Hydrated lime matrix decreases ruminal biohydrogenation of flaxseed fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients for humans, but dietary intake of these nutrients by many Americans is inadequate due to low consumption of omega-3-rich foods such as fish, walnuts, and flaxseed. In contrast, per capita consumption of red meat is relatively high, but these products normally contain only small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Feeding cattle diets that contain omega-3 fatty acids has consistently increased the proportion of the desirable fats that accumulate in beef. Unfortunately, the proportion of dietary omega-3 fats that are deposited into beef tissues is relatively low, because microorganisms within the rumen biohydrogenate the unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids extensively to produce the saturated fats that are characteristic of beef fat. Encapsulation of fats has been proposed as a method for improving efficiency of transfer of omega-3 fats into beef. Encapsulation processes apply a protective barrier on the surface of fats or fat-containing feeds, which theoretically decreases fats’ susceptibility to microbial biohydrogenation. Protective coatings must remain intact to retain their functionality, and physical damage to the coatings that occurs with normal handling can result in poor efficacy because the core material is exposed to microorganisms in the rumen. Embedding feed particles within a homogeneous protective matrix constitutes a potentially useful alternative to protective surface barriers. The matrix is created by mixing feed particles that are to be protected with a suitable matrix material that is resistant to microbial digestion and subsequently forming the mixture into pills. In cases where physical damage occurs, exposure of the core material is confined to the broken surface, and the remainder of the matrix retains its ruminal stability. The objective of this study was to determine if embedding flaxseed within a matrix of hydrated dolomitic lime could be used as a method to decrease biohydrogenation of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, thus improving efficiency of omega-3 fatty acids absorption into the bloodstream

Гибридная интегральная схема для обработки звукового сигнала

Разработана гибридная интегральная схема с номинальным напряжением питания 1,4 В, током потребления 0,7 мА и габаритными размерами 8x4x3 мм для обработки звукового сигнала в автономной аппаратуре.Розроблена гібридна інтегральна схема з номінальною напругою живлення 1,4 В, струмом споживання 0,7 мА і габаритними розмірами 8x4x3 мм забезпечує багатофункціональну обробку звуковою сигналу в аналоговій мікроелектронній апаратурі. Наведено її конструкторсько-технологічні та електричні параметри.Developed hybrid integrated circuit with rated supply voltage of 1,4 V, current consumption 0,7 mA and overall dimensions 8x4x3 mm provides soft processing of the audio signal in analog microelectronic equipment. Given its design, technological and electrical parameters

Global distribution and diversity of ovine-associated Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen of many species, including sheep, and impacts on both human and animal health, animal welfare, and farm productivity. Here we present the widest global diversity study of ovine-associated S. aureus to date. We analysed 97 S. aureus isolates from sheep and sheep products from the UK, Turkey, France, Norway, Australia, Canada and the USA using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and spa typing. These were compared with 196 sheep isolates from Europe (n = 153), Africa (n = 28), South America (n = 14) and Australia (n = 1); 172 bovine, 68 caprine and 433 human S. aureus profiles. Overall there were 59 STs and 87 spa types in the 293 ovine isolates; in the 97 new ovine isolates there were 22 STs and 37 spa types, including three novel MLST alleles, four novel STs and eight novel spa types. Three main CCs (CC133, CC522 and CC700) were detected in sheep and these contained 61% of all isolates. Four spa types (t002, t1534, t2678 and t3576) contained 31% of all isolates and were associated with CC5, CC522, CC133 and CC522 respectively. spa types were consistent with MLST CCs, only one spa type (t1403) was present in multiple CCs. The three main ovine CCs have different but overlapping patterns of geographical dissemination that appear to match the location and timing of sheep domestication and selection for meat and wool production. CC133, CC522 and CC700 remained ovine-associated following the inclusion of additional host species. Ovine isolates clustered separately from human and bovine isolates and those from sheep cheeses, but closely with caprine isolates. As with cattle isolates, patterns of clonal diversification of sheep isolates differ from humans, indicative of their relatively recent host-jump

MRSA in Conventional and Alternative Retail Pork Products

In order to examine the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus on retail pork, three hundred ninety-five pork samples were collected from a total of 36 stores in Iowa, Minnesota, and New Jersey. S. aureus was isolated from 256 samples (64.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 59.9%–69.5%). S. aureus was isolated from 67.3% (202/300) of conventional pork samples and from 56.8% (54/95) of alternative pork samples (labeled “raised without antibiotics” or “raised without antibiotic growth promotants”). Two hundred and thirty samples (58.2%, 95% CI 53.2%–63.1%) were found to carry methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). MSSA was isolated from 61.0% (183/300) of conventional samples and from 49.5% (47/95) of alternative samples. Twenty-six pork samples (6.6%, 95% CI 4.3%–9.5%) carried methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). No statistically significant differences were observed for the prevalence of S. aureus in general, or MSSA or MRSA specifically, when comparing pork products from conventionally raised swine and swine raised without antibiotics, a finding that contrasts with a prior study from the Netherlands examining both conventional and “biologic” meat products. In our study spa types associated with “livestock-associated” ST398 (t034, t011) were found in 26.9% of the MRSA isolates, while 46.2% were spa types t002 and t008—common human types of MRSA that also have been found in live swine. The study represents the largest sampling of raw meat products for MRSA contamination to date in the U.S. MRSA prevalence on pork products was higher than in previous U.S.-conducted studies, although similar to that in Canadian studies

