The Associations Between Tea and Coffee Drinking and Risk of Calcium-Oxalate Renal Stones

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Findings regarding the association between tea and coffee consumption and oxalate-calcium stone are sparse and uncertain. The purpose of this study was to...     

Population structure and phylogenetic relationship of Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] and Nectarine [Prunus persica var. nucipersica (L.) C.K. Schneid.] based on retrotransposon markers

For effective varietal improvement of horticultural crops peach (Prunus persica) and nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica), information about their population structure and genetic relatedness plays an important role. In this study we used retrotransposon-based markers (iPBS) to estimate the genetic diversity and population structure of 48 peach and nectarine genotypes from various distinct geographical regions of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 461 alleles were identified from PCR amplicons derived from nine iPBS primer pairs with an average of 8.5 alleles/locus. Among all four groups the genotypes collected from Swat and Hunza had the highest and the lowest expected heterozygosity, unbiased expected heterozygosity and Shannon’s information index, respectively. We constructed a Neighbour-Joining dendrogram and performed principal coordinate analysis based on the distance matrices, and both forms of analysis grouped the 48 genotypes into two distinct clusters. The STRUCTURE software distributed the forty-eight genotypes into two main populations (k?=?2) indicating a low diversity between genotypes collected from Chakwal, Swat, Mansehra and Hunza.

     

Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of microorganisms involved in the pathogenesis of surgical site infection (SSI); A 1 year of surveillance

The aim of this study is to identify the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of pathogens involved in the process of surgical site infection, in surgical wards. Changes made in the pattern of antibiotic use will result in different microorganism susceptibility patterns, which needs correct determination for precise empiric antibiotic therapy. One thousand patients (62% men and 38% women, 18- 74-years-old, with mean age 43 +/- 8)) who underwent surgical treatment, in Alzahra University Hospital, Isfahan University of Medicine, Isfahan, Iran, were studied from 2005 to 2006. Surgical wound infections, based on the reported criteria, were aspirated for culturing within 1 plus gram staining of prepared smears. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were determined for samples and all derived data were compared by SPSS 13 and WHO net 5 software. The prevalence of SSI was 13.3% with 150 positive cultures, totally. Of 150 bacteria, isolated from surgical site infections Staphylococcus aureus had most frequency (43%). Resistance of isolated organisms was 41.7% in amikacin, 65 and 78.6% in ceftazidime, 85.7% in ceftriaxone, 61.5% in ciprofloxacin, 78.8% in gentamicine, 6.4% in imipenem, 13% in meropenem and 70.6% in trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, respectively. 78.9% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates were MRSA and vancomycine was the most effective antibiotic without any resistance. Among 10 isolates of coagulase negative Staphylococcus, no vancomycine resistance was seen, but in contrast all cases were resistant to oxacillin. The most common gram negative organism was Klebsiella (18 isolates) in which 100 and 80% were sensitive to imipenem and meropenem, respectively. Seventeen cases were E. coli, in which the most sensitivity was to meropenem (80%) and imipenem (77.8%). Thirteen cases of Pseudomonas were detected, in which 16.7% were resistant to imipenem and 8.3% to meropenem. Our results demonstrated that the total antibiotic resistance is increasing among SSIs, with an up sloping pattern, which will contact with a constant empiric antibiotic therapy. So, precise up to date antibiogram tantalize us toward balancing the rate of total antibiotic resistance to SSIs.     

