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This study was conducted at the Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture, University of Kirkuk, from 7/24/2023 to 10/1/2023, with One hundred 28-weeks-old birds were used, distributed randomly among five treatments, twenty birds for each treatment, and placed in production batteries inside a hall. The birds from each treatment were distributed into five replicates, with four birds per replicate. The five treatments were: T1=100% limestone + 0% eggshell powder, T2= 75% limestone + 25% eggshell powder, T3= 50%limestone + 50% eggshell powder, T4= 25% limestone + 75% eggshell powder, T5= 0% limestone + 100% eggshell powder. The egg shell was boiled, washed, dried in the sun for 3 days, broken and crushed, and mixed with the feed. The study found that adding different levels of eggshell powder significantly affected egg weight, egg number, and egg production (HD). However, it disagreed with previous studies that found adding different recourse and concentration of calcium in layers’ diet did not significantly impact HD.

This experiment was conducted in the fields of the Animal Production department - College of Agriculture - University of Kirkuk, from 7/24/2023 until 10/1/2023. 140 laying hens, 28 weeks old, were used. The birds were randomly distributed into 7 treatments. Each treatment included 5 replicates, with 4 birds per replicate. T1: control treatment. T2: control diet with the addition of pomegranate peel powder at a concentration of 1 g/kg feed. T3: control diet with the addition of pomegranate peel powder at a concentration of 2 g/kg feed. T4: control diet with the addition of ginger tuber powder at a concentration of 1 g/kg feed. T5: control diet with the addition of ginger tuber powder at a concentration of 2 g/kg feed. T6: control diet with the addition of pomegranate peel powder at a concentration of 0.5 g/kg feed + 0.5 g/kg feed ginger tuber powder. T7: control diet with the addition of pomegranate peel powder at a concentration of 1 g/kg feed + 1 g/kg feed ginger tuber powder. In the end of the experiment, blood was withdrawn from chicken for testing. The data was analyzed statistically using SAS, and the differences between the means were tested using the Duncan test at the probability level (P

Shift in laying hens housing from conventional cage-based systems to alternatives has impacted their health and performance. Microorganisms colonize young chick in the early stages of their physiological and immune development. These colonizing microbes originate from parent and the environment. Escherichia coli is among the normal gut colonizing bacteria however, some E. coli strains known as avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), cause local or systemic infections (colibacillosis) responsible of significant economic losses to the poultry industry. Potential APEC strains and other poultry gut microbiota are influenced by several factors such as housing system, and the use of feed additives (prebiotics, probiotics, symbiotic, among others). This review will discuss the status of pullets and layers immunity, gut health, and predisposing factors of colibacillosis. Dietary interventions and some colibacillosis mitigation strategies in pullets and laying hens are reviewed and discussed. With the development of sequencing technologies and the use of feed additives as alternatives to antibiotics, future studies need to understand some of the complex associations between the feed additives, the rearing environment, and their selective pressure on gut microbiota, including E. coli, and their impacts on immune development in pullets and hens.

The aim of this study was to investigating the effects of partially replacing the commercial soybean meal (SBM) by locally produced raw, full-fat soybean (RFFSB) in diets of layers. After cleaning, the tested ingredient (RFFSB) was hammered to pass through a 0.2-mm sieve. Then, four experimental diets were formulated by replacing the SBM by RFFSB at 0, 15, 30 or 45% (equivalents to 0, 30, 60 or 90 g/kg of diet, respectively). Before the commencement of this feeding trial, birds were uniformly managed and fed as per their requirements (i.e., starter, grower and pullet diets). This feeding trial was started when birds’ age was 24 weeks. Every treatment was replicated 4 times and 17 laying birds per replicate. The results revealed that replacing the commercial SBM by raw soybean (up to 45%) in the layer diets had no negative effects on the final live BWT and also on the vital organ developments, such as pancreas, duodenum, intestines and gizzard. Hen-day egg production, hen-housed egg production and egg quality measuring parameters were not significant affected by that of partially replacing the commercially SBM by the raw soybean. It is concluded that without compromising the productivity and health, a hammered RFFSB can replace (up to 45%) the commercial SBM in diets of the laying hens.

Carla de Sanctis Pecora Dermatologie Private Practice, São Paulo, BrazilCorrespondence: Carla de Sanctis Pecora, Dermatologie Private Practice, Avenida Dr. Cardoso de Melo, 1308, conj 121, São Paulo, 04548-004, Brazil, Tel +5511 99621-9162, Email carla@dermatologie.com.brAbstract: Restructuring an aging face from bone structure to the surface of the skin can be metaphorically compared to building and renovating a house. While each anatomical layer of the face undergoes an aging process of its own, there is also an interdependency of superficial structures on deeper layers, so that a change in one layer may lead to changes to the adjacent layers. This interaction among the structures deep into the skin, along with the skin’s ability to envelope them is what determine the aspect of the aging face. Thus, a careful assessment of all the layers is imperative and we describe herein a step-by-step facial layering assessment and facial restructuring approach from bone structure to the surface of the skin to implement a treatment plan able to deliver a harmonious rejuvenating outcome.Keywords: layers, assessment, anatomy, aging process, combined treatment

SUMMARY: This study examines how the combination of layer breeder age and oxygen concentration in the incubator impacts Chorioallantoic (CAM) vascularization, embryo and chick organs, blood profiles, and organ histology at hatch. Nine hundred (900) eggs from 33 to 50 wk ISA breeders were incubated at different O2 levels (15%, 17%, and 21%). Results showed significant interactions between breeder age and oxygen levels, affecting liver and heart weights, blood indices, and CAM vascularity. Hypoxic conditions led to adaptive changes in embryonic organs, with notable differences between breeder age groups, suggesting that mild hypoxia can influence compensatory growth, depending on exposure stages.

This study was conducted to assess the effects of the supplementation of a multicarbohydrase-phytase complex (MCP) which contains xylanase, glucanase, arabinofuranosidase, and superdose phytase, and a combination of a xylanase-glucanase and a phytase (XGP) products in a corn-soybean diet with reduced apparent metabolizable energy (AME), digestible amino acids (DAA), and minerals (calcium and phosphorus) on egg production performance, egg quality, and economics of laying hens. Dekalb White layers (n = 480, BW = 1.56 ± 0.03 kg, 42 weeks old) with a mean hen-day egg production rate of 91.43 ± 1.31% were assigned to four diets with 15 replicates of eight layers per group: standard layer diet (SLD), low-density diet 1-(LD1, SLD less 65 kcal/kg AME, 2% DAA, 0.20% Ca, and 0.15% P) + MCP (0.01%), low-density diet 2-(LD2, SLD less 85 kcal/kg AME, 4% DAA, 0.20% Ca, and P) + MCP (0.01%), and LD2 + XGP (0.01% XG and 0.015% P). Diets supplemented with MCP and XGP had comparable production and egg quality to SLD. The LD1 + MCP, LD2 + MCP, and LD2 + XGP had a poor feed conversion ratio (FCR) and a higher mean daily feed intake (FI) than SLD. Eggshells were thicker for LD1 + MCP and LD2 + MCP than SLD and LD2 + XGP from 58 to 61 weeks of age. The income over feed cost (IOFC) was similar among layers fed the test diets. The findings indicated that enzyme supplementation compensated satisfactorily for the reduced amount of DAA and minerals in the diet. Reduction of 65–85 kcal/kg AME caused an adverse effect on FCR and FI of layers.

