Dietary plant extracts improve immune responses and growth efficiency of pigs experimentally infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of 3 different plant extracts on growth performance and immune responses of weaned pigs experimentally infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). A total of 64 weaned pigs (7.8 ± 0.

Effect of essential oils on ruminal fermentation and lactation performance of dairy cows.

Three experiments (Exp.) were conducted to study the effects of dietary addition of an essential oil product (EO) based on eugenol and cinnamaldehyde (0, control, or 525 mg/d of Xtract 6965; Pancosma SA, Geneva, Switzerland) on ruminal fermentation, total-tract digestibility, manure gas emissions, N losses, and dairy cow performance. In Exp.

Isolation of oxalotrophic bacteria able to disperse on fungal mycelium.

A technique based on an inverted Petri dish system was developed for the growth and isolation of soil oxalotrophic bacteria able to disperse on fungal mycelia. The method is related to the 'fungal highways' dispersion theory in which mycelial fungal networks allow active movement of bacteria in soil. Quantification of this phenomenon showed that bacterial dispersal occurs preferentially in upper soil horizons.

The gut as a sensory organ.

The gastrointestinal tract presents the largest and most vulnerable surface to the outside world. Simultaneously, it must be accessible and permeable to nutrients and must defend against pathogens and potentially injurious chemicals. Integrated responses to these challenges require the gut to sense its environment, which it does through a range of detection systems for specific chemical entities, pathogenic organisms and their products (including toxins), as well as physicochemical properties of its contents.

Dietary Curcuma longa enhances resistance against Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella infections in chickens.

The effects of dietary supplementation with an organic extract of Curcuma longa on systemic and local immune responses to experimental Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella infections were evaluated in commercial broiler chickens. Dietary supplementation with C. longa enhanced coccidiosis resistance as demonstrated by increased BW gains, reduced fecal oocyst shedding, and decreased gut lesions compared with infected birds fed a nonsupplemented control diet.

Dietary plant extracts alleviate diarrhea and alter immune responses of weaned pigs experimentally infected with a pathogenic Escherichia coli.

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of 3 different plant extracts on diarrhea, immune response, intestinal morphology, and growth performance of weaned pigs experimentally infected with a pathogenic F-18 Escherichia coli (E. coli). Sixty-four weaned pigs (6.

An investigation on the relationship between the occurrence of CMV DNAemia and the development of invasive aspergillosis in the allogeneic stem cell transplantation setting.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection might increase the risk of fungal superinfection in allogeneic stem cell transplant patients. The potential association between the occurrence of CMV DNAemia and the development of invasive aspergillosis in this clinical setting was investigated. The current retrospective observational study included 167 patients undergoing T cell-replete allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Identification of active oxalotrophic bacteria by Bromodeoxyuridine DNA labeling in a microcosm soil experiments.

The oxalate-carbonate pathway (OCP) leads to a potential carbon sink in terrestrial environments. This process is linked to the activity of oxalotrophic bacteria. Although isolation and molecular characterizations are used to study oxalotrophic bacteria, these approaches do not give information on the active oxalotrophs present in soil undergoing the OCP.

Rearing conditions influence nutrient availability of plant extracts supplemented diets when fed to broiler chickens.

The effects of a standardised mixture of essential oils, including 5% carvacrol, 3% cinnamaldehyde and 2% capsicum (XT 6930; Pancosma S.A), on dietary apparent metabolisable energy corrected for nitrogen retention (AMEn), nutrient digestibility and mucin secretions, measured as sialic acid (SA) were investigated in broilers fed on the same diet but reared under different conditions, that is, cages and floor pens littered with wood shavings used in previous broiler study. The use of XT reduced (p < 0.

Designing antimicrobial bioactive glass materials with embedded metal ions synthesized by the sol-gel method.

Bioactive glasses (SiO2-P2O5-CaO) having tailored concentrations of different biocide metal ions (copper or silver) were produced by the sol-gel method. All the particles release phosphorous ions when immersed in water and simulated body fluid (SBF). Moreover, a surface layer of polycrystalline hydroxy-carbonate apatite was formed on the particle surfaces after 10 day immersion in SBF as confirmed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showing the bioactive materials.

Commercial biopreservatives combined with salt and sugar to control Listeria monocytogenes during smoked salmon processing.

Three commercial antimicrobials, applied during the salting stage in the preparation of cold-smoked salmon, were investigated for their effect on the behavior of Listeria monocytogenes. Fresh salmon inoculated with L. monocytogenes INIA 2530 was treated with three bacteriocin-based commercial biopreservatives, which were applied in combination with a salt-sugar mix.

Characterization of human upper airway epithelial progenitors.

Background: New epithelial cells are generated through the proliferation and differentiation of resident progenitor cells in the nasal cavity. In several upper airway diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and chronic rhinosinusitis, self-renewing progenitor cells may be functionally defective, or compromised in their ability, to regenerate cells that maintain normal mucociliary clearance. Herein, we describe our early work to define and characterize a rare population of human nasal epithelial putative progenitors.

Evaluation of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T-cell immunity for the assessment of the risk of active CMV infection in non-immunosuppressed surgical and trauma intensive care unit patients.

The current study was designed to assess the predictive value of the evaluation of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T-cell immunity early following admission to the intensive care unit for inferring the risk of active CMV infection in non-immunosuppressed surgical and trauma patients. A total of 31 CMV-seropositive patients were included. Patients were screened for the presence of CMV DNA in plasma and in tracheal aspirates by real-time PCR.

Helicobacter pylori-induced loss of survivin and gastric cell viability is attributable to secreted bacterial gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity.

Helicobacter pylori is the etiologic agent of a series of gastric pathologies that may culminate in the development of gastric adenocarcinoma. An initial step in this process is the loss of glandular structures in the gastric mucosa, presumably as the consequence of increased apoptosis and reduced cellular regeneration, which may be attributed to the combination of several bacterial and host factors and to an unfavorable proinflammatory environment. In a previous study, we showed that survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, is expressed in the normal human gastric mucosa and that its levels decrease in the mucosa of infected patients and in gastric cells exposed in culture to the bacteria, coincident with increased cell death in the latter case.

Frizzled-8 receptor is activated by the Wnt-2 ligand in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Wnt-2 plays an oncogenic role in cancer, but which Frizzled receptor(s) mediates the Wnt-2 signaling pathway in lung cancer remains unclear. We sought to (1) identify and evaluate the activation of Wnt-2 signaling through Frizzled-8 in non-small cell lung cancer, and (2) test whether a novel expression construct dominant negative Wnt-2 (dnhWnt-2) reduces tumor growth in a colony formation assay and in a xenograft mouse model.

Methods: Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to identify the expression of Wnt-2 and Frizzled-8 in 50 lung cancer tissues from patients.

Comparison of the MGIT 960, BACTEC 460 TB and solid media for isolation of Mycobacterium bovis in United States veterinary specimens.

Background: Bacteriologic culture remains one of the most important methods to diagnose bovine tuberculosis despite the lengthy incubation time, significant decontamination and media expense, and high biocontainment requirements. Media selection is an important determination of culture sensitivity, and the planned discontinuation of the BACTEC 460 TB culture system has challenged veterinary diagnostic laboratories to evaluate alternatives. At the National Veterinary Services Laboratories the BACTEC MGIT 960 and 4 solid media formulations were compared with the BACTEC 460 TB system on 6,795 veterinary diagnostic specimens submitted for Mycobacterium bovis culture.

Dietary supplementation of young broiler chickens with Capsicum and turmeric oleoresins increases resistance to necrotic enteritis.

The Clostridium-related poultry disease, necrotic enteritis (NE), causes substantial economic losses on a global scale. In the present study, a mixture of two plant-derived phytonutrients, Capsicum oleoresin and turmeric oleoresin (XT), was evaluated for its effects on local and systemic immune responses using a co-infection model of experimental NE in commercial broilers. Chickens were fed from hatch with a diet supplemented with XT, or with a non-supplemented control diet, and either uninfected or orally challenged with virulent Eimeria maxima oocysts at 14 d and Clostridium perfringens at 18 d of age.

RNA-dependent protein kinase is essential for 2-methoxyestradiol-induced autophagy in osteosarcoma cells.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in children and young adults. Surgical resection and adjunctive chemotherapy are the only widely available options of treatment for this disease. Anti-tumor compound 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME) triggers cell death through the induction of apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells, but not in normal osteoblasts.

Frequent detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in the lower respiratory tract in CMV-seropositive pediatric patients with underlying chronic bronchopulmonary diseases lacking canonical immunosuppression.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be a relevant cause of morbidity in patients displaying various inflammatory diseases. In this study, it was investigated whether CMV DNA is detected in the lower respiratory tract and the systemic compartment in pediatric patients with chronic or recurrent bronchopulmonary diseases. A total of 42 lower respiratory tract specimens and 11 paired plasma samples from 42 patients were analyzed for the presence of CMV DNA by real-time PCR.

How Financial Literacy Affects Household Wealth Accumulation.

This study isolates the causal effects of financial literacy and schooling on wealth accumulation using a new household dataset and an instrumental variables (IV) approach. Financial literacy and schooling attainment are both strongly positively associated with wealth outcomes in linear regression models, whereas the IV estimates reveal even more potent effects of financial literacy. They also indicate that the schooling effect only becomes positive when interacted with financial literacy.

Expression of dual oxidases and secreted cytokines in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background: The airway epithelium generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a first line of defense. Dual oxidases (DUOX1 and DUOX2) are the H2 O2 -producing isoforms of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase family in the airway epithelium. The purpose of this study was to explore the molecular expression, function, and regulation of DUOXs in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

Epstein-Barr virus DNAemia is an early surrogate marker of the net state of immunosuppresion in solid organ transplant recipients.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNAemia (EBVd) may be a surrogate marker of the net state of immunosuppression after solid organ transplantation (SOT).

Methods: A sample of 81 SOT recipients (53 renal, 21 liver, and 7 cardiac) from our institution (2003-2004) surviving more than 180 days was analyzed. EBVd was monitored in whole blood within the first 6 months using a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay.

Combined effect of sodium nitrite with high-pressure treatments on the inactivation of Escherichia coli BW25113 and Listeria monocytogenes NCTC 11994.

The bactericidal effect of acidified sodium nitrite alone or when combined with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment was examined with Escherichia coli BW25113 and Listeria monocytogenes NCTC 11994. A powerful synergistic effect of HHP plus nitrite was observed at pH 4·0, but not at higher pH values. Escherichia coli hmpA and norV mutants lacking defences against nitrosative stress were more sensitive to pressure combined with acidified sodium nitrite than the wild-type strain, suggesting an involvement of nitric oxide in the bactericidal effect.