This study compares the mental health care, psychotropic drugs and social service use of divorced people (re-partnered or single) with that of married people. This paper questions whether the availability of informal support facilitates or substitutes for formal care seeking. Data from the Divorce in Flanders survey of 2009–2010 are used. Logistic regression analyses are performed separately for women (N = 3450) and men (N = 3020). Greater use of mental health care, psychotropic drugs and social services by single divorced men is explained by their higher need for care, while divorced women (especially single divorced) more frequently contact a general practitioner (GP), a psychiatrist, or a psychologist, regardless of their mental health, socio-economic background and informal support. Women who have support from non-family members are more inclined to use social services and to contact a GP, while support from family members is only positively related to GP consultations. With regard to men, informal support from non-family members positively influences each type of formal care seeking. Our results suggest that non-family members (and only among women, family members as well) can provide help and advice about seeking professional mental health care and social services, but they do not have an influence on psychotropic drug use.

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), characterized by low rumen pH, is one of the most important metabolic disorders in dairy cattle. As dairy cows experiencing SARA often do not exhibit overt clinical symptoms, diagnostic biomarkers in milk are of interest. Data of six acidosis induction experiments with rumen-fistulated dairy cows were combined to assess the potential of milk fatty acids (FA) to identify acidotic cases, based on three threshold values often reported in literature, i.e. time pH < 5.6 of 180 min/d and 283 min/d and time pH below 5.8 of 475 min/d (N = 442 cases, of which 111–165 acidotic cases, depending on the applied threshold value). Both linear discriminant analysis (LDA) as well as support vector machines (SVM) were used to develop classification models, with SVM based on two common types of kernel functions (linear kernels and Gaussian radial basis function kernels) and including either the whole milk FA profile (41–69 milk FA, depending on the experiment) or a selected number of milk FA (i.e. both odd and branched chain FA and biohydrogenation derivates of poly-unsaturated FA, 13–16 FA). Both evaluation of the performance of individual classification models as well as comparison of models was based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Non-linear models developed through a radial kernel based SVM approach seemed of particular interest when including all milk FA as model features. However, linear models based on the selected group of milk FA most often performed as good as the non-linear models including all milk FA, with the former being least time consuming and more cost-effective, both from a computational as well as an analytical perspective. However, combination of all data sets only resulted in good classification models when including data of each dataset upon training the model, whereas model performance decreased dramatically in case of cross-dataset cross-validation. This indicates an important impact of the origin of the datasets on the performance of the model which should be taken into account in further exploration of prediction models of SARA.

In the subsection “Linear Regression” on page 5854, the equation for parameter β1was erroneously given as β1= 5.80 – 7.23 × iso C14:0 – 1.13 × iso C16:0. The correct equation is β1= 5.80 + 7.23 × iso C14:0 – 1.13 × iso C16:0 (with a positive coefficient for iso C14:0 instead of a negative coefficient). The authors regret the error. The logistic curve as a tool to describe the daily ruminal pH pattern and its link with milk fatty acidsJournal of Dairy ScienceVol. 95Issue 10PreviewDaily ruminal pH variation can be summarized by a cumulative logistic curve based on the amount of time below multiple pH points and characterized by 2 parameters (β0 and β1). Moreover, rumen pH variation affects the rumen microbiome as well as the biohydrogenation pathways resulting in a modified secretion of milk fatty acids (FA). The aims of this study were to assess the shifts in milk FA due to rumen pH changes and to estimate the relationship between milk FA and the 2 parameters of the logistic curve. Full-Text PDF Open Archive

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is one of the most important metabolic disorders, traditionally characterized by low rumen pH, which might be induced by an increase in the dietary proportion of grains as well as by a reduction of structural fiber. Both approaches were used in earlier published experiments in which SARA was induced by replacing part of the ration by a grain mixture or alfalfa hay by alfalfa pellets. The main differences between both experiments were the presence of blood lipopolysaccharide and Escherichia coli and associated effects on the rumen microbial population in the rumen of grain-based induced SARA animals as well as a great amount of quickly fermentable carbohydrates in the grain-based SARA induction experiment. Both induction approaches changed rumen pH although the pH decrease was more substantial in the alfalfa-based SARA induction protocol. The goal of the current analysis was to assess whether both acidosis induction approaches provoked similar shifts in the milk fatty acid (FA) profile. Similar changes of the odd- and branched-chain FA and the C18 biohydrogenation intermediates were observed in the alfalfa-based SARA induction experiment and the grain-based SARA induction experiment, although they were more pronounced in the former. The proportion of trans-10 C18:1 in the last week of the alfalfa-based induction experiment was 6 times higher than the proportion measured during the control week. The main difference between both induction experiments under similar rumen pH changes was the decreasing sum of iso FA during the grain-based SARA induction experiment whereas the sum of iso FA remained stable during the alfalfa-based SARA induction experiment. The cellulolytic bacterial community seemed to be negatively affected by either the presence of E. coli and the associated lipopolysaccharide accumulation in the rumen or by the amount of starch and quickly fermentable carbohydrates in the diet. In general, changes in the milk FA profile were related to changes in rumen pH. Nevertheless, feed characteristics (low in structural fiber vs. high in starch) also affected the milk FA profile and, as such, both effects should be taken into account when subacute acidosis occurs.

