Measurement of body composition by deuterium oxide dilution technique and development of a predictive equation for body fat mass among severe neurologically impaired children.

Introduction: Neurologically impaired (NI) children are at risk of malnutrition, which consequently impacts their health and quality of life. Accurate nutrition assessment is an important step in guiding appropriate nutrition support. Conventional anthropometric measurements among NI children have some limitations. Determining body composition requires more complex equipment, which is not routinely performed. This study was conducted to evaluate the association between anthropometric parameters and body composition assessed using the deuterium dilution technique (DDT) in NI children. Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled severe NI children aged 1-20 years who received home enteral nutrition for at least 3 months. Weight, length, and 4-site skinfold thickness were measured. Body composition was determined using DDT following the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) protocol. Results: A total of 37 NI children (56.76% male, median age 7.2 years) were enrolled. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and overweight were 22, 38, and 35%, respectively. Body composition analysis showed the mean (SD) of total body water (TBW) and fat mass (FM) were 10.52 (4.51) kg and 9.51 (6.04) kg, respectively. Multivariate GLM analysis showed that the factors associated with FM were age (ß = 0.07 [0.05,0.08]; p < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (ß = 0.82 [0.52, 1.12]; p < 0.001), biceps skinfold thickness (BSF) (ß = 0.49 [0.23,0.75]; p = 0.001), and subscapular skinfold thickness (SSF) (ß = -0.24 [-0.46,0.03]; p = 0.030). A predictive equation for FM was constructed. Conclusion: A high prevalence of malnutrition was found among severe NI children despite enteral nutrition support. Our findings showed that age, BMI, BSF, and SSF were associated with FM. The predictive equation of FM was proposed and needed to be further validated and applied to clinical practice.

Estimate of lysine nutritional requirements for Japanese quail breeders.

Background: Japanese quail breeders are the basis for genetic improvement and multiplication for commercial layers, however, there have been no known studies on the optimal lysine level for these birds. Thus, study the egg output response to the lysine (Lys) supply using different e-functions and evaluate the that best fit, have allowed the partition the lysine requirements for maintenance, both weight and egg output maximum. Methods: The objectives of this study were to identify the responses to various Lys levels, identify the functions related to these responses and determine the ideal Lys intake amount for Japanese quail breeders. A completely randomized design of seven treatments with seven replicated was used. Treatments consisted of diet supplementation by Lys in concentrations of 16.8, 11.8, 8.4, 6.7, 5.0, 3.4, and 1.7 g/kg. Six exponential models were adjusted. Results: The level of Lys was found to affect bird responses (P < 0.001). The birds responded to the levels provided, allowing for the creation of a lysine response curve. A monomolecular function with four parameters was balanced against the statistics of adjustment and selection of models. It was possible to estimate the level of lysine required for maintenance as 133 ± 2 mg/kg BW0.67, and based an average of 41% efficiency, 22 mg Lys produced 1 g of egg output (EO). The daily intake calculated by the monomolecular factorial model was 284 mg Lys for a bird with 0.170 kg body weight and production of 10 g EO/day. The four-parameter monomolecular function proposed in this study is adequate for interpreting the animal response and calculating lysine intake for breeders.

The Response to Dietary Leucine in Laying Lens.

This study aimed to estimate the standardized ileal digestible leucine intake (SID-Leui, mg) in laying hens for maintenance, and to describe the response in laying hens to SID-Leui, thereby providing the information required to determine the optimum economic intake of SID-Leu for laying hens. Two nitrogen balance series, one balanced and the other unbalanced with respect to leucine (Leu), were used to estimate the SID-Leu requirement for maintenance using 36 roosters per series. The roosters were randomly distributed among the six levels of Leu with each level being replicated six times. The six diets were formulated to contain 0.0, 3.5, 6.9, 10.4, 13.9, or 17.4 g/kg of SID-Leu for the unbalanced series and 0.0, 4.0, 8.0, 12.0, 16.0, or 20.0 g/kg of SID-Leu for the balanced series. The SID-Leui maintenance requirement was calculated as 144 mg/bird d, 66 mg/kg d, 74 mg/kg0.75d or 395 mg/BPm0.73d. For the response trial, 120 individually caged laying hens (63 weeks old) were randomly distributed among eight treatments with 15 replicates. To estimate the SID-Leui for the population of hens, the Reading Model was fitted to the data using body weight (BW, kg), SID-Leui and egg output (EO, g). The Reading Model calculated the mg SID-Leui = 11.6 EOmax + 43.4 BW. The efficiency of SID-Leu utilization for laying hens was estimated to be 79%.

