Intake Rate Research Articles

Bioaccessible metals in dust materials from non-sulfide Zn deposit and related hydrometallurgical operation

Mining and processing of ores in arid (desert) areas generates high amounts of dust, which might be enriched in potentially harmful elements. We studied dust fractions of ores, soils, and technological materials from mining and related hydrometallurgical operation at former Skorpion Zinc non-sulfide Zn deposit in southern Namibia (closed and placed under maintenance in 2020). Chemical and mineralogical investigation was combined with oral bioaccessibility testing of fine dust fractions (<48 μm and <10 μm) in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) to assess potential risk of intake of metallic contaminants (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) for staff operating in the area. The bulk metals concentrations were largely variable and ranked as follows: soils < tailings ≪ Skorpion ores < imported ores and dross used for feed ore blending. Maximum contaminant concentrations in the original granular materials were 927 mg Cd/kg, 9150 mg Cu/kg, 50 g Pb/kg and 706 g Zn/kg, respectively, and generally increased as a function of decreasing grain size. The highest bioaccessible concentrations of Cd and Pb yielded imported ores from Taiwan and Turkey and, together with the milled dross, these samples also exhibited the highest Zn bioaccessibilities. The exposure estimates calculated for a worker (weighing 70 kg) in this mining/ore processing operation at a dust ingestion rate of 100 mg/day indicated that most dust samples (soils, tailings, Skorpion ores) exhibited metals intake values far below tolerable daily intake limits. The overall health risk was limited in all mining and ore processing areas except for the ore blending area, where imported ores and recycled dross enriched in bioaccessible Cd, Pb and/or Zn were used for the ore blending. Safety measures required by the mine operator (wearing of masks by the operating staff) helped to prevent the staff's exposure to potentially contaminated dust even in this blending ore area.

Effect of pomegranate seed oil on egg production, egg quality and yolk fatty acid deposition in laying hen.

Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) contains punicic acid as well as conjugated linolenic acid isomers, including α-eleostearic and catalpic acids, along with phytosterols, especially β-sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol, with lipotropic impact and egg fortifying effect in laying hens. The present experiment was designed to examine the effects of PSO on egg production, egg quality, blood lipids and yolk fatty acid deposition in laying hens. A total of 360 Hy-line laying hens (w-80), at 25 weeks of age, were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design during a 10-week period. Experimental treatments consisted of a basal diet or supplementation of 1, 2, 3 and 4gPSO/kg to basal diet. Performance indicators and fatty acid composition of egg yolk were evaluated during different experimental periods. Blood lipid attributes were evaluated at the end of the experiment. Dietary supplementation of 4gPSO/kg feed increased daily feed intake and egg production rate of laying hens (p<0.05). There was not any significant influence of experimental treatments on egg quality, whereas an increasing trend observed in egg yolk colour of hens received dietary graded levels of PSO. Dietary supplemental 4g/kgPSO increased the proportion of yolk poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) concentration (p<0.05). Furthermore, the PUFA to saturated fatty acid ratio increased after dietary supplementation of 1 or 4g/kgPSO (p<0.05). Serum concentration of cholesterol, triacylglycerol and low-density lipoprotein decreased in response to the supplementation of more than 3gPSO/kg in the feed (p<0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 4g/kgPSO improved production rate and decreased blood lipids in laying hens. Moreover, dietary supplemental PSO modified yolk fatty acid deposition without detrimental effects on the egg quality.

Moderate grazing intensities modulate canopy structure that influences short‐term intake rate of heifers grazing a natural grassland

