Enteral Feedings Do Not Increase the Risk of NEC in ELBW Infants Undergoing Treatment of Patent Ductus Arteriosus With Acetaminophen.

OBJECTIVE: Acetaminophen (APAP) is an alternative to indomethacin and ibuprofen for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The side effect profile of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) presents enteral feeding safety concerns; however, the safety of enteral feeding on APAP is largely unknown. Optimal feeding strategies during pharmacological PDA treatment are unknown, leading to practice variation. This study aims to assess the incidence of adverse gastrointestinal (GI) outcomes in neonates treated with APAP for PDA closure while receiving enteral feedings. METHODS: Single-center retrospective cohort study of 59 extremely low birth weight (ELBW), premature neonates who received APAP for PDA treatment divided into Low Volume (LV; ≤ 20 mL/kg/day) and High Volume (HV; > 20 mL/kg/day) enteral feeding groups. The primary outcome was the incidence of any suspected or confirmed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Timing of nutrition milestones, parenteral nutrition (PN) days, and adverse outcomes (feeding intolerance, liver dysfunction, death prior to discharge) were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of suspected or confirmed NEC was 19.5% in the LV group and 13.3% in the HV group (p = 0.593). The HV group reached full feeds 6 days sooner (18 vs 24 days, p = 0.024) and had fewer PN days (17 vs 23.5 days, p = 0.044) with no difference in adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of > 20 mL/kg/day of enteral feeds during APAP treatment of PDA decreased time to full feeds and PN days compared to trophic feedings (≤ 20 mL/kg/day) with no difference in adverse GI outcomes. Continuing enteral feeding during APAP PDA treatment appears safe while improving achievement of nutritional milestones.

Effects of bulk tank milk, waste milk, and pasteurized waste milk on the nutrient utilization, gastrointestinal tract development, and antimicrobial resistance to Escherichia coli in pre-weaned dairy calves.

This study aimed to assess the impact of bulk tank milk (BTM), waste milk (WM), and pasteurized waste milk (PWM) on nutrient digestibility, ruminal and cecal fermentation, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, and antimicrobial resistance of fecal Escherichia coli from dairy calves at 2 periods (30 and 60 d of age). Calves were grouped according to body weight, serum protein levels, and breed composition. Three treatments were included: BTM (n = 21), WM from cows under antibiotic treatment (n = 21), and PWM (waste milk submitted to high-temperature, short-time pasteurization; n = 21). A total of 63 calves were used, of which: 18 animals (n = 6 per treatment) evaluated in the period of 4 - 30 d and 45 (n = 15 per treatment) from 4 - 60 d. During the experimental period, a daily intake of 6 L of milk was divided into 2 equal meals, with ad libitum access to water and starter. Milk and feed intakes were recorded daily. Apparent total-tract digestibility and nitrogen balance were conducted from 25 to 29 d of age (n = 6) and from 53 to 57 d of age (n = 15). Animals were euthanized at 30 ± 1 and 60 ± 1 d of age for the assessment of ruminal and cecal fermentation and GIT development. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted at 1, 30, and 60 d of age (n = 15/treatment). Statistical analysis utilized a linear mixed-effects model for continuous outcomes and generalized linear models for single measurements (R software). Treatments WM and PWM had lower rumen pH, higher ruminal acetate concentration, larger reticulorumen and liver, and a higher prevalence of fecal-resistant E. coli compared with BTM at both 30 and 60 d. Up to 60 d, both BTM and WM treatments exhibited higher digestibility of ether extract and gross energy compared with the PWM, whereas WM and PWM treatments showed increased nitrogen intake and retention compared with the BTM. These findings suggest that pasteurization of waste milk negatively affects nutrient digestibility and calf performance, while also impacting rumen development. Additionally, the use of milk containing antibiotic residue leads to the selection of resistant E. coli in the GIT over time.

Living in food insecurity: A qualitative study exploring parents' food parenting practices and their perceptions of the impact of food insecurity on their children's eating.

