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In most rabbit farms, breeding does kindle and nurse their kits in single-litter cages throughout their entire reproduction cycle. However, the protective behavior can lead to aggressive displays and injuries when the does are housed in groups. This study aimed to evaluate cage enrichment for reducing the agonistic behavior in part-time group-housed does. A total of eighty does with their 22-day-old kits were allocated to 20 multi-litter cages, with each cage housing four does and their litters for 10  days. Each multi-litter group was subjected to one of four treatments: alfalfa blocks as distraction material (A), wooden panels underneath the platforms (P), both alfalfa and wooden panels (AP), or no extra enrichment (controls, C). This experiment was replicated for three consecutive reproduction cycles. The skin injuries of the does and the kits were scored with a tagged visual analog scale before grouping and at one, three, six, eight, and 10  days after grouping. Computer vision techniques were used to continuously monitor rabbit activity and agonistic behavior (aggression and fleeing/chasing) during the first 24  h after grouping, specifically during light hours. During the first day in the group, 67.2% of the does and 13.4% of the kits acquired new injuries. This increased to 82.0 and 33.2%, respectively after 10  days in the group relative to the onset of grouping. The injury scores of the does increased toward the sixth day after grouping compared to the first (p  <  0.001) and were highest on the tenth day for the kits (p  <  0.001). On all the observation days, the number of injured does was higher in C compared to A (p  =  0.04) and AP treatment (p  =  0.005). There were no other treatment effects observed on the doe or kit skin injuries. Rabbit activity was highest after grouping but decreased after the first and second days (p  <  0.001). The agonistic interactions between the does involved more fleeing/chasing behavior (62.0%) rather than aggression (38.0%). Although hierarchy fights are likely when unacquainted does are group-housed, the many animals that sustained injuries and the high injury scores confirm that part-time group housing for does is challenging and possibly inevitable. This study has shown that alfalfa, with or without wooden panels, can slightly reduce the number of injured does. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful breeding depends on feeding. The present study aims to evaluate the Carica papaya seed effect on the growth performance of rabbits. The zootechnical parameters studied are weight growth, average daily gain, Feed Conversion Ratio, and carcass characteristics of kits. The experiment was conducted on 48 rabbits, divided into 4 groups, for 6 weeks. Forty-eight rabbits were divided into four (04) groups of 3 repetitions of 4 rabbits. The animals were fed diets containing various levels of papaya seed powder at variable contents: 0% (group T0), 4% (group T1), 6% (group T2), and 8% (group T3). At the end of the experiment, three animals were slaughtered in each animal group to assess the quality of the carcasses and organs. 6% of the seeds of Carica papaya significantly improved (p < 0.05) the average daily gain of the kits: T2 (22.40 g / d) compared to the T0 group (11.32 g / d), T1 (12.20 g / d) and T3 (17.53 g / d). The best Feed Conversion Ratio (0.80) was recorded in the animals of group T2. In contrast, the highest carcass yield was recorded in the rabbits of group T3 (62.70%). In conclusion, 6% was optimal in the feed rations of fattened rabbits to improve production performance. Breeders can consider the benefits of introducing Carica papaya seeds into the rabbits’ diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review aimed to address all relevant parts of the digestive physiology of rabbits, before and after weaning, with a view to enabling greater understanding of these phases and reducing the mortality of kits. The biggest bottlenecks in Brazilian rabbit farming are linked to the period from birth to weaning, a time when the animals are more sensitive to environmental adverse events, requiring more rigid and efficient management due to their immune system being not fully developed. Throughout the period in which kits are with the females, many physiological changes occur, mainly in their gastrointestinal tract (GIT), which changes over time, depending on the type of food intake; in order to achieve its full capacity to utilize food, the intestine needs to undergo an adaptation from milk-based to solid diet. Thus, the digestive system in the intrauterine phase, in the nursing kits, and in the weaned babies will be covered. Therefore, understanding the physiology of baby rabbits proves to be of great value in reducing the mortality rate, so that management becomes more practical, providing producers with different problem-solving alternatives, in addition to greater profit.

