Effects of positive personal and non-personal autobiographical stimuli on emotional regulation in older adults.

People can regulate negative emotional states using personal episodic information stored in memory. However, amongst older adults, assistance in retrieving personal memories might be needed. As such, positive personal images might better facilitate the retrieval of positive personal memories, relative to generic positive images. The present study induced older adults (N = 40; Mage = 76.28) into a negative mood state using a validated film clip ("Dead Man Walking"; Robbins et al. in Dead Man Walking [Cinta Cinematográfica]. PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films, Estados Unidos, 1995). Participants were then shown positive personal images (album photos) or positive non-personal images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) and between-group differences in their mood state and their ability to retrieve positive autobiographical memories were measured. Although participants' moods decreased after the negative mood induction, their mood then recovered after picture cuing regardless of whether images were personal or non-personal. Furthermore, the positive mood evoked by non-personal, but not personal, images was significantly positively associated with self-reported feelings of reliving of the memories evoked by those images. These results suggest that, when pictures from personal life are not available, the selection of images able to generate positive autobiographical memories with a sense of reliving, is a feasible tool for older adult's emotional regulation.

Comparison of PrestoBlue® and plating method to evaluate antimicrobial activity of ascorbic acid, boric acid and curcumin in an in vitro gastrointestinal model.

AIMS: To compare the conventional plating method vs a fluorometric method using PrestoBlue® as a dye by determining the antimicrobial activity of two organic acids and curcumin (CUR) against Salmonella Enteritidis in an avian in vitro digestion model that simulates the crop, proventriculus and intestine. METHODS AND RESULTS: A concentration of 108  CFU per ml of S. Enteritidis was exposed to groups with different rates of ascorbic acid (AA), boric acid (BA) and CUR. Significant differences were observed when the means of the treatments were compared with the controls in the compartments that simulate the crop and intestine (P < 0·05). Ascorbic acid alone and high rates of AA in the mixtures were the most efficient treatments in the crop compartment. However, in the intestinal compartment BA alone and at different rates in the mixture BA-CUR (1 : 1) were the best treatments to decrease the concentration of S. Enteritidis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that there could be an antagonistic bactericidal effect between AA and CUR and AA and BA as well as a synergistic bactericidal effect between BA and CUR. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These findings may contribute to the development of a formulation with microencapsulated compounds to liberate them in different compartments to combat S. Enteritidis infections in broiler chickens.

Measuring elderly people's quality of life through the Beck Hopelessness Scale: a study with a Spanish sample.

OBJECTIVES: Hopelessness is a key element of suicidal intent. It can instill a pessimistic outlook on the future, leading an individual to believe that suicide is the only answer to their problems. Hopelessness operates as a modulating variable between depression and suicidal behavior. The aim of this study was to confirm the factor structure of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) in a non-clinical sample. METHOD: Three hundred and sixty-two Spanish individuals, aged over 60, free of cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms, completed the BHS scale. Participants were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), using one-, two- and three-factor models. RESULTS: The one- and two-factor models presented adequate fit indices. Specifically, the indices of the two-factor models were better than those of the one-factor model. The two-factor model, without items 4, 9 and 14, provided the best fit, given that the indices obtained in the CFA and their internal consistency were better than those of the other models. CONCLUSION: The validation of the BHS for a population of Spanish older adults provides a reliable and valid measure of hopelessness and could be useful in clinical practice and research as an effective tool for the early detection of suicidal behaviors.

