CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cell Ontogeny and Preferential Migration to the Cecal Tonsils in Chickens

Thymic CD4+CD25+ cells have regulatory-T-cell-like properties in chickens. This study examined the ontogeny of CD4+CD25+ cells in the thymus and in peripheral compartments in chickens. CD4+CD25+ cells started to appear in the thymus at day 15 of incubation (E15), although at low percentages. Expressed as a percentage of CD4+ cells, CD4+CD25+ cells increased (P<0.01) from 1.7% at E20 to 7.3% at 0 d post-hatch (D0). CD4+CD25+ cells did not appear in the spleen or cecal tonsils of embryos. Expressed as a percentage of CD4+ cells, CD4+CD25+ cells increased (P<0.01) from 0% at D0 to 27% at D1 in cecal tonsils and from 0% at D0 to 11% at D1 in the spleen. Expressed as a percentage of all mononuclear cells, cecal tonsils at D1 had approximately 3.5-fold higher percentage of CD4+CD25+ cells than the spleen at D1. CD4+CD25+ cells from cecal tonsils of chicks at D1 were suppressive. CD4+CD25+ cells from D0 thymus, when injected back into MHC-compatible chicks, migrated to cecal tonsils and lungs and were detected until 10 d post-injection. CD4+CD25+ cells from cecal tonsils had a higher (P = 0.01) relative amount of CCR9 mRNA than CD4+CD25+ cells from the thymus. It could be concluded that in chickens CD4+CD25+ cells migrate from the thymus immediately post-hatch and preferentially colonize the gut associated lymphoid tissues. CD4+CD25+ cells' preferential migration to cecal tonsils is likely directed through the CCR9 pathway in chickens

Application of Nutritional Immunology in the Mitigation of Economic and Production losses in the Poultry Industry Associated with Food-borne Pathogens, Coccidiosis, and Necrotic Enteritis.

Sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics were used in poultry production since the 1950s for improved production, prophylaxis, and animal welfare. Extensive and indiscriminatory use of antibiotics led to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in food-borne pathogens of public health significance (Jones & Ricke, 2003). As per the United States Centre for Disease Control, more than 2.8 million infections in 2019 were caused by multidrug resistant bacteria. Due to public health concerns, the use of antibiotic growth promoters in livestock production was prohibited by Sweden and Denmark in 1986 and 1998 respectively (Hammerum et al., 2007). The European Union banned the use of antibiotics except for coccidiostats and histomonostats in livestock production effective from January 1, 2006 (Anadón et al., 2018). In 2013, the United States Food and Drug Administration recommended voluntary regulation on the use of medically important antibiotics in food animal production (Sneeringer et al., 2015). Regulations on the use of in-feed antibiotic growth promoters led to the reemergence of poultry pathogens that were otherwise manageable. An increase in the consumer preference for organically raised and antibiotic-free poultry products has necessitated the need to find an alternative to antibiotics in commercial poultry production. Several potential alternatives are currently available in the market such as probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, phytobiotics, engineered peptides, enzymes, organic acids, egg yolk immunoglobulins, bacteriophages, vaccination, and nutraceuticals (Low et al., 2021). This review aims at introducing the recent progress in the field of nutritional immunology in the prevention and control of enteric diseases of poultry with special emphasis on food-borne pathogens, coccidiosis, and necrotic enteritis

Novel Deep Learning Model for Predicting Wind Velocity and Power Estimation in Advanced INVELOX Wind Turbines

Wind energy is a renewable energy source that has grown rapidly in recent decades. This energy is converted into electricity using advanced INVELOX wind turbines. However, the wind velocity is critical, and predicting this velocity in real-time is challenging. As a result, a deep learning (DL) model has been developed to predict the velocity in advanced wind turbines using a novel enhanced Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model. The LSTM enhancement is executed by employing the Black Widow optimization with Mayfly optimization in the Python platform as application software. The dataset has been prepared using Ansys Fluent fluid flow analysis. In addition to that, the wind turbine power generation was computed analytically. A subsonic wind tunnel test is also performed by employing a 3-Dimensional printed physical model to validate the simulation dataset for this innovative design. The proposed MFBW-LSTM model (Enhanced LSTM with BWO and MFO) predicts efficiently, with an accuracy of 95.34%. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed model is compared to LSTM, BW-LSTM, and MF-LSTM. Accuracy, MAE, MAPE, MSE, and RMSE are among the performance criteria the proposed DL model achieves efficiently. As a result, the proposed DL model is best suited for velocity prediction of an Advanced INVELOX wind turbine in various cross sections with high accuracy

Determination of thermal constant and development threshold of Bihar hairy caterpillar, Spilarctia obliqua Walker

