Feeding corn germ instead of corn grain on the performance of Holstein dairy cows fed low-forage diet and human-edible feed conversion efficiency

Using corn germ (CG) instead of corn grain could maintain dairy cow performance and might increase the efficiency of human food production. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing corn grain with CG on the performance, nutrient intake, and digestibility of dairy cows. It also aimed to investigate the effect of CG on the efficiency of human food production in high-producing Holstein dairy cows in early lactation. Nine multiparous Holstein cows with 65.6 ± 8.5 DIM, milk yield of 55.6 ± 4.5 kg/d, and body weight of 611.3 ± 43.3 kg (mean ± SD) were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design with 21-d periods. Treatments were (1) control treatment (CT, diet contains corn grain), (2) alternative treatment (AT, diet where corn grain was replaced with CG), and (3) balanced treatment (BT, diet where corn grain was replaced with CG but with the same energy content as CT). Control and balanced diets were isoenergetic (6.61 MJ/kg of DM); however, AT had higher energy (6.77 MJ/kg of DM). Treatments had no effect on dry and organic matter intake. NDF intake, however, was higher in CG diets compared with CT (P = 0.0001). Total-tract digestibility of DM tended to be reduced (P = 0.08), and OM digestibility was reduced (P = 0.05) by the inclusion of CG in diets. Whole and energy-corrected milk production were greater in AT compared with CT and BT (P < 0.05). Milk yield was similar in cows fed CT and BT. Treatments had no effect on milk composition or feed efficiency. Diet CT, when compared with CG diets, had lower efficiency in terms of human-edible feed conversion efficiency (HeFCE) and net food production (P < 0.05). Diet BT had greater HeFCE and net production of human-edible CP than AT (P < 0.05). Plasma BHBA, non-esterified fatty acids, and glucose concentrations were not affected by treatments, but plasma cholesterol was higher in cows that consumed CG diets (P = 0.04). The results indicate that, in high-producing early lactation dairy cows fed high concentrate diets, net food protein production can be substantially improved without lowering milk production through the reduction of dietary starch from 30.2 to 24.8% by replacing corn grain with CG.     

Role of thrombin in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is an arterial disease associated with inflammation. Thrombin is a procoagulant and proinflammatory serine protease that contributes to the pathology of atherosclerosis by enhancing the expression of cell adhesion molecules, inducing the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, activating inflammatory responses in atherosclerotic plaques, stimulating proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cells, and exacerbating vascular lesions at sites of injury. Hence, thrombin appears to be an important target for treatment of atherosclerosis and thrombin pharmacological inhibitors have significant therapeutic potency for suppressing inflammatory responses in cardiovascular diseases. This review summarizes the proinflammatory signaling functions of thrombin as well as the therapeutic potency of thrombin inhibitors in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and hence their potential therapeutic value in this condition.     

The potential role of regulatory microRNAs of RAS/MAPK signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Dysregulation of RAS/MAPK signaling axis is frequently found in CRC patients. The RAS/MAPK axis regulates cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, migration, and metastasis. Oncogenic or tumor-suppressor microRNAs (miRNAs) for RAS/MAPK signaling play a key role in the pathogenesis of CRC and are considered as novel potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of human malignancies. This review summarizes the current knowledge of mechanisms of action of RAS/MAPK miRNAs in the development and progression of CRC for a better understanding and hence a better management of this disease.     

Curcumin nanofibers for the purpose of wound healing

Poor wound healing is a highly prevalent clinical problem with, as yet, no entirely satisfactory solution. A new technique, termed electrospinning, may provide a solution to improve wound healing. Due to their large surface area to volume ratio and porosity, the nanofibers created by electrospinning are able to deliver sustained drug release and oxygen to the wound. Using different types of polymers with varying properties helps strengthening nanofiber and exudates absorption. The nanofibers appear to have an ideal structure applicable for wound healing and, in combination with curcumin, can blend the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of curcumin into a highly effective wound dressing. The use of suitable curcumin solvents and the slow release of curcumin from the nanofiber help in overcoming the known limitations of curcumin, specifically its low stability and limited bioavailability. Here, we review the studies which have been done on synthesized nanofibers containing curcumin, produced by the electrospinning technique, for the purpose of wound healing.     