Food insecurity in rich countries is a growing problem with far reaching consequences but how it impacts parents, particularly their food parenting practices, is under researched. Food parenting practices play a critical role in the development of children's eating and may be a mechanism in the link between food insecurity and children's health outcomes; this study aims to illuminate their potential role. Twenty-one parents participated in a qualitative interview study. Their household food security was very low (18/21) or low (3/21). Reflexive Thematic Analysis generated three themes. Challenges of food insecurity: parents shielded children from hunger by eating less themselves, relying on free school meals and turning to family and food banks when in crisis. They perceived a conflict between giving children food of high nutritional quality and its cost. Practical impact of food insecurity: although motivated to provide children with healthy food, finances meant parents struggled to achieve this goal. Parents used a range of food parenting practices but their use of some that are known to be effective may have been compromised by their food insecurity. Emotional impact of food insecurity: parents described feelings of failure, despair, helplessness and shame. Food insecurity adversely effects both children and parents, and non-stigmatising services that mitigate its impact and facilitate children's exposure to food parenting practices known to be effective are needed.

Effects of Dietary ß-Glucan Feeding Strategy on the Growth, Physiological Response, and Gut Microbiota of Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, under Low Salinity.

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of a dietary ß-glucan application strategy on the growth performance, physiological response, and gut microbiota of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) (0.49 ± 0.17 g) under low salinity. Six feeding strategies were established, including a continuous ß-glucan-free diet group (control), a continuously fed group with a 0.1% ß-glucan diet (T1), and groups with the following intermittent feeding patterns: 1 day of ß-glucan diet and 6 days of ß-glucan-free diet (T2), 2 days of ß-glucan diet and 5 days of ß-glucan-free diet (T3), 3 days of ß-glucan diet and 4 days of ß-glucan-free diet (T4), and 4 days of ß-glucan diet and 3 days of ß-glucan-free diet (T5) each week. No significant differences in growth performance among all the groups were found, although the condition factor was significantly higher in the T3 group than in the T1 and T5 groups (p < 0.05). The T-AOC and GPX activities were significantly lower in the T3 group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The MDA content was also significantly lower in the T2 group than in the T3 and T4 groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, the mRNA expression of the Pen3a gene was significantly upregulated in the hepatopancreas of the T4 group compared to the control and T5 groups (p < 0.05), and the Toll gene was also significantly upregulated in the T3 group compared to the T1 and T2 groups (p < 0.05). Dietary ß-glucan induced changes in the alpha diversity and composition of the gut microbiota in different feeding strategies. The beta diversity of the gut microbiota in the T2 group was significantly different from that in the control group. The results of a KEGG analysis showed that gut function in the carbohydrate metabolism, immune system, and environmental adaptation pathways was significantly enhanced in the T3 group. These findings provide evidence that the intermittent feeding strategy of ß-glucan could alleviate immune fatigue, impact antioxidant ability, and change gut microbiota composition of L. vannamei under low salinity.

Morphological Variability and Function of Labial Cartilages in Sharks (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii).

(1) Background: Labial cartilages (LCs), as their name suggests, lie in the folds of the connective tissue, the lips, framing the gape of elasmobranch chondrichthyans. As such, these cartilages lie laterally to the jaws and marginal teeth. They are considered to influence the ability of creating suction during the feeding process. As past studies have shown, LCs in sharks are as diverse as their varied feeding techniques and differ between species in number, size, shape, and position. This allows establishing parameters for inferring the feeding and hunting behaviors in these ecologically important fishes. (2) Methods: We present a study of LCs based on the CT scans of more than 100 extant shark species and, therefore, represent at least one member of every living family within the Euselachii, excluding batoids. (3) Results: Accordingly, sharks without labial cartilages or that have only small remnants are ram feeders or use pure biting and mainly occupy higher trophic levels (tertiary and quaternary consumers), whereas suction-feeding sharks have higher numbers (up to five pairs) of well-developed LCs and occupy slightly lower trophic levels (mainly secondary consumers). Species with unique feeding strategies, like the cookie-cutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis, an ectoparasite), display distinct shapes of LCs, while generalist species, conversely, exhibit a simpler arrangement of LCs. (4) Conclusions: We propose a dichotomous identification key to classify single LCs into different morphotypes and propose combinations of morphotypes that result in suction feeding differing in strength and, therefore, different hunting and feeding strategies. The conclusions of this study allow to infer information about feeding strategies not only in extant less-known sharks but also extinct sharks.