Use of Theoretical Subjects to Develop a Method for Assessing Equivalence of Dietary Vitamin A in a Mixed Diet.

BACKGROUND: Although the vitamin A (VA) equivalency of provitamin A carotenoids from single foods or capsules has been studied using several approaches, there is currently no reliable method to determine VA equivalency for mixed diets. OBJECTIVES: To reach the objective of identifying a method to determine the VA equivalency of provitamin A carotenoids in mixed diets, we tested a new approach using preformed VA as proxy for provitamin A. METHODS: We studied 6 theoretical subjects who were assigned physiologically plausible values for dietary VA intake, retinol kinetic parameters, plasma retinol pool size, and VA total body stores. Using features in the Simulation, Analysis and Modeling software, we specified that subjects ingested a tracer dose of stable isotope-labeled VA on day 0 followed by 0-µg supplemental VA or 200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, and 2000 µg VA daily from day 14 to day 28; we assigned VA absorption to be 75%. For each supplement level, we simulated plasma retinol specific activity (SAp) over time and calculated the mean decrease in SAp relative to 0 µg. Group mean data were fitted to a regression equation to calculate predicted VA equivalency at each supplement level on day 28. RESULTS: For each subject, higher VA supplement loads resulted in lower SAp, with the magnitude of the decrease differing among subjects. The mean predicted amount of absorbed VA was within 25% of individual subjects' assigned amount for 4 of the 6 subjects, and the mean ratio of predicted to assigned amount of absorbed VA over all supplement loads ranged from 0.60 to 1.50, with an overall mean ratio of 1.0. CONCLUSIONS: Results for preformed VA suggest that this protocol may be useful for determining VA equivalency of provitamin A carotenoids in free-living subjects if mixed diets with known provitamin A content were substituted for the VA supplements.

Applying the indicator amino acid oxidation technique in the domestic cat: results of a pilot study and development of a non-steady state prediction model.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method could be applied in the domestic cat. Six adult male cats were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. Three semi-synthetic diets were developed: a methionine (Met) and total sulfur AA (TSAA) deficient diet (T-BASAL; 0.24% Met+Cys - DM basis) and two Met and TSAA-sufficient diets in which either dl-Met (T-DLM) or 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butanoic acid (T-MHA) were supplemented, respectively, on an equimolar basis to meet the TSAA requirement (0.34%). After a 2-d diet adaptation, IAAO studies were performed. Cats were offered 13 small meals. The sixth meal contained a priming dose (4.8 mg/kg-BW) of l-[1-13C]-Phe and the remaining meals a constant dose (1.04 mg/kg-BW). Breath samples were collected every 25 min to measure 13CO2 enrichment. The following morning, fasted blood samples were collected. Cats returned to the T-BASAL top dressed with a dl-Met solution for 4 d prior to being fed a new dietary treatment. Isotopic steady state was evaluated through visual inspection. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX procedure in SAS 9.4. While 13CO2 enrichment was successfully captured in breath samples, cats failed to reach 13CO2 steady state. Thus, a non-steady state isotope model was developed and coded in ACSLX (V3.1.4.2) individually for each cat on each study day to predict 13CO2 enrichment, and then, calculate oxidation of l-[1-13C]-Phe (F13CO2). A higher predicted F13CO2 was observed for cats fed T-BASAL compared to the others (P < 0.05), while no differences were observed between T-DLM and T-MHA (P > 0.05). Cats fed T-DLM tended to have higher plasma Met concentrations compared to those fed T-BASAL with cats fed T-MHA intermediate (P = 0.0867). Plasma homocysteine concentrations were higher in cats fed T-BASAL compared to the others (P < 0.05), while threonine concentrations tended to be higher in cats fed T-BASAL compared to those fed T-MHA (P = 0.0750). In conclusion, short-term provision of a semi-synthetic diet deficient in Met may elicit a metabolic response aiming to conserve Met. The successful quantification of 13CO2 enrichment in breath and the higher predicted F13CO2 in cats fed a Met deficient diet suggest that the IAAO technique may be used in cats. Adaptations in the isotope protocol should be made to achieve 13CO2 steady state in breath and avoid mathematical modeling to predict F13CO2.

