Daily Samples Research Articles

Molecular Markers of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine Resistance in Samples from Children with Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum at Three Sites in Angola in 2019.

Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is used for prevention of malaria in pregnant women in Angola. We sequenced the Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (pfdhfr) and dihydropteroate synthase (pfdhps) genes, implicated in SP resistance, in samples collected during a 2019 study of artemisinin-based combination therapy efficacy in Benguela, Lunda Sul, and Zaire provinces. A total of 90 day 0 and day of failure samples were individually sequenced, while 508 day 0 samples from participants without recurrent parasitemia were pooled after DNA extraction into 61 pools. The N51I, C59R, and S108N pfdhfr mutations and A437G pfdhps mutations were present at high proportions in all provinces (weighted allele frequencies, 62% to 100%). The K540E pfdhps mutation was present at lower proportions (10% to 14%). The A581G pfdhps mutation was only observed in Zaire, at a 4.6% estimated prevalence. The I431V and A613S mutations were also only observed in Zaire, at a prevalence of 2.8% to 2.9%. The most common (27% to 66%) reconstructed haplotype in all three provinces was the canonical quadruple pfdhfr pfdhps mutant. The canonical quintuple mutant was absent in Lunda Sul and Benguela and present in 7.9% of samples in Zaire. A single canonical sextuple (2.6%) mutant was observed in Zaire Province. Proportions of the pfdhps K540E and A581G mutations were well below the World Health Organization thresholds for meaningful SP resistance (prevalence of 95% for K540E and 10% for A581G). Samples from therapeutic efficacy studies represent a convenient source of samples for monitoring SP resistance markers.

Quantification of time delay between screening and subsequent initiation of contact isolation for carriers of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales: A post hoc subgroup analysis of the R-GNOSIS WP5 Trial.

The aim of this study was to quantify the time delay between screening and initiation of contact isolation for carriers of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E). This study was a secondary analysis of contact isolation periods in a cluster-randomized controlled trial that compared 2 strategies to control ESBL-E (trial no. ISRCTN57648070). Patients admitted to 20 non-ICU wards in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland were screened for ESBL-E carriage on admission, weekly thereafter, and on discharge. Data collection included the day of sampling, the day the wards were notified of the result, and subsequent ESBL-E isolation days. Between January 2014 and August 2016, 19,122 patients, with a length of stay ≥2 days were included. At least 1 culture was collected for 16,091 patients (84%), with a median duration between the admission day and the day of first sample collection of 2 days (interquartile range [IQR], 1-3). Moreover, 854 (41%) of all 2,078 ESBL-E carriers remained without isolation during their hospital stay. In total, 6,040 ESBL-E days (32% of all ESBL-E days) accrued for patients who were not isolated. Of 2,078 ESBL-E-carriers, 1,478 ESBL-E carriers (71%) had no previous history of ESBL-E carriage. Also, 697 (34%) were placed in contact isolation with a delay of 4 days (IQR, 2-5), accounting for 2,723 nonisolation days (15% of ESBL-E days). Even with extensive surveillance screening, almost one-third of all ESBL-E days were nonisolation days. Limitations in routine culture-based ESBL-E detection impeded timely and exhaustive implementation of targeted contact isolation.

INVESTIGATE MICROBIAL, CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF OSTRICH MEAT IN BILAYER FILMS CONTAINING POMEGRANATE PEEL POWDER DURING REFRIGERATED STORAGE, AS AN ACTIVE PACKAGING

Pomegranate peel‌ is‌ a by-product which has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and using it as an additive to improve the meat products shelf life in active packaging has increased in the last decade. The purpose of current study is to investigate the utilization of pomegranate peel powder (PPP) in bilayer film to increase the shelf life of ostrich meat (OM) at 4±1°C. In this research, OM was placed in bilayer films with different ratios of PPP (1,3,5%) then chemical and microbial experiments alongside sensory evaluation on OM were conducted on storage days (1,3,5,7,10). The results indicated that the values of chemical properties including pH, lipid oxidation and nitrogen, microbial, and sensory evaluation after 10 days in samples containing 5% PPP were lower than other samples. However, they had an undesirable color; Thus, the samples containing 3% PPP were preferred. This film was proposed as an active packaging for storing OM.

