Urea Concentration Research Articles

Serum urea concentration and risk of 16 site-specific cancers, overall cancer, and cancer mortality in individuals with metabolic syndrome: a cohort study.

The relationship between serum urea concentration and cancer in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum urea concentration and 16 site-specific cancers, overall cancer incidence, and cancer mortality in individuals with MetS. We analysed the data of 108,284 individuals with MetS obtained from the UK Biobank. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the association between serum urea concentration at recruitment and cancer. The Benjamini-Hochberg correction was used to account for multiple comparisons. Over the median follow-up period of 11.86years, 18,548 new incident cases of cancer were documented. There were inverse associations of urea concentration with overall cancer incidence, and the incidence of oesophageal and lung cancers, with respective hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) [HR (95% CI)] for the highest (Q4) vs lowest (Q1) urea quartiles of 0.95 (0.91-0.99), 0.68 (0.50-0.92), and 0.76 (0.64-0.90). However, high serum urea concentrations increased the male prostate cancer risk (HR 1.15; 95% CI 1.02-1.30). Although the Cox model indicated a protective effect of higher urea levels against stomach (HR 0.67; 95% CI 0.45-0.98; p = 0.040; FDR 0.120) and colorectal cancer (HR 0.86; 95% CI 0.74-0.99; p = 0.048; FDR 0.123), no strong evidence of association was found after applying the Benjamin-Hochberg correction. Moreover, across the median follow-up period of 13.77years for cancer mortality outcome, 5034 cancer deaths were detected. An "L-shaped" nonlinear dose-response relationship between urea concentration and cancer mortality was discovered (p-nonlinear < 0.001), and the HR (95% CI) for urea concentration Q4 vs Q1 was 0.83 (0.77-0.91). Serum urea concentration can be considered as a valuable biomarker for evaluating cancer risk in individuals with MetS, potentially contributing to personalised cancer screening and management strategies.

Urea assimilation and oxidation support activity of phylogenetically diverse microbial communities of the dark ocean.

Urea is hypothesized to be an important source of nitrogen and chemical energy to microorganisms in the deep sea; however, direct evidence for urea use below the epipelagic ocean is lacking. Here, we explore urea utilization from 50 to 4000 meters depth in the northeastern Pacific Ocean using metagenomics, nitrification rates, and single-cell stable-isotope-uptake measurements with nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry. We find that on average 25% of deep-sea cells assimilated urea-derived N (60% of detectably active cells), and that cell-specific nitrogen-incorporation rates from urea were higher than that from ammonium. Both urea concentrations and assimilation rates relative to ammonium generally increased below the euphotic zone. We detected ammonia- and urea-based nitrification at all depths at one of two sites analyzed, demonstrating their potential to support chemoautotrophy in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic regions. Using newly generated metagenomes we find that the ureC gene, encoding the catalytic subunit of urease, is found within 39% of deep-sea cells in this region, including the Nitrososphaeria (syn., Thaumarchaeota; likely for nitrification) as well as members of thirteen other phyla such as Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Plantomycetota, Nitrospinota, and Chloroflexota (likely for assimilation). Analysis of public metagenomes estimated ureC within 10-46% of deep-sea cells around the world, with higher prevalence below the photic zone, suggesting urea is widely available to the deep-sea microbiome globally. Our results demonstrate that urea is a nitrogen source to abundant and diverse microorganisms in the dark ocean, as well as a significant contributor to deep-sea nitrification and therefore fuel for chemoautotrophy.

N-Carbamoyl Glutamate Prevents Ammonia Intoxication in Piglets with Reduced Liver Function