Decreased lipid metabolism but increased FA biosynthesis are coupled with changes in liver microRNAs in obese subjects with NAFLD.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Many controversies regarding the association of liver miRNAs with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) call for additional validations. This study sought to investigate variations in genes and hepatic miRNAs in a sample of obese patients with or without NAFLD and human hepatocytes (HH). SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 60 non-consecutive obese women following bariatric surgery were recruited. Subjects were classified as NAFLD (n=17), borderline (n=24) and controls (n=19) with normal enzymatic profile, liver histology and ultrasound assessments. Profiling of 744 miRNAs was performed in 8 obese women with no sign of hepatic disease and 11 NAFLD patients. Additional validation and expression of genes related to de novo fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis, uptake, transport and ß-oxidation; glucose metabolism, and inflammation was tested in the extended sample. Induction of NAFLD-related genes and miRNAs was examined in HepG2 cells and primary HH treated with palmitic acid (PA), a combination of palmitate and oleic acid, or high glucose, and insulin (HG) mimicking insulin resistance in NAFLD. RESULTS: In the discovery sample, 14 miRNAs were associated with NAFLD. Analyses in the extended sample confirmed decreased miR-139-5p, miR-30b-5p, miR-122-5p and miR-422a, and increased miR-146b-5p in obese subjects with NAFLD. Multiple linear regression analyses disclosed that NAFLD contributed independently to explain miR-139-5p (P=0.005), miR-30b-5p (P=0.005), miR-122-5p (P=0.021), miR-422a (P=0.007) and miR-146a (P=0.033) expression variance after controlling for confounders. Decreased miR-122-5p in liver was associated with impaired FA usage. Expression of inflammatory and macrophage-related genes was opposite to decreased miR-30b-5p, miR-139-5p and miR-422a, whereas increased miR-146b-5p was associated with FABP4 and decreased glucose metabolism and FA mobilization. In partial agreement, PA (but not HG) led to decreased miR-139-5p, miR-30b-5p, miR-422a and miR-146a in vitro, in parallel with increased lipogenesis and FA transport, decreased glucose metabolism and diminished FA oxidation. CONCLUSION: This study confirms decreased liver glucose and lipid metabolism but increased FA biosynthesis coupled with changes in five unique miRNAs in obese patients with NAFLD.

Impact of Enteric Health and Mucosal Permeability on Skeletal Health and Lameness in Poultry.

Intestinal barrier leakage and/or altered gut microbial composition has been shown to markedly impact both osteoblast and osteoclast activities, systemically through circulation of gut immune cells and cytokines and locally by causing inflammation of extraintestinal organs such as the liver and bone marrow. Mild cases of heightened intestinal inflammation can cause bone loss in male mice in the absence of any overt nutritional deficiencies or weight loss, which has also been shown in chickens that have been infected with Salmonella. For poultry, ingredients selected for feed formulation have also a significant impact on gut health, intestinal microbiota, bone quality, and performance parameters. Consumption of diets with a high content of soluble non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) can affect bone quality parameters by reducing the amount of conjugated bile acids in the intestine, therefore diminishing the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D and minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Recent enteric inflammation studies have shown that high NSP-containing diets have effects on intestinal viscosity, bone mineral content, and breaking strength, along with increased fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-d) leakage. Other skeletal diseases, such as bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis and enterococcal spondylitis, have a microbial component that is associated with increased mucosal permeability of the gut. Probiotics targeted toward control of enteric inflammation, either created through infectious disease or poor diet, may serve as a strategy for control of predisposing factors that lead to bone disorders.

Reminiscence functions scale: factorial structure and its relation with mental health in a sample of Spanish older adults.

BACKGROUND: The reminiscence functions scale (RFS) is a 43-item self-report instrument designed to assess the use of reminiscence for different functions. This study aims, on one hand, to analyze the factorial structure and the psychometric properties of the RFS and, on the other, to examine the relationship between the functions of reminiscence and mental health. METHODS: RFS scale and measures of depressive symptomology, despair, and life satisfaction were administered to a sample of persons over the age of sixty (n = 364). RESULTS: After eliminating three conflictive items from the original scale, the confirmatory factor analysis results present a factorial structure comprising eight traditional factors and adequate reliability scores (from 0.73 to 0.87). Using structural equation modeling, we find that these reminiscence factors are organized in three second-order factors (self-positive, self-negative, and prosocial). Results show that the self-positive factor relates negatively and the self-negative factor relates positively with symptoms of mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS: These results, on one hand, confirm that the RFS scale is a useful instrument to assess reminiscence functions in a sample of Spanish older adults and, on the other, that the three-factor model of reminiscence is a better predictor of mental health than the alternative four-factor model.

Effect of dexamethasone in feed on intestinal permeability, differential white blood cell counts, and immune organs in broiler chicks.