Sensitivity of PM10 oxidative potential to aerosol chemical composition at a Mediterranean urban site: ascorbic acid versus dithiothreitol measurements

The oxidative potential (OP) of PM10 daily samples collected at a traffic site in southeastern Spain during summer and winter was assessed by two acellular assays: the ascorbic acid (AA) and dithiothreitol (DTT) methods. Although PM10 levels were similar during both periods, OP values (expressed in nmol min−1 m−3) showed a defined seasonal trend. The AA activity was higher in summer than in winter, whereas the DTT reactivity exhibited an opposite seasonal pattern. Both assays were sensitive to different PM10 components, as shown by the results of the linear correlation analysis. Moreover, the relationship between OP values and PM10 chemical species was not the same during summer and winter, indicating that particle toxicity is associated with different sources during the warm and cold seasons. When OP values were expressed on a mass basis (nmol min−1 µg−1), lower correlation coefficients with PM10 chemical species were generally obtained compared to volume-normalized activities. These outcomes suggest that only some specific components have a significant intrinsic oxidative potential.

Temperature and time after urine collection affect the detection of phenethylamine, a substance prohibited in sports.

2-Phenylethylamine (phenethylamine) and its derivatives are stimulant drugs, which are prohibited in sports because of their potential performance-enhancing properties. If phenethylamine is detected in an athlete's urine, the athlete may be subjected to serious sanctions, such as disqualification for both domestic and international competitions. Given the serious consequences athletes face for phenethylamine detection, great care should be taken to avoid false positive tests. In forensic medicine, it is widely known that phenethylamine is produced by putrefactive bacteria in autopsy urine samples; it is possible that this process could also occur in an athlete's urine sample without proper storage. In this study, human urine samples were stored at -20, 4, or 22°C for 14 days, and phenethylamine in the samples was quantitatively analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. No phenethylamine was detected in urine samples stored at -20°C throughout 14-day period. Nevertheless, phenethylamine was detected after 6days in these samples stored at 4°C and after only 1day in samples stored at 22°C. Additionally, the concentration of phenethylamine in these samples increased each day after detection. These results suggest that urine samples should be stored immediately at -20°C after collection when testing athletes for phenethylamine, especially if the sample must be stored for extended period before testing.

Screening of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) along wastewater treatment system equipped with root zone treatment: A potential model for domestic waste leachate management

We present the use of root zone treatment (RZT) based system for the removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) from domestic wastewater. The occurrence of more than a dozen PPCPs were detected in an academic institution wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at three specific locations, i.e., influent, root treatment zone, and effluents. The comparisons of observed compounds detected at various stages of WWTP suggest that the presence of PPCPs, like homatropine, cytisine, carbenoxolone, 4,2′,4′,6′-tetrahydroxychalcone, norpromazine, norethynodrel, fexofenadine, indinavir, dextroamphetamine, 3-hydroxymorphinan, phytosphingosine, octadecanedioic acid, meradimate, 1-hexadecanoyl-sn-glycerol, and 1-hexadecylamine, are unusual than the usual reported PPCPs in the WWTPs. In general, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, caffeine, triclocarban, and triclosan are often reported in wastewater systems. The normalized abundances of PPCPs range between 0.037–0.012, 0.108–0.009, and 0.208–0.005 in main influent, root zone effluent, and main effluents, respectively, of the WWTP. In addition, the removal rates of PPCPs were observed from −200.75% to ∼100% at RZT phase in the plant. Interestingly, we observed several PPCPs at later stages of treatment which were not detected in the influent of the WWTP. This is probably owing to the presence of conjugated metabolites of various PPCPs present in the influent, which subsequently got deconjugated to reform the parent compounds during the biological wastewater treatment. In addition, we suspect the potential release of earlier absorbed PPCPs in the system, which were absent on that particular day of sampling but have been part of earlier influents. In essence, RZT-based WWTP was found to be effective in removing the PPCPs and other organic contaminants in the study but results in stress the need for further comprehensive research on RZT system to conclude the exact removal efficacy and fate of PPCPs during treatment in the system. As a current research gap, the study also recommended RZT to be appraised for PPCPs in-situ remediation from landfill leachates, an underestimated source of PPCPs intrusion in the environment.