Ammonia as the end product of protein catabolism has a depressing effect on neurons. Ammonia neutralization in mammals occurs in the ornithine cycle, the activity of which is regulated mainly at the level of synthesis of N-Carbamoyl phosphate. The Krebs cycle is coupled with the ornithine cycle through a common substrate—arginine succinate. Therefore, the effects of ammonia neutralization and the processes of amino acid and energy metabolism are largely interrelated. This study is aimed at evaluating the efficacy of an N-carbamoyl glutamate additive in terms of optimizing metabolic processes and improving ammonia neutralization in suckling piglets. The experiment was conducted on two groups of piglets (n=15) formed at the age of 24 hours. Piglets in the experimental group were fed with an aqueous solution of the drug at a dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight once daily. The duration of feeding the supplement was 30 days; the average daily gain in body weight was determined at weaning at the age of 30 days. An analysis of the blood biochemical composition was carried out on the 30th day from the onset of the experiment. At the end of feeding the supplement in the experimental group, a decrease in the content of ammonia (p&lt;0.05) and urea in blood plasma, an increase in the concentration of arginine (p&lt;0.05) and triacylglycerols (p&lt;0.05) in comparison with the control group was revealed. The N-carbamoyl glutamate additive under study stimulates the endogenous production of the arginine essential amino acid, neutralizes ammonia formed in metabolic processes, and optimizes the amount of metabolic energy spent on binding ammonia in the urea cycle.

Synergistic Regulation of Phase and Nanostructure of Nickel Molybdate for Enhanced Supercapacitor Performance

Nickel molybdate, which has a relatively high theoretical capacity, demonstrates potential for use in supercapacitors. However, its inferior electrical conductivity and cycling stability have led to poor electrochemical performance. Nanostructure engineering of NiMoO4 is an efficient strategy to overcome its performance limitations as an electrode. Here, a facile approach is reported for the precise phase regulation and nanostructure of NiMoO4 by manipulating the synthesis parameters, including duration, precursor selection, and urea concentration. The electrochemical properties of the electrode materials are also investigated. It is interesting to note that the β-NiMoO4 nanosheets show a decent specific capacity of 332.8 C/g at 1 A/g, surpassing the 252.6 C/g of the α-NiMoO4 nanorods. Furthermore, the supercapacitor device constructed with β-NiMoO4 and reduced graphene oxide hydrogel (rGH) electrodes achieves an acceptable energy density of 36.1 Wh kg−1, while retaining 70.2% after 5000 cycles.

Study of the biochemical status of calves in the early postnatal period in connection with dyspepsia

Purpose: to study changes in the most important metabolic parameters in case of dyspepsia in calves.Materials and methods. Two groups of calves of 8 heads each, aged from 6 to 14 days, were formed. The first group included calves with signs of dyspepsia, who, in addition to diarrhea syndrome, had decreased appetite, weakness, and signs of abdominal pain. At the time of the study, the duration of the illness was 2-4 days. The second (control) group included clinically healthy animals of the same age. Blood was taken from the calves from the jugular vein in the morning before feeding. Blood serum was examined in a clinical biochemical laboratory using standard test systems to determine biochemical parameters.Results. In calves with dyspepsia, a significant decrease in the concentration of triglycerides by 1,8 times, cholesterol by 1,57 times, total protein by 5,5 % and albumin by 12,3 % was revealed. They also revealed a significant increase in the activity of transamination enzymes — ALT (2,6 times) and AST (1,6 times), which may indicate both damage to hepatocytes and the induction of enzymes to accelerate transamination reactions in order to meet energy needs calf body. The studies did not reveal significant changes in the concentrations of urea, creatinine and bilirubin.Conclusion. Studies have revealed metabolic changes that occur due to decreased absorption of nutrients in the intestines. Damage to the intestinal mucosa leads not only to a deterioration in the absorption of nutrients, but also to the penetration of proteins, primarily albumins, into the intestinal lumen and their removal from the body into the external environment. Redistribution of metabolic pathways to ensure homeostasis plays an adaptive role, but subsequently can have a negative role in the processes of growth and development of the calf’s body.

Effect of Nano Urea on Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Grafts Cv. Alphonso

This study aimed to determine the effect of application of foliar spray and drenching of nano urea on growth and survival of mango grafts cv. Alphonso. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications and twelve treatments to assess various concentrations of nano urea at College of Horticulture, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India. Treatments applied as a foliar spray and drenching of nano urea at different rates in which treatment of foliar application of nano urea at 1500 ppm showed best performance in survival percentage (95.11 %), graft height (44.99 cm), number of shoots (1.90), number of leaves (31.13), relative growth rate (0.0059 cm/cm/day), dry weight of root (13.44 g) and tap root length (27.10 cm). However, drenching treatment of nano urea at 1500 ppm showed good results in graft girth (10.60 mm) and treatment of foliar spray of nano urea at 500 ppm were found best for total leaf area (654.52 cm2). Among all the nano urea treatments, foliar spray of nano urea at 1500 ppm was the best owing to highest survival and better growth of mango grafts cv. Alphonso.