Daily ruminal pH variation can be summarized by a cumulative logistic curve based on the amount of time below multiple pH points and characterized by 2 parameters (β(0) and β(1)). Moreover, rumen pH variation affects the rumen microbiome as well as the biohydrogenation pathways resulting in a modified secretion of milk fatty acids (FA). The aims of this study were to assess the shifts in milk FA due to rumen pH changes and to estimate the relationship between milk FA and the 2 parameters of the logistic curve. The data consisted of milk samples of 2 experiments. In experiment 1, 3 cows were subjected to 5 treatments in which the type and amount of concentrate were changed during 33 d: (1) control diet 1, (2) stepwise replacement of a standard concentrate (CONC) by a CONC rich in rapidly fermentable carbohydrates, (3) increase in the total amount of CONC, (4) treatment with a buffer solution, and (5) control diet 2. A 3×3 Latin square design with 3 cows was used in the second experiment. During the first 14 d of each period, the cows received a control diet with a standard CONC, whereas in the last 7 d the standard CONC was replaced step-by-step by a CONC rich in rapidly fermentable carbohydrates and the amount of CONC was increased. During each period, a different buffer treatment was added to the diet. Milk FA and pH reacted similarly in both experiments: decreasing proportions of iso FA and increasing proportions of odd-chain FA were observed. However, an abrupt change to a 76% CONC diet as for one cow of experiment 1 led to almost a 10-fold increase in C18:1 trans-10 (0.79 vs. 6.75 g/100g of FA). In experiment 2, the stepwise approach of adding CONC and the continuous supplementation of buffer led to minimal increases in C18:1 trans-10 and decreases in rumen pH compared with the diet with standard CONC only. Fatty acid proportions were influenced by the level of rumen pH (β(1)) or the rumen pH variation (β(0)), or both. High proportions of C18:1 trans-10 (above 4 g/100g of FA) occurred with low and largely fluctuating pH (low β(1), low β(0)), whereas situations with low, stable pH (low β(1), great β(0)) did not induce a shift toward the secondary biohydrogenation pathway. C18:1 trans-11 and C18:2 cis-9, trans-11 were only influenced by the pH variation and not by the average pH, whereas iso C14:0 and iso C16:0 FA were only dependent on the average pH and not influenced by diurnal pH variation. Overall, milk FA changes were related to pH changes; however, this relationship is not straightforward and needs further research.

The main odd- and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFA) in milk of dairy cows are isomers of tridecanoic acid (iso C13:0), tetradecanoic acid (iso C14:0), pentadecanoic acid (C15:0, iso C15:0 and anteiso C15:0), hexadecanoic acid (iso C16:0) and heptadecanoic acid (C17:0, iso C17:0 and anteiso C17:0). OBCFA are suggested to reflect rumen function (e.g. ruminal fermentation pattern, including methane, duodenal flow of microbial protein and acidosis). This relies on their predominant origin, i.e. bacteria leaving the rumen. The OBCFA are synthesized de novo by ruminal bacteria and incorporated in their cell membrane, suggesting a direct relation with bacterial biomass. Their potential as duodenal markers to quantify bacterial protein is strengthened by their constant relation with bacterial N content over a diversity of bacterial groups. From a limited database, evidence was shown of a useful relation of milk OBCFA yield with microbial protein flow from the rumen, but more research is needed to elucidate some discrepancies under diverse dietary regimes.Further, variation in the OBCFA profile of pure strains of ruminal bacteria were reported and are, in the current review, linked with their production of metabolites. From this, it can be assumed that the rumen fermentation pattern is related to the rumen OBCFA profile, which seems consistent for milk OBCFA. The close stoichiometric relation between ruminal VFA and methane further opens perspective for the use of OBCFA profiles in milk to quantify methane emissions. OBCFA consistently contributing to the predictive models, irrespective of the modeling approach are: iso C14:0 and iso C15:0, which positively relate to acetate and methane and negatively to propionate; and C15:0 and C17:0 which show an inverse relationship. Anteiso C15:0 seemed only relevant in the prediction of butyrate proportions. As changes in the ruminal microbial population (e.g. increased dominance of Streptococcus bovis) sometimes initiate a chain of events that eventually might lead to (sub-acute) ruminal acidosis. OBCFA in milk fat are targeted as candidates for the early detection of ruminal acidosis. Increasing C17:0 + C17:1 cis-9 and decreasing iso C14:0 concentration show potential as indicators of sub-acute acidosis or were obvious before clinical symptoms of acute acidosis occurred. Collection of more experimental data is currently on-going for the development of more robust models to classify rumen health in continuous probability classes rather than discrete acidotic vs. non-acidotic cases. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fourier transform (FT)-Raman spectra of pure C13:0, C15:0, C17:0, iso C14:0, iso C15:0, and ante C15:0 fatty acid methyl ester standards (FAMESs) and 75 milk fat samples from 6 different dietary experiments were acquired at room temperature (RT) and immediately after freezing at -80 °C (FT).The latter generally included much more well-defined and sharper scattering bands than those obtained at RT. Further, the spectra at FT revealed additional acuate bands in the vicinity of peculiar wavenumber regions, as well as an increase of Raman scattering intensity, which was sometimes associated with a shift of the peak.Partial least-squares (PLS) regression models based on either selected regions or the full spectra and using two pretreatment methods [multiplicative scatter correction (MSC, using raw spectra of milk fat only) and modified MSC (MMSC, a combination of pure FAMESs and milk fat spectra)] with cross-validation were used to evaluate the different types of milk fat FT-Raman spectra for the predictions of individual odd-and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFAs) and their sums.In general, most individual (C15:0, ante C15:0, iso C17:0, and ante C17:0) and grouped (ODD, ANTE, and total OBCFAs) fatty acids were favorably (coefficient of determination, R 2 > 0.65) predicted using models with FT spectra only or a combination of RT and FT spectra (RFT), when compared to models with spectra analyzed at RT only.The results indicate the interest to use FT-Raman spectra collected at different temperatures for the prediction of narrow concentrations of saturated OBCFAs in milk fat.

