Identification of Molecular Markers Predicting the Outcome of Anti-thrombotic Therapy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome and Atrial fibrillation: Evidence from a Meta-analysis and Experimental Study.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) often coexist in clinical practice, and patients with these conditions often have a critical illness with high risk of both ischemia and bleeding. This study aims to report potential molecular markers for predicting the efficacy based on a meta-analysis of microarray data from the GEO database. In 40 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with PCI, P2RX1's effects on platelet aggregation, medication resistance, and predictive value were examined. Twenty up-regulated genes in peripheral blood samples of ACS and AF patients were down-regulated after PCI, while 7 down-regulated genes were up-regulated. ACS affected eight potential genes. P2RX1, one of the four LASSO analysis-retrieved disease characteristic genes, accurately predicted AF patients' thrombosis risk and PCI's anti-thrombotic impact. Therefore, P2RX1 may be a molecular marker to predict the effect of anti-thrombotic therapy in patients with ACS and AF after PCI.

[Risk factors of postoperative stroke in elderly patients with hip fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk factors of stroke after of elderly patients with hip fracture after operation. METHODS: From March 2012 to June 2017, 500 elderly patients with hip fracture who underwent hip replacement were selected, including 286 males and 214 females, aged from 60 to 76 years old with an average of (68.49±11.85) years. They were divided into stroke group with 30 cases and control group with 470 cases according to the occurrence of acute stroke within two weeks after operation. The general data and serum contents of cytokines IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α were compared between the two groups. The overall survival of the two groups were followed up. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in sex, age, anesthesia method, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, preoperative IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α contenta between stroke group and control group(P>0.05). The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, intraoperative hypotension, IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α contenta 1 day and 3 days after operation of stroke group were significantly higher than control group(P<0.05);up to the date of follow-up, the cumulative survival rate of stroke patients were significantly lower than those of the control group(P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that intraoperative hypotension, elevated contents of serum IL-1 and TNF-α at 1 and 3 days after operation were risk factors for acute stroke. CONCLUSION: Postoperative stroke in elderly patients with hip fracture affects the prognosis of the disease. The increase of inflammatory cytokines IL-1 and TNF-α after operation is an independent risk factor for stroke.

Effect of continuous hemofiltration on severe acute pancreatitis with different intra-abdominal pressure: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The clinical efficacy and timing of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) remain uncertain. In this prospective cohort study, patients with SAP were classified according to intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). METHODS: Seventy-four patients with SAP admitted to the intensive care unit were randomly divided into group A (IAP ≥20 mm Hg) and group B (with IAP ≤20 mm Hg). Then, according to whether CVVH was administered or not, groups A and B were divided into 4 subgroups: group A1 and B1 (non-CVVH treatment), group A2 and B2 (CVVH treatment). Changes in clinical and laboratory indicators were recorded before and on the seventh day after treatment, and clinical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Before treatment, there was no significant difference in general conditions between subgroups A1 and A2, and between subgroups B1 and B2. After CVVH treatment, the indicators recorded in group A2 were significantly improved compared to those in group A1 (P < .05). In group A2, the 28 day operation rate was lower (P < .05), as mechanical ventilation, gastric decompression, and intensive care unit treatment time were shorter (P < .05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in any of the above indicators between subgroups B (P > .05). Groups A2 and B2 had more days of negative fluid balance within 1 week of admission than groups A1 and B1 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: For SAP, patients with IAP ≥20 mm Hg can benefit from treatment with CVVH, but for patients with IAP ≤20 mm Hg, the efficacy is not clear, and monitoring IAP may be an indicator to decide whether or when to initiate CVVH. Negative fluid balance caused by CVVH treatment may be one of the reasons for the benefit of this group of patients.

Keel fracture changed the behavior and reduced the welfare, production performance, and egg quality in laying hens housed individually in furnished cages.

