316 research outputs found
The Effect of Gamma-Irradiated Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria in Decreasing the In Vitro Production of Methane by Buffalo Rumen Liquid
Ruminant livestock undeniably contributes to the increase of greenhouse gases by emitting methane. One strategy used to reduce methane emission is by applying nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB). Utilizing active NRB has a side effect of acidosis in rumen liquid in an uncontrolled condition. Alternatively, NRB can be applied in an inactive form. The aim of this study was to examine the use of gamma irradiation on NRB to be used for decreasing methane production by buffalo rumen liquid. The examination was performed in vitro and involved comparison to other treatments, which were active NRB, autoclaved NRB, and without NRB. The result showed that the NRB in either active or the inactive conditionaffected fermentation of the rumen microorganisms. There were differences in pH values, digestibility of organic matters, ammonia, total and partial volatile fatty acids, and methane production between all treatments after 24 and 48 h of incubation. All treatments showed significant differences for each parameter, except for the gas production (p ≤ 0.05). The irradiated NRB produced slightly more methane, i.e. 3.0 and 10.4 ml/200 mg after 24 and 48 h incubation, respectively, compared to the active NRB, autoclaved NRB, and no-NRB-addition treatments, i.e., 2.0 and 8.0; 7.8 and 11.7; 8.0 and 12.4 ml/200 mg, respectively. In conclusion, the irradiated NRB has a potency as a supplement feed for buffaloes to reduce methane production without the risk of acidosis in the rumen liquid
Effect of addition of exogenous enzymes in hypocaloric diet in broiler chicken on performance, biochemical parameters and meat characteristics
In developing countries, broiler farmers often use imbalanced energy diets, hence our study aims to evaluate the combined effect of addition of commercial exogenous enzymes (CEE), in low energy level corn/soybean meal based-diet on performance, serum biochemical parameters, meat characteristics in male and female of broiler chickens. A total of 120 one day old Hubbard F15 broiler chickens were divided on 2 groups (60 animals/group) with 5 replicates/group. The control group received a standard diet, while CEE group received the same diet supplemented with enzymes (250 g/ton). Addition of enzymes reduced significantly feed (p<0.001) and water intakes (p<0.05); in meantime, feed conversion ratio tended to be lower (p=0.08). No changes were observed in pH, protein or moisture contents of meat in both sexes broiler between CEE and control groups. No perturbation was found in all serum biochemical parameters in both sexes between CEE and control groups, except total protein and albumin levels were significantly higher in male birds fed enzymes when compared to male birds of the control group (p<0.001; p<0.01) respectively. Addition of enzymes allowed a decrease of 950 g/bird in feed intake for the total rearing period, hence save 337 €/1000 birds; thus, use of CEE in hypocaloric diet enhances broilers feed efficiency and procures an economic benefit to farmers
Prevalence and risk factors for HBV and HCV in prisoners in Iran: a national bio-behavioural surveillance survey in 2015
Objectives: To provide more accurate estimates of the prevalence of Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) and their contributing factors among prisoners in Iran. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 6200 Iranian prisoners in 2015. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. HBV infection and HCV exposure status of the participants was determined by HBsAg and HCV antibodies blood tests using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data were analysed in STATA-12. Result: Prevalence of HCV exposure was 9.48 (95 CI: 8.73�10.27), and prevalence of HBV was 2.48 (95 CI: 2.07�2.89) in the general prison population. In multivariate analysis, the most important risk factor for HBV was a history of drug use in lifetime (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 1.8, 95 CI: 1.17�3.02). The main risk factors for HCV exposure were a history of drug use in lifetime (AOR: 4.08, CI: 2.56�6.27), age over 30 (AOR: 2.68, CI: 2.01�3.56), and having tattoos (AOR = 1.67, CI: 1.35�2.07). Conclusion: Although vaccination is used to control HBV among prisoners, prevalence of HCV exposure is alarming in the prison population of Iran, especially among people who inject drugs. Eliminating viral hepatitis in Iran by 2030 requires a national commitment and rapid measures for targeting this high-risk group. Given the increased efficiency of HCV treatment in recent years, prisons provide an opportunity to access patients for treatment. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Lt
Prevalence and risk factors for HBV and HCV in prisoners in Iran: a national bio-behavioural surveillance survey in 2015
Objectives: To provide more accurate estimates of the prevalence of Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) and their contributing factors among prisoners in Iran. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 6200 Iranian prisoners in 2015. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. HBV infection and HCV exposure status of the participants was determined by HBsAg and HCV antibodies blood tests using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data were analysed in STATA-12. Result: Prevalence of HCV exposure was 9.48 (95 CI: 8.73�10.27), and prevalence of HBV was 2.48 (95 CI: 2.07�2.89) in the general prison population. In multivariate analysis, the most important risk factor for HBV was a history of drug use in lifetime (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 1.8, 95 CI: 1.17�3.02). The main risk factors for HCV exposure were a history of drug use in lifetime (AOR: 4.08, CI: 2.56�6.27), age over 30 (AOR: 2.68, CI: 2.01�3.56), and having tattoos (AOR = 1.67, CI: 1.35�2.07). Conclusion: Although vaccination is used to control HBV among prisoners, prevalence of HCV exposure is alarming in the prison population of Iran, especially among people who inject drugs. Eliminating viral hepatitis in Iran by 2030 requires a national commitment and rapid measures for targeting this high-risk group. Given the increased efficiency of HCV treatment in recent years, prisons provide an opportunity to access patients for treatment. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Lt
