Proton-conducting membranes based on CsH2PO4 and copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene with vinylidene fluoride

In this work, proton conductivity, morphology and mechanical properties of (1–x)CsH2PO4–xF-42 (x=0.05–0.3, weight ratio) membranes were investigated for the first time. Thin flexible membranes for x≥0.15 with the uniform distribution of the components were obtained by a tape casting method. Mechanical properties of the membranes were measured by Vickers microhardness tests for a low polymer content (x˂0.15), also the tensile strength for membranes with high polymer content x=0.2–0.3 were evaluated. Proton conductivity of the (1–x)CsH2PO4–xpF-42 composite polymer electrolytes decreases monotonically with increasing x due to the effect of a «conductor-insulator» percolation. The combination of conductivity, mechanical strength and hydrophobic properties of (1–x)CsH2PO4–xF-42 makes certain compositions of proton-conducting membranes (x~0.2–0.25) promising for their use in intermediate-temperature fuel cells, despite decreased conductivity

Investigating adverse effects of chronic dietary exposure to herbicide glyphosate on zootechnical characteristics and clinical, biochemical and immunological blood parameters in broiler chickens

Although the herbicide glyphosate is widely used globally and considered safe, more evidence of its adverse effects on animals and humans is accumulating. The present investigation was aimed at evaluating the impact of different glyphosate concentrations on zootechnical characteristics and clinical, biochemical and immunological blood parameters in Ross 308 broiler chickens. Four groups were employed, including untreated control and three experimental groups fed diets enriched with glyphosate at doses of 10, 20 and 100 ppm that conformed to 0.5, 1 and 5 maximum residue limits, respectively. The results showed that glyphosate is a stress factor triggering a multifaceted effect on important blood parameters (e.g., white blood cell and phagocytic counts), which was shown for the first time in the experiments involving productive meat-type poultry. It was first revealed that glyphosate-induced changes in blood parameters may be related to a negative impact on the zootechnical characteristics including the digestive tract organ development and body weight gain. The study findings suggested that exposure to glyphosate in the feedstuffs can adversely affect the physiological condition and productivity of broilers

Synthesis of BaSnO₃ as a Highly Dispersed Additive for the Preparation of Proton-Conducting Composites

The process of thermolysis of barium hydroxostannate BaSn(OH)6 as a precursor for preparing barium stannate BaSnO3 has been investigated using the method of differential thermal analysis. Thermal decomposition products of the precursor were characterized using X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, and scanning electron microscopy. It was shown that dehydration at nearly 270 °C resulted in the formation of an X-ray amorphous multiphase product, from which single-phase barium stannate crystallized at temperatures above 600 °C. The synthesized barium stannate was used as a functional additive to prepare composite proton electrolytes in the CsHSO4-BaSnO3 system. The structural and transport properties of the obtained system were investigated. It is shown that the highly conductive state of the salt is stabilized in a wide range of temperatures. High conductivity values of composite solid electrolytes in the medium temperature range create the possibility of their use as solid electrolyte membrane materials

Imparting High Proton Conductivity to a Metal–Organic Framework Material by Controlled Acid Impregnation

The extensive implementation of hydrogen-powered technology today is limited by a number of fundamental problems related to materials research. Fuel-cell hydrogen conversion technology requires proton-conducting materials with high conductivity at intermediate temperatures up to 120 °C. The development of such materials remains challenging because the proton transport of many promising candidates is based on extended microstructures of water molecules, which deteriorate at temperatures above the boiling point. Here we show the impregnation of the mesoporous metal–organic framework (MOF) MIL-101 by nonvolatile acids H₂SO₄ and H₃PO₄. Such a simple approach affords solid materials with potent proton-conducting properties at moderate temperatures, which is critically important for the proper function of on-board automobile fuel cells. The proton conductivities of the H₂SO₄@MIL-101 and H₃PO₄@MIL-101 at <i>T</i> = 150 °C and low humidity outperform those of any other MOF-based materials and could be compared with the best proton conductors, such as Nafion

Effect of a probiotic strain administration in different feeding phases on α- and β-diversity and gene expression of the rumen microbiome in lactating cows

In cows, there is a drastic metabolic stress caused by violations of the rumen microbiome composition during lactation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the α-and β-diversity of the rumen microbiome of lactating cows using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and gene expression assessed by qPCR, as well as evaluation of the corrective properties of a probiotic strain introduced into the rumen. The results showed that the addition of the probiotic to the diet contributed to an effective increase in the fat content of milk during the early lactation period (P ≤ 0.05). The NGS-based analysis of the rumen microbiome of the studied cows using the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the Shannon and Chao1 indices of α-diversity of prokaryotic communities remained unchanged during various feeding phases, as well as due to the probiotic effects. In the early lactation period and under the probiotic’s impact, the number of representatives of the Clostridia_UCG-014 and Clostridiaceae families declined by 2.4 and 1.6 times, respectively (in Group 2 as compared to Group 1, P ≤ 0.05). Expression of the bacterial Ldh-L and ldhD genes was lower by 2.9 and 13.5 times, respectively (P ≤ 0.05), when adding the probiotic to the diet in the early lactation period