Abstract Background The gut microbiota influences chicken health, welfare, and productivity. A diverse and balanced microbiota has been associated with improved growth, efficient feed utilisation, a well-developed immune system, disease resistance, and stress tolerance in chickens. Previous studies on chicken gut microbiota have predominantly focused on broiler chickens and have usually been limited to one or two sections of the digestive system, under controlled research environments, and often sampled at a single time point. To extend these studies, this investigation examined the microbiota of commercially raised layer chickens across all major gut sections of the digestive system and with regular sampling from rearing to the end of production at 80 weeks. The aim was to build a detailed picture of microbiota development across the entire digestive system of layer chickens and study spatial and temporal dynamics. Results The taxonomic composition of gut microbiota differed significantly between birds in the rearing and production stages, indicating a shift after laying onset. Similar microbiota compositions were observed between proventriculus and gizzard, as well as between jejunum and ileum, likely due to their anatomical proximity. Lactobacillus dominated the upper gut in pullets and the lower gut in older birds. The oesophagus had a high proportion of Proteobacteria, including opportunistic pathogens such as Gallibacterium. Relative abundance of Gallibacterium increased after peak production in multiple gut sections. Aeriscardovia was enriched in the late-lay phase compared to younger birds in multiple gut sections. Age influenced microbial richness and diversity in different organs. The upper gut showed decreased diversity over time, possibly influenced by dietary changes, while the lower gut, specifically cecum and colon, displayed increased richness as birds matured. However, age-related changes were inconsistent across all organs, suggesting the influence of organ-specific factors in microbiota maturation. Conclusion Addressing a gap in previous research, this study explored the microbiota across all major gut sections and tracked their dynamics from rearing to the end of the production cycle in commercially raised layer chickens. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of microbiota structure and development which help to develop targeted strategies to optimise gut health and overall productivity in poultry production.

AbstractGrape by-products represent outstanding alternatives to replace conventional and unsustainable feed sources, given the substantial quantities generated annually by the winery industry. Regrettably, the majority of these by-products are wasted, resulting in significant environmental and economic repercussions. This study was conducted to assess the growth performance, feed efficiency, egg production and quality, lipid peroxidation, fertility and hatchability of reproductive laying hens during their early production stage. A total of 720 golden laying hens, all approximately 25 weeks old and with similar body weights, were randomly assigned to four experimental treatments (six replicates) as follows: control group receiving only the standard diet, (2) a group receiving the standard diet supplemented with grape seed extract at a rate of 250 g/kg (GSE1), (3) a group receiving the standarddiet supplemented with grape seed extract at a rate of 500 g/kg (GSE2), and (4) a group receiving the standarddiet supplemented with grape seed extract at a rate of 750 g/kg (GSE3). There were no significant change (p > 0.05) in feed intak, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio between the control and the experimental groups. Egg weight, egg shell thickness and egg shell weight were significantly (p

Given the significant environmental consequences of current poultry feed practices and the heavy dependence of the European Union on imported soybeans, studying alternatives is crucial. This study evaluated the potential benefits of using locally sourced alternative plant-based ingredients and whole dry black soldier fly larvae in the diet of laying hens. The experiment involved 120 Isazul hens at 23 weeks old, which were divided into three groups with five replicates each (eight hens per replicate): a control diet (CON) based on soybean meal and cereals, an alternative diet (ALT) replacing the soybean meal with locally sourced plant-based resources (peas, distillers’ dried grains with solubles, and sunflower meal), and the ALT diet supplemented with 5% whole dry black soldier fly larvae (ALT+DBSFL). Over 15 weeks, the hens were fed ad libitum, and the production performance, egg quality, and plasma biochemical parameters were assessed across three experimental sub-periods. The results showed no significant differences in body weight, feed intake, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, or feed conversion ratio across the diets (p > 0.05). The egg quality remained consistent across all the groups; however, the hens fed the ALT+DBSFL diet exhibited higher Haugh units in the first experimental sub-period (p < 0.05) and lower plasma cholesterol and triglycerides at 32 weeks of age (p < 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that incorporating these alternative ingredients and whole DBSFL into layers’ diets does not compromise production performance, egg quality, or biochemical parameters related to health status, supporting their potential as sustainable feed alternatives.

Poor eggshell quality of eggs laid by aged laying hens is the major problem affecting the length of the rearing period in the laying hen industry. Trace elements are required and play vital roles in the eggshell quality of laying hens. Appropriate dose of organic microelements is environmentally friendly and sufficient to satisfy the needs of hens because of their greater bioavailability and lower excretion than inorganic forms. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of manganese (Mn) glycine (MG) on eggshell quality, elemental deposition, and eggshell ultrastructure in aged laying hens. A total of 720 Hy-Line Brown hens 70 weeks old were assigned equally to four groups with six replicates of 30 birds each. The hens were fed basal diets (without Mn supplementation) supplemented with 120 mg/kg of Mn from manganese sulfate monohydrate (MSM), or 40, 80, or 120 mg/kg Mn from MG for 12 weeks. Dietary supplementation with 80 mg/kg Mn from MG resulted in the greatest eggshell strength after 6 weeks of treatment (P = 0.047), and in greater eggshell strength than observed in the MSM control after 12 weeks of treatment (P = 0.025). After 12 weeks of treatment, the eggs of hens in the MG groups showed lower mammillary layer thickness in the blunt end, equator, and acute end than observed in the MSM control group (P