Gadiform species display dietary shifts in the Celtic Sea.

Global changes, through their impacts on ecosystem trophic structures, are behind regime shifts and cascading effects, and could result in the reorganization of whole ecosystems. The Celtic Sea is a temperate sea at risk of the above because of the interplay between climate change and fisheries. This sea has only displayed slight changes in species diversity between the late 20th century and the present day. However, this apparent stability in species diversity could be hiding structural transformations, including the rearrangement of trophic relationships. Historical stomach content database offers the opportunity to investigate changes in ecosystem trophic structure. Based on such database, this study explored shifts in the feeding habits of gadiform species in the Celtic Sea in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s. To this end, it examined dietary generalism and composition for four top predator fish species. During the target period, generalists maintained their diets, while specialists adopted more generalist diets. There were also decreases in frequencies of occurrence of certain fishes within the diets of gadiform species. These recent changes in trophic structure organization have likely been caused by the influence of global changes on both top-down and bottom-up processes that occurred in the Celtic Sea.

In-depth characterization of the sarcoplasmic muscle proteome changes in lambs fed with hazelnut skin by-products: Relationships with meat color.

This study investigated the effect of agro-industrial hazelnut skin by-products supplementation on lamb meat color variation and the changes in the sarcoplasmic muscle proteome during post-mortem storage (0, 4 and 7 days). Gel-based proteomics and bioinformatics approaches were applied to better understand the potential role of feeding strategies in modulating the mechanisms underpinning meat discoloration and post-mortem changes during storage. Therefore, twenty-two Valle del Belice male lambs were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments: control (C), lambs fed with maize-barley diet, and hazelnut skin (H), lambs fed hazelnut skin by-product as maize partial replacer in the concentrate diet. Hazelnut dietary treatment led to better lamb meat color stability as evidenced by the lowest decrease in redness and saturation index values. Proteomics and bioinformatics results revealed changes in the abundance of 41 proteoforms, which were mainly involved in glycolytic processes, responses to oxidative stress, and immune and endocrine system. The proteins allowed revealing interconnected pathways to be behind meat color variation as a consequence of using hazelnut skin by-products to sustainable feed lamb. The proteins can be used as potential predictors of lamb meat color variation. Accordingly, the regression equations developed in this paper revealed triosephosphate isomerase (TPI1) as a reliable candidate biomarker of color stability in lamb meat. SIGNIFICANCE: The use of agro-industrial by-products in animal feeding can be a potential sustainable strategy to reduce the environmental impacts of the food production chain and consequently improve animal welfare and product quality. The inclusion of hazelnut skin by-products in the animal's diet, due to the high concentration of polyphenols, represents an effective strategy to improve the oxidative stability of meat, with significant implications on color. The use of proteomics combined with bioinformatics on the sarcoplasmic proteome is a powerful approach to decipher the underlying mechanism. Accordingly, this approach allowed in this trial a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the post-mortem processes through the discovery of several biological pathways linked with lamb meat color variation. Glycolysis, followed by responses to oxidative stress, and other proteins involved in the immune and endocrine system were found as the major interconnected pathways that could act as potential predictors of lamb meat color stability. Candidate proteins biomarkers were further revealed in this study to be related with multiple meat color traits.

