ABSTRACT
This study compared the effects of sodium selenite and selenium yeast and their combination on laying performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, and selenium (Se) contents in tissues and eggs. Two-hundred-eighty-eight Jing Hong layers that were similar in laying rate (87.5 ± 0.38%) and body weight (1.70 ± 0.02 kg) were randomly distributed into 4 treatments for 11 wk (from 203 d old to 279 d old) with 9 replicates of 8 hens per replicate. The diets (corn-soybean meal diet) were supplemented with 0 [blank control (BC)], 0.3 mg/kg Se from sodium selenite (SS), 0.15 mg/kg Se from sodium selenite and 0.15 mg/kg Se from Se yeast (SS+SY), or 0.3 mg/kg Se from Se yeast (SY). Results showed that the laying rate of the SS+SY group increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared to the BC and SY groups. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in egg quality between the Se-supplemented diets and the BC diet. The serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity was increased (P < 0.01) in hens fed Se-supplemented diets compared to the BC diet. The liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of the SY group was increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared to the BC group. Significant increase (P < 0.01) due to SY supplementation was noted in the serum vitamin E content compared to BC and SS. Layers fed Se-supplemented diets had higher (P < 0.01) contents of Se in the serum, liver, and kidney compared to the BC diet. Compared to BC, Se content in eggs was significantly increased (P < 0.05) by feeding supplementary Se. In conclusion, the effects of SS and Se yeast were approximately equal in promoting antioxidant capacity of laying hens, while Se yeast is easier to deposit into eggs and tissues. The diet with added equal amounts of the 2 sources of Se was more cost effective and affordable than a comparable amount of Se yeast to obtain the promising production performance and nearly similar Se deposition.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/metabolism , Chickens/physiology , Organoselenium Compounds/metabolism , Ovum/physiology , Sodium Selenite/metabolism , Animal Feed/analysis , Animals , Diet/veterinary , Dietary Supplements/analysis , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Organoselenium Compounds/administration & dosage , Sodium Selenite/administration & dosage , Tissue Distribution , Yeasts/chemistryABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To replicate a previously reported association between pollen counts and county suicide rates in the continental United States, across space and time. METHOD: The authors evaluated the relationship between airborne pollen counts and suicide rates in 42 counties of the continental United States, containing a pollen-counting station participating in the Aeroallergen Monitoring Network in the United States (N = 120,076 suicides), considering years' quarter, age group, sex, race, rural/urban location, number of local psychiatrists, and median household income, from 1999 to 2002. The county-level effects were broken into between-county and within-county. RESULTS: No within-county effects were found. Between-county effects for grass and ragweed pollen on suicide rates lost statistical significance after adjustment for median income, number of psychiatrists, and urban vs. rural location. CONCLUSION: Future research is necessary to reappraise the previously reported relationship between pollen levels and suicide rates that may have been driven by socioeconomic confounders.
Subject(s)
Allergens/adverse effects , Pollen/adverse effects , Seasons , Suicide/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Male , Reproducibility of Results , Rural Population , Socioeconomic Factors , Suicide/psychology , United States , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A challenge in the management of severely brain-damaged patients with altered states of consciousness is the differential diagnosis between the vegetative state (VS) and the minimally conscious state (MCS), especially for the gray zone separating these clinical entities. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the differences in brain activation in response to presentation of the patient's own name spoken by a familiar voice (SON-FV) in patients with VS and MCS. METHODS: By using fMRI, we prospectively studied residual cerebral activation to SON-FV in seven patients with VS and four with MCS. Behavioral evaluation was performed by means of standardized testing up to 3 months post-fMRI. RESULTS: Two patients with VS failed to show any significant cerebral activation. Three patients with VS showed SON-FV induced activation within the primary auditory cortex. Finally, two patients with VS and all four patients with MCS not only showed activation in primary auditory cortex but also in hierarchically higher order associative temporal areas. These two patients with VS showing the most widespread activation subsequently showed clinical improvement to MCS observed 3 months after their fMRI scan. CONCLUSION: The cerebral responses to patient's own name spoken by a familiar voice as measured by fMRI might be a useful tool to preclinically distinguish minimally conscious state-like cognitive processing in some patients behaviorally classified as vegetative.
Subject(s)
Auditory Perception , Awareness , Cerebral Cortex/physiopathology , Consciousness , Persistent Vegetative State/diagnosis , Persistent Vegetative State/physiopathology , Acoustic Stimulation/methods , Adult , Auditory Cortex/physiopathology , Brain Mapping , Cerebral Cortex/injuries , Cerebral Cortex/pathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Nerve Net/physiopathology , Predictive Value of Tests , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Spartina alterniflora, one kind of bio-mineral food additive and special nutrient liquid, rich in bioactive materials, was extracted from a marsh plant grown in beach. It can enhance immune function of animals and human bodies, increase the tolerance to hypoxia in rats, prolong life span of fruit flies, and increase activity of human serum superoxide dismutase.