ABSTRACT: Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) infection in laying hens is a significant threat to public health and food safety. Host resistance against enteric pathogen invasion primarily relies on immunity and gut barrier integrity. This study applied the ST infection model and a dual live vaccine containing Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) strain Sm24/Rif12/Ssq and ST strain Nal2/Rif9/Rtt to investigate the cellular cytokine expression profiles and the differential community structure in the cecal microbiota of specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicks and field-raised layers. The results showed that ST challenge significantly upregulated expressions of IL-1β in SPF chicks. Vaccination, on the other hand, led to an elevation in IFNγ expression and restrained IL-1β levels. In the group where vaccination preceded the ST challenge (S.STvc), heightened expressions of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12β were observed, indicating active involvement of both humoral and cell-mediated immunity in the defense against ST. Regarding the cecal microbiota, the vaccine did not affect alpha diversity nor induce a significant shift in the microbial community. Conversely, ST infection significantly affected the alpha and beta diversity in the cecal microbiota, reducing beneficial commensal genera, such as Blautia and Subdoligranulum. MetagenomeSeq analysis reveals a significant increase in the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in the groups (S.STvc and STvc) exhibiting protection against ST infection. LEfSe further demonstrated Faecalibacterium prausnitzii as the prominent biomarker within the cecal microbiota of SPF chicks and field layers demonstrating protection. Another biomarker identified in the S.STvc group, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, displayed an antagonistic relationship with Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, suggesting the limited biological significance of the former in reducing cloacal shedding and tissue invasion. In conclusion, the application of AviPro Salmonella DUO vaccine stimulates host immunity and modulates cecal microbiota to defend against ST infection. Among the microbial modulations observed in SPF chicks and field layers with protection, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii emerges as a significant species in the ceca. Further research is warranted to elucidate its role in protecting layers against ST infection.

As a huge number of satellites revolve around the earth, a great probability exists to observe and determine the change phenomena on the earth through the analysis of satellite images on a real-time basis. Therefore, classifying satellite images plays strong assistance in remote sensing communities for predicting tropical cyclones. In this article, a classification approach is proposed using Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN), comprising numerous layers, which extract the features through a downsampling process for classifying satellite cloud images. DCNN is trained marvelously on cloud images with an impressive amount of prediction accuracy. Delivery time decreases for testing images, whereas prediction accuracy increases using an appropriate deep convolutional network with a huge number of training dataset instances. The satellite images are taken from the Meteorological & Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre, the organization is responsible for availing satellite cloud images of India and its subcontinent. The proposed cloud image classification shows 94% prediction accuracy with the DCNN framework.

ABSTRACT This study aims to evaluate the impact of different cage densities and ages on the growth performance and quality traits of eggs for Hy-Line laying hens. For this experiment, a total of 216 laying hens were divided into three groups, with 9 replicates each. The cage densities were 1353 cm2/hen, 677 cm2/hen, and 451 cm2/hen representing groups T1, T2 and T3, respectively. The results of the study showed that feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly improved and egg weights were significantly increased in hens with low cage density (p0.05) effect on egg shape index, yolk index, albumin index, Haugh unit, eggshell thickness, yolk color, and shape index. In conclusion, high space availability for hens had positive effects on feed conversion and egg weight.

Environmental monitoring of pollutants, such as NOx and COx, which can be facilitated by a range of gas sensors, is of considerable fundamental and practical importance. This work has been focused on the synthesis and evaluation of zeolite β with tin (Sn-BEA) and dealuminated β (DeAl-BEA) zeolites. The zeolite samples have been extensively investigated by IR, UV-VIS and NMR spectroscopy, XRD, TGA, and N2 adsorption-desorption. The prepared Sn-BEA sample is characterised by the submicron particle size, an almost defect-free structure, and high hydrophobicity. Sensors containing selective microporous layers based on Sn-BEA and DeAl-BEA zeolites have been prepared and extensively tested. Both the Sn-BEA and DeAl-BEA zeolites have been deposited in thin films and evaluated as gas sensors for CO, CO2, NO, and NO2 in the presence of water vapour at room temperature. The Sn-BEA zeolite-based sensor showed high selectivity towards NO2, while the DeAl-BEA is selective towards CO2 and NO2.

Background: Exogenous enzyme supplementation is an effective and cost-saving mechanism for increasing the availability of dietary nutrients by increasing digestion and reducing excretion. Objective: To evaluate the effects of phytase supplementation on performance, egg quality, and economic parameters in commercial laying hens fed reduced-nutrient diets from 70 weeks of age. Methods: Novogen White® commercial laying hens (n=256) were randomly allocated to four treatment groups, with eight replicates of eight hens in each group: PC (positive control): conventional diet not supplemented with phytase; diet with reduced levels (RN) of P (-0.12%), Ca (-0.10%), and ME (-14 kcal/kg), and supplemented with 300 phytase units (FTU/kg; RN300FTU); diet with reduced levels of P (-0.16%), Ca (-0.13%), ME (-18 kcal/kg), CP (-8%), synthetic amino acids (-0.01%), and supplemented with 600 FTU phytase/kg (RN600FTU); and diet with reduced levels of P (-0.18% P), Ca (-0.15%), ME (-20 kcal/kg), CP (-20%), synthetic amino acids (-0.01%), and supplemented with 900 FTU phytase/kg (RN900FTU). Results: The layers fed the RN300FTU diet had 2.68% higher egg production than those fed the PC diet. Egg mass produced by PC- and RN300FTU-fed hens was statistically similar. Eggshell thickness was increased in PC-fed hens. Feed cost for the RN900FTU diet was approximately 9% lower compared with that of the PC diet. Conclusion: The best performance and economic results were achieved when layers were fed a reduced-nutrient diet supplemented with 300 FTU phytase.

Mold contamination of feeds is a common problem in poultry industry. The aim of this study was to investigate mold contamination of laying hen diets around Tehran (Shahriar and Malard). For this purpose, 5 laying poultry farms were subjected to random sampling so that a total of 60 samples were taken from each poultry farm during four consecutive seasons. For counting and separation of molds, surface cultivation in the culture medium was used. After the primary growth of molds, slide culture was prepared and the macroscopic and microscopic indices of molds were defined. Seven types of molds were separated by macroscopic and microscopic studies. In terms of the total number of molds in laying poultry farms in each season, no significant difference was observed, but between seasons a significant difference was observed (p

Abstract Background The study examined the effects of dietary supplementation of Syzygium aromaticum leaf meal (SLM) on the haematology, serum biochemistry and antioxidative status of laying hens. Results A total of 150 20-week-old Isa brown birds were randomly assigned to three experimental diets: Diet 1/control (no supplementation), Diet 2 (0.25% SLM) and Diet 3 (0.50% SLM). Each experimental diet was further divided into five (5) replicates and comprised 10 birds per replicate, that is, 50 birds per experimental diet. The birds were fed with layers mash for 32 weeks of the feeding trial. Blood samples collected in the 32nd week were subjected to haematological and serum biochemical analyses. The dietary supplementation of 0.25% and 0.50% SLM did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect the haematological parameters observed in the layer birds which indicated that SLM did not render the birds anaemic nor compromise their immunity. Likewise, the result of the serum protein (total protein, albumin, globulin and albumin: globulin), serum enzymes (alanine and aspartate aminotransferases) and serum metabolites (creatinine, uric acid and glucose) were not affected (P > 0.05) by the dietary treatment except for the concentration of serum catalase and glutathione peroxidase which was statistically higher (P 0.05). Conclusion The supplementation of SLM at 0.25% and 0.50% in layers diet can be referred to as a safe additive as the blood indices of birds were not adversely affected. Also, the liver functions which were investigated through the serum enzymes were not impaired and oxidative stress is not triggered in the birds.

