Effects of eggshell temperature pattern during incubation on tibia characteristics of broiler chickens at slaughter age

This study was designed to determine effects of eggshell temperature (EST) pattern in week 2 and week 3 of incubation on tibia development of broiler chickens at slaughter age. A total of 468 Ross 308 eggs were incubated at an EST of 37.8°C from incubation day (E) 0 to E7. Thereafter, a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 EST (37.8°C and 38.9°C) from E8 to E14 and 2 EST (36.7°C and 37.8°C) from E15 till hatch was applied. After hatching, chickens were reared until slaughter age with the 4 EST treatments and 8 replicates per treatment. At day 41 and 42, one male chicken per replicate per day was selected, and hock burn and food pad dermatitis were scored. Rotated tibia, tibia dyschondroplasia, epiphyseal plate abnormalities, bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis, and epiphysiolysis were assessed. Tibia weight, length, thickness, head thickness, and robusticity index were determined. X-ray analyses (osseous volume, pore volume, total volume, volume fraction, mineral content, and mineral density) and a 3-point bending test (ultimate strength, yield strength, stiffness, energy to fracture, and elastic modulus) were performed. A high EST (38.9°C) in week 2 of incubation, followed by a normal EST (37.8°C) in week 3 resulted in higher mineral content (P = 0.001), mineral density (P = 0.002), ultimate strength (P = 0.04), yield strength (P = 0.03), and stiffness (P = 0.05) compared with the other 3 EST groups (week 2 × week 3 interaction). A high EST (38.9°C) in week 2 of incubation, regardless of the EST in week 3, resulted in a higher tibia weight (P < 0.001), thickness (P = 0.05), osseous volume (P < 0.001), and total volume (P < 0.001) than a normal EST (37.8°C). It can be concluded that 1.1°C higher EST than normal in week 2 of incubation appears to stimulate tibia morphological, biophysical, and mechanical characteristics of broiler chickens at slaughter age. Additionally, a 1.1°C lower EST in week 3 of incubation appears to have negative effects on tibia characteristics, particularly in interaction with the EST in week 2 of incubation.</p

High match load's relations decreased well-being during elite women's Rugby Sevens Tournament.

PURPOSE:: To determine changes in wellbeing, recovery and neuromuscular performance during and after an elite women's rugby sevens tournament and assess the influence of match load indicators. METHODS:: Twelve elite women rugby sevens players (age 25.3±4.1 y, height 169.0±4.0 cm, weight 63.9±4.9 kg, body fat 18.6±2.7 %) performed 5 matches during a two-day tournament of the Women's Rugby Sevens World Series. Perceived wellbeing (fatigue, sleep quality, general muscle soreness, stress levels, mood), total quality of recovery (TQR), and countermovement-jump flight time (CMJ) were measured on match day 1 (MD1), match day 2 (MD2), 1 day post-tournament (D+1) and 2 days post-tournament (D+2). Total distance, low-, moderate- and high-intensity-running (HIR) and physical contacts (PC) during matches were derived of GPS based time-motion analysis and video-based notational analysis, respectively. Internal match load was calculated by session-rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and playing time (RPE x duration). RESULTS:: Wellbeing (p<.001), fatigue (p<.001), general muscle soreness (p<.001), stress levels (p<.001), mood (p=.005) and TQR (p<.001) were significantly impaired after match day 1 and did not return to baseline values until D+2. More HIR was related to more fatigue (r=-.60; p=.049) and a larger number of PC with more general muscle soreness (r=-.69; p=.013). CONCLUSION:: Perceived wellbeing and TQR were already impaired after match day 1 while performance was maintained. HIR and PC were predominantly related to fatigue and general muscle soreness, respectively

P38 mitogen activated protein kinase regulates endothelial VCAM-1 expression at the post-transcriptional level

The cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha was found to stimulate the p38 mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase signalling cascade in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. TNFalpha increased the activity of the p38 substrate MAP kinase-activated-protein (MAPKAP) kinase 2 and the subsequent phosphorylation of the small heat shock protein Hsp27 about two to three fold. This stimulation was blocked almost completely by the specific p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580. This inhibitor also suppressed the TNFalpha-induced surface expression of the endothelial adhesion molecule vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1. In contrast, inhibition of p38 MAP kinase had no effect on the stimulated surface expression of the intercellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. VCAM-1 mRNA accumulation induced by TNFalpha was not affected by SB203580, suggesting that the p38 MAP kinase signalling cascade regulates the endothelial expression of VCAM-1 at the post-transcriptional level

Assessing hearing loss in older adults with a single question and person characteristics; Comparison with pure tone audiometry in the Rotterdam Study