Bacillus subtilis B21 and Bacillus licheniformis B26 improve intestinal health and performance of broiler chickens with Clostridium perfringens‐induced necrotic enteritis

This study investigated the influence of Bacillus‐based probiotics on performance and intestinal health in broiler challenged with Clostridium perfringens‐induced necrotic enteritis. One‐day‐old Arbor Acre (n = 480) were randomly assigned to four treatments with 10 cages of 12 birds: (a) basal diet negative control (NC), with no probiotics nor antibiotics formulated to contain 2,930 and 3,060 kcal/kg with 24.07 and 15.98% CP, for starter and finisher diet, respectively, (b) basal diet + enramycin (5 mg/kg), an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP); (c) basal diet + Bacillus subtilis B21 at 2 × 10⁹ CFU per g (BS); (d) basal diet + Bacillus licheniformis B26 at 2 × 10⁹ CFU per g (BL); growth performance, intestinal morphology, intestinal lesion scores, short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and mucosal barrier tight junction's (TJ) mRNA expression were assessed. NC‐ and BL‐fed groups showed higher (p = 0.005) average daily feed intake from d1 to d21 than AGP and BS, whereas BS‐ and AGP‐fed groups showed higher average daily weight gain from d22 to d42 and d1 to d42 of age. Higher mortality rate of (12.5%) and lower of (5.5%) were recorded in AGP and NC fed‐groups respectively, lesion score was higher in BS and BL than in AGP, while no lesion was observed in NC group, results revealed higher duodenum and jejunum villus height to crypt depth (VH:CD) compared with NC and BS. Probiotics‐fed groups showed higher total (SCFAs), acetic and butyric acid concentrations at d21 post‐challenge (PC) than other groups. The expression of claudin‐1 was upregulated in duodenum (d7) PC and in jejunum (d7) and (d21) PC in BL group, while at d21 PC, the expression of occludens was higher in jejunum and ileum by AGP and BL. The present study indicated both BS and BL have some similarity with AGP in preventing or partially preventing NE effect in broilers.     

Alpha‐lipoic acid: An inimitable feed supplement for poultry nutrition

Alpha‐lipoic acid (ALA) is a multifunction antioxidant that is produced in small amount by cells as well as its dietary provision facilitates fatty acid mobilization, energy expenditure as well as can scavenge free radicals in poultry birds. It exists in oxidized as well as reduced form, characterized by growth promoting, anti‐inflammatory, antioxidative, immunostimulatory, and hypocholesterolemic properties when fed as dietary supplement to farm animals particularly chicken birds. Recently, several studies reported that dietary supplementation of ALA can influence growth performance indicators, immunological, biochemical characteristics, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress as well as increase antioxidant potential and storability of poultry meat and meat products. Accordingly, this paper adds the reviews and discusses the outcomes of studies documenting the effect of lipoic acid dietary fortification on growth performance, biochemical, and immunological characteristics as well as the effects on lipid peroxidation of fresh meat and meat‐based products. Furthermore, this paper also describes the possibilities of utilization of ALA as a feed additive in poultry nutrition to improve the growth performance of poultry as well as meat quality of resultant chicken birds.     

Microbial phytase activity and their role in organic P mineralization

Plants respond to their external environment to optimize their nutrition and production potential to minimize the food security issues and support sustainable agriculture system. Phosphorus (P) is an important nutrient for plants and is involved in plant metabolic processes. It is mostly available as orthophosphate and has a tendency to form complexes with cations. It has low mobility in soil, thus becoming unavailable for plant uptake that causes a reduction in plant growth and yield. Besides free P, phytate is the major form of organic P in soil and plant tissues. Phytases obtained from different sources, that is, plants, animals, and microorganisms, catalyze the hydrolysis of phytate and release available forms of inorganic P. The knowledge of mechanisms involved in catalytic activity of phytase obtained from microorganisms in soil is limited. This review summarizes the role of microbial phytase in releasing organic P by hydrolysis of phytate and factors affecting its activity in the soil.     

