Dietary supplementation with Chlorella vulgaris in broiler chickens submitted to heat-stress: effects on growth performance and meat quality.

Heat stress can greatly challenge growth and meat quality of broiler chickens where research is looking for sustainable ingredients, such as microalgae, that could also alleviate its negative impacts. Thus, in the present study, 576 1-D-old chicks (Ross 308) were housed until commercial slaughtering (42 D) in 36 pens in 2 rooms of a poultry house, according to a full factorial design encompassing 2 room temperatures (standard vs. high), 2 sexes (females vs. males), and 3 dietary treatments, that is, diet C0 (control diet), diet C3, and diet C6 containing 0, 3, and 6%, respectively, of C. vulgaris meal replacing the same quantities of soybean meal. The highest inclusion level of C. vulgaris decreased feed intake (P < 0.001) and body weight (P < 0.0001) compared to the control diet; it increased yellow and red indexes (P < 0.0001) of the breast muscle, besides the proportion of n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (P = 0.028). Heat stress decreased feed intake (P = 0.001), breast (P = 0.001) and p. major yields (P = 0.036), and increased meat pH (P= 0.008) and cooking losses (P < 0.001), umami (P = 0.021) and brothy flavor (P < 0.001), and the proportion of n3 PUFA rates (P = 0.027), while reducing the contents of several amino acids in the breast meat (P ≤ 0.05). Compared to females, males displayed higher feed intake and growth, and more favorable feed conversion (P < 0.001). Carcass and p. major yields were greater in females (P < 0.001) which also showed a higher occurrence of spaghetti meat compared to males (P < 0.001). In conclusion, C. vulgaris can be used to replace until 3% of soybean meal in diets for broiler chickens without negative implications, while positively affecting breast meat color according to consumers' preferences. However, the microalgae inclusion did not mitigate the negative effects of a chronic heat stress on growth performance nor reduced the occurrence of any myopathies.

Effect of light restriction on productive results and behavior of broiler chickens.

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of light restriction (18L:6D vs. 14L:10D), genotype (A vs. B), and sex on performance, behavior, and meat quality, and the occurrence of wooden breast (WB) and white striping (WS) in broiler chickens. To this purpose 704 one-day-old chickens of 2 genotypes, half males and half females, were reared from hatching until slaughtering at 45 d of age in 32 collective pens (22 chickens per pen). Light restriction reduced growth rate and final live weight (LW), but improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.01) and reduced inactive behaviors of chickens (P < 0.001). Light restriction also reduced WS occurrence in breasts (89.5 to 64.6%; P < 0.001) and reduced meat shear force (2.64 to 2.20 kg/g; P < 0.05) and ether extract content (2.29 to 1.87%; P < 0.05). Regarding genotype, compared to genotype B, chickens of genotype A were heavier (3,242 g vs. 3,124 g; P < 0.01) with higher cold carcass weight and Pectoralis major muscle yield (12.9 vs. 12.0%; P < 0.001) and a higher FCR (1.63 vs. 1.61; P < 0.01). Finally, females had lower final LW (2,852 g vs. 3,513 g) and higher FCR (1.64 vs. 1.59) than males (P < 0.001), but a higher proportion of breast and P. major (P < 0.001), lower cooking losses (P < 0.001) and shear force (P < 0.01), and higher protein content (21.6 vs. 20.7%; P < 0.001). In conclusion, light restriction depressed growth, but was effective in decreasing WS occurrence and improved feed conversion. The decrease in inactive behaviors (sitting/laying) of light-restricted chickens can be positively considered in view of animal welfare.

Hepatitis C virus infection and lymphoproliferative diseases in France: a national study. The GERMIVIC Group.

The putative role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the pathophysiology of lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD) is supported by North American and southern European studies reporting high HCV seroprevalence in patients with B-cell-non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In order to evaluate the situation in France, we conducted a retrospective national study about the association of chronic HCV infection and LPD. 72 Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases departments were contacted. Response rate was 51.4%. We recorded 43 LPD (19 males, 24 females): 31 B-cell-NHL, 4 Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, 3 chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 2 multiple myeloma, 2 lymphomas of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, and 1 Hodgkin's disease. Mean age at HCV diagnosis was 62 years (range 33-84). In 16 cases, LPD occurred in patients known to be HCV-infected. For 11 patients, LPD diagnosis preceded the diagnosis of HCV infection, whereas diagnosis was done simultaneously in 11 patients. For those with accurate infection date, mean interval between both events was 15.2 years. Fourteen patients had HCV extrahepatic manifestations: 9 mixed cryoglobulinemia, including 7 with NHL, 5 sicca syndrome (5 NHL), and both in one patient. Cohort of HCV-infected patients could be accurately determined for 16 departments, totaling 1,485 patients and 37 cases. Thus, from our data the frequency of LPD among HCV-infected patients approximates 2. 49%. Despite possible bias inherent to this retrospective study, our data support the hypothesis of HCV-associated LPD and particularly B-cell-NHL. In France, this association is much lower than in Italy. Further studies are needed to assess the precise role of HCV in the multistep process leading to monoclonal proliferation.

Mortalidad perinatal en la provincia de Chubut / Perinatalmortality in the province of Chubut

Se analizarona través de un método clasificatorio sencillo las muertes perinatales (n:115) ocurridas en los hospitales de Comodoro Rivadavia, Trelew, Puerto Madryn y Esquelen 1994. El método empleado puede agrupar rápidamente las causas evitables con el objetivo de desarrollar futuras acciones preventivas o curativas del sistema de salud. En la mortalidad fetal predominaron los fetos macerados con peso menora 2500 grs. En la mortalidad neonatal las causas más comunes fueron: bajo peso y prematurez (66 por ciento) y muy bajo peso (45 por ciento). Casi la mitad de la mortalidad neonatal ocurrió en el primer día de vida. Se comprobó una muy elevada frecuencia (43 por ciento) de falta de control del embarazo en la- mortalidad fetal y neonatal. Los resultados obtenidos con el método clasificatorio propuesto permiten inferir la necesidad de mejorar los niveles de atención primaria dela embarazada y los estándares de atención del neonato de bajo peso para disminuir la mortalidad perinatal

Mortalidad perinatal en la provincia de Chubut / Perinatalmortality in the province of Chubut

Se analizarona través de un método clasificatorio sencillo las muertes perinatales (n:115) ocurridas en los hospitales de Comodoro Rivadavia, Trelew, Puerto Madryn y Esquelen 1994. El método empleado puede agrupar rápidamente las causas evitables con el objetivo de desarrollar futuras acciones preventivas o curativas del sistema de salud. En la mortalidad fetal predominaron los fetos macerados con peso menora 2500 grs. En la mortalidad neonatal las causas más comunes fueron: bajo peso y prematurez (66 por ciento) y muy bajo peso (45 por ciento). Casi la mitad de la mortalidad neonatal ocurrió en el primer día de vida. Se comprobó una muy elevada frecuencia (43 por ciento) de falta de control del embarazo en la| mortalidad fetal y neonatal. Los resultados obtenidos con el método clasificatorio propuesto permiten inferir la necesidad de mejorar los niveles de atención primaria dela embarazada y los estándares de atención del neonato de bajo peso para disminuir la mortalidad perinatal (AU)