INTRODUCTION: Hearing loss (HL) is a frequent problem among the elderly and has been studied in many cohort studies. However, pure tone audiometry-the gold standard-is rather time-consuming and costly for large population-based studies. We have investigated if self-reported hearing loss, using a multiple choice question, can be used to assess HL in absence of pure tone audiometry. METHODS: This study was performed within 4,906 participants of the Rotterdam Study. The question (in Dutch) that was investigated was: 'Do you have any difficulty with your hearing (without hearing aids)?'. The answer options were: 'never', 'sometimes', 'often' and 'daily'. Mild hearing loss or worse was defined as PTA0.5-4(Pure Tone Average 0.5, 1, 2 & 4 kHz) ≥20dBHL and moderate HL or worse as ≥35dBHL. A univariable linear regression model was fitted with the PTA0.5-4 and the answer to the question. Subsequently, sex, age and education were added in a multivariable linear regression model. The ability of the question to classify HL, accounting for sex, age and education, was explored through logistic regression models creating prediction estimates, which were plotted in ROC curves. RESULTS: The variance explained (R2) by the univariable regression was 0.37, which increased substantially after adding age (R2 = 0.60). The addition of sex and educational level, however, did not alter the R2 (0.61). The ability of the question to classify hearing loss, reflec

Bridging the TB data gap: in silico extraction of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis diagnostic test results from whole genome sequence data

YesBackground: Mycobacterium tuberculosis rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are widely employed in routine laboratories and national surveys for detection of rifampicinresistant (RR)-TB. However, as next-generation sequencing technologies have become more commonplace in research and surveillance programs, RDTs are being increasingly complemented by whole genome sequencing (WGS). While comparison between RDTs is difficult, all RDT results can be derived from WGS data. This can facilitate continuous analysis of RR-TB burden regardless of the data generation technology employed. By converting WGS to RDT results, we enable comparison of data with different formats and sources particularly for low- and middle-income high TB-burden countries that employ different diagnostic algorithms for drug resistance surveys. This allows national TB control programs (NTPs) and epidemiologists to utilize all available data in the setting for improved RR-TB surveillance. Methods: We developed the Python-based MycTB Genome to Test (MTBGT) tool that transforms WGS-derived data into laboratory-validated results of the primary RDTs—Xpert MTB/RIF, XpertMTB/RIF Ultra, GenoType MDRTBplus v2.0, and GenoscholarNTM+MDRTB II. The tool was validated through RDT results of RR-TB strains with diverse resistance patterns and geographic origins and applied on routine-derived WGS data. Results: The MTBGT tool correctly transformed the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data into the RDT results and generated tabulated frequencies of the RDT probes as well as rifampicin-susceptible cases. The tool supplemented the RDT probe reactions output with the RR-conferring mutation based on identified SNPs. The MTBGT tool facilitated continuous analysis of RR-TB and Xpert probe reactions from different platforms and collection periods in Rwanda. Conclusion: Overall, the MTBGT tool allows low- and middle-income countries to make sense of the increasingly generated WGS in light of the readily available RDT.Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Fellowship grant 2016- 1346

Potential application of digitally linked tuberculosis diagnostics for real-time surveillance of drug-resistant tuberculosis transmission: Validation and analysis of test results

YesBackground: Tuberculosis (TB) is the highest-mortality infectious disease in the world and the main cause of death related to antimicrobial resistance, yet its surveillance is still paper-based. Rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) is an urgent public health crisis. The World Health Organization has, since 2010, endorsed a series of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) that enable rapid detection of drug-resistant strains and produce large volumes of data. In parallel, most high-burden countries have adopted connectivity solutions that allow linking of diagnostics, real-time capture, and shared repository of these test results. However, these connected diagnostics and readily available test results are not used to their full capacity, as we have yet to capitalize on fully understanding the relationship between test results and specific rpoB mutations to elucidate its potential application to real-time surveillance. Objective: We aimed to validate and analyze RDT data in detail, and propose the potential use of connected diagnostics and associated test results for real-time evaluation of RR-TB transmission. Methods: We selected 107 RR-TB strains harboring 34 unique rpoB mutations, including 30 within the rifampicin resistance–determining region (RRDR), from the Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms, Antwerp, Belgium. We subjected these strains to Xpert MTB/RIF, GenoType MTBDRplus v2.0, and Genoscholar NTM + MDRTB II, the results of which were validated against the strains’ available rpoB gene sequences. We determined the reproducibility of the results, analyzed and visualized the probe reactions, and proposed these for potential use in evaluating transmission. Results: The RDT probe reactions detected most RRDR mutations tested, although we found a few critical discrepancies between observed results and manufacturers’ claims. Based on published frequencies of probe reactions and RRDR mutations, we found specific probe reactions with high potential use in transmission studies: Xpert MTB/RIF probes A, Bdelayed, C, and Edelayed; Genotype MTBDRplus v2.0 WT2, WT5, and WT6; and Genoscholar NTM + MDRTB II S1 and S3. Inspection of probe reactions of disputed mutations may potentially resolve discordance between genotypic and phenotypic test results. Conclusions: We propose a novel approach for potential real-time detection of RR-TB transmission through fully using digitally linked TB diagnostics and shared repository of test results. To our knowledge, this is the first pragmatic and scalable work in response to the consensus of world-renowned TB experts in 2016 on the potential of diagnostic connectivity to accelerate efforts to eliminate TB. This is evidenced by the ability of our proposed approach to facilitate comparison of probe reactions between different RDTs used in the same setting. Integrating this proposed approach as a plug-in module to a connectivity platform will increase usefulness of connected TB diagnostics for RR-TB outbreak detection through real-time investigation of suspected RR-TB transmission cases based on epidemiologic linking.KCN was supported by Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Fellowship grant 2016-1346, and BCdJ, LR, and CJM were supported by European Research Council-INTERRUPTB starting grant 311725