Keel fracture has adverse effects on welfare, behavior, health, production performance, and egg quality of laying hens. To investigate this, 90 healthy Lohmann white laying hens with normal keel bones at 17 wk of age (WOA) were used in this study and housed individually in furnished cages. All hens were marked with fractured keel (FK) or normal keel (NK) based on the keel bone status through palpation at 5 time-points (22, 27, 32, 37, and 42 WOA). After the palpation, the behavior was observed for 2 consecutive days at each time-point, and the total number of eggs produced, dirty eggs, broken eggs, and feed intake of FK and NK laying hens were recorded at 27-32, 32-37, and 37-42 WOA, respectively. After each behavioral observation, 10 fresh FK hens and 10 NK hens were randomly selected to determinate the welfare and egg quality. The results showed that the incidences of keel fracture increased with the age of laying hens. Compared with NK hens, the sitting and standing behaviors significantly increased (P < 0.05) while feeding, walking, perching, and jumping behaviors significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in FK hens. There were no significant changes in drinking, preening, comforting, cage pecking, and nesting behaviors between NK and FK hens (P > 0.05). During the experiment period, the egg production rate, body weight, daily feed intake, and eggshell strength, thickness, and weight decreased (P < 0.05) and duration of tonic immobility increased (P < 0.05) in FK hens compared with those in NK hens. At 27-32 WOA, FK hens had significantly elevated broken egg rate (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the dirty egg rate, egg shape index, protein height, Haugh unit, feather cover score, and toe and foot pad health score (P > 0.05). Therefore, keel fracture in laying hens caused changes in behavior and reduced the welfare, production performance, feed intake, and eggshell quality.

Microbiome and biological blood marker changes in hens at different laying stages in conventional and cage free housings.

With the majority of conventional cage (CC) laying facilities transitioning into cage-free (CF) systems in the near future, it is important to characterize biological markers of health in layers housed in commercial housings for sustainable production. The objectives of this study were to compare i) blood markers, that is heterophil:lymphocyte (H:L) ratios and susceptibility to avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and ii) lung and ceca microbiome between hens at different maturity stages in commercial CC and CF farms. Laying hens at 3 maturity stages were randomly sampled (N = 20 per maturity and per farm). Blood was tested for H:L ratios and APEC killing ability using microscopy and in vitro assay, respectively. Microbiomes were assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing and QIIME2 analysis. Data show H:L ratios did not differ between maturities in both farms. Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli killing was only different in CC hens, where χ7122 level was higher (P < 0.05) in peak compared with early lay. In both farms, microbiome diversity was consistently different (P < 0.05) in both ceca and lung of early lay compared with peak and late lay. In the ceca and lung, relative abundances of the 3 predominant phyla (Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria) did not significantly change with maturity in both farms. Potential pathogens Campylobacter and Staphylococcus reached greater (P < 0.05) abundances in CC lungs in early lay and in CF lungs in late lay, respectively. Overall, this study showed no differences in the stress marker H:L but identified some differences in resistance to APEC and microbiome composition across maturity stages in CC and CF. The lung and gut microbiomes were highly similar, with both serving as potential reservoirs for Campylobacter and Staphylococcus. Future studies on controllable environments for CF and CC are needed to develop adequate strategies for each housing and maturity stage to reduce pathogens and optimize disease-resistance.

Proper cold stimulation starting at an earlier age can enhance immunity and improve adaptability to cold stress in broilers.

The effects of long-term cold stimulation on the immune function of ileum and adaptability to cold stress in broilers were examined. A total of 360 Arbor Acres broilers was divided into 3 groups and four replicates per group. C (control) was reared in normal thermal environment. C-3 and C-12 (treatments) were kept in cold condition of 3 or 12°C lower than the temperature of C from days 8 to 42. At day 42, all the groups were exposed to an acute cold stress challenge, designated as S, S-3, and S-12. The mRNA levels of immune molecules and heat shock proteins as well as oxidative stress-related indicators in ileum tissues, and immunoglobulins contents in serum were examined at 14, 42, and 43 d of age. The C-3 regimen had no adverse effect on production performance, whereas the C-12 regimen reduced the production performance relative to C (P < 0.05). At day 42, C-3 had higher levels of immune indexes (P < 0.05), whereas C-12 had lower levels than C (P < 0.05). No differences in levels of oxidative stress-related indicators were found between C and C-3 at day 42 (P > 0.05). S-3 had higher levels of immune indexes and lower levels of oxidative stress-related indicators (P < 0.05), as compared to S and S-12. The results suggest that 34 d of cold stimulation at 3°C lower than the normal temperature had no adverse impacts on production performance but enhanced the immunity of ileum and adaptability to acute cold challenge in broilers.