AbstractGrazing management frequently relies on forage availability as an indicator of performance. However, canopy structure and composition can play an important role in foraging behavior and intake in native grasslands. Here, we aim to (1) assess the effect of grazing management on herbage biomass, tussock cover, average canopy and inter‐tussock canopy height, and to (2) study the effect of these canopy structure components on short‐term intake rate (STIR) and patch selectivity of beef cattle, in a native grassland in the Campos region in southern Brazil. Ten 1000 m2 experimental units were built in five paddocks (two per paddock) managed with different herbage allowance (HA) treatments: four fixed year‐round HA (1 to 4 kg dry matter [DM]/kg live weight [LW]) and one variable HA (2 and 3 kg DM/kg LW during spring and the rest of the year, respectively). The experimental units were grazed individually with four heifers during 45 min, in two grazing cycles. Before each grazing session, we assessed the total herbage mass, average and inter‐tussock canopy height, and tussock cover. During the 45‐min grazing sessions, we evaluated the STIR (g DM/kg LW0.75/min) and grazing time in tussock and inter‐tussock strata. Increasing the HA increased the total herbage mass, canopy height and tussock cover. The STIR was maximized with herbage mass of 2200 kg DM/ha and a tussock cover of ~7%, canopy structures related with moderate grazing intensities (i.e., 2 and 3 kg DM/kg LW), which increased the selection opportunity by herbivores. Canopy structures associated with heavy (1 kg DM/kg LW) and lenient grazing intensity (4 kg DM/kg LW) determined linear decreases of 50% in STIR.

Convergence points of optimal herbage accumulation and intake rate by sheep grazing tall fescue

AbstractPasture management oriented towards sustainable intensification and stability of yield must consider the ideal balance between the mass of leaves removed by grazing and the mass left as residual. The former supports high animal production and the later supports an optimum soil–plant carbon balance. This study aimed to evaluate the optimal herbage level from both plant and animal perspectives, through the adjustment of instantaneous herbage accumulation rate as estimated by the Gompertz curve model and short‐term intake rate of sheep. Weekly tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) herbage accumulation was measured during seven growth periods with initiation dates in October, November and December 2015, and March, April, August and September 2016 and with the initiation dates arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Total herbage mass, leaf lamina mass, pseudo‐stem + sheath mass, senescent mass, and sward surface height were measured each week. The results demonstrated that a pre‐grazing sward surface height of 22.3 cm of tall fescue promoted the maximum short‐term intake rate of sheep and the optimum herbage accumulation rate in the spring and autumn periods. In general, the convergent point occurred after the maximum instantaneous leaf lamina accumulation rate and before the maximum instantaneous accumulation rate of pseudo‐stem + sheath and senescent material. We suggest the existence of a convergent point in which both primary and secondary production of pastoral ecosystems could be fostered.

Combined impact of elevated temperature and zinc oxide nanoparticles on physiological stress and recovery responses of Scylla serrata

Global climate change is the major cause behind unexpected fluctuations in temperature. In recent years, application of nanotechnology also has become widespread and nanomaterials are constantly being released into aquatic environments, posing a potential risk to various organisms and ecosystems. The lack of detailed understanding of how multiple stressors work, and how they differ from single stressors, impede to assess their combined effect on aquatic organisms and ecosystems. The prime aim of the current investigation is to decipher the toxicity of ZnO-NP after simultaneous exposure to a global environmental stressor, elevated temperature for 14 days, followed by a 7 days recovery period, on the eco-physiological responses of mud crab Scylla serrata collected from Sundarbans. Physiological energetics such as ingestion, assimilation, absorption, respiration, and excretion rates were measured to determine the Scope for growth (SfG). Additionally, we assessed various biomarkers from different levels of biological organisation (antioxidant, detoxification defence mechanisms, and lipid peroxidation levels) of the species. Combined stress attenuated the SfG in crabs which deteriorated further in the recovery phase. Oxidative stress also exacerbated under coalesced stress condition. Recovery was not observed in crabs with increased lipid peroxidation level under combined stress conditions. Elevated temperature disturbed the energy budget of crabs as mirrored by diminished energy left for compensatory actions under added metal stress, ultimately sensitizing the animals to ZnO NP pollutants. The current results advocate future ocean temperature to aggravate the impact of metal NP pollution and induce oxidative damage in S. serrata.

Research Trends in the Effect of Caffeine Intake on Fat Oxidation: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis.

