Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of two microbial phytases on mineral availability and retention and bone mineral density in low-phosphorus diets for broilers

1. The efficacy of supplementation of a low-phosphorus (low-P) maize–soyabean meal diet for broiler chickens with two different microbial (fungal and bacterial) phytases was examined. 2. Broiler chickens received a low-P maize–soyabean meal diet containing either no phytase or one of the two phytases included at one and two times the manufacturer's recommended inclusion level for 21 d. 3. Titanium dioxide was included in the diets as an indigestible marker. Excreta were collected quantitatively from d 18 to 21, and at the end of the study the birds were killed and ileal digesta and leg bone samples collected. 4. No differences were observed for body weight gain and feed intake or apparent metabolisable energy (AME) among all dietary treatment groups. 5. Dietary phytase supplementation improved the apparent retention of Ca, Na and Cu and ileal phytate P absorption from 32% to 44% across inclusion levels. 6. Bone mineral density (BMD) was improved for both phytases across inclusion levels by, on average, 9% for the tibia and 13% for the femur. 7. Dietary phytase supplementation of the low-P diet improved apparent ileal digestibility of serine, glycine, valine, isoleucine, tyrosine, histidine, lysine and arginine. 8. When the results from the present study were combined with the results from other similar published studies and analysed statistically, factors such as dietary P and Ca concentration, as well as bird breed and age, rather than the type or activity of microbial phytase, had the greatest impact on the extent to which dietary supplementation improved P and Ca retention. 9. More work is required to explain the interrelationships between the multiple factors influencing the efficacy of phytase on the availability of dietary minerals.
The role of amygdaloid brain‐derived neurotrophic factor, activity‐regulated cytoskeleton‐associated protein and dendritic spines in anxiety and alcoholism

Innate anxiety appears to be a robust factor in the promotion of alcohol intake, possibly due to the anxiolytic effects of self‐medication with alcohol. Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its downstream target, activity‐regulated cytoskeleton‐associated (Arc) protein, play a role in the regulation of synaptic function and structure. In order to examine the role of the BDNF‐Arc system and associated dendritic spines in the anxiolytic effects of ethanol, we investigated the effects of acute ethanol exposure on anxiety‐like behaviors of alcohol‐preferring (P) and ‐nonpreferring (NP) rats. We also examined changes in the expression of BDNF and Arc, and dendritic spine density (DSD), in amygdaloid brain regions of P and NP rats with or without ethanol exposure. It was found that in comparison with NP rats, P rats displayed innate anxiety‐like behaviors, and had lower mRNA and protein levels of both BDNF and Arc, and also had lower DSD in the central amygdala (CeA) and medial amygdala (MeA), but not in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Acute ethanol treatment had an anxiolytic effect in P, but not in NP rats, and was associated with an increase in mRNA and protein levels of BDNF and Arc, and in DSD in the CeA and MeA, but not BLA. These results suggest that innate deficits in BDNF‐Arc levels, and DSD, in the CeA and MeA may be involved in the anxiety‐like and excessive alcohol‐drinking behaviors of P rats, as ethanol increased these amygdaloid synaptic markers and produced anxiolytic effects in P rats, but not NP rats.
Identification of antibodies against hydropericardium syndrome in wild birds

1. Domestic fowl and free-living birds were examined for the presence or absence of antibodies against hydropericardium syndrome (HPS) using an indirect haemagglutination assay. 2. Two-hundred and eighty serum samples of commercial (45 broilers, 20 adult layers and 15 Fayoumi fowl) and wild birds, including 65 peafowl, 45 pigeons, 10 crows, 30 house sparrows, 10 doves, 15 ducks, 10 parrots and 15 guinea fowl, were collected and examined. 3. The percentage of HPS-positive serum samples was 80% in house crows, 78% in pigeons, 7% in house sparrows and 6% in peafowl. 4. The sera obtained from parrots, doves, ducks and guinea fowl were all negative. 5. This study suggests that crows and pigeons could be carriers of the HPS agent.
Terapia intensiva neonatal e pediátrica no Rio de Janeiro: distribuição de leitos e análise de eqüidade

