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Background Environmental factors, including elemental homeostasis, have not been studied sufficiently in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). This study aims to compare the status of 13 elements in blood and deciduous teeth dentine of children having an autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with typically developing controls. Methods Elements including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, chromium, manganese, mercury, lead, cadmium, molybdenum, and strontium in both deciduous teeth and blood were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results Strontium levels in both blood and teeth samples were found to be significantly lower in the NDD group. Additionally, blood cadmium and mercury levels, and copper/zinc ratio were higher in the NDD group. Conclusions Our results warrant further investigation in a large series of NDD examining symptom levels and genetic variations associated with elemental homeostasis.

WOS: 000334045600027, PubMed: 24570471, The current study was carried out to investigate the effects of breeder age on egg composition, changes of embryo, yolk sac, and yolk minerals during incubation and hatchability in Pekin ducks. A total of 495 freshly laid eggs were obtained from the same flock of Pekin ducks, aged 28, 34, and 40 wk, and were reared in accordance with the management guide of the duck breeders (Star 53-Grimaud Freres). At each breeder age, egg measurements were made on a random subsample of unincubated eggs. Embryo and yolk sac measurements were made on embryonic day (E) 12, E16, E20, and E25. On d 28 of incubation, the healthy ducklings were removed and sex of chicks was determined. All chicks were weighed and hatching results were determined. Egg weight and yolk percentages increased; however, albumen percentages, shell thickness, and yolk index decreased as the flock aged. Shell percentages, shell breaking strength, albumen index, and haugh units were not affected by breeder age. Also, breeder age affected the Mg, P, K, Ca, Cu, and Zn levels in the yolk, except for Na level on day of setting, and breeder age affected the mineral consumed by embryo during incubation. However, on E25, the levels of examined minerals, except for P level in the yolk sac, were not statistically different in duck breeder age groups. Relative yolk sac and embryo weights of eggs obtained from different breeder ages varied from E16 to E25; however, embryo length was different in breeder age groups from E12 to E20. Hatching weight was affected by breeder age and sex. Hatching results were not different among breeder age groups. This study indicates that breeder age is important for some egg characteristics, relative yolk sac weight, some contents of minerals in the yolk, embryonic growth during incubation, and duckling weight.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of the usage of glycerol from biodiesel production from soybean oil in laying hen diets on laying performance, egg traits, heterophils to lymphocytes ratio (H/L), some blood parameters and antibody production to SRBC. A total of 180 Lohmann Brown laying hens 39 weeks of age were allocated to four dietary treatments with one control group and three treatment groups and fed for 16 weeks. Each group was divided into five replicates as subgroups, comprising of 9 hens each. Glycerol was used at the level of 2.5, 5 and 7.5% in the diets of the first, second and third treatment groups, respectively. The diets were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Dietary treatments did not significantly affect body weight, egg production, egg weight, feed efficiency, mortality, egg albumen index, egg yolk index and egg Haugh unit, yolk weight percentage, exterior egg quality characteristics, excreta moisture, H/L ratio, blood parameters and antibody production to SRBC. Hens fed diets with 7.5% glycerol consumed significantly less feed than those of the other groups. Egg yolk cholesterol concentration was significantly higher for hens fed diets with 5 and 7.5% glycerol as compared to those of the other groups (P