Effect of Bovine Milk Peptides on Cell Inflammation, Proliferation and Differentiation: Milk Potential Benefits Are Preserved in an Unconventional Cow Feeding Strategy.

Animal feeding through the reuse of agro-industrial by-products in one of the ultimate goals of sustainable agriculture. Olive oil pomace (OOP) produced as a waste product during olive oil milling has been used as an ingredient in the diet for Holstein lactating cows. Recent findings have shown no decrease in animal performance, feed intake or detrimental effect on rumen microbiota. In contrast, an improvement in C18 polyunsaturated fatty acids has been observed. In this work, the milk protein content from cows fed a commercial diet (CON) or an experimental one supplemented with OOP was determined and compared, and the peptides derived from the simulated gastrointestinal digestion of raw milk were analyzed. After fractionation via RP-HPLC, peptides were characterized for their biological activity on different cell lines. The ability to reduce both the intracellular ROS content and the expression of inflammatory markers, such as Cyclooxygenase, isoenzyme 2 (COX-2) and inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS), as well as the remarkable properties to induce cell differentiation and to slow down the proliferation of human intestinal cancer cells, enable us to define them as bioactive peptides. In spite of there being no observed significant difference between the healthy activity of CON and OOP peptides, the results allow us to broaden the knowledge about the biological activity of these bioactive peptides and to confirm that agro-industrial by-products may be successfully incorporated into the feeding strategy of dairy cows.

Production improvement of FK506 in Streptomyces tsukubaensis by metabolic engineering strategy.

AIMS: Study of the effect of isoleucine on the biosynthesis of FK506 and modification of its producing strain to improve the production of FK506. METHODS AND RESULTS: Metabolomics analysis was conducted to explore key changes in the metabolic processes of Streptomyces tsukubaensis Δ68 in medium with and without isoleucine. In-depth analysis revealed that the shikimate pathway, methylmalonyl-CoA, and pyruvate might be the rate-limiting factors in FK506 biosynthesis. Overexpression of involved gene PCCB1 in S. tsukubaensis Δ68, a high-yielding strain Δ68-PCCB1 was generated. Additionally, the amino acids supplement was further optimized to improve FK506 biosynthesis. Finally, FK506 production was increased to 929.6 mg L-1, which was 56.6% higher than that in the starter strain, when supplemented isoleucine and valine at 9 and 4 g L-1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Methylmalonyl-CoA might be the key rate-limiting factors in FK506 biosynthesis and overexpression of the gene PCCB1 and further addition of isoleucine and valine could increase the yield of FK506 by 56.6%.

Honey bees switch mechanisms to drink deep nectar efficiently.

The feeding mechanisms of animals constrain the spectrum of resources that they can exploit profitably. For floral nectar eaters, both corolla depth and nectar properties have marked influence on foraging choices. We report the multiple strategies used by honey bees to efficiently extract nectar at the range of sugar concentrations and corolla depths they face in nature. Honey bees can collect nectar by dipping their hairy tongues or capillary loading when lapping it, or they can attach the tongue to the wall of long corollas and directly suck the nectar along the tongue sides. The honey bee feeding apparatus is unveiled as a multifunctional tool that can switch between lapping and sucking nectar according to the instantaneous ingesting efficiency, which is determined by the interplay of nectar-mouth distance and sugar concentration. These versatile feeding mechanisms allow honey bees to extract nectar efficiently from a wider range of floral resources than previously appreciated and endow them with remarkable adaptability to diverse foraging environments.

Impact of innovative rearing strategies for the Italian heavy pigs: Technological traits and chemical composition of dry-cured hams.