It is necessary to apply more sensitive techniques to improve our limited understanding of amino acid (AA) requirements of adult cats. The non-invasive indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) technique is highly sensitive in mature animals. However, while it has been widely applied in different species, this technique has yet to be used in cats. We used six healthy adult cats to evaluate whether the IAAO method could be successfully applied in this species. A similar continuous small meals regimen as reported in IAAO studies in dogs was used. An oral primed-constant isotope infusion protocol was applied where l-13C-Phenylalanine (l-[1-13C]-Phe) was used as the tracer and the oxidation of l-[1-13C]-Phe as the response of interest. Breath samples were collected to determine enrichment of 13CO2 in breath and calculate oxidation of l-[1-13C]-Phe. While we were able to collect breath samples using calorimetry chambers and capture enrichment of 13CO2 in breath, cats did not achieve steady state, which is necessary to calculate oxidation of l-[1-13C]-Phe. Modifications in the isotope protocol should be made to achieve steady state of 13CO2 in breath, and thus, to successfully apply the IAAO technique to determine requirement of AA in adult cats.

Children's Attraction to Physical Activity and Its Relation to Physical Activity Level.

Background: Understanding of psychosocial factors of physical activity (PA) in children is crucial in encouraging sustained PA, which in turn is associated with important health outcomes. This study aimed to examine how children's attraction to physical activity (CAPA) is associated with PA. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 219 primary school children (105 boys; 114 girls) aged 7 years old-10 years old in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2016-2017. Children from three main ethnicities, namely Malay, Chinese and Indian, were recruited. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured; body composition was assessed by deuterium dilution technique. CAPA and level of PA were obtained through self-administered questionnaires and reported as CAPA and PA scores. Results: Median CAPA and PA scores were 3.40 (Q1 = 3.00, Q3 = 3.80) and 2.31 (Q1 = 1.95, Q3 = 2.74), respectively. Significant gender differences were found in CAPA and PA scores, with boys being more attracted to PA (3.16 [Q1 = 2.90, Q3 = 3.44]; P = 0.001) and more physically active compared with girls (2.47 [Q1 = 2.07, Q3 = 3.07]; P = 0.001). CAPA and PA scores correlated positively in both sexes. Boys scored higher than girls in 'liking of games and sports' (ρ = 0.301, P = 0.002) and 'liking of vigorous PA' (ρ = 0.227, P = 0.02) CAPA subscales, which also correlated positively with PA scores. Girls' PA scores correlated with 'peer acceptance in games and sports' (ρ = 0.329, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Boys are more physically active and have higher attraction to PA compared with girls. Differences in PA scores between the sexes were related to gender differences in CAPA scores. Thus, attention should be given to gender differences in CAPA related psychosocial factors when planning interventions to promote PA among children.