High-concentrate diets can lead to subacute ruminal acidosis and are known to result in changes of the ruminal fermentation pattern and mammary secretion of fatty acids. The objective of this paper is to describe modifications in milk fatty acid proportions, particularly odd- and branched-chain fatty acids and rumen biohydrogenation intermediates, associated with rumen parameters during a 6-wk subacute ruminal acidosis induction protocol with 12 ruminally fistulated multiparous cows. The protocol involved a weekly gradual replacement of a standard dairy concentrate with a wheat-based concentrate (610 g of wheat/kg of concentrate) during the first 5 wk and an increase in the total amount of concentrate in wk 6. Before the end of induction wk 6, cows were switched to a control diet because 7 cows showed signs of sickness. The pH was measured continuously by an indwelling pH probe. Milk and rumen samples were taken on d 2 and 7 of each week. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model and by principal component analysis. A pH decrease occurred after the first concentrate switch but rumen parameters returned to the original values and remained stable until wk 5. In wk 5 and 6, rumen pH values were indicative of increasing acidotic conditions. After switching to the control diet in wk 6, rumen pH values rapidly achieved normal values. Odd- and branched-chain fatty acids and C18:1 trans-10 increased with increasing amount of concentrate in the diet, whereas C18:1 trans-11 decreased. Four fatty acids [C18:1 trans-10, C15:0 and C17:0+C17:1 cis-9 (negative loadings), and iso C14:0 (positive loading)] largely correlated with the first principal component (PC1), with cows spread along the PC1 axis. The first 4 wk of the induction experiment showed variation across the second principal component (PC2) only, with high loadings of anteiso C13:0 (negative loading) and C18:2 cis-9,trans-11 and C18:1 trans-11 (positive loadings). Weeks 5 and 6 deviated from PC2 and tended toward the negative PC1 axis. A discriminant analysis using a stepwise approach indicated the main fatty acids discriminating between the control and acidotic samples as iso C13:0, iso C16:0, and C18:2 cis-9,trans-11 rather than milk fat content or C18:1 trans-10, which have been used before as indicators of acidosis. This shows that specific milk fatty acids have potential in discriminating acidotic cases.

The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for pork intramuscular fatty acid (FA) composition and indices for desaturase and elongase activities involved in n-3 and n-6 PUFA metabolism. The LM of 437 slaughter pigs was analyzed for FA composition (expressed as g/100 g of FA). Indices for enzyme activities were calculated from product to precursor FA ratios. Genetic parameters were estimated with single- and multi-trait animal models. The total FA content, reflecting the intramuscular fat content, was either included or not in the model. Results from the models without total FA content showed relatively high heritability estimates, generally above 0.50, for the proportion of the most important MUFA and PUFA, compared with much smaller values for the SFA. When total FA content was included in the models, heritability values decreased (P < 0.001) for most individual FA and for all sums of FA groups, except for C18:0, C18:3n-6, and C18:3n-3. Heritability estimates for the ratios C20:4n-6/C18:2n-6 and C22:6n-3/C18:3n-3, reflecting the overall conversion in the n-6 and n-3 PUFA pathway, respectively, were 0.29 and 0.35, respectively, with total FA content in the model and increased to 0.38 and 0.49, respectively, if total FA content was not in the model. Heritabilities for other more specific indices were of the same order. Genetic correlations between PUFA proportions and indices for enzyme activities with ADG were mostly negative, whereas the correlations with carcass lean meat percentage were mostly positive. It was concluded that there is meaningful genetic variation for long-chain PUFA metabolism that is only partly dependent on the carcass and muscle fat content. This may allow selection for improved FA composition of pork.