Insights into the mode of action of tannin-based feed additives in broiler chickens: looking for connections with the plasma metabolome and caecal microbiota

This study assessed the effects of three tannin-based feed additives on the productive performance, foot-pad conditions, plasma metabolome, and caecal microbiota of meat-type chickens. A total of 2,340 male broilers were divided into 4 treatments (9 replicates each) fed either a commercial basal diet (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with one of the three tested products (A, B, or C) up to 49 days. According to manufacturers\u2019 instructions, product A was added to the basal diet at 0.3% from 0 to 49 d, while B and C at 0.13% from 0 to 21 d and 0.12% from 22 to 49 d. Compared to CON, tannin-supplemented birds consumed less feed (6.59 vs. 6.37, 6.49, and 6.35 kg, for CON vs. A, B, and C, respectively; p <.001) and reached a lower slaughter weight (3,599 vs. 3,494, 3,546, and 3,472 g, for CON vs. A, B, and C, respectively; p <.05). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was not affected by the tannin supplementations, except for the starter phase when CON exhibited lower FCR than the other groups (p <.01). The observed differences in the plasma metabolome between CON and treated groups might indicate an impaired energy metabolism of tannin-supplemented chickens. The significant reduction in the caecal microbial diversity and short-chain fatty acid producer bacteria can also be related to the depressed performance of tannin-fed chickens. In contrast to earlier findings, pododermatitis was unaffected by our treatments. Further dose-response studies can help better exploit tannin-based additives in broiler diets

Transfer of mycotoxins from lactation feed to colostrum of sows

Studies regarding the transfer of mycotoxins from sow feed to colostrum are scarce. A sample of in-house produced lactation feed and one of colostrum were collected from two or three sows per farm (total 49) from 19 farms. The feed contents of aflatoxins (AFs), fumonisins (FUs), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) were assessed using ELISA and confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), The values were very low (10, 12, 17 and 2 positive samples for AFs, FUs, DON and ZEA, respectively), except for two samples (one AF, one DON). Based on feed values, colostrum samples from 13 farms were tested for at least one mycotoxin (Total 35). Aflatoxins were not found in any sample. A signal for FUs was observed in 5 of 11 colostra, despite low feed values; DON was frequently present in the colostrum (10/14). On the farm where the feed exceeded the DON suggested limits, a higher colostrum content was seen, 10.9 µg/kg, approximately 1/69 of the value showing toxicity in young pigs. The absence of reference values for neonate pigs, and the risk of higher and longer ingestion of DON by sows suggested considering routine checks of sow feed; more research on DON transfer and toxicity in piglets is needed

Solitonic lattice and Yukawa forces in the rare earth orthoferrite TbFeO3

The control of domains in ferroic devices lies at the heart of their potential for technological applications. Multiferroic materials offer another level of complexity as domains can be either or both of a ferroelectric and magnetic nature. Here we report the discovery of a novel magnetic state in the orthoferrite TbFeO3 using neutron diffraction under an applied magnetic field. This state has a very long incommensurate period ranging from 340 Angstrom at 3K to 2700 Angstrom at the lowest temperatures and exhibits an anomalously large number of higher-order harmonics, allowing us to identify it with the periodic array of sharp domain walls of Tb spins separated by many lattice constants. The Tb domain walls interact by exchanging spin waves propagating through the Fe magnetic sublattice. The resulting Yukawa-like force, familiar from particle physics, has a finite range that determines the period of the incommensurate state.Comment: 11 pages 14 figure

The neglected liaison: Targeting cancer cell metabolic reprogramming modifies the composition of non‐malignant populations of the tumor microenvironment

Metabolic reprogramming is a well‐known hallmark of cancer, whereby the development of drugs that target cancer cell metabolism is gaining momentum. However, when establishing preclinical studies and clinical trials, it is often neglected that a tumor mass is a complex system in which cancer cells coexist and interact with several types of microenvironment populations, including endothelial cells, fibroblasts and immune cells. We are just starting to understand how such populations are affected by the metabolic changes occurring in a transformed cell and little is known about the impact of metabolism‐targeting drugs on the non‐malignant tumor components. Here we provide a general overview of the links between cancer cell metabolism and tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly focusing on the emerging literature reporting TME‐specific effects of metabolic therapies