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Simple Summary: In order to reduce mortality rates during the suckling period, increasing the kit's weight during the first days of life could be a selection criterion in rabbit meat breeding programs. The response to selection is directly related to the heritability of the selected trait. The estimates of heritability (h2) for individual weight were low during the first days of life (0.11 at birth, 0.16 at 5 days, and 0.17 at 7 days) and moderate in the preweaning period (0.21, 0.21, 0.24, and 0.21 at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days, respectively). The weight of the kit at birth showed a strong and positive genetic correlation with weights at 5 and 7 days of age (higher than +0.70). However, the correlation was comparatively low in relation to the remaining weight measurements (less than +0.54). Notably, genetic correlations of weight at 5 and 7 days with the rest of the weight measurements were higher than +0.83. In conclusion, selection for body weight at 5 or 7 days of age would have a significant impact on body weight at birth and at weaning, consequently reducing preweaning losses. The preweaning weight of kits has been related to their mortality during the suckling period. Selecting rabbit kits for individual body weight in the first days of life could be interesting; however, better knowledge of body weight's heritability during the preweaning period is necessary to determine the opportune moment for selection. A total of 1696 growth records of kits from 81 females of the ITLEV2006 synthetic line were analysed in order to estimate the genetic and non-genetic parameters for individual body weight at birth as well as at 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days of age. The estimates of heritability (h2) for individual weight were between low (0.11 at birth, 0.16 at 5 days, and 0.17 at 7 days) and moderate (0.21, 0.21, 0.24, and 0.21 at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days, respectively). Weight at birth showed a strong and positive genetic correlation with weight at 5 days (+0.79) and 7 days of age (+0.78), but the correlation was low for the rest of the weight measurements (+0.41, +0.49, +0.54, and +0.54 with weight at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days, respectively). Weight at 5 days and 7 days displayed strong and positive genetic correlations with the rest of the weight measurements (higher than +0.83). The values of the common litter effect (c2) were high, and they increased with age from 0.43 at birth to 0.66 at 35 days of age. The values of the maternal permanent effect (p2) were low compared to those of the common litter effect (c2), varying between 0.04 and 0.11. In conclusion, opting to select for body weight at 5 or 7 days of age would yield a greater response compared to selecting for birth weight. This approach would indirectly increase the kits' weight at birth and at weaning, thereby reducing preweaning losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most rabbit farms, breeding does kindle and nurse their kits in single-litter cages throughout their entire reproduction cycle. However, the protective behavior can lead to aggressive displays and injuries when the does are housed in groups. This study aimed to evaluate cage enrichment for reducing the agonistic behavior in part-time group-housed does. A total of eighty does with their 22-day-old kits were allocated to 20 multi-litter cages, with each cage housing four does and their litters for 10 days. Each multi-litter group was subjected to one of four treatments: alfalfa blocks as distraction material (A), wooden panels underneath the platforms (P), both alfalfa and wooden panels (AP), or no extra enrichment (controls, C). This experiment was replicated for three consecutive reproduction cycles. The skin injuries of the does and the kits were scored with a tagged visual analog scale before grouping and at one, three, six, eight, and 10 days after grouping. Computer vision techniques were used to continuously monitor rabbit activity and agonistic behavior (aggression and fleeing/chasing) during the first 24 h after grouping, specifically during light hours. During the first day in the group, 67.2% of the does and 13.4% of the kits acquired new injuries. This increased to 82.0 and 33.2%, respectively after 10 days in the group relative to the onset of grouping. The injury scores of the does increased toward the sixth day after grouping compared to the first (p

BACKGROUND: Medical image segmentation is crucial in disease diagnosis and treatment planning. Deep learning (DL) techniques have shown promise. However, optimizing DL models requires setting numerous parameters, and demands substantial labeled datasets, which are labor-intensive to create. OBJECTIVE: This study proposes a semi-supervised model that can utilize labeled and unlabeled data to accurately segment kidneys, tumors, and cysts on CT images, even with limited labeled samples. METHODS: An end-to-end semi-supervised learning model named MTAN (Mean Teacher Attention N-Net) is designed to segment kidneys, tumors, and cysts on CT images. The MTAN model is built on the foundation of the AN-Net architecture, functioning dually as teachers and students. In its student role, AN-Net learns conventionally. In its teacher role, it generates objects and instructs the student model on their utilization to enhance learning quality. The semi-supervised nature of MTAN allows it to effectively utilize unlabeled data for training, thus improving performance and reducing overfitting. RESULTS: We evaluate the proposed model using two CT image datasets (KiTS19 and KiTS21). In the KiTS19 dataset, MTAN achieved segmentation results with an average Dice score of 0.975 for kidneys and 0.869 for tumors, respectively. Moreover, on the KiTS21 dataset, MTAN demonstrates its robustness, yielding average Dice scores of 0.977 for kidneys, 0.886 for masses, 0.861 for tumors, and 0.759 for cysts, respectively. CONCLUSION: The proposed MTAN model presents a compelling solution for accurate medical image segmentation, particularly in scenarios where the labeled data is scarce. By effectively utilizing the unlabeled data through a semi-supervised learning approach, MTAN mitigates overfitting concerns and achieves high-quality segmentation results. The consistent performance across two distinct datasets, KiTS19 and KiTS21, underscores model's reliability and potential for clinical reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal demands for group housing of social farm animals such as rabbits are increasing due to animal welfare concerns. When breeding does are housed in groups, maternal protective behaviour negatively affects the reproductive performance of the does. In part-time group housing, does are housed in single-litter cages starting shortly before parturition until the first part of lactation and then group housed for the second part after their protective behaviour has diminished and the kits are more resilient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproductive performance of breeding does in a part-time group housing system with provision of escape enrichment and different group size (and concomitant different stocking density, as pen size remained unchanged). For each of the four consecutive reproductive cycles, 42 does with their kits switched at 22 d post-partum (pp) from single-litter to group housing for a total period of 13 d in pens of 200×102 cm by removing walls between four adjacent single-litter cages. Newly created group pens (N =12 pens per treatment) varied in group size, stocking density and enrichment: groups of either three or four does were divided over same-size pens with or without escape enrichment (2×2 factorial design). The escape enrichment was comprised of two sets of PVC pipes and two extra elevated platforms. Does were weighed and kits counted at parturition, after which kits were cross-fostered. Kits were counted and weighed again 22 and 35 d pp. Results for mean doe fertility (90.0%), number of kits (9.1 kits/litter) and kit weight (1037.3 g/kit) at weaning were comparable with professional farms using single-litter cages. No significant effects of group size and escape enrichment were found for any of the reproductive parameters. While housed in group, seven does were removed from the experiment, from which four does were severely injured. Post-grouping kit mortality was rather low (6.7%), but three kits were euthanised due to severe injuries. In conclusion, provision of escape enrichment and altered group size (and stocking density) had no profound effect on the reproductive performance of part-time group housed does.

