Effect of zinc from zinc sulfate on trace mineral concentrations of milk in Varamini ewes

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding supplemental zinc (zinc sulfate) in different levels (15, 30, or 45 mg/kg) on trace mineral concentrations in milk of ewes. Thirty lactating Varaminniewes were assigned to three experimental groups according to their live body weights, milk production and lambs sex in a completely randomized design. Ewes were fed a basal diet containing alfalfa, wheat straw, cottonseed meal, barley grain, wheat bran, cracked corn and vitamin-mineral supplements at 3.2% of body weight (BW) to meet NRC requirements for protein, energy and macro minerals. The basaldiet contained 15 mg/kg Zn and zinc sulfate was added to the basal diet to supply 30 or 45 mg/kg of dietary zinc. Daily milk yielded was recorded at 7 days intervals and samples of the milk were taken once per week for determination of milk composition and trace mineral concentration. Concentrations of Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe in milk were determined. Dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield and milk compositions were not affected by supplemental zinc (P > 0.05). But zinc concentrations in milk were affected by supplemental zinc (P 0.05). It suggests that supplementation of ewes diet with zinc sulfate could be an effective way to increase zinc concentration in milk when zinc concentration of basal diets is limited for ewes in lactation period

Association of diverse bacterial communities in human bile samples with biliary tract disorders: a survey using culture and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis methods

Bacterial infection is considered a predisposing factor for disorders of the biliary tract. This study aimed to determine the diversity of bacterial communities in bile samples and their involvement in the occurrence of biliary tract diseases. A total of 102 bile samples were collected during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Characterization of bacteria was done using culture and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was determined based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines and identity of the nucleotide sequences of differentiated bands from the DGGE gels was determined based on GenBank data. In total, 41.2 (42/102) of the patients showed bacterial infection in their bile samples. This infection was detected in 21 (4/19), 45.4 (5/11), 53.5 (15/28), and 54.5 (24/44) of patients with common bile duct stone, microlithiasis, malignancy, and gallbladder stone, respectively. Escherichia coli showed a significant association with gallstones. Polymicrobial infection was detected in 48 of the patients. While results of the culture method established coexistence of biofilm-forming bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus spp., and Acinetobacter spp.) in different combinations, the presence of Capnocytophaga spp., Lactococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Enterobacter or Citrobacter spp., Morganella spp., Salmonella spp., and Helicobacter pylori was also characterized in these samples by the PCR-DGGE method. Multidrug resistance phenotypes (87.5 ) and resistance to third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and quinolones were common in these strains, which could evolve through their selection by bile components. Ability for biofilm formation seems to be a need for polymicrobial infection in this organ. © 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelber

Effect of dietary cation-anion balance on milk production and blood mineral of Holstein cows during the last two months of pregnancy

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of three diets with different cation-anion differences ((DCAD: mEq[(Na + K) − (Cl + S)]/100 g of dry matter)) in far-off and close-up period, on milk production and blood mineral of Holstein cows. Eighteen pregnant cows (220 - 225 d) were fed a base diet with three DCAD (+13 (control), 0, −13/100 g dry matter) for 60 ± 5 days. Control diet consisted of 170 g/kg corn silage, 396 g/kg alfalfa hay and 424 g/kg concentrate mix (dry matter basis). For decrease DCAD, two anionic salts such as ammonium chloride and ammonium sulphate were used. Production of milk and 3.5% fat corrected milk (FCM) were increased with decreasing DCAD. However, milk composition and yield of milk fat, protein and lactose were not affected by diets containing +13, 0 and −13 DCAD. In addition, prepartum dry matter intake, BCS change and body weight gains were similar for cows fed the three diets with different cation-anion differences. At calving, plasma calcium concentration was 6.55, 6.46 and 6.78 mg/dl for cows fed diets containing +13, 0 and −13 DCAD, respectively. Blood pH and concentration of K, Mg and Na were not affected by dietary cation-anion balance. Urinary pH of cows was affected by diets and was decreased linearly with decreasing DCAD. The mean urinary pH was 7.99, 6.81 and 6.11 for cows fed diets containing +13, 0 and −13 DCAD, respectively.Keywords: Metabolic disorders, pregnant cow, anionic saltsAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(36), pp. 5983-5988, 6 September, 201

“Everything Seems to Be the Right Eye in Our Family”: Intergenerational Family Living with Facial Eye Disfigurement: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

This paper presents the lived experience of an intergenerational family, spanning three generations living with Facial Eye Disfigurement (FED). Living with vision loss and FED is estimated to affect nearly 8 billion people worldwide. Inadequate attention is paid to the impact of Living with FED (LwFED) on the lives of individuals. This research offers a deep dive into the lived experiences of one family LwFED. This family comprises a grandfather (deceased), son, wife, and child, all of whom have lived or live with FED. In this Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study three interviewees are deemed the experts. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted by Zali who lives with FED. Our findings speak of childhood and subsequent issues living with FED (LwFED), family experiences of living with family members with FED while simultaneously LwFED themselves, shared stories and role modelling. We discuss LwFED healthily through the creation of a safe family space through acceptance, belonging, and support. We introduce and discuss the role of the eyelid, functioning versus non-functioning. We offer insights and understandings of an intergenerational family living with LwFED to advance research and inform practice within diverse fields

Fungal diversity in wounded stems of Aquilaria malaccensis.