Leydig cell hyperplasia in an ENU-induced mutant mouse with germ cell depletion

Repro22 is an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced mutation in mice showing depletion of both male and female germ cells. In the present study, we investigated the male phenotypes of the mutant mouse at the adult stage. The repro22/repro22 homozygous mice showed reduced body weights as well as markedly reduced testis weights. Histological examination of the testes at 4 and 10 months of age showed no germ cells in the seminiferous tubules of the affected testis while a number of Sertoli cells were observed in the tubules. In addition to the germ cell depletion, the testes of the affected mouse contained expanded intertubular spaces that were filled by Leydig cell-like interstitial cells. These interstitial cells were confirmed to be Leydig cells by immunohistochmical staining using anti-3beta-HSD antibody. The estimated number of Leydig cells in the affected testes at 10 months of age increased approximately 2 fold compared with those of normal testes. Furthermore, the plasma testosterone levels of the affected mice at 10 months of age were significantly higher than those of the normal mice. These findings indicated that the repro22/repro22 mouse developed hyperplasia of Leydig cells that was presumably caused by the absence of germ cells in the seminiferous tubules.     

First record of Oomyzus scaposus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), as a parasitoid of Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Pakistan

Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a natural enemy of several important pests. This biocontrol agent is also a host for different parasitoids. Little is known about the parasitoid complex of C. septempunctata in Pakistan. The authors identified Oomyzus scaposus (Thomson, 1878) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) as a larval-pupal parasitoid of C. septempunctata in the district of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. Out of 36 C. septempunctata pupae collected, 58.3% were parasitized by O. scaposus. This study documents the first record of O. scaposus parasitizing C. septempunctata in Pakistan.     

Capacitation of Frozen Thawed Buffalo Bull (Bubalus bubalis) Spermatozoa with Higher Heparin Concentrations

The present study was conducted to examine the effect of high heparin concentration on capacitation of buffalo spermatozoa with a short incubation time. Frozen thawed spermatozoa from three buffalo bulls were pooled and treated with either 50, 100 or 200 microg/ml heparin for 30 min. Capacitation was evaluated by acrosome reaction of spermatozoa and in vitro fertilization rate (per cent cleavage rate, per cent cleavage index). Acrosome reaction was induced in heparin treated spermatozoa with calcium ionophore A23187 and staining was carried out with Coomassie G-250 to evaluate the response as compared with control (0 heparin + calcium ionophore). Significantly higher percentage of acrosome reaction (AR) spermatozoa was noted after heparin treatment (36.8-48.2%) as compared with control (8.1% ; p < 0.05) but differences among the three heparin concentrations were non-significant. However, a significantly higher in vitro fertilization rate was recorded in spermatozoa capacitated by 50 and 100 microg/ml heparin (80.4 and 75.9% cleavage rate, respectively) as compared with 200 microg/ml heparin (47.2% cleavage rate; p < 0.001). It is concluded that buffalo spermatozoa capacitated with 50-100 microg/ml heparin had significantly higher ability to improve in vitro fertilization rate in buffalo.     

Effect of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin on the fate of nitrogen applied to a soil incubated under laboratory conditions

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin on the fate and recovery of fertilizer nitrogen (N) and on N mineralization from soil organic sources. Intact soil cores were collected from a grassland field. Diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea were applied as N sources. Cores were equilibrated at –5 kPa matric potential and incubated at 20 °C for 42 to 56 days. Changes in NH₄⁺‐N, accumulation of NO₃^–‐N, apparent recovery of applied N, and emission of N₂O (acetylene was used to block N₂O reductase) were examined during the study. A significant increase in NH₄⁺‐N released through mineralization was recorded when nitrapyrin was added to the control soil without N fertilizer application. In the soils to which N was added either as urea or DAP, 50–90 % of the applied N disappeared from the NH₄⁺‐N pool. Some of this N (8–16 %) accumulated as NO₃^–‐N, while a small proportion of N (1 %) escaped as N₂O. Addition of nitrapyrin resulted in a decrease and delay of NH₄⁺‐N disappearance, accumulation of much lower soil NO₃^–‐N contents, a substantial reduction in N₂O emissions, and a 30–40 % increase in the apparent recovery of added N. The study indicates that N recovery can be increased by using the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin in grassland soils at moisture condition close to field capacity.