We have previously shown that intestinal barrier function can be adversely affected by poorly digested diets or feed restriction, resulting in increased intestinal inflammation-associated permeability. Three experiments were conducted in broilers to evaluate the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) treatment on systemic fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-D; 3-5 kDa) levels, indicative of increased gut epithelial leakage. Experiment 1 compared DEX injections of 1 mg/kg, once per day on d 3, 5, and 9, with feed administration at 0.57, 1.7, or 5.1 ppm d 4 to 10, with FITC-D serum concentrations 2.5 h after gavage with 4.16 mg/kg FITC-D. All DEX treatments resulted in marked (2 to 6X; P<0.05) increased serum FITC-D levels. Feed DEX administration resulted in greater (P<0.05) gut permeability than injection at any dose, with numerically optimal effects at the lowest dose tested. In experiments 2 and 3, chicks were randomly assigned to a starter ration containing either control (CON) or DEX treated feed (0.57 ppm/kg; d 3 to 10 experiment 2, d 4 to 10 experiment 3). At d 10, all chicks were treated by oral gavage with FITC-D and serum samples were obtained as described above. Samples of the liver were aseptically collected, homogenized, diluted 1:4 wt/vol in sterile saline, and serial dilutions were plated on tryptic soy agar to evaluate total numbers of aerobic bacteria in the liver as an index of bacterial translocation (BT). In both experiments, FITC-D absorption was significantly enhanced (P<0.05) in DEX-treated chicks, again indicating increased paracellular leakage across the gut epithelium associated with dissolution of tight junctions. Experiment 2 differential cell counts showed an increased heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, and immune organ (spleen and bursa of Fabricius) weights for experiments 2 and 3 were decreased (P<0.05) from controls. In experiments 2 and 3, dietary DEX administration resulted in numerically (experiment 2) or significantly (P<0.05) increased enteric BT to the liver, supporting the observation that dietary DEX causes a stress-like inflammatory GI response, which may contribute to subclinical or clinical disease, and may be a useful model for ongoing disease mitigation research related to stress-related diseases of GIT origin.

Poultry enteric inflammation model with dextran sodium sulfate mediated chemical induction and feed restriction in broilers.

Gut inflammation is a cardinal event occurring in various gastrointestinal diseases regardless of etiology. A potential mechanism of action for antibiotic growth promoters and probiotics is alleviation or attenuation of such inflammation. In vivo inflammation models and markers to quantify changes in inflammation, such as paracellular leakage and tight junction function, are necessary tools in the search for methods to reduce enteric inflammation. Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and feed restriction (FRS), and fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d; 3 to 5 kDa) marker were evaluated for induction and assessment of enteric inflammation in broilers. Three independent experiments were conducted where birds received an inflammation inducer treatment and an oral gavage of FITC-d (2.2 mg/bird) 2.5 h before killing on d 4, followed by measurement of serum FITC-d levels and release of FITC-d from different regions of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) to evaluate tight junction function. Experiment 1 tested control (CON) and DSS; Experiments 2 and 3 evaluated CON, DSS, and FRS. In all experiments DSS, as well as FRS in Experiments 2 and 3, showed higher (P<0.05) leakage of FITC-d into serum than CON, but FRS was not different from DSS. The amount of FITC-d retained in duodenal and cecal tissue was affected (P<0.05) by FRS in Experiments 2 and 3, and DSS affected FITC-d retention in duodenum only, suggesting differences in gut passage or absorption/adsorption. In conclusion, DSS oral gavage and FRS could induce leaky gut, with changes in serum FITC-d and migration of FITC-d from GIT.

Dose titration of FITC-D for optimal measurement of enteric inflammation in broiler chicks.

Traditionally, antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) have been used in foodstock animals to reduce enteric inflammation and maintain intestinal homeostasis, thus improving growth and performance. Due to increasing restrictions regarding the use of AGP however, precise and high throughput enteric inflammation models and markers to search for effective alternatives are urgently needed. In this paper, oral administration of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d, 3-5 kDa) and its passage into blood was used as a marker for tight junction permeability. In experiement 1, broilers were assigned to a control group, a group which received 24 h feed restriction (FR), or a group which received dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) (0.75% in water for 5 d), and each group then underwent an oral gavage of FITC-d 2.5 h before sample collection on d10. FITC-d in serum and intestinal samples (duodenum and ceca) were found to be higher (P<0.05) after FR than in the DSS and control groups. In experiment 2, FR was evaluated for its effect on mucosal leakage and an oral dose of FITC-d of 0.5, 1.1, or 2.2 mg/chick was used to measure the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) permeability at 6 d of age. The amount of FITC-d remaining in the duodenal tissue of the control birds increased with dose, only the 1.1 mg FITC-d/chick dose resulted in differences (P<0.05) between the control and FR groups. No differences were noted between the control and FR groups, regardless of FITC-d dosage in cecal recovery of FITC-d. Additionally, FR increased FITC-d serum levels when compared to the control group and in a dose-dependent manner. Experiment 3 compared serum levels after administration of 0.55 and 1.1 mg/chick doses of FITC-d in birds treated with FR, rye-based diet (RBD), and DSS. Intestinal sections were collected for FITC-d recovery in the 1.1 mg dosage group. All inflammation treatments significantly increased serum FITC-d levels at both doses. Only FR resulted in increased (P<0.05) FITC-d recovery from duodenum, ileum, and ceca. In conclusion, FR, DSS, and RBD affected GIT tight junction integrity, suggesting their value for enteric inflammation models, and FITC-d may be a good indicator of permeability.