To explore the influence of 4 feeding strategies on dry-cured ham quality, 336 barrows and gilts (3 batches, 112 pigs/batch) of 90 kg body weight (BW), were divided into 4 groups and housed in 8 pens with automated feeders. In the control group (C), the pigs were fed restrictively medium-protein feeds and slaughtered at 170 kg BW (SW) and 265 d of slaughter age (SA). With the older age (OA) treatment, the pigs were restrictively fed low protein feeds and slaughtered at 170 kg SW and 278 d SA. The other two groups were fed ad libitum high protein feeds, the younger age (YA) group was slaughtered at 170 kg SW and 237 d SA, the greater weight (GW) at 265 d of SA and 194 kg SW. The hams were dry-cured and seasoned for 607 d, weighed before and after seasoning and deboning. Sixty hams were sampled and sliced. The lean and the fat tissues were separated and analyzed for proximate composition and fatty acid profile. The model of analysis considered sex and treatment as fixed factors. With respect to C: i) OA lowered the ham weight, the lean protein content, increased marbling and decreased the PUFA proportion in intramuscular and subcutaneous fat; ii) YA hams had thicker fat cover with lower PUFA in intramuscular and subcutaneous fat; iii) GW increased the deboned ham weight, fat cover depth and marbling, reduced PUFA in intramuscular and subcutaneous fat, without alteration of the lean moisture content. Sex had a negligible impact.

Effects of Sea-Ice Persistence on the Diet of Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) Chicks and the Trophic Differences between Chicks and Adults in the Ross Sea, Antarctica.

In Antarctica, prey availability for the mesopredator Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae, depends on sea-ice dynamics. By affecting cycles of sea-ice formation and melt, climate change could thus affect penguin diet and recruitment. In the light of climate change, this raises concerns about the fate of this dominant endemic species, which plays a key role in the Antarctic food web. However, few quantitative studies measuring the effects of sea-ice persistence on the diet of penguin chicks have yet been conducted. The purpose of this study was to fill this gap by comparing penguin diets across four penguin colonies in the Ross Sea and evaluating latitudinal and interannual variation linked to different sea-ice persistence. Diet was evaluated by analysing the δ13C and δ15N values of penguin guano, and sea-ice persistence by means of satellite images. Isotopic values indicate that penguins consumed more krill in colonies with longer sea-ice persistence. In these colonies, the δ13C values of chicks were lower and closer to the pelagic chain than those of adults, suggesting that the latter apparently catch prey inshore for self-feeding and offshore for their chicks. The results indicate that sea-ice persistence is among the principal factors that influence the spatiotemporal variability of the penguins' diet.

Review: A systematic review of the effects of functional amino acids on small intestine barrier function and immunity in piglets.

The need to reduce the use of antibiotics and zinc oxide at the pharmacological level, while preserving the performance of postweaning piglets, involves finding adequate nutritional strategies which, coupled with other preventive strategies, act to improve the sustainability of the piglet-rearing system. Amino acids (AAs) are the building blocks of proteins; however, they also have many other functions within the body. AA supplementation, above the suggested nutritional requirement for piglets, has been investigated in the diets of postweaning piglets to limit the detrimental consequences occurring during this stressful period. A systematic review was carried out to summarise the effects of AAs on gut barrier function and immunity, two of the parameters contributing to gut health. An initial manual literature search was completed using an organised search strategy on PubMed, utilising the search term " AND ". These searches yielded 302 articles (published before October 2021); 59 were selected. Based on the method for extracting data (synthesis of evidence), this review showed that L-Arginine, L-Glutamine and L-Glutamate are important functional AAs playing major roles in gut morphology and immune functions. Additional benefits of AA supplementation, refereed to a supplementation above the suggested nutritional requirement for piglets, could also be observed; however, data are needed to provide consistent evidence. Taken together, this review showed that supplementation with AAs during the weaning phase supported a plethora of the physiological functions of piglets. In addition, the data reported confirmed that each amino acid targets different parameters related to gut health, suggesting the existence of potential synergies among them.

Efficient bio-production of glutaric acid by a metabolically engineered Escherichia coli LQ-1 based on a novel nitrogen source feeding strategy.