In the last few decades, numerous studies pertaining to research groups worldwide have investigated the effects of oral caffeine intake on fat oxidation at rest, during exercise, and after exercise. However, there is no bibliometric analysis to assess the large volume of scientific output associated with this topic. A bibliometric analysis of this topic may be used by researchers to assess the current scientific interest in the application of caffeine as a nutritional strategy to augment fat oxidation, the journals with more interest in this type of publication, and to draw international collaborations between groups working in the same area. For these reasons, the purpose of this study was to assess the research activity regarding oral caffeine intake and fat oxidation rate in the last few decades by conducting a bibliometric and visual analysis. Relevant publications from 1992 to 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database. Quantitative and qualitative variables were collected, including the number of publications and citations, H-indexes, journals of citation reports, co-authorship, co-citation, and the co-occurrence of keywords. There were 182 total publications, while the number of annual publications is saw-shaped with a modest increase of 11.3% from 2000 to 2009 to 2010 to 2019. The United States was the country with the highest number of publications (24.17% of the total number of articles), followed by the Netherlands (17.03%). According to citation analyses, the average number of citations per document is 130, although there are 21 documents that have received more than 100 citations; the most cited document reached 644 citations. These citation data support the overall relevance of this topic in the fields of nutrition and dietetics and sport sciences that when combined harbored 85.71% of all articles published in the WoS. The most productive author was Westerterp-Plantenga with 16 articles (8.79% of the total number of articles). Nutrients was the journal that published the largest number of articles on this topic (6.59% of the total number of articles). Last, there is a tendency to include keywords such as "performance", "carbohydrate", and "ergogenic aid" in the newer articles, while "obesity", "thermogenic", and "tea" are the keywords more commonly included in older documents. Although research into the role of caffeine on fat oxidation has existed since the 1970s, our analysis suggests that the scientific output associated with this topic has progressively increased since 1992, demonstrating that this is a nutritional research area with a strong foundational base of scientific evidence. Based on the findings of this bibliometric analysis, future investigation may consider focusing on the effects of sex and tolerance to caffeine to widen the assessment of the effectiveness of oral caffeine intake as a nutritional strategy to augment the use of fat as a fuel, as these terms rarely appear in the studies included in this analysis. Additionally, more translational research is necessary as the studies that investigate the effect of oral caffeine intake in ecologically valid contexts (i.e., exercise training programs for individuals with excessive adiposity) are only a minor part of the studies on this topic.

Improved production of β-carotene in light-powered Escherichia coli by co-expression of Gloeobacter rhodopsin expression

BackgroundProviding sufficient and usable energy for the cell factory has long been a heated issue in biosynthesis as solar energy has never been rooted out from the strategy for improvement, and turning Escherichia coli (E. coli) into a phototrophic host has multiple captivating qualities for biosynthesis. In this study, β-carotene was a stable compound for production in E. coli with the expression of four enzymes (CrtE, CrtB, CrtI, CrtY) for production due to its light-harvesting feature as an antenna pigment and as an antioxidant and important precursor for human health. The expression of Gloeobacter rhodopsin (GR) in microbial organisms was proved to have potential for application.ResultsThe expression of fusion protein, GR-GFP, in E. coli showed visible GFP signal under fluorescent microscopy, and its in vivo proton pumping activity signal can be detected in induced photocurrent by electrodes on the chip under intervals of illumination. To assess the phototrophic synthesis ability of the host strain compared to wild-type and vector control strain in chemostat batch with illumination, the expression of red fluorescent protein (RFP) as a target protein showed its yield improvement in protein assay and also reflected its early dominance in RFP fluorescence signal during the incubation, whereas the synthesis of β-carotene also showed yield increase by 1.36-fold and 2.32-fold compared with its wildtype and vector control strain. To investigate the effect of GR-GFP on E. coli, the growth of the host showed early rise into the exponential phase compared to the vector control strain and glucose turnover rate was elevated in increased glucose intake rate and upregulation of ATP-related genes in glycolysis (PtsG, Pgk, Pyk).ConclusionWe reported the first-time potential application of GR in the form of fusion protein GR-GFP. Expression of GR-GFP in E. coli improved the production of β-carotene and RFP. Our work provides a strain of E. coli harboring phototrophic metabolism, thus paving path to a more sustainable and scalable production of biosynthesis.