Effect of six constant temperatures viz., 18±1, 21±1, 24±1, 27±1, 30±1 and 33±10C was studied on the egg hatchability, larval pupal development and adult survival of Spilarctia obliqua. Development rate of egg, larva and pupa gradually increased with increase in temperature, while total developmental period decreased. Mean developmental period of the pest decreased from 93.73 days at 18±10C to 31.20 at 33±10C. The lowest and the highest temperatures at which no development took place were found to be 12±10C and 39±10C, respectively. Regression equations between development rate and temperature were found to be Y= 0.0189 X -0.1998 (R2=0.88) for egg, Y=0.00122 X -0.0248 (R2=0.84) for small larva (1-3rd instar), Y=0.0058 X -0.0675 (R2=0.76) for large larva (4-6th instar), Y=0.0074 X-0.1075 (R2=0.94) for pupa and Y=0.0142 X-0.4363 (R2=0.79) for adults. Developmental threshold were determined to be 10.57, 11.27, 11.55, 15.28 and 10.92oC for egg, small larva, large larva, pupa, and adult respectively with corresponding thermal constant being 52.91, 344.82, 243.90, 142.85 and 70.42 degree days (DD). Thermal constant to complete a generation was found to be 854.90 DD. This was the first studies on this aspects, these estimated thermal thresholds and degree days could be used to predict the S. obliqua activity in the field for their effective management through pest forecasting

Beyond protein synthesis: the emerging role of arginine in poultry nutrition and host-microbe interactions

Arginine is a functional amino acid essential for various physiological processes in poultry. The dietary essentiality of arginine in poultry stems from the absence of the enzyme carbamoyl phosphate synthase-I. The specific requirement for arginine in poultry varies based on several factors, such as age, dietary factors, and physiological status. Additionally, arginine absorption and utilization are also influenced by the presence of antagonists. However, dietary interventions can mitigate the effect of these factors affecting arginine utilization. In poultry, arginine is utilized by four enzymes, namely, inducible nitric oxide synthase arginase, arginine decarboxylase and arginine: glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT). The intermediates and products of arginine metabolism by these enzymes mediate the different physiological functions of arginine in poultry. The most studied function of arginine in humans, as well as poultry, is its role in immune response. Arginine exerts immunomodulatory functions primarily through the metabolites nitric oxide (NO), ornithine, citrulline, and polyamines, which take part in inflammation or the resolution of inflammation. These properties of arginine and arginine metabolites potentiate its use as a nutraceutical to prevent the incidence of enteric diseases in poultry. Furthermore, arginine is utilized by the poultry gut microbiota, the metabolites of which might have important implications for gut microbial composition, immune regulation, metabolism, and overall host health. This comprehensive review provides insights into the multifaceted roles of arginine and arginine metabolites in poultry nutrition and wellbeing, with particular emphasis on the potential of arginine in immune regulation and microbial homeostasis in poultry

Long-term follow-up of persons diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB in Chennai, India, 2013-2020

India has the largest number of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases, defined as Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to at least isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF).1 However, less than half of all persons with MDR-TB in India successfully complete treatment.1 Although initial end-of-treatment outcomes offer a standardised time point to assess the effect of treatment, these tend to underestimate the overall burden of unfavourable long-term outcomes among persons treated for TB.2,3 The long-term outcomes of persons diagnosed with MDR-TB in India, including the proportion with recurrent TB disease or mortality, are unknown. This analysis was conducted under programmatic conditions in a high-burden setting, with no regular check-ups after treatment. The results can be used to show the burden of recurrent illness and death following treatment, and can be used as a benchmark to measure improvement

Assessment of trace metal contamination in a historical freshwater canal (Buckingham Canal), Chennai, India

The present study was done to assess the sources and the major processes controlling the trace metal distribution in sediments of Buckingham Canal. Based on the observed geochemical variations, the sediments are grouped as South Buckingham Canal and North Buckingham Canal sediments (SBC and NBC, respectively). SBC sediments show enrichment in Fe, Ti, Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and As concentrations, while NBC sediments show enrichment in Sn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Hg. The calculated Chemical Index of Alteration and Chemical Index of Weathering values for all the sediments are relatively higher than the North American Shale Composite and Upper Continental Crust but similar to Post-Archaean Average Shale, and suggest a source area with moderate weathering. Overall, SBC sediments are highly enriched in Mo, Zn, Cu, and Hg (geoaccumulation index (Igeo) class 4– 6), whereas NBC sediments are enriched in Sn, Cu,Zn, and Hg (Igeo class 4–6). Cu, Ni, and Cr show higher than Effects-Range Median values and hence the biological adverse effect of these metals is 20%; Zn, which accounts for 50%, in the NBC sediments, has a more biological adverse effect than other metalsfound in these sediments. The calculated Igeo, Enrichment Factor, and Contamination Factor values indicate that Mo, Hg, Sn, Cu, and Zn are highly enriched in the Buckingham Canal sediments, suggesting the rapid urban and industrial development of Chennai MetropolitanCity have negatively influenced on the surrounding aquatic ecosystem

Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Future trends in disease burden and drivers of health are of great interest to policy makers and the public at large. This information can be used for policy and long-term health investment, planning, and prioritisation. We have expanded and improved upon previous forecasts produced as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) and provide a reference forecast (the most likely future), and alternative scenarios assessing disease burden trajectories if selected sets of risk factors were eliminated from current levels by 2050. Methods: Using forecasts of major drivers of health such as the Socio-demographic Index (SDI; a composite measure of lag-distributed income per capita, mean years of education, and total fertility under 25 years of age) and the full set of risk factor exposures captured by GBD, we provide cause-specific forecasts of mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by age and sex from 2022 to 2050 for 204 countries and territories, 21 GBD regions, seven super-regions, and the world. All analyses were done at the cause-specific level so that only risk factors deemed causal by the GBD comparative risk assessment influenced future trajectories of mortality for each disease. Cause-specific mortality was modelled using mixed-effects models with SDI and time as the main covariates, and the combined impact of causal risk factors as an offset in the model. At the all-cause mortality level, we captured unexplained variation by modelling residuals with an autoregressive integrated moving average model with drift attenuation. These all-cause forecasts constrained the cause-specific forecasts at successively deeper levels of the GBD cause hierarchy using cascading mortality models, thus ensuring a robust estimate of cause-specific mortality. For non-fatal measures (eg, low back pain), incidence and prevalence were forecasted from mixed-effects models with SDI as the main covariate, and YLDs were computed from the resulting prevalence forecasts and average disability weights from GBD. Alternative future scenarios were constructed by replacing appropriate reference trajectories for risk factors with hypothetical trajectories of gradual elimination of risk factor exposure from current levels to 2050. The scenarios were constructed from various sets of risk factors: environmental risks (Safer Environment scenario), risks associated with communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNNs; Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination scenario), risks associated with major non-communicable diseases (NCDs; Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario), and the combined effects of these three scenarios. Using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways climate scenarios SSP2-4.5 as reference and SSP1-1.9 as an optimistic alternative in the Safer Environment scenario, we accounted for climate change impact on health by using the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change temperature forecasts and published trajectories of ambient air pollution for the same two scenarios. Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy were computed using standard methods. The forecasting framework includes computing the age-sex-specific future population for each location and separately for each scenario. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for each individual future estimate were derived from the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles of distributions generated from propagating 500 draws through the multistage computational pipeline. Findings: In the reference scenario forecast, global and super-regional life expectancy increased from 2022 to 2050, but improvement was at a slower pace than in the three decades preceding the COVID-19 pandemic (beginning in 2020). Gains in future life expectancy were forecasted to be greatest in super-regions with comparatively low life expectancies (such as sub-Saharan Africa) compared with super-regions with higher life expectancies (such as the high-income super-region), leading to a trend towards convergence in life expectancy across locations between now and 2050. At the super-region level, forecasted healthy life expectancy patterns were similar to those of life expectancies. Forecasts for the reference scenario found that health will improve in the coming decades, with all-cause age-standardised DALY rates decreasing in every GBD super-region. The total DALY burden measured in counts, however, will increase in every super-region, largely a function of population ageing and growth. We also forecasted that both DALY counts and age-standardised DALY rates will continue to shift from CMNNs to NCDs, with the most pronounced shifts occurring in sub-Saharan Africa (60·1% [95% UI 56·8–63·1] of DALYs were from CMNNs in 2022 compared with 35·8% [31·0–45·0] in 2050) and south Asia (31·7% [29·2–34·1] to 15·5% [13·7–17·5]). This shift is reflected in the leading global causes of DALYs, with the top four causes in 2050 being ischaemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared with 2022, with ischaemic heart disease, neonatal disorders, stroke, and lower respiratory infections at the top. The global proportion of DALYs due to YLDs likewise increased from 33·8% (27·4–40·3) to 41·1% (33·9–48·1) from 2022 to 2050, demonstrating an important shift in overall disease burden towards morbidity and away from premature death. The largest shift of this kind was forecasted for sub-Saharan Africa, from 20·1% (15·6–25·3) of DALYs due to YLDs in 2022 to 35·6% (26·5–43·0) in 2050. In the assessment of alternative future scenarios, the combined effects of the scenarios (Safer Environment, Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination, and Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenarios) demonstrated an important decrease in the global burden of DALYs in 2050 of 15·4% (13·5–17·5) compared with the reference scenario, with decreases across super-regions ranging from 10·4% (9·7–11·3) in the high-income super-region to 23·9% (20·7–27·3) in north Africa and the Middle East. The Safer Environment scenario had its largest decrease in sub-Saharan Africa (5·2% [3·5–6·8]), the Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario in north Africa and the Middle East (23·2% [20·2–26·5]), and the Improved Nutrition and Vaccination scenario in sub-Saharan Africa (2·0% [–0·6 to 3·6]). Interpretation: Globally, life expectancy and age-standardised disease burden were forecasted to improve between 2022 and 2050, with the majority of the burden continuing to shift from CMNNs to NCDs. That said, continued progress on reducing the CMNN disease burden will be dependent on maintaining investment in and policy emphasis on CMNN disease prevention and treatment. Mostly due to growth and ageing of populations, the number of deaths and DALYs due to all causes combined will generally increase. By constructing alternative future scenarios wherein certain risk exposures are eliminated by 2050, we have shown that opportunities exist to substantially improve health outcomes in the future through concerted efforts to prevent exposure to well established risk factors and to expand access to key health interventions