Performance, intestinal histomorphology and bone composition of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with genistein

The effect of dietary genistein on performance, intestinal morphology, caecal Lactobacillus spp. count, and tibia composition in broiler chickens after 21 and 37 days of feeding was investigated. A total of 360 Cobb 500 broiler chickens (21 days old) were randomly allocated to five treatments with six replicates of 12 birds each. They were fed a basal diet (C) or a basal diet supplemented with 200 (T1), 400 (T2), 600 (T3) and 800 (T4) mg genistein/kg of feed. Genistein supplementation did not affect feed intake, but improved bodyweight, weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) after 21 days, while 600 mg/kg led to a significant increase in FCR after 37 days of feeding. Plasma triglyceride level decreased with dietary genistein after 21 days, while increases were found in T3 and T4 groups after prolonged supplementation. Significantly improved duodenal and jejunal villus length and width, crypt depth and villus/crypt ratio were observed after the first and the second finishing periods, respectively, while adverse effects were found in the ileum for both periods. At 42 days old, greater spleen and heart weights were measured in broilers fed diets with 800 mg/kg than in other broiler groups. The shorter genistein supplementation period (21 days) of 200 and 400 mg/kg had a positive effect on tibia wet weight, ash and calcium (Ca) content, while 37 days of the higher genistein doses administered to the T2, T3 and T4 birds significantly increased caecal lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts. Thus, recommended doses should not exceed 400 mg/kg. Keywords: broiler performance, blood triglyceride, Lactobacillus, prolonged fattening, small intestinal morpholog

Praćenje promene broja bakterija familije enterobacteriaceae u pastrmci i odrescima šarana upakovanim u vakuum i modifikovanu atmosferu

Kvar ribe može se definisati kao bilo koja promena u mesu ribe koja proizvod čini neprihvatljivim za ljudsku ishranu i najčešće nastaje kao rezultat rasta mikroorganizama. Od toga koji su mikroorganizmi najzastupljeniji u ribi u trenutku ulova u velikoj meri zavisi i kolika će biti njena održivost tokom skladištenja. Bakterije koje pripadaju familiji Enterobacteriaceae su fakultativni anaerobi, gram negativni i katalaza pozitivni mikroorganizmi. Ovoj familiji pripadaju sledeći rodovi: Salmonelle, Escherichia, Proteus, Shigella, Serratia, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Enterobacter i Erwinia, a neki od njih su izraziti patogeni i izazivači velikog broja različitih oboljenja kod ljudi, kao što su septikemija, pneumonija, meningitis, infekcije urinarnog trakta, bolesti organa za varenje i mnogih drugih bolesti. Široko su rasprostranjeni u spoljašnjoj sredini, a neki su saprofitski stanovnici digestivnog trakta. Cilj ovog eksperimenta je bio da se ispita rast bakterija familije Enterobacteriaceae u svežoj pastrmci i odrescima šarana upakovanim u vakuum i modifikovanu atmosferu. Uzorci su podeljeni u tri grupe. Grupa I je upakovana u modifikovanu atmosferu sa odnosom gasova 60%CO2 i 40%N2, grupa II je upakovana u modifikovanu atmosferu sa 40%CO2 i 60%N2 dok je III grupa upakovana u vakuum. Odnos gas/uzorak u pakovanju bio je 2:1. Svi uzorci su skladišteni pri istovetnim uslovima na temperaturi od +3˚C. Određivanje broja bakterija familije Enterobacteriaceae prema ISO 21528 -2:2004 obavljeno je 0, 7. i 14. dana skladištenja. U pastrmci i odrescima šarana upakovanim u modifikovanu atmosferu sa 60%CO2 i 40% N2 (I grupa), rast ukupnog broja enterobakterija bio je sporiji nego u pastrmci i odrescima šarana upakovanim u modifikovanu atmosferu sa 40%CO2 i 60%N2 (II grupa) ili pak u vakuum (III grupa). Ovo se može objasniti antimikrobnim dejstvom ugljen-dioksida, koji je procentualno najzastupljeniji u smeši gasova u koju su upakovani uzorci I grupe kao i činjenicom da ugljen-dioksid deluje inhibitorno pre svega na gram-negativne bakterije, kakvi i jesu mikroorganizmi iz familije Enterobacteriaceae. Najveću stopu rasta imale su enterobakterije u pastrmci i odrescima šarana III grupe tj. u uzorcima upakovanim u vakuum. Ovi rezultati ukazuju na sposobnost Enterobacteriaceae da rastu u anaerobnim uslovima, na temperaturi frižidera u proizvodima upakovanim u vakuum. Modifikovana atmosfera smanjuje ukupan broj enterobakterija, a najniža vrednost je dobijena kod odrezaka šarana upakovanih u modifikovanu atmosferu sa 60%CO2 i 40%N2