Calibration of activity-related energy expenditure in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
Objectives: Usual physical activity (PA) is a complex exposure and typical instruments to measure aspects of PA are subject to measurement error, from systematic biases and biological variability. This error can lead to biased estimates of associations between PA and health outcomes. We developed a calibrated physical activity measure that adjusts for measurement error in both self-reported and accelerometry measures of PA in adults from the US Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), a community-based cohort study. Design: Total energy expenditure (TEE) from doubly labeled water and resting energy expenditure (REE) from indirect calorimetry were measured in 445 men and women aged 18–74 years in 2010–2012, as part of the HCHS/SOL Study of Latinos: Nutrition & Physical Activity Assessment Study (SOLNAS). Measurements were repeated in a subset (N = 98) 6 months later. Method: Calibration equations for usual activity-related energy expenditure (AEE = 0.90 × TEE-REE) were developed by regressing this objective biomarker on self-reported PA and sedentary behavior, Actical accelerometer PA, and other subject characteristics. Results: Age, weight and height explained a significant amount of variation in AEE. Actical PA and wear-time were important predictors of AEE; whereas, self-reported PA was not independently associated with AEE. The final calibration equation explained fifty percent of variation in AEE. Conclusions: The developed calibration equations can be used to obtain error-corrected associations between PA and health outcomes in HCHS/SOL. Our study represents a unique opportunity to understand the measurement characteristics of PA instruments in an under-studied Hispanic/Latino cohort
Search for composite and exotic fermions at LEP 2
A search for unstable heavy fermions with the DELPHI detector at LEP is
reported. Sequential and non-canonical leptons, as well as excited leptons and
quarks, are considered. The data analysed correspond to an integrated
luminosity of about 48 pb^{-1} at an e^+e^- centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV
and about 20 pb^{-1} equally shared between the centre-of-mass energies of 172
GeV and 161 GeV. The search for pair-produced new leptons establishes 95%
confidence level mass limits in the region between 70 GeV/c^2 and 90 GeV/c^2,
depending on the channel. The search for singly produced excited leptons and
quarks establishes upper limits on the ratio of the coupling of the excited
fermio
Search for charginos in e+e- interactions at sqrt(s) = 189 GeV
An update of the searches for charginos and gravitinos is presented, based on
a data sample corresponding to the 158 pb^{-1} recorded by the DELPHI detector
in 1998, at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. No evidence for a signal was
found. The lower mass limits are 4-5 GeV/c^2 higher than those obtained at a
centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The (\mu,M_2) MSSM domain excluded by
combining the chargino searches with neutralino searches at the Z resonance
implies a limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino which, for a heavy
sneutrino, is constrained to be above 31.0 GeV/c^2 for tan(beta) \geq 1.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure
Search for lightest neutralino and stau pair production in light gravitino scenarios with stau NLSP
Promptly decaying lightest neutralinos and long-lived staus are searched for
in the context of light gravitino scenarios. It is assumed that the stau is the
next to lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP) and that the lightest
neutralino is the next to NLSP (NNLSP). Data collected with the Delphi detector
at centre-of-mass energies from 161 to 183 \GeV are analysed. No evidence of
the production of these particles is found. Hence, lower mass limits for both
kinds of particles are set at 95% C.L.. The mass of gaugino-like neutralinos is
found to be greater than 71.5 GeV/c^2. In the search for long-lived stau,
masses less than 70.0 to 77.5 \GeVcc are excluded for gravitino masses from 10
to 150 \eVcc . Combining this search with the searches for stable heavy leptons
and Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model staus a lower limit of 68.5 \GeVcc
may be set for the stau mas
Hadronization properties of b quarks compared to light quarks in e+e- -> q qbar from 183 to 200 GeV
The DELPHI detector at LEP has collected 54 pb^{-1} of data at a
centre-of-mass energy around 183 GeV during 1997, 158 pb^{-1} around 189 GeV
during 1998, and 187 pb^{-1} between 192 and 200 GeV during 1999. These data
were used to measure the average charged particle multiplicity in e+e- -> b
bbar events, _{bb}, and the difference delta_{bl} between _{bb} and the
multiplicity, _{ll}, in generic light quark (u,d,s) events: delta_{bl}(183
GeV) = 4.55 +/- 1.31 (stat) +/- 0.73 (syst) delta_{bl}(189 GeV) = 4.43 +/- 0.85
(stat) +/- 0.61 (syst) delta_{bl}(200 GeV) = 3.39 +/- 0.89 (stat) +/- 1.01
(syst). This result is consistent with QCD predictions, while it is
inconsistent with calculations assuming that the multiplicity accompanying the
decay of a heavy quark is independent of the mass of the quark itself.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure
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