Bioaugmentation and coexistence of two functionally similar bacterial strains in aerobic granules

The survival of the inoculated microbial culture is critical for successful bioaugmentation but impossible to predict precisely. As an alternative strategy, bioaugmentation of a group of microorganisms may improve reliability of bioaugmentation. This study evaluated simultaneous bioaugmentation of two functionally similar bacterial strains in aerobic granules. The two strains, Pandoraea sp. PG-01 and Rhodococcus erythropolis PG-03, showed high phenol degradation and growth rates in phenol medium, but they were characterized as having a poor aggregation activity and weak bioflocculant-producing and biofilm-forming abilities. In the spatially homogeneous batch conditions, strain PG-01 with higher growth rates outcompeted strain PG-03. However, the two strains could stably coexist in the spatially heterogeneous conditions. Then the two strains were mixed and bioaugmented into activated sludge in two sequencing batch reactors, which were operated with the different settling times of 5 and 30 min, respectively. Aerobic granules were developed only in the reactor with a settling time of 5 min. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis showed that the two strains could coexist in aerobic granules but not in activated sludge. These findings suggested that the compact structure of aerobic granules provided spatial isolation for coexistence of competitively superior and inferior strains with similar functions.     

Distribution and impact of virus associated diseases of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in northern Iran

Different viral diseases infect common bean crops in Iran. A total of 248 symptomatic samples were collected from common bean fields throughout main growing fields of Guilan province in Iran during the summer of 2006. Eight viruses were detected using double antibody-sandwich – enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA). Bean common mosaic virus – BCMV (1%), Bean leaf roll virus – BLRV (9%), Cowpea mild mottle virus – CpMMV (6%), Southern bean mosaic virus – SBMV (3%), Cucumber mosaic virus – CMV (15%), Bean golden mosaic virus – BGMV (2%), Bean common mosaic necrosis virus – BCMNV (1%) and Bean yellow mosaic virus – BYMV (1%) were detected. Comparatively CMV (15%) was found to be more prevalent in Guilan province. Multiple infections of viruses were recorded in many samples. Weed species belonging to Chenopodiaceae, Solanaceae, Malvaceae and Amaranthaceae families were also found to be infected with the viruses.     

Evaluation of functional RAGE gene polymorphisms in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia—A case-control study from Iran

We examined the possible relationship between three RAGE polymorphisms, ?429C/T, ?374 T/A, and 63-bp deletion, and susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in an Iranian population. This study included 75 ALL patients and 115 healthy subjects. Genotyping was performed using HEXA-ARMS-polymerase chain reaction. We found no significant association among RAGE gene polymorphisms and the risk for ALL at genotype, allelic and haplotype levels (P > 0.05). The hemoglobin levels were higher in patients with RAGE ?374 TT than in the TA carriers (P = 0.019). Our results demonstrated that the RAGE gene variations were not associated with risk of pediatrics ALL.     

Infection with the Lyme disease pathogen suppresses innate immunity in mice with diet‐induced obesity

Obesity is a major global public health concern. Immune responses implicated in obesity also control certain infections. We investigated the effects of high‐fat diet‐induced obesity (DIO) on infection with the Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi in mice. DIO was associated with systemic suppression of neutrophil‐ and macrophage‐based innate immune responses. These included bacterial uptake and cytokine production, and systemic, progressive impairment of bacterial clearance, and increased carditis severity. B. burgdorferi‐infected mice fed normal diet also gained weight at the same rate as uninfected mice fed high‐fat diet, toll‐like receptor 4 deficiency rescued bacterial clearance defects, which greater in female than male mice, and killing of an unrelated bacterium (Escherichia coli) by bone marrow‐derived macrophages from obese, B. burgdorferi‐infected mice was also affected. Importantly, innate immune suppression increased with infection duration and depended on cooperative and synergistic interactions between DIO and B. burgdorferi infection. Thus, obesity and B. burgdorferi infection cooperatively and progressively suppressed innate immunity in mice.     