Dietary supplementation with functional amino acids improves the capacity of growing pigs to cope with a health challenge

This study aimed to assess the effects of additional dietary supplementation with a blend of functional amino acids (FAA) with Thr, Trp, and Met as a preventive (prior to health challenge), curative strategy (during health challenge) or both targeting the performance, body composition, metabolic biomarkers of growing group-housed pigs raised under a health challenge. Additionally, the influence of these feeding strategies on pig response was investigated after the challenge (during the finishing phase). Sixty weaned piglets [6.3 ± 0.9kg body weight (BW)] were distributed based on BW in a nursery barn to one of two dietary treatments (n=30): control (CN) or supplemented with FAA blend (FAA+; 120% of the Thr:Lys, Trp:Lys, and Met+Cys:Lys requirements) for 7 weeks. After 7 weeks, the pigs (27.9 ± 4.2kg of BW) were distributed in a randomized complete block design to one of four treatments for the period of the health challenge period in the growing phase: pigs fed a CN diet during the nursery period were either maintained on a CN diet (control; n=14) or switched to an FAA+ diet (curative strategy; n=14), whereas the pigs fed an FAA+ diet during the nursery period were either fed a CN diet (preventive strategy; n=14) or continued receiving an FAA+ diet (continuous strategy; n=14). The health challenge consisted of subjecting growing pigs to batch mixing, poor housing conditions, and oral inoculation with Salmonella Typhimurium (ST). Poor housing conditions were maintained for 4 weeks (weeks 8 to 11). After this period, the pigs received the same standard diets for 9 weeks (weeks 12 to 20), and the facilities were cleaned daily. The health challenge increased the rectal temperature (P < 0.01) and serum concentrations of haptoglobin (P < 0.05), IgA (P < 0.05), IgG (P < 0.01), triglycerides (P < 0.01), creatinine (P < 0.01), and urea (P < 0.01), while reducing serum concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.01), albumin (P < 0.01), and glucose (P < 0.05). Pigs fed a continuous FAA+ diet trend towards lower fecal ST shedding (P < 0.10) than did the curative strategy pigs and had better fecal consistency scores (P < 0.01) than did the control pigs. During the challenge period, pigs fed FAA+ curatively or continuously demonstrated higher average daily gain and feed efficiency compared to control pigs (P < 0.01). Greater (P < 0.05) protein deposition (+30%) and improved (P < 0.05) nitrogen retention efficiency (+20% to curative and +30% to continuous strategies) were observed in the pigs fed the FAA+ diet during the health challenge compared with the control pigs. Curative-fed FAA+ pigs had greater BW at the end of the finishing phase than did the control and preventive group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of FAA supplementation as a curative or continuous strategy is highly effective at improving the performance and body composition of growing pigs under a health challenge.

Genetic aspects of major blood metabolites in the Italian Simmental cattle population

The Simmental breed is widely known for its resilience, robustness, and resistance to disease and therefore the incidence of ketosis in this breed is generally lower compared with Holsteins. Blood concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), BHB, and urea provide valuable information about the metabolic, health, and nutritional status of lactating animals. In the present study we estimated h2 of BHB, NEFA, and urea in blood predicted from milk mid-infrared spectra and assessed their genetic correlation with milk yield and composition traits in the Italian Simmental cattle breed using phenotypes of 3,549 cows in 207 herds. Two sets were considered: early (1,920 records - 1 per cow - between 5 and 35 DIM) and whole (14,378 records - at least 3 per cow - between 5 and 305 d in milk) lactation. In early lactation, h2 were 0.06 for blood BHB as is, 0.06 for log-transformed BHB, 0.18 for NEFA, 0.14 for log-transformed NEFA, and 0.05 for blood urea. In whole lactation, the h2 were 0.09 for blood BHB as is, 0.16 for log-transformed BHB, 0.03 for NEFA, 0.04 for log-transformed NEFA, and 0.04 for blood urea. As far as the genetic correlations were concerned, blood BHB was positively correlated with NEFA and blood urea. Blood BHB and NEFA were generally positively correlated with milk fat-to-protein ratio and milk BHB; blood BHB was negatively correlated with lactose content and positively with SCS. Sires' estimated breeding values for BHB (accuracy ≥0.60) were extrapolated for a-posteriori evaluation of the daughters' observed performance. The progeny of the top 5% of sires exhibited, on average, lower blood BHB, NEFA, and urea compared with the daughters of the bottom 5%. Overall, it is highly recommended to monitor the genetic variability of the metabolic traits in the dual-purpose Italian Simmental breed to monitor the metabolic diseases incidence in future generations.

