitter produced in mammary epithelial cells (MECs), acts via autocrine-paracrine mechanisms on MECs to regulate milk secretion in a variety of species. Recent studies in dairy cows reported that 5-HT ligands affect milk yield and composition. We determined the mRNA expression of bovine 5-HT receptor (5-HTR) subtypes in bovine mammary tissue (BMT) and cultured bovine MECs. We then used pharmacologic agents to evaluate functional activities of 5-HTR subtypes. The mRNAs for five receptor isoforms (5-HTR1B, 5-HTR2A, 5-HTR2B, 5-HTR4, and 5-HTR7) were identified by conventional reverse transcription PCR, real-time PCR, and in situ hybridization in BMT. In addition to luminal MEC expression, 5-HTR4 was expressed in myoepithelium, and 5-HTR1B, HTR2A, and HTR2B were expressed in small mammary blood vessels. Studies to date report that there are multiple 5-HTR isoforms in mammary tissue of rodents, humans, and cattle. Inhibition of the 5-HT reuptake transporter with selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) disrupted tight junctions and decreased milk protein mRNA expression in mouse, human, and bovine mammary cells. Selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors act to increase the cellular exposure to 5-HT by preventing reuptake of 5-HT by the cell and eventual degradation. Increasing 5-HT concentration in milk via inhibiting its reuptake (SSRI), or by increasing the precursor for 5-HT synthesis 5-hydroxytryptophan, accelerated decline in milk synthesis at dry-off. We conclude that the 5-HT system in mammary tissue acts as a homeostatic regulator of lactation. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.
Luteolysis and associated interrelationships among circulating PGF2α, progesterone, LH, and estradiol in maresO. J. Ginther | M. A. Hannan | M. A. Beg
Volume 41, Issue 4, November 2011, Pages 174-184
The changing concentrations and temporal relationships among a PGF2α metabolite (PGFM), progesterone (P 4), LH, and estradiol-17β (E 2) before, during, and after luteolysis were studied in 10 mares. Blood samples were collected every hour for ≥4 d beginning on day 12 after ovulation. The luteolytic period extended from a decrease in P 4 at a common transitional hour (Hour 0) at the end of preluteolysis and beginning of luteolysis to a defined ending when P 4 reached 1 ng/mL. The length of luteolysis was 22.9 ± 0.9 h, contrasting with 2 d in published P 4 profiles from sampling every 6 to 24 h. In mares with complete data for Hours -40 to -2 (n = 6), PGFM concentrations remained below assay sensitivity (n = 2) or two or three small pulses (peak, 29 ± 4 pg/mL) occurred. During luteolysis, the pulses became more prominent (peak, 193 ± 36 pg/mL). Rhythmicity of PGFM pulses was not detected by a pulsatility program during preluteolysis but was detected in seven of nine mares during luteolysis and postluteolysis combined. The nadir-to-nadir interval for LH pulses and the peak-to-peak interval between adjacent pulses were longer (P < 0.05) during preluteolysis than during luteolysis (nadir to nadir, 5.2 ± 0.3 h vs 3.6 ± 0.4 h; peak to peak, 9.4 ± 1.0 h vs 4.7 ± 0.5 h). Unlike reported findings in cattle, concentrations of P 4 decreased linearly within the hours of each PGFM pulse during luteolysis, and a positive effect of an LH pulse on P 4 and E 2 concentration was not detected. The reported balancing of P 4 concentrations between a negative effect of PGF2α and a positive effect of LH in heifers was not detected in mares. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Effect of maternal restraint stress during gestation on temporal lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroendocrine and immune responses of progenyC. T. Collier | P. N. Williams | J. A. Carroll | T. H. Welsh | J. C. Laurenz
Volume 40, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 40-50
