Aarhus University

About: Aarhus University is a education organization based out in Aarhus, Denmark. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 30034 authors who have published 93532 publications receiving 3421501 citations. The organization is also known as: Aarhus Universitet & AU.

Digestion of carbohydrates and utilization of energy in sows fed diets with contrasting levels and physicochemical properties of dietary fiber.

Abstract: Three experimental diets were used to investigate the digestion of carbohydrates and utiliza- tion of energy in sows fed diets with different levels and physicochemical properties of dietary fiber (DF). The low-fiber diet (LF; DF, 16%; soluble DF, 4.8%) was based on wheat and barley. The high-fiber 1 diet (HF1; DF, 41%; soluble DF, 11%) was based on wheat and barley supplemented with the coproducts: sugar beet pulp, potato pulp, and pectin residue, and the high-fi- ber 2 diet (HF2; DF, 44%; soluble DF, 7.3%) was based on wheat and barley supplemented with approximate- ly 1/3 of the coproducts used in diet HF1 and 2/3 of brewers spent grain, seed residue, and pea hull (1:1:1, respectively). The diets were studied in 2 series of ex- periments. In Exp. 1, the digestibility and ileal and fe- cal flow of nutrients were studied in 6 ileal-cannulated sows placed in metabolic cages designed as a repeated 3 × 3 Latin square design. In Exp. 2, energy metabo- lism was measured in respiration chambers using 6 sows in a repeated 3 × 3 Latin square design. The DF level influenced the ileal flow of most nutrients, in par- ticular carbohydrates, which increased from 190 g/d when feeding the LF diet to 538 to 539 g/d when feed- ing the HF diets; this was also reflected in the digest- ibility of OM and carbohydrates (P > HF1 > LF, which also was reflected in the digestibility of OM, protein, and carbohydrates. Feeding HF diets resulted in greater CH4 production, which was related to the amount of carbohydrates (r = 0.79) and OM (r = 0.72) fermented in the large intestine, but with no dif- ference in heat production (12.2 to 13.1 MJ/kg of DM). Retained energy (MJ/kg of DM) was decreased when feeding HF1 compared with LF and negative when feeding HF2. Feeding sows HF1 reduced the activity of animals (5.1 h/24 h) compared with LF (6.1 h/24 h; P = 0.045).

Strangelet propagation and cosmic ray flux

Abstract: The galactic propagation of cosmic ray strangelets is described and the resulting flux is calculated for a wide range of parameters as a prerequisite for strangelet searches in lunar soil and with an Earth orbiting magnetic spectrometer, AMS-02. While the inherent uncertainties are large, flux predictions at a measurable level are obtained for reasonable choices of parameters if strange quark matter is absolutely stable. This allows a direct test of the strange matter hypothesis.

Effect of external oxygen demand on radial oxygen loss by Juncus roots in titanium citrate solutions

Abstract: Radial oxygen loss (ROL) from the roots of two semiaquatic rushes, Juncus effusus L. and Juncus inflexus L., was studied in reducing titanium citrate buffer, using both closed incubations and a flow-through, titrimetric system. In closed experiments, roots released oxygen at a constant rate over a wide range of external oxygen demands, with the ROL rate only depending on sink strength at low demands, and no oxygen release into oxidized solutions. In the titrimetric experiments, roots continued to release oxygen at constant rates when provided with a constant external oxygen demand. ROL was higher in J. effusus (9·5 ± 1 × 10−7 mol O2 h−1 root−1) than in J. inflexus (4·5 ± 0·5 × 10−7 mol O2 h−1 root−1). Light and dark changes around the shoots did not affect the ROL rate in J. inflexus, whereas in J. effusus ROL was ≈ 1·75 times higher in the light than in the dark, presumably due to changes in stomatal aperture. These results suggest that ROL is controlled by the external oxygen demand at low to moderate reducing intensities, but that structural limitations to oxygen diffusion rates prevent ROL from continuing to increase at higher external oxygen demands.

Self-care as a health resource of elders: an integrative review of the concept.

Abstract: Scand J Caring Sci; 2007; 21; 456–466Self-care as a health resource of elders: an integrativereview of the conceptAim: To review the literature related to self-care and healthpromotion for elders and to develop an understanding ofself-care as a health resource.Background: Self-care may improve health and preventillness and disabilities in elders. Although studies of self-care are numerous, the significance of the concept as ahealth resource for elders lacks clarity. Before 1989,research focused principally on medical self-care at theexpense of health care, and self-care was seen more assupplementary to professional health care rather than as ahealth-promoting approach in health care.Method: In this integrative review from 2006, we selectedtheoretical and empirical articles published between 1990and 2006, where self-care was related to elders’ healthpromotion. Data were extracted from primary sources andincluded definitions of self-care, critical attributes, ante-cedents, goals and outcomes. We interactively compareddata and display matrices to describe self-care as a healthresource.Results: Fifty-seven articles addressed health self-care andwere integrated into a framework of self-care as a healthresource of elders. Self-care was identified as a two-dimensional construct including action capabilities andprocesses for health in self-care practice. The capabilitiesconsisted of fundamental capabilities, power capabilitiesand performance capabilities. The action processes inclu-ded a process of life experience, a learning process and anecological process.Conclusion: This review offers insight into self-care as asignificant health resource of elders with different healthstatus. It suggests that an elder’s self-care ability is deter-mined by the interaction of various sub-resources andconditions and emphasizes the constantly evolving natureof self-care. The framework may be of use in clinicalpractice, policy-making and research into health care offrail or robust elders.Keywords: self-care, elders, concept, health promotion,integrative review.Submitted 10 May 2006, Accepted 20 November 2006

Loss to follow-up occurs at all stages in the diagnostic and follow-up period among HIV-infected patients in Guinea-Bissau: a 7-year retrospective cohort study

Abstract: Objectives: To describe loss to follow-up (LTFU) at all stages of the HIV programme. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: The HIV clinic at Hospital National Simao Mendes in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. Participants: A total of 4080 HIV-infected patients. Outcome measures: Baseline characteristics, percentages and incidence rates of LTFU as well as LTFU risk factors at four different stages: immediately after HIV diagnosis (stage 1), after the first CD4 cell count and before a follow-up consultation (stage 2), after a follow-up consultation for patients not eligible for antiretroviral treatment (ART; stage 3) and LTFU among patients on ART (stage 4). Results: Almost one-third of the patients were lost to the programme before the first consultation where ART initiation is decided; during the 7-year observation period, more than half of the patients had been lost to follow-up (overall incidence rate=51.1 patients lost per 100 person-years). Age below 30 years at inclusion was a risk factor for LTFU at all stages of the HIV programme. The biggest risk factors were body mass index <18.5 kg/m 2 (stage 1), male gender (stage 2), HIV-2 infection (stage 3) and CD4 cell count <200 cells/μL (stage 4). Conclusions: In this study, LTFU constituted a major problem, and this may apply to other similar ART facilities. More than half of the patients were lost to follow-up shortly after enrolment, possibly implying a high mortality. Thus, retention should be given a high priority.