Effect of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and high phytase doses on performance, vitamin D status, bone mineralization, and mechanistic target of rapamycin gene expression of broilers.

The use of exogenous phytase and vitamin D metabolites such as 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D) for poultry is well consolidated, but the potential for additive effects when supplementing both requires further investigation. This study investigated possible interactions between supplementation of 25-OH-D and high doses of phytase for broilers fed Ca- and P-deficient diets. A total of 1 200 one-d-old male broiler chicks were randomly allocated from one of four dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: 600 or 2 000 phytase units (FYT)/kg and with or without the inclusion of 25-OH-D at 69 µg/kg, with 12 replicates of 25 broilers each.

Biomarkers.

Background: Blood-based biomarkers are gaining attention lately, and recent evidence supports the potential role of ADAM10 as an Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker. However, most available information on these biomarkers comes from high-income countries, where the population is usually highly educated. The influence of years of education (YoE) and older age on cognitive performance is well described in the literature, and they are risk factors for dementia.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) share characteristics, such as low education, that increase the risk of dementia among their population. Critically, around 70% of the cases of dementia in LMICs are underdiagnosed. Understanding factors contributing to older adults' cognitive performance may support healthcare professionals from these countries in their decision-making process when screening for cognitive decline in their communities.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Informal care of older adults impacts the lives of millions worldwide. Critically, low- and middle-income countries have the highest proportion of dementia costs related to informal care. Research suggests that older adults' cognitive decline is associated with burden among caregivers, which corroborates the worsening in caregivers' quality of life and mental health.