Protective effect and mechanism of CoQ10 in mitochondrial dysfunction in diquat-induced renal proximal tubular injury.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plays an important role in improving mitochondrial function and has many beneficial effects on the kidney. However, whether CoQ10 protects against diquat (DQ)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the protective effects and mechanism of action of CoQ10 against DQ-induced AKI. Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were intraperitoneally injected with DQ to induce AKI. The expression levels of serum creatinine (Cr), urea, and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) increased, those of aquaporin 1 (AQP-1) decreased, and those of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased with increased depolarization of mitochondrial membranes and mitochondrial rupture. In contrast, treatment with CoQ10 significantly improved DQ-induced AKI. CoQ10 treatment reduced serum Cr, urea, and KIM-1 contents, increased the AQP-1 expression, and reduced ROS contents in mice with DQ poisoning. Our results suggest that AKI caused by DQ poisoning may be related to the disruption of mitochondrial homeostasis and that CoQ10 treatment protects against AKI caused by DQ poisoning by improving mitochondrial kinetic homeostasis. Thus, CoQ10 represents a new therapeutic option for the prevention and treatment of AKI caused by DQ poisoning.

Evaluation of three doses of urea applied to leaves, sprayed at pre-veraison and veraison, on Tempranillo must volatile composition over two seasons

The volatile composition of grapes has a direct impact on the final aromatic composition of wine and plays a crucial role in determining its quality. Various factors, such as agronomic practices, climatic conditions or grape variety, can influence the volatile composition of grape juices. This study aimed to determine the influence of three doses of urea, applied at two different phenological stages (pre-veraison and veraison), on the volatile composition of Tempranillo musts, during two consecutive seasons. The urea application did not have an impact on the yield of the vineyard or the general parameters of the Tempranillo must. However, the three different concentrations of urea modified the volatile composition. Specifically, the higher concentration of urea improved the terpenoids, C13 norisoprenoids, and benzenoid compounds in grape juice. Additionally, when urea treatments were applied at pre-veraison, terpenoids, C13 norisoprenoids, esters, and benzenoid compounds were improved in Tempranillo must. However, the weather was an important factor influencing the volatile compounds in Tempranillo musts. Consequently, foliar applications of urea could be an interesting viticulture practice in order to enhance the volatile compounds in Tempranillo musts.

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE ACUTE TOXICITY EFFECTS OF FRIED CAT FISH EXTRACT ON BIOCHEMICAL, HEMATOLOGICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF WISTAR RATS

Some food processing techniques have been linked with formation of toxic chemicals known as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are found in some processed foods and have been widely attributed to the prevalence of cancer of liver and stomach in Nigeria. However, the toxicological effects of the consumption of fried fish have not been adequately documented. Therefore, this study investigated the toxicological effects of PAHs in fried cat fish on Wistar rats. Fifty five rats were used in the study and they were divided into control and ten treatment groups with daily administration of fried fish extract at dosage of 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mg/kg body weight to the rats for 14 days. The results showed that the activities of serum, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phospherase (ALP), asparte aminotransferase (AST) as well as urea and creatinine concentration were affected across the treated groups of animals which were indications for hepatorenal damage. White blood cell (WBC) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) showed significant changes in response to the administered dosage compared to the control. The liver showed no significant histopathological changes between the test rats and control. The architecture of sections of kidney treated groups was similar to that of the control in which the renal corpuscles maintained their normal size of urinary space and normal tubular structures with no necrosis observed. The result revealed that there can be potential toxicity if there is repeated indulgence to fried cat fish at the temperatures between 160 – 230 oC.