The Effects of the Use of Diluted Bupivacaine in Sequential Combined Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Hypotension and Motor Block after Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal hypotension is a common hemodynamic consequence of spinal anesthesia during cesarean delivery, but low-dose spinal anesthesia (<9 mg bupivacaine) ensures stable hemodynamics and reduces motor block. The purpose of this retrospective observational study was to examine the effects of baricity of intrathecal administration of diluted bupivacaine in combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA) for cesarean delivery on maternal hypotension and motor block after surgery. METHODS: The anesthesia and nursing records of 35 patients who had given birth by cesarean delivery under CSEA with intrathecal administration of plain or hyperbaric bupivacaine diluted in cerebrospinal fluid were reviewed. All patients were assigned to who received hyperbaric bupivacaine (hyperbaric group) or plain bupivacaine (plain group). Definition of feasibility of cesarean delivery by diluted low dose bupivacaine was set as no requirement of epidural administration of levobupivacaine during surgery. The incidences of hypotension (nadir blood pressure less than 80% of preanesthetic value) and motor block were reviewed. RESULTS: In 24 of the patients (68%), no additional epidural anesthesia was needed during surgery. One patient (3%) required additional epidural anesthesia before delivery. Feasibility of cesarean delivery was not different between hyperbaric group and plain group (p>0.99). Eighteen of the patients (51%) did not require vasopressors, while 17 (49%) developed hypotension. There was no difference in incidence of maternal hypotension between hyperbaric and plain group. Only 6 patients (17%) required more than 3 times of administration of vasopressors among all patients. Modified Bromage scale scores were recorded in 28 of the patients (80%); scores of 0 (no motor block) were recorded in seven of them, and 1 in eight of them. CONCLUSION: Low-dose either plain or hyperbaric bupivacaine diluted in cerebrospinal fluid to approximately twice the volume may provide sufficient analgesia, fast motor recovery. Incidence of maternal hypotension was similar in hyperbaric and plain group.

Determination of the Optimal In-Feed Amino Acid Ratio for Japanese Quail Breeders Based on Utilization Efficiency.

The description of the genetic potential is the first step to estimating amino acid requirements and the ideal amino acid relation (IAAR). The aim of this study was to estimate the parameters that describe the daily maximum theoretical nitrogen retention (NRmaxT, mg/BWkg0.67), daily nitrogen maintenance requirement (NMR, mg/BWkg0.67), protein quality (b), dietary efficiency of the limiting amino acid (bc-1) and determine the lysine requirement and the IAAR for Japanese quail breeders. Two nitrogen balance assays were performed, one assay using 49 quails distributed in seven treatments (protein levels between 70.1 and 350.3 g/kg) and seven replicates and other assay to determine the IAAR by the use of bc-1, 12 treatments and 10 replicate, with a control diet (CD) and 11 treatments that had limited essential amino acids by providing only 60% of the CD. The values obtained for NRmaxT, NMR, b and bc-1 were 3386.61, 0.000486 and 0.000101, respectively. The daily intake of Lys was 291 mg/bird day. Lys was set at 100% for determining the IAAR: 87, 67, 21, 117, 96, 66, 142, 39, and 133 for Met + Cys, Thr, Trp, Arg, Val, Ile, Leu, His, and Phr + Tyr, respectively, for Japanese quail breeders.

Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements, with or without added zinc, do not cause excessive fat deposition in Burkinabe children: results from a cluster-randomized community trial.

PURPOSE: Public health interventions to address stunting and wasting should be evaluated for possibly contributing to obesity risk. The present study tested the hypothesis that small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) might increase fat deposition, and that additional zinc provided via SQ-LNS or in the form of dispersible tablets would increase fat-free mass (FFM) accretion. METHODS: Using a two-stage, cluster-randomized trial design, 34 communities were randomly assigned to the intervention cohort (IC) or non-intervention cohort (NIC), and family compounds within the IC were randomly assigned to receive different amounts of zinc (0, 5 or 10 mg zinc) incorporated in SQ-LNS or 5 mg zinc in the form of dispersible tablets along with treatment for diarrhea, malaria and fever. Body composition was assessed in a subset of IC (n = 201) and NIC (n = 74) children at 9 and 18 months using the deuterium dilution method. A mixed linear model was used to examine average change in FFM and % fat mass (%FM) among intervention groups and by cohort. RESULTS: Children in the IC had significantly greater change in FFM (Mean (95% Confidence Interval)) (1.57 (1.49, 1.64) kg) compared to the NIC (1.35 (1.23, 1.46) kg; p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in the change in %FM between the NIC and IC or among the intervention groups. CONCLUSION: SQ-LNS, along with morbidity treatment increased weight gain and FFM in young children from 9 to 18 months of age without increasing FM deposition. Additional zinc supplementation did not affect changes in FFM or %FM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered as a clinical trial with the US National Institute of Health ( www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov ; NCT00944281).

