Influence of feeding alternative fiber sources on the gastrointestinal fermentation, digestive enzyme activities and mucosa morphology of growing Greylag geese.

The objective of this trial was to study the influence of dietary fiber sources on the gastrointestinal fermentation, digestive enzyme activity, and mucosa morphology of growing Greylag geese. In total, 240 Greylag geese (28-day-old) were allocated to 4 treatments (15 pens/treatment) differing in dietary fiber source: corn straw silage (CSS group), steam-exploded corn straw (SECS group), steam-exploded wheat straw (SEWS group), or steam-exploded rice straw (SERS group). At 112 days of age, 15 birds per group were euthanized to collect samples. No difference (P > 0.05) was found on all the gastrointestinal pH values and ammonia-nitrogen concentrations between the groups. The CSS and SERS groups had a lower (P < 0.05) proportion of acetic acid in the gizzard than the SECS and SEWS groups. The CSS group had a higher VFA concentration in the jejunum (P < 0.05) and acetic acid proportion (P < 0.01) in the ceca, and a lower (P < 0.01) butyric acid proportion than the other groups except for the SECS group. The SECS group had a higher (P < 0.01) acetic acid proportion and lower (P < 0.05) proportions of propionic acid and valeric acid in the ceca than the SEWS and SERS groups. Different fiber sources resulted in different VFA profiles, especially in the gizzard and ceca. Almost all gastrointestinal protease activities of the CSS group were higher (P < 0.05) than the other groups, along with lower (P < 0.01) amylase activities in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and ceca. Lipase activity in proventriculus was highest (P < 0.01) in the SEWS group and its cecal activity was lower (P < 0.01) in the SECS and SEWS groups than the CSS and SERS groups with a higher (P < 0.01) lipase activity in the CSS group than the SERS group. The SECS and SERS groups had a higher cellulase activity in the ceca than the CSS and SEWS groups, with a higher (P < 0.01) rectal cellulase activity in the SERS group than the other groups. There was no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the intestinal mucosa morphology. These results suggest that corn straw silage improves protein digestion while steam-exploded straw provides more energy.

Meat quality, oxidative stability and blood parameters from Graylag geese offered alternative fiber sources in growing period.

The effects of dietary fiber sources on the meat quality, oxidative stability, and blood parameters of growing Graylag geese (28-112d) were investigated. The birds were randomly allocated into 4 treatments, of which dietary fiber was mainly from corn straw silage (CSS), steam-exploded corn straw (SECS), steam-exploded wheat straw (SEWS), and steam-exploded rice straw (SERS). No influence (P>0.05) on the basic chemical components, oxidative stability, or organoleptic traits of muscle were observed, except that birds fed SECS had a higher (P<0.05) protein proportion than those fed CSS or SERS, and CSS increased (P<0.01) the cholesterol content when compared to SEWS or SERS. Regarding fatty acid profile in meat, CSS and SECS increased (P<0.01) the proportion of C18:2n6t and decreased that of C21:0 and C22:0 when compared to the others. The birds fed SERS had a higher (P<0.05) proportion of C20:0 and C22:0 than the others, a higher proportion of C20:5n3, n-3 fatty acids, Δ-9 desaturase (18) index compared to those fed CSS or SECS, and a lower (P<0.01) proportion of C20:1n9 than those fed SECS or SEWS. Additionally, SEWS resulted in a higher (P<0.01) proportion of C20:2 when compared to the others. In conclusion, these fibers affect just the protein proportion, cholesterol content, and fatty acid profile of breast muscle, along with the concentration of TG and MDA in blood, but not the other characteristics. No superior fiber source exists with respect to meat quality, suggesting that Graylag geese feeding should make the most economically of the convenient fiber source with appropriate pretreatment.

Effect of different fibre sources on performance, carcass characteristics and gastrointestinal tract development of growing Greylag geese.

1. The effects of different fibre sources on the growth performance, carcass characteristics and gastrointestinal tract development were studied in growing Greylag geese (Anser anser). 2. Four experimental diets were formulated with corn (maize) straw silage (CSS), steam-exploded corn (maize) straw, steam-exploded wheat straw, and steam-exploded rice straw as fibre sources. A total of 224 male Greylag geese at 28 d of age were randomly assigned to one of the 4 experimental diets. 3. The birds fed on the CSS diets had higher average daily feed intakes than those fed on the steam-exploded straws. However, the 4 treatments had similar average daily gain, which contributed to significant differences in feed conversion ratios. The different fibre sources had no significant effects on the carcass characteristics. 4. The CSS-fed birds had larger gizzards and lower relative length of the caeca than the other three groups. However, the relative weights and lengths of the other gut segments, the relative weights of major organs and the pH values of the gastrointestinal contents were similar between the 4 treatments. It was concluded that straw fibres with different physico-chemical properties exerted an effect on daily feed intake and gastrointestinal development, especially for the gizzard. The pretreatment of straw had a large effect on utilisation efficiency and animal performance. Steam explosion is a promising straw pretreatment for inclusion in diets for geese.

[Interpretation for the group standards in technical specification for health risk investigation of central air conditioning ventilation system during coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic].

