Evaluación del contenido de energía metabolizable en las cantidades de alimentos recomendadas diariamente para perros por los fabricantes en relación a los requerimientos energéticos

The objective of the study was to determine the quantity of metabolizable energy (ME) in the dogfood amounts recommended by the manufacturers for commercial dry dogfoods formulated for adult dogs at maintenance and growing dogs, and compare these with the dogs’ calculated ME requirement. Commercial dry dogfood formulations for adult dogs at maintenance (15 brands) and growing dogs (15 brands) were evaluated. Samples from 3 batches per formulation were combined, ground and mixed with the indigestible marker Cr2O3. Each dogfood formulation for adult dogs was fed to 8 Labrador Retriever adult dogs and each formulation for growing dogs was fed to 8 growing Labrador Retriever dogs, for 8 days following 8 days in which the dogs received a nutritionally adequate base diet. Faecal samples were collected from each dog on days 6, 7 and 8 in which they received the test diets. The ME content of each diet was estimated and the quantity of ME in the amounts of the diets recommended by the manufacturers for adult dogs (10, 20 and 30 kg bodyweight) and growing dogs (12 and 24 kg bodyweight) was compared with the calculated ME requirements of these dogs. Depending on the size of the dogs, up to 80% of the brands recommended quantities of dogfood that would not supply the correct amount of ME according to the dog’s requirement. Feeding the dogs these quantities of the dogfoods may result in dogs that are significantly over- or under-weight.  El objetivo del estudio fue determinar el aporte de energía metabolizable (ME) de las dietas al ser suministradas en las cantidades recomendadas por los fabricantes de alimentos comerciales a perros adultos en mantención y en crecimiento y compararlas con los requerimientos energéticos del perro. Se evaluaron marcas comerciales de alimentos secos formulados para perros adultos en mantención (15 marcas) y perros en crecimiento (15 marcas). Se confeccionaron muestras compuestas a partir de 3 lotes por formulación, las que fueron molidas y mezcladas con el marcador indigestible Cr2O3. Cada dieta para perros adultos en mantención fue suministrada a 8 perros adultos y cada dieta para perros en crecimiento fue suministrada a 8 perros en crecimiento, todos de la raza Labrador Retriever, por un período experimental de 8 días, luego de 8 días en los cuales los perros recibieron una dieta base. Durante los días 6, 7 y 8 de cada período experimental se recolectaron muestras de fecas individuales. A cada dieta se le determinó la concentración de ME. El contenido de ME en las cantidades de las dietas recomendadas por las fabricantes de los alimentos en perros adultos (10, 20 y 30 kg peso vivo) y perros en crecimiento (12 y 24 kg peso vivo) fue comparado con los requerimientos de ME calculados para estos animales. Dependiendo del peso vivo considerado para los perros, hasta 40% y 40% de las marcas recomendaron cantidades de su alimento que suministran menos ME y más ME, respectivamente, que el requerimiento del perro. Alimentar a los perros con las cantidades recomendadas de alimento podría llevarlos a una condición corporal por debajo o por encima de la correcta. &nbsp

The Deposition and Accumulation of Microplastics in Marine Sediments and Bottom Water from the Irish Continental Shelf

Abstract Microplastics are widely dispersed throughout the marine environment. An understanding of the distribution and accumulation of this form of pollution is crucial for gauging environmental risk. Presented here is the first record of plastic contamination, in the 5 mm–250 μm size range, of Irish continental shelf sediments. Sixty-two microplastics were recovered from 10 of 11 stations using box cores. 97% of recovered microplastics were found to reside shallower than 2.5 cm sediment depth, with the area of highest microplastic concentration being the water-sediment interface and top 0.5 cm of sediments (66%). Microplastics were not found deeper than 3.5 ± 0.5 cm. These findings demonstrate that microplastic contamination is ubiquitous within superficial sediments and bottom water along the western Irish continental shelf. Results highlight that cores need to be at least 4–5 cm deep to quantify the standing stock of microplastics within marine sediments. All recovered microplastics were classified as secondary microplastics as they appear to be remnants of larger items; fibres being the principal form of microplastic pollution (85%), followed by broken fragments (15%). The range of polymer types, colours and physical forms recovered suggests a variety of sources. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms influencing microplastic transport, deposition, resuspension and subsequent interactions with biota

Does the plant defense priming compound β-aminobutyric acid affect the performance of Macrolophus pygmaeus when used to control Bemisia tabaci in tomato?