Analyzing Sensitivity Analysis Techniques: A Comprehensive Study Across Various Fields

Sensitivity analysis. Users of both simulation and mathematical models are given tools by sensitivity analysis to understand how closely a model's output is related to its input and to determine the relative importance of each input. All application fields are included, including engineering, sociology, and theoretical physics. In order to clarify the structure of the entire "Sensitivity Analysis" section of the Springer Handbook, this introduction paper presents the purposes and objectives of sensitivity analysis. A helpful software programmer, the mathematical notation used in the book papers, certain categorization grids to comprehend the application limits of each method, and the fundamental concepts of sensitivity analysis are also covered. Making decisions can benefit from sensitivity analysis in a number of ways. It first serves as a thorough analysis of all the factors. The predictions might be much more accurate because it's more thorough. Second, it enables decision-makers to pinpoint areas where future improvements can be made. The weighted sum technique is a cross decision-making process; as there are numerous possibilities, there are also many more factors that must be considered before choosing the best one. A weighted or weighted collection of sums is a machine learning strategy that combines predictions from various models, with each model's contribution being weighed according to its capacity or level of expertise. Weighted the with mean evening gown voting ensemble related to this method benefits of using it are ease of use, especially when working with convergent problems, such as when disadvantages an all in solution space make it impossible to find solutions and goals a simple way to ascribe weights there is no way. relative deviation ratio (RDR), partial rank correlation coefficient (PRCC), Standardized regression coefficients (SRC), rank regression coefficient (RRC). Beef cow ingestion rate, Atmospheric concentration, Beef transport time, Biological half-life, breathing rat, Feed-to-meat transfer factor, Feed-to-milk transfer factor, Meat consumption rate. from the result it is seen that Biological half-life, breathing rat and is got the first rank whereas is the Beef transport time got is having the lowest rank. Conclusion: The value of the dataset for Sensitivity analysis technique in GRA (Gray-related analysis) method shows that it results in Biological half-life, breathing rat and top ranking.

Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils Around the Gangue Heap of Coal Mine Based on Monte Carlo Simulation

To analyze the pollution characteristics of heavy metals in the soil of farmland surrounding the gangue heap of a coal mine in Chongqing, the Nemerow, Muller, and Hakanson indices were used. Meanwhile, to investigate the health risks of heavy metals in soil, a health risk assessment model was employed using Monte Carlo simulation. The results revealed that the average contents of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn were higher than their soil background values, and the Muller index (Igeo) from high to low was as follows:Cd>Hg>Cu>As>Ni>Zn>Cr>Pb. The Nemerow index (PN) demonstrated that the results of the assessment indicated mainly light pollution (1<PN ≤ 2). The single factor index (Pi) from high to low was as follows:Cd>Cu>Ni>Cr>Zn>As>Pb>Hg. The Hakanson index (RI) demonstrated that the results of the assessment indicated mainly moderate ecological risk (150 ≤ RI<300). The single ecological risk index (Eri) from high to low was as follows:Cd>Hg>As>Cu>Ni>Pb>Cr>Zn. The health risk assessment of heavy metals revealed that the non-carcinogenic health risks of children and adults could be ignored, but carcinogenic health risks existed, with an average total carcinogenic risk index (TCR) of 1.04E-5 and 3.94E-6, respectively. The major carcinogenic factors were As and Cd. Sensitivity analysis of non-carcinogenic health risks revealed that the ingestion rate of soil (Ringest) was the most sensitive, followed by the contents of As. Meanwhile, sensitivity analysis of carcinogenic health risks indicated that the content of As was the most sensitive, followed by the ingestion rate of soil (Ringest). In general, the health risks of children, including non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, were higher than those of adults.

Urine Toxicology Test for Children With Altered Mental Status.

