The impact of bacterial contamination of the ejaculate and extender on the quality of swine semen doses

The aim of this study was to verify the influence of the degree of bacterial contamination of boar ejaculate and semen extender on the quality of semen doses. The experiment was conducted in four boar studs, from which raw semen and two semen doses from each ejaculate were collected to evaluate the number of colony-forming units (CFU), pH, sperm morphology and motility. Extender samples were also evaluated for CFU. Ejaculates that had higher levels of contamination ( > 220 CFU mL-1) resulted in semen doses with a greater degree of bacterial contamination but with no reduction in motility or alteration in pH. When the semen doses were classified according to the degree of contamination of the extender, a decrease in motility was observed after 108 and 168 h of storage (P < 0.05) in the group whose extender had ? 14,000 CFU mL-1 versus the group whose extender had ? 330 CFU mL-1. The pH remained stable during 168 h of storage in semen doses with extender that had lower contamination levels, but decreased from 7.2 to 6.0 between 24 and 168 h of storage (P < 0.05) in the group with extender that had higher levels of contamination. A higher number of abnormal acrosomes (P < 0.05) were observed after 168 h of storage in the semen doses whose extender was highly contaminated. The production of semen doses with low bacterial contamination and high sperm cell viability will only be possible with a strict hygienic control in semen processing, primarily with respect to the extender, combined with minimal contamination during collection.

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Assessment of Shallow Groundwater Purification Processes after the Construction of a Municipal Sewerage Network

Water ◽

10.3390/w13141946 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 1946

Author(s):

Tamás Mester ◽

György Szabó ◽

Dániel Balla

Keyword(s):

Shallow Groundwater ◽

Degree Of Contamination ◽

Multivariate Statistical ◽

Groundwater Levels ◽

Groundwater Supply ◽

Spatial Differences ◽

Long Time ◽

The Impact ◽

Sewerage Network

In the present study, the impact of the construction of the sewerage network (2014) on groundwater quality was studied on the example of a middle-sized settlement in the Great Hungarian Plain and changes in water quality were assessed using GIS and multivariate statistical analysis. As a result of the pollution that has been going on for decades, the groundwater supply of the municipality has become heavily polluted. In the period before sewerage (2011–2013), clear spatial differences were shown in the degree of contamination in the area of the settlement: the degree of contamination increased in the direction of local groundwater flow. Based on our results, the construction of the sewerage network resulted in marked changes in the quality of groundwater wells. Our studies showed a clear decrease in the concentrations of inorganic pollutants (NH4+, NO2−, NO3−, PO43−). In the fifth year of the post-sewerage period (2019), the clear spatial difference between wells was eliminated. We have observed a strong descent (1.5 to 2 m) in groundwater levels in the post-sewerage period, the reason for that is clearly due to that wastewater outflow was eliminated. On this basis, it can be declared that the purification processes in the area have started, but at the same time, our results show that pollutants entering environment undergo a number of transformations and remain in the system for a long time.

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Evaluating the effects of cellulolytic enzymes and Lactobacillus bulgaricus on mycotoxins production and the quality of maize silage

BioResources ◽

10.15376/biores.16.4.8366-8378 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 8366-8378

Author(s):

Marwah M. Bakri

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Lactobacillus Bulgaricus ◽

Cellulolytic Enzymes ◽

Cellulolytic Enzyme ◽

Maize Silage ◽

Chromatography Analysis ◽

Colony Forming Units ◽

Mycotoxigenic Fungi ◽

The Impact

Fungal spoilage and mycotoxin contamination are two of the greatest hazards of silage. The present work was carried out to evaluate the impact of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and cellulolytic enzymes on the maize silage (MS) quality. Fungal analysis of different MS samples showed different mycotoxigenic fungi. The highest frequency (62.8%) was associated with Fusarium spp. Four species with different relative densities were found: F. graminearum (71.1%), F. culmorum (15.2%), F. proliferatum (11.2%), and F. oxysporum (2.50 %). High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed the presence of trichothecene, nivalenol, zearalenone, and fumonisins mycotoxins in MS inoculated by F. graminearum. The inhibition % of trichothecene, nivalenol, and zearalenone synthesis was 50.2%, 47.5%, and 23.5%, respectively, in MS inoculated by Lactobacillus bulgaricus after a 30 d incubation period. Trichoderma harzianum succeeded in producing cellulolytic enzymes, i.e., carboxymethyl cellulase, manganase peroxidase, and laccase, with a maximum production of 350 µg/mL, 5.47 µg/mL, and 16.0 µg/mL, respectively, after 21 d using MS as the substrate. Treatment by the extracted cellulolytic enzyme with L. bulgaricus enhanced unfavorable conditions for MS fungal contamination, i.e., the production of lactic acid, a lowered pH, and increased L. bulgaricus colony-forming units, compared to the addition of enzyme extract or L. bulgaricus alone.