Evaluation of a Bacillus direct-fed microbial candidate on digesta viscosity, bacterial translocation, microbiota composition and bone mineralisation in broiler chickens fed on a rye-based diet.

1. The effects of the dietary inclusion of a Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial (DFM) candidate on digesta viscosity, bacterial translocation, microbiota composition and bone mineralisation were evaluated in broilers consuming rye-based diets. 2. In the present study, control mash rye-based diets (CON) or Bacillus-DFM supplemented diets (TRT) were administered ad libitum to male broilers in three independent experiments. 3. In Experiments 1 and 2 (n = 25/group), liver samples were taken to evaluate bacterial translocation, digesta samples were used for viscosity measurements and the intestinal microbial flora was evaluated from different intestinal sections to enumerate total recovered gram-negative bacteria (TGB), lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and anaerobic bacteria (TAB). Additionally, both tibias were removed for assessment of bone quality. 4. In Experiment 3, each experimental group had 8 replicates of 20 chickens (n = 160/group). Weekly, body weight (BW), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were evaluated. At d 28-of-age, samples were taken to determine bacterial translocation, digesta viscosity and bone quality characteristics. 5. In all experiments, consumption of Bacillus-DFM reduced bacterial translocation to the liver and digesta viscosity. Additionally, DFM supplementation improved BW, bone quality measurements and FCR. Moreover, chickens fed on the Bacillus-DFM diet in Experiments 1 and 2 showed a significant reduction in the number of gram-negative and anaerobic bacteria in the duodenal content compared to control. 6. In summary, chickens fed on a rye-based diet without DFM inclusion showed an increase in bacterial translocation and digesta viscosity, accompanied by reduced performance and bone quality variables relative to the Bacillus-DFM candidate group. Hence, incorporation into the feed of a selected DFM ameliorated the adverse anti-nutritional effects related to utilisation of rye-based diets in broilers chickens.

Fate of Salmonella Senftenberg in broiler chickens evaluated by challenge experiments.

Experimental and epidemiological evidence has indicated the respiratory route to be a potential portal of entry for salmonellas in poultry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the infectivity of Salmonella enterica serovar Senftenberg following oral gavage, intratracheal or intravenous challenge in chickens. Seven-day-old chicks were challenged with either 10(4) or 10(6) colony-forming units of S. Senftenberg per chick by oral gavage, intratracheal or intravenous challenge, respectively, in two independent trials. Chickens were humanely killed 24 h post challenge and S. Senftenberg was cultured and enumerated from caecal contents, caecal tissue-caecal tonsils and liver and spleen. In both trials, intratracheal delivery of S. Senftenberg was the only route that allowed colonization of the caeca of chickens when compared with oral gavage or intravenous challenge in a dose response fashion (P < 0.05). Liver and spleen samples yielded no S. Seftenberg after the lower dose challenge by the oral or intratracheal route and only low levels following the high-dose administration by these routes, whereas intravenous challenge resulted in recovery of the organisms after both doses. The results of the present study suggest that S. Senftenberg entering the blood is likely to be cleared and will not be able to colonize caeca to the same extent as compared with intratracheal challenge. Clarification of the potential importance of the respiratory tract for transmission of salmonellas under field conditions may be of critical importance to develop intervention strategies to reduce the transmission in poultry.

Glycerol supplementation enhances the protective effect of dietary FloraMax-B11 against Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in neonate broiler chickens.

