Millimeter and sub-millimeter atmospheric performance at Dome C combining radiosoundings and ATM synthetic spectra

The reliability of astronomical observations at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths closely depends on a low vertical content of water vapor as well as on high atmospheric emission stability. Although Concordia station at Dome C (Antarctica) enjoys good observing conditions in this atmospheric spectral windows, as shown by preliminary site-testing campaigns at different bands and in, not always, time overlapped periods, a dedicated instrument able to continuously determine atmospheric performance for a wide spectral range is not yet planned. In the absence of such measurements, in this paper we suggest a semi-empirical approach to perform an analysis of atmospheric transmission and emission at Dome C to compare the performance for 7 photometric bands ranging from 100 GHz to 2 THz. Radiosoundings data provided by the Routine Meteorological Observations (RMO) Research Project at Concordia station are corrected by temperature and humidity errors and dry biases and then employed to feed ATM (Atmospheric Transmission at Microwaves) code to generate synthetic spectra in the wide spectral range from 100 GHz to 2 THz. To quantify the atmospheric contribution in millimeter and sub-millimeter observations we are considering several photometric bands in which atmospheric quantities are integrated. The observational capabilities of this site at all the selected spectral bands are analyzed considering monthly averaged transmissions joined to the corresponding fluctuations. Transmission and pwv statistics at Dome C derived by our semi-empirical approach are consistent with previous works. It is evident the decreasing of the performance at high frequencies. We propose to introduce a new parameter to compare the quality of a site at different spectral bands, in terms of high transmission and emission stability, the Site Photometric Quality Factor.Comment: accepted to MNRAS with minor revision

A Description of Laying Hen Husbandry and Management Practices in Canada

Canadian laying hen farms are transitioning from conventional cage housing to furnished cage and non-cage housing systems to improve laying hen welfare. However, little is known about the current housing and management systems in Canada. This study addresses this knowledge gap by describing different housing and management practices used on farms where laying hens were housed in furnished cages or non-cage housing systems. A questionnaire covering farm and housing conditions, litter management, nutrition and feeding, environmental control, flock characteristics, rearing and placement, health, egg production and performance were distributed through provincial egg boards to 122 producers across Canada. Data were collected from 65 laying hen flocks (52.5% response rate) in 26 furnished cage, 17 single-tier and 22 multi-tier systems. Flocks were on average 45.1 ± 14.59 weeks old (range: 19–69 weeks). Frequencies of different management practices were calculated according to housing system. Most flocks were reared in the same housing system as they were housed in during lay, with the exception of furnished cage layers which were reared in conventional cage systems. Results indicated that a large proportion of non-cage systems were either fully slatted or had manure as a litter substrate, which could have implications for consumer perspectives on these systems. Further research is needed to develop clear recommendations on proper litter management for farmers. In general, flock health was managed through daily inspections and vaccination schemes, whereas veterinarian involvement on-farm was less common. Vaccination, hygiene, and effective biosecurity should be maintained to ensure good health in laying hens in furnished cage and non-cage systems during the transition to these systems

Adherence to Gluten-Free Diet Restores Alpha Diversity in Celiac People but the Microbiome Composition Is Different to Healthy People

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease with the destruction of small intestinal villi, which occurs in genetically predisposed individuals. At the present moment, a gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only way to restore the functionality of gut mucosa. However, there is an open debate on the effects of long-term supplementation through a GFD, because some authors report an unbalance in microbial taxa composition. Methods: For microbiome analysis, fecal specimens were collected from 46 CD individuals in GFD for at least 2 years and 30 specimens from the healthy controls (HC). Data were analyzed using an ensemble of software packages: QIIME2, Coda-lasso, Clr-lasso, Selbal, PICRUSt2, ALDEx2, dissimilarity-overlap analysis, and dysbiosis detection tests. Results: The adherence to GFD restored the alpha biodiversity of the gut microbiota in celiac people but microbial composition at beta diversity resulted as different to HC. The microbial composition of the CD subjects was decreased in a number of taxa, namely Bifidobacterium longum and several belonging to Lachnospiraceae family, whereas Bacteroides genus was found to be more abundant. Predicted metabolic pathways among the CD bacterial communities revealed an important role in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. Conclusions: CD patients in GFD had a non-dysbiotic microbial composition for the crude alpha diversity metrics. We found significant differences in beta diversity, in certain taxon, and pathways between subjects with inactive CD in GFD and controls. Collectively, our data may suggest the development of new GFD products by modulating the gut microbiota through diet, supplements of vitamins, and the addition of specific prebiotics