Chromium Supplementation Can Alleviate the Negative Effects of Heat Stress on Growth Performance,Carcass Traits,and Meat Lipid Oxidation of Broiler Chicks without Any Adverse Impacts on Blood Constituents

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with Cr nicotinate and Cr chloride and their optimum inclusion rate on performance, carcass traits, meat oxidative stability, serum metabolites, hematological parameters, and liver chromium concentration in heat-stressed broilers. A total number of 420, 1-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to seven treatments with four replicates of 15 chicks. The dietary treatments consisted of the basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 500, 1,000, and 1,500 μg/kg Cr in the form of Cr nicotinate and Cr chloride. Chicks were raised for 6 weeks in heat stress condition (33 ± 2°C). Supplements of organic and inorganic Cr particularly at 1,500 μg/kg incorporation increased feed consumption (P < 0.05) and body mass gain of broilers (P < 0.01). Cr supplementation increased carcass yield and decreased abdominal fat (P < 0.01). Supplementation of 1,500 μg/kg Cr nicotinate (P < 0.05) enhanced liver Cr concentration. Storage time increased lipid oxidation of meat (P < 0.01). Cr decreased lipid oxidation of breast and thigh muscles over 2 (P < 0.01) or 6 (P < 0.05) days of storage time. Birds fed 1,500 μg/kg Cr nicotinate, had lower concentration of serum glucose and triglyceride at 21 days (P < 0.05). Hematological parameters tested at 21 and 42 days, were not influenced. The results suggested that dietary Cr supplementation regardless of its source have a positive effect on productive, and carcass traits, also enhances oxidative stability of refrigerated meat in broilers reared under heat stress conditions.     

Effects of Cadmium,Copper, Lead,and Zinc Contamination on Metal Accumulation by Safflower and Wheat

Accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in cultivated soils is a continuing environmental problem in many parts of the world. An increase in HM concentration can enhance uptake of toxic metals by crops and enter the human food chain. In this study, the uptake behavior of wheat and safflower was evaluated in a calcareous soil by using 12 undisturbed columns in which half were artificially contaminated. Heavy metals in the form of CdCl₂ (15 mg Cd kg^{? 1}), CuSO₄ (585 mg Cu kg^{? 1}), Pb(NO₃)₂ (117 mg Pb kg^{? 1}), and ZnCl₂ (1094 mg Zn kg^{? 1}) were sprayed on the soil surface and completely mixed in the top 10 cm. The background total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were 1.6, 29.5, 17.5 and 61.2 mg kg^{? 1}, respectively. After metal application, half of the columns (3 contaminated and 3 uncontaminated) were sown with wheat (Triticum aestivum) and the other half with safflower (Carthamus tinctorious) and grown for 74 days until maturity. After harvesting, soil columns were cut into 10-cm sections and analyzed for HNO₃- and DTPA-extractable metal concentrations. Metal concentrations were also measured in different plant tissues. The results showed that artificial contamination of topsoil decreased the transpiration rate of wheat by 12% and that of safflower by 6%. In contaminated columns, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn accumulation in wheat shoot was greater by 8.0-, 1.9-, 3.0-, and 2.1-fold than the control, respectively. Accordingly, these numbers were 46.0-, 1.3-, 1.7-, and 1.6-fold in safflower shoot. Soil contamination with HMs resulted in a 55% decrease in shoot dry matter yield of wheat while it had no significant effect on shoot dry matter of safflower. The normalized water consumption for safflower was therefore not affected by metal contamination (≈ 13 mm H₂O g^{? 1} of dry weight for all safflower and uncontaminated wheat treatments), while contaminated wheat was much less water efficient at about 27 mm H₂O g^{? 1} dry weight. It was concluded that although artificial contamination had a negative effect on wheat growth, it did not affect safflower's normal growth and water efficiency.