The β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) is a plant defense priming compound highly effective in controlling important tomato diseases and plant-parasitic nematodes. It has also been shown to induce resistance against phytophagous insects such as aphids. This study examines the effect of BABA on the performance of the tomato pest Bemisia tabaci (MEAM 1, previously known as Biotype B) and its zoophytophagous predator Macrolophus pygmaeus under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Tomato plants were treated with BABA 25 mM applied by soil drenching. The effect of BABA on the fertility and juvenile development of two generations of B. tabaci and M. pygmaeus was evaluated. Our results showed no effect of BABA on the juvenile development or adult fecundity/fertility of both the whitefly and its predator. The non-interference of BABA with M. pygmaeus and B. tabaci assures that the control of the whitefly with this mirid bug will not be affected when this elicitor is applied to the crop. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying BABA-plant-whitefly-predatory myrids interactions.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Operating of Gasoline Engine Using Naphtha and Octane Boosters from Waste as Fuel Additives

Fuel quality is an important indicator for the suitability of alternative fuel for the utilization in internal combustion (IC) engines. In this paper, light naphtha and fusel oil have been introduced as fuel additives for local low octane gasoline to operate a spark ignition (SI) engine. Investigated fuel samples have been prepared based on volume and denoted as GN10 (90% local gasoline and 10% naphtha), GF10 (90% local gasoline and 10% fusel oil), and GN5F5 (90% local gasoline, 5% naphtha and 5% fusel oil) in addition to G100 (Pure local gasoline). Engine tests have been conducted to evaluate engine performance and exhaust emissions at increasing speed and constant wide throttle opening (WTO). The study results reveal varying engine performance obtained with GN10 and GF10 with increasing engine speed compared to local gasoline fuel (G). Moreover, GN5F5 shows higher brake power, lower brake specific fuel consumption, and higher brake thermal efficiency compared to other investigated fuel samples over the whole engine speed. The higher CO and CO2 emissions were obtained with GN10 and GF10, respectively, over the entire engine speed and the minimum CO emissions observed with GN5F5. Moreover, the higher NOx emission was observed with pure local gasoline while the lowest was observed with GF10. On the other hand, GN5F5 shows slightly higher NOx emissions than GF10, which is lower than GN10 and gasoline. Accordingly, GN5F5 shows better engine performance and exhaust emissions, which can enhance the local low gasoline fuel quality using the locally available fuel additives. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Funding: This project has been funded by King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia under project number RSP‐2021/167

Laparoscopy in management of appendicitis in high-, middle-, and low-income countries: a multicenter, prospective, cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide. Differences between high- and low-income settings in the availability of laparoscopic appendectomy, alternative management choices, and outcomes are poorly described. The aim was to identify variation in surgical management and outcomes of appendicitis within low-, middle-, and high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries worldwide. METHODS: This is a multicenter, international prospective cohort study. Consecutive sampling of patients undergoing emergency appendectomy over 6 months was conducted. Follow-up lasted 30 days. RESULTS: 4546 patients from 52 countries underwent appendectomy (2499 high-, 1540 middle-, and 507 low-HDI groups). Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were higher in low-HDI (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.33-4.99, p = 0.005) but not middle-HDI countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.76-2.52, p = 0.291), compared with high-HDI countries after adjustment. A laparoscopic approach was common in high-HDI countries (1693/2499, 67.7%), but infrequent in low-HDI (41/507, 8.1%) and middle-HDI (132/1540, 8.6%) groups. After accounting for case-mix, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.71, p < 0.001) and SSIs (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14-0.33, p < 0.001). In propensity-score matched groups within low-/middle-HDI countries, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.11-0.44) and SSI (OR 0.21 95% CI 0.09-0.45). CONCLUSION: A laparoscopic approach is associated with better outcomes and availability appears to differ by country HDI. Despite the profound clinical, operational, and financial barriers to its widespread introduction, laparoscopy could significantly improve outcomes for patients in low-resource environments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02179112

Approaches to conserving natural enemy populations in greenhouse crops: current methods and future prospects

Biological pest control in greenhouse crops is usually based on periodical releases of mass-produced natural enemies, and this method has been successfully applied for decades. However, in some cases there are shortcomings in pest control efficacy, which often can be attributed to the poor establishment of natural enemies. Their establishment and population numbers can be enhanced by providing additional resources, such as alternative food, prey, hosts, oviposition sites or shelters. Furthermore, natural enemy efficacy can be enhanced by using volatiles, adapting the greenhouse climate, avoiding pesticide side-effects and minimizing disrupting food web complexities. The special case of high value crops in a protected greenhouse environment offers tremendous opportunities to design and manage the system in ways that increase crop resilience to pest infestations. While we have outlined opportunities and tools to develop such systems, this review also identifies knowledge gaps, where additional research is needed to optimize these tools