This research investigates the Three Dimensional-Single Bin-Size Bin-Packing Problem (3D-SBSPP). The aim is to pack n boxes of different dimensions and weights into a minimum number of equally balanced bins. The boxes can be rotated according to six possible orientations. Balancing the bins, volume and weight wise, is of high importance. To achieve this goal, a three-stage heuristic was developed. In the first stage, the different possible layers are generated. Each layer is formed by boxes of same type packed according to a common given orientation. The second stage generates solution candidates using the layers formed in stage 1. In stage 3, the boxes to be shipped are placed in the bins following the solution candidates of stage 2 that give the best volumetric and/or weight utilization. The proposed heuristic was successfully validated through an exhaustive experimental study using a variety of problem instances and involving comparisons with other existing heuristics.

IntroductionThe 2022–2023 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak in the United States (U.S.) is the most geographically extensive and costly animal health event in U.S. history. In 2022 alone, over 57 million commercial and backyard poultry in 47 U.S. states were affected. Over 75% of affected poultry were part of the commercial table egg production sector.MethodsWe conducted a case–control study to identify potential risk factors for introduction of HPAI virus onto commercial table egg operations. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to compare farm characteristics, management, and biosecurity factors on case and control farms.ResultsFactors associated with increased risk of infection included being in an existing control zone, sightings of wild waterfowl, mowing or bush hogging vegetation less than 4 times a month, having an off-site method of daily mortality disposal (off-site composting or burial, rendering, or landfill), and wild bird access to feed/feed ingredients at least some of the time. Protective factors included a high level of vehicle washing for trucks and trailers entering the farm (a composite variable that included having a permanent wash station), having designated personnel assigned to specific barns, having a farm entrance gate, and requiring a change of clothing for workers entering poultry barns.DiscussionStudy results improve our understanding of risk factors for HPAI infection and control measures for preventing HPAI on commercial U.S. table egg farms.

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis has advantages over other methods of producing green hydrogen such as its excellent response to power input fluctuations; wide operating range of current density; ease of production of high-pressure, high-purity hydrogen; and high durability. However, the conventional precious metal coatings used on the bipolar plates (BPPs) and porous transport layers (PTLs) of the PEM water electrolysis cell to prevent their oxidation are problematic because of their high cost; indeed, the BPPs and PTLs combined are the largest contributor (50%–70%) to the total cost of PEM water electrolysis stacks. Here, the Pt-coated PTL on the oxygen electrode side of a PEM water electrolysis cell was replaced with one with an alternative low-cost material coating (Ti _4 O _7 or NiTiP), and the water electrolysis characteristics of the system were evaluated. We found that Ti _4 O _7 , but not NiTiP, functioned as a conductive, corrosion-resistant PTL coating in the PEM water electrolysis cell.

This work studies the technological preparation conditions, morphology, structural characteristics and elemental composition, and optical and photoluminescent properties of GaSe single crystals and Eu-doped β–Ga2O3 nanoformations on ε–GaSe:Eu single crystal substrate, obtained by heat treatment at 750–900 °C, with a duration from 30 min to 12 h, in water vapor-enriched atmosphere, of GaSe plates doped with 0.02–3.00 at. % Eu. The defects on the (0001) surface of GaSe:Eu plates serve as nucleation centers of β–Ga2O3:Eu crystallites. For 0.02 at. % Eu doping, the fundamental absorption edge of GaSe:Eu crystals at room temperature is formed by n = 1 direct excitons, while at 3.00 at. % doping, Eu completely shields the electron–hole bonds. The band gap of nanostructured β–Ga2O3:Eu layer, determined from diffuse reflectance spectra, depends on the dopant concentration and ranges from 4.64 eV to 4.87 eV, for 3.00 and 0.05 at. % doping, respectively. At 0.02 at. % doping level, the PL spectrum of ε–GaSe:Eu single crystals consists of the n = 1 exciton band, together with the impurity band with a maximum intensity at 800 nm. Fabry–Perrot cavities with a width of 9.3 μm are formed in these single crystals, which determine the interference structure of the impurity PL band. At 1.00–3.00 at. % Eu concentrations, the PL spectra of GaSe:Eu single crystals and β–Ga2O3:Eu nanowire/nanolamellae layers are determined by electronic transitions of Eu2+ and Eu3+ ions.

The paper presents the results of research on the evaluation of the quality of coating layers made by a laser. The base material, which was Dievar steel (1.2343), was coated with a single layer using additional materials in the form of a wire with a diameter of ø 1.0 mm. As additional material, wires with chemistry corresponding to steels 1.2343 and 1.6356 were used. The primary objective was to verify the possibilities of innovative use of additive materials based on maraging steels, which were chosen from the production of two manufacturers with slightly different chemical compositions. The experiment verified the influence of the cladding parameters on the residual stress values around the fabricated maraging layers. Metallographic analysis by light microscopy was carried out in order to identify the individual structures as well as to assess the occurrence of internal defects in the coatings. The effect of the mixing of the coating metal with the base material was also assessed by means of a low-load hardness assessment, which was carried out in accordance with EN ISO 4063-2. Based on the results, it can be concluded that, in terms of residual stresses, the measured values were approximately the same for all the additive materials used; however, due to the desired mechanical properties of the additively formed layers, it is possible to recommend additive materials based on medium- and high-alloy steels for additive manufacturing.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementation of Khat leave as a natural feed additive on egg quality, fertility, embryonic mortality, hatchability, and chick quality of White Leghorn (WL) layers. One hundred fifty-six hens and twenty-four cocks of WL at twenty-four weeks of age were randomly dis-tributed to four treatments, each replicated three times with thirteen layers and two cocks per replication and kept on a deep litter system. Treatment rations were formulated by the addition of Khat leave on layers ration with the proportion of 0% (T1), 0.2% (T2), 0.4% (T3), and 0.6% (T4). All data were subjected to analysis of variance. The egg weight of layers in T3 (54.1) was higher (P 0.05) among treatments in yolk height, yolk index, yolk diameter, albumen height, Haugh unit, fertility, hatchability, chick weight, and visual score. Embryonic mortality percentage was significantly (P

