ABSTRACT The study was conducted to determine the effects of stocking density (SD, 5 or 7 layers/cage) and tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) diet supplementation at four levels (0, 1.2, 6 and 12 g/kg feed) on performance, certain egg characteristics, serum, liver, egg yolk and small intestine bacteria parameters in laying hens. The experiment was carried out over a period of 8 weeks, with 192 Lohman Brown commercial hybrids at 50-w-age. The results showed that an increased SD reduced feed intake (FI; p<0.01) and egg production (p<0.05), but had no effect on the weight gain, feed conversion ratio, damaged egg ratio, egg weight and egg quality (p>0.05) parameters. The supplementation of tarragon to the diet reduced the FI and damaged egg ratio (p<0.01), and improved egg production and FCR (p<0.01). While an increased SD reduced serum total antioxidants (p<0.05), it elevated corticosterone (CORT) and total oxidant serum (TOS) (p<0.05). Tarragon was found to enhance total immunoglobulin (p<0.05), but to decreased the CORT and TOS of the serum (p<0.05). An increased SD raised the malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum (p<0.001), liver (p<0.05) and yolk (p<0.001). Tarragon supplementation reduced MDA of the serum (p<0.05), liver (p<0.001) and yolk (p<0.001). E. coli and total Mesophilic Aerobic Bacteria counts in the small intestine were raised (p<0.001) with increased SD. Tarragon decreased (p<0.05) mesophilic aerobic bacteria. It was thus found that, tarragon supplementation can be considered generally effective in improving performance parameters, alleviating stress-induced negativities, reducing lipid peroxidation, regulating the immune system and controlling some intestinal microorganisms.

ABSTRACT Objective: The high-grade level of smear acid-resistant bacilli (ARB) positivity has been linked to increased infectiousness in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The ability to predict infectiousness is important in the management of the disease. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between smear results, the clinical features, and the levels of radiological involvement of TB. Methods: A total of 245 cases diagnosed with pulmonary TB were admitted to the study. Data including age, sex, case definition, numbers and characteristics of symptoms, smear results, smear positivity grades, and levels of radiological involvement were recorded. Relations between smear results and other data were determined via cluster tree and regression analysis. Results: The group with only coughing had higher rates of both positive smear and high smear positivity levels (p = 0.014 and p = 0.02, respectively) compared to the group without coughing. Similarly, the groups with moderate or high radiological involvement showed significantly higher rates of both positive smear and high smear positivity level when compared to the group exhibiting low radiological involvement (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with coughing and a moderate to high level of radiological involvement should be closely monitored due to their high-level risk of transmission.

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of the addition of Lactobacillus reuteri E81 (LRE) into rations of chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) fed under heat stress (HS) conditions on fattening performance and meat quality. This study included 256 chukar partridges aged 1 day. The study comprised an adaptation period of 7 days and a fattening period of 35 days and included 8 different groups with 32 animals in each group. Each group was further divided into four subgroups with eight animals in each subgroup. At the end of the study, the best results in terms of fattening performance in the non-HS groups were obtained in the LRE 600 ppm group and in the HS groups, SLRE 200 ppm had the best effect on average live weight and average live weight increase, whereas SLRE 400 ppm had the best effect on FCR (p<0.05). The analysis of the samples collected from chukar partridges on day 21 showed that, there was no effect on the colour parameters and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level in the LRE in the HS and non- HS groups, whereas the meat pH level decreased in the SLRE 400 ppm group (p<0.05). The analysis of the samples collected on day 42 showed that there was no effect on colour parameters in the HS and non-HS groups. TBARS level decreased at the dose of LRE 200 ppm in the non-HS group, and the meat pH level decreased in both HS and non-HS groups (p<0.05).