Blood biochemical parameters of rats fed with powder from the flesh of the Limicolaria flammea snail

With a view to the nutritional value of the Limicolaria flamea snail and the contribution to the fight against protein deficiencies, our study consisted of determining the blood biochemical parameters, blood mineral levels and serum enzyme activity in rats fed the different diets (ESC, RTC and RPP), in particular the diet containing powder derived from the flesh of the Limicolaria flammea snail. After the rats had been fed the diets on a daily basis for 15 days, the protein intake of the diets was used to measure the effect of consuming powder derived from the flesh of the Limicolaria flammea snail on the biochemical and mineral indicators of the rats fed the different diets. The results show that the urea content of rats fed the RTC, ESC and RPP diets respectively was 0.26 ± 0.06 g/L, 0.3 ± 0.15 g/L and 0.29 ± 0.01 respectively. The creatinine values in the blood of rats on their respective diets (RTC, ESC and RPP) were 3.25 ± 0.5 g/L, 3.25 ± 0.5 g/L and 3.5 ± 0.57 g/L respectively. Thus, the serum enzyme values of the rats on their respective diets showed no significant difference at the 5 % threshold, particularly for serum enzymes such as Aspartane Amino Transferase (ASAT) and Alanine Amino Transferase (ALAT).

Design and analysis of flexible antenna sensor for non-invasive detection of pregnancy in bovine

This research article presents a monopole antenna-based sensor for detecting cow pregnancy through urine analysis. The proposed flexible antenna sensor is printed on denim fabric with a permittivity of 1.7 and a loss tangent of 0.002. The flexible antenna resonates at 2.4 GHz and the gain of the proposed antenna sensor is 2.016 dBi, with a corresponding efficiency of 96.8%. The antenna's dimensions are 30 × 44 × 1 mm3. The substrate region behind the inner area of the radiator ring acts as a sensing area. This substrate can absorb liquids through the sensing area, causing the dielectric properties of the substrate to change according to the dielectric constant of the fluid under test. Urea concentration in pregnant cow urine is 11.06 mg/dL and 1.39 mg/dL in non-pregnant cow urine. The proposed antenna sensor uses microwave signals to detect pregnancy in cows. The deviation in resonance frequency and quality factor are used as key parameters for detecting cow pregnancy.

Personalized, disease-stage specific, rapid identification of immunosuppression in sepsis.

Data overlapping of different biological conditions prevents personalized medical decision-making. For example, when the neutrophil percentages of surviving septic patients overlap with those of non-survivors, no individualized assessment is possible. To ameliorate this problem, an immunological method was explored in the context of sepsis. Blood leukocyte counts and relative percentages as well as the serum concentration of several proteins were investigated with 4072 longitudinal samples collected from 331 hospitalized patients classified as septic (n=286), non-septic (n=43), or not assigned (n=2). Two methodological approaches were evaluated: (i) a reductionist alternative, which analyzed variables in isolation; and (ii) a non-reductionist version, which examined interactions among six (leukocyte-, bacterial-, temporal-, personalized-, population-, and outcome-related) dimensions. The reductionist approach did not distinguish outcomes: the leukocyte and serum protein data of survivors and non-survivors overlapped. In contrast, the non-reductionist alternative differentiated several data groups, of which at least one was only composed of survivors (a finding observable since hospitalization day 1). Hence, the non-reductionist approach promoted personalized medical practices: every patient classified within a subset associated with 100% survival subset was likely to survive. The non-reductionist method also revealed five inflammatory or disease-related stages (provisionally named 'early inflammation, early immunocompetence, intermediary immuno-suppression, late immuno-suppression, or other'). Mortality data validated these labels: both 'suppression' subsets revealed 100% mortality, the 'immunocompetence' group exhibited 100% survival, while the remaining sets reported two-digit mortality percentages. While the 'intermediary' suppression expressed an impaired monocyte-related function, the 'late' suppression displayed renal-related dysfunctions, as indicated by high concentrations of urea and creatinine. The data-driven differentiation of five data groups may foster early and non-overlapping biomedical decision-making, both upon admission and throughout their hospitalization. This approach could evaluate therapies, at personalized level, earlier. To ascertain repeatability and investigate the dynamics of the 'other' group, additional studies are recommended.

