A systematic study of sheep faeces to be used as an alternative inoculum source in the Hohenheim gas test.

studies of gas production (GP) using rumen fluid obtained from rumen-cannulated animals are common in feed evaluation for ruminants. The objective was to compare sheep faeces with rumen fluid from dairy cows as inocula in the Hohenheim gas test (HGT) using a large number of different-quality feeds. It then was evaluated whether GP obtained by using rumen inoculum (RI-GP) can be estimated from GP using faecal inoculum (FI-GP).

The effect of , , and on ruminal methanogenesis and metagenomic functional profiles .

Unlabelled: The ruminant-microorganism symbiosis is unique by providing high-quality food from fibrous materials but also contributes to the production of one of the most potent greenhouse gases-methane. Mitigating methanogenesis in ruminants has been a focus of interest in the past decades. One of the promising strategies to combat methane production is the use of feed supplements, such as seaweeds, that might mitigate methanogenesis via microbiome modulation and direct chemical inhibition.

Microbial incubations of 8-phenyloctanoic acid and furan fatty acids in rumen fluid.

Aims: The digestive tract of ruminants is specialized in the digestion of various plant components. One of the largest parts of the stomach is the so-called rumen, which contains a large number of micro-organisms that may degrade or modify fatty acids, for example by β-oxidation, chain elongation and/or hydrogenation.

Methods And Results: Here we performed incubation experiments with less common fatty acids by in vitro incubations with rumen fluid of fistulated cows for 24 h.

Methane Reduction Potential of Brown Seaweeds and Their Influence on Nutrient Degradation and Microbiota Composition in a Rumen Simulation Technique.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of two brown Icelandic seaweed samples ( and ) on methane production, nutrient degradation, and microbiota composition. A total mixed ration (TMR) was incubated alone as control or together with each seaweed at two inclusion levels (2.5 and 5.

SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell epitope repertoire in convalescent and mRNA-vaccinated individuals.

Continuously emerging variants of concern (VOCs) sustain the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron/B.1.

Pre-existing immunity and vaccine history determine hemagglutinin-specific CD4 T cell and IgG response following seasonal influenza vaccination.

Effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccination varies between individuals and might be affected by vaccination history among other factors. Here we show, by monitoring frequencies of CD4 T cells specific to the conserved hemagglutinin epitope HA and titres of IgG against the corresponding recombinant hemagglutinin protein, that antigen-specific CD4 T cell and antibody responses are closely linked to pre-existing immunity and vaccine history. Upon immunization, a strong early reaction is observed in all vaccine naïve participants and also in vaccine experienced individuals who have not received the respective seasonal vaccine in the previous year.

Th1-Biased Hepatitis C Virus-Specific Follicular T Helper-Like Cells Effectively Support B Cells After Antiviral Therapy.

Circulating Th1-biased follicular T helper (cTfh1) cells have been associated with antibody responses to viral infection and after vaccination but their B cell helper functionality is less understood. After viral elimination, Tfh1 cells are the dominant subset within circulating Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-specific CD4 T cells, but their functional capacity is currently unknown. To address this important point, we established a clone-based system to evaluate CD4 T cell functionality to overcome experimental limitations associated with their low frequencies.

Rapid and stable mobilization of CD8 T cells by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine.

SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccines mediate protection from severe disease as early as ten days after prime vaccination, when neutralizing antibodies are hardly detectable. Vaccine-induced CD8 T cells may therefore be the main mediators of protection at this early stage. The details of their induction, comparison to natural infection, and association with other arms of vaccine-induced immunity remain, however, incompletely understood.

Characterization of pre-existing and induced SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 T cells.

Emerging data indicate that SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 T cells targeting different viral proteins are detectable in up to 70% of convalescent individuals. However, very little information is currently available about the abundance, phenotype, functional capacity and fate of pre-existing and induced SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 T cell responses during the natural course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we define a set of optimal and dominant SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 T cell epitopes.

Ustekinumab Inhibits T Follicular Helper Cell Differentiation in Patients With Crohn's Disease.

Background & Aims: The pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis) involves dysregulated TH1 and TH17 cell responses, which can be targeted therapeutically by the monoclonal antibody Ustekinumab directed against the joint p40 subunit of IL-12 and IL-23. These cytokines may also regulate the differentiation of T follicular helper (TFH) cells, which promote B cell function in germinal centers. However, the role of TFH cells in CD pathogenesis and impact of Ustekinumab therapy on TFH cell fate in patients are poorly defined.

OX40 stimulation and PD-L1 blockade synergistically augment HBV-specific CD4 T cells in patients with HBeAg-negative infection.

Background & Aims: Current antiviral therapies lack the potential to eliminate persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. HBV-specific T cells are crucial for HBV control and have recently been shown to be protective in patients following discontinuation of antiviral therapy. Thus, T cell-based approaches may greatly improve the therapeutic landscape of HBV infection.

Variability in nutrient composition and in vitro crude protein digestibility of 16 microalgae products.

The chemical composition of 16 microalgae products of four genera, Arthrospira (n = 2), Chlorella (n = 8), Nannochloropsis (n = 4) and Phaeodactylum (n = 2), was assayed to evaluate the intra- and inter-genera variation of nutrient profiles of commercial microalgae products. Crude protein was the main component in all genera, followed by ether extract and crude ash. Mean crude protein concentrations were 690, 502, 431 and 446 g/kg dry matter, and mean ether extract concentrations were 63, 157, 188 and 113 g/kg dry matter for Arthrospira, Chlorella, Nannochloropsis and Phaeodactylum respectively.

Expression and Regulation of S100 Fused-Type Protein Hornerin at the Ocular Surface and Lacrimal Apparatus.

Purpose: The S100 fused-type proteins hornerin (HRNR) and filaggrin-2 (FLG2) are members of the epidermal differentiation complex, which is involved in terminal differentiation of keratinocytes via cornification as well as maintenance of the epidermal antimicrobial barrier. We investigated the expression and possible regulation of HRNR and FLG2 at the ocular surface and in the lacrimal apparatus.

Methods: Tissues of the lacrimal apparatus and ocular surface were analyzed systematically by means of RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and immuntransmission electron microscopy (iTEM) for their ability to express and produce HRNR and FLG2.

Teaching to Relax: Development of a Program to Potentiate Stress-Results of a Feasibility Study with Medical Undergraduate Students.

Medical students are a population at risk for the development of stress-related risk states (e.g. burnout) and manifest mental disorders (e.

Strategies against burnout and anxiety in medical education--implementation and evaluation of a new course on relaxation techniques (Relacs) for medical students.

Burnout and stress-related mental disorders (depression, anxiety) occur in medical students and physicians with a significantly higher prevalence than in the general population. At the same time, the learning of coping mechanisms against stress is still not an integral part of medical education. In this pilot study we developed an elective course for learning relaxation techniques and examined the condition of the students before and after the course.