A portable triaxial cell for beamline imaging of rocks under triaxial state of stress

Acknowledgements The development of the cell was supported by the Research and Teaching Excellence Fund of the School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen. Experiments at BT2, NCNR were supported by UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council grant number EP/N021665/1, NIST and the Physical Measurement Laboratory. Experiments at IMAT were supported by the UK STFC, Experiment number: 1910331 (https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1910331).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Use of mRNA- and protein-destabilizing elements to develop a highly responsive reporter system

Reporter assays are widely used in applications that require measurement of changes in gene expression over time (e.g. drug screening). With standard reporter vectors, the measurable effect of a treatment or compound (altered reporter activity) is substantially diluted and delayed, compared with its true effect (altered transcriptional activity). This problem is caused by the relatively long half-lives of both the reporter protein and its mRNA. As a result, the activities of compounds, ligands or treatments that have a relatively minor effect, or a substantial but transient effect, often remain undetected. To circumvent this problem, we introduced modular protein- and mRNA-destabilizing elements into a range of commonly used reporters. Our data show that both elements are required for maximal responses to both increases and decreases in transcriptional activity. The double-destabilized reporter vectors showed markedly improved performance in drug screening, kinetic assays and dose–response titrations

Predictors of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Two Underserved U.S. Populations: A Parallel Analysis

BackgroundDespite declining colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates in the U.S., significant geographic and racial disparities in CRC death rates remain. Differences in guideline-concordant CRC screening rates may explain some of these disparities. We aim to assess individual and neighborhood-level predictors of guideline-concordant CRC screening within two cohorts of individuals located within CRC mortality geographic hotspot regions in the U.S.MethodsA total of 36,901 participants from the Southern Community Cohort Study and 4,491 participants from the Ohio Appalachia CRC screening study were included in this study. Self-reported date of last CRC screening was used to determine if the participant was within guidelines for screening. Logistic regression models were utilized to determine the association of individual-level predictors, neighborhood deprivation, and residence in hotspot regions on the odds of being within guidelines for CRC screening.ResultsLower household income, lack of health insurance, and being a smoker were each associated with lower odds of being within guidelines for CRC screening in both cohorts. Area-level associations were less evident, although up to 15% lower guideline adherence was associated with residence in neighborhoods of greater deprivation and in the Lower Mississippi Delta, one of the identified CRC mortality hotspots.ConclusionThese results reveal the adverse effects of lower area-level and individual socioeconomic status on adherence to CRC guideline screening

Governing shipping externalities : Baltic ports in the process of SOx emission reduction

This paper analyses the debate which has unfolded in the Baltic Sea Region regarding the reduction of sulphur content in vessel fuels, in order to illustrate how tightening environmental regulation challenges traditional forms of maritime governance. Using an interactive governance approach, this study reconstructs the process of sulphur emission reduction as a complex multi-stakeholder interaction in multiple contexts. The empirical investigation has drawn on documentary material from around the Baltic region, including Russia, and has applied the method of qualitative content analysis. The empirical study focuses on two interlinked questions: (1) How sulphur emission reduction policies are being anticipated by maritime industry, in particular by Baltic ports and (2) How port adaptation strategies are tied into Baltic local and energy contexts. Addressing these questions highlights the role of polycentricity in shipping governance and explains how the same universal international regulations can produce varying patterns of governance. The paper concludes that policy-making shall take an account of the fact that the globalized shipping industry is nevertheless locally and sectorally embedded.Peer reviewe