Simple Summary: The housing of rabbit does in groups is nowadays a subject of study in the scientific literature due to the public's concerns about animals' welfare. Group housing of rabbits brings more social contacts and more space for manifesting their species–specific behaviours. However, group living has the potential to be more natural as rabbits live in colonies in nature, but the opposite is true. Problems with aggression among rabbit does are common in this type of housing. In addition, there are direct aggressive attacks by does towards kits from other mothers and this leads to economic losses due to higher kit mortality. There are various efforts to solve aggression among females, but most of them work with the implications of these procedures in intensive breeding, where the purchase prices of technology are very expensive. Therefore, this study deals with the solution to the given issue at the level of small farms, where the attention of the scientific sphere has been minimal. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of housing (deep litter + concrete floor vs. deep litter + ground soil with the possibility to dig burrows), and genotype (Mecklenburg or Hyplus) on aggressive behaviour, social contacts, does' and kits' injuries, and progeny mortality. Twelve groups of six rabbit does (n = 72) were assigned to four treatments (two housing systems and two genotypes). Aggressive behaviour of does, number of injuries on does and kits, and postnatal kit mortality were recorded. The effects of housing and genotype were tested using multivariate GLMM Models. We found that the housing treatment in interaction with the genotype had a significant effect on aggressive behaviours in group housed does (F3,12 = 14.34, p = 0.0003), where the lowest incidence of aggression was in Mecklenburg does housed on ground soil. Reduced aggression was reflected in a lower number of injuries in does (F3,68 = 10.51, p < 0.0001), number of injuries in kits, and kit mortality (F3,1 = 4.59, p < 0.0001, F3,54 = 43.94, p < 0.0001). The results indicate that the proper combination of genotype and housing should be carefully considered for breeding to reduce aggression and injury in group housed does. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing of breeding does in group pens can result in skin injuries and stress due to maternal protective behaviour and hierarchy fights. Aggression can be partly reduced by using single-litter cages during the first weeks of the reproductive cycle and by delaying the grouping of does with their litters until the kits are older. Hierarchy fights do still occur in these part-time housing systems, however. The present study evaluated the effect of group size and cage enrichment on doe and kit skin injuries and on doe social behaviour. During four cycles, groups of either three or four does with their 22-day-old kits were housed in group pens for 13 days. Pens were assigned one of the following treatments (n = 12 pens per treatment): group of four does with no additional enrichment, four does with additional cage enrichment, three does with no additional enrichment and three does with additional cage enrichment. Cage enrichment was comprised of plastic pipes and elevated platforms. As pen size remained constant, a change in group size also implied a proportional change in stocking density. The number and severity of skin injuries were monitored before grouping and at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 13 days after grouping. Video recordings from all group pens were scored continuously for doe behaviour during the first 24 h after grouping in the first and second reproduction cycle and for the first 8 h in the third cycle. Four severely injured does needed to be removed after grouping. During the first day after group housing, respectively, 72.6 and 13.0% of the does and kits acquired at least one new skin injury with respect to the onset of group housing. Compared with groups of four, does in groups of three had lower averaged skin injury scores (9.41 versus 8.40, P = 0.004). Of all observed postgrouping social behaviours, submissive behaviour was most frequently observed (42.8%), followed by aggressive behaviour (29.8%), engaging behaviour (25.1%) and non-aggressive social contact (2.3%). Does used the enrichment during 11.1% of the total observation time, during which the platforms were more frequently visited (97.2%) in comparison to the plastic pipes (2.8%). As shown by the percentage of injured animals on the last day of grouping (does: 61.9% and kits: 18.4%), postgrouping aggression remains a problem that appears difficult to reduce to acceptable levels by reducing group size (and stocking density) or by providing cage enrichment.

