The power of practice: harnessing patient outcomes for clinical decision making.

The practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) relies on the ability of veterinarians to evaluate clinical outcomes. Evaluation of clinical outcomes optimizes the patient care process by transforming what is learned about a population of patients and applying it to an individual patient. Veterinarians' ability to summarize and record relevant information from each pet encounter enables outcomes analysis, thereby transforming clinical data into medical knowledge. This article describes the multiple integrated processes required to evaluate outcomes and practice EBM. As a result of the aggregation and analysis of patient outcomes, knowledge is derived that has the potential to enhance clinical decision making and client communication.     

Properties of partially purified goat kidney beta-D-mannosidase

Lysosomal beta-D-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.25) was purified 6900-fold from normal goat kidney by serial Concanavalin A-Sepharose 4B and Red A dye ligand affinity chromatography, followed by anion exchange and molecular sieve high performance liquid chromatography. The relative molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated by molecular sieving to be 79,000 +/- 3000. The apparent Km for the synthetic substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-mannopyranoside, was 2.3-2.8 mM and the sharp, unimodal pH optimum was 5.5. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Hg2+, Zn2+, Ag+, Co2+ and the thiol reactive agent N-ethylmaleimide. The mannose derivatives p-nitrophenyl-beta-D- thiomannopyranoside and p-aminophenyl-beta-D-thiomannopyranoside inhibited enzyme activity and may be of use as immobilized ligands in future attempts to purify beta-D-mannosidase by specific affinity chromatography.     

Food supplementation, nutritional intake of recipients and operational aspects: an integrated pilot nutrition initiative of BRAC

OBJECTIVES: To explore the nutritional quality of supplementary foods and additional energy consumption by the recipients in a pilot nutrition initiative of BRAC. DESIGN: In-depth interviews, observations during feeding at feeding centres, and laboratory analyses of supplementary foods for nutrient contents performed at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. SETTING: Muktagacha thana (sub-district) in Mymensingh district, a rural area of Bangladesh. SUBJECTS: Pregnant and lactating mothers and children below 2 years of age. RESULTS: Analysis revealed that supplementary food, if taken completely, could provide daily energy equivalent to 752 kcal to a mother and 212 kcal to a child below 2 years of age. Mothers consumed about 75% of the food provided (approximately 564 kcal day(-1)). The food was shared mostly with young children and husbands. In-depth interview with mothers also suggested that they usually skipped breakfast if the food was given in the morning. The children liked the taste of food, and unless the child was sick or had some food before coming to the centre, she/he ate all the food provided. Although the main purpose of the project was to provide nutrition education, it was observed that activities at feeding centres were limited to food distribution with little time devoted to the communication of nutritional messages. CONCLUSIONS: Training should be given to service providers to communicate nutritional messages effectively as part of understanding the goal of the initiative. It is important to explore whether the regular diets of the recipients are replaced by the food supplementation or not.     

Effects of biochars and hydrochars produced from lignocellulosic and animal manure on fertility of a Mollisol and Entisol

Biochar and hydrochars (HC) are emerging soil fertility amendments; however, their ability to improve fertility levels in soils possessing vastly different pedogenic characteristics has not been well investigated. In this study, several plant and manure biochars and two blended HC applied at 3.84 g/kg (ca.10 t/ha) were incubated in pots containing a highly fertile‐Mollisol (Waukegan series; Sandy‐skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludoll) and an infertile Entisol (Margate series; Siliceous, hyperthermic, Mollic Psammaquent). During the 124–125 day laboratory incubations, pots were leached four times with deionized H₂O with the leachates analysed for the concentrations of dissolved phosphorus (DP) and potassium (DK). After the incubations, both soils were analysed for fertility characteristics (i.e. pH, cation‐exchange capacity (CEC), and extractable P and K). In both soils after biochar additions, there were mixed pH and CEC responses. Both the Mollisol and Entisol treated with swine solid biochar had greater plant extractable P and K contents, which was reflective of the elevated P and K contents in the swine solid biochar. However, most biochars and HC additions to the Mollisol and Entisol had minimal impact on soil fertility characteristics indicating a low direct fertilization potential. These nutrient contents could be altered through feedstock blending to target a particular fertilizer requirement.     

Separation, characterization, and quantitation of phenolic acids in a little-known blueberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.) fruit by HPLC-MS

The aim of this study was the qualitative and quantitative determination of free, ester, glycoside, and ester-bound phenolic acids in the blueberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.) fruit. A method for the determination of the profile of phenolic acids of four different phenolic fractions in the fruit was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Thirteen compounds (gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, m-hydroxybenzoic, gentisic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, syringic, sinapic, salicylic, and trans-cinnamic acids) were identified and quantified in the berry. These experimental results showed that the predominant phenolic acid in the fruit of V. arctostaphylos is caffeic acid in free and insoluble ester-bound forms and p-coumaric acid in soluble ester and glycoside forms. Seven phenolic acids were identified as hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives (HBAs) and four as hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (HCAs). Total content of HBAs and HCAs in the four phenolic fractions constituted 30.1 and 69.9% of the free, 27.9 and 72.1% of the ester, 24.7 and 75.3% of the glycoside, and 51.7 and 48.3% of the ester-bound forms, respectively. Total phenolics as the sum of individual phenolic acids identified is 698.5 ng/g of fresh weight (fw) for the free, 3399.2 ng/g of fw for the ester, 3522.1 ng/g of fw for the glycoside, and 3671.6 ng/g of fw for the ester-bound phenolic fractions. The present results were compared with reported levels of phenolic acids in the fruits of different Vaccinium species. These data suggest that the fruit can be considered as a potentially good dietary source of phenolic acids.     

Effects of two probiotic additives containing Bacillus spores on carcass characteristics, blood lipids and cecal volatile fatty acids in meat type chickens

The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of two commercially available probiotic additives, containing Bacillus spores, on carcass and meat characteristics, serum lipids and concentration of cecal volatile fatty acids of meat type chickens. Birds were fed regular corn-soy meal based feed (control), supplemented with additive A, containing 1.6 × 10(6) spores per gram of feed of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis (group A) or additive B, containing the same concentration of Bacillus cereus var. toyoi spores (group B). One hundred and twenty birds (20 per replicate) were slaughtered at the age of 55 days. Results showed that birds in group B had higher (p < 0.05) final body weight compared to birds from group A and higher carcass weights and yield percentages compared with control. Breasts and whole legs were also heavier in group B, compared to control, but not the yield. Group A had higher yield of wings and lower abdominal fat weight compared to group B (p< 0.05), but not compared with control. Total cholesterol was not affected by the dietary treatment, on contrary both probiotics elevated the LDL (p < 0.05) and lowered HDL cholesterol, thus unfavourably changed animal's blood serum cholesterol profile. Both probiotics influenced the cecal fermentation, which was observed as decrease in cecal concentrations of propionic, butyric, n-butyric and n-valeric acids, but the differences compared to control group were statistically significant for group A only. It was established that probiotic additive B was more effective regarding carcass and meat part weights than additive A, however the animals from group B also had more abdominal fat and their meat had significantly higher conductivity than control group, which is not considered as beneficial.     

Canopy reduction as a possible measure for adaptation of young Scots pine stand to insufficient precipitation in Central Europe