Gene expression of pro-inflammatory (IL-8, IL-18, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines in the duodenum of broiler chickens exposed to lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.

Intestinal infections are associated with Gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli. When eliminated by treatments during replication, E. coli release lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that can activate the intestinal immune system and increase the expression of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-8, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), by the intestinal epithelium under pathological conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the addition of Bacillus subtilis to the duodenal gene expression of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in broilers exposed to LPS from E. coli. RNA was extracted using the Zymo Research total RNA commercial kit, according to the manufacturer's specifications, from the intestinal tissue of the duodenum previously resuspended in the lysis buffer of the kit. The expression of the cytokines of interest was measured using the QuantiNova SYBR green real-time polymerase chain reaction kit (Qiagen). Transcript quantification was performed by the ΔΔC(t) method using glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase as a normalizing constitutive gene. For the measurement of pro-inflammatory (IL-8, IL-18, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines, there was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) between the basal diet and the diet with antibiotic (avilamycin). There was a statistical difference (p < 0.05) between diets with LPS. The diet with B. subtilis presented the lowest expression; the results differed on each sampling day (days 14, 28, and 42). A decrease in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-8, IL-18, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) and an increase in IL-10 (anti-inflammatory) was observed; in this way, a balance of the inflammatory response to bacterial infection is achieved, suggesting that the use of B. subtilis as an additive in a broiler diet has a similar effect to that produced with antibiotic growth promoter.

Improving the quality of grapes by coating chitosan–zinc oxide nanoparticles

The current work aimed to improve the grape nutritional quality, by coating applications through the combined treatment of chitosan–zinc oxide nanoparticles and essential oil. Four coating syntheses have been prepared. The control was prepared with the addition of distilled water, 1% glycerol, and 0.5% acetic acid, the second treatment chitosan (CS) was prepared by mixing 1 g chitosan powder with 0.5% acetic acid solution, 1% glycerol, and stirred for 12 hours at a temperature of 40 °C, the third treatment CS-ZNO was prepared with 1% zinc oxide nanoparticles and CS mother solution, while the fourth treatment (CS-ZNO-EO) synthesis was prepared to blend CS-ZNO with 1% essential bergamot oil (BO). Several physical, chemical and biological parameters evaluation was carried out on grapes every (0, 4, 7, 14, and 16 days). The study findings revealed that the berry abscission index was positively affected by CS-NZO and CS-NZO-EO treatments, which presented lower values of 2.58% and 1.77% respectively. The inhibitory effects were increased during the whole shelf life to reach 3.62–5.47 Log CFU/Berry at the end of the storage period, nevertheless of the orders of the various treatments. The maximum decrease in microbial contamination (3.62 Log CFU/Berry) was observed in the CS-NZO-EO treated samples on the 16th day. Though, the lowest soluble solid content (SSC) value was established by the control that was the worst to reach 12.11% towards the end of the storage period. In the same trend, CS-NZO and CS treatments recorded similar values of 13.5% and 12.78%, respectively. The lowest value for titratable acidity (TA) was detected for the control samples on the 16th day of storage 0.32 g/100 g citric acid. The highest TA value was established for CS-NZO-EO and CS treatments that reported 0.46 g/100 g and 0.45 g/100 g citric acid, respectively. The value of catalase enzyme activity (CAT) reached the bottom 21.55 U/g after 16 days for control samples. CS-NZO increased again between 14 and16 days to achieve the highest value of 39.74 U/g; while the CAT activity of grape samples coated with single CS or CS-NZO-EO detected increases on the 16th day to reach 38.47 and 32.74 U/g, respectively. Further studies on combined treatment therapy are needed to optimize the applications of the protective coating of foods in the food industry.

Emotion regulation in everyday life: Mapping global self-reports to daily processes.

