Effects of Perch on Productivity, Welfare, and Physiological Indicators of Broiler Chickens Reared in Animal Welfare-Certificated Farms.

This study explored the impact of perches on the productivity and welfare of broilers raised on two animal welfare-certified farms (designated as Farm A and B) in South Korea. Broiler houses in each farm were provided with or without wooden square-shaped perches (2 × 2 cm) at a rate of 2 m per 1000 birds. The study aimed to assess whether perches could influence productivity measures, such as weight and uniformity, and animal welfare indicators, including corticosterone levels and physical health markers.

Exploring the gut microbiome: A potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.

The gut microbiome, a complex community of trillions of microorganisms in the intestines, is crucial in maintaining human health. Recent advancements in microbiome research have unveiled a compelling link between the gut microbiome and cancer development and progression. Alterations in the composition and function of the gut microbiome, known as dysbiosis, have been implicated in various types of cancer, including, esophageal, liver, colon, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal.

alleviates testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia by inhibiting 5α-reductase activity and androgen receptor signaling pathway.

Background/objectives: Recently, herbal medicines have gained attention for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common disease in elderly men. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of ethanol extract of (EAR), which is traditionally used to treat various diseases, on BPH development using a testosterone-induced BPH model.

Materials/methods: Testosterone propionate (TP)-treated Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish a BPH model .

The Relationship Between Preoperative Vitamin D Levels and Keloid Recurrence.

Background: Keloids, characterized by excessive collagen deposition, often recur despite various treatments. This study explores the association between preoperative serum vitamin D levels and keloid recurrence in a Korean population.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of 160 patients who underwent keloid excision was analyzed.

Effects of dietary mangosteen peel powder and extract on the growth performance, meat quality and indicators for immunity, gut health and antioxidant activity in broiler chicks.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary mangosteen peel preparations, either powdered (MspP) or ethanolic extract (MspE), on the growth performance, meat quality, immune response, gut health, serum biochemical profiles, and antioxidant activity of broiler chicks. A total of 480 day-old straight-run broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly placed into four treatments, with eight replicates of 12 chicks each, and subjected to one of the four experimental diets for 21 days. The corn and soybean meal-based diet was supplemented with 2% MspP (20 g per kg of diet) or 0.

R2R3-MYB repressor, BrMYB32, regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in Chinese cabbage.

Anthocyanin-enriched Chinese cabbage has health-enhancing antioxidant properties. Although various regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis have been identified, the role of individual repressors in this process remains underexplored. This study identifies and characterizes the R2R3-MYB BrMYB32 in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa), which acts as a repressor in anthocyanin biosynthesis.

Effects of relative humidity on physiology and behavior of laying hens exposed to high ambient temperatures.

This study investigated how different relative humidity (RH) would impact behavior and physiology of laying hens. One hundred-eighty laying hens (Hy-Line Brown), aged 68-week-old (1,908 ± 78 g), were exposed to daily ambient temperatures of 30 °C with RH set at 25% (RH25), 50% (RH50), or 75% (RH75) for 12 h a day (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) from 70 to 74 weeks of age. All hens had been raised at 24 °C and 50% RH during 2-week adaptation period.

Pharmaceuticals in raw and treated water from drinking water treatment plants nationwide: Insights into their sources and exposure risk assessment.

Due to the large amounts of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) currently being consumed and released into the environment, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of pharmaceutical pollution in both raw and treated water from full-scale drinking water treatment plants nationwide. Our investigation revealed that 30 out of 37 PPCPs were present in raw water with mean concentrations ranging from 0.01-131 ng/L.

Occurrence of short- and ultra-short chain PFAS in drinking water from Flanders (Belgium) and implications for human exposure.

SHORT: and ultra-short chain perfluoroalkyl substances (S- and US-PFAS) are alternatives for the long-chain PFAS which have been more regulated over time. They are highly mobile in the environment and can easily reach drinking water sources which can become an important human exposure route. Furthermore, there have been growing concerns about the presence of PFAS in Flanders.

Long-term efficacy and safety of enavogliflozin in Korean people with type 2 diabetes: A 52-week extension of a Phase 3 randomized controlled trial.

Aims: To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of enavogliflozin monotherapy (0.3 mg/day) in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Materials And Methods: Following a 24-week randomized, double-blind treatment period with enavogliflozin 0.

Nationwide assessment of illicit drug consumption patterns in South Korea using wastewater-based epidemiology during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022).

Illicit drugs have become a crucial global social issue, with South Korea experiencing a continuous increase in the number of offenders and drug smuggling. This study employed wastewater-based epidemiology to investigate consumption patterns of 8 illicit drugs and their 7 metabolites during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) in South Korea. Ten compouds were detected in the wastewater influent.