Green Pathway of Urea Synthesis Through Plasma–Ice Interaction: Optimization and Mechanistic Insights With N2 + CO2 and NH3 + CO2 Gas Mixtures

ABSTRACTThis study presents a green approach for urea synthesis using plasma–ice interaction with N₂ + CO₂ and NH₃ + CO₂ gas mixtures. Plasma characterization via electrical and optical emission spectroscopy revealed that urea formation involves complex reactions driven by high‐energy species, producing reactive nitrogen and carbon intermediates. Plasma‐treated ice exhibited increased pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and reduced oxidation–reduction potential (ORP). Optimization of parameters, especially treatment time, significantly influenced urea formation. The NH₃ + CO₂ plasma produced a higher urea concentration (7.7 mg L−1) compared to the N₂ + CO₂ plasma (0.55 mg L−1) due to ammonia's greater reactivity. This method offers a sustainable, energy‐efficient alternative to traditional urea synthesis processes.

Glutathione s-transferase pi is a marker of loop diuretic resistance in patients with congestive heart failure exacerbation

Abstract Background Loop diuretic resistance (LDR) in patients with heart failure (HF) exacerbation is associated with worse clinical outcomes, greater symptom burden and mortality. Diagnosis and treatment of LDR remains a significant clinical dilemma. Purpose To assess the ability of different urine biomarkers to predict LDR in patients with HF exacerbation. Methods Consecutive patients with congestive HF exacerbation were prospectively included in the study. HF was diagnosed according to ESC 2021 HF Guidelines definition. Congestion was defined as a presence of one or more of the following signs: edema, ascites, pleural effusion. LDR was defined as persistent congestion on the 4th day of hospital stay despite high i.v. loop diuretic dose. Urine biomarkers released from different parts of the nephron (Kidney Injury Molecule-1 - KIM-1, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase - NAG, uromodulin, glutathione S-transferase Pi - pi-GST, aquaporin-2), transthoracic echo, clinical and biochemical parameters were evaluated on the 1st and 4th day of hospital stay. Results are presented as mean ±standard deviation or median (interquartile range). Results 40 patients were included in the study with median age 84 (72,8; 86) years, median left ventricle ejection fraction (EF) 35.3 (26,5; 49) %, median NT-proBNP 8967.5 (3024; 15241) pg/ml. LDR was found in 14 (35%) patients. Univariate analysis identified the following risk factors for LDR: urine pi-GST concentration on admission and on the 4th day, right ventricle to pulmonary circulation coupling index (TAPSE/PASP ratio), presence of mitral regurgitation, serum creatine concentration, serum urea concentration, serum LDL concentration. Logistic regression analysis identified pi-GST concentration as a significant independent risk factor for LDR in this population: odds ratio (OR) 5.75 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.271–25.990]. Conclusions Urine pi-GST on admission and after 4 days of treatment might be a marker for a development of LDR in patients with congestive HF exacerbation.

A novel green approach for reactive printing of cotton/cellulosic regenerated blended fabrics using trisodium nitrilotriacetate

Owing to their comfort, handle, and aesthetic characteristics, cotton fabrics will always be the first and primary choice for clothing and apparel. In recent years, regenerated cellulosic fabrics like bamboo, Tencel, and modal fabrics have had many natural advantages. Fabrics based on blending cotton fibres with regenerated cellulosic fibres are considered promising products in textile industry sectors. Use of urea poses ecological problems associated with the high nitrogen content of the printing effluent. Therefore, urea reduction or elimination in reactive dye print pastes is of ecological interest. We report the use of trisodium nitrilotriacetate as a complete substitution of urea and alkali in the conventional reactive printing of cotton/cellulosic regenerated blended fabrics. CI Reactive Black 5 was selected for the present study. Three different print pastes containing urea/alkali, trisodium nitrilotriacetate/alkali and trisodium nitrilotriacetate without alkali were thoroughly investigated. Different factors that may affect the printability of cotton/cellulosic regenerated blended fabrics, such as the concentrations of dye, trisodium nitrilotriacetate, urea, absence or presence of alkali and steaming time in the prints obtained, were evaluated concerning colour strength, dye fixation, dye penetration, levelling, colure, and fastness properties. All printed fabrics using three print pastes obtained excellent to good fastness. The results proved the viability of using TNA as an environmentally friendly approach for urea/alkali-free printing of cellulosics with reactive dyes.