As an important five-carbon platform chemical to synthesize polyesters and polyamides, glutaric acid is widely used in numerous biochemical fields such as consumer goods, textile, and footwear industries. However, the application of glutaric acid is limited by the low yield of its bio-production. In this study, a metabolically engineered Escherichia coli LQ-1 based on 5-aminovalerate (AMV) pathway was used for glutaric acid fed-batch fermentation. Given the significance of nitrogen source in the bio-production of glutaric acid by AMV pathway, a novel nitrogen source feeding strategy feedbacked by real-time physiological parameters was proposed after evaluating the effects of nitrogen source feeding (such as ammonia and ammonium sulfate) on glutaric acid bio-production. Under the proposed nitrogen source feeding strategy, a significantly improved glutaric acid production of 53.7 g L-1 was achieved in a 30 L fed-batch fermentation by the metabolically engineered E. coli LQ-1, which was an improvement of 52.1% over pre-optimization. Additionally, a higher conversion rate of 0.64 mol mol-1 (glutaric acid/glucose) was obtained compared with the previously reported bio-production of glutaric acid with E. coli. These results indicated that the nitrogen source feeding strategy proposed in this study will be useful for achieving the efficient and sustainable bio-based production of glutaric acid.

Non-filamentous sludge bulking induced by exopolysaccharide variation in structure and properties during aerobic granulation.

The forming mechanism of non-filamentous sludge bulking during aerobic granulation were investigated basing on three feeding strategies (R1 direct aeration after fast feeding, R2 anaerobic stirring after fast feeding and R3 anaerobic plug-flow slow feeding). Results showed that strong selection stress (shortening settling time) led to a sharp flocs washout and the subsequent increase of food to microorganisms (F/M) in R1 and R3 reactors, but not found in R2 due to the different strategies of feeding modes. With the increase of F/M, zeta potential and hydrophobicity of sludge surfaces significantly decreased and thus leading to an enhanced repulsive force and energy barriers for sludge aggregation. Particularly, when F/M exceeded 1.2 kgCOD/(kgMLSS·d), non-filamentous sludge bulking was ultimately triggered in R1 and R3. Further analysis showed that massive extracellular exopolysaccharide (PS) accumulated on the surfaces of non-filamentous bulking sludge due to the increased abundance of the microorganisms related to PS secretion during sludge bulking. In addition, significantly increased intracellular second messenger (c-di-GMP), a key substance regulating PS biosynthesis, was confirmed via its concentration determination as well as microbial function prediction analysis, which played a critical role in sludge bulking. Combing with the systematic detection from surface plasmon resonance system, rheometer and size-exclusion chromatography-multiangle laser light detection-refractive index system, higher molecular weight, compact conformation, higher viscosity and higher hydrophilicity was determined in sludge bulking PS relative to PS extracted from non-filamentous bulking sludge. Clearly, the changes of PS (content, structures and properties) driven by c-di-GMP are the dominant mechanism for the formation of non-filamentous sludge bulking during aerobic granulation. This work could provide theoretical support for successful start-up and application of aerobic granular sludge technology.

Feeding ecology of the Terciopelo pit viper snake (Bothrops asper) in Ecuador.

Thoroughly documenting prey items and diet composition is crucial for understanding a predator's role in the ecosystem. In gape restricted predators, such as snakes, documenting and analyzing the type and size of the prey is important to interpret their ecological role. We describe the diet patterns of a species of venomous snake, the Terciopelo pit viper (Bothrops asper), from its Ecuadorian populations. Examining the gastrointestinal contents of museum specimens collected over an extensive area of the Pacific lowlands of Ecuador, we encountered 69 identifiable prey items from four major taxonomic groups (amphibians, centipedes, mammals, and reptiles). We evaluated the observed composition of prey to check for differences between sexes and size-classes. To complement our observations of the Terciopelo species complex throughout their distribution, we carried out a systematic literature review. Our data show an ontogenetic shift in diet, with a transition from more diverse diet in juveniles towards a mammal-specialized diet in adults, and distinct proportion of prey taxa between the sexes in the juvenile size class.