The gamma-interferon test: its usefulness in a bovine tuberculosis survey in African buffaloes ( Syncerus caffer) in the Kruger National Park

A survey to determine the bovine tuberculosis status of buffalo herds north of the Olifants River in the Kruger National Park was conducted, using a new diagnostic approach. Diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis infection was accomplished using the gamma-interferon assay technique in 608 adult buffaloes out of a total of 29 discreet herds. The animals were immobilized in groups of 10-15, bled, individually marked and then revived and released on site. As soon as test results were available (after 26-36 h), the same buffalo herd was relocated by tracking the frequency of a radio-collar previously fitted to one adult cow per group during the initial operation. Bovine reactors were identified, darted and euthanased from the helicopter. Necropsy and culture findings of all culled buffaloes showed excellent correlation with the results of the ante-mortem gamma-interferon test. The survey revealed that over and above the two positive herds that had been identified during a previous survey carried out in 1996, there were three additional, but previously unidentified, infected herds in the region north of the Olifants River.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat v.9 was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.mn201

Detection of AHV-1 DNA in lung sections from blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) calves by in situ hybridization

In situ hybridization was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung sections from eight blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) calves to investigate the role of this organ in the excretion of alcelaphine herpes virus-1 (AHV-1 ). A digoxigenin labelled Smal fragment of AHV-1 was used as a DNA probe. Viral DNA was detected in the lungs of seven calves in which infection with AHV-1 had previously been confirmed , indicating the significance of the lower respiratory tract in viral replication and excretion. The results also confirmed the sensitivity of the in situ hybridization technique in detecting low amounts of viral DNA in infected cells in routinely processed tissues.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat X Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format

Micronutrientes e óxidos de ferro em coprólitos de minhocas produzidos em um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico (Oxisol) sob diferentes sistemas de manejo.

As estruturas biogênicas produzidas pelas minhocas modificam os atributos químicos e mineralógicos do solo. Estas alterações são pouco conhecidas em solos altamente intemperizados neotropicais invadidos por minhocas peregrinas e exóticas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar as alterações na disponibilidade de micronutrientes e nos óxidos de ferro de um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico (LVdf) (Oxisol) sob diferentes condições de manejo quando invadidos pelas minhocas Pontoscolex corethrurus e Amynthas gracilis. Os micronutrientes analisados foram zinco (Zn), cobre (Cu), manganês (Mn) e ferro (Fe). Os óxidos de ferro foram analisados através de métodos de dissolução seletiva quantificando-se as alterações nos teores de ferro livre (Fed) e amorfo (Feo) e alumínio e manganês presentes nos óxidos de ferro por substituição isomórfica livres (Ald e Mnd) e amorfos (Alo e Mno). Solo foi coletado sob mata nativa, dois agroecossistemas de plantio direto e uma pastagem, seco ao ar, peneirado e umedecido para a incubação das minhocas e posterior obtenção de coprólitos. A análise dos atributos químicos e mineralógicos dos coprólitos mostrou que, de modo geral, foram observados aumentos nos teores de Fed e Feo nos coprólitos comparados ao solo controle. O oposto foi observado para os teores de Ald e Alo, havendo diminuição dos teores nos coprólitos. Para os teores de Mnd e Mno não houve diferenças significativas. Os coprólitos concentraram maiores teores de Zn, Cu e Mn, mas tiveram teores mais baixos de Fe disponível. A atividade das minhocas influiu, em geral, de forma positiva sobre os teores de micronutrientes e de óxidos de ferro livre e amorfo no LVdf sob diferentes sistemas de manejo estudado

Profiling Dopamine-Induced Oxidized Proteoforms of β-synuclein by Top-Down Mass Spectrometry