Detection of urea in milk by urease-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers combined with portable colorimetric microliter tube.

Asimple one-pot green synthesis method was used to prepare urease-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers (UE-HNFs), which had a high surface-to-volume ratio to improve enzyme catalytic efficiency and make urease reusable. A portable colorimetric microliter tube based on urease-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers (UE-HNFs-PCMT), as an urea colorimetric biosensor, was developed for determining urea concentration in milk. The combination of urea colorimetric biosensor and asmartphone is usedfor capturingthe colour change of milk after reaction. There was a good linear relationship between colour intensity of the image (Δ intensity) and urea concentration (43-600mg L-1), with a detection limit of 12.81mg L-1. UE-HNFs-PCMT has the advantages of no need for complex equipment, easy operation, reusability, low detection cost, good portability, and environmental friendliness and can achieve urea detection in milk.

Performance of Holstein dairy cows fed a diet supplemented with rosemary and ginger essential oils: milk production, milk fatty acid, and ruminal fermentation

Abstract The study determined the impact of Rosmarinus officinalis and/or Zingiberene officinalis essential oil (EO) on milk yield, composition, milk fatty acids profile, blood biochemicals, and rumen fermentation in dairy cows. Twenty-eight Holstein lactating cows were distributed into four groups using a completely randomized block design in a 70-d experiment. The control diet consisted of 13 kg of concentrate and 40 kg of fresh berseem clover per head per day, without supplementation. In the other treatments, the control diet was supplemented with 10 mL of EO per head per day, using either ginger EO (GEO treatment), rosemary (REO treatment) EO or a blend of both at a 1:1 v/v ratio (BEO treatment). Supplementation did not affect intake, milk production, or composition. Omega-n3 and omega-n5 were increased with REO (p &lt; 0.05) compared to the control. Both REO and BEO decreased (p = 0.003) serum globulin and increased (p &lt; 0.005) albumin to globulin ratio, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total lipid. Serum total antioxidant capacity was increased (p ˂ 0.001) with the supplementation, without affecting glucose, total protein, albumin, serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and urea concentrations. In conclusion, supplementing Holstein dairy cows with GEO and/ or REO increased the level of omega-3 and omega-5 fatty acids while reduced saturated fatty acids in milk, without affecting feed intake, milk production or milk composition.

Nutrient Management with Nitrogen Based Formulations for Enhancing Growth and Yield in Fodder Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Fertilizers play a vital role in agricultural practices by boosting crop yield. Among various nutrient application methods, foliar application is one of the cost - effective method which allow rapid and efficient nutrient absorption through the stomata or cuticle, and subsequently into the cells. Applying nutrients through foliage offers several benefits, such as rapid nutrient absorption by plant tissues, improved transport to developing plant parts, elimination of leaching and fixation losses, regulated nutrient uptake by crops and enhanced nutrient utilization. Timely foliar application of nano fertilizers enhances crop output while reducing environmental risks. The current study aimed to evaluate the different concentrations of nano urea on growth and yield of fodder sorghum. The study was conducted at Instructional Farm, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala during December 2023- February 2024. The field experiment was laid out in randomized block design with 13 treatments, replicated thrice. The treatments were T1:75% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) + nano urea (0.2%); T2:75% RDN+ nano urea (0.4%); T3:75% RDN + nano urea (0.6%);T4:100% RDN + nano urea (0.2%); T5:100% RDN + nano urea (0.4%); T6:100% RDN + nano urea (0.6%); T7:75% RDN + urea spray (2%); T8:100% RDN + urea spray (2%); T9: nano urea alone (0.2%); T10: nano urea alone (0.4%); T11: nano urea alone (0.6%); T12: KAU POP and T13: Control (without nitrogen). Both nano urea and urea spray were applied at 20 DAS and 40 DAS. Soil application of nitrogen was applied in three splits - 50% as basal, 25% at 20 DAS and 25% at 40 DAS. Full P and K were applied as basal. The study revealed that combined application of RDN along with nano urea 0.4% proved its superiority by registering higher growth and yield attributes such as plant height, stem girth, leaf: stem ratio, green fodder yield and dry fodder yield.