Simple Summary: On commercial farms, adult female rabbits (does) are usually kept in single cages without direct contact with conspecifics other than their kits. However, wild rabbits live together in groups with several adults and their kits, and single housing of adult domestic rabbits may affect both, their own welfare and the welfare of their kits. In this study, we focused on the welfare of kits and compared three different housing systems for does and their kits: single housing of does with their respective kits; pairs of does with their kits; and groups of three does with their kits. The kits' health and stress level were analyzed. The number of kits with skin lesions increased with increasing group size. However, when does were pair-housed, kits seemed to have fewer disease symptoms compared to the other treatments. With regard to the stress level, there was no clear result; however, kits in groups of three does did tend to have higher stress hormones in hair. We conclude that pair housing for does could be an alternative to single housing when considering the welfare of their kits. Further studies are needed to evaluate both, the effects of pair housing on kits and does. In intense breeding programs, rabbits are exposed to numerous stress factors which could affect their welfare and health. It has been suggested that group housing is more comfortable for does and similar to the living conditions of European wild rabbits. In this study, we compared three different housing systems—single housing; housing in pairs; and housing in groups of three does—to test whether there is a measurable impact on skin lesions, health, and hair corticosterone concentration (HCC) of their kits. The number of kits with lesions increased with the number of does kept together. The probability of kits getting injured was higher in groups of three does than in pens of single-housed does (p = 0.041). When does were pair-housed, kits seemed to have fewer disease symptoms compared to the other treatments. Concerning HCC of kits, there was no significant difference between the housing systems (p > 0.05). The mean HCC of kits was 2.94 pg/mg, while pair housing had the lowest HCC (2.59 pg/mg). This study focused on the welfare of kits from group-housed does. From this perspective, pair housing of does may be appropriate to allow social interaction between does without unduly affecting the welfare of their kits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal demands for group housing of social farm animals such as rabbits are increasing due to animal welfare concerns. When breeding does are housed in groups, maternal protective behaviour negatively affects the reproductive performance of the does. In part-time group housing, does are housed in single-litter cages starting shortly before parturition until the first part of lactation and then group housed for the second part after their protective behaviour has diminished and the kits are more resilient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproductive performance of breeding does in a part-time group housing system with provision of escape enrichment and different group size (and concomitant different stocking density, as pen size remained unchanged). For each of the four consecutive reproductive cycles, 42 does with their kits switched at 22 d post-partum (pp) from single-litter to group housing for a total period of 13 d in pens of 200×102 cm by removing walls between four adjacent single-litter cages. Newly created group pens (N =12 pens per treatment) varied in group size, stocking density and enrichment: groups of either three or four does were divided over same-size pens with or without escape enrichment (2×2 factorial design). The escape enrichment was comprised of two sets of PVC pipes and two extra elevated platforms. Does were weighed and kits counted at parturition, after which kits were cross-fostered. Kits were counted and weighed again 22 and 35 d pp. Results for mean doe fertility (90.0%), number of kits (9.1 kits/litter) and kit weight (1037.3 g/kit) at weaning were comparable with professional farms using single-litter cages. No significant effects of group size and escape enrichment were found for any of the reproductive parameters. While housed in group, seven does were removed from the experiment, from which four does were severely injured. Post-grouping kit mortality was rather low (6.7%), but three kits were euthanised due to severe injuries. In conclusion, provision of escape enrichment and altered group size (and stocking density) had no profound effect on the reproductive performance of part-time group housed does. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first objective of the study was to compare the reproductive traits of females of two medium rabbit breeds, Termond White and Popielno White. The traits evaluated were litter size at birth, litter size at weaning, and birth weight. The next step was to determine whether the breed of the sire influences the reproductive parameters of the females. As the study covered four seasons and five years, the authors also investigated whether there were differences in the reproductive traits of females depending on the season and year of birth. The litters for analysis were obtained by crossing female Popielno White (n = 49) and Termond White (n = 108) rabbits with males of the breeds Flemish Giant, California, New Zealand White, Popielno White and Termond White. The females were allowed to mate for the first time at the age of 4.5 months. Four seasons were established: spring (March-May), summer (June-August), autumn (September-November) and winter (December-February). The analysis of the maternal component showed that the Termond White does gave birth to significantly larger litters than the Popielno White rabbits. The weaned litters of Termond White does were also significantly larger than those of Popielno White does. Kits born to Termond White does were significantly heavier than the young of Popielno White does. The breed of the sire had no significant influence on litter size at birth or at weaning or on birth weight. Significant differences between birth years were observed in the case of litter size at birth and weaning and birth weight. Litter size at birth differed between 2019 and 2020. Litter size at weaning differed significantly between the year 2020 and the years 2018 and 2019. Significant differences between seasons were observed for litter size at birth and weaning as well as birth weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preweaning weight of kits has been related to their mortality during the suckling period. Selecting rabbit kits for individual body weight in the first days of life could be interesting; however, better knowledge of body weight’s heritability during the preweaning period is necessary to determine the opportune moment for selection. A total of 1696 growth records of kits from 81 females of the ITLEV2006 synthetic line were analysed in order to estimate the genetic and non-genetic parameters for individual body weight at birth as well as at 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days of age. The estimates of heritability (h2) for individual weight were between low (0.11 at birth, 0.16 at 5 days, and 0.17 at 7 days) and moderate (0.21, 0.21, 0.24, and 0.21 at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days, respectively). Weight at birth showed a strong and positive genetic correlation with weight at 5 days (+0.79) and 7 days of age (+0.78), but the correlation was low for the rest of the weight measurements (+0.41, +0.49, +0.54, and +0.54 with weight at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days, respectively). Weight at 5 days and 7 days displayed strong and positive genetic correlations with the rest of the weight measurements (higher than +0.83). The values of the common litter effect (c2) were high, and they increased with age from 0.43 at birth to 0.66 at 35 days of age. The values of the maternal permanent effect (p2) were low compared to those of the common litter effect (c2), varying between 0.04 and 0.11. In conclusion, opting to select for body weight at 5 or 7 days of age would yield a greater response compared to selecting for birth weight. This approach would indirectly increase the kits’ weight at birth and at weaning, thereby reducing preweaning losses.