[Effect of total knee arthroplasty under computer navigation on intraoperative blood loss and joint function recovery].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of computer navigation assisted total knee arthroplasty on intraoperative hemorrhage and postoperative joint function recovery in patients with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: From February 2015 to December 2017, 65 patients with knee osteoarthritis treated by traditional total knee arthroplasty were retrospectively analyzed as the control group and 65 patients with knee osteoarthritis treated by total knee arthroplasty under computer navigation as the experimental group. Before operation, all patients showed red swelling pain of knee, pain of going up and down stairs, and pain and discomfort of waist when sitting up and standing up. All patients were treated with total knee arthroplasty. The control group was treated with traditional total knee arthroplasty, and the experimental group was treated with total knee arthroplasty under the computer navigation system. The operation related conditions of the two groups were recorded and compared including the operation time and hospitalization time; the changes of hemoglobin and hematocrit of the two groups were detected and compared before and 5 days after the operation; the blood loss of the two groups and the induced flow at each time point calculated and compared after the operation, and the perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion rate and average blood transfusion volume of the patients were recorded; The joint function scale (KSS) was used to evaluate the recovery of knee joint function before the operation, 6 and 18 months after the operation respectively and to record the incidence of postoperative infection, lower extremity venous thrombosis and other complications. RESULTS: All the patients were successfully operated and the prognosis of the wound was good. All the patients were followed up for an average of 18 months. The operation time of the experimental group was longer than that of the control group, and the hospitalization time was shorter than that of the control group (P <0.05) ; the KSS score of the two groups at each time point after operation was higher than that before operation, but the increasing range of the test group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) ; there was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of complications (P>0.05) . CONCLUSION: Under the guidance of computer navigation, total knee arthroplasty can prolong the operation time compared with single total knee arthroplasty, but it is more conducive to reduce perioperative blood loss, reduce the rate of postoperative allogeneic blood transfusion, ideal recovery of joint function, less complications, safety and reliability.

Effects of Farrowing Stall Layout and Number of Heat Lamps on Sow and Piglet Production Performance.

Most farrowing facilities in the United States use stalls and heat lamps to improve sow and piglet productivity. This study investigated these factors by comparing production outcomes for three different farrowing stall layouts (traditional, expanded creep area, expanded sow area) and use of one or two heat lamps. Data were collected on 427 sows and their litters over one year. Results showed no statistical differences due to experimental treatment for any of the production metrics recorded, excluding percent stillborn. Parity one sows had fewer piglets born alive (p < 0.001), lower percent mortality (p = 0.001) and over-lay (p = 0.003), and a greater number of piglets weaned (p < 0.001) with lower average daily weight gain (ADG) (p < 0.001) and more uniform litters (p = 0.001) as compared to higher parity sows. Farrowing turn, associated with group/seasonal changes, had a significant impact on most of the production metrics measured. Number of piglets born influenced the percent stillborn (p < 0.001). Adjusted litter size had a significant impact on percent mortality (p < 0.001), percent over-lay (p < 0.001), and number of piglets weaned (p < 0.001). As the number of piglets weaned per litter increased, both piglet ADG and litter uniformity decreased (p < 0.001). This information can be used to guide producers in farrowing facility design.

Keel Fracture Causes Stress and Inflammatory Responses and Inhibits the Expression of the Orexin System in Laying Hens.