OBJECTIVES: To identify the pediatric ICUs at Rio de Janeiro, number of beds, geographical distribution, public or private nature, type of hospital and assistance, studying population demand and to propose measures for improving equity. METHODS: All ICUs of the State were visited from July 97 to June 98, identifying number of beds and average length of stay. With this information along with demographic data from IBGE, the necessity of beds were estimated, comparing availability and demand by region, and proposing improving equity strategies. RESULTS: 80 ICUs were identified (6 excluded), totaling 1080 beds; 60% intensive and 40% semi-intensive; 57% public and 43% private; 52% in exclusive neonatal ICUs; 14% in pediatric and 34% in mixed (65% neonatal beds), totaling 791 neonatal beds (73%). The majority of ICUs (75%) were part of general hospitals, 20% were in obstetric or obstetric-pediatric hospitals, and only 5% were part of university centers; the majority were in metropolitan area (89%), with 93% of beds for 74% of state children population, of whom, the majority were in Rio de Janeiro city (76%), with 73% of beds for 37% of population, contrasting with the inner of the State, with only 8 units (11%) and 79 beds (7%) for 26% of children. CONCLUSIONS: There is no equity in the distribution and accessibility to the available beds, with lack in public and excess in private sectors, a great concentration in the metropolitan area and only 5% of ICUs at university hospitals, recommending a policy of redistribution and allocation of new beds in more needy areas, associated with the creation of an admission center along with an efficient reference and transportation system.
Adherence of five serovars of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale to chicken tracheal epithelial cells

1. Interaction between bacteria and host tissue is important, both for primary adhesion and tissue-specific colonisation, as well as for pathogen invasion for different host tissues. 2. Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale is a bacterium associated with respiratory tract infections in poultry. The mechanisms by which O. rhinotracheale causes infection are not known. To date, at least 18 serovars of this bacterium, with or without the ability to agglutinate erythrocytes of chicken and other species, have been identified. 3. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the ability of five references strains, belonging to serovars A, B, C, D and E, to adhere to a culture of primary chicken tracheal cells. 4. Serovars A and B adhered to less than 20% of tracheal cells with no specific adherence pattern. Serovars C, D and E gave adherence values greater than 70%. Serovars C and E showed a diffuse adherence pattern, while serovar D had an aggregated adherence pattern. 5. The adherence ability and pattern could be associated with different pathogenicity mechanisms in the various serovars but more studies are needed to understand the reasons for these differences.
Alpha4 subunit‐containing GABAA receptors in the accumbens shell contribute to the reinforcing effects of alcohol

The α4βδ gamma‐aminobutyric acid A receptor (GABAAR) has been proposed to mediate the rewarding effects of low‐to‐moderate concentrations of alcohol (ethanol) that approximate those achieved by social drinking. If this is true, then this receptor should be necessary for the reinforcing effects of ethanol as assessed in an instrumental self‐administration procedure in which rats are trained to lever press for oral ethanol. We used viral‐mediated RNA interference to transiently reduce expression of the α4 GABAAR subunit in the shell region of the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We found that responding for ethanol was significantly reduced after α4 reductions in the NAc shell, but not NAc core. This reduction was specific to ethanol, as responding for sucrose was not altered. The presence of ethanol was also required as unreinforced responding for ethanol in subjects previously trained to respond for ethanol (i.e. responding during an extinction test) was not altered. In addition, responding during reinforced sessions was not altered during the initial 5 minutes of the session, but decreased after 5 minutes, following multiple reinforced responses. Together, these findings indicate that the α4 GABAAR subunit in the NAc shell is necessary for the instrumental reinforcing effects of oral ethanol, further supporting a role for α4‐containing GABAARs in the rewarding/reinforcing effects of ethanol. Possible pharmacological and non‐pharmacological explanations for these effects are considered.
Blockade of GABAA receptors in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus attenuates voluntary ethanol intake and activates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in the hypothalamus is the main integration site that controls the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) neuroendocrine stress system. Disruption of this system has been linked with alcoholism, but the specific role of the PVN has not been fully explored. Of particular interest is the ability of γ‐aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs) in the PVN, to regulate ethanol self‐administration behavior, as these receptors appear to play an essential role in mediating the effects of ethanol in the central nervous system and in the regulation of PVN activity. We observed that Long–Evans rats, in the intermittent access to 20% ethanol paradigm, consumed high amounts of ethanol and subsequently developed ethanol dependence. Microinjection of the GABAAR antagonist picrotoxin into the PVN, but not to the lateral ventricle of the brain, significantly reduced the intake of ethanol, but not the intake of sucrose. Picrotoxin‐induced reduction was mimicked by another GABAAR antagonist bicuculline but was attenuated by the GABAAR agonist muscimol. Moreover, increased ethanol consumption was associated with lowered blood corticosterone levels, indicating a blunted HPA signaling, which was reversed by intra‐PVN injection of picrotoxin, as indicated by the increased Fos immunostaining‐positive cells in the PVN and the increased blood corticosterone levels. Taken together, our data provide evidence that in ethanol‐dependent rats, the function of GABAARs in the PVN is upregulated, leading to a dampened HPA system. Moreover, it demonstrates that the GABAAR antagonists normalize HPA axis signaling and reduce excessive ethanol drinking. Therefore, drugs targeting GABAARs may be beneficial for alcoholics.
Influence of a microbial phytase on the performance and the utilisation of energy, crude protein and fatty acids of young broilers fed on phosphorus-adequate maize- and wheat-based diets

Abstract 1. The effects of microbial phytase on the performance and nutrient utilisation in broilers fed on phosphorus-adequate starter diets were examined in this study. The effect of phytase on the apparent ileal digestibility of fatty acids was of particular interest. Two grain types (maize and wheat) and two inclusion concentrations of a phytase enzyme from Escherichia coli expressed in Schizosaccaromyces pombe (0 or 500 phytase units (FTU)/kg of feed) were evaluated in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. 2. Supplemental phytase improved the weight gain and feed per gain, but had no effect on the feed intake of young broilers receiving phosphorus-adequate diets. 3. Phytase supplementation improved the apparent ileal digestibility of nitrogen and phosphorus in both diet types. Phytase supplementation tended to improve the apparent ileal digestible energy in wheat-based diets, but had no effect on the apparent metabolisable energy in both diet types. 4. Supplementation of phytase increased the apparent ileal digestibility of fat, with similar effects for the different fatty acids measured. Increments on ileal fat digestibility due to phytase were not dependent on the type of diet. 5. Dietary supplementation of microbial phytase enhanced not only the digestibility of phosphorus, but also that of nitrogen and fat, exhibiting increased ileal digestibility for all fatty acids in P-adequate maize- and wheat-based diets.
Choosing Effective Behavior Change Tools

Achieving a sustainable future will require that people do things differently. Community-based social marketing (CBSM) provides a framework for fostering sustainable behavior, and the approach is being increasingly utilized across a range of domains including energy conservation, recycling, reducing water consumption, promoting sustainable seafood consumption, and many others. This article provides guidance to practitioners about the optimal use of specific behavior change tools. The article summarizes commitment strategies, social diffusion, goal setting, social norms, prompts, incentives, feedback, and convenience as effective tools for encouraging changes in behavior. For each, we summarize the basic approach and provide recommendations regarding when each tool is most appropriate, depending on the existing levels of barriers and benefits associated with the target behavior. The article concludes with three examples of CBSM to illustrate this selection process.
Regional homogeneity changes in heavy male smokers: a resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Recent studies have documented declined global cognitive function and abnormal task‐related brain activation in chronic cigarette smokers. However, the effects of long‐term heavy smoking on task‐independent baseline brain activity are still unknown. Here, we used a regional homogeneity (ReHo) method combined with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate spontaneous neural activity in the resting state in heavy smokers. Compared with controls, heavy smokers exhibited decreased ReHo in prefrontal regions, as well as increased ReHo in insula and posterior cingulate cortex. Our study may better our understanding of the neurobiological consequences of smoking.
Periadolescent amphetamine treatment causes transient cognitive disruptions and long‐term changes in hippocampal LTP depending on the endogenous expression of pleiotrophin

Amphetamine treatment during adolescence causes long‐term cognitive deficits in rats. Pleiotrophin (PTN) is a cytokine with important roles in the modulation of synaptic plasticity, whose levels of expression are significantly regulated by amphetamine administration. To test the possibility that the long‐term consequences of periadolescent amphetamine treatment cross species and, furthermore, to test the hypothesis that PTN could be one of the factors involved in the adult cognitive deficits observed after periadolescent amphetamine administrations, we comparatively studied the long‐term consequences of periadolescent amphetamine treatment (3 mg/kg intraperitoneal, daily during 10 days) in normal wild‐type (PTN+/+) and in PTN genetically deficient (PTN−/−) mice. Within the first week after cessation of treatment, significant deficits in the passive avoidance and Y‐maze tests were only observed in amphetamine‐pretreated PTN−/− mice. However, 13 and 26 days after the last administration, we did not find significant differences in Y‐maze between amphetamine‐ and saline‐pretreated PTN−/− mice. In addition, we did not find any genotype‐ or treatment‐related anxiogenic‐ or depressive‐like behaviour in adult mice. Furthermore, we observed a significantly enhanced long‐term potentiation (LTP) in CA1 hippocampal slices from saline‐pretreated PTN−/− mice compared with saline‐pretreated PTN+/+ mice. Interestingly, amphetamine pre‐treatment during adolescence significantly enhanced LTP in adult PTN+/+ mice but did not cause any effect in PTN−/− mice, suggesting LTP mechanisms saturation in naïve PTN−/− mice. The data demonstrate that periadolescent amphetamine treatment causes transient cognitive deficits and long‐term alterations of hippocampal LTP depending on the endogenous expression of PTN.
Effects of linseed oil and palm oil on growth performance, tibia fatty acid and biomarkers of bone metabolism in broilers

Abstract 1. This study was conducted to determine the effects of different dietary fat sources on growth performance, tibia fatty acids and biomarkers of bone metabolism in broilers. 2. One-d-old commercial Arbor Acres broilers were fed with a maize–soya bean basal diet for 42 d, supplemented with oils according to the following 5 treatments: lard (lard group); linseed oil (linseed oil group); palm oil (palm oil group); linseed oil + palm oil (60:40 or 40:60 w/w, LP-1 group and LP-2 group, respectively). 3. No significant differences in weight gain, feed intake and gain/feed ratio were observed between the lard and linseed oil groups. Birds fed on palm oil had significantly greater weight gain and feed intake than those fed on lard or linseed oil. Growth performance in LP-1 and LP-2 was significantly greater than that of single-oil groups. 4. Tibia growth and bone characteristics were not influenced by supplementation with lard, linseed oil, or palm oil alone, but broilers fed on a mixture of fats had significantly greater tibia weight and length compared to broilers fed on linseed oil. Bone mineral density in tibia was significantly increased in LP-1 and LP-2 groups. 5. Supplementation of linseed oil alone or in combination with palm oil enhanced apparent digestibility of calcium, reduced serum calcium and increased tibia calcium concentrations. Moreover, supplementation with linseed oil alone or in combination with palm oil had a positive effect on biomarkers of bone growth. 6. The combination of linseed and palm oils was beneficial for growth performance, tibia growth and biomarkers of bone metabolism.
Pathogenicity and molecular characteristics of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains isolated from broilers showing diarrhoea and respiratory disease

