Relation between Serological Findings and Expression of IL-1ß and IL-6 genes in Patients Infected with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Iraq.

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the serious bacterial infections that cause diseases and may lead to death. In this study, 178 individuals were examined for TB infection at Baghdad TB center during the period from 15th January to 1st October 2021. Out of 178 participants, 73 were shown to be positive for TB infection, while 105 showed negative results. According to the results, there was no significant variation between infected males and females with TB in comparison to the control group (P>0.05). The results showed that the mean age of the patients for both males and females was in the range of 2-65 years. Additionally, there were significant differences in patients with TB compared to the control group in terms of the weight loss of 8.82 ± 6.75 Kg, red blood cell (RBC) count (3.43 ± 0.56) × 106/µl, white blood cell (WBC) count (3.12 ± 1.57) × 106/µl, platelet count (1.03 ± 0.56) × 106/µl, and hemoglobin level (6.66 ± 1.34) g/dl. A total of 30 TB patients and 50 normal individuals were genotyped to detect the IL-1ß rs 114534 gene. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for exon amplification in region 5 of the ILB1 gene in the TB patients by using specific primers. The finding showed that there was an amplified product of 249bp located in chromosome 2q13-14. A total of 30 TB patients and 50 normal individuals were also genotyped to detect the IL-6 rs 1800795 gene. The PCR was used for amplification of the IL-6 gene in TB patients by using specific primers. The finding showed that there was an amplified product of 431 bp located in chromosome 7p15-p2. The expression of the ILB1 gene was investigated in TB patients and healthy controls by using qPT-PCR. Results showed that there was a high Ct value for patients and controls with a high Ct value of templates, preoperational to the total ribonucleic acid (RNA) concentration and gene expression. The expression of the IL-6 gene was investigated in TB patients and healthy controls by using qPT-PCR. Our findings revealed a high Ct value for patients and controls with a high Ct value of templates, preoperational to the total RNA concentration and gene expression.

Consumer acceptance of eggs from Hy-Line Brown layers fed soybean or soybean-free diets using cage or free-range rearing systems.

Consumers have begun to awaken to the food on their plates with respect to human health and the environment, as well as animal welfare. They have become more demanding about what they buy or prefer in their food, such as soy-free, gluten-free, or organic products. The objective of this study was to evaluate consumer acceptance of eggs from hens fed soybean meal or soybean-free diets utilizing cottonseed meal and distillers' dried grains, using cage or free-range rearing systems. All eggs were stored at the sensory lab at Texas A&M University (TAMU) for a d prior to each test at 4°C. A panel of consumers (n = 60) made up of TAMU students, faculty, and staff, ages 18 to 50, were recruited to evaluate consumer acceptance based on 2 tests using scrambled and hard cooked eggs. Samples were placed in separate weigh boats labeled with 3-digit codes to avoid visual bias. Sensory ballots were based on overall like or dislike of flavor, texture, odor, and color using the 9-point hedonic scales. For scrambled eggs, flavor did not differ (P > 0.05), but texture liking was higher (P = 0.064) for scrambled eggs from the soybean-free diet (7.08) vs. scrambled eggs from the soybean meal diet (6.65). With respect to the hard cooked eggs, the consumer panel preferred the flavor of the eggs from the caged rearing system (7.11) vs. eggs from the free-range system (6.60; P = 0.014). Consumers liked the texture (P = 0.018) for eggs collected from hens fed soybean meal (6.91) vs. eggs from hens fed the soybean-free diet (6.30).

Evaluation of the performance of Hy-Line Brown laying hens fed soybean or soybean-free diets using cage or free-range rearing systems.

This study evaluated egg production and quality variables of caged and free-range Hy-Line Brown laying hens fed soybean meal (SBM) and soybean-meal-free (SBMF) diets. Hens were randomly assigned to the same 2 dietary treatments within 3 location blocks. SBM and SBMF diets with equivalent calculated nutrient content were prepared based on Hy-Line Brown rearing guidelines. The SBMF diets utilized cottonseed meal, corn distillers dried grains with solubles, corn gluten meal, and wheat middlings in place of dehulled soybean meal. The experiment was conducted between August 2015 and January of 2016 within the TAMU Poultry Research Center and data analyzed over 6 consecutive 28-day periods. Data were analyzed as a split-plot with rearing systems designated whole plots and diets designated as subplots. Hens reared in the free-range rearing system peaked a couple of wk later than those hens within the more conventional indoor caged system, and cumulative production data were considerably more variable for hens raised in the free-range environment. Cumulative egg production, feed per dozen eggs and feed conversion ratio (g feed/g egg) were 92 ± 1.23 and 86 ± 1.84%, 1.45 ± 0.02 and 1.89 ± 0.05 kg, and 2.14 ± 0.04 and 2.77 ± 0.08 (P < 0.05), respectively, for the caged vs. free-range rearing systems. Cumulative egg weight, feed per dozen eggs, and feed conversion ratio were 59.9 ± 0.59 and 56.5 ± 0.60 g, 1.57 ± 0.04 and 1.77 ± 0.05 kg, and 2.24 ± 0.06 and 2.67 ± 0.08 kg (P < 0.05) for SBM and SBMF diets, respectively. Diet did not affect cumulative egg production (P > 0.05). With respect to egg quality, there were no differences in cumulative albumen height, Haugh unit, or breaking strength, but there was a significant rearing system by diet interaction for shell thickness, with the free-range hens averaging 40.77 ± 0.19 and 39.86 ± 0.31 µm (P < 0.05), respectively, for the hens fed SBM vs. SBMF diets. In conclusion, the results suggested free-range production is more variable than traditional closed-house cage systems based on standard errors, and SBMF diets containing cottonseed meal can be used in both caged and free-range production systems without affecting egg production, although one might see lower egg weights.