Nucleus-based breeding programs are characterized by intense selection that results in high genetic gain, which inevitably means reduction of genetic variation in the breeding population. Therefore, genetic variation in such breeding systems is typically managed systematically, for example, by avoiding mating the closest relatives to limit progeny inbreeding. However, intense selection requires maximum effort to make such breeding programs sustainable in the long-term. The objective of this study was to use simulation to evaluate the long-term impact of genomic selection on genetic mean and variance in an intense layer chicken breeding program. We developed a large-scale stochastic simulation of an intense layer chicken breeding program to compare conventional truncation selection to genomic truncation selection optimized with either minimization of progeny inbreeding or full-scale optimal contribution selection. We compared the programs in terms of genetic mean, genic variance, conversion efficiency, rate of inbreeding, effective population size, and accuracy of selection. Our results confirmed that genomic truncation selection has immediate benefits compared to conventional truncation selection in all specified metrics. A simple minimization of progeny inbreeding after genomic truncation selection did not provide any significant improvements. Optimal contribution selection was successful in having better conversion efficiency and effective population size compared to genomic truncation selection, but it must be fine-tuned for balance between loss of genetic variance and genetic gain. In our simulation, we measured this balance using trigonometric penalty degrees between truncation selection and a balanced solution and concluded that the best results were between 45° and 65°. This balance is specific to the breeding program and depends on how much immediate genetic gain a breeding program may risk vs. save for the future. Furthermore, our results show that the persistence of accuracy is better with optimal contribution selection compared to truncation selection. In general, our results show that optimal contribution selection can ensure long-term success in intensive breeding programs using genomic selection.

Recent studies showed that apart from photostimulation, metabolic triggers may independently activate sexual maturation and egg production in chickens. However, the origin, mode of action, and specific target(s) of this metabolic control remain unknown. Beyond body weight (BW), we hypothesize that body composition (BC) and associated specific metabolic signals are involved. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the BW and BC thresholds triggering spontaneous sexual maturation in layer pullets under different growth trajectories. Day-old Lohman LSL lite and Lohman brown lite chicks (n = 210 each) raised in brooding cages under ad libitum (AL) feeding until 8 weeks of age were randomly allocated into individual cages and assigned to one of 3 experimental growth profiles; AL, breeder’s target (T), restricted 20% below target (R), (n = 70 birds/profile/strain). Birds had free access to water throughout the trial. All hens were maintained on 10 h of light (10 lux) throughout the rest of the study. Blood and tissue samples were collected throughout the study to measure plasma estradiol (E2) concentrations and organ weights, respectively. Furthermore, carcasses were subjected to Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) analyses. All analyses were completed with SAS using the MIXED procedure. Results show that R treatment slowed (p < 0.001) growth, delayed age at first egg (FE) and egg production (p < 0.001) and resulted in lower BW at FE (p < 0.001), lower ovary weight and number of follicles (p < 0.001) compared to AL in both strains, whereas, the strain significantly impacted body weight (p < 0.0001), ovary weight (p < 0.001), BW at FE (p < 0.001), age at FE (p < 0.001), egg production (p < 0.0001), E2 (p < 0.0001) and body composition (p < 0.05). For DEXA, AL feeding (p < 0.001) increased fat deposition compared to R. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between plasma E2 and bone mineral content (p < 0.01) and bone mineral density (p < 0.01). In conclusion, feed allocation impacted growth and BC in a strain dependent manner which resulted in differing age at sexual maturation and egg production. Furthermore, a body fat threshold between 10% to 15% appears to be required for the occurrence of spontaneously sexual maturation in laying hens.

There are an increasing number of studies on the effect of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) on performance of laying hens with inconsistent outcomes. This study, therefore, used a meta-analytic approach to examine the effect of cassava-based diets on feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) end production data such as hen day egg production (HDEP), egg weight (EW), egg mass (EM), Haugh unit (HU), shell weight (SW) and shell thickness (ST) in laying hens. Two hundred and three studies were identified in a search performed in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases of which thirteen studies were suitable for the meta-analysis. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to explore the responses of laying hens to dietary cassava and sources of heterogeneity, respectively using the following moderators: study continent, cassava type, cassava processing methods, inclusion level, layer strain, feeding durations, number of layers and hen's age. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and statistical analyses were performed in OpenMEE software. Results show that cassava increased FI (mean difference MD = 0.97 g/d; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.05, 1.90) and reduced egg weight (MD = −0.72 g; 95% CI -1.26, −0.19) and SW (MD = −0.11 g; 95% CI -0.18, −0.04) when compared to control. Laying hens fed cassava diets had HDEP, FCR, EM, ST and HU values that compared favourably with the controls. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that inclusion of cassava at ≤ 25% in layer diets had no deleterious effects on measured outcomes taking cognizance of significant heterogeneity. However, meta-regression results showed that most of the sources of heterogeneity were explained by the studied moderators. In conclusion, ≤25% of cassava (CRM and CPM) can be included in layer diets without adverse effects on feed intake, feed conversion ratio and egg production characteristics, indicating that cassava has a very bright future as an energy source in the diets of laying hens.

The heritability of the studied traits was below 0.2 in four traits (age at first egg, body weight, eggs produced during the control period, laying percentage during the control period); only egg weight having a higher heritability, 0.698. There are tight positive phenotypic, genotypic and environmental correlations between the egg number and the laying percentage and tight negative correlations between the age at first egg and the egg number and between the age at first egg and the laying percentage.

Chickpeas can be used as a high energy and protein feed in poultry diets to support growth and egg production. In common with other grain legumes, chickpeas can also contain anti-nutritional factors such as trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors that can impair the utilization of the nutrients by poultry. Heat treatment is an effective method to increase the amount of protein available for intestinal digestibility. This review evaluates chickpeas in regard to their nutrient composition, anti-nutritional factors content, and their impact on poultry performance. The possible reasons and implications of these results are discussed.

In the field of engineering the matrices reinforced by synthetic fibers have become widely used in view of the high specific stiffness and resistance they offer. The main objective of this work is to simulate and analyze the mechanical behavior of a multilayer composite pipe for different fiber orientation angle. A finite element numerical model (MEF) under ANSYS has been developed to determine the displacement fields for a multilayer pipe under internal pressure. Subsequently, a parametric study was carried out to enhance the effect of the mechanical and geometrical characteristics of the materials constituting the multi-layer pipe. From the results obtained, it was found that the displacement fields are clearly influenced by the orientations of the composite layers.

In the field of engineering the matrices reinforced by synthetic fibers have become widely used in view of the high specific stiffness and resistance they offer. The main objective of this work is to simulate and analyze the mechanical behavior of a multilayer composite pipe for different fiber orientation angle. A finite element numerical model (MEF) under ANSYS has been developed to determine the displacement fields for a multilayer pipe under internal pressure. Subsequently, a parametric study was carried out to enhance the effect of the mechanical and geometrical characteristics of the materials constituting the multi-layer pipe. From the results obtained, it was found that the displacement fields are clearly influenced by the orientations of the composite layers.