Abstract 1. The possibility that infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) variants isolated from broilers with enteric and respiratory problems have a different tropism and pathological outcome from those IBV strains causing classical respiratory disease was investigated. 2. IBV variants were isolated from broiler flocks with enteric and respiratory problems in two regions of Brazil. The USP-10 isolate, of enteric origin, was inoculated via the oral oroculonasal routes into IBV-antibody-free broilers and specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens to determine tissue tropism and pathogenicity and compared with an IBV variant (USP-50) isolated from chickens showing signs of respiratory disease only. 3. Both USP-10 and USP-50 strains caused similar pathological patterns by either route of inoculation. Both variants were detected in respiratory and non-respiratory tissues, including the kidney, intestine and testis. 4. Broilers were more susceptible to infection than SPF chickens, and seroconversion was detected in all of the chicks.
Quantitative MRI of Mesial Temporal Structures in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Summary: Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is the most common pathology associated with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). MRI features of HS include hippocampal atrophy and an increased T2 signal. Hippocampal volume loss can be quantified using MR‐based hippocampal volume measurement, and the hippocampal T2 relaxation time can be measured on a hippocampal T2 map. Visual assessment of high quality T2‐and thin sliced IR TI‐weighted images along the axes of the hippocampus allows reliable detection of unilateral diffuse HS, the most common variant of HS. A combination of quantitative hippocampal MRI techniques may be required to detect some variants of HS, such as bilateral HS, and to better define the range of normality. Examples of unusual findings are presented and clinical correlations are discussed. The combination of AT2 mapping and FLAIR is a sensitive method with which to detect small lesions which are not seen on standard MR images in the amygdalae of patients with intractable TLE. These MRI techniques will detect an abnormality in mesial temporal structures in ∼80% of patients with intractable TLE not associated with a foreign tissue lesion.
Error processing and response inhibition in excessive computer game players: an event‐related potential study

Excessive computer gaming has recently been proposed as a possible pathological illness. However, research on this topic is still in its infancy and underlying neurobiological mechanisms have not yet been identified. The determination of underlying mechanisms of excessive gaming might be useful for the identification of those at risk, a better understanding of the behavior and the development of interventions. Excessive gaming has been often compared with pathological gambling and substance use disorder. Both disorders are characterized by high levels of impulsivity, which incorporates deficits in error processing and response inhibition. The present study aimed to investigate error processing and response inhibition in excessive gamers and controls using a Go/NoGo paradigm combined with event‐related potential recordings. Results indicated that excessive gamers show reduced error‐related negativity amplitudes in response to incorrect trials relative to correct trials, implying poor error processing in this population. Furthermore, excessive gamers display higher levels of self‐reported impulsivity as well as more impulsive responding as reflected by less behavioral inhibition on the Go/NoGo task. The present study indicates that excessive gaming partly parallels impulse control and substance use disorders regarding impulsivity measured on the self‐reported, behavioral and electrophysiological level. Although the present study does not allow drawing firm conclusions on causality, it might be that trait impulsivity, poor error processing and diminished behavioral response inhibition underlie the excessive gaming patterns observed in certain individuals. They might be less sensitive to negative consequences of gaming and therefore continue their behavior despite adverse consequences.
An analysis of factors affecting production performance in broiler flocks on Japanese commercial farms

Abstract 1. The present study determined descriptive values of the main production measurements of flocks and assessed the relationship between these measurements and related management factors in Japanese commercial broiler farms. 2. The data set included 5060 flock records from 183 farms. The production index was calculated as follows: liveability × average daily gain/feed conversion ratio × 10. Management factors included in the analysis were broiler breeder age, the time interval between successive flocks, the season of placement and stocking density. 3. The mean (±SD) production index was 283.9 ± 28.83. Management factors significantly associated with a decreased production index were low broiler breeder age, flocks placed in summer and high stocking density (P < 0.05). 4. In regard to an interaction for the production index, flocks with high stocking density had a lower production index than those with low stocking density in flocks with a low broiler breeder age (P < 0.05). In summer, flocks with a short time interval between successive flocks had a lower production index than those with an intermediate or long time interval (P < 0.05). 5. The present study identified factors related to flock performance. The knowledge obtained from this analysis will contribute to improve flock performance by optimising management.