An improved organotypic cell culture system to study tissue-resident macrophages .

Tissue-resident macrophages (TRMs) perform organ-specific functions that are dependent on factors such as hematopoietic origin, local environment, and biological influences. A diverse range of culture systems have been developed to decipher TRM functions, including bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived TRMs, or immortalized cell lines. However, despite the usefulness of such systems, there are notable limitations.

Quantitative determination of the phosphorus environment in lithium aluminosilicate glasses using solid-state NMR techniques.

We investigated using solid-state NMR spectroscopy the short-range structural features in lithium aluminosilicate glasses with the addition of P2O5 and considering various Al2O3/Li2O ratios. The phosphorus environment is determined quantitatively using 31P Magic Angle Spinning NMR constrained by results obtained from 31P-27Al Multiple-Quantum Coherence-based NMR techniques. Phosphorus is mainly located as orthophosphate and pyrophosphate species in glasses with a low amount of Al2O3.

Effects of Different Papua New Guinea Sweetpotato Varieties on Performance and Level of Enteric Pathogens in Chickens.

In the last decade, research has targeted the evaluation of local feed ingredients for use in monogastric diets to alleviate the high cost of production of livestock at smallholder levels in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The PNG smallholder poultry production system involves many families who rear multiple batches of meat birds every year. This study was conducted to evaluate the levels of enteric pathogens in the caeca of broilers fed with sweetpotato diets with varying levels of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP).

Demographics and practices of semi-intensive free-range farming systems in Australia with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare.

Baseline information on demographics and practices on semi-intensive free-range egg farms with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare in Australia is presented. Free-range egg production is changing the structure of the egg industry in Australia and a broad variety and tiers of free-range systems have emerged due to lack of concrete legislative standards on outdoor stocking densities in the past. Information was extracted from a pre-existing online free-range poultry survey dataset, consisting of a total of 79 questions related to nutrition, pasture management, welfare and health, animal housing, environmental impact and economics.

Evaluation of the effects of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) in broiler diets.

Cereal grains such as maize and wheat are used extensively in feed formulations for poultry as the primary source of carbohydrates. High cost of these grains in many developing countries necessitates the evaluation of other ingredients that are grown locally. Sweet potato is one such crop.