Toxoplasma gondii Hsp90: potential roles in essential cellular processes of the parasite

Hsp90 is a widely distributed and highly conserved molecular chaperone that is ubiquitously expressed throughout nature, being one of the most abundant proteins within non-stressed cells. This chaperone is up-regulated following stressful events and has been involved in many cellular processes. In Toxoplasma gondii, Hsp90 could be linked with many essential processes of the parasite such as host cell invasion, replication and tachyzoite-bradyzoite interconversion. A Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network approach of TgHsp90 has allowed inferring how these processes may be altered. In addition, data mining of T. gondii phosphoproteome and acetylome has allowed the generation of the phosphorylation and acetylation map of TgHsp90. This review focuses on the potential roles of TgHsp90 in parasite biology and the analysis of experimental data in comparison with its counterparts in yeast and human

Cabra i forest: la qualitat dels recursos del bosc per a la cabra mallorquina

&#091;cat&#093; S’ha analitzat la composició química, en termes de proteïna, fibres i digestibilitat, de les principals espècies vegetals presents a les pinedes i matollars de Mallorca o a la dieta de les cabres assilvestrades que hi pasturen. Els resultats mostren que els recursos alimentaris per les cabres en aquests ambients són de moderada a baixa qualitat, variant molt entre espècies. D’aquest fet es conclou que la pressió de pastura per part de les cabres es reparteix per l’ampli grup d’espècies perennes que formen aquests boscos i matollars, i això és d’interès en la prevenció d’incendis forestals.&#091;eng&#093; The chemical composition, in terms of protein, fibers and digestibility, has been analyzed of the main plant species present in the pine forests and scrubs of Mallorca or in the diet of feral goats that graze on it. The results show that dietary resources for goats in these environments are moderate to low quality, varying greatly between species. It is concluded that pasture pressure by goats is spread over the large group of perennial species that form these forests and scrubland, and this is of interest in the prevention of forest fires

Multinational Attitudes Toward AI in Health Care and Diagnostics Among Hospital Patients

IMPORTANCE The successful implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care depends on its acceptance by key stakeholders, particularly patients, who are the primary beneficiaries of AI-driven outcomes. OBJECTIVES To survey hospital patients to investigate their trust, concerns, and preferences toward the use of AI in health care and diagnostics and to assess the sociodemographic factors associated with patient attitudes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study developed and implemented an anonymous quantitative survey between February 1 and November 1, 2023, using a nonprobability sample at 74 hospitals in 43 countries. Participants included hospital patients 18 years of age or older who agreed with voluntary participation in the survey presented in 1 of 26 languages. EXPOSURE Information sheets and paper surveys handed out by hospital staff and posted in conspicuous hospital locations. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was participant responses to a 26-item instrument containing a general data section (8 items) and 3 dimensions (trust in AI, AI and diagnosis, preferences and concerns toward AI) with 6 items each. Subgroup analyses used cumulative link mixed and binary mixed-effects models. RESULTS In total, 13 806 patients participated, including 8951 (64.8%) in the Global North and 4855 (35.2%) in the Global South. Their median (IQR) age was 48 (34-62) years, and 6973 (50.5%) were male. The survey results indicated a predominantly favorable general view of AI in health care, with 57.6% of respondents (7775 of 13 502) expressing a positive attitude. However, attitudes exhibited notable variation based on demographic characteristics, health status, and technological literacy. Female respondents (3511 of 6318 [55.6%]) exhibited fewer positive attitudes toward AI use in medicine than male respondents (4057 of 6864 [59.1%]), and participants with poorer health status exhibited fewer positive attitudes toward AI use in medicine (eg, 58 of 199 [29.2%] with rather negative views) than patients with very good health (eg, 134 of 2538 [5.3%] with rather negative views). Conversely, higher levels of AI knowledge and frequent use of technology devices were associated with more positive attitudes. Notably, fewer than half of the participants expressed positive attitudes regarding all items pertaining to trust in AI. The lowest level of trust was observed for the accuracy of AI in providing information regarding treatment responses (5637 of 13 480 respondents [41.8%] trusted AI). Patients preferred explainable AI (8816 of 12 563 [70.2%]) and physician-led decision-making (9222 of 12 652 [72.9%]), even if it meant slightly compromised accuracy. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional study of patient attitudes toward AI use in health care across 6 continents, findings indicated that tailored AI implementation strategies should take patient demographics, health status, and preferences for explainable AI and physician oversight into account

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially