Search

Peptidoglycan is considered a type of prebiotic or immunostimulant. However, the utilization of these substances in aquaculture remains limited, with no reported results in striped catfish. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of peptidoglycan on the growth performance and immune status of striped catfish. Fish were fed on diets supplemented with various concentrations of peptidoglycan at 0, 2.5, 5, and 10 g/kg of feed, named to PL0, PL2.5, PL5, and PL10 treatments at 4% of fish weight during 4 weeks. Blood samples were collected after 2 and 4 weeks of experiment (T2 and T4) for hematological indices and immune analyses, including lysozyme and peroxidase activities. Results demonstrated that no significant differences were found in fish growth, survival rate, and intestinal indices. The improvements in feed conversion and protein efficiency ratios were observed in PL2.5-fed fish compared to the control. Peroxidase activity in PL10 group was higher than PL0 at T4 while the highest value of lysozyme activity was recorded in fish fed PL10 at T2. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of peptidoglycan at 2.5 g per kg of diet induced a beneficial effect on feed utilization, while positive influences on immune parameters were recorded in fish fed on a diet added peptidoglycan at 10 g/kg feed.

Abstract Background To formulate effective strategies for antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in primary care, it is crucial to gain a thorough understanding of factors influencing prescribers' behavior within the context. This qualitative study utilizes the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to uncover these influential factors. Methods We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with primary care workers in two provinces in rural Vietnam. Data analysis employed a combined inductive and deductive approach, with the deductive aspect grounded in the TDF. Results Thirty-eight doctors, doctor associates, and pharmacists participated in twenty-two interviews and two focus group discussions. We identified sixteen themes, directly mapping onto seven TDF domains: knowledge, skills, behavioral regulation, environmental context and resources, social influences, social/professional role and identity, and optimism. Factors driving unnecessary prescription of antibiotics include low awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), diagnostic uncertainty, prescription-based reimbursement policy, inadequate medication supplies, insufficient financing, patients’ perception of health insurance medication as an entitlement, and maintaining doctor-patient relationships. Potential factors facilitating AMS activities include time availability for in-person patient consultation, experience in health communication, and willingness to take action against AMR. Conclusion Utilizing the TDF to systematically analyze and present behavioral determinants offers a structured foundation for designing impactful AMS interventions in primary care. The findings underscore the importance of not only enhancing knowledge and skills but also implementing environmental restructuring, regulation, and enablement measures to effectively tackle unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in this context.

We give exact formulas for the subdifferentials of perturbed distance functions in a normed space. Our method, seemingly novel and different from existing ones, is to turn the involved problem equivalently to a parametric optimization problem and then apply variational analysis technique to the optimal value function. In the convex setting, we obtain new representations for the subdifferential of perturbed distance functions, which do not depend on the relative position of the reference point with respect to the input set, and which are described directly via the input data. Our results complement those of Wang et al. [J. Global Optim. 2010;46:489–501] and of Li and Bounkhel [Nonlinear Anal. 2014;108:173–188], which were established by different methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that if the total factor productivity A of an aggregative economy is right at the barrier $ \sigma +\lambda $ σ + λ , with σ being the growth rate of labor force and λ the real interest rate, then the unique policy to optimally control the economy is the same as the one for optimally controlling weak economies, where $ A \lt \sigma +\lambda $ A < σ + λ. This result gives a complete answer for the interesting open question raised by Vu Thi Huong in her recent paper [Optimal economic growth problems with high values of total factor productivity. Appl Anal. 2022;101:1315–1329]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-ordered metal tip array reveals prominent absorption at 1000–1550 nm. Near-infrared II-gold ring nanocone arrays (NIR II-GRNA) were prepared on conical anodic aluminum oxide structures. Plasmonic substrates were prepared via multistep anodization and pore-widening processes followed by metal sputtering. The NIR II-GRNA substrates were prepared on the conical tip by depositing gold layers using a vacuum coater. The controllable structures of the D25, D30, and D35 substrates in terms of tip diameters and gap distances were found to tune optical properties by adjusting the sputtering conditions. The plasmonic charge transfer between the conductive bridges in NIR II-GRNA predicted an additional absorbance mode in the second NIR II region using a finite element method. The NIR II-GRNA substrate exhibited high sensitivity and repeatability of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) owing to its water repellence and the resonance modes of its absorbance spectra. Poly-(N-isopropylacrylamide) was introduced to demonstrate the photosensitive temperature-dependent SERS platform triggered by the NIR II light irradiation. The D25 substrate exhibited enhanced cancer cell killing upon NIR II irradiation at 1550 nm. Plasmonic nanocone materials can have the potential for NIR II applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]