Fractionation involving Lignocellulosic Biomass while using the OrganoCat Method

Mucus and variable numbers of ciliated epithelial cells were commonly present. Rarely, multinucleated macrophages and mastocytes were also observed. The reference intervals established in this study provide a useful baseline for the assessment of BAL cytological data in cynomolgus macaques.Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) results from interactions between pathogens, environmental stressors, and host factors. Obtaining a diagnosis of the causal pathogens is challenging but the use of high-throughput real-time PCR (rtPCR) may help target preventive and therapeutic interventions. The aim of this study was to improve the interpretation of rtPCR results by analysing their associations with clinical observations. The objective was to develop and illustrate a field-data driven statistical method to guide the selection of relevant quantification cycle cut-off values for pathogens associated with BRD for the high-throughput rtPCR system "Fluidigm BioMark HD" based on nasal swabs from calves. We used data from 36 herds enrolled in a Danish field study where 340 calves within pre-determined age-groups were subject to clinical examination and nasal swabs up to four times. The samples were analysed with the rtPCR system. Each of the 1,025 observation units were classified as sick with BRD or healthy, based on clinical scores. The optimal rtPCR results to predict BRD were investigated for Pasteurella multocida, Mycoplasma bovis, Histophilus somni, Mannheimia haemolytica, and Trueperella pyogenes by interpreting scatterplots and results of mixed effects logistic regression models. The clinically relevant rtPCR cut-off suggested for P. multocida and M. bovis was ≤ 21.3. For H. somni it was ≤ 17.4, while no cut-off could be determined for M. haemolytica and T. pyogenes. The demonstrated approach can provide objective support in the choice of clinically relevant cut-offs. However, for robust performance of the regression model sufficient amounts of suitable data are required.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is characterized by low temperatures and hypoxia, and this feature is more obvious in the winter. However, it is not clear how Tibetan sheep adapt to extreme cold climates. To address this, we used physiological methods combined with next-generation sequencing technology to explore the differences in growth performance, forage nutrient digestion, serum biochemical indexes, and rumen microbial communities of Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) between the summer and winter. In the summer, owing to the high nutritional quality of the forage, the Tibetan sheep showed enhanced forage degradation and fermentation though increased counts of important bacteria in the rumen, such as Bacteroidetes, Prevotella_1, Prevotellaceae_UCG-003, Ruminococcus_1, Saccharofermentans, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, to improve the growth performance and increase serum immunity and antioxidant status. In the winter, owing to the low nutritional quality of the forage, the Tibetan sheep presented low values of forage degradation and fermentation indicators. The relative abundance of Firmicutes, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, microbial diversity, interactive activity between microorganisms, and metabolism were significantly increased, implying that the rumen microbiota could promote the decomposition of forage biomass and the maintenance of energy when forage nutritional value was insufficient in the winter. Our study helps in elucidating the mechanism by which Tibetan sheep adapt to the high-altitude harsh environments, from the perspective of the rumen microbiota.Aquaculture is a fast-growing animal food sector, and freshwater fish farming is particularly common in Central and Eastern Europe. As the biodiversity of fishery ponds is changed toward fulfilling the industrial needs, precautions should be taken to keep the system sustainable and protect the adjacent environment from possible damage. Due to risk of infectious diseases, antibiotics are used in aquaculture production systems. The constant exposure to antimicrobials can contribute to the rise of antibiotic resistance in aquaculture products and the adjacent ecosystems, with possibility of dissemination to the wider environment as well as between animals and humans. Even though previous studies have found antibiotic resistance genes in the sediments and water of farming ponds, the tendency and direction of spreading is not clear yet. The objective of this project was to evaluate the influence of intensive fish farming on the condition of water bodies used for the aquaculture and the environment, concentrating on the impact of the aquaculture on the surrounding water ecosystems as well as the possibility of transferring the pollutants and antibiotic resistance genes to both environment and the human hosts. Combined measurement of antibiotic and heavy metal contamination, toxicity assessment, microorganism diversity, and the detection of common antibiotic resistance genes was performed in the sediments of one fishery farm ponds as well as sampling points upstream and downstream. All the tested sediment samples did not show significantly elevated heavy metal concentrations and no substantial veterinary antibiotic pollution. From the antibiotic resistance genes tested, the presence of aminoglycoside and β-lactam resistance determinants as well as the presence of integrons could be of concern for the possibility of transfer to humans. However, despite the lack of heavy metal and antibiotic pollution, the sediments showed toxicity, the cause of which should be explored more.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of diet and age on finishing performances and carcass characteristics of male Creole goats. A total of 91 weaned male Creole kids [84 days old ± 7 days, 9.2 kg live weight (LW) ± 0.5 kg] were randomly allocated in a 2 × 3 experimental design. The animals were fed individually with two diets C0 a 28-day-old Digitaria decubens grass alone, or C50 the same grass plus a commercial concentrate (50% of the total diet) and then slaughtered at 7, 11, or 15 months of age. Entinostat Significant feeding regimen and age at slaughter effects were observed on the goat carcass characteristics. The addition of concentrate improved the average daily gain (ADG), the dressing percentage, and the conformation score (1-5 scale) from 46 to 88 g/day, 52.8 to 62.4%, and 2.2 to 4.9, respectively. Moreover, carcasses of the C0 group appeared lean with less developed fat than the C50 group and lighter than visceral fat. The meat color was significantly more affected by diet than age. Our data suggested that the production of heavy carcasses with low proportions of fat in the meat is possible in this local breed.