The rate of unintentional ingestion of edible cannabis products in young children is rising rapidly as laws decriminalizing both recreational and medical marijuana in the United States become more widespread.1 Cannabis poisoning in children can lead to a myriad of symptoms, most notably neurologic changes. The abrupt onset and severity of signs and symptoms after ingestion can cause diagnostic uncertainty for practitioners in the emergency department. Here, we present a case series of 5 children, 6 years of age and younger, who initially presented with altered mental status and were ultimately diagnosed with acute δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol toxicity after cannabis ingestion confirmed by urine toxicology testing. Although urine toxicology testing is not routinely used as a diagnostic tool in pediatrics, the increasing accessibility of edible cannabis products suggests that more widespread urine toxicology testing in children with undifferentiated altered mental status is warranted.

Relationship between rate of glucose or propionate infusion and milk protein yield and concentration in dairy cows: A meta-regression

Although postruminal glucose infusion into dairy cows has increased milk protein yield in some past experiments, the same trend has not been observed in others. A meta-regression of 64 sets of observations from 29 previously published glucose and propionate infusion studies in dairy cattle, treating study and experiment (study) as random effects, was performed to establish the general effects of glucose equivalent (GlcE) infusion rate on milk true protein (MTP) yield and content, if any, and to identify independent, fixed-effect variables that accounted for the changes in MTP yield and content that were observed. Candidate explanatory variables included rate and site of infusion, diet composition and intake, body weight and lactation stage of the cows, and the change in nutrient intake between GlcE and control treatments. Across all studies, according to a model containing only the random effects of study and experiment, GlcE infusion at an average of 954 g/d increased MTP yield by 26 g/d, on average, whereas mean MTP content was not affected. Backward stepwise elimination of potential explanatory variables from a full mixed model produced a final, reduced model for MTP yield that retained a positive, second-order quadratic effect of infusion rate of GlcE and a positive, linear effect of the change in crude protein intake (CPI) between GlcE treatment and control. This change in CPI due to GlcE infusion ranged from -0.546 to 0.173 kg/d in the dataset. The model fit indicated that when CPI was allowed to drop during GlcE infusion, the effect of GlcE on MTP yield was smaller than when CPI was maintained or increased, in a manifestation of the classic protein:energy interaction. The final reduced model for MTP content contained the same explanatory variables as for MTP yield, plus a negative effect of intravenous compared with gastrointestinal infusion. Overall, the meta-analysis revealed that both MTP yield, and content were positively related to GlcE infusion rate and to the change in CPI between glucose treatment and control.

Climate warming accelerates somatic growth of an Arctic fish species in high-latitude lakes

High-latitude aquatic ecosystems are responding to rapid climate warming. A longer ice-free season with higher water temperatures may accelerate somatic growth in lake ectotherms, leading to widespread ecological implications. In fish, rising temperatures are expected to boost rates of food intake and conversion, and predictions based on empirical relationships between temperature and growth suggest a substantial increase in fish growth rates during the last decades. Fish abundance negatively affects growth by limiting food availability. This field study addresses the effects of climate warming on growth of a subarctic population of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.) over nearly 40 years. Juvenile growth of 680 individuals of Arctic charr, was reconstructed by sclerochronological analysis using sagittal otoliths sampled annually from the early 1980s to 2016. Statistical modelling revealed a positive effect of water temperature, and a negative effect of abundance on somatic growth in juvenile individuals. Temperature dependence in growth was significant for average and fast-growing individuals across all investigated age classes. These findings suggest that, as temperatures rise, somatic growth of Arctic charr will increase in high latitude lakes. Climate warming will thus influence cold water fish life history and size-structured interactions, with important consequences for their populations and ecosystems.

Optimal control strategies for SGLT2 inhibitors as a novel anti-tumor agent and their effect on human breast cancer cells with the effect of time delay and hyperglycemia

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in the world, and it continues to have a significant impact on the total number of cancer deaths. Recently, oncology findings hint at the role of excessive glucose in cancer progression and immune cells’ suppression. Sequel to this revelation is ongoing researches on possible inhibition of glucose flow into the tumor micro-environment as therapeutics for malignant treatment. In this study, the effect of glucose blockage therapeutics such as SGLT-2 inhibitors drug on the dynamics of normal, tumors and immune cells interaction is mathematically studied. The asymptomatic nature of the breast cancer is factored into the model using time delay. We first investigate the boundedness and non-negativity of the solution. The condition for existence of critical equilibrium point is determined, and its global stability conditions are derived using Lyapunov function. This revealed that a timely administration of the SGLT-2 inhibitors drug can eliminate tumor cells. Secondly, we determine the sufficient and necessary conditions for optimal control strategy of SGLT-2 inhibitors so as to avert side effects on normal cells using a Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle. The results showed that if the ingestion rate of the inhibitor drug is equal to the digestion rate, the tumor cells can be completely eliminated within 9 months without side effects. The analytical results were numerically verified and the qualitative views of interacting cells dynamics is showcased.

Understanding how high stocking densities and concurrent limited oxygen availability drive social cohesion and adaptive features in regulatory growth, antioxidant defense and lipid metabolism in farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata).

The study combined the use of biometric, behavioral, physiological and external tissue damage scoring systems to better understand how high stocking densities drive schooling behavior and other adaptive features during the finishing growing phase of farmed gilthead sea bream in the Western Mediterranean. Fish were grown at three different final stocking densities (LD, 8.5kg/m3; MD, 17kg/m3; HD, 25kg/m3). Water oxygen concentration varied between 5 and 6ppm in LD fish to 3-4ppm in HD fish with the summer rise of water temperature from 19°C to 26°C (May-July). HD fish showed a reduction of feed intake and growth rates, but they also showed a reinforced social cohesion with a well-defined endogenous swimming activity rhythm with feeding time as a main synchronization factor. The monitored decrease of the breathing/swimming activity ratio by means of the AEFishBIT data-logger also indicated a decreased energy partitioning for growth in the HD environment with a limited oxygen availability. Plasma glucose and cortisol levels increased with the rise of stocking density, and the close association of glycaemia with the expression level of antioxidant enzymes (mn-sod, gpx4, prdx5) in liver and molecular chaperones (grp170, grp75) in skeletal muscle highlighted the involvement of glucose in redox processes via rerouting in the pentose-phosphate-pathway. Other adaptive features included the depletion of oxidative metabolism that favored lipid storage rather than fatty acid oxidation to decrease the oxygen demand as last electron acceptor in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. This was coincident with the metabolic readjustment of the Gh/Igf endocrine-growth cascade that promoted the regulation of muscle growth at the local level rather than a systemic action via the liver Gh/Igf axis. Moreover, correlation analyses within HD fish displayed negative correlations of hepatic transcripts of igf1 and igf2 with the data-logger measurements of activity and respiration, whereas the opposite was found for muscle igf2, ghr1 and ghr2. This was indicative of a growth-regulatory transition that supported a proactive instead of a reactive behavior in HD fish, which was considered adaptive to preserve an active and synchronized feeding behavior with a minimized risk of oxidative stress and epidermal skin damage.

Weaver ants regulate the rate of prey delivery during collective vertical transport.

The collective transport of massive food items by ant teams is a striking example of biological cooperation, but it remains unclear how these decentralized teams coordinate to overcome the various challenges associated with transport. Previous research has focused on transport across horizontal surfaces and very shallow inclines, disregarding the complexity of natural foraging environments. In the ant Oecophylla smaragdina, prey are routinely carried up tree trunks to arboreal nests. Using this species, we induce collective transport over a variety of angled surfaces with varying prey masses to investigate how ants respond to inclines. We found that weight and incline pose qualitatively different challenges during transport. Prey were carried over vertical and inclined surfaces faster than across horizontal surfaces, even though inclines were associated with longer routes and a higher probability of dropping the load. This additional speed is associated with more transporters being allocated to loads on steeper inclines and not from the persistence of individual ants. Ant teams also regulated a stable prey delivery rate (rate of return per transporter) across all treatments. Our proposed constrained optimization model suggests a possible explanation for these results; theoretically, prey intake rate at the colony level is maximized when the allocation of transporters yields a similar prey delivery rate across loads.

Assessment of the inclusion of a feed additive of sodium humate derived from freshwater sapropel in diets for broiler chickens.