Hispanic caregivers' preferences for content, delivery methods, and sources of nutrition education from their child's preschool: Qualitative research findings.

Background: With the obesity epidemic disproportionately affecting Hispanic children and preschool being a critical period when interventions may be effective to prevent it, nutrition education interventions in the preschool setting have the potential to stem obesity's spread. However, the nutrition education needs of low-income Hispanic populations and methods of delivery of that information require further exploration as culturally tailored approaches have seen limited reach to the target audience. Aim: To explore content, delivery methods, and sources of nutrition education that Hispanic caregivers prefer to receive from their child's preschool. Methods: Qualitative interviews with 25 self-identified Hispanic caregivers (≥18 years of age) of 3- to 5-year-old children at Head Start centers in the Washington, D.C., area. Caregivers were interviewed about preferred nutrition education topics, how nutrition education should be delivered, and by whom. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis in NVivo v12. Results: Caregivers wanted to know about healthy foods and appropriate portion sizes to feed their children, fruit and vegetable feeding strategies, and how to incorporate Hispanic foods in healthy meals. Preferred delivery methods included receiving nutrition education and recipes in print and digital formats and in-person nutrition classes. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children educators were regarded as trusted nutrition education sources. Conclusion: Tailored nutrition education messages combined with multiple delivery methods could be an effective way to reach Hispanic caregivers of preschoolers to increase their nutrition knowledge.

Sartan blood pressure regulators in classical and biofilm wastewater treatment - Concentrations and metabolism.

Sartans are a group of pharmaceuticals widely used to regulate blood pressure. Their concentration levels were monitored in 80 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in the Baltic Sea Region, reached from limit of detection up to 6 µg/L. The concentrations were significantly different in different countries, but consistent within the respective country. The degradation of sartans (losartan, valsartan, irbesartan) in moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) that utilize biofilms grown on mobile carriers to treat wastewater was investigated for the first time, and compared with the degradation in a conventional activated sludge (CAS) treatment plant. The results showed the formation of six microbial transformation products (TPs) of losartan, four of valsartan, and four of irbesartan in biological wastewater treatment. Four of these metabolites have not been described in the literature before. Chemical structures were suggested and selected TPs were verified and quantified depending on availability of true standards. Valsartan acid was a common TP of losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan. Losartan and irbesartan also shared one TP: losartan/irbesartan TP335. Based on the mass balance analysis, losartan carboxylic acid is the main TP of losartan, and valsartan acid is the main TP of valsartan during the biotransformation process. For irbesartan, TP447 is likely to be the main TP, as its peak areas were two orders of magnitude higher than those of all the other detected TPs of this compound. The effects of adapting biofilms to different biological oxygen demand (BOD) loading on the degradation of sartans as well as the formation of their TPs were investigated. Compared to feeding a poor substrate (pure effluent wastewater from a CAS), feeding with richer substrate (1/3 raw and 2/3 effluent wastewater) promoted the metabolism of most compounds (co-metabolization). However, the addition of raw wastewater inhibited some metabolic pathways of other compounds, such as from losartan/irbesartan to TP335 (competitive inhibition). The formation of irbesartan TP447 did not change with or without raw wastewater. Finally, the sartans and their TPs were investigated in a full-scale CAS wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The removal of losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan ranged from 3.0 % to 72% and some of the transformation products (TPs) from human metabolism were also removed in the WWTP. However, some of the sartan TPs, i.e., valsartan acid, losartan carboxylic acid, irbesartan TP443 and losartan TP453, were formed in the WWTP. Relative high amounts of especially losartan carboxylic acid, which was detected with concentrations up to 2.27 µg/L were found in the effluent.

Review on Preventive Measures to Reduce Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in Piglets.