Bacterial diversity in Buruli ulcer skin lesions: Challenges in the clinical microbiome analysis of a skin disease

YesBackground Buruli ulcer (BU) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans and considered the third most prevalent mycobacterial disease in humans. Secondary bacterial infections in open BU lesions are the main cause of pain, delayed healing and systemic illness, resulting in prolonged hospital stay. Thus, understanding the diversity of bacteria, termed the microbiome, in these open lesions is important for proper treatment. However, adequately studying the human microbiome in a clinical setting can prove difficult when investigating a neglected tropical skin disease due to its rarity and the setting. Methodology/Principal findings Using 16S rRNA sequencing, we determined the microbial composition of 5 BU lesions, 3 non-BU lesions and 3 healthy skin samples. Although no significant differences in diversity were found between BU and non-BU lesions, the former were characterized by an increase of Bacteroidetes compared to the non-BU wounds and the BU lesions also contained significantly more obligate anaerobes. With this molecular-based study, we were also able to detect bacteria that were missed by culture-based methods in previous BU studies. Conclusions/Significance Our study suggests that BU may lead to changes in the skin bacterial community within the lesions. However, in order to determine if such changes hold true across all BU cases and are either a cause or consequence of a specific wound environment, further microbiome studies are necessary. Such skin microbiome analysis requires large sample sizes and lesions from the same body site in many patients, both of which can be difficult for a rare disease. Our study proposes a pipeline for such studies and highlights several drawbacks that must be considered if microbiome analysis is to be utilized for neglected tropical diseases

Neutrino Oscillations and Collider Test of the R-parity Violating Minimal Supergravity Model

We study the R-parity violating minimal supergravity models accounting for the observed neutrino masses and mixing, which can be tested in future collider experiments. The bi-large mixing can be explained by allowing five dominant tri-linear couplings $\lambda'_{1,2,3}$ and $\lambda_{1,2}$. The desired ratio of the atmospheric and solar neutrino mass-squared differences can be obtained in a very limited parameter space where the tree-level contribution is tuned to be suppressed. In this allowed region, we quantify the correlation between the three neutrino mixing angles and the tri-linear R-parity violating couplings. Qualitatively, the relations $| \lambda'_1 | < | \lambda'_2| \sim | \lambda'_3|$, and $|\lambda_1| \sim |\lambda_2|$ are required by the large atmospheric neutrino mixing angle $\theta_{23}$ and the small angle $\theta_{13}$, and the large solar neutrino mixing angle $\theta_{12}$, respectively. Such a prediction on the couplings can be tested in the next linear colliders by observing the branching ratios of the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). For the stau or the neutralino LSP, the ratio $|\lambda_1|^2: |\lambda_2|^2: |\lambda_1|^2 + |\lambda_2|^2$ can be measured by establishing $Br(e\nu): Br(\mu\nu) : Br(\tau\nu)$ or $Br(\nu e^\pm \tau^\mp ): Br(\nu\mu^\pm\tau^\mp) : Br(\nu\tau^\pm\tau^\mp)$, respectively. The information on the couplings $\lambda'_i$ can be drawn by measuring $Br(l_i t \bar{b}) \propto |\lambda'_i|^2$ if the neutralino LSP is heavier than the top quark.Comment: RevTex, 25 pages, 8 eps figure

Pregnancy-associated serum N-glycome changes studied by high-throughput MALDI-TOF-MS

Pregnancy requires partial suppression of the immune system to ensure maternal-foetal tolerance. Protein glycosylation, and especially terminal sialic acid linkages, are of prime importance in regulating the pro- and anti-inflammatory immune responses. However, little is known about pregnancy-associated changes of the serum N-glycome and sialic acid linkages. Using a combination of recently developed methods, i.e. derivatisation that allows the distinction between α2,3- and α2,6-linked sialic acids by high-throughput MALDI-TOF-MS and software-assisted data processing, we analysed the serum N-glycome of a cohort of 29 healthy women at 6 time points during and after pregnancy. A total of 77 N-glycans were followed over time, confirming in part previous findings while also revealing novel associations (e.g. an increase of FA2BG1S1(6), FA2G1S1(6) and A2BG2S2(6) with delivery). From the individual glycans we calculated 42 derived traits. With these, an increase during pregnancy and decrease after delivery was observed for both α2,3- and α2,6-linked sialylation. Additionally, a difference in the recovery speed after delivery was observed for α2,3- and α2,6-linked sialylation of triantennary glycans. In conclusion, our new high-throughput workflow allowed the identification of novel plasma glycosylation changes with pregnancy