Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in broiler chicken flocks in northern Poland in 2014–2016

Zoonotic serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica are an important biological factor that poses a threat to public health, and broilers are often asymptomatic carriers of these bacteria. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Salmonella serotypes in broiler chicken flocks in northern Poland in 2014–2016. The study was conducted on commercial flocks monitored by the Institutes of Veterinary Hygiene in Gdańsk and Olsztyn in 2014–2016. A total of 4,331 samples were investigated. Identification of Salmonella spp. was performed by a culture-dependent method followed by biochemical and serological confirmation tests, in accordance with Polish Standards. The total percentage of infected flocks in northern Poland reached 1.57%. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in broiler chickens decreased from 2.19% in 2014 to 1.22% in 2016. The percentage of flocks infected with S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium was 1.18% and 0.12%, respectively (S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium were detected in 1.29% of flocks). The most common serotypes that had not been covered by the control programme were S. Mbandaka (0.14%), S. Infantis (0.07%) and, sporadically, S. Kentucky and S. Anatum. The percentage of infected flocks was higher (by 0.26%) in the Pomeranian Region than in the Region of Warmia and Mazury, and it increased over the analyzed period – the highest number of positive samples were found in 2016 (2.04%). In the Region of Warmia and Mazury, the percentage of infected flocks was highest in 2014 (3.08%); in 2014–2016, the number of positive samples decreased steadily to reach 0.41% in 2016. In the analyzed regions, the incidence of human salmonellosis was correlated with the percentage of infected broiler flocks

Observations of deterministic chaos in financial time series by recurrence plots, can one control chaotic economy?

Several economical time series such as exchange rates US$/British Pound, USA Treasure Bonds rates and Warsaw Stock Index WIG have been investigated using the method of recurrence plots. The percentage of recurrence REC and the percentage of determinism DET have been calculated for the original and for shuffled data. We have found that in some cases the values of REC and DET parameters are about 20% lower for the surrogate data which indicates the presence of unstable periodical orbits in the considered data. A similar result has been obtained for the chaotic Lorenz model contaminated by noise. Our investigations suggest that real economical dynamics is a mixture of deterministic and stochastic chaos. We show how a simple chaotic economic model can be controlled by appropriate influence of time-delayed feedback

Ultrastructure of the tegument of the anoplocephalid cestode Mosgovoyia ctenoides [Railliet, 1890] Beveridge, 1978

The tegument of the mature proglottids of M. ctenoides was examined by means of TEM. The tegument of this species consists of two layers: (1) the external cytoplasm, and (2) the tegumental perikarya situated in the cortical parenchyma. The tegument surface is covered by typical microtriches. The anucleated external layer of cytoplasm is rich in vesicles of different shape and electron-density, but it lacks mitochondria. Large pore canals penetrate the external cytoplasmic layer. This layer is separated from the perikarya by a basal lamina, being connected with the tegument cell bodies by cytoplasmic bridges. The granular cytoplasm of perikarya contains typical cell organelles such as mitochondria, GER, Golgi complexes, free rybosomes, numerous vesicles and lipid droplets inclusions. The large nuclei of the perikarya with prominent nucleoli frequently contain large intranuclear, highly osmiophilic lipid droplets

The Antifungal Properties of Peppermint and Thyme Essential Oils Misted in Broiler Houses

ABSTRACT This study aimed at evaluating if essential oils misted in broiler houses reduce environmental fungi counts. The investigation was conducted in three experimental rooms, where broiler chickens were reared between 1 to 42 d of age. Every three days, the rooms were fogged with pure water (control) or with aqueous solutions of peppermint or thyme oils. On the next day, fogging samples from the air, flat surfaces, and litter were collected and quantitatively and qualitatively analysed for fungal contamination. The treatment with essential oils showed promising results. In the room fogged with thyme oil, aerial fungi growth was not as evident as in the control room, and presented the lowest average fungi count. Thyme oil was also the most effective in reducing fungi colonization on drinker surfaces and litter. The use of peppermint oil also reduced the population of air, wall, surface and litter fungi, although some exceptions were noted. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium and Saccharomyces genera were identified most frequently. The effect of essential oils was noticeable in the last two weeks, when the counts of Aspergillus sp. were 75% (thyme oil) and 46% (peppermint oil) lower in comparison with the control group. The results show that fogging broiler houses with essential oils may be an effective prevention method against fungal aerosol in broiler houses. However, further investigations to determine the synergistic effect of different oils and their compounds, and the best possible doses and methods of application in the field are needed

Configurations of craft: alternative models for organizing work

The concept of craft has long lived in the margins of organizational research and has typically been equated with a primitive form of manufacturing. Craft, however, seems to have had a resurgence as of late, and is now increasingly being associated with alternative approaches to work and organization in contemporary society. Yet, in spite of a growing stream of research on the phenomenon, insights have remained fragmented thus far due to a lack of common theoretical infrastructure. In an effort to synthesize the disparate threads of research on craft, we conducted an interpretive review of the use of the concept in management and organizational literature over the past century. Based on this review, we propose a reconceptualization of craft as a timeless approach to work that prioritizes human engagement over machine control. We identify the distinct work skills and attitudes that are typically associated with craft and illustrate how these appear across two conventional configurations (traditional and industrialized craft) and three contemporaneous configurations (technical, pure, and creative craft) that are visible in the literature. Finally, we suggest how our framework could be used as a general theory for understanding alternative approaches to work against the backdrop of growing affordances of machine technology and sketch future research avenues for exploring specific craft-related tensions and evolutionary processes

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin like growth factor-1 and inflammatory cytokine responses to continuous and intermittent exercise in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Aims Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an important risk factor for cognitive decline and motor dysfunction due to progressive muscular atrophy. Chronic hyperglycemia may be responsible for impaired vascular function, loss of muscle mass, and morphological abnormalities in the myocytes. For the proper functioning of the neuromuscular system, two crucial growth factors are necessary: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), whose reduced expressions have been implicated in progressive neuropathy and muscle atrophy in patients with T1DM. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of two different exercise regimes (continuous and intermittent) on BDNF, IGF-1, blood glucose and inflammatory cytokine responses in young adults with and without Type 1 diabetes. Methods Fourteen patients (aged: 26.9 years) with T1DM and age-matched adults without diabetes participated in a 40 min continuous exercise (ExC, 50% of lactate threshold) and a high intensity intermittent exercise (ExInt, 120% of lactate threshold). During the study the patients performed self-monitoring of blood glucose levels (SMBG) under glycemic control. The effects of ExC and ExInt on BDNF, IGF-1, insulin like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP-3), insulin (INS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were analyzed. Results BDNF and IGF-1 baseline serum levels were significantly lower in the T1DM patients compared to the healthy controls, but we found that ExInt and ExC significantly increase the secretion of BDNF and IGF-1 levels. Significant increases in BDNF and TGF-β levels, higher blood glucose decline, and a lower incidence of hypoglycaemia in ExInt compared to ExC were observed. Lower IGFBP-3 concentrations were revealed in T1DM patients in response to ExInt compared to ExC, suggesting a positive effect on IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio and the bioavailability of IGF-1. Conclusions According to our results physical exercise has beneficial effects on serum BDNF and IGF-1 levels. A high-intensity intermittent exercise may be more effective at reducing the risk of exercise-induced glycaemic disorders in the T1DM patients as compared to continuous exercise