Keel fracture has negative effects on the health and welfare of laying hens. We investigated effects of keel fracture on stress, inflammation, and the orexin system in laying hens. Ninety 17-week-old Lohmann white laying hens were palpated and euthanatized at 42 weeks old, and marked as normal keel (NK)/fractured keel (FK) from absence/presence of keel fracture. Serum, brain, liver, and abdominal-muscle samples were collected from 10 NK and 10 FK hens to determine the stress and inflammatory responses and the activity of orexin systems by corticosterone content, expression of heat shock proteins (TNF-α 60, 70, 90), and inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, nuclear factor-kappa Bp65 (NF-κBp65), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), prostaglandin E synthases (PTGEs), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß)), orexin (ORX), and orexin-receptor 1/2 (ORXR1/ORXR2). The FK hens had higher serum corticosterone content, Hsps, and inflammatory factor mRNA expression levels than NK hens, although levels of iNOS in the liver and TNF-α in the muscle were similar. Protein levels of Hsp70 and Hsp90 in the brain and liver, iNOS and COX-2 in the liver, NF-κBp65, iNOS, and COX-2 in the brain of FK hens were increased compared with NK hens. Furthermore, FK hens had lower mRNA expression of ORX, ORXR1, and ORXR2 than NK hens. Therefore, keel fracture causes stress and inflammation, and inhibits the expression of the orexin system in laying hens.

At the Intersection of Industry, Academia, and Government: How Do We Facilitate Productive Precision Livestock Farming in Practice?

This commentary is a comprehensive synthesis of ideas generated from a workshop, hosted by Iowa State University, encompassing precision livestock farming (PLF) research and applications for industry-academia. The goal of this workshop was to demonstrate existing institution research and strategically propel further PLF development and industry adoption. Six key thematic areas were identified from participant discussion: sensors and algorithms, implementation, economic feasibility, data, rural and societal impacts, and education and training. These themes were used to focus discussion on identifying the new knowledge needed to drive implementation and examine current and future challenges of implementing PLF. At the convergence of industry and academia sits a unique opportunity to create mutually beneficial relationships that accomplish the individual needs of all parties. Productive PLF is currently hindered by numerous technical and non-technical challenges, but an increasing demand and optimistic outlook may result in rapid producer adoption. To foster harmonious partnerships among industry, academia, and government, a nexus at the intersection of multiple disciplines and basic/applied sciences is needed to thrust future success.

Airborne transmission may have played a role in the spread of 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in the United States.

The unprecedented 2015 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N2 in the U.S. devastated its poultry industry and resulted in over $3 billion economic impacts. Today HPAI continues eroding poultry operations and disrupting animal protein supply chains around the world. Anecdotal evidence in 2015 suggested that in some cases the AI virus was aerially introduced into poultry houses, as abnormal bird mortality started near air inlets of the infected houses. This study modeled air movement trajectories and virus concentrations that were used to assess the probability or risk of airborne transmission for the 77 HPAI cases in Iowa. The results show that majority of the positive cases in Iowa might have received airborne virus, carried by fine particulate matter, from infected farms within the state (i.e., intrastate) and infected farms from the neighboring states (i.e., interstate). The modeled airborne virus concentrations at the Iowa recipient sites never exceeded the minimal infective doses for poultry; however, the continuous exposure might have increased airborne infection risks. In the worst-case scenario (i.e., maximum virus shedding rate, highest emission rate, and longest half-life), 33 Iowa cases had > 10% (three cases > 50%) infection probability, indicating a medium to high risk of airborne transmission for these cases. Probability of airborne HPAI infection could be affected by farm type, flock size, and distance to previously infected farms; and more importantly, it can be markedly reduced by swift depopulation and inlet air filtration. The research results provide insights into the risk of airborne transmission of HPAI virus via fine dust particles and the importance of preventative and containment strategies such as air filtration and quick depopulation of infected flocks.

Effects of litter floor access and inclusion of experienced hens in aviary housing on floor eggs, litter condition, air quality, and hen welfare.