In the field of engineering the matrices reinforced by synthetic fibers have become widely used in view of the high specific stiffness and resistance they offer. The main objective of this work is to simulate and analyze the mechanical behavior of a multilayer composite pipe for different fiber orientation angle. A finite element numerical model (MEF) under ANSYS has been developed to determine the displacement fields for a multilayer pipe under internal pressure. Subsequently, a parametric study was carried out to enhance the effect of the mechanical and geometrical characteristics of the materials constituting the multi-layer pipe. From the results obtained, it was found that the displacement fields are clearly influenced by the orientations of the composite layers.

In the field of engineering the matrices reinforced by synthetic fibers have become widely used in view of the high specific stiffness and resistance they offer. The main objective of this work is to simulate and analyze the mechanical behavior of a multilayer composite pipe for different fiber orientation angle. A finite element numerical model (MEF) under ANSYS has been developed to determine the displacement fields for a multilayer pipe under internal pressure. Subsequently, a parametric study was carried out to enhance the effect of the mechanical and geometrical characteristics of the materials constituting the multi-layer pipe. From the results obtained, it was found that the displacement fields are clearly influenced by the orientations of the composite layers.

Mesoscopic (0.1-0.5 mm) interrogation of the living human brain is critical for advancing neuroscience and bridging the resolution gap with animal models. Despite the variety of MRI contrasts measured in recent years at the mesoscopic scale, in vivo quantitative imaging of T2* has not been performed. Here we provide a dataset containing empirical T2* measurements acquired at 0.35 × 0.35 × 0.35 mm3 voxel resolution using 7 Tesla MRI. To demonstrate unique features and high quality of this dataset, we generate flat map visualizations that reveal fine-scale cortical substructures such as layers and vessels, and we report quantitative depth-dependent T2* (as well as R2*) values in primary visual cortex and auditory cortex that are highly consistent across subjects. This dataset is freely available at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/N5BJ7, and may prove useful for anatomical investigations of the human brain, as well as for improving our understanding of the basis of the T2*-weighted (f)MRI signal.

Aim: Monitoring the effect of the replacement of 5 and 10% of the grain component in compound feed for laying hens with the same amount of extruded bread waste on Clarcs of energy distribution (CED)/ protein transformation (CPT)” in the eco-technical chain "fodder - egg mélange". Experimental design: Three groups: 50 layers each (hybrid Lohman Klassic Brown), one – control, one – replacement of 5% of the grain, one - replacement of 10% of the grain with extruded bread waste. Results: CED “ME fodder – GE mélange”: control – 0.2064; 5% bread wastes – 0.2049; 10% bread wastes – 0.2166. CPT “CP fodder - CP mélange”: control – 0.2538; 5% bread wastes – 0.2585; 10% bread waste - 0.2838. There is a tendency for higher net utilization of energy and protein from feed to the egg mélange in the group receiving 10% bread wastes.

Many studies have been carried out to determine the performance of the energy dissipators proposed by different authors, mainly analyzing the hysteretic loops of loading and unloading. Likewise, the authors have sought to have simple, easy to manufacture and economical designs. Based on the above, the analysis of a passive bidirectional dry friction energy dissipator system is presented, whose main characteristic is the implementation of layer elements as structure, besides not requiring bolts or springs for the application of the preload. The study is carried out by means of numerical modeling using the finite element software Abaqus. The energy dissipation analysis is presented by means of hysteresis cycles, for different types of preload and number of stacked layer elements. The device, by means of one of the analyzed configurations, presents the capacity to dissipate 52 J of energy, being an innovative and functional design.

Water quality is critical for poultry farming. This study assessed the physical, chemical and microbiological quality of drinking water in small-layer farms in Southern Mozambique and identified potential risk factors for total coliform (TC) and Escherichia coli contamination of drinking water. In 20 farms, 57 samples were collected and examined for pH, nitrate content (NC), nitrite level (NL) and total hardness contents (TH). Furthermore, TC and E. coli growth were assessed at 37 °C. One hundred per cent of the drinking water was of acceptable quality in terms of pH (6.5–8.5), NC (50 mg/L) and NL (3 mg/L). Total hardness contents exceeded the recommended standard in 37.5% of borehole water samples and 91.7% of tap water samples, respectively. Total coliform and E. coli were found in 40% and 15% of water samples. Tap water samples had the greatest contamination, with TC and E. coli levels of 41.7% and 16.7%, respectively. Although not statistically significant, sampling from the beginning of the nipple line (p = 0.101, OR = 7.357, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.678–79.886) and not cleaning the rearing equipment regularly (p = 0.098, OR = 3.966, 95% CI: 0.766–20.280) were factors affecting the TC growth. Sampling from the tank water source (p = 0.001, OR = 0.005, 95% CI: 0.000–0.121) and borehole water source (OR = 13 585) and not cleaning the equipment consistently (p = 0.073, OR = 9.682, 95% CI: 0.810–115.68) were all factors affecting E. coli growth. It is concluded that the TH and microbiological quality of the drinking water of the study region are inadequate. Regular water quality assessments should be incorporated into Mozambican layer farm management to limit the potential for health concerns, and farmers should thoroughly clean and disinfect their rearing equipment. Contribution: We should incorporate regular water quality assessments into Mozambican layer farm management to limit the potential for health concerns, and farmers should thoroughly clean and disinfect their rearing equipment.

Spotty Liver Disease (SLD) is a serious infectious disease which occurs mainly in laying chickens in free range production systems. SLD outbreaks can increase mortality and decrease egg production of chickens, adversely impact welfare and cause economic hardship for poultry producers. The bacterium Campylobacter hepaticus is the primary cause of the disease. This study aimed to identify the effects of C. hepaticus on chicken gut microbiota and gut structure. Three C. hepaticus strains (HV10T, NSW44L and QLD19L), isolated from different states of Australia, were used in the study. Chickens at 26-weeks post-hatch were orally dosed with one of the C. hepaticus strains (challenged groups) or Brucella broth (unchallenged or control group). Six days after the challenge, birds were necropsied to assess liver damage, and caecal content and tissue samples were collected for histology, microbiology, and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to characterize the composition of the bacterial microbiota. Strain C. hepaticus NSW44L produced significantly more disease compared to the other C. hepaticus strains and this coincided with more adverse changes observed in the caecal microbiota of the birds challenged with this strain compared to the control group. Microbial diversity determined by Shannon and Simpson alpha diversity indices was lower in the NSW44L challenged groups compared to the control group (p = 0.009 and 0.0233 respectively, at genus level). Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) producing bacteria Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium and Megamonas were significantly reduced in the challenged groups compared to the unchallenged control group. Although SLD-induction affected the gut microbiota of chickens, their small intestine morphology was not noticeably affected as there were no significant differences in the villus height or ratio of villus height and crypt depth. As gut health plays a pivotal role in the overall health and productivity of chickens, approaches to improve the gut health of the birds during SLD outbreaks such as through diet and keeping the causes of stress to a minimum, may represent significant ways to alleviate the impact of SLD.