Global patterns of soil gross immobilization of ammonium and nitrate in terrestrial ecosystems.

Microbial nitrogen (N) immobilization, which typically results in soil N retention but based on the balance of gross N immobilization over gross N production, affects the fate of the anthropogenic reactive N. However, global patterns and drivers of soil gross immobilization of ammonium (INH4 ) and nitrate (INO3 ) are still only tentatively known. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis considering gross N production rates, soil properties, and climate and their interactions for a deeper understanding of the patterns and drivers of INH4 and INO3 . By compiling and analyzing 1966 observations from 274 15 N-labelled studies, we found a global average of INH4 and INO3 of 7.41 ± 0.72 and 2.03 ± 0.30 mg N kg-1  day-1 with a ratio of INO3 to INH4 (INO3 :INH4 ) of 0.79 ± 0.11. Soil INH4 and INO3 increased with increasing soil gross N mineralization (GNM) and nitrification (GN), microbial biomass, organic carbon, and total N and decreasing soil bulk density. Our analysis revealed that GNM and GN were the main stimulators for INH4 and INO3 , respectively. The structural equation modeling showed that higher soil microbial biomass, total N, pH, and precipitation stimulate INH4 and INO3 through enhancing GNM and GN. However, higher temperature and soil bulk density suppress INH4 and INO3 by reducing microbial biomass and total N. Soil INH4 varied with terrestrial ecosystems, being greater in grasslands and forests, which have higher rates of GNM, than in croplands. The highest INO3 :INH4 was observed in croplands, which had higher rates of GN. The global average of GN to INH4 was 2.86 ± 0.31, manifesting a high potential risk of N loss. We highlight that anthropogenic activities that influence soil properties and gross N production rates likely interact with future climate changes and land uses to affect soil N immobilization and, eventually, the fate of the anthropogenic reactive N.

Analytical performance of a candidate reference measurement procedure for serum 17α-hydroxyprogesterone based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To determine the analytical performance of a candidate reference measurement procedure for 17α-hydroxyprogesterone in human serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).Methods:The serum spiked with a deuterium-labeled internal standard was extracted from serum from individual undergoing physical examination by liquid-liquid extraction with n-hexane/ethyl acetate (3∶2, v/v), separated by C18 reversed-phase chromatography and detected by positive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. According to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) C62-A documents, the analytical performance including linearity, limit of detection,limit of quantitation,relative matrix effect,precision and trueness,carry-over and specificity was evaluated.Results:The linear range of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone by LC-MS/MS was 0.21-119.67 μg/L. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 5.218 ng/L and 0.116 μg/L. The relative matrix effects were -0.02%, -0.40% and -0.90% for sera and solution mixtures in 3 different ratios (50∶50, 80:20 and 20∶80). The coefficients of variation ( CVs) of intra-assay were 1.73%-2.11%, 0.98%-1.71%, 0.47%-0.87% at 0.164 μg/L, 14.81 μg/L, 81.63 μg/L and the CVs of inter-assay were 1.82%, 1.03%, 0.80% at above three concentrations. The average recovery rates of 3 levels (0.5, 20 and 100 μg/L) were 100.4%, 101.7%, 102.8%, respectively. The measured values of GBW09829 of National Institute of Metrology were within the specified uncertainty range. Conclusion:The candidate reference measurement procedure for 17α-hydroxyprogesterone in human by LC-MS/MS is established with good accuracy and precision, which can be clinically used for measurement traceability.

Modelling Broiler Requirements for Lysine and Arginine.