With different cage-free (CF) housing styles and management schemes, retailers have developed their own CF criteria. One highly debated aspect is if hens may be kept inside the system for part of the day-during the first few hours after lights-on. Research is lacking regarding the impacts of such a practice on hen welfare, incidence of eggs laid on the litter floor, litter condition, and air quality. This 14-mo field study was conducted to help assess such impacts. Hens (Dekalb White) in an aviary house (50,000-hen nominal capacity) were allowed to have full litter access (FLA) vs. part-time litter access (PLA) from 10:50 am to 9:00 pm, coupled with the absence or presence of experienced hens (1.5% of the population), hence a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The measured variables included a) incidence of floor eggs, b) percentage of birds remaining on litter floor at night, c) mortality, d) body weight (BW) and BW uniformity, e) litter condition (depth, moisture content, texture, amount removed, and bacteria concentration), f) environmental conditions, and g) welfare conditions (10 variables). Compared to FLA, PLA had a significantly lower incidence of floor eggs (1.4 ± 0.1 vs. 12.6 ± 1.1 eggs per hen housed as of 76 weeks of age (WOA), i.e., approximately 89% reduction), less manure deposition on the floor (0.53 ± 0.02 vs. 1.05 ± 0.04 kg/100 hens/d, dry basis, i.e., approximately 50% reduction), and lower ammonia concentrations due to drier litter (averaging 22% lower). Inclusion of 1.5% experienced hens in the young flock did not show benefit of reducing the incidence of floor eggs (P = 0.48). The percentage of hens remaining on the floor at night was low (< 0.01%) in all cases from 24 WOA onward. No differences were detected between FLA and PLA in hen welfare conditions, mortality, BW, BW uniformity, bacteria concentration in the litter, air temperature, or relative humidity.

Effects of prior cold stimulation on inflammatory and immune regulation in ileum of cold-stressed broilers.

Acclimation can alleviate the negative impacts of adverse environmental factors on an organism. To investigate the effects of prior cold stimulation on inflammatory and immune regulation in ileum of cold-stressed broilers, 360 1-d-old chicks (Arbor Acres) were divided into 3 groups (G1, G2, G3) and raised at normal (thermal comfort) temperatures during 1 to 7 d. From 8 d, G1 (control) continued to be raised at normal temperatures, whereas G2 and G3 (treatments) were cold-stimulated at 3°C and 12°C, respectively, below the temperature of G1, but not below 17°C (reached at 32 d in G2 and 14 d in G3). At 42 d, all the groups were subjected to a 24-h acute cold stress of 7°C, designated as S1, S2, and S3. Ileum tissues and serum of the birds were collected at 42 d and 43 d to detect the levels of pro-inflammatory and immune-related factors as well as morphology changes. At 42 d, ileum of G1 and G2 had intact morphological structure and clear outline, with no differences in levels of iNOS, NF-κB, COX-2, PTGEs, TNF-α, IFN-γ, or IL-4 (P > 0.05). G3 ileum suffered inflammatory injuries, with levels of iNOS, COX-2, PTGEs, TNF-α, and IL-4 being higher than those of G1 (P < 0.05). At 43 d, compared with G1, S1 had severely damaged ileum, increased levels of iNOS, NF-κB, COX-2, PTGEs, TNF-α, and IL-4 (P < 0.05), but decreased level of IFN-γ (P < 0.05). The morphological structure of S2 was intact, and there were no differences between G2 and S2 in levels of NF-κB, PTGEs, TNF-α, IFN-γ, or IL-4 (P > 0.05). Compared with S1, S2 had decreased levels of iNOS, NF-κB, COX-2, PTGEs, TNF-α, and IL-4 (P < 0.05), but increased level of IFN-γ (P < 0.05). There were no differences between G1 and S2 in levels of NF-κB, PTGEs, TNF-α, IFN-γ, or IL-4 (P > 0.05). The results demonstrate that a 3°C-lower-than-normal temperature stimulation of the broilers from 8 to 42 d led to cold acclimation. This prior cold acclimation effectively alleviated elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and Th1/Th2 imbalance of the birds induced by subsequent cold stress.

Effect of fluorescent vs. poultry-specific light-emitting diode lights on production performance and egg quality of W-36 laying hens.