The formation of multiple proteoforms by post-translational modifications (PTMs) enables a single protein to acquire distinct functional roles in its biological context. Oxidation of methionine residues (Met) is a common PTM, involved in physiological (e.g., signaling) and pathological (e.g., oxidative stress) states. This PTM typically maps at multiple protein sites, generating a heterogeneous population of proteoforms with specific biophysical and biochemical properties. The identification and quantitation of the variety of oxidized proteoforms originated under a given condition is required to assess the exact molecular nature of the species responsible for the process under investigation. In this work, the binding and oxidation of human β-synuclein (BS) by dopamine (DA) has been explored. Native mass spectrometry (MS) has been employed to analyze the interaction of BS with DA. In a second step, top-down fragmentation of the intact protein from denaturing conditions has been performed to identify and quantify the distinct proteoforms generated by DA-induced oxidation. The analysis of isobaric proteoforms is approached by a combination of electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) at each extent of modification, quantitation of methionine-containing fragments and combinatorial analysis of the fragmentation products by multiple linear regression. This procedure represents a promising approach to systematic assessment of proteoforms variety and their relative abundance. The method can be adapted, in principle, to any protein containing any number of methionine residues, allowing for a full structural characterization of the protein oxidation states

Sobrevivência, produção e atributos químicos de coprólitos de minhocas em um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico (Oxisol) sob diferentes sistemas de manejo.

As atividades das minhocas modificam processos chave no solo e suas populações são impactadas pelo manejo do solo e da cultura, que afeta o suprimento de energia, nutrientes e o estado quí- mico dos solos. Desta forma, foram avaliados a sobrevivência, a perda de peso, a produção de coprólitos e os efeitos das espécies Pontoscolex corethrurus e Amynthas gracilis sobre os atributos químicos de um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico (LVdf) (Oxisol) sob diferentes sistemas de manejo. Solo seco ao ar, peneirado e umedecido de uma mata nativa (MT), dois agroecossistemas de plantio direto (PD e PDS) e uma pastagem (PT) foram utilizados para o cultivo. As minhocas foram incubadas em sala escura com temperatura controlada para as avaliações biológicas e obtenção dos coprólitos. Pontoscolex corethrurus se adaptou bem aos tratamentos, apesar da perda de peso em todos os tratamentos e nos tratamentos PD e PDS os indivíduos terem regredido ao estado juvenil. Amynthas gracilis não se adaptou bem aos tratamentos utilizados, resultando em baixas taxas de sobrevivência e altas perdas de peso. As maiores produções de coprólitos foram observadas no tratamento MT para as duas espécies, enquanto as menores ocorreram em PD e PDS para P. corethrurus e em PT para A. gracilis. Os coprólitos produzidos foram significativamente enriquecidos por cátions trocáveis, carbono orgânico total, fósforo e enxofre, e houve aumento nos valores de pH e bases, comparados com o solo controle. Observou-se que a atividade das espécies no LVdf pode alterar significativamente os teores de nutrientes disponíveis nesses sistemas de manejo, apesar de não terem se desenvolvido bem (perda de peso)

Contribution of ultrarare variants in mTOR pathway genes to sporadic focal epilepsies

Objective: We investigated the contribution to sporadic focal epilepsies (FE) of ultrarare variants in genes coding for the components of complexes regulating mechanistic Target Of Rapamycin (mTOR)complex 1 (mTORC1). Methods: We collected genetic data of 121 Italian isolated FE cases and 512 controls by Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) and single-molecule Molecular Inversion Probes (smMIPs) targeting 10 genes of the GATOR1, GATOR2, and TSC complexes. We collapsed \u201cqualifying\u201d variants (ultrarare and predicted to be deleterious or loss of function) across the examined genes and sought to identify their enrichment in cases compared to controls. Results: We found eight qualifying variants in cases and nine in controls, demonstrating enrichment in FE patients (P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.006; exact unconditional test, one-tailed). Pathogenic variants were identified in DEPDC5 and TSC2, both major genes for Mendelian FE syndromes. Interpretation: Our findings support the contribution of ultrarare variants in genes in the mTOR pathway complexes GATOR and TSC to the risk of sporadic FE and a shared genetic basis between rare and common epilepsies. The identification of a monogenic etiology in isolated cases, most typically encountered in clinical practice, may offer to a broader community of patients the perspective of precision therapies directed by the underlying genetic cause