Aquilaria malaccensis is a tropical tree which produces agarwood in its trunk often after being wounded and attacked by pathogens or insects. Fungi are generally viewed as the main microbial component responsible for agarwood formation. In this study, isolation of fungi from agarwood in damaged trees was carried out. Culture morphology and microscopic characteristics plus PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region from the fungal isolates as well as wood samples, were used to identify the fungal community composition of wounded A. malaccensis trees from a natural forest in West Malaysia. Conventional culture methodology revealed Cunninghamella, Curvularia, Fusarium and Trichoderma species as members of the agarwood community. Analysis of genomic DNA confirmed the identifications. When wood samples were used directly in PCR, an additional Lasiodiplodia species was identified. Neighbor-joining trees were constructed to examine the relationships between the isolates sequence data and reference sequences in GenBank. Five distinct clades resulted, supported with high bootstrap values, indicating the presence of five distinct taxa. The wounded trunks of A. malaccensis in the natural environment harbor multiple fungal taxa that exist in a complex system as a whole or in succession leading to agarwood production in the tree trunk

Penbactam for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A randomised comparison of quadruple and triple treatment schedules in an Iranian population

Background & study aims: Selection of the best drug regimens for eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection especially in patients at risk of peptic ulcer relapses and the development of complications is challenging. This study assessed and compared the efficacy of the two common PPI based triple therapies to a quadruple therapy including PPI, metronidazole, amoxicillin and a bismuth compound in Iranian population. Patients & Methods: Three hundred and thirty patients with peptic ulcer and H. pylori infection were included in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment protocols all given twice daily: (a) A 14-day quadruple therapy (OMAB group) comprising omeprazole 20. mg, metronicazole 500. mg, amoxicillin 1. g, and bismuth subcitrate 240. mg; (b) A 14-day triple regimen (OCP group) comprising omeprazole 20. mg plus clarithromycine 500. mg and penbactam 750. mg and (c) A 14-day triple regimen (OCA group) comprising omeprazole 20. mg plus clarithromycine 500. mg and amoxicillin 1. g. Cure was defined as a negative urea breath test at least six weeks after treatment. Results: The per-protocol eradication rates achieved with both OCP regimen (87.0%) and OCA treatment (90.8%) were significantly higher than the OMAB treatment protocol (56.0%); however, no significant difference emerged in eradication rates between the two triple treatment schedules. No significant differences between the groups were found in most side-effects. Conclusion: Two-week quadruple therapy showed a lower eradication rate compared to common triple treatment schedules when used as first-line eradication treatment for H. pylori infection in Iranian population. © 2012 Arab Journal of Gastroenterology

Evaluating energy harvesting from water distribution networks using combined stakeholder and social network analysis

This is the final version. Available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record. Data availability: Data will be made available on request.The chance of success in implementing a new project in a water distribution network (WDN) significantly depends on the behaviour of the involved stakeholders. In this paper, the feasibility of installing the micro-turbines in WDNs for generating hydro-power energy is studied from the stakeholders’ perspective. Stakeholders’ analysis (SA) and social network analysis (SNA) are performed to methodically recognise the environment and the relationships among stakeholders. 18 stakeholders at the local, regional, and national levels were identified and their representatives were interviewed. In SA, the power, interest, access to information, and satisfaction from the current condition of the system were evaluated for each stakeholder. The Water and Wastewater Company and Ministry of Energy were found as the stakeholders with the highest power and interest. Unexpectedly, the Regional Electricity Company was discovered with medium power and low access to information. In SNA, cooperative and non-cooperative relationships between stakeholders were analysed and an assessment was made for the role of each stakeholder in their social network, through four centrality metrics. The correlation between SA and SNA results suggests that SA factors could be estimated using the SNA metrics.Iran National Science Foundation (INSF

SYNCHRONIZATION OF SAPI MADURA OVULATION WITH GNRH DAN PGF2 Αα

Madura cattle used in this study used PGF2α at a concentration of 2 ml (Group 1.), GnRH + PGF2α + GnRH (Group 2.) and GnRH + PGF2α + ECP (Group 3.) was 100%. This is in accordance with the results of the chi square test on livestock which lust on treatments 1,2 and 3 that the three treatments had a very good lustrous response, but did not show a significant difference in pregnancy (P> 0.05). Pregnancy detection is done by rectal palpation at the age of 2 months after IB is carried out and supported by looking at the profile of the progesterone hormone from blood palsma, if the concentration above 2 nmol / mL is thought to have undergone pregnancy. The results of pregnancy group 1, group 2 and group 3. were very low at 10%, 20% and 20%Sapi Madura yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini menggunakan PGF2α pada konsentrasi penggunaan 2 ml (Kelompok 1.), GnRH+PGF2α+GnRH (Kelompok 2.) dan GnRH+PGF2α+ECP (Kelompok 3.) adalah 100%. Hal ini sesuai dengan dengan hasil uji chi square terhadap ternak yang berahi pada perlakuan 1,2 dan 3 bahwa ketiga perlakuan memiliki respon berahi sangat bagus, namun tidak menunjukkan perbedaan yang nyata untuk menimbulkan kebuntingan (P>0,05). Deteksi kebuntingan dilakukan dengan melakukan palpasi rektal pada umur 2 bulan setelah dilakukan IB dan didukung dengan melihat profil hormon progesteron dari palsma darah, jika konsentrasinya di atas 2 nmol/mL diduga ternak tersebut mengalami kebuntingan. Hasil tingkat kebuntingan Kelompok 1, Kelompok 2. dan Kelompok 3. sangat rendah yaitu 10%, 20% dan 20