Bioactive Feed Additive for the Prevention of Clostridial Disease in High-Yielding Dairy Cattle

The purpose of this research is to develop and test a new approach to prevent clostridial disease in cattle, based on the use of a new compound biologically active feed additive (BFA). Some properties of the separate components of BFA are characterized. The research showed that a strain of the bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens159 has an expressed antagonism to toxin-producing strains of C. perfringens. When using the test strains of C. perfringens from the ATCC collection (13,124 as type A, 10,543 as type C, 12,916 as type F), the anticlostridial activity of the tested strains varied, with size range of 14.0 ± 0.95–15.0 ± 1.28 mm of delayed growth zones. The bactericidal properties of lauric acid and the sorption properties of diatomaceous earth, included in BFA, were confirmed. The experiment was conducted on Holstein cows at the beginning of lactation (control, C (n = 15) vs. experimental E48 (n = 15), E80 (n = 15) and E112 (n = 15), 48, 80 and 112 g/head/day BFA, respectively. All cows were vaccinated with “Coglavax” (vaccine against bovine and sheep clostridial disease, Ceva-Phylaxia VeterinaryBiologicals, Hungary), reinjected two weeks before the experiment. At the end of the experiment (3.5 months after the vaccination and 3 months after the start of BFA feeding according to the scheme of the experiment), the immune response in the control and Group E48 to C. perfringens β-toxin remained at the initial level, while the response in Group E80 and Group E112 became higher under the influence of BFA feeding. Cows fed BFA saw a guaranteed improvement in non-specific resistance. The increase in serum lysozyme concentration in cows of Groups E was 1.01–2.91 mkg/mL vs. control (p p p p p p p = 0.002). Serum TBA–AP/ CP ratio was directly related to TBA–AP (r = 0.87, p p = 0.03 vs. Control). Thus, feeding BFA to dairy cows was found to improve resistance, prevent toxicoses and increase milk production of cattle, which can serve as an additional strategy for bioprotection of cattle against infection

Probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics in modulating the intestinal microbiota and performance of broiler chickens

Aims Gut bacteria play an important role in poultry nutrition and the immune defense system. Changes in the intestinal microbiome affect the physiological state, metabolism and innate im-munity of poultry. The present study aimed to characterize age-related changes in the gastrointestinal tract microflora in broiler chickens, depending on supplementation of the diet with the in-feed antibiotic Stafac® 110 and a Bacillus subtilis strain-based probiotic. Methods and results In this regard, a comprehensive analysis of the taxonomic structure of the microbial community in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of broiler chickens was carried out using a molecular genetic technique of the Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis and taking into account age dynamics and feeding treatment. A beneficial effect on the microbiological composition and body weight of broilers was observed when using the antibiotic and probiotic in compound feeds. Different bacterial communities were revealed in the duodenum and cecum and their positive impact on broiler growth was established. The results obtained shed light on the formation of GIT microflora of broiler chickens during the growing period and its changes in response to the use of the antibiotic and the probiotic. Conclusions We suggest that the implementation of the tested in-feed antibiotic and probiotic can be beneficial in regulating the intestinal microflora microbiological processes in the GIT and improving the feeding efficiency and productivity of broiler chickens

Analysis of changes in broiler microbiome biodiversity parameters due to intake of glyphosate and probiotic Bacillus sp. GL-8 using next generation sequencing

In recent years, there have been more data that the nonselective herbicide glyphosate (GLY) can negatively impact gut bacterial communities. The aim of our study was to investigate the composition of broiler caecal microbiome under chronic exposure to GLY and the introduction of a probiotic microorganism strain into the diet. 120 broilers were divided into three groups: Group 1 of control birds fed the basic diet (BD); Group 2 of experimental birds fed BD supplemented with GLY; and Group 3 of experimental birds fed BD supplemented with GLY and a probiotic strain of the microorganism Bacillus sp. GL-8. For analysis, we used the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique. Due to the GLY administration, there was a trend of lowering the biodiversity of normal microflora representatives, along with intestinal colonization by undesirable forms of microorganisms. In particular, when adding GLY (Group 2), we observed a decreased number of Tepidimicrobium representatives (0.001 ±0.00006%) that ferment indigestible polysaccharides, while in Group 1 their content was greater (0.3 ± 0.02%; P ≤ 0.05). In Group 3 with probiotic, there was a lower number of Firmicutes (by 16.7%) and a rise in the number of Bacteroidetes (by 19.1%) as compared to Group 2 (P ≤ 0.05)