Recent theory conceptualizes emotion regulation as occurring across three stages: (a) identifying the need to regulate, (b) selecting a strategy, and (c) implementing that strategy to modify emotions. Yet, measurement of emotion regulation has not kept pace with these theoretical advances. In particular, widely used global self-report questionnaires are often assumed to index people's typical strategy selection tendencies. However, it is unclear how well global self-reports capture individual differences in strategy selection and/or whether they may also index other emotion regulation stages. To address this issue, we examined how global self-report measures correspond with the three stages of emotion regulation as modeled using daily life data. We analyzed data from nine daily diary and experience sampling studies (total N = 1,097), in which participants provided daily and global self-reports of cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, and rumination. We found only weak-to-moderate correlations between global self-reports and average daily self-reports of each regulation strategy (indexing strategy selection). Global self-reports also correlated with individual differences in the degree to which (a) preceding affect experience predicted regulation strategies (representing the identification stage), and (b) regulation strategies predicted subsequent changes in affective experience (representing the implementation stage). Our findings suggest that global self-report measures of reappraisal, suppression, and rumination may not strongly and uniquely correlate with individual differences in daily selection of these strategies. Moreover, global self-report measures may also index individual differences in the perceived need to regulate, and the affective consequences of regulation in daily life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of Demographics and Time to Sample Processing on the qPCR Detection of Pathogenic Leptospira spp. from Human Samples in the National Reference Laboratory for Leptospirosis, Brazil

Leptospirosis diagnosis by MAT requires antibody levels that are typically present only after the first week of symptoms, many days after infection. To improve testing capacity and to develop a fast and reliable solution for the diagnosis of this disease in the first few days after clinical manifestations, the National Reference Laboratory for Leptospirosis/WHO Collaborating Center in Brazil implemented a duplex molecular method by qPCR for human samples for the detection of the gene lipL32, conserved in pathogenic Leptospira spp. In this paper, we describe the overall performance of this protocol in the first 3 months as a standard routine. Detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA was similar between blood, plasma, and tissue samples, with a limit of detection as low as one cell per sample, and among 391 samples from suspected cases, 174 (44.6%) were positive. The average RNASEP1 control gene detection cycle thresholds (Ct) were 28.4 and 29.8 for positive and negative samples, respectively. The median sample collection interval from the beginning of symptoms was 3 days for positive and 4 days for negative samples, respectively. Neither age, sex, nor the time intervals between sample collection and DNA extraction significantly influenced the results. Surprisingly, positivity was related to the time between DNA extraction and the qPCR reaction. These data support the use of this routine as a diagnostic approach to strengthen the molecular detection of leptospirosis and to develop new strategies.

Application of Liquid Smoke from Rubber Wood Clone PB-340 as Latex Coagulant and Preservation of Natural Rubber Coagulum

The utilization of rubber wood waste in the form of liquid smoke has the potential to overcome environmental problems caused by the industry. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the potential of liquid smoke from rubberwood clone PB 340 to be used as a coagulant and preservative. Rubber wood waste was processed into liquid smoke using the pyrolysis method with a temperature of 400°C. Determination of the composition of liquid smoke was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The results showed that the rubber wood clone PB 340 contained 57.78% cellulose, 12.16% hemicellulose, and 19.01% lignin. Furthermore, volatile analysis with GC-MS showed that liquid smoke from rubber wood clone PB 340 contained 58 organic compounds. Some compounds in liquid smoke were phenols, furans, furfurals, acetic acid, and cyclopentene. The product was then tested for its performance as a latex coagulant at several concentrations of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% v/v, as well as storage time of 1, 7, and 14 days. The treated latex samples that had turned into coagulums were examined for their sheet quality parameters, including initial plasticity (P0), plasticity retention index (PRI), total volatile compounds, impurity, and ash content. The outcomes from all comparisons of pure liquid smoke concentrations and storage time of up to 14 days of the coagulum samples showed that in the initial plasticity value (P0), the plasticity retention index (PRI), volatile matter, ash content, and dirt content had met the applied Standard Indonesian Rubber (SIR).

Do the lockdown-imposed changes in a wastewater treatment plant catchment's socio-demographics impact longitudinal temporal trends in psychoactive pharmaceutical use?

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) includes the analysis of human metabolic biomarkers of xenobiotics in influent wastewater. WBE complements existing drug utilization approaches and provides objective, spatio-temporal information on the consumption of pharmaceuticals in the general population. This approach was applied to 24-h composite influent wastewater samples from Leuven, Belgium. Daily samples were analysed from September 2019 to December 2019 (n = 76), and on three days of the week (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday) from January 2020 to April 2022 (n = 367). Sample analysis consisted of 96-well solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Measured concentrations of 21 biomarkers for antidepressant and opioid use were converted to population-normalized mass loads (PNML) by considering the flow rate and catchment population. To capture population movements, mobile phone data was used. Amitriptyline, hydroxy-bupropion, norcitalopram, citalopram, normirtazapine, trazodone, O-desmethylvenlafaxine, codeine, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), methadone, morphine, O-desmethyltramadol, and tramadol were included in the temporal assessment since concentrations were above the lower limit of quantification. The PNML of most biomarkers increased (with 3–119 %) throughout the sampling period. The population disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a major change in the socio-demographics of the catchment area, resulting in temporal differences in the PNML of the different biomarkers. As such, higher PNML were observed during the different lockdown phases, which were characterized by the outflow of university students and a decreasing commuting in and out the catchment area. The effects of the fluctuating socio-demographics of the catchment population were further evidenced by the different week-weekend pattern of PNMLs over the course of the sampling campaign. Mean parent/metabolite ratios (i.e., citalopram/norcitalopram, tramadol/O-desmethyltramadol, venlafaxine/O-desmethylvenlafaxine, and methadone/EDDP) remained relatively stable throughout the entire sampling campaign (RSD% below 25 % for all ratios, except for methadone/EDDP) and therefore were not affected by this population change.

Effects of the Level and Composition of Concentrate Supplements before Breeding and in Early Gestation on Production of Different Hair Sheep Breeds.

Female hair sheep, 27 Dorper (DOR), 41 Katahdin (KAT), and 39 St. Croix (STC), were used to determine influences of the nutritional plane before breeding and in early gestation on feed intake, body weight, body condition score, body mass indexes, blood constituent concentrations, and reproductive performance. There were 35 multiparous and 72 primiparous sheep, with initial ages of 5.6 ± 0.25 years and 1.5 ± 0.01 years, respectively (average overall initial age of 2.8 ± 0.20 years). Wheat straw (4% crude protein; dry matter [DM] basis) was consumed ad libitum and supplemented with approximately 0.15% initial body weight (BW) of soybean meal (LS) or a 1:3 mixture of soybean meal and rolled corn at 1% BW (HS; DM). The supplementation period was 162 days, with the breeding of animals in two sets sequentially, with the pre-breeding period 84 and 97 days, and that after breeding began at 78 and 65 days, respectively. Wheat straw DM intake (1.75, 1.30, 1.57, 1.15, 1.80, and 1.38% BW; SEM = 0.112) was lower (p < 0.05), but average daily gain (-46, 42, -44, 70, -47, and 51 g for DOR-LS, DOR-HS, KAT-LS, KAT-HS, STC-LS, and STC-HS, respectively; SEM = 7.3) was greater (p < 0.05) for HS than LS treatment during the supplementation period. Additionally, changes in body condition score during the supplementation period (-0.61, 0.36, -0.53, 0.27, -0.39, and -0.18; SEM = 0.058), and changes in body mass index based on height at the withers and body length from the point of the shoulder to the pin bone (BW/[height × length], g/cm2) from 7 days before supplementation (day -7) to day 162 were -1.99, 0.07, -2.19, -0.55, -2.39, and 0.17 for DOR-LS, DOR-HS, KAT-LS, KAT-HS, STC-LS, and STC-HS, respectively; (SEM = 0.297) were affected by supplement treatment. All blood constituent concentrations and characteristics addressed varied with the day of sampling (-7, 14, 49, 73, and 162) as well as the interaction between the supplement treatment and the day (p < 0.05), with few effects of interactions involving breed. Birth rate (66.7, 93.5, 84.6, 95.5, 82.8, and 100.0; SEM = 9.83) and individual lamb birth weight (4.50, 4.61, 4.28, 3.98, 3.73, and 3.88 kg; SEM = 0.201) were not affected by supplement treatment (p = 0.063 and 0.787, respectively), although litter size (0.92, 1.21, 1.17, 1.86, 1.12, and 1.82; SEM = 0.221) and total litter birth weight (5.84, 5.74, 5.92, 7.52, 5.04, and 6.78 kg for DOR-LS, DOR-HS, KAT-LS, KAT-HS, STC-LS, and STC-HS, respectively; SEM = 0.529) were greater (p < 0.05) for HS than for LS. In conclusion, although there was some compensation in wheat straw intake for the different levels of supplementation, soybean meal given alone rather than with cereal grain adversely affected BW, BCS, BMI, and reproductive performance, the latter primarily through litter size but also via a trend for an effect on the birth rate. Hence, the supplementation of low-protein and high-fiber forage such as wheat straw should include a consideration of the inclusion of a feedstuff(s) high in energy in addition to nitrogen.

High-Grain Diet Feeding Altered Blood Metabolites, Rumen Microbiome, and Metabolomics of Yaks

Currently, information available on the comprehensive changes in the rumen bacteria and metabolites of yaks fed high-grain diets is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of high-grain diet feeding on the blood metabolites, rumen microbiome, and metabolomics of yaks by using 16S rDNA gene sequencing and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Here, fourteen healthy male yaks (body weight, 249.61 ± 8.13 kg) were randomly assigned to two different diets: a hay diet (0% grain, CON, n = 7), or a high-grain diet (70% grain, HG, n = 7). At the 74th day of treatment, blood and ruminal fluid samples were collected for the blood metabolites, rumen microbiome, and metabolomics analyses. The HG diet increased lipopolysaccharides (LPS), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), haptoglobin (HPT), serum amyloid-A (SAA), interleukin-1β (IL1-β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) serum concentrations (p &lt; 0.05). Compared with the CON diet, the HG diet decreased rumen pH (p &lt; 0.05), and increased total volatile fatty acids concentration, and proportion of butyrate (p &lt; 0.05). The relative abundance of Firmicutes and Saccharibacteria were higher (p &lt; 0.05), while Bacteroidetes was lower (p &lt; 0.05) in the HG group than those in the CON group. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Christensenelaceae_R-7_group, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group, and Acetitomaculum were higher than in those in the HG diet (p &lt; 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the HG diet increased the concentrations of biogenic amines (histamine, tyramine, and putrescine), common amino acids (phenylalanine, threonine, serine, etc.), and arachidonic acid (prostaglandin H2, prostaglandin E2, 12(S)-HPETE, etc.). Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the HG diet altered the microbiota and metabolites, as well as potentially damaged their rumen health and induced inflammation in yaks.

Effect of reduced-calcium and high-calcium cheddar cheese consumption on the excretion of faecal fat: a 2-week cross-over dietary intervention study

PurposeStudies show that dairy fat consumed in the form of cheese reduce LDL-cholesterol concentration (LDL-c) compared to butter and mechanistic suggestions include the calcium content of cheese leading to enhanced faecal fat excretion. The aim of this study was to test the effect of varying the calcium content within a cheese, on faecal fat excretion as a primary outcome, and blood lipid markers, fasting glucose and calcium excretion as secondary outcomes.Methods7 healthy males (BMI 18–25) participated in this randomized, cross-over control intervention, of 3 × 2 week periods. Diets contained 240 g/day cheese; a High Calcium Cheese (HCC) diet, a Reduced Calcium Cheese (RCC) diet, and a control arm: Reduced Calcium Cheese + CaCO3 Supplement (RCC + Supp) diet. Diets differed in calcium content and form but were otherwise controlled for energy and key macronutrients. Blood and 5-day faecal samples were collected.ResultsThere was no significant difference in faecal fat excretion (g/day) between the diets (P = 0.066). Percent fat of faecel excretion was higher after RCC + Supp (P = 0.016). None of the individual fatty acids were different. Fasting LDL-c was significantly lower following the HCC diet vs. the other arms (P = 0.002). Faecal Ca was different across all diets (P = 0.001), lowest after RCC, and greatest after RCC + Supp. No differences were observed for fasting blood parameters or changes in anthropometry.ConclusionVarying the calcium content within a cheese matrix significantly affected fasting LDL-c values. Results did not support higher faecal fat excretion as an underlying mechanism, but the high attrition rate was a limitation.Trial registerer Trial Registered at ISRCTN.org, registration number ISRCTN11663659 on 12.07.2022. Retrospectively registered.

Effects of different nutrient supply on metabolism and mammary immune response to an LPS challenge in early lactation of dairy cows

Energy and nutrient deficiency in dairy cows in early lactation is considered to contribute to their increased susceptibility to mastitis. We have tested the hypothesis that feeding diets with high contents of either nitrogenic, glucogenic, or lipogenic components in early lactation affects both the endocrine and metabolic status, as well as the mammary immune competence. After calving, cows were fed increasing amounts of concentrate up to 10 kg/d rich in crude protein (nitrogenic, n = 10), glucogenic precursors (glucogenic, n = 11), or lipids (lipogenic, n = 11). In wk 3, one udder quarter was challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli. Blood and milk were sampled on the day before LPS challenge (d -1), and on d 0, 1, 2, 3, and 9 after LPS challenge. On the day of LPS challenge additional samples were taken hourly for quarter milk and every 3 h for blood. Urea concentrations were higher in plasma and milk of cows fed the nitrogenic diet. However, plasma concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, β-hydroxybutyrate, nonesterified fatty acids, as well as insulin, glucagon, and insulin-like growth factor-1 were not affected by the different diets. The mammary immune challenge induced a substantial increase of somatic cell count (SCC) in the treated quarter, and a transient decrease of total milk yield and white blood cells similar in all diet groups for one day. The absolute phagocytosis of blood leukocytes was decreased; however, the phagocytosis per cell was increased in glucogenic-fed cows at 6 h after LPS challenge. During mammary inflammation an insulin resistance, shown by increased plasma glucose, insulin, and glucagon, developed similarly in all diet groups. β-hydroxybutyrate and nonesterified fatty acids were decreased at 1 d after LPS challenge in glucogenic-fed cows only. Cholesterol did not change, and triglycerides only decreased significantly in lipogenic-fed cows 6 h after challenge. On d 9 after LPS challenge, SCC and milk yield and metabolic factors were recovered in all groups. In conclusion, the endocrine and metabolic situation, and the immune response to intramammary LPS of dairy cows during early lactation was not substantially influenced by the elevated supply of nitrogenic, glucogenic, or lipogenic components due to the provided feed in this study.

Effect of high-pressure processing on polyphenol oxidase, melanosis and quality in ready-to-eat crabs during storage

High-pressure processing (HPP: 300MPa, 5 min) was applied to ready-to-eat (RTE) crab treatment, and the melanosis and quality changes were monitored during storage at 4 °C. The results showed that HPP caused changes in the relative molecular mass of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) protein, which resulted in the decrease of PPO activity by more than 50%, thus delaying the blackening. RTE crabs with the application of HPP showed less damage to muscle tissues during storage, with fibers appearing fused and more compact compared to the control samples. At the end of storage, the marinade pH of HPP-treated samples was significantly reduced by 34.92% compared to control samples, which may also account for the lower degree of lipid oxidation. HPP could significantly inhibit the formation of biogenic amine precursors-related free amino acids and reduce taste-related free amino acids formation. The increased springiness of leg meat was found in HPP-treated samples, with respect to the control samples. Microbiological assessment showed a shelf-life of 15 days for unpressurized samples and 31 days for HPP-treated samples, demonstrating the high potential of HPP against microbial. HHP-treated samples had better sensory attributes than the control samples.

Activity Patterns, Sex Ratio, and Social Organization of the Bare-Faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata) in the Northern Pantanal, Brazil