In many countries, medical levels of zinc (typically as zinc oxide) are added to piglet diets in the first two weeks post-weaning to prevent the development of post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD). However, high levels of zinc constitute an environmental polluting agent, and may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among bacteria. Consequently, the EU banned administering medical levels of zinc in pig diets as of June 2022. However, this may result in an increased use of antibiotic therapeutics to combat PWD and thereby an increased risk of further AMR development. The search for alternative measures against PWD with a minimum use of antibiotics and in the absence of medical levels of zinc has therefore been intensified over recent years, and feed-related measures, including feed ingredients, feed additives, and feeding strategies, are being intensively investigated. Furthermore, management strategies have been developed and are undoubtedly relevant; however, these will not be addressed in this review. Here, feed measures (and vaccines) are addressed, these being probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, proteobiotics, plants and plant extracts (in particular essential oils and tannins), macroalgae (particularly macroalgae-derived polysaccharides), dietary fibre, antimicrobial peptides, specific amino acids, dietary fatty acids, milk replacers, milk components, creep feed, vaccines, bacteriophages, and single-domain antibodies (nanobodies). The list covers measures with a rather long history and others that require significant development before their eventual use can be extended. To assess the potential of feed-related measures in combating PWD, the literature reviewed here has focused on studies reporting parameters of PWD (i.e., faeces score and/or faeces dry matter content during the first two weeks post-weaning). Although the impact on PWD (or related parameters) of the investigated measures may often be inconsistent, many studies do report positive effects. However, several studies have shown that control pigs do not suffer from diarrhoea, making it difficult to evaluate the biological and practical relevance of these improvements. From the reviewed literature, it is not possible to rank the efficacy of the various measures, and the efficacy most probably depends on a range of factors related to animal genetics and health status, additive doses used, composition of the feed, etc. We conclude that a combination of various measures is probably most recommendable in most situations. However, in this respect, it should be considered that combining strategies may lead to additive (e.g., synbiotics), synergistic (e.g., plant materials), or antagonistic (e.g., algae compounds) effects, requiring detailed knowledge on the modes of action in order to design effective strategies.

Different feeding strategies can affect growth performance and rumen functions in Gangba sheep as revealed by integrated transcriptome and microbiome analyses.

Due to the harsh environment in the Tibetan Plateau, traditional grazing greatly limits the growth potential of local animals and causes severe ecosystem degradation. This is an urgent issue to be solved, which requires alternative strategies for grazing animals in the Tibetan alpine pastoral livestock systems. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different feeding strategies on growth performance and ruminal microbiota-host interactions in the local breed of sheep (Gangba sheep). Thirty 9-month old Gangba sheep (n = 10 per group) were assigned to natural grazing (G), semi-grazing with supplementation (T), and barn feeding (F) groups (supplementation of concentrate and oat hay) based on body weight. At the end of the experiment (75 d), all sheep were weighed, rumen fluid was obtained from six sheep per group, and ruminal epithelium was obtained from 3 sheep per group. The results showed that: (1) Compared with the G and T groups, the F group significantly increased dry matter intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio of animals. Additionally, Gangba sheep in the F group had higher concentrations of ruminal short-chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs), especially propionate and butyrate (P <0.05) than sheep in the G and T groups. (2) The principal coordinates analysis indicated a significant difference in bacterial composition among different feed strategies. More specifically, the relative abundance of propionate (unidentified F082 and Succiniclasticum) and butyrate-producing (Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group) genera were also observed to be increased in the F group, in which unidentified F082 was identified as a differential biomarker among the three groups according to linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis. (3) The dynamics of the rumen epithelial transcriptome revealed that ECM-receptor interactions, focal adhesion, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways, which are critical in mediating many aspects of cellular functions such as cell proliferation and motility, were upregulated in the F group. In conclusion, under harsh conditions in the Tibetan alpine meadow, barn feeding increased ruminal VFAs concentrations (especially propionate and butyrate), which stimulated gene expression related to cell proliferation in rumen epithelium, appearing to be superior to natural grazing and semi-grazing in gaining body weight of the local Gangba sheep.