Six assays were conducted to investigate male and female broiler responses to standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine (Lys) and arginine (Arg). Response data were modeled to estimate the efficiency of utilization (k) of both amino acids and adjust factorial models to predict bird intake for SID Lys and SID Arg. In each assay, 1280 Cobb 500® broilers (640 male and 640 female) were randomly assigned to one of sixteen dietary treatments with four replicates of 20 birds. Dietary treatments consisted of crescent levels of SID Lys or SID Arg based on the dilution technique. The values of k determined for each phase (1- to 14-, 15- to 28-, and 29- to 42-d-old) and sex were contrasted using linear regression with groups (sex and phase). The estimated efficiencies were 0.79 for Lys and 0.62 for Arg, which were unaffected by phase or sex. Factorial models based on body weight and weight gain (M1) and on body and feather protein weight and deposition (M2) were applied to estimate the SID Lys and Arg intake for growth. The amino acid intake based on M2 had a lower error of prediction. Broiler chickens require 94.9 and 92.9 mg/d of SID Lys and SID Arg to deposit 1 g of body protein.

Global gross nitrification rates are dominantly driven by soil carbon-to-nitrogen stoichiometry and total nitrogen.

Soil gross nitrification (GN) is a critical process in the global nitrogen (N) cycle that results in the formation of nitrate through microbial oxidation of ammonium or organic N, and can both increase N availability to plants and nitrous oxide emissions. Soil GN is thought to be mainly controlled by soil characteristics and the climate, but a comprehensive analysis taking into account the climate, soil characteristics, including microbial characteristics, and their interactions to better understand the direct and indirect controlling factors of GN rates globally is lacking. Using a global meta-analysis based on 901 observations from 330 15 N-labeled studies, we show that GN differs significantly among ecosystem types, with the highest rates found in croplands, in association with higher pH which stimulates nitrifying bacteria activities. Autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrifications contribute 63% and 37%, respectively, to global GN. Soil GN increases significantly with soil total N, microbial biomass, and soil pH, but decreases significantly with soil carbon (C) to N ratio (C:N). Structural equation modeling suggested that GN is mainly controlled by C:N and soil total N. Microbial biomass and pH are also important factors controlling GN and their effects are similar. Precipitation and temperature affect GN by altering C:N and/or soil total N. Soil total N and temperature drive heterotrophic nitrification, whereas C:N and pH drive autotrophic nitrification. Moreover, GN is positively related to nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions. This synthesis suggests that changes in soil C:N, soil total N, microbial population size, and/or soil pH due to anthropogenic activities may influence GN, which will affect nitrate accumulation and gaseous emissions of soils under global climate and land-use changes.

Patterns and drivers of global gross nitrogen mineralization in soils.

Soil gross nitrogen (N) mineralization (GNM), a key microbial process in the global N cycle, is mainly controlled by climate and soil properties. This study provides for the first time a comprehensive analysis of the role of soil physicochemical properties and climate and their interactions with soil microbial biomass (MB) in controlling GNM globally. Through a meta-analysis of 970 observations from 337 published papers from various ecosystems, we found that GNM was positively correlated with MB, total carbon, total N and precipitation, and negatively correlated with bulk density (BD) and soil pH. Our multivariate analysis and structural equation modeling revealed that GNM is driven by MB and dominantly influenced by BD and precipitation. The higher total N accelerates GNM via increasing MB. The decrease in BD stimulates GNM via increasing total N and MB, whereas higher precipitation stimulates GNM via increasing total N. Moreover, the GNM varies with ecosystem type, being greater in forests and grasslands with high total carbon and MB contents and low BD and pH compared to croplands. The highest GNM was observed in tropical wet soils that receive high precipitation, which increases the supply of soil substrate (total N) to microbes. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic activities that affect soil microbial population size, BD, soil substrate availability, or soil pH may interact with changes in precipitation regime and land use to influence GNM, which may ultimately affect ecosystem productivity and N loss to the environment.

The response of reproducing Japanese quail to dietary valine.