Among Neotropical cracids (Galliformes), many taxa are declining rapidly in population size and facing local extinction. However, in the Brazilian Pantanal, several species occur sympatrically and in abundant numbers to allow for long-term studies. Therefore, the study was intended to collect data and statistically evaluate the life history patterns of Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata), a high-conservation-priority species. Additionally, the effect of applying commonly used independence filters on camera trap data was evaluated. The study was conducted in the SESC Pantanal, Baía das Pedras, Mato Grosso, Brazil, a private protected area of approximately 4200 ha. Between July 2015 and December 2017 (4768 sampling days), 37 sampling locations were monitored with camera traps placed in a regular grid with a spacing of 1 km. Crax fasciolata was detected at 26 (70.27%) of them, with 357 independent captures (554 individuals). Capture success differed among the four seasonal periods, being highest during the receding and lowest during the high-water period. The seasonal difference was more pronounced in the savanna, with significantly lower activity during the rising period and higher activity during the receding period, while it was more uniform in forest-dominated areas. Groups with offspring were more active during the period of receding water, indicating the peak of reproductive activity in the months before. The daily activity of the species followed a bimodal pattern, with peaks between 06:00 and 07:00 and 16:00 and 17:00. Daily activity rhythms were similar when compared between seasonal periods, sexes, and adults with or without offspring and differed between two habitats (more homogeneous in the forest). The mean detected group size was 1.55 ± 0.81 SD, with four animals exhibiting the largest observed aggregation. Larger unisexual aggregations of adults were not observed. The offspring sex ratio was significantly female-skewed at 0.51:1.00, while the adult sex ratio was considered equal at 1.05:1.00 (male:female). The use of different independence filters did not alter the BFC general activity pattern estimates. Cracids can be considered important bioindicators of habitat quality. The results of this study outline the importance of the Pantanal as a stronghold for this species and the privately protected areas with low anthropogenic activity as highly beneficial to its populations.

Influences of growth stage and ensiling time on fermentation profile, bacterial community compositions and their predicted functionality during ensiling of Italian ryegrass

The study evaluated the effects of growth stage and ensiling time on silage fermentation characteristics, bacterial communities and their predicted functional potential in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) silage. Italian ryegrass (IR) was harvested at heading (Earing rate >50 %, IR1) and blooming stages (>50% bloom, IR2), respectively. The harvested IR was ensiled in 15-L plastic silos. The experiment had a completely randomized design. Triplicate silos were sampled after 1, 3, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days of fermentation, respectively. The fermentation products were analyzed on each sampling day. The bacterial communities and their functional potential and phenotype on day 3 and 60 were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technique and PICRUSt2 (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States) method. With the advancing maturity of IR, the neutral detergent fiber and dry matter (DM) contents, lactic acid bacteria, yeast, Enterobacteriaceae and aerobic bacteria populations increased, while water soluble carbohydrate contents and buffering capacity decreased. Larger lactic acid contents were accumulated in IR1 than IR2 at the early stage of fermentation. Higher contents of ethanol and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) were found in IR1 compared to IR2 at the late stage of ensiling. After 60 days, IR1 and IR2 both had good fermentation quality with low pH values (∼4.08), and acceptable levels of NH3-N (∼67.6 g/kg total nitrogen) and butyric acid (∼1.08 g/kg DM). The IR2 had lower abundance of Lactobacillus on day 3, and higher abundances of Kosakonia and Pantoea on day 60 compared to IR1. The bacterial community in IR2 had higher activity in metabolic pathway. Overall, high throughput sequencing technique combined with PICRUSt2 method can improve our understanding of the silage microbiology to further regulate the fermentation products.

Lake stratification in the Brazilian Amazon: Types and the first description of permanent meromixia

An investigation into the physical and chemical stratification processes of the waters of 45 lakes in Central Amazonian was carried out, based on data from 1995 to 2022. Stratification profile and behavior; partial and total circulation trends; seasonality; classification and typology of the lakes of the Amazon plain were considered. The purpose of this study was to identify the limnological, hydrological and geomorphological factors most relevant to the stratification processes. Monitoring data were obtained from daily and seasonal samplings. Among the analyzed parameters are temperature; density; transparency; euphotic zone; attenuation coefficient; incident and refracted radiation profile; dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, salinity, suspended material and turbidity concentrations; climatic and hydrological factors; level of protection of the shores; topography of shore and bottom; shape and geometric pattern of lakes. PCA, Cluster and Pearson's analysis and numerical models were applied to the results. Lakes with total circulation patterns, multiple layered circulations, varying degrees of polymixy, and lakes with seasonal and permanent meromixy were identified. The concentration of total solids, depth, morphometry, intensity of the refracted radiation and the action of the winds were the factors considered preponderant for the identification of the stratification processes. Hydrological models were established based on the classification and typology of the lakes studied. The simulation results allowed the following conclusions: a) coefficients t1 and t2 < 0 suggest increase; b) 0< t1 and t2 < 1 is equivalent to a curve with linear trend; c) t1 and t2 > 1 is equivalent to a curve with a tendency to stratification; d) the higher the numerical value of t1,2, means resistant stratification (permanent meromixia).