Treatment with the immunomodulator FTY720 does not promote spontaneous bacterial infections after experimental stroke in mice

Background: FTY720, an immunomodulator derived from a fungal metabolite which reduces circulating lymphocyte counts by increasing the homing of lymphocytes to the lymph nodes has recently gained interest in stroke research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective efficacy of FTY720 in cerebral ischemia in two different application paradigms and to gather first data on the effect of FTY720 on the rate of spontaneous bacterial infections in experimental stroke. Methods: Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in C57BL/6 mice (strain J, groups of 10 animals) was performed with two different durations of ischemia (90 min and 3 h) and FTY720 was applied 2 h after vessel occlusion to study the impact of reperfusion on the protective potency of FTY720. Lesion size was determined by TTC staining. Mice treated with FTY720 or vehicle were sacrificed 48 h after 90 min MCAO to determine the bacterial burden in lung and blood. Results: FTY720 1 mg/kg significantly reduced ischemic lesion size when administered 2 h after the onset of MCAO for 3 h (45.4 +/- 22.7 mm3 vs. 84.7 +/- 23.6 mm3 in control mice, p = 0.001) and also when administered after reperfusion, 2 h after the onset of MCAO for 90 min (31.1 +/- 28.49 mm3 vs. 69.6 +/- 27.2 mm3 in control mice, p = 0.013). Bacterial burden of lung homogenates 48 h after stroke did not increase in the group treated with the immunomodulator FTY720 while there was no spontaneous bacteremia 48 h after MCAO in treated and untreated animals. Conclusions: Our results corroborate the experimental evidence of the protective effect of FTY720 seen in different rodent stroke models. Interestingly, we found no increase in bacterial lung infections even though FTY720 strongly reduces the number of circulating leukocytes

Sushenye celye rastenija kukuryzy i ljucerny v smesjakh dlja otkormochnikov

The experiments were made on 180 weaners in order to utilize in the pig fattening large proportions of dehydrated forages obtained from whole maize plants, alfalfa and sugar beets, and to determine to what extent these feeds may replace the cereals. The fattening pigs were divided into three different nutritional groups: I - control, II - with ground grain as basic feed and III - with sugar beet meal as basic feed. Each of these groups consisted of two subgroups: the subgroup L received the alfalfa meal, while the subgroup K was fed with the maize meal. The further division was made by use of different meal levels which were in the first group initially 5% and 7% in the second period. In the second and third group the meal levels uere 10, 20 and 25%. The meal quantity was increased by 5% in the second period. The protein concentrate "Prowit" was used as the protein feed. The digestibility and nitrogen balance of the used mixed feed have been determined. The fattening results for the groups receiving ground grain (second group) or sugar beet meal (third group) and large quantities of alfalfa or maize meal were very unfavourable. The growth rate significantly decreased and the feed efficiency was lower. No considerable changes in growth rate were observed during second fattening period. The feeding of fattening pigs on mixed feed containing sugar beet meal large quantities of alfalfa or maize meal enabled to save 71.8% of ground grain, however, the consumption of protein concentrate increased by 69%. As the meal proportion in the mixed feed increased, the quantity of ground grain decreased from 6.2 up to 14.5%. The maize meal - when compared to the alfalfa meal - enabled to save the ground grain consumption by 7.3%, however, the protein concentrate consumption increased by 23%. The meal obtained from whole maize plants has lower protein content than the alfalfa meal and should not be used for fattening pigs, since slightly better results were obtained only owing to much larger quantities of protein concentrate given to fattening pigs. The sugar beet meal has improved the carcass conformation and nitrogen retention. The mixed feeds containing quantities of alfalfa or maize meal have not improved the carcass quality.Опыт провели на 180 подсвинках, в котором предприняли попытку применения в откорме свиней большой доли сушеных целых растений кукурузы и люцерны, а также сахарной свеклы и определение в какой степени эти корма могут быть заменителями зерна. Животных разделили на 3 группы кормления, а именно: I - контрольная, во II группе - основой энергетический корм составляла зерновая дерть, а в группе III - сушеная сахарная свекла. Каждая из этих групп разделялась на две подгруппы: Л - получала сушеную люцерну и К - сушеную кукурузу. Дальнейшее разделение заключалось в применении разных уровней сушеных растений: в группе I - 5% в начале откорма и 7% во второй период, а в группах II и III - соответственно 10, 20 и 25%, при чем во второй период количество сушеных растений увеличали на 5%. Белковый корм составлял, концентрат типа "Провит”. Определяли переваримость и баланс азота применяемых смесей. Результаты откорма показали, что в группах, получающих рацион, составляющийся из ячменной дерти (группа II) или из сушеной сахарной свеклы (группаIII) и больших количеств сушеной люцерны, а также кукурузы, они оказались на столько невыгодные, что это вызвало значительноеуменыпение приростов и ухудшение использования корма. Во второй период откорма не констатировано существенных разниц в приростах откормочников. Кормление откормочников смесью, содержащую сушеную сахарную свеклу, а также большими рационами сушеной люцерны или кукурузы, позволило сэкономить по отнесению к контрольным животным 71,8% ячменной дерти, зато потребление белкового концентрата повысилось на 69,6%. По мере роста количества сушеных растений в смесях происходило уменьшение количества ячменной дерти с 6,2 до 14,5%. Сушеная кукуруза по отнесению к сушеной люцерне позволила сэкономить потребление ячменной дерти на 7,3%, а потребление белкового концентрата увеличилось на 23,7%. Сушеные целые растения кукурузы, несмотря на то, что улучшили некоторые показатели откорма, то однако из-за значительно меньшего содержания белка, по сравнению с сушеной люцерной, не должны применяться в откорме свиней, так как чуть лучшие результаты были достигнуты за счет скармливания значительно больших количеств белкового концентрата. Сушеная сахарная свекла повлияла на лучшую мускулатуру тушей, ьольшее было также у этих откормочников количество задержанного азота. Смеси с большим количеством сушеной люцерны или кукурузы не дали выразительно лучшего эффекта в качестве убойного продукта и только незначительно улучшили некоторые свойства туши

A holistic approach for design of Cost-Optimal Water Networks

This work presents a holistic approach for design of Cost-Optimal Water Networks (CWN) that considers the economics while exploring all water minimisation options in line with the water management hierarchy (WMH). Two stages are involved in analysing the model i.e., the freshwater saving mode (FWS-mode) and the economic mode (E-mode). The first stage applied the mixed integer linear program (MILP) formulation that yielded some initial values for the second stage. In the second stage, the model was formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear program (MINLP) that was used to optimise an existing water systems design. The novelty of the model lies in the simultaneous considerations of all levels of water management hierarchy (i.e. elimination, reduction, reuse, outsourcing and regeneration) and cost constraints in selecting the best water minimisation schemes that resulted in the maximum net annual savings at a desired payback period. The model is applicable for systems involving multiple contaminants, and is capable of predicting which water demand should be eliminated or reduced; how much external source is needed; which wastewater source should be reused/recycled, regenerated or discharged; and finally specify the minimum water network configuration for maximising the net annual savings at a desired payback period. The model has been successfully applied on case studies involving a building (Sultan Ismail Mosque, UTM) and an industrial process plant (a chlor-alkali plant)