The impact of gestational dam restraint stress on progeny immune and neuroendocrine temporal hormone responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge was assessed. Maternal stress (5-min snout snare restraint stress during days 84 to 112 of gestation) increased (P < 0.05) the magnitude of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin-6, epinephrine (E), norepinephrine, and serum amyloid A (SAA) production following LPS infusion in the offspring. Moreover, these effects appear to be dependent on gender for TNF-α, E, and cortisol production. However, maternal stress did not affect (P > 0.05) the normalization of proinflammatory cytokines or neuroendocrine hormones produced following LPS. Collectively, these results indicate that maternal stress impacts aspects of the proinflammatory cytokine and stress hormone response in their progeny following LPS dosing of the offspring. This response is potentially responsible in part for the resultant changes to SAA production. Because several of the changes observed here are dependent on pig gender, these results are also the first evidence that inherent epigenetic factors coupled with maternal stress impact the cumulative response to stress and LPS in young pigs. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Circadian and circannual rhythms of cortisol, ACTH, and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in healthy horsesM. Cordero | B. W. Brorsen | D. McFarlane
Volume 43, Issue 4, November 2012, Pages 317-324
Cosinor analysis was used to evaluate whether pituitary and adrenal hormones exhibit circadian rhythmicity in horses. The effect of season and animal age on their respective rhythms was also determined. In addition, the usefulness of evaluating cortisol rhythmicity for the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) was assessed. Serum cortisol concentrations (P <0.01), but not plasma ACTH or -melanocyte-stimulating hormone (-MSH), showed a significant circadian periodicity in horses. An effect of season on hormone concentration was observed with plasma ACTH and -MSH concentration greater in the fall and cortisol concentration greater in the spring (P< 0.001). Age did not affect cortisol rhythm, but it did blunt the variation in cortisol concentration in horses, similar to what has been previously reported to occur in aged people and dogs. In addition, our results suggest that clinically and diagnostically normal, non-PPID-affected horses commonly have a loss of cortisol diurnal rhythm. Therefore, measurement of circadian rhythm is not an appropriate diagnostic test for PPID. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.
New developments on the galactopoietic role of prolactin in dairy ruminantsP. Lacasse | V. Lollivier | F. Dessauge | R. M. Bruckmaier | S. Ollier | M. Boutinaud
Volume 43, Issue 2, August 2012, Pages 154-160
In most mammals, prolactin (PRL) is essential for maintaining lactation and its suppression strongly inhibits lactation. However, the involvement of PRL in the control of ruminant lactation is less clear because inconsistent effects on milk yield have been observed with short-term suppression of PRL by bromocriptine. By contrast, in vitro studies have provided evidence that PRL helps to maintain the differentiation state and act as a survival factor for mammary epithelial cells. Therefore, a series of experiments were conducted to assess the galactopoietic role of PRL. In a first experiment, daily injections of the PRL inhibitor quinagolide reduced milking-induced PRL release and induced a faster decline in milk production. Milk production was correlated with PRL released at milking. Quinagolide reduced mammary cell activity, survival, and proliferation. During the last week of treatments, differential milking (1× vs 2×) was applied. The inhibition of milk production by quinagolide was maintained in the udder half that was milked 2× but not in the udder half milked 1×, suggesting that the response to PRL is modulated at the gland level. In a second experiment, cows were injected with quinagolide, quinagolide + injection of bovine PRL at milking time, or water. As in the first experiment, quinagolide reduced milk, protein, and lactose yields. Although PRL injections at milking time were not sufficient to restore milk yield, they tended to increase milk protein and lactose yields and increased the viability of milk-purified mammary epithelial cells. Recently, we investigated the use of quinagolide at drying off. Treating late-lactation cows with quinagolide decreased milk production within the first day of treatment and induced faster increases in somatic cells and bovine serum albumin content in mammary secretions after drying off, which indicates an acceleration of mammary gland involution. In conclusion, these data, combined with data from other studies, provide a good body of evidence indicating that PRL is galactopoietic in dairy cows. However, the response to PRL appears to be modulated at the mammary gland level. © 2012.
Evaluation of commercially available assays for the measurement of equine insulinK. D. Tinworth | P. C. Wynn | R. C. Boston | P. A. Harris | M. N. Sillence | M. Thevis | A. Thomas | G. K. Noble
Volume 41, Issue 2, August 2011, Pages 81-90
Determining circulating equine insulin concentrations is becoming increasingly important in equine clinical practice and research. Most available assays are optimized for human medicine, but there is strong equine cross-reactivity because of the highly conserved nature of insulin. To identify an accurate and reliable assay for equine insulin, 6 commercial immunoassays were evaluated for precision, accuracy, and specificity. Only 1 assay initially reached the requisite standard: Mercodia Equine Insulin Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma matrix interferences were identified when the provided assay buffer was used with the Siemens Count-a-Coat Insulin radioimmunoassay (RIA) but not when charcoal-stripped equine plasma was used as the diluent. This modified RIA and the Mercodia Equine Insulin ELISA were evaluated further by directly examining accuracy by comparing their results for 18 equine plasma samples with values obtained using liquid chromatography and high-resolution/high-accuracy mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Compared with LC-MS measurements, the modified Siemens Insulin RIA rendered a moderate Lin's concordance coefficient (ρc) of 0.41, whereas the Mercodia Equine Insulin ELISA rendered a very poor ρc of 0.06. This suggests that the Siemens Insulin RIA is appropriate to use for routine evaluations when LC-MS is not available. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Prolactin plays a stimulatory role in ovarian follicular development and egg laying in chicken hensW. L. Li | Y. Liu | Y. C. Yu | Y. M. Huang | S. D. Liang | Z. D. Shi
Volume 41, Issue 2, August 2011, Pages 57-66
The aim of this study was to show a stimulatory role in ovarian follicle development by prolactin (PRL) in chicken hens. In experiment 1, anti-PRL antibodies were generated in hen plasma by intramuscular administrations of recombinant PRL antigen. Egg laying remained at levels lower (P < 0.05) in the PRL-immunized group than in the BSA-immunized group of hens, whereas development of incubation was depressed in the former but not the latter group. Throughout the experiment, plasma PRL concentrations were lower in the PRL-immunized hens than in non-incubating control hens; LH concentrations were similar between the PRL- and BSA-immunized hens until the end of the experiment when LH was lower in the BSA-immunized hens (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, anti-PRL receptor (PRLR) antibodies were raised in hens with the use of immunizations against recombinant PRLR extracellular domain. Immunization against PRLR initially increased the egg-laying rate when measured under the short photoperiod (12 h) but blocked the laying rate increase that occurred in the BSA-immunized control hens when the photoperiod was extended from 12 to 16 h. The development of incubation behavior was not affected by immunization against PRLR nor was plasma PRL or LH concentration. In experiment 3, when the egg-laying rate was depressed in PRL immunization hens, developmental speed of large white follicles was found to be slower than in the BSA-immunized control hens (P < 0.05). These results indicate that immunization against PRL slows down ovarian follicular development and reduces hen egg-laying performance, suggesting that PRL plays a stimulatory role in ovarian follicular development in chicken hens. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Energy metabolism in the newborn farm animal with emphasis on the calf: Endocrine changes and responses to milk-born and systemic hormonesH. M. Hammon | J. Steinhoff-Wagner | U. Schönhusen | C. C. Metges | J. W. Blum
Volume 43, Issue 2, August 2012, Pages 171-185
Neonatal mammals need adaption to changes in nutrient supply because energy intake shifts from continuous parenteral supply of nutrients (mainly glucose, lactate, and amino acids) via the placenta to discontinuous colostrum and milk intake with lactose and fat as main energy sources. Besides ingested lactose, endogenous glucose production is essential in the neonate to assure sufficient glucose availability. Fetal endogenous glucose production is low, but endocrine changes (especially the prenatal rise of glucocorticoid production) promote maturation of metabolic pathways that enable marked glycogen synthesis before and enhanced gluconeogenesis after birth to establish an adequate glucose status during postnatal maturation. In preterm born farm animals gluconeogenic activity is low, mainly because of a low glucocorticoid and thyroid status. In full-term neonates, endogenous glucose production increases with age. Colostral bioactive components (such as growth factors, hormones, bioactive peptides, and cytokines) do not have a direct effect on endogenous glucose production. However, colostrum feeding stimulates intestinal growth and development, an effect at least in part mediated by bioactive substances. Increased nutrient and glucose absorption thus allows increased glucose supply and hepatic glycogen storage, which improves the glucose status. The improved energetic status of colostrum-fed neonates is reflected by an accelerated maturation of the somatotropic axis, leading especially to enhanced production of IGF-I in the neonate. Secretion and production of hormones involved in the regulation of glucose and fat metabolism in neonates depend on the developmental stage and the response to feeding. In addition, many such hormones have actions in the neonate that differ from adult animals. Endocrine action to support endogenous energy supply in neonates is probably not fully established, and therefore, needs postnatal maturation. Therefore, our knowledge on energy metabolism in the neonate needs to be extended to better understand the function and the failure and to assess endocrine responses during the neonatal period. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.
Distinct adiponectin profiles might contribute to differences in susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in dogs and humansK. R. Verkest | J. S. Rand | L. M. Fleeman | J. M. Morton | A. A. Richards | F. J. Rose | J. P. Whitehead
Volume 41, Issue 2, August 2011, Pages 67-73
Dogs develop obesity-associated insulin resistance but not type 2 diabetes mellitus. Low adiponectin is associated with progression to type 2 diabetes in obese humans. The aims of this study were to compare total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin and the ratio of HMW to total adiponectin (S A) between dogs and humans and to examine whether total or HMW adiponectin or both are associated with insulin resistance in naturally occurring obese dogs. We compared adiponectin profiles between 10 lean dogs and 10 lean humans and between 6 lean dogs and 6 age- and sex-matched, client-owned obese dogs. Total adiponectin was measured with assays validated in each species. We measured S A with velocity centrifugation on sucrose gradients. The effect of total and HMW adiponectin concentrations on MINMOD-estimated insulin sensitivity was assessed with linear regression. Lean dogs had total and HMW adiponectin concentrations three to four times higher than lean humans (total: dogs 32 ± 5.6 mg/L, humans 10 ± 1.3 mg/L, P<0.001; HMW: dogs 25 ± 4.5 mg/L, humans 6 ± 1.3 mg/L, P<0.001) and a higher S A (dogs: 0.78 ± 0.05; humans: 0.54 ± 0.08, P = 0.002). Adiponectin concentrations and S A were not lower in obese dogs (0.76 ± 0.05 in both groups; P=1). Total adiponectin, HMW adiponectin, and S A were not associated with insulin sensitivity in dogs. We propose that differences in adiponectin profiles between humans and dogs might contribute to the propensity of humans but not dogs to develop type 2 diabetes. Dogs with chronic, naturally occurring obesity do not have selectively reduced HMW adiponectin, and adiponectin does not appear to be important in the development of canine obesity-associated insulin resistance. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Development, validation, and pilot application of a semiquantitative Western blot analysis and an ELISA for bovine adiponectinM. Mielenz | B. Mielenz | S. P. Singh | C. Kopp | J. Heinz | S. Häussler | H. Sauerwein
Volume 44, Issue 3, April 2013, Pages 121-130
Adiponectin is an adipose tissue-derived glycoprotein circulating as highly abundant multimers. It regulates glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. In ruminants, valid data about serum concentrations and tissue-specific protein expression are lacking, and we, therefore, aimed to generate a polyclonal antibody against bovine adiponectin to apply it in immunodetection. The specificity of the purified anti-adiponectin antibody was established by Western blot analysis with the use of reducing and denaturing conditions applied to both the purified protein and the bovine serum samples. Besides bovine serum, the applicability of the antibody for immunodetection of adiponectin was confirmed for the supernatant fluid of in vitro-differentiated bovine adipocytes, for protein extracts from bovine adipose tissue, and also in a multispecies comparison: bands comparable in size with monomeric bovine adiponectin were obtained under denaturing conditions in serum of camel, horse, human, mouse, pig, roe deer, and sheep. In addition, when used in immunohistochemistry on bovine adipose tissue sections, a characteristic adipocyte-specific staining pattern was obtained with this antibody. The antibody was used for establishing a semiquantitative Western blot procedure and the development of an ELISA. Both methods were extensively validated and were first applied to characterize the serum adiponectin concentrations in multiparous dairy cows during the transition from pregnancy to lactation, that is, 3 wk before until 5 wk after calving. With both assays a time effect (P = 0.017, P = 0.026, respectively) with lowest values at the day of parturition was observed. We thus established 2 useful tools to validly assess bovine adiponectin at the protein level. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.
Effects of melatonin on islet neogenesis and beta cell apoptosis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: An immunohistochemical studyN. Simsek | M. Kaya | A. Kara | I. Can | A. Karadeniz | Y. Kalkan
Volume 43, Issue 1, July 2012, Pages 47-57
This investigation was carried out to explore the antidiabetic, antiapoptotic and neogenetic effects of melatonin (MLT) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Sixty-four male rats were assigned randomly to one of four groups for periods of 21 and 42 d as follows; i) control, ii) MLT, iii) diabetic (DM), and iv) DM + MLT. Immunohistochemical methods were used -with pancreatic tissue to determine the intensity of insulin, caspase-3 and Bcl-xL immune reactivities, and new islet formation. In untreated DM rats, BW loss, increased plasma glucose and MLT concentrations, as well as cytoplasmic degranulation and vacuolization were observed. We also observed a marked increase in the number of apoptotic caspase-3 positive cells and a few insulin- positive cells, but not antiapoptotic Bcl-xL positive cells. Observations in the DM + MLT-treated group revealed a high intensity of insulin- and antiapoptotic Bcl-xL immune reactivities at 21 and 42 d. Moreover, data indicated that MLT may cause beta cell proliferation and that new small islets originate from cells associated with ductal epithelium and from centroacinar cells by day 21. These data indicate that; i) MLT treatment may stimulate neogenesis in the pancreas of diabetic rats, and ii) MLT's antiapoptotic action may increase beta cell differentiation and caspase-3 inactivation or Bcl-xL activation. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.
Overfeeding and underfeeding have detrimental effects on oocyte quality measured by in vitro fertilization and early embryonic development in sheepA. T. Grazul-Bilska | E. Borowczyk | J. J. Bilski | L. P. Reynolds | D. A. Redmer | J. S. Caton | K. A. Vonnahme
Volume 43, Issue 4, November 2012, Pages 289-298
To determine effects of maternal diet on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and early embryonic development, ewes (n 48) were divided into control, overfed (ad libitum feeding), and underfed (60% of control) nutritional planes for 8 wk before oocyte collection. Follicular development was induced by twice-daily injections of FSH on days 13 and 14 of the estrous cycle, and ovaries and blood samples were collected on day 15 of the estrous cycle. During the 8-wk experiment, for control ewes BW and BCS did not change, but for overfed ewes mean (± SEM) BW and BCS increased (11.8 < 1.1 kg and 2.0 < 0.1, respectively) and for underfed ewes decreased (14.2 <; 0.9 kg and 0.7 < 0.1, respectively). The number of follicles was determined; oocytes were collected and subjected to in vitro maturation and fertilization. After IVF, developing embryos were evaluated throughout the 8-d culture period. The proportion of cleaved oocytes after IVF and developing morula and blastocyst were less (P <;0.0001) in overfed and underfed ewes than in control ewes. However, number of visible follicles, total number of oocytes, number of healthy oocytes, and percentage of healthy oocytes were similar for control, overfed, and underfed ewes. Serum insulin concentration was greater (P <;0.05) in overfed ewes than in underfed ewes, estradiol 17-<(E2) concentration was greater (P <; 0.05) in underfed ewes than in overfed ewes, but triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) concentrations were similar in all treatment groups. These data show that inadequate feeding has a negative effect on oocyte quality which results in lower oocyte cleavage after IVF and morula and blastocyst formation; overfeeding increased serum insulin and underfeeding increased serum E2 but not T3 or T4. These data emphasize the importance of diet for reproductive and metabolic functions.Furthermore, the mechanisms through which enhanced or decreased energy in diet affect oocyte quality and serum insulin and E2 concentrations remain to be elucidated. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.