1. A feeding trial was conducted to measure the responses of Japanese quail to dietary valine. In total, 280 Japanese quail were randomly assigned to eight treatments giving seven replicates (cage - 35 cm length, 35 cm width × 15 cm high). Experimental diets were formulated using a dilution technique to give a range dietary Val concentration (1.97 to 9.85 g/kg).2. Feed intake was maximised at 6.66 g Val/kg and above, but declined linearly below this level. Body weight reached a maximum of 170 g on 6.66 g Val/kg. Egg output peaked at 9.5 ± 0.3 g/bird/d with an egg weight of 11 g for the 6.66 g Val/kg diet. Rate of laying for the group that received the feed with the lowest Val content was close to zero (1.40%), but egg weight on this treatment was 70% of the maximum egg weight. Valine required per gram of egg output was estimated as 10.6 mg/g, whereas the maintenance requirement was 159 mg/kg body weight. Val required for maximum egg output was estimated in 154 mg/d.3. The marginal cost of Val in Brazil currently is negative below a level of 8.0 g/kg feed, which is above that required for maximum egg output. Consequently, Val cannot be regarded as a limiting amino acid currently, as the optimum economic intake exceeds the requirements of all the individuals in the population. The price of a quail egg weighing 11 g in Brazil at the time of the experiment was R$ 0.021. Even if the marginal revenue for these eggs was doubled to 0.4 c/g, there would be no reason to increase the intake of Val.

Relevance of body mass index and bioelectrical impedance analysis vs. deuterium dilution technique to assess excess of fat among young adults.

Our study aimed to assess the nutritional status by using body composition among young Tunisian adults through three measurement methods: body mass index (BMI), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and deuterium oxide dilution technique (2H2O) and to determine the accuracy of BMI and BIA in order to evaluate the overweight and obesity among young adults in Tunisia. Our study involved 144 young adults. Anthropometric parameters were measured. The fat mass percentage (%FM) was determined by 2H2O and BIA techniques. The analysis of deuterium enrichment was performed using a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR). According to BMI, 26.4% of subjects were overweight and 5.5% were obese. The mean of %FM estimated by BIA was significantly higher than that determined by 2H2O (29.7 ± 7.7 vs. 26.3 ± 10.6, p < .0001). Consequently, the prevalence of overweight and obesity assessed by BIA was significantly higher than by 2H2O (51.4% vs. 34%, p < .0001). Using BMI, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was similar to that estimated by 2H2O (31.9% vs. 34%, p = 0.544). Compared to 2H2O, BIA overestimates the prevalence of overweight and obesity in young adults. On the other hand, the BMI showed an interesting correlation with the %FM determined by 2H2O.

Comparative analysis of various step-dilution techniques on the quality of frozen Limousin bull semen.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Indonesia has two National Artificial Insemination centers and 17 Regional Artificial Insemination Centers. The frozen semen production techniques differed between the centers, including the type of diluent and semen dilution technique. The aim of the research was to compare the quality of frozen Limousin bull semen diluted using different techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semen was collected from three sexually mature Limousin bulls using an artificial vagina. Immediately after collection, the semen was evaluated macroscopically and microscopically. Semen that had >70% motile sperm and <20% sperm abnormality was divided into three tubes and diluted with skim milk-egg yolk (SMEY) using three different dilution techniques: One-step dilution (100% SMEY with 8% glycerol) at room temperature ([RT] 20°C until 25°C) two-step dilution (50% SMEY without glycerol at RT, stored at 5°C; and 50% SMEY with 16% glycerol after 1 h stored at 5°C); and three-step dilution (50% SMEY without glycerol at RT, stored at 5°C; and 50% SMEY with 16% glycerol added twice at 1 h and 1.5 h after being stored at 5°C). The diluted semen was loaded into 0.25 mL mini straws, equilibrated, and frozen using a freezing machine. Sperm motility, viability, membranes, DNA integrity, and concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzymes were evaluated after thawing. RESULTS: The results showed that there were no significant differences in sperm motility and DNA integrity between dilutions (p>0.05). However, sperm viability and membrane intactness of one-step dilutions were higher than those of three-step dilutions. The concentrations of MDA and AST enzymes of sperm in one-step dilutions were lower than those of three-step dilutions (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the one-step-dilution technique was better than three-step dilution for cryopreservation of Limousin bull semen.

A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Hemodialysis Access Blood Flow Surveillance Compared to Standard of Care: The Hemodialysis Access Surveillance Evaluation (HASE) Study.