Introduction: Optimal DNA and RNA quantity and purity is essential for downstream molecular biology experimentation and to avoid re-processing of sample. Despite availability of different kits and automated systems for nucleic acid isolation there is limited data on their performance evaluation, more so with pediatric blood samples, that are usually compromised in quantity. Hence, we evaluated the performance of automated QIAcube platform using pediatric blood samples in parallel with manual Qiagen extraction kits. Materials and Methods: A total of 500 samples were analyzed based on groups of PBMC and direct blood input. The isolated DNA and RNA were surveyed for quantity and quality tests by spectrophotometric and downstream analysis. Results: There was no significant difference in the DNA quantity (ng/ul) between manual and automated method based on similar sample input but quality (260/280) was significantly better with the QIAcube platform when direct blood and or PBMCs were used for extraction respectively (1.82 ± 004 Vs. 1.84.002; P-0.000008 and 1.859 ± 005 Vs. 1.843 ± 0.003; P-0.02). Moreover, the standard error mean was low for both quantity and quality in the QIAcube method suggesting uniformity. Comparison of quality assessment by spectrophotometer and qubit fluorimeter showed that QIAcube sheared DNA less (P- 0.038) as compared to manual method (P-0.013). Also, time taken to process the samples in QIAcube was 23% less than the kit-based method. Conclusion: Overall analysis of QIAcube platform suggests that it yields more better, uniform, and less-sheared quality of nucleic acid in a relatively less time as compared to manual extraction kits.

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of housing (deep litter + concrete floor vs. deep litter + ground soil with the possibility to dig burrows), and genotype (Mecklenburg or Hyplus) on aggressive behaviour, social contacts, does’ and kits’ injuries, and progeny mortality. Twelve groups of six rabbit does (n = 72) were assigned to four treatments (two housing systems and two genotypes). Aggressive behaviour of does, number of injuries on does and kits, and postnatal kit mortality were recorded. The effects of housing and genotype were tested using multivariate GLMM Models. We found that the housing treatment in interaction with the genotype had a significant effect on aggressive behaviours in group housed does (F3,12 = 14.34, p = 0.0003), where the lowest incidence of aggression was in Mecklenburg does housed on ground soil. Reduced aggression was reflected in a lower number of injuries in does (F3,68 = 10.51, p < 0.0001), number of injuries in kits, and kit mortality (F3,1 = 4.59, p < 0.0001, F3,54 = 43.94, p < 0.0001). The results indicate that the proper combination of genotype and housing should be carefully considered for breeding to reduce aggression and injury in group housed does.

This 2016 working document includes the proposed repertoire for the Khitan Small Script for its eventual encoding in the Unicode Standard. Subsequent modifications to the repertoire have appeared and can be found in the Unicode Consortium document register. The script was officially published in Unicode 13.0 in 2020.

Abstract Background A placental microbiome, which may be altered in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), has been described. However, publications raising doubts about the existence of a placental microbiome that is different than contaminants in DNA extraction kits and reagents (“kitomes”) have emerged. The aims of this study were to confirm the existence of a placental microbiome distinct from contaminants and determine if it is altered in GDM mothers. Results We first enrolled normal weight, obese and GDM mothers (N = 17) at term elective cesarean section delivery in a pilot case control study. Bacterial DNA was extracted from placental parenchyma, maternal and cord blood, maternal vaginal-rectal swabs, and positive and negative controls with the standard Qiagen/MoBio Power Soil kit. Placentas had significantly higher copies of bacterial 16S rRNA genes than negative controls, but the placental microbiome was similar in all three groups and could not be distinguished from contaminants in blank controls. To determine the source and composition of the putative placental bacterial community identified in the pilot study, we expanded the study to 10 subjects per group (N = 30) and increased the number and variety of negative controls (N = 53). We modified our protocol to use an ultraclean DNA extraction kit (Qiagen QIAamp UCP with Pathogen Lysis Tube S), which reduced the “kitome” contamination, but we were still unable to distinguish a placental microbiome from contaminants in negative controls. We noted microbial DNA from the high biomass vaginal-rectal swabs and positive controls in placental and negative control samples and determined that this resulted from close proximity well-to-well cross contamination or “splashome”. We eliminated this source of contamination by repeating the sequencing run with a minimum of four wells separating high biomass from low biomass samples. This reduced the reads of bacterial 16S rRNA genes in placental samples to insignificant numbers. Conclusions We identified the problem of well-to-well contamination (“splashome”) as an additional source of error in microbiome studies of low biomass samples and found a method of eliminating it. Once “kitome” and “splashome” contaminants were eliminated, we were unable to identify a unique placental microbiome.

In intense breeding programs, rabbits are exposed to numerous stress factors which could affect their welfare and health. It has been suggested that group housing is more comfortable for does and similar to the living conditions of European wild rabbits. In this study, we compared three different housing systems—single housing; housing in pairs; and housing in groups of three does—to test whether there is a measurable impact on skin lesions, health, and hair corticosterone concentration (HCC) of their kits. The number of kits with lesions increased with the number of does kept together. The probability of kits getting injured was higher in groups of three does than in pens of single-housed does (p = 0.041). When does were pair-housed, kits seemed to have fewer disease symptoms compared to the other treatments. Concerning HCC of kits, there was no significant difference between the housing systems (p > 0.05). The mean HCC of kits was 2.94 pg/mg, while pair housing had the lowest HCC (2.59 pg/mg). This study focused on the welfare of kits from group-housed does. From this perspective, pair housing of does may be appropriate to allow social interaction between does without unduly affecting the welfare of their kits.

What is important is to understand and circumvent the many parameters that determine the success of a touring show. These can include modularity, ergonomics, language of assemblers and expedient durability amongst many other issues. Adam Davis is Chief Creative Officer of TAIT – the architectural engineering and software company that has worked with everyone from Elton John to Beyoncé and U2. He explains TAIT's 'design spiral' approach and the benefits of collaborative creative processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Often relegated to a side note in conversations about curriculum materials collections, psychological tests deserve their own consideration in library cataloging. Libraries that are dedicated to psychology (or psychology and a related field, such as education) lend psychological tests either for reference or for usage in clinical training programs. These libraries, largely academic, have a need for guidelines regarding the cataloging of psychological tests, as those developed under the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, second edition (AACR2) are no longer satisfactory for Resource Description and Access (RDA) cataloging. This paper provides an overview of AACR2 cataloging guidelines and proposes new RDA best practices when cataloging psychological assessments, including kits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Este artigo apresenta uma ferramenta didática para o ensino de geociências no Ensino Fundamental, difundindo o conhecimento sobre o patrimônio geológico do Rio Grande do Norte (RN) e auxiliando os professores na construção de aulas práticas-teóricas sobre minerais, rochas e estudo do planeta Terra. O trabalho está baseado em três processos: elaboração, aplicação e análise sobre os kits. Os kits foram elaborados em cinco etapas: levantamento bibliográfico; coleta de amostras representativas da geologia do RN; caracterização e documentação dos minerais e rochas; montagem dos kits. A aplicação foi realizada em quatro etapas: visita guiada na exposição do “Museu de Minérios do RN”; oficina prático-expositiva com os kits; aplicação de teste para verificação da aprendizagem; e, entrega dos kits às escolas. A análise foi realizada mediante três técnicas de análise estatística para avaliar a aprendizagem e a descrição do caso estudado. Os 248 questionários aplicados revelaram o maior índice de acerto para questões que associavam minerais e rochas com aplicações cotidianas e tinham relação com o que foi apresentado nos kits, já questões respondidas com maior aleatoriedade contavam com conteúdos sobre gênese de rochas e aplicação industrial de minerais. A participação e interação são pontos positivos vistos na aplicação dos kits, os quais podem ser utilizados em sala de aula como material didático para aprimoramento de aprendizagem, dando suporte para conteúdos previstos na Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC).

SARS-Cov-2 first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and spread all over the world soon after that. Given the infectious nature ofSARS-CoV-2, fast and accurate diagnosis tools are important to detect the virus. In this review, we discuss the different diagnostic tests that are currently being implemented in laboratories and provide a description of various COVID-19 kits. We summarize molecular techniques that target the viral load, serological methods used for SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies detection as well as newly developed faster assays for the detection of SARS-COV 2 in various biological samples. In the light of the widespread pandemic, the massive diagnosis of COVID-19, using various detection techniques, appears to be the most effective strategy for monitoring and containing its propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of anaphylaxis appears to be increasing worldwide with cases in the community outnumbering those in the hospital setting. General practice (GP) surgeries and pharmacies, based in the community, are often the first point of contact for many patients suffering from anaphylaxis. Objectives: To determine if studied GP surgeries and pharmacies have an anaphylaxis protocol on site and have access to an anaphylaxis kit; to explore GP’s and pharmacists’ personal experiences with management of anaphylaxis. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was performed examining anaphylaxis protocols in a sample of general practices and pharmacies from some counties in Ireland. This consisted of a sample from rural and urban settings. The study commenced in October 2014. Results: Nineteen of 24 GPs (79%) and 9 (29%) pharmacies had an anaphylaxis protocol (P

Background: A placental microbiome, which may be altered in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), has been described. However, publications raising doubts about the existence of a placental microbiome that is different than contaminants in DNA extraction kits and reagents ("kitomes") have emerged. The aims of this study were to confirm the existence of a placental microbiome distinct from contaminants and determine if it is altered in GDM mothers. Results: We first enrolled normal weight, obese and GDM mothers (N = 17) at term elective cesarean section delivery in a pilot case control study. Bacterial DNA was extracted from placental parenchyma, maternal and cord blood, maternal vaginal-rectal swabs, and positive and negative controls with the standard Qiagen/MoBio Power Soil kit. Placentas had significantly higher copies of bacterial 16S rRNA genes than negative controls, but the placental microbiome was similar in all three groups and could not be distinguished from contaminants in blank controls. To determine the source and composition of the putative placental bacterial community identified in the pilot study, we expanded the study to 10 subjects per group (N = 30) and increased the number and variety of negative controls (N = 53). We modified our protocol to use an ultraclean DNA extraction kit (Qiagen QIAamp UCP with Pathogen Lysis Tube S), which reduced the "kitome" contamination, but we were still unable to distinguish a placental microbiome from contaminants in negative controls. We noted microbial DNA from the high biomass vaginal-rectal swabs and positive