In 2009, a new European regulation came into force that forbade the use of animals in the cosmetics industry. As a result, new alternatives were sought, taking into account the new ethical considerations. The main objective of this article is to continue a line of research that aims to build a physical model of skin from a biomaterial scaffold composed of collagen, chitosan or a combination to investigate whether they offer similar behavior to human skin. Collagen, the major component in the dermis, was crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GTA) to develop three formulations for studying some properties of the skin through rheological tests like swelling index, elasticity or water loss. In addition, this article makes a comparison with the results obtained in the previous article where the membranes were made of chitosan and tripolyphosphate (TPP). The results obtained highlight that the tri-layered membranes scaffold better than the mono-layered ones to increase the elastic modulus (G′) and the permeability. Furthermore, they offer a protective effect against water loss compared to mono-layered membranes. As regards chitosan membranes, these have a higher G′ modulus than collagen membranes when the degree of deacetylation (DDA) is 85%. However, collagen membranes are more elastic when the DDA of chitosan is 76%, and their linear viscoelastic limit (LVL) doubles that of chitosan membranes, both for the degree of acetylation of 76 and 85%.

Salmonellosis is the second most commonly reported foodborne gastrointestinal infection in humans in the European Union (EU). Most outbreaks are caused by Salmonella Enteritidis, present in contaminated food products, particularly in egg and egg products. In recent years, an increase in the prevalence of Salmonella in laying hen flocks in the EU has been observed. For the effective control of infection, adequate detection is key. In laying hen flocks, the occurrence of Salmonella in the EU is monitored by the culture of environmental samples (dust, faeces, and boot swabs). The performance of sampling procedures described in the literature for the detection of Salmonella in laying hens was reviewed. In total, 924 abstracts were screened, resulting in the selection of 87 abstracts and 18 publications for qualitative and quantitative analyses, respectively. Sample sizes and sampling locations of faecal material and dust were variable and poorly described. Microbiological culture methods used to detect Salmonella were variably described in the literature and were often incomplete. Overall, the available literature indicates higher sensitivity of environmental versus individual hen matrices and points to differences in sensitivity between environmental matrices. For non-cage housing systems, boot swabs are the preferred samples, while for cage housing systems dust might be a more reliable sample.

The demand for air mobility services will depend on the safety of these operations but also on the transportation time savings in congested urban areas. An adequate air space structure is therefore essential to achieve both objectives. Corridors, the most extended solution proposed nowadays, can meet the safety requirements necessary for air taxi operations, but they are rigid (point-to-point solutions) and would increase delays. As an alternative, this paper presents the airspace structure proposed in the SESAR AMU-LED Project, based on layers to assure both safety and efficiency of air taxi operations. In this proposal, small UAS will fly in the bottom part, called the Very Low Level, whereas air taxis will fly in the upper part. The paper applies a collision risk model to determine the minimum required safety buffer between both layers to assure the necessary safety levels. The results obtained show that a buffer of 10 m between them would meet the required safety levels for air taxi operations.

Introduction. Tell Sabi Abyad is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Balikh basin, located about 30 km south of the Syrian-Turkish border. It consists of four mounds excavated in different seasons. The excavation was initiated by a Dutch archaeological expedition that started on 1986 and finished in 2010. It was led first by Professor M. Van Loon and then by P. Akkermans. Methods and materials. The research was based on the results of archaeological excavations, published by the excavation team. The historical reconstruction method was used to study the materials of the site. Results. The study of excavation materials of the Tell Sabi Abyad monument made it possible to identify the cultural layers, which revealed religious buildings, dwellings, farm buildings, as well as other traces of the long-term human presence. The paper describes chronological layers and the amount of artefacts at different periods. The research made it possible to acquire new facts that can clarify the existing knowledge about Northern Mesopotamia of the Neolithic era. Conclusion. The study of the monument showed that the houses were built on stable towering platforms, had a regular residential character, and involved bricks, clay, wood, and cane. Most of the houses had a rectangular layout and were connected to each other by small openings (doors). There were also houses with roof entrances. In addition, circular buildings, the tholoi, were found. In the late chronological layers, the era of Halaf culture, the tholoi were widely used not only as places of worship, but also for housing and food storage.

This study was designed to compare immunopathological effects of in ovo vaccination with post-hatch vaccination against IBD in White Leghorn chicks. A total of 189 embryonated eggs were divided into six groups. At day 18 of incubation, groups A–C were administered in ovo with 228E, Winterfield 2512:10/3 and 2512/90:10/2.7, respectively, group D (post-hatch vaccination) and group E as shamed control (for quality evaluation of in ovo vaccination technique), and group F as control. The results showed that antibody titers against IBD detected by ELISA on days 2, 17, and 28 were significantly higher in all in ovo groups as compared to control groups E and F. On day 17, all vaccinated groups (in ovo and post-hatch vaccinated) showed no significant differences in antibody titers among themselves; however, at day 28, only the post-hatch group showed significantly higher antibody titers followed by in ovo vaccinated groups. The cell-mediated immunity determined by PHA-P assay was significantly higher in all vaccinated groups than the non-vaccinated groups. No clinical signs of IBD infection were observed in any of the vaccinated groups. There was only increase in bursa size of groups vaccinated with intermediate plus strains (groups A, C, and D) at day 28. The histopathology showed that all the treatment groups had mild lesions induced by IBD virus in bursa. This study concluded that in ovo vaccination with live IBD vaccines provides protective immunity to the chickens even in the presence of IBD-specific MDA; therefore, the onset of immunity was much earlier than the post-hatch vaccination and in ovo groups also maintained protective immunity against IBD for longer time.

Nontyphoidal Salmonella infection was one of the predominant foodborne illnesses in humans. The medical burden and antimicrobial resistance of salmonellosis gained importance in public health and requested the poultry industry to seek effective measures to control the disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a commercial bivalent live attenuated vaccine (AviPro Salmonella DUO) in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens and field layers. It explored its safety and efficacy against medically important strains, Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) and S. Typhimurium (ST). The results demonstrated that ten vaccine doses in SPF chickens and regular doses in commercial layers showed desirable safety without affecting chicken health. Vaccinated layers demonstrated lower flock mortality and higher egg production performance than the unvaccinated layers during the raising and egg production periods. Additionally, no visceral colonization and egg contaminations were detected. Cloacal shedding of vaccine strains was noted, but the colonization of Salmonella disappeared within four weeks of the last vaccination. Regarding vaccine efficacy, one dose significantly reduced Salmonella cloacal shedding (P = 0.037 for SE and P = 0.027 for ST) and viable cell counts (P = 0.003 for SE and ST) on day 7 post the challenges. Significantly low Salmonella loads of cloacal samples on day 14 after the challenges were also determined in the vaccinated group (P = 0.006 for SE; P = 0.041 for ST). Triple immunizations effectively prevented layers from the cloacal shedding on either day 7 or day 14 post Salmonella challenges. Total viable counts of SE and ST in tissues of vaccinated layers were also reduced on day 14 after the challenges (P = 0.026 for SE; P = 0.002 for ST). To conclude, one dose of vaccine exhibited inhibitory effects on Salmonella shedding and tissue invasions in young layers. Following the regimen of triple vaccinations, Salmonella shedding was completely inhibited, and tissue invasions were significantly reduced. Incorporating this vaccine into a comprehensive Salmonella control program is promising to protect layers from the risks of contaminating the flocks and egg products.