More energy-efficient, durable, affordable, and dimmable light-emitting diode (LED) lights are finding applications in poultry production. However, data are lacking on controlled comparative studies concerning the impact of such lights during the pullet rearing and subsequent laying phase. This study evaluated two types of poultry-specific LED light (PS-LED) vs. fluorescent light (FL) with regards to their effects on hen laying performance. A total of 432 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens were tested in two batches using four environmental chambers (nine cages per chamber and 6 birds per cage) from 17 to 41 weeks of age (WOA). Dim-to-red PS-LED and warm-white FL were used in the laying phase. The hens had been reared under a dim-to-blue PS-LED or a warm-white FL from 1 to 16 WOA. The measured performance variables included 1) timing of sexual maturity, 2) egg production performance, 3) egg quality, and 4) egg yolk cholesterol. Results showed that the two types of light used during the laying phase had comparable performance responses for all response parameters (P > 0.05) with a few exceptions. Specifically, eggs laid from hens in the PS-LED treatment had lower shell thickness (P = 0.01) and strength (P = 0.03) than those in the FL treatment at 41 WOA. The two types of light used during the rearing phase did not influence the 17 to 41 WOA laying performance, except that hens reared under the PS-LED laid eggs with lower shell thickness (P = 0.02) at 32 WOA as compared to hens reared under the FL. This study demonstrates that the emerging poultry-specific LED lights yield comparable production performance and egg quality of W-36 laying hens to the traditional fluorescent lights.

Mitigating Greenhouse Gas and Ammonia Emissions from Swine Manure Management: A System Analysis.

Gaseous emissions from animal manure are considerable contributor to global ammonia (NH3) and agriculture greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Given the demand to promote mitigation of GHGs while fostering sustainable development of the Paris Agreement, an improvement of management systems is urgently needed to help mitigate climate change and to improve atmospheric air quality. This study presents a meta-analysis and an integrated assessment of gaseous emissions and mitigation potentials for NH3, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) (direct and indirect) losses from four typical swine manure management systems (MMSs). The resultant emission factors and mitigation efficiencies allow GHG and NH3 emissions to be estimated, as well as mitigation potentials for different stages of swine operation. In particular, changing swine manure management from liquid systems to solid-liquid separation systems, coupled with mitigation measures, could simultaneously reduce GHG emissions by 65% and NH3 emissions by 78%. The resultant potential reduction in GHG emissions from China's pig production alone is greater than the entire GHG emissions from agricultural sector of France, Australia, or Germany, while the reduction in NH3 emissions is equivalent to 40% of the total NH3 emissions from the European Union. Thus, improved swine manure management could have a significant impact on global environment issues.

Tocopherol and annatto tocotrienols distribution in laying-hen body.

The impact of supplementing laying-hen feed with annatto tocotrienols (T3s) and alpha-tocopherol on the distribution of various forms of vitamin E and cholesterol throughout the hen's body was evaluated. A total of 18 organs or tissues (skin, fat pad, liver and gall bladder, heart, oviduct, forming yolk, laid yolk, lungs, spleen, kidney, pancreas, gizzard, digestive tract, brain, thigh, breast, manure, and blood) were collected after 7 wk of feeding on diets enriched with various levels of alpha-tocopherol and annatto extract that contained gamma-T3 and delta-T3. Tissue weights, contents of lipid, alpha-tocopherol, gamma-T3, delta-T3, cholesterol, and fatty acid composition of extracted lipids from the collected organs and tissues were determined. Tissue weight and lipid content did not change significantly with feed supplementation treatments, except that the liver became heavier with increased levels of supplementation. Overall, the main organs that accumulated the supplemented vitamin E were fat pad, liver and gall bladder, oviduct, forming yolks, laid yolks, kidney, brain, thigh, and breast. Much of annatto gamma-T3 and delta-T3 (> 90%) was found in the manure, indicating poor uptake. In some tissues (brain and oviduct,) a significant increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids was seen with increased supplementation. Alpha-tocopherol impacted the transfer of gamma-T3 to forming and laid yolks, but did not impact delta-T3 transfer. No significant differences were found in most of the tissues in cholesterol, except a reduction in heart, based on tissue as-is. Blood samples showed large variations in individual hens with no significant differences in total and HDL cholesterol, or total triacylglycerols. Supplementing feed with annatto T3s and alpha-tocopherol showed that the vitamin E profile and distribution of the laying-hen body can be altered, but to different extents depending on tissue. The result of this research has significance in enhancing meat nutrient content.