Poultry production is the fastest growing livestock industry in the world, as the rapid growth of and efficient absorption of feed by poultry ensure the production of poultry meat with a relatively low carbon footprint. Seeking new ways to increase livestock productivity as well as poultry product quality, the number of research studies on the use of humic substances of various origins in livestock farming has increased significantly, emphasizing the role of feed additives derived from local resources. The unique capability of humic substances to improve metabolic processes allows the immune protection of the bird body to be strengthened and production efficiency to be increased. This study aimed to identify the effects of sodium humate (NaHum) on the growth performance of broiler chickens and selected blood and ileum microbiota parameters. Dietary research was conducted 2 times under production conditions in a poultry facility of a commercial company, with 210 1-day-old, unsorted broiler chickens of both sexes (Ross 308). The broiler chickens were fed with standard commercial feed, the rearing period of 35 days, and slaughtered on day 36. Sodium humate additive was added to drinking water for the research groups of broilers in period from 8th to 35th day of life, 25 mL (Group 1, n = 2 × 35) and 50 mL (Group 2, n = 2 × 35) per liter of drinking water. Sodium humate contained an average of 4.48% dry matter, a kilogram of dry matter containing 104.3 g of crude protein, 3.6 g of crude fiber and 0.9 g of crude fat, 14.3 MJ of metabolic energy, and 5.8 MJ of energy for live weight gain, as well as a very high content of crude ash -759.8 g, including 4.2 g Ca, 4.2 g Na, and 4.81 g Fe, the dry matter digestibility of NaHum was 87.0%, and the absorption capacity of dry matter was 113.2%., the pH level was 13.0, i.e., alkaline. At the end of the dietary research, the productivity and economic efficiency of the research groups of broilers were calculated by live weight gain, carcass weight, feed conversation ratio, and blood and intestinal samples of broilers were analyzed to identify the effects of NaHum on the growth performance and health status of broilers. Dietary research found that adding 25 mL/L and 50 mL/L of NaHum to drinking water for the broiler chickens increased their live weights at the selling age, average live weight gains by 3.06-3.93%, and carcass weights by 5.07-6.06%, while feed conversion increased in terms of both live weight (1.5 and 1.51) and carcass weight (1.84 and 1.86) compared with the control group. The best economic performance in terms of the economic efficiency index and the cost index (CI) was found in Group 1, which was fed with the NaHum additive at an intake rate of 25 mL/L. The NaHum additive modulated the ileal microbiota and metabolic processes in the broiler body. At the same time, a significant decrease in the levels of total protein, alkaline phosphatase and phosphorus (P) in blood was found in the research groups. Considering the positive effects of NaHum derived from freshwater sapropel on the productivity and economic efficiency of broiler chickens, the NaHum feed additive should be further investigated on a larger scale to obtain results that could reasonably be used in practice. This study concluded that a decrease in P levels in the blood was observed when NaHum was added to the drinking water; therefore, it is important to continue the research to draw reasonable conclusions on the effects of NaHum in liquid form on the health performance of farm animals.

Big Data Analytics for the ATLAS EventIndex Project with Apache Spark

The ATLAS EventIndex was designed to provide a global event catalogue and limited event-level metadata for ATLAS experiment of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and their analysis groups and users during Run 2 (2015-2018) and has been running in production since. The LHC Run 3, started in 2022, has seen increased data-taking and simulation production rates, with which the current infrastructure would still cope but may be stretched to its limits by the end of Run 3. A new core storage service is being developed in HBase/Phoenix, and there is work in progress to provide at least the same functionality as the current one for increased data ingestion and search rates and with increasing volumes of stored data. In addition, new tools are being developed for solving the needed access cases within the new storage. This paper describes a new tool using Spark and implemented in Scala for accessing the big data quantities of the EventIndex project stored in HBase/Phoenix. With this tool, we can offer data discovery capabilities at different granularities, providing Spark Dataframes that can be used or refined within the same framework. Data analytic cases of the EventIndex project are implemented, like the search for duplicates of events from the same or different datasets. An algorithm and implementation for the calculation of overlap matrices of events across different datasets are presented. Our approach can be used by other higher-level tools and users, to ease access to the data in a performant and standard way using Spark abstractions. The provided tools decouple data access from the actual data schema, which makes it convenient to hide complexity and possible changes on the backed storage.