Feeding 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan during the transition from pregnancy to lactation increases calcium mobilization from bone in ratsJ. Laporta | T. L. Peters | S. R. Weaver | K. E. Merriman | L. L. Hernandez
Volume 44, Issue 4, May 2013, Pages 176-184
An increasing demand for calcium during pregnancy and lactation can result in both clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia during the early lactation period in several mammalian species, in particular the dairy cow. Serotonin (5-HT) was recently identified as a regulator of lactation and bone turnover. The purpose of this study was to determine whether supplementation of the maternal diet with a 5-HT precursor would increase maternal bone turnover and calcium mobilization to maintain appropriate circulating maternal concentrations of ionized calcium during lactation. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 30) were fed either a control diet (n = 15) or a diet supplemented with the 5-HT precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP, 0.2%; n = 15) from day 13 of pregnancy through day 9 of lactation. Maternal serum and plasma (day 1 and day 9 of lactation), milk and pup weight (daily), mammary gland and bone tissue (day 9 of lactation) were collected for analysis. The 5-HTP diet elevated circulating maternal concentrations of 5-HT on day 1 and day 9 of lactation and parathyroid hormone related-protein (PTHrP) on day 9 of lactation (P < 0.033). In addition, 5-HTP supplementation increased total serum calcium concentrations on day 1 of lactation and total milk calcium concentration on day 9 of lactation (P < 0.032). Supplemental 5-HTP did not alter milk yield, maternal body weight, mammary gland structure, or pup litter weights (P > 0.05). Supplemental 5-HTP also resulted in increased concentrations of mammary 5-HT and PTHrP, as well as increased mRNA expression of rate-limiting enzyme in 5-HT synthesis, tryptophan hydroxylase 1, and Pthrp mRNA on day 9 of lactation (P < 0.028). In addition, supplementation of 5-HTP resulted in increased mRNA expression of maternal mammary calcium transporters and resorption of bone in the femur, indicated by increase osteoclast number and diameter as well as mRNA expression of classical markers of bone resorption on day 9 of lactation (P < 0.048). These results show that increasing 5-HT biosynthesis during the transition from pregnancy to lactation could be a potential therapeutic target to explore for prevention of subclinical and clinical hypocalcemia. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.
The GLP-1 mimetic exenatide potentiates insulin secretion in healthy catsC. Gilor | T. K. Graves | S. Gilor | T. K. Ridge | M. Rick
Volume 41, Issue 1, July 2011, Pages 42-49
The glucagon-like peptide-1 mimetic exenatide has a glucose-dependent insulinotropic effect, and it is effective in controlling blood glucose (BG) with minimal side effects in people with type 2 diabetes. Exenatide also delays gastric emptying, increases satiety, and improves β-cell function. We studied the effect of exenatide on insulin secretion during euglycemia and hyperglycemia in cats. Nine young, healthy, neutered, purpose-bred cats were used in a randomized, cross-over design. BG concentrations during an oral glucose tolerance test were determined in these cats previously. Two isoglycemic glucose clamps (mimicking the BG concentration during the oral glucose tolerance test) were performed in each cat on separate days, one without prior treatment (IGC) and the second with exenatide (1 μg/kg) injected subcutaneously 2 h before (ExIGC). BG, insulin, and exenatide concentrations were measured, and glucose infusion rates were recorded and compared in paired tests between the two experiments. After exenatide injection, insulin serum concentrations increased significantly (2.4-fold; range 1.0- to 9.2-fold; P = 0.004) within 15 min. This was followed by a mild decrease in BG concentration and a return of insulin concentration to baseline despite a continuous increase in serum exenatide concentrations. Insulin area under the curve (AUC) during ExIGC was significantly higher than insulin AUC during IGC (AUC ratio, 2.0 0.4; P = 0.03). Total glucose infused was not significantly different between IGC and ExIGC. Exenatide was detectable in plasma at 15 min after injection. The mean exenatide concentration peaked at 45 min and then returned to baseline by 75 min. Exenatide was still detectable in the serum of three of five cats 8 h after injection. No adverse reactions to exenatide were observed. In conclusion, exenatide affects insulin secretion in cats in a glucose-dependent manner, similar to its effect in other species. Although this effect was not accompanied by a greater ability to dispose of an intravenous glucose infusion, other potentially beneficial effects of exenatide on pancreatic β cells, mainly increasing their proliferation and survival, should be investigated in cats. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
H-FABP and LEPR gene expression profile in skeletal muscles and liver during ontogenesis in various breeds of pigsM. Tyra | K. Ropka-Molik | R. Eckert | K. Piórkowska | M. Oczkowicz
Volume 40, Issue 3, April 2011, Pages 147-154
The genes coding for H-FABP (heart acid-binding protein) and LEPR (leptin receptor) are considered to be candidates for lipid metabolism and thus affect fat deposition in pigs. The aim of our study was to assess the amount of H-FABP and LEPR transcript in the skeletal muscles (m. longissimus dorsi, m. semimembranosus) and liver of pigs of various ages. The experiments were carried out on 5 popular breeds of swine raised in Poland which exhibit different levels of fat tissue. Furthermore, we examined the effect of H-FABP and LEPR genotypes (HinfI, HpaII, and HaeIII for H-FABP and HpaII for LEPR) on the expression abundance of these genes. We confirmed a statistically significant relationship between the breed (P < .001), type of tissue (LEPR P < .001; H-FABP P < .01), and age of the animal (P < .05) on the abundance of mRNA transcript of both genes. In all breeds, the expression of the leptin receptor gene increased significantly (P < .01) with age in muscle tissue, whereas this relationship was not observed in liver tissue. However, the expression of the H-FABP gene in muscles did not change with age or breed, although in the liver expression levels were high in young (60 and 90 d) pigs. In conclusion, H-FABP and LEPR genes are strongly related to the development and function of fat tissue in pigs. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Effects of weight loss in obese cats on biochemical analytes related to inflammation and glucose homeostasisA. Tvarijonaviciute | J. J. Ceron | S. L. Holden | P. J. Morris | V. Biourge | A. J. German
Volume 42, Issue 3, April 2012, Pages 129-141
The aim of the current study was to measure circulating metabolic and inflammation-related biochemical analytes in obese cats before and after weight loss. Thirty-seven overweight neutered cats were studied, median body weight 6.85 kg (range, 4.70 to 10.30 kg), representing a range of ages and both sexes. An individualized weight-loss program was devised for each cat and monitored until completion. Body fat mass was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, whereas plasma concentrations of acute-phase proteins (APPs; eg, haptoglobin and serum amyloid A), hormones (eg, insulin, IGF-1, and adiponectin), and enzymes (eg, butyrylcholinesterase and paraoxonase type 1 [PON-1]) associated with inflammation and metabolic compounds (eg, glucose) were also measured. No significant changes were found in APPs after weight loss (P > 0.3), but significant increases in plasma adiponectin (P = 0.021) and IGF-1 (P = 0.036) were seen, whereas insulin (P < 0.001) and homeostasis model assessment (P = 0.005) decreased significantly. Plasma concentrations before weight loss of PON-1 (P = 0.004), adiponectin (P = 0.02), and IGF-1 (P = 0.048) were less in cats that failed to complete weight loss than cats that were successful, whereas glucose concentration was greater. Finally, multivariable linear regression analysis showed that lean tissue loss during weight management was associated with percentage weight loss (greater weight loss, greater lean tissue loss; R = 0.71, P < 0.001) and plasma adiponectin concentration before weight loss (lesser adiponectin, more lean tissue loss; R = -0.52, P = 0.023). In conclusion, various metabolic abnormalities occur in feline obesity, and these can be linked to outcomes of weight-loss programs. The changes that occur with weight loss suggest an improved metabolic status. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.