Two independent trials were conducted in the present study to evaluate the effect of 5% glycerol supplementation combined with dietary FloraMax-B11 (FM) against Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in neonate broiler chickens. In each trial, 60 chicks were randomly assigned into 4 groups. Group 1 received a control diet. Group 2 received a control diet supplemented with 5% glycerol. Group 3 received a control diet supplemented with FM, and group 4 received a control diet supplemented with 5% glycerol and FM. At placement, chickens were challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis at 10(4) cfu/bird. In each trial, 12 chicks were humanely killed 72 h postchallenge, respectively, for Salmonella Enteritidis colonization. Supplementation of 5% glycerol or FM by themselves, showed no significant effect on Salmonella Enteritidis recovery or incidence when compared with control nontreated chickens in both trials. However, no detectable Salmonella Enteritidis was observed in the chickens that received the supplementation of 5% glycerol combined with FM in both trials. Further studies are in progress in older birds to substantiate these findings.

Evaluation of the respiratory route as a viable portal of entry for Salmonella in poultry via intratracheal challenge of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium.

Experimental and epidemiological evidence suggests that primary infection of Salmonella is by the oral-fecal route for poultry. However, the airborne transmission of Salmonella and similar enteric zoonotic pathogens has been historically neglected. Increasing evidence of Salmonella bioaerosol generation in production facilities and studies suggesting the vulnerabilities of the avian respiratory architecture together have indicated the possibility of the respiratory system being a potential portal of entry for Salmonella in poultry. Presently, we evaluated this hypothesis through intratracheal (IT) administration of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium, as separate challenges, in a total of 4 independent trials, followed by enumeration of cfu recovery in ceca-cecal tonsils and recovery incidence in liver and spleen. In all trials, both Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium, challenged IT colonized cecae to a similar or greater extent than oral administration at identical challenge levels. In most trials, chickens cultured for cfu enumeration from IT-challenged chicks at same dose as orally challenged, resulted in an increase of 1.5 log higher Salmonella Enteritidis from ceca-cecal tonsils and a much lower dose IT of Salmonella Enteritidis could colonize ceca to the same extent than a higher oral challenge. This trend of increased cecal colonization due to IT challenge was observed with all trails involving week-old birds (experiment 2 and 3), which are widely considered to be more difficult to infect via the oral route. Liver-spleen incidence data showed 33% of liver and spleen samples to be positive for Salmonella Enteritidis administered IT (10(6) cfu/chick), compared with 0% when administered orally (experiment 2, trial 1). Collectively, these data suggest that the respiratory tract may be a largely overlooked portal of entry for Salmonella infections in chickens.

Evaluation of a commercially available organic acid product on body weight loss, carcass yield, and meat quality during preslaughter feed withdrawal in broiler chickens: a poultry welfare and economic perspective.

The effect of a commercial organic acid (OA) product on BW loss (BWL) during feed withdrawal and transportation, carcass yield, and meat quality was evaluated in broiler chickens. Two experiments were conducted in Brazil. Commercial houses were paired as control groups receiving regular water and treated groups receiving OA in the water. Treated birds had a reduction in BWL of 37 g in experiment 1 and 32.2 g in experiment 2. In experiment 2, no differences were observed in carcass yield between groups. Estimation of the cost benefit suggested a 1:16 ratio by using the OA. In experiment 3, conducted in Mexico, significant differences on water consumption, BWL, and meat quality characteristics were observed in chickens that were treated with the OA (P < 0.05). These data suggest this OA product may improve animal welfare and economic concerns in the poultry industry by reducing BWL and improving meat quality attributes.

Evaluation of germination, distribution, and persistence of Bacillus subtilis spores through the gastrointestinal tract of chickens.

Spores are popular as direct-fed microbials, though little is known about their mode of action. Hence, the first objective of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro germination and growth rate of Bacillus subtilis spores. Approximately 90% of B. subtilis spores germinate within 60 min in the presence of feed in vitro. The second objective was to determine the distribution of these spores throughout different anatomical segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in a chicken model. For in vivo evaluation of persistence and dissemination, spores were administered to day-of-hatch broiler chicks either as a single gavage dose or constantly in the feed. During 2 independent experiments, chicks were housed in isolation chambers and fed sterile corn-soy-based diets. In these experiments one group of chickens was supplemented with 10(6) spores/g of feed, whereas a second group was gavaged with a single dose of 10(6) spores per chick on day of hatch. In both experiments, crop, ileum, and cecae were sampled from 5 chicks at 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h. Viable B. subtilis spores were determined by plate count method after heat treatment (75°C for 10 min). The number of recovered spores was constant through 120 h in each of the enteric regions from chickens receiving spores supplemented in the feed. However, the number of recovered B. subtilis spores was consistently about 10(5) spores per gram of digesta, which is about a 1-log10 reduction of the feed inclusion rate, suggesting approximately a 90% germination rate in the GIT when fed. On the other hand, recovered B. subtilis spores from chicks that received a single gavage dose decreased with time, with only approximately 10(2) spores per gram of sample by 120 h. This confirms that B. subtilis spores are transiently present in the GIT of chickens, but the persistence of vegetative cells is presently unknown. For persistent benefit, continuous administration of effective B. subtilis direct-fed microbials as vegetative cells or spores is advisable.