Microcosm study of the effects of polyester microfibers on the indigenous marine amphipod (Cyphocaris challengeri) in the Strait of Georgia (BC, Canada)

Microplastics (MP) remain contaminants of great concern in the ocean because of their abundance, prevalence, and threat to marine organisms. Still, there is a great need for studies on the impact of MP on marine zooplankton. Here, we investigated the effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microfibers (Mf) on the survival, Mf ingestion and retention, predation, and fecal pellets (FP) of the marine amphipod (Cyphocaris challengeri) at environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 and 50,000 Mf·L−1) and varied exposure time (24, 48 and 72 h). Our study demonstrated that exposure of C. challengeri to PET Mf did not affect their survival. The average number of ingested Mf and the Mf ingestion rate increased significantly with Mf concentrations. Nonetheless, the Mf ingestion rates by C. challengeri decreased significantly between 24 and 72 h in the two highest Mf treatments (10,000 and 50,000 Mf·L−1), suggesting careful rejection of the Mf or reduced feeding activity. Indeed, PET Mf significantly reduced the copepod feeding rate of the amphipods at Mf concentrations ≥1000 Mf·L−1 after 24 and 48 h of exposure duration. Over time, prey intake reduction in amphipods due to Mf ingestion could affect their reproductive outcome, growth, development, and cellular and ecosystem function. The encapsulation of PET Mf into the FP of C. challengeri significantly increased the FP density and sinking velocities, ultimately doubling the transfer rate of the FP from the surface waters to the sediments in SoG. Conversely, ingesting PET microfibers and their incorporation in FP will potentially enhance the role of C. challengeri in the biological C pump and sequestration in SoG. Our study showed that changes in Mf concentration had a more significant effect on C. challengeri Mf ingestion and ingestion rate, prey consumption, FP density and sinking velocity than the exposure time.

A prospective health risks analysis of regulatory limits for heavy metals in rice from representative organizations and countries worldwide: Are they protective?

Heavy metals contamination in rice has been one of the most public concerns globally; thus, many countries and organizations issued the maximum acceptable limits (MALs) of their concentrations in rice to regulate food safety and health risks. However, the applicability of these MALs has rarely been thoroughly evaluated. This study collected the MALs of heavy metals for rice from representative countries and organizations around the world. We assessed the critical health risks in the case of metal concentrations that reached the MALs for the first time. Results showed great variability of rice regulation limits owing to different processing methods (paddy, polished, and brown rice) and metal types (mainly focusing on inorganic As, Cd, and Pb). Risk analysis revealed that the inorganic As limits and part of Cd limits for polished rice generated relatively high health risks, indicating that their risks may be underestimated. Monte Carlo simulation further showed that the daily intake rate of rice (IRrice) is the largest contributor to total variances for the derivation of MALs, and regulation limits decreased with the augment of IRrice. Overall, we suggest a cautious reduction in the allowable limits of certain metals (such as inorganic As and part of Cd) in rice as their health risks and toxicity may be underestimated.

Behavioral and demographic responses of the predatory rotifer Asplanchna sieboldii (Leydig, 1854) fed prey (Plationus patulus (Müller, 1786)) previously exposed to cadmium and microplastics

We quantified the feeding behavior (encounter, attack, capture and ingestion) and demographic parameters (survival and reproduction) of the predatory rotifer Asplanchna sieboldii fed on the prey Plationus patulus previously exposed to microplastics (MPs), Cd or their combination. As compared to controls, capture and ingestion rates of P. patulus by A. sieboldii decreased by 71 and 61%, respectively, with prey previously exposed to mixed MPs and Cd treatment. Life table data showed that the predator died earlier in controls than when fed on prey exposed to both Cd and microplastics. Regardless of the prey treatment, the offspring production by A. sieboldii increased as the available prey numbers increased (from 1 to 4 ind. ml−1). Compared to controls, the fecundity rate of the predator decreased when contaminated prey was offered as food.