Prenatal and neonatal exposure to the antiandrogen flutamide alters connexin 43 gene expression in adult porcine ovaryM. Durlej | K. Knapczyk-Stwora | M. Duda | I. Kopera-Sobota | A. Hejmej | B. Bilinska | M. Slomczynska
Volume 40, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 19-29
Connexin 43 (Cx43) is the predominant gap junction protein within porcine ovary and is required for proper follicle and corpus luteum (CL) development. Recent research suggests maternally or neonatally mediated effects of antiandrogens on reproductive function during adulthood, notably those dependent on gap junctional communication. The current study was conducted to determine whether late gestational or neonatal exposure to the antiandrogen flutamide influences Cx43 gene expression in the adult porcine ovary. Flutamide was injected into pregnant gilts between days 80 and 88 of gestation and into female piglets between days 2 and 10 posnatally. After animals reached sexual maturity, the ovaries were collected from treated and nontreated (control) pigs. Expression of Cx43 mRNA and protein was determined for preantral and antral follicles and for CLs. In addition, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) expression and progesterone concentration were determined for luteal tissues. In preantral follicles, Cx43 mRNA was down-regulated (P<0.01) following maternal and neonatal flutamide exposure. In large antral follicles, Cx43 mRNA was up-regulated (P<0.01) after neonatal flutamide administration. Immunofluorescence showed that Cx43 expression decreased (P<0.001) in preantral follicles and increased (.P <0.001) in large antral follicles following flutamide exposure. In luteal tissues, Cx43 and 3β-HSD expression and progesterone concentration decreased (P<0.01) after postnatal flutamide treatment. Overall, these results suggest the involvement of androgens in the regulation of Cx43 expression in pig ovary. Moreover, alteration of Cx43 expression by the administration of flutamide during particular prenatal and neonatal time periods may affect porcine follicle development, as well as CL formation and function. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
In vitro effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) on Leydig cells of adult alpaca (Lama pacos) testis: GnRH receptor immunolocalization, testosterone and prostaglandin synthesis, and cyclooxygenase activitiesM. Zerani | G. Catone | L. Quassinti | E. Maccari | M. Bramucci | A. Gobbetti | M. Maranesi | C. Boiti | F. Parillo
Volume 40, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 51-59
The main objective of this study was to examine the modulatory in vitro effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) on isolated Leydig cells of adult alpaca (Lama pacos) testis. We first evaluated the presence of GnRH receptor (GnRHR) and cyclooxygenase (COX) 1 and COX2 in alpaca testis. We then studied the in vitro effects of buserelin (GnRH analogue), antide (GnRH antagonist), and buserelin plus antide or inhibitor of phospholipase C (compound 48/80) and COXs (acetylsalicylic acid) on the production of testosterone, PGE2, and PGF2α and on the enzymatic activities of COX1 and COX2. Immunoreactivity for GnRHR was detected in the cytoplasm of Leydig cells and in the acrosomal region of spermatids. COX1 and COX2 immunosignals were noted in the cytoplasm of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, Leydig cells, and Sertoli cells. Western blot analysis confirmed the GnRHR and COX1 presence in alpaca testis. The in vitro experiments showed that buserelin alone increased (P < 0.01) and antide and buserelin plus acetylsalicylic acid decreased (P < 0.01) testosterone and PGF2α production and COX1 activity, whereas antide and compound 48/80 counteracted buserelin effects. Prostaglandin E2 production and COX2 activity were not affected by buserelin or antide. These data suggest that GnRH directly up-regulates testosterone production in Leydig cells of adult alpaca testis with a postreceptorial mechanism that involves PLC, COX1, and PGF2α. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.