The electrodeposited layers such as Ni-P and Ni-P/SiC have a wide use in many fields of activities due to their very good properties such as well behave in corrosion and wear resistance. In this paper are presented some microstructures of Ni-P/SiC deposits and some working parameters that influence the modification of the structure of their thin layers. It was observed, among the others, that the amount of phosphorus included in the deposited layers leads to the modification of the deposition structure and microstructure of these types of materials.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has come of age, and complex solutions can now be implemented seamlessly within urban governance and management frameworks and processes. For cities, growing rates of car ownership are rendering parking availability a challenge and lowering the quality of life through increased carbon emissions. The development of smart parking solutions is thus necessary to reduce the time spent looking for parking and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The principal role of this research paper is to analyze smart parking solutions from a technical perspective, underlining the systems and sensors that are available, as documented in the literature. The review seeks to provide comprehensive insights into the building of smart parking solutions. A holistic survey of the current state of smart parking systems should incorporate the classification of such systems as big vehicular detection technologies. Finally, communication modules are presented with clarity.

On the basis of the known criterion for the destruction of Coulomb Mor applied to soils of isotropic structure, developed the general criteria for the destruction of stratified, anisotropic, inclined layer of soils. New expressions were obtained to determine the parameters of the mechanics of disruption allowing not only the direction of disruption, but also the possible distribution of dislocations along the layers of soil and perpendicular. Applying the proposed criterion, the problem of determining the stressful condition of the soils of the dangerous rock slope of the slope, and on the joints of soils of different geological structure, such as eluvium and delta. The results of the analysis are presented in the form of tables, diagrams and graphs. Deductions are made on the reliability of the proposed approach to the solution of the problem on the determination of the precondition of the soil of mountain slopes. The first part of the work describes the different categories of communication conditions. The second section gives various examples of the construction of individual elastic curved joints and their connections, supplemented by certain connection conditions of the limit problem. The result is a numerical calculation of the natural frequency of free oscillations of the joints of elastic bent joints.

This study shows the design of the novel hyperbolic tangent sigmoid function for the numerical treatment of the Williamson nanofluid model (WNM), which is categorized as velocity, concentration, and temperature. A process of a deep neural network using fifteen and thirty neurons is presented to solve the model. The hyperbolic tangent sigmoid transfer function is used in the process of both hidden layers. The optimization is performed through the Bayesian regularization approach (BRA) to solve the WNM. A targeted dataset through the Adam scheme is achieved that is further accomplished using the procedure of training, testing, and verification with ratios of 0.15, 0.13, and 0.72. The correctness of the deep neural network along with the BRA is performed through the overlapping of the solutions. The small calculated absolute error values also enhance the accurateness of the designed procedure. Moreover, the statistical observations are authenticated to reduce the mean square error for the nonlinear WNM.

Determining the efficacy of feed-additive technologies utilized as pre-harvest food-safety interventions against Salmonella enterica may be influenced by factors including, but not limited to, mechanism of action, experimental design variables, Salmonella serovar(s), exposure dose, route, or duration in both controlled research and real-world field observations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary inclusion of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation-derived postbiotic (SCFP) additive (Diamond V, Original XPC®) on the colonization of cecal and ovarian tissues of commercial pullets directly and indirectly exposed to Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). Four hundred and eighty commercial, day-of-age W-36 chicks were randomly allotted to 60 cages per treatment in two identical BSL-2 isolation rooms (Iowa State University) with four birds per cage and fed control (CON) or treatment (TRT) diets for the duration of study. At 16 weeks, two birds per cage were directly challenged via oral gavage with 1.1 × 109 CFU of a nalidixic-acid-resistant SE strain. The remaining two birds in each cage were thus horizontally exposed to the SE challenge. At 3, 7, and 14 days post-challenge (DPC), 20 cages per group were harvested and sampled for SE prevalence and load. No significant differences were observed between groups for SE prevalence in the ceca or ovary tissues of directly challenged birds. For the indirectly exposed cohort, SE cecal prevalence at 7 DPC was significantly lower for TRT (50.0%) vs. CON (72.5%) (p = 0.037) and, likewise, demonstrated significantly lower mean SE cecal load (1.69 Log10) vs. CON (2.83 Log10) (p = 0.005). At 14 DPC, no significant differences were detected but ~10% fewer birds remained positive in the TRT group vs. CON (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that diets supplemented with SCFP postbiotic may be a useful tool for mitigating SE colonization in horizontally exposed pullets and may support pre-harvest food-safety strategies.

PURPOSE: To compare some major hematological and biochemical blood parameters of 3 newly introduced poultry breeds – Australorp, Marans and Araucana, during different stages of their egglaying period. METHODS: Five blood parameters were investigated: hematocrit, hemoglobin, glucose, total protein and total cholesterol. A hundred blood samples were tested, collected at three laying stages – beginning, middle and end. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in the hemoglobin levels by sexes were established: in Marans breed (males – between 8.38 and 13.45; females – between 7.30 and 9.02 g*dl-1 ) and Araucana (males – between 9.17 and 13.65; females – between 9.08 and 9.40 g*dl-1 ). The hematocrit levels in the males (from 23.16% in Marans to 40.88% in Australorp) were significantly higher than the levels in the females (from 23.72% in Marans to 30.48% in Australorp). The blood glucose test of the cocks (from 32.07 in Marans to 40.88 mmol*l-1 in Australorp) showed higher levels compared to the female (from 23.72 in Marans to 30.48 mmol*l-1 in Australorp). The total protein content in the layers’ blood (between 5.97 in Araucana and 8.73 g*dl-1 in Marans) was higher compared to cocks. The total cholesterol levels were, as follows: males – from 2.05 in Araucana to 3.49 mmol*l-1 in Australorp; females – from 1.92 in Australorp to 6.57 3.49 mmol*l-1 in Araucana. CONCLUSIONS: The variations in the investigated parameters in the blood are a result of the simultaneous effect of several factors - breed genetic differences, differences in egg-laying effort and degree of adaptation.