controls in placental and negative control samples and determined that this resulted from close proximity well-to-well cross contamination or "splashome". We eliminated this source of contamination by repeating the sequencing run with a minimum of four wells separating high biomass from low biomass samples. This reduced the reads of bacterial 16S rRNA genes in placental samples to insignificant numbers. Conclusions: We identified the problem of well-to-well contamination ("splashome") as an additional source of error in microbiome studies of low biomass samples and found a method of eliminating it. Once "kitome" and "splashome" contaminants were eliminated, we were unable to identify a unique placental microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract Antenatal care reduces maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity through the detection and treatment of some conditions, but its coverage is less than optimal within certain populations. Supply kits for maternal health were designed to overcome barriers present when providing care during pregnancy and childbirth particularly to women from underserved population. We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review on the use of supply kits. This manuscript presents the findings from qualitative studies that reported barriers, facilitators, and user’s recommendation in the adoption and implementation of any type of kit designed to be used during pregnancy or childbirth. This review included eight studies, and seven were implemented in developing countries. Most studies assessed the implementation of clean delivery kits to be used during labour and delivery, and contributed to gain insights into factors that may hinder or foster the use of kits. Clean delivery kits were conceived to cope with barriers related mainly to access. The most important barrier identified were those related to the socio-cultural and the lack of knowledge dimension such as who held the decision-making authority in the household, as well as popular beliefs behind the idea that birth preparation could bring bad luck, may prevent clients from adhering to their use. In addition, financial constraints and limited understanding of the instructions of use were accessibility barriers found. On the other hand, once used, clean delivery kits for maternal health were accepted by women and health workers. Convenience, hygienic components, and avoidance of delays in receiving care were viewed as satisfactory features. Supply kits are mostly affordable and easily deployable. Increasing awareness among the population about the offered kits and providing information on their benefits emerges as a critical step to foster use in settings where kits are available. Implementation of this strategy requires low complexity resources and could make the use of kits an accepted alternative to increase the use of evidence-based interventions and thus improve quality of care during pregnancy, childbirth and neonatal period mainly at the community level in low income countries and remote areas with low access.

Milk safety is a challenging global problem of human health concern. It denotes a condition of being protected from physical, chemical and microbiological contamination. The chemical safety of milk for various adulterants was determined by a number of qualitative analytical tests. It is important to know the detection capability of usual biochemical methods and available kits used for preservatives, neutralizing, diluting, thickening and non-dairy fat emulsifying agent to get aware all stake holders and regulatory agencies. Laboratory investigation revealed that the analytical sensitivity of most of studied kits and methods to recognize milk adulteration were up to pph (%) level. Only the formaldehyde and water (nitrate) tests confirmed low level of fraud and able to determine the tested concentrations up to ppm level. Other tests showed limitations in detecting the unlawful addition of adulterants at tracer amount and they may not be able to assure the complete absence of these substances in milk. Moreover, a number of variants were available for a particular qualitative test used in practice. Variation in amount of chemicals used in preparation, amount of reagent used in performance, variation in test procedure were also evident in different kits and methods. Therefore, there is an immediate need for development of rapid, easy and sure tests for detection of nature and extent of adulteration, uniform monitoring to regulate milk fraud and to ensure safe and wholesome milk to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) purification kits and DNA gel extraction kits have been widely used for DNA purification in laboratories worldwide. However, the uses of these kits are costly and produce laboratory wastes that have negative impacts on the environment; it is important to develop a novel method to overcome these drawbacks. RESULTS: Here we demonstrate that a saturated sodium iodide solution and a laboratory‐made washing buffer can replace the buffers in PCR purification and gel extraction kits for DNA purification and do not affect DNA purification capacity. These two buffers can be utilized to purify DNA along with the columns recycled from PCR purification and DNA gel extraction kits and can maintain DNA purification capacity that is comparable to that of commercial kits. For small‐sized DNA fragments, the buffers developed in this study are even more efficient compared to commercially available buffers from PCR purification and DNA gel extraction kits. The quality of DNA purified with these two buffers can meet the requirements of gene cloning. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a two‐buffer method that is used for both PCR product purification and DNA gel extraction. This method is simple, of low cost and beneficial to numerous laboratories worldwide. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to test the population more widely. Clinical laboratories have been confronted with a huge demand for testing and have had to make urgent preparations for staff training, to establish new analytical processes, reorganize the workspace, and stock up on specific equipment and diagnostic test kits. The reliability of SARS-Cov-2 test results is of critical importance, given the impact it has on patient care and the management of the health crisis. A review of the literature available for the period leading up to and including June 2020 on the reliability of SARS-Cov-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus) detection methods using real-time RT PCR (Reverse Transcription - Polymerase Chain Reaction) brings together the primary factors teams of scientists claim or demonstrate to affect the reliability of results. A description is given of the RT-PCR testing method, followed by a presentation of the characteristics and validation techniques used. A summary of data from the literature on the reliability of tests and commercial kits for SARS-Cov-2 detection, including current uncertainties with regard to the molecular targets selected and genetic diversity of SARS-Cov-2 is provided. The limitations and perspectives are then discussed in detail in the light of the bibliographic data available. Many questions have been asked that still remain unanswered. The lack of knowledge about this novel virus, which appeared at the end of 2019, has a significant impact on the technical capacity to develop reliable, rapid and practical tools for its detection.