The central air conditioning ventilation system plays an important role in the air circulation of buildings such as centralized isolation medical observation points and general public buildings. In order to meet the requirements of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, Beijing Preventive Medicine Association organized Beijing CDC and other professional institutes to write up the group standard entitled "Technical specification for health risk investigation of central air conditioning ventilation system during the COVID-19 epidemic (T/BPMA 0006-2020)" . According to the particularity of central air conditioning ventilation system risk control during the outbreak of similar respiratory infectious diseases, based on current laws and regulations and the principle of scientific, practical, consistency and normative, 8 key points of risk investigations were summarized, which were the location of fresh air outlet, air conditioning mode, air return mode, air system, air distribution, fresh air volume, exhaust and air conditioner components. The contents, process, method, data analysis and conclusion of the investigation implementation were also defined and unified. It could standardize and guide institutions such as disease control and health supervision to carry out relevant risk managements, and provided solutions and technical supports for such major public health emergencies in city operations.

[Preliminary studies on c-erbB-2 protooncogene in breast cancer].

c-erbB-2 protooncogene amplification was analyzed with Southern blot technique in 50 breast cancer patients in an attempt to correlate the results with the prognosis. The median follow-up was 59 months. Amplification was found in 15/50 (30%) of these patients including two cases of rearrangement. A highly statistically significant difference was found in postoperative survivals of patients with or without c-erbB-2 amplification (P less than 0.005). When patients were divided into groups by stage, nodal status, tumor size and PR status, the prognosis tended to become worse with c-erbB-2 amplification. It was demonstrated that the postoperative median survival of Stage I and II patients with amplification was similar to those of Stage III and IV patients without amplification (48 and 47.8 months). The postoperative median survival of node negative patients with amplification was shortened as compared to those of node positive ones without amplification (47.3 and 54 months). This observation indicates that c-erbB-2 amplification seems to be an useful independent prognosis indicator in breast cancer, particularly in identifying the subsets of high risk of recurrence in node negative or Stage I and II patients.

[Prognostic significance of progesterone receptor in breast cancer].

Estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PR) were detected in 400 women with primary breast cancer from 1979 to 1986. Cytosols showing saturable binding of 10 fmol/mg protein or more were taken as positive for ER and PR. The positive rate was 55.5% and 42.8%, respectively in this series. PR negative patients had higher risk of early recurrence than PR positive patients according to the highly significant difference between the two disease-free survival curves (P less than 0.01). The relative risk of recurrence in the PR negative group was 3.2 times higher than PR positive group (P less than 0.01). Simple ER positive or ER negative did not provide any relevant information for predicting the disease-free survival in this present series. Thirty months after mastectomy, 32.2% of the patients with PR negative tumors had recurrent disease as compared with the PR positive group (10.2%) (p less than 0.01). The recurrent rate was negatively correlated with tumor PR concentration. The prognostic value of PR status with respect to clinical stage, menopausal status and axillary node involvement is discussed. It is concluded that the PR content of breast cancer is an important predictor of prognosis and will help us to formulate treatment plan for the patients.

[Amplification of oncogenes HER2, mdm-2 and myc in breast cancer determined by modified competitive PCR].

The amplification of oncogenes HER2, mdm-2 and myc was determined with a modified competitive PCR. The HER2, mdm-2 and myc genes were found to amplify in 5, 6 and 6 out of 15 patients with breast cancer respectively. The amplification of HER2 and mdm-2 correlated with advanced tumors and lymph node involvement respectively, indicating that the amplification of the oncogenes is a useful indicator for the prognosis of patients with breast cancer and for the study of the biological behaviors of tumors. This modified non-radioactive competitive PCR is simple to handle (even for DNA samples with low quantity and low quality), and accurate for measuring the copy numbers of genes.

[Loss of heterozygosity at different chromosomes in patients with breast cancer].

The loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at chromosomes 3p24, 7q31, 16q24.3 and 17p13.1 was measured in 15 patients with breast cancer by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) or PCR-CA repeat analysis. In 36%, 36%, 50% and 56% of the informative cases, LOH was detected at 3p24, 7q31, 16q24.3 and 17p13.1 loci, respectively. All the LOH at 3p24 or 7q31 happened in stage II or III, 67% of the LOH at 3p24 or 7q31 happened in the cases with lymph node metastasis, and 67% of the LOH at 3p24 or 7q31 were found in estrogen receptor negative patients. This finding shows that the measurement of LOH at 3p24 and 7q31 may be an useful predicting marker for the prognosis of patients with breast cancer. The high percent of LOH at these four loci may also indicate the possibility of the existence of tumor suppressor genes for breast cancer.

[Vitrectomy under temporary keratoprosthesis].

In vitreoretinal disorders complicated by corneal opacity, a temporary keratoprosthesis device is placed into a trephined opening in the cornea to provide a clear stable view which permits the performance of pars plana vitrectomy and immediately following the vitrectomy, the keratoprosthesis is replaced by a corneal graft. Using this technique, we have saved blind eyes with corneal and vitreoretinal disorders in one surgical procedure, being a new approach for rehabilitation of eye sight. Since 1990, the operation has been performed on 10 patients of whom 9 obtained satisfactory results. They were the patients who had been impossible to be saved by other methods and had been abandoned. The patient with the best result had been followed for 15 months and his visual acuity achieved and maintained 0.3. In six cases, the operation was combined with multiple procedures in the vitreous, such as gas fluid exchange, internal drainage of subretinal fluid, injection of silicone oil, etc. to facilitate the reattachment of the complicated retinal detachment.