Absorption and deposition of xanthophylls in broilers challenged with three dosages of Eimeria acervulina oocysts.

1. An experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of different doses of oocysts of Eimeria acervulina on intestinal absorption and skin deposition of xanthophylls (XAs) in broilers. 2. A total of 192 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 4 groups: an uninfected control group and three groups inoculated with either 1 × 10(2), 1 × 10(4) or 1 × 10(5) sporulated oocysts of E. acervulina by gavaging at 21 d. There were 4 replicate pens (2 male and 2 female) per group. 3. Plasma xanthophyll (PX) and skin yellowness (SY) were measured in live birds weekly. At 42 d of age, SY was measured in the breast and abdomen after chilling and in the breast 24 h post-processing on refrigerated carcasses. 4. In general, in all challenged treatments, and for the duration of the study, the average PX decreased by 0.02 µg/ml (R(2) = 61.6%) for every 1000 inoculated oocysts, whereas PX increased by 1.26 µg/ml/d in uninfected birds. 5. The average SY in live birds from 21 to 42 d of age decreased by 0.019 b*/every 1000 oocysts administered, while SY of uninfected controls increased by 0.57 b*/d. It was also noted that in all treatments females had a greater SY (6.17 b*) than males for the duration of the study. The SY of the breast and abdomen was correlated (r = 0.76) in chilled carcasses. Breast SY in 24 h refrigerated carcasses was greater in the control group and for female birds. 6. Oocyst excretion was different between inoculated treatments only on 7 d post-inoculation (PI). Coccidia lesion scores in the duodenum averaged 1+ in infected birds and 2+ in birds given the highest oocyst dose.

Efficacy of powdered alfalfa leaves to ameliorate the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 in turkey poults.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of an adsorbent material based on powdered alfalfa leaves added in the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated diet of turkey poults on production parameters, blood cell count, serum biochemistry, liver enzymes, and liver histology. For this purpose, three hundred and fifty female Nicholas-700 poults were randomly assigned into five treatments: (1) Control, AFB1-free diet; (2) AF, diet contaminated with 250 ng AFB1/g; (3) Alfalfa, AFB1-free diet + 0.5% (w/w) adsorbent; (4) AF+alfalfa, diet contaminated with 250 ng AFB1/g + 0.5% (w/w) adsorbent, and (5) AF+ yeast cell wall (YCW), diet contaminated with 250 ng AFB1/g + 0.5% (w/w) of yeast cell wall (a commercial mycotoxin binder used as reference material). The in vivo efficacy of powdered alfalfa leaves was assessed during a 28-day period. In general, the addition of powdered alfalfa leaves in the AFB1-free diet gave the best performance results (body weight, body weight gain, and feed intake) and improved the values of total protein, glucose, calcium, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. Moreover, the addition of powdered alfalfa leaves in the AFB1-contaminated diet enhanced body weight and body weight gain and significantly reduced the feed intake, compared to the AF and AF+YCW groups. Additionally, significant alterations in serum parameters were observed in poults intoxicated with the AFB1, compared to the Control group. Furthermore, typical histopathological lesions were observed in the liver of the AF group, which were significantly ameliorated with the addition of powdered alfalfa leaves. Conclusively, these results pointed out that low inclusion of powdered alfalfa leaves in the contaminated feed counteracted the adverse effects of AFB1 in turkey poults.

Evaluation of effects of EarlyBird associated with FloraMax-B11 on Salmonella Enteritidis, intestinal morphology, and performance of broiler chickens.