The preweaning weight of kits has been related to their mortality during the suckling period. Selecting rabbit kits for individual body weight in the first days of life could be interesting; however, better knowledge of body weight's heritability during the preweaning period is necessary to determine the opportune moment for selection. A total of 1696 growth records of kits from 81 females of the ITLEV2006 synthetic line were analysed in order to estimate the genetic and non-genetic parameters for individual body weight at birth as well as at 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days of age. The estimates of heritability ( h 2 ) for individual weight were between low (0.11 at birth, 0.16 at 5 days, and 0.17 at 7 days) and moderate (0.21, 0.21, 0.24, and 0.21 at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days, respectively). Weight at birth showed a strong and positive genetic correlation with weight at 5 days (+0.79) and 7 days of age (+0.78), but the correlation was low for the rest of the weight measurements (+0.41, +0.49, +0.54, and +0.54 with weight at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days, respectively). Weight at 5 days and 7 days displayed strong and positive genetic correlations with the rest of the weight measurements (higher than +0.83). The values of the common litter effect ( c 2 ), varying between 0.04 and 0.11. In conclusion, opting to select for body weight at 5 or 7 days of age would yield a greater response compared to selecting for birth weight. This approach would indirectly increase the kits' weight at birth and at weaning, thereby reducing preweaning losses.p 2 ) were low compared to those of the common litter effect ( c 2 ), varying between 0.04 and 0.11. In conclusion, opting to select for body weight at 5 or 7 days of age would yield a greater response compared to selecting for birth weight. This approach would indirectly increase the kits' weight at birth and at weaning, thereby reducing preweaning losses.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a common pathogenic bacterium in food and water that can pose a threat to human health. The aim of this study was to develop loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in food based on the specific gene Ecs&#95;2840 and to construct rapid detection kits based on the established methods. Specifically, we established two methods of real-time fluorescent LAMP (RT-LAMP) and visual LAMP with calcein as an indicator. In pure bacterial culture, the cell sensitivity and genomic sensitivity of the RT-LAMP kit were 8.8 × 100 CFU ml-1 and 4.61 fg µl-1, respectively. The sensitivity of the visual LAMP kit was 2.35 × 100 CFU ml-1 and 4.61 fg µl-1. Both kits had excellent specificity and anti-interference performance. In addition, milk inoculated with 2.26 × 100 CFU ml-1E. coli O157:H7 could be detected within the reaction time after enrichment for 3 h. The results showed that the LAMP kits were rapid, sensitive, and specific for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in food and had good application prospects in food safety surveillance., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to optimize a radiolabeling method using cationic processed Ga-68 eluates from a SnO2-based 68Ge/68Ga generator, followed by the development of DOTA-Tyr3-Thre8-octreotide (DOTATATE) kits.Procedures: Diluted generator eluates were adsorbed on a SCX resin and desorbed with acidified 5 M NaCl solution. Optimized labeling conditions were determined by variation of pH, using 35 μg DOTATATE and sodium acetate buffer. DOTATATE kits were developed based on optimized radiolabeling conditions, were labeled, and evaluated.Results: Optimized labeling conditions resulted in a radiolabeling efficiency of around 99 % and radiochemical yield of almost 85 %. Different kit preparation methods did not significantly influence the radiolabeling results. Kits were found to be stable over 3 months.Conclusion: A labeling method using SCX-processed Ga-68 eluates was optimized. DOTATATE kits specifically for these SCX-processed Ga-68 eluates were successfully formulated. A post-labeling Sep-Pak C18 purification should be optional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article develops a classroom innovation proposal, incorporating experimental activity in master classes through the use of didactic kits to improve negative attitudes toward chemistry and lower repetition in a general chemistry course. It is possible to apply 8 kits, with their development, development of guides and use, giving positive results on the attitudes towards chemistry, considering its difficulty, the interest of chemical knowledge and obtaining an appropriate disciplinary learning. Additionally, the kits allowed obtaining a rate of loss of the course over 5% compared to 38% for the General Chemistry courses at the National University of Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]