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Natural Products Self-Assembled Nanozyme for Cascade Detection of Glucose and Bacterial Viability in Food

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10112596 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2596

Author(s):

Qiuping Zhang ◽

Xinze Wang ◽

Yi Kang ◽

Hao Sun ◽

Yanmin Liang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Contamination ◽

Sugar Content ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Glucose Consumption ◽

Optimal Conditions ◽

Quality Of Food ◽

Self Assembled ◽

Contamination Levels ◽

Cascade Method

Sugar content and bacterial contamination levels are important indicators for the health and safety of food, respectively. Therefore, it is important to construct a method that can detect both glucose and bacterial activity. Herein, natural compounds (gallic acid and glucose oxidase) were assembled into nanozyme (GOx@GA-Fe (ii)) for mild cascade detection. The nanozyme catalyzes glucose to produce hydrogen peroxide, which is then converted to ·OH and oxidized colorless TMB from blue oxidized TMB. Under the optimal conditions, the method has a good linear relationship in the glucose concentration range of 1–500 μM (R2 = 0.993) with minimum detection concentration of 0.43 μM. Based on the glucose consumption of bacteria metabolism, the cascade reaction was then applied to detect the viability of 5 common bacteria. As such, a cascade method based on a natural self-assembled nanozyme was fabricated to monitor the quality of food.

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Self-Compassion and Quality of Life in Adults Who Stutter

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2020_ajslp-20-00055 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 2097-2108

Author(s):

Robyn L. Croft ◽

Courtney T. Byrd

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Social Connectedness ◽

The Self ◽

Future Research ◽

Self Compassion ◽

Adults Who Stutter ◽

And Gender ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify levels of self-compassion in adults who do and do not stutter and to determine whether self-compassion predicts the impact of stuttering on quality of life in adults who stutter. Method Participants included 140 adults who do and do not stutter matched for age and gender. All participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale. Adults who stutter also completed the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering. Data were analyzed for self-compassion differences between and within adults who do and do not stutter and to predict self-compassion on quality of life in adults who stutter. Results Adults who do and do not stutter exhibited no significant differences in total self-compassion, regardless of participant gender. A simple linear regression of the total self-compassion score and total Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering score showed a significant, negative linear relationship of self-compassion predicting the impact of stuttering on quality of life. Conclusions Data suggest that higher levels of self-kindness, mindfulness, and social connectedness (i.e., self-compassion) are related to reduced negative reactions to stuttering, an increased participation in daily communication situations, and an improved overall quality of life. Future research should replicate current findings and identify moderators of the self-compassion–quality of life relationship.

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Surgery for Lung Cancer and the Consequences for the Swallow

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/persp1.sig13.162 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 (13) ◽

pp. 162-168

Author(s):

Pippa Hales ◽

Corinne Mossey-Gaston

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Vocal Cord Palsy ◽

Subsequent Treatment ◽

Physiological Reserve ◽

Palliative Phase ◽

And Function ◽

The Impact ◽

Swallow Function

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers across Northern America and Europe. Treatment options offered are dependent on the type of cancer, the location of the tumor, the staging, and the overall health of the person. When surgery for lung cancer is offered, difficulty swallowing is a potential complication that can have several influencing factors. Surgical interaction with the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) can lead to unilateral vocal cord palsy, altering swallow function and safety. Understanding whether the RLN has been preserved, damaged, or sacrificed is integral to understanding the effect on the swallow and the subsequent treatment options available. There is also the risk of post-surgical reduction of physiological reserve, which can reduce the strength and function of the swallow in addition to any surgery specific complications. As lung cancer has a limited prognosis, the clinician must also factor in the palliative phase, as this can further increase the burden of an already compromised swallow. By understanding the surgery and the implications this may have for the swallow, there is the potential to reduce the impact of post-surgical complications and so improve quality of life (QOL) for people with lung cancer.

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