INTRODUCTION: Arteriovenous (AV) access thrombosis remains 1 of the most troubling AV access-related complications affecting hemodialysis patients. It necessitates an urgent and occasionally complicated thrombectomy procedure and increases the risk of AV access loss. AV access stenosis is found in the majority of thrombosed AV accesses. The routine use of AV access surveillance for the early detection and management of stenosis to reduce the thrombosis rate remains controversial. METHODS: We have conducted a multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing the standard of care coupled with ultrasound dilution technique (UDT) flow measurement monthly surveillance with the standard of care alone. RESULTS: We prospectively randomized 436 patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis with arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or arteriovenous graft (AVG) using cluster (shift) randomization to surveillance and control groups. There were no significant differences in the baseline demographic data between the 2 groups, except for ethnicity (P = 0.017). Patients were followed on average for 15.2 months. There were significantly less per-patient thrombotic events (Poisson rate) in the surveillance group (0.12/patient) compared with the control group (0.23/patient) (P = 0.012). There was no statistically significant difference in the total number of procedures between the 2 groups, irrespective of whether thrombectomy procedures were included or excluded, and no statistically significant differences in the rate of or time to the first thrombotic event or the number of catheters placed due to thrombosis. CONCLUSION: The use of UDT flow measurement monthly AV access surveillance in this multicenter randomized controlled trial reduced the per-patient thrombotic events without significantly increasing the total number of angiographic procedures. Even though there is a trend, surveillance did not reduce the first thrombotic event rate.

Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of bacterial colonies isolated from ras malai samples from different markets of Lahore, Pakistan.

The current study investigates the total bacterial contamination in various packed and unpacked ras malai samples of 14 different localities of Lahore, Pakistan. The bacterial colonies such as Bacillus sp. and Gamella sp. were isolated from ras malai samples and grown on agar-broth media under sterile environmental conditions. Serial dilution technique was used to compose the replicates to get a viable count of bacteria in the samples. Results indicated that in case of packed ras malai samples, maximum bacterial count was observed in Sample 1 (422 × 10-2 to 402 × 10-6 ) and minimum bacterial count was in Sample 4 (21 × 10-2 to 9.3 × 10-6 ). For unpacked ras malai samples, maximum bacterial count was in Sample 3 (200.3 × 10-2 to 181.3 × 10-6 ) and minimum bacterial count was observed in Sample 1 (110 × 10-2 to 90.4 × 10-6 ). It was concluded that the marketed samples contain more bacterial count as compared to the standard sterilization values. Such products could possibly become the cause of many health problems in children.

Weight gain responses of laying-type pullets to methionine plus cystine intake.

Each individual in the population has a distinct maximum growth potential, and the growth curve may vary depending on the response to nutrient intake, growth phase and variability among animals. The present study aimed to (1) model weight gain (WG) response to methionine+cystine (Met+Cys) supply using different mathematical functions, (2) identify functions that better fit the growth responses of pullets, (3) determine the Met+Cys requirements that maximize WG based on breeding standards and (4) partition the Met+Cys requirements for WG and maintenance. Three trials were performed using 1448 laying-type pullets. We adopted a completely randomized design with eight treatments and six replicates. The first trial (2 to 6 weeks, P1) used 15 pullets per experimental unit. The second and third trials (8 to 12 weeks, P2; 14 to 18 weeks, P3) were used eight pullets per replicate. The Met+Cys levels were obtained using a dilution technique. The mathematical functions used to describe WG responses to Met+Cys intake were broken line, broken line with curvilinear ascendancy, Michaelis-Menten, saturation kinetics and three logistic and three exponential models. Models were selected using the Bayesian information criterion and evaluated by residual analysis. It was possible to model the responses using the studied functions. The best functions were obtained by logistic and sigmoidal models in P1 and P2, and with the broken line by the curvilinear ascendancy model in P3. The Met+Cys intake that determined the maximum potential for WG (WGmax) in P1, P2 and P3 were 313, 381 and 318 mg/day, respectively. The Met+Cys requirements for WG were 20, 22 and 27 mg/g, and for maintenance were 214, 53 and 30 mg/kgBW0.75 for P1, P2 and P3, respectively.