Supplementation of laying-hen feed with annatto tocotrienols and impact of α-tocopherol on tocotrienol transfer to egg yolk.

Hens can efficiently transfer nutrients from their feed to the eggs. Tocotrienols (T3s) have various health benefits including lowering cholesterol. Annatto is the only known source of T3s without the presence of α-tocopherol; hence it can be used to study T3 transfer without the interference of α-tocopherol. In this study, hens were fed diets for 7 weeks containing annatto at 100, 500, or 2000 ppm (by weight) and also 2000 ppm annatto with 200, 600, or 1000 ppm of added α-tocopherol to study the effect of α-tocopherol on transfer of T3s. No significant differences were found in egg production or properties. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in transfer efficiencies of tocopherol and T3s to the yolks. α-Tocopherol was transferred more efficiently (21.19-49.17%) than γ-T3 (0.50-0.96%) or δ-T3 (0.74-0.93%). Addition of 1000 ppm of α-tocopherol decreased the amount of γ-T3 but did not impact the transfer of δ-T3 to the egg. These feeding treatments did not impact the cholesterol content of the eggs.

Free chlorine loss during spraying of membraneless acidic electrolyzed water and its antimicrobial effect on airborne bacteria from poultry house.

INTRODUCTION: Spray-application of membraneless acidic electrolyzed water (MLAEW) is a novel technique for disinfection in livestock houses. This study investigated the loss of free chlorine (FC - the major germicidal component in MLAEW) over distance during spraying, as affected by air temperature and initial FC concentration. The anti-microbial effect of MLAEW on airborne bacteria from an aviary laying-hen house was examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MLAEW was prepared at two FC concentrations: app. 15 and 60 mg L⁻¹, and sprayed at three air temperatures (18, 25, 32 °C). The original MLAEW solution and MLAEW aerosols collected at 0, 25, and 50 cm from the spray nozzle were analyzed for FC concentrations. Bacteria were immersed into these MLAEW samples and numerated for viable count after 0.5, 2 and 5-min treatments. RESULTS: MLAEW aerosols collected at 0 cm lost 11.7-13.2% FC, compared with the original MLAEW solution. This initial loss was affected neither by the initial FC concentration (P = 0.13) nor by air temperature (P = 0.57). The rate of FC loss during travelling was 0.79-0.87 % per cm of aerosol travel distance (% cm⁻¹) at 18 °C, 1.08-1.15 % cm⁻¹ at 25 °C, and 1.35-1.49% cm⁻¹ at 32 °C. This travelling loss was affected by air temperature (P = 0.02), but not by initial FC concentration (P = 0.38). Bacteria were completely inactivated at 0.5 min when treated with MLAEW samples with FC > 16.8 mg L⁻¹, in 2 min when FC > 13.8 mg L⁻¹, and in 5 min when FC > 7.2 mg L⁻¹. CONCLUSION: Airborne bacteria from aviary hen house can be effectively inactivated by MLAEW with adequate FC concentration and contact time. During spraying, the anti-microbial efficacy of MLAEW aerosols decreased over distance due to FC loss which exacerbated at higher air temperatures.

A laboratory study of microalgae-based ammonia gas mitigation with potential application for improving air quality in animal production operations.