Transmission of highly virulent community-associated MRSA ST93 and livestock-associated MRSA ST398 between humans and pigs in Australia

Pigs have been recognised as a reservoir of livestock associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) in Europe, Asia and North America. However, little is known about the presence and distribution of MRSA in the Australian pig population and pig industry. This study describes the presence, distribution and molecular characteristics of the human adapted Australian CA-MRSA ST93 isolated from pigs, people, and the environment within a piggery. Isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing, DNA microarray, whole genome sequencing, multi locus sequence typing, virulence and resistance gene characterization and phylogenetic analysis. MRSA were isolated from 60% (n = 52) of farm workers where 84% of isolates returned ST93 and the rest ST398. Of the thirty-one pig isolates tested further, an equal number of ST398 and ST93 (15 each) and one as ST30-V were identified. Four of six environmental isolates were identified as ST93 and two as ST398. This study has identified for the first time in Australia the occurrence of CA-MRSA ST93 and LA-MRSA ST398 amongst farm workers, pigs, and the farm environment. Comparative genome analysis indicates that ST398 is likely to have been introduced into Australia from Europe or North America. This study also reports the first linezolid resistant MRSA isolated in Australia

Methicillin-Susceptible ST398 Staphylococcus aureus Responsible for Bloodstream Infections: An Emerging Human-Adapted Subclone?

In the course of an annual 3-month bloodstream infections (BSI) survey conducted during a four-year period in 31 healthcare institutions located in three noncontiguous French regions, we report 18 ST398 Staphylococcus aureus BSI. ST398 BSI incidence showed a seven-fold increase during the study period (0.002 per 1,000 patient days in 2007 vs. 0.014 in 2010). ST398 BSI isolates differed from the pig-borne multiresistant clone: 17/18 BSI isolates were methicillin susceptible and none was of t011, t034 or t108 pig-borne spa-types. ST398 BSI isolates had homogenous resistance patterns (15/18 with only Eryr) and prophagic content (all harboured the hlb-converting Sau3int phage). The clustering of BSI and pig-borne isolates by spa-typing and MLVA, the occurrence of Sau3int phage in BSI isolates and the lack of this phage in pig-borne isolates suggest that the emergence of BSI isolates could have arisen from horizontal transfer, at least of the Sau3int phage, in genetically diverse MSSA ST398 isolates. The acquisition of the phage likely plays a role in the increasing ability of the lysogenic ST398 isolates to colonize human. The mode of acquisition of the non pig-borne ST398 isolates by our 18 patients remains unclear. ST398 BSI were diagnosed in patients lacking livestock exposure and were significantly associated with digestive portals of entry (3/18 [16.7%] for ST398 vs. 19/767 [2.5%] for non ST398 BSI; p = .012). This raises the question of possible foodborne human infections. We suggest the need for active surveillance to study and control the spread of this human-adapted subclone increasingly isolated in the hospital setting

GFAP-Driven GFP Expression in Activated Mouse Muller Glial Cells Aligning Retinal Blood Vessels Following Intravitreal Injection of AAV2/6 Vectors

Background: Muller cell gliosis occurs in various retinal pathologies regardless of the underlying cellular defect. Because activated Muller glial cells span the entire retina and align areas of injury, they are ideal targets for therapeutic strategies, including gene therapy.Methodology/Principal Findings: We used adeno-associated viral AAV2/6 vectors to transduce mouse retinas. The transduction pattern of AAV2/6 was investigated by studying expression of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene using scanning-laser ophthalmoscopy and immuno-histochemistry. AAV2/6 vectors transduced mouse Muller glial cells aligning the retinal blood vessels. However, the transduction capacity was hindered by the inner limiting membrane (ILM) and besides Muller glial cells, several other inner retinal cell types were transduced. To obtain Muller glial cell-specific transgene expression, the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter was replaced by the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter. Specificity and activation of the GFAP promoter was tested in a mouse model for retinal gliosis. Mice deficient for Crumbs homologue 1 (CRB1) develop gliosis after light exposure. Light exposure of Crb1(-/-) retinas transduced with AAV2/6-GFAP-GFP induced GFP expression restricted to activated Muller glial cells aligning retinal blood vessels.Conclusions/Significance: Our experiments indicate that AAV2 vectors carrying the GFAP promoter are a promising tool for specific expression of transgenes in activated glial cells