Integrated Analysis of Microbiome and Metabolome Reveals Disease-Specific Profiles in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Intestinal Behçet's Disease.

The gut microbial and metabolic characteristics of intestinal Behçet's disease (BD), a condition sharing many clinical similarities with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are largely unexplored. This study investigated the gut microbial and metabolic characteristics of intestinal BD as well as potential biomarkers, comparing them with those in UC, CD, and healthy controls. Colon tissue and stool samples from 100 patients (35 UC, 30 CD, and 35 intestinal BD) and 41 healthy volunteers were analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing to assess microbial diversity, taxonomic composition, and functional profiling.

Development of ropivacaine hydrochloride-loaded dissolving microneedles as a local anesthetic agent: A proof-of-concept.

Ropivacaine hydrochloride (RPL) is a local anesthetic agent that has been widely used for the treatment of pain during or after surgery. However, this drug is only available in parenteral dosage form and may contribute to the infiltration of RPL into the plasma, causing some undesirable side effects. Intradermal delivery of RPL using dissolving microneedles may become a promising strategy to deliver such drugs into the skin.

Nutritional and physiological responses to dietary phosphorus levels and phytase in pullets and laying hens.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary available phosphorus (P) levels and dietary phytase added into the very low-P diet on the performance, mineral balance, odor emission, and stress responses in growing pullets and laying hens during 13 to 32 wk of age. One hundred sixty-eight pullets (Hy-Line Brown) were randomly assigned into 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 7 replicates of 6 birds each. Experimental diets were formulated to contain 3 graded P levels at 0.

Assessment of Welfare Problems in Broilers: Focus on Musculoskeletal Problems Associated with Their Rapid Growth.

The growth of the broiler industry has been accompanied with concerns over the environmental and social impacts on intensive production systems, as well as the welfare of the animals themselves. As a result, since the 2000s, there has been growing interest in alternative production systems that improve animal welfare and sustainability. In this context, it is important to prioritize the welfare of broilers in commercial production systems and to use reliable welfare indicators to provide consumers with information about the welfare of the animals they consume.

Efficacy and Safety of PrabotulinumtoxinA in Subjects With Benign Masseteric Hypertrophy: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter, Phase 3 Trial and Open-Label Extension Study.

Background: Despite the widespread use of botulinum toxin (BTX) injection for the treatment of masseter muscle hypertrophy (MMH), there is no standard treatment option.

Objective: We report the efficacy and safety for BTX in MMH over a period of 48 weeks.

Methods: In double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials, 180 patients (randomized 1:1) received treatment with placebo (normal saline) or prabotulinumtoxinA (48 units).

Dietary probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NSMJ56 modulates gut immunity and microbiota in laying hens.

This study was performed to investigate supplementary effects of probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NSMJ56 strain on laying performance, egg quality, intestinal histology, antioxidant status, gut immunity and microbiota in laying hens. A total of ninety-six 21-wk-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly subjected to one of 2 dietary treatments: a control group fed a non-supplemented diet, or a probiotic group fed with a diet supplemented with 1 g of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NSMJ56 (5 × 10 CFU/kg of diet). The trial lasted for 4 wk.

The Effect of Low Temperature on Laying Performance and Physiological Stress Responses in Laying Hens.

The present study investigated the effect of low temperature on laying performance, egg quality, body temperature, yolk malondialdehyde, yolk corticosterone, and serum biochemistry in laying hens. A total of 40 laying hens (Hy-Line Brown) aged 36 weeks were housed in one of two environmental chambers kept at 12 ± 4.5 °C (low temperature) or 24 ± 3 °C (normal temperature) for 4 weeks.

Effects of Rumen Fermentation Characteristics on Stress-Related Hormones and Behavior in Sheep.

This study investigated the relationship between rumen fermentation, stress-related hormones, and behavior in sheep with the aim of providing insights for improving animal welfare and feed management practices. Eight lambs were assigned to either a high concentration or control group. Blood samples were collected for hormone analysis, and an open field test was conducted to observe behavioral stress responses.

Overproduction of Pigment in sp. JSWR-1 under Optimized Culture Conditions.

can synthesize xanthophyll, particularly the pigment zeaxanthin, which has significant economic value in nutrition and pharmaceuticals. Recently, the use of carotenoid biosynthesis by bacteria and yeast fermentation technology has shown to be very efficient and offers significant advantages in large-scale production, cost-effectiveness, and safety. In the present study, JSWR-1 strain capable of producing xanthophyll pigment was isolated from a freshwater reservoir in Wanju-gun, Republic of Korea.