UNLABELLED: Ammonia gas emission is a major concern in concentrated animal production operations. It not only reduces the manure value as fertilizer due to nitrogen loss, but also has considerable environmental consequences for both animals and ecosystem. In this work, a microalgae culture system was developed as an ammonia gas bioscrubber to reduce ammonia gas emission. The green algae Scenedesmus dimorphus was grown in a flat-panel photobioreactor aerated with ammonia-laden air. A continuous culture was performed at different operational conditions including dilution rate (D = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 day(-1)), ammonia gas loading rate (9.4, 19.3, 28.9, 39.9, 55.6 mg/L-day), and medium pH (5, 6, 7, and 8). The alga culture at 0.1 day(-1) dilution rate, 39.9 mg/L-day ammonia gas loading rate, and pH 7 resulted in the highest cell density and biomass productivity. In order to provide a wide spectrum evaluation of the algae-based ammonia mitigation system, four parameters were determined, including ammonia removal rate, overall ammonia gas removal efficiency, cellular ammonia consumption rate, and cell yield based on ammonia input. Depending on the operational conditions used, the maximum values of those four evaluative parameters were 50.92 +/- 2.91 mg/L-day of ammonia removal rate, 94.90 +/- 1.87% of ammonia removal efficiency, 0.0597 +/- 0.0024 g NH3/g cell-day of cellular ammonia consumption rate, and 19.40 +/- 2.52 g cell/g NH3 of cell yield based on ammonia. It was also found that the majority of nitrogen in the ammonia gas was assimilated by the algal cells. At D = 0.1 day(-1), 39.9 mg/L-day of ammonia gas loading rate and pH 7, algal biomass assimilated 98.6% of nitrogen contained in the ammonia gas input, with less than 5% of inlet ammonia gas was exhausted after the algal treatment. IMPLICATIONS: This study demonstrated the effectiveness of using microalgae for mitigating ammonia gas emission from animal production operations. The results enabled us to better understand the mechanisms of ammonia assimilation by microalgae, the engineering design parameters for the process scale up, and the economic viability of the system. Eventually, it will lead to a novel, alternative method for mitigating ammonia gas emission from concentrated animal operations while producing biomass as high-quality feed ingredient.

Inactivation of airborne Enterococcus faecalis and infectious bursal disease virus using a pilot-scale ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation scrubber.

UNLABELLED: High microbial concentrations and emissions associated with livestock houses raise health and environmental concerns. A pilot-scale ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation (UV-PCO) scrubber was tested for its efficacy to inactivate aerosolized Enterococcus faecalis and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). Microbial reduction was determined by the difference in microbial concentrations measured in the upstream and downstream isolators that were connected to the two ends of the UV-PCO scrubber. Two UV irradiance levels were tested by using one or two UV lamps. The theoretical average UV irradiances were 6,595 microW cm(-2) with one UV lamp and 12,799 microW cm(-2) with two UV lamps. At the tested ventilation rate (70 m3 hr(-1)), the contact time was 1 sec. Reduction rate and other two indexes (k-value and Z-value) that normalized UV radiation were calculated to describe the extent of microbial inactivation. The UV-PCO scrubber eliminated > 99.7% of airborne E. faecalisfrom the incoming airstream under one UV lamp irradiance, and the reduction was further increased by 0.2-0.3% when the second UV lamp was added. The reduction rate for airborne IBDV was 72.4% with one UV lamp. The calculated k-values were 0.501-0.594 cm2 mJ(-1) for airborne E. faecalis and 0.217 cm2 mJ(-1) for IBDV The Z-value of airborne E. faecalis to UV irradiance was 9.3 (+/- 1.6) x 10(-4) cm2 microW(-1) sec(-1). The results indicate that a UV-PCO scrubber can serve as an effective and efficient technology for inactivating airborne bacteria and virus. Scaling up of the pilot-scale scrubber for field use will require considerations such as design air treatment capacity, UV irradiance level, contact time, dust concentration, susceptibility of target microorganisms, and expected reduction rate. IMPLICATIONS: This work demonstrated that a UV-PCO scrubber can be used to inactivate animal-associated airborne microorganisms, thus reducing microbial emissions from livestock houses and minimizing the biological impact to ambient environment. The microbial reduction efficiency by the UV-PCO scrubber varied depended on the level of UV irradiation and the target microbial species. The tested viral species (infectious bursal disease virus) was more resistant to the UV-PCO scrubber as compared to its counterpart bacterial species (E. faecalis).