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Pain is a complex sensory and emotional experience with nociceptive, nociplastic, and neuropathic components. An involvement of neurotropic B vitamins (B1 – thiamine, B6 – pyridoxine, and B12 – cyanocobalamin) as modulators of inflammation and pain has been long discussed. New evidence suggests their therapeutic potential in different pain conditions. In this review, we discuss the main role of neurotropic B vitamins on different nociceptive pathways in the nervous system and to describe their analgesic action mechanisms. The performed literature review showed that, through different mechanisms, these vitamins regulate several inflammatory and neural mediators in nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Some of these processes include aiming the activation of the descending pain modulatory system and in specific intracellular pathways, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and nerve regenerative effects. Moreover, recent data shows the antinociceptive, antiallodynic, and anti-hyperalgesic effects of the combination of these vitamins, as well as their synergistic effects with known analgesics. Understanding how vitamins B1, B6, and B12 affect several nociceptive mechanisms can therefore be of significance in the treatment of various pain conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. As the use of antibiotics as growth promoters has been banned in many regions, there has been an on-going search for possible alternative compounds, such as prebiotics and organic acids. 2. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of liquid whey (LW) and organic acid (ACIDAL® ML) supplementation on performance, eggs characteristics, gut pH and health status in laying hens. 3. Seven hundred and fifty, Isa Brown chicks were randomly assigned to five treatments groups (n = 150) and each treatment had five replicates of 30 birds each. The birds were reared for 48 weeks. The treatments were administered in the drinking water at doses of: 250 ml/l of LW (Lacto25), 500 ml/l of LW (Lacto50) or 1 ml/l of ACIDAL® ML (Aci). A positive control group (T+) was treated with 500 mg/l of Tetracolivit (an antibiotic). The negative control group (T-) did not receive any treatment in the drinking water. 4. Administration of LW or ACIDAL® ML in the drinking water reduced (P < 0.05) the pH in the crop, proventriculus, ileum and caeca, as well as total coliform bacteria and E. coli, but increased Lactobacillus spp. in the ileum and caecum, compared to the negative control. 5. Oviposition was earlier in the birds in both the Lacto50 and Aci groups. The weight of birds at first lay and point of lay in the four treated groups was higher than those in negative control group. Furthermore, egg production was increased by 10.44% in birds receiving Lacto25, but the weight and quality traits were unaffected, while the egg shell ratio was higher in the Aci group compared to the other treatments. 6. The data indicated that addition of LW or ACIDAL® ML improved hens' performance by modifying gut pH and microflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the experience gained between 1991-1995 in conducting a maintenance study of an inter-city express bus fleet in a developing country. Description of the problem; Snapshot data collection and analysis; Estimated material cost by area and cause of fault; Inspection modelling; Average number of breakdowns per year by bus make.

Menarcheal age of a sample of rural (n = 342) and urban (n = 469) girls with ages ranging from 9 to 16 years from Madrid province was analysed. Results, obtained through the status quo method and probit analysis (age 12.79 SD 1.04 in Madrid city and 12.90 SD 1.03 in rural sample), were compared with data from previous studies carried out in the same area, as well as those from other regions of the Iberian Peninsula. The aim of these comparisons was to establish the variability of menarche in the recent past, considering physical environment, degree of urbanization and socio-economic development. Decline in menarcheal age was detected and, in general, a tendency towards similar means among Spanish populations in the period studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphate solubility in Andisols and Andic soils (forest and fertilized) has been studied in soil solutions at two soil:solution ratios (1:2.5 and 1:25). Forest soils approached the variscite solubility (pIAP=30.4±0.3) while fertilized soils were closer to the amosphous analog of variscite (pIAP= 29.8±0.2). In some samples, phosphorus (P) activities were consistent with simultaneous equilibrium between aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) phosphates. The dilution ratio, DR=10(P)1:25/(P)l:25, was 10.0±0.4 for all samples. This suggests a dissolution of phosphate minerals attaining apparent saturation in 24 h. However, the high content of dissolved organic carbon and Al in aqueous extracts also pointed to the existence of soluble ternary complexes of P with Al(Fe)‐humus complexes. These results could be consistent with simultaneous control between the dissolution of variscite‐like minerals and humus‐Al(Fe)‐P associations. Nevertheless, DR seems a valuable criterion to assess soil P status, especially in fertilized soils with high active Al and Fe contents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Relationships between charge variation and diagnostic soil properties were studied in Andisols and andic subgroups of Inceptisols and Ultisols. Charge variation was calculated as the difference between “field” or actual cation exchange capacity (CECa), and potential CEC (1M NH4OAc, pH 7). Methods used to estimate CECa (effective CEC, silver thiourea) were higly correlated. The relative charge variation was greater than 70% in Andisols with very low content of layer silicates. Active Al (Alo) was positively correlated with CEC‐NH4 and negatively correlated with CECa. This result contributed to the explanation of the negative trend correlation observed between actual and potential CEC. The ratio CECa/Alo showed low values (<8) in Andisols. This parameter was also tested in 25 samples of Andisols described elsewhere. The predicting value of both Alo and CECa for a rough estimation of variable charge seemed apparent from the results obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]