Climate change towards a warmer and dryer vegetation period may negatively impact growing conditions for Scots pine monocultures situated on dry, sandy soils in Central Europe. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of thinning on precipitation throughfall in young Scots pine stands on typical pine sites. In 1992, observation of precipitation and throughfall started at the Tyniště research site (lowland of Eastern Bohemia) in a 7-year-old pine stand planted in rows at a stocking of ca 10,000 trees ha⁻¹. Throughfall was measured at weekly intervals during the growing season (April-September) by gauges randomly located in two treatments - variant 1C - Control without thinning and variant 2T - Thinned - and compared to precipitation at an open space outside of the canopy. The results demonstrated the positive effects of heavy low thinning (removal of 47% of the total number of trees and 31% of total pre-treatment basal area) on the water supply of young Scots pine stands. On the Thinned treatment, throughfall increased by 2-8% compared to Control plot. This positive effect persisted for six years after the first canopy reduction and the differences were significant for the first four years after thinning. After the second treatment (high thinning), throughfall on the Thinned treatment showed a nominal, but statistically insignificant increase. The likely reason for this result is that the application of a different type of thinning increased the variability of the canopy and, consequently, the effect of released crowns could not be detected.     

Jersey steer ruminal papillae histology and nutrigenomics with diet changes

The transition from a high forage to a high concentrate diet is an important milestone for beef cattle moving from a stocker system to the feedlot. However, little is known about how this transition affects the rumen epithelial gene expression. This study assessed the effects of the transition from a high forage to a high concentrate diet as well as the transition from a high concentrate to a high forage diet on a variety of genes as well as ruminal papillae morphology in rumen fistulated Jersey steers. Jersey steers (n = 5) were fed either a high forage diet (80% forage and 20% grain) and transitioned to a high concentrate diet (20% forage and 80% grain) or a high concentrate diet (40% forage and 60% grain) and transitioned to a high forage diet (100% forage). Papillae from the rumen were collected for histology and RT‐qPCR analysis. Body weight had a tendency for significant difference (p = .08). Histological analysis did not show changes in papillae length or width in steers transitioning from a high forage to a high concentrate diet or vice versa (p > .05). Genes related to cell membrane structure (CLDN1, CLDN4, DSG1), fatty acid metabolism (CPT1A, ACADSB), glycolysis (PFKL), ketogenesis (HMGCL, HMGCS2, ACAT1), lactate/pyruvate (LDHA), oxidative stress (NQO1), tissue growth (AKT3, EGFR, EREG, IGFBP5, IRS1) and the urea cycle (SLC14A1) were considered in this study. Overall, genes related to fatty acid metabolism (ACADSB) and growth and development (AKT3 and IGFBP5) had a tendency for a treatment × day on trial interaction effect. These profiles may be indicators of rumen epithelial adaptations in response to changes in diet. In conclusion, these results indicate that changes in the composition of the diet can alter the expression of genes with specific functions in rumen epithelial metabolism.     

Insektenhormone

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Fumonisins affect the intestinal microbial homeostasis in broiler chickens,predisposing to necrotic enteritis

Fumonisins (FBs) are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium fungi. This study aimed to investigate the effect of these feed contaminants on the intestinal morphology and microbiota composition, and to evaluate whether FBs predispose broilers to necrotic enteritis. One-day-old broiler chicks were divided into a group fed a control diet, and a group fed a FBs contaminated diet (18.6 mg FB1+FB2/kg feed). A significant increase in the plasma sphinganine/sphingosine ratio in the FBs-treated group (0.21 ± 0.016) compared to the control (0.14 ± 0.014) indicated disturbance of the sphingolipid biosynthesis. Furthermore, villus height and crypt depth of the ileum was significantly reduced by FBs. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis showed a shift in the microbiota composition in the ileum in the FBs group compared to the control. A reduced presence of low-GC containing operational taxonomic units in ileal digesta of birds exposed to FBs was demonstrated, and identified as a reduced abundance of Candidatus Savagella and Lactobaccilus spp. Quantification of total Clostridium perfringens in these ileal samples, previous to experimental infection, using cpa gene (alpha toxin) quantification by qPCR showed an increase in C. perfringens in chickens fed a FBs contaminated diet compared to control (7.5 ± 0.30 versus 6.3 ± 0.24 log10 copies/g intestinal content). After C. perfringens challenge, a higher percentage of birds developed subclinical necrotic enteritis in the group fed a FBs contaminated diet as compared to the control (44.9 ± 2.22% versus 29.8 ± 5.46%).

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13567-015-0234-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.