No abstract

Background Elevated lipids in umbilical cord blood affect fetal programming, leading to a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease in later life. However, the causes of changes in the lipid profile of umbilical cord blood are not clear yet. This study aimed for the first time to determine the association of asprosin concentration with TAG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C concentrations and TAG/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio in umbilical cord blood as well as newborn anthropometric indices. This cross-sectional study was based on 450 mother- newborn pairs of a birth cohort study in Sabzevar, Iran. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate the association of lipid concentration and lipid ratios as well as birth weight (BW), birth length (BL), head circumference (HC) and chest circumference (CC) with asprosin in cord blood samples controlled for the relevant covariates. Result In fully adjusted models, each 1 ng/mL increase in asprosin was associated with 0.19 (95% CI 0.06, 0.31, P < 0.01), 0.19 (95% CI 0.10, 0.29, P < 0.01), 0.17 (95% CI 0.09, 0.25, P < 0.01), 0.17 (95% CI 0.09, 0.25, P < 0.01), 0.01 (95% CI 0.00, 0.013, P < 0.01), 0.01 (95% CI 0.01, 0.01, P < 0.01), 0.01 (95% CI 0.01, 0.01, P < 0.01) and 0.01 (95% CI 0.01, 0.01, P < 0.01) increase in TAG, TC, LDL-C, TAG/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio respectively. Moreover, higher asprosin levels was positively associated with newborn BW, BL, HC and CC; however, these associations were not statistically significant. Conclusion Overall, our findings support the positive association between cord asprosin concentration and the development of atherogenic lipid profile in newborns. Further studies are needed to confirm the findings of this study in other populations.

The present study was conducted to investigate the probiotic role of the unicellular fungi, Aspergillus niger on growth performance, immunity, haematology and digestive enzymes in common carp, Cyprinus carpio. One non‐supplemented group (T0) was considered as control and two groups fed the fungi including T1 (fish supplemented with diet containing 1 × 103 A. niger) and T2 (fish supplemented with diet containing 1 × 106 A. niger) considered as the experimental treatments in three replicates. Fish were fed experimental diets for 60 days. The survival rate and growth parameters (final length and weight, weight gain (%), thermal growth coefficient (TGC), protein efficiency ratio and lipid efficiency ratio) significantly increased in A. niger supplemented fish compared with control (p < 0.05). The values of FCR (feed conversion ratio) and CF (condition of factor) significantly decreased after feeding experiment in fish of T2 and T1 compared with control (p < 0.05). The plasma levels of lysozyme and total immunoglobulin significantly elevated in A. niger supplemented groups compared with control (p < 0.05). The RBC (red blood cell) counts, Hb (haemoglobin) concentrations, MCH (mean corpuscular haemoglobin) and MCV (mean corpuscular volume) values significantly increased in A. niger supplemented fish compared with control (p < 0.05). The WBC (white blood cell) and Hct (haematocrit) value were higher in fish of T2 compared with control (p < 0.05). The number of neutrophils significantly increased in the treatment, T2 compared with control (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the lymphocyte counts significantly increased in A. niger supplemented fish compared with control (p < 0.05). The body composition of fish showed increases in the fish dry matter and protein content and decreases in lipid content of T1 and T2 groups compared with control (p < 0.05). The digestive enzymes (protease, trypsin, amylase, lipase and alkaline phosphatase), apparent protein ad lipid digestibility significantly increased in response to dietary level of 1 × 106 A. niger compared with control (p < 0.05). The supplementation of fish with A. niger also prompted the load of the fungi in intestine (p < 0.05). The results of the present study confirmed the probiotic role of A. niger in common carp, since it improved growth, immunity, digestion and the fish haematology.

The present study was conducted to clarify the effects of Lactobacillus salivarius (LS) ATCC 11741 and pectin (PE) on growth performance, digestive enzymes activity, gut microbiota composition, immune parameters, antioxidant defense as well as disease resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila in narrow-clawed crayfish, Postantacus leptodactylus. During 18 weeks trial feeding, 525 narrow-clawed crayfish juvenile ( 8.07 ± 0.1  g) fed with seven experimental diets including control (basal diet), LS1 ( 1 × 10 7  CFU/g), LS2 ( 1 × 109  CFU/g), PE1 (5 g/kg), PE2 (10 g/kg), LS1PE1 ( 1 × 10 7  CFU/g +5 g/kg), and LS2PE2 ( 1 × 109  CFU/g +10 g/kg). After 18 weeks, growth parameters (final weight, weight gain, and specific growth rate) and feed conversion rate were significantly improved in all treatments ( P < 0.05 ). Besides, diets incorporated with LS1PE1 and LS2PE2 significantly increased the activity of amylase and protease enzymes compared to LS1, LS2, and control groups ( P < 0.05 ). Microbiological analyses revealed that the total heterotrophic bacteria count (TVC) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of narrow-clawed crayfish fed diets containing LS1, LS2, LS1PE1, and LS2PE2 were higher than control group. The highest total haemocyte count (THC), large-granular (LGC) and semigranular cells (SGC) count, and hyaline count (HC) was obtained in LS1PE1 ( P < 0.05 ). Similarly, higher immunity activity (lysozyme (LYZ), phenoloxidase (PO), nitroxidesynthetase (NOs), and alkaline phosphatase (AKP)) observed in the LS1PE1 treatment compared to the control group ( P < 0.05 ). The glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity remarkably enhanced in LS1PE1 and LS2PE2, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content reduced in these two treatments. In addition, specimens belonging to LS1, LS2, PE2, LS1PE1, and LS2PE2 groups presented higher resistance against A. hydrophila compared to the control group. In conclusion, feeding narrow-clawed crayfish with synbiotic had higher efficiency on growth parameters, immunocompetence, and disease resistance compared to single consumption of prebiotics and probiotics.

Today, due to the end of fossil fuels and efforts to reduce the use of renewable resources, wind energy is a suitable option for the production of electrical energy due to its high-power generation. To increase the output efficiency of wind turbines, maximum power point tracking techniques are required for wind turbine energy conversion systems. In this research, the maximum power point (MPPT) method for two-way fed wind turbine systems (DFIG) is presented. The performance of the induction generator is presented on both sides of the power and the values of this generator such as speed, torque, voltage, current and maximum power at the time of wind speed changes. The presented work is presented in two scenarios and the model is performed without the algorithm then, a maximum power point tracking method based on the Colonial Competition Algorithm (ICA) has been applied to estimate the power of the two power induction generators. According to the results, it can be said that in the scenario with the algorithm of generating electric power by the turbine, several times in the production state is 9 MW, which is the rate of the turbine's nominal power, while in another scenario, the power generated by the turbine is 85% of the power in the state with the algorithm.