A posthatch fasting period of 24 to 72 h is a common and inevitable practice in commercial poultry production. This delay in start of feed intake has been reported to negatively affect yolk utilization, gastrointestinal development, slaughter weight, breast meat yield, performance, and to also depress immunological development, making the birds more susceptible to infection from pathogens such as Salmonella. Furthermore, public concerns regarding the considerable human rates of illness reported and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella have doubled the challenge on the poultry industry to find alternative means of Salmonella control. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of a combination of early feeding with probiotic supplementation on morphological development of mucosa, control of Salmonella, and overall performance in broiler chickens. We used a blend of a commercially available perinatal supplement, EarlyBird (EB; Pacific Vet Group USA Inc., Fayetteville, AR), and a successful probiotic supplement, FloraMax-B11 (FM; Pacific Vet Group USA Inc.), to evaluate the effects on gut morphology, Salmonella intestinal colonization, and horizontal transmission, along with its effects on BW and related performance in broiler chickens under simulated commercial hatching management and shipping conditions. Morphometric analysis showed increased villus height, villus width, villus to crypt ratio, and villus surface area index in chickens treated with EB + FM groups. Significant reductions in Salmonella recovery, incidence, and horizontal transmission were also observed among the same groups, suggesting beneficial effects of early feeding and competitive exclusion by probiotic bacteria. Improved gut morphology and Salmonella exclusion was very well supported by BW data with significantly lower early BW loss and overall BW gains in birds treated with EB + FM mixture. The results of this study demonstrated that the combination of EB and FM improved gut morphology, reduced the amount of Salmonella that could be recovered, as well as improved BW when compared with controls and each product individually. These data address both animal welfare and food safety concerns faced by the poultry industry.

Differential effects of faces and words in cognitive control in older adults with and without major depressive disorder: An emotional Stroop task study.

Aging and major depressive disorders have been associated with impaired cognitive control. These deficits are also influenced by the affective valence and by the type of stimulus processed. Using an emotional Stroop task, the current study aims to examine cognitive control deficits and their association with emotion regulation in depression and the influence of the type of stimulus (words and faces) in this association. A total of 26 older patients with a major depressive disorder (MDD) (19 women; age range: 65-84 years) and 26 older healthy controls (18 women; age range: 65-80 years) participated in the study. The results showed that MDD individuals presented greater Stroop effects than their healthy controls and an absence of the conflict adaptation effect defined as a reduction of the influence of irrelevant stimulus dimensions after incongruent trials. Additionally, our results also showed that the processing of emotional words in depressed participants is more automatic than the processing of emotional faces. These findings suggest that older depressed individuals have greater difficulty in recognizing affective facial expressions than older healthy controls, while the over-learned behavior of word reading greatly reduces differences in the performance of the emotional Stroop task between groups (MDD and healthy controls).

Isolation, characterization, and experimental infection of Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus from commercial turkeys with acute septicemia: a pilot study.

Streptococcus gallolyticus (SG) is a Gram-positive cocci found as commensal gut flora in animals and humans. SG has emerged as a cause of disease in young poults between 1 and 3 wk of age. SG is associated with septicemia resulting in acute mortality with no premonitory signs in turkeys. Three SG isolates were obtained from clinical field cases of acute septicemia of commercial turkeys and used in three independent experiments. In Experiment 1, embryos were inoculated 25 d of embryogenesis with varying concentrations of SG1, SG2, or SG3. In Experiment 2, day of hatch, poults were inoculated with varying concentrations using different routes of administration of SG1, SG2, or SG3. In Experiment 3, day of hatch, poults were inoculated with only isolate SG1 using different paths. Poults were randomly selected for necropsy on d 8 and d 15 and sampled to collect spleen, heart, and liver for SG on d 21, the remaining poults were necropsied and cultured. Samples were plated on Columbia nalidixic acid and colistin agar (CNA) (40°C, 18-24 h). Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) confirmed suspect colonies. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test of independence, testing all possible combinations to determine significance (P < 0.05). Weight data were subjected to ANOVA using JMP with significance (P < 0.05). No differences were found in BW or BWG on d 0, 8, 15, or 22. Splenomegaly, focal heart necrosis, and pericarditis were observed in all groups in experiments 1 through 3. In Experiment 3, only airsacculitis was observed in a negative control in separate isolation (P > 0.05). On d 21 of Experiment 3, increased (P < 0.05) recovery of SG from spleens were observed in co-housed negative controls, as well as poults challenged by oral gavage (P > 0.05 for d 7 and d 14). These results confirm numerous previous studies indicating that SG subsp. pasteurianus is a primary infectious microorganism that causes septicemia in young poults.